Michael & Liz are Bloggable

We only got a limited number of Christmas cards this year and weren't able to send them to all the people we wanted to. So here is the picture and text we sent in our card this year. Oh and Merry Christmas:


Dear Family & Friends,

Liz and I did something this year that we haven’t done since we’ve been together. And that something is nothing. Every year in the past has been marked by graduation, moving states, marriage, new house, new car, or getting a new puppy. All of these are significant changes in lifestyle and we are happy to report that we finally had a year of enjoying things just the way they are.

That’s not to say we haven’t had a wonderful year though. Liz enjoyed another year of singing in our church’s choir and was once again a soloist in the Christmas Cantata. She also pursued a new passion of hers in photography by buying a camera and taking classes. We also ran a half marathon together in Cincinnati. I have continued to advance my woodworking skills by creating 25 pieces from things as simple as crosses all the way to a nightstand. This is a passion of mine I plan to continue to improve upon in 2010. I have also continued hosting Kidstuf in our church, which is a weekly stage production put on for the Sunday school children.

And as for our little puppies Daisy & Gryffin, it is such a blessing to have two dogs that love each other so much. They really are best friends and it is such a joy to have them run around and play as much as they do. We couldn’t imagine our lives without them.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,

Michael, Liz, Daisy, & Gryffin
http://www.familyfulton.blogspot.com/

About two months ago we were at Petco and were browsing the toy section for Daisy & Gryffin. We've tried making them toys and we've tried buying them toys. No matter what we do, those toys get destroyed and inevitably get thrown away. It was an endless struggle. Until we found the item we call "Gryffin's Ball".

We bought this round rubber ball for $5 and at the time we thought "that is way too expensive for a silly little ball". It has two little holes on either side to allow for it to be squeezed easily. Ever since we got that ball, Gryffin has been attached to it and very protective of it. Turns out we would have paid $20 had we known how much he'd love it.

His favorite game is for us to throw it around the house and for him to go chase. Imagine that, a dog that likes the game of "fetch". Coincidentally, Daisy's favorite game is to attempt to bite and block Gryffin while he runs around the house. So it's a win-win. They will play this game for hours or at least as long as we aren't tired of it. We also call him a punk cuz he *REALLY* enjoys squeezing it in Daisy's face as if to entice her or to rub in the fact that he has it and she doesn't. Another nickname for him derived from "punk" is "punksopotamus". He really enjoys just sitting and squeezing it. We don't understand why. The great thing is, it hasn't shown an ounce of wear and tear and we really don't think it ever will. It's like a gobstopper... for dogs.


Since we got the ball, we loved it so much, we got a second. Turns out, one is really all we needed because they are only ever entertained by one. It's ok, this way if we somehow lose it, his happiness doesn't end. That is a picture of Gryffin waiting for his ball to be thrown. I took this with my camera phone since I was lazy and didn't want to get the real camera. I tried to take a picture of him chewing the ball, but he wouldn't stay still and again, I'm lazy.

By the way, throughout this entire post, he has not stopped chewing his ball. Victory.

I had nothing else to post here. Daisy does this all the time (run into the screen) and the only time she doesn't is when we open the door slowly enough that she recognizes the screen there before she has a chance to run... I just really wanted it on video and I got it :).

Sorry for the shakey-ness.

Most people reading this blog probably don't pay too much attention to football. I also probably lost about 50% of my audience in that first sentence. But the Bengals are off to a 4-1 start on the season and I wanted to write a post on my thoughts.

Let me first start positive.

• The Bengals defense is what is keeping them in games. They are physical, fast, and are playing with passion. Holding the 31 point average Ravens to 14 is a testiment to their efforts. Their philosophy is to not let the other team's best player beat you, more specifically, the other team's best wide receiver. For example both Greg Jennings and Derrick Mason had 0 catches in their games against the Bengals. Fantasy suggestion? Don't start a receiver against the Bengals D. There really is no credit to be given to anyone in particular because everyone is playing well. They are really playing as a unit and every player is playing shut down defense right now.
  
• Cedric Benson is running his tail off. This stat will surprise EVERYONE. He is the leading rusher in the NFL by 6 yards over Adrian Peterson. Have I mentioned that those yards are against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, & Denver. Those defenses are no slouches.
  
• Carson is clutch under pressure. Two weeks in a row he has run for a 1st down during a 4th down play within the last minute of the game. Carson isn't known for his running. He has also taken the Bengals on a 4th quarter game winning drive 3 weeks in a row now. His arm isn't as stellar as it has been in the past but I think he'll continue to improve.
  
• T.J. Who? I don't miss him even a little bit. Laveranues Coles hasn't panned out to be a viable replacement (yet), but Chris Henry and Andre Caldwell have stepped up beyond anyone's expectations and T.J. isn't missed for that reason.
  

But the point of my post is to say that their wins haven't convinced me that the Bengals are a contender for the playoffs or Super Bowl... YET. I really want to be wrong. I want nothing more than to see us do it. Other than Cleveland fans, who would be rooting against the Bengals right now? You have to be happy to see them succeed. I'm just not convinced yet.

