Home

Greatest Hits: Christmas

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Halloween and Christmas are neck and neck as my favorite holiday times. Over the years I have written a ton about both. Sharing memories and stories about my kids… Here’s a look back at a few of my favorite things:

Decorating is my favorite aspect. Transitioning from Halloween to Christmas is east when we all love Nightmare Before Christmas Our new home looks great: Interior Decorations 2021. And our last home looked great as well: Cleaning for Christmas.

Christmas Eve has become extra special because our son helps to make the dinner: Christmas Eve By Our Son. For a few years, we have been involving our kids with Christmas Meals: Preparing Meals and back in 2019. We also love baking: Getting Baked and More Cookie Baking

Can’t have a Christmas Eve without awaiting Christmas Day; 2020 or even some Christmas Morning Chaos.

Family time is what Christmas is all about: Christmas Video Games and Playtime. Movies are import as well: Christmas Films including Die Hard!

But it’s always sad to see it go away each year: 2017 Christmas Teardown and Removing Christmas.

To me, Christmas is always about family. I love my family tremendously. Because I have mentioned my son doing Christmas Dinners, I shall talk about him first in Tomorrow’s Greatest Hits: Theory.

Porch Dog

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I have always had a dog in my home since I can remember. Ever since meeting my wife, we have always had a dog in our lives as well. Sometimes even having two of them. Over the past twenty years there has always been one thing in common with them.

They love being outside on our deck.

In our current home, Maki loves to sit on our second story deck and stare out into the fields. She has done this for the past few years. I sometimes wonder what is going on in her mind as she sits there. A couple of time Maki has sat on a deck chair like a person to get an even better view.

In our previous two homes (and this one as well) it wasn’t just the deck or porch, but also any sunny spot they could find on the lawn. Our dogs would lay there soaking up the rays, then flail about shaking grass and dust everywhere.

The life of a dog can be pretty good. I like to think that we have given our dogs a good life as well. Especially allowing them to have no cares in the world- but to sit and ponder the universe whilst staring out into the horizon. Thinking about when and where their next nap will take place in our home. Or maybe that’s just me always thinking that.

Pin*Bot Is Done

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Last night, the final touches to our Pin*Bot were completed. All the LED lights are brightly working, the bumpers are bouncy, and the artwork is flashy and new.

The brightness and vibrancy of the game means we can play without the ceiling lights on. I love that about pinball. Like your own little Vegas moment playing the best game you can. Upon playing the game after the updates I noticed that because the LEDs draw less current, they are now acting as if the game was brand new. The light art follows the sequence better than it originally did.

My wife also noticed the game plays smoother after we swapped everything out. Besides new rubbers- the poppers and bumpers bounce a tad stronger. I also think this is due to less electrical draw from using LEDs. The game is vibrant in more ways than one!

Before LED
After LED

This game is one of the best pinballs I have played in recent times. I’m glad it’s in our possession- so we can play it often. I know that it’s a machine and it will need TLC and regular maintenance. But for now, the honeymoon stage of ownership is still fresh and I can’t wait to see what comes next with the pinball hobby.

Brightening Up Pin*Bot

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Over the past few days, my wife and I have been upgrading our Pin*Bot game. What started as just some simple lightbulb swaps to bright LEDs, became more intricate.

As we removed the plastic pieces to access the lightbulbs, we replaced those with brand new parts. Some of the plastics were yellowed, cracked, chipped and warped- so we just made all of them new again. My wife also wanted to give Pin*Bit a good detailed cleaning as we went along. There was excess dust and dirt throughout; as well as that lovely 80’s smokiness odor of arcades from decades ago.

The LEDs make a huge difference in how the game looks. The colours BURST from the back glass and playfield now. All the lamps look great and the plastics are coming along nicely.

Hopefully we are done with the upgrades tonight or tomorrow. I really want to play the game again. I want to experience our hard work and appreciate the gameplay once more.

But mostly I want to wipe my wife’s score off the leaderboard!

Pin*Bot Painting

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Yesterday I took advantage of my free time and worked on one of my hobbies. Our Pin*Bot pinball game. Since it’s from 1986- it needs some tender loving care and upgrading. Slowly, my wife and I have been getting it fixed up. Yesterday, I did some work that my wife didn’t need to be around for.

