Post 191

Well, I guess this is the 191st post since I started this thing. I had no idea I'd posted that much. I wonder how many I've written and not posted. There for a while I would write a long post full of cussing and frustration...only to talk myself out of posting it (thankfully).

Anyway, this post is just a weekend update really. Turkey day went just great. I stuffed myself full of turkey, wine, stuffing, mashed 'taters, and gravy. Oh, and yams....I loves me some yams y'all. The parent's-in-law were in town for the weekend, which was really nice. Lauren loves it when they come, and my father in law always helps me with some projects I've been too lazy or lacked the motivation to do. This time it was installing a light above the kitchen sink. Now our kitchen is like a "real" kitchen, with light above the sink and everything. It's one of those things you don't realize you need till you have it. Now, I don't know how we managed without it.

Lauren and I also enjoy when visitors come to see the girls, because it gives us a little mini-break. At least it gives me a break. Poor Lauren still has to do breastfeeding duty, but at least someone else gets a few dirty diapers.

I was able to sneak out on Thursday morning for the first Frankenbike ride. It was great! The new seat and pedals are perfect. That bike is so fun to ride! I went on about a 6 mile ride in the cold air, but the sun was out, so it wasn't horrible. I noticed about halfway through my ride that I am going to have to adjust my chainline. I was seeing some wear marks on the new sprockets where they shouldn't be. That's ok, though. I knew I would have some adjustments. Just need to get some spacers and a spoke wrench to re-align the rear hub and re-dish the wheel. Then, it needs fenders, a rear rack, and some lighting, and it'll be ready for spring commuting (hopefully).

So, thus concludes Post 191. Seems like just yesterday I set this thing up....how time flies!

It's done!

My Frankenbike project is done. At least it's structurally finished. There are still a few things I need to make it a commuter bike. Fenders, some sort of lighting, and a rear rack/panniers for example.

The last part went on tonight...the new seat. It's a Brooks (Thanks mom and dad!) just like I wanted. The B17 champion saddle to be exact. It's the brown one...very cool looking.

Basically the bike is brand new. I've been borrowing and buying parts for it for months now. Most of the parts came from money earned from selling my BMX bike a few months ago. That bought a new bottom bracket, crank arms, and sprocket. The fixed cog came from a previous project (the Yellow Boat Anchor Schwinn Varsity). The other small parts I picked up here or there, or scavanged from another bike.

I just took a short jaunt down the street on it, and man she's smooth. The fit is probably the best of all my bikes. The only one that might be better would be my mountain bike, which was fitted to me when I purchased it. But of all the bikes I've build, this one rides and fits the best.

So, its done. The only think I can think of doing would be painting it sometime....but that's not super high on my list. Even though if someone looked at the drivetrain and hardware, they would realize that this bike is pretty pimped, the old looking paint is a good deterant for any would be theves.

I'm setting up a photo studio on my garage this weekend for some portraits, so I'll roll it in the frame and get some photos of it up in it's finished form.

Too much on the right...

Ok, maybe it's just me. Maybe it's just that I've been listening to my headphones with my iPod a lot lately, but I've noticed something.

The Beatles Rubber Soul album seems to be a little heavy on the right side of the stereo. They have all the percussion on the left channel, guitars and vocals on the right. At least for quite a few songs.

It feels like when you chew gum on one side of your mouth for a long time and don't switch, you know. Kind of overworked on the one side. Unbalanced. I felt like I wanted to flip my phones around to give my left ear a workout.

Like I said. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just weird.

I think I need some gum now.

Happy birthday, here's your life back.

Today is a big day for me. I turn 27 years old today.

I also quit my job today.

I've been recruited by a very large, very interesting company here in town. They need a web designer...and I'm more than happy to be that web designer for them. It's a job that I think I will be able to leave at the office, and not have to bring work home with me every night and weekend, and Christmas. Don't get me wrong. I'll do anything and everything to get the job done, but not being able to plan a weekend away from some source of power and internet has gotten very old.

