Merry Christmas! Enjoy a few of the old MTV Christmas songs.
After the Monkees one, MTV sold to Viacom who slowly stopped playing music videos and turned it into the piece of junk that it is today.
So enjoy some classic rock n roll Christmas songs this year.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Monday, December 23, 2013
Power's Out
After I got home from work tonight, Kris and I had to run a couple of errand, including going to check on her dad, clean his apartment, etc. While we were there, I got a call from Sarah saying that the power had gone out. She was in the process of getting ready with her friend from next door to go bowling. Not having power put an end to that. Our side of the street was out, and across the street all the lights were on.
We ended up calling the electric company to report it and I was told that people had just started calling in so they didn't have anything to tell me as far as why and how our power went out, but said they would estimate the power to be back on by 8:30 PM (I called at 7:00). So we drove home to wait. The thing is that is was 2° outside and without power, the furnace doesn't work, so the temperature started dropping.
I debated last summer what it would cost to get a generator that would kick on when the power went out but thought that the cost would be excessive for the number of times we would need it in a year. But Kris pointed out to me that we lose our power at least a couple of times a year, whether during a thunderstorm, or something like this. A few years ago we lost our power early in the winter during due to a very heavy wet snow. It was out for more than 12 hours. At that time, at least, Kris could take the girls over to her parents' house. But we can't do that anymore. So I may end up rethinking this.
The power came on just before 10:00 PM, so it was off for almost 3 and a half hours and the house got down to 62° (I think - it was 62° the last time I checked it which was about 10 minutes before the power came back on), and it started at 68°. So at least we didn't need survival blankets to sleep. Let's hope it stays on now.
We ended up calling the electric company to report it and I was told that people had just started calling in so they didn't have anything to tell me as far as why and how our power went out, but said they would estimate the power to be back on by 8:30 PM (I called at 7:00). So we drove home to wait. The thing is that is was 2° outside and without power, the furnace doesn't work, so the temperature started dropping.
I debated last summer what it would cost to get a generator that would kick on when the power went out but thought that the cost would be excessive for the number of times we would need it in a year. But Kris pointed out to me that we lose our power at least a couple of times a year, whether during a thunderstorm, or something like this. A few years ago we lost our power early in the winter during due to a very heavy wet snow. It was out for more than 12 hours. At that time, at least, Kris could take the girls over to her parents' house. But we can't do that anymore. So I may end up rethinking this.
The power came on just before 10:00 PM, so it was off for almost 3 and a half hours and the house got down to 62° (I think - it was 62° the last time I checked it which was about 10 minutes before the power came back on), and it started at 68°. So at least we didn't need survival blankets to sleep. Let's hope it stays on now.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Bird in the Room
On Saturday, we took the girls up to Kris's friend's house for a pre-Christmas get together. Kris is her daughter's godmother so she gets her a gift every year. She is a senior this year and is joining the Air Force as soon as she graduates so this might be the last year getting together the way we have done in the past.
She had some other friends and family there and after being there for a couple of hours some of the guests started leaving. As the door opened when some of her friends left, a bird came flying into the house. All the kids started screaming and running out of the room. I thought that initially it was a bat flaying around the way everyone was reacting. It ended up flying around for about few minutes before someone was able to capture it and then let it go outside. It was really pretty funny. It was almost like the scene in Christmas vacation with the squirrel in the tree. If you don't know what I'm talking about, here it is. Enjoy.
She had some other friends and family there and after being there for a couple of hours some of the guests started leaving. As the door opened when some of her friends left, a bird came flying into the house. All the kids started screaming and running out of the room. I thought that initially it was a bat flaying around the way everyone was reacting. It ended up flying around for about few minutes before someone was able to capture it and then let it go outside. It was really pretty funny. It was almost like the scene in Christmas vacation with the squirrel in the tree. If you don't know what I'm talking about, here it is. Enjoy.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
UCA Qualifier
Last Saturday Sarah had her first real cheer competition of the year, the UCA Qualifier. I don't know why they do this competition, because they (the JV squad) doesn't go to nationals, so even if they get a bid, they can't go. And this year, the UCA qualifier is early. Usually they have a couple of competitions in before they get to it. Plus, it is on a Saturday night, whereas all their other ones are in the morning or afternoon. It is a daylong event at the Wisconsin Center for Cheer, Poms, and Dance teams. By the time we get there, all the refreshments are gone and there is no place to park. So I sort of dread going there.
This year, there was a Bucks game going on, and a Wave game all at the same time as their competition so traffic in downtown Milwaukee was a zoo. We ended up parking on the upper level of the parking garage across the street, which was lucky. And the temperature outside was in the single digits.
But on to the cheer routine.... The Falls was only competing against one other team, and I have to say that they were much better than the way they performed at the Indian Invite. Unfortunately, I was playing with the video camera's settings and I forgot to change them back before their routine, so the video I took didn't turn out very well. The good news though, is that afterward, I did figure out what setting I need to have it on so that they don't look all washed out. So now I should be able to have a decent video of their next competition.
As I said, they did much better than their first run, and they ended up finishing first. There weren't many fans there for them but we did what we could to help cheer them on. Next time I will see about bringing my cowbells. Sarah had someone take some pictures with her phone, so as soon as I get them from here, I'll see about posting them. Congratulations girls!
This year, there was a Bucks game going on, and a Wave game all at the same time as their competition so traffic in downtown Milwaukee was a zoo. We ended up parking on the upper level of the parking garage across the street, which was lucky. And the temperature outside was in the single digits.
But on to the cheer routine.... The Falls was only competing against one other team, and I have to say that they were much better than the way they performed at the Indian Invite. Unfortunately, I was playing with the video camera's settings and I forgot to change them back before their routine, so the video I took didn't turn out very well. The good news though, is that afterward, I did figure out what setting I need to have it on so that they don't look all washed out. So now I should be able to have a decent video of their next competition.
As I said, they did much better than their first run, and they ended up finishing first. There weren't many fans there for them but we did what we could to help cheer them on. Next time I will see about bringing my cowbells. Sarah had someone take some pictures with her phone, so as soon as I get them from here, I'll see about posting them. Congratulations girls!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Driving Practice in the Snow
Today Sarah and I did a little community service by volunteering at the St. Anthony's dinner and dance for disabled adults. Unfortunately we had a snowstorm which resulted in only about half of the people attending. What I did do though was take the opportunity to let Sarah get a feel for what it was like driving in the snow.
We got there early to do set up for the dinner. We ended up finishing early so we had about an hour to kill before people started arriving. The parking lot was empty with about 4-5 inches of fresh snow, so I thought it would be a good time for Sarah to get the feel of what it feels like driving in snow. It's a little different now since anti-lock brakes are standard, and with the traction control on my car, but it is still possible to get the car to slide around a little bit.
She didn't do too bad. There was only one small incident which I won't get into. One of the more important things that they don't teach you in driver's ed, which is something Sarah learned first hand, was the importance of having clean wiper blades. As the snow was melting on the windshield it was causing a little bit of ice to build up on the wipers, which made clearing the windshield a little difficult, and thus hard to see. But driving in the parking lot was much better than driving the first time it snows on the road, plus we didn't have to worry about possibly slamming into other cars.
We are only about two months away from Sarah getting her learner's permit. So far, I think, it looks like she'll do just fine. But I am still going to keep my fingers crossed.
We got there early to do set up for the dinner. We ended up finishing early so we had about an hour to kill before people started arriving. The parking lot was empty with about 4-5 inches of fresh snow, so I thought it would be a good time for Sarah to get the feel of what it feels like driving in snow. It's a little different now since anti-lock brakes are standard, and with the traction control on my car, but it is still possible to get the car to slide around a little bit.
She didn't do too bad. There was only one small incident which I won't get into. One of the more important things that they don't teach you in driver's ed, which is something Sarah learned first hand, was the importance of having clean wiper blades. As the snow was melting on the windshield it was causing a little bit of ice to build up on the wipers, which made clearing the windshield a little difficult, and thus hard to see. But driving in the parking lot was much better than driving the first time it snows on the road, plus we didn't have to worry about possibly slamming into other cars.
We are only about two months away from Sarah getting her learner's permit. So far, I think, it looks like she'll do just fine. But I am still going to keep my fingers crossed.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Chritmas Tree Lights
The unthinkable has happened, one of my strings of lights on the Christmas tree went out. This is the problem with having 2000 lights on the tree. Sooner or later there is going to be a string that goes out and then it's a pain to go back and replace them, because it requires more than just replacing the lights. It ends up requiring removing the lights as well as the ornaments and garland, reaching into the tree to unplug the lights and string new ones, then make sure that they are spaced evenly when the new string goes on.
