Archive for the ‘Family’ Category
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
Tuesday, October 13th 2009 at 8:30am. An angel was sent to us via mommy’s tummy. Her name: Amelia Josephine!
After Rachel’s last OB appointment, it was decided that she was rather large and it would be best for her to come here via C-section. Weighing 9 pounds, 9.8 ounces, she was rather large. It seems that isn’t a bad thing as I haven’t heard anything otherwise from either the OB or her pediatrician, Dr. Laughlin.
There were minimal issues with her birth, she had some extra fluids in her lungs due to not being “squeezed” out of the birth canal. Rachel was sutured, but a slight mishap occured with them and it created a small hole where one spot did not fuse together. I have been treating it with Neosporin and it is healing greatly.
We spent 4 days in the hospital to ensure Rachel properly healed before venturing forth and becoming an active mom. Then the real fun began. The safety and security of the hospital created a fear of being on our own with this little one.
Since then we have been adjusting to fill her every need. It’s been tiring, yet satisfying at the same time. I wasn’t as involved in this crucial stage of my first daughter’s life, so I’ve learned a lot.
Now we spend most of our day eating, sleeping or changing diapers.
Big sister Taylor just loves her new sister to death. She bought her a Minnie Mouse, which Amelia adores. Minnie sits on her changing table and Amelia stares at Minnie as if she’s in deep thought about what she is exactly.
The kitties are still getting adjusted to the change. They have both noticed the lack of attention they are receiving, and sometimes force their way into receiving some by jumping on us while we’re sitting. I’d like to think they love her, but I’ll let time be the judge on that one.
My time thus far has been taken up significantly by her care and needs. Mommy does need a break! Today I started back at work full-time. I hope Rachel is doing fine today, I really do.
Tags: Amelia, Birth, Daughter, Family, Pix, Rachel, Taylor
Posted in Animal Love, Deep Thoughts, Family, Life, Pix, Rachel, The Amelia Files | 3 Comments »
Thursday, August 13th, 2009
Five years ago tomorrow, I became a husband. While I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into back then, I actually appreciate it now. Five years really doesn’t sound like much, but it’s an accomplishment in today’s world.
Throughout these years, Rachel and I have accomplished many things together. We bought a house, she got her master’s degree, I lost my job and now our newest adventure, our first child.
Our lives before each other were as different as night and day, but our beliefs have kept us close in many ways. I think it’s the core reason why our bond has lasted. It’s a case of opposites attracting. Our bond has done nothing but grow closer over time, something I hope doesn’t end anytime soon.
We will be celebrating our 5th anniversary with a trip down to French Lick. We’re going to spend a night at the French Lick Springs Hotel and perhaps do a little gambling. The traditional gift of the 5 year anniversary is wood. While the trip is our gift to each other, I have to break the rules and buy a present. While I can’t say what it is yet, I know she will be pleasantly surprised.
I hope to get a chance to relax, as I haven’t had much time to do that in a while. School starts back up in 11 days, and I’m back to work at TS full time right now, but that will be scaled back to 24 hours a week at the end of the month.
Today is my father’s 58th birthday as well, I called and left him a message this morning. I hope he got it. I love you dad.
August is a very busy month for us. My father’s birthday on the 13th, our anniversary on the 14th and Taylor’s birthday on the 26th.
Tags: Anniversary, Birthday, Busy, Dad, Links, Pix, Rachel
Posted in Deep Thoughts, Family, Life, Links, Pix, Rachel | 2 Comments »
Sunday, August 2nd, 2009
My summer is quickly drawing to a close. My last class for the summer semester is tomorrow, I start working at TS again on August 10th and the birth of my second child is becoming more imminent as each day passes.
I’ve been pre-ocupied with class and remodeling the nursery. I don’t feel like the progress is coming along like I wanted it to with the nursery.
This is the first room that will be “complete” in the house. While we have painted, installed doors, ect. One thing we haven’t done is change our trim from stained to painted. This room will be. Once little one is born, we will take a remodeling break and then change the trim, each room at a time.
