tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62134376462948530962026-10-20T08:58:51.501-05:00Where I write about running, Home Ownership, DIY projects, raising twins, and other Mysteries of LifeIcarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.comBlogger995125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-9239652040440504262026-10-12T12:01:00.000-05:002026-10-16T12:01:35.657-05:00

This should have posted earlier but I've been busy, lazy and otherwise other occupied.  Last year the Cubs gave us 8 extra games of baseball.  This year we got 9 between the two teams.  I didn't expect the Cubs to go deep, but I figured they would at least show up during the Wild Card round.  Nope.  Their bats went silent, and I think they scored 1 run during

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-78780672108861628362026-09-29T14:10:38.673-05:002026-09-29T14:33:59.389-05:00

Today the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox play their first Wild Card games.  The Cubs squandered their lead in the WC, so they have to travel to San Diego and play tonight at 8 pm CST.  The White Sox squandered their division lead, so they play the Matinee game at 4 pm CST.  That it played out this way is so Chicago sports.Last year the Cubs gave us 8 extra games of

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-60484932396030093152026-09-22T10:57:40.622-05:002026-09-22T11:16:34.335-05:00

The good news is they inherited my wife's brains. The bad news is they got my sarcasm. Still, having kept them alive for a dozen years is pretty good for a guy who grew up without a father.Raising kids is no easy task and you hit milestones and level up like a video game. You are thankful when they start sleeping through the night. Then they get off formula, learn to walk and talk, and

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-47738863617897739262026-09-01T08:30:00.000-05:002026-10-20T08:58:51.501-05:00

Last year I wrote, "I'm not sure I have it in me to do another one of these," and given that I buried this in my drafts folder, I think the same this year, especially since two games have already been decided.  So I'm already 1-1.  Nevertheless, I will stick with my predictions.Looking at their schedule and based on how the teams they play did last year, I'm predicting they will again

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-11593584865367522232026-08-10T10:22:19.367-05:002026-08-11T08:09:16.247-05:00

 About two months ago I asked AI, specifically Gemini, how the Cubs would do this season.  The results were not kind but also not inaccurate based on their standing at the time.  The Cubs were 7.5 games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.  Two months later, the Cubs are doing better.  As of today (edit 8/11/26), they are 5.0 games back.  That's still

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-49357762579542848882026-07-21T07:51:37.449-05:002026-07-21T07:55:08.411-05:00

 With the kids home for summer break, I skipped a lot of June and July posting.  Yeah, that's the ticket.  It had nothing to do with my laziness or lack of anything eventful to write about.The kids start middle school two weeks from today, and they are getting Cabin Fever and on each other's nerves more than usual.  It's the Hot as Hell part of the year down here. This

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-13635136003330497842026-06-13T10:49:19.929-05:002026-06-13T10:49:19.929-05:00

 Just for fun, I asked AI, specifically Gemini, the following question:Based on their current record, what is the projected Win-Loss record for the Chicago Cubs?Gemini's response:The Chicago Cubs currently hold a record of  36–34 through their first 70 games of the 2026 Major League Baseball season.A standard MLB regular season consists of exactly 162 games. Based strictly on their

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-25493325085628388352026-06-02T11:50:00.000-05:002026-07-05T12:03:04.981-05:00

Edit from the future:  Yet another post sitting in my draft folder.  I'm gonna try to wrap it up and publish it, backdating this to the date I wrote it.Seasonal summer begins on June 21st, which is also Father's Day, but most of the USA thinks of summer as the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day.This year, Memorial Day — the last Monday in May — fell on the earliest possible date on

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-29089061868838168812026-05-13T09:31:05.663-05:002026-05-13T09:31:05.663-05:00

On Sundays, Nightingale meal preps for the week.  Her day starts with trips to Aldi, Kroger and occasionally Costco.  Meanwhile, I do her laundry.  I use to do all the laundry but I've found that it's easier to break it up over the week, especially since we all have our own laundry baskets, which we mostly keep separated.On Mondays, I clean up the kitchen of anything that couldn't

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-69553645926441683982026-05-13T09:20:28.157-05:002026-05-13T10:44:11.901-05:00

I have a couple of email subscriptions that do me no good down here.  More specifically, I get emails from Binny's Beverage Depot, Peoria Packing Company, and the Polish Museum of America. I could easily unsubscribe from all of them (except the PMA because they are luddites and you to email them) but I choose not to.I also get emails from Zillow, Redfin, and other Real Estate entities that

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-43656093020275768522026-05-04T11:18:00.000-05:002026-05-13T09:11:18.094-05:00

 Have you ever been on a Stealth Date?  A Stealth Date is when someone thinks you and one of their friends would be perfect together, so they get both of you to go to something with them, but then your friend either doesn't show or disappears.It took me 26 years to realize I was on a stealth Date back in 2000.  Mostly because I haven't really thought about that morning or dwelt on

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-15987457339375104272026-05-01T12:55:00.016-05:002026-05-05T10:08:19.681-05:00

This time of year used to make me Wiggy.  Yes, that's the technical term.  It was around this time of year in 2009 when Finance 1.0 left me abruptly.  As the years went by and Time did the Heavy Lifting, along with building a life with Nightingale, I thought less and less about it.  It's really only the Memories on Facebook and a specific Taylor Swift song that ever really

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-80334607062331193842026-04-16T09:39:00.006-05:002026-04-16T09:39:54.240-05:00