So I get home from work after getting a message from Kris saying that there were lights out and see where they are. I started with wiggling lights and at first they came back on after trying two or three lights. I couldn't be that lucky though. A day later they were out again. And they weren't just out. Only half the string was out, and the other half was brighter than any other lights on the tree. I thought that couldn't be good for sure. So I had to unplug the string and go to the store to get some new strings. I figured I'd get a couple of extras too, just because I can always use lights since they are always going out. Usually it happens when I test them the next year after sitting in a bin for 10 months. I also got a couple more extension cords, because I thought that maybe the reason the string blew was because I had too many strings connected. The directions usually say not to string more than 4 string together, but I did have a couple of sets of four strings plugged into the same extension cord. I don't know if that would have made a difference but I thought it would only be better if I only used one extension cord per set of four strings.
It took me about 45 minutes to get the ornaments off, the old string out, and the new one plugged in and wrapped properly. After putting the ornaments back on and standing back to look at the top of the tree (which is where the string was out) I thought that I probably had wrapped the new string a little too far apart. But I wasn't about to go back and restring it, I just wanted it to be over and done, so I left it. Maybe I'll look for a few more ornaments to fill in around the top so it doesn't look so light on the lights.
So I get home from work after getting a message from Kris saying that there were lights out and see where they are. I started with wiggling lights and at first they came back on after trying two or three lights. I couldn't be that lucky though. A day later they were out again. And they weren't just out. Only half the string was out, and the other half was brighter than any other lights on the tree. I thought that couldn't be good for sure. So I had to unplug the string and go to the store to get some new strings. I figured I'd get a couple of extras too, just because I can always use lights since they are always going out. Usually it happens when I test them the next year after sitting in a bin for 10 months. I also got a couple more extension cords, because I thought that maybe the reason the string blew was because I had too many strings connected. The directions usually say not to string more than 4 string together, but I did have a couple of sets of four strings plugged into the same extension cord. I don't know if that would have made a difference but I thought it would only be better if I only used one extension cord per set of four strings.
It took me about 45 minutes to get the ornaments off, the old string out, and the new one plugged in and wrapped properly. After putting the ornaments back on and standing back to look at the top of the tree (which is where the string was out) I thought that I probably had wrapped the new string a little too far apart. But I wasn't about to go back and restring it, I just wanted it to be over and done, so I left it. Maybe I'll look for a few more ornaments to fill in around the top so it doesn't look so light on the lights.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Snow Blower
Another one of the projects I have been trying to get on is getting the large snow blower running. I don't think it has run on two years now. I ended up having to replace a fuel line that was cracked, and I was hoping that was the problem. But no, even after replacing it, the engine still won't start.
At first I thought it was the spark plug, but I replaced it and nothing. Then the electric starter didn't sound right, but I think I solved that problem too. So now when I try to start it, it sounds like the engine wants to turn over, but it just never quite gets there. I can smell gas, so I know it is getting fuel. I took the spark plug out and hit the electric starter and I can see it sparking, so I know that isn't it.
I tried taking the cover off and looking into the engine to see if I could see anything wrong, but I could only get a few of the screws out and the cover wouldn't come off without taking the whole thing apart. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get everything back together properly again, so I gave up and tried the starter again. I tried it until the starter overheated to the point where I had to let it sit before it would work again.
We're supposed to get snow this coming week, so maybe I will have it going before then. If not, then I guess I'll just use the small one for now.
At first I thought it was the spark plug, but I replaced it and nothing. Then the electric starter didn't sound right, but I think I solved that problem too. So now when I try to start it, it sounds like the engine wants to turn over, but it just never quite gets there. I can smell gas, so I know it is getting fuel. I took the spark plug out and hit the electric starter and I can see it sparking, so I know that isn't it.
I tried taking the cover off and looking into the engine to see if I could see anything wrong, but I could only get a few of the screws out and the cover wouldn't come off without taking the whole thing apart. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get everything back together properly again, so I gave up and tried the starter again. I tried it until the starter overheated to the point where I had to let it sit before it would work again.
We're supposed to get snow this coming week, so maybe I will have it going before then. If not, then I guess I'll just use the small one for now.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Tree's Up!
Usually this is one of my favorite times of the year, putting up and decorating the Christmas tree. But for some reason this year I am just not in the mood. Maye it is because I really wanted to put the tree in front of the window this year, but we kept the same tree we have had the past few years. So once again it got stuck in the back corner of the room. This year, I decided to tell Sarah and Alison they could be responsible for putting up the tree while I was doing other things, like getting out all the ornaments and cleaning out the space in the basement where all the Christmas stuff belongs. Ali started and got it about halfway up before I came p and finished putting the tree together. Then Alison tested out all the lights while I finished things downstairs. Then it was time for the lights.
This year I started stringing the lights from the top of the tree and worked my way down. I thought I was good when I was about 2/3 of the way done (if not more) and I was at 1000 lights. Unfortunately, the lower 1/3 of the tree takes the most lights. I ended up using all the lights I had, though I don't know if that was 1800 or 2000, I lost count. Either way the lights were all on by the end of the day Friday.
So today the girls put on the ornaments. I told them I didn't care what ornaments went on because we are at the point where the tree is made up mostly of their ornaments. They put on a few of ours, well I guess more than a few, but they put them all on and arranged them. That's another reason I wanted to put it in front of the window, we would have had more room for ornaments that we have with the tree in the corner. Oh well, maybe next year.
So this year's Hahn Christmas tree is brought to you by Alison and Sarah.
This year I started stringing the lights from the top of the tree and worked my way down. I thought I was good when I was about 2/3 of the way done (if not more) and I was at 1000 lights. Unfortunately, the lower 1/3 of the tree takes the most lights. I ended up using all the lights I had, though I don't know if that was 1800 or 2000, I lost count. Either way the lights were all on by the end of the day Friday.
So today the girls put on the ornaments. I told them I didn't care what ornaments went on because we are at the point where the tree is made up mostly of their ornaments. They put on a few of ours, well I guess more than a few, but they put them all on and arranged them. That's another reason I wanted to put it in front of the window, we would have had more room for ornaments that we have with the tree in the corner. Oh well, maybe next year.
So this year's Hahn Christmas tree is brought to you by Alison and Sarah.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Indian Invite 2013
Saturday was the first cheer competition of the year. And when I say competition, I mean performance because as the host school, the Falls was not able to actually compete. Their routine was just an exhibition. And it is a good thing. More on that in a minute.
Alison went on first with the Jr. Indian cheer team. It was the same routine they did at Jr. Indians night at the football game this year. They had a couple of crash practices the week before to refresh their memories, and Alison actually had to miss their first one because she had pneumonia. But they came out and did a pretty good routine. I'd include the video here, but it was really bad. I have come to realize that I must have some sort of setting wrong, because the camera is supposed to record in HD, but when I look at it, I can't believe it is HD video. I think it is probably something relating to the light settings because everything looks really washed out.
So... on to Sarah's routine. They had one fall, which wasn't bad. Their routine was not very heavy on the tumbling, which is quite different from last year. And speaking of last year, one of the other squads, the Falls' main rival in fact, pretty much stole the Falls' routine from last year. It isn't 100% the same but I would say it is about 75%-80% identical. Sarah said something about it to me and I had to say, there is a reason they stole it, it was a winner. I think that Sarah's squad took 1st place in all but one competition last year. But back to the critique of their routine... It wasn't bad, but I don't think it is as good as last year. If they actually were competing, I wouldn't have scored them very high. Sarah told me that they would have been in the Small JV category, and I was comparing them to the Large JV category. I didn't pay much attention to the other small JV teams so I can't really say where they would have finished, but I'll go out on a limb and say it wouldn't have been first. Their team was also down two girls who were concussed and were not allowed to compete. One of the girls got kicked in the head at practice by her flyer and was still dealing with the post concussion symptoms, and the other girl just fell and hit her head, if I remember what Sarah said.
The Varsity, however, is another story. They were awful! I think I counted them falling six times in addition to other flubs. I was actually embarrassed to say I was from the Falls. I shouldn't since it wasn't my daughter messing up, but I seriously felt horrible for them. I hear things from Sarah that I won't go into because I don't know who might come across this review, but if what she says is true, it doesn't surprise me.
So now on to the next competition, which is Dec. 7th, the UCA qualifier. Why they compete I don't know because even if they earn a bid to nationals, the JV team doesn't go. From what Sarah told me last year, if they get a bid, the Varsity ends up taking it, which doesn't make sense to me. But hopefully they'll perform well, and use the Indian Invite as a stepping stone to getting better.
Alison went on first with the Jr. Indian cheer team. It was the same routine they did at Jr. Indians night at the football game this year. They had a couple of crash practices the week before to refresh their memories, and Alison actually had to miss their first one because she had pneumonia. But they came out and did a pretty good routine. I'd include the video here, but it was really bad. I have come to realize that I must have some sort of setting wrong, because the camera is supposed to record in HD, but when I look at it, I can't believe it is HD video. I think it is probably something relating to the light settings because everything looks really washed out.
