Go Seahawks or Broncos!

At the time of this writing, I only know that the Broncos are ahead of the Patriots 10-0.  Based on the few minutes I saw, the Broncos are the better team.  May the better team win.

Before the football season began I told Sandi I was turning my football allegiance to the Denver Broncos.  This means very little because if I could monetize my football allegiance, or allegiance to any sports team, it would amount to only $0.0001.  But still it was big news that I even chose a team to root for. 

My reason for choosing the Broncos had nothing to do with their athletic prowess or clever marketing schemes.  I've only spent time in Denver once for a few days.  Ever since I came to Portland and traveled with the festival team, I've always wanted a festival in Denver.  The Broncos play in Denver, I want a festival in Denver: Go Broncos!

Throughout the season I would occasionally glance at the scores and notice that 'my boys' are doing well.  Wait, what's this?  The Seahawks are doing well too?  I can spend my allegiance in two places.  After all, they are the Seattle Seahawks.  Go Broncos and Go Seahawks!

This afternoon as I watch the Seattle vs SF game, I hope 'my boys' win.  I hope 'my boys' won against the Patriots earlier.  That way, come Super Bowl, 'my boys' will win, which ever one that happens to be.

Winter planting

Friends of ours thinned out their landscaping and had a bunch of plant cuttings with nothing to do and nowhere to go.  They thought of us and offered to give us the cuttings.  With nothing to loose and much to gain, we took them and planted them in the front yard.  Come spring, our yard might be transformed.

new grassy plant in front of the small guest room

new grassy plant in front of the large guest room

daisy along side of the fence

 

very tired plant defending the open space between us and our neighbors

grassy plant at the corner

grassy plant at the corner

grassy plant at the corner

 

I had to displace a dozen tulips that we planted last month.  Hopefully they won't mind too much.  Their new home is in front of the maple tree.

 

Finally finished!

Sometime in late 2012, I installed a new glass sliding door.  It turned out very well, but I didn't have the tools to finished the bull-nose trim.  I even purchased and stained the trim in anticipation of someday finishing it.

For Christmas/birthday, Mom and Dad gave me an air compressor with a little trim nail gun.  In an effort to check off one more item on my 2013 to-do list, I worked on it last night.

Before: it doesn't look too bad without trim

After: but it does look better with trim.

Mom's Table

This fall, Mom asked me to build her a oak little phone table.  She gave me the dimensions and described a table with a drawer and bottom shelf.  Beyond that, I was able to design it. As we talked, my mind's eye came up with table closely resembling the this.

I was a little intimidated by the drawer, but after taking pencil to paper I talked myself down.

Here is how it turned out:

More places to sit

Sandi and I took inventory of our places to sit and found it wanting.  It's fine for the two of us but if we want to entertain we need to spread out a little. 

We measured and debated and moved furniture around.  We decided against another full sized couch for two reasons: First we weren't thrilled with the 'we-have-a-place-to-live-but-no-furniture-so-let's-get-all-our-parent's-used-couches' look; and second, our family room isn't quiet as big as we thought.

A love seat seemed like a good idea.  So we went shopping and found this:

 

 

It's a little different than our brown couch and we like the contrast.  It goes with our walls.

 

It even goes with our Christmas tree

 

 

Next time you visit, you'll have a place to sit.



 

Oh! Christmast tree....

Sandi and I one light strand for our tree.  When I first plugged it in, it kind of didn't work.  I shook it and then it kind of worked. Good enough!  We'll put the light strand on and get more lights during the after Christmas sales. 

Within a few days the lights stopped worked.  I was more bummed than surprised.

 

I carefully removed the lights and then looked online for LED lights.  Fred Myer came through with 1/2 the regular price.  Within 24 hours I had the new LED lights on our tree.

 

 

Oh Christmas Tree!

It's that time of year again when people drive their cars with trees sticking out of their trunk.  Not wanting to be left out, Sandi and I cut down our tree on Saturday. 





We were over at Sandi' parent's house Friday night to celebrate my birthday.  We had BBQ out and dessert in that night - so fun.  Since the tree farm is way far away and her parents are half-way between us the tree far we decided to stay the night.  We left her parents after breakfast the next day and drove to the tree farm. 

Our criteria was a ceiling-height Nobile Fir with a fairly narrow girth.  We found our tree and I laid down on the ground and began sawing and sawing and sawing and sawing.  After a bit of a break (and time to marvel at how dull the blade was on the saw) I resumed sawing.  Finally the wood gave in and the tree toppled.  After shoving it into my trunk (with a Trader Joes bag tied to the end as a flag) we drove off with our trophy.

 

 Sandi is providing scale for our tree.

 

But... how do you really feel about our tree?

 

 

 

We hung our stockings on the mantle with care...

 

...in hopes that Santa soon would be here.

It is finished! 

We love it.