Break it Down

HOME WRECKERS:  We spent the better part of our day at Rick's 'new' house in West Seattle. First order of business - tearing out a wall, of course!

There was a 3-foot section of wall serving no purpose between the living room and kitchen. Before he puts new flooring it, it simply had to go. Everyone got in on the act, wielding the sledge hammer.

Annabelle was even game to rip at it with her hands (in super oversized gloves).

A couple hours later, the opening was wide open - well, except for a couple studs holding it up until we get the beam in tomorrow. This shot is from the living room toward the kitchen (don't mind the random clothes washer in there).

We also got started on some painting. There was a fun SEA Green (part of Glidden's NFL Team Colors line). It's the electric green from the Seahawks' uniforms, and now on an accent wall in Rick's kitchen.

Rick also got a good start on painting his living room a nice celery color. Tomorrow, we'll be back for more.

CHRISTMAS MIRACLE: The A1 item atop CJ's Christmas list was a bag of chips. Sounds easy, right? Well, sure, as long as they're not Pepsi flavored chips from Japan.

Frito Lay makes the intriguing product, but not for the American masses, unfortunately. Ever since CJ read an article about them months ago, he's been wanting some badly.

I ordered some in early December from a Japanese retailer via Amazon. They should have been here in plenty of time for Christmas, but they didn't arrive and the seller didn't provide tracking information as they'd promised. Not good.

Finally, after a couple of sharp emails from me, the seller kinda sorta admitted they'd just taken my money and not sent the item. That's what we call stealing 'round here. They issued me a refund, but what I really wanted was the chips.

I managed to find some on eBay, and won the auction the late Sunday night before Christmas. Right away I messaged the seller and asked if there was any way he could overnight them (I'd pay, of course!) so that they'd be here for Christmas.

This seriously good human in California did just that. He mailed them out midday Monday, and by noon on Tuesday, a mailman was knocking at the front door, delivering them. AMAZING!!!

CJ was very surprised and happy.

We all tasted them, and I have to day, they *did* taste a bit like Pepsi. They even had a little fizz. But mostly they tasted like plain Cheetos with a bit of lemon flavor. Interesting.

AWARDED: This weekend's mail brought some certificates and stickers the kids have been anxiously awaiting since completing the Big History Project modules

They had fun doing it and it was very educational. Check out the web site: www.bighistoryproject.com

BEST OF: This time of year, Web sites and newspapers are full of "best of" 2013 lists. You had to know I'd provide you with a link to NASA's Best of 2013.

First, there's an interactive Web site  where you can read up on this year's developments about everything from commercial space programs to Voyager 1, asteroid mining, this year's astronaut class, the ISS (which celebrated its 15th anniversary), Curiosity and MAVEN on Mars, Landsat, Kepler, and much more. Check out the page here: http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/YIR13/index.html

NASA has also compiled a 3-ish minute, super cool video of 2013 in review: http://youtu.be/lRGSG6qaLqk

"Selfies" were big in 2013, thanks to social media. However, despite the millions of pics snapped, I can't think there's a better self portrait in 2013 than this one ... 

taken by NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, Expedition 38 Flight Engineer, whole on the second of two late December spacewalks. You can see Hopkins' fellow spacewalker, NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio,  in Hopkins' visor.

BIG OWIE: If you can't stomach icky nasty injuries, this is the time to sign off. But I feel compelled to document CJ's worst injury to date - a big ol' gash on his right shin.

He got it the night after Christmas, when he learned that running in the pitch black is a Bad Idea. He tripped over a bounder and landed on it. Needless to say, the rock won, puncturing his leg but good. 

The only good news was that he happened to have his accident in close proximity to a retired surgeon, who was able to clean the wound, pull the puncture perimeters back together, tape it up tightly and save us a trip to the ER. (Thanks, Bops!)

It happened Dec. 26, and he's been pretty hobbled ever since, though he did make the mistake a couple of days ago of playing hide and seek with Annabelle, where the competitive spirit made him forget his injury and so he ran around and jumped more than he should have, busting it back open a bit. :/  That earned him a trip to Group Health, where they cleaned it again and dressed it and just said to be more careful and keep a close eye on it, which is what we're doing.

He's going to have an awesome scar, in the shape of a 7.