I’m very happy that I was able to take a break from work this summer and focus on my studies. While I only have one grade posted thus far, I believe I’ll have 3 A’s and a C. The C is due to some weird quizzes that had wrong answers! The professor would sometimes throw a few points our way, but nothing that made up for the loss. I now have a greater appreciation of what it’s like to be a college student. If our finances could support it, I’d like to continue going full time until I complete my degree.
My computer’s power supply died again, at least it’s still under warranty. I took it into PC Max, but it will probably be a couple of weeks before its return due to Antec’s slow warranty claim process.
We bought a new car, well new to us. With the impending arrival of a new member of the family, we needed a more family friendly vehicle. I didn’t want to trade in my truck, but I did due to it’s much higher trade-in value than the Kia. We bought a 2007 Chevrolet HHR 1LT. We’ve rented them on two occasions and love them! It looks small, but has a lot more room than you would think it does.
Once I get some time to coordinate my thoughts, I’ll write something with more focus. In the meantime, if you’re my friend on twitter or facebook – I’ll keep you updated.
Tags: Baby L, Computer Frustrations, home improvement, Ivy Tech, Transportation
Posted in Computer Frustrations, Education, Family, Home Improvement?, Links, Pix | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
We officially finished the remodeling portion of our basement area over the weekend. Rachel, Taylor and I applied the epoxy basement floor coating on Friday night. It required 24 hours to fully cure, so by the time her family arrived on Sunday we were able to give the first full tour of our proud accomplishment.
Here is what the space looked like when we purchased this place. It was dark, dingy and uninviting.
Until now, we mainly used the space as a place to “put stuff.” We didn’t use or utilize it for any meaningful purpose. We knew the time would come when we would have to use it, and that time came quickly.
One issue that we weren’t sure about was if we had any structural issues. The downstairs would get water when it rained heavily. The first step was to take out all the old paneling and carpet and get the space down to its bones. To our luck, there were no visible issues. We corrected a majority of the water issues with a repair to the gutters.
We had many decisions to make, all of which were extremely difficult. We needed to decide what to cover the walls and floor with, whether or not to install new cable and phone lines. Many of these decisions brought on major arguments-in which we were able to bring to the surface any issues we had with each option.
In the end we decided to go with new paneling, an epoxy basement floor coating, and to add some electrical outlets and completely rewire our homes phone and cable lines. We decided to add a wired LAN as well.
The only step left is to connect all the new phone, cable and LAN wires, which I plan on doing this week. I will then officially move my office to a space we have dedicated for that purpose.
The other area, which I am calling the “Den” we have purchased and placed 2 futons and added an area rug. We needed a space for guests to stay, and this space is perfect.
We did not remodel our fireplace, as all aspects of fireplaces are very expensive. The things I want to do are not major, but are expensive. I hope to have that complete within a couple of years. There’s nothing more comfortable and calming to me than laying by a fire listening to music or reading.
I now have a bedroom to remodel for our growing arrival, baby girl Lawmaster!
(more…)
Tags: Basement, Den, home improvement, Office, Pics, Rachel, Taylor
Posted in Family, Home Improvement?, Pix, Rachel | 1 Comment »
Saturday, June 6th, 2009
Much time and effort has been spent recently on finishing the basement. My dad came over 2 days this week and helped me, and Rachel has helped me when possible.
I finished installing the new paneling on Friday and we starting installing trim today. To help save money, we have went with a “rustic” look. Instead of using “regular” trim, we are using 1×4 standard boards for baseboards and ceiling trim. We are going to leave them unfinished to help with the effect. We are then using pre-finished trim for inside and outside corners and filler strips. These pre-finished pieces are interesting, as the finish isn’t a stain or wax, but like a sticker.
My plans for tomorrow are to work on the trim some more, and get as far as I can. I start summer classes on Monday, so I will need to rest up as my first class is at 8am. We are also going to look at 3 futons for possible purchase.
