Happy Friday

Time just keeps rolling on. Hard to believe it is already Friday; don’t get me wrong I am glad it is Friday but I have so much that I didn’t get done this week. Sadly it seems to keep piling up. Just keep after it, set goals and knock them down.

I had to drive on the 25 today. I left the house at 6:30 AM, hoping I would get out before the traffic got bad. I was pretty lucky, made it up to Denver in about 50 Minutes and the traffic was light. Coming home was a different story. Took me about 1 ½ to make the drive home. The traffic and the drive just tear me up.

I hope all you fathers are ready to celebrate this Father’s Day. I have been making a list of things I need to work on this weekend. Since the boy moved out, I need to do some patching and repainting in his old room. I also have on my list to make up a couple of bird feeder stands. The one we have is on its last legs. I thought maybe I would make an extra for a gift. I also want to work on building a new water feature. Not sure if I will get to it tomorrow, but will share some pics if I do.

Sunday I will be firing up the smoker and cooking up a beef brisket. Can hardly wait, looking forward to having smoked brisket for dinner. I think we also have margarita’s on the menu, so it should be a fun day.

This evening I put bird feed in the feeders, made up some new humming bird food, filled the fountains and the bird bath, watered all the plants and raspberries. I am pretty happy as things are really shaping up nicely around here. My raspberries are going crazy and it looks like we are going to have a bumper crop. I can hardly wait.

I did manage to get off my ass and walk to work three days this week. I really, really need to get back at it. I have already warned Donkey that we are heading out early in the morning.

Later folks and again have a great weekend.

Punked

We got up early this morning.  I sat in the hot-tub and caught up on the news.   Wow, can't believe the shootings in FL. over the weekend.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the friends and families.

I finally got a little time and ran over to the shop to work on another rotary hoe tiller will yard art piece. From previous posts you had seen the wheels I painted.  I put it all together today.  Welded the base to a round tiller disk.  Screwed all the pipe together. Then welded base plates to the back of each wheel and then screwed everything together.  

I put it in the backyard next to our old cement wheel barrow.  I think it looks pretty cool and should hold up for years to come.

I spent most of the afternoon working on the yard.  I worked on our front garden and cut out all the starter scrub oak trees.  Crap chokes out all the other plants that I wan't to grow.  worked on the back garden and put new mulch around the raspberry plants.  I can hardly wait, as we are going to have a bumper crop.

Being at the Renaissance Festival yesterday gave us some idea's.  They were selling these wrap around ear pieces. I found a pair of steampunk ear pieces and purchased them.  Originally I was wearing them on my hat.  Today I took one and cut off the wrap around piece and then glued the gears to my wireless headset.  I think it looks pretty cool and am sure I will get some comments on it. 

Happy Birthday Eric!

On June 10th, we celebrated Eric's 25th Birthday.  We met up on Friday afternoon at a small brew pub.  Clark, Candy, Shannon, Eric and I were all there.  We had a few beers and then we walked over to Rudy's BBQ and had dinner.  It was very nice that we all had a chance to hang out.  We all then headed to the house and had ice cream cake and sang to Eric.  Wow, hard to believe he is 25.  Both his mother and I are very proud of him.



This morning we headed up to the Renaissance Festival.  We picked up Eric and Shannon and then headed to Larkspur.  Had a great time walking around people watching, checking out the booths and even caught a couple of shows.  It was fun to see all the different costumes people were wearing.  I wore my top hat and goggles today.  That's about as far as I went with a costume.  Eric had on a pirate vest and hat.  He looked pretty good.



We spent about six hours at the festival.  It was a hot one today.  I checked our miles and we got in, just over 3 miles.  I should have taken some pictures but I didn't.  Eric snapped this one on our way out of Candy and I.

Empty Nest

Well let's see we finished up our house project.  Painted three rooms including the closets.  Put in new carpet in three bedrooms and flooring in the bathroom.   I still have one last project and that is to hang new doors.  I have 10 doors that I will be swapping out.  Over the years and with raising two boys, several of them are damaged.  Plus I think they are over 50 years old.

Yesterday was fun day.   After work I helped Clark get his furniture and other stuff moved to his new apartment.   It is not a very big place, a one bedroom.   We got everything moved, bed setup and TV hung on the wall.   He should be all set.   While I was there it had me thinking about when I moved out and how I got started off being on my own.  

I guess I can say that we are now officially empty nester's.  Doesn't' really seem much different as we didn't really see him much when he was living here.  We are lucky that both boys are still close to home.  Clark and Eric are probably about a half mile from each other and there are about three miles from our house.

Hat Rack

As I have mentioned we have been going to town on cleaning house and trying to get organized.  A couple of weeks back I had shared the picture of the cuff-link and watch holder I had made.  In cleaning out our closet I needed a new place to keep my hat and goggles.

I changed an elbow to a T fitting and added another extension of pipe and I now have a place to keep my hat.

Fore

I successfully made it through the day and didn't hit anyone with a golf ball, nor did I get hit with one.   The morning started early with 6:30 AM breakfast at the IHop.  We then loaded my truck with clubs of the other players.   We had a foursome and our team name was Old Balls.   I cant take any credit for the name as I was invited to fill out the foursome.  Then we headed down to Ft. Carson to get on Base to get to the course.   We were on the list so we passed right through.

