christmas in ohio con............

 hang on i got this......

as the gift exchange was taking place upstairs some unusual events were taking place. see if you can spot anything  unusual in this pic.

and again take a look at this pic see anything unusual. if you noticed Mandy's silly uncle Craig in the background you would be right. good times

christmas day in ohio........

 here's a pic of little Malia, up and ready to get her first Christmas started. you might not want to unwrap this present unless you want a lump of something and it probably wont be coal(but you might wish it was).

here's a pic of Mandy's two brothers Jared on the left, and his side kick Jake on the right they are patently awaiting the go head for opening of the gifts. when the gifts were opened you couldn't get to the door there was so much discarded paper products. this gift giving fest was on a lower level, then up to the next floor for more gifting.

just us and the tree......................

here's a quick pick of me, the old lady, baby girl and Mr poops trying to shoot a x-mas pic.

staying warm..........

here's a quick pic of Malia after coming in after a fetching session with Barkley. shes got on dads ski mask and is sharing dads fleece........... toasty mostey

barkleys christmas gift.........

 for Christmas we picked up a butcher bone for Barkley he was super excited, so i took him outside to enjoy. now just too set the mood he had been in the house the whole morning and was looking forward to a little one on one time with his best Friend(his butt).  with a new treat in front of him the question became....butt...or....bone...what do you think he chose?....scroll down for the answer to this ever so pressing question.                             
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if you guessed butt you were right now just let him enjoy a moment to himself.............heard it taste like chicken

big expectations........ ...

here in this pic Malia is eyeing up her next mission, to some how reach that shinny round knob and to turn, push, pull or whatever mom and dad do to open this door. this is Malia first snow, you can see it falling outside. shes bound and determined that shes gonna bust her and Mr. poops out, all she needs is a little time and another foot or two. better put on a hat and coat or you'll catch a chill!

how to catch a pink albino face canine?......

if you sit still, hold your breath for 4 minutes, close your eyes, wear some camouflage, put out some bait
(a bowl of dog food often works), say a quick prayer, clap 3 times, spin in a circle until your dizzy, and wait till the sun goes down, you may have a chance of seeing this rare breed of pink dog! don't let its calm demeanor fool you. this rare pink albino face canine will eat your heart up(already has her dads). in this rare clip she can be heard growling and scratching the ground as she makes her pass. beware she will attack electrical devises.

taken out the trash.........

here's a quick  pic of baby girl taking out the trash. shes all over the place and loves to mess with things shes not suppose to have. sometimes we set stuff down(pots, spoons, etc) and pretend like were doing other things, she looks at us then goes straight for it when she thinks were looking away:)

patch work continued...

yep had a day off with my wife and this gave me a chance to finish the patch job on the hallway floor. first i had to plunge cut the existing flooring so that the joints would be staggered (as in pic above). i had saved some of the old wood flooring from the bathroom reno so that i could blend it with  the existing. when we bought the house and removed the carpet we discovered a patch job, we always kept it covered with a hallway rug but no need for that now.

 

here's a pic of the hallway with the laying of the wood flooring done, all that's left now is a light sand job and a healthy coat of sealant. did you notice the small black box by the bottom of the doorway in the back? any guesses as to what it may be? go ahead zoom in, whats your thought(ill give ya a hit, it has something to do with the holidays in a round about way).

what ever you do dont mow the grass........

here is just a couple pics of some of the outdoor decorations. twinkling colorful lights and bright shinny balls are just some of the Christmas paraphernalia that will dazzle you. brought to you by the homestead on lenmore. its a good thing that ol daddy Dave didn't need any more electrical plugs for repairs or some of these fixtures may not shine so bright.

the front yard is a electrical grid that would baffle even the most experienced electrical engineer. so trespassers beware, or the logs on the fire might not be the only thing crackling. and for all you hard core Ohio state fans you can see that flag still flying in the back ground. i have a Christmas flag but it cant go up until the last football game is played(orders of the wife), at least it wont ever fade :)

a apple a day with keep the docter away......

here's a video of little Malia munching on a apple, and boy is she is enjoying it! i believe it is a gala for you fruit fanatics out there. there is a little drooling involved in this clip but its still rated PG so its still kid viewing friendly. hey cut her a break she's used to apple sauce.

