Michael & Liz are Bloggable

So two new pieces of news today... Two of the little birdies hatched this morning and hopefully tomorrow morning the other two will hatch. It's so freaking awesome to watch these little birds. I discovered that if you open the door and whistle, then the birds will throw their heads up wanting food. I have seen the Mom and Dad bluebirds coming and going all day with food for their young. The parents don't seem to care that I open the door. Maybe they don't see me as a threat? If only they knew I'm here to help and not to hurt them. Here is a picture I took (with the old camera) after whistling at the babies.

Pretty awesome right? We're super double excited. Building that birdhouse has got to be the best decision I've made all year.

Speaking of birdhouses, I have 100% finished the 10 birdhouses I've been building. They are all sitting in the garage ready to be sold. I sent an email to our neighborhood listserv this afternoon but haven't yet gotten even a nibble on them. In fact I received a response that was entirely the opposite of a nibble... criticism. That's not what I need right now. Should I stop trying to build things to sell and just do what I want to do? Or keep trying? My confidence has been slightly dashed.

I'll update if there is any progress on that.

Annie asked me to review the show, and although I am ashamed that I watch it, I will do a review.

Let me first say that it really bothers me that Jillian cannot see what is going on in the house. She should have a hidden camera in most rooms that she can watch and hear all... or at least have someone like a producer just show her the important stuff that she really needs to see like David being a meat-head, or the guys playing practical jokes. Sometimes the hidden camera can be a positive thing too and I think she should see it all. I guess they don't do that though because this isn't a relationship show, it's a love gameshow and the more drama and twists and turns, the better.

Review of people still on the show:

Jillian
She needs to grow a backbone. She tries to act tough by asking "tough questions" but really you can see that she's OK with being stepped on a lot. I also think for the most part she has no idea what she wants. She comes up with reasons off the top of her head to eliminate people when really I think she eliminates them because their names are not Ed or Kiptyn. She is fun-loving and adventurous and has a lot of good qualities about her but being the star of The Bachelorette doesn't mean you're perfect. If I were in the house I would have quit the game during the western movie group-date when she kissed everyone on the planet. That episode had her go from Sweet Jillian to Easy Jillian. She said to David "I'm not that kind of girl"... umm yes you are, because you were. But what do you expect, it's TV and not the time to be a quaint good ole girl. I am really going to become uncomfortable and despise the show when the guys start having overnight stays with her. I wonder what a night with Easy Jillian would be like?

Reid
Reid who? I actually just looked up the show online to verify the final 4 and realized that it was Reid and not Jesse. I also would have asked 'Jesse who?' Reid is a boy in a man's game and maybe that's a good thing? Aren't you a bartender? Yeah, love doesn't have a job but Jillian didn't become The Bachelorette to marry a bartender. That's like going on Survivor for a thousand dollars. That money won't last long and neither will the love that was developed on a TV show. He's different in that he isn't pushy or the center of attention which has also made him forgettable as a contestant. Unless Jillian has been hiding her feelings, I think Reid is going to place 3rd on the gameshow.

Wes
I hate him. I hated him from episode one. I want him gone and have yelled "NOOOOOOOO KELLY CLARKSON!!!" every time she gives him a rose. If she chooses him, just like every eliminated contestant has said, she will not find happiness and she will get hurt. Wes is a bad bad man and he is the reason for my comment that Jillian should see the drama in the house. Also, as if his personality wasn't wretched enough, his songs are terrible and he will not be famous.

Ed/Kiptyn
Lets be honest, this is a two horse race. I was thrilled Ed came back because it all of a sudden it pulled Jillian off of Kiptyn's pinky finger. Kiptyn was in the bag as the winner and now I have no idea. They both have great jobs, are very intelligent, funny, and apparently there is romantic connections. I tend to think couples look alike and Ed and Jillian are sooooo similar looking. They make a really good couple. Kiptyn on the other hand has a face like he was born in Whoville. So maybe Ed is the front runner but I think she'd be happy with either one. They both are there for the right reasons and it's clear that Ed certainly is otherwise he wouldn't have come back. If I had to choose a winner of the show, I'd flip a coin. Ed just won my coin toss.