So... on to Sarah's routine. They had one fall, which wasn't bad. Their routine was not very heavy on the tumbling, which is quite different from last year. And speaking of last year, one of the other squads, the Falls' main rival in fact, pretty much stole the Falls' routine from last year. It isn't 100% the same but I would say it is about 75%-80% identical. Sarah said something about it to me and I had to say, there is a reason they stole it, it was a winner. I think that Sarah's squad took 1st place in all but one competition last year. But back to the critique of their routine... It wasn't bad, but I don't think it is as good as last year. If they actually were competing, I wouldn't have scored them very high. Sarah told me that they would have been in the Small JV category, and I was comparing them to the Large JV category. I didn't pay much attention to the other small JV teams so I can't really say where they would have finished, but I'll go out on a limb and say it wouldn't have been first. Their team was also down two girls who were concussed and were not allowed to compete. One of the girls got kicked in the head at practice by her flyer and was still dealing with the post concussion symptoms, and the other girl just fell and hit her head, if I remember what Sarah said.
The Varsity, however, is another story. They were awful! I think I counted them falling six times in addition to other flubs. I was actually embarrassed to say I was from the Falls. I shouldn't since it wasn't my daughter messing up, but I seriously felt horrible for them. I hear things from Sarah that I won't go into because I don't know who might come across this review, but if what she says is true, it doesn't surprise me.
So now on to the next competition, which is Dec. 7th, the UCA qualifier. Why they compete I don't know because even if they earn a bid to nationals, the JV team doesn't go. From what Sarah told me last year, if they get a bid, the Varsity ends up taking it, which doesn't make sense to me. But hopefully they'll perform well, and use the Indian Invite as a stepping stone to getting better.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Garage Door
This past summer we ran into a problem with our garage door. For a couple of weeks the electric eye wasn't working. So we were unable to close the garage door with the remotes. It would close, but you had to hold the button in the garage until the door was all the way down. The remotes still worked to open the door so I dealt with having to get out of the car to close it. Well that lasted for about a week and a half or two weeks, and suddenly the electric eye started working again, so I just left it.
I want to say it was sometime around the end of September that the eye went out again. After a week or two, I decided that the eye was broken and I needed to get a new one. I did hit it last winter with the snowthrower so I figured that it just took that long for the thing to finally give out. I pulled out the instruction manual to see if I could order spare parts (it is a Genie), and there was a section for doing that, however, the only part not included was the electric eye. Seriously, why would I need to order a spare track for the door arm, but they don't feel it necessary to include the electric eye. So I got the 800 number to call and see if I could get a replacement, and I couldn't even get past the automated messages unless I had the model number and serial number of the door (which is located behind some panel up on the motor. I was calling during the day from work, so I had to wait until I got home to get it. Unfortunately, I was busy with other things when I got home and I never got around to getting the ladder out and taking the panel off.
That was back in the middle of October, because I was still working at Krueger at the time. With the cold weather that just got here, I decided I needed to get on it. I thought I would try looking on the Genie website and seeing if I could just order it online. Well they didn't even list my model on their site. As a last resort I just searched replacement Genie garage door parts. It took me about 60 seconds to find a place to order a replacement electric eye, and in all places, Amazon. And it only cost me $15 + shipping. The part got here last Friday and I took the old eye and receptor out and put the new ones in in about 10 minutes. It's working as good as new now, which is nice because it would have really sucked having to get out of the car in the snow yesterday to close the garage door before going to work. I could kick myself for not just searching for the part online first.
I want to say it was sometime around the end of September that the eye went out again. After a week or two, I decided that the eye was broken and I needed to get a new one. I did hit it last winter with the snowthrower so I figured that it just took that long for the thing to finally give out. I pulled out the instruction manual to see if I could order spare parts (it is a Genie), and there was a section for doing that, however, the only part not included was the electric eye. Seriously, why would I need to order a spare track for the door arm, but they don't feel it necessary to include the electric eye. So I got the 800 number to call and see if I could get a replacement, and I couldn't even get past the automated messages unless I had the model number and serial number of the door (which is located behind some panel up on the motor. I was calling during the day from work, so I had to wait until I got home to get it. Unfortunately, I was busy with other things when I got home and I never got around to getting the ladder out and taking the panel off.
That was back in the middle of October, because I was still working at Krueger at the time. With the cold weather that just got here, I decided I needed to get on it. I thought I would try looking on the Genie website and seeing if I could just order it online. Well they didn't even list my model on their site. As a last resort I just searched replacement Genie garage door parts. It took me about 60 seconds to find a place to order a replacement electric eye, and in all places, Amazon. And it only cost me $15 + shipping. The part got here last Friday and I took the old eye and receptor out and put the new ones in in about 10 minutes. It's working as good as new now, which is nice because it would have really sucked having to get out of the car in the snow yesterday to close the garage door before going to work. I could kick myself for not just searching for the part online first.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Plumbing Woes
When it comes to doing home improvement projects there are certain things that I just cannot stand doing, mainly because I suck at them. Number one would be electrical work, either because I am afraid I'll shock myself, or I will end up wiring something wrong and end up causing a fire. But a close second would be plumbing work, which was the main reason I hired someone to redo out bathroom.
However, Sunday morning Kris called me to the bathroom after she was done with her shower. The tub was probably a good 3 to 4 inches deep in standing water. I immediately thought that the girls had not put the hair strainer in place and there was a big hair clog in there. I tried snaking it a little bit but I didn't get anything up, so at 9:30 Sunday morning I had to go to Home Depot to look for Drano. I was hesitant to pour it in, because if it didn't work, I was going to have a tub full of caustic chemicals. But I did it anyway. And as expected, it didn't work. So I was forced to take the access panel off and take the trap apart.
I had to reach in and close the drain to keep the tub from draining while I cleaned out the pipes. Well, unfortunately, there was no clog in the trap. So I went from the trap back to the drain, also no clog. So I determined that the clog was past the trap which required taking even more pipes apart to snake them.
This was all a result (in my opinion) of the contractor not doing what I wanted with the drain. We had a fixed, pop-up drain previously that I hated because the drain would always get clogged with the girls' hair, and I could never snake it. And because of the pop-up drain, I couldn't use one of those plastic hair strainers. I had asked for just a plain, flat drain, but Kris had also asked to get a drain that matched the bath fixtures so we ended up with another pop-up drain. At least I was able to find a tub strainer, but the slits in it are bigger than I would like and I think a lot of hair still goes down the drain.
Anyway, having the access panel off at least also allowed me to finally fix another flaw that the contractor left us, that being he did not seal the bathtub overflow pipe. Shortly after he finished We ended up with water all over because the overflow pipe leaked. So since September no one had been able to take a bath. I found this out all by mistake though as I was trying to fix the clog in the tub. I was trying to go though the overflow pipe to snake the drain so I had to take the cover off which is when I found out that there was no gasket around it.
At least now, the pipes are all clean and sealed, and it only took me 5 hours. And at least it was less painful than watching the Packers game yesterday.
However, Sunday morning Kris called me to the bathroom after she was done with her shower. The tub was probably a good 3 to 4 inches deep in standing water. I immediately thought that the girls had not put the hair strainer in place and there was a big hair clog in there. I tried snaking it a little bit but I didn't get anything up, so at 9:30 Sunday morning I had to go to Home Depot to look for Drano. I was hesitant to pour it in, because if it didn't work, I was going to have a tub full of caustic chemicals. But I did it anyway. And as expected, it didn't work. So I was forced to take the access panel off and take the trap apart.
I had to reach in and close the drain to keep the tub from draining while I cleaned out the pipes. Well, unfortunately, there was no clog in the trap. So I went from the trap back to the drain, also no clog. So I determined that the clog was past the trap which required taking even more pipes apart to snake them.
This was all a result (in my opinion) of the contractor not doing what I wanted with the drain. We had a fixed, pop-up drain previously that I hated because the drain would always get clogged with the girls' hair, and I could never snake it. And because of the pop-up drain, I couldn't use one of those plastic hair strainers. I had asked for just a plain, flat drain, but Kris had also asked to get a drain that matched the bath fixtures so we ended up with another pop-up drain. At least I was able to find a tub strainer, but the slits in it are bigger than I would like and I think a lot of hair still goes down the drain.
Anyway, having the access panel off at least also allowed me to finally fix another flaw that the contractor left us, that being he did not seal the bathtub overflow pipe. Shortly after he finished We ended up with water all over because the overflow pipe leaked. So since September no one had been able to take a bath. I found this out all by mistake though as I was trying to fix the clog in the tub. I was trying to go though the overflow pipe to snake the drain so I had to take the cover off which is when I found out that there was no gasket around it.
At least now, the pipes are all clean and sealed, and it only took me 5 hours. And at least it was less painful than watching the Packers game yesterday.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Halloween Update
Sarah finally gave me pictures if their cheer practice so if you want to see what she did for Halloween, go back and check out the Halloween post.
First Illness of the Season
November is only half over and we already have our first illness of the winter. Alison came down with a cold earlier in the week on Tuesday. She had testing that day as well as having it be her first day of phy ed for the semester which meant she was getting her locker assignment. Against my better judgement I let her just take some ibuprofen and go to school. By the end of the day she had a fever of almost 102. So she stayed home Wednesday and Thursday.
