tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360172212024-03-13T00:33:27.044-05:00The Great Big Blog of TimMe and my family and the things I doMyselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-20761174499397018562010-06-24T23:51:00.000-05:002010-06-24T23:51:03.266-05:00Andrew Rides New Bike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_umChTLfsK80/TCQzDfOzRQI/AAAAAAAATXo/n7mySvEXnNc/s1600/IMAG0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_umChTLfsK80/TCQzDfOzRQI/AAAAAAAATXo/n7mySvEXnNc/s320/IMAG0036.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Andrew Rides on his own!</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">See that bike? That is Andrew riding his new bike for the first time. April and I had been trying to convince Andrew we could take the training wheels off of his bike for a while. Well last week April found a bigger, better 20" bike at a garage sale, it even still had the price tag still on it! We told Andrew that there would be no training wheels on this bike so if he wanted to ride it he was going to need to learn to ride with out them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So the first time I take Andrew over to the park, he starts riding on his own after only a couple of trips across the ball field with dad holding on to the seat! After that he rode for about 15 minutes, got a couple of comments that they could not tell it was his first time, then we went to A&W for dinner and 90 cent root-beer floats.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am really proud of Andrew, and look forward to many nice bike rides this summer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here is a video of him riding at the park <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4cFDHxcUvI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4cFDHxcUvI </a></span>Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-17224623945789598012010-06-22T10:13:00.001-05:002010-06-22T10:13:57.299-05:00New phone, with new chances to get updatesSo I got a new phone. With it I can upload pictures more easily, and probably other stuff too (like this blog post). For now, be sure to check out the june 2010 folder for some pictures from fathers day. We went for a bike ride from Fort Snelling State Park to Minihaha falls, then visited my dad for dinner and playing at a park in Burnsville.Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-69105359364234005512009-05-09T19:39:00.000-05:002009-05-09T19:39:58.243-05:00What have we been doing - April<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX11tPB2lI/AAAAAAAAPuw/0ru7VPPKtSc/s288/DSC00099.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX11tPB2lI/AAAAAAAAPuw/0ru7VPPKtSc/s288/DSC00099.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248174088523375218" border="0" /></a>We started out the month by using the Benihana gift certificate we got for Christmas a while ago. The kids were really good, and thought the food prep was fun. Our Chef made both the onion volcano and a fried rice Mickey Mouse. What was almost more funny was that I had to explain Mickey Mouse to the kids, we just don't watch that much Disney. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX17_KcxRI/AAAAAAAAPvc/RMeFMXfFnfI/s288/DSC00104.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX17_KcxRI/AAAAAAAAPvc/RMeFMXfFnfI/s288/DSC00104.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248174088523375218" border="0" /></a>The next weekend, April and Andrew went to a birthday party for one of his classmates. I don't have any pictures of that (since I did not go), but Nick and I hung out. We needed to run some errands and get lunch. As you can see lunch also involved dessert. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX2Bmfi9II/AAAAAAAAPwE/1PJZb6j9v-Q/s288/DSC00111.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX2Bmfi9II/AAAAAAAAPwE/1PJZb6j9v-Q/s288/DSC00111.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248174088523375218" border="0" /></a> Here you can see how fast a kid can move when all hopped up on sugar. We were busy as usual for Easter. April sang in Choir and played trumpet. After Church we went over to my Aunt and Uncles for Easter dinner. There was the usual Easter Pinnata, that I did not get any pictures of (with my phone).<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX2FzNT0ZI/AAAAAAAAPwc/OizpyMQbz_w/s288/DSC00114.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX2FzNT0ZI/AAAAAAAAPwc/OizpyMQbz_w/s288/DSC00114.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248174088523375218" border="0" /></a> The following weekend, we went down to Mankato for an ALS walk to support April's aunt. It was a 3 mile walk, Andrew ran most of it, Nick got the easy ride in the stroller. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX2J6P9ssI/AAAAAAAAPw4/BdOv5xOe15U/s288/DSC00117.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX2J6P9ssI/AAAAAAAAPw4/BdOv5xOe15U/s288/DSC00117.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248174088523375218" border="0" /></a> <br><br>After a nice walk we visited the Happy Chef. It is really too bad that the speaking does not function anymore. It is also too bad that they do not have pudding pops. After getting home, we went over to a friends house to disassemble a playground he gave us. He moved into a new house that had a wooden playground, that he did not think a full grown man needed to play on. I have to adjust some of the parts to fit our yard, but the kids will really have fun once I finally get is rebuilt.<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX2L4Y9d4I/AAAAAAAAPxI/bpjl9WYc1tg/s288/DSC00119.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX2L4Y9d4I/AAAAAAAAPxI/bpjl9WYc1tg/s288/DSC00119.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248174088523375218" border="0" /></a> The next weekend, I got some project work done around the house and some work on the playset. As you can see I put up a magnetic knife bar, I also had to repair the towel bar in the bathroom. Since I fixed it, it has been pulled down again, so I think it will need to be replaced with something new.<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX2PFDqaDI/AAAAAAAAPxg/QeQw66TV-ig/s288/DSC00122.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX2PFDqaDI/AAAAAAAAPxg/QeQw66TV-ig/s288/DSC00122.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248174088523375218" border="0" /></a> Finally, we had a our annual Pinewood derby race at church. Andrew and Nick helped design their cars and did the painting. dad did the sawing and the sanding for Nick. Andrew was really excited too since he won every race including the race between the 3 winners of each category. I tried something on both cars, Nick's got an extended wheelbase. That caused a bit of a controversy, in regards to the rules. in the end I pointed out that there is nothing in the rules that states you cannot. <br />