Honorable Mention: Michael
The guy is awesome and you saw why directly after he got eliminated. He's hilarious and goofy and quotes "Anchorman", but he also has a deep side and really cared about Jillian. "I straight up loved that girl" he said. If I were to choose the next Bachelor, it would be Michael, but unfortunately I don't think he's hunky enough for ABC to choose him but it would be entertaining. It will probably end up being Jake or the loser between Ed and Kiptyn. If Kiptyn loses, I think ABC will be thrilled because they would like nothing more than to have a show called "The Bachelor" and the star is named, of all things, "Kiptyn". But to me, Michael was the star of this season. Every elimination, I was sending vibes to Jillian to say "Michael" and give him a rose and I loved his reactions to being saved every time. He carried his feelings on his sleeve and I think that's why I liked him so much. It was tough to see him go.

So there ya go. It's probably Ed because my coin said so... but Kiptyn is right there as well.

With the way I'm droppin dem houses.... or something like that. I think I got that line from a song, but I can't remember where. So I may not be building the Model T, but I am using a production line the same way.

I can't exclaim the difference in how I feel while using a workbench. It's UNREAL! I could have stayed outside but I came in to watch .... a show. It's 'The Bachelorette' OK? I said it.

In just about two hours work I got 6 birdhouses basically done and just 4 more to go. Not too bad of a night I'd say! The wood laying down with the holes in it is the backing and I just pick up the sides and bottom that I made and screw the back into them. It makes things go so fast. Here are some pictures of production line. Can I just say one more time how amazing using a workbench is...



And then I have to share this picture. I asked Liz to take pictures of the progress. She couldn't resist going artsy on me with her fancy camera, and I must say, this is definitely a good picture:

I'm hoping to have them mostly done by the time my parents get here on Wednesday. We'll see if I can make it!

The rest of my weekend, after the beach day, was going to be dedicated to building a workbench and starting on building the 10 birdhouses. I accomplished just that.

Saturday we woke up and went to Lowe's to load up on wood. I got the workbench framing done on Saturday and I could have done more but my phillips head bit broke. That delayed me until Sunday when I finished the workbench and then started on the birdhouses. I have all the wood for the houses cut and ready to go. The only thing left to do is put them together. It shouldn't be more than a couple hours of work.

What's amazing is that I no longer have to bend over to do the work on our coffee table. I actually felt like cutting the wood for the houses went 10 times faster because it. My productivity in the garage should go through the roof. I didn't need to take any breaks to stretch my back out. I didn't have to sit on a stool while working. I have much more room to work. And I didn't need to bend down to pick up any tools. Here's the workbench:

A few notes. The table top is thin so I can clamp things to it. If it was thick like the second and third shelves then I wouldn't be able to clamp anything. The wood stacked on top are the sides to the birdhouses. The bottom two shelves will hold wood and different tools depending on how I want to organize things.

Again, if you are interested in a birdhouse, let me know.

Just wanted to share this picture Liz took at the beach yesterday. We made it a day trip. The drive down took longer than we expected at 3 hours. We hung out on the beach all day with the dogs and then came back. It was a wonderful Friday.

Anyone who hasn't seen this movie, YOU NEED TO SEE THIS MOVIE! Now, granted, I enjoy chick flicks more than most guys, but I can't imagine anyone saying this movie isn't awesome or moving. But this post is not about that movie, it's just using the movie's title.

I'm posting this to praise my awesome wife and the gift she got me for my birthday. There are good gifts, there are great gifts, and then there is the ultimate gift. Let's review.

