housewarming

Let's be honest, folks - it's supposed to be chilly in autumn. We're a good week into october and thus far the weather has been unseasonably warm as we've been counting down the days until the new furnace is installed at the rockey home (or as i'm now calling it: The Madness). This week, the climate turned on a dime. After wearing shorts all day sunday whilst installing more ductwork, we all woke up monday morning and immediately pulled on the cosby sweaters and knit caps. While preparing breakfast, Miranda and i even enjoyed a romantic moment by warming our hands over a boiling pot of oatmeal. These are the days.

If i may say so, we're getting pretty good at running ductwork. Our friend mike (whose friendship, skills, and generosity have been invaluable to us in our home renovation endeavors) helped us construct a piece of ductwork to run through a pesky ceiling joist. I've discovered a hidden tin-snip proficiency that has proven very useful in these duct-running days. Peep this collar installation on this near-perfect circle that i fashioned in a scrap piece of sheet metal.

still got a long way to go

It has now been about three months since our little family took up residence in this beast of a home in old towne greenwood. Quite honestly, it feels like much longer. For the most part, we've done more destruction than renovation thus far. One of the biggest deconstruction projects has been ripping out the wall between our kitchen and dining room. The previous pic shows how our gorgeous dining room appeared when we first looked at the place before buying. The following pic shows the doctor helping with some cleanup after demolishing most of the dividing wall.

After about two months, we finally secured the floor being semi-supported by that wall remnant and opened up that space completely. Now, at long last, we have decided to begin tearing out the less-than-desirable carpeting throughout the house.

Although the hardwood floors underneath are in need of some sweet sweet lovin', they are much more pleasant to look at and walk upon than the questionable-stain-plagued-animal-piss-smellin' carpeting. It's the little things that provide small glimpses into what we hope this house to become over the course of who-knows-how-long. Bit by bit, little by little, we are making this home our own. More to come.

problem child

beautiful, beautiful zion

we now return to a rockey home companion

It's been a bit since i've given any updates regarding the house sitch and/or otherwise. The fact of the matter is, summer times have been just plain crazy pants. Things have been slow-going as we attempt raising the sag in our first floor with a couple of car jacks and evicting old insulation between our ceilings and roofs. We've gotten all kinds of intimate with our crawlspaces and attics. Bow-chicka-bow-wow, y'all.

In the meantime, baby jane started her third semester of preschool before the summer was even half over. We celebrated her fifth year with a string of parties and a slumber party with her pal bella. The two stayed up late eating popcorn and watching a movie about a girl named Saige who makes paintings of horses and watermelon-coloured mountains. Baby jane got inspired to continue pursuing the arts with a reignited passion. A few days later, we surprised her after school with some new paints and turned our front porch into a makeshift painting studio.

The doctor even got in on the action...

While he was discovering his inner pollack, baby jane dazzled us by unveiling her newest masterpiece...

Voila!

shine on, you crazy diamonds

Sometimes when sifting through the morning papers over coffee and chicken, i feel compelled to honor those who are now waiting on the other side. Sometimes we're left with memories of them wearing large hats. Other times the paper gets the aspect ratio of their photograph wrong. Here's to you and the lasting impressions you've given us all!

i was wrong, i'm sorry & i love you

Guys, when an artistic hero invites you to help create something, sometimes you just say yes and lend a hand. Enjoy this clip from derek webb's forthcoming album. It features my ugly mug lip-syncing and baby jane's lovely penmanship. Holla.

a homely home less homely

We've been two weeks at the new home and it's starting to feel somewhat like, well, a home. The place is still very rough around all edges as we're focusing all of our attention on the practical workings of plumbing, pocket windows, and demolition. Fortunately, we have our hot wax to keep us sane.

The second floor bathroom is first on our list of large scale overhauls. We've been pulling up stick and peel tiles, tearing down walls, and building floor plans. The next step is to strip the room of all amenities in order to lay new plumbing in the floor. 

We're in it - in it to win it.

Goodnight, Harvest Moon.

After nine and a half years of transforming a less-than-exciting house into a home, we've said goodbye to harvest moon drive. After a weekend of moving our earthly belongings two miles north to our new home, we returned one last time to say our goodbyes. Things got ridiculously emotional as baby jane sobbed on the floor of her empty bedroom mourning the loss of her window. The tears spread like wildfire, y'all. We've now been in our new home for a full week and things have been equally weird and wonderful. Our neighbors are fantastic beautiful people. Our house is in need of a few dump trucks of love.

More to come. Until then, let us take a moment to reminisce all the precious moments shared in the house on harvest moon.

Family = A Big

Nice try, champ

Tis once again the season for designing artwork for and printing t-shirts for the annual Southminster Presbyterian Church camp at Camp Olivet. Here is my favorite idea so far which was quickly rejected by MJ as she informed me that the Muppets aren't as cool as they once were. She has never been more wrong about anything ever.

Nature freestyle

An aural supplement, episode 20

Running Time: 1:13:39 | File Size: 68 MB

Download: .mp3

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Six years and twenty episodes later, the ARHC is moving on. This little cast from the top of the stairs has given Laveta something to keep his gross hands busy on occasion, but everything put together falls apart. While no one could ever take the place of the dirty doctor of digital files, just hold on and keep dancing out in space to the dogs running free in the... oh for crying out loud; this is ridiculous. Au revoir, comrades. 

1. The Raconteurs "Five on the Five
2. David Bowie "Dancing Out In Space"
3. Seu Jorge "Queen Bitch"
4. Richard Swift "Top of the Stairs"
5. Finn Brothers "Eyes of the World"
6. Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins "Run Devil Run"
7. The Who "However Much I Booze"
8. Bob Dylan & The Band "Bessie Smith"
9. Paul & Linda McCartney "Ram On (Reprise)"
10. Talking Heads "Memories Can't Wait"
11. Fleetwood Mac "What Makes You Think You're the One"
12. The Beach Boys "Angel Come Home"
13. Prince "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man"
14. Paul Simon "Everything Put Together Falls Apart"
15. Tom Waits "Hold On"
16. Guided by Voices "Blimps Go 90"
17. Bob Dylan "If Dogs Run Free"
18. John Wesley Harding "When The Beatles Hit America"
19. Pearl and the Beard "Black Hole of Calcutta"
20. Crowded House "Time Immemorial"