Trip to upstate New York and Vermont

On Monday morning (August 24) we left Cambridge and took I-90 all the way to Albany, NY. For the afternoon we headed up to Saratoga Springs and after eating a quick lunch at a random Mexican restaurant (El Mariachi, pretty good and cheap buffet), we stopped by the Saratoga Spa State Park. We were looking to do some hiking and site seeing. Before paying to enter the park we asked the attendant what we should do as we only had a couple hours to hike. She suggested we *not* pay, drive up to the next entrance, and take the nature trails from there. Great!

This is a pretty small park with short trails. What we weren't expecting, though, was the natural springs there. We saw Island Spouter and Geyser.

Island Spouter

After a quick session at the playground, we decided to head to our hotel in Albany to get checked in so we could head downtown to eat dinner. After checking in, Nolan and I went for a quick dip in the pool so he could splash around and use up some energy.

We then headed downtown Albany for site seeing and dinner. You would not guess that this was the capital except for that there are a couple tall buildings. We got downtown around 5:30 and it had already pretty much shut down. We searched for a place to eat dinner and happened across Katrinella's Bistro. It was decent (and priced far better than the other two Italian restaurants near by). We talked with the gal that owns the place with her husband; they opened the place earlier this year and have been doing ok so far. I got Ziti Genovese (pesto with marinara sauce added). It was different but good.

Tuesday morning we woke up to head up to Lake George in the Adirondacks. I had previously written down a couple possible hikes, but I wanted, as always, to stop at the Visitors Center and ask the locals. We were directed to drive up Prospect Mountain and then hike Buck Mountain. I also asked for a sandwich recommendation and was told to visit the Sandwich Works. Since Nolan was sleeping, we decided to drive up Prospect Mountain first. As we entered the area I noticed many signs "selling" this drive which I thought strange, we are already on the road to drive to the top. That is when I assumed "Oh, they are going to charge me to drive up". I was right. For $8/car, you drive up ~4 miles with three scenic overlooks along the way. Nolan woke up as we entered the first lookout, so we let him out to run around some. At the top parking lot they have a shuttle you can take to the very top or you can just walk up (not far at all). We walked up, not getting our $8 worth, but it was a nice, quick, steep climb. The weather was good Tuesday so we could see probably almost to Albany.

View from Prospect Mountain looking toward Lake George Village

We headed back in to the village to get sandwiches and get moving to our hike. The sandwiches were not too bad and the price was reasonable considering this is a little tourist town. We drove on to the Buck Mountain trail head near Pilot Knob, about 10-15 minutes north of the village on the east side of the lake. We drove up, ate in the parking lot, and then thought about the climb. We had 3.3 miles up, 2000' ascent, and it was about 1:30. We also realized we didn't fill up all the water bottles. We decided to drive back and stop at the first place that looked like we could get water. Kacey noticed the Post Office and she figured she could get water there, and it worked. So by 2pm, we started a climb up the mountain. The first mile of the trail was easy so I wanted to make good time as I assumed it would get harder. We did the first mile in about 20 minutes but then the grade picked up. This was not a difficult trail (except for maybe the last 5% at the top), but a steady, steep grade. As the forest thinned, I knew we were close. About 90 minutes in to the climb was the last push, a pretty daunting rock face; especially since I am carrying about 30 pounds on my back! My legs were burning on the rocks, but with the end in sight I forced my legs to lift us up. The best map I could find to show the summit is this. This is the Bing Bird's Eye View of the summit rock. There are almost two lookouts here. The first one we sat at for 10 minutes or so while Nolan ran around because it was a great view looking south, and it felt like the top. I knew it wasn't, and another couple on their way down told us it was not much farther to the summit. We decided to ascend and made it to a north and west looking view.

I couldn't resist using this photo of the summit!

It was around 4pm and I was not looking forward to the pain of using unused muscles climbing down with 30 pounds on my back, but I knew we had to get going. We rationed out some water and headed down. We stopped maybe half way to share an apple and that was the only food we really ate on the hike. It took us about 100 minutes to get up and about 80 minutes to get down. I thought this was a very successful hike! Luckily it is almost all shaded until the summit which made it much easier. There are a few creeks to cross so old shoes with good grip should be worn. There are two rock climbing sections toward the top, but they are definitely doable without any rock climbing experience if you take your time.

For dinner Kacey had found a restaurant online and we wanted to try it, but our appetites were off after the strenuous hike with probably not enough water. We walked around the village a bit and decided to go for it. The Taste of Poland restaurant is not to be missed if you enjoy this type of food ($4 off for mentioning the web site)! The homemade pierogies were fantastic (on par with the Fetcho Christmas celebration) and the homemade polish kielbasa was great! We asked the waitress what technique they use for making their pierogies. She said the family makes about 1000 per week on the weekends using the assembly line method the Fetchos use; and I thought 350 were a lot! They also sell frozen pierogies by the dozen to take home. We then walked around just a little more, long enough to find some ice cream at Nina's Sweet Shoppe‎. It was good!

Wednesday we woke up to start the hour drive to Bennington, VT. I had a couple ideas for trails in the Green Mountains National Forest, but we stopped at the Visitor's Center to ask for their opinion. We picked one hike I had found online - Harmon Hill. We decided to first check out the large war memorial seen driving in to town, get lunch, and then go hike.

Bennington Battle Monument

Bennington Battle Monument was neat. It is the second tallest monument in the country, is the tallest structure in Vermont, is only $2 to ride the elevator up, and has some great views! We then drove in to town to get sandwiches at Izabella's Eatery. I got the Figgie Sandwich; while good it just isn't a lot of food. Kacey's sandwich was so-so. I think other options in town may satisfy better than this place.

We then headed down the road a few miles to the trail head. The trail description indicated that the ascent is immediate, steep, and rocky.

Trying to show the severity of this climb

This is very true. This was daunting, especially with 30 pounds on my back and weak legs from the day before. Part of the way up we heard rain hitting the canopy (this trail is also heavily wooded) and decided to find a weather report before continuing on as rain was supposed to hit later in the day. After reaching Mr. Fetcho (thanks Eric!) for a weather report, we felt it was safe to resume as we had about 3 hours until storms. Once the ascent is finished, the trail is a nice winding and partially muddy walk through the forest.

We made it!

The lookout here is about 45° looking toward Bennington. It was still a nice hike and we got a move on to beat the rain getting out of the forest. Unfortunately along the way, our efforts to keep the Nikon dry resulted in the loss of my beloved lens cap. Luckily the Hoya UV filter is really the lens protector, not the cap. Any suggestions on good, cheap 72mm lens caps?

Once we returned to the car, we changed out of wet clothes and started our drive toward the interstate in Brattleboro. Kacey wanted to go ahead and eat here, so we drove around a bit and happened across the Flat Street Brew Pub and Tap Room. This place, along with several others in Vermont, includes all taxes in the price of items. I personally love this, which is why I mention it. The prices looked very fair and selection adequate. I got the Texas in Vermont burger which had chili and Vermont cheddar cheese; over cooked but good. They sell Berkshire Brewing Company beer at a pretty good rate so I enjoyed a BBC River Ale. I definitely recommend this place if you are passing through!

My last thoughts on this trip are simple. I am glad I got to spend some time in Vermont, and I have now been to every state east of the Mississippi. I still have 8 states left to do and 4-5 I hope to do all in one trip to the northwest some day. The Adirondacks are touristy due to the skiing aspect of the region, but a good time can definitely be had. The rest of the pictures should be up very soon on our web site. Pictures are here.

Break Time!

Kacey has finished her summer semester of LGO. During her week and a half break, I want to catch up on a few things. Like computer backups, system updates, hard drive cleaning, new car battery, taking some photos, apartment cleanup, reviewing the budget, cleaning the car, things like that.