Did you know the Bengals have been in the lead during their games for only 18% of the time and are still 4-1. That's incredible. They have needed a game winning drive during the last minute in the last 3 games in order to win. One of those games was against Cleveland and Cleveland is TERRIBLE. They have also had tons of kicking issues. They just fired their long snapper today. He has ruined 11 points between extra points and easy field goals in the 5 games not to mention all the horrible snaps the holder was barely able to save.

Really there is no reason why we couldn't be 5-0 or 0-5 right now. Maybe what makes great teams is their ability to pull through in the end but so far I only feel like the Bengals success is pure luck. I could give so many examples but the most recent one is the Baltimore game. I actually feel like the Bengals should have blown out the Ravens. The game should have been in their hands by the end of the 3rd quarter. Carson threw a bomb to Chris Henry who galloped down the field to only be tackled at the 5 yard line. Had he hustled just a little, it's a TD. Results? A missed 30 yard field goal. That's unacceptable. That's the real Bengals from the last 19 years.

But why were we lucky? Let's look at the last drive. We only had an opportunity because Baltimore dropped a wide open catch for first down and had to punt it away. We got the ball with 2:10 left and after 3 downs, it took a 4th down run to get a 1st, burning a minute off the clock. Then on 2nd and 10, Ray Lewis hits Ochocinco in the face and gets flagged for 15 yards. Ray Lewis absolutely deserved it but that's just help you don't normally get. After that we got a legitimate 11 yards. Then on 3rd and 16, there's a defensive pass interference called for Ochocinco. I'd love to say that the Ravens deserved this, but it should have been 4th and 16. That was not a foul. Next play from the 20 yard line, touchdown. I can't help but feel like the Ravens handed us that game.

What I would like to see this weekend is the Bengals destroy Houston by 30. Let's have a 4th quarter full of Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott just pounding away. Until the Bengals put a complete game together, I will not be able to claim they are different this year. They have done a lot of really good things, but they have squeaked by on far too many levels. We'll know a lot more during the next 4 games. We have Houston, Chicago, Baltimore, & Pittsburgh. You better believe Balt. and Pitt. won't sleep on us again.

How will the Bengals finish? My guess is 11-5. I just hope the Bungles stay away long enough to bring back some pride in this desperate city.

So about 2 weeks ago, Liz and I disagreed about the number of items in the shower. It came down to me only needing a bar of soap, and she needing more than a bar of soap. For a long time it wasn't a problem because we had a metal shower hangy thing where things were stored. Then we replaced the standard shower head with a fancy shower head that included a hand held cord. That cord then got in the way of the metal hangy thing causing us to have to get rid of it. This got all the items on the metal hanger demoted to the ground. That demotion was the cause of the conversation about the number of items in the shower.

So my handiness kicked in and thought "I could build a shelf!" A couple hours later of cutting, screwing, sanding, painting, and we have a shelf. I realized today that I am very good at starting projects, but terrible at finishing them. So I got motivated tonight and finished this project at least. I built it kinda fancy so that the base of the shelf doesn't sit against the wall. I figured with water, steam, and mist, the least amount of contact with the wall the better. The shelf may not look level in the picture, and I think that's due to the shadows because it's dark and the angle of the picture, but I assure you, it is level. Maybe the shower frame isn't level... hmm....

Just wanted to post pictures of my most recent woodworking project. There aren't too many pictures of the steps I took to do it, but I'm loving the results and wanted to share them. Here are all the pictures:




What took the most amount of time was the stenciling of their names and signatures. It was about a half hour per letter if you include the drying. Also the paw signatures were created using a combination of a chopped off PVC pipe and the center hole from my athletic tape. We figured the way their names are written match who they are. Gryffin is a male and usually don't care about their signature. We figured he'd write in block letters. Daisy is a female and more fancy and we figured she'd have more curvy writing. Also Daisy is smaller than Gryffin so her signature is smaller.

I did learn one thing when working on this project and that is that white paint cannot be polyurethaned. You cannot see it in the pictures, but there is a slight yellow tint to the white paint. I was very upset about it at first but really, it's hard to see and no one would see it at first glance. Also as it was pointed out to me today, they are dog bowls and will get dirty anyway.

Also through this project, I have been asked to make 3 more dog bowl dishes, 2 for my sisters and 1 for my Mom's friend who will pay for the wood. I love having projects to work on. Although it seems like my deadline is Thanksgiving. I also have a Secret Santa woodworking project to work on as well. I better get hoppin' in October.

w00t October! More on that later!

As most people who read this blog know, I like to make things out of wood and more specifically, I like to make birdhouses. Well back in March, Liz and I went to the Raleigh birdhouse competition and it has inspired me to compete next year in it. I was prepared to walk in and be floored by the talent and super glad I didn't try to compete. But honestly, the houses there were not spectacular. I got confidence that whatever I make would and could do well. For more information on it, this is the site from this year.

