Yep, I'm a Hippie

April 27th 2010

I was talking with my daughter's boyfriend Oleg on Sunday about how we started composting and his comment was that we were modern day Hippies. It was funny, but he was really interested in what we were doing and I explained how we separate the Kitchen scraps and I keep a bucket outside the kitchen door to store it until I move it out to the composter.

I started collecting pallets to build my own composter until I came across this at the local home supply store for less than $40. I have been reading up on this subject and have wanted to start composting for a while and I finally started, its still a learning process for us as we go along and can't wait to see the outcome.

I remember being on my grandparents farm in Alabama as a young kid and there being a compost pile that was a mountain out in the field behind the barn. Kitchen scraps always went to the pigs. I have great memories of that farm and spending my summer vacations working and playing on it. Melissa talks about her grandma keeping a bowl in the kitchen for the scraps and how it went to the chickens.

I don't consider us modern hippies, I do feel that we need to try and make a difference small as it may be, it's not going to go to the dump or down our garbage disposal but be used in our flower beds and garden.

Our garden will go in after Mothers Day, Tomato's, Peppers, Beans and squash, fresh from the garden!

More Training......

April 26, 2010

We have made some changes at the shop; I have switched paint lines and now have AkzoNobel Lesonal. I went with AkzoNobel for several reasons one being support the other is that waterborne paint will be here in the Midwest soon and this company is one the leaders in waterborne technology.

Monday and Tuesday of last week I was at AkzoNobel's facility being certified and learning the Lesonal line. I like going to these classes for many reasons one being that I learn from others new techniques to make my job easier and the main one is staying on top of changes in the industry, things are not like they were five years ago, actually it changes on month to month basis and I like to keep up with it.

I attended another Pinstripe class with Jive. Here he is demonstrating gold leaf lettering. It was a good class; the three hours flew by way to quickly.

Jive striped my helmet back in 1975 for my dad, we use to have go-carts that we would run in the local high school parking lot on Sundays, try doing that now.

Dena's Baby Shower

April 25, 2010

So this past weekend on Sunday Melissa and Jamie had Dena's Baby Shower. Melissa worried herself sick about this shower, but like we all kept telling her it would all work out for the best and it did, about 20 or so showed up and packed the kitchen and family room, the house was alive with food, family and freinds. Melissa and I started prepping for it 4 weeks ago, I had a 3 page list of things that needed fix'n, paint'n, cut, mowed, trimmed and thorwn away, she had a 5 page list. We all had a great time!

I did the invitations....

Dena and Melissa cutting the cake

Our next home is going to be one big Kitchen with 2 bed rooms and a bath. It always seems to be that the Kitchen is the gathering spot in our home.

Dad, Sue and Joanne

It makes him upset that I take photos of him, all the more reason to do it!

Dena and Sue, Sue is dad's, as he says, umm, best friend neighbor, ya ok Dad, its called Girlfriend....














I'll load more photos up as soon as I can get them off the camera.

Traffic!!!!!!!

Traffic in Chicago s*cks!

I got up early to deliver a vehicle to one of our fleet accounts and thought I would have beat the traffic..... even at 5am in the morning there was traffic

Later that night I started my airbrush classes,

I've only messed around with it for shadowing and touch up work and on my first class I learned everything I was doing was wrong. But it’s all good, class was a blast.

Below is my instructor Carl and some class mates and the blue piece is one I did at class.

 

Spring is finally here

Today we cleaned up and did a little planting at the front of the house. It will fill in nice as the ground cover comes up. Not much but it is a start.

Melissa started her small Herb Garden for the Kitchen

We started a fire at the end of the day and relaxed, it was a good day!

April 4th Easter Sunday

I as always was up early just sitting watching the sun break the cloudy sky

We went to Church early (7:30am) for Sunday breakfast and then to Easter Services. We left before the service was over to get brunch ready for the girls. Dena and Garrett were going to stop by before they went by the Scholl’s house for dinner and Nikki and Krystal were coming home for dinner. This will be the first in a very long time that all for of the girls have been together at home in a while and Melissa and I are excited to have them all home.

Dena & Garrett

Dena and Melissa

Me & Dena

Dena & Garrett