Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Allergy, Smallergy

Terribly disappointing trip to the Allergy Specialist today. Was hoping to find myself facing the business end of a sharp, pointy, hollow stick loaded with toxins designed to irritate my immune system, thus training it to ignore said toxins.

Alas! The Physician's Assistant (PA) had other ideas. She is still hoping that I will find relief utilizing the Ipratropium Bromide nasal spray, and the other stuff (whose name escapes me), which is a pill.

Naturally, these medications are the type which require long exposure to become effective, so we won't know for a couple weeks whether they are working or not.



We started the Fire Safety Merit Badge tonight at Scouts, which was a lot of fun. The boys and I all sat in the church library and talked about preventing and controlling fires while all the "old" guys sat out in the gym and told old "war" stories.

It was much more fun in the library!

Next up, I have to schedule a trip to the Fire Station. I hope they let me sit in the cab of the truck and turn on the siren!!

Meanwhile, my brain is aching, my arm is tingling from a pinched nerve, my sinuses are dried out, and, looking at the incredible number of over-the-counter medications which currently grace the pantry, it appears I could open my own pharmacuetical outlet store.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

You Can't Take it with You

Every time I'm feeling depressed about my job, I watch that classic old movie, "You Can't Take it with You". My job must be really depressing, because we've just about worn out the old VHS tape. (We've had it for years.)

Our new DVD copy finally arrived last week (or thereabouts), so tonight, after hosting a wonderful little get-together for some friends from church, we sat down and watched it again. In glorious big-screen goodness.

For some reason, I couldn't figure out how to display it correctly. The monitor (or TV or whatever you call it) has several different modes to deal with three different resolutions: standard NTSC (old-fashioned TV), mid-range (720p) and high-def (1020p). It also does Standard Screen and Wide-Screen, with a Zoom feature if you really want to look at actor's pimples.

Most DVDs can be watched in Standard mode or WideScreen mode, either Normal or Stretched or Zoomed. This one, no matter what mode I selected, came out the same. Not sure why.

The net result was a lot of artifacts and pixelization. Not really noticeable when viewed on a laptop, but on a big-screen, it was annoyingly obvious.

Oh, and there was that really weird background-shifting thing going on. If you have a big-screen monitor, you've probably noticed it: some element in the background suddenly shifts one or two pixels to the left or right (or up or down) but the rest of the screen is normal. I've been told this is an artifact of the onboard graphics procesor, when it performs edge-detection on elements in frame and tries to sharpen the contrast. Sometimes, the edge shifts subtly between two frames because of lighting conditions, and the graphics processor forces the contrast point to shift, which makes the background element (e.g. a desk or cabinet) appear to move.

It's a really weird effect.

But ... back to the movie.

I've always liked that movie because of attitude it espouses, where we shouldn't worry about things - "Consider the lilies of the field" - or waste our lives doing things we don't like to do (i.e. working at jobs which waste our talents or abilities). At the same time, however, I've always hated that movie, because it doesn't explain how it is that anyone can get through life that way.

For example, Grandpa doesn't need to pay income taxes because he doesn't work. (In fact, there's a scene with a tax collector that is played strictly for laughs because the tax man doesn't understand that Grandpa doesn't work.) That ignores the rather obvious question of how he pays his property tax, which is in quite a different category than the income tax. But it also ignores other rather important costs of living. Wwhere does the money come from for food and utilities? What do they use to pay for repairs to the infrastructure of their home? How do they pay for all the "things" they acquire?

I really want the movie's theme to apply to me, so that I can be like a lily of the field and not worry about where my food and clothes are coming from. But it isn't really the food and clothes I'm worried about. It's the electricity and the water and the gas and the constant little repairs that need to be made around the house; it's the children's education and the planning for the future (i.e. college); it's the ability to take the family somewhere for a day of fun that we'll remember for a lifetime; it's the ability to take trips around the country to see our parents and aunts and uncles, the nieces and nephews before they've all grown up, our friends we've known for so many years but not seen in nearly as long.

