Sweeping Water

I found myself in the garage tonight, sweeping water with a push broom. We had parked the cars, snow still attached, in the garage several times recently, resulting in melted snow pooling on the concrete. Today there was only one car, so I pulled it out and got to work, getting rid of all the standing water I could. The rest I spread out evenly, hoping it would evaporate quicker that way. Then I rolled Lori's SUV back into the garage and Lori returned shortly in my sedan. Back out there a few minutes ago getting tools to hang a bulletin board, I noticed the water's back. There's no leak, there was just so much water on the cars from the heavy, heavy rain that as it dripped off onto the floor, it was enough for standing water again. *sigh*

When we came up to look at houses in Feb. 2006, we experienced some heavy rains the night we flew in, but the next two days were nice and clear. We were told they had a freak January where it rained every single day. 31 straight days of rain. (When we moved into our house in early March, the side yard was still waterlogged, the grass apparently floating an inch or two above the topsoil.) Unusual, they said.

That year, heavy winds. It's not always like this, they said. 100-year windstorm they said. 5 days without power. The next year, 70-year windstorm. Incredibly unbearably hot for 3 weeks in the summer. Unusual snow. This year, a 15-year snowstorm. (Snowcaplyse, some called it.) And now, for over 24 hours now, California style rain. Massive flooding. Not here where we're on a hill on top of a hill on top of another hill, but south of here, I-5 closed for 20 miles. Last year it was so bad there were national fundraisers to help people caught in the flooding.

I dunno. Perhaps it's global warming.

Craftsman

We've been wanting to add more Craftsman elements to our home. The first result on a search I performed tonight was a great PDF full of examples which turned out to be houses we used to walk by when we lived in California.

Here are some other sites I found tonight with good examples...

• Arts and Crafts Homes: They're Back and Better than Ever
• Mission Living
• City of Orange
• Jeld-Wen
• A contemporary take on Craftsman style
• A contemporary take on Craftsman style
• 1920 Arts & Crafts, Maryland
• How to Make Craftsman Style Trim
• Time for Trim, Craftsman Style

Couch Time

One of the things one of our parenting classes talked about was the need for "Couch Time." It was supposed to be reserved time where you and your spouse just sat on the couch. No kids on the couch, no interruptions. It was a really good idea and while we did it occasionally, it's not something we'd been able to do regularly. Tonight Rachel misbehaved at the end of dinner and got sent to bed. (Don't worry, she ate all the rice, meat and rolls, she just didn't finish her veggies... one wonders if that was the plan.) So afterwards, Lori and I just sat at the dinner table talking and hanging out. It was really nice.

In other news, the hour I spent last night shoveling snow (it rained all night and was slush by morning and heated up during the day and was gone by days' end) caught up with me a little less than 24-hours later and over the evening my back has felt worse and worse. I had fun but I guess at some point in the next 10 years I'll need to face the fact that both of my grandfathers had problems with heart attacks and I'll not be the old guy who fights the snow with nothing but his bare hands and a shovel. I'll be the guy watching the snow from the comfort of the couch.

Winter Wonderland Again

Spent the afternoon indoors at the mall walking off some great Zoopa. Had tried to park in the parking garage in case rain was in our future. Little did we know that it would be snowing - heavily - when we came out. We were quite surprised. I don't know whether or not to shovel tonight, but I think I should. Forecast is for rain, but it's also saying the RealFeel will be 24. I'm thinking it's going to stay snow for awhile and that we'll get another icy freeze tonight.

Motivation

I am amazed at how much easier it is to get chores done on a weeknight than it is on a Saturday when there is all day to do stuff. Lori wondered if it was because I'd already spent the day feeling productive and getting stuff done. But, I'm not sure that's it. I think it's more that I have the mental idea of a very short timeframe in which to get stuff done. There's no sense in stalling or it won't get done. So I come home from work, blam, blam, get stuff done. And yet on a Saturday, I let it hang over me instead of just getting it done. Silly, really.

I Got What I Wanted

Well, I had wanted snow. And I got it. And now, again this morning, I got it again. Though after the last bout, not as sure I want it. Accuweather failed me, didn't really suggest we'd have much. But I already shoveled an inch or so off of the driveway, sidewalk and street in front of my house. (Steep hill, doesn't get plowed, dangerous, jerks on sleds out at all hours cursing and being loud despite the sledding park half a block away.) Am trying an experiment this time... after I shoveled the driveway, I laid down two tarps. Doesn't come close to covering the entire driveway, but if it works, will keep the area closest to the garage clear of snow and compact ice.. just shovel off the top layer and then peel back the tarp. If it doesn't work, it will freeze, become brittle, break and I'll be left with lots of pieces of blue tarp to pick out of my lawn this spring. Which my HOA will hate since we're not supposed to have tarps visible covering anything.

My new cube has a window and it's on the second floor so I can see the tops of trees right outside my window. They look very cool covered in snow, but I didn't bring my camera, so can't snap a shot.

Not a Resolution

I currently weigh 190.5. I think this must be my natural weight as no matter what I eat or do, I always end up back here.

But, it's 30.5 pounds more than I want to weigh. So, by the end of this year, I will see 160 on the scale.

I've had different schemes in the past and they've all failed. Too complicated, not visible enough, not fun, not sustainable. I've tried to learn from those failures. We'll see if this time I have the winning method. If so, I'll share what it was. If not, I'll keep it to myself and like all past schemes, it will die a quiet death.