get comfortable it’s a long one
My weekend started early as I took a half day on Friday and met up with my home energy auditors at 1pm.
This was a pretty cool deal. Two guys came over and measured all the rooms, took notes about everything in the house, hooked up a big fan in the door, took thermal pictures and more. I paid $545 for the audit and it took them about 3 hours to collect all the data. Then they plug in the data to some computer program and generate a bunch of reports for me. Then they give me the reports and we go over them with one of the engineers for an hour. Then Heath and I make some changes, fill in some gaps, add insulation, and more. After we have made our fixes the guy comes back and tests the house again and reports on how much more efficient the house is. After this test we fill out some paperwork if we add enough insulation or fill in significant gaps or replace some windows or doors we qualify for a $600 credit from KCPL and a $600 credit from Missouri Gas and Energy. Since we are signed up for new windows and they will be in before the 2nd test we will automatically qualify and the audit will have more they payed for itself.
I was really curious how the audit would go and was pretty excited to follow the guys around and ask questions. I would really recommend this deal to anyone that is interested in adding windows or insulation or sealing anything. Since I had tried to do some of this stuff on my own I pointed out specific areas we had problems with before and had the guys check my work. Most of what we had already done was really good. We have not gotten the official report yet but they pointed out some big problems spots as we were doing the audit but I’ll tell you more about those as I fix them.
Once the guys were all packed up and sick of my questions they left and I took some notes and then mowed the front and the back yard. It was crazy hot and humid and mowing really wore me out. I had planned to weed whack as well but needed a break. Heath and the kids were home and we got some stuff ready for dinner. Heath made a pie and we had baked beans, corn, asparagus, french fries and crock pot pulled pork. I took a shower a and worked on dinner some more then KK and Chiaki showed up after picking up our friend Koko from the airport. 
We had a big dinner and a few exciting beers.
Everything was really good. After the table was cleared we played Uno and spoons. 
Pumpkin ate a bunch and talked to us and she liked watching the card games when everyone got excited.
Stooks showed up and we broke out the pie and it was really good.
Plus it was no fat and low calorie so Heath was excited. After dessert the kids went to bed and we talked a while then headed downstairs. We played some pool and some Mario Cart but ended up playing the Big Buck Hunter game most of the night. In the morning I cooked up potatoes, eggs and sausage and apple cinnamon and blueberry waffles.
After a big breakfast we loaded everyone up in the van and drove over to the Rivercity Market.
We usually go on Sunday’s and were reminded how much bigger it is on Saturday. There is a lot of non food stuff for sale and a lot more people shopping. We had a backpack for Pumpkin a backpack for water and a backpack for fruits and vegetables. 
After wondering around the whole thing and finding what we needed we headed back to the van.
KK and I dropped off all the backpacks and food while everybody shopped some more then we met at Thirsty’s for some frozen glasses filled with tasty beers.
Once we were cooled off we headed home and unpacked 3 lemons for $1, 3 garlic cloves for $1, 4 giant potatoes for $1, 4lbs of bananas for $1, a whole flat of strawberries for $1 and a $6 watermelon. 
KK and I cut up the strawberries then put them in a ziplock to freeze for latter.
Then everybody left and we took showers and put on nice clothes. It was our 3rd trip to the photography studio for pictures and the 3rd time was the charm. Other then all the bumps on Pumpkin’s head everything went perfect. We did 2 sets of clothes one in sorta nice spring clothes
and we realized that morning that we all had pretty sweet Royals shirts so we did some as Royal’s fans. 
We ended up printing off a bunch and they threw in a cd with all the unedited ones so you can see all 113 here http://prewitt.smugmug.com/gallery/12390842_DXDnS#886057945_4QYXM.
The cd pictures are compressed and pretty low quality so don’t print any from smugmug from that page.
While waiting for our pictures to print we drove down the street to McDonalds and got some dinner then picked up the pictures and headed home. We left the kids in the car and it running and grabbed a few things then headed to Crown Center for Jiggle Jam.
I had free tickets so we decided to check it out. It was kinda like Irish Fest but all for kids. They had kids musicians and things to color and games and a bunch of moon walk things.
We wondered all around and played some then sat down by the main stage to get a drink and watch The Zero’s an 80’s cover band.
They had kids on stage with them playing drums and a bunch of kids and parents dancing up front and a hair coloring station on the side so the kids could get punk 80s hair. Peanut loved this idea so he and Heath went to get in line and Pumpkin and I watched the show.
