Snow Day #2

Sten lost a bet . . . his good friend mentioned that he had 50$ left in his account. Sten confidentally bet him 49$ that school would not be cancelled (today) due to an accumulation of snow. How do spell L-O-S-E-R?!

This would explain why one child is "sporting" snowboots. Scooters and rollerblades are the preferred method of travel on these cement floors and the kids insist on riding everywhere they go.

Squeaky Clean

Do the math! How can the smallest person in the household require the longest showers? It's a good thing that we don't have to pay for our water as she stays in the shower until the water gets cold or until she shrivels to the size of a raisin. Another thing that mystifies me is that I can let her know that she needs to be getting out soon (20 minutes into the shower), and she hasn't even washed her hair?! Also, how does this little person use 16 oz of cleansing products within a week? Something doesn't add up . . .

Cosmopolitan in the Country

Once upon a time, Jessica invited us to a party. Oh, she added - "Can we have the party at your house?" We couldn't say no - after all, it's a little bit "her" house too . . .


It was a "black tie" affair with these two penguins mixing the (virgin) drinks.

One of the highly compensated waitresses

Eager partygoers

waiting for more pics from a photograper that was present (hint hint)

a Slap on the Back

Sten nervously opened the envelope that was delivered in 5th period. What could it be? No, couldn't be . . . a letter informing him that he was "student of the month" for the sophomore class. Three cheers for Stennie!

Sten also participated in Districts for the swim team and during the 500 freestyle race (that's 20 laps), he was conservatively pacing himself. At the last turn, he was a body length behind the kid beside him but decided that he would be the first one to the wall. Oh yeah - he smoked 'em, taking 11 seconds off his previous time! Rah Rah Rah!

World Traveler

Scott is STILL in Virginia. I have changed his ticket 3 times and he is finally coming home on Wednesday. The girls are missing him terribly and Scott believes that the dog became physically ill due to his absence.

This weekend, he cruised up to Washington DC and took in the sights. He was able to see most of the monuments and visited Arlington Cemetery and witnessed the "changing of the guard".

The Obamas wanted to meet for lunch but he had a better offer . . .

Poor Pooch

Our dear lab Danner has refused to eat lately and has experienced some (er, umm) digestional malfunctions recently. We took him to the vet today and he could not readily determine a diagnosis so Danner is spending the night for observation (cha-ching). Danner turned into a beast as soon as we entered the office, barking and growling as if he was going to tear the vet into itty bitty pieces. Milah sat quietly in the corner, taking it all in - while Maren was busily chirping away asking any question that came to mind. "Do dogs ever go potty in here? What'cha doin? (as he was inserting the thermometer) Why?" They led Danner to a (glass front) cage and Maren hollered to me that he was staying in a refrigerator. Hmm, reminds me why I request such appointments when the kids are otherwise occupied.

Hopefully, he's back home tomorrow and on the mend. I don't think our Blue Cross/Shield policy covers the hound.

And yes, these are old pictures. Who are these adorable kids and where did they go?

What a Mess!

Perhaps this doesn't happen at your house, but . . . we had a horribly unsightly closet and an unfinished walk-in shower that was the dumping ground for things we didn't know what to do with. One night, in a moment of brilliance (or not), I cleared out the shower area which meant all that mess was in our bathroom. Problem is, after going through it all - we had to find the proper home (or burial) for every piece. Many of the things belonged in the office, so that led to a thorough cleaning and refiling project. At one point it was difficult to enter or exit as the piles were heaped - you know the "gets worse before it gets better" state? The kids were shaking their heads, I'm sure very doubtful that we would ever see the floor again. Good news is - we found things that we'd been searching for and I invite you to open a drawer and admire our well organized office (give me a few days on the basement). I love the feel of "deep clean", but the migratory nature it commands is a chore.

Remember When?

Road trips when I was young always included overnight stays at motels similar to this. It was always my job to point out "vacancy" signs and holler from the back seat of the Volvo when I spied a possible resting joint. My dad would fold up the maps while he sent my mom in to make the arrangements with strict instructions to "see the room" and "check the beds". This sometimes led us to 2 or 3 dives before finding a suitable spot. Once in the room, we knew what to expect. The walls would be cement block, the beds would be rock hard - outfitted with one sheet and a polyester bedspread which was never warm enough and seemed to slip off the bed at least once during the night .The T.V. would have 3 channels (that would have to be changed manually), the indoor/outdoor carpet would be stained, and the room would smell of cigarette smoke. We would immediately rummage through our suitcase, find our swimsuit and begin a relentless campaign of "can we go to the pool?"

Flash forward a few decades . . .

