Sunday, June 1st.
It as a beautiful afternoon for an Open House for James and Nathan. Cheryl's sister, Sandra, and niece, Isabelle, came into town just in time! They, along with Cheryl's Mom and Dad and a host of Nathan's relatives, put together the decorations and the food and took care of all the guests so all of the guests and visitors were able to concentrate on the graduates. It was a marvelous time! And we were all so very tired when it was over.
Monday, June 2nd
Very, very early in the morning, Cheryl's sister and neice and mother and father hit the road, heading home. I took the day off in order to get some things done around the house.
Friday, June 6th
Last month, James had tried out for a position on the Grand Rapids Symphonic Band; tonight, he played with them downtown at the "Taste of Grand Rapids", which closed out with a fantastic concert. We all went downtown to listen. Cheryl and I sat in the back, the proud parents.
Saturday, June 7th
We have a lot of friends in the EK Band, our next-door neighbor, Aaron Krause, is a drumming genius, one of the kids who used to attend church with us is an all-around musical genius, and James's best friend is a percussionist. Naturally, we had to attend the Grand Rapids STRIKE concert, featuring works by Charlie Cooper (the all-around genius) and Aaron Krause (the next-door neighbor). It was heart-pumpingly awesome!
Sunday, June 8th
'Tis the season for High School Open Houses. We attended a couple this evening for some kids from church. One of them, Josh Benner, lives just down the street; the other one, Laura Wilcox, has a wonderful tree in her backyard which is lots of fun to climb!
Monday, June 9th
We are getting serious about that basement bathroom thing. We had bought a 36" shower base for the basement bathroom but found out it was too large and there wasn't enough room between it and the toilet. (There is a 30" clearance rule!) So we headed out to the hardware store (which is what we do nowadays for our "date" night) and swapped out the 36" for a 32". I guess the boys are going to need to stay skinny!
Tuesday, June 10th
Deb is concerned that she won't be physically up to the challenge of Marching Band Camp, so she asked me to go running with her every other morning. We were out the door by 6:30 am and back to the house by 7 am. Kind of a mix between jogging and walking. I felt so much better! Except I couldn't jog for more than about 500 feet before wheezing.
Wednesday, June 11th
We are still serious about the basement bathroom thing. Today the plumber came in and cut through the concrete to move the drain pipe. It was originally set for a bath tub and we're putting in a shower base, so it had to move about a foot and a half. The plumber also installed the Pex pipe for the shower + sink + toilet.
Thursday, June 12th
Deb and I went out running again. I'm still wheezing. She is being kind by allowing me to alternate the jogging with some walking so I can catch my breath. Oh, to be young and full of energy!
Friday, June 13th
To prove how completely serious we are about the basement bathroom, the hardware store delivery van showed up to day and dropped off the toilet and the vanity cabinet. Complete with a very heavy faux-marble vanity top!
Saturday, June 14th
Now I'm doing anything I can to delay working on the basement. Or at least it appears that way. Actually, I'm going to work on a 'simple' project: installing the screen door on the inside of the garage. So we can leave the garage door (into the house) closed and let the breeze through. The installation took a lot longer than I had hoped, but that's because I was taking it nice and slow.
In the afternoon, the girls and I want out to the movies and watched "The Fault in Our Stars", which was ... interesting. The book was interesting, too.
Then after dinner, the family watched "Ghostbusters". I thought the kids had already seen it, but they had not.
Monday, June 16th
Early in the morning, we took the girls over to the church to catch their ride to MOVE, which is a week-long Christian youth conference. Suddenly the house is very quiet.
Tuesday, June 17th
Now it's Cheryl's turn! She heads down south with a group of women from the church to attend the Gull Lake Women's Conference.
Friday, June 20th
We discovered that the garbage disposal in the sink is leaking, so I had to spend a couple hours pulling it out and kludging something together with spare PVC pipe to keep the water flowing. Actually, it's just easier to block off the right-hand sink and tell everyone not to use it. I hate plumbing!
Later in the evening, we head back to the church to pick up the girls who have successfully survived MOVE. The noise level at the house increases dramatically. The boys retreat to their caves.
Saturday, June 21st
Alfred (the cat) has swollen up like a balloon over the last few days. Not sure what's going on with him. So we take him over to the vet to have the fluid drained off. He comes back looking a bit deflated, but obviously feeling better.
Adam and Mary spend the day over at GVSU for the JAFAX Anime Festival.
Monday, June 23rd
Well, we thought he was feeling better, but Alfred is still very slow and stiff. He acts like he is still in a bit of pain or discomfort. All he wants to do is to lay under the bush in front of the house near his water dish and rest.
Tuesday, June 24th
Tonight is the very last Eagle Project review meeting at Kentwood Christian church! I'm kind of sad and excited, all at the same time. When I informed Bill that we'd need to find somewhere else to meet, he wasn't too surprised -- I'd told him about it before. But I could tell he was disappointed. I'm disappointed, too, but let's not go into that now.