Not to mention the time I've already missed away from my family. Oh, and the deep depression I've slipped into because of it.

So, on this November 20, 2006, I am reborn. A new life for me cometh. One with set hours, structure, and goals.

And most importantly, one where family is valued, and it's understood the committments one needs to have outside of work to be a well rounded adult.

I get my life back.

Happy Due Date!

Girls!

My god how you've grown in the last month. Yesterday was your official 1 month birthday, but today is your official due date. You were scheduled to be born today, but like your daddy, you always show up early for all things important!

In the month since you've been home, your mom and I have learned so much about you. You each have your own personalities, your own little way of doing things. You both each have some things that you do just like the other, which I have to admit, is sometimes a little creepy! For example, you both put your right hand on your right ear when you eat. Unless you're really hungry, and then you grab at the bottle and pull it to your mouth like we have never fed you this this is the last meal you are going to get. Ever.

You've officially outgrown all of your "preemie" clothes. You're wearing newborn clothes now, and you're gaining weight like champs.

This weekend your mom and I are going to try to set up a makeshift studio in the guest bedroom to take some pictures of you together. All of the photos we have so far are mostly just of you guys sleeping...because when you aren't sleeping, you're awake eating. Trust me...you can't feed a baby and take pictures at the same time. Not only is it impossible, but the way you girls like to fill your belly and then let half of it out again...the camera would stand some serious risk of liquid damage!

Having you home and learning to be parents have made your mom and I very tired, but we wouldn't change a thing. I already can't imagine what life was like without having you around. What did I do with all my extra time? How did I function with all that sleep? :)

We're getting ready for your first Thanksgiving, and after that your first Christmas. It should be a lot of fun! Momma asked me the other day if I thought you could taste the food that she's eaten in a day, since she's breastfeeding you. I said I didn't know..but if you could, you're going to have Turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy next week, and if you're like me, you'll eat too much, eat a piece of pumpkin pie, and then want to sleep the rest of the day. Don't worry, it's the turkey that makes you sleepy, not the fact that you just ate so much your body has to involuntarily go into a coma to have the energy to digest it all.

Anyway, happy one month and one day birthday girls! Be nice to momma while I'm at work! We have a fun weekend ahead of us!

What would Kurt Cobain do?

This morning I'm sitting here listening to my new iPod. I was blasting some Metallica...but now I'm blasting some Nirvana.

I wonder what Kurt Cobain would think. He shunned everything pop when he was alive, but loved most things music. Would he appreciate the iPod, or even approve of his songs being played on one?

I think he would, just for the sake of music...but I doubt he would be a spokesperson for it. I guess only one person really knows...and I don't think he'll tell us anytime soon.

My new toy...

Lauren gave me my birthday present early this weekend, in an attempt to pull me out of my bad mood lately. I had to bring my entire computer system from work home with me this weekend so I "could work all weekend but still see my family", according to my boss. "You know, that option is always available to you." Thanks...that's too kind. So my kitchen table became my office for the weekend. Luckily, though, the work I had to do only required maybe 4 hours of my time, the rest was spent rendering animations for a project I have due in a week.

Anyway, because of this, I was in a particularly crappy mood on Saturday, and Lauren said "maybe your birthday/Christmas present would cheer you up, do you want it?" Well heck yes!

It's a brand new iPod...the black 30 gig video iPod. The daddy of iPods. I know ... another Apple in the Stahl household? Yes. The makes the total 2 Apple laptops, 1 iPod Nano, and 1 video iPod to 1 PC laptop and 1 PC desktop.

So, I got the iPod out immediately and plugged in my external hard drive that has over 20 gig full of music on it, and started filling up "the pod". Within minutes I had transferred all my music, some podcasts, a music video, my contact list, and my calendar! All on this sleek little black and silver machine. I love it! My only beef - my fm transmitter I had from back in the day when I had CD players in my trucks doesn't sound too nice in the car...but I think that's just a matter of figuring out what works best with it.

