Seriously. Why is it that every home improvement project requires at minimum three trips to Home Depot or Menards? I had a leaky valve for my toilet that needed to be replaced. Measure pipe size, go to the Depot. Look at the 48 different types of valves they stock. Pick one. Come home, wrong size. 46 of the 48 valves were 1/2 inch, turns out I have a 3/8 inch pipe. Okay, go back, return old valve, buy new valve. Right? Wrong. I forgot my wallet. ARGH!!
It's done now though, and no more leaks.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Erin Zimmerman and Aaron Zimmerman
Aaron and Erin got married on Friday! Kelsey and I arrived just in time, narrowly beating out Erin Cox for the last guest to arrive. After the ceremony, we headed to the St Paul Boat Club for the reception. I kinda forgot to use my camera early in the evening, so it's all party pics here.
The bride shaking a leg on the dancefloor.
A crowd.
Obligatory "couple" pic. Yes, I'm wearing my standard wedding attire. Maybe I'll wear a different tie next time.
Shawn and Erin Cox. We had all the members of Team Aaron (Erin) in attendance. Of course, half that team is now together forever.
Kelsey, Kristen and Cameron.
Pirate Steve on the dancefloor!
The happy (and slightly intoxicated) couple.
Six of the eight original crew.
It's astounding that this entire event was brought together by a couple of people not being able to hold their stomachs down. Back in early 2005, Mr. Derek Kruse came to visit Mike and myself. A Thursday evening turned out to be a little too much, and Derek paid the price all over the side of the cab. But because of that, our Friday evening Gasthoffs event turned to a Saturday event, where we met the girls above.
A few weeks later, Zimm (that's Aaron Zimmerman) joined us at Gasthoffs, where he also had a bit too much to drink. But that didn't prevent him from asking for Erin's number afterward, and love soon blossomed!
Congrats!
The bride shaking a leg on the dancefloor.
A crowd.
Obligatory "couple" pic. Yes, I'm wearing my standard wedding attire. Maybe I'll wear a different tie next time.
Shawn and Erin Cox. We had all the members of Team Aaron (Erin) in attendance. Of course, half that team is now together forever.
Kelsey, Kristen and Cameron.
Pirate Steve on the dancefloor!
The happy (and slightly intoxicated) couple.
Six of the eight original crew.
It's astounding that this entire event was brought together by a couple of people not being able to hold their stomachs down. Back in early 2005, Mr. Derek Kruse came to visit Mike and myself. A Thursday evening turned out to be a little too much, and Derek paid the price all over the side of the cab. But because of that, our Friday evening Gasthoffs event turned to a Saturday event, where we met the girls above.A few weeks later, Zimm (that's Aaron Zimmerman) joined us at Gasthoffs, where he also had a bit too much to drink. But that didn't prevent him from asking for Erin's number afterward, and love soon blossomed!
Congrats!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Mille Lacs
On Saturday morning, Anton, Mike, Steve and I all piled into the Grand Prix to head up to the north land for a day on beautiful Lake Mille Lacs. The reason for the occasion was Mr. Aaron Zimmerman's impending wedding and the need to celebrate his final days of bachelorhood.
A condo right on the lake had been rented at Izaty's resort, along with a few hours of walleye fishing. But more on that later.
We probably had the two best days possible, weather wise. Lower 70s each day, with an absolutely gorgeous sky. Of course we broke out the bocce ball, polish horseshoes, and a football or two.
A quick dinner before heading off on the boat. You need a lot of food to feed 15 guys! But what a good looking grill.
Quinn had the most interesting sandals I've seen. The bottom of the sandals actually had a bottle opener in them! Genius.
And we're off! Now, I am not what you would call an avid angler. I think I've caught a total of three fish in my entire life. And there were all sunfish. So this is all new to me.
Here we are. Fishing. Not much else to say.
Nate brought a snuff board. Anton was pumped.
The bachelor caught the first big walleye. A 24 incher, I believe.
Matt was the big winner in terms of quantity. He cought something like 11 or 12 fish. Others caught one. Yet we're all 10 feet away from each other at most.
This is what fishing's all about, I guess.
And I learn quick. My first walleye was a 17 incher. Long enough to keep, but not too long to have to throw back. It became food.
I can't remember who caught this fish, but they obviously take great joy in it.
It was a picture perfect evening.
I think this was Mike's first fish. Also his first walleye ever.
Nate with a nice catch.
Aaron and his dad, Curt.
Oh, another one for me! I had a total of 5 or 6 walleye on the night. A pretty good haul, if I do say so myself. And all of mine were keepers.
Sunday morning we took the scenic route back, stopping in at Anton's parent's house. Mike enjoyed the tractor.
Overall, an excellent weekend. Good food, good fishing, and good times!
A condo right on the lake had been rented at Izaty's resort, along with a few hours of walleye fishing. But more on that later.We probably had the two best days possible, weather wise. Lower 70s each day, with an absolutely gorgeous sky. Of course we broke out the bocce ball, polish horseshoes, and a football or two.
A quick dinner before heading off on the boat. You need a lot of food to feed 15 guys! But what a good looking grill.
