Puttin' the Family Back on the Farm

Well, we did it. Yep, it took a long time, but we did it. And boy are we happy. WE GOT INTERNET BACK AT OUR HOUSE!!! Oh, and we moved. But seriously, 2 weeks without Internet, I thought I was in the 1990s. We had some storms come and I was watching the tiny radar in the bottom corner of the TV trying to see if it would hit us. I actually watched CNN for the news! And for the first time in a long time, I watched Sportscenter to hear about sports news!! Glad, I have the internet back and I can shut off the TV and shut out the kids (sorry...did I say that out loud??!). Anyway, enough about the Internet, how about our move!
Well, Reagan and I grew up in the country, my country house was even classified as a farm. This new house is similar to our childhood homes in that it is on a rock road and in a development like Reagan's old house and has lots of flies like my old house. I have killed 37 flies in 4 days WITHOUT a flyswatter. I have used towels, my Grandpa George's jedi hand trick, a brick (not my best idea for indoor fly killing), and teleportation. No clue where those flies got transported to, but it was at least more of a challenge than the towel. One of these days we will either find our fly swatter or buy one. One of these days.....


We moved on June 29th and that was the last day I had Internet in the home before last Friday. I did survive though and got a lot done around the house. As you can see from the Google Earth map above with some points of interest, I truly have been busy. I converted their "burn area" towards the back of our lot into a "fire pit" with some retaining wall brick and rock. I got the rock from an old landscaping area they attempted to make in the middle of their yard. Since it looked horrible, I dug up the river rock and wheelbarrowed it across an acre or two to the firepit. This wheelbarrow had a flat tire mind you and since I used to be a science teacher, I know flat tires create more friction which creates more work. Three showers has been the norm for me in this new house due to the newly created yard work. I also declared all out war against clover. Congress and Senate (Jack and Abby) unanimously approved and a aerial and ground attack was launched. I mowed and sprayed....okay? The spray was sprayed by hand. Yes, 1.8 acres of walking up and down and back and forth spraying the lawn. Very similar to playing golf with me only this time I had a 1 gallon sprayer armed with water, 24D (some lady in a store that I stopped to get some told me it was outlawed....huh??), and a little napalm and volcanic lava for good measure. Results should start coming by the end of this week. Likely will reveal what Congress and Senate estimated....this lawn has no grass and will soon become Iowa's largest desert or beach. Anyway, I would win the war and that is all that matters. I probably should not have stood on my deck last night and shouted "Mission Accomplished" to my cloverfield. Will see how that turns out.


As for the inside, my moving help (THANK YOU KARI, SARA, JANA, ALEX, CRAIG, LARRY, DONNA, TIM, TRUDY, CHRIS, RHONDA, CARRIE, BRIAN AND FAMILY, DISH NETWORK DUDE, and A-1 MOVER GUYS!!!) helped to rip up 1300 sq. foot of carpet that was nearly brand new (something about my wife not liking the color) and send it up to Ankeny to Reagan's brother. Next, Rhonda helped us paint the 1300 sq. foot main room in the basement the next day with one coat. I put 2 coats on the toyroom (Abby put a 3rd coat on...unfortunatley the wrong color and Daddy had to throw her brush in a short bout of anger when he found her happily painting...we all had a good laugh later), and we all chipped in to put 4 coats of "merlot" paint on the bar/basement kitchen. That took most of the week and Home Depot came in and put carpet down a week later. Ummm...editor's note: Home Depot has a 7-day carpet guarantee and we signed up for it and paid "big bucks" for it. Apparently that is 7 business days and does not count the day you order or the day before a Holiday. It also doesn't count the other freaking 8 days that elapse and the two parties you attempted to host without freaking carpet. Home Depot....you can die and Lowes you can crush them. With that said, I am still a stockholder so feel free to also have amazing success. I just will not be your customer anymore. (Hey....I do my boycotts a little different okay!) With all the painting and carpet in place, I have avoided much of those areas anyway and nestled myself in the theater room which has lived up to the the hype. When the doors close, you really do feel like you are in a theater. With a 6 foot by 8 foot screen, I have watched 6 movies in 2 weeks (more than I watched the first 6 months of 2009!). Each and every one has been very enjoyable. Twister was good on the big screen, but Dark Knight still rules.


So, we are finally settling in. We realize we will never see out our back windows of the vehicles as they already have a layer of dust no finger can even penetrate to write anything dirty. We realize that flies, ants, snakes (lots of them!), and weeds come with the territory. We realize our mailbox is literally a 1/2 mile away and that stinks most days. But we also can sit on our deck and watch 4 towns celebrate Fourth of July at the same time. We can see the hot air balloons take flight every night near Indianola (publicity note....the 3rd largest balloon festival in the U.S. will start Aug. 31st in Indianola...our house has a nice view for those interested!!!). And we can eat dinner just a football field away from a herd (or according the neighbors sometimes over a hundred) of deer as the sun prepares to bring another day to a close. Do we miss our old house? Yes. Have we found the house of our dreams and will we be here when our kids go off to collge? Definitely. Life is good in the country. So I guess if you "take the boy out of the country" you can put him back someday. Enjoy the week all and thank you for all the prayers and blessings you have given me and my family over the past year and especially more recently!


Love&Prayers,
Ben


3 Things to leave you with:
1) 4 more lots are still available out here plus 3 homes for sale. Yes, I want you all out here. Plus, once all lots are purchased, the development's road gets paved! BONUS!

2) Recently, a dog-fighting ring was busted when arrests from 5 states. A big portion of that ring was right here in Central Iowa. The Animal Rescue League has taken in 35 of these dogs and needs help caring for them. No, you don't have to take home a pitbull named Crusher....but they could use a donation. Click on this site and make sure to write "help for the dogs" in your "in honor of who" line. Tax deductible!
https://secure3.websiteencryption.com/ARL/aspx/generalcontent.aspx?pid=2&cid=39


3) We are hosting an Open House and Beer Tasting this Friday....you are all invited. If you can't make it, maybe you want to suggest a beer I can submit for the tasting? Needs to be bottled and sold in the Des Moines area. Last year's winner was New Castle Brown Ale. Year 1 winner was Boulevard Wheat Beer.