I also decided I want to back up my blog. Blogger provides an export to xml; this is a good start, but I want more. I would like hyperlinks and photos too (or links to photos at least). Anyone out there know how to do this? I looked around some and didn't see an easy answer. Doc or pdf would be great.

We are also thinking of taking a quick trip during this break. We are considering the Adirondacks. Anyone been there and have suggestions? We would want to do some hikes and see some sites and plan to stay to the south near Lake George.

Nolan and More Biking

I won't be doing the monthly update as usual, but I will be posting updates on him occasionally. Nolan got in two more bottom teeth! He cut them right around his 13 month birthday which brings the total up to 8. He has been running around a lot too, and also we have been playing kick ball in the apartment! It is fun! He can point to my ears, nose and mouth when I ask him to do so. He is recognizing a few toys too. If I ask him to get his ball, penguin, or boat, he can go get them. This skill came on in about a week, it was amazing watching him learn!

Yesterday and today he is sick. He probably caught something at the Stone Zoo on Friday. We were only there for maybe 90 minutes and I cleaned his hands a couple times, but oh well. He is being a trooper about it even though he is hot and can't breathe that well due to snot. I wonder who will get sick next...

The Stone Zoo was not that interesting. While we did go when many of the animals were asleep, it just isn't that big or exciting. No pictures of him there, but he did see some antelope-looking animals, wolves, monkeys, birds, llamas, and goats. He also petted a large skink!

Yesterday I biked the Charles River Bike Trail. This trail runs both sides of the river from the Charles River Dam to Watertown. It is a nice ride with good stops on the Boston side, so take the Cambridge side first. It is a shared use trail, so there are runners, walkers, and skaters along the way, and in most places it is wide enough for 2 bikes to easily pass. The trail total is around 17 miles.

Quick Music Review

I haven't done this in a while, but I also haven't purchased much new music lately. Shinedown's latest album, The Sound of Madness, came out in June 2008; I didn't pick it up until earlier this year. I think I missed the release due to other things going on at the time, but I am glad I didn't forget about it. This is really a great album! I have still been listening to it quite a bit. It has a great mix of rock, lyrics, and harmonies. Favorite songs of mine include Second Chance, What A Shame (a truly beautiful song), and Sound of Madness. Give them a listen!

Red is a great Christian band who knows how to rock; and I love that. Their sophomore album, Innocence & Instinct, doesn't disappoint. It's nice to know there are guys out there that are not afraid to rock yet give all the glory to Him. There is a nice cover of Ordinary World by Duran Duran on this album. In my opinion, this album sounds a lot like their previous work and builds very little on End of Silence. I was hoping to see more growth out of Red in this album.

Heard anything lately you think I may like? Let me know!

Biking and Pizza

Two unrelated topics, but both on my mind.

Today I biked about 13 miles. This is roughly what I did. I walked around Pleasure Bay aka Castle Island. There is a small beach here, the Fort, and lots of playground area and pick nick tables. I also rode by Cheers, which is an easy to miss tourist trap. I then headed to the Boston Esplanade. I rode around a bit and headed north up the Charles River to the Charlesbank Playground. There is a good size playground as well as a wading pool. I think I may take Nolan there this week. I then headed over the Charles River Dam and came back home. I have been wanting to bike more, but I don't get to do it much with Nolan as he is too small to come with.

There is a lot of good food in Cambridge. We don't go out to eat that often, especially now, but occasionally we like to get pizza. I am on a quest to find the best pizza around. That means trying many places (of the 189 places that deliver to our apartment, 42 have pizza)! We have already determined that we are ordering pizza tonight, but I am trying to figure out which place to try next. One of these days I may write about the pizza places we have tried, but we have not tried enough places yet. If you are reading and know of a good pie in Cambridge, drop a comment!

Cambridge Parks

I thought I would post my thoughts so far on a few parks we have visited in and around Cambridge, MA.

Costa Playground
@ Charles St & Lopez Ave
Good sized, well shaded grassy area and decent size jungle gym. There is a community garden here that if I trusted the area more, maybe I would have tried to use it. This is on our way to the mall, which means I don't go that far too often. There are a few metal seats and a water fountain as well.

Kennedy School Playground
@ 6th St & Hurley St
There are two playgrounds here; a toddler area and a kid area. The toddler area has some baby swings and a small but sufficient jungle gym. There is a metal-frame car to sit and pretend drive on. This area is fenced with a gate you can close. It is shaded and not too large. The larger kid area has a large jungle gym, swings, and a small water spout. Next door there are also some tennis courts, basketball courts, and a soccer field. As this park is three blocks from us, I usually take Nolan here when I want to let him swing.

Gore Playground
@ 6th St & Gore St
This is on our way to Shaw's, which I don't walk to that often. There is a small water spout, swings, and it is semi-shaded. It is next door to an indoor skating rink and a large baseball diamond. This playground is mostly fenced. There is an area for bigger kids and an area for smaller kids.

Donnelly Field
@ Berkshire St & Marney St
There are a few large baseball diamonds here as well as a kids park and community pool. The fields provide an area in which to run around if desired. The playground is not that big or great, and neither is the water spout. The pool is a 3-9 ft pool with no baby pool, and there is a $0.75 entry fee. Parking is limited.

Veterans Memorial Swimming and Wading Pool
aka Magazine Beach
719 Memorial Dr.
Don't let either name fool you. While it is on the Charles River, there is not a beach. Also, I did not see a wading pool, just one large pool. We did not venture in as I wanted a small pool for Nolan. But if you are at MIT, this is close and free!

Artesani Playground Wading Pool
1255 Soldiers Field Rd.
So technically this is in Brighton, but oh well, it was only across the river down near Harvard. This place came recommended and I also recommend it. Large, free parking lot. Two playground areas (toddlers and kids) and both are fenced. It is right on the Charles River and a popular activity is to feed the ducks and geese. You can rent kayaks near-by if desired. There is also a decent size wading pool with multiple water spouts and lifeguards on duty. There are changing rooms. There are many pick-nick tables and large grassy areas. There is a combination of shaded areas and open areas. And oh yeah, it's free.

We have been to Boston Common, but it's not close and was packed each time we were near.

I hope to head across the river to West End and check out the couple parks near there soon.

Here is a little more information on parks in the area. The park map at the second link is just a pdf, so hard to navigate and read due to it's size.
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/pools.htm
http://www.cambridgema.gov/~CDD/cp/parks/index.html

Home, for A While

The past two weekends we have traveled out of state. Two weekends ago, we traveled to Ocean City, NJ for the annual Fetcho family vacation. We drove down, which should take 5 1/2 hours, except for the fact that we have to drive through MA, NY, and NJ. It took 7 to get there and 6 1/2 to get back. Ugh. And tolls driving from MA, rough trip, were $22. While the stay was short this year, it was still fun to hang out with family (minus Lindsay) and hear about college life, ride a surrey, play in the pool, and eat way too much Mack & Mancos. Nolan loved the baby pool! I now need to find a pool here to take him to.

Last weekend we flew back to Indiana for Sarah and Adam's wedding! It was a long weekend, which started with waking up at 4am on Friday to catch a 7am flight out of Logan. We flew to Indy because we found a good fare there, visited my grandparents for a couple hours, then borrowed their truck to drive to Ft. Wayne for the wedding. There was plenty of grandma time too, so that was fun. The wedding was great and it was nice to spend time with friends not seen in a while. Sunday morning we drove back to Indy to visit with my brothers for lunch, then caught a flight back to Logan. We arrived late to a house with no food, and Kacey needed to get to a group meeting. So, we grabbed some sandwiches and fruit at one of the places open in Kendall on a Sunday night and I took Nolan home while Kacey went straight to campus.

