Grutz says, "Happy Birthday Wilhelm Grimm" or "Whoa, it's a Pollock painting, not a commodity!"

 Jackson Pollock's Portrait of H.M.  This was my neighbor in Iowa City.  To think, the MAN wanted to sell it!

I hope everyone is celebrating our favorite Grimm's birthday today, 1786.  See, you learned something today.  And I hear the collective sigh of relief from the decision in the Iowa Legislature to not sell a painting by Jackson Pollock, owned by the University of Iowa.  It's a staggeringly dynamic and huge mural that I was lucky enough to enjoy on many occasions as I lived across the street from it's home on campus.  Of course, since the flood it's in the Figge Art Museum.  As everyone knows, I love my beloved home state of Iowa and I'm happy to quickly point out all that's great about the Hawkeye State.  But oh, the pain and sorrow I feel when the state gets recognized for something ridiculously stupid and inane, such as the proposed sale of the painting to raise revenue.  Thank goodness cooler heads (even Terry Braindead Branstad) prevailed, although it's still unnerving.  Here's a recap.
                                                              

                                                                Fury in February '11
                                                                           or
                                                                Punch Out in Pilsen

So last week we had a great match up between two intense foes.  There's no love lost between these two bruisers.  In the blue corner, weighing in at 160 lbs., "The Nemesis of the North End", "The Dubuque Decimator" Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick Grrrrrruuuuuuuuuuutzzzz! (Deafening roar from the stands). And in the red corner, weighing in at 13 lbs., a broken alternator! (Crickets chirping). As you may recall, I mention it here.  I was a little concerned with this showdown.  I didn't have any of my tools in Chicago, they're hibernating in Dubuque.  But I felt confident enough to get the tools from our friends, Laura and Tim in Roger's Park (thanks a bunch, I'll get them back to you this weekend!) and give it a shot.  As it turns out, the alternator is a relatively simple part to change out on a Subaru (unlike, well, everything else mechanical on that car).  Well, I gave it the ol' college try and.....

Here's the beastie.  Ready for the throw down.

Which one of these is not like the other.......?

New alternator installed. Old, defeated alternator unconscious on the air filter cover.

....KA-POW!  It took me a whopping 25 minutes to put this badboy down.  It took me longer to ride my bike to get the tools than replacing the part!  I felt great.  Oh, and it works, even now.  So not only did I install the new part, I did it the right way, the first time.  Ah ha!

Other than that (and grooming the ol' beard), I've been building different items from the homestead. 

Here's where the  magic is made, until we put a guest bed in the room.

When the old man says, "Don't get this candlestick wet, it'll multiply," he frikin' means it!  

I've also made a desk, mirror, selves, and numerous hooks and racks.  My next project is a towel rack for the upstairs bathroom.  And maybe some more mirrors.  I'll keep you posted.

Lastly, I received a stunning amount of music from my friend Troy and it's great to hear bands that are new to me (have any of you hear of this band, I think they're called the Rolling Stones, crazy name, huh?) or different versions of songs, etc.  So I've been listening to album after album, it's good, but time consuming.  I'd much rather have a playlist made by Troy or anyone for that matter of stuff they think I ought to hear.  Now, in a weird alignment of the stars and planets, as I'm thinking to myself how I'd prefer playlists to entire albums I get an email from my brother-in-law, Matt Healy, about this new tool he created.  It takes your playlists and finds the corresponding song on youtube.  So your making your own video playlist.  And you can share them, too.  Pretty stunning tool.  Check it out at socialjelly.com!  Do it now and tell your friends.  I mean it. (Clenched fists a'shakin').

Got to get dinner on, the misses expect things to be good to go as she walks in the door.  Martini, too.