Time to update the Cost per Day for the Drama Playset.  We have now owned the Drama Playset since January 14, 2022, or 1553 days.Now the local cousins don't come over as much as they used to, but Boris swings literally every day, and Natasha joins him sometimes, especially when our pseudo third child is around.  So I'm going to keep using the previous formulas with

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-15191158890157051862026-04-01T10:42:00.001-05:002026-04-01T10:42:16.200-05:00

I answered a question on Quora, and at the bottom of the post, like many other Quorans, I said, "If you liked this answer, give me an upvote."  It seems to have worked because this is the most upvoted answer I've ever had.  It's likely more that it was posted to a very active space, and the question is getting a lot of answers.Anywho, someone commented, "I block upvote beggars" and did

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-79820685800234800402026-04-01T10:37:00.000-05:002026-04-01T10:37:22.113-05:00

 For almost the entirety of March, we were able to function with the heat and AC set to OFF.  We were even able to sleep with the windows open, and it was some of the best sleep I've had since the kiddos arrived!There were 2 cold snap days, and a few mornings I needed to run the heat for an hour so the kids could defrost and get to school.  And toward the end of the month, we did

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-81736965239095571702026-03-30T09:09:00.003-05:002026-04-16T10:56:49.962-05:00

This has been a busy but rough weekend.  First, on Thursday, we had to be in Oxford, Mississippi, for Natasha’s science fair. This required getting up fairly early to be there by 8 o’clock. The issue is it’s 62 miles away, and I didn’t get the best sleep that night.The science fair was kind of weird. Parents and chaperones were not allowed on the main floor until the lunch hour, and the

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-12220342110346256162026-03-24T11:55:00.004-05:002026-03-25T13:40:14.236-05:00

Instead of sitting around the house all day doing nothing much, I got us to go to Memphis on Saturday.  The reason was twofold.  First, I wanted to replace the last remnants of the sectional that the cats have destroyed with this:Second, I wanted to get some new running shoes.  I'm past my glory days of running piles of miles, but I think I can start doing a mile or two after

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-75619114493922504412026-03-24T11:48:00.005-05:002026-04-06T15:19:45.401-05:00

 On the Book of Faces, I shared a post from The Onion about substituting ingredients in a recipe. The first time I try a new recipe, I strive to use all the ingredients and follow directions to the letter.An exception might be that it calls for an ingredient I don’t have and don’t want to invest in. For instance, earlier this week I made česnečka soup but didn’t have marjoram (

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-38047684620699004062026-03-23T12:17:00.004-05:002026-03-24T11:28:02.409-05:00

Last week two former work colleagues reconnected with me.  I sent a text to Sasha* asking a simple yes/no/the color purple question.  A tad bit later she responded, ignored the question, and just said she was traveling back from Tampa Bay.  Date with Tom Brady?  I said no worries, we can chat/text tomorrow after you get some sleep.* I don't remember what alias I use for her

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-49748362295775015962026-03-16T12:56:00.004-05:002026-03-16T12:56:43.133-05:00

 It goes without saying that I have done a terrible job of keeping up with this blog.  It's probably a combination of laziness, not having an audience, and having a boring, mostly uneventful last remaining years of life.TrespassersAs a Stay-At-Home-Dad (SAHD), I don't get out much.  I take the kids to school, maybe run some errands, try to get some stuff done around the house, and

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-47686239892609533112026-02-17T11:57:00.005-06:002026-02-17T11:57:34.409-06:00

 I did something to my shoulder and cannot bring it full circle without the ibuprofen.  Even with the meds it still hurts a tad when I try perform some basic function that involves my left arm, like typing.  I have a lot of things I want and need to do around the house now that the weather is warming up, but I also know that if I overdo it, I will injure myself further.  So

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-39883064316350456082026-02-09T11:24:00.001-06:002026-02-09T11:24:46.041-06:00

I'm way overdue for writing this post.  So now that the SuperBowl is over, I will wrap up the Chicago Bears posts until next season.  Anyone who pays attention to football knows that the Bears not only went to the playoffs but won the Wild Card round against their archrival, the Green Bay Packers in overtime.  Katness and I often text each other during Bears games, and for 3

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-25258504190085682302026-01-28T11:02:00.003-06:002026-01-28T11:02:49.797-06:00

 We had a warm Christmas week.  It was so nice that the kids could be outside and we could have fires.  After the Michigan in-laws left, the weather cooled.  That Sunday (December 28th), we had a storm.  Sometime in the night, the winds blew down this tree.I thought about renting a chainsaw from Home Depot and cutting at least the fallen part down myself.  But my

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-17001448040010367832026-01-05T09:39:00.000-06:002026-01-21T09:39:55.297-06:00

The regular season is over and we Bears fans have one playoff game to look forward to.  With the way they played the Lions on Sunday, we fans aren't exactly holding our breath for a playoff win.  They ended the season the way they started, by losing two games.  But in between, they won 11 games and that was good enough to win a division where every team had a winning record.I

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6213437646294853096.post-78728486571049367552026-01-05T09:14:00.002-06:002026-01-05T09:14:49.096-06:00

I didn't even get a chance to start my annual first post of the year before things went bad for us in the United States of America.  We attacked Venezuela over the weekend and are about to annex it, at least temporarily.  Every year, I revisit what to do with this blog.  It takes more effort than it use to for me to write posts that even I'm interested in, but I also like the

Icarushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10281923011888879081noreply@blogger.com2