dose a giant live here one may ask.........

dose a giant live here one may ask, why are all the ornaments so far from the bottom? if you take a look at this Christmas tree you may notice that there are no ornament's about a foot or two on the bottom of the tree., why you may ask? well this is easily explained, if you take a even closer look you can see  the source of the missing ornaments. in this pic she is eyeing up the gifts under the tree, she often pulls off the bows and drags around the gifts. as of now she doesn't know how to unwrap yet, but dad is trying to teach her because there is a gift under there for him and he needs it to accidentally be exposed :)

rental reno continueoed........

 as one of my last post forecasted it looked like i was in for a repair of the water main. well if your gonna do it, do it right. well i decided sense this house was built in the 30dees that it would be wise(not so cheap) to replace the entire line, as not to have more problems in the future. this is a pic of the side yard before excavation. i had to get this project done that night because we had a slight warm day in the 50dees, but rain was forecasted that night and the temps expected to be in the 30dees as the high for the next week. cant dig in frozen ground and if i didn't get it refilled it would turn into a ice rink.

i started this project after work, so i got started around 2:30in the pm. 1st removed the tree it wouldn't be getting any more free water. being the lone shovel operator it took only about a hour to expose the old piping. for the techies out there the frost line is a foot in NC and the existing piping was in some spots about 5in down(could almost hit that with the lawn mower) but had worked like this for some time. the leakey spot was about a foot and a half under. you can see some water around the old pipe at the source of the leak. i then removed piping and dug down at least 28in or more to insure proper depth.

well with some research i found out that this new tubing is often used and also up to code.  that was too be the easiest method, so i went with the extra thick 3/4 tubing. after a few trips to Lowe's for parts(forgot wallet...... both times), i finally was successfully in getting the pipe and hooking it up. if i had the right parts on site it would have taken only about 10min( but that was not my case), but it was super easy. if i had wussed out and rented a ditch witch(a machine powered digging apparatus) you would have read about a massive explosion in concord, if you look close at the pic you can see that that the water line runs under the gas line....ya kaaabooom. for future digging you can call the local utility companies and they'll usual locate and mark all your utility lines for free.

sad to report no new tools were needed in this excavation, but that shovel got a good work out. this is a pic of the recovering of the ditch. as you can see dark has fell i ended finishing up around 8:50pm, not too bad. then i was off to the home were my exhausted wife(been x-mas shopping) awaited with a nice hot fire and a warm bowl of stew :) and a sleeping little one. good times

rental fun...and of course ive seen this before.......

 well this is how i spent my day off, nope not out with the boys, not shopping with the ole lady, but sweating it out with Mr copper pipe  and his friend propane torch. the floor under the water heater had seen better days and was in need of replacement. with this flooring gone it was so much easier to do the pipes. this pic is of the newly sweated pipes.

then off to hook up the pex pipes, man i wish everything was this easy, they just snap together no elbows, sodering, no cement, just snip, snap, clicked, and clap. well with the water heater unhooked i could not pressure test the system and check all the pipes. but i had installed a handy dandy shut off valve so i was able to test the cold lines and it was successful..................butt........................and i mean a big o'll butt..........one like in that song i like big butts....... butt it was not one that i liked!

'

when i cut on the water at the street i could hear it run continuously, the meter was spinning like a disco ball..........it usually only does this if theres a leak. so  i crawl under and around the house but i couldn't see anything....hmmmmmm. so i shut off the valve under the house were it comes into the house and could still here it rushing through the pipes, o snap. i walk around the outside of the house and step into a soggy wet puddle. o well ...got a new project now, and this is new territory. i wounder what kind of new tool my wifey will let me buy now :) (i already have a shovel, which it looks like ill be using now)

what a cute little hat.....

here is Malia sporting a knitted cap, which her great grandmother has crafted for her. yes it kept her head quite snug, as she and her father went once again to that all to familiar home improvement store. of course she also had a coat on. shes also sporting some nice pink boots, which tie in nicely with the hat.

reno contenoed.......

