Archive for February, 2007

Buddy bed.

Buddy Bed

And you thought I make it through the work week without a Buddy pic!

This is Bud’s new bed. He got kicked out of the big bed into his own because quite honestly the little runt is a bed hog. He kicks, spoons, and sometimes passes gas (aka ‘Dutch treat’). It reached the point that he needed his own bed.

I was hesitant to drop money on something that he would destroy, but it’s like his prized trophy. He likes to carry it around and moves it places.

Buddy also made it on to Design Girl’s blog with her pups.

Do-it-yourself project.

For the longest time I’ve wanted a work stand so I could work on my bikes. I just couldn’t see myself spending a $100-$200 for some aluminum and a clamp. I did a little searching for an easier method of how to suspend a bike while you work on it.

I based my design on these sites:

http://www.ladyada.net/make/bikestand/

http://www.yourmtb.com/story/want_to_build_a_bike_repair_stand_for_less_than_100

Total cost of the project: About $20 bucks. Most expensive item was the iron pipe.

I am lucky that Roommate Steve works at an industrial machine shop. He actually did the hard-work. First he took this 1 1/4″ t-intersection and cut it with a band saw. The hinges and clamp are pop-riveted into the plastic. You could actually use bolts and nuts, but this way they’re not falling off.

I laid out the hardware on the pipe and marked it out with a permanent marker. Which was a good idea because I initially marked the pipe to be cut down the half way mark. After fitting the buckle, I adjusted it so there was enough space to drill and rivet the clamp down.

Measure twice, cut once.

I used a 1 1/4″ iron pipe with a base stand to mount it to my work bench.

I then stuff the clamp with 3/4″ pipe insulation. I wrap the insulation on the seat post tube then clamp it in. I also trimmed off some excess to make a better fit.

Looks good. The project turned out better than I thought it would. More images.

Flabby man boobs.

I just got the 2007 Bicycling magazine buyers guide and I all I want to do is “ride my bicycle… bicycle” as the Queen song goes. Expensive pretty bikes. I want them all!
I had to deflate my plans for RAGBRAI, a week long bike ride across Iowa, after realizing taking a week long vacation is not condusive to saving and planning for a wedding. I still plan to ride but my new ultimate goal this year is a full century.

Also, if possible this summer, Jessie lives off the Katy Trail in Missouri. GTG and I have talked about taking an extended weekend trip down there. Jessie also tells me that there are plenty of micro breweries in the area. Sweet!

Blog post title and inspiration coming from a Yakima ad in the buyers guide. “You need inspiration to ride? Flabby man boobs.”

Weekend project.

New microwave

Dad came over this weekend to help me install a new overhead microwave. Took the good part of a day to install. We had to put in a new outlet (in the upper cabinet), cut holes in the cabinet for the outlet and the top anchor bolts for the microwave, and then had to find room in the back wall (there is a heat and plumbing vent just behind the wall) to anchor the back plate.

A lot of work, but it looks great. Thanks Dad.

IMG_1134

Ahhhh… counter space.

See the crammed switches and outlets? Next on the to-do list.

Dogged out.

Buddy and I are the only ones in the house tonight. GTG is in Bloomington on a speech trip. Roommate Steve is at a Jr. Blues game. We partied like wild childs. Went to the gas station bought a gallon of milk and cookies and then we stuffed our faces.

In reality, I cleaned the kitchen; he tore up a sock, I did laundry; he stole dirty underwear, I am blogging; he’s passed out on the couch.

Update:  Friend is in town, going to meet them for a brew.

OpenDNS

I didn’t think it would improve my speeds that much, but wow; everything pops up crisp now. Check out OpenDNS.com.

Don’t have to sign up for anything, just change the DNS entries in your router and you’re good to go. It will fix your typos like www.gotshoo.cmo, correcting it to www.gotshoo.com. I don’t know how they do it, but they have some anti-phishing protection.

Very cool.

My typical time to load a page went from 2-5 secs to literally .5 sec.

Gravatars are back.

Well not on gotshoo yet.

After what seems like 6 months, the gravatar.com site is back online new and improved. If you don’t know what is a gravatar - it just a photo icon that is related to your email address. Before, on gotshoo, when making comments, if you had a gravatar it would display nicely next to your name.

The new site allows people to rate their own gravatar (this used to be done through a panel of real people) and images can be cropped on the site. So no need to find someone with Photoshop to crop out a nice picture.

The site is very web 2.0 and easy to use. You can also add multiple email addresses for one account.

I’ll be adding the feature back to gotshoo.com soon.

 http://site.gravatar.com/

Geek toy.

Go ahead, guess what it is.

Reaction.

This is the reaction I got when I told Buddy he could not be the ring bearer. He was in this position all night.

buddy_sleep

A weekend to remember.

What a weekend!

GTG and I had so much fun telling our family and friends that we were literally sore from smiling. I expected everything to go great, but I couldn’t imagine how much fun we would have in doing so. I had kept a tight lip during the whole process of looking for a ring, planning the setup, and doing the proposal. My parents didn’t even know!

