Pumpkin Time!

Hil and I carved our annual pumpkins on.. hmmm... I can't remember what day. It was a couple of days ago.

Anywho... here are some pics:

In the light. Mine on the left.. Hil's on the right.


In the dark.


TJ and his pumpkin posing together.



I also carved another pumpkin for work. Each department had to carve one and I thought it would be cool to do a "Zach-o-lantern"... in honor of my boss, Zach. It was the first time I ever tried something like this.. and had always wanted to. So as I was carving it, the whole time I was kinda disappointed at how it was coming along... thinking it didn't look anything like him. Imagine my surprise when I lit it up... you be the judge.

Here is the picture I used.


Ok.. now.... THIS is the pumpkin lit up in darkness.


Yeah?!?! Yeah?!?!

Just in case you don't believe that's a real pumpkin.. here it is in the light.


It only really looks completely amazing in complete darkness... it makes it 'pop'. This pumpkin took me about 2.5-3 hours to carve. Well worth it.

I've already been commissioned to do two more... which I am doing today... for my co-worker Max (click for his blog).

Pictures of that to follow, soon.

Also soon to follow are pictures of our costumes from a party we went to last night.

Unfortunately.. I'll be on my way to Daytona, FL for a friends wedding, and Hil will be in school on Halloween... so we won't be around to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters.

Anyways... Happy Helloween!

Happy Birthday, Emma!

On October, 8th our little baby turned one year old!
We celebrated at Oh Yeah! (click for article about the new dog and vegan-friendly ice cream shop on Highland Ave.) Yes.. they opened in September. Brrr!).

In attendance were:
-Lab/Mastiff Mix Maggie and owners Josh and Ashley
-Ivy... a white boxer owned by my friend Squeaks and his son Ian. She's Emma's best friend.
-Baby... a Pit Bull mix owned by the newly relocated (to S. Carolina..) Alex
-The Birthday Girl with Hil and myself.

Not too many pictures were had.. as you could imagine trying to get four dogs who haven't seen each other in a while, surrounded by ice cream, and wearing party hats, to stay in one place while trying to get a good picture.

Here are some pics:

Then


Now... at the party


Everyone had something to eat (Hil.. an Avocado), even the dogs! They make sugar-free dog ice-cream.... which was little more than peanut butter flavored ice milk. Anyways.. Emma and Ivy split a tub and then got into a little spat over the ice cream Ivy was still working on. "It's my party and I'll eat your ice cream if I want to...".

Here are some pictures of Emma and Ivy NOT fighting:

Sitting Pretty


Going to work on their kongs... synchronized treat eating. Even their back legs!


It was a good time... and one of the last times the dogs might get together before the cold weather comes.

Happy birthday, Emma!

New Front Door

So we replaced the old aluminum, early 80's storm door on the house. The new door was spakin'... but STILL didn't look inviting or say "Hey!! This is the front door to our home!!". After our doorbell broke... I pried back the green aluminum flashing to discover the original 1880's woodwork underneath. It took a whole summer (and a little of autumn) of sporadic, not so often work sessions to bring it up to speed. Also notice the mail slot my dad and I put in. It took a while to break through the three layers of brick that make up our outside wall... but it's worth it. Now we can leave the front door open, lock the storm door for security but still get our mail.

Here are some photos:

New Door!


The original woodwork as found... notice the layers of paint.


Close-up.



After chipping off the old paint I was left with this...


Then came the sanding... and that wasn't very fun. I'm a perfectionist for things like this... so I got very detailed...


Hi Emma!


A couple coats of primer...


We bought a 36"x20" insulated window for $40... spent $1.50 on contact paper... and $3 on a can of silver spray paint. We cut the numbers out of the contact paper by hand. Here's the finished product....




A very gratifying job complete. We hope to get the house pointed this coming spring and finish off the windows in the same style.. along with painting all the bluish grey black. Our house is going to be the freshest on the block.

I also scored this $350 iron chandelier for $130 at Construction Junction... the local home recycling/rebuilding center.

Summer Family Vacation

I'm going to try to do this chronologically...

We made a trip to Grand Teton National Park in August. We flew to Omaha to meet up with Hil's family, then drove out to the park in an old VW Vanagon. We loved it. Hil has done it many times, but for me... it was finally getting to a place I had always wanted to visit. It was a toss up between Jackson, WY and Portland, OR when I decided to move away.. luckily I made the decision tomove to the same city Hil was moving to. We met up with some old friends from Portland, went on a scenic float trip down the Snake River, went white water rafting, visited Yellowstone, swam in the most gorgeous lake in the world, and spent some quality time not only with family... but with each other.

Here are some photos:

TJ driving the Vanagon


Hil driving the Vanagon


We watched a tornado form just outsidde of Pine Bluffs, WY






I was sitting in the passenger seat on the drive in so I could take in the views




Home sweet home...


Grandpa and Georgia


Mom McClendon and Georgia


TJ swimming in Jackson Lake. Is this heaven?


Hil and TJ in front of the Tetons


Hil waiting for her food at the hippy joint we went to in Jackson


Hil and TJ under "The Arches"


Best view in the world


The Kids


TJ and the Vanagon... on our way home.


Hil and the Vanagon


TJ taming the Giant Jackalope in Dubois, WY


Long distances, hot pavement, and 80 mph cause blown tires. Just outside of Rawlins, WY


Did I mention we found out we were having a baby on this trip?

This might be easier...

... than emailing everyone multiple emails and pictures and what-not.

With the impending baby, all the work on he house, Hil's schooling/working/tutoring/student teaching/studying, and everything else going on at thie busy times in our lives, I created this for our not so close in locale friends and family to keep up with Thorne'ses.

I have to go to work here in a bit... and I'm off tomorrow... so I'll do a catch-up update then.