Building a Guitar: Installment 1

So I've started making some jigs to help me make a guitar. I just finish what was probably my most complicated jig.



First, I had to make a circular piece (the dish). Then I made a table thing that the dish could rest on, with a dowel in the middle so that I could turn it. Finally I made a sled that just barely sits on top of the dish with rails that lower down in a subtle radius. I took the router and slid it along in order to make the radius. You can see I'm about halfway done at this point.



As you can see, it made quite a mess, both on me and everywhere else.

The radius dish helps me slightly dome the top and bottom of the guitar.

Wed - Art For Griffin

I taught Griffin's art class in his Kindergarten room yesterday. We were to use the papers they painted last month; cut them up and make a castle with those same papers.

Everyone was VERY creative and had their own idea of what the castle should look like.




















In other news:

• It is good to write your meals down on a meal calendar. It helps to know how old things are in your fridge. It also is an esteem booster for how good you are to make dinner all those nights!
• It rained again last night
• Quinn is staying up LATE doing homework!
• I FORCED myself to clean to very messy family room. I was happy when it was done. My example did NOTHING to promote the idea that the children could clean too.
• I am helping at the school today, then working on my "Store"!

100th Day of School

Griffin is having his 100th day of school on Wednesday.

He was supposed to make a "100's" project; glue 100 of something on a paper. He suggested 100 One dollar bills. I suggested Cheerios.

Here is his project.

Do YOU remember what you brought to school for your 100th day of kindergarten?

I think I remember milk caps, pennies, possibly cars.

Steven's Playoff Bracket

And the winner is......CHRISTOPHERChristopher got the most points.
No one picked the Steelers to win -
BUT Christopher was the ONLY one to put the Steelers in the Super Bowl.
Nice choosing, Christopher.

Dad and I were right on your tail!

Sunday Lunch

This morning, I woke up, put a roast in the crock pot. I have done this many times. It is done and delicious for when we get home from church.

I also found some frozen rolls (that need to rise) in the freezer. I put those out so they could rise while we were at church.

All’s well; so I thought!

When we walked in the door after church, the lid to the crock pot was not on! It was vertical to the pot. The roast was big, and as it cooked, I guess it pushed the lid up. So the roast did not slow cook for 5 hours as it should have.

I thought I would just finish up the rest of the meal slowly and let it cook for another hour, it had to be fine. The rolls looked weird and not rising. I made mashed potatoes and lots of gravy thinking that would fix anything. I also heated up some corn from a can.

The Results: The roast was AWFUL, the worst ever. It was like eating shoe leather, really. There is/was no gravy strong enough to correct that taste. The potatoes were fine, the corn was cold (why??); the rolls looked poisonous. Quinn said the rolls tasted fine, (I would NOT even try them), but the middles of the rolls were still doughy, so Zak eats the outside and plays (like putty) with the insides. I said I hope I never had to eat a meal that awful again.

Moral of the story: things can still mess up and be awful even if you plan ahead and try your best.

Soup With a Fork?

We had yummy Chicken Noodle Soup for dinner Friday night.
Apparently, Quinn thinks you eat soup with a fork; much better for leaving all that pesky broth behind.

Zak went the conventional way of eating his soup with a spoon.

In Other News:

• While playing computers games next to Zak, Griffin broke out singing a Barry Manilow song, "Can't Take my Eyes Off of You". Yes, it is true and very funny.
• Zak and Quinn are out practicing basketball with Bro. Miller
• Tonight the DVD will be Madagascar II
• Friday night's DVD was watching the recording of the game show Win, Lose or Draw that I was on. (Probably 1987). I won $600; bought my scriptures that I use currently and the automatic garage door opener in Duarte. I was embarrassingly sappy. While other people went through the "Clever on TV" line in heaven, I chose to go through the "Sappy" line several times.

Griffin's Sandwich of the Day

I guess it is homemade crunchy peanut butter.

He asked for peanut butter with peanuts on bread.

He found the can of peanuts in the cupboard.
I cut them up, put them on the spread peanut butter. It looked just like crunchy peanut butter.

He said he liked it.
Our little chef.

Soldering Anyone?

I need a little help!

Does anyone know anyone that knows how to do a little delicate soldering?
This is my car door opener. That arrow is pointing to the part that needs to be soldered down.
Any takers?

While I was out today, I got this part fixed too. It holds up a flap in the back of my car. Mr. Nobody broke it.

Free Breakfast at Denny's

Today, Tuesday from 6am to 2pm you can get a FREE breakfast at Denny's. I forgot all about it, but when I saw this LINE of people in front of Denny's, I remembered.
Can you imagine waiting in that LONG line to be seated, to wait for the waitress to take your order to WAIT for your food to come. That's desperate. I think you could go buy your pancake mix, go home, make it and eat it before you would ever get your food at Denny's.
Whatever floats your boat.

Where Have We Been??

It was Nana's birthday this Saturday. She and Bumpa came into town. If you want to see the pictures go here.

The music leading at the funeral was just fine. I was glad I did it.

Funny Griffin story:
Every Friday the Kindergarten has music time. They learn songs and do a few moves. Lately, they are learning songs from Mary Poppins....Feed the Birds.....Step in Time. Griffin usually enjoys it because he comes home and shows me his moves. Well, I guess that Friday he was not too excited to go. The 2 mother helpers took the class to the music room. After they were there, the mothers noticed that 2 boys were missing! Griffin and his friend Cole (quite the coincidence!...the name). The boys were found outside hiding behind a tree. Their teacher talked to them and told them not to do that again.

Zak & Quinn both started a new semester at school. That meant no homework over the weekend!

Kylie had softball practice on Monday and she really enjoyed it. She said she played well.

Chase sent pictures from his mission. I will try to get those posted on his mission page in the next couple of days!

We are having Beef Burgundy tonight for dinner. Should be good.