Another Day, Another Storm

We've had rain over the previous 3 days, with about three tenths of an inch Tuesday morning, and another 1.1 this morning. Thus, the grass continues to grow like crazy. I just mowed Monday, and now it needs it again. Oh well, at least it's good exercise.

On a side note, I was out of town last weekend attending a professional conference. The first night there, while eating dinner with everyone else, I played a little Keno. I don't play very often, and it was something different. Well, I played 5 games, picked 10 numbers, and won $142, with $2 in game 3, and $140 in game 4. Wow, that was amazing. I picked 7 out of 10 I believe, and it was a complete surprise, as I could only find 6. But, who's to argue with the computer. Woohoo!

We're having a big family party at our house this coming weekend. Finally, by then, it should be dry, cool, and pleasant. It sounds like a big turnout (I have 7 brothers and sisters), so it should be a fun evening.

One Last Waterpark Visit

My daughter starts school in two days, and thus, we decided to get one last waterpark visit in. It was supposed to very hot today with a high around 100, so we needed something to keep us cool. We decided to head to Mahoney State Park one more time as it's close, and always fun with the huge waves. Today was no different. For a Monday, there were a lot of people there, but I'm guessing everyone else had the same idea, i.e. one last blast before school starts, plus it was so hot. It was packed, and by 2 pm, it was wall to wall people in the wave pool. It's fun when there are so many people, but also a little dangerous too. In fact, by mid afternoon, my daughter gave up trying to use the innertube and just body surfed. I did have to laugh though, I witnessed a 50-something lady (with leathery skin) putting on a full course of makeup, including base, powder, eye shadow, lip stick, lip liner, and she even curled her eyelashes. Doh! What a piece of work. I rolled my eyes to the guy sitting next to me, and shrugged his shoulders. Then he asked her why she was putting on makeup. She made a comment that she wanted to look good, and that she was only here for the sun and not the water. Ugh. No wonder her skin looked like a crocodile shell. Oh well.

Would You Believe It

Well, another storm rolled through yesterday afternoon and produced another 1.24 inches of rain at my house. It also produced wind gusts from 50 to 70 mph. We didn't experience any damage, but a lot of trees were blown down across town and some power lines were downed. In fact, I was at the gym around 6 pm. The main line had already blown through, and it was just raining very hard. I had just stepped onto the elliptical trainer when the lights went out. I thought about sticking it out, but decided to head to the gym at another location instead. The grass sure looks great and I'm sure the farmers are very happy at this point. The crops sure look good, and estimates now are that they'll experience a record harvest, and grain prices are very high. For what it's worth, it looked like the deck is OK. The stain that I'm using requires a solid 24 hours to dry, but it only made it about 18. But, it was another very hot day today (before the rain arrived) and that probably helped.

Am I Crazy?

I've been meaning to re-stain my deck as it's been 3 1/2 years since it was last done. But, we do have a covered deck, so it seems to weather the weather a bit better than an uncovered deck. But, it's a big deck, 12 x 20, and 15 steps up, so I've been putting it off, not really wanting to tackle the big project. Plus, I've never stained a deck myself, so was a little nervous about the whole process. So, I waited until the hottest and most humid week of the year to do it. Ha. Actually, I stained the stairs a couple of days ago, and spent about 5 hours this afternoon and evening staining the spindles. It sure is tedious work as I'm using a brush. But, it does look really good. I still have another couple of spindle sections to complete, the floor boards, and the undercarriage. At least I won't have to do it for another 3 years. It's supposed to rain tomorrow night, so I wanted to get as much done as possible.

Another Storm

Well, yet another storm rolled through late last night, shortly after midnight, producing another 1.34 inches of rain. Wow, just amazing. I'm glad I did begin the staining process on my deck yesterday or I would have been mad as the rain was not in the forecast. Instead, we headed to the Pawnee Plunge waterpark in Columbus, Nebraska. It was a fun park, probably even better than Mahoney State Park, and definitely better than the water park in Fremont. We spent about four hours there, and had a great time, although my feet were very sore near the end from walking on all the concrete. Got some great sun, not a burn, but definitely more color.

More Rain

Well, the rains have really been plentiful over the last 2 to 3 weeks. The pattern has shifted such that we're getting periodic, beneficial rains. Today, we've received another 1.35 inches, and we could get some more tonight. The yard needed to be mowed, as garbage collection is tomorrow. It was still wet, but I plowed through it anyhow. Well, the grass wasn't so wet, but the ground sure was. Soggy in fact. But, it's done, and looks great. The humidity over the last week has really been oppressive as well. Dewpoints have been in the mid to upper 70s. That's very moist. In fact, so moist, that when you walk outside, you immediately break into a sweat.