Quinn had the most interesting sandals I've seen. The bottom of the sandals actually had a bottle opener in them! Genius.
And we're off! Now, I am not what you would call an avid angler. I think I've caught a total of three fish in my entire life. And there were all sunfish. So this is all new to me.
Here we are. Fishing. Not much else to say.
Nate brought a snuff board. Anton was pumped.
The bachelor caught the first big walleye. A 24 incher, I believe.
Matt was the big winner in terms of quantity. He cought something like 11 or 12 fish. Others caught one. Yet we're all 10 feet away from each other at most.
This is what fishing's all about, I guess.
And I learn quick. My first walleye was a 17 incher. Long enough to keep, but not too long to have to throw back. It became food.
I can't remember who caught this fish, but they obviously take great joy in it.
It was a picture perfect evening.
I think this was Mike's first fish. Also his first walleye ever.
Nate with a nice catch.
Aaron and his dad, Curt.
Oh, another one for me! I had a total of 5 or 6 walleye on the night. A pretty good haul, if I do say so myself. And all of mine were keepers.
Sunday morning we took the scenic route back, stopping in at Anton's parent's house. Mike enjoyed the tractor.
Overall, an excellent weekend. Good food, good fishing, and good times!
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Mad Town
After Brendan's wedding, we figured we were close enough, so we headed down to Madison for Saturday night. Donnie and Heather were kind enough to put us up for the evening. The weather was perfect again, so we headed to the Union Terrace for a couple of drinks.
We played President, where I absolutely ruled. I was the president every round except one, when I was vice. My luck would not hold out the rest of the evening unfortunately.
Chad met up with us later, at the Irish Pub. Chad recently graduated with his law degree, and will be moving down to Chicago.
We did a bit of a tour of State Street, heading over to The Pub next.
We decided to head back to Donnie's around 11ish. No one knew quite how tired Donnie was, though. He crashed hard. For which we made lots of fun. The rest of us stayed up a few more hours playing more card games.
The ride back was less than comfortable. We thought it would be a good idea to save on gas money and all cram into Mike's truck. Five people in an F150 is NOT the way to spend 4+ hours. We stopped in Black River Falls to stretch. Like many places in Wisconsin, they have giant figurines for advertising stuff.
This one's for you, Hye.
All in all, a great weekend. It was exactly the escape I needed.
We played President, where I absolutely ruled. I was the president every round except one, when I was vice. My luck would not hold out the rest of the evening unfortunately.
Chad met up with us later, at the Irish Pub. Chad recently graduated with his law degree, and will be moving down to Chicago.
We did a bit of a tour of State Street, heading over to The Pub next.
We decided to head back to Donnie's around 11ish. No one knew quite how tired Donnie was, though. He crashed hard. For which we made lots of fun. The rest of us stayed up a few more hours playing more card games.
The ride back was less than comfortable. We thought it would be a good idea to save on gas money and all cram into Mike's truck. Five people in an F150 is NOT the way to spend 4+ hours. We stopped in Black River Falls to stretch. Like many places in Wisconsin, they have giant figurines for advertising stuff.
This one's for you, Hye.
All in all, a great weekend. It was exactly the escape I needed.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Brendan and Lori Tie the Knot
On Friday, Kelsey and I headed down to Merrimac, WI with Mike, Alisha, Shawn, and Megan to attend Brendan Dwyer's and Lori Kettlehut's wedding. It was held at Devil's Head Resort. It was one of the best weddings I've been to, very small and relaxed. There were about 110 guests, many from high school and Minneapolis.
The weather held out for a picture perfect ceremony.
Yeah, my eyes were closed. It was still the best picture I had.
Here's the wedding party doing the wave during the first dance.
The coolest part was the attention to detail in the wedding. They had a great voice over during the first dance. And the program had the whole story of how they met.
Congrats and Best Wishes for the future!
The weather held out for a picture perfect ceremony.
Yeah, my eyes were closed. It was still the best picture I had.Here's the wedding party doing the wave during the first dance.
The coolest part was the attention to detail in the wedding. They had a great voice over during the first dance. And the program had the whole story of how they met.Congrats and Best Wishes for the future!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
OUCH!
Was in a small car accident on Thursday. The Explorer took it like a champ, though! It's just a flesh wound.
Crappy camera phone picture at the scene:
Later. Had to bend the bumper out to drive it.
The alignment's off quite a bit now. I think I'll just replace the bumper with a 2"x8". How's that gonna look?
Crappy camera phone picture at the scene:
Later. Had to bend the bumper out to drive it.
The alignment's off quite a bit now. I think I'll just replace the bumper with a 2"x8". How's that gonna look?
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Clean Clothes Finally
On Wednesday Mike helped me transport our new washer and dryer from ApplianceSmart to home. The old units were heavy! It was tough to get them out the door. Fortunately Minneapolis will pick up the appliances on recycling week for free.
The glorious new washer and dryer! Front load, energy and water efficient! Had a couple of problems getting them running, but now they're good to go. As you can see, the wall was partially painted. I'll finish the rest of it later.