Our plans were pushed way up due to an unforeseen email I received from my aunt Beth. She’s coming out! They should be here July 3rd. We always stay with her when we go to see them in Oklahoma, so we need to return the favor and show her some Hoosier hospitality. We have currently planned taking a tour of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as they’re big racing fans, fireworks at Memorial Stadium and a tour of Monroe Reservoir.
We’ve decided to purchase 2 futons for our sitting area downstairs, to make it cozy and a good sleeping area. We are also bumping up our plans to install a shower downstairs for my aunts arrival. This way any guests we have will have their own full bathroom.
We will soon get to finally utilitize all of the space in our home, and not just half of it!
Tags: Aunt Beth, home improvement, Ivy Tech, Links, Rachel, Remodeling
Posted in Education, Family, Home Improvement?, Links, Rachel | 2 Comments »
Monday, May 18th, 2009
I’ve been too busy lately with all of my on-going projects to post any lately. Since I’ve got some free time, let me update you about the ongoings happening in my life.
It’s a Girl: We found out last Wednesday that we’re expecting a baby girl. While Rachel is happy she’s having her first child, I’m a bit indifferent. I’m not saying that I’m disappointed, I was just hoping for a boy – merely because I already have a daughter. She was acting up during the ultrasound and wouldn’t let the technician get a good look at her heart, so Rachel is going to have another ultrasound during her next appointment, just to make sure she’s developing normally. We have had a boy’s name picked out for over a year now, but have been having trouble with a girl one. We’ve finally decided on 2 – which we are keeping secret until she’s born.
Remodeling Blues: I’ve been over-occupied lately with remodeling. While I have made a lot of progress, there is still much to do. Last week I finished the next to last set of wires I need to pull. It was a complete nightmare, but this will give us some flexibility in the layout of our living room in the future. My next job is to cover up our duct run and post downstairs. We have decided to use some decorator panels downstairs instead of paneling or drywall. These panels are relatively inexpensive and will eliminate the majority of painting we would need to do with our original plan. I hope to get the downstairs almost complete by the time I go back to school in June.
No Flash: Friday while in the midst of “wire pulling hell” I wanted to take some pictures. I discovered our camera, a Nikon Coolpix 7600 has a problem. The flash isn’t cooperating, you can’t turn it on in most of it’s modes – and even in the modes it does “function” it doesn’t work. We’re working on finding a solution and have found a nice one with the Nikon Coolpix S210. Now it’s just a matter of purchasing it.
Demon’s Are Gone: The spring semester has officially ended. The last few weeks were quite the nail biter, as I did horrible on 2 chapter tests in my Math-050 course. I’m pleased to say that after 10 years of taking this course off and on, I have passed it with an 86%. This summer I am taking 5 courses, this will enable me to finish my degree in 7 semesters. With a baby coming, the sooner the better. The next course I am dreading is Math-111, I took it once and failed. I hope with 050 off my back, and a little help from Rachel I can conquer this as well. I’ve decided to change my degree and concentration. I originally was seeking an Associates of Science in Computer Information Technology with a PC Support & Administration concentration, after reviewing the coursework I know a little about everything. I don’t feel like I’ll be challenged or forced to use my brain to it’s full extent for that matter. I’ve decided to get an Associates of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems with a Programmer / Analyst concentration.
Free Tix: Being a smoker, I get mailings from time to time with coupons, offers, etc. from tobacco companies. I was pleasantly surprised when I received a voucher for free tickets to the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. My mother has received this same offer, but for Kentucky Speedway (as she lives in Louisville). I’ve decided to bring my mother, as I don’t think Rachel will be comfortable in the heat all day. We get free parking and free rental of headset radios to listen in on the teams. I’ve never been to the 500 before, and being free makes it that much better.