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX2OEep5DI/AAAAAAAAPxY/1Gu_N-P8rLc/s288/DSC00121.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_umChTLfsK80/SgX2OEep5DI/AAAAAAAAPxY/1Gu_N-P8rLc/s288/DSC00121.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248174088523375218" border="0" /></a>On Andrew's car, I adjusted one of the front wheels to not touch the ground. Effectively, Andrew's car was a tripod with 4 wheels. The reduced friction really made Andrew's car keep its speed on the last 1/3 of the track that is flat. Andrew was so proud, that was all he talked about the rest of the day.Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-56050270461627646052008-10-16T20:20:00.000-05:002008-10-16T21:29:59.420-05:00<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/l63SRpGXBHE&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/l63SRpGXBHE&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>The more thing change, the more thing stay the same.Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-382141740894078952008-09-20T13:35:00.003-05:002008-09-20T13:43:06.514-05:00New River crossing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaQiRi2Ct5f7sU-krYMd7qPlLiG6mE1Hq4YGA64yS61GuZbQUX7XiDqoqirWlMIWaqgWfk_3F0Y73s1th1g0USfrl7MvAWiLN_q86kWEhED34ldgDIoPv4W3kHxGnHBdbHpx2hQ/s1600-h/35W.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaQiRi2Ct5f7sU-krYMd7qPlLiG6mE1Hq4YGA64yS61GuZbQUX7XiDqoqirWlMIWaqgWfk_3F0Y73s1th1g0USfrl7MvAWiLN_q86kWEhED34ldgDIoPv4W3kHxGnHBdbHpx2hQ/s320/35W.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248174088523375218" border="0" /></a>We needed some concrete to stop some future mice from entering our nice, warm, food filled house. So we went to Menards (it was close and the one on University is nice) They do not carry the cement I needed, the type that is better for vertical surfaces, so I needed to go to Home Depot. We figured we would take a slightly different route and test out this new bridge. It is a good thing it has those sculptures to let me know I am crossing a river, that thing is so wide that I might not have realized that I was indeed crossing a river. I was really disappointed that they did not make a way to go from 94 west bound to 35W north yet though. Oh well maybe they will do that next time.Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-42369495199352816332008-07-09T13:55:00.002-05:002008-07-24T15:56:50.011-05:00Vacation #2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/thetimpearson/SHzEj2D7xqI/AAAAAAAAIhs/b2mBzzfj1b4/s400/DSCF1554.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/thetimpearson/SHzEj2D7xqI/AAAAAAAAIhs/b2mBzzfj1b4/s400/DSCF1554.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />We had a busy couple of weeks (kind of). The week of the forth we went up to Hideout Resort to visit with Dan and Nancy. The kids had a blast. Andrew even made some friends up there. They caught frogs like the one to the left. Dad made them let them go or put them on a hook and fish at the end of the day. I don't think it was a popular rule, but better than cleaning up dead frogs. I don't have a picture, but the turtles were laying eggs around the resort while we were there. Every night they would leave the lake an go inland to lay eggs. Almost every night, Nick and I would chase the turtles while nick yelled "tur-tle". He still will point out the turtle in is animal picture book.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/thetimpearson/SHzGq-8kqEI/AAAAAAAAI0w/l-0YLGTPd10/s400/DSCF1651.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/thetimpearson/SHzGq-8kqEI/AAAAAAAAI0w/l-0YLGTPd10/s400/DSCF1651.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>I guess July is the parade and fair month. We have now been to 2 parades and the Ramsey county fair. Look at the <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/July08">July album</a> for pictures of the fair and the first parade. The Rice St. parade was last night. I did not bother to take any pictures, since it is really similar to the Ramsey county fair parade. At the Ramsey county fair, some chiropractor rented several super heroes and the bat mobile. Andrew got his picture with Spiderman. Although, I guess he may not know exactly who spiderman is.Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-56231457366486249992008-05-21T16:35:00.004-05:002008-07-09T13:54:42.958-05:00Jeep, Jeep, Jeep<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvGfDsDNLdX-rAbb-E5i-LQUKnZwRkKuDhTjy3yWysLAFzOVxvji7RVLBv8zm666gqnGIKdW1x35dcjAFuj8z5-eKlJuiOqVai4ebRF8BA8CYiDXIUHw_zIq-3nfUq7aVmmjxwA/s1600-h/IMG_9191.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvGfDsDNLdX-rAbb-E5i-LQUKnZwRkKuDhTjy3yWysLAFzOVxvji7RVLBv8zm666gqnGIKdW1x35dcjAFuj8z5-eKlJuiOqVai4ebRF8BA8CYiDXIUHw_zIq-3nfUq7aVmmjxwA/s200/IMG_9191.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202951599491518450" /></a><br />Since the engine swap, the Jeep has been running well (not to jinx myself). So I am starting the planning of swapping for the non rusty body. I have some of the parts, but I need to line up some welding services. Till the jeep moves into dry dock, we have been enjoying the jeep. I took the top at the begining of May and drove to my Dad's in Savage to celebrate Trevor's birthday. The kids loved it, Andrew especially. It might have been a little windy for Nick at first, but he got used to it. Now he calls for the Jeep all the time. He is even yelling "Jeep" whenever he sees another CJ or Wrangler.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwrsazqitmi0dHpHeo3J82rNFUPQeGXiWdZgksWlaUJRmfkloL1qe8E5I3aVb1OnfCUrC1NwGfZDWNlpfM0lEXbzkUucMXkAp6iOYXY7mzBFZ939YombORf14K1k-S7weoRAuZg/s1600-h/009.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwrsazqitmi0dHpHeo3J82rNFUPQeGXiWdZgksWlaUJRmfkloL1qe8E5I3aVb1OnfCUrC1NwGfZDWNlpfM0lEXbzkUucMXkAp6iOYXY7mzBFZ939YombORf14K1k-S7weoRAuZg/s200/009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203652641696806978" /></a><br />As you can see, Nick is thrilled with the idea of the Jeep. I need to find a couple of parts for the soft top to make that work. Actually I have found them, but I don't really want to part with $75. Also the Jeep has started to use less dinos to get me to and from work, thanks to a tuneup. I have been averaging between 19 and 22 miles per gallon. Not bad since I drive the crosstown parking lot every day. Well I need to get this published so I can write about our last couple of weeks. So read the next postMyselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-47888948688399176592008-04-18T22:49:00.004-05:002008-05-21T16:13:31.321-05:00Nicks room, Back bedroom, and JeepWell we finally got Nicks room mostly done. April thinks it still needs some curtains and stuff like that, but all he furniture is in the room and he sleeps in there every night, so I say it is done. Everything else we do is just further upgrades.