Six days and counting! One year, baby! Naomi is fond of asking the question "Can you believe it has almost been a year?" The answer is always the same: "Yup!" I have a good imagination. This should not belittle the fact that I am as happy as I've ever been and it's all thanks to one special lady and her two poorly groomed side-kicks. :)
Naomi and I have been teasing each other about gifts. We both recently ordered things online for one another, and now we are holding this information over one another's head. According to Fed Ex we are 3-5 business days from surprises. Now, technically, I know approximately what Naomi got me, because she had to ask my shoe size. No amount of detective work could get her an answer, either, because I'm a Whalen. Since Whalen's love bargains my shoe sizes evidentally range from size 8 to size 10.5 so I have almost no shoes that fit me at my ideal 9.5. So I have a hunch I'm getting footwear. Naomi, on the other hand, has zero idea of what she's getting!
My crusade to convince Naomi that games are fun is also going well! I taught her a board game that to date is the most complicated board game I've ever played. She gets angry and whiny in the middle of games because of the strategy involved which, with my darling wife, is an indication that she likes the game. At least I think it is.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The bathroom marches on
Done:
1st coat of paint
Waterproofing floor
Tiling floor
Grouting floor
Caulk, round 1
2nd coat of paint
Sanding off old trim finish (half done)
Staining trim (half done)
Cutting the door smaller (half done)
Waterproofing the shower
Tiling the Shower (Three-quarters done)
Trim
Not Done:
Sanding off old trim finish (half not done)
Staining trim (half not done)
Cutting the door smaller (half not done)
Tiling the Shower (One-quarter not done)
Grouting the shower
Caulk, round 2
Installing toilet and sink
1st coat of paint
Waterproofing floor
Tiling floor
Grouting floor
Caulk, round 1
2nd coat of paint
Sanding off old trim finish (half done)
Staining trim (half done)
Cutting the door smaller (half done)
Waterproofing the shower
Tiling the Shower (Three-quarters done)
Trim
Not Done:
Sanding off old trim finish (half not done)
Staining trim (half not done)
Cutting the door smaller (half not done)
Tiling the Shower (One-quarter not done)
Grouting the shower
Caulk, round 2
Installing toilet and sink
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Bathroom Progress update!
I've broken the bathroom down into an easy step-by-step list that helps me track progress.
Done:
1st coat of paint
Waterproofing floor
Tiling floor
Grouting floor
Not Done:
Caulk, round 1
2nd coat of paint
Sanding off old trim finish
Staining trim
Cutting the door smaller
Waterproofing the shower
Tiling the Shower
Caulk, round 2
Trim
Installing toilet and sink
Done:
1st coat of paint
Waterproofing floor
Tiling floor
Grouting floor
Not Done:
Caulk, round 1
2nd coat of paint
Sanding off old trim finish
Staining trim
Cutting the door smaller
Waterproofing the shower
Tiling the Shower
Caulk, round 2
Trim
Installing toilet and sink
still...running
Even with this shoe-melting heat, I am running my ass around during lunch. I consider it Israel training. There are several factors to consider whenever I go out for an awful, awful run:
1. I must at all times be hungrier than thirsty. This keeps me focused on hunger. There are too many tempting neighborhood pools to be thirstier than hungry.
2. Damn birds! You know those little, angry black birds with orange patches on their wings that you see chasing giant hawks and eagles away from their nesting spots? Well, they hate infantry as well as airforce. I think I have been under-alarmed by these birds, too. When I jog by, I hear this angry chirp and then, near my own sweltering shadow, there is this little bird shadow. They look close, but they are still pretty high in the air, right? Nope. Today I took a peek behind me while I was being chased and one of those birds was literal 3' above me! They also pass messages to the next nest so that they can be prepared.
3. Goddamn sun! It flies about 2' above those cranky birds.
4. Motivation is the toughest part. Walking is so much easier than running. I have to keep my mind distracted while I run. I try to think motivating thoughts like how I will be in good enough shape to survive capture followed a forced march across america, during which I will be able to give away my rations to those weaker than me and plant the seeds of revolt! Also, there's this really cute house on the way back that takes my mind off of things.