My uncle was my own personal jeweler. If it hadn’t been for him, it would have been another six months before I popped the big question. As you would imagine, GTG loves her ring. I was joking with her tonight that I was so hungry that I was going to eat her arm. She asked if I was going to eat her arm that I would eat the right one instead of the left because she’d still like to wear her ring.

Remember Captain Planet and the Planeteers? The planeteers had rings with special powers? Heart, wind, fire, water.

GTG’s ring’s power is ‘kick-ass-bling.’ Seriously, about every five minutes she angles her wrist to see it sparkle.

I couldn’t be any happier for her. I think I’ve already started understanding the notion that a happy wife equals a happy husband.

Okay, I guess this is really what a wedding blog is for, but thanks again to everyone that has congratulated us and given us support. It made the weekend one not to forget.

Ohh, and I looked up iloveageek.com. Yup, it was available. Bought it.

…going to the chapel…

…and we’re gonna get maa-aa-arried…

Guest blogger, GTG here…You got it, folks…Shoo and I are getting hitched…tying the knot…walking down the aisle…strapping on the ol’ ball and chain. Okay, enough euphemisms. How did it happen? you might be asking yourself. Obviously, I plan to tell you…

It was very Shoo-ish. He picked me up at my place to go grab some lunch, but insisted that before we go we stop by his house to get some overdue movies. But that’s not all he had planned. I’d hardly stepped through the door and taken off my sneakers, when Shoo presented me with a digital photograph on Post-it paper. It was a picture of his end table…odd. He told me it would lead me to my Valentine’s Day present.

I followed it to the end table, excited now. In the end table, I found a photo of a drawer in his kitchen…run there and find the closet door. Closet door to office door where I found a doofy picture of smiley Shoo.

I walk into the office and hold out my hands and close my eyes thinking Shooey would be putting my present in my hand. He did a bit more than that. When I opened my eyes, he was down on one knee. I started laughing. He says to me, “Will you?” I continue laughing…at some point apparently I said yes because he gets up and hugs me…at which point I cry.

I always told myself I’d never be one of those women. At one point I even told Shoo to just “give me the ring and get it over with.” But when it came time to buck up and be proposed to, I cried like a baby…a very happy baby.

My ring is beautiful. It even comes with a book and a cleaning schedule. I’ve never owned jewelry that’s more high maintance than I am.

The Ring

So, Shoo and GTG are goin’ to the chapel…and, of course, being the nerd that he is, Shoo has already started planning for a wedding blog. Two weeks ago…yes, this was premeditated…two weeks ago, he bought the website name ourweddingblog.net. I might have to go find Iloveageek.com.

Remember the chief.

After an 80 year old tradition, Chief Illiniwek will retire his headdress after Wednesday’s game.

Facts (from Wikipedia)

  • The first performance occurred on October 30, 1926.
  • The feathers in the chief’s headdress are actually dyed turkey feathers.
  • 35 students have preformed the role as the chief. The only women to portray the chief was Idelle Stith Brooks in 1943 due to the shortage of male students during WWII.
  • None of the performers has been Native American.

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Illiniwek

    Too much time inside.

    Poor dog.

    Poor Dog

    GTG and I have been home two days in a row. She because of school, myself because I was a sick kid. Buddy’s shirt was suppose to be his Halloween costume, but at that time it dragged on the floor. Poor dog. Can’t you just see his expression?

    We’re both glad to be going back to school and work tomorrow. Lazy bums I tell ya.

    Hungarian gypsy polka meets New York punk.

    “Hungarian gypsy polka meets New York punk” is what my guy (he’s like the mafia on new music) described Gogo Bordello. That was over six months ago. I just stumbled across them again tonight. My guy is so knowledgeable about new music that he’ll tell me months, sometimes years, in advance of bands to check out. He introduced me to the Yeah-Yeah-Yeahs, Muse, Rock Kills Kid, TV on the Radio, and many more I can’t think of.

    gb_logo01.jpg

    I hadn’t given Gogo Bordello enough of a listen. I think I checked out a YouTube video and was a little weirded out because it didn’t fit the mainstream top 40 influences. Now that I’ve listend to a few more songs I like them. They sound super fun. Hopefully the snow has cleared tomorrow and I can make a run to the Big Blue store.

    A band site

    YouTube Link

    Run.

    IMG_0794

    GTG and I took advantage of the warm weather today. It was an unseasonable 40 degrees. Took a few (ok, really a half million) photos while playing with dog. In all truth, the photos of the dog are not for the Gotshoo audience. They’re really for my Mom. So here you go Mom.

    The shot above was taken with the “Action Mode.” I love the camera. I have never had a camera where I could do stuff like this before.

    GTG has supposedly signed me up to take pictures at an up coming Sadie Hawkins dance. I am going to invest in a hot shoe (flash). Anyone out there know where I can get one for cheap to reasonable?