20120229 - Extra Day

20120229 - Up at desk all day, boiling sap in the background.  Out to throw the football with J, then other boys joined (see if you can find D,J and the football in this pic).  In for dinner, then L out to get groceries, I attempted to clean up the kitchen while J recited his Emilia Erhart report to me, D wrote and rewrote a paragraph and G made noise...  All cleaned up and the boys to the basement to finish watching 'The Fantastic Mr. Fox'.  I just love this movie (I ordered the book).  Boys to bed, L watching people sing...  I worked on a new website.  Sounds like on this extra day we get only every 4 years I did the same thing as yesterday...

20120228 - 'Cloud'y

20120208 - Up at desk all day, boiling sap in the background.  Out to throw the football with J, then other boys joined.  In for dinner, then L&J worked on a report he is going to give.  DG&I hit a couple of stores to return supplies we didn't need from the weekend.  Stopped at Blockbuster on the way home.  All home, J gave me some facts from his report.  All down to the basement to watch 'The Fantastic Mr. Fox'.  Boys to bed at intermission.  L watching people sing...  I built this to help my dad find his way around the 'WingerCLOUD'

20120227 - Excited Coffee

20120227 - Up and at the desk. It was freezing last night and warm today soothe sap was really running, we got one full bucket and simmered it all day. After work I cleaned up the garage and the boys were out enjoying the sun. We had dinner and the L went to G's Kindergarten parent prep night and the boys and I went to scouts with D. But the excitement and one of the boys favorite thing to do is get coffee with me after the meeting. We filled in and each announced their order. We got our drinks and relaxed and chatted a bit. I'm not sure how much longer this will be exciting to them (D is now starting to text a lot (a 'girlfriend' = Mia), so I cherish each visit...

Home, dropped the boys off and out to Bible Bangers. It was a fun night. Home late, sitting by the fire, sewed patches on J's Scout uniform.

20120226 - FIRE!

20120226 - Up and all to church in the am. D&I left LJ&G at Sunday school and ran home to change, make some measurements, run to get gas, supplies at Home Depot and lunch at KFC. Home and Aunt Nicole dropped of LJ&G and Lucia came over for lunch. We had a nice lunch and then I had to run back and get a part for the install. Back home and got everything hooked up and sealed tight. Then poof! Fire! IT WORKS! We have gas logs! D helped get things cleaned up and we watched a zombie movie until dinner and then we all watched Aladdin in the basement. Everyone but L, she stayed up in front of the fireplace :-) Chris over to watch Walking Dead.

20120225 + Errands...

20120225 + Up in the am and J&I out on the town. First stop was McD's where we had a hearty healthy bfast ;-) Then J played his iTouch while I got a quick haircut. Across town to MicroCenter to get an 8 port switch for the cameras coming... we walked around the entire store looking at stuff. Then we got what we came for and headed to the Magic Shop where J showed the guys his card trick and then they taught him a couple more tricks. On to the find fire bricks, that were way to expensive... Lunch on the road at Taco Bell and J got a bloody nose :-O Everything ok and in to Home Depot to get supplies for the Farm repairs we have lined up. While there we found a set of gas logs on super sale, so we got them!

Home and D and I finished putting the doors on the tool table. Then D&I ran to back to Home Depot to inspect the pipes on a different set of gas logs because the one I got had twisted and crimped hoses :-s back home with a new set of gas logs and I ripped the house apart. I found the old line set and valve hidden in the floor and got it all exposed and open. Making lists of install steps and parts needed... To bed late.

20120224 - Up and at the desk all day, boiling sap in the background.  L had to leave and work at the 'Candy-land Ball', a dance for Fathers and Daughters at our church, so I had all 3 of the boys.  We went to Long John's for dinner where we ran into a couple of friends.  Then we dropped D off at 'Midnight Madness' at his school, a time for the 6th graders to play games, have a talent show and just goof off.  JG&I to Meijer to get some stuff, then home.  L home and then I ran to get D at midnight.  He was all juiced up and stayed up helping me set up the router.

20120223 + 1st Turkey

20120223 + Up and at the desk all day, boiling down sap on the side. Finished up work and to the garage with D trying to finish up the tool table. L cooked her first turkey ever tonight for dinner and we are all stuffed!

J&I worked on setting up a new network webcam. All boys clnd up and watched a bit of American Idol, then off to bed. I called Dennis about the Solar project and Dad about the Farm projects, not much motion on either...

20120222 - Ski Scare

20120222 - Up in the am and at the desk all day. Boiled down some sap during the day in between calls. Headed to Mad River for the last night of skiing with D's school. Going up the lift the first time I noticed a mass of Ski Patrol around someone. I frantically looked for D and was relieved to see him on the lift a couple seats up. We skied down a couple of times and then I was called over to help out. It was a girl from D's class that had fallen off the ski lift :-o I stood by to drive the girl's sister to the hospital as she was Med-Flighted out to Children's Hospital. But her folks wanted her to stay there. I made a couple more runs, but the snow was too slushy and not safe for an old man so I hit the lodge and hung out with the other advisors. Drove back to town, got Howdy and some groceries. Home updating blog.

