Project: Name on the Wall

Had some free time to relax in the garage and knocked out a fun little project. Ya know those wood letters you get at the hobby store? They're a perennial favorite in our house. We've bought sets for each kiddo at different point and invariably they get painted some color to match the decor and hung on a wall. But, it doesn't take long to exhaust all the creative ways to display them. Horizontal, vertical, random, you get it.

This project actually found some new ground for us. I mounted them to a backboard of 1/4" MDF covered with fabric. This can create a whole lot of new possibilities for size, shape, color, pattern, etc.!

Some notes on the construction.

Letters can be hard to center vertically on a board. What you need is the overall width of the name, so...

• Lay out the letters along a yard stick. Pick a set space for the distance from letter to letter. 
• Use the yard stick markings to get the total length. 
• On your backboard, draw a 'baseline' for the bottoms of the letters and mark the center point
• Start placing the letters 1/2 the length of the name to the right of center

Attaching the letters with short wood screws is best, but knowing where to drill the holes from the back can be tough. Here is the solution:

• With the letters laying where you want them on the backboard, trace them with a pencil
• Remove the letters and drill small holes from the front so that you can easily locate them in the center of the letter.
• 2 holes is plenty for any letter; you want more than one so the letters don't 'swivel.'
• Place the letters back on the backboard (small clamps are a good idea here if possible) and pre-drill the letters through the holes in the backboard from the back - be careful of how deep you drill!

Finishing the backboard can be done in a number of ways. We used fabric glued down with Mod Podge, but contact paper, paint, wallpaper, scrapbook pages, photos ... just about anything flat can work! Obviously, you'll do this step with the letters off and reattach them afterwards. Here is the finished product in place!

The new sign installed

Born to Paddle

How fun is it to share what you love with your kids?! I can tell you: VERY! I started paddling again last year and have had a blast taking the kids along in our canoe. When I saw this junior size sit-0n-top kayak at Academy, I thought, "Wow, they could actually go kayaking with me now, too!" The tame waters around here would actually be a great place for them to learn to paddle, too.

We decided that Friday would be the maiden voyage and headed out - Isaac, Julia and I. They were excited, but I didn't know how they would do when they actually got it on the water. Boy was I surprised when we got it in the river. I put both boats on the bank and clipped them into their lifevests. I zipped up my vest and turned around expecting to spend the next half-hour helping them learn the ropes - they were already 30 yards up the river and Isaac was paddling like he'd always done it! Julia was just about as natural at it, too, when it came her turn to paddle. So much for lessons!

We headed out up river - the levels were so low that there was almost no current to paddle against. We explored as far as we could before turning around and heading back to the park area. They did awesome, and I thoroughly enjoyed the time out paddling with my kiddos. I wouldn't wish away any of these precious moments with my kids, but I relish the thought of getting out with them as they get older and taking on more and more challenging waters. So much fun now and to come!

more pics...

Return Of The MoBlog

What is a MoBlog? A while back ... A LONG while back ... when I got my Blackberry I was excited about all the "apps" that were available. They are laughable now (is BB still around?), but at that pre-iPhone point in history they were the stuff! I was  blogging at that time and found that Blogger offered a text based service for posting a blog by mobile - a "MoBlog." I was pretty stoked. Oh if I had only known!

5 years later, I now have an Android device and have drank the koolaid of the apps market! Today he old excitement was rekindled just a bit when I found the Blogger app! I don't know if it will get my blog back up and running, but they will likely be MoBlogs if it does!

A Nack And A Narnoon

There are a lot of things from the early years of my life with children that I realize now are slowly fading in my memory. So, I have decided that this would be a great place to keep those things recorded.

This afternoon, as I walked by the couch where Isaac was watching a movie with Cheryl and Julia, he asked for a snack. This reminded me of a little game we used to play. He would ask for something, and I would turn his request into a request to be tickled - a regular occurring around here.

When he was 3 or 4, he would ask, "Papa, can I have a snack and a cartoon?"

I would answer, "A Nak and a Narnoon? Sure!" I would pounce on him for a round of tickles.

His reply amidst the giggles was, "No, a SNack and a CArToon!"

I usually relented after a bit saying "OOOOh, I thought you said a Nak and a Narnoon - which means to be tickled! Sorry, I must've mis-heard you."

We had a lot of laughs this way. He was always a good sport and was today, too. This is definitely something that I do not want to forget!

