Monthly Archive

(Originally Written For The Log Homes Journal) 

Being as this is a log homes journal; a site that tries to wrap it’s arms around all that comes along with log cabin/outdoor living, I try my best to bring something new and different to the table everyday. Since we spoke about all natural cleaning products yesterday I thought it would be a cool to go in the other direction today and spotlight an on going restoration that could use a helping hand.

The Peltser Housebarn located in Franklin County Missouri is history buff’s dream. Built in the Civil War era by a German immigrant named William Peltser, the structure is now owned by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Now in doing my research  I realized I had zero idea of what a housebarn actually is. Apparently the idea was brought over from Germany and is quite simple; people new to this country and those exploring the west didn’t have the ability to build a fully functional house and barn, so they combined the two to form a multi-leveled housebarn. Stables, cellars, granaries would be on the main floor with other levels containing bedrooms, the kitchen, and other rooms for weaving, lounging, etc.

The Pelster Housebarn just happens to be one of only twelve left in the U.S. and is in desperate need of restoration. Thanks the Friends of the Pelster Housebarn a non-profit organization committed to saving the home, the porch has recently been completed. As you may suspect this isn’t something that comes cheap and with the need to save this historic one of a kind monument, comes the task of finding volunteers and funding.

 If you would like to help the Friends of the Pelster Housbarn, they can be contacted at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Housebarn/

(Originally Written For Repellem Blog)

Since 1929 Catalina Island has been a popular hideaway for those in Hollywood seeking a secluded vacation without having to travel halfway across the globe. With hotels and resorts spread all along its beaches, the island has now become a popular tourist attraction with as many as 10,000 people coming over from the mainland every weekend.  Now it seems as if those days may be over. A wildfire that broke out Thursday night has now consumed 4,000 acres in just 48 hours. One witness to the massive fire told CNN “It was like a nightmare when we left. You couldn’t breathe, and ash was falling like snow.” 

The islanders aren’t the only ones trying to survive the deadly flames; the island is also home to the once endangered Catalina Island Fox. In fact the majority of the 76 square mile island is used by the Catalina Conservatory Group for the specific purpose of saving the fox and other animals such as bison and the bald eagle. It was only 17 years ago that the fox was saved from extinction after a deadly disease wiped out most of its population. The fox, which has lived on the island for over 4,000 years, was nearly wiped out several years ago by a severe case of distemper and its numbers plummeted from a thriving 1,300 to little over 75. Though it’s not clear exactly how the Catalina Fox ended up on the island some speculate that they floated on over on debris during severe weather.

With the fires still raging out of control, the extent of the damage to the Fox’s habitat and it’s effect on their population may not be known for years. As for when the fire will be contained, reports are saying that it is just now at 10% and that Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton have been called in to help. Governor Schwarzenegger even went as far as mentioning the animals as a major concern this afternoon when his said “Everyone is working very hard to make sure that the people are safe and the animals are safe.”

(Written For Americansuperstars.tv)

It’s been a long while since we’ve heard anything from Alexis Lopez. So long ago that you may have forgotten about her completely. 17-year-old Lopez was a wildcard during the first season and most recently has been spotted behind the counter of a California IHOP.

Sunday morning was the mother of all days for the now 24 year-old Alexis. There she was minding her own business behind the counter of a Granada Hills California IHOP and the next thing she knows somebody is robbing the place. The robbery happened around 12:30 a.m. According to reports the as yet un-named gunman hid inside the restaurant only to appear once the doors were locked. It was at that point the gunman forced all of the employees to the ground, except Alexis. Here is what Alexis says happened next “I had finished counting the money then I was walking in the back and right when I past the stairs, he came down with a gun, held it against my face, said open the safe, snatched the money out of my hand, shut off the light.” He kept demanding the combination to the safe and I told him I didn’t have it”

All in all, the robber only made off with around $350 in cash. Now what makes this funny is the fact that Alexis couldn’t help but take the opportunity in front of the cameras to plug her new album. With the gun to her forehead this is what was shooting (pun intended) through her mind “I said Shoot me, I don’t have it. Then he put the gun at my forehead and all that ran through my mind and I was on American Idol at 17, I’m ready to come out with my album and he’s holding a gun at my head”

A gunman strolls up, demands the combo to the safe, makes everyone lie down, and all she can think about is “Crap there goes my CD!!!” Not “I’ll miss my family” or “I’ve lived a good life” or “How did I go from being on the number one show in America to ringing up waffles all day at a IHOP?” Nope she still craved another taste of that 15 minutes of fame that lures millions to the auditions every year. Then again maybe she is smarter than I give her credit for. I mean when was the last time anybody has seen or heard from her. Can I really blame her for using the most camera time she has seen in 6 years to promote the heck out her new music?