What I learned from going to this is that the concept and idea of the birdhouse is MUCH more important than the talent or skills it takes to make it. I think a creative birdhouse would win over a nice looking one. So that's why I'm posting today. Can you give me some ideas for a sweet birdhouse design? Here's what I'm thinking about so far to get you started:

First Idea:
How sweet would a birdhouse look with the face of a transformer on it? The hole entrance could be the eyes or the hole at the top? Both front and back sides could be different transformer logos or the same logo on each side:
















Second Idea:
A bird house shaped like a beehive. I could get a branch from a tree outside and hang the beehive birdhouse from the branch to make it seem like it's an actual beehive and it will have an open slot for an entrance. I have no pictures of the idea, but I do have the concept mapped out in my brain.

Do you have an idea of a sweet birdhouse design? I am not looking for easy simple ones either although those are always appreciated. That Transformer birdhouse will be RIDICULOUSLY difficult to build (especially with my limited toolset). Any idea is a good one. Let me know what you think!!

Well football starts again today and I decided to log in and make my prediction for the Bengals. I am torn this season.

I love the Bengals and I want them to do well. I want them to win. But since last season I have started following a blog that I have come to enjoy and agree with. It's called the Who Dey Revolution. The goal is basically to call out and expose the crappy Bengals management in order to get changes made to the way the team is run. The guy, as cynical as he comes off, is 100% right about almost everything. He makes it obvious how terrible the Bengals organization is run. It's painful to say, but any success the Bengals acheive is pure dumb luck. They really will be the siberia of the NFL until they get competent management. Did you know the Bengals only employee 1 scout? Yes that's right, 1 NFL scout for 1 NFL team. There are only 6 teams in the NFL who don't have a GM. Those 6 teams include either extremely successful owners (Jerry Jones) or extremely unsuccessful owners (Mike Brown and Al Davis). There is no in between. You'd think with 19 years of crappiness, maybe going a different route for success would be good?? Those are just a few of the topics the blogger at Who Dey Revolution brings up.

So as you can see, it's understandable that I'm torn on rooting for them to win.

Regardless, I enter another year hoping for the best and expecting the worse. Can you believe last season I actually predicted that the Bengals would be ruined by injuries? Check it out. Well I didn't get it all right, Rudi Johnson didn't do well in Detroit, but Carson took the year off with an arm problem so I got that right at least. This year I can't help but be optimistic. Carson is back and doing well, Ochocinco is reenergized and talking about playing in the Super Bowl, apparently Cedric Benson is playing this year at the same weight he was in college (his last good football season), and the defense has added a bunch of new players and is expected to improve their 12th ranked defense from last year. How could this not be a good team?

If only they weren't Cincinnati. I'm afraid the higher my optimism is, the higher my disappointment will be. I read somewhere that the Bengals could potentially win 10 games this year. I say bogus, we aren't going to split with BOTH Pittsburgh and Baltimore. I'll believe it when I see it. My prediction is that it will be an up and down year. Our offense will disappear for a few games and I think we'll end up 7-9. I don't think Benson is going to make a big impact this year and Bernard Scott may have to come in to pick up the slack. Unless any of the wide receivers or Carson get hurt, I think they'll all have a decent year. The defense will improve but will be mediocre and stay around 12th ranked in the league. We're better than we were last year but not as good as we were in 2005. If we had an easier division I'd be a little more optimistic about our record, but I just can't see us having a winning record.

And if you just read all that, congratulations, I could barely stand to type it myself.

It may not be clear by the post above but... Go Bengals!

Also I can't wait until October.

I have this problem where I always watch movies and get a little sad. Like when the first Harry Potter movie came out I thought "This is the last time we're ever going to see Harry Potter for the first time!" And then when the sixth one came out, "We will only ever see a new Harry Potter movie two more times!" Sad I know! Well when I was little, and by little I mean pre-college, whenever I watched a comedy I would think "Who is ever going to be as funny?" For example:

Chris Farley died. Who is every going to be as funny?
Adam Sandler got older and his good-goofy movies were over. Who is ever going to be as funny?
Jim Carey got older and starts doing serious roles. Who is ever going to be as funny?

In my teeny brain I thought whenever these actors stopped being funny, my idea of what was funny would no longer make me laugh and would no longer be comedy. It was several years ago when I discovered Will Ferrell that this thought started getting pushed away. Then last year or the year before I found out how hilarious Seth Rogen was and the thought of "Who is ever going to be as funny?" drifted away even further. Well this year, I would say that there are 3 guys that have pushed that thought even further away.

Paul Rudd:
Paul was in the 40-year-old Virgin and I thought he was pretty hilarious. His back and forth conversation with Seth Rogen saying "you know how I know you're gay? you like coldplay" made me wheez the first time I saw it. And his latest movie "I love you, Man" is just as funny. I think what makes him funny is that he doesn't even try. He has this dry humor that is just too hilarious. For a long time he was a supporting actor in a lot of different things like "Friends", but with a lead role in "I love you, Man" I felt like he nailed it. The only downside I can find with Paul is that he (as well as Seth Rogen and Jason Siegel) tend to be in movies that are really raunchy.







Ed Helms:
I think I could watch this guy on TV all day long and still not get tired of him. Often times in TV sitcoms it's extremely risky introducing new characters. You risk ruining the karma that all the current characters have. Ed was introduced on The Office a little late into the show and he was an instant hit with me. He has this goofy smile that just makes you love him.