When Kris got home from work Thursday afternoon, Ali's temperature was over 104, so Kris called the doctor. She was able to get the last appointment of the day at around 7:40 PM. Her doctor said he heard her coughing in the waiting area and that she didn't sound good. He listened extra long to her lungs and ordered a chest x-ray because he thought he heard a touch of pneumonia and wanted to make sure. He looked at the x-ray and said it looked suspicious, but he couldn't tell for sure and the x-ray tech had gone home for the day and wouldn't be able to read the film until morning.
Kris got the call the next day that Alison did indeed have pneumonia again. I think that is the 4th time in the last five years she has developed pneumonia. One other thing the doctor said was that he thought he heard a touch of asthma in Ali's breathing, and that it isn't uncommon to develop it because of the pneumonia scarring the lungs a little bit. So that is something we will have to keep an eye on. The tech that Kris talked to also told her that unfortunately the more you get pneumonia, the more susceptible you are to it. So now we'll have to be very careful every time that Alison gets a cold to make sure it doesn't develop into pneumonia again.
As of this morning, though, her fever is gone and she is feeling much better after having a couple of days of antibiotics in her system. She still has a cough, but hopefully the inhaler and antibiotics will help clear that up quickly.
When Kris got home from work Thursday afternoon, Ali's temperature was over 104, so Kris called the doctor. She was able to get the last appointment of the day at around 7:40 PM. Her doctor said he heard her coughing in the waiting area and that she didn't sound good. He listened extra long to her lungs and ordered a chest x-ray because he thought he heard a touch of pneumonia and wanted to make sure. He looked at the x-ray and said it looked suspicious, but he couldn't tell for sure and the x-ray tech had gone home for the day and wouldn't be able to read the film until morning.
Kris got the call the next day that Alison did indeed have pneumonia again. I think that is the 4th time in the last five years she has developed pneumonia. One other thing the doctor said was that he thought he heard a touch of asthma in Ali's breathing, and that it isn't uncommon to develop it because of the pneumonia scarring the lungs a little bit. So that is something we will have to keep an eye on. The tech that Kris talked to also told her that unfortunately the more you get pneumonia, the more susceptible you are to it. So now we'll have to be very careful every time that Alison gets a cold to make sure it doesn't develop into pneumonia again.
As of this morning, though, her fever is gone and she is feeling much better after having a couple of days of antibiotics in her system. She still has a cough, but hopefully the inhaler and antibiotics will help clear that up quickly.
Cheer Preview
Thursday night after Sarah's cheerleading practice we had a special preview of the girls' routine. Their first "competition" of the year is this coming Saturday. it isn't an actual competition because it is their own competition (the Indian Invite) so they can only perform as an exhibition. The coaches asked the parents to come see their routine and learn the cheers so that we can help by cheering along. Apparently the judges award points based on crowd participation so obviously we are going to want to help out be cheering along.
I have to say that from what I saw, they are going to need our help this year. Their routine, in my opinion, leaves a little to be desired. Last year's routine was much better. This year there is less tumbling, their cheer doesn't have a lot of rhythm to it, and their dance routine is sort of simplistic. Sarah said they have adjusted it already from what it originally was, and they will probably tweak it a little more before their first actual competition, but I don't think they'll have the same amount of success as they had last year, unfortunately. I hope they can improve things enough to at least be respectable.
I have to say that from what I saw, they are going to need our help this year. Their routine, in my opinion, leaves a little to be desired. Last year's routine was much better. This year there is less tumbling, their cheer doesn't have a lot of rhythm to it, and their dance routine is sort of simplistic. Sarah said they have adjusted it already from what it originally was, and they will probably tweak it a little more before their first actual competition, but I don't think they'll have the same amount of success as they had last year, unfortunately. I hope they can improve things enough to at least be respectable.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Christmas Prep
On Sunday I had to run to the hardware store to look for a replacement fuel line for the large snowblower (that's another story all together). While I was there I took a walk through the Christmas section. The reason being that I was thinking I need to replace the lights on my Christmas tree. With the number of lights that I put on, the room gets heated to the point where the furnace won't go on, and then the rest of the house is freezing.
Last year I was looking at LED lights instead of the mini incandescent lights, and a string of 100 was something like $20 a string. I think I figured it would have been about $500 to replace all the lights on the tree, which is quite ridiculous. Well the price hasn't come down all the much. I think I might wait a couple of weeks and see if they go on sale at all. A string of 100 regular lights was $2.50. So is it worth paying almost 10 times more in the long run? I suppose they won't ever burn out, so replacement costs won't be anything, but I just don't know if I can justify spending that much on lights for the tree. Maybe if we rearrange the room, I can put it in front of the window and away from the thermostat and that will solve the problem without having to break the bank for new lights.
Last year I was looking at LED lights instead of the mini incandescent lights, and a string of 100 was something like $20 a string. I think I figured it would have been about $500 to replace all the lights on the tree, which is quite ridiculous. Well the price hasn't come down all the much. I think I might wait a couple of weeks and see if they go on sale at all. A string of 100 regular lights was $2.50. So is it worth paying almost 10 times more in the long run? I suppose they won't ever burn out, so replacement costs won't be anything, but I just don't know if I can justify spending that much on lights for the tree. Maybe if we rearrange the room, I can put it in front of the window and away from the thermostat and that will solve the problem without having to break the bank for new lights.
I Hate Leaves
It is an unavoidable nuisance of autumn, having to rake leaves. And luckily for me, my trees don't drop their leaves at the same time. The maple tree closest to the house in the backyard starts dropping them about the second week of October, and the one closest to the fence about a week later. And they usually drop for about a week. That doesn't include the tress in the front yard near the street.
This year we are about a week later than usual. I got all the leaves up from the first tree the week before Halloween and I was just waiting for the leaves from the big tree in back to fall. Then came the rain and wind on Halloween. It knocked half the leaves off in the backyard and all the leaves in the front were falling and blown around. Of course the village came around to collect leaves on November 1st, when no one had their leaves raked up from the rain that came through on Halloween. So of course everyone raked them into the street the next day or two when it was dry, me included.
Over the course of the week, we had even more fall so to help me out, Sarah and Kris raked the yard on Friday when she was home from school, so most everything was in the street when I got home on Friday night. Then Saturday we had more rain and winds gusting to 30-35 mph. It was like they never raked at all, and to make things worse, it was like all the leaves up and down the street ended up in my yard. In fact, there were no piles of leaves left on the opposite side of the street.
So I ended up spending three hours on Sunday re-raking and using the yard vac to get them all up again and back into the street. As a result, I missed the first half of the Packers game vs. the Eagles, though I didn't miss anything. So now I have the biggest piles of leaves on the block in front of my house. The pile is about 15 feet long and 3 and a half feet high. I am not sure when the village is going to be collecting them again, but tomorrow and Thursday it is supposed to be rainy and windy, which means there is at least a 50-50 chance that they'll be all over my yard again. Of course, the village will come collecting them the day after. With any luck it'll be so cold that they'll be frozen and the wind won't move them.
This year we are about a week later than usual. I got all the leaves up from the first tree the week before Halloween and I was just waiting for the leaves from the big tree in back to fall. Then came the rain and wind on Halloween. It knocked half the leaves off in the backyard and all the leaves in the front were falling and blown around. Of course the village came around to collect leaves on November 1st, when no one had their leaves raked up from the rain that came through on Halloween. So of course everyone raked them into the street the next day or two when it was dry, me included.
Over the course of the week, we had even more fall so to help me out, Sarah and Kris raked the yard on Friday when she was home from school, so most everything was in the street when I got home on Friday night. Then Saturday we had more rain and winds gusting to 30-35 mph. It was like they never raked at all, and to make things worse, it was like all the leaves up and down the street ended up in my yard. In fact, there were no piles of leaves left on the opposite side of the street.
So I ended up spending three hours on Sunday re-raking and using the yard vac to get them all up again and back into the street. As a result, I missed the first half of the Packers game vs. the Eagles, though I didn't miss anything. So now I have the biggest piles of leaves on the block in front of my house. The pile is about 15 feet long and 3 and a half feet high. I am not sure when the village is going to be collecting them again, but tomorrow and Thursday it is supposed to be rainy and windy, which means there is at least a 50-50 chance that they'll be all over my yard again. Of course, the village will come collecting them the day after. With any luck it'll be so cold that they'll be frozen and the wind won't move them.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Furniture Shopping
Last week Kris and I decided that we have had enough of the couch in our living room. We've been living with it broken for about the last two years, and it just kills your back to sit on it. So yesterday we decided to go looking for a new couch and chair, or a love seat. This is the perfect time too, because in just a couple of weeks, it'll be time to put up the Christmas tree. If we can decide on a new couch, maybe I can move the tree into the front of the room in front of the window.