The movie ties everything up nicely, leaving the family & friends to celebrate a wonderful dinner together after everyone has come to realize that family is more important than career, that love is more important than money. But it doesn't quite go far enough to explain how that really works for those of us longing for the simple life, where basic needs are met even while we get to do the things we feel called to do, all without incurring incredible debt.

That's expecting way too much out of a fluff movie, I know. Nonetheless, it always leaves me feeling strangely happy and sad at the same time.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Brakes Break

I was going to work at the office today, but a friend of mine dropped in for a visit. Do you recognize him?

(I'll give you a hint: he lives under the left front wheel of my Subaru.)

Actually, we first became aware of him from the smell. He usually doesn't smell bad, but he apparently got very angry the other day and started smelling very badly. We think it was because he got a little "hot under the collar", probably because he was dealing with a lot of pressure at the time and didn't have an effective way of venting his frustration. In truth, he was kinda stuck and things just kept getting hotter and hotter. And when he gets hot, he gets smoking hot. And then all sorts of bad smells start filling the air.

Give up?

Well, don't worry about it. You'll figure it out, just like we did.

I wasn't sure what was going on until I got back from taking the girls to school this morning (because Mary had a project that was far too fragile to carry on the bus, that's why!). But I knew there no way I was going to be able to drive the car any further, what with the smell and all. So, like any good mechanic, I first went around and sniffed all four of the wheels. The rear wheels were fine. The front passenger wheel was fine. The driver-side wheel was ... stinky. Burned smell. Yuck. When I touched the brake rotor through the wheel - Ouch! Hot!

Time to pull the wheel. Which means, find the jack. It should be in the trunk of the car. (I say trunk, but since it's a hatchback, it's more like the rear storage area.) Kinda difficult to get to, what with the garage door down. But if the garage door goes up, all the cold air comes in. And I don't want that!

So I gingerly raise the hatch of the car, easing it up so that it doesn't whap the garage door. And I lift the tray cover. And ...

This is when it was discovered that the tire-changing kit in the car didn't have the right socket for the wheels. Oopsie! Guess I'd forgotten to put that in the little trunk tray. Instead, it was sitting on my workbench. Now, how did it get there?

Oh, well. Got the socket. Locked the back wheels between two pieces of lumber. Released the parking brake. Put the transmission in neutral. Jacked up the front of the car. Took off the driver-side wheel. Now I should be able to check the brakes.

Interestingly enough, the wheel wouldn't move, no matter how hard I tried to turn it. Peering in to see between the pad and the rotor, I see that they are still smooshed together. Great. Looks like the brake pad is welded to the rotor.

Or is it?


Actually, when I started taking apart the caliper, I realized that it wasn't the pad that was bonded to the rotor, it was the guide pin that was frozen in the closed position. When the bolts holding the caliper were loosened, the main part of the caliper came right off. The caliper bracket was a bit harder, since one of the bolts holding it on was a size 17 (which was correct, per the manual), and the other was a size 16 (and a bit worn, in serious danger of not being able to come off).

It required a bit of creative noodling, but the bracket finally came off. Now I could put it on the bench and really see the difference between the "relaxed" guide pin, and the "activated" guide pin.


Unfortunately, no matter how much banging, twisting, turning, or coaxing I attempted with various tools, the stubborn guide pin refused to come off the bracket.

So much for the easy fix!

Called the shop. $35 for a rebuilt bracket (with core). It'll take a few days since they don't have them in stock. Looks like we'll be a one-car family for awhile!

(Now, did you recognize my friend up there? Why, yes, you're correct! That's the main caliper, turned upside-down; normally, it fits over the hub and rotor, and the brake pads go between the "eyes" and the "teeth" to press onto the rotor when the brakes are supposed to be "on". Those "eyes" are the hydraulic pistons which push the brake pad against the rotor. I'm not sure, but these may be too rusty to use. Looks like I'll have to order a complete new caliper.)

