Toilet Subfloor Removal

The master bathroom has been on ongoing project that begin with a flexing tile wall in the shower. This lead me to remove the walls, and remove the shower walls and associated floor. Once the tiling was complete (glass door is not yet), I began my efforts on the master closet by removing the carpet and replacing with large 24"x 12" tile. Upon completion, I moved the progress to the bathroom room and then into the toilet room. After removing the carpet, the toilet had created a ring of water damage to the subfloor. It was my act to remove the 3/4" plywood and replace, however I needed to add additional supports between the running rafters. To cover the hole, I needed to jig 3 pieces that covered these holes.

The main key is to transfer the load appropriately from the toilet to the new members to the rafters. Without, there would be a major issue.

Currently at this point, I need to screw them in and remove the baseboards, add the tile subfloor and begin the tiling process.  I have had bought a toilet riser device to allow the differential between the tile finish floor and the previous finish floor.

The Toilet and the Process... Part 1 

2017 Hybridwoofers

We haven't blogged in so long, but I figured to go dust off the virtual dust and see if we can do something with this again.

Certainly the last part of the 2016 year has been bittersweet. Losing a job is tough business, finding a new job is even harder. But with 2017, the ability to push ahead and find something else is promising.

Many interviews have been had, not all are winners (obviously), but each are uniquely challenging. Finding a job is critical to meet some of our internal goals for this year.

This year we'd like to achieve a new fence in the back yard, some cedar box planters, some new windows for the house and potentially taking a few small vacations this year. Long term goal, to buy a RV of sorts that can be pulled with the truck and incorporate our dogs on some long weekends while showing our son that there is more to life than iPad, Chicken Nuggets and Candy.

The Hybridwoofers are still alive and well, although at age 10 and 9, they certainly have lost steam and take many naps, but still enjoy car rides and all the associated smells of the outdoors.

Hopefully 2017 is fruitful for you and us and we can document some successes along the way.

-M

April New Year

3 Months in and it is a new year...9 more months and we can do it again.

What have the woofers been up to? A lot of walking, running, barking, eating, peeing, and pooping. Non-stop. The dogs can't be stopped. The labradoodle has Addision's Disease, and requires a expensive shot every 4 to 5 weeks. Typically if he waits longer than that he loses weight. Although, he is overweight, so it could be a good thing. But all in all, both dogs are in good health. The belgian sheep dog is now 8 years old, and he is not much for running unless you count squirrel patrol. Outside of that, no running for him. He sheds bad, but a good brushing every couple months minimizes the hair.

At times, I have forgotten this blog as we have been too buys to keep up with life in general. Now that it is warmer, we will add some clips or photos of state park reviews. So far this spring, we have visited 2 in Kansas. Most state parks in Kansas were Army Corp of Engineer created for flood protection. It does appear that their lakes while 'man' made do have fish and are stocked. Many of the parks have cabins or yurts for rent. And we could even bring the dogs if we desired.

All in all, we are busy.

Stay Woofin!

Basement Stair Idea

I saw this image of a stairway basement , it makes me want to do a big switch to ours....it is giving me some ideas.

Henry Ford Museum: Face Off

We were lucky to include the Henry Ford Museum into our Pure Michigan Summer Vacation. I was able to take photos of these vehicles, any one of these would look great in my garage.

Steak and Dental Floss

If I owned a steakhouse, every steak would come with a complimentary roll of dental floss. Steak never fails to enter between your teeth.

Forecasting TV: Leno to CNN ?

Just my hunch, I think Leno would be perfect for a primetime show on CNN, now with Piers Morgan canned, what is stopping this from happening? To me, as Jay is 63-65 years old, he would be a nice fit talking on a wide range of subjects. It would be the biggest thing to happen to CNN since?