20120221 - UP and L working all day.  J&I to the tax lady's where J played with her dog, D&G home making videos.  J&I got lunch on the way home and then we all cleaned up garage.  We ate and then went to the hobby store with the Mallon's to get some goodies.  We stopped by Army Surplus World, the gun store and driving around looking for firebricks, with two sleepers (J&G).  Once we got home we tried to get our purchases working...  L home and I loaded the fam up for a trip to Schmidt's Sausage Haus for dinner.  It was good, but L&J didn't eat much, they are not feeling well...  Back home and everyone cleaned up watching a bit of OSU basketball, and then off to bed.  Exhausted and sore, to bed myself.

20120220 - Shocks & Brakes

20120220 - Up in the am and the boys an I met the Mallonn's for breakfast. We headed home and got to work. D&I worked all day replacing the brakes and shocks on the black car. In for a bit of food and then I took the boys to Bible Bangers with me. We had a good time but J wasn't feeling great and spent the night on the coach.

20120219 + New in NL

20120219 + Up late in the am with my all night partner G. He showed up at 2am just in time to watch Braveheart; the whole thing... Then we slept on the couch as everyone got up and went down to the barn and let out the new bulls. We met them eventually for another pass of the projects at hand and then headed South to get D to a bday party. After we dropped him off I got a text from my buddy in Holland who just became a father! Here is the new man Nils!  Healthy little fellow and Mom is doing well too. CONGRATS to them and the new boy!

On home and J and I ran out to get some tools an shocks for our project tomorrow. D home and we got Chinese for dinner. All boys to bed.

20120218 - Preperations

20110218 - Up in the am and all out. We drove through McD's to get bfast an the computers were down so the kids there were adding the totals on paper. On to get gas and a stop at the auto store to get brake pads for the black car. Finally on the road to the Farm. We got to the Farm and took a walk down to the barn to see the new bulls before heading over to Dolce's.

We got to Dolce's and the usual crew was there, but not much boiling going on because of this weird winter an very little sap so far...

We took a walk in the woods down to the swinging bridge, and then helped Leonard put in some new runs in the hoses he has running down to the sugar shack.

Back to the farm and Gma&paW & I walked around making lists of thing to get done before the Maple Syrup Day @ the Farm and other projects that need to get done. The boys played war and drove the Pug and had a good time.


Back up to the house and then to Chinatown for dinner. All back home and played some spoons before all boys to bed.

20120217 + Blue and Gold

20120217 + Up in the am and at the desk for the day. After work DJ&I got uniformed up and the whole family headed to the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet where the Weblos cross the bridge into Boy Scouts. The Weblo leader presented quite a nice meal, program and awards for his Den. He got a bit choked up as he delivered his parting encouraging speech, and it choked up quite a few of us. Here Is my Den who all earned and received tonight their Wolf Badges. Growing so fast...

Home and read Luke 10:25-37, The good Samaritan, in prep for there accompanying me to Bible Bangers next Monday. Both D&j read and it was a good lesson. Up watched 'Ancient Aliens' and 'Sparticus'.

20120216 - Super Dorks

20120216 - Up, G was picked up by sitter, crying mad, but went.  L&boys out, I worked and did a bit of taxes.  J&G ran into my office dressing up as Super Dorks.  I finished the day and D&I out to get Chinese for dinner.  The fam watch TV and ate in the basement, up watching American Idol.

20120215 - Drip Drip

20110215 - Up and L sick...  I took G to school, he fell on the way in, running away from me in the parking lot.  Home and worked, L into the Dr.  Took a break and picked up G and got lunch with him.  Back to the desk and worked.  After work JG&I out for the time honored tradition of hanging the bucket.  We took a brace and bit drill that belonged to Lori's Grandpa, and the tin bucket and spiel from my Grandpa and drilled the hole ever so carefully, well as carefully as a Spiderman/Batman super hero can without going all the way through the tree...


We tapped the spiel in the hole in hopes that this weird winter would yet yield some sap.  Grant eagerly applied his super sight deep into the tree to see if some would drip.  And as in generations past, and as year and time no matter, with toil and worry no fret:......    DRIP........     DRIP.....  it came, and always will...

Back in the home with my two little helper and then took D to a friends to get an assignment he forgot at school.  Home for dinner and then I played carrom with J in the basement.  Then all the boys joined in for some multiplayer iPhone games.  Up and watched American Idol and played Scrabble with Marko.