I thought the loud music might bother her but she really seemed to enjoy the base and hummed along. Eventually Peanut got his hair done.
He was pretty excited and never wanted to wash it out.
We watched a few more songs then wondered around the whole thing one more time then headed home.
We got Peanut and Pumpkin in pajamas and in bed. I tried to pack a little bit but was too tired so made some soup and watched Cops on the couch. Heath got all fancied up and Amanda came over to go down to Power and Light.
They stayed out super late and Heath got to sleep in the next morning while I packed up. We planned to get some lunch in Lawrence then spend the day at the State Park Beach at Clinton Lake then Camp out. So I packed a big cooler and all the camping gear and beach gear. Pumpkin and I made an Aldi run for supplies then everyone got ready and we headed out. We met KK, Chiaki and Koko at CiCi’s pizza for lunch then headed to the beach. The first beach was closed so we had to drive to the other side of the lake and that beach was under construction so you had to walk pretty far but they were not charging people while it was under construction. Finally we got all our stuff and ourselves to the lake.
The water was a little cold still but it was so hot and sunny out that it felt good to me.
We swam out the the end of the beach and Pumpkin was pretty curious about all the water and sand but the water was a little cold for her. We played Frisbee for a while
and buried Peanut.
Then went up past the beach to some shady spots in the grass and hung out for a while with a few drinks and less sun.
Then we went back to the beach and the girls laid out and Peanut and KK played in the sand and I played with Pumpkin on the edge of the beach for a while.
Eventually the sky started to get a little dark and we decided to head to the campground. It was not too far from the beach but as we got on the road the sky looked worse and worse. We got to the campground and found an open spot with a pick nick table and fire pit ready to go and we talked about camping there or going into the woods to find a spot and if we should hurry to get a tent up or what. We decided we would try to build a fire and have dinner then if it didn’t rain we would set up tents and all and if it did rain we would head back to Lawrence. Well as soon as we got changed and opened a couple beers it started to rain. The rain drops got bigger and bigger and we decided to head back to KK and Chiaki’s apt.
It stopped and started raining the rest of the night so it was probably best that we didn’t try to camp. At the apt we unpacked most of the camping stuff and set up our sleeping bags and got some showers and some food ready then fake grilled at the kitchen table.
We had a Japanese style BBQ and it was really good. We all sat around the grill and had thin cuts of beef and lots of veggies and rice. Peanut really liked using chop sticks to get meat or cocktail wieners off the grill. 
We were really hungry and it had gotten late and we ate a ton.
After dinner we had a strawberry cobbler with berries from the city market and it was really good.
We had a little trouble getting the kids to bed but eventually they were out and the rest of us sat around the table telling stories and having some beers.
In the morning we cooked sausage, biscuits and eggs with coffee then ate and packed up our stuff and headed home. We were tired but the kitchen was mess and we got busy unpacking and cleaning and stuff. Heath worked on the kitchen with Peanut.
I got started on weed whacking the yard and filled the kiddy pool on the deck then moved on to 1 of the energy problems the auditor pointed out.
In the hallway/stairwell between the garage and the basement there is a grate on the ceiling. This was put in by the previous owner for easy access to pipes that could freeze. Last year one froze on me so I fixed it and wrapped it in heat tape stuff. This grate allows hot air from the garage to pass into the basement through the panel and along the joists and into the basement and house.
So I removed the grate. 
Then I filled in with insulation anywhere else it would fit.
then I got a piece of chipboard and screwed it in over the whole.
After screwing it in good I coated the edges in silicone so no air could get through the hole. I left the end of the heat tape out so I could plug it in during the winter but silicon-ed around it.
Then I headed to Jon’s house to help with wiring. I caught him just before a supply run so we went to Burger King and Sutherlands for supplies then worked a bit. We ran some big wire outside and through conduit to the AC. Then I headed home and got Heath and the kids and we went to Lowes, Walmart and Ace for several random things. Once home Peanut got in the tub and I got dinner on the stove then put a coat of paint on my pipe access hole.
I ended up putting a second coat on this morning and that chip board is so textured I may want to add a 3rd. Once Peanut was out out of the tub we ate some pasta and chicken and vegetables while watching old King of the Hill episodes. Then Peanut and Pumpkin went to bed. Heath and I got ready for bed then watched the Informant in bed.
It was the second time recently we thought a movie would be funny but it was serious with a few funny parts. After the movie I slept hard.