Let the Christmas Spirit begin!

With only hours left in November, I figured it was time to post on the blog.

Actually this is only happening because today is Dave's birthday.  His buddy is over and they are having man time upstairs, so Sarah is down in the basement having girl time with Rachel.  That leaves Alan to have Alan time in bed at 8:30 on a school night.  Yay!

I tend to slide into the Christmas spirit slowly - but this year seems to have broken that habit.  I took advantage of nice weather to put the lights up outside the weekend before Thanksgiving (though I waited until after to turn them on!).  Then earlier this week, Rachel and Sarah broke out all the decorations and decked this place out...as much as could be imagined for a house with a toddler.  That prompted a trip to buy a tree.

Speaking of, Andrew has been mostly hand-off.  I cannot, however, claim that about other parts of his body...

The place looks good - and it helps make up for the fact that we still have a dearth of main-level decorations.  Good timing, as well, because I have invited coworkers over for dinner on Sunday.  I hope they don't mind the winter wonderland!

I am now 1/3 of the way into year 3 at Ogden.  All goes well - the classes are pretty enjoyable and I am liking what I am teaching more than years past.  It has been a strange year, as a new schedule leaves us with no faculty meetings and so no time to meet with one another.  A middle school teacher passed me today and said, half-jokingly, "you still work here?  I haven't seen you in a month!"  That is part of the reason I wanted to invite the folks from my department over for dinner.  It should build some camaraderie, I hope.

We are now around 5-6 weeks to baby #2.  We chose the name for the little guy on the road to Michigan for Thanksgiving.  This time, it took 5 minutes to decide.  The conversation consisted of 10 seconds of me suggesting the name, and 4 minutes and 50 seconds of Rachel telling me how she knew that was the name I had picked and how great it was.  Just for our own fun and to keep people guessing, we are not telling ahead of time.  Although I will say, child #2 is no fun.  People don't really care once you have the first one.  (ok, other than our moms!)

Andrew has started a "baby" phase.  He has fully attached himself to two of his stuffed animals - the ones he has slept with for some time now - and calls them his "babies."  He wants to take them with him everywhere, and when they are gone he often asks for them.  He is also good as identifying human babies, so hopefully he will have a positive attitude towards his brother.

And his obsession with "screen time" grows stronger with the day.  I guess that is our fault for getting tablets that we carry with us all around the house.  Who wouldn't want to join in on the fun?

Happy almost-December!

-alan

Seashells and swimsuits and sunrises, oh my!

Last Saturday Sarah, Andrew, and I left on a jet plane to sunny Florida for a week-long beach vacation with my parents.  We were sad to leave the husbands home, but ladies of leisure have to travel when they have the opportunity.

I was a little nervous about how Andrew would behave in the airport and on the plane.  Our trip to Taiwan was so smooth but he was much younger thus much less mobile.  I still wore him in the Ergo through security, but I have to say it was not as comfortable now that I am 6 months pregnant.  Sarah was a great help all around and I am happy we were able to get our seats together even though it was a crazy full flight.  We got the window and middle seats which I think are probably the way to go.  Keeping him out of the alluring aisle would have been a battle I know I would lose.  He didn't sleep at all on the ride there, but we kept him full of snacks and he towed the line.  I watched the NU-Penn State game via Direct TV and Andrew did a little bit of cheering.  His "go go go" is becoming quite convincing.

We arrived in Orlando and then headed over to Ormond Beach (just north of Daytona) to a condo my parents secured right on the beach. 

 Grandpa and Andrew sport their shades on our ninth floor balcony.

I am admittedly not a beach gal so I thought I would be bored out my mind, but it was actual a perfect vacation for just chilling and maximizing Andrew's enjoyment.  It was really his first time to swim and first time to spend any significant time in sand.  He loved it!

What is better than 2 beach chairs and an umbrella?

Come on mom, let's go out in the water!

Auntie Sarah takes him up to the surf.

Grandpa managed to get him to wear his beach hat for a few minutes.

 Watch out for shark attacks!

Andrew has always been a collector (sticks, rocks, etc), so picking up shells was right up his alley. Grandma also has a knack for finding shells so she was happy to help him with his endeavors.  He was discriminating about what went in his bucket.  He would shake his head no if he didn't want it.  At night he would play with his shells in the condo.  I didn't bring his whole haul back to Chicago, but took a few momentos for him to play with at home.

