I love my house. I really do. But I thoroughly despise one design issue - the master bedroom is directly above the garage. In many climates, that is not a problem, but in Arizona's awesome summers, this design faux-pas results in the master bedroom being the hottest room in the house. And that's a problem, for I prefer the temperature to hover as close to 72 degrees as possible at all times.
A few weeks ago, I decided to do something about it - I would air-condition my garage. No big deal, right? Just buy one of those window units, cut a hole in the wall, and fire it up, right?
If only it were that simple. Because my garage isn't well insulated, it is going to take an awfully powerful (17,500 BTU or so) air conditioner to properly and efficiently bring down the temperature. And of course, air conditioners that size require a dedicated electrical circuit, which of course I didn't have.
Well, I do now. Thanks to $225 and a hard day's work from my dad, my brother Ryan, and myself, I now have two new 20 amp circuits in my garage. We dug a 12-inch-deep, 80-foot-long trench from the electrical box to the garage (begrudgingly with shovels, due to the outrageous $250/day cost of a trencher), laid PVC electrical conduit in the trench, pulled six individual strands of 12-gauge wire through it, installed two breakers in the breaker box, drilled a big hole in the house to get the wire into the garage, then installed the electrical outlets in the garage.
It's no wonder I could hardly move Saturday night - that was a lot of work. And of course, I still need to get back out there to fill in the trench and lay the drip line for the backyard watering system. Which of course I need to do before we can pay someone (thank heaven) to do the landscaping in our backyard.
It's fun that our backyard finally shows signs of life, but frustrating to think that this is just the prep work. Good times!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
One of those quiz thingies
I am generally not a fan of the billion or so quizzes that circulate around the internet. But I liked this one, so here are my answers:
1. Three biggest fears?
Losing a family member, becoming complacent, and spraining my ankle for the eightieth time.
2. When was the last time you danced?
Yeah. Been a while. That's a good thing.
3. Do you creep on stranger's blogs?
Professionally, yes - there is a great deal of good technical information on strangers' blogs. Personally, no - I'd rather watch basketball.
4. If you could go back to be any age for a day, what age would you be and why?
I'd go back to 17/18, not make all those stupid mistakes, then come back to the present and hope my life was exactly the same as it is now. :)
5. Are you a good liar?
Yes.
6. Do you judge someone when you can tell they've had elective cosmetic surgery?
Yes. I understand why people do it, but I think most of it is ridiculous.
7. If you have children, what's one thing that you always told yourself you'd never do when you had kids?
Same as the wife - spend half our disposable income on Cars-related items.
8. What's something that totally grosses you out?
Stuff like this - gives me the heeby-jeebees (sp?).
9. Do you ever delete forwards without reading them?
The better question is ... do I ever read forwards before deleting them?
10. Do you ever lie to get out of obligations?
Yes, I do. Sometimes a brother just needs a break.
11. Consider your body weight and your yearly income at their present states. Would you rather be 200 pounds heavier and $200,000 richer or stay at your present states?
Considering how much better I feel having lost 20 pounds, I'll take my present state, thanks. I can't imagine weighing 400+ lbs, no matter the weight of my bank account.
12. When was the last time you bought a pair of shoes and what were they?
I have a problem - I'm a dude who likes his shoes. I probably have 20 pairs of shoes (almost all Eccos) that I actually wear. I recently bought a nice-yet-casual pair of Eccos at an outlet mall just North of Naples, FL.
13. The Olympics. Take them or leave them?
Leave them, save the basketball tournament and a few of the sprinting events.
14. What's your favorite accent?
Definitely German.
15. What's your favorite scent?
My nose is defective, so I'm not particularly attracted to specific scents. But if you hold a gun to my head, I'll go with beef in the smoker. :)
16. Chewing gun or mints?
Mints. Andes mints, the dessert mints at Abuelo's, those sour ones in the tins you get at Target... doesn't matter.
17. If you could look like any celebrity, who would it be?
Jennifer Connelly. She rocks.
18. If you had the chance of looking like said celebrity in exchange for your thumbs would you do it?
It would take a lot more than a couple thumbs for me to look like Jennfier Connelly, I'm sure. But in any case, nah, I dig my thumbs. My thumbs are neat.
19. Do you religiously wear sun screen?
No, but I should. Hair is natural sunscreen, and I am severely lacking.
20. Do you generally trust people/their motives or doubt people/their motives?
I generally do not trust people unless I know them well. I'm a cynic.
21. Would you describe yourself as a complicated person or is what you see what you get?
I think I'm relatively complicated, but so are most people.
22. Do you watch what you eat?
I mostly watch what I drink. I drink soda, I get fat. I drink water, I get skinny. Fairly simple. And I avoid tofu at all costs - that stuff is nasty.
23. Do you watch what other people eat?
My kids, mostly - don't want them ending up like me. I wish I had my wife's food sensibilities - never eats too much, but will eat pretty much anything.
24. Do you judge how other people raise their kids?
Yes, I do. I think are too many ways to get out of parenting, namely television, day care, nannies, etc. I wish people would put their kids before themselves.
25. Do you judge people who dress poorly?
I hereby invoke the protections of the fifth amendment, assuming we still have a Bill of Rights by the time I hit "publish post". Seriously though, not really. It's more "teasing" than "judging". :)
26. Do you judge people who are homely?
No - some people just aren't attractive.
27. Do you judge people who are overweight?
No - I am too acutely aware of their (our) plight. They/I are/am addicted to something has outward physical consequences. Why can't I be addicted to coffee or cigarettes or something that is socially acceptable?
28. Your interest in politics: High, Medium-High, Medium, Medium-Low, Low, Obsolete?
High.