A Deluge

After another day of rains, I measured 1.83 inches. Most of that fell yesterday, just under one and one half inches, and a bit more fell overnight. I'm sure the grass will be growing like a hayfield in the coming days. But, we really needed it, it's been a week without any rain at all.

Smoke and Rain

It was supposed to rain early this morning, and boy did it ever. It was a hot day yesterday with highs in the 90s and high humidity with dewpoints in the 70s. I spent most of the day inside working on an upcoming work project, even though I'm still on vacation. I thought about trying to get some sun, but spent most of the afternoon at the computer.

The cold front finally arrived early this morning. I drifted off to sleep around 1 am, only to be awoken at around 2 by the smell of smoke of the sound of thunder. It was raining very heavy, and I swore the house was filling with smoke. I woke up quickly, in a panic thinking that the house had been struck by lightning. I'm not sure why I thought there was smoke in the air, but everything was fine, and I sat up and enjoyed the rain for the next hour. We ended up getting 2.90 inches in just over an hour, wow that was a heavy rain. We sure needed it!

But, while sitting here typing this message, watching Driving Miss Daisy on TV, I heard a drip in the living room. Sure enough, there was water dripping from the archway in our dining room. It's directly below our chimney flue, so I'm guessing because the rain was so heavy that some rain got in and dripped down between the wall. I peered up into the attic but couldn't find anythings, and there aren't any stains in the dryway or ceiling, so it seems to be between the wall. Ugh.

Traveling Home

We stopped by the Amana Colonies in Iowa on our way home to shop a bit. We had a nice lunch at a local German restaurant, then had an uneventful trip home. We picked up our dogs at the vet, and enjoyed a BBQ Chicken pizza from Papa Johns.

Chicago Day Two

Museum of Science and Industry
Top of the John Hancock Building
Navy Pier
Lodging along the banks of the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities.

Chicago Frustrations

The main reason for visiting Chicago was my wife was meeting several of her Internet chat board members for the weekend. They've been chatting on their cross stitch discussion board for months and decided to meet in a central location for a fun weekend. Thus, the plan for today was that she'd be busy with her friends at the hotel, and myself and my daughter would head out on the town to do a little sight seeing.

After a complimentary breakfast buffet (part of our hotel package), we got in the car and started to drive. I studied the city map quite a bit last night, and thought I had an overall feel of where we were and where we intended to go. We left the hotel around 930 am, and immediately encountered the most horrible traffic I've ever been in. We were well in the suburbs, and downtown Chicago was at least 30 miles away, if not more. Basically, it was bumper to bumper the whole way, driving at 15 to 30 mph as we inched past Ohare Airport. I really thought the traffic wouldn't be that bad for a weekend, but that was a very bad assumption. It was a nightmare.

We did finally arrive downtown and drove along Lakeshore Drive, next to Lake Michigan. It was a beautiful lake, and a gorgeous day. We really enjoyed that. The speed limit along the highway there was 35 to 45 mph, but people weren't happy unless I was driving 15 to 20 mph over. I really just wanted to drive the speed limit and take in the sights, but everyone kept honking at me. It quickly became apparent that Chicago is one the most impatient cities I've ever been in.

After driving for awhile, we arrived in South Chicago. It definitely didn't seem to be the best neighborhood, and we quickly decided to turn around. We were severely short on gas, with about 400 miles on the tank thus far and the needle flirting with empty. But, I really didn't want to stop at either of the 2 gas stations that we did see as it seemed very unsafe to do so.

We then headed back north up Lakeshore Drive. I thought it would be fun to visit the Lincoln Park Zoo. While it was an OK zoo, it definitely doesn't rival the Henry Doorly Zoo here in Omaha, but it was a great way to pass the lunch hour. After leaving the zoo, we decided to head back to the hotel to rest. My daughter was furiously reading the new Harry Potter book that we purchased earlier in the morning, and just wanted to vedge. I was OK with that. However, we got stuck in downtown traffic (not intentionally) and a real panic began to set in. It was just as it appears on TV, bumper to bumper traffic, cabs driving like lunatics, everyone honking their horns as soon as lights would turn green, and thousands of people on the sidewalks. It was at that moment that the low fuel light came on in the car. I became very nervous. I thought we'd chug out in the middle of the chaos and would never get out. I usually don't pray a lot, but I did at that moment, quietly asking for a gas station. After a couple of turns, the situation became worse as we got stuck behind a construction project with cement trucks blocking the path. After pulling in front of a couple of lanes of traffic, I turned the corner, and low and behold, a gas station loomed in the next block. What dumb luck to find the only gas station in the middle of downtown Chicago. Needless to say, I was relieved beyond words.