 

Every morning he would grab his bucket and shovel and wait by the door while we got ready.  He needed to maximize his "bee" (beach) time.  We ended up spending a few hours most days at the beach.  One day, it was a little chilly so we played 18 holes in the morning and evening of mini golf.  Andrew had a little putter and hit a few.  His form is still suspect, but with a little training he'll be quite competitive.

Before we knew it the vacation was over.  I still had not seen the sunrise and knew I had to go out to the balcony at the right time.  Andrew "thankfully" had some sleeping issues, so we were up at dawn and captured some nice shots of the sun rising over the Atlantic.

 Here comes the sun...

Cheese

 Lovely light breaking through the clouds

Andrew loved sitting on the balcony and looking down at everything.

We packed up Friday and headed out to the airport.  The flight home was very uneventful with Andrew sleeping a good portion of it.  We made it back to the car that Alan parked near the L and Andrew seemed genuinely excited to see it.  He squealed happily the whole ride home.  It was a great vacation, but in the end it is much better seeing "dada" in person than talking to him on the phone.

 Saying goodnight to daddy

This October and last October Andrew and I took vacations on my parents' dime.  Mom and dad where are we going in 2013? 

-rachel

The beginning and end of the school year

In the past month since my words have graced this blog, I brought the basement project to an abrupt end and shifted gears immediately to get ready for the new school year.

The school year began with a mixed bag of optimism and trepidation on my part - optimistic about the new crop of students, a promising group of new colleagues, the introduction of Google Apps, and new curricula to implement; trepidation about a new school schedule, an end to staff meetings, and of course the looming contract negotiations.

I had 9 days of classes.  Enough to learn (most) of the kids names, introduce my subject matter, and get some of the classroom procedures in order.  In chemistry, I managed to complete 1 lab and start another.

We had 2 union meetings over this time, and the news from my union delegate was dire - hope for a settlement, but be realistic and plan on a strike.  I had been hearing for the past year about the strike possibility, and it was clear that both sides had hardened their positions in preparation for this moment.  The media and the city kept putting out hopeful comments, making it seem like a deal was possible.  However, earnest and productive negotiations began so late that a deal was not gonna happen.

With a long way yet to go, the negotiators emerged on Sunday night with news that school was officially cancelled.  (Why they had to wait until 10pm on Sunday, I have no idea.  It kept us all waiting longer than necessary)  I was officially on strike.

Back several years ago, when I was out of school and new to CPS, I had great reservations about the union.  Colleagues spoke poorly of the union and its leadership, and I saw the organization as bloated and wasteful. I was happy for all the benefits I received as a result of the work of the union in the past, but wondered, "what have they done for me lately?"

Today, I certainly do not feel that way.  So why the change?

Part of it is me.  I am a little older, and thinking more now about this career and my future.  I have more confidence today to say that I am in teaching for the long haul, and if so it makes financial sense to stay in CPS (lower pay than the suburbs but great retirement benefits).  Naturally, I have more at stake in this contract negotiation than a recent college grad would.

The other factor is a change in the union.  I work with an excellent group of teachers who care about the school and their profession.  There is a new union leadership that better reflects the feelings of the city's teachers.  We have a new common enemy in Rahm Emanuel.  We have been told time and time again that we are not working hard enough, that we are greedy, that we are the problem.  Our delegate described the union of a few years ago as a "dying beast, on its last breath."  But today, thousands of teachers are marching at locations across the city, showing solidarity against attempts to fundamentally change public education in our city.

So today, I am proud to be a part of the CTU, and to have voted to strike.  I do not profess to have all the answers, nor will I defend the union on all of its stances.  I do believe that the union provides counter-balance against the tide of misguided reform.  I do support the cause of labor unions and upholding the rights of workers, and hope that our fight will galvanize other teacher unions to fight against the privatization of education.

That being said, I hope even more to be back to work on Wednesday.

-alan

Basement update: home stretch

It is Monday night, and I now have less than 1 week of summer vacation left.  I return to work on the 20th, and have students starting the 27th.  [I have received the draft schedule and have finished one of my syllabi - things are moving on the school front.  But that is for another post]

After a healthy break from house work while in Michigan, it is time to wrap up the big tasks for this project.  Tonight I finished a good chunk of the leftover painting - the stairway, and touch-ups.  The closet doors still need paint, and touch-ups of the trim.