 this is Malia's first up close and personal encounter with the baby gate, she thinks its a big chew toy.

 and here is a pic of my two lovely assistance hard at work, the true worker bees reveled

and of course another removal pic of some of the piping. in this pic you can see the copper pipe just breaking at the point of entree. you can see some of the oxidisation or corrosion on the pipe. all i can say is pex, pex, pex of how i love you pex.

mom can i go outside with barkly.......

mom can i go outside with Barkley ...pretty please. yeah mom can she go out with me?

o no lights out.......

 as you can see here we have a bit of a situation. one evening while me and my oll lady were lounging around before cashing in for the night and baby girl was off in slumber town, the mid section of the tree cut off. son of a biscuit! just change the strand you may say, well its not this simple. ya see, back a year or two ago me and the lady went to that all so famous improvement store and bought a pre-lit tree. mainly for the convenience and safety being that we use a wood burning apparatus. after a bit of calming down with help from the wifey, and a good nights rest under my belt,  operation evergreen began. with the wifey off at work i had to get to the root of the problem. well after some testing and inspecting i soon discovered a faulty plug(ladies, the pug was a male, go figure you may say).

  so i needed a new plug off something with the same amps and current to help prevent running into any electrical issues later on down the road. hmmmmmm......... where could i find such a plug on short notice? yep if you  guessed off another Christmas light strand you would be right. it just so happens that this strand is wrapped around one of mommas fine x-mas decorations.........yep you guessed it...snip snip..o  no he didn't!!! the above pic is of the donner strand after the operation

 a little crimping, some electrical tape for good measure and.........

walaa................i wonder how long it will take momma to notice.....and yes Mandy your sweet darling baby girl was an accomplice. here she is hiding in the shadows. i guess shell be on the naughty list this year.

drip, drip, drip...more like gush, gush, gush

 does it make too much sense to make things easy. why would you put the plumbing through the floor joist, at least its not a supporting joist just a piece nailed to existing joist. but it just so happens that the leak is inside, so i have to cut out the t section and replace it all. at least when i go home tonight ill still have a hot shower. it wasn't that way when i was working on my plumbing.
 

working on the cold lines first but it seems to appear that were the copper pipe goes through the floor it seems to have corroded and formed holes.(pops do you have any thoughts) its almost as if the wood got damp and it corroded just in these spots. the pic has arrows pointing to some of these hole, one was so bad it pulled apart when un-installing. of right now it looks like pex pipe will be my new best friend. every time i fix one and cut on the water i find another, sounds like fun...o it is. at least i have more than a foot of crawl space and getting in and out is a snap. i don't  think i slipped even one small curse word into my vocabulary today, and that's a record!

ive seen this before.....

 here is a pic of our latest project, we have decided to give the whole land lord thing a try, and after stumbling upon a sweet ass deal we had too jump in, and at least get our feet wet. my lovely wife and daughter are posing for this pic, while the final inspect was under way. its all said and done now so well see were it takes us. The Smartest Investments Are Made When Most People Won't- a Realtor saying

yet another corner that has been framed in to hid its contents or is it too just take up space? on my latest project, while inspecting the house, i came across this framed out corner with no current purpose.  don't let this young gent in the pic fool ya he didn't do the work his lovely assistant(wife) did, he was off gallivanting, working on some plumbing.

it does house an old heater vent which goes up through the roof but nothing a new roof vent wont fix and another foot and a half of space for a renter to enjoy. at least  the walls in this house are not made of brick. but of course if the big bad wolf comes he'll just might blow this house down.

time to take out the trash.......

 

hey.......that's not the trash, where did that dog gone trash can go? hows daddy gonna take out the trash if he cant find the can? momma Mandy won't like that..........