There is a good gift. A good gift is something you can get good use out of and you like it. An example of a good gift is a nice polo shirt. You didn't ask for it but will definitely wear it and probably look pretty good if your wife has good taste. That's a good gift. Liz didn't get me a polo shirt.

There is a great gift. I see great gifts as something new that you've always wanted but have never gotten. An example of a great gift is a new camera or a Ochocinco Bengal's jersey. You probably didn't need those things and probably never asked for those things, but are excited to have it. That's a great gift. Liz didn't get me a camera or jersey.

Then there is the ultimate gift. I see ultimate gifts as something you'll use, something that would be awesome to have, but most importantly is something the receiver has shown frustration over not having without having asked for it. The ultimate gift requires listening and caring, before providing. It's a gift as much from the heart as it is from the wallet. An example of the ultimate gift is Liz completing my golf iron set by buying me a 9 iron.

I think I might have heard someone laugh that my ultimate gift is a golf club, but let me explain. At the beginning of May, I inherited a set of Taylor Made Bubble Burners from my Dad that came without a 9 iron. It had been broken in an errant swing in the woods. I was frustrated without having it but just dealt with it. I definitely could have improved without it. As the weeks moved on, I have become obsessed with golf. Watching it, playing it, and obsessing over how to improve myself at it, all without a 9 iron.

I only mentioned it in passing because it's something that has frustrated me a few times every round. But it's almost impossible to buy just 1 iron. You have to buy the set. I can easily play golf without a 9 iron which is why I wouldn't buy it myself.

She listened to what I needed, spent time to find it, and got me what she knew I wouldn't get myself but that I would certainly get enjoyment out of. Completing my iron set, to me is the ultimate gift. So I just wanted to express my thankfulness on the blog. It's one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever gotten.

Oh, and with the new 9 iron, I shot my lowest round for 9 holes since last year, a 42.

Wow, it's been a long time, but I'm back... for now.

You probably thought this would be an update on Liz and I, it's not, this is an update on the bluebirds. We had 4 fledge at the end of May and we were thrilled about it. They all survived which apparently is rare. The second they left the nest, I cleaned it out and that was crazy gross. There were around 50 beetles buried at the bottom of the nest. We don't know how they got down there, it was either the birds plan to hoard bugs or the bugs plan to stay warm at night. Maybe they were working together and the bugs signed a lease for the bottom half of the house. Either way, the bugs were all bagged up and thrown away the day after the birds fledged.

We were hoping that the bluebirds were not done for the year because I read they tend to have 2 or 3 broods a year. Thank goodness they aren't. About a week ago we found that the Mom and Dad bluebirds began to build a new nest in our house. They wasted no time setting it up and laid their first egg a couple days later and this morning we found a second egg.

I don't know if anyone remembers (or cares) but I mentioned at one point in a previous post that a small bird had threatened the nest and the mom and dad bluebirds were dive bombing that small bird to get it away. I thought this was cute, however according to some information I found, these small birds were house sparrows and are vicious killers. This is unacceptable and we (Liz and I) will not tolerate vicious killers of any species. So this time around we have taken action.

I found this website which is basically just an encyclopedia on bluebirds. If you care, check it out. But what I found there is a way to scare these house sparrows away and I have put this device into place. Readers, meet the sparrow spooker. Today at lunch I put this up. It's made out of some ribbon that Liz gave me. I tried to straighten the ribbon but it's still a bit curly. Hopefully it will scare the house sparrows away, protect the nest when we aren't home, and also not deter the bluebirds from continuing to nest in our house.

Liz took a picture of our device, check it out:


This is just a shameless plug, but beginning in the month of July (once I build a workbench for myself) I am going to start mass producing these birdhouses to start selling them. The wood will be better quality (not thick plywood) and I may stain them as well so they hold up better. If you are interested in purchasing one, let me know. The price will depend on how much the wood costs me... I'm thinking roughly $30 a house. It is well worth the pleasure we have gotten from it and also bluebirds are good for the environment... so go green and buy a birdhouse.