(Written For Repellemblog.com)

Wind power isn’t something you normally think of when you think alternate energy sources. Generally when somebody mentions that their home is ran by clean energy the mind immediately takes you down the path of solar power. At least mine does. What I definitely don’t think about is a home with a windmill in the backyard. Ok maybe I can see one of those ornamental things twirling away near the garden in the shape of something along the lines of two guys sawing a log or a duck flying south with it’s wing twirling a mile a minute. Either way a home powered by wind isn’t something many people consider. However now that several states have started offering up tax incentives for switching to wind power, the environmentally conscious all across the country find themselves…well chasing windmills.

According to the American Wind Energy Association sales of wind systems climbed 62% last year and now average around $17 million a year!! If that’s not amazing enough, they also say that windmills are powering over 100,000 homes. Windmills are quickly turning into a very cool alternative to relying on city ran utilities. Just ask Tom Rhamy. Rhamy owns a 3000-watt wind turbine on his home in Kern County California and says “I just love the feeling I get when I watch my electricity meter spin backwards, because the more often my meter spins backwards, the less I have to pay Southern California Edison”

The $30k price tag is a draw back for some and probably does make wind power hard to acquire for those living on a budget, but with the systems paying for themselves in less than 5 years (through savings on your utility bill) if you can swing it why not? And don’t worry about not having enough wind; the turbines can be raised to over 70 feet where they are practically guaranteed to catch the breeze.

(Written for  Charlieblockhead.blogspot.com)

We are at the age now where my 1 year-old son is really watching everything we do. If we are sitting on the couch, he wants to sit on his couch. We eat with a fork, he wants a fork. My drink has a straw….well you get the idea. This is great and all when it comes to things that can be replaced easily enough. Straws, silverware, etc…can be wiped off or replaced if dropped. What about the TV remote though? The Phone? Car Keys? What do you do when the object of his desire is something you can’t afford to have broken or lost? The answer is simple enough in theory…you give him decoys. Old remotes, cordless phones that don’t work anymore, keys to locks long ago forgotten, all of these make perfect decoys. These are great. He loves playing with the remote ”Hey buddy here’s a remote of your very own!!” Won’t give the car keys back ”How about these shiny keys I got just for you?” He never knows he’s getting hussled and we don’t spend a grand at Target every month on universal gadgets.Pretty soon though you start to realize that the decoys begin making you appear less than sane. You get so used to seeing these decoys lying around that you forget that they no longer work and are now toys. You’re sitting there pressing the remote, nothings happening, and you decide you are either going to have to watch 6 straight episodes of Rosanne or get up and get batteries. Then at hour 5 ½ it dawns it dawns on you that you’ve got the toy remote. You walk in the room, see the other parent holding the fake phone, and immediately start whispering so you don’t interrupt their conversation. All because his toys are modeled to look exactly like yours.

 (Written For LogHomesJournal)

AAAAANNNNDDD That’s it!! Christmas 2007 is gone in the blink of an eye. Those stockings that were hung with care were ripped to shreds in seconds leaving nothing but empty cardboard boxes and scraps of wrapping paper in their wake. The tree in the corner everyone couldn’t wait to decorate now becomes a task nobody is looking forward to dealing with. Which begs the question what exactly do we do with the skeletal remains of our tree now that all the Christmas cheer has left the building? For those that opted for plastic, taking the tree down is just a matter of bending branches and putting it back in its box. But what about the 35 million real deal trees that are sold each year? Do you simply haul it to the curb and let the G-man do what he does or is there a way to prolong the life of your Christmas tree by giving it another purpose? The answer of course is recycling.