<br /> <br />We actually got Nick moved in a couple of weeks ago. April wants to wait to take pictures till we get the curtains up, I will sneak one tomorrow.<br /><br />Since we got Nicks room done 2 weeks ago, I was able to finish/fix the electrical outlets in the back bedroom that nick was sleeping in. The electrical was started a long long time ago. Dan helped us bring the circuit up to the room from the basement and we terminated it at a single outlet. The idea was to spread the electrical around when we finished the room. After thinking about it, I realized I could fish a wire from that outlet to an outlet on the other side of the room through the floor(or ceiling if you are in the kitchen). From there, I could pull it into the attic and then be able to put that circuit anywhere. Not only did I get that done, last weekend, but I also got the front differential fluid changed on the jeep. I still need to change the front drive shaft U joints, and the rear differential needs its fluid changed too. I started the rear this week, only to strip one of the torx bolts holding the cover on. My plan is to take the grinder to 2 sides of the nut and then use the vice grips on it. Hopefully that works. I went out at lunch today and bought 12 new grade 8 hex bolts to replace all the silly torx ones. I have the U joints to do the front drive shaft. I would love to get that done this weekend too, but really I do not use the front drive shaft at all. It really never moves much, which is why it has issues first.<br /><br />Previous to all of this was a pinewood derby race at Church. Andrew took 4th out of 10 or so cars with his multi-colored Subaru in the Go Karters' category. I think it was pre k to third grade. Nick had a silver Delorian. Since he is not pre k yet, he raced in the Sunday Drivers category which is the Adults and their little kids. All I really know is he wasn't last. Both kids just loved seeing their cars race. I suppose that is the real reason to make a car and race, but winning would have been fun.<br /><br />....I will post pictures when i find them againMyselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-18646551933327904052008-03-12T18:36:00.003-05:002008-03-12T18:57:22.982-05:00Florida, Day Three<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.google.com/thetimpearson/R9hn6xFir5I/AAAAAAAAFeY/nDLKbT1eVTg/s144/DSCF0775.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://lh6.google.com/thetimpearson/R9hn6xFir5I/AAAAAAAAFeY/nDLKbT1eVTg/s144/DSCF0775.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The kids couldn't even last 12 hours today. I don't know why, we only went to the beach in Ft. Lauderdale, walked around for a couple miles, and went swimming in the resort pool. By 7pm Nick was asking to go to bed, Andrew was telling us he was tired by not listening and running around crazy. Getting to Ft. Lauderdale early was the best thing we did today. We were at the Ocean by 10:00 am. Not only was the sun not too hot yet, but none of the spring break party kids were up yet. April even ordered fish at the local restaurant we went to. It is amazing how much better fish tastes when it doesn't have to take a trip across half the country. Ok, I'm going to take a lesson from the kids and vegetate in front of the TV for a bit. First, I have uploaded 3 days of pictures to Picasa.<br /><br /><table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(http://picasaweb.google.com/f/img/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/March2008"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/thetimpearson/R9hmHhFirQE/AAAAAAAAFng/Srg_uFmoIhk/s160-c/March2008.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/March2008" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">March 2008</a></td></tr></table>Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-61649089225819176912008-03-12T18:24:00.004-05:002008-03-12T18:36:14.864-05:00Florida, Day One and Day Two<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.google.com/thetimpearson/R9hmWRFirVI/AAAAAAAAFZU/23gvPvRKi5E/s144/DSCF0739.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://lh4.google.com/thetimpearson/R9hmWRFirVI/AAAAAAAAFZU/23gvPvRKi5E/s144/DSCF0739.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Well, we got to FL yesterday. For taking an early flight, we did not get to the condo till 3. The plane took off 50 minutes late, and well Miami Airport is a zoo. It really took way too long to get our car, out luggage and get out of the airport. I am not going to complain about the drivers in MN (for at least a week). Nobody here can merge, or for that matter drive. We are in a different resort than the last time we were here, It is owned by the same company, but is newer. Basically, it is just the reverse setup of the unit we would have had a mile north at the other place. We are staying at Vacation Village Mizner Place in Weston, FL. This new resort is smaller (which is really nice), and is just across the street from the local shopping area. The shopping area has a Publix (grocery store) and a bunch for upscale and independent shops. Walking to the grocery store is really nice, especially since we have a full kitchen here. We used the local store tonight and had a nice meal on the patio. Posts might be a little slow, since to use the internet in my room I have to use the antenna post to get a wireless signal.Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-15611643564879776322008-02-25T16:14:00.006-06:002008-03-03T11:15:07.736-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.google.com/thetimpearson/R8wo8vr_dzI/AAAAAAAAFEs/mZpZ7tBLvI0/s144/DSCF0573.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://lh6.google.com/thetimpearson/R8wo8vr_dzI/AAAAAAAAFEs/mZpZ7tBLvI0/s144/DSCF0573.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>On Valentine's day we ordered a heart shaped pizza from <a href="https://www.johnspizzacafe.com/">John's Pizza Cafe</a>. We ordered one from them last year too. Andrew just gets a kick out of the 'special' pizza. It is a kind of cool pizza, and I really like supporting the local pizza place. We have a couple of really good places near us. The local darling is <a href="http://www.mamaspizzaparlor.com/">Mama's Pizza</a>, but when I tried to order from them it was a hour and a half wait for a pizza.