I removed the legs and front coin door off the pinball. I gave them a cleaning, a light sanding, and proceeded to paint them with a gloss black. Once the parts were dry- I placed them back on the machine. Prior to putting the legs back on, I added plastic guards that we had purchased. This should help to protect the cabinet from further damage.

I’m happy with the look of the black legs. It’s not quite the original look of the chrome steel legs. But the original legs had natural pitting and rust, so cleaning and repainting them worked better than trying to re-chrome or purchasing new legs. It’s a nice sharp look for the game.

We also got some more parts in the mail for Pin*Bot. Later today, my wife and I are going to get started on swapping out the light bulbs for LEDs. While we do this, we will be swapping out some broken plastics and the vortex. Once this is done, the game will look nearly new.

Stay tuned for seeing those changes and upgrades. I’m happy with this hobby and look forward to making the game look great once more.

Commute Time

Posted on by Josef Havelka

The past few days my commute home has taken twice as long. Traffic has been unpleasantly busy.

I spent far too much time staring at taillights. This is not my idea of fun. Yet somehow I had to waste hours on the same stretch of road repeatedly this week.

Getting home later than usual meant my free time was cut into heavily. My work week is over, so no more long hours driving required. I plan on waking up early and having full days off.

I do a lot of thinking on my drive home. It gives me time to clear my thoughts before getting home. Long commutes make me appreciate the sanctity of my home and free time.

First Two Rugs of 2024

Posted on by Josef Havelka

On Saturday I finished my first two rugs of the year. In doing so, I noticed that I am out of some supplies. I need to buy a bolt of felt fabric and white yarn (amongst other colours). I had enough of both to finish my first two rugs- that was a win!

The first rug I made was for our window bench. My wife and I discussed what would be a good “Spring” theme since I have made Autumn and Winter so far. Naturally we went with a Sakura tree branch. I think the Cherry blossoms will look nice when spring arrives. That snow has to melt away first before we put the rug out…

The other rug I completed was for our pinball game. My wife and I figured out that the best design is to make it look like the playfield- with vibrant colours and straight lines. It looks great and compliments our Pinbot pinball nicely.

I enjoyed getting back into the rug making hobby. The short break I’m at Christmas was the perfect amount of time off. Just enough to make me want to yearn to tuft again, but not too long that I gave up on my hobby.

Now to go buy more white yarn and felt so that I can make more rugs!

I Like The Snow

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I like that it snowed recently. There’s something reassuring about having snow in winter- especially around here. It makes it feel as though we actually have four seasons. Not just sun and rain. I have always loved the views and vibrancy of snow on the ground. Even the grey skies make it bright outside.

In only a few short months, this view will be of sunshine, lounging in and around our swimming pool, and greenery. It’s just another reason for me to appreciate what the weather brings- it gives me more to look forward to later.

I know not everyone agrees with me. But snow makes you cherish getting away to sunny destinations. It makes you value the warmth of your home. All of that because of snow. So live through the frustration of shoveling or drudging through this as you walk. Because soon it will be spring and the flowers will bloom.

Beautiful Sky

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Last night I was getting ready to go to work and my home was filled with an orange glow. The sun was setting in the most beautiful way.

The colours from the sky lasted for only a few moments, and within a half hour was over. Witnessing the sun catch the clouds like this is one of the many reasons I stare off into the horizon.

There’s still so much beauty and wonder in the world. Pausing to appreciate it is important. I know that tomorrow may bring forth new challenges and perhaps I won’t appreciate the sky. But yesterday, I was delighted to partake in a magical moment. Always take the good with the bad.

Outside Iced

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Yesterday afternoon, my wife and I went for a walk. It was nice and sunny with no breeze. Even though it was below freezing temperatures, it was a lovely walk.

We wandered down to the dyke that runs just west of our home. This is a walk we usually do in the summer because of all the mud that forms the rest of the year. However, with everything being frozen, there was no worries about getting muddy shoes during our walk. We paused to take some photos of the ice and frozen landscapes that we rarely ever encounter locally.

Coming home, we noticed that our neighbor’s pool had completely froze over. They still haven’t gotten it operational after almost two years of work. I do hope for their sake that it isn’t damaged due to the extreme temperature drop we are experiencing. I know a few people have had pipes burst and issues in the regard. Our pool seems to be okay and I have been checking on it regularly for my own peace of mind.

These crazy weather moments only last a few days, but can still be devastating to a person’s home and lifestyle. I hope that everyone prepared for the cold and ice ahead of time.

