Black Friday at Menards

Good lord, this place is nuts!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We at Fifty Below Zero wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

A Major Crisis

After work today, I came home, surfed the web for a while, talked to my sister, then got on the treadmill for my long run.  An hour later, I went into the bathroom to check what Mitch calls my "Tina Red Face" (my face turns abnormally red when I work out, and stays that way for about an hour) and to admire the sweat rings on my shirt, almost like my badge of honor for the 4.5+ miles I logged today.  (I realize this is strange behavior, but it makes me feel good.  Don't ask why.)  I was feeling tired, but proud of my cardio accomplishment when I noticed it.

A gray hair.

It was on the left side of my head.  It was shorter than the rest of my hair, sticking straight up amongst the rest of my sweat-soaked hairs.  Begging to be noticed. 

I leaned closer, thinking that it was most certainly my imagination, or that the light must be hitting it wrong.  

It is definitely gray.

I'm making an appointment with my hair colorist tomorrow.  

Our Very-Long Home Improvement Project - A Picture Gallery

Mitch and I knew when we bought our house that the kitchen was probably the least attractive room.  While the previous owners had recently updated the appliances, floors, cabinet hardware, and countertops, the room still needed a lot of TLC.  Unfortunately, the kitchen is the most expensive to change, and so with a few hundred dollars we made a dramatic change in the room.  

Since we moved in, we have ripped out one cabinet, installed a microwave and smaller cabinet, sanded, primed, and painted the cabinets and doors, changed out all of the hardware on the cabinet doors, installed new shelves in the cabinets, and put up new homemade curtains.  Here's the pictures of our hard work.

The kitchen - when we bought the house.

Starting the project by removing the doors and unloading the cabinets.

Painting the cabinets, which took a VERY long time.
The cabinets, getting close to being finished.

Drilling the holes for the new handles in the cabinet door.

Sewing the curtains.

The finished product:

I, State Your Name

On Tuesday Mitch, his mom and I went to our fine state capital so that Mitch could take his official lawyer's oath.  Here he is in front of the state capitol building.

He also posed in front of the Minnesota Judicial Center, where he was sworn into the bar.
You'd hire him as your lawyer, wouldn't you?
We got there quite early so that Mitch could get signed in, and once his mom and I found a parking spot (what a snafu that was!), we waited patiently until we were let into the state appeals courtroom.  And it was fancy.

After waiting a while longer, and listening to court administrator talk and stall so that the judge could get there (the judge actually never made it; he was in a session dealing with the senate recount between Norm Coleman and Al Franken - I'm sure you've heard about it), the oath was administered.
He looks so professional!  The entire ceremony took about 20 minutes, and afterwards we were free to take pictures inside the chambers, and could even sit in the chief justice's chair!  While we were not brave enough to do that, Mitch did agree to have his picture taken next to the state flag.  
I was very excited to be in the courtroom, and felt that my Law & Order knowledge would have gotten me very far had I been in this courtroom arguing.  
We took a few more pics to commemorate the occasion.

Finally!  He's REALLY official now!  Anybody need a lawyer?

Random Thoughts

1.  It is freaking cold here today!

2.  Why do people say things that are supposed to be taken as helpful, but really mean it in a "you should have known that if you used to be a band director" way?  Just when I think I'm gaining a little bit of respect from a coworker.

3.  I wore a pair of jeans today that haven't fit since last winter.  Yep, I'm awesome.  

4.  I (accidentally) blew off a meeting with my principal today, regarding my performance at work.  Nice.  Thankfully, he was incredibly understanding and we re-scheduled for Monday afternoon.  I wrote it on the whiteboard in BIG, BOLD letters so I won't forget this time. 

5.  I have lots of things to blog about this weekend, including pictures of Mitch's oath ceremony, my concert last night, and why I can't stop singing Britney Spears songs.  Stay tuned!

You Haven't Lived Until....

.....you've subbed in a 7th grade health class on sex education day.  The male reproductive system, specifically.  In a mixed-group setting of 20 kids.  

Among the words said during my 50-minute stint:  penis, testes, vas deferens, bladder, urethra, semen, sperm, gonads, testicles, public hair, and a few I can't remember.  

Among the items put on the overhead:  definitions to the previously-mentioned words and a diagram of the male reproductive system.  

Some tidbits from the conversation:

Totally Serious Boy:  "What is the difference between the testes and the testicles?"

Mrs. Tina:  "Umm......(thinking)......I think the difference is that the testes produce, and the testicles housed.  But don't quote me on that - ask your teacher tomorrow."  (Embarrassed that she doesn't know the answer to that question)

------

Reading out loud in the book:  "Some problems that one could encounter with the male reproductive system include trauma.  Usually this is inflicted during sporting events."

Giggly Boy in the Corner:  "Oh, that's not good!"

Reading aloud, continued:  "This can be prevented by wearing a protective cup during athletic events."  

Giggly Boy and his Giggly Friend:  Nod understandingly.

------

Next Serious Boy:  "What's the difference between sperm and semen?"

Immature Boy:  "There's the same thing!"

Smart Girl:  "No they're not!"

