The Great Kitchen Make Over, Part II

So tonight I enthusiastically took out the trash, and with it went 732 ugly tiles, one ugly kitchen sink, the ugliest rust-colored counter tops you'd ever find, and a few other odds and ends from the old kitchen. Now behold, our kitchen is complete....except the new stove and hood, which will be delivered Friday.

The Great Kitchen Make Over, Part I

Well, let me recap for you how the first day of the great kitchen make over went. At 7:00am, I took the first picture you see, which basically shows how our kitchen looked when we moved in (minus the new dishwasher, and the repainted cabinets with new hardware). Anyways, We hated three things about the kitchen: The lack of counter space, the ugly ugly ugly red counters, and the ugly tile backsplash. It just needed a face lift. In the second picture, during demolition, I am showing you just how much I hated the old counters. By the third picture, which was around lunch time, you see the counters are gone, as are the tiles. In fact, most of the new under-cabinet lights were hard wired to a dimmer switch at this point. By dinner time, you see the cabinets are in, the wall has been sheetrocked, the new sink is installed, and the island has been added. Not bad for day one! Over the course of tomorrow and Wednesday, I will be sanding the walls and painting them a pale yellow color, which will look nice with the grey counters and stainless steel apliances. Oh yeah, the stove and fridge will be going in the near future too, to make way for the new ones. Stay tuned for a final "reveal" some time in the coming week. So long for now!

What's a 5:00am post look like? This.

Well, it is a little past 5:00am, and I am already dressed and ready to go to work. It is a little early, even for me, but Brady decided it was time to get up, and so we did. Let's see, here is what has been going on with me since I last posted:

1. I've gotten just about all my Christmas shopping done, and everything is wrapped. (Thank you, Supterintendent, for that wonderful Friday off).

2. I've started thinking about what I'll do on my vacation next week. Some of the leading choices are: Spending time with Brady & Erica, finishing my kitcken counters, and maybe even painting my stairs and hallway. Hmmm...doesn't that sound like fun!

3. I've come to the conclusion that I need to stop teaching seniors (which is all I have this semester). While I enjoy the fact that I can treat them like adults, they just don't act like them! I've had better behaved freshman classes.

4. I came to the conclusion last week that I need to invest in a snow blower. Shoveling a foot of snow off my driveway just isn't fun! Perhaps I'll look for one next week.

5. I opened Brady's first bank account up. He is now a legal financial entity.

6. Patriots again this year? They've started to kick things up a notch these past few weeks. If they keep this up, they might have as good a chance as any of the other playoff teams for making the Super Bowl. Oh wouldn't it be great, too, to see Indy's streak end with the Pats.

7. I was secretly hoping for a Pats-Dallas Super Bowl. How cool would it have been to see Brady vs. Drew, little Bill vs. Big Bill. The networks would have LOVED it. Oh well, maybe next year.

8. I actually watched Bush's propaganda speech last night to drum up support for the war. I knew it was going to be a waste of my time, but I couldn't reach the remote, and I was waiting for National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation to start. Its funny, after three years in Iraq, he has still yet to come up with a good reason why we went there in the first place, and why the helll we can't just leave now. AT least put together a plan of exit, anyway.

9. Speaking of Iraq, my brother has been there now for a few missions. Not sure if he was involved at all in the recent vote, but since we haven't heard from him lately, I'd say he likely was. He's got to figure out what he'd like to do next. He was saying possibly a year in Korea. AT least that would potentially be a little safer than where he is now.

10. And finally, not for nothing, but I'd like to give a little shout out to my mother, her brother, and her parents, who recently celebrated their 43rd anniversary of coming to America. Yep, don't know what you were all doing on December 17th, 1962, but they were waiting in a customs line to get their visas stamped. Congratulations!

Erica's Back

My dear wife has finally started updating her blog. Check it out at http://www.ericalynnestack.blogspot.com.

Everything is just a little harder.

