putting some touches on the house

So now that the dining room is painted we have rearranged some things to put them away.

First we bought a clock for the family room...since the only real one visible at all times is the VCR and the time it keeps is...terrible at best (it gained 10 minutes in 6 months). And the fact that I think it's been over a year since I've last used the VCR....

Second, we got two small bamboo trays to hold our personal effects (wallet, keys, etc), which allows us to organize a bit. Plus, we also got a bigger one to hold my unread magazines (mostly cooking plus a couple of others) and new mail. Also moved the small table that it's on to the back of the room, so that it'll be close to an outlet, so Shannon will be able to charge her phone easily. It also has the hand sewn...table runner I guess? that my Great-Grandmother (I believe) made.

Above it (kitchen wall) we put the Tudzarov that we bought at the last Des Moines Art Festival (why does it always take so long to get new art hung). On each side of that we put the big wooden spoon and fork that was above my grandparent's (father's side) table.

On the Stair side wall of the dining room, we put the book cases and alternated between my cookbooks and Shannon's nick-knacks and some photos, plus on top we put the Irish table runner that we got as a wedding present.

We rotated the table 90 degrees, since the dining room is basically square.

The living room got the cupboard that was in the dining room...but now it's less covered with all my crap, and now holds our wedding photo and some other wedding stuff.

So the dining room is more utilized, and the living room is opened up a bit. We also talked about, unless we need them, putting away the folding chairs out of the dining room...which I like generally...but I don't really know where we'd put them.

I like it and it feels like we'll be more organized and we'll have a place for every day things and I like that...

The time has come...

The time has come to savor a victory. However, this cannot last very long.

We are at a turning point in history, and what happens over the next few years will be very telling about the future of the country. I will not deny that I was moved to action and actually donated money (not a ton) to help Obama achieve victory last night, but when it comes to it, it's time to face facts.

We are in a crisis. Not just a perceived crisis, but a real one. The wars, the economy, and the future hang in the balance of what is going to happen. The groundwork laid here (revamping, economic regulations, changing the focus of social issues, and perhaps new supreme court justices), can have a huge impact on the future.

Anytime when any one group has amassed such an amount of power, it can cause a lot of problems. As is very evident by 6 of the past 8 years.

Remember that power is fleeting in this country, and even if we are unable to get all the action items of the Plan done, unless significant progress will be made, people will remember.

I have wonderful hopes for the future, but know that power can corrupt and if it does, I'll be voting people out of office, just like I helped vote them in.

Now as to people and their opinions, scanning through comments on both a local news site and a national "news" site, and it still shocks me as to how misinformed people are. I can understand challenges to the ideas and what will be best for the country, but using name, race, supposed religion, and just outright lies and restating them as fact is just not the way to do things. If you read something, even if it sent to you by a friend, you need to check it for facts.

One of my new favorite sites over the last while here has been FactCheck.org. It cites where it gets information from and doesn't take facts for granted.

Anyways, it is time to bring a bitter time to a close and work toward the future. Celebrate a bit, then take the signs down...all of them. There is a lot of hard work ahead.

Let us once again become Americans to move our country forward into the future.

RIP iPod 3G (r3)

This morning, when collecting my things to head out for work, I picked up a big book to return to the library and my iPod being on top of it, slid off and hit the floor.

This, being not the first second or 3rd time I've dropped this iPod from this height, looked like it was still fine. I was able to scroll around, see the podcasts, music and etc, so I pack up and head out to my car.

In the car, I plug it in, start my podcasts and it immediately goes through each one, just blip blip blip, not actually playing anything. so I try music, and it does the same thing.

So I head back in the house, and hook it up to power and reset it...on the reboot, it came up with the folder with the exclamation point, as if it couldn't reach the mini hard drive.

Doing some research, I find that it's probably the case...so I update the iPod that Shannon got from work and head off to my job.

So I replaced the battery in the iPod once....so it lived a long life.

I listened to it at work, home, making food, playing video games, cleaning, walking, driving and etc. If I assume that I used it 40 hours a week for 5 years, it'd be a life or 10,400 hours or 433.3 days of use.

It is kind of funny that I'm now using an iPod nano 3rd generation (Shannon's) now...

So now comes the big decision, do I wait to see if I can get one for Christmas, or do I just go out and get one...considering I use it so much. Plus I think that Apple would give me a 10% discount if I went in and bought a new iPod.

Leaves + Lots of Wind = Piles

A very blustery day and my car not going anywhere led to the piles...even though there are no large trees in my yard...

Welcome to the World, Amelia!

Last night Amelia Ann Lewis was born to her parents Ryan and Alissa Lewis. She was born at 8:22 PM and weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces and was 20 inches long.

Congrats to Ryan and my sister Alissa.

(Updated with better picture and middle name.)

Podcasts I find comforting, in times like these

So I do not like it when things are happening that affect me that I do not understand. So over the past few months I've been adding more and more financial information to my podcast listening.

Planet Money: Answers questions, covers issues, explains ideas and concepts that are often very complicated. Generally posted weekdays, special for this financial crisis.

Marketplace: Weekdays after the markets close. General market news, in depth stories on various financial topics. I generally listen to this when I make dinner.