So, we are tired. I am catching up on cleaning, laundry, and replenishing the apartment with food. We are contemplating a trip to Indy and Toledo at some point (can't say when on here), but this will be a long, tiring trip while we should be trying to relax for once.

On another note, we got a call on Friday that a day care spot may have opened up here in Cambridge. You know what that means... Chris has to decide what to do with his life. I have some thoughts, but I am allowing my head to try and negotiate with my heart. I want my heart to win, but we could really use income. I am really torn. Meanwhile, I keep thinking that I am done with corporate America and want to do something else, that is once we move back west. Who knows, only time will tell I suppose.

Ok, I should get off the computer and go play with my boy.

Living in Boston - First Two Months

Living in Boston has been interesting so far and full of challenges. Here are some things I am working on.

Food
It is hard to not go out a lot here because there are so many food options! According to grubhub.com, there are about 180 places that will deliver to us. We have decided that we can go out once a week and we always look for cheaper options at that restaurant; I generally get a $10 sandwich. I am also attempting to try many pizza options in Cambridge to find the best for the price. So far, Basta Pasta is it. Beauty's is close second due to slightly higher prices.

As far as groceries go, we have Shaw's and Stop and Shop. Shaw's is a 15 minute walk if I desire to do so. But, in general their prices are higher than Stop and Shop. Shaw's does have a better selection sometimes, including the only place to buy Smucker's Natural Chunky Peanut Butter (something we decided we would not void ourselves of), and a much better generic cereal selection. Generic cereal is one way I have found to reduce my grocery bill. So every couple weeks, I quickly run to Shaw's for those things. Every week I take Nolan to Stop and Shop and fill up on what ever fruits and veggies are on special that week, and replenishing staples. So we can eat relatively healthy and cheaply throughout the week. I think so far, I am averaging ~$250 month in groceries. Also, things like berries and soy milk are expensive here, so I don't buy them anymore. There is always a brand of ice cream on sale, and every few weeks Boca goes on sale, so I stock up. Brand loyalty is out the window now as we try to conserve money.

Church
We have visited two churches here in Cambridge. Since it is the summer, many people are gone. One church has very few people coming now (maybe 20?) and has a nice feel to it. Not many young people but enough for there to be a couple kids that go downstairs during the sermon. The other church is larger with more people, and I liked the music there much better. There appeared to be more, younger people here. Neither place has felt like it could replace CGPC and we honestly have not been going every week. This is something that is missing from our lives and hopefully in August when students return, a church home may present itself. We miss our CGPC small group!!!

Site-seeing
There are many opportunities for seeing sites in Boston! So far I have seen the JFK Library, Quincy beach, tall ships, New England Aquarium (not really a great one), walked the piers, Acadia National Park (Maine), Portland (Maine), Cape Cod, walked a lot around Cambridge and downtown Boston, walked the Freedom Trail, USS Constitution, Boston Common, walked around North End a lot, Harvard and MIT of course, and watched the 4th of July fireworks over the Charles River. Coming up will be the Science Museum, Fenway, a boat ride, Boston Harbor Islands State park, and I am sure many more things. I will take suggestions from those who have lived in the area!

Not Working
Due to not being able to find daycare, I am not working and am staying home with Nolan. This is fun, hard, and rewarding. I have not yet decided if I will work when daycare becomes available. There are plenty of good, high paying job options for my field if I choose, but staying home is also fun and we are considering our time in Boston as a chance to try new things. So while it would be nice to have some income for our extremely expensive rent and not live off of and clean out savings, we will take it one step at a time. Selling our house last week has made this decision much easier (Yay by the way).

It is hard to be a stay-at-home dad. The few people with kids near Nolan's age we have met are all women; this is fine, except that it is hard to really become friends with them. Maybe I need to just give it more time as they are all very nice. As Nolan is still nursing, this makes being dependent on mom another complication that stay-at-home moms do not have to worry about. He gets cranky for milk sometimes, and I take him to MIT every day to eat with mom.

Money
Luckily, the program that Kacey is in is partially sponsored by partner companies; so she is getting a top 5 MBA program degree for not too much money. But as I am not working, we are living off of savings. Technically, this is what savings are for, but it would be nice for it to not all go away. Hopefully, Kacey can find a few scholarships, but we will also need a school loan. Most of the loan will go towards rent; while sad, it is part of the college expense, especially in this city. We are finding ways to reduce the money we spend yet still enjoy living. We will constantly learn how to do this. We are limiting ourselves to going out to eat once a week; and even then we try to do it cheaply. I now review grocery store circulars before going shopping. I review the web for coupons, but there are very few things we buy that have coupons available. We save maybe a few dollars a month with coupons and that is it. I look for free things and discounts. A Charlie Card gets you discounts on many things around Boston. Also, there is a company sponsoring different free events every Friday throughout the summer. We have utilized a few and hope to do a few more. I welcome any other tips you have out there.

If I keep trying to think of more things to write about, I will never publish this post. Hopefully now going forward I can write things as I think of them and not bottle them all up for a monthly post.

Nolan is One Year Old!

Well, we made it! Our little guy turned 1 on July 11th. Even though we are now in Boston, we were able to see some family on his birthday. My mom was visiting us, Kacey's parents were live via web cam, and my brothers, sister-in-law, and niece/nephew-to-be also joined via web conferencing. My vimeo account shows some video from the occasion.

Here are the stats:
19.5 lbs
29 in
Fully walking and trying to run a lot. I think he now walks more than he crawls because it is faster that way.
He can almost pull himself up on the couch.
He is learning to point things out like trees, lights, and daddy.
He is eating almost everything we give him, so let's hope that continues.
He is getting goofy! He likes to play head-bobbing games, peek-a-boo, and is ticklish.
We think he is working on cutting his 7th tooth as he is currently chewing up all his books.

Pictures from his big day!

Nolan and his homemade birthday cupcakes

First taste of icing. The verdict is...

Good! Digging in!

Big bite

Thanks, mommy and daddy!

Yay!!

Grandma and Grandpa Fetcho joined in on the festivities

Grandma Phillips was here too

The LGOs had a cookout for dinner. Here Nolan is playing with the other kids.

Pictures are posted up to June. www.chrisandkacey.com

Thank you Lord for the wonderful blessing of our son, Nolan Phillips.

Nolan is Eleven Months Old!

Sorry I missed the ten month update, but we were in the middle of our move. He has grown up so much since the last update, so here we go.

19 lbs
28.5 in.
He takes steps! To this point, he has evaded the camera during his walking time.
Says mama and dada occasionally.
Hair is finally starting to get long in the back and is still blond.
His personality is really starting to show. Nolan is very goofy and fun to play with during the day.
He is starting to get ticklish.
He loves to climb on stuff and is trying desperately to climb on the couch.
He claps. When he first started clapping he would do it when he was mad. Then he stopped for a few weeks. Now he claps when happy.
He loves to "read" books. Sometimes he will stop playing, crawl to his room and start flipping through books. It is very cute.
He eats lots of food including spaghetti, bell pepper, potatoes (sweet and white), lots of fruit, green beans, zucchini, squash, crackers, bread, and what ever drops on the floor.
We had to call Poison Control for the first time. He ate a little deodorant, but is fine.

April pictures are posted on http://www.chrisandkacey.com/Nolan. May should be up soon.

Just Trying to Keep Up

So the past week or so have also been pretty interesting, especially that last few days.

Kacey started school last week. We had a few get-togethers with her classmates and it was nice to meet them. There really is a great group of people in this program. Also, June 4, 2009, Nolan gave us his first intentional, successful step! At the end of May, we got a successful step, but I really don't think he meant to or understood what he did. He has been very close to walking for a while now and this was a "giant leap" for our little man. As of today, a few times I got him to put a couple steps together and both Kacey and I got to witness it. I will give an eleven month Nolan update later this week, hopefully with a video of his walking action.