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.google.com/thetimpearson/R8wo_Pr_d5I/AAAAAAAAFFc/vBS3KyPggfg/s144/DSCF0579.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://lh4.google.com/thetimpearson/R8wo_Pr_d5I/AAAAAAAAFFc/vBS3KyPggfg/s144/DSCF0579.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>April also made a strawberry layer cake (I think that was part birthday cake for her too). It was really good, so good that Nick would not let us throw out the bit he couldn't eat. After eating pizza and most of a piece of cake he was stuffed and couldn't eat any more, so he walked around and tried to get the rest of us to eat it. April will end up making this again, for Andrew's third fifth birthday (another post).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJnqSYgqu-f9XjU3YddekViRCbTs1hp_KOX0OBpHpb3Eo8b_UPHuoItcDTHJ6t8QHlkZDmjygI0vjRkuxt1OGJiZ_xiaEsc_Qg7rQRVzqDCIaBLtGp_XONCe6OMFrNyC1zH_VPw/s1600-h/jellystonecabin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJnqSYgqu-f9XjU3YddekViRCbTs1hp_KOX0OBpHpb3Eo8b_UPHuoItcDTHJ6t8QHlkZDmjygI0vjRkuxt1OGJiZ_xiaEsc_Qg7rQRVzqDCIaBLtGp_XONCe6OMFrNyC1zH_VPw/s320/jellystonecabin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173559051664982066" border="0" /></a>For April's birthday, I gave her the gift of solitude. I took the kids, both of them, to <a href="http://www.jellystonewarrens.com/">Jellystone resort in Warrens, WI</a> with my mom's side of the family for a 4 day weekend. It was a huge log cabin, it had to be there were 20+ people staying there. The best part is that it had a classic Wisconsin water park (I guess we have them in MN now too). Nick and Andrew both had a blast playing in the water park. Andrew got to play with his Uncle's most of the time, since Nick and Andrew are at different speeds of water play. Having another person to play/ watch Andrew was really nice when it came to the lazy river and wave pool. Andrew is still too small to ride on the tubes they have there so he rode with an uncle each time. Thanks guys for helping Andrew. One of the recently realized benefits of taking Nick away from Mom for the weekend was that he has realized he can be away from Mom for a bit. Sorry, but I really don't have many pictures from that trip. My hands were full just with the 2 boys, and the water park did not seem like the proper place for electronics.<br /><br />While I was away with the kids April got a bunch of work done on Nick's room (which is almost done)I will post on that once I get some pictures. She fixed up the closet, painted it, and primed all the trim in the room (there is more than you would think). She did get to do some fun stuff while I was gone too. I will let her post about that. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.google.com/thetimpearson/R8wpHvr_eLI/AAAAAAAAFHw/mXdtV2_tRO8/s288/DSCF0611.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://lh6.google.com/thetimpearson/R8wpHvr_eLI/AAAAAAAAFHw/mXdtV2_tRO8/s288/DSCF0611.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>This past weekend, Dan and Nancy came over for Andrew's birthday and to spend some time with the grandkids. Both kids had a blast, April and I had fun too. On Saturday, we went to the MN Zoo. It has been a long time since I went to the Zoo. They have done some really nice things to the Zoo, especially to the Minnesota Trail. You can see some <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/February2008">pictures of our excursion here</a>.<table style="width: 194px;"><tbody><tr><td style="background: transparent url(http://picasaweb.google.com/f/img/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat scroll left center; height: 194px; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" align="center"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/February2008"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/thetimpearson/R8woxPr_dZE/AAAAAAAAFXE/3_rz0qyvHgs/s160-c/February2008.jpg" style="margin: 1px 0pt 0pt 4px;" height="160" width="160" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/February2008" style="color: rgb(77, 77, 77); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">February 2008</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-59089322690798659902008-02-08T08:42:00.001-06:002008-02-22T14:45:58.975-06:00lets see...My last real post was before Christmas. So that means I owe everyone a family update post.<br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/November2007/photo#5153491392449694962"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/thetimpearson/R4ThHff_TPI/AAAAAAAAEQ4/jd0MZ-p2nRc/s400/DSCF0261.JPG" /></a> We got lots of snow in December (some of it is still here. So Nick got his first taste of sledding. With snow covering everything, including half the un-shoveled sidewalks in town, I started taking Kapik snowshoeing at the Como Park golf course. April and I even went snowshoeing once at Cleary park while my Mom watched the kids. Terry, Jessica, Tracey, and Trevor were there too so adults outnumbered kids by more than 2 to 1. From how it was told to me, Andrew wanted to go sledding, so Terry and my Mom took the boys out sledding. Andrew had his usual fun time. Terry took Nick down the little hill at my Moms and now Nick does not like Terry nearly as much.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/December2007/photo#5153507073375295698"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/thetimpearson/R4TvYPf_WNI/AAAAAAAAE_U/F6pIL5v1lQE/s288/DSCF0317.JPG" /></a>Andrew had his church Christmas program on the sixteenth of December. His class did not have as many lines this year, but sang more songs. Some of those songs he is still singing now. After the Christmas program, we had Parents and siblings from both sides over for a turkey dinner. We also opened some presents afterward since we were not going to be able to go up north for Christmas. Between parents, grandparents, great grandparents, aunts and uncles, Andrew and Nick received tons of presents. Thank you for all your generosity, the kids have been playing with their new toys almost constantly. Andrew actually told us at one point before Christmas that he would like socks from Mom & Dad since he will get lots of toys from the rest of the family. We bought him socks. And a couple of other things.