I went to the mall today to do some much needed shopping. It was just me and Brady, and it seems everything was just a little harder. First of all, I had to push around a stroller all day. That meant being in people's way, having to look for elevators and ramps, and having to make two trips to the car with bags because I had no where to put them since I have the stroller. Trying to use the bathroom was interesting too. But I'm not complaining, not at all...just noting that things are just a little harder now, that's all.

No In-Flight Movie On This Ride

Lt. Jason E. Satck is seen here, about to board his ride for a trip into Iraq for a special assignment.

Jason says he is doing quite well. A couple weeks ago, he had a one-day leave to Doha, Qatar's capital city. As the pictures suggest, Doha is very accepting of American culture. Jason even spotted an Applebee's, a Toys 'R Us, a KFC, and a shopping mall with a Christmas tree on display.

And The Award Goes To.....

Brady Michael Stack, for smashing his old record for longest stretch of sleep. Last night, Brady went to bed at 9:00pm and didn't wake up until 4:00am. Yep, that's a cool seven hours.

YEAH!

Update on LT Stack

For those of you that don't know, my younger brother Jason has been serving in the Middle East since September. He is currently a 2nd Lt. in the Air Force. Jason has sent us regular emails telling us he is doing very well, and is enjoying his current tour. Jason is in charge of approximately 100 men that perform various security tasks. In the picture above, Jason (on the right) is talking with General John Abizaid (middle). General Abizaid is one of the US Army's highest ranking officers in the Middle East.

New Brady Pics

Iron Chef America's Newest Addition

Iron Chef has a new star, and they call her Wicksanaka, but her friends just call her P. Sophie. Sophie hails from New Hampshire, where her culinary career began in her farm house amonst the cottonwood trees.

In college, she perfected her skills by providing "Sunday Dinner" to a group of hungry BU students every Sunday. In return, they let her live in their apartment. She even had her own place on the chore wheel.

Wicksanaka comes to Iron Chef America as the show's second female chef. When asked last week, host Alton Brown declined to comment on the producer's pick since he noted "bad blood" between himself and Wicksanaka. In a recent interview her husband the "Doc" said this about her: "My wife loves to cook, although she hates cleaning up the kitchen when she's done. She's waiting for me to hire a miad, I think. Most of her food is pretty good, except sometimes she tries to sneak extra butter on stuff."

Sophie's biggest claim to fame these days is her famous stuffed, baisted turkey. "Why make things difficult? she says. In the coming weeks, you will see Sophie's first Iron Chef clash as she takes on the firey "Stackimoto".

What I've discovered about Turkey.

Now, my blog fans know I am a self-proclaimed prophet of Alton Brown's cooking techniques, as I watch all his shows, but I in no way claim to be a food expert myself. Still, I have to cook the Thanksgiving turkey this year, so I thought I'd share some of what I've researched with you all. If you find any of it useful, great. If you disagree with it, so be it. Like I said, I'm no expert.

Tips to Turkey Success:

1. Don't stuff the bird. The stuffing will never be completely cooked when the bird is ready. Instead, fill this cavity with aromatics. Some suggestions: Citrus fruit, apples, fresh herbs like rosemary and sage, heck, even a cinnamon stick or two. Rachel Ray actually cooks her stuffing in muffin tins, so everyone get's their own little stuffing muffin with a crispy top, which is always the best part!

2. Frozen birds can be just as good as fresh, just make sure you allow enough thaw time.

3. Baisting a bird will NEVER put moisture into the meat. It only serves to extend the cooking time (because you contantly are opening the door). To get a juicy bird, the secret is an overnight brine. This will invite the juices and flavors of your brine into the bird before cooking begins.

4. Pop-Up timers are useless. By the time your bird "pops", it will be overdone. This is because even after you take the bird out of the oven, it will continue to cook. To know for sure when the bird will be done, invest a little money in one of those probe thermometers that will constantly tell you the internal temperature of your bird. When it hits 161 degrees, out it comes! But don't just pull the pop-out timer out before you cook the bird....or you'll have a nice open hole for juices to escape during cooking!

