I plumb

I plumb...I'm a plumber. Sort of.

We've decided to redo our downstairs bathroom. My wife has had a picture of the perfect Pottery Barn bathroom cut out (from one of their "hard to come by" catalogs) for going on 18 months now. The tile was done a couple months ago...I finished the lighting a while back. What remained was finding the perfect sink. It existed only in the pages of the catalog (with a steep price) and so we waited.

We finally found the right sink a couple weeks ago. However, it turns out that our plumbing was not meant to easily marry itself to our new sink. So, I had a project on my hands. I resolved to call a professional. My wife, instead, resolved to call the ultimate professional, her father. We spent some time putting things together last weekend. We got the sink functional, but what remained for me this weekend was to put in a proper "trap" (if you don't know, ask someone else).

I accomplished this task today with one trip to the Home Depot, one trip to my local hardware store and about 20 minutes of work. I must say...this was enormously gratifying, because we did indeed find the perfect sink and now...it works!

I hope something doesn't spring a leak tomorrow...

Long time, no see...

I got an iPod. Until now, I had forgotten that I like music. No more commercials on radio...no more waiting through songs I hate to get to one I enjoy...I now control my own musical fate. It only took me five years to get on board.

I'm what you call a "late adopter"...wanting to be sure that the new technology will truly stick before I take a gamble on it.

I have been gifted an iPod Classic for the holidays this year. Shortly thereafter, I went to visit my family in Ohio. I hoped to spend time with my parents, brother, nephew and others. On day three, I accompanied my nephew and brother to a "record" store (thinking we would buy CDs or something). Turns out that my nephew is into actual records. We shopped for a bit and bought him a real live "record player".

So, I find myself asking...what does it mean that I finally managed to buy an iPod and my 14 year old nephew bought an honest to goodness "record player". To add insult to injury...he purchased two albums...both Van Halen (about 25-30 years old).

What is going on here??

Small engines

If you've been reading...you know that I moved to the sticks last year. Suddenly, I'm the befuddled owner of a plethora of small (gas) engines. Before I moved I had a lawn mower. Since moving, my list includes:

- aforementioned lawn mower
- lawn tractor (gifted by the previous home owners)
- weed wacker and brush cutter
- snow blower
- hedge trimmer
- leaf blower/vacuum
- chainsaw

The latter is my favorite...as of today. I finally got to use the chainsaw today. With the help (and guidance) of my father in law, I assisted in the felling (is that a word?) of two trees.

With my new found confidence (and experience) I plan to attack the many wood piles and dead trees on my property.

I flew a plane

I took off 10 straight days for the holidays. I spent several with my wife and her family. Then it was off to lovely Akron, Ohio to see my family. Akron may not sound like a great town, but the area in the Cuyahoga River Valley where my family resides is really quite beautiful.

My first suprise upon arrival was that I'd be flying (in a plane) with my Uncle and Brother (who, bought a plane, but don't yet have licenses). Gladly, their instructor came along. We set off for Wooster, Ohio to meet the rest of the family at The Barn (a great restaurant in rural Ohio, known for their salad bar). My Brother flew first and did a fabulous job. I was informed over lunch that I would be flying the next leg (with the help of our instructor). I took off, flew for about 30 minutes and landed the plane (although, I'm pretty sure the instructor did most of the work). Lastly, my uncle flew and took us through some aeronautical exercises including power "off" and power "on" stalls. I'll say that the power "on" stalls were a bit much for my first day in the air. After practicing some landings we headed home.

I'm back home now and have a mild interest in flying. We'll see if this sticks.

I do want a boat but

Yeah, I said I wanted a boat on my last post. The problem is that my car keeps breaking down. If this pattern continues...there will be no money for a boat. My wife's car (despite being a greal deal) is no better. It, truly has grown pathetic. The radio hasn't worked in years and it sounds like the undercarriage is falling out each time it needs to shift. So...I did a little car shopping. The answer(s) to all of my problems are an Infiniti QX4 (I've always wanted one) and a Lexus ES300 (ummm...yeah, I've always wanted one). The color of choice is, of course, black. In the meantime, should you spot someone at the side of the road with a broken down Saab...that may be me.

I want a boat...I think

Doesn't boating sound like fun? We went to brunch this weekend in a little river town near home (about 12 mins). This town has two beatiful marinas and tons of boats. I got the idea, right there and then (with help from some impulsive relatives), that I had to have a boat. Not just any boat...but a cruising boat. That's right, no water skiing for this guy. Just a pleasant cruise from river town to river town, enjoying fine cuisine as I go. Here's the problem...cruising boats (aka "yachts") are expensive. Here's one that I like (should I be concerned that they don't have pricing on the website?).

I nearly forgot the URL for my blog

Wow, that's bad. I haven't updated my blog in so long that I temporarily forgot the URL.

Things that have occurred:

- We sold our house (got more than the asking price...insert Napoleon Dynamite "Yesssss" here)
- We bought the house labeled as "right lot, wrong house" (see post "House Hunting").
- It turned out to be "right lot, right house...but a lot of yardwork"
- BTW, the home listed as "Right everything, wrong price" from post "House Hunting" is next door
- We have a woodchuck (or groundhog if you prefer) living under our porch.
- Possible woodchuck names discussed were "Chuck", "Woody" and "Punxsutawney Phil".
- "Woody" has been agreed upon. Hopefully pictures coming soon...
- It may be triathlon season

I've made a few modest attempts at triathon...some sprint distance and some Olympic distance. My wife has also done 2 or 3. I swear she's a natural, training when the spirit moves her and yet still competitive.

Well, the weather has been good lately, summer is nearly upon us, and I have been testing my legs, lungs and other body parts to see if I'm up to the challenge this year. The verdict is still out, but hopefully in a couple more weeks, I'll have signed up for a race or two.