New Backpacking Buddy

This weekend, Isaac and I made our maiden voyage into the wilds on his first backpacking trip. What a hoot! With just the two of us and NO agenda, we were able to follow our every whim (Isaac tends to have a few more whims than I do at this point!) We headed to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area Saturday with our backpacks ready. Normally a one-nighter in warm weather would not require much gear at all, but with storms threatening, and Isaac not quite up to carrying a big load, I shouldered most of our gear. The upside: it was a great chance to use my backpack, which doesn't see near enough of the trail!

For the record, we were doing real backpacking. We hiked out, set up camp and carried all we needed for the 2 days. Isaac thought it was great, but he has not ever done much car-camping to compare it to, so he just thinks this is the "norm" for camping. By the end of the trip, I was convinced that he was hooked ... and that makes me happy!

Click on the slideshow for the full set of pictures...

Boys and FIre

Isaac got a magnifying glass for his birthday this year. It was part of a "bug" themed set. The intention was to use it to get a better look at bugs. Yeah. I think it was actually Cheryl that showed him how to do it, but now Isaac has found a much more exciting use for his glass - buring things! I came home to find him in the driveway with some leaves and paper trying to focus the beam enough on one spot to burn it. What fun. It brought back a few memories, too!

Homemade Hotwings

I got a wild hare last Friday and decided that I wanted to try something new ... homemade hotwings. The inspiration actually struch on Thursday while shopping at Costco. You know the Samples they offer at the end of every aisle? On one, they had a sweet sauce that I wound up buying - Mango Ginger Habañero Sauce! (This sauce is really tasty but not spicey hot at all).

So, Friday I was thinking about what I could make with that sauce when it struck me - this would make for great Hot Wings! I jumped up and headed to Academy and walked out with a deep frying kit and one gallon of peanut oil.

I never realized how easy Wings are! Seriously, if you have the pans and a thermometer, there is nothing to it. Heat the oil up to 325°, drop in some flour coated wings and pull them out when they are nicely browned. Then it is off to the sauce! I took several bowls and poured some of the new Mango sauce in one. I put two types of BarBQ sauce in the others. After rolling a couple of wings around in each one, we had a feast! We definitely went with very mild flavors this time around, but now that I know how, the possibilities are endless. Maybe next time, I'll try a homemade sauce!

Go Joe!

Movie Review: G.I. Joe - The Rise of Cobra

Up front - I liked this movie! No kidding. I went in thinking, "Hey, this'll be fun. They will blow some stuff up. Some meatheads will fumble around their lines and then they will blow up some more stuff." And just so you understand this reviewer - I like that from time to time. Some times I just want to get a special effects/explosions fix and don't really need a plot or great acting to do that. But GI Joe came through in a big way.

For starters the action was great! They blended the CG and live action stuff well. The sequences flowed well and even pulled off advancing the plot unlike other many other action flicks where the plot the plot is usually the first victim when the action starts. The explosions were spectacular. The hand to hand combat was solidly choreographed and believable (mostly).

Speaking of plot, GI Joe not only had one, but it had a really robust one. The main story - deadly WMD's in the hands of the bad guys - was laid out very plausibly. But, don't order yet! There were even some really compelling subplots and story lines that managed to be woven in without convuluting the overall story ... Bravo! That takes talent and the talent reached into the writing, as well.

If you spend much time at all on the Action-Adventure aisle, you're all-too-familiar with Jug-head Heroes stumbling through their 5 minutes of dialogue and over-the-top villians who never seem to rise much above school yard bully in their character development. But, GI Joe delivers way more. All the actors delivered solid performances.

Overall, The great strength of this movie was in its self-control. George Lucas modeled this in the first Star Wars Trilogy: exploiting the current state-of-the-art techniques without letting them drive the action. This was the difference in GI Joe, too. They certainly brought the CG portions in with a bang (a lot of bang!), but they did push it so far that it weaknesses could diminish the quality of the production. Self-control also greatly helped the writing. The story lines were subtle and the writers had the reserve to let the actors and audience fill in the blanks a bit.

I like this movie. I would watch it again, and I certainly want to own it when we get a big Screen to watch it on. Go Joe!

Playsets and Good Friends

From Project Playset

This post is a tribute to some really great guys that really lent a hand when needed. The story starts back in September when we found an incredible deal on a playset. Big playset ... little price. We drove over to check it out that night with cash in hand and suddenly it was ours. One big problem remained though: getting it home.