20120214 - Maze

20120214 - Up and to the desk.  L had a meeting at school so I went to pick up G and we got lunch.  But before I went to get him i shoveled the driveway a bit.  when we got home G got to see the maze I made for him in the driveway and he ran through it over and over again, 'This is SO fun!'.  L home, not feeling good...  I finished up work and we had dinner.  The boys cleaned up the table and kitchen and then we played multiplayer iPhone games with each other.  All boys to bed and I was up late researching solar panels and hojo motors...

20120213 - Jumper

20120213 - Up to a SLOW start today. At the desk until time to bail out and hard to Mad River. I used some newer rental skis tonight and they are so much easier to control (may have to upgrade...). I met up with another dad tonight and we followed the boys around. Eventually we talked the boy into trying some jump and they had fun.

Home and then heading to BibleBangers,

20120212 - Scouts and Snow

20120212 -Up and all to church, D&J in Scout uniforms and looked good.  They had Scout day at church and they carried in flags, gathered prayer requests and the offering.  D stayed for an extra service.  LJG&I home.


J&I go the last side on the tool table.  D home and helped me clean up the garage.  Then we all headed up to the farm.  We went out side and the boys did some sled ridding, Pug pulling, rope swinging and snowshoe walking.

We made a stop to see Aunt Weezer before dinner then on to BW3s.  Home with 3 TIRED boys.   Up late watching TV.

20120211 - Carpenter Boys

20120211 -Up and out in the garage working on the tool table. Made a list of stuff to get and J went with me to pick up D.  The 3 of us headed to Home depot and got the supplies we needed to finish the table.  Back in the garage and J & G helped me.  We made a ton of progress, one side left to do!  D stuck in the house most of the day doing homework. We had pizza for dinner and then it was time for a MasterMind Garage meeting.  Had a good turn out and a good meeting.

20120210 - Surprise!

20120210 -UP and worked all day...  Then the fam got in the car and headed over to our friend Christine's house to pull off a Surprise 40th bday party for her.  It worked!  We had some good conversations and a lot of fun.  After the party we dropped D off at Scouts for a merit badge overnighter.  I was up late watching TV.

20120209 + Scrabble

20120209 + Up and worked till dinner.  Played Wii with G and then we all watched American Idol.  All boys to bed and I was up late watching 'Mudcats' and playing scrabble with Marko until the wee hours of the morning, just like when we lived next to each other in Wilmington. Look at these vrappy letters...

20120208 - Up to desk all day.  L home with G and Sam and Lena here, too loud.  Aquatics meeting with Penn. puzzle w/ G, American Idol, Mobbed and Scrabble with Marko.

20120207 - Kong Rules!

20120207 - Up, very sore today...  Worked all day, had dinner with the fam.  L to a church meeting, the boys and I headed downstairs to play Wii.  Doc over had to look things up for him on the PC.  Played the original Donkey Kong, they liked it :-)  up late watching 'Doomsday Preppers' and playing Scrabble with Marko on iPhone.

20120206 - Slopes and Slice

20120206 - up and at the desk all day. L&G into J's school for a 100th day of school fashion show. J had 100 safety pins on his shirt in the shape of 100.  L&G back home with Sam & Lena.

After work I headed to Mad River to ski with D and his school. I got a free pass tonight so that was good. What a nice night to ski.
 
But the snow was all man mad and icy... I had on spill, which in itself was not bad, but the kid on the snowboard that crashed up hill didn't stop...

He slammed into me, broke my pole and sliced my arm...
I took a couple more runs then hit the lodge and found some ice. Heading to Bible Bangers after this.

20120205 - Bowl Time

20120205 -UP,  All to church, home D&I worked on tool table, J&G took naps.  We had some friends over to watch the Superbowl.

20120204 + Bfast Club

20120204 + Up early and out to bfast with some friends to Jack & Benny's for a HUGE bfast. Home and got the car washed and gassed up. J to friends, and G&I watched Michael Jackson videos until D to go to baseball, I worked on tool table in garage. All home for a quiet night.

20120203 - Work, Out to dinner and bar and grill, Roadhouse 66.  Stopped at Block Buster and bank on way home.  Home, PJs on, Watched 'Real Steel'.  All boys to bed, up working on agenda for MMG meeting.

20120202 - Chilled Flag

20120202 - Up worked all day and then out and threw the football with D&G till dark/dinner.  DJ&I to Scouts and raised the Flag, cooked hot dogs (L&G had to bring them, i forgot them) and s'mores.  To Grossls for a biz meeting afterwards and Scott S stopped by.  Home boys to bed in basement vegin out with Youtube playing.

20120201 + LEGO Climber

20120201 + UP and to desk.  L&G home with Sam and Lena.  I took a walk this very warm day.  More work.  Jack playing with LEGO guys in neighbors tree.  Finished work. Dinner with the fam and then played the Wii with G. All boys to bed and watching tv with L.