At first I didn't like the look...but it's grown on me. At the very least it's unique and is better then it was before. My hope is that really goes well/ties in with the crown molding.
14 October 2010
Railed It
One of the things I've been meaning to upgrade are the handrails in our house. Normally I wouldn't care, but the lacquer was turning yellow and the railings needed to be refinished. The cheapest solution that best matches the rest of our house was to sand and paint the wood the trim color and upgrade the hardware. The white paint is thick and should actually wear well, can easily be wiped down, and easily touched up.
At first I didn't like the look...but it's grown on me. At the very least it's unique and is better then it was before. My hope is that really goes well/ties in with the crown molding.
At first I didn't like the look...but it's grown on me. At the very least it's unique and is better then it was before. My hope is that really goes well/ties in with the crown molding.
10 October 2010
09 October 2010
Happy Apple Farm
What a day at the farm! Today we drove down to Ferrara's for our annual fall visit. This year was our fourth year in a row. We decided this year to wait until the weather was cooler and the trees were in color before making the drive. This meant all of the apples and berries were picked, so most people were there for the pumpkins and the experience.
We took a few pictures and walked around for a little bit. We took the hay ride tractor back to the general store and were about to leave...and then our morning got interesting. Rob, the tractor driver (as we later learned), took a liking to our family. He's been at the farm for awhile - I think he's one of the main groundskeepers. Either he was feeling generous or we looked like we could use some hospitality. At first he was curious why we didn't pick out a pumpkin or two, and since we were just there for some cider and maybe a $1 "pie pumpkin" for some bread he probably felt sorry for us. He told us to go and pick out the 2 biggest pumpkins "on the house". A few minutes later he came by with a piece of cream cheese icing pumpkin bread...and then he came by the table we were at and asked what we wanted to drink. A few minutes into our snack he brought me a BBQ brisket sandwich with potato chips. He kept giving us free food...back and back he came with something else. The lady cooking said "we must be the special ones". After picking out our pumpkins he sent us on our way with two full bags of apples. I was offered a turkey leg too but turned it down since I was stuffed. On the way home we added up that we had been given about $40 - $50 of free food. Considering we had gone there expecting to come back with only an item or two, this was a great surprise and made the outing very memorable.
Most importantly, Julia had a good time...the hay ride, because she picked out her own pumpkin (she keeps saying it's her first very own pumpkin), and because of all the treats she ate. She likes the apple cider we brought home from the farm and the "snicker noodle" cookies I made last night.
We took a few pictures and walked around for a little bit. We took the hay ride tractor back to the general store and were about to leave...and then our morning got interesting. Rob, the tractor driver (as we later learned), took a liking to our family. He's been at the farm for awhile - I think he's one of the main groundskeepers. Either he was feeling generous or we looked like we could use some hospitality. At first he was curious why we didn't pick out a pumpkin or two, and since we were just there for some cider and maybe a $1 "pie pumpkin" for some bread he probably felt sorry for us. He told us to go and pick out the 2 biggest pumpkins "on the house". A few minutes later he came by with a piece of cream cheese icing pumpkin bread...and then he came by the table we were at and asked what we wanted to drink. A few minutes into our snack he brought me a BBQ brisket sandwich with potato chips. He kept giving us free food...back and back he came with something else. The lady cooking said "we must be the special ones". After picking out our pumpkins he sent us on our way with two full bags of apples. I was offered a turkey leg too but turned it down since I was stuffed. On the way home we added up that we had been given about $40 - $50 of free food. Considering we had gone there expecting to come back with only an item or two, this was a great surprise and made the outing very memorable.
Most importantly, Julia had a good time...the hay ride, because she picked out her own pumpkin (she keeps saying it's her first very own pumpkin), and because of all the treats she ate. She likes the apple cider we brought home from the farm and the "snicker noodle" cookies I made last night.
