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School teacher, dad, homeowner turns superhero but has to learn his powers along the way

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Entries Tagged as 'Around the house'

Secrets of a Flash in the Pan

March 6th, 2007 · 12 Comments

Greg, an alert reader from–well, I’m not sure where he’s from–left this comment on my About page yesterday:
So, help me out here. Your blog is getting major hits, top five on Wordpress, and while I respect your writing, and it is interesting at some level–to what do you attribute so much traffic? Do you have […]

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Tags: Learning · Writing · Humor · Growth · Around the house

What to do about those pesky boxelder bugs

February 27th, 2007 · 21 Comments

I’m wondering if anyone else out there has noticed anything suspicious about the bugs around their house lately. The word “bug” is a scientific term biologists use to combine two species:
The Family of Animals That You Can Kill With A Rolled Up Magazine, and The Family Of Animals That Are Too Quick For That.
I ask […]

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Tags: Learning · Humor · Children · Marriage · Parenting · Home Improvement · Around the house

It’s 15 Degrees, The Furnace is Broken—It’s Go Time!

February 26th, 2007 · 9 Comments

“Something’s wrong.”
I’m not a high stakes gambler. I’ve never made or lost millions in business. Never fought in a foreign war (hell, never even been in a fist fight). I’m not a superstar anything. Don’t drive fast cars, drink, mess around with either women or drugs.
So how do I know I’m […]

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Tags: Learning · Humor · Marriage · Home Improvement · Around the house

How the dead of winter makes me feel alive

February 3rd, 2007 · No Comments

I snapped this picture around noon today. Before then this pheasant was huddled in the bushes near our house. But almost every day around noon, he flies into the branches of this crab apple tree for lunch.
The cool thing about this tree is that the crab apples don’t drop off and it’s smack […]

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Tags: Around the house

Our Geothermal Dream Come True

January 4th, 2007 · 1 Comment

Part of me still has a hard time believing we really have it.
It’s something I had dreamed about for years. From the start, I found the concept and technology fascinating. And oh, the money you can save!
For a confessed energy geek, everything about a geoexchange heat pump seemed really really cool.
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Tags: Learning · Energy · Money · Home Improvement · Around the house

Inside the Mind of a Holiday Grouch

December 11th, 2006 · 1 Comment

This column first appeared in print on December 13, 2006 in that day’s issue of the Inter-County Leader.
I was sitting on the couch Sunday when it started.
“Slow Down!”
“Be Careful With That!”
“Crash!”
One of the things all parents have is a sort of superhuman sixth sense (kind of like Spiderman’s) that warns us of danger. Suddenly, […]

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Tags: Humor · Marriage · Around the house

Is This Normal?

November 27th, 2006 · No Comments

It’s been a nice Thanksgiving break; we all got to enjoy some time together. Father daughter one-on-one time. Mother daughter one-on-one time. All together family time. Some grandparent, and cousin, and in-law time. A bit of shopping. A dinner out. A movie in. Planted a new mailbox. […]

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Tags: Children · Marriage · Parenting · Around the house

No Time to Work Out? No Problem.

November 14th, 2006 · 3 Comments

Been too busy in the yard to get in that workout? Don’t worry about it. You’re still burning plenty of calories. Read on for a quick comparison:
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Tags: Fitness · Around the house

Seeking Wisdom Under a Rusty Pickup

November 13th, 2006 · 2 Comments

Alchemy 101: A Golden Nugget in a Chunk of Coal
Living paycheck to paycheck sucks. Let’s not sugar coat it. But I want to let you in on a little secret . It can also be the most educational and enlightening time of your life.
I’ve learned more because I was poor, than for any other reason. […]

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Tags: Learning · Humor · Money · Around the house

Is Wal Mart Destroying This Family Value?

September 26th, 2006 · 8 Comments

This column first appeared in print on September 27, 2006 in that day’s issue of the Inter-County Leader.

“Dad!” she said one Sunday morning. “I was going right back up!”
“I know,” I said, my head thrust in the refrigerator. “But every second counts. Every penny adds up. You have to turn the lights off when you […]

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Tags: Humor · Energy · Money · Parenting · Around the house