Brakes and Landscaping...

Tanner helping me take the lug nuts off... I decided to replace the brake pads myself as the parts were about $30 as opposed to the $600 they wanted to charge me to do it... We'll see how this works out, the last time I changed brake pads was about 20 years ago, and I ended up with a whole bucket of "parts" left over that I had no clue where they went... Still worked though... :) I HATE working on vehicles!!!

Of course that lasted about 5 minutes, I think he was just momentarily enthralled with the pneumatic tool... :) Turns out I DON'T have two tools I HAVE to have, luckily my neighbor does, and he is bringing them to me, which is why I'm blogging right now, can't proceed without them... :)

Meanwhile... Carolyn is digging up those evergreens we had there by the pool fence and replacing them with roses I went and got this morning, because as it turns out, the evergreens DON'T like full sun... I like roses better though, so I guess that is a good thing... :)

Still Building...

So yeah, I'm STILL working on that stuff for the Sports Bar, and the kids decided they wanted to build as well...















Tanner and Nate building who knows what... :)

Yeah...

I have nothing to post... I've been watching the DNC, which is amusing at times... I've been working on the stuff for my neighbor for his Sports Bar, which is opening next week, and it has taken FAR longer than I had anticipated!! I'm trying to get ready for homeschool, which starts next week... I've had a lot going on at work, which has been a nightmare... I'm still here though... :)

I'll be back to posting next week hopefully! :)

Hope everyone is doing well, we are thus far...

So Anyway...

As if I didn't have enough going on... My neighbor is opening a Sports Bar & Grill and they asked me if I would build a shelf for the liquor and a hostess stand... So, being a good neighbor, I said I would... That's what I have done ALL weekend...

Of course the kids decided to 'build' as well... Not sure exactly what they are building, but I have cut many, many boards for them... :)

Seems to be two separate 'projects'... Tanner, Taylor and Sarah are building something and Chance and Lorenzo are building something...

Who knows, who cares... Everyone should know how to sling a hammer and use a drill, so I let them do whatever... The only "rule" is: "make sure all my tools are back where you got them when you are done!!" :)

Ugh! I'm STILL not finished with the work for the Sports Bar, hopefully I finish it tomorrow...

I Think We Are Ready...

For homeschooling that is... Still have a few minor touchups to do, but nothing major, we actually got most of it done for once, I usually "leave" a few things on most projects that never get done... :) I wanted it to be a 'classroom' type environment though, so hopefully Carolyn and I have created that... Still narrowing down the curriculum though, but will be ordering that in a few days, Carolyn went and got some 'temporary' curriculum today for sixth graders though, because even though we aren't officially starting until the day after Labor Day, she has been breaking him into the "routine" we are going to have, also has been teaching him how to type... It was going to be Matthew's Academy, but I'm changing it to CJ-Matthew's Academy as Carolyn will be doing as much, if not more, teaching than me... :) I did order some software today that will keep track of attendance, let you do lesson plans, chore charts, report cards, transcripts, etc...

Link here if anyone is interested: Edu-Track Home School

Some shots of the "classroom"...

I was looking around for whiteboards, and they cost hundreds of dollars!! Particularly for one that size, so I went to Home Depot and bought that board for $12... Works GREAT I might add!! The kids have been drawing on it and it erases just fine... I just put that trim around it and will put a shelf under it to hold the dry-erase markers, erasers, etc...

I still need to hook up the DVD player and the VCR because we will have some educational videos/DVD's etc...

Of course each of the kids have their own desks in there that I made for them several years ago, I just have to get their computers setup on them and get my switch/network equipment setup, but I'll do that this week...

So anyway, we are ready to try this homeschooling thing, I think it will be fun the more I get into it... We'll see!! :)

Optimistic...

Yeah, that's me!! I shoot for the stars, if I don't make it, whatever... Most people shoot for the tree tops and don't make it... Anyway, I THOUGHT I'd have this room done by now, but I don't... Of course it didn't help matters that my neighbor, who is opening a Sports Bar came over and dragged me over to the place because he wants me to build him a shelf to hold the liquor... Looks like a fun project, but wow! I'll do it for him though, because I happen to like them... :)

This is as far as I got... It's getting there, particularly if you take a look at the "before" pics from earlier... I'll have it done tomorrow... (I think!!) :)

Back To School...

They actually got right up, even though they have been staying up late all summer and then sleeping late... They both got good teachers too, so that is always good!

Why Do I Do That...

What's that you may ask, or maybe not, who cares... Start a project on a Saturday and think I will have it done by Sunday evening... :)

So Tanner and Taylor start school tomorrow, and I realized that I was not ready for homeschooling Chance, so I took the weekend off (from my OTHER projects) and decided to get their "room" ready for homeschooling... I thought I would complete it by now, yeah, that DIDN'T happen... Wasn't for lack of trying though...

I toiled away in the brutal sun ALL day Saturday and Sunday, but alas, I didn't quite finish, but I think I will tomorrow... We'll see... :)

Here is what I had to work with! I could not believe their "room" was such an effing mess until I started moving stuff out of it... WOW!!

Another shot, I still can't believe how messy it was, but then I rarely ever go in there... It's clean now though... :) I'll post the "after" pics tomorrow once I have it done...

I'll leave you with a picture of Taylor and Bo... She had to have a picture of her and Bo for her "Get to know me bag" she has to take to school tomorrow, I CAN'T believe my baby is in second grade already!!!! Time flies!!!

