Monkeybusiness (Halloween 2007)

Last year Sammy was a chicken for Halloween. This year he graduated to being a primate. Earlier today his daycare had a parade of costumes which Sammy participated in. It was quite the event. Scores of children, tons of parents, and more fairy princesses than you could imagine. They took them on a parade around the grounds as cameras flashed, children smiled, some cried...all the pageantry that you could imagine and then some more.

Sammy's costume was not as nearly big of a hit as one of his accessories...a banana that was attached to his costume. For some reason all the children were fascinated by it...especially a friendly bumblebee.

We also got to see Erica and Vad. Their beautiful daughter Mattea was a mermaid.

Erica holds Mattea...

Michele and monkey Sammy...

The bumblebee buzzes around Sammy's banana...

The bumblebee confronts Sammy about the banana...

Sammy observes some of the drama of the parade...
...in the background lurks the black and yellow strips of the bumblebee...

Sammy tells the sheep it's better to be a wolf...

The bumblebee plots to get the banana...

Sammy ready to go...
...he was successful in keeping the much coveted banana...
...in the background a defeated bumblebee flies off...

Our little monkey...

Kitchen Remodel: REJECTED!

Yesterday was our final electrical inspection. It all went fine until just about the very end.

Rejected!

What?

How?

Apparently, on the peninsula between our kitchen and dining room we need an additional electrical outlet because the top of the cabinet facing into the dining room is 6" higher than the kitchen coungtertop which backs into it. That's right, since it is 6" taller it is being considered a "wall" so it needs to have an outlet ever so many feet. (see diagram below). Although the electrician put in an outlet on the side the cabinet (at the very end of the peninsula) that wasn't enough to satisfy the inspection.

So today the electrician came back today to put in an outlet. I had to be installed into the back of the cabinet facing into the dining room....so the outlet front faces into the kitchen. That meant the electrician had to cut a hole in the new dining room cabinet (which have glass doors...ick...get the idea?) to house the outlet. Fortunately it's not that visible, but it sure is a sad thing to see the cabinet marred with this.

To top it off, the inspector asked to see our breaker/fuse box. Noticing that there is no fuse box but a nice new circuit breaker box, he immediately asked when it got replaced (our house was built in 1959/60). Paul replied about 5 years ago by electrician so and so. The inspector said he'd check the inspection on record back at the office. Good thing Paul kept the inspection card from our basement remodel (when we replaced the box).

The rejected inspection card...
...rejection is so hard to take...

The purple outlines the edges of the Silestone countertop...
...which sits mostly on the dining room cabinet...
...that is about 6" higher than the kitchen countertop next to it...

A-a wall outlet facing into the kitchen from the wall (already there)
B-a wall outlet facing out from the end of the kitchen cabinet (already there)
C-where the inspector is making us put the additional outlet

A shot taken from laying on the floor...yuck!!
As Count Floyd might say, "Vow, kids...vasn’t it SCARY vhen we had to put in that outlet?"
We'll paint it white to match...hopefully it will hide it somewhat...
...and hopefully no visitors will lay on the floor next to it and look up...

The view from a seated position...
...fortunately you only see a small piece of the flexible conduit..
...which we'll paint and put something artfully in front of...
...note the child locks...Sammy can be a handful!

Another Autumn Saturday with Sammy...

Yesterday was another autumn day with Sammy. Since Sammy expressed an interest in understanding the environment around us, went to Rochester's Quarry Hill Park and Nature Center. There we saw all sorts of live (and unfortunately dead and stuffed) animals. Then we went to the children's park by Silver Lake.

Quarry Hill Park and Nature Center...

Michele and Sammy looking at fish native to the area...

A red fox shown in his natural habitat...

Another Redd Foxx in his natural habitat...
(Creative Commons credit to here)

Sammy shows how to rob a train...don't try this at home...

"He's Sammy the sailor man..."

Sammy strolling in the park...

Sammy does his impersonation of Gene Hackman at the end of "The Poseidon Adventure"

Sammy was here...

We captured Sammy's first encounter with a playground bully in a photo...
...when the bully saw Sammy climbing into the front...
...he climbed in from the back to put his feet on both spots in the cab...
...hoping to prevent Sammy from entering...
...as bully's parents passively look on...
...but Sammy persevered, got in, and rightfully took the driver's seat...

The driver on the bus says, "Move on back!"

Sammy rides his steed to the finish line...

Sammy...