The problem is that with our room size and the placement of the windows and the traffic patterns in the room, there is not a lot that we can do as far as arrangement. The salesman at the store that we were talking to informed us that he was an architect (who couldn't find a job in his field) so he helped us out with possible arrangements. With that in mind we went browsing and after about 30-40 minutes we had a couple of styles sort of picked out, but nothing that we loved. Then just as we were about to go home and give it some thought, we saw one style that looked pretty good. I wasn't wild about it at first but as we were talking about it with the salesman it started to grow on me. After about 10 minutes I thought that it would probably work as far as the colors went, it was just a matter of being able to fit it into the space. Kris took a picture of the description on her phone so we had all the dimensions and when we got home I tried sketching things out on my computer to see if we would be able to arrange things in the room.
The salesman told us about a sale they are going to be having coming up that was even better than the promotion they were running this past week. We still have to discuss things a little bit, but we may end up going back this week to order something.
The problem is that with our room size and the placement of the windows and the traffic patterns in the room, there is not a lot that we can do as far as arrangement. The salesman at the store that we were talking to informed us that he was an architect (who couldn't find a job in his field) so he helped us out with possible arrangements. With that in mind we went browsing and after about 30-40 minutes we had a couple of styles sort of picked out, but nothing that we loved. Then just as we were about to go home and give it some thought, we saw one style that looked pretty good. I wasn't wild about it at first but as we were talking about it with the salesman it started to grow on me. After about 10 minutes I thought that it would probably work as far as the colors went, it was just a matter of being able to fit it into the space. Kris took a picture of the description on her phone so we had all the dimensions and when we got home I tried sketching things out on my computer to see if we would be able to arrange things in the room.
The salesman told us about a sale they are going to be having coming up that was even better than the promotion they were running this past week. We still have to discuss things a little bit, but we may end up going back this week to order something.
Teacher Conferences
It's that time of the year again. We are halfway through the fall semester and that means the girls have a couple of days off and Kris and I get to go to teacher conferences. We had Sarah's scheduled for Wednesday and Alison's for Thursday so that Kris and I could attend both. Sarah is doing quite well in her classes so far, so it isn't like we really needed to go for any particular reason. I think we really more or less wanted to see if her teachers had any concerns with how Sarah has been doing.
All of her teachers said she was doing fine (the one's we met with - we didn't meet with all of them). They all asked about what she was thinking about as far as a career when she goes to college. So far she is insisting doing something with forensic science (because she watches all the CSI/Crimial Minds/NCIS shows). We've tried to explain to her that real forensic science is nothing like you see on TV. And Wednesday night, her biology teacher told her the same thing. We're trying to get her to explore options that would still keep the same type of work, but not exactly the forensic stuff you see on TV. Her biology teacher gave a few suggestions and we are trying to steer her in the right direction as far as the classes she is taking, or going to be taking. We're hoping she ends up making a good choice.
Alison's conferences were on Thursday. Her reports were just as good as Sarah's (in fact I think hers were probably better). Alison has been trying very hard to get all A's this year and so far she is doing a good job. Her teachers had nothing but good things to say about her performance so far. Ali's teachers all told us that she has made a very good transition to middle school. We pointed out that she had to transfer schools because of being re-districted in third grade so she's got experience with transitioning schools. Ali also pointed out that since she has been to the middle school so much when Sarah was going there, she already knows where most everything is and is very comfortable.
So congratulations girls on some pretty stellar conferences.
All of her teachers said she was doing fine (the one's we met with - we didn't meet with all of them). They all asked about what she was thinking about as far as a career when she goes to college. So far she is insisting doing something with forensic science (because she watches all the CSI/Crimial Minds/NCIS shows). We've tried to explain to her that real forensic science is nothing like you see on TV. And Wednesday night, her biology teacher told her the same thing. We're trying to get her to explore options that would still keep the same type of work, but not exactly the forensic stuff you see on TV. Her biology teacher gave a few suggestions and we are trying to steer her in the right direction as far as the classes she is taking, or going to be taking. We're hoping she ends up making a good choice.
Alison's conferences were on Thursday. Her reports were just as good as Sarah's (in fact I think hers were probably better). Alison has been trying very hard to get all A's this year and so far she is doing a good job. Her teachers had nothing but good things to say about her performance so far. Ali's teachers all told us that she has made a very good transition to middle school. We pointed out that she had to transfer schools because of being re-districted in third grade so she's got experience with transitioning schools. Ali also pointed out that since she has been to the middle school so much when Sarah was going there, she already knows where most everything is and is very comfortable.
So congratulations girls on some pretty stellar conferences.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Trick Or Treat
This year we had no children to go trick or treating. I suppose we need to get used to it. I think that the last time Sarah actually went trick or treating she was in 6th grade, but she was at a Halloween party at a friend's house. Well that is what Alison did this year. She went over to a friend's house after school and went trick or treating over there. Kris asked Ali's friend's mom to at least take a picture of her in her costume.
Our trick or treating hours were from 5:30 - 7:30. It had rained most of the day but then there was a break right around the time trick or treating started. Then at about 6:45 or so the sky just opened up. I think we might have had one person after the rain started.
Sarah had cheerleading practice on Halloween so she couldn't do anything. I don't think she would have done anything except maybe give out candy anyway. But her coach did let them wear costumes for practice. Sarah was a cow. I think she has a picture somewhere, but I need to get it from her. There may be some more with the other girls on her squad too. As soon as I find one or two, I'll update this post.
When Alison got home, she was very cranky. She was soaking wet, and very uncomfortable in her costume. She forgot some of her things at her friend's house, she face make-up wouldn't come off when she was cleaning up. It was horrible. I wonder if she is going to want to go again next year?
UPDATE
Here are Sarah's pictures from her cheer practice.
Note: The final picture is a combination of the JV and the Varsity squads.
Our trick or treating hours were from 5:30 - 7:30. It had rained most of the day but then there was a break right around the time trick or treating started. Then at about 6:45 or so the sky just opened up. I think we might have had one person after the rain started.
Sarah had cheerleading practice on Halloween so she couldn't do anything. I don't think she would have done anything except maybe give out candy anyway. But her coach did let them wear costumes for practice. Sarah was a cow. I think she has a picture somewhere, but I need to get it from her. There may be some more with the other girls on her squad too. As soon as I find one or two, I'll update this post.
When Alison got home, she was very cranky. She was soaking wet, and very uncomfortable in her costume. She forgot some of her things at her friend's house, she face make-up wouldn't come off when she was cleaning up. It was horrible. I wonder if she is going to want to go again next year?
UPDATE
Here are Sarah's pictures from her cheer practice.
Note: The final picture is a combination of the JV and the Varsity squads.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Status Report
Well I have been at my new job for a little over a week so far and I am enjoying things so far. I am on a "training program" that was set up to help me learn the whole plastic extrusion process from start to finish. I started out working the first week in the quality department so that I could see the types of issues that the company faces on a daily basis. I think it is helpful since these are the sorts of problems I am going to be looking at eliminating. I was also able to see some of the paperwork that they are required to complete. I have to say that after ten years, it is refreshing to see a formal process for doing things from the time raw material comes in the door until it leaves as a finished product. And I couldn't be happier to finally work with other engineers again who know how engineering work is supposed to go. It makes me think that I was stupid for waiting for so long to move on from my previous job.
This week I have been working in "blending", which is actually mixing the specific plastic that will be extruded. It is very interesting. It starts out as a powder, and actually looks like a fine sand before being put into an extruder for pelletizing, which is the form the plastic takes before going into the extruders for final forming.
Tomorrow is my last day doing blending (I think) and I don't know what the next area in my rotation will be. But so far I think I made the right choice and I am enjoying learning all about plastics.
This week I have been working in "blending", which is actually mixing the specific plastic that will be extruded. It is very interesting. It starts out as a powder, and actually looks like a fine sand before being put into an extruder for pelletizing, which is the form the plastic takes before going into the extruders for final forming.
Tomorrow is my last day doing blending (I think) and I don't know what the next area in my rotation will be. But so far I think I made the right choice and I am enjoying learning all about plastics.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
2013 Jack O'Lanterns
I barely made it, but this year's pumpkins are now carved and ready to go. It was a busy week and I was worried I wouldn't make it, but the final jack o'lantern was finished tonight. My plan was to have them gutted out and ready to carve on Sunday, but I got sidetracked doing other things this weekend, so I didn't actually get them scooped out until Sunday. Then with my new job and running the girls around after I got home, I was only able to draw the face on three of them Monday night and actually carve them on Tuesday. I didn't even put them through the normal preservation procedure of soaking them in a bleach solution to inhibit mold and keep them from drying out once the were carved.
So with no further adieu, may I present for you viewing pleasure, the 2013 Hahn jack o' lanterns.
First was Kris's. This is the pumpkin that Sam uses in the movie, Trick R Treat. In the movie it is more of a torch because there isn't just a candle inside, there are flames coming out of the top.
Alison wanted me to carve the Corpse Bride for hers. I made a couple of mistakes with it, but she doesn't mind and as long as she likes it, that's all that matters.
Sarah originally wanted a mummy face on her pumpkin, but I was having lots of problems drawing it out and getting it to look right before carving it. I think I was drawing it way too big. Maybe I'll get it right next year. So instead she got a skull, because everyone knows skulls and Halloween go together.
