Latest Listening (Guilty) Pleasure... Rick Springfield

Here's another guilty pleasure of mine, for all the world to see.  Yes, I know he was Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital.  Yes, I know middle aged women are his core audience.  I can't explain it, but I like Rick Springfield.

This has been on my mind lately because I found out he will be a few blocks away, at the Barrymore Theater on December 4, and I feel a bit conflicted.  I'd like to see him live, but it's just a 'stripped down' tour and tickets are 50 bucks.  Sorry, Rick, I know you can rock out when you want to and I'd love to see that, but I think I'll have to pass this time.  I did spend a few hours watching youtube videos of his shows the other night.  It may be a guilty pleasure, but I like what I like and won't apologize for that.  Rock on, Rick Springfield!

The promo clip for his upcoming tour:


This clip is very recent, from this year's Sweden Rock Festival.  I get a kick out of seeing the 'spider' stage lights in the background.  Obviously Kiss was to perform later that night on the same stage.  (See my Kiss LLP post here!)



Wow, three posts in one day - and I still have more on my mind!  Best save some for later.  PTFO

Windows, Windows and more Windows

No, not the Microsoft kind, the kind that covers those otherwise gaping holes in your house.
Our house has the original, single pane double hung windows and storm windows that were probably added in the seventies or eighties.  They are not efficient, not the most secure and can be difficult to open or close sometimes.  The glazing is falling out, not all the storm windows work and the outside is so difficult to clean that we have never tried.  Time for new windows, right?

I have this week off from work so I set up appointments with several companies over yesterday and today to get information and estimates.  So far I have met with three window company representatives, two during the day and one last night that my wife was present for.

The first window rep seemed like a nice guy but he did not give me an estimate.  He wanted to come back when he could meet with me and my wife both.  Several things about this meeting bothered me.  He sold fiberglass windows and wanted to tear out the whole old window frame rather that sell me a pocket window.  He also spent at least half the time he was here just badmouthing another window company and telling me all things bad about vinyl windows.  Looking back on that meeting, I'm sure he was a 'hard-sell' guy and wanted my wife here because he wanted to leave with a signed sale.  No deal.

The second window rep was a real nice guy who had a great presentation of his product.  He was well prepared and efficient and was fine with the fact that I was gathering estimates from several places and would not make a decision right then and there.  He gave me a very good estimate and, so far, is our leading candidate.

That brings us to the third window rep.  I had high expectations for this local, family owned company.  Like the second he was well prepared, but not nearly as efficient.  We listened carefully as he explained every detail of their product, but he often repeated himself and asked us stupid and rhetorical questions and expected us to answer, a power ploy that just made him and his unnecessary power point presentation go longer.  After 2 hours I tried to convey my restlessness to no avail.  Finally after about another half hour he got down to giving us some numbers, numbers that had more digits than I was happy with.  Yes, we agreed it was a superior product, yet the cost and his forcefulness were completely turning us off by this point.  He went through a few acts where he got the price down some, but still would not accept that we were not going to make a decision on the spot.  He was determined to leave with a signed deal and we were determined not to rush into anything.  Period.  Finally, my wife said that it's not a money issue anymore and I jumped in and told him no, it's a time-to-go-home-now issue.  He arrived at 5:00 and it was now around 8:30 and we had had enough.  We will not be calling him back.

Today I have an appointment at 3:30 this afternoon and 6:30 tonight for more of the same.  I hope they are more like the second rep and not the first.  And surely not like the third because I now have much less patience for that type of salesman.

Weekend Away

My vacation got off to a rough start this year.  My back went out on me again last week, causing me to miss two days of work, Wednesday and Thursday.  Friday, my first vacation day off, we headed north to a cabin on Castle Rock Lake with my in-laws.  We had a similar weekend with my wife's family last year, but rented a different, larger and less 'rustic' cabin this year.  Thankfully my back was not a huge issue over the weekend and overall we had a pretty good time.  This family has food issues, though.  Even though the planned groceries were easily more than enough they still brought more.  It is never needed yet it is always that way with them so I should try to get used to it, I guess.

The cabin was larger than last year so everyone had a room and for the most part their own bathroom, which was very nice.  Although it is 'lakefront' property we were a ways from the water and it was a bit of a hike to the nearest pier.  Still, it made for a good view.  We had a lot of fun playing games Friday night and sitting around the fire Saturday night.  This cabin had satellite TV so I was able to watch the Badger football game during the day on Saturday.  I had a good time at the little pub I went to watch the football game last year, but that was on the other side of the lake, a half hour drive, so I did not make that trek.  Overall, I think everyone had a nice time.  Perhaps this will happen every year now, I'm not sure.