5. Brown the bird at the beginning of the cooking. This is done by putting your bird in at a higher temperature first (like 500 degrees) for 30-40 minutes, then backing the temperature off (to 350) and covering the bird with foil to prevent burning or drying out.

6. The best way to carve a turkey is with an electric knife. It just gets the job done right.

7. I've heard the best turkey is fried, but I'm not ready to attempt this yet. Maybe next year.

8. Erica makes the best pecan pie. Whenever you have a Thanksgiving meal, make sure she brings the dessert!

New Jeans

There is nothing quite like your first pair of jeans, right Brady?

Brady's Protective Older Sister

Did you know Brady has a very protective older sister? Its actually my 18-month old niece, Mackenzie.

When Brady cries, she is there for him. She'll bring him a binky, a toy, a blanket, whatever she thinks might calm him down. She likes to feed and burp him. She likes to hold him.

But why is it she doesn't want to change the dirty diaper? We've got to teacher her that next.

On another note.....

You might think that my blog is a Brady-only site. Not true. Here are some of the other exciting things happening in my life right now:

1. I tried out the wheel-brite cleaner at the car wash today. The rims on my Explorer are so shiny now, they look brand new!

2. After a month, it appears my in-laws are close to being completely moved in to their new Condo in Atkinson, NH. Next up: The sale of Ye Olde Clarke Homestead. I know I won't miss it, but I'm not sure about my wife.

3. I bought my wife a gift certificate to a local salon this week for her birthday. Her new hair color and cut looks great.

4. I've tried that new Fresca flavor, but I gotta say, I'm still a fan of the original.

5. It was heartbreaking to watch BU lose Saturday night to UNH at Agannis Arena. At least the Pats won on Sunday.

6. Out of the three fantasy leagues I'm in this year for football, I'm in deadlast for two of them, and middle of the pack for the third.

7. Nothing says fall like raking leaves, and boy oh boy do I have a lot of them. But, the best part of it is, I can actually pick most of them up by just riding over them on my lawn mower. Ahhh....modern technology.

8. I am thinking about getting a new printer, because my scanner has finally died. I'm not sure what kind I'd like, but I'm leaning toward one of those all-in-one deals. They seem like a pretty good buy.

9. Did you notice in today's Pats game that the cameras caught Belichick picking his nose?

10. And finally, a burning question that's been in my mind for the past two weeks: What does it actually mean to be "Comcastic?"

The Darkside of Parenthood

Its not all fun and games...especially when Brady gets sick. The poor kid just can't seem to keep anything down right now. Grr......

Bath Time

Nothing like taking a bath in the kitchen sink!

What's I've Learned So Far About Being A Dad

1. Four hours of uninterrupted sleep is a luxury.

2. Formula and diapers are expensive.

3. I look forward to going to bed early on Saturday night just to catch up on sleep.

4. If I ever want to leave the house, I plan at least an hour to get him ready before I leave.

5. Having to feed him at Wal-Mart is not fun.

6. I've found someone who has more gas than me.

7. When my wife is mad at me, just hold him up in front of her, she'll forget all about me.

8. Even at four in the morning, when he keeps you up all night, he can still put on that cute face that makes you forgive him for everything.

9. Every day I wake up, I can't wait to go see him.

10. I'd never trade fatherhood for anything.

Brady Update

Erica was away for the weekend at school, so I got to play the "stay at home Dad" all weekend. Let's see, between Friday night and Sunday night, this is what I did:

1. I changed 18 dirty diapers.
2. I fed him 11 bottles.
3. I stopped him from crying at least 50 times.

Hmmm....that was pretty much my weekend. I did get to go to bed on Saturday night at 9:30. Wow, what an exciting life I lead!