It isn't too bad, but I think I made it a little too wide. I think it would look a little better if I made it a little skinnier.
Finally, I finished mine about two hours ago. I think it looks pretty good. I told the girls that it needs more cowbell, but they didn't get the joke.
So with no further adieu, may I present for you viewing pleasure, the 2013 Hahn jack o' lanterns.
First was Kris's. This is the pumpkin that Sam uses in the movie, Trick R Treat. In the movie it is more of a torch because there isn't just a candle inside, there are flames coming out of the top.
Alison wanted me to carve the Corpse Bride for hers. I made a couple of mistakes with it, but she doesn't mind and as long as she likes it, that's all that matters.
Sarah originally wanted a mummy face on her pumpkin, but I was having lots of problems drawing it out and getting it to look right before carving it. I think I was drawing it way too big. Maybe I'll get it right next year. So instead she got a skull, because everyone knows skulls and Halloween go together.
It isn't too bad, but I think I made it a little too wide. I think it would look a little better if I made it a little skinnier.
Finally, I finished mine about two hours ago. I think it looks pretty good. I told the girls that it needs more cowbell, but they didn't get the joke.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE HAHNS!
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Final Day
Yesterday was my final day of work at KBI. It was a long time coming. Quite ironically, it turned out to be my ten year anniversary there. The actual date of my ten year anniversary would be the 27th, but since that's on a Sunday, it turns out that ten full years would have been yesterday. So on the day I am leaving I was given a $50 gift card as a gift to celebrate my ten years there.
I had a couple of things to finish before I left, but starting at 10:00 my day actually got rather busy. I had to do an exit interview with the HR director that I was planning on taking an hour or so, but it ended up taking two hours, which took me right up to lunch. My new boss was buying me lunch as a going away gift, so from the exit interview I went right to lunch. After lunch I was back to trying to finish my workload, which was trying to have things complete and set-up for whoever would be taking over my duties on Monday. Of course everyone had to come and say goodbye to me and make a little small talk, like where are you going, what are you going to be doing, etc. which made me get even farther behind. Luckily I was able to finish things by 5:30, because as soon as I got home I had to drive Sarah to the Falls' football game. Any later than 5:30 and she would have been late getting there. As it was, it didn't much matter because the Falls choked and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
But leaving KBI did make me a little sad. Not so much for the people I was working with, but for all the time and energy I put in there. I feel like a lot of my time ended up being wasted. I should have left a couple of years ago.
So on Monday I start at my new job, and I couldn't be more excited to get to a place where there are actual engineers who do engineering work. It's about time.
I had a couple of things to finish before I left, but starting at 10:00 my day actually got rather busy. I had to do an exit interview with the HR director that I was planning on taking an hour or so, but it ended up taking two hours, which took me right up to lunch. My new boss was buying me lunch as a going away gift, so from the exit interview I went right to lunch. After lunch I was back to trying to finish my workload, which was trying to have things complete and set-up for whoever would be taking over my duties on Monday. Of course everyone had to come and say goodbye to me and make a little small talk, like where are you going, what are you going to be doing, etc. which made me get even farther behind. Luckily I was able to finish things by 5:30, because as soon as I got home I had to drive Sarah to the Falls' football game. Any later than 5:30 and she would have been late getting there. As it was, it didn't much matter because the Falls choked and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
But leaving KBI did make me a little sad. Not so much for the people I was working with, but for all the time and energy I put in there. I feel like a lot of my time ended up being wasted. I should have left a couple of years ago.
So on Monday I start at my new job, and I couldn't be more excited to get to a place where there are actual engineers who do engineering work. It's about time.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Pumpkins
Today was also the annual trip up the road to the pumpkin stand to pick out pumpkins for this year's jack-o-lanterns. So after Sarah finished her confirmation class we drove over to look though this years crop.
The stand that we go to every year is about two miles up the road. It's just a wagon with a bunch of pumpkins on it and more pumpkins laid out around it in front of a farmer's field. That particular farmer has several other stands around, but we like the one right up the road. When we got there, there were four other cars of people picking out pumpkins too, so we had a little trouble trying to park. But as soon as we did, I got out and walked over and found a big, round one that I thought was pretty good. As soon as I grabbed it Alison decided she wanted it for her pumpkin. I was nice enough to let her have it.
It took us about 10 minutes of walking through the rows and looking on the cart to find the ones we wanted, but I think we picked some good ones this year. So the 2013 Hahn pumpkins are home and now awaiting carving. I am waiting to see what designs the girls want on theirs this year, and I am still looking for a good design myself. But I have a little time yet, since I don't plan on carving them until next weekend.
The stand that we go to every year is about two miles up the road. It's just a wagon with a bunch of pumpkins on it and more pumpkins laid out around it in front of a farmer's field. That particular farmer has several other stands around, but we like the one right up the road. When we got there, there were four other cars of people picking out pumpkins too, so we had a little trouble trying to park. But as soon as we did, I got out and walked over and found a big, round one that I thought was pretty good. As soon as I grabbed it Alison decided she wanted it for her pumpkin. I was nice enough to let her have it.
It took us about 10 minutes of walking through the rows and looking on the cart to find the ones we wanted, but I think we picked some good ones this year. So the 2013 Hahn pumpkins are home and now awaiting carving. I am waiting to see what designs the girls want on theirs this year, and I am still looking for a good design myself. But I have a little time yet, since I don't plan on carving them until next weekend.
October
October is the best, most awesome month of the year. However, it also means winter is coming. Unfortunately that also means stuff needs to be done, like raking leaves, cleaning out gutters, putting covers on the basement window wells. And since the Packers played a late game, I spent my afternoon trying to get things done around the house before the game started. Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way I had planned (they rarely do). I finished up around 5:30, so I was able to get inside and actually watch the 4th quarter of the Packers game. It was good to see a little of the game at least, though I was listening to the game on the radio. After about a hour of sitting down watching, my muscles stiffened up. That's how I know I am getting old.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Notice Has Been Given
Well... I turned in my notice first thing Friday morning. I think it sort of threw a wrench in the works of all the plans that the company had for the new manager. I sort of feel bad for him. He has an uphill climb ahead of him and I think he was counting on me to help him get things done. Unfortunately, I need to think about my career and the goals I have. If that ends up being elsewhere, so be it.
The company president was off Friday, but a little after lunch, the VP asked me to come into a meeting. My supervisor had turned in my notice to the VP, who in turn ended up calling the President, who came in special to talk to me. At first the meeting was about why I had wanted to move on. I was asked if there was anything they could do to make me change my mind. I made sure not to burn any bridges and just told them I was feelign burned out and that it was time to move on.
There was another guy at work who left last year around Christmas, and for whatever reason, he was back in, I think, May. Apparently things didn't work out for him wherever he went. So the good thing is that they told me that if things didn't work out, they would love to have me back, too. So I guess I have that, but I don't think that things will tank. That's not the kind of person I am. I'll make it work out. Plus, I expect that the change of scenery will be good for me. So now the countdown is on.
The company president was off Friday, but a little after lunch, the VP asked me to come into a meeting. My supervisor had turned in my notice to the VP, who in turn ended up calling the President, who came in special to talk to me. At first the meeting was about why I had wanted to move on. I was asked if there was anything they could do to make me change my mind. I made sure not to burn any bridges and just told them I was feelign burned out and that it was time to move on.
There was another guy at work who left last year around Christmas, and for whatever reason, he was back in, I think, May. Apparently things didn't work out for him wherever he went. So the good thing is that they told me that if things didn't work out, they would love to have me back, too. So I guess I have that, but I don't think that things will tank. That's not the kind of person I am. I'll make it work out. Plus, I expect that the change of scenery will be good for me. So now the countdown is on.
Another Rain Out
Today I was running behind with things so I dropped Ali off and her game and came home to clean up. I was cleaning out the gutters (I really need to find some gutter covers that keep the debris out while allowing the water to drain off the roof) of all the leaves and it took a little longer than I had planned.
I finished right about the time I had to take Ali. so after cleaning up and grabbing some lunch, I made it to the game with about 4 minutes left in the second quarter. I brought an umbrella because it was a little dark and the weather forecast was for rain. I ended up being there for about 15 or 20 minutes before it started raining. They had just kicked off the second half when the sky opened up. Then there was a flash of lightning, which means a delay of 35 minutes minimum. So since there was going to be a delay, the cheerleaders were told they didn't need to wait around. So of the six games that she has cheered this year, three of them have been postponed to where the cheerleaders didn't finish the game. It really doesn't seem fair. They only have one more game scheduled this year, and one make up date, which I don't think they'll need. And the extended forecast for next week, at least right now, is cold (A high of 50) but at least there isn't any rain forecast... yet.
