Wet Basement Adventures

Let me tell you a story about our basement... First, we love our basement. It's nice, spacious, unique, and a fun place to hang out. However, we've had the occasional problem with water. Usually this showed up below our chimney, which happens to be the wall between our family room and the furnace room. During a really big storm, we might see some water show up in the furnace room, and maybe a little wetness in the carpet on the other side of the wall. Not much usually, and it would dry up and we never thought much of it until one day we came downstairs to find these:

Yes, those are mushrooms. Big, brown mushrooms growing in our carpet. I even found mold growing up the wooden leg of an ottoman out in the middle of the room. We knew there was some water damage there but never realized the extent of the problem. Our mission was clear, the mushrooms must die ASAP, but not until they could be properly examined by water damage professionals. We were preparing to go on vacation for a week and didn't relish the thought of these things growing down here for another week until we got back. We ended up calling a couple cleanup companies to see if we could get it cleaned up right away. There were some delays as we figured out that nothing was covered under insurance. One company looked over the whole basement with an infrared camera and could see water in the walls as high as 6 feet around the affected area, but otherwise the rest of the basement was dry. Metro Restoration, the company we ended up going with, helped us feel better about leaving for a week and sprayed everything with a disinfectant when they came out to inspect the basement. This killed the mushrooms right away, and by the time we came back from vacation they were shriveled up and black. Thank goodness for that, and thank goodness for subscribing to Angie's List, which made finding good contractors a great experience.

Shortly after we came home we had the water damaged material ripped out of the wall, and had all the carpet in the room removed as well. What we found was a likely culprit... the "ash pit door" which is where you would clean out ashes dropped down from a wood-burning fireplace. Our fireplace has since been converted to gas, so this door was concealed behind sheetrock. All the water was centered around this door. While we've essentially lost the family room for awhile, at least the nasty stuff has been properly cleaned up and we can move on with finding solutions. As an aside, we could tell that previous owners had fun down here. We found hopscotch courses and children's names painted on the floor, and chalk drawings on the block wall.

At this point we didn't know if water was coming down the chimney, and finding it's way down due to a roofing or flashing problem. We had people look at it, and we even went outside during a rainstorm to look at the chimney area. The most telling thing we saw was water dripping off the underside of the gutters (but not overflowing as far as I could tell) in front of our chimney, and hitting the ground right next to the chimney foundation. We also noticed that some of the landscaping near the house doesn't slope away from the house very well. Our gutters have always been in need of repair... rust, holes, cracks, etc. We've managed to keep them going with caulking in the worst spots, but there's only so much you can do. My dad came up with a good way to test out our theory... run the hose on the ground in front of the chimney. If we see the same results, we know it's not likely a chimney/roofing problem. I turned on the hose and ran it slowly for about an hour, and we saw the same thing we've seen before. I set up my camera for some time-lapse photography to capture the leak:



At this point we've decided to go ahead and fix up the gutters and the water damaged soffits & fascia like we've talked about doing since we moved in. We're also going to fix up the landscaping so water is directed away from the house better. I haven't decided if I want to dig in front of the chimney to look at the foundation, but if we direct water away from it, a foundation crack wouldn't be so much of an issue anyway. The chimney itself has some deteriorating brick above the roofline, but that repair/expense may have to wait, and at least we know it's not the source of our water problem.

Nisswa Family Vacation 2010

We just came home Saturday morning from our annual Nisswa vacation with Beth's family. We've managed to get unpacked and settled back in at home again after a nice relaxing week with the family. Thank you to Beth's parents for making the trip possible.

This was our fourth year at the Good Ol' Days resort in Nisswa on Lower Cullen Lake. The resort has recently changed ownership, so the original husband and wife team that used to run the resort are no longer there. Everything is basically the same... nice amenities, great activities for kids, but it doesn't have quite the personal touch that it used to. Still, we had a great time and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Because of the larger families now we rented two adjoining cabins and opened the door that connects them. Beth and I took a big room upstairs in one of the cabins that had a queen and a twin bed, and space for Nathan's pack and play. It worked out very well for the three of us. This was also the first year I was able to take the whole week off work and didn't have to come home early, which was an added bonus.



Nathan enjoyed his first family vacation, and especially enjoyed playing with and laughing at his cousins, and swimming with Beth and I almost every day. He also seemed to reach some developmental milestones during the week. He slept through the night without needing to eat a few times, started pulling himself up on the couch while sitting in my lap, and started eating solid foods instead of gagging on them. He also started rolling front to back a lot more often than before. We can tell he's starting to getting up on his knees to crawl.