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/December2007/photo#5153506424835232418"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/thetimpearson/R4Tuyff_UqI/AAAAAAAAEeo/nWO65mnZPx0/s288/DSCF0416.JPG" /></a>I had shop/garage Christmas. April and the kids gave dad a garage heater and a welding mask. Now I just need to upgrade the electrical to and around the garage to use the welder. I found that out by blowing fuses in the garage when trying to start the new air compressor (also a gift) when it was cold and blowing the fuses in the garage. Cub charges too much for fuses, but at 9pm on a Saturday too much is better than in the dark. So this spring I think a bit of a garage update is in order.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/December2007/photo#5153505845014646722"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/thetimpearson/R4TuQvf_T8I/AAAAAAAAEhU/bFJE-u88mcc/s288/DSCF0442.JPG" /></a>Kapik, the new husky puppy we got this summer, has been growing and is like 45 pounds or so now. He has had a disappointing winter. With it being so cold, he has not been getting to go for runs. I was running him up through December, and then was doing some snowshoeing with him, but then it just got too cold.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/1980CJ7/photo#5111030685758431554"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/thetimpearson/Ru4HVEzAoUI/AAAAAAAACzE/CGJehj8S-mY/s288/003.JPG" /></a>My Jeep experiment (the one where I drive a 28 year old jeep 50 miles a day) has had mixed results. I found out it is really cold. The Jeep is drafty, and the blower motor couldn't blow out a candle from a birthday cake. I know what I need to do to fix that just been too cold to work on it. I also took out the poor 4 cylinder engine. It always was a bit of a dog, but I just took it for it being a 28 year old engine from a US auto maker when they were not known for good small engines. Fortunately, my uncle Bernie had a good running duplicate of my engine at the yard he works at. After he replaced the engine, I can now out accelerate a tractor. The point is that it starts and runs much better, hopefully it uses less gas too.<br /><br />I have posted some <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson">more pictures to picasa</a> just click on the link to see the list of albums. Some are from as far back as this spring, but they were on film, and I sometimes forget to develop it. I have a roll or 2 to develop still, and will post more on Andrew's birthday soon.<br /><br />Sorry if this post is disjointed, it just covers too much time, I should post moreMyselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-39388150804100727152008-02-01T07:05:00.000-06:002008-02-01T07:07:14.433-06:00taxes...I know this is not the update post I promised, but it was really funny.<br /><br />The worst thing about taxes is that you’re supposed to compute the total yourself. What if you ate at a restaurant and when you said hey, what do I owe you? They said you figure it out. And you thought about what you’d eaten and said well, I guess that’d be about $7.25, and they said no, it’s $11.40. Plus now we’re going to charge you an extra three bucks for trying to cheat us. If they knew what you owed them, what was the point of making you figure it out? Just to be jerks, probably. Or maybe in hopes you’d miss high, which is basically how taxes work.<br /><br />--WootMyselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-90704195037522898802008-01-07T15:12:00.000-06:002008-01-07T15:19:27.536-06:00Sometimes work is just no funSometime it makes you feel better to see other peoples' bad days. I am guessing most of the exaggeration is stagged, but basic idea they had happens all the time.<br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D4a1z7NLnNk&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D4a1z7NLnNk&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />By the way, I will have a Christmas post up this week.Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-75834402701503479342007-12-01T09:40:00.001-06:002007-12-01T10:44:18.423-06:00Its the holiday season...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBn_A1aW4zBi5-6yGaN2NGq_U5KmhJ3xGJdKdQhGT5fDxyzGxy2oA82nv03PDiHFHVR9i6svjxJEUmTG-kPnkC2Dx4_Mxq5goOlassuWI_ABHb7pnpKCBaaelbV1RKtgwqdYsXoA/s1600-r/bing.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuW0V2YVQLhn6-1tpKOq9VRsOdlYn5NVSdiMsUS8s-thsq1E-NTNqixHRgrksNHK8wWHv0G7ynmung_FGCHzSSehBw1cl3c8ccvaTpd_xJKcko20WD_X3rAXeSRMPPebwf0dEcsg/s320/bing.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139044968510370210" border="0" /></a><br /> <style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <pre><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>Happy Holiday</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />There's a list of things for doing</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />At <a href="http://www.pearsonmn.net/xmas">pearsonmn.net/xmas</a></b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br /><br />It's the holiday season</b></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>And Santa Claus is coming back</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />The Christmas snow is thick on the ground</b></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>When Santa can't get into town</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />He'll be shopping at amazon.com</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />Shopping at amazon.com</b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>It's the holiday season </b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />And Santa Claus drop shipped a toy</b></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>For every good <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fregistry%2Fwishlist%2F1R625AI6N18YU%2F&tag=thepearsonfam-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Nick</a> and a good <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fregistry%2Fwishlist%2FR55WVJIQ5WKZ%2F&tag=thepearsonfam-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Andrew</a></b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />We'll make sure they say thank you</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />He'll be coming down the chimney, down</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />Coming down the chimney, down</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br /><br />He'll have a big white truck he drives around</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />And lots of boxes for you and me</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />He'll leave the package upon the ground</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />If you're not there for him to see</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br /><br />It's the holiday season</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />With packing peanuts and holiday wrapping.