Don’t forget to dress warmly when venturing out. Layer up folks- when the sun hides, it is frigid out there. Remembers to keep those pets safe and warm inside as well! Stay safe:

Warranty On Plumbing?

Posted on by Josef Havelka

We had a local plumber come to our home about a year and a half ago to deal with a slow leak we had. He put in a new pressure tank to moderate the pressure of the water in our home. It didn’t take him long to install, and the quality of workmanship was fantastic.

Last week I noticed our hot water tank was having a slow drip into the tray under the tank. So I called the plumber to come take a look. He arrived this morning, took a look and immediately told me it was the pressure tank he had installed which failed. It was still under warranty, so he took it out and replaced it with a new one. Within an hour, everything was done.

I was expecting to pay for his time. He said his workmanship was covered under warranty for one year, but because it was within a couple of months- he said he wouldn’t charge for the repair.

Color me impressed. He could have told me I needed a new hot water tank, and I’d have said- “okay, replace it”. I don’t know enough about plumbing to have realized that the drip from the hot water tank was related to the previously installed pressure tank.

If you live nearby Surrey and Langley- I recommend supporting a small business like Coppersmith Plumbing. Jackson is an honest plumber with full integrity. His workmanship is some of the best I have ever seen.

Night Shift Day Sleep

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I should be really good at dealing with working night shifts. I have done them for years now. Yet somehow, I can never get a solid block of rest sleeping during the day.

This is the usual brightness as I sleep.

My bedroom doesn’t exactly get very dark with our shades drawn. The blinds help in the summer by keeping the sun from burning through my eyelids. I don’t really want to change out the blinds for blackout blinds. Nor do I want to install dark curtains in our bedroom. Perhaps an eye mask would help.

When I come home from work, I’m usually tired enough that I can fall asleep fairly quickly. I’m always thinking I’ll get a great sleep. But about four hours in and I’m awake again. Sometimes because I feel hungry. Sometimes the bathroom is calling my name. Other times it’s noise from outside the bedroom or house that wakes me. And it’s just enough to get me feeling alert that I kill a couple of hours before attempting another block of sleep.

I shouldn’t really complain. This is the lifestyle I chose to live. Working crazy hours helps to afford our home. I also get good chunks of time off in between my shifts to appreciate what I’m working towards. It’s just be nice to get 8 hours straight of sleep during the day is all.

First Snow 2024

Posted on by Josef Havelka

This morning we had a small amount of snow fall locally. In true Lower Mainland fashion- it was also mixed with rain. For the most part none of it was really sticking to the roads. Just a thin layer of slush to drive through. I was heading home opposing the morning rush hour, so I didn’t experience any traffic problems to end my night shift. I’m sure there was a few incidents heading the opposite way at some point.

At home, I enjoy the views and feeling of seeing the snow speckling the horizon. The bushes and dead grasses peak out with various shades of browns, reds and greens while the grey sky dulls the vibrancy of the snow. It reminds me of my youth in Edmonton when the first snow would appear in the farmer’s wheat fields behind our home.

Even stepping outside, you can feel the air is brisk with a cold, wet sensation filling your lungs as you breathe. The atmosphere against your exposed skin brings a quick chill and shiver, causing a strong desire to bundle up and get warm. Its a damp cold. Very different from a prairie winter cold.

So, I stayed indoors for the day and got nice and toasty while I slept preparing for my night shift. My eyes opened a couple of times, but I was back asleep fairly quickly with my memories of childhood and snow lulling me back into slumber.

Improved Home Flow

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today my wife and I rearranged portions of our home. We wanted to open up our main living area and make it more inviting. Plus our son needed to change the flow of his room.

One of the spots we arranged was our piano room. Since we moved in, the piano was situated center of the room under the small chandelier. Unfortunately it meant that the room was crowded feeling. Now the parlor grand piano has been moved off to the side, allowing for more flow throughout the space.

In order to make a bit more space in that room, we had to move our Victrola from the piano room into our living room. The color of the cabinet matches better in that room with our furniture VS the cherry wood color of the piano and cabinet. We also added in a plant stand to our living room because my wife is really good at growing plants now! Something about indoor plants make a home feel livable.

Over to the basement- we moved our two pinball games out of the alcove which they were situated. This made room for our son to move all of his Lego downstairs and gave him more closet and bedroom space back. Now he can create and display his Lego more freely.