We spent the part of the afternoon at Panera Bread. We enjoyed a nice snack, and just relaxed. Hannah read her book and I surfed the Internet. We then headed back to the hotel and enjoyed a mid afternoon swim. For dinner, I really wanted some Chicago style pizza. I looked in the yellow pages and found a nearby restaurant that sounded awesome and quite delicious. However, after driving there, I then realized that it was only a takeout place. After failing to find the mall (which I thought might have some food options), we drove upon another local pizza place and had a great dinner after all. After dinner, we headed to the movie Ratatouie, which was absolutely great. All the while, my wife really enjoyed her day with her Internet cross stitch friends, so all in all, we all had an OK day with lots of adventure.

I must say though, I guess I'm not too fond of Chicago after our first day. The traffic is just overwhelming (for a Saturday, geesh), and the impatient people are really just too much to put up with. I know, perhaps I have a closed mind, but that's what we mostly experienced.

Chicago, A New Experience

Our daughter came home from summer camp today. In fact, she didn't get dehydrated like we thought, and had a great time. It was very hot both Tuesday and Wednesday with highs in the mid to upper 90s, but when the cold front came in late Wednesday night, they had a pleasant day Thursday. She got home about 1pm, and we headed out the door for Chicago around 2 pm. After a pleasant 7 hour drive, we arrived at the Marriott Northwest hotel here in Northwest Chicago. I've never been to the windy city, and am somewhat nervous about the traffic. We traveled Interstate nearly the entire way, crusing steadily around 80 mph without seeing any police. We didn't really like the tollway, but that seems to be the norm.

First Day of Vacation

To celebrate my first day of vacation, we lounged around the house and enjoyed a mid afternoon movie at the dollar theatre. We watched Spiderman 3. While it was an OK movie, we thought the plot bounced around too much, and that the producers tried to squeeze too much into it. It was also a little long, between 2 and 2 1/2 hours, and I found myself peeking at my watch halfway through. Thus, it was OK, but definitely not as good as the movie we saw earlier this week.

Sweet Rain at Last

Well, the rain finally came. We had such a wet May, but since the beginning of June, it's been very dry. In fact, we're now several inches below normal for the summer, despite being above normal for the year. I ended up working late, which I didn't mind, and then enjoyed a nice rain through the remainder of the night. We ended up with 0.93 inches, which really hit the spot. It was especially timely, as I hung up my rain gauge just yesterday, which I discovered buried in a box in the garage.

As a side note, I'm now officially on vacation for the next 8 days. Woohoo! I'm so excited, I definitely needed some time off. We're heading to Chicago tomorrow, and will be back in town early next week.

Great Movie

After we dropped our daughter off at Camp, we headed out to a movie, Live Free or Die Hard, the next installment in the Die Hard series. It's been several years since the latest Die Hard movie had been released, and we were excited about getting out on the town. The movie was great, and was definitely better than both the 2nd and 3rd movie in the series. It had a nice plot, relevant to the 21st century, and had enough action to keep us interested for the 2 hour duration.

Unpleasant Necessities

I had to visit the dentist today for my bi-annual cleaning. I don't really enjoy going to the dentist, although I'm not sure anyone really enjoys this necessity of life. The anxiety leading up to the visit, the visit itself, then the guilt that you feel for not brushing well enough. And, to make matters worse, I have a cavity. I never get cavities. I think I've had like 5 in my whole life. Ugh. That put me into a really rotten mood, nevermind that it's supposed to be 95 today, and near 100 both tomorrow and Wednesday.

Speaking of the heat, our daughter is heading off to summer camp tonight. Last year, she attended camp during the absolutely hottest week of the year. On Thursday last year (1 day before the camp was over), she got sick with dehydration because she wasn't drinking enough water. This year, we've had a couple of hot spells, but unfortunately, it's setting up to be one of the hottest weeks of the summer, again! I remember my camp days attending Boy Scout camp, way back when. I don't remember the heat bothering me too much, but let's just say that sitting in sweltering heat, with no air conditioning at all doesn't sound like much fun at this point in my life. Maybe I've just gotten old and spoiled, but that's the absolute last thing I'd want to do. Oh well, hopefully she'll make it through this time, but I'm betting even money that we get a call later this week that she's sick with dehydration. We'll see.