But as if being funny wasn't enough, Ed sings. It's goofy and ridiculous and totally not professional but the kind of singing that fits perfectly into comedy. He sung this song on the movie "The Hangover" and also sung it on Conan O'Brien when he appeared on the show. Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojkUv4aWY_0

and by the way, he is actually playing the piano:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tO9utIOXag

I can't wait to see what he produces in the future!

Michael Cera:
I am not going to act like Michael Cera is nearly as funny as Ed Helms or Paul Rudd, but he is very funny. I think his humor lies entirely with how he pronunciates words and sentences. For example we just saw "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" the other day and there were several quotes that made us crack up, like:

"This is not a taxi, my friend, I promise you!"

"If anyone is getting raped in that van, it'll be a guy. "

"Also that mix CD... uh that I left on your doorstep was the last one that I'll be making for you. More or less... "

He just has a way of delivering lines that is unique. I haven't yet seen the movie "Year One" but I am very excited about it.


I am slowly getting over my thinking that comedy lies in the actors. Comedy as well as the actors will change over time and I'm confident I will keep on laughing no matter what.

I think with every male homeowner, there are things around the house that you just don't feel like getting involved in. With me, there is basically just one thing and that is electricity. I've been burned too many times and I just don't want to deal with it. Power my lights, heat my food, blend my ice cream, but leave my fingers and body alone. "Just turn off the breaker in the garage" you might say, "well a few year's too late" my fingers might respond. Doesn't always work.

Today I decided to tackle the Sweet Room fan. Since we moved in March 2007, it hasn't worked. The light would turn on but the fan wouldn't spin. Last summer we box fanned it. This summer we decided not to deal with heat and kept our A/C at a tolerable 74. Promptly after getting our high electric bill, I changed our thermostat to 78 and I immediately started sweating.

Last night was miserable. Liz went out for the night and I stayed in and did nothing but sweat my Nay-nays off. I brought the unacceptable box fan in and got fed up. Early July my Mom gave us some money for our anniversary and today that money bought us a fan remote control unit.

I got the 8 foot ladder out, flipped the electrical off from the Sweet Room and went to town. It took me about an hour of fiddling until I got the new remote control installed and "POOF! ... IT'S ALIVE ... IT'S AAAALLLIIIIIIVVVEEE!!!"

I fixed a household item that had been previously broken. My man card has a few stamps on it already: deck, garage shelving, wainscoting in the blue bedroom. Today my man card just got stamped with "Sweet Room fan".

Turns out, it wasn't as hard as I had imagined. Also I discovered on the other side of the white blades that there is a wood color. So I also flipped the blades over. You can't see it in the picture, but the fan is spinning. It's not the prettiest fan, but it came with the house, and that's good enough for me:

Haven't blogged in forever. The point of this post is to say that we have found Daisy and Gryffin's favorite food.

Since we got them, we have always struggled finding them food they'll enjoy. Gryffin will scarf down anything we put in front of him but Daisy is super picky. We used to give her food that you put warm water in and it would be super tasty but she hated it after a while and would refuse to eat it.

We tried puppy, small breed, and adult breed formulas of different brands and they never seemed too thrilled. We leaned toward Purina Pro Plan small breed formula but she got sick of that. We decide to try the Purina Pro Plan adult breed formula that included "tender" pieces mixed in (whatever that means). Somehow these "tender" pieces were given the name "Chewies" and from now on whenever we feed them we yell "CHEWIES". We have never seen Daisy scarf it down so fast. Usually she leaves food in her bowl throughout the day and never finishes any meal but with this food she would finish it on the spot. It was hilarious because when we got the first bag we could actually see her getting a little fatter with this food and she would sometimes burp when she's done.

We one time decided to switched back to small breed for variety and she immediately went back to her old ways and we could see her weight start going down again. Maybe this is the dog equivalent of McDonalds but they LOVE the "chewies". Here are the beloved chewies:


We may have to learn how to put her on a diet but still give her chewies at the same time. That last thing we'll have is an overweight chihuahua. That's like animal cruelty with their small, thin leg bones bearing more weight then they should.


BTW: Just an update on the birds, last weekend the 4 baby blue birds fledged and I immediately cleaned out the bird house. We almost saw them leave the house as the babies were poking their head out in the morning but we had to leave so we never saw them fly away. Since then there has been no trace of babies or parents. We're hoping to get one more brood of babies before the winter comes... oh winter... how i miss you.

That's the most pathetic blog post title I've ever had... but it's true.

By the way, the other two birds hatched yesterday so they are all alive and well inside the house.

Yesterday during our Harry Potter Marathon some may have noticed that I'm a little too obsessive over the safety of our birds in the backyard. Part of it is that I enjoy seeing them grow up and care about them but it's mostly because I wouldn't be able to take the fact that if the Mom, Dad, or baby bluebirds were killed it would be 100% my fault. If that were to happen I don't know what I'd do. I set this birdhouse out and I couldn't help but feel responsible if something hurt them. I might take the house down or who knows, it may solidify my resolve to keep them safe. So needless to say, I feel like I have some sort of responsibility toward the birds.