08 October 2010
06 October 2010
05 October 2010
04 October 2010
A Simple Solution
It's good to see this French Cleat carrying its weight after this summer's showing at the World Cup. I'm a big fan. For anyone out there considering mounting a television on the wall, don't bother with anything else...well, unless you need something more fancy then a stationary $15 mount at Home Depot.
Long story short, we finally gave in and decided to move the extra television that has been sitting in the closet to our bedroom. We're only going with rabbit ears so that we don't end up using it very often. There will be days where we want the news on the morning while getting ready or a place to get cuddly and watch a show or two at night. We aren't television watchers - but the option will be nice.
Back to the installation. I mounted the cleat on the wall to the studs and the other cleat on the back of the television. Obviously, mounting it to the studs is a must. The cleat says it will hold 100 pounds, which I found very impressive. Maybe I should have Stacey hang from it sometime to test it. I added 2 felt "bumpers" to the back of the television to protect the wall and to keep the television parallel to it. I had cut the back of the case out previously for a different antenna. I included summer sausage in the photo since this type of manly project requires a snack such as this. The antenna was fixed to the wall with mounting tape in a location where the ears have free movement and where it looks like it's the base of a fancy mounting system.
After finding the wall stud for the cleat, I could tell which side of the stud the outlet box had been nailed to. After finding the location on the wall that was on the correct side of the stud yet still hidden by the television, and in an area where the cord wouldn't hit the back of the television when hanging, I cut a hole with my knife. I had to cut out part of the outlet box (plastic) in order to thread the plug through it. I drilled a hole in the outlet cover for the cord and assembled/hung everything.
The best part about this system is that I can take the television on and off the wall whenever I want. Only the small metal bracket is attached to the wall. Find me a television stand that's the perfect height and width for this space and that's only 15 Euros let alone $15. Oui oui, mon ami.
Long story short, we finally gave in and decided to move the extra television that has been sitting in the closet to our bedroom. We're only going with rabbit ears so that we don't end up using it very often. There will be days where we want the news on the morning while getting ready or a place to get cuddly and watch a show or two at night. We aren't television watchers - but the option will be nice.
Back to the installation. I mounted the cleat on the wall to the studs and the other cleat on the back of the television. Obviously, mounting it to the studs is a must. The cleat says it will hold 100 pounds, which I found very impressive. Maybe I should have Stacey hang from it sometime to test it. I added 2 felt "bumpers" to the back of the television to protect the wall and to keep the television parallel to it. I had cut the back of the case out previously for a different antenna. I included summer sausage in the photo since this type of manly project requires a snack such as this. The antenna was fixed to the wall with mounting tape in a location where the ears have free movement and where it looks like it's the base of a fancy mounting system.
After finding the wall stud for the cleat, I could tell which side of the stud the outlet box had been nailed to. After finding the location on the wall that was on the correct side of the stud yet still hidden by the television, and in an area where the cord wouldn't hit the back of the television when hanging, I cut a hole with my knife. I had to cut out part of the outlet box (plastic) in order to thread the plug through it. I drilled a hole in the outlet cover for the cord and assembled/hung everything.
The best part about this system is that I can take the television on and off the wall whenever I want. Only the small metal bracket is attached to the wall. Find me a television stand that's the perfect height and width for this space and that's only 15 Euros let alone $15. Oui oui, mon ami.
03 October 2010
20% Down - 2,852 Feet
I've been using this map to track the 14ers I've climbed. After yesterday, I've completed 1/5 of them (by number, not difficulty). Or, if starting from sea level using a 14,000 foot scale, I'm currently at 2,852 feet. I started right in the middle of fixing up a house and having 2 children, so I'm not exactly off to a fast start. Still, it's nice to pass the 20% mark - it's a good milestone.
02 October 2010
Mt Evans Mt Bierstadt
Saturday morning I woke up at 3 am and met up with a group of guys at Focus to climb Mt Evans and Mt Bierstadt. There were 4 of us in total - I knew Nathan from work and he brought 2 other friends with him, Eric and Jonathan.