This is where the guys come in. I hit the phone lines and started down my list: Wil, Kyle, Clinton, Chris... I was getting lots of yes's, too. I was clear that this was going to be a big effort since the set was in a backyard with no gate. Wil even threw in his big trailer for the hauling part. The next morning at church, we roped Mike in, too. This was easily the best staffed project we've undertaken in a while!

We descended on that little playset that afternoon and it was awesome. We could have stocked a small hardware store with the tools we collectively brought. There were guys everywhere attacking it with all manner of battery-powered wrenches and sockets. Parts were flying off - slides, ladders, the little house on top. Then just as quickly they were loaded, hauled and dropped off in my back yard. My head was spinning!

This weekend we repeated the job. It was time to re-assemble it. Again, I called a few guys and they showed with all the requisite muscle and tools! This time Wil and Clinton were back as well as Brandon and Michael. It was amazing how quickly it went back together. Especially impressive was the part where we hefted the club house up onto the legs. We got video of that knowing that we would either record greatness or win 10K on America's Funniest Videos!

The playset now sits in our backyard crawling with our kiddos on a regular basis. I hope these guys know what a blessing you've been to me in this. Thanks for your time, tools and muscle!

Dear Caffeine ...

Well, old friend, it has come to this - we must part ways. I know this is going to catch you by surprise, but my mind is made up. You are just no good for me. Don't try to change my mind, either.

Sure, we had some good times. I remember when I first met you as a kid chugging a Coke. We had a blast bouncing off the walls and terrorizing pets and parents alike. And, yes, I DO remember all those all-nighters you got me through. I might not have graduated high school without you. Even as I grew up and left Mountain Dew for Coffee, we sure had a great run! You introduced me to Coffees and Cappuccinos. We've even worked together for the last few years.

But, that's gotta change.I can't explain it, but the doctor says you're no good for me. People have told me that for years, but I didn't believe them. But, now I do. So, from now on, no more coffees - there I said it. I know this is shocking but I just can't. No more regular Dr. Peppers, either. I've got to start learning to live caffeine free!

Sure, I may catch you in passing, but I just need my distance. Take care old friend. I'll miss ya, but its best this way.

Beauty on the Farm

Our family farm in Arkansas has always been a favorite place to be for me. When we were little, my brothers and I appreciated the myriad places and ways to get dirty, but as we've grown up, our interests have changed. We love the hunting and fishing, riding out through the pastures, walking in the woods and enjoying the outdoors in general. It is quite a sanctuary for us.

All three of the brothers and our wives enjoy photography at some level, and I have especially enjoyed finding photographic scenery at the farm. I have created an album online at Webshots with some of the best shots. You can find that one here:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/561949800vrGhjm

Here is a slide show from our most recent trip:

First Day on the New Gun

So, I got to shoot my new pistol, yesterday. And it was a blast! We're visiting my brother in the Houston area. He took us down to the local Carter Country with a public range. I bought some hearing protection and we headed down to the pistol area.

My brother and I both have the Berretta PX4 Storm. I opted for the 9mm version thinking that it would be a little feasible for Cheryl to learn to use the smaller caliber. Matt was shooting the .40 cal. We traded off and they were both great to shoot. I don't have a lot of time on pistols in general so without much to compare it to, I'll just say that it was very easy to shoot.

The target in the picture was my last one of the day. I loaded one clip and put all 17 round on a clean sheet. There were no wild shots and a couple of dead-on bullseyes. As far as home defense is concerned, if the burgler will just stand still in bright light, I'm sure I can get'em!

Armed and (Not so) Dangerous

I never win anything. Ever since Ed McMahon stopped sending me huge letters about the millions I (may) have already won, I haven't even tried to win anything on a regular basis. I don't play the lottery because I have at least a high school understanding of math and statistics, so I'm definitely not going to win at that. But, otherwise, I don't win the door-prizes at benefit dinners. The prize randomly stuck to the bottom of the seat of one lucky attendee is never stuck to my seat. I don't even happen on really good deals as often as some people I know do! But that changes NOW!

About 2 weeks ago I took my kiddos to Academy to pick up a couple of things. I was approached by a guy who may have been college age. He asked me to buy a raffle ticket. I said, we'll see (which is shopper for, "No!") I did my shopping but he came back! He was friendly with the kids so I asked him what group this was for. I turns out that the organization was a Christian group that shares the gospel with youth through the venue of hunting and fishing. The gig seemed good enough and I bought a $20 ticket with a long list of prizes - all guns - fully knowing this was a donation. I expected nothing!

