It's Homecoming Week

A Bird Exploded

As I was sitting at the table tonight, I was watching the cats sitting in the windows watching the birds at the feeders and there was also a squirrel and a chipmunk eating all the seeds falling.  I looked away for a minute, and when I turned back, the shepherd's hook was shaking violently and all the birds were gone.  I figured that the squirrel had climbed the shaft and then had jumped from the feeder to the tree, so I didn't think too much about it.

Later I had to go out and put more suet in the woodpecker feeder and I noticed a load of feathers all over the ground.  It seriously looked like a bird had exploded.  So the shaking of the feeders must have been a hawk swooping down and grabbing one of the big mourning doves that was sitting on top of the cardinal feeder, at least I hope it was a mourning dove and not a woodpecker.  I didn't see any pieces, or guts strewn about anywhere, and I looked up in the trees and fence posts, but didn't see any hawks enjoying a fresh meal, but I have to believe that is what it was.

Windows

I finally got the replacement window situation straightened out.  When I was cleaning the windows this spring I had noticed spots between the panes where it looked as if the vapor seal had failed, and since they were warrantied for life I had called to have them replaced.  I had called in June to get them on order and the window company told me they would be sent to the Home Depot where we bought them, and I would be getting a call when they were in.  So around the end of July I got a message that my window was ready to be picked up. I called Home Depot to set up a time for it to be delivered and installed.  It was then that I found out that Home Depot didn't cover the installation of the new pane of glass.

After speaking to a manager, I found out that while the windows had a lifetime warranty it was only the window, not the installation.  So now I had approximately a 5' square picture window that I 1) couldn't get home, and 2) didn't have the expertise on how to install.  So I had to figure out what to do about that one, but I figured I could at least get the double hung for Sarah's room home and figure out how to get that one installed.  The manager then said, what double hung?  He only had one window there for me, the picture window.  I then explained that I had called to get a replacement for the double hung in Sarah's room that also had the vapor seal fail.  He looked it up and told me that one was never ordered.  PERFECT!  

He also informed me that the picture window he had was a solid pane of glass.  I told him, uh, no, there are supposed to be grates in it, but he said, nope, it was a clear window.  So not only did the window company not get Sarah's replacement ordered, they sent the wrong picture window.  He looked up our original order from 12 years ago said he would take care of getting the one he had returned and make sure the right ones were ordered. 

So about a month later I get a call saying the new windows are in and ready to be picked up.  In the mean time I had to call around and find someone to install it for me.  The HD manager said any glass company should be able to do it, just call and say I had a window that needed glazing, and they should be able to take care of it.  After calling around the cheapest quote was in the $400 range, which I thought was high, but it was all I had to go with.  Kris sent me a link to a handyman network site and we ended up finding someone who would take the old one out and put the new one in for about half of what the other places were quoting us (the picture window that is).  So we got it all scheduled.  Home Depot dropped it off and the handyman guys showed up and took care of business.  So far everything looks great.  

Now I just need to figure out how to get rid of the old one.  The landfill will allow me to dump it for a couple of bucks since I am a Falls resident, but I don't have a way to get it there.  Their website says window glass is not recyclable, but it is allowed to just be thrown in the trash and picked up.  The question is how to do that.  As the handymen were taking the old window out, they cracked it, so I think I should be able to get it apart and just throw the chunks of glass in the regular garbage.  I just have to figure out to to do that exactly.

Finally, I have to get the double hung window installed.  The window company didn't send a whole window, just the lower sash.  They said it is an easy thing to do to just take the old one out and slip the new one in.  The person I spoke to said that he would send me the instructions via email and if I had any questions I could call and he'd talk me through it.  The problem is that I never got the instructions.  I need to call and have the guy resend them (if he ever sent them in the first place) because I want to get it done before the snow starts falling.  But at any rate, it looks like we're almost done with the window problem. so that's one less thing I need to do.

