Summer is Winding Down

Where has the time gone?  We have been very busy this summer with only one or two full weekends at home.  Otherwise we have been traveling and wrangling an ever more energetic Frugal Boy.

On Thursday of last week one of the two Aldi stores in town had a grand reopening.

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The renovated store has a larger footprint and a wider selection of goods.  It will take some time to figure out where things are in the rearranged layout.

We’ve had some very hot and muggy August days.  Our garden did well for the first half of summer, but insects have decimated all of our second plantings of lettuce, spinach, and carrots.

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On Saturday I made lamb ravioli for Shae’s birthday dinner.  My mother-in-law helped to speed things up.  A two pound lamb loin made about 35 large ravioli.  It only took about three ravioli to make a filling meal.  We fed six adults and had plenty of leftovers.  The total cost of ingredients was about $50, making it very economical, even for the specialty meat.

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Frugal Boy got his first taste of corn on the cob courtesy of his grandparents.  I think he liked it, as we had to hide the box of un-shucked corn to keep him out of it.

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And here is a picture of the birthday girl.

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On Sunday, Grandma put up the remainder of the corn they brought down while Grandpa played with Frugal Boy.  Here Grandma is imparting some wisdom to the youth.

IMG_7757I worked some more on our front porch.  I have been keeping track of receipts and will do a post with the total cost of that major renovation when I am done (sometime this year).

Frugal Boy and Grandpa enjoyed watching from the window.  Those two are thick as thieves.

IMG_7763A big thank you to all of Shae’s family for coming and helping out.  We had a fun weekend despite the heat.

 

 

 

International Man of Mystery

Today was a momentous day for Frugal Boy.  We submitted his passport application to the State Department.  In 4-6 weeks he will hopefully have a small booklet that lets him travel to almost every country on planet Earth.

Minors must submit their applications in person with both adults present.

The checklist of required materials for a first time applicant is:

  1. A DS-11 Passport Application Form
  2. A certified birth certificate (no photocopies or public notary stamps)
  3. Money ($105)
  4. Parent’s photo identification (driver’s license)
  5. Parental consent (we had to swear an oath and we both had to be there)
  6. 2″x2″ color photo meeting certain requirements

I found the easiest way to fill out the form was through the online wizard.  It presents simple and easy to understand prompts and then uses the information to fill in the more confusing DS-11 form.

We chose to take the photo ourselves.  The main requirements are:

  • White or Off white background
  • No other people in the background
  • Head sized to be between 1-1 3/8″
  • Centered
  • Face unobscured
  • Both ears visible
  • Eyes open
  • Crisp without blurring
  • Unaltered by photo editing software
  • Neutral expression

This proved to be no easy feat with a rambunctious toddler, but after 40 or so shots we had three that showed promise.  I collaged them together and had a single 4×6 printed off at the nearest 1 hour photo for a grand cost of 31¢.  Most places that advertise passport photos are in the $10-$30 range (one guess where the children friendly places fall on that scale).

photoosThe passport office was inside the post office.  The man wasn’t confident that the photo we chose would pass muster, but the worst that would happen would be a letter from the state department asking for a new one.  We wouldn’t have to go back and apply in person again (sorry Shae, I know how much you love the bureaucratic process).

I thought Shae and I were really on top of our game by getting a passport for our son at such a young age, but I was quickly put to shame when the Indian couple standing in line behind us showed off their 20 day old infant.  I guess when grandma is a continent away, passports take on an increased priority.

Now the really important question.  Where should we go?

More information about passports, specifically children’s passports, can be found on the state department’s website.

ps. please have all your forms and required materials ready to go when you show up at the office.

pps. you can also make appointments at the office to cut the line.  I wish I knew that beforehand!

Reading and NASCAR

Last week we turned in our summer reading logs.  Every participant that completed the program received a bag of goodies, mostly coupons to local businesses.  The kids program got considerably more than the adults and Frugal Boy may have to surrender several of the free cookies that he is entitled to.  After all, we did all of the reading!  The adults were entered into a raffle and as luck would have it, my name got drawn.  I had a choice of a $25 gift card to a variety of local establishments.  I ended up choosing the one for the butcher we frequent.  Mmmmm, $25 worth of meat!  That will go a lot further than $25 at one of the upscale restaurants.

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Frugal Boy continues to develop in leaps and bounds.  This morning when he fell and skinned his knee he hardly even paused to whine about it.  Play time and learning are too important to be slowed down by a river of blood.  As parents, we try not to make a big deal about little ouchies and it is nice to see that he remains calm as well.

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Repointing a Basement Wall

Our 1905 house has a brick foundation.  Brick is a great building material that lasts for centuries, but it does require periodic maintenance.  The mortar holding the bricks together is typically made of sand, cement, and lime.  Old houses, pre 1900, had lime and sand mortars.  Cement based mortars did not become mainstream until around 1930.

Due to water intrusion, some areas of the mortar have disintegrated.  This happens because the water passes through the mortar and dissolves the lime bonding agent.  What is left behind is just the sand and that can be raked out easily with ones finger.IMG_7562Removing the old mortar is not that difficult of a job.  I used a 4 1/2″ angle grinder with a diamond tipped tuck pointing blade ($35 at Menards).  Be sure to wear plenty of protective gear because it will be a dirty and loud job.

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After doing a 3’x2′ test section of wall and switching out batteries 8-9 times, I ordered a corded grinder off CPOOutlet.com.  You can get good deals on reconditioned tools that are just as good as brand new.

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For the replacement mortar, I chose to mix up a type O mortar.  The following table from lime.org shows the mortar specifications.

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Type O mortar has less compressive strength than the other more popular mortar mixes (M, S, and N) because it has less portland cement and more lime in it.  Lime fell out of favor with builders around 1930 because it took longer to cure than cement and it had lower compressive strength.  Lime based mortars are more flexible, self healing, and direct water better than cement heavy mortars.

Big box stores do not carry Type O mortar, but you can make your own with three simple ingredients.  Type S hydrated lime, portland cement, and masonry sand are the only ingredients that you need to make up any mortar mix.

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I am happy with how this test section of wall turned out.  With any luck, the new mortar will last 50 years before needing replacement.

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I did not want to start another section of tuck pointing until the corded grinder arrives.  I was able to cross another masonry job off my list by patching up the gaping hole left by a previous owner / HVAC contractor in the north wall.

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Why they didn’t spend half an hour to make this look nice is beyond me.

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[UPDATE]

After being gone for a long weekend we came back and noticed that the basement walls/floor in the north west corner were damp (as usual) except in the area that I repointed the mortar.  That was bone dry!