Saturday, January 27, 2007

To Ramona

So, I've been trying for quite some time (all last night!) to learn the melody of "to Ramona" on the bass, but I have had to try to learn by trial and error, because the only music I could find online was for the guitar cords. I'm sure that I've got it all wrong, but I don't know how to get any closer. Any suggestions?

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Sour Dough Bread

Matt, this is for you. I have to go in to read our bedtime story in about two minutes (Carry On Mr. Bowditch). So here is the sour dough starter recipe...it works well for me as every two monthes or so I have to toss my old batch because I have neglected it for too many days (more than 3).

3 teaspoons yeast
2 cups water
2 1/2 cups flour

Use a glass 1/2 gallon jar or medium sized or plastic bowl.
Sprinkle yeast onto water. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Stir the flour into the yeast mixture using a wooden spoon.
Cover with a dish towel, ferment at room temperatue for 3-5 days.
Stir 2 times a day.


Put your bowl or jar over a plate or something because on the first day especially it has a tendency to overfow.


I will put the actual bread recipe on the blog in a couple of days. I should be done with the story by then.
Mom

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Thursday, January 18, 2007

How to obtain a permit.

First of all know this, I'm no contractor. I have no plans to become a contractor. All I wanted to do was obtain a permit for our addition so that my wife and I could sleep at night.(alright, we didn't actually lose any sleep over it. but anyways...) Last week I went to the planning and building department of City Hall. I showed up with the citation that we received in the mail and asked them how I could get a permit for my addition that was already built. Oh it's quite simple the man behind the counter tells me. You just draw up some plans showing how your addition is going to be built, and we give you a permit to start building. Sounds simple right? So Gwen and I take all of the measurements with the utmost care and we draw up our plans. I go to the city building yesterday, and after waiting there for three hours I finally get to the counter and proudly say "take a look at these plans. pretty good huh." The man then proceeds to pick apart the drawings that we made and then tells me that it's not even to the right scale. What scale? The last guy I talked to didn't say anything about the scale. Also they want to know how you are going to build it up to code, regardless of the fact that it's already been built.
Our addition is not up to code so we are going to end up having to take down at least two of the walls and rebuild them. This will end up being a good thing because I know that when I rebuild it, it won't leak the way it does now. Anyways.... Last night we spent hours re-drawing our plans to exactly match their demands. I went back to the city today.(did I mention that I took a week off from making coffee?) I got there about two minutes before they opened and was still third in line. This was the first visit for the other two people in line so I felt I had some wisdom that I could share with them. "Do you have the right scale on your plans? I asked. "Do you have all three plans that you need?" "All three plans?" one of them said with fear in his voice. So, they call my number and I have to tell you, I was nervous. I sit down and show yet another guy my new and improved set of plans. He helps me with a couple of minor changes and then approves me to get a permit. "Thank you very much." I said as I began to get up. Then he looks up and says ...
"Ooooh, did Andy explain the fees to you?" -Matt.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

The grand pipe organ

For many years now (3), I have contemplated the large series of pipes in the back of Harbach (or Kresge?) theatre leading to a pipe organ somewhere in the bowels of the art department. Something that was said over winter break spurred me into action. We were listening to the music at the church, and someone, maybe dad, talked about how we wouldn't have an organist after (Jeniffer's mom?) stopped playing. After I got back to school, I remembered the organ in the Art department, and started emailing around to see if it would be possible to get lessons. Upon contacting several people, I learned that I can start next term! I'm going to brush up on my piano until then. Yay!

First Day of the second half of the year

Today was the first day of the second half of the year. Today the writing we do in school was made more meaningful by reading aloud to each other from our attepts after lunch. It was cosy and so fun now that Ben and Sam can be a part of it too. It reminded me of a short term club we had called the leadlings (of course copied off of the inklings...and hopefully named so to reflect the inferiority of the group to the original one)...that we had when Jenny Beggren stayed with us for a length of time two years ago. Hey Rosie, as part of your faraway school, could you send us e-mails or postings of something we could read from you? Actually Gwen or Madie, we would love to hear from you as well, but I imagine your school work will prevent you from contributing too regularly. I love you all. Mom

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Rosie's off tomorrow

We are a little sad here tonight as Rosie leaves for Phoenix tomorrow. We will really miss her. I wish we all lived near oneanother. Just watched Edukaters....a german movie about angry, disillusioned young people. They are somewhat anticapitalistic...but they seemed to consume the same amount of goods as the rest of us....I love pictures in this blog- I will learn how to load pictures onot it. We had dinner with our piano tuner tonight, he happened to be here when we ate....pretty interesting guy, he used to fly ultra lights...we all perked up when he talked about them.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

marky





Today has been an organizing day - I finished sanding and painting that big shelf for the boys room to hold all those toys! marky is sick (maybe it was all that dirt?) Rosie - we are excited to have you come, and that is the neatest picture of callie ever. Matt is watching one of those heartening football movies today.

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Callie and phone, a wonderful pair


Callie!

Sunday, January 07, 2007

fluff AP late fee

Sometimes I wonder HOW those fluff stories make the AP, it must be a slow week. But for all of us library fiends, here it is: library story. I can't believe they actually charged him 170 dollars.

Saturday, January 06, 2007







some pictures




Thursday, January 04, 2007

Post Christmas

Everyone........Oh, Gwen...Matt...We loved our gifts! Thankyou so much. Ben and Sam have not stopped playing with the Hero Scape, expansion pack included. I nudged it on accident with my foot the other day and was informed that I had ruined a day and a half's worth of work. I have started the Great Books course #2...#1 we do not have...It begins with Job and Aesycles (sp?) I needed to stop living only with Nero Wolfe...I am reading those in order but I will read through these classics as well. I will keep the blog updated as to my progress or lack thereof. I'm getting jealous of my older kids...Rosie is reading Plato and Madie is reading Kant, guess who I am more jealous of. Callie's writing assignment today....Alfred the Great, Who is he and why is he so great? Any suggestion for fun essays and wtriting ideas would be greatly appreciated.

We saw The Pursuit of happyness...It would be more aptly titled The Pursuit of Riches and Success. Though i myust say being homeless makes that a single minded goal...I was just taken aback by the assumption that happiness=success. Will Smith was wonderfully engaging, very few people (maybe Tom Hanks, Jimmy Stewaqrt can be born in every frame of a movie and narrating it as well. Affable guys seem to fit that bill.