Mrs. Tina:  "Well, the sperm makes up part of the semen."

Giggly Boy:  "Yeah, the sperm are like the tadpoles, remember?  With the really long tails."  Giggle.

Mrs. Tina:  "That's right!"

Immature Boy:  "Oh yeah, there's like a million tadpoles in the semen!"

Class Laughs.  

Mrs. Tina:  "Be quiet, and get back to labeling your picture."  (Looks at the clock to see that there are still 35 minutes of class left)

My Two New Boyfriends

I found two new men that Mitch will have to compete with for my love and attention.  The first one I discovered on Friday night - his name is Louis.  Louis Martini Cabernet, to be exact.  He seems to be the type of guy who might treat me bad at times, but I will continue to go back for more.  The other guy is Michael.  Michael Buble.  While I've enjoyed his smooth, crooner style for several years now, I just heard his version of "A Christmas Song" on the radio this afternoon.  (Yes, I was listening to Christmas music - it's on two stations in Minneapolis already)  He can wish me a Merry Christmas anytime!

Those Damn Fabric Stores....

As a child, my sisters and I were frequently dragged to fabric stores with our mother, who was always looking for the perfect material, pattern, or craft project.  (She mostly just loved the deals you can find at a fabric store).  She would spend hours looking through the store, investigating materials and comparing prices to see what she "needed" or "could use someday".  I HATED this as a kid.  There was nothing worse than going to these stores with her, because she would take FOREVER, and a kid can be entertained by looking through pattern books for only so long.  Because of these negative, traumatic experiences as a kid, I swore that I would never be interested in doing any sewing or crafting of any sort.  

Fast forward about twenty years - our house needs new kitchen curtains.  Buying curtains at the store is VERY expensive, especially when you are trying to find curtains to fit irregular bay windows.  So, I decided I could make the curtains.  In my youth, I (unwillingly) learned a variety of sewing skills, including working a sewing machine and sewing a hem.  Since I can do that, I figured I would be able to make these curtains.

Even though my sister Winnie laughed at me when I called her en route to JoAnn Fabrics (and called me "mom"), I bravely went into the store to find the perfect curtain materials.  I found a style I liked, bought the fabric (with a coupon from my mother-in-law - what a bargain!), and came home to work on them.  My mother-in-law also loaned me her sewing machine, and so once I figured out how to work it, I carefully measured my fabric, cut and hemmed, and finished two of the nine curtains to hang in our kitchen.

However, I found a flaw in my curtain design - from the outside, the curtains were ugly.  I needed to line them.  So, after calling my mom for advice (just to make sure I was going to do it correctly this time), I went to JoAnn Fabrics again this afternoon to purchase the liner material.

I should know better than to go to a craft superstore on a Saturday afternoon when the weather is cold, the fall decorations are on sale, and the newly-displayed holiday items were severely discounted already.  JoAnn Fabrics was a ZOO.  I waited five minutes for a parking spot.  Once I got in the store, maneuvered around the hundreds of patrons and found the right material (which took all of two minutes - sadly, I know this JoAnn Fabrics layout like I know the back of my hand), I got in line to have it cut.  Which took about 20 minutes.  There I stood, with other soccer-mom-types with the total mom jeans on, with babies and kids (I'm sure as equally enthused as I used to be as a kid) who were more than ready to get out of the store.  The moms' faces gave everything away - exhausted and HIGHLY annoyed that they were waiting in this long line.  The difference between today's wait in line and when I was a kid was that half the moms were on their cell phones bitching to their husband/sister/kid waiting to be picked up that the line at JoAnn's was going nowhere fast.  My favorite part was when a gentleman (with two young children) went right up to the cutting counter to get his material cut, not noticing that there was a long line of estrogen-filled women waiting not-so-patiently to have theirs cut as well.  The woman in front of me quickly snapped, "You have to wait to get that cut, you know.  And the line is long, and the end is over there (motioning to the end)".  He put the fabric back on the shelf and left. (I suppose I have Mom to thank for knowing correct fabric store etiquette.  I would not have wanted to be on the receiving end of that lashing.)

The ladies cutting the fabric were equally unhappy today, frazzled and tired and complaining of a lack of break time.  The woman who cut my fabric asked me seven times how many yards I needed.  I smiled and answered every time, hoping that I could help to make her job a little easier by not as a crabby as everyone else in the store was.  I got my five yards (that were 50% off - total score!) and headed for the check-out.

The check-out line was about twice as long as the fabric cutting line.  I kept entertained, however, by watching people walk up to check-out, notice the line, sigh loudly, and get in.  My favorite here was one guy who was there with his wife, who commented, "We had to wait in that long line to get the damn fabric cut, and now we have to wait in this one to check out?"  I'm sure that will be his last trip to JoAnn's.  Thankfully, all of the registers were open, and I got through the check-out fairly quickly.  I got back in the car, waited patiently to get out of the parking lot, and headed home.  The whole adventure took over an hour to get five yards of fabric.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I'm genuinely excited to make the rest of the curtains.  There's something fun about making something from scratch, without a pattern, to improve the look of your house.  And while I'm sure it will take me quite a while (and a little swearing) to get the curtains right, I'm confident they'll look great when I'm done.  So, thanks, Mom, for putting up with me when I just DID NOT want to be in the fabric store, and giving me the knowledge to make something on my own.  

