Academic All-Star

We award a weekly Academic All-Star award to students at Risen Savior.  For months, Liam has been asking about it.  Before Christmas we even had tears because he wasn't getting it.  Well, today Liam won the lower grade Academic All-Star.  He was kind of stoic about it.  I thought I was going to have to peel the smile off of his face.

Winter Fun

The weather has been a little bit unseasonably warm - 35+ degrees for a couple days, nothing great.  So here are a couple pictures and videos from sledding between our house this past December...

Snow

So... I say this every year, but it is hard to believe that I have been able to keep this blog up for what is now the start of the 4th year.  It has been a little tough as of late but I think I'm going to be able to do it.

Well it has been snowing quite a bit lately and one of the bad things about leaving early and getting home late is that I don't have time to shovel.  When the first storm came in December Cathy out shoveling caused our neighbor to have pity on her and snow blow everything, but this time no such luck.  I got home last night and decided I shouldn't wait until Sat. morning.  And that is where the story begins...

I had started up the 1974 Toro Beast back in October and got it running so I wasn't real worried.  It was dark, I thought I had the key and choke ready to go so I started pulling.  Thanks to the Musgrave Small Engine Repair Shop the beast usually starts up in one pull.  After five minutes I was exhausted.  I went and got a flashlight and realized I had the key in the 'off' position.  DOH!  After another minute or two she hadn't started so I looked at the choke... oops!  It was in the low position.  Alright, I've got 'er.  Another several minutes of pulling and NOTHING!  So, I thought, "I wonder how much gas is in the tank?"  Well, NONE!!!!  DOH! DOH! DOH! 

It was amazing that with gas in the tank, the key in the 'on' position, and the choke open, guess what?  One pull and I'm off.

No one said I was the brightest bulb in the box.