For Lisa and the Tot

The Tot will be happy to know that there is snow falling and accumulating on the ground here on the western edges of the Enchanted Mitten.

Now the kitchen is complete

For frequent readers of this blog, you know that are aware that we recently remodeled our kitchen. The change has been nothing short of fantastic, but we were unable to order the window treatments until the hardware of the kitchen was completed. Thus, in late September we ordered window treatments and on Tuesday, they were finally installed. We also ordered a custom made sign with the words "Cead Mile Failte." That phrase means "100,000 Welcomes" in Gaelic. We thought it was a fitting phrase to have in our kitchen, which is the heart of our home.

Thanksgiving

Tomorrow, we will celebrate a thoroughly American holiday: Thanksgiving. Unlike some other American holidays, this celebration of all that we are thankful for has thoroughly resisted being commercialized. To give you an example, I saw the first Christmas decorations for sale at Lowe's and Home Depot a few days before Halloween. Thanksgiving is not tied to any religion in particular, nor are we expected to exchange presents, or send cards. It is a holiday to remind us about everything that is good in this great country, as well as the be thankful for the blessings we have living in America. This past year was one of tremendous transition for me. I retired from the Navy, took a few months off and then after just a few weeks of non-dedicated job hunting, was hired by one of the best managed, best run and most profitable companies the world has ever known. Deirdre and I were also able to take a "throw away" dog who faced certain death in a kennel and make a place in our home for him. Yes, Dee and I have much for which we are thankful this year. From here, just East of the Equator where is it always a quarter past five, I want to wish everyone who reads this text a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Anniversary

22 November, 1985. That is a date that I will not ever forget. On that day in Newport, Rhode Island, I raised my hand and took an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It was the day that I was sworn in as and Ensign in the United States Navy. My plan when I started Officer Candidate School in August, 1985, was to serve for four years, get some experience and then go out and get a "real job." Well, it did not quite work out that way. Last November, after 22 years of service the the Navy and the nation it defends, I retired from active duty.

My career began on a cold, rainy Friday. My brother Michael, his then-girlfriend attended the ceremony. Michael was living in Boston at that time, so it was an easy drive for him. The biggest surprise for me was my two oldest friends, Paul & John, drove through the night from Michigan to be in the audience when I was sworn in. To say that I was surprised is an understatement of gigantic proportions. Following the ceremony, we left Newport and headed to Boston to spend the night at my brother's apartment, as well as to have a sumptuous meal. We went to dinner at Locke-Ober, a fantastic icon of Boston, and then the following day Paul and John and I drove back to Michigan, where I would spend a few days before heading west to San Diego to attend Surface Warfare Officers School. Following 6 months of training, I left for "the fleet," reporting in May, 1986, to the USS NIAGARA FALLS (AFS 3) in Guam.

Along the way in my career, I sailed all over the world, set foot on every continent except Antarctica, and pretty much had a blast. I saw more sunrises and sunsets at sea than most people see in a lifetime. I was able to drive a frigate, a destroyer, a crusier and a nuclear powered aircraft carrier as if I had stolen them. The Navy paid me to go to graduate school and looked after Deirdre when I was deployed. Mike (a former shipmate who is a retired Chief Petty Officer) stopped by the house last week to deliver some firewood to me. Mike asked me, "Do you miss it? Do you miss being in the Navy?" I told him, "Honestly, no. What I do miss is working with professionals like you." Sure, I missed a lot of holiday and family events, but I would not trade my experiences in the Navy for anythings. I had the honor and the pleasure to serve with the finest people this nation has to offer. I had a great military career, but I am now enjoying my second career working for the General.

An interesting morning in East Grand Rapids...

Deirdre and I have settled into our routine with Samson, aka Handsome Boy. With my full time job working for the General, and Deirdre working at the Kingdom, our mornings go by something like this:

0540: Alarm goes off
0545: We are both dressed and out the door with Samson for a walk
0610-0615: We are home
0610-0615: Dee makes herself some coffee
0610-0615: Paul feeds Samson

Repeat daily.