I was playing with two reps from Oracle and one from Lexmark.  We were playing in the Carson Network Enterprise Center 8th annual team building tournament.  It has been a while since I was last out on the course and I had a blast.  Luckily my teammates were there just to have fun.  None of us are avid golfers so that pressure was off.

Their were several companies sponsoring the event.  At 8:00 AM when we were ready to tee off, a cart came by serving shots of alcohol.  This continued through most of the day, along with the Bud Lights we were drinking.   I think we came in 5 under, but that wasn't enough to get close to the gold.  They served lunch and then we needed to head out to get internet and out of the noise for conference call.

All in all had a great day and made some new friends.

8:03 PM

I am kicking it in the backyard this evening and working on my third DFHIPA.  I am guessing the temperature is in the high 60's low 70's.  I am in a t-shirt and shorts.   In the house I have the sounds of the 80's playing and can hear it great through the back door.   In the backyard I have the sounds of the wild playing.

Sitting out back this evening, I have seen: Robin's, Finches, Humming Birds, Doves, Wood Pecker and a Towhee.  Man I love Colorado!

I am looking out onto my garden.   I have two kind of raspberries growing along with a blueberry and blackberry plants.   These are on their 3rd and 2nd year.   They have kept coming back, I am so happy.  I have new starters coming up all over the place.   It is very hard to find plants that do well with our climate and elevation.  What you can grow, the dear eat most of it.  I have said it before, they are nothing but large rats!

My Lilac is starting to wind down.  The aroma that this bush puts off is awesome.   When in bloom, I can pull into the driveway in front of the house and smell it all the way from the backyard.   This bush is old.   We have been in our house going on 19 years and it was here when we moved in.

Over the years I have done some transplanting and they have all taken.  In a couple of more years they will be a great neighbor blocker, plus they look and smell great in the month of May and the leaves provide great coverage through the summer and fall.

8:19 PM, I have three humming birds buzzing around the feeder.   

Oh no, battery low, back soon.

8:55 PM, Moved from the back porch to the living room.  Still jamming to the 80's and nursing that third Dog Fish Head 90.   I think I have mentioned we have been doing some serious cleaning. We got the bedrooms painted and new carpet.  Today they laid the tile floor in the bathroom.  Now I have to replace all the doors and we will be done.   After raising two boys who are both as hard headed as there old man we have several doors and door jams to fix.

I get the opportunity to play golf in a four man best ball tourney tomorrow.  It has been a while since swinging a club.  I hope I don't hurt anyone.

OK I have to run, but will leave you with image and quote below.   I have to say America that we are pretty screwed when I look at the candidates that we will have to choose from in our coming elections.  I am also embarrassed by all these protesters who are really just looking for 10 minutes of fame.   Let's be honest, when you show up with a gas mask you have pretty much decided to raise some hell. 

Memorial Day Weekend

I hope that you had a great Memorial Day Weekend.   For us it was pretty low key.   We hung the flag and pretty much worked around the house for three days.   We have been doing some painting and had new carpet put into the bedrooms.   We are having the floor replaced in the main bath tomorrow.   So a lot going on and we are pretty disorganized, now trying to get organized and still finding stuff that we no longer need.

I have a bunch of projects that I want to work on, but just haven't had or made the time.   My walking stats are pretty much non-existent.   I did walk to work on Tuesday but opted for a ride home as it was raining with lighting.  Today I was in an off-site meeting and didn't walk.  I have to get back at it.  It is driving me nuts, but yet I can still find an excuse everyday why I can't get out and walk.

I did fire up the smoker this weekend.   I smoked up a Turkey, Chicken, Pork Roast and a Brisket.  Yeah it is a lot of meat, but we had the boys over most of the weekend and we had a couple over Sunday night.   So we ate up a lot of it and the rest we froze.  One night we had chicken and turkey.  The next night brisket and then I made green chili burrito's with the pork meat.

Note to self:  Take your good camera with you when you do get off you ass and walk.   

Catching Up - Palm Springs - The End

On our last day we went back to Tahquitz Canyon but this time we took our swimming suits.   I was ready to get in and I did.  The water was freezing cold but it was great to hang out below a waterfall.

We spent a couple of hours there enjoying the cold water and the warm air.  Then we headed back downtown and had lunch.  Afterward Candy did some shopping and I went to the casino and played some three card poker.

I ended up winning a couple hundred dollars so that made my time worthwhile.  We headed back to the hotel and then went out for dinner.   It was a great trip and if you are a golfer it is the place to be.  I read that they have over 100 courses.   We didn't play any golf as I would rather be hiking.

Catching Up - Palm Springs - Part Duex

On Saturday we headed out again, this time to hike in the Coachella Valley Preserve.  This place was pretty cool.  It is the lowest point in the area and in the San Andrea's fault.  Once again in the middle of nowhere you find thousand year old palm trees with a natural spring.  We hiked through the area and snapped some pictures.  This was a very cool place and I would go back again.

Then we headed up to make the drive through Joshua Tree National Park.   We came across some very cool cactus, some great hiking and rock climbing and just a great time being together.

We got back to the hotel around six in the evening, cleaned up and headed out for a nice dinner together.