Hepcat Model

Things are progressing with my Hepcat model! In the next few days I will post pictures of the decal I created for the wing and the new engine I bought.

The first portion of the underside wing is done, 

the tips are uncovered for now but will be blue

This is the airplane stand that Mitch built in an effort to give us a little more room. It is so well made that I am trying to convince him to go into business with me! RC flying is very popular here and I think these would sell well.

Mitch's wing and vertical stabilizer for his Kadet Senior 

I did all the pinstripping!

UPDATE: Little Lonnie: He's Baaaack!

This morning I was greeted with quite a ruckus. I blamed the cat for hours before I ventured out to find the source of the noise. It was coming from the fireplace. As I got closer, I heard pecking, fluttering and scratching of nails on the metal flue. Apparently Little Lonnie will not be so easily displaced. He is now stuck and quite angry about it. I left a message for the pest control guys but if they don't get back to me, than Little Lonnie will have to hold on until Hubby gets home from Washington tonight. If we don't get him out tonight, I doubt he will make it much longer without food or water.

UPDATE: Little Lonnie was successfully removed, he wasn't actually in the fireplace but in a small empty space between the fireplace and the exterior wall. Once Hubby removed a vent, he immediately flew out and began eating. Lucky bird! Now the goal is to figure out how he got himself into that predicament so he can't do it again.

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?

Hepcat Model

My modeling schedule is dependent upon if I have the day off from work. I finally got a chance to go in and get some airplane work done. The vertical and horizontal stabilizers are sanded and covered now. Next I will need to cover the wing, which will likely be a combination of red and blue with white striping. The fuselage will be red with a blue or white pinstripe. Arizona Wildcat colors you ask, why yesssss!

The  overall structure is done

The vertical stabilizers...

and the horizontal stabilizers

UPDATE AGAIN: Demon in the Ceiling

I can't believe it, but I accidentally deleted my previous post about Little Lonnie. 

Wait here while I try to recreate it...

So a few night ago, as I was trying to go to sleep, I heard the scratching of tiny feet and the flapping of wings coming from the ceiling. Sounds like the beginning of a horror movie, am I right? I immediately woke Hubby up and asked him to listen. He sleepily proclaimed, "don't worry, it's just the woodpecker."

Oh, this where I should probably tell you that there has been a woodpecker living in our attic space for over a month. We notified the rental agency immediately but it was only after we told them that the bird(s) were roosting/nesting/procreating that they agreed to send out an expert. We normally would have handled this situation on our own, however woodpeckers are a federally protected migratory species and must be handled with care.

So, needless to say I got very little sleep as I expected Little Lonnie to drill his way through the ceiling and peck my eyes out. The following night was easier once I decided to sleep under the covers to protect my head from the demon in the ceiling.

Update #1: The experts came over and determined that there is some major nest building going on but that there are no eggs. They will be back in a day or two to remove the preliminary nest and to block the openings that the woodpecker is using to gain entry to the attic space.

Update #2: Little Lonnie has been evicted! As long as he wasn't actually in the attic space when they sealed up the holes, than he should be gone. One more night and I should be able to rest easy.

Birthday Number 34

This past Sunday was my birthday. Trudy's back was hurting again that morning although she had been feeling bad for a number of days. Earlier in the week we had decided that she had made such wonderful improvement that we could lessen her pain medication by half. Bad idea. That is not happening, after consulting the veterinarian, she will continue to be on a full pill (and if needed we can double it). 

Beside the heating pad, the sunshine was her only comfort

After Trudy was put to bed for the day, Hubby took me rollerskating for a few hours at Oaks Park, an old-fashioned rink where the floors are wooden and there is an organist who plays a giant organ pipe hanging from the ceiling. Aside from having to dodge 500 small children who spent more time on the floor than they did on their feet, it was pretty fun. ;-)

When we got home from rollerskating, we ate cake. 

Red velvet with cherries and buttercream frosting made by my Hubby

The day concluded with a delicious dinner in downtown Lake Oswego at a very swanky Italian restaurant. Overall, a wonderful day and Trudy is doing much better now!

Spring is Almost Here

Daffodils are the first sign of spring in Oregon. It was warm a few days ago (in the 60s) and some of the trees have already begun to sprout new buds...bet they weren't expecting the cold temperatures yet to come.

Ah, spring, you can't get here fast enough!

Spirit Mountain Buffet

Once or twice a year, the model group gets together to enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet at Spirit Mountain Casino. The tradition started a few years back when the wives asked if they were ever going to get a chance to meet one another. Now the ladies are as good of friends as the guys!

Left to right: Mitch, Cecil, Dwaine and Bob (unable to attend: Bill)

Finally more gals than guys! When a modeler passes away, his family is always invited (which is why there are so many ladies this time). It is our way of keeping his memory alive!

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.

Grandma Eileen

Sad news came in from Arizona that Hubby's grandma passed away. She had a rough couple of years between recovering from a terrible car accident and heart problems. Grandma was an amazing lady, everything a grandma should be. Kind, understanding, supportive, funny and loving. She welcomed me into her home and into her family with no reservations. She cared for me like one of her own, never missed my birthday and I always felt so loved when I was with her. I know she is one happy lady today, reunited with her Lord and family but I can't help but feel sad that I won't see her smile again.

Funny story about Grandma:

When we were still living in Arizona, we would always bring the dogs with us to visit her. Both the dogs were chunkier then and we had them on a diet. Well, we told Grandma not to feed the dogs any scraps from the table. So one night, we were sitting at the dinner table and I see Grandma feeding both the dogs. Hubby spoke up and told Grandma to stop. She looked right at him, with the most kind and sincere eyes, and handed both the dogs food. We both laughed and I can't stop laughing about it even now. She did exactly what she wanted in the kindest way possible!

Trudy and Grandma were best friends!

Lily was always so happy to see Grandma

Pictures are from her visit to Tucson in 2008

Silly Schnauzers

It has been awhile since I posted pictures of the pups.

Halloween 2012 (Lily as Bumblebee)

Halloween 2012 (Trudy as Cow)

Our coffee table is just the right size for Lily to rest her head on.

Trudy, always the princess perched on her pillows

Christmas 2012 - Trudy in Garland

Just Sittin' and Thinkin'

Hubby commented the other day that I hadn't blogged in awhile. To be honest, there isn't much to talk about. We are both working and finding ourselves busy even on weekends. Hubby is home with me a lot more and it is soooo nice that the huge project he was working on is complete. We even started watching Game of Thrones because we are together in the evenings.

Ultimately, the past few weeks have been a lot of soul searching, on my part. What do I want? What do I want to do career-wise with my life? How can I make that happen? What is my next big goal as an individual and for us as a couple? What can I start doing today that will put us on the road to that goal? Is Oregon the place to settle or should we explore elsewhere? Should we buy a home or maybe continue to rent but travel instead?

For the first time in my memory, we have the opportunity to truly make choices for ourselves that aren't a reaction to some external stimuli. We aren't tied down to one place because of in-state tuition or careers or houses or children or the Marines. The world is our oyster and we can do anything together! The freedom is both breathtaking and overwhelming.

House Hunters: Part VI

We got word through our realtor over the weekend that the bank has rejected our offer on the house. While not all together unexpected, what is surprising is that the bank believes they will get a better deal. They want full fair market value and will accept nothing less. I wish them luck, the house is nearing foreclosure and I highly doubt anyone will pay FMV for a foreclosure.

Now we are back to square one -- re-evaluating our wants and needs and trying to decide what is best for our family. 3 months spent waiting is a long time for it not to work out. The bright side is that now that we are post-holiday, the market should improve and more homes should go up for sale.