On the job front, I received a good offer from a great company based out of Cambridge. Unfortunately, we don't have daycare, and daycare for young ones is very hard to come by around here. After much deliberation, praying, and reviewing the details, I have decided not to work at this time. This is huge as we will now have no income during school. I know I will not regret this decision, but it is still hard to make the decision especially since I have been offered a great job. Family needs are much more important and I am going to take care of those for now. We will have to wait to see what the future holds.

Lastly, on June 5th we received and accepted an offer on our house! This is great because we know and trust the family who desires to buy our home, and I have been told they are excited for the opportunity. Now we have to survive two home inspections and then we can sign it over. This helps our current (lack of) income situation because we will not have to be making two large payments every month.

Thanks to those that read this who have also been praying for us. God is working in interesting ways now and I am just trying to hang on for the ride without going crazy.

Reason for the Lack of Posts

So I have not posted much this year except for Nolan updates. Here is a brief update of what went on this spring.

March - Kacey got accepted to the MIT Sloan school as a fellow in the LGO program. She accepted! We started the process to sell our house, sell our belongings, sell my car, quit our jobs, and find a new place to live in Cambridge, MA.
April - Kacey stopped working mid-April. We visited Cambridge for an orientation for Kacey and an interview for me. We spent time visiting friends and family while continuing to sell our things.
May - I quit my job. On May 16th, we packed a moving truck with our remaining things (many thanks to all our family and friends!!!) and on May 17th, my brother and I drove from Indianapolis to Cambridge with two cats sitting in the cab. It was a long day!

So we are now living in Cambridge near MIT. Our house is still for sale, hopefully not for too much longer. Life has drastically changed in 60 days! God has provided the direction thus far and while we continue to figure a few things out, I am sure he will take care of us.

I look forward to posting Nolan updates and also updates on our new life in Cambridge. Don't worry, though, these posts will not contain the text "Go P_atriots" or "Tom B_rady rules". So far we have walked a lot of the Freedom Trail, visited Acadia National Park in Maine, and walked around Cambridge.

If you visit Boston, let us know!

Nolan is Nine Months Old!

Here is an update on my boy

17 lbs 9oz
28 in
eating avocado, banana, apple, potato, apricots
using a sippy cup for some water
walking along the couch, and considers not holding on sometimes
we think he tries to say "hi" sometimes
waves occasionally while saying "hi"
claps his hands (we think when mad)

It has been a busy month, but he keeps growing!

See new pictures on http://www.chrisandkacey.com/Nolan

Nolan is Eight Months Old!

Or, he was a couple weeks ago. It has been a very hectic March, but more on that to come. Here are his stats.

16.8 lbs
28 in
Crazy crawler!!! He is all over the place.
Pulling himself up on anything that looks semi-stable.
Tried potatoes and bananas.
Top two teeth are pushing through (he is now grinding his teeth).
Having fun at school.

A Quicky

I have not posted much this year because, as usual, I am spending lots of time with my boy. There are some other things going on in our lives that has preoccupied my mind, so posting has been deprioritized for now. I can't really go in to it at this time, but probably in the next few weeks the cat will be out of the bag.

I have, however, posted pictures of Nolan from December and January. So if you have a few spare minutes, enjoy!

http://www.chrisandkacey.com/Nolan/

Nolan is Seven Months Old!

It seems like these updates are coming faster and faster!

16lbs 6oz
Belly crawling/scooting - He gets up on his hands and knees but when moving forward, he drops to his chest to move his arms forward.
Finger painting! - He painted at school and had lots of fun.
Eating rice cereal
Traveled on an airplane, and he did very well

Nolan is doing well at school. He likes to watch the older kids who can get around better than he can. He has already mastered the art of removing socks as soon as they are put on. We got videos on Nolan eating cereal and crawling; they are posted on Youtube.

January 2009, Recap

January was a whirlwind. Life has felt like a whirlwind since Christmas. I was in Liverpool for work for a week, we traveled to the east coast for a long weekend, and between starting daycare and trying to catch back up at work, I feel like I have no time. I understand this is probably part of life now, but I feel like I need to find ways to get some more minutes out of my afternoons while home with my boy.

If you are in Indiana, drive safe out there. It's not worth yours or someone elses life to get home a couple minutes early; and especially should not be speeding. I really wonder what people are thinking on a day like today when people in an old car feel safe and in control driving 45 on a road that has not yet been cleared, with 2 feet of clearance on either side of them. I need to end this rant...

I should have some pictures from January up soon. Nolan is trying so hard to crawl and I have some pictures of him trying.

Night and Day

But where??? Comment your guess. (If you already know where we are, please don't reply).

Nolan is Six Months Old!

Our little guy turned six months old! He is such a great boy and such a joy to be around. Everyone that sees him gets a glimpse of him and his smile just gets huge. His little personality is starting to come through. He loves to smile and even gets a little shy when seeing someone giving him a smile.

Nolan's stats
16 lbs
26.5 in long
16.25 head
Trying really hard to crawl. We expect it to be soon! He gets up on his hands and knees, and while trying to push falls on his tummy and then wiggles like a turtle.
First sickness - Chest congestion started on his 6 month birthday, got a slight temp, and at the doc she noticed he had an ear infection! Boo! The doc was surprised because he sure wasn't acting like he had an ear infection.
He loves to bounce!
Mommy has found another tooth. She lost count, but maybe 5 or 6?
He is grabbing for the cats, but they don't like their fur to be pulled :)

Nolan's first airplane trip is coming at the end of the month, but more on that later. Luckily it is only a two hour flight and non-stop to our destination.

The First Week is Over

This was Nolan's first week at daycare. He did great; mom and dad, not so much. He is good at keeping himself entertained and doesn't mind all the different helpers that come in to play. He has ate and slept well there too. Mom and dad had a pretty sad week. Everyone says it gets better, but after a week I don't feel much better about it. We won't rush to any decisions, though. We will give it at least a month. The Phillips Family may have some changes coming in the future which is why we won't rush to any decisions here as they may work themselves out.

Nolan turns six months old tomorrow and we are hoping to make it to the Fort tomorrow to visit family. If not, we will have some fun here while we update his baby book with pictures and his milestones.

Now that I have been back to work for a week, things are extremely busy. I have been trying to accommodate everyone since I have been gone, but that means I didn't say no much this week. My to-do list got a little too big, but I should be able to get it under control by the end of the month.

Let's Bounce!

Happy New Year everyone. Nolan has been jumping a lot lately so for Christmas we got him an activity center that he can also jump in. Just yesterday, he really figured out how to make it go. Check out the video.

http://www.vimeo.com/2689868

Hangin' with Nolan

That has been my motto for months now. Friday, December 19, 2008 will be my last day home alone with my little man (unless something happens). I am saddened that this chapter will be coming to a close.

But I hope that my transition back to work and his transition to day care can be a blessing. Kacey and I both feel led to contribute through our jobs and feel this is the right decision for us. I pray that day care continues to develop his need for love and attention during the day and that Kacey and I can make up for it each and every night.

I am not sure what else to say right now about it except that Nolan, I love you, and these three months spent with you have been the best I can ever imagine. I will miss spending each hour of each day with you, son.

Nolan is Five Months Old!

I haven't really had the time lately to blog because I have been working on a DVD of Nolan's first four months that we will be giving to some people. I have also been working on getting my pictures from November online. Lastly I have been working on taking pictures of Nolan for a Christmas card. Oh, and I have been working on buying Christmas presents, filling out some insurance paperwork, finding a day care (boo, another story), buying and getting a treadmill, getting a Christmas tree, trying to decorate, was sick for a few days, visiting friends, working on some home software issues, and probably a few other things. OH, and enjoying my days playing with my boy!!!

