Pavers
August 22, 2010
I am about 95% complete with another project. This time the project involved a lot of paver stones, the moving of a lot o dirt, removal of grass, and the movement of a sprinkler head.
We have a large dirt and rock area behind our fence to the side of our garage. It has always been a place where things go to get forgotten about, or otherwise be put out of the way because there isn’t another place for them. It is also the place where the garbage and recycling cans reside.
This brings me to the reason for the project I just undertook. I was tired of having to figure out a way to get a heavy fully loaded garbage can through the mud and dirt, over the rocks, through the gate, then over some lawn and out to the street each week. The lawn just outside the gate was getting pretty matted from walking on it, too, and I got tired of the ugly.
I decided, on a whim, to see what it would take to smooth out the dirt a little bit, so I got a pick and hoe. After I found that process to be not too horrible, I went and bought about 30 bricks, some paver base, and some paver sand. After I got them in place, I realized that I had the time and strength to do a little more, so I got 60 more bricks.
After those were in, I found that my project still wasn’t done, so I went and got 100 more. Surely, that would be enough to get the majority of the rest completed!
Uh, no. Not so much.
All told, I purchased about 600 (maybe more) bricks, and the equivalent amount of base and sand, and really spent a ton of time getting this project done.
I still have a few stones to cut and set, and about 10 bricks that need to be set on the border. I also need to figure out how I want to cut some corner pieces for the area outside the gate.
Other than that, the project is done, just in time for me to start another semester of school.
Domestic
August 8, 2010
I had the pleasure of calling the cops tonight. Evidently, some people in the cul-de-sac south of me were embroiled in a really heated domestic disturbance. Here is my summary of the event:
1) Yelling between a man and a woman, about 70 percent her
2) Lots of breaking glass
3) More yelling, about 80 percent her
4) They took the argument out to the front yard and driveway
5) She accused him of giving her a bloody nose
6) He said she did it to herself to make him look bad
7) She said that she would tell the cops he did it, and the cops would believe her because he’s on parole
What I have learned:
1) The police response time to my neighborhood is 20 minutes
Fabulous.
Fireworks Night
July 24, 2010
It’s Pioneer Day here in Utah, and it is evidently celebrated with fireworks. I’m working at the Salt Lake Bees baseball game tonight, after which there will be fireworks. As of the time of this writing, it is 12-1 (Bees leading) in the top of the sixth inning. The Colorado Springs Sky Sox pitchers, well, suck. If they could occasionally get a few batters out, I might be able to get home sometime tonight.
UPDATE: I eventually got home after the Bees pulled out a squeaker, 17-1.
Notice
May 25, 2010
I gave my two week notice at work yesterday. It was a long time coming, and I’m hoping for a better environment in my next place of employment.
Traveling
May 16, 2010
Melanie and I took the kids on a trip last week. We went to Rexburg, Idaho, which is where Melanie went to college before heading to BYU in Provo. We also went to the Museum of Idaho in Idaho Falls to see an exhibit on wolves and dogs, before visiting our friends in Driggs. In Driggs, the kids got to feed and chase chickens, collect eggs, feed hay to horses, have quiche for the first time, and meet all sorts of cool talented kids. It was really fun to visit with our friends, and it was nice to catch up on the last 8 or 9 years since we were all together.
After visiting the Jensens, we headed over to Jackson, Wyoming, and got to see where the rich people spend their time. We had dinner at some steakhouse that looked to be not-too-busy, and figured out why it wasn’t super busy. It was clearly the spitting image of Sizzler, just 30% pricier. The steak I had was subpar, like Sizzler, the salad was lacking, like Sizzler, and the service was unimpressive, also like Sizzler.
We visited Grand Teton National Park, then headed to West Yellowstone, Montana, via Ashton, Idaho, as the south entrance to Yellowstone was still closed. We saw a bald eagle, tons of elk, a few deer, and a ridiculous amount of bison.
On Thursday we headed to Freedom, which is on the border of Wyoming and Idaho. Melanie’s aunt lives on a 100 acre farm on the Idaho side of the street, and we got to ride four wheelers all around the farm. It was my first time riding one, and the kids got to ride on the back while Melanie and I each drove one. Melanie is definitely more comfortable at the wheel than I am.
We came home on Friday, and made sure to pass by Bear Lake on the way home. We had never been there, and I had always heard good things about it from my late friend, Ron, so I wanted to see it. We were still able to get home in time for me to make it to a 3:00 job interview!
All in all, we drove about 1200 miles in the six days of our trip. I’m still tired, but it was really fun.
One of the cutest photos I've ever seen!
Ryan and David ham it up in front of the antler arches in Jackson, Wyoming
Ryan is showing of his cuteness at Jackson Lake, Grand Teton National Park
Betsy is the most beautiful girl in the world.
The Tetons from US Hwy 20, just south of Targhee National Forest
The Rexburg Idaho Temple shortly before sunset
Irony
May 4, 2010
Does anybody else see the irony in this?
Widespread inbreeding between the Darwin and Wedgwood families was probably to blame for Charles Darwin’s ill health, and the childhood tragedies and infertility that blighted his family.
That’s the conclusion of an analysis examining links between ill health over four generations of the Darwin-Wedgwood dynasty and the degree of inbreeding between the families.
Donations
March 19, 2010
I just finshed donating blood. It was quick and relatively pain free. If you are able, please donate what you can. There are people who need whatever you can give.
One Short
March 9, 2010
I’ve been doing a bunch of work to finish my office at home. Last night I was installing the wainscoting and the trim. I could not believe my eyes when I found that I had exactly one piece of paneling less than I needed. Now I have to go buy a whole pack of the paneling just to get the one piece I need. Ugh.
Rotten
February 9, 2010
Word: rhabdomyosarcoma
Function: noun
Definition: a pretty nasty tumor found most commonly in children and adolescents
Spencer is seven years old and is a great kid. He is the love of my daughter’s life (as far as eight-year-old’s crushes are concerned), and has been diagnosed with a malignant alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. The golfball-sized tumor is located at the base of his skull and is wreaking havoc with his head. His parents, Nate and Holly, are fantastic, and are braving this thing as best they can. They are putting their trust in the Lord, as they know that there is nowhere else they should put it.
It appears that chemo and radiation therapies are on the horizon, and we are all praying that Spencer will get better soon. If you want to send prayers on behalf of somebody, Spencer is worthy of all of the prayers you’re willing to send.
September 16, 2008
December 25, 2009
As far as my IRA is concerned, today is September 16, 2008. That was the day that I rolled over my old company 401k into a rollover IRA with Fidelity. The market almost immediately started taking a nosedive. Today is the day that my IRA has finally reached the value at which I purchased it. Considering that the dollar is worth less than it was worth in September 2008, I’m pretty sure that I’m still in the red here. At this rate, I might be able to retire in my mid-nineties.