Beth and I brought our golf clubs and managed to get out for a game mid-week. Our first attempt was a bust however. We left during Nathan's morning nap, and drove up to the clubhouse and there were 30+ boys under 12 with their parents all waiting to golf. The guy running the front desk said it would be at least an hour. We figured it must have been some kind of junior golf league. So instead of golfing in the morning we came back and watched our nephew win 2nd place in the Worm Races back at the resort. We went back later that afternoon and got right in for 9 holes at Wild Wedge in Pequot Lakes. This was my first game of golf since my surgery almost 4 months ago, so it would be a test to see what my range of motion was like. Much to my delight, it felt great to golf again. After a little coaching from Beth on my swing, I had some awesome drives. On one hole I even landed on the green 125 yards away with my first shot, and made par for the hole which is rare. It ended up being one of my best games in a long time.



Each family takes at least one night to cook dinner for everyone else. Ann & Mike made us some chicken on the grill covered with bacon and cheese, mashed potatoes, bread, etc. Beth and I made a variety of pizzas (my personal favorite being chicken teriyaki) and foccacia breadsticks. We also hit a couple restaurants while we were there, Rafferty's Pizza and Ganley's, which has two of my mom's prints hanging in their dining room.




We filled the time with lots of activities for the kids, and activities of our own... ladderball, swimming, playing on the beach, playing cribbage, phase 10, fishing, taking walks, touring the lake on a rented pontoon, trying some new beer and sharing homemade wine, and taking advantage of the wireless internet access. I also brought a small hobby electronics project to play with when the kids were sleeping. All in all, it was great week and I look forward to next year.

My old trunk lives on in film

We've been getting rid of some old stuff on craigslist lately, mainly old furniture as a result of redoing our office. Among these items was my old trunk. My sisters had similar "foot locker" style trunks they used in college, so when it came time for me to start college, my parents found me one at a garage sale. We painted it black, filled it with stuff, and I hauled it out to Wisconsin for college career. As a central part of my dorm, it served me well as junk drawer, foot rest, coffee table, step stool, extra desk space, kitchen table, the list goes on...

In the years since college it remained mostly unused except for holding the occasional odd item I needed that was stashed away in there. So when we were looking to clear out some things from the house, we decided to post it up for sale on Craigslist. Similar trunks were going for $20 to $30, so we posted mine for $25. About a week later I was contacted by someone interested in the trunk and we set up a time on a Saturday afternoon.

He was very interested in the trunk and had asked a lot of specific questions about it on the phone earlier in the day. The man that arrived showed up with his dog, excited and barking. After putting the dog back in the truck, he then tells me they are shooting a world war 2 movie and they need an authentic foot locker. The producers had managed to borrow one from a member of the MN Red Bulls unit to shoot some trailer footage, but the owner wouldn't let them paint over some of the Red Bulls insignias and the like, so they needed one of their own on a limited budget. He was very happy about the handles on my trunk. Apparently he had looked at several trunks that day and most had broken or missing handles. This was important because he said there was an important scene where a young boy was supposed to pick up and carry the trunk by the handles. By this time I was pretty impressed with the story and was happy I apparently had the "perfect" trunk. All it needed was some repainting for their movie. He gave me the cash and started going on that his producers would want to know what he spent the money on, and how he would need to write up a bill of sale for the must-have $25 Craigslist trunk. He was thrilled with my tough old trunk and hauled it away.

After leaving, I wrote back to him by email and asked if he could tell me more about the production. The movie is called "Souvenirs". As I read about the movie and read some articles about the production everything made sense that my buyer had told me earlier. The movie is the fictional story of a Minnesota boy who finds his grandpa's old army foot locker full of "souvenirs" of the war, which gets his grandpa to open up about his experience. The grandson then grows up to fight in Iraq. While some of the press I read made it out to be a relatively low budget film, they still managed to bring in a notable actor James Cromwell due in part to his son (also in the movie) living in MN himself, and they'll be able to get some authentic army drills and equipment on film due to some cooperation with the local armed forces.

Since selling the trunk I've been keeping an eye on the production, and have started noticing stories about the movie showing up on local news. While obviously I have little to do with the movie, as a community theatre actor & singer I think it's really cool to have played even a small part in a serious film. I wish them good luck with the production and hope to see it when it's released, if for no other reason than to see my trusty old college trunk. Filming starts soon.