</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />And don't forget the December seventeenth </b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />It's the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=4114671">last day for free shipping</a></b></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>He'll be coming down the chimney</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />Coming down the chimney</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />Coming down the chimney, down!</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br /><br />Happy Holiday </b></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>Happy Holiday</b></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>While the FedEX guy keep bringing</b></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>Happy Holidays to you</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br /><br />Happy Holiday </b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />Happy Holiday</b></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>May the calendar keep bringing</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />Happy Holidays to you<br /><br /></b></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>To you </b></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>Happy Holiday</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />Happy Holiday</b></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />Happy Holiday.......FADE</b></span></pre>Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-30002393928132713182007-11-23T23:24:00.000-06:002007-11-27T14:59:06.702-06:00Post Turkey House work<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5T4bZF9N9kXN7p6ouAFu4poPmK7s8m6I6-CFUqI61-ch94FabTM5TgpmvdzzUmhZAZ2iuiUSxXxufEAA87SdVMlqxWcwTaSKfha1azNspfCr4cNkCLWZU0zBkCGFYVUFude3dQ/s1600-h/Table_saw.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5T4bZF9N9kXN7p6ouAFu4poPmK7s8m6I6-CFUqI61-ch94FabTM5TgpmvdzzUmhZAZ2iuiUSxXxufEAA87SdVMlqxWcwTaSKfha1azNspfCr4cNkCLWZU0zBkCGFYVUFude3dQ/s320/Table_saw.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136276297008276562" border="0" /></a><br />Somehow, the last 2 years I have ended up shopping way too early on black Friday. I always thought it was silly to get up and stand in line at a store, just to give them my money (I still think that opening a store anything before 6am is silly). But that resolve has been weakening. Last year, I took off to Target for a portable DVD player to keep Andrew occupied during long car rides. I actually drove by Best Buy last year but the line stretched around the store. This year I was at Home Depot at 5:30 for the saw pictured at the left. Home Depot had a nice $450 saw for $299.<br />The thing is, neither of my Black Friday sorties were for gifts. I was going to buy a table saw this weekend one way or another. Sears had one for $250 that was not as nice, but would have probably done OK too. I just really like the Ridged tools, they seem to work good, and have a lifetime warranty. The Craftsman, had a 1 year warranty, and though many of the craftsman tools are top notch their lower end power tools are not always so good.<br />I spent the weekend productively playing with the saw. In the process, I rebuilt the trim for around the door to Nick's room. Even April was impressed with how it looked. I would put a picture up, but I forgot that the walls of my house are nowhere near straight in any direction. So I needed to change the dimensions of the doorway so the pocked door closed properly. I guess that that just means I need to use the saw some more to redo one of the 3 sides of the trim.Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-22481446058890669592007-10-18T12:51:00.000-05:002007-10-19T14:32:59.708-05:00CJ??? what kind of a name is that?In the beginning, Jeeps were named with a purpose. CJ actually stands for "Civilian Jeep", once Jeep started to name the vehicles, their code no longer means anything. It is still useful though, it can help you tell the difference between model revisions, and ease eBay searches. Here are how the code and models match up<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/Jeeps/photo?authkey=8YpQBat1x-c#5122738061122565474"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/thetimpearson/RxefIAqVdWI/AAAAAAAAEFc/7zxgCHKXD4g/s144/cj2a.jpg" /></a> CJ2a - A flat-fender, very similar to the military <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/Jeeps/photo?authkey=8YpQBat1x-c#5123129199499245218">MB</a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/Jeeps/photo?authkey=8YpQBat1x-c#5122738061122565490"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/thetimpearson/RxefIAqVdXI/AAAAAAAAEFk/7Q0ajZ95QyU/s144/cj3b.jpg" /></a> CJ3b - The only real difference is the taller hood for a new engine.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/Jeeps/photo?authkey=8YpQBat1x-c#5122738061122565506"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/thetimpearson/RxefIAqVdYI/AAAAAAAAEFs/8ceC5bjABxE/s144/cj5.jpg" /></a> CJ5 - Easily distinguished from the CJ-7 by a small doorway with a rounded, sloping rear edge<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/Jeeps/photo?authkey=8YpQBat1x-c#5122738065417532818"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/thetimpearson/RxefIQqVdZI/AAAAAAAAEF0/4diaIsHIeNk/s144/cj6.jpg" /></a> CJ6 - Essentially a CJ-5 that was stretched 20" to be used like a pickup.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/Jeeps/photo?authkey=8YpQBat1x-c#5122738065417532834"><img src="http://lh6.google.com/thetimpearson/RxefIQqVdaI/AAAAAAAAEF8/nk8HaS-hLZk/s144/cj72.jpg" /></a> CJ7 - A compromise between the CJ-5 and CJ-6, . The body tub is very similar to the YJ and TJ, but the rear wheel wells are round instead of angular<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/Jeeps/photo?authkey=8YpQBat1x-c#5122738177086682546"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/thetimpearson/RxefOwqVdbI/AAAAAAAAEGI/BGUDvDiJT3w/s144/cj10.jpg" /></a> CJ10 - A more truck-like Jeep built mainly for export or the USAF<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/Jeeps/photo?authkey=8YpQBat1x-c#5122739280893277650"><img src="http://lh5.google.com/thetimpearson/RxegPAqVddI/AAAAAAAAEHM/csyGnaJ2vtI/s144/cj83.jpg" /></a> CJ8 Scrambler - Similar to a CJ-7, but like the CJ-6, it was intended as a small pickup, but never really found its niche.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/Jeeps/photo?authkey=8YpQBat1x-c#5123086236941383138"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/thetimpearson/RxjbygqVdeI/AAAAAAAAEHw/q9kJY3UxBHk/s144/Wrangler-YJ.gif" /></a> Wrangler YJ - The original Wrangler, made '87-'95.