Floating Shelves DYI

This project began in Jan., a few stops to big orange for 3" wood screws and wood. Originally, I had these metal 1.5" screws but upon use they totally stripped themselves from the hand drill. I have found a rough design of these shelves from a blog online.  Not much is different, but certainly selecting your wood type will vary your costs. My net cost was a out 70 dollars. Certainly I have learned a few tricks after doing these, so the following similar projects will go easier.

Island of Sordor

Ever watch Thomas The Tank Engine and wonder exactly what is this Island of Sordor anyway? It looks very small from the aerial map, but when you watch the show, it is huge. Something is up. Let's just say, the realism is limited. Maybe Sordor is the size of Rhode Island, that would make sense, but the aerial map makes it the size of Mackinaw Island instead. And if Thomas the Tank Engine was given a yearly performance review, I am pretty sure he would be on the next ferry off Sordor and working else where, as he is always ruining something. Just saying.

Week 2 NFL Pick em'!

Who do I like? I need to be better than last weeks picks...

6. I like the Chiefs to beat Dallas 28-20,  the town has been a buzz for this opener all week. Charles 135yds, 2TDs

5. Green Bay to make Washington 0-2, as the Pack wins 21-14. I can't see Washington winning this one.

4. Chicago to win at home vs. Minnesota, 17-10.

3. Eagles to win at home vs. San Diego, 34-20, big rout.

2. Seattle wins at home 24-21 vs. 49ers

1. The Lions to finally win at Arizona! 34-20, Calvin will actually score a td this weekend, and look for Fauria leading the tightends, Pettigrew will find less time as he is very unreliable, can't catch, can't hold on the ball, will find him on bench.

Monday Night: Bengals beat the Steelers 24-17!

Week 1 NFL Pick 'em Review

How to read the following:

 

Game, Predicted Score, and Predicted Total

Final Score, Final Total

The "Spread", determined by the betting wizards of Las Vegas, and their total points

And what my prediction would of been regarding the Las Vegas spread values

The last line, a cumulative Win-Loss tally of my spread picks, and my over-under picks.

 

How it turned out....

 

 

Atlanta at New Orleans

Predicted 38-31 New Orleans, total: 69 points

Final: 23-17, New Orleans, total: 40 points

Saints -3, 54 Points

Win Spread, Loss Over/Under

1-0, 0-1, overall: 1-1

Tampa Bay at Jets

Predicted 19-14 Tampa Bay, total: 33 points

Final: 18-17 Jets total: 35 points

Jets +2.5, 41 Points

Loss Spread, Win Over/Under

1-1, 1-1, overall 2-2

 

Tennessee at Pittsburgh

Predicted 24-21 Tennessee, total: 45 points

Final: 16-9 Tennessee, total: 25

Pittsburgh -6.5, 40.5 Points

Win Spread, Loss Over/Under

2-1, 1-2, Overall 3-3

 

Cincinnati at Chicago

Predicted: Cincinnati 21-17, total: 38 points

Final: Chicago 24-21, total: 45 points

Chicago -3.5, 45.5 Points

Loss Spread, Loss Over/Under

2-2, 1-3, Overall 4-4

 

Green Bay at SF 49ers

Predicted GB 24-18, total: 42 points

Final: 34-28 SF, total: 62 points

SF -4.5, 50.5 points

Loss: Spread, Win Over/Under

2-3, 2-3, Overall 4-6

 

Vikings at Lions

Predicted DET 31-17, total: 48 points

Final: DET 34-24, total: 58 points

DET -4.5, 47 points

Win: Spread, Win: Over/Under

3-3, 3-3, Overall 6-6

 

Eagles at Redskins

Predicted Washington 28-24, total: 52

Final: Philadelphia 33-27, 60

Washington -4.5, 51 points

Loss: Spread, Win: Over/Under

3-4, 4-3, Overall 7-7

 

I was Under 500 (3-4 with the spread betting) and 4-3 with the over under betting. So I was even, 7-7 overall...interesting? I thought it was. Maybe week 2 will be better. Look for my picks later.