Cory's Wyoming Trip...

Cory got back from his trip to Wyoming not too long ago, here are a few pics... Stunning scenery in many of the pictures he took... One of the few states I've never been to, looks like it's worth a visit though...

Visit...

My wife's sister and her husband came down the other day, we had a great visit with them...

Here is a pic of our children, we don't often take a pic of them all together...

A pic of us all together...

Before & After...

Joshua has provided a MUCH better aerial picture...

Just for you Jackie, an aerial view... :) Of course that is like 2002, but you can see how the driveway goes...

This was taken in May of 2003...

Today... Yeah, still have some dirt to move around... :)

Back, obviously... We burned a TON of trees there in the middle over a span of several years...

Back again... Last two also taken in May of 2003...

Here We Go Again...

With the rain that is... I was fully expecting to finish staining the deck today, I got half of the top done, and most of the first coat on the rails last night, then it got too dark for me to see... Of course now, it is about to start pouring down rain and they say we will get a few inches... Oh well, we DO need the rain... Anyway, a few pics of the progress (or lack of it rather... :)

Side view... (obviously!)

Just have to finish the rails down the stairs and finish staining the railings and that side will be done, of course I DO have the WHOLE other side yet to go... :(

From the top... Yes, I do have a trailer FULL of trash/debris in the background that I need to haul to the dump...

Wow!!

I was looking for our wedding pictures and couldn't find them... I asked Carolyn where they were, she was like they are under the bed... They weren't... So I practically tore the house apart trying to find them... I finally found them, and Chance ended up with a new stereo system we found along the way, so he was stoked about that... (It was in one of the closets I searched through... :)

August 10th, 1996...

The 'official' photo I suppose, we did not have a professional photographer... :)

Carolyn and I back at our house for the 'party'... :)

Walking down the aisle...

Me and my siblings on my wedding day twelve years ago...

That was a walk down memory lane... :)

Happy 12th Anniversary Baby!!!

Wow!

What else can you say? Not sure if anyone else is watching the Olympic opening ceremony... It really though just confirms the fact that we as a nation are about done! At least as a superpower... Could you find that many Americans that are that disciplined?? I doubt it... Most Americans are sitting on their fat asses letting the cable or satelite wash over them and demanding that the government send them money that they have not earned... It sickens me! Not only that, but there are SO many people who live in this country that do absolutely NOTHING useful, yet they demand and get money for nothing... It will be the downfall of this country... The current people running for the White House just want to give more and more... It's called pandering for votes! Spending taxpayer money, or in Obama's case, he wants to take money from the oil companies and give it to the lazy, good for nothing, idiots that make up the populace of this country right now! Wow! Yeah... Our days as a superpower are nearly over... Sad really, but when the idiots in Washington keep giving money that they do not have away to people who are too stupid or lazy to earn it themselves, what do you expect?? Just like Ben Franklin said, when the people realize they can vote their way to free money, the country is doomed, and we are...

Rain, Rain, Rain...

It WON'T stop raining... I'm not complaining, because we need the rain and my lawn, flowers, and other plants are LOVING it... I am however TRYING to stain my deck, I've got patches of it done, but wow... I want to get the whole thing done!! Oh well... Soon... I was staining the other day, it was 95 degrees out, clear sky and all of a sudden, out of nowhere came the clouds... I put my stuff up and 30 minutes later the rain started POURING down... Patience Matt... :)

I did come across a few interesting sites today though...

Criminal Searches...

A site where you can type in anyone's name and find out if they have ever been in trouble with the law... It's free! It's still in beta, but it's kind of fun to type in people's names and see what comes up...

Another one...

ZabaSearch...

Lists phone numbers, addresses, etc that may or may not be published elsewhere... Also kind of interesting to type in names of people you know... :)

Of course the election is ALWAYS on my mind as well... The more I read about this Obama, the more I am NOT going to vote for him. The dilemma though is I don't like McCain either... It's a fascinating election though. I'm sure it will become yet more fascinating as the November election draws near... It's right around the corner...

I'm also getting the stuff together for homeschooling while in the midst of trying to finish all the crap I have going on in the back... Fun stuff!! :)

Happy Birthday Carolyn!!!

Sidetracked...

Does that ever happen to you?? It happens to me ALL the time!! I had every intention of finishing staining the deck today, yeah...

We went to Lowe's yesterday and got TONS of plants for practically nothing, so I thought a bed around the deck stairs would be nice... :)

So yeah, I spent half the day making the bed for the plants, I did end up getting some of the staining done as well, hopefully I get more done tomorrow... Right now, I'm too tired... Something about being in that 95+ degree weather with the sun beating down on me makes me tired... The kids just came in with their towels around them and want to know if they can swim, so I guess I'll go up there and watch them, who knows, I might get my suit on as well... :)

For anyone who works outside and wears their iPod, I have found out that if I bring the wire up my back, I don't rip the 'speakers' out of my ear every few seconds... :)

Happy Birthday Timothy!

Yeah, I don't normally do this on my blog, but I don't normally have the event at my house either... :)

We had a cookout today, and also celebrated Timothy's 20th birthday... Yeah, I know his birthday is the 8th, but he is leaving to go back to Auburn tomorrow, so we did it today...

A GREAT time was had by all!