..............or will she? it looks like sneakster dad, while out at his fave home improvement store, picking up some items for his latest project, ran across this gizmo on the reduced rack! i guess you could say that's handy dandy for my wife Mandy. it also helps keeps baby girl out of trouble. out of sight out of mind(until it starts to stink at least).

lights, malia, action........

just a video clip of Malia seeing the Christmas tree cut on for the first time. the trees not yet decorated but this is an ongoing process. the people behind the scene, daddy, wifey, and auntie #4

thanksgiving on lenmore........

 o man, o man, look at that spread, i would like to take a min to thank all our sponsors. starting on the right to left. the Marshall clan, sister #2, Dave's bro, and that wonderful wifey of mine.

wheres the baby one may ask well shes neatly tucked away in her highchair in the corner, sitting at the kids table. happy as a pea in a pod.

and of course Mr barkley had a little thanksgiving meal of his own. dad buried a couple leg bones under his crunches against wifeys  better wishes. but he chewed them up just fine and am happy to announce he is still alive and wagging his tail. hope all had a happy thanksgiving

beware the sock monster.......grrrrrrrr

 this video of the sock monster out on thanksgiving morning,  just helping out with the laundry. at one point she attacks one of my appendages, I'm lucky to still have a leg. i am doing some of the growling but if you listen you can hear her  growling too. this is one of her new favorite things to do and she can do it on command.

one more reason not too get lip injections.....as if ya need one

there's no party in this mans pants. this young chap looks to have had the misfortune of having a botched lip injection job done. weather or not its a side affect or they just missed his lip and stuck him a couple times in the body, we don't know for sure. if you do decide to get this done here's a little advice, don't go over seas or to Mexico too get this procedure done. STICK to some one you know, get it stick  ha ha

beat down on lenmore....

here the cruel and unusual punishment begins. who would call this a sport when you hang a defenceless burro by his neck and beat him with a bat. yeah sure your blind folded but the colorful papered ass is just hanging in place. with no place to run, with its hooves hanging feet from the ground. no matter how many times they spin you does it make it any fairer?as this unfortunate event takes place a crowd grows as to catch a glimpse of this spectacle. look at the young child, she holds the club as if wishing to take a swing at the defenseless burro. lets help stop bulling, someone please step up and do the right thing, and no not the lady with the blind fold, just put the bat down.

just look at this couple in the back ground, just laughing smiling and having a good o'll time while this horrific hate crime takes place, shame on them. what has this world become! i guess the burro is not the only jackass in this pic. lol we all love ya mom hope you had a happy birthday celebration!!!!

having a bad day heres just a little butt crack, that will make yoiu smile.....

wishey washey and a  little splashey, yep its time for a bathey

if swat comes, ill be out one escape route......

on to the next home project, finishing off that trap door in the hallway. i figured since i have a baby girl now i need to close off all means of escape, if (or should i say when....noooooo) the time comes where shes trying to sneak out or sneak some boys in, this will not be one of the options. of course this cuts off my means of escape if i get surrounded by a swat team. but i guess id rather fight off swat than teenager boys, so i  framed out the hole.

added some insulation( note- doing insulation this much easier than the previous way).

 

and then put down some sub flooring. next i have to pull up some of the existing flooring and blend old flooring pulled up during the bathroom Reno, to make it appear as if the hole never was. as of for now ill have to tell my old lady to watch her step cause there is a slight dip in the hallway. its a reversed speed bump maybe it will slow Malia down.

stand up if ya like clean dipers, warm milk, and long naps

here is a video of that little miss peanut, she is a little explorer head. she has started pulling her self up on items such as coffee table and the couch. she still is not fully crawling but still opts for the military crawl. she sometimes crawls for a couple paces on the rug but not much more.

just doing a little manscaping to this old house...

i guess you can say that old house on lenmore was in much need of a little manscaping. for those that aren't in the know-how manscaping is general referred to a man taking care of his personal hygiene, shaving, trimming, working out, improving his manscape (not landscape). but this old house needed a little trim work done to his facial hair. this pic is a pre -manscape pic. you can see the out of control growth of his beard/vine. as a youth i would always hear mother tell o'll pops to trim his beard cause it was getting in the way of those little smooches. well if this old house was getting any action it would definitely be a tickley smooch.

here he is, cleaned up with that much needed trim. i guess you can say he has some clean cut sideburns, or some sexy mutton chops. this usually has to get done twice a year but his owners have been a little busy. his trim was finished up in the nick of time with the threat of rain on the horizon.

here is a little fellow hanging out on the inside of the screen getting a little morning sun on his belly.