That leaves one big job - the ceiling.  I didn't want to sheetrock the ceiling because I want to be able to more easily access ductwork, electrical wiring, etc.  Also, hanging it on the ceiling is a bear.  Instead we bought some attractive beadboard panels that I will cut to fit.  I hope it turns out well.

We also picked up two more items for the basement today:

My dad's old chair returns to to family, after being in long-term foster care with my cousin.  It outgrew his tastes, so he offered it back to me.  It is not much to look at after all these years, but it is still comfy.  I can already feel my butt enjoying its contours come football season.

Also I ordered a dorm fridge to use in the basement.  I will put drinks in there, to free up space in our small kitchen fridge - with all the visitors, we need every inch for foodstuffs.

-alan

Summer break in Michigan

After a fun-filled summer of Millers in Chicago, it was time to get to Michigan and see the Allmens before summer ended.  We are at the tail end of our time here, so it is time to get the spotlight off the house and back on the kid.

Andrew has learned how to smile on command.  It is big, and cheesy, and reminiscently Allmen-like. 

He showed it off for the first time at the Swiss picnic - an annual get together and celebration of all things Swiss.  Think brats, kitschy t-shirts, a recorded message from the Swiss president, lots of Swiss flags, and live accordion music.  Good times.   

 

Plenty of Allmens were there - a variety of the extended family in the area.  Only Mom was there from the immediate family, though.  I guess the rest aren't cool enough to party with the Swiss.

 

 

 On Monday we took a trip to a splash park.  Andrew had lots of fun playing, just as he does in the sprinklers at home. 

He needed coaxing at times, but once he got familiar with a particular spigot he would go back again and again and again.  

The funniest part was how he would grab at the water as it squirted, but never be able to grasp them.  So he would use his sign language to beg for help.  What did he want us to do?

On Tuesday we traveled with Sharon, Jenny, and Danielle to the zoo. It has been a number of years since I was last there, but many of the sights are the same as when I was a kid. 

 Mom said a whole album could be filled with family pictures at Rackham Fountain.

Tapping into his inner predator, Andrew was drawn toward any medium-to-large animal in motion.  He could care less about the sitting camels or the sleeping tigers.  But the otters?  All over it.  Penguins?  Facinated.  Macaques?  Chased them around, squealing.

The zebras fell somewhere in the middle.  They have a unique look and fun-sounding name, so that helped them to get some ahhh's from him.
    

The giraffes came up real close, drawing all of our attention.  They were anticipating feeding time, so it was good timing on our part.  

Our last stop was the arctic exhibit. While the polar bears were not around, we lingered anyway because the AC was a welcome break from the hot sun.

We ended the day with a trip to downtown Royal Oak for bubble tea.  Rachel actually wanted an Asian fruit smoothie, but Joy Yee's-style boba just has not come to metro Detroit yet.  However, it was good nough to spur Jenny and Sharon to go with us to load up on supplies to make their own milk tea at home.

Today we rested and I did some odd jobs for Mom.  Phil and Karen are staying the night, because tomorrow morning they will go to the airport for a vacation in Hawaii.  I am pretty sure I could get by on Phil's ID, so I have to figure out how to switch with him so that I can spend 2 weeks in paradise.

-alan

Summer recap, the first 7 weeks

First off, happy anniversary to us!  I postponed our celebration of 7 years for a few days while we worked on the project (see below!).  So this past Friday we went out to Tre Kronor for a Swedish dinner out on their back patio.  It was a lovely dinner and evening, mostly for the company I had but also because the bulk of the work had been finished...

So what have I been doing all summer?  Not watching TV and filling out crosswords, I will tell you...  I finished the upstairs bath shortly after Dave and Sarah moved in at the end of June.  It turned out very well - no pictures right now, but I will try to get on that.  Once it was done, I started on the basement the very next day.

To remind you, the basement started out with concrete floors, and a combination concrete/brick wall.  The windows were glass block, and the ceiling was exposed.