More Brady Pics

So far so good. Brady has been eating and sleeping well. Mom and Dad are learning that being able to sleep three hours uninterrupted is a treat.

Brady's First Pats Game

As you can see, neither Brady nor Dad found much excitement in the first half of the Pats game. At least they made an attempt to come back in the second half, although they couldn't pull it off in the end.

More Brady Pictures...

Introducing Brady Michael Stack

Brady Michael Stack was born October 12, 2005 at 6:26pm. He weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces. Erica and Brian will be staying at Parkland Medical Center in Derry, NH until Friday evening, at which time Brady will come home for the first time!

More pictures to come soon.

Next Stop: Fatherhood

Come hell or high water, a baby will be born sometime in the next 48 hours!

Baby Update: Columbus Day

After a lengthy doctor visit today, the decision was made to begin the induction process. Tomorrow evening, at 6:15pm, Erica and I will be reporting to Parkland Medical Center in Derry. We will (hopefully) be leaving the hospital as a new family of three. My guess is a birth on Wednesday night...but then again, I've been wrong before. :)

Does This Really Make Sense?

Yahoo News reported this morning:

"Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday called off a high alert for the city's subway system after the attack date cited in a federal warning passed without incident. Homeland Security had warned New York officials of a possible threat to New York's underground mass transit system on or about October 9, based on an uncorroborated claim to Iraqi authorities.
Federal authorities had said the threat was of doubtful credibility but Bloomberg said it was serious enough to warn the public. "Since the period of the threat now seems to be passing, I think over the immediate future we'll slowly be winding down the enhanced security," Bloomberg told a news conference."

Now, I don't claim to be any expert on security, but wouldn't an announcement that says "enhanced security is winding down" give that much more incentive to terrorists to attack???

Hmmm....

An Observation By Stack

My wife's belly is getting bigger. Is that a good thing?

Now That The Sox Season Is Done...

I spent so many long, long nights last year watching the Red Sox. Granted, my time was rewarded with the first World Series victory in 80 years. But even though they lost a disappointed series to the White Sox this year, there is a silver lining. I'll have more time to spend doing other "stuff". Here's how I think I'll spend my time:

1. I'm going to put a new garage door opener up.
2. I'm going to install a new dish washer in my kitchen.
3. I'm going to reorganize/clean out my file cabinet in my office.
4. I'm going to take my wife out for dinner.
5. I'm going to alphabetize my bookshelves.
6. I'm going to clean out my gutters.
7. I'm going to spend more time with my child.
8. I'm going to blog more.
9. I'm going to dethatch my lawn, and maybe even overseed it.
10. I'm going to take up a new hobby. Maybe stamp collecting, maybe poker, hell, maybe even scrapbooking. I dunno if I'm gonna have time!

Sox, Yanks Showdown.

Boo to the evil empire!

It's Not Easy Being OCD

My OCD fix is set for the day now. I arranged the baby's clothes in the closet by "hue".

Make Room for Baby Stack

The transformation is now complete. We started with an empty, plain room, and we have ended up with a shrine to Winnie the Pooh. Check out our "beofr and after" pictures. This kid has more clothes, more belongings than me! Now we wait. I'll keep you posted as we get into these last couple weeks.

What Celebrity Do You Look Like?

Have you ever wondered what celebrity you most closely resemble? Ever think you could make any money off of it?

Don has made as ton of money playing Ozzy. That's him above. Yep, you thought it was Ozzy too, eh? For more pictures, visit his website at http://www.ozzylookalike.com/.

Anyway, after seeing a special on VH1 tonight on Joseph Manuella, the 51 who impersonates Robert DeNiro, I got to thinking of who I look most like. Here's what I came up with.

OK, First I thought of Alton Brown (left), the popular Food Network host of "Good Eats" and "Iron Chef America". His quick wit and creativity matches my own (you'd believe me if you saw his shows).

Anyways...