But I'll never go back to JoAnn's on a Saturday.  The less I'm around crabby moms who are hungry for a discount, the better.  

Updating my resume

My ongoing job search is getting moved back up to the top of the priority list ASAP. Apparently, people in India work cheaper than those of us in the States so my entire department (1500+ people) is getting moved overseas in 2009. That means it could be anytime between tomorrow and 6 months from now that I no longer have a job, so I'm not going to sit around waiting for that to happen.

If you know anyone in the legal/banking/anyone-who-wants-to-hire-a-lawyer industries let me know!

Drink Up

The makers of the beer Fat Tire have created a seasonal winter brew for our enjoyment, and Mitch and I have decided that it can be the "official" winter beer of Fifty Below Zero.  We present - Two Below Ale.

Find some and drink it, and think of us here in the cold, rain, sleet, and snow.  And if you have any winter seasonals you can recommend, please let us know!

The Ugly Tree/Bush is Gone!

One of the eyesores in the yard (and there are many!) was a strange bush-like tree smack in the middle of the backyard.  We found out that it actually was a normal tree that was chopped off towards the top, then left.  So, the trunk started sprouting leaves, and made it look more like a bush.  Here's what it looked like when we bought the house.

(It's the bush-thingy to the left of the swingset)

It's weird.  And ugly.  So, on Sunday our brother-in-law Mr. Fix-It came over to help us with a couple more home improvement projects, one which was taking that tree out.  We knew Mr. Fix-It was excited, because he loves using his chainsaw.  You could see the gleam in his eye when he arrived!

Going....

Gone!!

Mr. Fix-It chopped it up in chunks, and it is now drying so that we can use the wood in our fireplace in a couple of years.  

So, if you're keeping score:  

• Ugly bushes that were too close to the house are gone. 
• Ugly tree that was in the backyard is gone.
• Leaves are STILL in the yard, even after bagging 60+ bags.  

Thanks, Mr. Fix-It!  I don't know what we would do without you!

It's Started......

This is what we woke up to this morning.

Here's to the start of winter!  (May it be not too snowy and not too cold!)

And yes, that is Mitch in his PokFarms jacket.  

Nice

Enjoying the Election Coverage

There's nothing better than watching the election coverage from the tub, enjoying a bubble bath and a glass (or half a bottle) of wine, with a tv set up in the bathroom.  

On my Soapbox for Just a Moment....

Today after work I spent some time making phone calls for my new school district.  See, tomorrow on the ballot they are asking for a renewal of the current tax levy, which would provide the district the money to operate as they have been for the last ten years.  It's not an increase (which they tried the last time and didn't pass), and won't raise anyone's taxes.  Yet people are trying to vote this down so that their taxes decrease.  They argue that since the economy is so terrible they want to save as much money as they can.  

If the tax levy doesn't pass, it means that the school district will lose $2.7 million a year,  which means cuts in sports, transportation, programs, and teachers.  

I can't imagine why anyone would NOT support their school referendums!  A school is the heart of towns, especially smaller towns like the one I work in.  Where is the town on Friday nights in the fall?  At a high school football game.  Who marches in local parades?  School bands.  Who donates countless hours of community service?  School groups.  And the list goes on and on.  Money for schools is an investment in the future of the town and in society.  We do a disservice to our kids when they don't have proper, updated materials, updated technology, and are in incredibly large classrooms.  

And while I'm certainly worried about how the students will suffer if the referendum doesn't pass, I'm also worried about my own job.  If the referendum doesn't pass, most likely there will be faculty cuts, and they always start with the subject matters that aren't "important", like the fine arts.  And, as I'm low man on the totem pole (again), I'll be the first to get the ax.  

So, when you vote tomorrow, make sure you vote "yes" for things that will improve your community, like school referendums.  You owe it to the kids.  

And now I step off my box.  

What we've been doing

Saturday/Sunday:

1. Raking leaves

2. Mowing leaves

3. Watching Illinois beat Iowa

4. Watching more leaves fall

5. Trip to the Mall of America

6. Sewing kitchen curtains (Tina)

7. Deciding that the kitchen cabinets would look better painted (Tina)

8. Trip to Home Depot

9. Emptying said cabinets, filling holes from old door and drawer handles, sanding cabinets in preparation for painting.



Today:

1. Work

2. Tina: making calls with fellow teachers about a school referendum on tomorrow's ballot

3. Mitch: mowing, raking, sanding door and drawers, taping cabinets

4. Avoiding TV commercials from Al Franken





News and Notes:



Dr. Martin is in Taiwan giving a talk on his research work. His thesis, Lithium Sputtering, Deposition and Evaporation: Controlled Thin Film Engineering is currently #2,625,514 on the Amazon bestseller list. Way to go Doctor!



Gas prices continue to fall in the Twin Cities. I filled up for $2.04 this weekend, plus I had gas coupons totaling 16 cents off per gallon. It only cost $20.88 to put 11 gallons in the Civic.