Tags: Baby, home improvement, Indianapolis 500, Ivy Tech, Mom, Nikon, Rachel
Posted in Deep Thoughts, Education, Family, Life, Links, Rachel | No Comments »
Thursday, February 26th, 2009
I’ve got some mighty big news to share. I’m going to be a father for the second time in my life.
We found this out several weeks ago, but wanted to wait until the first appointment. We didn’t want to tell the world, just to tell them that there are problems and so on.
The news has been both shocking and exciting. It means I have many things to do around the house in preparation for the new child.
I have to remodel our downstairs to move my office down there. I then have to remodel the new nursery to make it hospitable for a child.
There’s much to be done, and the clock is now officially ticking. The due date is October 6th – I believe.
Tags: Fatherhood, Life, Rachel
Posted in Family, Home Improvement?, Life, Rachel | 4 Comments »
Monday, January 5th, 2009
There have been many things going on lately. With the holiday season and new years over, I’m reflecting on all the activities we’ve been pre-occupied with.
Christmas, as always is a very complicated time for us. We went to 3 family events, my grandma Lawmaster’s on the 23rd, my in-law’s on the 24th and my memma’s on Christmas day. We then had “after” Christmas get togethers for my daughter, who spent her Christmas with her mother.
Rachel and I finally stopped schmoozing off of my mother for our cell phone service and got our own plan. We decided to switch back to AT&T, due to a 12% IU discount, and cheaper plan. I finally got a smart-phone, a Samsung Blackjack II while Rachel decided she liked a red LG Shine. It was very interesting to go through this process again. We haven’t been officially on a cell phone plan for 4 years. While researching how much this would cost us upfront, the difference in how much and where was astounding.
On the AT&T Premier website (dedicated to business & enterprise): For the mentioned phones, we were looking at about $325.00 in up front costs. We would receive a $50 mail in rebate in the form of a debit card.
For the same phones at Best Buy, $50! I’m not kidding. I was blown away. The only difference is that we had to set up our IU discount separately, which just took a phone call.
We painted our bedroom finally, it’s a nice yellow hue. When mentioning it to people I tell them that the color is what you would get if you mixed yellow and brown mustard. It looks real nice, now onto the curtains. Hopefully they will be nice.
I will be starting school next week. I am entering the CIT (computer information technology) program at Ivy Tech. Within a few years, I should have a degree in a field I love, which can hopefully help me attain some real employment.
Tags: Deep Thoughts, Family, IU, Rachel, Taylor
Posted in Deep Thoughts, Family, Holidaze, Life, Rachel | No Comments »
Friday, December 5th, 2008
Lately I have been pre-occupied with many things, which have diverted my attention away from accomplishing a single task. So I’m going to merely list some updates as to what’s been going on since I last posted.
Hope is in sight: My truck is still broken. We got a deal on a complete fuel pump assembly on eBay. It’s brand new and OEM, so I’m not too concerned about it working. Last Saturday I tried to install it, but this job is meant for someone who either works on vehicles all the time, or has power tools. Since I am neither, I couldn’t do the job. My dad called last night and my step-uncle agreed to do it for me. My dad is having it towed to his house today and I anticipate it being completed before any bad snowfalls occur.
Family Memories: My mother-in-law gave us some priceless family photos to scan into the computer. Some dating back to 1906! I’m not sure if she knew it, but many of these “old” photos were actually scanned and printed out by someone already. Who that is I don’t know. Some of these pictures need some help, as they have cracks on them or have pieces ripped off. I hope to sharpen up my photoshop skillz and fix ‘em.
There are several “cards” which I find quite moving. They are what I would call “death memorial” cards. They were given out (by the church?) when someone died. My wifes’ family is from Dubois county, which is rich with German heritage. This card is written in German and Latin. I find the artwork on the back quite moving. What do you think?
Music, Music, Music: I finally caved and bought an iPod. I refuse to pay retail for one, so I went second hand on eBay. I got a nice 30gb model, which is big enough for what I need. I didn’t buy this iPod for personal entertainment, but to convert all of our CD’s into electronic media. This way we can get rid of the enormous space they take up. Once everything is done, we’re going to put them into storage.
