Big Bone Lick State Park

Greg and I took Molly on one last outing before Baby Rachel comes. About 10 minutes from our house is a park called Big Bone Lick State Park. Molly had a blast and tried to make some new friends along the way.. the Bison. Our neighbor told us about the place several weeks ago and we thought we would take a look. Sadly, the park is not that big and it only has one pond as recreation (even though you can't swim in it). However, it was worth it to see what Molly thought of the Bison. She tried in every way to get through the fence!

The Workbench

So let's talk garage! Several weeks ago, Angela and I finished our last home improvement project and put the final touches on the nursery. With several weeks left before the baby due, I wanted to work on some garage stuff that I have been wanting to do. If anyone has seen our garage, they know it has some issues; cold in the winter, hot in the summer, not enough adequate light, no shelves, no workbench, and very few electrical outlets. What an opportunity for improvement!

Step 1, workbench. Most women know that men cannot function without a work bench. At our old house, I built a work bench that weighed close to 400 lbs. It was solid as a rock and handled just about any task that I threw at it. So working at Toyota the one thing I have learned, is that you never do the same thing over again. Even if it worked before, it can always be better. So when I looked back, I made the following adjustments: smooth top surface, better storage space under workbench, used un-treated lumber (weighs less), and built with nails as opposed to screws. In the end, it is a great work bench.

Step 2, lighting. So I have a workbench, so now I need a light and some outlets. Flourescent lighting is the best so I installed a 4 ft section right above the work bench. I then wired in more electrical outlets right at the workbench. The light actually helps light the rest of the garge.

Step 3, insulation. It was so cold up here this past winter and was very uncomfortable to work in the garage. I installed some R-13 insulation all around the garage which should help make it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.


Step 4, wall storage. A large part of the problem with having hand tools is finding a place to store them. Home Depot and Lowes both carry a Rubbermaid product called "Fast Track". This stuff is great. I highly recommend looking into this product for wall storage. There are many different attachments and what is different, is that you have the ability to make changes very easily.

So the garage is complete and it has increased my floor space by almost 2 x. I am very pleased and did not spend that much doing it.

Beth comes to visit!

My sister in law Beth came to visit the weekend of July 19th. She drove all the way from Chattanooga with her dog Maggie. How sweet is that? We were so thrilled. Here is a picture of Beth and her husband Josh. Aren't they cute! The newlyweds were married in February




We visited Devon Park which overlooks Cincinnati. It is a very beautiful park. We even saw a deer while we were there.










Next we visited Newport on the Levy which is in Newport, KY. We walked the Purple People Bridge which takes you straight into Cincinnati, OH.



We are so glad she got to spend the weekend with us!!!

Trip to the Cincinnati for a ball game

July 4th in Cincinnati! This was the first year that Angela and I have spent away from family during the July 4th holiday. So we set out for Cincinnati to see the Reds take on the Washington Nationals. The stadium sits right on the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati. I will say it was a great experience. In Chattanooga, you could always find free parking downtown for any event, but in Cincinnati unless you want to walk 3 miles one way, you pay for parking.

So we parked about 5 blocks from the stadium and started walking. On the way, there were many street vendors that sold peanuts, water, chips, and cokes (or up here, pop). We found out, you can take all of these items into the ball park if they were un-opened. So instead of paying $4 in the park for a water, we paid $1 out on the street!! So for anyone thinking about going to a major league game, support your street vendors!

We then found our seats in the upper decks and waited. This kid that looked 13 years old came out with an electric guitar and played a Jimmy Hendrix version of The Star Spangled Banner and it rocked. At the same time, some zoo came in and let loose several bald eagles in the park. It was a great opening for a 4th of July game.

To summarize, Cincinnati was down most of the game and came back to win! Ken Griffy Jr. came up to bat 4 times and every time struck out. That was a little disappointing. As most people know, watching baseball on TV is pretty boring, but when you go to a game, you really get into it. It rained towards the end of the game, but Angela brought along our trusty umbrella and we kept dry until it finished.

After the game, they had a 25 minute fireworks display that wasn't as good as Chattanooga, but was very entertaining. We then took off to the car, got in and got on the freeway to home in about 10 minutes. In the end, we spent longer trying to get out of Chattanooga for a Lookouts game.

Baby Website

Greg and I are expecting our first child on September 4, 2008. Please visit our baby website by clicking "BABY WEBSITE" above if you would like to see pictures.