Scott is in Virginia Beach for 3 days. Before he left, we bought his plane ticket, made rental car and hotel reservations with the click of a button. We were able to "see" the (non-smoking) rooms and choose his particular seat on the plane. The bed was a luxurious pillowtop concoction and he was able to choose from 6 different pillows, the down comforter was cozy, he easily flipped through the 799 channels with a remote, and there was a desk and chair for convenience. Around lunch, he was looking for a bite. Trip advisor allowed me to give him some interesting dining choices, sitting 2950 miles away. No need for maps, cameras, guidebooks, or scrounging quarters for the pay phone - he has a smartphone in his pocket.

One thing hasn't changed however. The kids still wage the mighty pool campaign as soon as we get in the room.

Makes me wonder what the next 30 years will bring?

Snap On (for girls)

The males in this household have a "thing" for tools. We (the females) decided to get a power tool of our own. A cricut! For those of you who aren't familiar with these amazing creatures, they do die-cutting of paper, fabric, and vinyl. You can make your own vinyl sayings for walls and endless other things. Actually, the boys are impressed with our new gadget and have requested different projects of their own.

I recently helped update the office of a bark business. This board is going to be on the front of their check-out counter and would've been impossible without the cricut. Milah is a bit bummed cuz I am getting payed in bark - not too thrilling for an 11 year old. She was hoping for some coinage I believe. I will frame it in black, and will take pictures of the completed office shortly.

FYI: I did not use the sticky-backed vinyl material as it would have been too expensive. I just used black paper, and then glued each letter on the fiber board with watered down tacky glue (yeah, this was the un-fun part). I am in the process of doing a few coats of Modge Podge so little fingers won't grab the letters as it will be right at "little people" level. I wanted it to be wacky wonky due to it's whimsical nature and I didn't want to have to line everything up perfectly as I certainly would've failed miserably at that task. I do wish it was more "right justified", but I like it.

Scott leaves for a troubleshooting job in Virginia tomorrow, so he had a "to do" list to complete before he went - Sten completed a repair.

Leaving time for work on his personal rig

Meanwhile, the girls were busy in the neighbor's drop box. It is staged at a cabinet shop so they were scrounging in the sawdust for "good" boards.

A few of the treasures that they were thrilled with . . .

Let's get Cozy

This is our heat source - I love this picture (taken several years ago). The stove box is surrounded by water, which heats the water that flows through tubes in our floor. Yes, we have our favorite "warm spots" throughout the house.

This is the way we build a fire, build a fire, build a fire. Take a heaping garbage can of newspaper (that is a full size kitchen can) . . .

Grab some sticks of kindling out of our stylish kindling shed built by the master craftsman in residence . . .

Oops! Some of my less than desirable projects make excellent fire starter - sorry Auntie Carol

Several handfuls of wood later, she's creating some BTU's

Br-aa-aa-aa-kes!

You might be a redneck if you nearly hit a goat on the way into town.

It happened like this . . . I was hurrying into town, allowing a safe distance (yeah right) between myself and the slow moving Volvo just ahead, when suddenly the driver slammed on his brakes. This alerted me to the urgent need to either hit the ditch, the oncoming log truck, or come to a screeching halt. After lurching to a stop, I strained to see what had caused all the commotion. A GOAT! Deer in the roadways are common around here, a dog or cat - sure. But a jaywalking goat? With a collar? Get home Goat-ster before you are toast-er.

I heart YOU!

Does anyone like this candy? I think it's positively nasty!! Tastes like chalk.

Valentines Day is not complete without conversation hearts tho and they do look festive in a glass dish. Also, at the end of the season, throw them in a bag and save them for next year - it's a once in a lifetime purchase as there is a slim chance that anyone will actually partake.

Now, red hots are a different matter - they are tasty and they look adorable in a glass apothecary dish. My inspiration for this ensemble was from a favorite store in Eugene called Shamrocks. I love frequenting their store mostly to see their fabulous displays and ideas (same with Anthropologie). Oh, Who am I kidding? (turn me loose in there and I could do some serious damage)

Not anymore.
I am being good.
I have been rehabilitated.
I will leave my wallet in the car.

Oh did I mention they have killer sidewalk sales?

Shopping from my cupboards. Red accessories are not hard to come by in this abode.

Progress?

Busy Boy . . . Sten has spent the last two weekends working into the wee hours completely tearing down his trucks before he starts the rebuilding process. He plans to cut the frame on both trucks just behind the cab as the old frame is not long enough to handle the service bed. Then he will join the two frames. When he was younger, he used large quantities of duct tape to complete projects - but I'm thinking this is gonna need something a little stronger.

Sten has even recruited friends to help him - and he offers 5 star accomodations.