The pedestals were a nice addition. They made the washer and dryer more pleasant to use, and let us get rid of some ugly storage that was hanging from the ceiling.
The glorious new washer and dryer! Front load, energy and water efficient! Had a couple of problems getting them running, but now they're good to go. As you can see, the wall was partially painted. I'll finish the rest of it later.
The pedestals were a nice addition. They made the washer and dryer more pleasant to use, and let us get rid of some ugly storage that was hanging from the ceiling.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Basement Done
Well, almost. The carpet was installed on Wednesday, and one of the doors was installed. No trim yet, but it was done enough to have the inaugural party on Friday. Which entailed the inaugural beer spill, as well as the inaugural dent in the drywall. It wasn't much of a party, just some poker with Mike, Kevin, Jon, and Jake. But we had a good time. Here's what the basement looks like now, pretty much.
Any bets on how long it takes me to finish the trim work? Then I get to start on the basement hall, and possibly bathroom. Houses are soooo much fun.
Any bets on how long it takes me to finish the trim work? Then I get to start on the basement hall, and possibly bathroom. Houses are soooo much fun.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Appliances are Dumb
Yeah, you read that right, appliances are dumb. My house is full of them. The only one I'm on good terms with is the dishwasher, and I'm sure I've now jinxed that. My refrigerator leaks water from the freezer section, which I wetvac up every few weeks. My range only has two real burners, is electric, and the oven won't hold a consistent temperature, causing pizza to burn on one side and be raw on the other. The disposal is loud, and likes to jam a lot. My washing machine has never really been able to wash hot. It was mostly cold or freezing cold water. And Wednesday, the dryer decided to stop drying. Well, it will dry, just not tumble. Yes, it's just a broken belt. But while investigating the fabulous Whirlpool brand LDI 7801 W1 model dryer, I found that it's a week older than me (purchased June 1, 1978), and that parts don't really exist anymore. The washer is only slightly newer, having been acquired by a previous owner in 1980.
So the decision now is, fix or replace? If I replace, I might as well do the washer too, because Murphy's Law says it will break two days later if I don't replace it. And then it will probably just cascade to the fridge and range, leading me to remodel the whole kitchen. I mean, I'll already be in there, right?
Chad, I'm warning you about this home ownership thing right now.
So the decision now is, fix or replace? If I replace, I might as well do the washer too, because Murphy's Law says it will break two days later if I don't replace it. And then it will probably just cascade to the fridge and range, leading me to remodel the whole kitchen. I mean, I'll already be in there, right?
Chad, I'm warning you about this home ownership thing right now.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Brewfest
Kelsey and I drove up to Superior, WI on Saturday to attend this "brewfest" her friends had invited us to. Turns out this is somewhat of a big deal in the area. The Gitchee Gumee Brewfest has been going on for 10 years now. You need to get the tickets ahead of time, as they're big sellers. Kelsey had reserved tickets for herself, Lil, and I three weeks ago, but the guy said we could pay when we picked them up. Saturday morning, no tickets. Something about they're all sold.
WHAT!? Well, they don't sell the tickets at the door, either. Looks like it's go home, right? We head over to the arena, where I find someone to plead my case to.
"We drove all the way from Minneapolis!"
"They said they would hold the tickets."
"I'm wearing a shirt that says 'I enjoy drinking beer'."
In the end, some soul took pity on us, and we worked a deal to get in!
A large number of area breweries were represented. The farthest was Rogue Ales from Oregon. I've had their beer before, it's quite good.
It didn't take long for a beer fault to occur. Penalty box for you!
Viking Brewing had one of their seasonals, the Hot Chocolate Beer, and turned it into beer floats! Very tasty.
Of course, with so many brewers and varieties, we HAD to narrow down a winner. The highlights for me:
This guy also agreed that it was a success!
WHAT!? Well, they don't sell the tickets at the door, either. Looks like it's go home, right? We head over to the arena, where I find someone to plead my case to.
"We drove all the way from Minneapolis!"
"They said they would hold the tickets."
"I'm wearing a shirt that says 'I enjoy drinking beer'."
In the end, some soul took pity on us, and we worked a deal to get in!
A large number of area breweries were represented. The farthest was Rogue Ales from Oregon. I've had their beer before, it's quite good.It didn't take long for a beer fault to occur. Penalty box for you!
Viking Brewing had one of their seasonals, the Hot Chocolate Beer, and turned it into beer floats! Very tasty.
Of course, with so many brewers and varieties, we HAD to narrow down a winner. The highlights for me:- Surly. These guys are in Brooklyn Center, and absolutely the most delicious beer I had all afternoon. Both the Coffee Bender and One beers were awesome. One is a limited release, maybe I can find it. Neither is a beer you could drink a lot of, though.
- New Glarus. What more do you need to say, after Spotted Cow.
- Fitger's Brewhouse. A Duluth micro. Not the best, but the most unique beer of the night: Wildfire Lager. A lager infused with peppers. By no means subtle, either. It was almost like drinking the juice from a jar of peppers.
This guy also agreed that it was a success!
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