These 2 14ers are right outside Denver, so it was an easy drive. In the summer, you can drive all the way to the top of Mt Evans. This time of year, the road is closed about a mile below the top at Summit Lake. On Monday they are closing the entire road for the winter. You can still hike it, but the route is much longer.
Our route was 8.25 miles and took us 9 hours to complete. We didn't walk slow at all, we just purposely took the more difficult route along the ridge which resulted in a lot of scrambling up and down rocks. Most of the day was spent on class 3 scrambles, and although that took time it made the trip a lot more fun versus just pounding out the mileage. We parked at Summit Lake, hiked up to a saddle below Mt Evans and then descended into the valley between the 2 peaks. We hiked up to the ridge and followed it all the way up to Mt Bierstadt. From Bierstadt we crossed the "sawtooth" and then followed the ridge all the way over to Mt Evans before returning to our car.
We had some good theological discussions along the way. We also quoted lines from the movies The Princess Bride and the Three Amigos and each gave our thoughts on Lost. We even got our own flyby from 2 F-16s. As we traversed the ridge approaching Mt Evans, 2 F-16s "buzzed the tower" and flew right over us. We could see one of the pilots in the cockpit - that's how close they were. Due to the time, we safely assumed they were part of the flyby for the Air Force - Navy game. It was pretty cool to be on top of the world and get buzzed by 2 F-16s.
Setting out - sunrise illuminating Mt Bierstadt, route we descended
Route taken off Mt Evans road down to valley
Scrambling up to the ridge that we followed to Mt Bierstadt
Photos from Mt Bierstadt summit, looking at the sawtooth route
The sawtooth (1-2), looking back at the sawtooth (3-6), misc pictures
I had a lot of fun on this trip. I didn't feel uncomfortable at any point due to the exposure or terrain. The pictures make it look a lot more difficult then it really is. I would recommend this route to anyone who wants to have some fun on otherwise easy and straightforward peaks.
These 2 14ers are right outside Denver, so it was an easy drive. In the summer, you can drive all the way to the top of Mt Evans. This time of year, the road is closed about a mile below the top at Summit Lake. On Monday they are closing the entire road for the winter. You can still hike it, but the route is much longer.
Our route was 8.25 miles and took us 9 hours to complete. We didn't walk slow at all, we just purposely took the more difficult route along the ridge which resulted in a lot of scrambling up and down rocks. Most of the day was spent on class 3 scrambles, and although that took time it made the trip a lot more fun versus just pounding out the mileage. We parked at Summit Lake, hiked up to a saddle below Mt Evans and then descended into the valley between the 2 peaks. We hiked up to the ridge and followed it all the way up to Mt Bierstadt. From Bierstadt we crossed the "sawtooth" and then followed the ridge all the way over to Mt Evans before returning to our car.
We had some good theological discussions along the way. We also quoted lines from the movies The Princess Bride and the Three Amigos and each gave our thoughts on Lost. We even got our own flyby from 2 F-16s. As we traversed the ridge approaching Mt Evans, 2 F-16s "buzzed the tower" and flew right over us. We could see one of the pilots in the cockpit - that's how close they were. Due to the time, we safely assumed they were part of the flyby for the Air Force - Navy game. It was pretty cool to be on top of the world and get buzzed by 2 F-16s.
Setting out - sunrise illuminating Mt Bierstadt, route we descended
Route taken off Mt Evans road down to valley
Scrambling up to the ridge that we followed to Mt Bierstadt
Photos from Mt Bierstadt summit, looking at the sawtooth route
The sawtooth (1-2), looking back at the sawtooth (3-6), misc pictures
I had a lot of fun on this trip. I didn't feel uncomfortable at any point due to the exposure or terrain. The pictures make it look a lot more difficult then it really is. I would recommend this route to anyone who wants to have some fun on otherwise easy and straightforward peaks.
01 October 2010
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