Nolan's stats
15lbs 8oz
25 in long
Rolling both ways!
We believe at least 3 teeth coming in
Grabbing more toys

New (to me) Website - YES.com

If you are in to music like me, you may deal with the same situation I find myself in a few times a week. I am listening to a classic rock station on the radio and they play a long lost classic that I do not have or have not heard in a while. I think to myself, I must get this when I get home. (I do not have an iPhone, so I can't use Shazam)

Then, by time I get home and remember that I heard a song I wanted, I have forgotten the tune and even the band if the DJ mentioned it at the time!

Well, you can worry no more. YES.com keeps track (or brings together from other sources) of all songs played for the past 7 days of each radio station, or at least the ones I checked. It also gives the time of day the song was played, so if you know you were in the car around 7:30pm and were listening to both WKLU and WJJK on the way to the store, you just put it in and get your song list!

Example: http://www.yes.com/WFBQ

Nolan is on Vimeo

I have put up an HD video of Nolan playing at 4 months old.

http://www.vimeo.com/2322743

New Pictures are Up from October

I have posted some pictures from October of Nolan.

http://www.chrisandkacey.com/Nolan/

Nolan is Four Months Old!

It's hard to believe that Nolan is 4 months old today. I have not really blogged that much about fatherhood largely because I am busy living it, not typing it. Here are the 4 month stats.

14 lbs 1 oz
25 in long
turning from back to tummy (although he doesn't like being on his tummy)
standing on his own, with daddy balancing (since 2.5 months)
blowing spit bubbles
starting to grab things
one tooth popping through, and we believe a second one is coming
follows mom and dad around
lots of smiles!

It's Here!

I have much to learn...

Water Heater Woes

Thursday, Kacey came home to a garage full of water. I knew a couple months ago that something was wrong with the water heater, possibly a tank leak, and was starting to release water. I had placed a tub underneath the water heater to see how much water I was loosing. The leak had pretty much stopped, until Thursday. So that means, time to install a new water heater! A little frustrating as the current one is only 7 years old, but it came with the house and is an off-name brand. So I was not too surprised.

Actually, for me, the toughest part is not removing or installing a water heater, it is figuring out what to buy to replace the old one. I have removed and installed plenty of water heaters (not covered in the 100 Man Skills), but I am very hesitant on large purchases to ensure I am getting the best reliability and best deal. We had a gas water heater, but I had been considering a tankless unit. So, the research started.

I have read that gas tankless units require at least 4" venting, which is larger than the standard 3" venting for general residential. I have also heard of other gas line considerations that caused me to lean toward the electric tankless option. Also, the gas tankless options are about $1200 versus the electric tankless which start at $700. Also, reliability and payback are questionable to date. As I looked in to electric tankless options, I could not find many readily available. So while I would like to have saved some room in my garage, and would have no problem running 8 gauge wire for the 240V line, I stuck with another gas heater. Plus this gas heater is larger yet uses less energy than our old water heater.

After looking at brands at the major stores, I picked Kenmore from Sears. Getting spare parts from Sears is easy, and I have grown to generally trust their brands. Also, I would receive 10% off on their 3 day sale they were having. So on Friday after securing a truck, a baby sitter, a little help, and verifying that Sears had what I wanted in stock, I went to Sears on Saturday morning to purchase a 50 gal Kenmore Power Miser 9 gas water heater.

For removal, turn off the hot water supply and open a handful of the hot water faucets in the house, including the one nearest the heater. Then, hook a garden hose up to the drain to redirect it outside. Set the thermostat to Pilot Light and turn the gas system to Off. Next the gas line should be closed in as many points as there is a valve. My setup had two shutoff valves, and both should be shut off. Then, I released the T&P valve to begin the drain process. Enough water will come out to make the water heater movable. When you disconnect the gas line, you will smell some gas; this is the gas left in the line escaping, so ensure the area is ventilated.

After getting the new heater home, my brother and I began to unpack for installation. Unfortunately, there was a large dent in the side from a fork truck. I called Sears and they said just bring it back for another one, and we will give you a discount. I do like the fact that I didn't even really have to ask for one.

So after returning home for the second time, my brother and I got the heater up on some blocks and got the vent hooked back up first so my brother could leave. I began with hooking up the gas line. Our house uses insulated flexible hose for the gas lines. I purchased new black pipe to create a new dirt trap and line to install in to the heater. I did not turn the gas on at this point as it is not needed yet. I would turn it on and test the lines later once the water lines were connected.

Next I began work on the water lines. As the old heater was hard piped, I cut the copper back to around 18" away to install my 18" flexible lines. After sweating on the new dielectric unions I connected the flexible lines. Pretty easy.

Next I turned the water supply on and I noticed that the teflon tape I had used on the threads was not preventing the water from leaking out. I went ahead and let the heater fill with water because I had already started and I would be able to remove pressure from the water lines went resealing the lines. To remove pressure I opened up the faucet in the garage and hit the T&P valve for a minute; this removes enough pressure to allow the water lines to be removed without making a mess. I attempted to re-tape the joints, but this did not fix the problem. So, I removed all the teflon tape and just used pipe dope. Upon reinstallation, no leaks!

Verify the water heater is full by going inside to verify water coming from the faucets you opened previously. If they are, you can shut them off. Once the heater is full and the gas line is connected, it is time to open the gas line and verify the connections. I used a liquid spray that foams and bubbles in the presence of natural gas. After letting the gas lines sit open for 5-10 minutes, I verified no leaks and felt confident in my black pipe installation. If you are not confident in your abilities here, consider hiring someone with a sniffer to install your black pipe.

So my lessons learned are from now on, for 3/4" high-pressure water lines, just use pipe dope. It acts as anti-seizing compound and forms a great seal. Save the teflon tape for small faucet jobs. Also, always put together connections before sweating or tightening anything. Because I did this, I saved ruining the dielectric unions which require putting a couple of the fittings on the pipe before sweating. I guess that makes it a lesson confirmed, not a lesson learned. Lastly, you can over-tighten water lines with gaskets, so be careful. I did over-tighten one line and when removing to install with pipe dope, I had already ruined the gasket and had to go buy another one.

This blog entry is not an exact step-by-step process I followed. I have shortened a couple steps and details. The purpose of this entry is to show the amount of detail and planning that must take place on the order of operations and part planning to minimize trips to the store. Even with my planning, I still made 3. One was the initial visit, one was a forgotten part, and one was the ruined gasket.

If you have any questions on a particular step for your own installation, feel free to email me or comment on here and I can provide more details. Good luck on your own home repair projects!

100 Skills Every Man Should Know (81-100)

Final installment of the man-skills. Fun times, let me know what you think.

#81 - Sweat copper tubing
Well, yes. I can do this. I just got done doing some today and will do some more tomorrow. Tip? Clean copper, flux, and heat up the copper before applying the solder (without the heat source applied).

#82 - Parallel park
Yeah, I can do this. I know the tricks. I grew up parking trucks.

#83 - Escape a rip current
I am not a strong swimmer, so I try to avoid certain situations. The mag points out to swim parallel to the shoreline, and I had forgotten that.

#84 - Use a sewing machine
I suppose I will claim a no here. While Kacey bought a very nice one that does get used, I don't think I could use it. Last time I sewed? Probably home ec in 7th grade.

#85 through #89 are Medical Myths

#85 - Snakebite
Myth: Cut open the wound and suck out the venom.
From the Discovery channel shows I watch, I have learned this is wrong. Wrap a light tourniquet and minimize movement.

#86 - Frostbite
Myth: Rub snow on the affected area.
I also recall from my Discovery shows that you need to make some warm water, or rub the area against a warm part of the body. The mag mentions not to rub the area.

#87 - Burns
Myth: Put butter on it.
Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer uses butter as suntan lotion. I have never heard of rubbing butter on burns, just cold water. If it blisters, then watch for infections.