I have imported them all into iTunes and discovered one interesting thing. CD’s over time, with scratches and other defects can sound like old LP’s. Some of the tracks I have imported have that “scratchy” sound made infamous by LP’s. Now I have a monumental task of going through roughly 2500 songs and re-importing the ones whose quality doesn’t meet my standards…ugh
Once all is complete, I won’t be lugging any CD’s on trips anymore. Just an iPod and a FM transmitter/docking station. It’s a dream come true.
(more…)
Tags: Automobiles, Family, iPod, Links, Music, Pix, Tools
Posted in Family, Holidaze, Links, Music, Pix, Vehiclular Matters | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, November 5th, 2008
In the 90’s I was a big country music fan. My love of this particular genre of music brought me to a vicarious situation in 1998.
My girlfriend at the time and I went to see Garth Brooks at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY. We got the tickets extremely cheap ($36 each). They were almost the best seats in the house, 3rd row center. If it weren’t for the drunk girl in front of us who lost her bladder control and the crazy guy with his extremely large cowboy hat, I think it would have been an amazing concert.
But the story only begins here. While leaving the concert that night, I had a seizure while trying to merge into another lane of traffic to leave the parking lot. Most of what I remember after that is quite hazy to this day. I do remember several specific things though. I came to in an ambulance in the parking lot, after leaving an area hospital we arrived by cab back to my truck. I then had my unlicensed girlfriend drive us back home.
She didn’t know how to get back home, so I set her on a path and napped while I could. When we got onto Highway 37 I told her to, “stay on this highway.” Needless to say I woke up and saw Bedford Junior High School and she had a puzzled look on her face, not knowing where she was.
If you can imagine, this is the memory from just one night. Imagine the memories I have held within the 500+ 35mm negatives I just finished scanning for my mother. I recently asked her for the negatives and pictures from that night in question, as I have a blown up picture of the concert. It is damaged and I want to replace it, but with a good quality piece.
Instead of just giving me what I had asked for, she gave me everything she has. My mother hasn’t made the switch to a digital camera yet, she prefers a disposable 35mm for now.
To some people what I’ve done is just a waste of time, but to me I’ve just preserved the memories of an awkward time of my life. It covers a time span of about 3 years, 1994 – 1997.
Once I’m done cropping and restoring I’m going to burn these to a DVD for my mother to keep. I’ll keep what I want and upload them to flickr.
Tags: 35mm Negatives, Ex's, Freedom Hall, Garth Brooks, Links, Louisville KY, Memories, Pix
Posted in Deep Thoughts, Family, Links, Music, Pix | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
Today the RCA Dome, better known to all as the Hoosier Dome was deflated.
This was done to assist in demolition, as it has been replaced by Lucas Oil Stadium (In the background). The space occupied by the RCA dome will become yet another expansion of the Indiana Convention Center.
Many memories were made in the dome, but no more will be made there. Rachel and I purchased a piece of that roof as a keepsake. I highly recommend to buy one yourself if you have any fond memories of the dome.
I took this panorama picture the last time we visited the dome during ISSMA marching band finals. We were there to see my niece Sabrina play the clarinet for Forest Park.
To get a better grasp of the scale, look at the 1/2 size version here. I had to make the picture that much smaller just to fit within flickr’s size limitation.
Back in the day, J&B on the ROX did an episode based on the changing of the dome’s name. It’s called “The RCA State” and definitely good viewing.
These are the changes I don’t really like to see. I still miss Market Square Arena.
In these times, I’m really starting to hate corporate sponsorship of whats seems to be everything under the sun. Can you believe that the Verizon Wireless Music Center’s (formerly Deer Creek) box office is sponsored by Taco Bell?