Yesterday during the marathon a male House Sparrow(pictured above) landed on the house and I freaked out. I threw up my arms and ran out the door and scared it away. Now granted the Mom and Dad were both there to scare it away as well so they were doing their jobs, but House Sparrows are the #1 predator for Bluebirds. I was surprised because I have a "Sparrow Spooker" installed on the house. Obviously it's not working and it concerns me. But if they got into the house, they would kill the Mom, Dad, and babies, and then lay eggs in the birdhouse on top of their carcasses, and use their dead bodies to feed their own babies. This cannot happen.

Last night I woke up at 2:30 AM in a sweat after a dream/nightmare in which I opened the birdhouse and this exact scenario had played out. I was sweating, my heart racing and as ridiculous as I know it is, I spent the next two hours mulling over what to do about it. It was the middle of the night so obviously I wasn't thinking clearly, but I considered going down and checking on them. I realized that they were probably safe, so I then thought "Should I go down and watch the house and make sure nothing hurts them?" So if the Sparrow Spooker isn't working, what do I need to put on the house to stop the predators?!?! All really stupid thoughts, but I lost two hours of sleep thinking about it.

Maybe the answer is to do nothing and let nature take it's course. I hate that answer.

I just opened the house and the baby birds are OK... but on a related note, I may be going insane. I'll keep you updated :)

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.

I'm sure everyone is tired of our bluebird posts... but we just had a stakeout and were able to get a couple pictures from the window. We think the bird was looking at us and was weary of our presence, but he delivered the goods regardless. Delicious worms for the youngin's. Next we need to get donuts for our stakeout... stakeouts are not stakeouts without donuts.

They are actually removing the crap!! In my last post I mentioned that the birds were removing something... it's actually the crap. Oh I have learned so much about bluebirds already...

Here is a link to information about the crap removal.

And here is an awesome page about the bluebird lifecycle... oh it's so awesome! My guess is based on that lifecycle, we are about 14 days into it.

We can't tell you how exciting it is to follow the lives of the bluebirds in our birdhouse right now. By the way, there is no doubt about it, they are bluebirds. We'd take some pictures but they are super fast, especially when they see us. Not too long ago the mother dropped 4 eggs in the house and since then the birds have hatched and have grown to be quite large. I would be willing to bet that they are very close to leaving the nest soon.

Liz doesn't like that I do this but every now and then I will tap on the house to see if anyone is inside and if no Mommy or Daddy birds fly out, I'll open the lid to take a peak. The birds have only been awake one time, all the other times they'll be sleeping.

The Mom and Dad bird are so protective over their young. They are always either inside the birdhouse or sitting on our neighbors house watching their home. Yesterday we witnessed a squirrel running on our deck trying to get to the birdhouse and the Mom or Dad divebombing the squirrel to stop it. I was going to step in but Liz thought nature should take it's course... but to me the only course nature will take is for the squirrel to be run off... if he gets anywhere near our birdies, I'm going right out there. They don't seem to mind the dogs or Liz or I being near the birdhouse, in fact, we have opened it up on accident when they were watching. It's either because they don't see us as a threat or they see us as such a HUGE threat that they don't bother us.

And as I type, I am watching the Mom and Dad birds fight off a little tiny finch of some kind that is trying to peak inside. Hopefully the babies grow up and fly soon!! It's amazing to me that these little things are born and sit inside a dark box for a month and then all of a sudden climb up and go "ya know what, im flying today" without any hesitation. I realize they were meant to fly but it's amazing to me that it's in their nature. It takes us a freakin year to learn how to walk. It only takes them a month without even experiencing the world.

What's weird is, today I've been observing the Dad bird flying into the house and leaving with something every time... is he making space? Is he on poop removal duty? What's he doing?!

It is so much fun to watch it and I can only hope next year I have 2 or 3 more birdhouses around the yard to help the bluebird population of NC.

I didn't see these pictures until this weekend, but Liz has taken some fantastic pictures of Gryffin and I want to share them. Obviously I am no picture critic, but based on what I've seen of pictures, these are really good. Here are a few, but you can see more pictures of our trips and stuff at the picture album link at the top:


The last one is my favorite, he looks like he's in deep thought... we all know he's not.

Yesterday in church, our pastor read this during a sermon. I won't get into how it pertained to the sermon, mainly because I was too stressed out about Kidstuf that I wasn't listening very well. But it made me laugh very hard so I thought I'd share. I have always insisted that if I wasn't allergic to cats, I still wouldn't have one anyway because dogs are much more fun. As funny as this diary is, there are not a lot of cat owners that would disagree with it:


The Diary of Dog:
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Dinner! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!


The Diary of a Cat:

Day 983 of My Captivity

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now ...

*I realize Daisy looks like an alien, but she has perfected the "flash blink". She times it right EVERY time.

On Thursday, Dewey came over for a two week sleepover and the puppies are loving it. You would think 3 dogs are harder than 2 but it's really not much different at all. They get along really well, we have the backyard so we don't have to take them out on the leash very often(except for walks), and Dewey is not a destructive dog so when we leave he is free to roam the sweet room and kitchen.