Wednesday, June 25th
I'm getting worried about Alfred. He doesn't seem to be improving; instead, he seems even slower and more stiff. He's still laying out in the front yard in the shade of the bushes, near his water dish, not moving much at all.
Friday, June 27th
We can't find Alfred. One minute he was out by the bush, and the next time we look, he's gone. We can't find him anywhere. Cheryl and the kids went out looking for him and didn't find him. After I got home, she and I went out again, back to the woods behind the Krause's house. We were out there for quite a long time but saw no trace of him. She kept hearing him mew. Where could he be?
Saturday, June 28th
Cheryl and Mary went out looking for Alfred and found him behind the Krause's house, underneath the footbridge over the creek. He was muddy and delirious. They brought him home. We talked to the kids and they all agreed it would be best to have him put to sleep. So Cheryl and I took him to the vet and told her what we wanted to do; we held him for awhile after she gave him a preliminary injection to relax him. Then she took him out of the room and injected him with something more potent, and brought his body back in, wrapped in a towel. We took him home and put it on his little bed on the craft table as a kind of "wake". Then, in the evening, after I had dug a grave for him in the front garden, we put him to rest. Afterward, in his honor, we watched "My Fair Lady". Good-bye, Alfred P. Doolittle!
Sunday, June 29th.
In the morning, Ms. Angela and I took the Sunday School kids up front and led them in the special songs they had learned. That was highly amusing!
In the afternoon, James and Adam went with me to EK to clean up the Band Trailer because the company that built it is going to fix the roof (which was partially destroyed from heavy snow this past winter).
Monday, June 30th
The Pontiac is overheating. I was on my way to work and got to an intersection and the water temperature gauge red-lined and a little bit of steam came out from under the hood. OK, what's up with that? It could be a hose, the thermostat ... or the water pump going out. Talking serious $$ here. Perhaps it's just some random piece of flotsam/jetsam that's clogging up the works? Maybe a radiator flush is called for.
I called around to get prices for the flush. ~ $100. Hmmm. That might work. I'll just skip lunch for a few weeks. Couldn't focus on work today. Thinking about cars.
After work & dinner, it was time to run over to the school to check on the Marching Band trailer. The battery is all charged up now. It should be good to go. I hope the Pontiac will be soon, too.
It as a beautiful afternoon for an Open House for James and Nathan. Cheryl's sister, Sandra, and niece, Isabelle, came into town just in time! They, along with Cheryl's Mom and Dad and a host of Nathan's relatives, put together the decorations and the food and took care of all the guests so all of the guests and visitors were able to concentrate on the graduates. It was a marvelous time! And we were all so very tired when it was over.
Monday, June 2nd
Very, very early in the morning, Cheryl's sister and neice and mother and father hit the road, heading home. I took the day off in order to get some things done around the house.
Friday, June 6th
Last month, James had tried out for a position on the Grand Rapids Symphonic Band; tonight, he played with them downtown at the "Taste of Grand Rapids", which closed out with a fantastic concert. We all went downtown to listen. Cheryl and I sat in the back, the proud parents.
Saturday, June 7th
We have a lot of friends in the EK Band, our next-door neighbor, Aaron Krause, is a drumming genius, one of the kids who used to attend church with us is an all-around musical genius, and James's best friend is a percussionist. Naturally, we had to attend the Grand Rapids STRIKE concert, featuring works by Charlie Cooper (the all-around genius) and Aaron Krause (the next-door neighbor). It was heart-pumpingly awesome!
Sunday, June 8th
'Tis the season for High School Open Houses. We attended a couple this evening for some kids from church. One of them, Josh Benner, lives just down the street; the other one, Laura Wilcox, has a wonderful tree in her backyard which is lots of fun to climb!
Monday, June 9th
We are getting serious about that basement bathroom thing. We had bought a 36" shower base for the basement bathroom but found out it was too large and there wasn't enough room between it and the toilet. (There is a 30" clearance rule!) So we headed out to the hardware store (which is what we do nowadays for our "date" night) and swapped out the 36" for a 32". I guess the boys are going to need to stay skinny!
Tuesday, June 10th
Deb is concerned that she won't be physically up to the challenge of Marching Band Camp, so she asked me to go running with her every other morning. We were out the door by 6:30 am and back to the house by 7 am. Kind of a mix between jogging and walking. I felt so much better! Except I couldn't jog for more than about 500 feet before wheezing.
Wednesday, June 11th
We are still serious about the basement bathroom thing. Today the plumber came in and cut through the concrete to move the drain pipe. It was originally set for a bath tub and we're putting in a shower base, so it had to move about a foot and a half. The plumber also installed the Pex pipe for the shower + sink + toilet.