I took it to the grocery store this weekend and actually enjoyed myself! So it's already making things better!

On the baby front, things are going well. Babies are growing and starting to become more and more aware of their surroundings. They will both stare contently at you while you feed them, and reach for toys when they are playing on the floor. I tried to read Natalie a story this morning, but she was only interested for the first few pages. Kind of like me. I have a whole bookshelf full of books I've read 2 or 3 chapters in, only to set it down and forget about it until start cleaning the area out or something.

So, hopefully I'll have some good news to spread this week. Stay tuned!

Something awesome happened.

Well, two things, actually. Last night the babies slept *most* of the night. I say *most*, because they did get up for their 12:00am feeding, and then got up at 3:30am...but then slept till almost 7:00am! That's big, as the last few days they've been having really bad habits at night, like waking up every 2 hours, and then laying in bed grunting the rest of the time.

We finally had to break down and set up the second swing last night, too...and it works like a charm. Mom, you told us so...I'll go ahead and get that out of the way, and thank you for buying us two swings in your motherly knowledge, instead of the 1 we were insisting on because we didn't have "space". Lack of space becomes very much less of a concern when you can't sleep for 2 weeks...

The other awesome thing that happened is something I can't get into details yet, but it is really awesome. I also can't jinx myself by getting too excited about it...but if the stars align, and enough people keep their fingers crossed for me, this awesome dream I've had for the last 2 years may actually come true.

Even if it doesn't, the hope of something else almost as awesome coming along is what's keeping me happy these days. For the last year or so I've been completely depressed. Not clinically or anything, just not myself. I attribute all of that to my job, and the lack of time I have to spend away from said job. But after the awesome thing that happened did, in fact, happen, food has taste again, the sun came out, I can look myself in the eye again, I looked forward to climbing out of bed at midnight for the midnight feeding, and I didn't wake up with a raging migraine.

I was even listening to a cd that I listen to about 3 times a week for the last 5 months or so, and actually listened to the lyrics and figured out what the songs were about. It's like a fog has lifted, and the awesome thing hasn't happened yet. I'm just committed to make an awesome thing happen, and no matter what, something will. It's my mission, and I won't live like I have for the last year ever again.

Bike Parts

So I'm really excited because the other day my mom asked me what I wanted for my upcoming 27th birthday. 27! I still can't believe it. Sometimes I feel like I'm 90, though.

Anyway, I thought about it and thought about it. I really don't NEED anything. So, I thought, what would I like to have but don't have the extra money to get right now. Oh, I know...how about a seat for my bike? A nice one, one that is made of leather and will last forever. A Brooks saddle!

Yeah, that would be cool...that way I could leave a seat on both my road bike and my fixed gear round-town bike. Currently they share a seat...so as you can imagine, although I have 3 bikes in my garage and one in my office - there's really usually only 2 that are in rideable condition. Right now my road bike is seatless and has a flat rear tire...after 3 tube changes. I think it's time for new tires on that one...as something is popping my tubes when I air them up, and the rim tape is brand new...

Anyway, so I asked for a Brooks B17 saddle. A nice leather one...old school English style. It's going to go on the fixed gear for riding around town, since that's what I tend to ride most these days, and it's the most reliable bike I have, besides my mountain bike - but it doesn't count because it's only a few years old. The fixie's been around since the 70's...all the way from der Netherlands.

I also asked for a set of pedals for the fixie. I currently only have two pairs of pedals for my 4 bikes as well...so I do a lot of swapping around. Anytime I get near a threaded object, there's a chance something's going to get cross threaded or stripped....so swapping pedals is a dangerous thing for me. Having dedicated pedals on the fixie will save me some time and nervousness.

I don't know if I'll get these things or not. I just put it out there for my mom, since she asked. I'll eventually get them one way or another. The bikes are something non-computer related, non photography related for me to geek out about, so any extra parts are cool by me!