Daisy and Gryffin realize they are outmatched during play time but they love chasing him around. He's also super gentle with them when they wrestle. Yesterday he was basically letting Daisy chew on his neck, much like she does to Gryffin during an even match, as he rolled around on the ground. I don't think there are a lot of dogs that would let her do that. He's also ridiculously smart and will do his commands like "sit", "lay down" and "drop it" without hesitation. I don't know if he knew how to do this beforehand either, but he has picked up the "sit" and "ok" commands right before we feed the dogs. Before those commands, D&G would attack the food before we let go of it. Having all 3 dogs siting there waiting for us to say "OK!" to eat, is super cute.

The only complaint I can make about Dewey is that he can let out some of the most vicious SBD farts. I mean he puts me to shame with some of those bad boys. I think that's a boy dog thing though cuz Gryffin is really bad about that too.

So it's a two week sleepover and when I say sleepover, I mean it. There are times at night when I'll lean over and D or G are snuggled up into Dewey. It's so nice not to have to worry about them getting along. Like Liz and I always say, they're "best fwends".

A while ago, I came up with the phrase, the "you're awesome letter". What is it you ask? It is the confirmation from a bank or loan that you have paid off a debt. You have worked so hard to get rid of a debt and made so many payments and unfortunately, have sent so much money, you deserve a letter from that company saying "Hey! You're Awesome! Job Well Done! Not everyone pays off a loan ahead of time!"

I have never received a "you're awesome letter" because when we paid off our furniture (bed) loan, Rooms To Go never let us know. They just kept on going, business as usual, but instead of sending us billing statements, they just... stopped sending us billing statements. The punks.

So needless to say, when we paid off our car early in March, we were super excited to get that letter. A whole 2 years and 3 months early to be exact. I mean, they had no choice but to tell us we're awesome, they had to send us our title! So, at last, it arrived almost one month after our last payment. Here it is:


You probably can't read it, here's the gist:

Dear Michael & Liz,

You're awesome for paying off your car. Here's the proof. You're awesome.

Yours truly awesome,

BB&T

I must add one more note. We took better pictures than the one above. But when I went to go make this post, I realized that every single photo we took contained specific information about our vehicle that I did not want out on the internets. So this photo, with my face covered up and the letter somewhat blurry, gets the job done. When is your next "you're awesome letter"? Ours should come around November. Woo hoo!

I think I just made a bunch of people gasp. No! Not us! The bird in our birdhouse has laid a few eggs. I still am not 100% sure it's a bluebird, but the eggs are blue so that's probably right. Check out the picture:

As you can see, I don't feel like typing much today...

It seems like lately I haven't focused on one priority but instead have been trying to tackle a bunch all at once. My life is like an ice cream store's flavor of the week... today I'll be woodworking and tomorrow I'll be reviewing movies. It's tiring and annoying. To be honest, I like being busy, but I don't like doing pointless activities. That's why I quit indoor soccer. I can run on my own, save 60 dollars every 2 months, and be just as happy.

It's inevitable that my list will continue to grow because I always find things I enjoy to do, but it's time to nip one in the bud. Just like I predicted, I'm not going to review movies on the blog anymore. I had a revelation this weekend. I don't watch movies because I enjoy giving my opinion, I enjoy movies because I love being entrenched in a story for a couple hours. They're entertaining. There are few things I enjoy more than watching a great movie. During my movie reviewing stint, I actually started putting off watching movies because I didn't want to review any. How's that for a bad side effect!?!?

So it's time to condense my hobbies. I love woodworking, I love working out/running, I love training Daisy and Gryffin. I think that's about all I can handle. Of course I will continue to watch movies, but that's not as much a hobby as much as it is something I enjoy doing at my leisure. That actually might be the definition of a hobby... but I wouldn't consider movie watching one of mine. And there is always housework and yardwork but you can never ignore those. So what's my plan of attack with these three hobbies?

Woodworking:

I have decided that next year I am going to enter the birdhouse competition that Liz and I went to. It was awesome but there were some birdhouses that were just not very good. I found myself walking around saying "well jeez, I can do that!" So that's the ultimate goal a year from now. How to get there?

I need a workbench, there are no if and or buts about it. I can't do anything in the garage without a workbench. I also can't really do woodworking without taking the coffee table out to the garage as a workbench. So I've decided to start working on building a new coffee table. No more delaying, I gotta do it. Once I finish a coffee table, I am going to take the wood from the current table and make it into a workbench. I think that's a pretty good plan, but can I follow through? I can't help but try....

Working Out/Running:

Hurting my calf 3 weeks ago was a blessing in disguise. Actually, I'd be willing to bet to a lot of people, it was such a disguise that it never looked like I was hurt at all. The only time the pain occurred was when I ran for longer than 15 minutes. So except for the times I'm actually running, I look like I'm fine. We will find out for sure tomorrow when I go out for a 6 mile run.

During my down time, I pledged to workout with the Biggest Loser workout videos at 6AM every day for a week. For the people looking for an update, I accomplished it. Every day, 6AM, me, the dogs, and Bob Harper. The only day I didn't do it was Saturday because come on, it's Saturday. I didn't continue the trend of waking up early but I did wake up a monster. No I'm not that buff yet, but I love workout videos now. There is something about the convenience of not leaving the house but still getting a good workout.