 

 

NFL Week 1: (6-Pack)

Outside of the Lions hosting the Vikings this Sunday, the following are my top other 6 things to look for this weekend.

6. Tampa vs. Jets, Just how bad will Josh Freeman be this year? Will it be a rebound year, or will it burn fast and lead to his benching. The return of Revis to NYJ should be an interesting reunion. This game should allow Tampa to win, by 6, Prediction: Tampa Bay 20, NYJ 14

5. Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh, Will this be the year that Pittsburgh comes back to earth regarding mediocre teams. Tennessee will show off a powerful running game with Johnson and Greene behind a healthy offensive line. Prediction: Tennessee 24, Pittsburgh 21

4. Philadelphia vs. Washington, RG3 returns vs. a potential high flying offensive show in Philly. This game should be a fun one to watch, really looking forward to it. I suspect all the news of in-fighting in Philadelphia will help Washington, with the Redskins winning 28, 24.

3. Atlanta vs. New Orleans, Two in-conference, in -division super bowl potential teams face off, this should be a high powered game on offense, neither team has a defense worth talking about, should be plenty of fantasy points to be had. New Orleans: 38, Atlanta 31

2. Cincinnati vs. Chicago, Everyone is talking about the Bengals as a division winner in the AFC North, if this is true they need to win this game in Chicago, where a new coaching staff takes over after the Lovie era. I believe the Bears will lose, but their running game will keep it close, Bengals 21, Bears 17

1. Green Bay vs. San Francisco, This 4 PM EST kickoff should be a prime time game, too bad. GB signed 2 former QBs from SF recently, this sounds like some gamesmanship. Look forward to more shots of SF head coach Harbaugh throwing a fit as the Packers beat the 49ers 24, 18.


Lions Prediction, Lions 31, Vikings 17, should be a runaway game for the Lions. I really think the Vikings will be walking into a hornets nest/lions den. Look for 140 all purpose yards from Reggie Bush, and over 300 yards from Stafford.

Ben Affleck The New Batman

Many are calling this a idiot casting. But in reality, it is a genius play.

1. Affleck's career is in a huge upswing recently. (Argo)

2. His star power will bring people back for more comic book heroics on big screen.

3. He has a very chiseled jaw, a must when wearing a mask that only shows the bottom of your face.

4. The whole idea of Batman v. Superman does sound gimmicky, but with the reality is sizzle sells and this gives what the people want for good and for bad. 

5. The last Batman movie ended a great chapter, now the money is being made by the Hybrid Comic Movies and this will fit and make the billing.

Fox Sports 1 Minor Review

Well the new kid on the block showed up over the weekend, Fox Sports 1's version of ESPN's Sportscenter. The format was interesting, talk at the desk for awhile than swing the camera to the right and speak to a panel of former professional athletes. It was awkward , not the notion going to a panel, but the athletes they had were a bit of a let down. It is baseball season, and I did not see one former baseball player on the panel.  Really, Andy Roddick? Who in the heck follows tennis? I would rather see a former golfer on the panel over Roddick. Two former football players? (Donovan McNabb and Ephraim Salaam) . The only thing I can think of is when the casting call went out, Salaam was remarkable, otherwise his name is not an attention grabber for viewers. 

The Anchors: Dan O'Tool and Jay Onrait, two Canadian anchors who bring their side-cracking acts to SO-CAL. Their delivery is slap-happy but at the end of the day they do their job. Will their work be remembered for their comedic delivery or for giving a solid newscast?


Then there was this gem:

http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=3f348bc7-7cc6-485d-b260-1dc565921f55&src=v5:share:sharepermalink:&from=sharepermalink

Which reminded me of Brick... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pdWAcK6Eh8

Then they had a dog reacting to the promo: http://msn.foxsports.com/watch/fox-sports-live/video?vid=23d6175a-76f3-42b3-8d0d-349b2fe0da9b



The panel should be seasonal and rotate....