Cheryl calls me at work yesterday and says, "It may be raining outside but the sun is shining on you!"
"What?"
"You won!"
"What!?"
"Some guy just called and said you won some raffle. He said you won the gun everyone wanted, too!"

Yes, I am a winner. It is official as of 6pm today - when I show up to claim my prize. What is it, you ask? I won a Beretta px4 Storm. if you don't know what that is, I didn't either, but I've been assured that this is a very nice handgun.

The funniest part of the whole thing was our scramble to find the ticket yesterday! And I kid you not, I actually had to go through the trash and found it in a stack of magazines and stuff where it had likely been picked up by accident. Awesome! If they had called today - it would have been gone in the trash this morning! Whew!

Overheard at the Landes House

After a particularly good s'more, my son Isaac announced, "This is GROT!" Not being up to speed on this new evaluative term.

Cheryl inquired, "What is 'grot'?"

Isaac's eyes never left the s'more, and, without missing a beat, he explained, "It's better than great. It's GROT!" He smiled. We laughed hard.

The Youngest Settlers of Catan

On a recent rainy Saturday, Isaac and Julia asked if we could play "Settlers of Catan". If you have not played you won't get that this game is easily on par with Monopoly and Risk in complexity and has dozens of little pieces and rules about such. It is not what you might think would interest a 3 and 5 year old!

I agreed to play knowing with great certainty that we would likely tire of it before the first roll of the dice. That, however, did not happen. In fact, we played the game out and even finished it. I filled them in on rules as needed, and gave them advice on each turn. But other than playing with our cards down (so I could tell them what they could do), we played the full game.

The funniest part of the whole deal was that the winner was Julia. I don't know for sure but I would think that this would put her in the running for THE young settler of Catan.

By the way - if you want to get a peek at Catan ... there is a free online version now at PlayCatan.com.

Overheard at the Landes House

It has been a while since I did an "Overheard..." post, but this certainly warranted it!

Mondays are grill night around here since the purchase of my new gas grill. Tonight the menu was Chicken Shishkabobs. Isaac was protesting, and, to extend him an olive branch, I suggested that we to a "kids grill night" next week. He asked what that meant. I explained, "We'll find something fun to grill that you guys will like to eat!"

His response: "How're you gonna put a cake on the grill?!"

Patio Cooler Project

My latest project in the garage has been a cooler for the patio. I'd seen an item like this for $100 at HEB and decided to make my own. I used cedar fence pickets for the wood, a $.99 styrofoam cooler from CVS and some hardware from Lowes. All-together, it would have been under $50 (I think), but I already had about half the pickets.

Isaac helped me get the wood ready. We pulled out a bunch of cedar fence planks left over from a new fence almost 2 years ago! I cut the boards for the sides and kept them together so their grain pattern would run around the box. The lid was essentially a "face-frame" - 4 boards butt joined with pocket screws. I got to use my Kreg Jig for this part - Fun!

The legs actually took 2 trys - the boards were very rough and the joins would not conform to a 90 deg. angle, so I took them apart. and cleaned up the joining edge and face on the table saw. Then, I glued and nailed them. They were much more solid after that!

I glued up the side panels, lid, and bottom to make assembly easier and give the box more rigidity. Again, all joined edges were run on the table saw (in lieu of an actual joiner which would've been the better tool). I dadoed the sides to trap the bottom and dry fit these pieces to check sizes and joints. This is where I realized the bottom was a 1/4" too wide. That's better than being too narrow, though!

With the box done, I clamped on the legs and stood it up on the table saw (because it is a lot more level than my Garage floor!) and adjusted the legs so it wouldn't rock. With the legs all clamped at the right length, I attached them to the box with 1" wood screws from the inside. Knowing the box will weigh a lot with ice and drinks, I used ample screws - 8 per corner! Tim Taylor would be proud!

The last step was attaching the top. I added hinges under the front edge of the lid frame so the top could be opened in order to get at the cooler. The lid itself was hinged in the back with a handle up front. All the hardware was black, antique styled items from Lowes.

Now to fill the cooler with drinks and the house with friends! Sounds like another great reason to use the grill!

A Son! ... and the Father's Love

Papa and Caleb

I am a proud Papa again. Tonight I held Caleb and looked into his eyes. Just five days old and I have yet another vein of pure love to share with another child. It is funny, now, to consider the questions that came to mind before parenthood like "How can I find enough love for each new child?" Laughable from this position.

