The Finishing Stages

I got a lot of progress done today.  I only have 3 of the 43 phases left to complete - so I'm 93% done! One of the phases (the picnic table) I still need to do is because I have to do it again - after cutting a piece of wood the right size to start over since it split when I slipped and stepped on it.  The next stage requires me to dig a hole 14 inches deep and four feet by about one foot rectangular so the monkey bars can be level over the sand box.  Then the final step will be to anchor the whole thing.

Partly Done With a Chance of Showers

Got a couple of more phases done today.  Two of them I even did twice, since I put a critical beam in backwards on each thanks to not clear pictures in the directions.  Both phases were the larges phases yet in the process.  I've completed 20/43 phases so far for a 46.5% completion rate.  Hopefully, since many of the next few phases are not as involved, I can get to 2/3 of the way or better tomorrow.  Assuming it doesn't rain, of course.

Creeping Impetus

Only two more phases completed today, which brings us to 15/43 or 35%.  I had hoped to be at 45% after finishing up today, and won't get any done tomorrow.  On a related side note, there's nothing like having three large screws completely strip out and not be able to be turned either way with a screwdriver.  I had to finish tightening them with vice grips.

Second Entry Today - 24 September's Playground Progress Update

I've completed 13 out of the 43 building stages of the playground set as of today, or about 30%.  If it doesn't rain tomorrow, maybe I can get to 45%...

Dominating is the key to domination...

So I started putting together the playground Sunday.  I spent about two hours working on it (judging by how much of my audio book I listened to) and am about 1/8 of the way done.  I'll spend a little time most days this week after work getting a little more done each day and hopefully be done by the end of this coming weekend.

We tried to bake cookies this weekend and have discovered that our oven is dying.  So, we're saving for a $1200 double oven-stove top.  I need to make sure that the widths are compatable and that I don't need to also save to re-do the cabinets along with a new oven/stove...

Next up on the project agenda after the playground is finished is painting Gabe's bathroom, followed my painting the girl's rooms one at a time so we can reclaim our closet.

That's all for today's blog.  Thanks for reading.

Top Web searches to resulting in people stumbling on my blog

Top Web searches to resulting in people stumbling on my blog:

anamorphosis birthday
anamorphosis brake
on my ipod people write with squiggly lines
paper template squiggly lines
pencil anamorphosis on paper
squiggly story paper

Apparently, I need to use more words like “anamorphosis” and “squiggly” in my blog…

Potpourri of Progress

So Zach (Brother-in-law) came by a couple of weeks ago and we lifted the 53 Mercury onto the frame and out of the driveway.  Later that same day, Candice and I put together the trampoline.  A misreading of the assembly instructions made connecting the springs about a hundred times harder, which I still managed to accomplish (at great stress to my muscles which were sore for almost an entire week).

We also have a swing set/playground set we will start installing within the next week or two.  That’s going to cause us to move the trampoline, because it’s where part of the playground set is supposed to go.  But since the ground isn’t as level anywhere else except where we plan to level the ground for the pool, we’ll need to move it over the area we intend to level, and then figure out how to level it.

I don’t quite have the funds to but the bricks for the retaining wall up front, so my tentative plan to start leveling is to start moving the dirt around to where it needs to be leveled and buy the bricks a little at a time.  Then when we get closer, finish buying the bricks and get them firmly placed where they need to go.  The trampoline will then be in the what is now the “circle of doom” until we build the gazebo.  At that time, we’ll figure out where to best place the trampoline and what needs to happen to place it there.

I recently found out that Amazon has made getting a book published and marketed vastly easier than it ever has been before.  With Kindle Direct Publishing you can publish it and have it for sale immediately for the Kindle (which can be read on more than just the Kindle – Android devices, iPad and iPhone devices, some Blackberries, PCs and Mac Computers).  They also have a “paper” publishing sister site for getting the book published in a more traditional manner.  With the KDP, you can chose which royalty system to go with (35% or 70%) one has you have an exclusivity period with Amazon of 90 days. 

But the bottom line is, I’ve never wanted to go through the hassle to get anything published before because I hated the system, so I just wrote for myself.  Now, I’m seriously contemplating trying to get enough stories together to put out a novel of short stories and selling it on Amazon.

Donna started today wearing underpants primarily.  It took about three weeks before her diaper genie got filled enough for us to empty it, presumably because she hasn’t needed to change them as often, so we’re giving her the green light.  Hopefully in a month or so, we can talk with her daycare about lowering the cost based on previous discussions by $10 per week.  That’s $520 a year that will come in very handy when it comes to stuff like, say, building a retaining wall.