#88 - Seizures
Myth: Shove a spoon in the victim's mouth so he won't swallow his tongue.
I don't think I have heard this myth. I have only heard to not restrain the victim. The mag mentions two things- it is impossible to swallow your tongue and roll the victim on their side. This is called the recovery position.

#89 - Ticks
Myth: Burn it off with a cigarette.
Growing up we had to worry about ticks. I think I recall on occasion lighting a match, then blowing it out and putting the hot embers on the little guy. But generally we just pulled them off, hoping to get the head and all. The mag says to use dull tweezers and slowly pick it off.

#90 - Change a tire
Yeah, I can do this, and everyone should know how. You may need a breaker bar to remove the lugs (or jump on it if stranded, last resort). Only use a six point socket (most kits only have 6 point sockets). Break the lugs free before raising the car up. And never use an air gun to put the nuts back on! Tighten the lugs in a pattern to ensure a flush fit.

#91 - Shovel the right way
The mag mentions having a sharp shovel. I think using the right shovel for the job is key, which the mag also mentions. Try to minimize the distance the material must be moved.

#92 - Fix a toilet-tank flapper
Yeah, I have done this many times. Having a good seal prevents slow leaks. I think I still prefer the float on an extended arm type of flush system as they are easy to adjust and not many parts that can break or wear out as opposed to the circular float around the column.

#93 - Tackle steep drops on a mountain bike
While I enjoy being on my bike, I don't get out that much like I did growing up. It is simple physics, though. Keep the weight distributed properly by shifting it behind the seat and keep it slow, unless you are a seasoned veteran.

#94 through #96 are Handling Emergencies

#94 - Reverse hypothermia
Once again, watching Discovery helps out here. Everyone knows body heat can help, but if by yourself and in wet clothes, start a fire, take them off (sounds wrong in the cold, but correct), dry them out, warm up, and get the clothes back on!

#95 - Perform the Heimlich
While I have thankfully never needed to do this, it is good to read up on this skill every once in a while. After my son was born, I re-read Heimlich and CPR for infants and adults. My bro-in-law suggested a refresher course, which is a great idea.

#96 - Perform hands-only CPR
As stated previously, I have not needed to do this, but I have brushed up on it. We all take our EMT services for granted and owe them a lot of thanks as these are things in which we heavily rely on their speed and abilities to save our lives.

#97 - Prune bushes and small trees
One thing we helped dad do growing up was prune fruit trees. In fact, that is how I almost lost my pinkie finger in high school. Make clean, close cuts, keep the tree growing up, and try to keep a central leader defined.

#98 - Jumpstart a car
Yeah, I have to do this more than I should. I have an amp in my car that is on a manual switch, not an ignition circuit, and I have on occasion left this on. If you are jumping the car to let it sit some more, let it run and charge for 5-10 minutes. Keep the negative cable off of the dead battery; put it on the frame to avoid sparking on the dead battery. Also, be very particular that the cables don't touch each other, or anything else besides the battery.

#99 - Calibrate HDTV settings
I learned some methods a couple years ago when I got my HDTV. So while I am probably not perfect, there were a couple things I learned that I now use. Keep black areas black was an important one. Also, not too bright now!

And last but not least...

#100 - Fold the flag
I am shamed to say that I have not had to do this since elementary school when everyone had to do this (at my school). It was actually a big day when it was your turn. Me personally, this is a skill that even if I read, not doing it will cause me to forget again. Of course I know to not let it touch the ground and that the stars should show, but in 5 years, I am sure I will have forgotten the method again. Here is a link to folding the flag.

Comment with your stats or thoughts. I have enjoyed bringing these to you.

100 Skills Every Man Should Know (61-80)

This has been fun so far. Here we go!

#61 - Replace a fan belt
I have done this. There are various methods on various cars, so consult a car manual for your car if it is not obvious. Before removing the old one, make sure there is a diagram for installing the new belt.

#62 - Lend a hand
This is a great concept. I used to help my dad by getting tools and holding the flashlight. This is how I started to learn my tools. I encourage everyone else to teach their kids some skills and techniques and how to work with their hands.

#63 - Mix concrete
I haven't done this since college, and did it some when I was little. Don't make too much at once, and really work to get the mixture right before laying it down.

#64 - Run rapids in a canoe
Well, I have only been in a canoe on a few rivers in Indiana. So never needed to navigate some serious rapids, but I also don't really want to. I am not much of a water person, but canoeing down an Indiana river sounds good to me. The mag talks about how to identify rocks ahead of time by looking for "V"s in the water.

#65 - Drive a stick shift
I really think everyone should be able to do this. I could do it when I was young and could barely get the clutch down. I have also tried to teach a few people how to do it. There are two reasons everyone should be able to do this. 1-In case of emergency. This means you don't need to be good at it, but understand how it works. 2-Cars with manual transmissions get better mileage. I hope that my next vehicle has a stick option.

#66 - Escape a sinking car
I would say most people reading this have never needed this skill. I have seen this on TV numerous times. I understand the water pressure prevents the door from being opened once the car is a couple feet in the water. So, put down the windows first thing, or hold your breath and wait for the car to fill with water. Since I would freak with the later scenario, I personally would put down the windows first thing.

#67 - Shoot a home video
I am no expert, but you learn a few things from trying. I also have picked up a few tips from my bro-in-law, who is an expert. Moving slowly is important. Shooting some extra time at the beginning and at the end also help in editing. Also, start big and zoom in slowly if needed.

#68 - Replace a faucet washer
Similar to #60. Not sure why something this similar is split in to two items.

#69 - Shoot straight
While I am probably not as good as I used to be, and was probably only average, we shot rifles a lot growing up. I remember shooting the 22, the 12 gauge, and a high powered rifle. Shooting the later was almost the most fun. The technique I would use sticks the butt tight in to my shoulder, start above the target, and breathe out while slowly lowering on to the target. And squeeze, don't jerk the trigger. The mag says to hold your breath.

#70 - Tie a necktie
While I never learned the full Windsor, I was only taught the half and it serves me well. I have been thinking I should finish it off and learn the second half, which looks easy. The mag talks about how this is a great father-son bonding activity and I look forward to doing this one day.

#71 - Grow food
We had a very large garden growing up and growing food was just part of growing up. I have resurrected this activity the past couple years and do enjoy it. As I do not have great soil, I did have to invest in getting some compost to start the garden. Other than that, it provides cheap and great tasting food. We primarily grow various tomatoes and a few different types of peppers. It is also easier than you may think and if you have contemplated growing your own veggies, look in to it!

#72 - Handle a blowout
I have experienced this first hand, but luckily was not up to highway speeds yet. In high school we didn't keep the best tires on our trucks and while getting on a highway one of them blew out. The most important and hardest thing? Keeping calm.

#73 - Skipper a boat
I have never owned a boat, but in high school I had a friend who had a boat. On occasion, I did take the wheel and knew some basics, but that is about as far as I have been.

#74 - Fly a stunt kite
I don't think I have ever flown a stunt kite, just regular kites. Not quite sure why this is a necessary man-skill. Lame.

#75 through #77 are Military Know-How Skills

#75 - Make a drum-tight bed
Well, I am not a military man, so I don't know their skill. Apologies to my military friends, but I am not sure knowing how to tuck in your bed sheets is a required man-skill either.

#76 - Shine shoes
Yes, I do shine my own shoes. Now that I think about it, mine are due for a cleaning!

#77 - Drop and give the perfect pushup
While I can't do as many as I used to be able to do, I try to always perfect a proper pushup when doing them. The mag mentions "Repeat until ordered to stop".

#78 - Carve a turkey
I am not great, but I have done this before. Grandpa always used an electric knife, which made it look so easy!