Children teach you much about love. They teach you that love is the strongest purest of emotions. You find that love motivates all manner of action and behavior. Love reveals its nature even in the most intense of anger; love is often at the heart of it. The love of a father is like this.

As a believer and father, love teaches me even more deeply about my Heavenly Father - God the Father, the origin and sustainer of creation, the origin and sustainer of love. When I realized with the birth of my second child the boundless nature of love, I saw God. I knew the moment I held Julia, our 2nd, and now again with Caleb that I could love a hundred more children equally. Love as God authored it is not a commodity, not a volume that is ever expended. It is not even like a muscle that can be worn out. It is a position and a decision.

We can see this more easily in the love of a new-born because they offer little in return. They come to us totally dependent without even the faintest concern for what they may reciprocate with. When we choose to love them, we take our position in relationship to them. From that oint forward, we approach them from that position of love regardless of what we bring. Grace, discipline, reward - whatever it is, it comes from love.

To consider the love of God in this light is humbling. He has chosen to approach us with His love - His easily boundless love. His grace comes from his love. His discipline and reward come from His love. While we are weak and imperfect and prone to failures - even the failure to love, God is perfect. His love never fails. It rather serves to drive out fear and founds our position in him.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear...
- (1Jo 4:18a NASB)

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
- (Rom 8:15 NASB)

Great Weekends - A Perspective

It has now been over 3 years since I have coached debate. I coached for 5 years at Smithson Valley HS and it was an amazing time of life in a lot of ways. I married, we had a child, I was completely new to debate and was having my first real successful go at the teaching career thing. My first 3 years of teaching were difficult to say the least. In the midst of all the change, though, coaching brought late evenings and many long weekends.

My normal routine involved staying late most days to hold practices. I came home around 6:30 or 7 on a regular basis and later when needed. At home I still had papers to grade and lessons to prepare. Weekends were the domain of debate tournaments and despite my sincere belief that this was a great activity for any student to engage in, I dreaded the time they took. Even as a nominally active team (many teams competed far more often than we did) we were still on the road 1 out of just about every 3 weekends. And that wears on you. Being gone until 2am Friday and Staturday nights was just no fun.

When I left coaching to take the job that led to what I do now, webmastering at Judson ISD. I was excited to say the least. But, I had no idea what I was really getting. In our married life, I had always been a coach. We always just dealt with the time away. Looking back I remember it felt normal at some level, but normal was tough. I frequently called Cheryl around lunch on a tournament Saturday and would long to just be at home. "I wish I could be there with you, baby."

Fast forward to today. Like most working guys I put in 40 hours a week - more if needed. But, at the end of the day, I usually turn of the office lights, pick up my car keys and walk out the door. And weekends, those are mine. All of them. We have enjoyed travel to see family, camping trips and a host of other activities that were either forgone completely or enjoyed at the cost of a precious weekend at home.

Today, I got up - took care of some home maintenance. Played legos with my son. Took a nap and am now enjoying a quiet afternoon. I do not know how much others would appreciate the pace, but I think that I will forever have a slightly different (and better) attitude given my experiences in the past! Now off to hang with the family.

Getting Our Fins On Straight

From Model Rocket Fin Guide

So here is the predicament: How do you let your 5 year old be involved in the construction of their own model rocket without having it turn out unflyable? Isaac and I have had a blast with model rockets, but I am adamant that he be involved in the construction. This sometimes leads to a trade-off between his involvement and the "fly-ability " of the rocket. It is one thing if the stickers don't go on straight but quite another if the fins don't!

This got me to thinking of how I can set him up to be able to do the fins himself but still have a chance at this rocket flying in a straight line. The answer was a home-made rocket fin alignment guide. I'm pretty proud of the idea. It is limited in that it doesn't deal with the angles or spacing of the fins, but it does provide a flat surface for the fins to lie on and slide up to the rocket body. This is something more within the ability of a 5 year to do successfully.

Here is the basic idea. I cut a 45° angle bevel down the side of 2 boards. When the boards are placed facing one another, they create a "channel" in which the body of the rock can lay. This necessarily lines up the two boards with the body tube. I cut one board 4" short of the other so that its inside face makes a flat area along the side of the rocket body. Lay the fin on this surface and it is necessarily in line with the body. All that is left is to put glue on the edge of the fin, lay it down and slide it up to the rocket. Isaac can be much more involved now - we both love that!

Download a 3D model of it from the 3D Warehouse for Google SketchUp.

Here are some pics...