Right at the same time, Justin (gravitywins) started the P90X program and was raving about how good it hurt. With my new found workout video obsession, I had to try it. So last night Liz and I started our first P90X workout with chest and back. It was tough and exhausting but we made it through. We're completely hooked. It's a 13 week program and we couldn't be more excited about it. Liz actually said today: "I look forward to the other half of my body hurting tonight :)". We'll see if we continue with the program until July like we should. My biggest problem will be in what I eat as opposed to sticking to the workouts, so I'm hoping my obsession moves to making better food choices.

Those who know me must be saying "OK... so what about running?" Well... I'm not going to give up on that and I still plan on accomplishing my 1000 mile goal for the year but it will not be my main concentration. I am going to continue to train for the marathon in May by running several times a week but once the race is over, I am going to exclusively concentrate on the P90X workout plan.

I must be sounding like a hypocrite making this blog title "Rotating Priorities" and then putting myself through multiple workout and training plans. I'll admit, it is hypocritical, but I'd rather aim for a high workout goal and miss it then aim low and hit it every time. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take, and you miss 100% of the putts you leave short. So bring it on.

Training Daisy & Gryffin:
Gryffin is ridiculous. I have trained him so well that every single time I have a treat in my hand now, he'll roll over onto his back without a command. He also no longer responds to sit, lay down or my "Pwhew!" shooting command. He just rolls over regardless. So we need to work on correcting that.

Honestly my biggest problem, is the fact that we have two dogs. For example, I can't train Gryffin unless Liz and I are both free because if I put Daisy in another room, she whines wondering why she's secluded and Gryffin also gets distracted. If I leave Daisy in the room with Gryffin and I, she thinks it's unfair that he gets all the treats so I have to reward her for doing nothing. It's a wonderful problem to have though, they are so awesome.

I don't think it will take long to correct Gryffin's confusion though, he's a smart boy. What is next on the agenda to teach Gryffin? Obviously "roll over" is next. I also want to teach him "rock"(the 21st century version of "gimme a paw") and due to the popularity from our friends, "touch the stove". (Basically we want to teach him something utterly pointless that has no application and makes no sense at all... "touch the stove" won).

What are we going to teach Daisy next? Anything she can get her brain around. Liz thinks she's too smart for tricks, I'm entirely on the "she's too stupid" side. It doesn't matter, I'll keep trying anyway.

Today I was sitting around and was pretty bored, so I decided to start trying to teach Gryffin a trick. I eventually want him to roll over but the first step to doing that is getting him to lie down. So I got some food and just started training him. I am not joking, I spent literally 10 minutes teaching him and he already picked up on what to do. He's a little inconsistent right now because it's so new, but after a couple tries, he gets it.

We felt bad because Gryffin was getting all the treats. Daisy just doesn't pick up on tricks very quickly and she was just in the way with her begging. I promised that I would teach her the trick though, so I'll have to spend some time with her. It might be a waste because I have a feeling I'll get Gryffin sauteing scallops before Daisy is rolling over, and boy would that be handy after a tough day for both Liz and I. Daisy has this thing about being on her back, she just doesn't like it. So the training will be difficult because she squirms while she is on her back until she is back on her stomach.

Gryffin should learn "roll over" fairly quickly. Whenever he scratches his back, he squirms around on the ground, so I know he can do it. It's just a matter of time, and probably not that much.

We finally got our Nikon D80 on Friday and let me say it's a very happy household we have here. Liz went nuts this weekend but only as nuts as the darkness of a dreary rainy weekend would allow. She has played with the settings, adjusted the thingies, focused the circly object, and allowed more light to hit the stuff. Isn't that all it takes to be a photographer? I should go pro then.... maybe not. Obviously I am no camera expert but it's a boat load of fun for her either way.

About 20 minutes ago we got back inside from taking pictures in the backyard and I say "hey, im going to post some pictures on the blog". Well that didn't go over well because she is still just practicing and nothing is blog-worthy yet. Well after thumbing through close to 200 pictures, I finally got the power of attorney to post what we both feel are acceptable pictures for the blog. Check 'em out!




I've been instructed to inform everyone that the following picture is not a good one because it is so dark, but I wanted to post it anyway because of just how awesome Gryffin is.


We've got an exciting weekend coming up. A month ago Liz sent me the link to a North Carolina birdhouse competition. This was mainly because I enjoy woodworking and creating things so I want to see what people can do and maybe inspire me to make more stuff. Lately, my motivation has been low. But this also gives Liz a chance to take a bunch of pictures with her super awesome camera. So here are some words I never thought I'd say: woo hoo for the bird house competition!!

P.S. - if there is anyone in Raleigh that wants to go with us, we'll probably go Saturday and it's free. Here's the link if you're interested in going with us.

So who is occupying Fulton Bird Suite #1? It is a male Bluebird which apparently is a very common bird in Eastern North Carolina.