Side note: we purchased 2 fold up mats from Costco years ago (they are thick foam and fold in thirds, one side is fabric and one side is vinyl). They are very useful critters - great for sleeping outside or in other strange places such as shop floors. They don't fold compact but they are comfortable. Sure beats those blow up doozies that lose their air at 2:30 am. Costco still carries them occasionally - it looks like we may need a couple more.

This is what he was after. A 7.3 liter diesel engine. The stuff dreams are made of (apparently).

Junk pile - hmmm, need that radiator - Ryan and Will?

Senorita es muy bonita

It's tough to resist a party store. However when a party store is going out of business and everything is 90% off, it is even more difficult. I came out of there with a huge bag of loot for $8 and a few (necessary) items to add to the costume box. This lovely black wig was one of the bargains and Maren decided to wear it to school today - think anyone will notice?

A Stylish Snooze

I cannot sleep in the same bedding for more than a few months - don't know if that's a documented sleep disorder or not. I have an "itch" to change as the seasons pass. This is a duvet from IKEA and I got it (will not divulge). Kind-a boring by itself - until a trip to the fabric store.

Cover box spring with fabric. I like to do this if you do not use a dust ruffle - mine is really just a strip of fabric tucked under the mattress. Notice the stray piece of kleenex under the bed.

Add some color! I think I will change the other pillowcase to zebra print as well. And, I'm going to sleep peacefully (for a few months).

Accent pillow made from scraps. I recovered (well, I use the term "recovering" loosely) old pillows instead of buying new ones . . . don't look too close though . . .

She's held together with multiple safety pins! At a baby shower, one of the kids was the "winner" in a don't say the word "baby" game and I have used from that stash of pins for several years.

Junk Caravan

Guess you know where I'm going on Feb. 5th. My fellow junkies and I are loading up for a trip north. I will probably come home with noth'n but my mind will be swimming with ideas. Maybe I'll see you there!

Put your Chef's hat on . . .

Let me guess, you may have a convection oven and have never used it? Mom and I attended a convection cooking class last week and I thought I would share some things we learned . . .

Ok, this is gonna gross you out and you are probably going to turn me into the local health officials (or at least never eat at our house), but NEVER take a chunk of protein from the refrigerator to the oven. You must allow the meat to get to room temperature before cooking. Scott has done this for years and I have been a little squeamish about it, but we've never gotten sick and his steak is delicious. (this does not apply to seafood and hamburger - they must be refrigerated).

NEVER cook by time, only internal temp. Do not use the suggested internal temperature either, as that temp is for well (well well, I mean cremated) done. Keep in mind that you should not cut the meat immediately after removing from the oven, but allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. Also, keep in mind, that in that 15 minute window, the meat will continue to cook - so take out even earlier to allow for this. (the prime rib our instructor cooked, raised 30 degrees in those 15 minutes).

Use convection for everything except custards, quiches, and angel food cakes.

Reduce your oven temp 25 degrees and reduce the cooking time by 25%. This will save you $$ as your cooking time is less. For example: If I use all the racks in our oven, I can bake a batch of cookies in 8 minutes - using conventional bake, I can only use one rack at a time and it will take about 24-32 minutes. You can also bake multiple different items without the flavors mixing.

Quit peeking in your oven! Every second the door is open the temperature drops 10 degrees. Get a remote internal probe so it's not necessary to check it all the time by opening the door.

Stuck in the 70/80's?

If it seems kind-a quiet on here, I have been helping update these two offices lately (obviously these are the before pics). I have been a client in this office and always itched to spring from my chair and start rearranging things and peeling wallpaper. It has been fun to blow in, make suggestions, and let someone else do all the work. After they had the rooms painted, we swooped in to hang the artwork and arrange accessories. What a difference! I will post "after" pics when everything is done

Also, I have been helping my parents as they make decisions about their kitchen remodel. It all started when their range (that is in an island) needed to be replaced. Now it has "sprawled" to include knocking a wall out (thanks for your engineering expertise Uncle Ed), replacing all cabinets and countertops, purchasing all new appliances, and redesigning the space to include a peninsula instead of an island. My father is feeling anxious and physically sick over the cost (could be the colonoscopy too) but I believe he is secretly thrilled about it. He has firmly declared that the creep of remodeling will not continue down the hall and up the stairs.

What's Better than 1 Ford?

Sten is now the proud owner of, not one, but two Ford pickups. His plan was to purchase a powerstroke engine to put in the 79 Ford, but it turns out it is more cost effective to just buy the entire truck. Big bonus if that other truck (a '95) comes with a service bed and other parts he needs, bummer that it isn't 4 wheel drive. He has that speed bump figured out but now has copious HOURS of work ahead of him. I'm thinking that more than once during the process he's going to question why he didn't stick with a little simpler vehicle procurement program. Good thing he can call on his father for assistance and has access to a shop full of tools - his mother is worthless on this one.