Morning Conversation with Sammy

This morning Paul went in to wake up Sammy and get him dressed for daycare. Sammy was not too keen on waking up. The following conversation occurred:

PAUL: Time to get up Sammy.
SAMMY: I don't want it!
PAUL: Don't you want to get something to eat?
SAMMY: No!
PAUL: Don't you want to go to school (daycare)?
SAMMY: No!
PAUL: Is Pluto a planet?
SAMMY: No!
PAUL: Is Daddy ever wrong?
SAMMY: No!
PAUL: Should Mommy ever not listen to Daddy?
SAMMY: No!
(MICHELE gives PAUL a funny look from across the hallway)

Rochester Junior Firefighter Sammy....

This past Monday at Rochester's Miracle Mile shopping Mall, ABC Toy Zone arranged for the Rochester Fire Department to send a couple of their trucks for the toddlers to look over. Since Sammy has previous fire fighting experience we had to go. The Rochester firemen were pleasant and friendly to the kids. Sammy (as usual) had a great time.

Rochester Fire Truck #12 pulled up...

Sammy explains to his mother only authorized fire personnel are allowed to ride...

Sammy giving his serious look...

The ladder at full extension...
...click on the picture to see the fireman waaaayyy up at the top...

Kitchen Remodel: Cool, clear water!

Much progress is being made in our kitchen remodel this week. Monday's highlight was to have the plumber hook up the water in the kitchen (the sink faucet, garbage disposal, dishwasher, and refrigerator water line).


Since work started on our kitchen before Labor Day, this is a huge event for us. We turned on the sink faucet and gazed in contentment at the water coming out for a very long time.

The plumber showed up early on Monday...

Our much beloved Kohler Essex faucet (in "Vibrant Brushed Nickel") ...
...with water finally pouring out...

25 Years Ago...

Today is the 25th Anniversary of our first date (click here to see our post last year with photos from it). In many ways it holds a greater significance to us than our own wedding date. Our chemistry -- the mutual attraction, the likeness of minds, sense of humor, etc. -- was there from the start.

Since Michele had to work tonight, we celebrated it by going out to lunch today at Chipolte. Yes, after all these years Paul still knows how to show Michele an extravagantly good time.

Since we already have a posting of pics from our first date...
...here is Michele's graduation picture from High School (taken 1985)...

The 80s were great--We were young, in love, and MTV still played music. Here's a flashback from 1982:

October Saturday with Sammy...

This past Saturday we went out and about with Sammy. It was a great Autumn day. First we went to ABC Toy Zone for the Saturday story time with Peter. The toy store is at Rochester's Miracle Mile shopping mall which is currently being renovated. So as part of the festivities surrounding the renovation, there was a ride for children which Sammy went on.

Later in the day we went to a few orchards to find a pumpkin to carve.

Sammy on the ride...

Sammy at the first orchard we went to...

Vehicle maintenance is a key part of farming...

Sammy arranges the pumpkins in a pleasing pattern...

Sammy in a field of pumpkins...

Sammy showing his Eddie Bauer catalog pose...

Sammy helping bring in the harvest...

Michele and Sammy at the Sekapp Orchard...

Kitchen Remodel: Corian Countertop Installation

This last week the much awaited Corian counter top got installed. Earlier they had come out and done some digital photographs using tape with patterns of dots on it to make the template. The counter top came in three pieces and first perfectly. All they had to do was lay it down and attach the pieces.

Paul asked the installers how much Corian counter tops they are installing these days. The guy said something like this is the third they've done in six months. Apparently everybody wants either Granite or one of those stone dust (Silestone, Cambria, etc) counter tops these days. We like the feel of the Corian and the look of the integrated seamless sink. And Corian is priced somewhere between Formica and granite. The main thing is that you can't put anything hot directly on the Corian counter top.

We're still waiting on the Silestone top for the cabinet which faces into the dining room--it is supposed to get installed next week.

The Corian counter top arrives...

Two of the three pieces have been laid down at this point...
...can you spot the seamless Corian sink?

This gizmo pulled the two slabs together so the adhesive could set...
...it looks like something from an old 1950's Sci-Fi movie ...

This is the "user manual" they gave us...

Cousin Liz & Doug Visit

This past week Paul's cousin Liz (daughter of his mother's brother) and her husband Doug came to visit. It was a great visit, full of laughs and story-telling of days gone by. Later we all went up to the Twin Cities to have a dinner with Paul's sisters Anne & Diane at Grant's place. We hope to see them again soon.

Liz & Doug...
...and Rochester's famous corn cob water tower...

Sammy finds a coaster at Grants...
...meanwhile a spooky jack-o-lantern looks on...

Sammy playing with the doors to Grant's study...

Grant and Sammy roughhousing...

Cousins...
Sammy, Paul, Diane, Liz, Anne, & Doug...