29. Favorite song of all time?
"A Change of Seasons", Dream Theater. It's 23 minutes long, so it has a little bit of everything. Great tunes, great lyrics, great musicianship.
30. Acoustic or electric?
Guitar and bass? Electric - more sonic possibilities. Everything else (piano, drums, orchestral instruments)? Acoustic.
31. If you were a hermit, would you shave?
Yes. Hair is annoying.
32. If you could shave your head without your significant other throwing a complete hissy, would you?
About three times a week, yeah. And she didn't throw a hissy; she was glad I ditched the buzz.
33. What was your least favorite age?
7th/8th grade was pretty awful. I was a jerk.
34. How many times a day do you check your email?
Very funny. I wish I was away from my email long enough to have to check it. My phone is pushed email as it arrives, so I am never disconnected. A blessing and a curse, for sure.
35. Are you in a tiff with anyone right now?
No - life is too short.
1. Three biggest fears?
Losing a family member, becoming complacent, and spraining my ankle for the eightieth time.
2. When was the last time you danced?
Yeah. Been a while. That's a good thing.
3. Do you creep on stranger's blogs?
Professionally, yes - there is a great deal of good technical information on strangers' blogs. Personally, no - I'd rather watch basketball.
4. If you could go back to be any age for a day, what age would you be and why?
I'd go back to 17/18, not make all those stupid mistakes, then come back to the present and hope my life was exactly the same as it is now. :)
5. Are you a good liar?
Yes.
6. Do you judge someone when you can tell they've had elective cosmetic surgery?
Yes. I understand why people do it, but I think most of it is ridiculous.
7. If you have children, what's one thing that you always told yourself you'd never do when you had kids?
Same as the wife - spend half our disposable income on Cars-related items.
8. What's something that totally grosses you out?
Stuff like this - gives me the heeby-jeebees (sp?).
9. Do you ever delete forwards without reading them?
The better question is ... do I ever read forwards before deleting them?
10. Do you ever lie to get out of obligations?
Yes, I do. Sometimes a brother just needs a break.
11. Consider your body weight and your yearly income at their present states. Would you rather be 200 pounds heavier and $200,000 richer or stay at your present states?
Considering how much better I feel having lost 20 pounds, I'll take my present state, thanks. I can't imagine weighing 400+ lbs, no matter the weight of my bank account.
12. When was the last time you bought a pair of shoes and what were they?
I have a problem - I'm a dude who likes his shoes. I probably have 20 pairs of shoes (almost all Eccos) that I actually wear. I recently bought a nice-yet-casual pair of Eccos at an outlet mall just North of Naples, FL.
13. The Olympics. Take them or leave them?
Leave them, save the basketball tournament and a few of the sprinting events.
14. What's your favorite accent?
Definitely German.
15. What's your favorite scent?
My nose is defective, so I'm not particularly attracted to specific scents. But if you hold a gun to my head, I'll go with beef in the smoker. :)
16. Chewing gun or mints?
Mints. Andes mints, the dessert mints at Abuelo's, those sour ones in the tins you get at Target... doesn't matter.
17. If you could look like any celebrity, who would it be?
Jennifer Connelly. She rocks.
18. If you had the chance of looking like said celebrity in exchange for your thumbs would you do it?
It would take a lot more than a couple thumbs for me to look like Jennfier Connelly, I'm sure. But in any case, nah, I dig my thumbs. My thumbs are neat.
19. Do you religiously wear sun screen?
No, but I should. Hair is natural sunscreen, and I am severely lacking.
20. Do you generally trust people/their motives or doubt people/their motives?
I generally do not trust people unless I know them well. I'm a cynic.
21. Would you describe yourself as a complicated person or is what you see what you get?
I think I'm relatively complicated, but so are most people.
22. Do you watch what you eat?
I mostly watch what I drink. I drink soda, I get fat. I drink water, I get skinny. Fairly simple. And I avoid tofu at all costs - that stuff is nasty.
23. Do you watch what other people eat?
My kids, mostly - don't want them ending up like me. I wish I had my wife's food sensibilities - never eats too much, but will eat pretty much anything.
24. Do you judge how other people raise their kids?
Yes, I do. I think are too many ways to get out of parenting, namely television, day care, nannies, etc. I wish people would put their kids before themselves.
25. Do you judge people who dress poorly?
I hereby invoke the protections of the fifth amendment, assuming we still have a Bill of Rights by the time I hit "publish post". Seriously though, not really. It's more "teasing" than "judging". :)
26. Do you judge people who are homely?
No - some people just aren't attractive.
27. Do you judge people who are overweight?
No - I am too acutely aware of their (our) plight. They/I are/am addicted to something has outward physical consequences. Why can't I be addicted to coffee or cigarettes or something that is socially acceptable?
28. Your interest in politics: High, Medium-High, Medium, Medium-Low, Low, Obsolete?
High.
29. Favorite song of all time?
"A Change of Seasons", Dream Theater. It's 23 minutes long, so it has a little bit of everything. Great tunes, great lyrics, great musicianship.
30. Acoustic or electric?
Guitar and bass? Electric - more sonic possibilities. Everything else (piano, drums, orchestral instruments)? Acoustic.
31. If you were a hermit, would you shave?
Yes. Hair is annoying.
32. If you could shave your head without your significant other throwing a complete hissy, would you?
About three times a week, yeah. And she didn't throw a hissy; she was glad I ditched the buzz.
33. What was your least favorite age?
7th/8th grade was pretty awful. I was a jerk.
34. How many times a day do you check your email?
Very funny. I wish I was away from my email long enough to have to check it. My phone is pushed email as it arrives, so I am never disconnected. A blessing and a curse, for sure.
35. Are you in a tiff with anyone right now?
No - life is too short.
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