Tips On Treecycling:

• Trees can be used as shelter for animals. By putting your tree in the backyard, you are giving birds, squirrels, and other animals some shelter from the harsh winter. If you have left over food such as popcorn, nuts, or even cranberries poor them over the tree so that they can be sure to get a good meal.
• For those lucky enough to have a pond, how about sinking your tree? The tree will provide shelter and good feeding grounds for the fish living in it.
• Turn that tree into mulch!! Shred your tree and sprinkle it around your flower beds. This way the tree mulch can help reduce weeds while at the same time keeping the ground moist.
• Make some potpourri. Mix the needles with some cinnamon sticks, cloves, and other natural aromas. Throw them all in a pot with ¼ cup of water, sit them on low heat on the stove, and enjoy the fantastic smells.
• If none of the above works for you, call around to different city offices and inquire as to if your city has a Treecycling program.

The point is instead of just dumping your Christmas tree remains on the side of the road; find a way to put back in the Earth what was taken away. And don’t just stop with Treecycling, start a new tradition of planting a tree once a year so that you are essentially replacing the one you will be proudly displaying in your home.

(Written For Americansuperstars.tv)

Before I go into this review I have to say I really wasn’t too excited about the task before me. Now nobody here is forcing me to listen or write about any particular thing other than the latest and greatest American Idol news. It’s just that part of doing a blog that covers such a large group of people like Idol does, means that sometimes you write about things that have zero interest to you. Katharine McPhee’s self-titled debut is a prime example. I’m a football watch’n, truck drive’n, Hard Rock listen’n man!! Not some Lifetime Channel viewing, Cosmopolitan read’n, squeaky-teeny-bopp’n-girly-music love’n weirdo.

Good thing for me that part of being a man means you can admit when you are wrong. I played this cd a dozen times this weekend and I love everything about it. At time’s it makes you wanna curl up on the couch and relax while at others it’s all you can do not to go out on the town.

“Dangerous”, “Not Your Girl”, “Love Story”, “Open Toes” and “Do What You Do” each leave you looking for your keys and praying the bouncer lets you in the club. Then just when you’re about to hit the road Katharine takes you in the opposite direction with “Home”, “Each Other”, “Ordinary World”, “Better Off Alone”, and “Neglected”. These last few had me searching for my wife, some candlelight, and a cold pizza.

Katharine is not the hard rocker that Chris is. Nor is she the soulful, make you want to jump up and scream Taylor Hicks type. For her debut she didn’t go the route of cry-me-a-river Country like Carrie and Kellie. She made a good solid Pop album that stands up next to anything Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera have done. Although she lost the first round (Taylor Hicks won American Idol season 5, Katharine was the runner-up) she is definitely the winner of round two…and in the long run that just may be the one that counts.

(Written For Charlie Blockhead) 

Finally the weather is getting to the point where we can take Fred outside for at least a half hour at a time. Mind you he’s only borderline asthmatic, but you can’t blame us for being a little gun shy after spending 3 days in the hospital 2 weeks ago. Our problem isn’t that it’s too cold, our problem is that it’s 30 degrees today, 65 degrees tomorrow, and then back down to 30 the next. A little consistency would do us wonders.

We live near an airport and it’s a common occurrence to look up and see a small passenger plane overhead. One zipped by yesterday as Fred was learning to kick piles of leaves across the yard. Almost out of instinct the moment he saw the plane directly overhead he began jumping and trying to grasp the aircraft in his tiny hands. This reminded me of what it’s like to be a little kid and not have any knowledge of distance or size. How everything could be seen through your thumb and forefinger.

“How big is that tree? Not so big. See I can put it here ] If I wanted to I could put it in my pocket or smash it into tiny bits. Good thing I don’t want to huh?”

This seems to be the year of change for the Blockhead family. January was a sandstorm that swooped in and rearranged our lives. What once was a clear path to our goals is now somewhat hazy and we both get the feeling we can only see a few weeks into the future.

Lucy’s changed jobs and will be going to Real Estate school in the fall. My freelance work jumped off a cliff and died for a week. Leaving me shooting out job submissions for any topic that I was remotely familiar with. Then just as quickly I landed on my feet as Project Mgr. for this year’s Best Of Blog Awards. You’ll hear me talk more about them soon enough, just know that it’s a major accomplishment and compliment.

Now all in all I’d say that nothings off limits as to what we will accomplish in 2008. There are no boundaries. No rules dictating the impossible. Nothing to stop us from jumping up with all our might and taking hold of our dreams as they zip by overhead.