Thursday, June 12th
Deb and I went out running again. I'm still wheezing. She is being kind by allowing me to alternate the jogging with some walking so I can catch my breath. Oh, to be young and full of energy!
Friday, June 13th
To prove how completely serious we are about the basement bathroom, the hardware store delivery van showed up to day and dropped off the toilet and the vanity cabinet. Complete with a very heavy faux-marble vanity top!
Saturday, June 14th
Now I'm doing anything I can to delay working on the basement. Or at least it appears that way. Actually, I'm going to work on a 'simple' project: installing the screen door on the inside of the garage. So we can leave the garage door (into the house) closed and let the breeze through. The installation took a lot longer than I had hoped, but that's because I was taking it nice and slow.
In the afternoon, the girls and I want out to the movies and watched "The Fault in Our Stars", which was ... interesting. The book was interesting, too.
Then after dinner, the family watched "Ghostbusters". I thought the kids had already seen it, but they had not.
Monday, June 16th
Early in the morning, we took the girls over to the church to catch their ride to MOVE, which is a week-long Christian youth conference. Suddenly the house is very quiet.
Tuesday, June 17th
Now it's Cheryl's turn! She heads down south with a group of women from the church to attend the Gull Lake Women's Conference.
Friday, June 20th
We discovered that the garbage disposal in the sink is leaking, so I had to spend a couple hours pulling it out and kludging something together with spare PVC pipe to keep the water flowing. Actually, it's just easier to block off the right-hand sink and tell everyone not to use it. I hate plumbing!
Later in the evening, we head back to the church to pick up the girls who have successfully survived MOVE. The noise level at the house increases dramatically. The boys retreat to their caves.
Saturday, June 21st
Alfred (the cat) has swollen up like a balloon over the last few days. Not sure what's going on with him. So we take him over to the vet to have the fluid drained off. He comes back looking a bit deflated, but obviously feeling better.
Adam and Mary spend the day over at GVSU for the JAFAX Anime Festival.
Monday, June 23rd
Well, we thought he was feeling better, but Alfred is still very slow and stiff. He acts like he is still in a bit of pain or discomfort. All he wants to do is to lay under the bush in front of the house near his water dish and rest.
Tuesday, June 24th
Tonight is the very last Eagle Project review meeting at Kentwood Christian church! I'm kind of sad and excited, all at the same time. When I informed Bill that we'd need to find somewhere else to meet, he wasn't too surprised -- I'd told him about it before. But I could tell he was disappointed. I'm disappointed, too, but let's not go into that now.
Wednesday, June 25th
I'm getting worried about Alfred. He doesn't seem to be improving; instead, he seems even slower and more stiff. He's still laying out in the front yard in the shade of the bushes, near his water dish, not moving much at all.
Friday, June 27th
We can't find Alfred. One minute he was out by the bush, and the next time we look, he's gone. We can't find him anywhere. Cheryl and the kids went out looking for him and didn't find him. After I got home, she and I went out again, back to the woods behind the Krause's house. We were out there for quite a long time but saw no trace of him. She kept hearing him mew. Where could he be?
Saturday, June 28th
Cheryl and Mary went out looking for Alfred and found him behind the Krause's house, underneath the footbridge over the creek. He was muddy and delirious. They brought him home. We talked to the kids and they all agreed it would be best to have him put to sleep. So Cheryl and I took him to the vet and told her what we wanted to do; we held him for awhile after she gave him a preliminary injection to relax him. Then she took him out of the room and injected him with something more potent, and brought his body back in, wrapped in a towel. We took him home and put it on his little bed on the craft table as a kind of "wake". Then, in the evening, after I had dug a grave for him in the front garden, we put him to rest. Afterward, in his honor, we watched "My Fair Lady". Good-bye, Alfred P. Doolittle!
Sunday, June 29th.
In the morning, Ms. Angela and I took the Sunday School kids up front and led them in the special songs they had learned. That was highly amusing!
In the afternoon, James and Adam went with me to EK to clean up the Band Trailer because the company that built it is going to fix the roof (which was partially destroyed from heavy snow this past winter).
Monday, June 30th
The Pontiac is overheating. I was on my way to work and got to an intersection and the water temperature gauge red-lined and a little bit of steam came out from under the hood. OK, what's up with that? It could be a hose, the thermostat ... or the water pump going out. Talking serious $$ here. Perhaps it's just some random piece of flotsam/jetsam that's clogging up the works? Maybe a radiator flush is called for.
I called around to get prices for the flush. ~ $100. Hmmm. That might work. I'll just skip lunch for a few weeks. Couldn't focus on work today. Thinking about cars.
After work & dinner, it was time to run over to the school to check on the Marching Band trailer. The battery is all charged up now. It should be good to go. I hope the Pontiac will be soon, too.