Then, I thought of Frank Nicotero (below). You may remember him as the host of the ever popular gameshow entitled "Street Smarts." I wish I could tell you what he is up to now...but...well...

What do you think?

Why?

Why do they make it so difficult to put together baby items?

Off To The Middle East

My brother, a Lieutenant in the US Air Force, received word today that he is to be deployed to the Middle East in a little more than one week. At this point, we only know that he will be stationed in Qatar, and the focus of his mission will be various tasks associated with the situation in Iraq. As you might know, he has spent the past several months in special training for this mission.

Needless to say, it was a shock to my family. My mother has taken the news particularly hard, but we are all trying to remain upbeat. I'll keep you all posted on how he's doing as the next six months play out.

Stack's Latest Product Endorsement

Now, I'm not one to endorse products for FREE, but I have to say, if you haven't tried this new Minute Maid light, you really should. The taste is great, and the calories minimal. We bought one carton a few weeks ago, and it was gone within a couple hours. Now, we regularly buy 4 a week! They come in 4 tasty flavors, including (in order of my preference) raspberry passion, limeade, lemonade, and orange tangerine.

Check it out.

PS: If you are some Minute Maid corporate exec., feel free to send a little check my way if you'd like for my enthusiastic endorsement!

Baby Update: We're Almost There!

October 20th is the due date, but the doctors are saying that Erica is ""measuring big", which they claim means she might be early. I say its just the size of the skull...I mean look at mine!

As for us? We're not ready. Our "surprise" shower is Sunday (someone with a big mouth spilled the beans), so maybe we'll feel more ready after that. Then again, maybe not! However, I will say that it is finally starting to sink in that soon enough, I'll have my own young mind to corupt.

As for names? Erica and I are keeping that a secret until its time. :)

Damn Technology

I've noticed this site (like many others) is starting to ask you to type a code much like the one you see to the right. Now, I understand that they are just trying to keep out hackers and such with these measures, but you know what really bugs me about this? Sometimes I can't read what the hell it is saying! I end up trying to guess if I am looking at an "l", a "1", or an "I." Has this ever happened to you?

Welcome To Fall, Baby!

Here are 2 reasons to love September.

Yeah Baby!

Baby's New Room

Well, it has taken a couple of weeks, but the baby's room is nearly complete. We started with a plain room, added a chair rail & some panels, painted everything, and put up a Winnie The Pooh border. We are pretty excited about it. Whadayathink?

Happy Labor Day

Like many other holidays, Labor Day is a day off from work. For many, it marks the end of the summer. But unlike other holidays that are associated with specific people, places, or events, Labor day seems like a random holiday "just for the hell of it." Well, for your reading pleasure, the US Dept. of Labor offers this on their website:

"Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."

So to all of you, I can now say, HAPPY LABOR DAY!

Here's To You, Princess Bride!

I just came back from the Princess Bride's wedding. Everything was spectacular, and I just wanted to say congratulations to you and your new "Prince". :)

Just a thought

It seems whenever I drive by someone who has been stopped by a cop on the side of the road, they are almost always on their cell phone. Why is this?

Something to Ponder...

The previous owner of my house left his garbage cans, but they are in poor condition. The wheels are broken, they have big holes in them, and they need to be retired. I tried to put them out for the trash men to take, and they didn't. I guess I can't blame them, I mean, people usually expect the cans will remain behind. But eventually, all garbage cans become garbage themselves.

Anyone know how to go about throwing them away???

Junk Pays

This one-of-a-kind truck belongs to the owner of a local auto junk yard. His license plate says "Junk Pays". I see the truck parked all the time at his business.

Today, on the highway, I drove by the truck. It got me thinking. I'll bet most of the cars I pass I've seen before. They just aren't as memorable.

Here's another example. You go to a store and run into someone you know. How odd that you were both in the store at the same time. Then again, I'll bet you've crossed paths with most of the people in the store, you just didn't realize it. Woah, that's deep. I guess you big-city folk wouldn't understand this post.