Dinner, Drinks, and Dancing

We headed out for a night on the town with some college friends yesterday evening. In fact, this was my old college roommate. It's funny how life's travels take you from one place to another, and after many years, we've ended up in the same town.

We headed to Granite City for dinner, which is a small brewpub here in Omaha, although it appears to be a national chain as there are locations in several states. I had a barbecue chicken pizza which was delicious. I also had a couple of their light ales, and it was good too, although I'm not much into weird and chewy beers at all.

After dinner, we headed over to another bar in town, the Seven Monkeys. We joked about going to another bar for drinks and dancing after that, something we haven't done in many, many years. The band playing that night supposedly was known for its 80s repertoire, something that would really appeal to us. However, we never made it out of Monkeys as we sat there the remainder of the night and enjoyed many, many cocktails. My wife ended up drinking a Jungle Juice martini (wtf, never heard of it), then several more double chocolate martinis. I have to admit, they were tasty, even the one that she nearly spilled all over my arm.

After a few hours, we decided to call it a night. However, as we drove out of the parking lot, I joked about heading to the next bar where the band was playing. Even though my wife was already off her rocks, we ended up at the Arena Sports Bar to listen to a few songs. After a couple more chocolate martinis and a couple more Bud Lights, we headed for home.

We had a great time, although I think my wife is having second thoughts this morning. She didn't feel too well most of the day, but seems to be back to her old self this afternoon. Ah, we're not as young as we used to be. We commented that back in college, we could do this 2 or 3 times a week, get home at 2 am, and be up and ready to go to work the next morning at 7 or 8 without thinking twice. Now, it seems it takes nearly a day to recover from a drinking binge, and several more days just to catch up on sleep. Alas, to be young again.

A Visit to the New Waterpark

A new waterpark opened up in nearby Fremont, Nebraska this past week. Usually we drive to Mahoney State Park to visit the waterpark, which has a wave pool, a regular pool, and two slides. Fremont has been trying to build a waterpark for years, and the voters approved it this last year. I must say, the Splash Station Water Park was OK, but I was a little disappointed. We're used to the huge waves (3 to 6 feet) that can be found at Mahoney, but the waves at Fremont were very gentle, only 1 or 2 feet. The slides were fun though, and the Fremont water park did have a rope ladder/lilly pad area for the kids which seemed great. Plus, the tubes were free at Fremont, (versus $3 at Mahoney) and the admission was cheaper ($9.50 for 1 adult and 1 child versus $13 at Mahoney). So, overall, it was a nice waterpark, and I'd say we'd definitely go back. They did have about 5 huge umbrellas too (about 30 feet in diameter), which allowed for ample shade opportunities (which Mahoney doesn't have). So, given all that I've mentioned, I'd give the Fremont Water park an 8 out of 10.

On the Diet Yo Yo Again

Well, the day after the fourth of July was an eye opener for me. I woke up, and was about 2 pounds shy of my all-time highest weight. My clothes were getting tighter, and I just wasn't happy. So, I started a diet again. Sigh, it's a never-ending battle. In the past, I've had great success with a modified Atkins plan, although I can't really be as strict as that plan allows, and I can't really do it for a lengthy period. So, over the last week, I've cut out the carbs, limiting my intake to about 30g per day. The plan works, and 1 week later, I'm down 8 1/2 pounds. Granted, there isn't really any change in my overall size, except I've flushed out a lot of extra fat. The clothes fit just a bit better, and overall, I look better too. But, that's about enough. I now plan to ease back to a normal diet, watch the sweets, and eat balanced meals. We'll see what happens.

I've Got the Blues

Yesterday evening, I attended a live blues concert at a local bar. One of my coworkers supposedly loves jazzy blues (unbeknownst to me) and one of his favorite groups was making a stop here in Omaha. I've never really been much for blues-type music as I've always attributed it to a much slower beat that I normally desire. But, I must say, this was an awesome group, with mostly up-tempo songs (120 to 160 beats per minute) that really got my foot tapping. It was a fun evening, and I stayed for both sets, which lasted almost 3 hours (with a half hour break in between). I even danced to one of their songs. The group was the Candye Kayne Band. While the music was just a touch too loud, I suppose that's to be expected considering we were in a local bar, but otherwise, it was a great night to get out and enjoy something that I don't normally do.