Don’t worry! My wife wanted the pinball games to be in the same area, just against a different wall. Now as soon as you come downstairs- the games are right there wanting to be played! Plus that alcove meant only two games could sit there.

Now we have space for a future third pinball… I think that was my wife’s plan all along, but she’ll never admit that.

All in a day’s work. Followed up by some pinball action.

Lego As Art

Posted on by Josef Havelka

We are a family of Lego enthusiasts. We are constantly buying and building a variety of Lego sets. We have some great sets that have been built and put on display.

  • Disneyland Castle
  • Winter Village
  • Bonsai Tree
  • Orchids

Our son has a variety on display in his room and throughout the house as well.

  • Millennium Falcon (and numerous Start Wars sets)
  • Delorean
  • Porsche 911
  • Porsche Technic
  • Diner (and other city sets)

But now we are adding even more to our displays at home. Pieces of art so to speak.

My wife finished the Van Gogh she received a year ago. It looks fantastic on the wall.

Our son picked up The Wave and we have it on the wall opposite my wife’s piece. Both look fantastic hanging up.

Lego is truly an imaginative building toy. Showcasing the pieces we build is fun as well. A part of me thinks we should set a room in our home devoted to Lego. We would easily fill it with creations- both Lego designed and variations of our own.

Lego is art. Why not display it as such?

Removing Christmas

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today we tore down Christmas. All the garland around the windows and doors. All the knickknacks and trinkets off shelves. The trees had the ornaments and lights removed before getting taken down. Every single box put back into the attic until next year.

Now our home feels spacious once more. As much as I love the Christmas cheer and festive feel our home exudes during the holidays- normalcy is great. Back to a rhythm and the comfort of regular life is needed.

I’m glad the family came together and we powered through the De-Christmasing. Our son was in the attic playing Tetris with the boxes and did a great job packing everything away. I really appreciated all the help from everyone today.

Until next year!

Turkey Dinner To End 2023

Posted on by Josef Havelka

On Friday we had a turkey dinner. Well after Christmas, and no where near New Year’s Eve. We bought a small turkey as it’s something my wife and I like to eat. My wife makes a really good bird!

Dinner was pretty basic, yet fantastic! We ended up eating at almost ten at night. Our timing for the food was just off. This normally doesn’t happen, but it was just the four of us eating dinner, so no big deal that it was late.

We have plenty of leftovers for the week now. On Saturday we had turkey sandwiches for lunch and soup for dinner. A few more meals to start the year and a great way to feed us all during the remainder of our kids’ winter break.

Mmm turkey.

New Year- Start Fresh

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Life has daily routines. I like to start my New Year fresh. It’s a great way to start anew.

My wife and I went to bed shortly after midnight. Earlier in the evening before bed, we put brand new sheets and new pillows on our bed. I also put on brand new pajamas that I received for Christmas. We crawled into our bed and had a great sleep- even though it was cut short because of having to work in the morning.

As well, to get my day going I swapped out my razor blade for a close, clean shave. I also swapped out my electric toothbrush head for a new one and my teeth felt extra clean today.

All of these things we do regularly when required. But doing a bunch of this for one day makes for a great feeling to start a new year.

How do you start your year? Let me know in the comments.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Ending 2023

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Without much fanfare, my wife and I are saying farewell to 2023. Both of us are working during the day, and we work again on the morning on January 1st. So a late night of partying is not going to happen.

Our kids have also gotten minimal plans for New Year’s Eve. Since I can remember- they always had a movie marathon night with friends over. This year, our oldest is doing something else, our middle doesn’t have anyone coming out and our youngest has decided to stay the night at a different friend’s place. So the movie marathon tradition seems to have ended last year.

My wife and I are planning on staying awake until midnight to wish one another a Happy New Year. Leading up to that, maybe we will watch some television or play a video game. No real plans to be had. Ringing in the New Year in a festive manner is behind us it seems.

I hope that if you have plans this evening that you stay safe and have a good time. See you all in 2024 with new goals and a fresh start!

It Takes Two

Posted on by Josef Havelka

My wife and I enjoy playing video games together. She really likes the cooperative ones more than the competitive ones.

Although we do tend to still play a few rounds every week of Pokémon Puzzle League while in bed. This game has kept us busy for 23 years now. Sometimes a bit of MarioKart and smack talk happens. But the cooperative games are the ones that we spend hours on.