Starting the first week of July, I began work downstairs.  After living in the heat box of the upstairs bath, it was welcome to spend time in the cool lower floor. 

I removed the glass block (with a sledgehammer!) to reveal surprisingly large window bays for a basement.  We had ordered sliding vinyl windows to replace the block, to help the room feel less closed-off.  It was an all afternoon and evening affair to get them installed, as I did not have the hammer drill that I needed to quickly fasten the wood bucks to the masonry opening.  Instead, I relied on a lot of muscle and a lot of drill bits.  Despite a hint of pessimism from visiting relatives, we got both windows in place by 11:30 that evening.  Though we are in a drought, we did have a few good rains and I am fairly confident they are waterproof.

The subfloor consists of Dricore tiles - squares of plywood lifted off the floor by plastic cleats.  I saw it on HGTV, and Home Depot sells it....that was enough for me.

 

Once the floor was in, I installed sheets of XPS foam to the exterior walls.  The foam insulates and acts as a water vapor.  Current research seems to have discounted the use of plastic sheets as a vapor barrier, as moisture accumulates between the exterior wall and the plastic.  But if the foam adheres directly to the wall, then there is no chance of condensation behind it.  While closed-cell spray foam is better, this was the cost effective alternative.

Next was the satisfying process of framing the walls.  We had a big delivery of lumber and drywall dropped off via enormous forklift.  Then I was able to use a donated mitre saw and borrowed framing nailer to make quick work of the process - other than navigating some peculiarities of our basement.  They corners were not perfectly square, and one wall was certainly not plum, but it was a good effort for a first-timer.  The best part?  I did not shoot myself with a giant framing nail.

Drywall also happened relatively quickly, as I had a lot of hands to help finish the work.  The nerdiest moment came when rise-over-run was measured and used to calculate the slope of the diagonal in the stairway.  The result was a piece of drywall with a PERFECT angle.

What followed was a furious 3-4 days of taping, mudding, sanding, and painting.  Becca had arrived, turning our living room into a messy college dorm room.  The chaotic state of the house necessitated fast-forwarding the process to provide additional living space.  It was terrible: hard, sweaty work that extending until 2, 3, 4am over the course of that week.  But the big push allowed us to get carpet ordered and walls painted.

The day of the carpet installation, we were working to finish painting and clean the remnants of sanding.  Unfortunately the guys showed up 2-3 hours early, forcing us to hastily clear the room and shop vac the floor. 

But hours later, the carpet was in.  And on Saturday, we cleaned from floor to ceiling and moved some furniture down.  So we still have a dorm room in the house, but at least it has moved out of sight!

The basement construction was a bear; long days eating away all the fun I would like to have over the summer.  I certainly regretted taking on such a big project in such a small time frame.  But with Rachel being pregnant again, I am sure that I will come to appreciate this space more and more as the year progresses.  Many thanks to Eric, Tom, Jake, Andy, Dan, Christine, Sarah, Dave, Stephen, Becca, and Rachel for their helping hands.  Without each of you there would certainly not be a finished(ish) basement under my feet right now.

So this project is not yet done, but major operations are complete.  What is left is manageable - trim, touch-ups, painting the doors, etc.  Oh, and the ceiling is still unfinished....but decisions about that are still being made.

For the rest of summer, we will enjoy the last few days with Rachel's brother and sister before they head off to Texas.  Then we will spend some time in Michigan with my family.  Finally back in Chicago for a week or so until I am back to work.  Well, at least until there is a teacher strike.  But hopefully not.

-alan

Project update, Day 8 (and videos)

It has been a week and a half since starting the bathroom, and the once-overwhelming task of gutting a bathroom is now coming under control.  Since my last update, I have been spending my time working on the mechanicals - the new circuits are complete, with additional lighting and outlets.  New supply lines have been run upstairs so that there will be adequate water pressure (I hope).  Yesterday I started on the shower/bath hookups, which I should be able to finish up today.  The big hold-up has been the new waste line that I have to run for the new bath.  The plan is to run the line down to the basement, parallel to the current stack.  Logistically this works out but there is limited space in the floor to plumb the trap and connections to new venting.  Rachel suggested that we use up some of the space above the drop ceiling in the main bath.  I will investigate this today, and hopefully install those drains.