Today was no different. We were out the door at 0546 and we had a brisk walk with Samson around the block. East Grand Rapids is known for its quiet homes and streets, and it is also not very well lit. Consequently, whenever we take Samson out for a walk, we put a flashing light on his collar, one of us wears a reflective belt, and the other carries a Maglite. I also carry a small pouch to carry the poop bags as we pick up after Samson (it is the law in EGR). We had a good walk with Samson and we returned home at about 0615. We went inside the house using the customary side entrance. Samson needed to be fed and Deirdre needed her coffee.

I put some kibble and wet food into Samson's dish and he immediately went to work, devouring each morsel as if we fed him but once a week. And then it happened. "Knock, knock, knock" was heard coming from the side door. Normally, the only person who ever knocks at our side door is our neighbor Mark when he needs to borrow some spice or sugar or eggs. It was way too early for that kind of visit, plus he always calls before he comes over. I was perplexed. I went to the side door, with Samson behind me and I turned on the outside light and opened the door. Much to my surprise, there was an East Grand Rapids police officer at the door.

Thankfully, I not only answered the door, but I was home. I know that both events are mutually inclusive, but if Deirdre were alone and some police officer showed up at her door at 6:20AM, she most likely would have assumed that the cop was there to tell her that I was dead. Given my previous line of work, that was a distinct possibility. I had to make such notifications during my career and they were never pleasant.

Back to the police officer at our door. The conversation went like this:

Me: Good morning officer
Police Officer: Good morning. We had a report that a couple of people walked into this house with tools and they did not come here in a car. Did anybody walk into the house, recently?
Me: Yes, officer. My wife and I just walked into the house after walking our dog.
Police Officer: Are you sure that nobody other than you and your wife are the only people in your house? Are you the owner of this house?
Me: Yes, officer. Nobody has come into the house other than me and the wife and we are the owners. I think that whomever reported people coming into the house mistook the flashlight I carry when we walk our dog at night, as well as the bag where we keep bags and puppy treats.
Police Officer: OK.
Dee (as she pops her head into our Mud Room): What is going on ?
Police Officer: Ma'am, we had a report that a couple of people coming into the house with tools. Other than your husband, are you alone in the house?
Dee: Yes. We just got back from a walk with our dog. We had a pouch and a flashlight with us.
Police Officer: OK, Whomever reported this must have mistaken you. Can I get your name, please.
Me: I'm Paul Kratochwill, etc.

I proceeded to give the officer my name and address of the house and he wanted to know my birth date. I thanked him for his work protecting us (and his partner who was just a few feet away) and he left for his squad car. I am certain that he went to his car and "called it in" to conform that I am indeed Paul Kratochwill and that this is our house. While it was a little weird to have a police officer at our door before 0630 in the morning, it was comforting to know that East Grand Rapids finest are are out there protecting us and keeping us safe.

Who knew?

For those of you who have followed the East of the Equator blog the past year, you know that we have made some improvements in our home. Specifically, we have remodeled the following spaces:

1) Main Bathroom
2) Secondary Bathroom
3) Kitchen

As part of the Main Bathroom project, we replaced the two windows in the space. Almost immediately, the bathroom was warmer and we thought that it would be a good idea to replace a few more windows. Our friends at HWC Homeworks took care of everything and in a few weeks six new windows were installed. We realized after these six windows were replaced that we needed to replace all the windows, as well as the two sliding glass doors in our Back Room. A little history about our home. The original owner of the house was the proprietor of the Pella Window franchise. Thus, all of the windows and the sliding glass doors were all Pella. In their time, the windows were state of the art. However, after 30 years of time and use, the windows (and the sliders!) were not longer keeping warm air inside or cold air outside.

We noticed that the house was more comfortable this summer as it seemed cooler when the air conditioner was running. We were not certain how the windows would do in the winter. Well, we found out this weekend. The first snow of the season fell on the Enchanted Mitten and the outside air temperature was barely 35F most of the weekend. I am happy to report that our house was a toasty 68-70F all weekend.

Last winter, we could not keep our Back Room warm. The temperature was rarely above 60F. We operated an oil filled space heater almost constantly to keep the Back Room livable. With our new windows and sliders, our home is constantly comfortable. Clearly, the replacement of all of our windows has improved the energy efficiency of our home. What I am really looking forward to seeing is our next Consumer's Energy bill. Our home is heated with natural gas, and I am fairly confident that we will see a smaller bill than last year.