Links:
Official Souvenirs Website
Souvenirs Facebook page

The new home office takes shape

Several weeks ago, Beth and I were discussing what I could do in the future to keep up my exercising habit as was recommended by my doctors. I loved getting out for long walks, but that meant Beth would have to stay home with Nathan until I returned if he was in bed. Bad weather (especially winter) would hinder my ability to go out for walks. I don't want to take on the monthly expense of a gym membership, and even if I did that would take more time for each session due to travel time, prep time, etc. I had wanted to try a treadmill at home, but we couldn't think of a good place to keep one, and didn't want to take up space in the common areas of the house. I knew I liked the treadmill from using them at cardiac rehab, and I like mentally disconnecting while I listen to my favorite podcasts or an engrossing audio book.

This led us to come up with a new plan for the house. Beth's office downstairs was a room she found she didn't like to use. It was secluded in a corner of the basement, was usually cooler than most of the house, and generally inconvenient, especially if she needed to run upstairs if Nathan started making noise through the baby monitor. The room downstairs can't be a bedroom due to the lack of a window, and would work better as an exercise room anyway. My office upstairs would have room for two people if we could clear out some items.

We started going through our things, cleaning and organizing, and ended up selling my old desk and an old bookshelf on Craigslist. We also sold my old storage trunk on Craigslist which I have an interesting story about, but that's for another post. Once we sell off Beth's old desk I think we'll have offset most of the cost of the new office.

On Monday we headed down to IKEA with Beth's dad to help us haul stuff home while her mom watched Nathan. We had made up a plan for the office and picked up almost everything that day (we had to go back for some items that weren't in stock on Monday). Of course, we had to partake in the Swedish meatballs with lingonberries for lunch at the IKEA restaurant before we left. We picked out a series of VIKA AMON tabletops and VIKA ANNEFORS table legs with storage that would come together in the form of a large T-shaped desk for the two of us. I also picked up a SIGNUM cable organizer to mount under each desk to keep all the cords tidy and up off the floor. We also came home with a new wall clock, desk lamp, and a few other small accessories. Now that everything has come together we absolutely love the new space. We have more workspace than before and the room feels bigger to boot!

We figure the room will stay an office for a long time. This room was part of an addition to the house, and it doesn't have ductwork for air conditioning; just baseboard electric heat. The best way to keep things comfortable is to keep the door open and the ceiling fan running. Plus the vaulted ceiling means there is no attic space above to insulate from the outside temperature. Overall, it works well enough as an office, but we wouldn't want Nathan or other future children to live in a bedroom with this relatively poor climate control.

Now the downstairs (former office) room is our next project. Beth has moved out of the room, and now we just need to sell off her old desk and get rid of some more items. Once it's cleared out we can look for a deal on a low-cost new/refurbished/used treadmill and set up a little exercise space. The cool temperature downstairs should lend itself well to working up a sweat. Having the ability to exercise my heart and body year-round at home will be great. I'll be able to keep up a relatively consistent habit, and be more available as a husband and father. I want to keep my heart healthy and I don't want to become the person who has a treadmill that never gets used. Granted I have more of a reason than most to use it. At least for now I'm able to get my exercise walking outside, and assembling and moving furniture!

Fourth of July 2010 - Boating & Cherry Wine

The family enjoyed a fun Fourth of July this year on Mom & Dad's boat. The day started out rainy and windy as we made the 90 minute drive down to Red Wing, but the weather slowly turned around as we floated in the marina eating our lunch below deck.

Nathan enjoyed his first boat ride, much of which was spent sleeping thanks to the dark bedroom and slow rocking of the waves. He slept almost 2 hours for his afternoon nap. Once awake, Grandpa let him help steer the boat. He had a blast!



After we returned to the marina mid-afternoon, Dad and I went out to pick some cherries from some trees on public land not far from there. Dad had been there already to pick some for making wine and had also started picking some for me. By the time we got there, most had been picked already, but we were able to scrounge up maybe another pound, giving me about 10 lbs total, enough for at least 3 gallons (15 bottles) of wine.

We headed home at Nathan's bedtime so he could sleep on the car ride. This happened to be his last ride in the car seat since he's big enough now for the upright car seats. After putting Nathan to bed we enjoyed a relaxed evening, and I stayed up late to start processing my cherries for wine. The new batch is now fermenting away in the basement. Can't wait to try it!

Happy Father's Day 2010

Sunday marked my first official Father's Day, whereas last year Nathan was still in-utero. While it was bit hectic, it was a very fun day!

We started the day meeting up with Beth's family for a delicious brunch at The Sunshine Factory. We filled up on good food, and all came back to our house for gifts and play time. The kids had fun playing with Nathan's toys, and Owen especially enjoyed riding inside Grandpa Doug's new rolling cooler!

