The Happy Thread

[Rian]

Hey, hi!!!! Howya doing?

I'm not on facebook yet - it's on my to-do list ...

[mitchellmckain]

13th wedding anniversary last night and we're staying at the in-laws so we got to go out for dinner! leaving the kids behind. Whew.

Oh, isn't that WONDERFUL!!!

Congrats!

We're looking at #25 next year! And the kids are now old enough to leave on their own

We are a year behind you -- it'll be 24 next January. But we started late. With 3 boys, the eldest is in high school and the youngest (the wunderkind who has been reading since he was two) can't even start kindergarten this year because his birthday is in october.

[marcuspnw]

My wife had to beg me to go with her to the lumber recycling store. We went there to find an interior door for cheap. Didn't see anything that would work but as we were leaving, I spotted a huge free-standing 8 x 3 cabinet for $29 that I can easily convert to a chicken coop which will save us about $300! Boy, I'm glad I insisted on taking her to the recycle store this morning!

[Rian]

You men are just so smart!

[NH Baritone]

You men are just so smart!

I'm not certain how smart it is to be willing to spend $300 simply to HOUSE (much less feed and guard) a brood of chickens, who will then produce eggs that can be purchased (already cleansed of chicken-poop) for 89¢/dozen. To break even on the fancy home-made coop, his fecund fowl would have to produce more than 4000 eggs .

The cheaper alternative was a lucky reduction in production costs, but you still have to wonder.

[marcuspnw]

You men are just so smart!

I'm not certain how smart it is to be willing to spend $300 simply to HOUSE (much less feed and guard) a brood of chickens, who will then produce eggs that can be purchased (already cleansed of chicken-poop) for 89¢/dozen. To break even on the fancy home-made coop, his fecund fowl would have to produce more than 4000 eggs .

The cheaper alternative was a lucky reduction in production costs, but you still have to wonder.

It's a portion of my son's senior project which naturally you should interpret as Dad's senior project. The wonder is whether I'm going to keep the enterprise going one day after the diploma is in hand given that the rooster seems to crow next to my window at 5:30 in the morning. Chicken barbecue in June anyone?

[Rian]

It's not all about money, even if there wasn't a senior project involved. I've come across a few people who have chickens and really enjoy them.

(but maybe they're morning people ... 5:30 a.m. crowing?!! )

Happy - I am one good math tutor!!! *tries to look modest and fails* I started tutoring my nephew last week. He was dismally behind, didn't understand a single concept, didn't know any of the 9 equations that had to be memorized for the upcoming test, and failed both quizzes that the class had taken. He was also behind due to having hand surgery. In one week, we put in a lot of hours, and not only got him caught up in all his assignments, but moved from 2 failed quizzes to a 75 on the chapter test!!! and then a 96 on the next section quiz!!!!

And to top things off, I just threw a really good dinner party for 12 I really enjoy hosting parties and I really enjoy tutoring math, too - I seem to be quite good at it - I usually raise students at least 2 grades up

[whoosanightowl]

Wow, that's impressive Rian! Good to hear everything is going well for you now, you've certainly been through more than your share, especially over the past couple years. I hope you are feeling as good as you appear to be!

[Rian]

I'm still slowly, SLOWLY improving - I had a pretty bad crash after all that tutoring but it was really rewarding. I'll also have to rest quite a bit after that party, but it was really enjoyable

How's the house going?

[Rian]

Happy - my Barlow (doubler) lens came in for my telescope - Jupiter looks even prettier! Can't wait for Saturn to show up again! Now if only my green laser-pointer would come in today ...

I'm glad I finally ordered them, because my nieces and nephews and friends have shown interest in astronomy, which I've loved for years, and the laser pointer, esp., will be such a help!

Now if only the Draconids will put on a really nice show in Oct. 8, when we're in the desert ....

[Rian]

We just had a really cool hailstorm! It was the biggest I've ever seen (I'm not from the midwest - I'm from earthquake country in California). The hailstones were golfball-sized ones. The pool was especially cool-looking - it looked like a bubbling volcano. The hailstones are interesting - they're kind of cloudy on the inside, with a coating of clear ice on the outside. I thought the windows might break at one point - we kept away from windows and stood watching by the sliding glass door, which is really thick.

[gary_s]

Happy that fall is finally here.

[Rian]

Are you in an area that has a lot of colorful leaves? (and tourists that come to see them?)

I'm glad that we're finally pretty much done with the 100 degree plus weather now.

[Pseudonym]

Happy that Spring is finally here.

I finally managed to do all the outside housework that needs to be done. I'm happy that's done.

[whoosanightowl]

I had to read that twice, Pseudonym! It's funny to think that fall is here now, and spring is there now. So you don't celebrate Christmas with displays of (fake) snow covered trees I take it? What does Santa wear, flip flops, a bathing suit (hopefully not a speedo!), and a straw hat?