I finished right about the time I had to take Ali. so after cleaning up and grabbing some lunch, I made it to the game with about 4 minutes left in the second quarter. I brought an umbrella because it was a little dark and the weather forecast was for rain. I ended up being there for about 15 or 20 minutes before it started raining. They had just kicked off the second half when the sky opened up. Then there was a flash of lightning, which means a delay of 35 minutes minimum. So since there was going to be a delay, the cheerleaders were told they didn't need to wait around. So of the six games that she has cheered this year, three of them have been postponed to where the cheerleaders didn't finish the game. It really doesn't seem fair. They only have one more game scheduled this year, and one make up date, which I don't think they'll need. And the extended forecast for next week, at least right now, is cold (A high of 50) but at least there isn't any rain forecast... yet.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Reunion Weekend
This weekend is Kris's 25th class reunion. So we spent the night tonight at the Falls football game and tomorrow night there is a dinner. After the game tonight apparently there was a get together at Krueger Lanes, which is just down the street from our house. But we didn't go. We had to get ready for Ali's game in the morning, plus I have outside things to do before getting ready for the dinner tomorrow.
After the dinner there is going to be a DJ and dancing, though I am sure everyone will group off into their cliques and talk about how fat the other cliques have gotten. The venue where it is being held is, to put it mildly, a dive. I've driven past the place several times in the past twenty years, but have never been inside. Kris told me that even back 25 years ago the place was considered a dive. So I am a little afraid about what it is going to be like tomorrow night. I just hope I don't end up with food poisoning.
After the dinner there is going to be a DJ and dancing, though I am sure everyone will group off into their cliques and talk about how fat the other cliques have gotten. The venue where it is being held is, to put it mildly, a dive. I've driven past the place several times in the past twenty years, but have never been inside. Kris told me that even back 25 years ago the place was considered a dive. So I am a little afraid about what it is going to be like tomorrow night. I just hope I don't end up with food poisoning.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
The Search Is Ova!
Tonight I sent an acceptance letter to the plastics company in Germantown. So as of October 28th, I will have a new job. I will be working as a manufacturing engineer making extruded plastic tubing. I am sure it'll take me a little bit to get up to speed with what they do, but what I'll have to do is go get my school books and refresh my memory on the extrusion process.
Now the big thing will be notifying my current company that I'll be leaving. I am hoping that they don't just say well you may as well just leave now. I don't think that they will, but they have been known to do it in the past. So I'll be working on my letter of resignation now. I'm not sure if I'll turn it in on Thursday or Friday, but I definitely will need to turn it on by the end of the week.
Now the big thing will be notifying my current company that I'll be leaving. I am hoping that they don't just say well you may as well just leave now. I don't think that they will, but they have been known to do it in the past. So I'll be working on my letter of resignation now. I'm not sure if I'll turn it in on Thursday or Friday, but I definitely will need to turn it on by the end of the week.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Job Search Update
Today I got my second job offer. Last week, I got an offer from the plastics company I had interviewed at and as I was interviewing at another company. I called the second company to ask what their timeline was because I had another job offer on the table that I was seriously considering. I think this set the wheels in motion at company #2 because they told me that they would check my references and educational background and that if everything looked good they would make me an offer on Monday. Well, that offer arrived this afternoon.
So Kris and I sat down and went over the pros and cons of each job. I think I have decided that I am going to go after the first one. I have to see if I can negotiate a little more salary-wise and get a little more vacation time to start with. And then if they don't want to budge, maybe I go back to company #2 and see if they will sweeten the pot. I am 95% sure I am going to accept the job at the first company, but if something happens, I'll always have job #2 to fall back on.
Then will come the difficult job, turning in my notice at my current job. One guy I work with told me to be prepared for work to tell me to pack up my things and go. I would hope they wouldn't do that, but just in case they do, I need to make sure that the new place knows I may be able to start sooner than later.
I have a call scheduled tomorrow to discuss things with the VP of the plastics company. So keep your fingers crossed for me.
So Kris and I sat down and went over the pros and cons of each job. I think I have decided that I am going to go after the first one. I have to see if I can negotiate a little more salary-wise and get a little more vacation time to start with. And then if they don't want to budge, maybe I go back to company #2 and see if they will sweeten the pot. I am 95% sure I am going to accept the job at the first company, but if something happens, I'll always have job #2 to fall back on.
Then will come the difficult job, turning in my notice at my current job. One guy I work with told me to be prepared for work to tell me to pack up my things and go. I would hope they wouldn't do that, but just in case they do, I need to make sure that the new place knows I may be able to start sooner than later.
I have a call scheduled tomorrow to discuss things with the VP of the plastics company. So keep your fingers crossed for me.
Binge Watching
Now that Breaking Bad is over, I need to find a new show to watch. I was on some serious binge viewing of Breaking Bad over the last month or so. I downloaded the first four and a half seasons and watched them all in the course of a month before getting on the last 7 episodes. I finished up the Friday before Breaking Bad had the series finale. I did the same thing a year or so ago when I was recovering from my hernia surgery where I watched two seasons worth of The Walking Dead in four days (Season four starts this weekend, so mark your calendars).
So now, I need a new show. In a way, I prefer the binge watch where I get all the episodes back to back so I don't have to wait a week or so in between shows. I am thinking of Hell On Wheels. I have heard some good things about it, and since there have only been three seasons, I should be caught up relatively quickly. I have always wanted to see Deadwood too. I think there were only three seasons of that show.
But if you have any other suggestions please let me know.
So now, I need a new show. In a way, I prefer the binge watch where I get all the episodes back to back so I don't have to wait a week or so in between shows. I am thinking of Hell On Wheels. I have heard some good things about it, and since there have only been three seasons, I should be caught up relatively quickly. I have always wanted to see Deadwood too. I think there were only three seasons of that show.
But if you have any other suggestions please let me know.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Ice Skating
Yesterday Alison had a girl scout ice skating event in West Bend. This time around I wasn't skating with them, as much as I like to go ice skating. Instead, my plan was to sit and watch Alison, maybe offer a few tips, and take some pictures of her falling on her butt. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera. Which was fine because Ali didn't want us hanging around anyway. Instead we dropped her off and made sure her skates fit, and then we drove to the Kohls to go look for some new clothes for me for work.
I figured that I needed some new stuff, almost every pair of Dockers I have are shredded at the bottom. I always thought that it didn't really matter since I didn't really interact with anyone at work anyway. Half the time I wear jeans. But being on the verge of a new job, Kris thought that I should really clean things out and get some new clothes that aren't all ripped up. Usually I don't have any luck finding my size, but this time I actually was able to find several pairs, which is amazing itself.
When we got back, Alison had just finished and we had to sit and watch the Kettle Moraine skating club. A few of the skaters put on a figure skating exhibition. It was pretty good for some little 9 and 10 year old girls.
Next time I will need to remember the camera.
I figured that I needed some new stuff, almost every pair of Dockers I have are shredded at the bottom. I always thought that it didn't really matter since I didn't really interact with anyone at work anyway. Half the time I wear jeans. But being on the verge of a new job, Kris thought that I should really clean things out and get some new clothes that aren't all ripped up. Usually I don't have any luck finding my size, but this time I actually was able to find several pairs, which is amazing itself.
When we got back, Alison had just finished and we had to sit and watch the Kettle Moraine skating club. A few of the skaters put on a figure skating exhibition. It was pretty good for some little 9 and 10 year old girls.
Next time I will need to remember the camera.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Visit
I forgot to add some photos last week when my parents were up from Florida for a visit. They came to the Falls' homecoming game Friday night and then stayed overnight to go see Alison cheer at her game on Saturday. They also brought my niece down with them.
She was a little shy but as soon as she got to our house and saw the trampoline that was pretty much all she wanted to do. I took her on first and then Sarah and Ali went on with her showing her how to do flips etc.
Luckily, no one had a camera out when I was on the trampoline, but I did get ours once I got out.
Grandma even got into the action.
She was a little shy but as soon as she got to our house and saw the trampoline that was pretty much all she wanted to do. I took her on first and then Sarah and Ali went on with her showing her how to do flips etc.
Luckily, no one had a camera out when I was on the trampoline, but I did get ours once I got out.
Grandma even got into the action.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Dilemma
I think I have a dilemma developing. I have been searching for a new job and interviewing for the past couple of weeks. The first job I interviewed for has made me an offer. However, I had a second interview and another place today as well. The feeling that I get is that they too are going to make me an offer. So now here is the problem...
Job #1 is going to be a manufacturing engineering job, which is what I was really looking for, plus it is only a 10 minute drive from home (about 4 miles). Job #2, is a quality engineering job and the drive is 19 miles away (and in good traffic it will take at least 30 minutes).
Both companies seem very good. At company #2 most people have been there an average of 15 years, and from what it seems like their product base is very stable and they are looking to expand into some different areas. Company #1 is also pretty stable, and the working environment is very comfortable.
So while I know that technically I have only one offer, it is one that I need to try and negotiate a little bit. And hopefully that can buy me a little time and see if I get the offer from the other place. If not at least I'll have negotiated a little better situation for myself.
Job #1 is going to be a manufacturing engineering job, which is what I was really looking for, plus it is only a 10 minute drive from home (about 4 miles). Job #2, is a quality engineering job and the drive is 19 miles away (and in good traffic it will take at least 30 minutes).