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/Jeeps/photo?authkey=8YpQBat1x-c#5123086236941383154"><img src="http://lh4.google.com/thetimpearson/RxjbygqVdfI/AAAAAAAAEH4/KdDKTRwjp7g/s144/Wrangler-TJ.jpg" /></a> Wrangler TJ - The second generation Wrangler, made 1997-2006, much more car like<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/Jeeps/photo?authkey=8YpQBat1x-c#5123087125999613442"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/thetimpearson/RxjcmQqVdgI/AAAAAAAAEIE/ooUgamTa0V0/s144/Wrangler-J.jpg" /></a> Wrangler JK or JKL - Largest Wrangler yet, also poor MPG (<16)<br /><br /> <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/Jeeps/photo?authkey=8YpQBat1x-c#5123087125999613474"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/thetimpearson/RxjcmQqVdiI/AAAAAAAAEIU/7VE8QTiJtiY/s144/GrandCherokee-ZJ.jpg" /></a> Grand Cherokee ZJ - Jeep's luxury cruiser Replaced the <a href="http://lh6.google.com/thetimpearson/RxjepAqVdlI/AAAAAAAAEJw/tlChYbzwGh8/s144/wagoneer-SJ.gif">SJ</a><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson/Jeeps/photo?authkey=8YpQBat1x-c#5123087125999613458"><img src="http://lh3.google.com/thetimpearson/RxjcmQqVdhI/AAAAAAAAEIM/CwNbc5F_yeg/s144/GrandCherokee-WJ.jpg" /></a> Grand Cherokee #2 WJ - Much more aerodynamic version.<br /><br /><br />There are many other Jeeps that have been made, and most of them have 2 digit codes. Some of the others are in this slide show.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fthetimpearson%2Falbumid%2F5122737880733939025%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3D8YpQBat1x-c" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="192" width="288"></embed><br /><br />I think the best jeep quote I have seen was:<br /><i> "No one ever accused the Wrangler of being comfortable, quiet, or practical. No one ever called it boring, either. The Wrangler is a two-door toy, ... great fun to drive with the top down."</i> -- AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE, Sport Utilities '95; Buyer's Guide, March 1995Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-71004386242727110372007-10-18T10:06:00.000-05:002007-10-18T10:21:57.820-05:00MP3 Downloads<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B000VS4JM6/?tag=thepearsonfam-20"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYt1nXTipfahTeXqjP_p511UWOvIu9i2bopCMFqaprjqRSC3jMwEQefQdT8FpPjrxJ1UKLNi-oM58qHqYCgUGrjJcMFnZxVm6P9fodujZK_59DOEbOHKqIIfSQbZWQcfXCBlDKwQ/s320/AandtheCM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122694707722679618" border="0" /></a>I would like to point your attention to the Ad link under the twitter widget. Amazon started offering mp3 downloads a short while ago. Their prices are good, .89 a song or 8.99 per album, there is no DRM, you can use the songs on more than an iPod, and best of all I get a kickback for things you buy through that link. <br />There will also be a new store feature soon on pearsonmn.net. Bet you thought you would never need to look there again. And since it is the Christmas season according to the retail industry (Macy's has trees and decorations up) there will be a place for Amazon wish lists, update yours and send me the link and I can make a place for youMyselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-5919122680041547752007-10-17T23:11:00.000-05:002007-10-17T23:23:22.877-05:00New pictures posted...no more for a while<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAbjDH5hn23_jQqBAghJvPmeRmQD0QlnecNFSbuO6NRtLrlnRNDjhkaHhwJg-llC5UmkMnIYrVINKLMJoM4c0qiQqrGQSWFllXxw6TWmDHjy5LFkowhPubz8553YbYsH8eeNT-g/s1600-h/broken_camera.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAbjDH5hn23_jQqBAghJvPmeRmQD0QlnecNFSbuO6NRtLrlnRNDjhkaHhwJg-llC5UmkMnIYrVINKLMJoM4c0qiQqrGQSWFllXxw6TWmDHjy5LFkowhPubz8553YbYsH8eeNT-g/s320/broken_camera.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122524880420828466" border="0" /></a><br />I posted new albums for July, August, September, and October a couple of days ago, they can be found <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/thetimpearson">here</a>. <br />That will be the last of the photos though, It seams that my digital camera is not going to last 2 years. It thinks batteries are always dead, and even when it does work it shuts off after a couple of pictures. So it is not as bad as the picture I scraped off the internet (which looks like it is only the filter), but who knows how long till it completely kicks the bucket. <br />If it only knew its fate for after it dies, it would probably work longer. I plan on having a little looksie as to how digital cameras work and what is inside. After all, what am I going to do? Make it more dead?Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-15443569435451865682007-10-16T13:40:00.000-05:002007-10-17T23:07:33.941-05:00Daily runs with Kapik<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtuC1nigVuOdmGcQtsgmGV48Zncco0D2CgCZlT2TE7kqqxxy9XhZD481lR6rlMcMNg_3oTNKakYd771JLAH3-lTh7_q3bLaQveEsh3ukq-cMCv7W1EZWg9j7NofenzKEO4veKdQ/s1600-h/fav_run.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtuC1nigVuOdmGcQtsgmGV48Zncco0D2CgCZlT2TE7kqqxxy9XhZD481lR6rlMcMNg_3oTNKakYd771JLAH3-lTh7_q3bLaQveEsh3ukq-cMCv7W1EZWg9j7NofenzKEO4veKdQ/s320/fav_run.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122013362700770834" border="0" /></a><br />So I have been doing mostly well on getting my daily run (sometimes twice). Kapik has been the best motivator for this daily activity. If he does not get at least one run per day, he tears the house apart. If you want you can see <a href="http://www.favoriterun.com/account/public_user_profile/17993">my public profile</a> on <a href="http://www.favoriterun.com/">favoriterun.com</a>. It has my routes and what I run every day. I figure I am doing really well just running every day, that I sometimes batch my entries 3 or 4 days at a time.<br /><br />Speaking of Kapik, he is now the same weight as Andrew. We took Kapik to the vet since he ate his bed and then was not feeling well (go figure!). After they weighed Kapik Andrew stepped on the scale too, there is a .1 pound difference between the two. Both of them are around 45 pounds!Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-38409776770783124212007-10-10T21:25:00.000-05:002007-10-16T13:36:16.097-05:00Why there have not been many blog posts.