Tags: History, Links, Pix, Rachel, RCA Dome
Posted in Deep Thoughts, Family, Life, Links, Pix, Rachel | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008
Almost a decade ago, I became a father, a father to a beautiful baby girl. How can I raise a child when I’m just a kid myself?
Many things change in almost a decade. Your mother and I have since went our seperate ways, but the seperation has added two families who love you even more. Instead of having 1 mommy and 1 daddy, you have 2 of them.
3rd grade was a tough year for me, I hope it’s a good year for you. I got a burr haircut, I hope we don’t have to go through anymore hair dramas with you.
We discovered a shared interest recently, golf. We had such fun at the driving range, hitting golf balls. I hope this is something we can do for years to come, and I’m on the hunt for a golf club set made just for you.
I hope you know that daddy and Rachel will always be here for you, and you will always have a place to call your own with us.
I hope you enjoy your birthday present this year, a complete room makeover. We are painting your room pink, giving you a new door and closet door. New trim painted white with pictures on your walls make it complete. Your room will be the first room complete in our home.
It’s amazing what almost a decade can do, and now I’m starting to feel old.
Tags: Links, Pix, Rachel, Taylor
Posted in Family, Holidaze, Links, Pix, Rachel, The Taylor Chronicles | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008
Over the weekend my in-laws came up for a get together to celebrate my daughters’ upcoming 9th birthday. They also had fun picking apples from our apple tree.
My mother-in-law took 2 five gallon buckets that were almost halfway full. My niece Sabrina got a nice amount in a box. After the festivities were over I wanted to go pick some, not for me but for my ROX family.
This is what I could reach. It may not look like much, but believe me it’s a grab. I do not fertilize or spray my tree, so these are completely natural treats the entire family can love. There is still this many or more near the top of the tree, but they are not ready for harvest yet. When they are I will be ready.
I couldn’t keep my mouth shut about what I was going to do, so I posted about this earlier. The only problem is that the apples weren’t ready yet. They are now.
This is what you will be receiving in the mail (in 2-4 days). A sheet with greetings and instructions on what we think would be a good use of the apples, a mason jar containing apple crisp mix, nutmeg and apples, there is also extra apples in each box.
We divided the apples in the big box pictured above into 4 equal parts.
B: If you want to find out what variety of apple these are, please do! I’d like to know for myself.
I don’t feel it’s appropriate to let this great natural resource of mine go to waste. You have all been like a family to me in one way or another. This is just one of many ways for me to say thanks.
P.S. MF and Kelly: You’ll be receiving another “surprise” gift once I get a shipment in the mail.
Tags: Apple Crisp, Family, Links, Pics, ROX
Posted in Family, Links, Pix, ROX, Rachel | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008
Today is my dad’s 57th birthday. Happy birthday dad!
I’ve really lost count of my dad’s age since about 1999. It just doesn’t really matter to me anymore.
While he won’t be receiving any gifts right now, he does have something coming.
Bill Cosby is performing at the IU Auditorium in September, the first thing I thought of was dad. When I was a child he spoke constantly of listening to Bill Cosby albums when he was a teenager.
Dad’s health hasn’t been too good recently. I hope he can feel like a kid again, if just for one night anyway.
Tags: Bill Cosby, Birthday, IU Auditorium, Links, Parents, Pix
Posted in Comedians, Deep Thoughts, Family, Holidaze, Life, Links, Pix | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008
Tomorrow is our 4th wedding anniversary. Much has happened since that wonderful night in Bedford.
We didn’t really do much for our anniversary last year, so this year we are at least going out to eat at a nice place.
Rachel will have a surprise in store for her as well.
Sometimes it seems like we’ve been married forever, but then I look at people like her parents and B & XY and realize we’ve only just begun.
Coming from a broken home, I try as hard as I can to ensure I don’t fall into the same trap my parents fell into. My father has been married to someone he hates for 21 years. My mother has been married 3 times, she’s said that she’ll never get married again, and so far has kept up with that statement.
When I see the differences in our upbringings, I realize why I am the way I am, and why Rachel is the way she is.
