It's that time of year when we turn the corner and begin a sprint towards summer.  Kids all seem to cram two months of activities into three weeks: soccer, baseball, choir (Maggie trip to NYC), tennis, prom, and school.  Whew.

The brood in none to happy about the stress and pressure (above).  

Things at the Shop continue to go well.  We purchased some equipment from an defunct bakery in the Quad Cities.  So Crazy Pete (above) and I went down to load it into a U-haul and bring it back.  Small problem arose when we discovered that our new 50# Hobart Mixer weighed close to 800 lbs and there was no way we'd be able to get it into the Truck.  Thank goodness for neighboring HyVee and their skiff loader.  Getting the darn thing unloaded at the shop was another adventure.


Meanwhile, travels continue to take me hither and yon.  One moment in Decorah, the next in Des Moines.  Looking ahead to Shenandoah. 

On the home front, we need more duct tape!  Hot water heater blew.... and by blew, I mean spewing water out the top like Old Faithful.  Quite the mess.  Carpet will need to be replaced before serious mold settles in. 

Three days after that... toilet on the second floor (installed by my brother-in-law) sprung a nice little leak.  Water reached the first floor, before the lead was stemmed.  So, I installed a new "throne".   Carpet may also need to be replaced, ceiling on first floor will need some paint.

The lawn mower starts but something is wrong with the choke. It's idling at a very slow rate which causes it to stall once it hits a blade of grass.  That's my next project.

And the Van finally gets a new headlamp about a month after the collision with a deer.   It's always something.  Somehow, the thought of moving back into a dorm is getting more and more attractive.

And so it goes....