John Hendow

Amazing. I’m so proud of our country for taking this step together. Lead on, Mr. President. I’m aboard.

Ed McMichael RIP

Dammit. Ed was a gentle, kind guy. He was also a little strange. And he was a guy that I really appreciated simply for being such an unabashed supporter of Seattle sports. I’ll miss his silly dancing, strange humor, and boundless enthusiasm. I got to know Ed about ten years ago when I was writing an article on Seattle’s better-known street musicians (which is also when I became a friend of Richard Peterson). It sickens me to think he was killed for pocket change. Godspeed, friend. May your tuba echo in the heavens.

At this time tomorrow we’ll have a new president elect. Bring it on.

Barack me, Obamadeus!

This morning we awoke to discover it was quite chilly in the house. Attempts to adjust the thermostat were unsuccessful and we decided to call in a service technician to diagnose and (hopefully) fix the problem. Our furnace is probably 25 or 30 years old. We know someday we’ll have to replace it but are hoping that it won’t be today… with any luck we can nurse this beastie along for another year or so. Dang.

UPDATE: Apparently our furnace just needs a $500 thingy. It’s just expensive enough to be really annoying but not expensive enough to justify replacing the furnace. Fortunately, the repair technician located the part we needed and managed to install it immediately. So we’re back to living in a heated house again. Overall, not so bad I suppose.

Last night I finished up my take-home project in welding class. My original idea for incorporating smaller design elements proved difficult to accomplish. I just haven’t developed the skill to make those tiny welds. So instead I went in a slightly different direction and made a couple of arguably pointless (but fun) doodads. As expected, welding is a lot of fun. I’m pretty certain a MIG welder is in my future.

My friend Bill put together a couple of pretty useful things in class. His degree in art gives him a pretty serious advantage over the rest of us. I’m glad he was available for consultation during the construction of my project.

All in all, a great class and I’ll definitely take the next on the in series.

Last night was the first meeting of my MIG welding class, which continues through Thursday. I had a great time making my first welds and within an hour it seemed pretty natural to me. My friend Bill and I decided to enroll in the same class, so we’re learning together and will soon (dramatic pause) WELD THE UNIVERSE! Or at least the parts of it that can be welded by a couple of boneheads. Bill has the unfair advantage of (1) having welded once before and (2) actually having artistic skill and training – talents of which I am thoroughly unburdoned. Nevertheless, arcs are flying.

I’ve wanted to learn how to MIG weld for a long time, largely because I have ideas for projects around the house or yard, and in order to address them I need this skill. I’m delighted that it’s relatively easy to learn the basics and that it’s considerably less dangerous than it sounds. Our final class will be focused on our “take home project” and I haven’t yet decided what I want to make. It would be wonderful to put something together that we could actually have on display but until I develop more skill my welds will be of the functional-but-unhandsome variety. Likely it will be a curious yard object, suitable for ivy to grow upon.

Well, have successfully completed forty five trips around the sun. We celebrated last night with wonderful friends and family, and it was great to see everyone. Many thanks for the kind wishes and silly cards. I hope the next forty five years are even more fun.

Lame. My tootheache is now officially gone. It’s been replaced by a general pain in my entire head. Root canals suck.

Dang. Something has been bugging one of my teeth for the past week and I am starting to really have a hard time ignoring it. Good thing my dentist is available to see me today. Meh.

Well, I suppose there really isn’t much doubt about it…