Marketplace Money: Weekly show, many topics, lots of good coverage. Updated Weekly.

Marketplace Morning Report: News in the morning, before the markets open, general updates on overnight happenings, quick reports on other financial markets. Usually listened to on the way into work.

Over time, I've learned quite a bit more about whats going on...and even though I can't change anything, it does feel comforting to at least know whats going on.

Painting the Room Red

This weekend we put on two coats of a red paint (it's something bahama, but I can't remember). I remember the Boelmans painting their bathroom red, and to get the red they wanted they had to put on 4 or 5 coats or something like that...Well with two, you can still see a few flaws, so we're hoping that with the 3rd coat we can call it good.

I've been reading a bit more and have been enjoying reading most of the graphic novels listed (I've gone off of quite a few best graphic novel lists to go from there). I must say that it really has made me feel like a kid again and I've been staying up later and later reading a few of these. Some of them were not the best. I was reminded why I'm not a huge fan Superman (might over intelligence) or Justice League (problems have to be so ridiculous that they seem silly). The exception has been Kingdom Come, where the artwork was stunning and the story was really good.

I also have apparently forgotten that I've read High Fidelity, which I think I even own. Though in reading it I find myself more identifying with what I remember from the movie, then what I had read before.

I remember the book The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper from my childhood...considering how much I read as a youngster, to have a book stand out in my memory is pretty shocking. I finally watched the movie that was based on the book...The movie was terrible. I'm glad that Scott told me not to go to it in the theater.

Primerizing Finally

After putting it off for a long long long time (trying to spend only cash we actually have and fit it into the budget and actually avoiding doing it when it's hot out), we have finally double coat primer painted the dining room. So now, instead of having to look at a mostly red wall, where the wall paper border used to be, and then the dingy white, it is now all a bright super clean white.

Now all we have to do is paint it red again.

We decided that we'd have someone else paint the ceilings, front hall, staircase and landing, because...well...painting ceilings sucks.

Monday I went to Cedar Rapids, on the invite of my youngest brother Isaac, to recreate, to some extent, the senior picture that I had taken. In that picture I was laying to my side and baby Isaac was sitting in front with lederhosen. While we weren't able to find lederhosen (well we didn't try too hard), we did take pictures. Shannon came along too, since she had the afternoon off. We were fed white chili, cornbread, melon and apple crisp and played some hearts before dinner.

On the way there, a magic bug went splat against my windshield and even though I used wiper fluid several times (4 or 5), it had little affect against the smear of it. However on the way back, it rained...quite a bit. While driving, we semi-hydroplaned a few times and had the wipers on high, to no noticeable results. After slowing down to well under the limit, it finally got viewable again.

Tomorrow we're going to go see Religulous. I'm looking forward to it.

Woot!

Congrats to my younger brother Joseph and oldest sister Cara on completing the marathon they ran today. Joesph's first...and I think Cara's second.

busy busy busy little bee

Friday, after going to lunch with most of my work crew at Woody's Smoke Shack (meat was good, potato salad was meh, corn bread not as good as Wendell's, I heard good things about the cheesy potatoes), we headed down to Gong Fu Tea. Proctor suggested this tea, which I can't remember what it was called, but it honestly tasted like a peat smoked scotch. It was bizarre to have that taste without having the same warmth of alcohol...but only the warmth of the tea. Weird.

Friday night, Shannon and I headed down to Django to have the first of our two nights out celebrating our two year anniversary (second is on Tuesday, on our actual anniversary). We had lots of great food, and I had quite a bit of wine and I gotta say that I love cassoulet and must make it.

Saturday morning, we woke up...eventually... and watched the Beaverdale Fall Festival parade go by our house. I think it was longer this year, then it has been in the past. I wish they would've spaced out the marching bands more...since they are always fun to watch. Lots of political candidates...Obama was well represented, but there was not a McCain entry in the parade....which both Shannon and I found odd.

Then after the parade cleared our house we quickly finished getting ready and headed over to Adventureland for my work's day at the park. With the discounted tickets (free for us), we also had it so that the cheaper tickets were available for Shannon's Sister's family for our niece's birthday celebration. We had a lot of fun...but by the end of the day, I was worn out...Since the only thing that was new was the water park that I wasn't about to go to, it's just not something that you can spend all day at...Anyways we eventually left, and gave Sheilagh her present and headed back to the heart of Des Moines.

We were going to try to go to Woody's Smoke Shack, but it was closed, so we headed over to Uncle Wendell's. They were, technically, closed...but their open sign was still on, so they served us. I'm glad I did, we left there with a half pound of pulled pork, a few sides and cookies, and some Smoked Prime Rib. Now they told me that normally that they would grill it a bit, but I told them not to, since I did catch them as they were closing, I'd just heat it up at home.

I took it home, seared it a bit on both sides in a pan, and holy cow was it good. Smokey, beefy and deliciously tender.

Sunday, I mowed the lawn, for what I hope is the last time of the year (though if the weather holds out, I somehow doubt it) and then we were fairly lazy for the rest of the day.

Centro has a La Quercia acorn raised pork special for a week, starting last Friday....so I am very much looking forward to going to get to try these tomorrow night.