Megi is enjoying walking around if and only if we’re holding her hands.  Hopefully, this will spark an interest in turning loose and actually taking a step on her own.  She can do it, she is just to timid to risk it.  That’s funny to me, because she’s a little daredevil most other times.

Gabe is learning what it’s like to have a job.  He’s trying to save up for a 3DS, but doesn’t always do his chores to earn his allowance.  He’s learning (the hard way) that he has to earn stuff, not just get it.  A valuable lesson that is frustrating Candice and me right now, but he’s going to turn into a much better man than most other kids our family’s income level and above that just give stuff to their kids. 

We still haven’t made the appointments to have him checked out for ADD/ADHD yet, and we’ll find out soon how he’s doing in school.  I suspect we’ll need to make those appointments soon because unless he’s a vastly different person in school, he’s probably losing focus there and falling behind like he did last year.  I hate medicating for the sake of medicating, but it seems rather obvious that he’s got a real problem and I’d rather him not fall behind kids his age.

I recently went to the doctor because my allergies have gone from being bad twice a year for a month or two each to being year round, and they did a blood test and a referral to an allergist.  The blood results came back with juniper and mugwort, plus I’m very allergic to cats.  So, today I go become a human pincushion to refine exactly what my allergies are and to start getting regular shots to lessen my allergies.  Who knows, maybe I’ll even be able to sleep on my other side.

That’s all I have for now, thanks for reading!

Prom Deadlines

So, again it’s been a while since I’ve updated my blog.  We’ll start with the obvious question:  Have I done any writing?  Nope.  Not a word.  But, I haven’t tossed any ideas aside either.  I have several floating around, including the companion story to the one I wrote a couple of months ago.

Candice has her business picking up.  He’s almost quadrupled her sales from last year.  Her business’ Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/CandiceBishopDesigns.  And the Etsy page is http://www.etsy.com/shop/CandiceBishopDesigns.  The Facebook page shows all the Etsy listings, plus will occasionally have posts from her on what her current projects are.  She's getting really good at her beads, and I think it's only a matter of time before she starts also doing glass sculpturing also and excelling at it, too...

We got a huge chunk of metal plunked in our driveway last night.  The HOA will, if they haven’t already, have a stroke if we don’t get it in out garage soon.  Here’s a picture: 

It’s the body of a 1953 Mercury that we plan/hope to fix up and turn into a hot rod before Gabe’s prom (it will also be Donna and Meg’s prom rides if they want and it survives Gabe taking it to the prom) around 2022.  Since I know the bare minimum about cars (I can change most fluids, tires, and spark plugs if need be), this will be a fun, learning experience for the whole family.

We have the frame inside the garage already.  We NEED to get the body on top of it and out of sight from the HOA before they have a coronary:

Gabe had his annual check-up.  He’s 7 years old and already 4’7”.  He wears adult size 5½ shoes.  And until he stops growing, I don’t see us buying pants for him anywhere except thrift stores.

Meg “graduated” to a front-facing car seat and no longer gets strapped into a carrier.  She really likes being able to see more as we go on trips, but sleeping looks WAY more awkward for her.

Ginger has adjusted well for the most part, though lately she’s started chewing up more stuff than she did before.  Her inside accidents are much less frequent now, and we’ve started bell training her so that hopefully they stop all together.  Now if we can just get Gabe to stop getting her all excited, because at her size, she scratches the boy pretty fierce when he jumps up on him.  She’s starting to get better about jumping up on Candice and me when she sees us after an absence period.  She’ll make a move to jump up then remember she isn’t supposed to and will sit and look longingly for us to love on her.

Gabe had for a week or two gotten excited about his chores again when he realized that instead of Wii time he could earn money to buy things.  Unfortunately for him, though, the first thing he wants to buy is a DS3, which takes a long time to save up for, even at $5 per week, so he’s losing interest in doing the work.  But he *really* wants the DS3, so there’s hope…

I changed my phone out and got a Razr Maxx.  It was like learning how to use a smart phone from scratch because everything worked differently from the Thunderbolt I had before.  Then, a week after I got it and was used to it, they upgraded my operating system to “Ice Cream Sandwich” which interfaced completely different again, so I had to learn it all over again.  But overall, I like it better than the Thunderbolt.  About the only thing I like better about the Thunderbolt is the ability to upload photos to any of my Facebook albums and to tag people in those photos before uploading them.  I probably just need to find an app or something to do it on this phone, but I haven’t bothered to look yet.

My allergies have been really bad this year, and I think I’m going to make an appointment to see the doctor and ask for a referral to an allergy specialist when my schedule dies down in a few weeks.