#79 - Replace a broken windowpane
It has been a while, but we did replace windowpanes growing up. We have several old buildings on our farm that we had to keep glass in. I can't imagine how a farm with 2 young boys would keep needing to replace windows :)

#80 - Change a single-pole switch
I have done this many times. A couple tips- wrap the copper clockwise so tightening of the terminal does not push the copper out. Ensure no insulation is in the terminal, and ensure no copper is exposed outside of the terminal. Lastly, always pull hard against your work to ensure all connections are tight.

100 Skills Every Man Should Know (41-60)

To keep this moving, here we go.

#41 - Put out a fire
I have never needed to do this in an emergency, but I have put out fires before. The mag is mainly covering how to properly put out a small fire in your home. We get trained on this yearly at work and we are taught the PASS method. Pull the pin, Aim the nozzle, Squeeze the handle, and Sweep the base of the fire. Of course, the only way you can be safe by knowing this in your home is to actually have a fire extinguisher!

#42 - Move heavy stuff
Yeah, yeah, lift with your legs, not with your back. But, the mag is actually covering a method for moving things which requires a strong blanket. Basically, put the thing in the blanket and lift the corners of the blanket. I prefer some good gloves and some grit!

#43 - Change a diaper
Um, I think I can say I am good at this now :)

#44 - Drive in snow
While growing in Indiana and driving trucks at an early age, driving in snow is something we were taught at a young age. Keep the revs down, down-shift to assist in smooth braking, and if possible, get some additional weight over the drive tires (which you can only really do with trucks and a few cars).

#45 - Remove bloodstains from fabric
While during my childhood I didn't really have to mess with this, I since have. Immediate cold water and try to avoid rubbing. Not really sure if this is a must-have skill, but it is good to know.

#46 - Fell a tree
This skill amazes most people. It really is a lot easier than it appears, but being wrong can be costly. It also requires, for a larger tree, a sharp chain and works better if your chainsaw skills are good. I have dropped quite a few trees in my day.

#47 - Ride a bike
Do I really need to address this? Yes, I can ride a bike.

#48 - Conquer an off-road obstacle
While I have never been in a true off-road course, I have navigated plenty of terrain with trucks and tractors. I think this gets to the true idea of this being a skill, not one's ability to get through an actual course. Taking certain terrains at an angle is key, as well as using the lowest gear possible.

#49 - Whittle
I have never really made anything of substance, I have whittled some objects before. Mostly, sticks for cooking and sharpening pencils in the workshop.

#50 - Install a graphics card
Yes, I can do this. Not sure if it is an essential skill, but most people should know how to do this.

#51 - Hitch up a trailer
I have been doing this since I was little too. Don't forget to cross the break away chains and test your hitch! Tougher for most people- backing up a trailer. Although I find it easy, most people really struggle here. Tougher yet- backing up a hay trailer. If you even know what I am talking about, you understand.

#52 - Sew a button
I learned this before going to college when I learned how to do laundry. I would say this is an essential skill as it is pretty easy and saves a lot of hassle. Don't know how? Ask your mom!

#53 - Throw a spiral
I actually didn't know how to do this until a couple years ago. We never played football growing up, we played basketball and baseball. I am still not great, but I do know some technique for a spiral. I really don't think this belongs on the list, but it is a way for a guy to get embarrassed easily.

#54 through #58 are Surviving Extremes

#54 - Lightning storm
If you can hear thunder, you are at risk of being hit. The mag talks about not touching anything in your home that my be attached to ground, but that seems pretty extreme. I do try to avoid taking a shower even though the Myth Busters busted that one. I also turn off the desktop computer during storms to prevent possible HDD damage.

#55 - Flood
With the cars and vans that most people have, driving out of danger is not a good idea. They are too light and risk being swept away. Look for flotation devices and know which way to get to higher ground.

#56 - Tornado
I have had to navigate a few of these in my day and the two times I was close, I did not have a basement. When I was younger, we had one get very close to the house; close enough to throw a large tree on the house. At that time, we huddled under some blankets in the bathroom, the only room without a window. The mag mentions that a car is not a safe place to be either.

#57 - Cold
I have never had to worry about freezing to death anywhere, but I have learned not to exert enough energy to build up a sweat. You can generate some heat by stretching and pushing muscles against one another (called Isometrics, the mag taught me that term).

#58 - Heat
I have never been in a life and death situation regarding heat, but I have been in circumstances where I knew to be careful (e.g. the Australian Outback). Water and cover are key.

#59 - Home-brew beer
I have to admit I never got in to this. I have friends who do it, but I never did. I am not quite sure this is an essential skill, but it is a cool one. As popular as this has become, there are several guides to doing this that may not yield great results but would let you say you have brewed beer.

#60 - Fix a faucet cartridge
I have found that plumbing is a skill that very few people have. Key to fixing a faucet is keeping your parts in order when taking things apart.

Let me know your stats!

Shipment #1

Is here. Now, I just need something to attach it to!

100 Skills Every Man Should Know (21-40)

Let's get right back in to it. #21 through #40 are "Mastering Your Workshop" items.

#21 - Circular Saw
Have used this many, many times. Although an interesting piece of information is that the circular saw in my garage was actually purchased by my wife. And, why buy another one?!

#22 - Spade Bit
This are very handy to have around. I have a small set of these. You must have a drill with some power for some wood, and it helps to have a small sharpening stone to keep them at the top of their game.

#23 - Infrared Thermometer
I am not sure why using an infrared thermometer is on this list. You aim, click the button, and it tells you the temperature. If you are pulling a trailer, it can be helpful to monitor the temperature of the wheel hubs.

#24 - Wood Chisel
These are actually quite simple to use and in a pinch, you can use a flat head screwdriver (depending on how nice you need it to look). Outline your cutting area and then score off several rows inside. Then, chip them out.

#25 - Sandblaster
We did some of this when I was younger, but it is not a skill I have really needed. You have to be careful to not destroy what it is you are trying to restore.

#26 - Torque Wrench
I really should have one, but I don't. I always guess, which you can't really do. I just haven't had the job yet that required me to purchase one, but I have used them. Funny story- in college, we found a Craftsman torque wrench when doing a highway cleanup; it was in really bad shape. We took it to Sears and *poof*, we had a brand new torque wrench! I believe Study still has it.

#27 - Hacksaw
I love my hacksaw. You really should have one in your garage or workshop. Know your blades and know which size to have on. Usually around 20 tpi could be considered general use. A hacksaw is not a tool you wait until you need to purchase; by then it is too late.

#28 - Feeler Gauges
I have to admin that growing up, we used the poor man's method of checking rocker arms. With the engine running, slightly over-tighten them all and then one by one, adjust. So while I have not used these before, I know where to use them and we just didn't.

#29 - Test Light
I prefer to use a multimeter for all my tasks, so I don't have a test light. As mentioned in the mag, be careful where these are used.

#30 - Framing Hammer
While I can't hammer as fast as I could in college, I think I am still faster than most people. Part of the trick is practice, part is confidence, and part is a good hammer. I love my Stanley hammer for this job so much that I won't use this hammer for other jobs; I have a second general use hammer.

#31 - Grease Gun
Oh yeah, plenty of experience with these growing up on the farm. Knowing when a fitting is dirty just by the feel of the gun doesn't take much time to master either.

#32 - Hand Plane
I have done a little of this, but not a lot. It gets tiring on bigger jobs, so find a planer.

#33 - Socket Wrench
My collection is not as big as a mechanic's, but it is big enough for all my jobs. And, I add sockets as needed. Not sure what to have lying around for a small set? Buy 6 point deep wells to start off with. Unless you are doing more advanced work, you don't need 12 point. And the deep wells are always handy to have around.

#34 - Multimeter
Please, Fluke and I are tight. I still have my old analog meter too! Don't forget your EMF detector!

#35 - Brick Trowel
It has been a while since I laid brick, but it comes back to you.