Sometimes it makes me depressed that I wasn’t as lucky as her, but then I realize that I wouldn’t be who I am without what I had to endure.
Rachel, you are my rock! Without you, I’m not sure exactly where I’d be right now. I love you.
Tags: Deep Thoughts, Links, Married Life, Rachel
Posted in Deep Thoughts, Family, Life, Rachel | 2 Comments »
Friday, August 8th, 2008
Last week I sent an email to the entire ROX blogging crew, asking if they liked apples.
I was very surprised as to the response I got.
B is very curious about what my plans are, and even told me about a particular type of apple he enjoys.
MF told me that she isn’t particularly an apple person, but I have another idea which she might enjoy just as much.
J and Kelly both told me that they love apples and can’t wait to see what they shall receive.
I can’t hold this little secret any longer, so the cat is out of the bag folks’.
This is my apple tree. When we first moved into our home, it looked like an overgrown bush. With much trimming, I’ve turned it into a “happy tree” as I like to call it. We’ve only had one harvest due to an ice storm last February. My mother-in-law came and took all of those apples, which I didn’t mind.
We’ve been checking the apples every week to see if they are ripe. They aren’t yet, but once they are your packages will be in the mail.
This year is a different story, as I want my ROX family to enjoy the fruits of my trees’ labor as well. All of you have been like a family to me, in one way or another. This is the least I can do to thank yall.
I don’t know the type of apple that grows from this particular apple tree. They are green, medium to small sized, and quite tart. They are best used for baking purposes. My thought, send everyone a “apple crisp in a box kit!”
I also plan on sending Kelly and MF ROX Season Zero sets as well.
It bothers me that my search for help with this heat damage problem has led me nowhere. Sometimes you have to find your own solution to problems, which is what I’m working on. With the help of Photoshop for Video, I have learned a few things. I hope to soon have the skills to correct this damage, and continue on my way of saving this beloved show for generations to come.
This show enlightened me in those key teen years. It wasn’t about the drinkx, or the drugz, it was about keeping your mind open to new and unusual things. Something that is still lacking in society today. If I hadn’t stumbled upon J&B on the ROX playing on BCAT oh so many years ago, I very well could be in prison or dead by now. Many who know me well, know that my life has been nothing but a story of hardship and overcoming seemingly impossible hurdles. It will all be in my book.
I know I’m repeating myself, but this is the least I can do to thank everyone who participated in the show, whether as an active participant, or as a passive person who was just there when the camera was rolling.
I came into this as merely a fan, but I’m treated as if I’m a family member. Words cannot describe how amazing that feels.
Tags: BCAT, btown, Deep Thoughts, Life, Links, Pix, ROX
Posted in B-Town, Deep Thoughts, Family, Links, Pix, ROX | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, July 9th, 2008
While in Oklahoma visiting my aunts, I went to look at an old radio that was my grandfather’s. My aunt Laura has it in a storage trailer of hers, and said that I could have it. While we did not have space for it to bring it back with us, I will make a trip to pick it up soon.
The trailer was very high off the ground, about 6 feet to be exact. They had a pallet sitting on it’s side to climb up into it, and at the time I didn’t feel sure about climbing down it, so I jumped. BIG MISTAKE! I just found out today that I “might” have broken my right tibia. The x-ray was inconclusive to a doctor and the x-ray tech. They sent it off to a radiologist so I should find out tomorrow.
But I got these beautiful, incredible pictures of an item that is worth it’s weight in gold to me.
Many people may see those pictures and just see an old radio, I see something much different.
My grandfather was a radio & TV repairman for most of his professional career. He was the ONLY one in Adair county, Oklahoma. While in the navy during WWII, he installed radar systems on the pacific fleet. This radio represents what my grandpa was, and what he loved. He was always into “new technology” just as I am. I think I get most of my curiosity about this from him.