Happy Labor Day

..to all in the U.S. anyway, the last holiday of summer. 

I've been using the time this weekend to cut and paint plywood to replace the lower shelves in the basement.  We sometimes get water on the floor when it rains a whole lot over a short (or long) period - not inches deep, just enough to make it wet and create a couple puddles as it runs toward the drain.

We have several of the same type of shelving in the basement, and although most are up on pieces of 2x4, the lower shelves have started to grow mold.  So in addition to the 1.5" the 2x4 gives me, I will raise the bottom shelves a couple notches for better air flow and replace the molding chipboard with 1/2" plywood that I am painting with mold and mildew proof paint.  We do have a dehumidifier and squeegee for those times, which is usually enough, but it was wet for a few weeks down there this past spring and the moisture that was there has become evident of late.  Next time I'm thinking a fan would help, as well.

I'm trying to get all the painting done this weekend, 2 coats per side with at least 2 hours between coats.  I have a vacation coming up when I plan to do the work in the basement.  I believe I already mentioned the 'cat bathroom' I was planning on making over vacation.  That will still be done although it is not a necessary item.  Mostly it was just to give me a project to do during my time off.  I already have all the wood I should need, I just have to get some hardware.

Temperatures fell off a cliff from what it has been like recently, hot and humid.  I sweated through a few sets of clothes the last couple days but today the humidity is gone and we have temps in the seventies.  Very comfortable, yet I fear the inevitable autumn is right around the corner.

Branching Out

Early in the week we noticed that a branch had broken off one of neighbor Dave's black walnut trees and had gotten hung up on the telephone wire that runs along the property line in the back yards.  We minded our own, and I hadn't seen Dave out to talk to him, but last night he came over to tell us of his futility in trying to get a hold of someone from the phone company and asked for my help.  So, of course, I helped him out.

This morning before the Badger game we got out there and got it down safely.  He had a long pruning saw which I used to cut off the branch a few inches to the right of the wire, as seen in the picture.  After that, all it took was a little twisting and I got it to come down without damaging anything.

I wasn't sure exactly how it would turn out, but it couldn't have gone better.  And now I have some more cheap firewood for next year!

Hump Day

Just found this and either I share it now, this late in the day, or wait a whole week.  --When I think about it like that, it means I'm over the hump!

This And Thats Again

Maybe I'll make 'This and Thats' a regular thing.  It sounds better than the brain spillage stuff I usually say on posts like this.  So here's some of this and some of that!:


Weather-wise it has been pretty moderate the last few weeks.  We have been able to keep the windows open day and night comfortably, yet there has been very little rain.  Not as bad as last year's drought, but I may have to break down and use the sprinkler I bought this past Spring. And starting today the heat rolls back in, so we got that going for us.  Yeah.

My upcoming project for my upcoming vacation:  A cat bathroom.  Our two cats, Hamish and Basil, have no fear of the basement like our late cat, Puddy, so they have no problem with their cat box being downstairs.  The problem is that even though we have a tray outside the covered litter box, litter still gets on the floor in the area.  Daily cleanings and sweeping generally keep the mess in control, but when we get a good rain spell for more than a few days water sometimes seeps into the basement and makes the floor wet, resulting in a messy floor in that area and dirty cat paw prints that amazingly can show up all throughout the house.  It is my big vacation project this year, along with some other basement maintenance to be mentioned later.  Yes, there should be no shortage of posts in early to mid September!


The Packers play their last preseason game on Thursday, at the Kansas City Chiefs.  The Badgers start their season on Saturday against UMass.
 Football is back! 
Yee-haw!
 Football is back!
Whoop-whoop-whoop!!!
Ready for a knock-down-drag-out?!?!

Everyone Is An A**hole

I came across this the other day and thought it was cute enough to share.  NSFW, of course.

I will have a new post here and over at the garden site this weekend.  I've been busy at work and tired at home recently.  The Packers play tonight and I have things I want to do before the game, mostly reading and unwinding, so this is just a quick 'I'm still alive' post.  'Cause, you know, I'm just that kind of a**hole.  Among other kinds -- watch the video!

Braining The Training

Happy Friday, everyone!  I haven't been around here much lately because I have been tired, in the brain.  I am in training at work, the most intensive training I have had in a long time, but I am hoping this will greatly help me in the future.  It is almost all on computer and I do not have any access yet so I have been mostly sitting with my supervisor getting everything but the kitchen sink thrown at me.  Actually, though she is trying to teach me a lot all at once, she is very nice, patient and I am learning a lot from her.  I'm not overwhelmed with the work she wants me to be able to do - I know I'll get it down eventually - but I am concerned about just how high her hopes are for me.  The higher the hopes the more pressure I'll feel.  After all, I'm a former construction and lumberyard guy and she's teaching me  the 'brainiac' stuff, her term not mine.