#36 - Air-Impact Wrench
Oh yeah, who doesn't love the sound of one of these going to task. While I have one, I would like a bigger one. Important tip- don't use these to put your lug nuts back on!

#37 - Drill Driver
Oh boy do I love my Craftsman Professional Lithium Ion drill set. And while I am mentioning Craftsman, don't forget to join the Craftsman Club!

#38 - Coolant Hydrometer
While I haven't used one in a while, growing up we did because we were keeping our old vehicles running. Now, I just do a standard flush every 30k-45k miles.

#39 - Sledgehammer
Back to cutting firewood growing up, for the really big logs, we would start with a sledge and a wedge. Also, when we would set fence posts, we didn't have a fence post driver, we used a sledge hammer. One of us would stand on the bed of the truck and drive it in, the other would hold the post.

#40 - Crosscut Saw
These have their place but are seldom used on my projects.

There you go! I did pretty well there, how did you do against the list?

100 Skills Every Man Should Know (1-20)

I subscribe to Popular Mechanics magazine. It is an ok mag, although the advertising gets a little old. I get tips on outdoor projects, car repair, and new technologies.

The past issue covered "100 Skills Every Man Should Know". As I read through, I realized that I am pretty well covered here. Very few had I never really thought about or had a chance to experience. I decided to cover these 100 skills in my blog and briefly talk about my experiences, as well as a few I think don't belong, and a few I believe were left out. I figure 20 is not too many to read at a time. Here we go!

#1 - Tape drywall
Oh goodness, I have done this too many times in my life. Although they do cover the very important fact to apply at least two coats (5 in. first, then 8-10 in. blade second), they mention the use of water in a form I don't quite use. The mag mentions dipping the blade in water. I prefer to add a little water to my trough in which I have placed some mud to work with and mix it in. When you are applying the 10 in. blade mud, it needs to be much wetter to allow for a nice smooth, thin coat. The angle of attack on the final count greatly affects the result as well. Keep your hand close to the wall and keep plenty of tension on the blade.

#2 - Grill with charcoal
Growing up, we only had a Weber until I was in high school, so charcoal was the only way. Although my dad didn't teach me the proper methods, I learned them in college. Our fraternity grilled often and I picked up the proper charcoal stacking techniques from buddies of mine. Direct vs. indirect heating I didn't really get until watching Alton Brown, but this is hard to do when the grill is full!

#3 - Split firewood
Again, I have been doing this since I was barely able to swing an axe (or maul, much better). The method discussed in the mag is the weak man's version where you only start above your head. I prefer the all-the-way-around method. While much harder, it produces great results. It also requires practice and a decent aim.

#4 - Set up a ladder, safely
While the mag did have a decent tip on proper angle detection (stand with you toes against the ladder base and grab the run at shoulder level), I still prefer the "test it out method" (unless doing a very high-up job). That is, get up a rung or two, and lean back on it. You can feel how much the ladder wants to tip back. Also not mentioned in the mag is checking the footing of the ladder. Ensure it is sunk in slightly by jumping on the bottom rung just a little. This keeps the ladder from sliding back on you.

#5 - Take the perfect portrait
In 4-H, I did a photography project for about 5 or 6 years. During this, setting up a photo is one of the things we learned. I didn't do much portraits, but the basics are simple. Don't take a picture with the camera looking right in to a bright light; rather ensure that your subject is properly lit. I have much more to learn here, though, and I will when my new D90 gets here in the next week or so.

#6 - Find potable water
While I have never *needed* to do this, I have gotten many tips from watching Survivor Man and Bear Grylls. The mag mentions a couple methods I have learned for both desserts and jungles. I also really like the dew ideas you can do with your clothes tied to your boots and collecting evaporated water from plants using some plastic and a container. I did learn as a kid, though, that the best idea is to take a lot of water with you, even if you don't think you need it! While hiking in Hawaii on the Na Pali coast, I was not comfortable with the amount of water we had brought in, so I turned us around about half way in. My only regret? Not having enough water on hand to begin with!

#7 - Build a fire in the wilderness
Growing up my extended family did a lot of camping. And, since my grandfather was a fireman, he made sure all the kids knew how to properly play with fire. While this didn't cover all the proper techniques to build when you don't have the proper supplies, it was still great fun and wonderful memories. 4-H didn't really cover these skills either, but being friends with Eagle Scouts in college helped out here. All the tips to find kindling, small sticks, and larger timber for a structure, make building a fire easy. The tip I have picked up from Survivor Man? Always have a flint striker in your pack!

#8 - Build a shelter
This is a skill I have also never needed, but have learned about in recent years from Discovery. Keep it small and simple, and get some water shedding on if time allows or you expect to get wet. If the weather is cold, maybe try some heat rocks!

#9 - Ditch your hard drive
Please, I think I can handle this. Low level formatting for general home use HDDs. A power drill for more important data. A much more difficult skill? Reviving a bad HDD. I have tried, and failed, although I came close.

#10 - Use a French knife
Most people watch Food Network and think they could never do the knife work seen on TV. This is untrue! It is just the speed that takes years to perfect! First off, you must have a high quality knife. Kacey prefers Global Knives. Second, know a couple techniques. Again, speed does not matter here.

#11 - Cast a line
Growing up, dad would occasionally take us fishing at Anderson Orchard. While my dad and brother seemed to somewhat enjoy it, I just couldn't stand it. I, for the most part, need to be doing something. Fishing was doing nothing. Usually after 15-20 minutes, I would be off picking berries instead of fishing. So, while I don't enjoy fishing, I can and have done it; and am probably not very good at it.

#12 - Wax a car
I have done this many times. Buy some good wax, park in the shade. Wash the car well. Wax in sections, buff off by hand.

#13 - Check trouble codes
I had to do this recently on my Acura CL. While it took a couple minutes to find that the plug was behind the ash tray, beyond that it is fairly simple. My latest code? Bad catalytic converter, but I knew that was the problem before I started.

#14 - Iron a shirt
Any single guy trying to impress a woman should know this. Pants are important too. I like the fact that the mag tells you to imagine that the ironing board is a work bench.

#15 - Paint a straight line
I don't really agree that this should be on the list. I have painted my fair share of rooms, and although using painter's tape isn't perfect, it gets the job done if used properly.

#16 - Tie a bowline
Ok Popular Mechanics, you finally got me. Many of my friends may be surprised to know that I do NOT know my knots! 4-H didn't really cover it, and on the farm we only used one knot, and I don't even know what it is called. I have always wanted to learn my knots, but have never found the motivation to learn them. Maybe teaching them to my son can be my motivation.

#17 - Use a stick welder
Wow, this makes me feel like less of a man. Popular Mechanics got me on two in a row! Again, many of my friends may be surprised to know that I have never run a welder. I know, its sad. But growing up, dad never let us do it! Ug. And now, I don't have one to play with. When I graduated from Rose, I almost took a course for welding because I wanted to build up that skill. I still do. Yes, I know some basics to welding and could probably do a hack job if needed, but I don't think that's good enough to put a check next to it.

#18 - Read an electric meter
I worked for South Central Indiana REMC the summer after my freshman year at Rose. While my job was not reading meters, I learned more about them. It really isn't that difficult, and in my opinion, doesn't belong on this list either.

#19 - Hang food in the wild
I have had to do this, as well as trash. Find a couple trees close to one another, use some rope, and honestly, you can probably figure out something without ever reading a magazine. More important than knowing HOW to hang food is knowing TO hang food.

#20 - Solder wire
Again, please. Been doing this since I was little, and got paid to do it at my work-study job in college. Having the proper tools can aid in this too. A solder sucker, and good hot gun, and a knife to clean the leads are very important.

There you go, the first 20. I hope to do 21-40 tomorrow. Reply with your thoughts, or your stats!