1. I must at all times be hungrier than thirsty. This keeps me focused on hunger. There are too many tempting neighborhood pools to be thirstier than hungry.
2. Damn birds! You know those little, angry black birds with orange patches on their wings that you see chasing giant hawks and eagles away from their nesting spots? Well, they hate infantry as well as airforce. I think I have been under-alarmed by these birds, too. When I jog by, I hear this angry chirp and then, near my own sweltering shadow, there is this little bird shadow. They look close, but they are still pretty high in the air, right? Nope. Today I took a peek behind me while I was being chased and one of those birds was literal 3' above me! They also pass messages to the next nest so that they can be prepared.
3. Goddamn sun! It flies about 2' above those cranky birds.
4. Motivation is the toughest part. Walking is so much easier than running. I have to keep my mind distracted while I run. I try to think motivating thoughts like how I will be in good enough shape to survive capture followed a forced march across america, during which I will be able to give away my rations to those weaker than me and plant the seeds of revolt! Also, there's this really cute house on the way back that takes my mind off of things.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
One Sweet Week!
Ah, the two-day work week. It's glorious! This is how life should be.
I'm going to post some bathroom pics soon, I just have to upload them. My latest surprise is that the tile I put in the bathroom is 4 microns too tall, so the bathroom door won't shut anymore. Yay! So now I have to cut the door, which I hate doing. BUT, all things considered, everything is going well. Tonight I'm going to put on the tile sealant and then I can grout the tile sometime next week. Once that's done I can put up trim and tile the shower. The shower should actually be fun, because it's mostly tiling but very little cutting!
I'm going to post some bathroom pics soon, I just have to upload them. My latest surprise is that the tile I put in the bathroom is 4 microns too tall, so the bathroom door won't shut anymore. Yay! So now I have to cut the door, which I hate doing. BUT, all things considered, everything is going well. Tonight I'm going to put on the tile sealant and then I can grout the tile sometime next week. Once that's done I can put up trim and tile the shower. The shower should actually be fun, because it's mostly tiling but very little cutting!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Running :(
Sadly, I have taken to the lowest form of exercise during my breaks at work: Running. It's such a ridiculous activity when you think about it; pretending to flee from a very slow, methodical pursuer for thirty to fifty minutes and then trying to convince yourself that you enjoyed it by saying stupid things like "I had a good run". Dad, I don't know how you did it for so long!
What's gotten me started on this evil path is a combination of boredom and amazement. I need some sort of break at work, and physical activity is a nice contrast. The area outside of TitanTV is almost comically beautiful. On my little route I trot past four Rockwell-esque farms with vivid green horse pastures and then I turn and run down a tree-canopied forest trail next to a babbling brook. And I hate it all.
I mentioned amazement as well. Since I somehow managed to not have asthma anymore, and switched to an allergy medicine that I really don't need to take very often, I've noticed a couple of changes in my life. The first is that I can get to bed a full 34 seconds sooner having shed my medication, which means I can usually convince myself to brush my teeth AND floss at night due to this surplus of freetime. The second is that, since I'm not on a long-term Beta2 agonist anymore, my heartrate has slowed by nearly 15 beats-per-minute to a leisurely 47. That's slower than it was even when I was training for Nationals. This slow pace has inspired me to take the "Bradycardia Challenge" and see just how slow I can get my resting heartrate. My goal is 1.
What's gotten me started on this evil path is a combination of boredom and amazement. I need some sort of break at work, and physical activity is a nice contrast. The area outside of TitanTV is almost comically beautiful. On my little route I trot past four Rockwell-esque farms with vivid green horse pastures and then I turn and run down a tree-canopied forest trail next to a babbling brook. And I hate it all.