Andrew has been getting very quick lately.  His walking skills have progressed considerably, so he is able to walk from room to room.  This has led to increased mischief, such as yesterday when Rachel was cooking and discovered that he had left his toys and quietly found his way to the toilet.  Yuck.  Thus begins 2+ years of chasing him around.

But he is still very cute and fun to play with.  Here a couple of recent videos.

Back to work!

-alan

Summer projects: Day 4

It is easy for my mind to get lost in these big projects.  There are a thousand little things to get done, and a few big things... and my thoughts can easily stray as I think of the other things I need to be doing.  I do not think that I am dreaming about construction yet, but I am sure that will come soon.

In the attic bath, I have nearly completed the electrical work.  I had to additional circuits, because all the current load would be too high for people living full time upstairs.  Now there should be plenty of juice to handle the A/C, computers, lights, hair dryers, etc.

The more difficult part is adding additional lighting.  I had to learn how to install recessed lighting, since the ceiling is so low and lighting woefully inadequate.  The bathroom lighting is set up, but I need to work a little more on the rest of the attic.  The bathroom fan is installed, and the necessary holes have been cut in preparation for new waste lines for the bath.

Speaking of, we do not yet have the fixtures - bathtub, shower head, vanity, toilet, faucet....but we should be able to fill that in during the next week between visits to second-hand warehouses and the big box stores.

It has not been all work; last night Rachel and I went downtown to watch a Chinese dance performance.  I received some free tickets from my school's Chinese teacher (via a student who did not want them!).  While I am not the biggest dance aficionado, the price was right and we are more cultured as a result.

And today we went to Wrigley to watch the Tigers beat up on the Cubs.  I think there were as many Tigers fans there as Cubs fans - and certainly there were more Tigers fans in the upper deck.  It was Andrew's first baseball game, and overall it was a successful trip.  He was an angel all the way through the 7th inning stretch...and he was tolerable after that.  Pictures to come.

-alan

Summer begins: Bathroom reno, Day 1 - Demo

Summer is here!

With all the time we have to spend together, whatever will our family do?

Don't stress Andrew, summer will be fun.  You probably do not remember much from last summer, but I will be home a lot more often, the weather is warm, and we will go out and do fun things :)

Last week Rachel gave me a nasty sinus infection (nice birthday present, right??) so I was knocked out for most of the last week of school.  Thankfully, most of my work was already done so I was able to sleepwalk right into summer.

Today was my first weekday off from school, and it felt pretty sweet.  No alarm (other than Andrew), a leisurely breakfast, time to Skype with Mom, a few hours of work upstairs/outside, and a walk around the block before hitting up the neighborhood ice cream social.  Ahhhh...this is the life.

But there is work to be done...

2 big projects for the summer: upstairs bath renovation, and the basement renovation.  The upstairs bath is the priority, because Sarah and Dave will be moving in at the end of the month.  It started out looking like this:

Nothing pretty, but nothing hideous.  Problem is, there is no shower/bath.  And there will be upwards of 7 people in this house at various times in the coming months, so 1 shower will not do. 

First things first: see how this place is put together. 

Much better!  The framing is solid, thankfully, and no sign of mold.  The fixtures we not worth keeping, and the drywall was nailed instead of screwed, so there were enough ugly nail pops to convince me to start over.

What's the next step?  Good question... unfortunately, I do not have as good a plan in place for the bath as I do for the basement.  I need to work hard tonight to design this place, so that I make the necessary purchases and starting piecing it back together.  The clock is ticking!

-alan

Back on the air: May update

I like the warm weather.  Do you???



While I did not go back to check, I am pretty sure this has been the longest I have gone without posting since the blog began.

So what has been happening?

Well, family is most important so I will begin there. Andrew had his first birthday in the time since I last posted. We had a wonderful time, and I think he did too. Check it out if you don't believe me.

He has been able to play a lot with his new toys - he likes riding in the wagon, reading his new books, playing (outside) in bubbles, pretending to cook his new play food, and spending not-so-quiet time talking to the parts of his quiet book.

Andrew is just itching to take his first steps, but Rachel said she knocks him over whenever he is about to try, because he is not allowed to do it without me! (I think she is kidding. Maybe?)

We recently met one of our former students from Chengdu at O'Hare, as he transferred from international to a domestic flight.  I hope he remember us when he is rich.