Summer: Baseball, Baseball, NBA, Football

Fall, Baseball, NBA, Football, NHL

Winter, NBA, Football, NHL, NBA

Spring, Baseball, NBA, NHL, Golf

Or if you can have 5, have the fifth be a rotation of Tennis, Golf, Motorsports, Olympics


Certainly, I prefer to have competition regarding sports channels. But with each league running their own sports recap show, FoxSports1 needs to really hit a home run to eat into their ESPN habit. 

Lighting

I have been thinking our basement needs updating lighting for awhile. Currently the large dim-able flood lights exist, but are expensive to operate. But alas, I came across a highlighted product article in todays WSJ! www.meethue.com  This would be a fun and cool way to get the type of light no matter the occasion. Movie night, turn the lights to a light red. Game time, turn the lights to soft green. Card night, turn the lights to a choice that will bode you better hands. Also, as it is programmable, it could be used as security lights while on vacation. Brilliant! 

Homemade Dog Biscuits

Today I decided to make the woofers some homemade dog biscuits. Sounded pretty easy, as I did follow the recipe in the past. I used the Martha Stewart recipe , the only issue I found with them is that the dough is really sticky and doesn't really roll flat easily. I might try a different recipe online some day, or attempt to make other dog treats. But in the meantime, the dogs will have to deal with my treats.

Seedlings 2013

This spring we decided to jump into the gardening aspect of things. Over a few weeks we collected some seeds and planted them, after 7 days or so, some of the seedlings have decided to rise. Certainly I am surprised that we have made it to this stage already. I need to purchase a few things to create a poorman's greenhouse outside, something to protect from the cold and the heat. From some research online, rollaway shades can help protect from suns heat, but the use of plastic will increase heat.

Certainly the entire enterprise is a crap-shoot, it would be pretty cool to actually grow something this year and not have the dogs trample over. 

We will keep you posted...

Happy Easter!!

Happy Easter, spring is here!

Pendulum Movie Series

It is pretty funny, the pendulum swings from left to right.

For years, Women have made fun of Guys with their interest in such SciFi movie series like Star Trek and Star Wars. It may of taken 35 years for the pendulum to swing in the full opposite direction but I believe it has. I am speaking of the Twilight Franchise and Hunger Games to an extent.

At this point, from my view, not many guys are into the Twilight series. First of all, it is what it appears to me as a Love story with some random fight sequences, and much drama. I admit, I have seen the first two movies, and have not seen the rest. Do I care to see the rest,...No. I've seen enough.

Granted Star Wars episode 4 and Twilight Movie 1 are similar, initial movie, slow story, cheap looking sets/effects. They did improve as time went. The first Hunger Games movie follows this result as well, where in the second movie will get a new director, and perhaps more investment from their filmhouse.

Fast forward to the best scene in Episode 6, I don't want to give the ending away, but things progress and get better.

Just like the stock market is based on a cycle, I think movies are similar, or at least copy-cat tendencies. It doesn't take a genius to realize that you can make more money by stretching a series out to 3 or 4 movies, when it could it could of been hammered out in 2 or 3.

Life without Cable continues...

Life without Cable...

Certainly one thing has kept me going pretty strong regarding the lack of a DirecTV bill each month, and it is free. Podcasts! Yes, podcasts. They can be downloaded on your computer, or in my case to my cell phone. I then have something to listen to  and sometimes watch while on the treadmill.

My weekly downloaded shows are, in no particular order.

-Car Talk from NPR (Comedy/Knowledge)
-The BS Report (Bill Simmons, ESPN/Sports)
-The Adam Carolla Podcast (Comedy)
-Freakeconomics Radio Podcast (Knowledge)
-Mad Money with Jim Cramer (CNBC, Comedy/Knowledge)

The Mad Money podcast is a video podcast, so a cable show for free, how awesome is that. Certainly, it is about investing stocks, but I actually learn a thing or two about industry from this show.