Why I Oughta...

I've posted about Walt Disney World Transportation Cards in the past here on the blog.  They're cards that are given out by Transportation cast members (boat captains, bus drivers, monorail pilots and what-have-yous) to guests at seemingly random intervals.  In December of 2016, I posted about how we scored a pile of them from a boat captain on our way back to the Wilderness Lodge .  And in August of last year, I posted a Friendship Boat card that one of the kids was given on a ride to the Hollywood Studios .  And most recently, on January 1st of this year, I posted a photo of the coolest (at least to me!) Transportation Card:  the Electrical Water Pageant . Today, I'm sharing another card in the series:  the Motor Cruiser.  This is the boat that takes people to/from the Magic Kingdom and what I think might be my favorite Disney Resort Hotel - The Wilderness Lodge.   And this might be my favorite boat?  It has these big windows that...

I came across this wall-hung workbench on the Wood Archivist and it stopped me in my tracks. I posted last week on my link blog the minute I saw it .  I was/am smitten.  I didn't want to lose the link.  Just look at it - she's a beaut, right?  Those curves. The built in lighting.  The fact that it doesn't hog floorspace?  The built-in dust collection system? All of it.  Awesome.  The full plans (or call it an article showing some of the steps and the cutlist) are here .  My shop right now is just a 'space', but that is ending soon.  Have plans to add a wall and a door to define the space.  Then, the first step is to finish my miter saw table.  After that, I'm going to turn my attention to a few benches. I currently have a bench that is satisfactory, but needs an upgrade.    I posted about the first (and existing) bench here on the blog back in 2010 .  Still looks the same.  Functional, but kinda basic...

This is the fourth in the series of different snapshots of our emerging landscape plan for our #newoldbackyard.  The other three are here and are worth visiting to get a sense for the overall plan.   Here's a look at part of the southern fence line .  Includes a set of hydrangeas, some hostas and ferns, allium and some Canadian Hemlocks.  I got a little bit of a headstart on this section last Fall when I planted some hydrangeas that we were given by Nat's Mom.   Here's a look at part of the rear foundation planting areas.  This one is right outside our breakfast nook/kitchen .  It includes some grasses, boxwoods, a rhododendron and some hostas.  This is right where our bird feeders are located, so the grasses are perfect.  Also, I harvested some hostas/ferns from our neighbor's house down the street late last season and got those started in their spots.  Hoping they'll come back this Spring.  Unfortunately, I ...

Back in October, I posted a photo of me and Lizzie outside of Ned's Corner in downtown Woodstock (errr...as Nat calls it:  Stars Hollow) right outside the square.  Ned's Corner is - of course - from the movie Groundhog Day which was filmed in Woodstock.  With our trips up to Wisconsin, we've been finding ourselves spending time more-and-more in Woodstock.  It isn't a far trip and the square is quite cute.  They have a nice Farmer's Market - which we visited this summer and bought this Glas Club Cheese - and they decorate the place quite nice for Christmas.   On a recent trip, we went to the movie theater there called the Woodstock Theater.  I t is part of the Classic Cinemas chain , which I've written about extensively over the years.  Classic Cinemas is - by far - my favorite movie theater chain for a variety of reasons.  The York Theater in Elmhurst is part of Classic Cinemas and if you've read the blog over the years, you ...

Just a few days ago, I posted a photo of the Illinois Bird Field Guide that Nat gave me for Christmas and today I can share that is already paying dividends!  We had a visitor to our suet feeder that I was able to get that grainy photo you can see above.  There's a screen up in that window and I didn't want to get too close for fear of scaring him away, so you're going to have to deal with the Zapruder film-version of my woodpecker.   But..that's him up there.  I've posted about woodpeckers before here on the blog last summer when I showed our tailprop suet feeder back in Elmhurst here .  But for the first time, we're able to identify our visitor - which is very exciting!  (at least to me...) I snapped that photo before the bird flew off and then scurried over to my office to open up the field guide to figure out who it was.  As you can see in the photo above, he has a red head, right?  Welp...that would be a big tell!  H...

Can we talk for a minute about Ted's?  Ted's Montana Grill.   Have you been?  This place might be my favorite chain restaurant in the world.  We don't go there very often - in fact I bet I've only been to Ted's about 10 times total - but it has quickly risen to the top of the rankings for me.   Here's my love letter to Ted's: ### Dear Readers: If you haven't been to Ted's Montana Grill, give it a try in your local restaurant rotation.  Sure, when we're going out for burgers we go to the Country House far more than we go to Ted's.  But, when it comes to chain restaurants ( Ted's has close to 50 locations by my count , so it qualifies as a chain, right? Why do I love it?  Simple: 1.  Crushed ice 2.  Wikkistx 3.  The bathroom setup Let's start with the crushed ice you serve with your water, sodas and Arnold Palmers.  Crushed ice.  Such a nice touch.  Why don't more restaura...

I keep my phone on the nightstand and use it as my alarm clock.  Because of that, it was handy one morning that we were up in Wisconsin, so Nat grabbed it and snapped this photo of the sunrise view (#nofilter) from the Lakeview Bedroom (Name Pending).  I say 'pending' because there's just one room that seems to have a name up there:  the Pine Needle Room.  That was named, I think, by Vic.  But, it has stuck!  That's the room that the Babe normally sleeps in, but this - the Lakeview Bedroom (Name Pending) is the room where Nat and I sleep when we're up there.  The windows face straight east, so we get great morning views full of colors that you can kind of see in the photos of the early morning fox visitor I posted a few weeks back .   And that really is a #NoFilter photo.  For realz.