Both companies seem very good. At company #2 most people have been there an average of 15 years, and from what it seems like their product base is very stable and they are looking to expand into some different areas. Company #1 is also pretty stable, and the working environment is very comfortable.
So while I know that technically I have only one offer, it is one that I need to try and negotiate a little bit. And hopefully that can buy me a little time and see if I get the offer from the other place. If not at least I'll have negotiated a little better situation for myself.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Homecoming 2013
For homecoming this year, Sarah was going to go with a group of about 20 friends. Well it turns out that two days before, one of the boys in the group she was going with decided to ask her to be his date. That meant a last minute call to the florist for a boutonniere.
So I'm not going to go on and on about it, I'll just post a few photos and leave it at that.
So I'm not going to go on and on about it, I'll just post a few photos and leave it at that.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Second Interview
I was trying to figure out how to get to my second interview on Friday when Kris suggested I take a vacation day. That way I wouldn't need to rush around. Plus, my parents were coming down to see Sarah cheer at homecoming, and I needed to get the grass cut. So I thought that was probably the best idea.
I had my interview scheduled at 11:00 AM and I figured I would be there for about an hour, since the last one lasted about 40 minutes. Well things went pretty well. I met with the director of engineering for about a half an hour. Then he left for a minute, and when he came back I got a tour of the company. I thought it was very interesting. They make surgical tubing by plastic injection molding. It's something that is completely outside of my comfort zone, though I think it would just be a new challenge to master.
So after about 40 minutes or so walking through the manufacturing floor, we went back to the conference room. I thought I was going to meet with the VP I originally met with the week before but instead, I got to meet the president, and owner of the company.
I think things went very well. So we'll see what happens next. The guy I interviewed with told me that I would be hearing from them early next week or so. So maybe things are starting to look up.
I had my interview scheduled at 11:00 AM and I figured I would be there for about an hour, since the last one lasted about 40 minutes. Well things went pretty well. I met with the director of engineering for about a half an hour. Then he left for a minute, and when he came back I got a tour of the company. I thought it was very interesting. They make surgical tubing by plastic injection molding. It's something that is completely outside of my comfort zone, though I think it would just be a new challenge to master.
So after about 40 minutes or so walking through the manufacturing floor, we went back to the conference room. I thought I was going to meet with the VP I originally met with the week before but instead, I got to meet the president, and owner of the company.
I think things went very well. So we'll see what happens next. The guy I interviewed with told me that I would be hearing from them early next week or so. So maybe things are starting to look up.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Another Interview
I had another interview today on the south side of Milwaukee. It wasn't a bad place. The company makes valves and solenoids. It sounds pretty interesting and I think it would be something that would keep me busy. It is a union shop and they went over their benefit package with me, which I thought was strange on a first interview. But I have to say their benefits were pretty good.
The downside was the drive. It was only about a 19 mile drive, but the traffic was brutal. I don't know if I would ever be able to make that drive every day. I think I caught good traffic going there, it only took 40 minutes. But the drive back home took me more than an hour. I don't know if that would be worth it, especially if they didn't bump up my salary.
But it was only a first interview so we'll see if they liked me enough to warrant a call back for a second interview.
The downside was the drive. It was only about a 19 mile drive, but the traffic was brutal. I don't know if I would ever be able to make that drive every day. I think I caught good traffic going there, it only took 40 minutes. But the drive back home took me more than an hour. I don't know if that would be worth it, especially if they didn't bump up my salary.
But it was only a first interview so we'll see if they liked me enough to warrant a call back for a second interview.
Homecoming Week
This week is homecoming week at the MFHS. This year Sarah started planning her wardrobe for the week on last Thursday. I don't remember her being this fired up for homecoming last year. This year she is taking it seriously, making sure she has all the right stuff to wear for the week. One thing that they did do away with last year though was "class color" day. I think someone complained that it would help seniors target freshmen for hazing if they were all wearing the same color.
This year it was replaced with class theme day. I don't see the difference. Instead of a single color classes are going to be wearing the same type of clothes. Maybe next year they'll bring back class colors. The last I heard, the sophomores were doing pretty well. Sarah said that the seniors always win. I told her when I was in HS I actually remember the sophomores winning spirit week one year, so you never know what will happen.
This year it was replaced with class theme day. I don't see the difference. Instead of a single color classes are going to be wearing the same type of clothes. Maybe next year they'll bring back class colors. The last I heard, the sophomores were doing pretty well. Sarah said that the seniors always win. I told her when I was in HS I actually remember the sophomores winning spirit week one year, so you never know what will happen.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Call Back
I got some good news on Monday (I guess). The plastics company that I interviewed at last week sent me a message that they want to know what my availability was this week for a second interview. I would have never guessed I would have received a second interview there after how I thought I did on the original interview. Kris said that she wonders about my evaluation skills because I came home saying that I totally blew that interview, and they obviously saw something that they liked or they wouldn't have called me back.
So now I need to figure out how to get there this week. Today was obviously a no-go (I actually left work a little bit early today for a phone interview that I had scheduled at 4:00 PM). Tomorrow won't work because I have another interview scheduled at 4:00 PM, which leaves Thursday or Friday. Thursday is my late day at work because I am getting the girls off to school, and Friday is homecoming and I wanted to be home early to get ready to go to the football game (Sarah is cheering the first half of the game). Maybe I can get out early on Friday. At least I can get to work early on Friday if that is the case to make sure that I don't get behind at work and get my time in.
I haven't had to worry about scheduling interviews for some time, and the last time I did it was much easier because I had been laid off and didn't have to worry about making sure my current boss found out that I was interviewing for a different job. I just went when it was convenient for the interviewer. Now I have to try to juggle so many different things, and it is getting pretty hectic.
So now I need to figure out how to get there this week. Today was obviously a no-go (I actually left work a little bit early today for a phone interview that I had scheduled at 4:00 PM). Tomorrow won't work because I have another interview scheduled at 4:00 PM, which leaves Thursday or Friday. Thursday is my late day at work because I am getting the girls off to school, and Friday is homecoming and I wanted to be home early to get ready to go to the football game (Sarah is cheering the first half of the game). Maybe I can get out early on Friday. At least I can get to work early on Friday if that is the case to make sure that I don't get behind at work and get my time in.
I haven't had to worry about scheduling interviews for some time, and the last time I did it was much easier because I had been laid off and didn't have to worry about making sure my current boss found out that I was interviewing for a different job. I just went when it was convenient for the interviewer. Now I have to try to juggle so many different things, and it is getting pretty hectic.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
MFHS Open House
Last night we had the annual open house at the high school. We didn't go last year because Sarah was having a fit about us going, so we decided to just skip it. This year thought we decided we should go. We had to take the girls to tumbling practice for cheer anyway, so we thought as long as we were there we'd go though things.
It started with an address by the principal for about 15 minutes, and then we went though Sarah's schedule, hitting all of her classes. We spent about 10 minutes in each of her classes and the whole thing only took two hours. We didn't talk to any teachers directly, it was more like each teacher took their time to go over the class syllabus and address one or two questions if there were any. Then it was on to the next class. All of her teachers seem pretty good. We'll have to see how things are going when it comes to conferences. I don't think Sarah should have any problems.
It started with an address by the principal for about 15 minutes, and then we went though Sarah's schedule, hitting all of her classes. We spent about 10 minutes in each of her classes and the whole thing only took two hours. We didn't talk to any teachers directly, it was more like each teacher took their time to go over the class syllabus and address one or two questions if there were any. Then it was on to the next class. All of her teachers seem pretty good. We'll have to see how things are going when it comes to conferences. I don't think Sarah should have any problems.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Homecoming Prep
This year Sarah has made the decision not to go to homecoming with date. Instead, she is planning on going with a bunch of her friends. In fact, the last count I heard from Sarah was 21 of her friends. That number does, however, include a few couples who will be going with them. I'm not sure why, if you you have a date, you would want to go with a huge group of people. I could see double dating, or ever triple dating to go out to dinner, but with a group of 20+ people, that just seems excessive. Then again, there are a lot of things that they are going to be happening that seem weird to me. Kris told me things are different now as compared to when we would have gone to homecoming. So I guess that makes me a geezer.
And now you might think that without a date we'd be getting off cheap. Well you'd be wrong. Sarah still needs to have a new dress (or rather needed since Kris found one a couple of weeks ago), which also means that she'll need shoes to match. Kris found those too. So I think she's all set. The only thing I don't know is whether she needs a flower for her dress too. I would say no, but then again I would have thought that without a date we wouldn't have needed to get a new dress either.
Boys would have been so much easier.
And now you might think that without a date we'd be getting off cheap. Well you'd be wrong. Sarah still needs to have a new dress (or rather needed since Kris found one a couple of weeks ago), which also means that she'll need shoes to match. Kris found those too. So I think she's all set. The only thing I don't know is whether she needs a flower for her dress too. I would say no, but then again I would have thought that without a date we wouldn't have needed to get a new dress either.
Boys would have been so much easier.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)