Teeny, Tiny House: Refrigerator

When we first moved into the cabin, the washer and dryer were located inside the house, right behind the garage door. They also had installed the hot water heater in the kitchen area. Both of these items were taking up valuable real estate in only 900 square feet.

So, we had the hot water heater and washer/dryer moved out into the garage which freed up space next to the kitchen for the coffee station, refrigerator and pantry. Matt refinished the walls and we moved the pantry over to where the water heater used to be.

We finally moved the fridge into its final position and purchased a few Ikea shelves to fit the spaces next to it. The cabinet to the left holds all our kitchen appliances, while the smaller, more hidden shelf holds our whisk(e)y collection.

The final kitchen project is to finally have a real pantry. Maybe next year?

Knitting: Light Box

Matt bought me a very nice camera for my birthday and I have been having a great time figuring it out and trying to create the best shots possible. Overwhelmingly, I noticed that serious photographers have a lightbox for shooting smaller objects. I decide to make one myself because I am frugal and refuse to pay big money for something I could easily make myself. This light box cost me a couple of bucks of dollar store foam board that I cut and taped to form the box. The lights I got at Walmart for $16 and I installed pure white lightbulbs from Home Deport for another $5.

I didn't have a completed knitting project so I tested it with a whisky bottle.
Glass is notoriously difficult to photograph and I was very happy with the results.

The baby blanket I knitted for Julian in Texas is on the left (the photo came out darker than I wanted and I am still not sure why) and the scarf I knitted for Matt from wool we picked up in Scotland is on the right. 

I just completed this scarf a few days ago for a friend and I will be giving it to her next month for her birthday. This is also Scottish wool from Scotland.

Oregon International Air Show (includes video)

A few weeks ago, as part of my outreach schedule, I was asked to attend the 2014 Oregon International Air Show as an exhibitor. The museum signed up at the last minute so we didn't get a prime location, but still had great seats to enjoy the show! On Saturday my good friend (and fellow docent) Marlane went with me and on Sunday hubby and Executive Director Larry came out to help me too! I honestly had low expectations for the weekend but it turned out so much better than I thought it would. The highlight of the entire weekend....F-22 Raptor!! Are you kidding me? This plane is absolutely incredible!!!!

Marlane and I and the sun...we both got burned!

Hubby helping out at our booth

Heritage Flight: F-22 Raptor, 2 P-51 Mustangs and an F-86 Sabre

F-22 Raptor footage

Spruce Goose: Unsuccessful Test Flight (includes video)

On July 27, 2014 the model group from Evergreen worked in conjunction with the model group in Amity, OR to have a fly-in at a reservoir in the area. Our hope had been that we would finally get the Spruce Goose off the water and into the air for the first time! It didn't work. :-(

Unfortunately we experienced a lot of problems with the battery packs and they didn't provide enough power to do anything other than taxi around the reservoir. We are now working on getting new battery packs and conducting another motor test to confirm that was the issue.

Eventually the Goose got stuck in the reeds along the shore line and Cecil and I had to take a row boat out to rescue her. There are photos of this endeavor floating around somewhere...

My iPod is possessed

I listen to my iPod every single day. Whether its using Tunein to listen to different radio stations all over the country, downloading podcasts or jamming to some songs, I almost always have an earbud in my noggin. While I was driving home yesterday my iPod suddenly dropped the podcast I was listening to and switched over to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, specifically the song, "Yoda and the Force". Today, while listening to a different podcast it randomly switched over to Ann Miller's "Shaking the Blues Away".

Is my iPod trying to tell me something?

Video Editing

Every time I even contemplate making another music video, I watch these two and I remember what outstanding video editing looks like and than I change my mind. How I can I compete with such brilliance?

Curiosity Has Landed

A special delivery arrived at Evergreen on Monday...the Curiosity replica designed and built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It took a minimum of 8 people to get her out of the crate and a motorcycle jack to get the wheels on. It was an exhausting endeavor but worth it! She will be on display for at least three months before moving onto the next museum.

My Hubby's Bridge

I was recently in Tucson to visit my family for the holidays and see some friends but I couldn't not go visit my Hubby's bridge. The Cushing Street Bridge (AKA Luis G. Gutierrez Bridge) is nearly complete, all that is left are the rails for their modern street car. I am so amazingly proud of the work my husband did on this project and it must be so fulfilling to see your work on paper become a reality. It truly is beautifully designed and extraordinarily unique! Good job, love!