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCu3UbZ7WaKKqnb0Rp7hJdh_jk16_by3Px1zXmSZ832lJbLxqa57G2AQMn9L0X_6xtiRRIf9vlWQ5EPNeOcrOu6op6R2A38koePD-ZHPVe7mWeBUiQNb1EhFCqgat80WRyspoxog/s1600-h/miltonbradley-c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCu3UbZ7WaKKqnb0Rp7hJdh_jk16_by3Px1zXmSZ832lJbLxqa57G2AQMn9L0X_6xtiRRIf9vlWQ5EPNeOcrOu6op6R2A38koePD-ZHPVe7mWeBUiQNb1EhFCqgat80WRyspoxog/s320/miltonbradley-c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122004394809056770" border="0" /></a><br />April, Andrew, and I worked on this last week. Andrew thought it was really cool, and put a number of pieces together. He is really good at puzzles. He does his 100 piece puzzles all the time. The puzzle was a great deal at $3, and even had all the pieces and the extra, red dotted pieces.Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-40054297486038683112007-09-25T00:14:00.000-05:002007-09-25T00:19:58.121-05:00Son of CJ5I just thought I would share the original commercial for the Jeep CJ7.<br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Pna5kuVZDXE"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Pna5kuVZDXE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object>Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-10418141068539866272007-09-24T08:53:00.000-05:002007-09-24T11:08:24.700-05:00An expensive weekend of savings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQDSMmIETUiKFY_jE8BIU_0LMjD3IN9PamPufl7YteTv1P7E16kpbYO-ZTPUkcV7LI5ThnclmSG2I6psjPh_nWprDYo4J3xuSlYK3WKF2N_LoqztSirqdriZkH7g9OXrUEe5ACw/s1600-h/cj7_softtop_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQDSMmIETUiKFY_jE8BIU_0LMjD3IN9PamPufl7YteTv1P7E16kpbYO-ZTPUkcV7LI5ThnclmSG2I6psjPh_nWprDYo4J3xuSlYK3WKF2N_LoqztSirqdriZkH7g9OXrUEe5ACw/s320/cj7_softtop_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5113777256104549842" border="0" /></a><br />It started out on Friday night, I was perusing craigslist for jeep parts for the CJ. Someone had just posted a soft top in good shape for $100. Even better they were in Stillwater. I inquired and was the first to respond, so I scheduled to take a look at it around 9:30 ish. It turned out to be in really good shape (almost new). These things are about $500 to $650 new and go for $300 - $400 used. He even threw in the bikini top for the jeep (piece of cloth that just covers the driver and passenger from the sun, leaving the backseat for cooking). Since it was missing 2 steel bars that go from the roll cage to the windshield, he knocked $20 off the price. I really wanted a soft top for the summer, but was not going to buy one for $500. I was planning on buying the bikini top this summer since they are $50 and from what I have heard, you will roast in a jeep in the sun. The above picture is of a stock photo with the soft top on, only I have full soft doors (like they will be on in the summer) instead of the 1/2 steel doors pictured.<br /><br />Later on Saturday, I was looking at the used tools on Craigslist and someone had a small hobby welder on sale for $25. It only does 1/16 inch steel, but I need to learn somehow (the CJ needs some welding done). It is much cheaper to figure out welding on a $25 welder that uses 110v, than a $300 welder that I need to run 220V to the garage to use. April kinda thinks it is just another toy, but really it is just an extension of a toy I already have, the CJ7.Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-68920801653406547902007-09-20T13:24:00.000-05:002007-09-22T23:33:29.041-05:00So long Jinxed Jeep<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaVOi2bTgktsPoPBLY7o8eLS9FuJLjuiMW_TUH-cCUnlToeeTormzCHnFpoZFXa21TltvMXD8-9KvF9JUFnurEtIPJbNY071UEvth0JnOGYV0PCc-1KCeKknP4nTkaZytmFxkJQ/s1600-h/09-20-07_1211.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaVOi2bTgktsPoPBLY7o8eLS9FuJLjuiMW_TUH-cCUnlToeeTormzCHnFpoZFXa21TltvMXD8-9KvF9JUFnurEtIPJbNY071UEvth0JnOGYV0PCc-1KCeKknP4nTkaZytmFxkJQ/s320/09-20-07_1211.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112354998651982578" border="0" /></a><br />So does that look like $7200 in damage?<br /><br />According to the insurance company it is. Yesterday I got word that they are going to total my Jeep Cherokee (not worth $7200). I cleaned out the last of my stuff and said good-bye to my first Jeep. They offered to let me buy it back, but the last thing I need is to add another thing to do... but that new engine and seats would have been mighty nice in the CJ.Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36017221.post-34593254755403926022007-09-15T15:37:00.000-05:002007-09-22T20:22:50.279-05:00My new hobby/daily driver<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mnBZ_fduJFy1LhpcqYMUAKkmJAUgvPeDKan6HTOe2O4auT4KGPl-m9n3Cbqh9chyphenhyphenKkCZbascsrJFZvxJxXB2A3RzDoPSav1chJ3m8EITSJq3SzdWgRDbAhvCSljPKq9EfUkUBg/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9mnBZ_fduJFy1LhpcqYMUAKkmJAUgvPeDKan6HTOe2O4auT4KGPl-m9n3Cbqh9chyphenhyphenKkCZbascsrJFZvxJxXB2A3RzDoPSav1chJ3m8EITSJq3SzdWgRDbAhvCSljPKq9EfUkUBg/s320/003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5113203543316658898" border="0" /></a><br />Last Sunday, I bought a 1980 CJ7 with all the rust of a 27 year old jeep, but only 103K miles. It is really going to be a learning project. But while I am learning (provided I do not learn the hard way too many times) it will be a usable vehicle. In fact, my plan for the next few months is to use it to get to work. The CJ has a 4 cylinder in it so it actually gets close to 20mpg. I have some really fun plans for this jeep, but most of them will happen after the body fails or the engine blows.<br /><br />I know this is not a real practical vehicle for driving across the twin cities every day. I figured that I would be OK pretty much what ever happens. In the worst case I have to sell the CJ to help pay for a vehicle that can get me to work every day, and I might end up with a couple of days off for vehicle failures. This really did not sound too bad. The guy I bought it from got non stop calls about it till I paid for it and he removed it from <a href="http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/car">craigslist</a>. So I could even make money on the jeep. Best case I drive it for 6-12 months and save for another car to take to work. In say 9 months I buy another vehicle and I now am free to work on or upgrade the CJ as my wallet sees fit (JEEP really stands for <span style="font-weight: bold;">J</span>ust <span style="font-weight: bold;">E</span>mpty <span style="font-weight: bold;">E</span>very <span style="font-weight: bold;">P</span>ocket) without impacting my ability to get to work. In the process I learn more than I could have otherwise and I get a 3rd fun, cool vehicle. So really I had chances for big positives and some chance for something not so bad.Myselfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06767368327772619296noreply@blogger.com0