Who knew that replacing a few windows could so drastically improve the comfort in our home? If you are even thinking about replacing an old or damaged window here is my advice: DO IT. Our home is so much more comfortable. We should have replaced our Pella windows YEARS ago.

What a difference a year makes

A year ago today we brought Samson home from the West Michigan Regional Laboratory. His name was Danson, but we felt that was not the right name for him. Thus, he became Samson, aka Handsome Boy. We have made great strides with him since that first afternoon in our lives.

When we brought Samson home, he was fearful, aggressive and just plain scared. It took a bit of patience, a lot of training and quite a few puppy treats, but he is now nothing but 100lbs of fur and love. He seeks our affection and attention, and as I type this entry, Samson is lying quietly on the sofa next to me. Both of his paws are gently touching my thigh and he is occasionally pawing at me for a little attention. Yep, he has come a long way!

A trip to GP & Slacker Sunday

Last week was a busy one for me and the General. I had to prepare for a meeting with one of our customers for an avionics box. This meeting is called "Critical Design Review," where we go over the design and manufacturing process. I had to put together some slides to describe the work the Engineering Services was doing in support of this program. The design review went well and our customer was quite happy with our progress in the program. I have completed six months of employment with General Electric and I am getting more and more comfortable with the work I do for the company.

This weekend was also one where I went to my parent's house in Grosse Pointe. I wanted to get back before winter set in to help my father do some chores. I left from work on Friday afternoon and made it to my parent's house around 3PM. For Friday evening, I made plans to have dinner with my friend John and his lovely bride Maria. Maria and I made rack of lamb, and Maria made a rice dish (I need to get her recipe). John and I were able to catch up on things going on in his life and we just enjoyed an evening together. I also took the opportunity to sharpen their knives, which clearly needed to be done. It is said that I am a little funny about my knives. A sharp knife is a safe knife. Enough about that.

Saturday was a cold but there was lots and lots of sunshine for me to get a few pictures from my ancestoral home of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Not much has changed in that town since I left it in 1984 to find my own fame and fortune. Sure, a few business have come and gone along Mack Avenue, but the look and feel of the town is pretty much as it was when I left it.








I also drove by my high school, which has changed. There is a new science building and some updated signs. The original high school was completed in 1969 when only large corporations, universities and the government had computers. Thus a new building dedicated to the study of science is a great upgrade to one of the best high schools in the state.

No trip back to Grosse Pointe would be complete without a stop by Lake St. Clair. I was able to park my car near the Lake and wander across Lakeshore Drive to take a few pictures. I think I found a house on Lakeshore that Deirdre would love. The only problem is that the asking price is $3.5 million. Maybe if the price drops a little we will most likely make an offer.

I wanted to be back in EGR by noon in the hope that I could work on clearing some leaves. I left my parent's home a little before 8AM so I was back home before 11AM. Now the slacker Sunday has begun in earnest!

It is official: The Kitchen has been warmed

It was quite a weekend here in western edges of the Enchanted Mitten. On Friday night we were overcome by ghouls, ghosts and goblins... and a few trick-or-treaters. The weather could not have been better for Halloween. As the sun was setting there was not a cloud in the sky and it was a balmy 50F. We had a smaller crowd than last year, but I think that is the direct result of Halloween falling on a Friday, which also happened to be the first day of the state high school football playoffs. Most of the trick-or-treaters were younger than high school age. There were, however, a lot more parents out this year than last. All in all, it was another safe and sane evolution in East Grand Rapids.

As for the kitchen being properly warmed, last night was our Kitchen Warming Party. I am happy to report that the event was an unqualified success. We had an eclectric group in attendance. Friends, neighbors and co-workers came by to check out our new kitchen, and we were able to give the space a proper send off. We went the "slacker" route for the food. We bought pre-made party trays, but we took seriously the need for good beer. We purchased a 1/4 bbl of Bell's Amber and it was clearly well received. We still have some beer left in the keg, so if you are in the area, please feel free to stop by and wet your whistle!