Mass Effect 3

Tom and Curtis, do not read this post if you haven't finished Mass Effect 3 yet!!

Do you remember back in March when I completely lost my mind because they ended Mass Effect 3 in the most stupid and ridiculous way possible? In case you forgot, here you go. Well, I played it again (actually I played 1, 2 and 3 again back to back) after Bioware released a patch which included an extended and updated ending. It isn't perfect, but OMG it is so much better than it was before. It doesn't solve my biggest grievance which is that everyone had the same ending but it did at least answer what happened to the crew you have been working with for 3 games. I have to give Bioware some credit for listening to the fans and doing the right thing.

Mercury Astronaut Tribute

I had an idea over a month ago to create a video tribute to the Mercury Astronauts. It was much harder than I anticipated. Finding NASA footage that was good quality and than getting it into a format that iMovie could understand was a process, but tonight I finished it and published it for the world to see.

The music is from the Mass Effect 2 video game. The song is called "Suicide Mission" (which is rather fitting when you think about it -- and completely not on purpose). I already have a second video in mind to complete the Mercury Program since I only had time to use footage from the first three missions (there were six total).

On a side note -- my sister says that I love heroic music and I never really noticed that fact until recently -- she is right, I do!

I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I did making it! :-)

Memorial

I walked into work this morning to see flowers set at the feet of our Neil Armstrong replica. Don't ever change Evergreen people, you are awesome!

Mass Effect 3: Spoilers!!!

Seriously, Curtis and Tom, do not read this post if you haven't finished Mass Effect 3 yet!!!!!!

I am not a newbie when it comes to video games, like every other kid of the 80s and 90s, I was raised with gaming consoles and computer games. I am new, however, to the whole role-playing-shooter genre. I feel in love! Which is probably why my heart is broken over how Bioware decided to end the three part series. I invested approximately 100-120 hours in the three games, making decisions which I was led to believe would result in a different ending than my hubby or other gamers. In the final minutes of the game you are given 3 options, whichever one you choose will change the galaxy forever. But guess what, no matter what option you choose, it's the same ending! Are you kidding me? 100 hours of decision making and 3 different options at the end and THEY ALL END THE SAME WAY? If I had known that I would have traipsed through the galaxy killing everyone who ticked me off instead of building alliances. What a disappointment!

Apparently I am not the only one who felt this way. This video may be offensive to some (profanity) and probably isn't safe for work.

Food Processor

After months of contemplation, Hubby and I decided to invest in a food processor. We weren't sure we would use it enough to warrant the expense and weren't sure the vegetarian thing was going to stick, but it appears fruits and veggies are here to stay. 

9 cup version made by KitchenAid 

When we got it home and cleaned it I took everything out the fridge to be diced, chopped, or sliced. Works like a dream! So impressed!

 Trudy was none to happy with the noise coming from the kitchen

(hiding by the front door)

Hiding behind the television

Evergreen Air and Space Museum

Hubby and I went to Evergreen Air and Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon on Sunday (before the Super Bowl). It is located about 40 minutes away from us but I loved it so much I am going to apply to be a volunteer.

 Evergreen is the home of the "Spruce Goose" -- largest plane made of wood

B-17, similar to the Memphis Belle

 This is the tenth Mercury capsule which was never used because the program was scrapped for the Gemini project.

Gemini capsule

 The capsule hanging from the helicopter is a replica from the Apollo 13 movie.

 Hubby landing the lunar module.

There are three buildings all together, this one is the indoor waterpark. Patrons climb up into the plane and get down thru several slides! This museum also has its own vineyard!

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

Hubby took me out to OMSI for lunch and a fun day at the museum! OMSI is a terrific museum to bring young children to since there are so many hands on activities and stations, however, as a couple without kids (and germaphobic) it wasn't as enjoyable as we had hoped. We are both looking forward to visiting the planetarium, submarine and the theatre next time we visit. :)

 Gloomy day in Portland

 Bridges that span over water, that is new to me

 USS Blackback submarine

 Finally inside an Apollo capsule (good thing I am "child" sized)