6

Michelle and I celebrated our 6th anniversary today by tiling a counter and priming the walls in our bathroom, installing some gutters, and ogling the city from way up big pink at City Grill. Tiling was a surprising amount of fun, and we’re hoping after the grouting tomorrow that we’ll still feel that way. We still have the floor to do. One bonus? The tile was free. We pulled it out of a dumpster near my sisters. A tile place was emptying their warehouse and had lots of small batches available. Score.

The gutters are in dire need of repairs and I’ve been slowly working on them for the last 2 weeks. The biggest challenge has been getting the new downspouts to fit into the old smaller drainpipe. Today I finally figured out the proper technique. I was briefly thwarted by some wasps who seem to have made a home between some trim and old shakes. My pesticide-free way of getting rid of them? Zip-tie a small propane torch to a long pole and alternate between spraying the entrance to the nest with water and bumping it with a pole, then trying to burn the defensive wasps before the wised up or bit me. After half an hour, I finally gave up and decided to work on another part of the house. The wasp-torch-pole is patent pending.

Finally, we cleaned up and Michelle tricked me in to dressing up for dinner at City Grill, 30 floors up in the Bankcorp tower. We had window seating on the east side of the building, and Michelle was kind enough to let me face south. The view was spectacular, and only interrupted by good service and food. For a guy whose family would pay to climb church towers in Germany for a good view, this was an excellent surprise.

Now, with a baby who is getting ready to walk, we head in to year 7.