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Birthday and Rebirthday

What is it that causes someone to make the Big Decisions that will shape the rest of their lives? How do they know when they are actually ready to even make those decisions?

And what kinds of things keep them from actually doing something about it?

It has been my policy at home to never ever push the kids into a decision about following Jesus. I don't consider it my job to force them into anything, but rather to present the information to them so that they can make intelligent decisions when they are ready to understand what it is that they are signing up for. Not that I require them to have a Divinity Degree, of course; but by the time they reach that magic "age of accountability" (which varies from person to person) and have become able to think through the things they have seen and read, put those things into the context of their lives, and consider whether they are ready to make a commitment to a way of life which is, in many ways, in conflict with the way of life for most of the people around them, I would expect that they will decide one way or the other.

I have constantly stressed to my children that I do not want them to make any decisions of this magnitude simply to please their parents, or to fit in with their peers at church, or because "everyone else is doing it". Nothing could hurt me worse than my children telling me, years from now, that they felt pressured to make a decision which they were really not ready to make yet. I'd much rather that they say, "Not yet", than to say "Now" for the wrong reason.

I'm not one of those who believes that being dunked in the Magic Water makes one Holy simply because of the act itself (else I would have baptized my children as infants). It has always been my contention that becoming a Christian requires a level of contextual cognizance, an understanding of the ramifications of the decision, and a desire to let others know that the decision has been made. In a sense, it's like joining AA. You have to believe in your soul that there is a need, be willing to stand up in public and confess your pitiful state, and then, every day, rise from your bed and re-commit to the way of life that will keep you alive.

We have read through the Bible with the children, studied with them, asked them questions from their lessons at church, and tried to come to an understanding of where they are in their spiritual lives. We understand that they are not fully grown, either physically or spiritually. And we have let them make their own decisions on the matter. It is interesting that our youngest was the first to make a commitment to Jesus, but knowing her personality, not quite surprising. It was surprising - to me - that Deborah was the second, based on her personality; she is not typically demonstrative or outgoing or public about personal things. Indeed, in some ways she is the most private of our offspring.

So when she started talking about it the other day, we wondered where this sudden decision had come from, what had prompted it. Cheryl discussed it with her, helping her narrow down what it was she really wanted to do, and when. I was more concerned with her understanding of the long-term consequences of her decision - how it would change the direction of her life in many ways, how it would affect all her future decisions, and how it could impact many of her relationships.

In the end, she held fast to her commitment, and we had the happy task of calling some dear friends to come over on Saturday morning - her birthday! - and witness her re-birthday.

And the joy that we shared as we gathered around the baptistry and congratulated her, was immeasurable.

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

A Good Day to Rest (If That Were Possible)

Today would've been a good day to get a lot of things done, except for the feeling of malaise that had settled over my body over the past twenty-four hours. Not really sure where it came from; certainly everything has been aching and twinging, and there have been bouts of sneezing and dripping, but that is so much a part of my life that it is difficult to tell where allergies end and viral attacks begin.

The day began, as usual, with the five-thirty a.m. cat-alarm, which prompted me to wake up Mary so that she could get up and finish working on her Aaron Copland report for choir (to make up for a concert she missed due to being ill). Thereafter, it was impossible to get back to sleep (although a valiant effort was made!), so the morning was spent helping the kids with various get-ready-for-school activities, and some work-email checking, and some general web surfing to find out the results of the Iowa primary, and that sort of thing.

After the kids had all left for school, it should've been my signal to get off my lazy duff and head for work, but my body was still aching; and there was this nagging urge to just sit back in my comfy chair and take a nap. So I did. And it felt almost like a real nap, the kind you'd take on the airplane riding between Grand Rapids and Minneapolis-St. Paul: just long enough to whet your appetite for more, but not enough to really perk you up. By that time, the decision had been made by the Committee for the Preservation of Rob's Sanity to work from home, so stay at home was the order of the day.