I mentioned amazement as well. Since I somehow managed to not have asthma anymore, and switched to an allergy medicine that I really don't need to take very often, I've noticed a couple of changes in my life. The first is that I can get to bed a full 34 seconds sooner having shed my medication, which means I can usually convince myself to brush my teeth AND floss at night due to this surplus of freetime. The second is that, since I'm not on a long-term Beta2 agonist anymore, my heartrate has slowed by nearly 15 beats-per-minute to a leisurely 47. That's slower than it was even when I was training for Nationals. This slow pace has inspired me to take the "Bradycardia Challenge" and see just how slow I can get my resting heartrate. My goal is 1.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Scammer's Paradise
My god, renting a place for a month in another country halfway around the world is such a nightmare! There are literally hundreds of websites teeming with offers for subletting apartments, or renting vacation homes, or rooming with others, or a variety of other options. All of them are equally terrible. It is impossible to know how much an apartment in Tel Aviv is actually worth because the pricing is so hideously inconsistent. One person will charge $500 and the next person will charge $3000 for an apartment the same size in the same neighborhood. What gives? Some have roommates, most all of them are greedy. The second you show interest in the apartment the price changes, or the conditions change, or they have a better offer. Naomi's second cousin is our man on the ground over there trying to sort through the mess, and we have him criss-crossing the city trying to get us a fair deal.
The best part of all these websites is the scams. Offers vary widely in their tricks:
"Dirt cheap! Just send a cashier's check!"
"Low rent! Big apartment! Building condemned!"
"Beautiful beachfront property that will also increase your penis length by 6" guarenteed!"
It is nearly impossible to avoid. In the half-month Naomi and I have been using Craigslist we have brushed up against scammers 3 times. By the time we actually go to Israel we will most likely have empty bank accounts, defaulted loans, no home, and will be forced to sleep in a shelter filled with destitute, scammed Americans.
The best part of all these websites is the scams. Offers vary widely in their tricks:
"Dirt cheap! Just send a cashier's check!"
"Low rent! Big apartment! Building condemned!"
"Beautiful beachfront property that will also increase your penis length by 6" guarenteed!"
It is nearly impossible to avoid. In the half-month Naomi and I have been using Craigslist we have brushed up against scammers 3 times. By the time we actually go to Israel we will most likely have empty bank accounts, defaulted loans, no home, and will be forced to sleep in a shelter filled with destitute, scammed Americans.
Monday, June 8, 2009
The House is Painted!
In other news: The house is painted! I put up the new house numbers, which makes it official. We have to put up an outdoor light fixture in the backyard yet, but the lightbulb fell out and Naomi officially electrocuted herself and I don't know what breaker switch it's on, so that's holding us up. If you want to see the final product you're gonna have to come see it.
Time to rest on our laurels?
No, yesterday Naomi and I took out all the stuff in our bathroom! We had planned on waiting a bit before we started another project, but the toilet handle AND the shower handle both snapped off in our bathroom, so we moved the project up in priority level. We decided to go all-out on the floor because we have a whopping 16 sq ft to cover, so we bought travertine, which is pretty awesome looking. I'll be posting some pictures in action.
Time to rest on our laurels?
No, yesterday Naomi and I took out all the stuff in our bathroom! We had planned on waiting a bit before we started another project, but the toilet handle AND the shower handle both snapped off in our bathroom, so we moved the project up in priority level. We decided to go all-out on the floor because we have a whopping 16 sq ft to cover, so we bought travertine, which is pretty awesome looking. I'll be posting some pictures in action.
Cherry-eyed Girl
So originally I thought Levie was coming on to me, but it turns out she wasn't winking...she has cherry eye.
Tears have to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is a gland called the lachrymal gland, which sits behind the eye. In people, it's in the upper temporal side of your eye, so your tears go from ear to nose. In dogs it's apparently on the nose side. Levie's lachrymal gland slipped, so now when she blinks it actually comes out and slides in front of her eye. This gives her eye the appearance of blinking twice, like that alien from the beginning of Men In Black. Her eye is infected, too, so she's one unhappy pup! We're gonna take her in to the vet and get her all fixed up.