Mid-day we had a little break from all the action and took some time to relax while Nathan had a good nap. Then we packed up the car with baby supplies, Dad's card, our Taco Salad and some new Onion Bread I baked to share.

Mom & Dad's house was very busy but fun. We had all our families, my grandparents, and Mom's sister. Everyone brought some food to share and meat to grill for dinner. Dad took on the job of managing all the grilling, and did a good job. Since we had all 6 grandkids together in one place, Mom & Dad took advantage and set up a photo. All the kids sat really well, and we had fun trying to get them to smile and/or look toward all the cameras! The pictures turned out great and will be fun to look back on in the years to come. Dad needed a new weed trimmer, so me and Mom and my sisters all went in on it together. To throw him off, we all gave him potted weeds with our cards before giving him the trimmer. I can't take credit for the idea, but it was fun to be a part of the joke. Dad was really confused after opening three pots of weeds! We had fun visiting with everyone, including Nathan who got to be held by just about everybody.

The past 7 months of being Nathan's Dad have been a joy, and I'm proud of being able to celebrate Father's Day as one of the Dads. Happy Father's Day!

Twin Cities Heart Walk 2010

I've been planning on walking in the Twin Cities Heart Walk as a milestone in my recovery. Saturday morning I put on my zipper shirt and headed out to Target Field bright and early at 8am, and enjoyed exploring the stadium and all the booths and displays. I had my picture taken with the North Memorial team at 8:30, and met up with my parents at about 9am and gave them the tour. We had fun walking around Target Field, getting some free stuff, and taking in the whole event. We took a brief trip to the upper deck to see our season ticket seats and enjoy the view. I got a free massage for my sore neck at a massage & chiropractic rehab clinic booth, got some freebie toys for Nathan, a free pedometer, and enjoyed some free fruit and granola bars from a tent out on the Twins Plaza.

Most importantly, I got a free hat. Now I'm not much of a hat person, but it's what the hat meant. They only gave them to heart disease survivors. I just told the girl running the giveaway table I had heart surgery 2 months ago. Thankfully she believed me so I didn't have to show off my incision scar! Speaking of heart disease survivors... they had a nice "survivors area" set up with tables to sit at and get off your feet and out of the crowd. The area was roped off and they had free coffee and food for the survivors as well. What I found ironic and quite funny was the selection of food made available to the heart survivors there... just donuts and pastries. Glazed, fruit and cream filled, high fat and high sugar. Not exactly heart-healthy, but a nice gesture. While I was tempted, I passed and got a free banana outside. Now I just have to work on resisting food temptations like this more often.

Beth and I are fans of the NBC show The Biggest Loser, and O'Neal (the Minneapolis contestant from the most recent season of the show) made an appearance at the Heart Walk. Beth and I really liked O'Neal and his daughter Sunshine on the show regardless of them being from Minneapolis. I figured Beth would get a kick out of this so I said hello to him, told him my wife and I were big fans, and were proud of him and his daughter (who lost 124 lbs and 99 lbs respectively). He was very kind and appreciative during our brief exchange. I had my mom take my picture with him, and he proceeded to give both of us hugs, which I thought was nice. After we walked on, it dawned on me he probably thought mom was my wife, since I mentioned that my wife and I were big fans, and Beth hadn't arrived yet. We all got a good laugh when I shared my realization with Mom, Dad, and Beth later while we were walking.

Nathan woke up from his morning nap at just the right time so Beth could make it out for the start of the walk at 11am. Before we hit the street I changed into my North Memorial team shirt I had picked up earlier in the morning. Thousands of walkers poured out into the street, and filled the streets around the stadium. The rain was very light, and we didn't need our umbrellas for most of the walk. The first mile ran right through downtown, which was fun, and looped back to Target Field where people had the option to stop or keep going for the full 3-mile walk. Beth and Nathan stopped after the first 1-mile leg so she could go home and feed him.

Mom and Dad and I walked the remaining two miles, and eventually met up with one of my cardiac rehab nurses who walked with us for about the last mile. Once we got back to Target Field, Mom & Dad hopped back on the light rail to go home, I hung around a little while, and then headed home myself. Overall it was a great experience and we all had a good time. Two months ago I could hardly walk a block without burning chest pain. I've since had open heart surgery, narrowly avoided a heart attack, and now completed a 3-mile walk with no difficulty. Needless to say it feels great to be able to do the walk, and to be where I am today. I'm looking forward to getting back to a normal routine.