DadStock 2007

Julie and I had blood tests this morning because we're applying to a new company for life insurance. Then I got the front yard mowed. Sometime while I was gone someone mowed the back yard. I'm guessing it was Julie, but I'm not sure. --Update, yes it was Julie. Wasn't that nice? :-)

After that I went to another SAHD's house today for DadStock 2007. It started as a SAHD's event for the Dad's to get together and have some beer and just be away from the "job" for a while. It ballooned into a national event that brought people from as far away as Massachusetts, New Jersey, Indiana, Quad-Cities area, Wisconsin and maybe a few others plus around here too. There were 13 of us all together I think.

I actually picked up one of the Dads from the group at the train station here in Grayslake as he had stayed in the city/downtown last night with a friend from back home in South Africa where he's originally from. He lives in Boston now with his American wife that he met in London and then moved here to the States with her. This is interesting because South Africa borders...Zimbabwe! His Mum is from Zimbabwe and he still has a lot of family there. So we talked about the situation there and whether my friends would be safe there. He said that considering the ex-pat network they were going to be associated with that they should be just fine. But that the country itself is headed for some type of conclusion because it's getting more and more heated and has to end at some point. By the way, he's 6'7" and I felt so short next to him! Really nice guy, I'm glad I got to meet him.

But really all the guys I met were really nice. The guy from Wisconsin "woodchuck" was really cool too. He brought his chain saw with and did a demonstration for everyone for how he mills trees into board stock which he can use to build things or to sell as finished lumber. He also gave us instructions for how to sharpen your chain saw blades and he even sharpened a neighbor's blades for him.

A guy that came from the Indianapolis area brought some home-brewed beer. It was really good! Maybe an idea for something to try in the future... The beer I brought is from Goose Island Beer Co and is called 312. It's really good! It just might be my new favorite.

I won't go into detail about each person, but all the guys were really nice and it was fun spending the day with them.

After I left there I headed over to my BIL's house to help him with his satellite dish. He was trying to add a grounding block to the lines coming in from the dish. Turns out the cable trimmer he had wasn't adjusted right so the wires weren't contacting the connector. So it was an easy fix.

Then it was late so I just came home and watched a little TV before heading to bed.