It has been quite a change but, like I said, I hope this can really help me in the future.  I keep mentioning that because this promotion is possibly temporary before I will be promoted again to go to a less desirable position.  At least I have a good job now, but who knows?  There has been much change at work recently so anything can happen, and I hope it does.


That is more writing about work than I have ever done or should ever do, so on a different note:

                   Is this not the saddest kitty pic ever?

 

Undercover Pizza Cop

So this "undercover" cop car has been parked out front for a couple hours now.  It was here for a bit when my wife noticed it, then it left for a bit,  and shortly came back and parked in the same spot except now there appeared to be a pizza box in the front seat.  I finally dared to take a picture, making absolutely sure that the flash was off, but the pizza box is no longer visible.



As I write this, the car is still there.  This appears a lot like a staked-out cop to me - and I haven't watched any of those fancy cop drama shows on TV for eons.  The best thing about it is at least they're not watching me (it appears they may be watching someplace across the creek, thankfully), so best of luck to 'em!

1912 Eighth Grade Exam

Well, this is different than what I usually do, but I was moved to post it anyway.

Just imagine what this world would be if everyone, especially here in the U.S., still had to pass a test like this.  I might have failed even as a senior in high school.  What does this say about the direction of our schools and educational standards?  Well, it's actually embarrassing to me and should be to us all - and I think I had a pretty good education, at least through grade school.  Granted, this was over one hundred years ago, but so what?

Kind of underscores the meaning of all those little things back then that you thought you'd never use again.  You may not use those exact equations again, but it trains your growing brain, the one and only one you will ever have.

Stay in school, kids.  Parents, how would your kids do?

Full article here.  Thanks Jonco!

This And Thats

There hasn't been any one amazing thing happening to us lately to write about.  That must mean that it is time to just start typing again and see what comes out.  Come along, it might be fun!


Our young cats found a new hobby recently.  They would climb up on the computer desk and pull out the pushpins holding things up on the bulletin board above and behind the monitor, then bat the tacks around everywhere.  It was not fun for us and we were not happy.  We had to start leaving the door closed at all times, essentially locking them out if we weren't in there ourselves.  Searching for a better solution, I found a cat training device on Amazon that seems to be working well.  It has a motion detector and will send out a spray of air to scare the cat away.  Easily found if you search, I just don't want to say the brand name here.  We have been using it overnights and may use it more during the days while we are at work.  They have not pulled down any pushpins since we got this device, I just want to make sure they continue to stay away so we'll keep using it at least for a little while longer.

Weather-wise has been pretty normal, though I would like a bit more rain recently.  Noteworthy is the very cool weekend we had last weekend.  Highs were in the lower 60's, F., very fall-like for just being July at the time.  It has been dry enough that I have not had to mow the lawn as much, even skipped the front for about 3 weeks, but there are spots that are browning a bit.  Maybe I'll go try a rain dance later.

I've declared war on crabgrass.  Not so much in my lawn, though there are spots, but in my neighbors lawn, specifically the stretch between our driveway and her house.  It showed up in the same area last summer so I sprayed it with crabgrass killer and a few weeks later threw some grass seed down to fill in the lawn.  Well, it came back this summer so, again with my neighbor's permission, I have been aggressive about trying to kill it off.  So far it is going well and hopefully I can get some real grass to grow before fall.  Yes, it is helping my neighbor and I know she appreciates it, but also some of my motivation is that I really don't want it in our lawn.

Work has been interesting lately.  I wrote some about the layoffs a while ago.  I was spared, and will be promoted even.  Now even more opportunities are in front of me.  Out of a possible 3 options, all promotions, I know which I will take.  I'll have a meeting on Monday with some important people then things will be clear and set.  I am grateful for these opportunities yet I will be most happy when things settle down and get back to normal.

I've been a bit concerned that we are mostly adding green stuff to the compost bin, most of the brown stuff comes in fall.  There were no problems last year, but it was not a full year of waste.  I know there are additives you can use but I don't think I'll look into that until I suspect we have a problem. This year I may be glad I built it every inch as big as it is.


And speaking of the compost bin, before this year I was pretty set on regular updates over on our garden site and that has become more sporadic this year.  What can I say?  I've been a bit of a lazy blogger this summer - but that's okay, I'll get over it!  PTFO