I was the best man at Tom and Sarah's wedding - fun times!  (Being in a wedding is hard work.  I need to make sure only to made friends with married guys from now on.)  Ok, seriously it was an honor and I enjoyed it all.  Congratulations again!

Rachel has taken on a new role, volunteering her services to the college counseling department at the local high school. She has always had a secret desire to help kids transition to college, so she is planning a transition event for graduating seniors. They will network with one another and representatives from their matriculating colleges. This is coming up in early June.

Meanwhile, her latest playdate was cancelled due to threat of a strep outbreak, but it is now rescheduled for later this week. She will host a Mandarin play hour - she will lead stories and simple songs in Chinese for local moms / babies.

We helped the Weddles move from their long-standing Bridgeport home into their new digs in Jefferson Park. It has been rewarding to have them closer by - selfishly for their babysitting and manual labor, but more generally because you can never overestimate having good friends nearby.

My school year is wrapping up fast. Transitions of staff are already underway, and there are only 2 more real weeks of school left. Actually, the second week of that is a wash because of Memorial Day, review for final exams, an end-of-year standardized test, and final exams. So this is really the last week...and I am showing a movie in 3 of my classes. Ha! Nice planning, Alan.

So why too busy to blog? Well, our recreational time has been used up playing house. We started a couple weeks ago to plan in earnest for our summer renovations. We need to get a jump on projects this year - Sarah and Dave will be temporarily moving upstairs at the end of June, and Becca and Stephen will be visiting in July. So there will be a whole mess of Millers here 6 weeks from now, and they need suitable places to sleep (if not for their benefit, than for our own sanity).

So what has been done do far? Well, it began with basement demolition. Rachel and Eric helped me rip out a wall and all the paneling from the basement exterior walls, so we could get a good look at the condition of the foundation.



Things are in good shape, overall. There are two minor foundation cracks, and a little bit of mortar that needs patching. In all, spending $130 on a foundation crack repair kit and a bag of mortar is a far better deal than the multi-thousand dollar bill we feared.

Last week, I rented a truck to buy and transport the starting materials for the basement project: we now have a garage full of foam insulation, subfloor tiles, and of course all the junk from the demo. Yuck.



This is the overall plan: to finish half the basement, making it into a media / play room with an open floor plan. This will also provide temporary Miller lodging as needed. I will lay the subfloor and insulation, followed by drywall, and then we hope to get carpeting for warmth and soft play. Don't worry - I am taking precautions to make sure we are safe from all but the most catastrophic of floods. Simultaneously, I will be renovating the attic bath, to add a shower/tub. This will serve as guest quarters, but one day we play to install proper kid(s) bedrooms up there.

We had plans to add a bath in the basement, but this project was cost prohibitive based on plumbing estimates. Instead we will work on renovating the main bath - which was supposed to be job #1, but has somehow slipped down the priority list.

To that end, Rachel scored a great find at a local garage sale - 21 boxes of floor and wall tiles, in a variety of styles. Perfect for bathroom floors and shower walls!



Finally, good news to report on the window treatment front.

You should not be surprised to find out that vertical blinds and small children to not mix. They are much too inviting to pull on! (actually, they do not mix with Rachel either, but we won't go there) We had lost close to 10 slats in the living room alone, and had run out of options to rearrange them. We never liked the blinds in the first place, but needed inspiration for what to get.



We never really got the needed inspiration, but I simply got tired of waiting. A year ago, we had written off the blinds at Ikea based on color. Desperate, I suggested we take color samples back to the store and try again. Thankfully, the color, though not perfect, would work. However, the size was not quite right. Undeterred, we bought them anyway and hoped for the best. Back at home, I discovered that someone mixed the wrong size into our pile, so a few of the boxes would REALLY not fit.

Despite the many roadblocks, I sized up the blinds and found them to be 5/8" too wide to mount them inside the window frame. Rachel did not want them mounted any other way, so I improvised. I sawed each one down to size and restained the end to match the color. I am very happy with the end result!

One more thing - new patio furniture!  A table and set of 4 chairs, bought from a neighbor on deep discount.  Sunny Sunday morning, come quickly!

Just for fun:

There aren't too many costume parties in May.  Oh well!

-alan