He was the only grandfather I really knew, and I still miss him to this day. I was given his truck when I was 19, due to my epilepsy and age it was wrecked. I spent every dime I had to try to fix it, but could not. This item will not be treated with the same reckless abandon.
Tags: Family, grandfather, Links, Oklahoma, Pix
Posted in Deep Thoughts, Family, Health, Links, Pix, Travel | 2 Comments »
Monday, June 30th, 2008
Wednesday, all of us (Me, Rachel, Taylor and Dad) are embarking on a journey I have made many times in my life. We are going to a little bump in the road where my 3 aunts and 2 cousins live in Oklahoma. The trip is somewhat less exciting as it used to be, as there is no Speed Trap in Watts anymore. I might get my aunt Beth to talk on camera about how that Speed Trap became history, as she was involved in it.
The total trip is roughly 700 miles, and can be done in as little as 8 hours.
All of us have never made this trip together, so it’s going to be very, very interesting.
It used to be all about how fast I could make it there, but as I’ve aged, I’ve wanted to see things along the way.
This time we are going to stop at the George Washington Carver National Monument. He’s the guy who invented countless uses for peanuts. It’s on our way, and I’ve never stopped before.
The reason for this trip? My aunt Beth is having a “family reunion” of sorts for the 4th of July. We are going to stay at her house, which could double as a B&B.
I also have a delivery to make, as my aunt Laura sent me 13 8-tracks and 2 cassette tapes that she wanted transferred to CD. The 8-tracks were a disaster, but I hope she still loves me.
I hope that someday, they can make the trip here. It would be great to show them around for a change. I’m hoping that perhaps next summer one of my cousins can come out for a week or two. I would love it.
It’s been 2 years since we’ve made the trek, and I must say I’ve missed my aunts. Their southern hospitality is something that is not found ’round these parts.
Tags: Family, Links, Oklahoma, Pix, Rachel, Taylor, Travel
Posted in Family, Links, Pix, Rachel, The Taylor Chronicles, Travel | 1 Comment »
Saturday, June 21st, 2008
I started bright and early on installation of our new solar attic fan. I wanted to get it done before the heat of the day set in.
The first thing I had to do was remove the cover of the old fan. While I do not have any pictures of it, it entailed removing some shingles and prying it off the roof.
I then had to replace those shingles I had to remove to prepare the hole for the fan.
As you can see, the top half of the hole has been removed completely of shingles and roofing felt. I then used my reciprocating saw and pry bar to loosen and remove any nails in the vicinity of where the flashing of the unit goes (underneath the shingles).
Now it was time for some test fitting.
As you can see, the bottom half of the flashing is above the singles. This is how the instructions said to install. It took a few times, but we finally got it. The major pain was the fact that the fan is so close to the peak of the roof.
I then applied some roofing sealant, some call it tar to the underside of the flashing from the 9 o’clock to the 3 o’clock positions. I ran 2 beads of it for an extra layer of protection. I then slid it right back to the same spot.
I then nailed the unit in place as the installation instructions recommended. Then I applied roofing sealant to the areas where I nailed the fan into place.
That’s it! It was running before I even had it fully installed.
I was very surprised that it only took me about 2 and a half hours to fully install this fan. I dread any work on a roof, but this went as smooth as can be.
Many thanks goes to my dad for helping me with this one. It’s much easier to pass things from ground level to a roof with another person.
Now hopefully our attic will stay cooler, our energy bills will be lower, and we will have no leaks.
The next solar project we are discussing is water heating. It’s hard to decide on what type of system to decide on.
Tags: home improvement, Links, Pix, Solar Power
Posted in Family, Going Green, Home Improvement?, Links, Pix | 1 Comment »
Monday, April 28th, 2008
After almost 2 years in our home, we have things on the walls.
We have, at my request, an art area.
We have family pictures abound.
And we have a nic-nac corner.
Now if we could finish the rest of the house and yard…
Posted in Art, Family, Home Improvement?, Pix, Rachel | No Comments »