I am sitting here on the couch with all the shades in the room pulled up. The reason for that is it's easier to take pictures with tons of light in the room. Who knew? All of a sudden a bird hopped on to the top of the house. I just about flew off the couch, but I stayed calm because I didn't want the bird to see me. It stood there and looked around for a few minutes, then hung on to the hole on the front of the house for a few seconds and threw some stuff into the house. Obviously I have no idea what it was but it looked like he was just dropping off some goods. Then he flew off to the tree in the back. Now the bird never ACTUALLY went all the way inside but it looked like he could fit so I assume this is his house. Here is a picture of a male Bluebird. This picture looks so similar to him that it could be his twin:

How do I know it's a male? Well apparently males are darker in color and have more exaggerated colors. Females tend to have more dullish colors.

We'll be watching this guy closely, check out this link for the schedule bluebirds follow for creating young throughout the year: http://www.ncbluebird.org/html/ncbs_ncnesting.html

I will let you know if I ever see the bird hop in, but for now, that's who I think is occupying our bird house. I never thought I'd enjoy bird watching. I think the key though is bringing the birds to me, it sounds a lot less fun to go find them.

If anyone knows me, they know that I love challenges and pushing myself. Well for the next 6 days, I am going to give myself a new challenge.

On Friday I went to the gym with every intention of running 8 miles. I got 1.5 miles in and my right calf started hurting. I have never pulled a calf muscle before but it just doesn't feel like a pull. It actually feels like a charlie-horse right in the back of my calf. Either way, I couldn't keep going and I'm not all about pushing through pain when it comes to training.

So defeated and upset, I headed home and did something I've been intending to do for a while and haven't, and that is a 30 minute Biggest Loser workout. In college, Liz got this video that has 4 workouts on it, and I've been curious to try one of them. To my surprise, it was really hard. I pushed through it though and broke a good sweat by the end.

I woke up Saturday morning and was crazy sore all over. I realize I'm not hitting every muscle doing marathon training but boy is it pathetic how crappy I felt. Should I keep doing it?

Today I woke up and my calf was still hurting, so after church I ran through another workout and once again I'm wiped. Made me think, if I can do the workout with a messed up calf, I should do that this week instead of marathon training.

My challenge this week is to wake up at 6AM and do the workout every day (Monday through Saturday). This way I'll get in better shape all over and be ready to go next week for more training once my calf is healed up. Here's to hopin!

Almost exactly a month ago, we were finally able to purchase a new DSLR camera. A Nikon D80 to be exact. And as of today we still do not have a camera. Ya know why? Because Amazon.com/J&R Music is stupid. Amazon said it was in stock, but 5 days after ordering I recieved an email from J&R Music (the company it was being sent from), letting me know it was on back-order. I was mad...but instead of getting a refund and buying it somewhere else I decided to stick it out and be patient. After many calls & emails with customer service they could not give me a date when it would be in stock. To my surprise, I found an email today from Amazon saying that my unrequested refund is being processed.

Does anyone know a good place to get a camera?

Dear WhoDey,

In exactly 10 days, no more, no less, I will own you. Zoom Zoom.

Michael.

PS - thank you for keeping my butt comfortable



This is one of the only pictures I have on my computer of WhoDey. It's from last summer. WhoDey is the car on the right.

Today has been kinda rough for me. Not cuz of what I did, but just because I'm so incredibly tired. I need some sleep but I'll do that later, probably tonight. Boy did I change my attitude when I came home and found that Fulton Bird Suite #1 was occupied!! Thank goodness no little tykes were in there at the time I opened the door! The last thing I want to do is scare them away, I think instead I will peer out our window and stare at their house. That's probably less scary, or at least in my experience. I still have no idea what kind of bird it is or what it looks like, but when we have new information, we'll post it.

So check out the inside, I took a quick picture before heeding Liz's warnings and leaving it alone.


More to come on our new resident. I wonder if I can charge them rent....

Last weekend I bought all the wood and supplies in order to put up pegboard in the garage. I have my Mom to thank for that because her Christmas present to me was the money to buy all the supplies. Thanks Mom!! So I took off work early on Friday and put up the pegboard on the left side of the garage but didn't get time to do the right. Doing the left took me roughly 4 hours all together. I'm sorry I didn't take any before shots... I can't EVER seem to remember to do that and I don't know why.

On Sunday, I skipped church (I know I'm bad but I NEVER do anymore since I'm involved in Kidstuf) and worked on the right side. The right only took me about 3 hours to do. And TA DA:

I can't tell you how happy I am to get so much junk hung up on the wall. I can finally open my tool box in the corner there (of the right side) without having a shovel or rake fall on me. Things are finally starting to have a place... and hopefully I can keep them there.

Things still left to do:

• Hang up my bike.
• Take the LONG ladder that is on the ground on the left side of the garage and hang it above the pegboard on the right side of the garage.

I also have another couple thank you's to throw out. Scott, I absolutely could not have done this project without that awesome level you got me last year. It was without a doubt the most used tool on the project. Jon, thanks so much for the truck! Whodey (my Mazda) thanks you too! Brian, the garage light you got me is amazing! Not only did it allow me to work with the garage down (since it's so flippin freezing outside) but it also creates some heat so the garage isn't so cold. And also another thank you to my Mom for the awesome electric drill! It is amazing and I don't think I could have chosen a better one!

Hopefully this also improves the value of the house a little bit! It definitely can't hurt! Now if only I could hang that stupid lawn mower...