Much of the time was spent doing the normal file-shuffling from my remote location, downloading this document, reviewing that document, updating status, attending telecons - the usual activities which fill up my day but do absolutely nothing for my mind. Which is bored beyond belief. A few medications were taken, of the analgesic / decongestant variety, to avoid any headache and/or breathing issues.

And a few leftovers were removed from the fridge and put to good lunchtime use.

The afternoon passed by quickly, and suddenly the kids were home; then it was time for James to run off to worship team practice, then time to make dinner, then time to take Adam out for some last-minute Christmas shopping (yes, we're celebrating Christmas a little late at our house!), then Family Time, which was more snacking and puzzle-putting-together while a volunteer (James) read from The Magician's Nephew.

My body rallied a bit after a bit of a sugar rush from the last of the ice cream (some kind of blue mint monstrosity), so I went downstairs and put in a few pieces of insulation in the forthcoming bathroom. Then it was time to put the girls to bed, and finish up a few work-related things on the laptop.

Now my mind can only think of sleep, and some perchance-to-dreaming (as the Bard would say). And a deep and abiding hope that tomorrow brings a fresh, new feeling of wellness and vitality to an otherwise wiped-out carcass.

Sweet Dreams!

Monday, January 02, 2012

Last Day of the Holiday Season!

In the quiet of the evening, after a hectic day of last-minute panic before we have to head back to (a) school, (b) work, (c) a dentist appointment, we decided to start our Family Time this year by reading from a classic book: The Magician's Nephew (by C. S. Lewis).

So Cheryl read out loud

while Adam, Deb and Mary worked on our puzzles we received for Christmas

and James sat in the comfy chair and drew.

Sunday, January 01, 2012

New Years Day 2012

Happy New Year!

It was a good day to continue to work on the basement, but first there was the matter of getting up after such an exciting evening.

Exciting? Well, if you looked at the pictures from the last post, we weren't exactly the most exciting party-goers on the planet on New Year's Eve. In fact, we weren't partying at all, just standing around the television watching the big blue ball drop down the pole. With fresh sparkling cider in our glasses to toast the New Year.

And we didn't have to drive home!

But we did have to get up on time in the morning so we'd be on time for Sunday School. And the girls had to be ready a little early so they could go over to our dear friends' house and take care of the kitty for the very last time before they got home.

I had a wonderful time in Sunday School, with a group of energetic, eager-to-learn kids, listening to their stories of holiday fun and Christmas presents and New Year wishes; the older kids (6, 7 & 8 years) got to practice finding books in the Bible, and we talked about the journey of the Magi.

After that, everyone was supposed to be together in a combined service, but there were a few kids who just couldn't sit still, so I took them downstairs and had an impromptu Bible class - complete with fire trucks and tractor-trailer rigs! (You'd be surprised how many spiritual applications can be made with them, but probably not surprised that they help keep boys interested in the lesson.)

It was snowing when we left for home, and definitely time to relax for awhile.

So we relaxed for awhile. And watched Three Stooges. And Bob Hope and Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour in "Road to Utopia". And then the Marx Brothers.

Meanwhile, Cheryl had invited our dear friends over for dinner (the same ones whose cat the girls have been taking care of). And they came! Which was absolutely delightful, as we had a wonderful dinner (prepared by Cheryl), then the kids all ran upstairs and we adults got to sit and talk about their recent trip to New York.

(Oddly enough, they came back downstairs when we got out the pecan pie and the ice cream. Go figure...)

When our dear friends had gone home to catch up on their sleep, we had our family meeting to discuss the week's activities, so we could be ready for the start of school and work and our regularly scheduled weekly events.

I am so not ready to get back to work.

New Years Eve 2011

It was a busy day. And it ended well.

We watched a classic movie. Can you tell which one?

Then we prepared for the ball to drop.


And it dropped!