For more information and a picture:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_eye
Tears have to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is a gland called the lachrymal gland, which sits behind the eye. In people, it's in the upper temporal side of your eye, so your tears go from ear to nose. In dogs it's apparently on the nose side. Levie's lachrymal gland slipped, so now when she blinks it actually comes out and slides in front of her eye. This gives her eye the appearance of blinking twice, like that alien from the beginning of Men In Black. Her eye is infected, too, so she's one unhappy pup! We're gonna take her in to the vet and get her all fixed up.
For more information and a picture:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_eye
Friday, June 5, 2009
Zero Comments
This can only mean that everyone has given up on my blog. Instead of simply letting people know that I have been writing entries again, I have decided to write entries for a while, let it be discovered, and then everyone can feel sorry for me and my unpopular blog! Until discover, it's gonna be a lonely, lonely blog.
Let's dispel a couple of medical myths!
1. You should clean wounds with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
False: You should only clean them with soap and water. You do not need to sterilize a wound any more than this and, in fact, using alcohol or hydrogen peroxide will kill healthy tissue and increase wound healing time.
2. After a day or two a wound needs to dry out to heal.
False: Wounds heal best when kept moist with triple antibiotic or plain Vaseline. Letting a wound dry out increases healing time and scarring.
More to come!
Let's dispel a couple of medical myths!
1. You should clean wounds with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
False: You should only clean them with soap and water. You do not need to sterilize a wound any more than this and, in fact, using alcohol or hydrogen peroxide will kill healthy tissue and increase wound healing time.
2. After a day or two a wound needs to dry out to heal.
False: Wounds heal best when kept moist with triple antibiotic or plain Vaseline. Letting a wound dry out increases healing time and scarring.
More to come!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
A blog post - Suck it, Jordan!
FINE! I'll write another damn post! This one is going to involve our fun-filled preparation for Israel.
Naomi and I have officially bought tickets! The two of us fly out of Chicago on July 20 and get back August 20. We are now in the process of lining up all of our activities over there. We've accomplished almost nothing, but have great leads:
1. We are close to finding a place to live. Amazingly, one of the Slutzki family friends may end up moving out of his place for a month so that we can rent it while he moves in with his parents. Dear god!
2. We are subletting our house! We (Naomi) found a urologist who needs a place to stay while we're out, so we're having him and his ancient golden retriever stay at our place. This should help offset the steep cost of living in Tel Aviv, as well as get our plants watered and yard mowed. :)
3. I'm looking for private tutors while I'm in Israel because Hebrew classes at Tel Aviv U are exactly as expensive as they are here in America. *sigh* There are a bunch of people in Israel that seem to know Hebrew, though, so silver linings and all that.
4. Don't forget to visit our dogs! Focus on their good qualities, especially Freya's.
Also, the house is almost done being painted. Next stop, bathroom! Back-breaking labor is a great way to recover from brain-breaking schooling. A mere couple of weeks ago I would have known which part of my brain was breaking, too. So it goes.
Naomi and I have officially bought tickets! The two of us fly out of Chicago on July 20 and get back August 20. We are now in the process of lining up all of our activities over there. We've accomplished almost nothing, but have great leads:
1. We are close to finding a place to live. Amazingly, one of the Slutzki family friends may end up moving out of his place for a month so that we can rent it while he moves in with his parents. Dear god!
2. We are subletting our house! We (Naomi) found a urologist who needs a place to stay while we're out, so we're having him and his ancient golden retriever stay at our place. This should help offset the steep cost of living in Tel Aviv, as well as get our plants watered and yard mowed. :)
3. I'm looking for private tutors while I'm in Israel because Hebrew classes at Tel Aviv U are exactly as expensive as they are here in America. *sigh* There are a bunch of people in Israel that seem to know Hebrew, though, so silver linings and all that.
4. Don't forget to visit our dogs! Focus on their good qualities, especially Freya's.
Also, the house is almost done being painted. Next stop, bathroom! Back-breaking labor is a great way to recover from brain-breaking schooling. A mere couple of weeks ago I would have known which part of my brain was breaking, too. So it goes.
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