Today's Project

Today I'll be creating and underwater scene out of clay.  Then I plan to pour a plaster mold of the scene to create a wax mold.   The process continues by dipping the wax mold into slurry and sand until it creates a ceramic shell.   The wax is then put in a kiln around 1600degrees, where it will melt out completely.  The ceramic shell is now ready for the aluminum pour that I will do with my class.   I could do this in bronze, but since the tank is aluminum, I decided for welding sake to keep with the same metals.  Unfortunately, I am limited with the patinas available.  However, I do have LEDS that I hope will make the scene colorful.

Yesterday, I blasted the hole in my tank with a Plasma Cutter...

Lots of fun with Kids June 28-July1

The end of June was super busy for Amanda.  She needed to be out of her Wymount Terrace apartments before July 1st.  Now, helping people move is one thing...we can lift and move boxes, but helping them pack is another.  So since she needed to pack the only thing John and I could offer was to watch the kids.   Yeah.  I love watching the kids!

Tuesday night we watched Anatasia, (picked by Autumn) and ate popcorn!
 
Wednesday, cousin Diana let us borrow Eric and the kids had lots of fun playing with him.  He is a real good playmate.  He listens, is pleasant, and plays well with younger children.  We love Eric.

Wednesday we went to Library Story time, read, and checked out books.

We went to DI and bought a swimsuit for Autumn.  Eric let Luke borrow his.  So we took the kids swimming, (Autumn got stung by a bee, after crying she kept swimming but bug boy Luke kept freaking out about the bees so we left)

Eric

ate outside

and took them to our friends house who had very tame chickens:

She held this chicken like a baby doll

Chicken looks uncomfortable but actually isn't moving.  (The trick--play with chicks everyday--says owner)

Autumn holding chicken baby doll style while she and Eric chase around dog, Maggie.

Then we watched another movie picked out by Eric:  Scooby Doo Scary Camp Stories

We said goodbye to Eric Thursday morning, but not before running through sprinklers.

I had to keep this picture.  It has photo quality of the 70s.

 
Then we went to the library and checked out more books.  The local pet store brought animals to the community room in the library.  We played with geckos and saw crazy snakes and a large turtle.  While Luke took an afternoon nap, Autumn and I painted a tea box for her new tea set and then played tea time.  

We had very elaborate outfits

Hot chocolate and gingersnaps

Autumn trying to be very careful.  (love the chocolate on the corner of her mouth)

That night I took Autumn and Luke to a Karoake Competition in the Park.  (Autumn danced around unabashedly in front of the stage--I was a little scared she was going to go on stage because she walked up the stage stairs, but then she just sat there and watched the singers.  Others kids had been doing the same and the setting was casual so I didn't stop her) and then to their favorite place--Panda Express--where to my surprise, they were both well behaved. That night we watched another movie, chosen by Luke, well influenced by me.


I thought I was being fun...We woke up the next morning and watched another movie while I cut out foam for the tea box.  Amanda surprised us while we were watching yet another movie about bugs.  Then, of course, they were done with me and wanted to leave.   I guess I could only be so fun.

Amanda's Second Triathlon

It was freezing cold camping Friday night (July 15).  The altitude is 7300 but I didn't expect 32 degrees and frost all over the ground.  Miserable night for all.  Amanda had left her wet suit inside out over night and it had ice in it.  Brrrrr.

The 67 degree reservoir was warmer than the air.

The boys were moderately happy that morning and awake so I ran off with them to see their mom race.   John stayed with Autumn until she woke up.  So well, I didn't have my camera again...although I got to see every transition and cheer her on.   Finally, John and Autumn showed up and John hiked back to the car for a camera.  He was able to get Amanda running and finishing.  So I apologize but this is what we have:

Autumn holding wild flowers for mommy

 

Closer shot.  Amanda ran in 5fingers.  She said she won't do that again.  Calves are shot after the bike ride and a different shoe is necessary.  But its a great shoe for training.

 

Yay Amanda!  Good job!  Next triathlon...Herriman???

Mermaid Autumn

John got a sweet underwater camera (by SeaLife) and decided to practice on the family's resident mermaid.  Autumn amazes me with her fearlessness of water and that she can be so photogenic underwater!  No one told her to smile or keep her eyes open.  Mermaid beauty instincts?

Even with a big breathe of air, you can see the smile.

She was excited to Scuba.  Took to breathing correctly underwater right away.

Becky and Topher's Baby Diaper Cake

Fishing Frog

Check out the Alligator eating the Monkey.  That is a children's story.

Ultrasound baby picture in frame (and another alligator)

Traveling to Baby Shower

The base is a play mat.  Fun book in background called Laugh Out Loud Dinosaur..

The Family Fun Triathlon...

This is what Becky calls fun...

2 months ago Becky invited me to do a family sprint triathlon with her sometime around July 23.  She had access to the Air Base pool, with a place out back to transition to our bikes, a great perimeter road used for base triathlons, and to get the distance, a duck pond loop run with a last lap on the track.    We meant to invite lots of family members and friends too.

However, feeling pregnant and less confident about July 23, she called me up beginning of last week and said let's do this thing Friday.  Why not???  I then cornered John into joining us.   Needless to say, it was a pregnant women, a fat lady, and an out-of-shape man who did the competition.  What a sight.  Was it really a competition???  At least we now know our abilities and the times for PRs.

Becky schooled us both on swimming, but she started having cramps on the bike so I caught up to her.  By the end we both sped walked together.   John got lost I think...

So as I see it, I am excited for having completed the distances.  I learned how to spell triathlon, I re-learned free-style from Becky (not gonna mislead ya though--I had to breast and back stroke to get enough air)  I biked a distance I had never tried before--and I liked it.  I learned that the dismount onto noodle legs is a shock, and I have no stamina to run/jog a 5K.  Ugh.  How do people do it?  I am so proud of my friends and family members who can compete in half marathons, marathons, triathlons, and bike across Canada.  Kudos!

Becky tells me that the Air Base has a triathlon in October.  I hope to beat my time by 20 minutes after I've learned to run.

 (And, um, no, I'm not going to post times, thank you...)

You know, Becky might have something going.  It really was fun.

Seeing the road better

One side foggy. One side done.

Have you ever thought the lights on your car were too dim? Perhaps its not the bulbs at all, but the scratches on the plexiglass and the yellow foggy UV damage. Last year John went to Jiffy Lube to have them polish up the glass on the headlights and for $40 they did a crappy job. John knew it could be done much better, and proved so today.

So here's what you can do. For only $25 dollars you can do it yourself and do it better than the sloppy Jiffy Lube of Tooele. (The kit lasts a long time). Before/After

Before/After

First clean off dirt w buffer. Use sanding grit to take out scratches.

Wipe off wax and grit. Buffer off the wax. Viola. Shiny!

Both sides done!