Brewers Game

Sarah is starting to get to be pretty independent.  The Brewers are home this weekend against the Reds and Sarah was invited to go with one of her friends.  Except that they are meeting members of her friend's family downtown, which means that Sarah is going to drive by herself.  Kris is freaking out about her driving alone.  I am cautious, more because of some of the roads downtown and not being exactly sure where she is going.  I don't want her taking a wrong turn and ending up in a bad neighborhood not knowing where she is.  I took a few minutes to try and sit down with Sarah and map out exactly where she needs to go.  Hopefully she'll remember.  It isn't that hard to find where she needs to go and as long as she has her friend with her, I think she should be ok, but that doesn't mean we aren't going to worry.  I will probably stay awake until she gets home, just in case I get a call or a text message.

Cheer Tyrouts

This year's middle school cheerleading team tryouts were Monday and Tuesday.  Monday they went over the routine and moves they would be doing, and Tuesday was the actual tryout.  Up until last week we weren't even sure there was going to be a middle school team since they didn't have a coach yet.  But we found out at the first Jr. Indians game that they were very close to hiring a coach so we had a clue it was coming.  There was also an announcement at school.  Which was a good thing, because the new HS cheer coaches didn't let the Jr. Indians coaches know anything until Friday/Saturday.  We got an email from her on Saturday saying there would be tryouts on Monday.  Nothing like having some notice, right?

Then on Monday night Ali came home and showed us some of the routine she had to learn and Kris and I just sort of looked at each other with our mouths open. There were a couple of moves that I felt were definitely not appropriate for a 12 year old girl to be making. If that is what the girls end up doing for a routine, then I am going to say right now there will be a problem. I do not want my daughter learning how to be a stripper when she is 12.

Alison also wanted to try out to be squad captain, which meant she had to perform her routine alone rather than with a group.  And unfortunately she went first.  She messed up a little bit, and didn't get selected to be captain.  She was pretty upset about it.  Then Kris told me that afterward, Alison was told that she made the team, but she wasn't going to be doing competitions.  Kris went to talk to the coaches about that fact and the coach's helper first asked who her daughter was, and then reacted like "oh nooooo, she was fine" and some other BS.  I am not impressed with the amount of communication and organization so far. Afterward when we were at home, Kris asked Alison about the music they were using too.  I forget who she said it was, I think it was some Britney Spears thing, but it was, just like the cheer moves, inappropriate.

Practices begin on Friday followed by a parent meeting, so we'll see what the coach has to say about things, but so far from what i am hearing, I am not impressed with the direction the new cheer team/program is heading.

Start of the Year

It is time to start another school year.  This year though, neither Kris, nor I, were home to get the girls off.  This was the first year since Sarah started school that either Kris or I weren't there to see them off and take a photo.  Plus, this year, both Sarah and Alison had a late start because all the underclassmen were having their orientations first.  That meant Ali didn't need to be to school until, I think, 11:00, and Sarah started at about noon.

So this year Sarah took the traditional first day picture of Ali before she left.

Then however, there was no one to take Sarah's picture.  Luckily she was able to have the next door neighbor take her picture before she left.

The one thing that I realized later (actually Kris pointed it out to me) that we didn't get a picture of the girls together.  Which as I pointed out earlier is the first time since the girls started school.  Actually it would have been the first time since Alison started school.  I feel bad about it, but I suppose I can live with that. Then again I really don't have a choice in the matter.

Pothole Patchwork

As it is getting late in the year it is time that I looked at prepping the driveway for winter again.  There were lots of pieces of blacktop and crack-filler that cracked and fell apart with the rough winter that we had last year.  In looking at all the cracks, as I do every year, things look a lot like a jigsaw puzzle.  The one part of the driveway that actually looked like it was still in good condition was the area that I dug out last year and replaced with pothole patch.  There were no big cracks or pieces that broke off at all.  So my plan was to go and get some more bags of pothole patch and spread it out and compact it on the areas of the driveway that are low or are all cracked up. 

I had to get it down as soon as possible because the long range forecast is for some cold weather right around the corner.  So I spent the last two days going back and forth to Menards (they had the bags on sale) to get enough to cover everything.  So now, the driveway surface is at least 50% pothole patch, probably more like 60%-65%.  In another year, it will all be pothole patch.  Now I just need to wait about a week or so to seal it and it'll all be set.  Here is hoping that the cold weather holds off long enough for me to get the sealer on.