Overcooked! is by far my wife’s favorite game to play. If you have ever tried it- man the tensions can get high. It’s a cute and silly game about making food. I can only play a level or two with her. If you’ve played the game, you’ll understand why.

Previously, as in many years ago, we went through the Skylanders kick. Those were great games to play cooperatively. Cartoony and a fun storyline. Plus toys!

Today, we are playing It Takes Two. It’s an older game about a divorcing couple having to do cooperative tasks and somehow get back to reality. My guess was s that somewhere along the way they fall in love again. We have been playing this game for hours now. It’s pretty decent and the gameplay is relatively intuitive.

Playing video games with my wife is her “Love Language”. She also gets a bit upset if I say I’m going to play, then get preoccupied with something else. The summer is the worst for that. But in all seriousness, I’d rather play a game like It Takes Two than stare at a television all day in the winter.

Pinball Machines Maintenance

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Today my wife wanted to learn how our pinball machines come apart in order to troubleshoot, service and maintain them. I gladly showed her how to remove the glass and open them up in order to get started.

We brought out the work light in order to take a closer look at our newest game- Pinbot. My wife used Q-Tips and a toothbrush to get some of the grime out that was caked on in the corners. I explained how to wax the playfield and check the screws and parts in case they are loose. While doing this, we discussed some upgrades and changes that we want to do to the machine.

While she worked on Pinbot, I took the opportunity to tweak some things on Terminator 2. One of the flippers wasn’t bouncing back fully- so I needed to replace the spring. There was a couple loose screws on the outskirts of the playfield that needed tightening. And lastly, the metal bar at the front that protects the glass finally sits in the locked position. All the while, my wife cleaned up the Pinbot far better than I had when we first bought it last week.

Now that my wife has had a chance to look at the inner workings of Pinbot, she is more understanding of the upgrades and replacement parts I would like to put in. I just need to convince her that the money I saved by offering less when we got it, should go back into the pinball game.

Pinball maintenance and upgrading is something that my wife wants to do together. Today proved that we can work alongside one another and talk about the games and help each other. Next time, I’ll teach my wife how the more intricate moving parts and how the electronics work and what to troubleshoot. I’m liking this hobby with my wife.

Sleepy Teens

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Last night was the first night off of our youngest’s winter break from school. As is tradition, we watched “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” One of the greatest family movies ever made.

Besides my family being able to recite the film almost word for word, we are still able to get a good laugh. The film still holds up to this day with the humor and slap stick aspects.

Unfortunately, we started the film fairly late in the evening. Our two teenagers both fell asleep before the movie had ended. They slept in the living room all night. They must have been exhausted. It’s also the feeling that everything is behind you now- it’s time to relax. No more school stress for the next couple of weeks.

Now onto some more family time during the holidays. A few more movies, maybe some games, and lots of good food. And don’t forget… THE PRESENTS!

Pin-Bot Is Ours!

Posted on by Josef Havelka

The other day, my wife and I bought our second pinball game. This time around we bought the 1986 classic Pin-Bot. Pin-Bot is one of the games I have wanted in my possession for decades now.

The game came out in 1986 when I was about ten years old. It is the first pinball game I remember playing. I would spend any extra quarters on the game that I had. The one I played as locators inside the lobby of the Williwbrook 6 Movie Theater. I played that game constantly as I waited for a film to start or for my ride to show up after a movie. I have great memories associated with Pin-Bot and movies.

The game we purchased definitely shows it’s age. The fellow we bought the game from owned it for about eight years. But he didn’t do any maintenance on it since he originally purchased the game. at first glance the game is about a 6/10 for quality.

Last night my friends assisted me in moving the 250lb game into the basement. We set it up and played a few games throughout the night. My wife played the first game and says she likes it better than the T2 pinball. I guess that means we will be playing side by side as we hang out.

My wife and I are going to work together to update the pinball and bring it back to a “like new” feeling. Today I replaced a couple of the rubber bumpers that were disintegrated and gave the machine a good cleaning inside and out. It’s now a 7/10. There’s a few other things that we will be working on over next year, such as buying some replacement parts for the plastics.

For now the game is fully playable and a fun pinball that I am glad we own. I’ll keep showing any upgrades and changes we make as the year goes on. As well as struggles we will likely incur.

Considering that Terminator 2 pinball was purchased the day after our anniversary and this one was bought a week before Christmas means a lot to us. I think that Pin-Bot will get my wife as excited to play pinball as I am. All things considered- I’m just a big kid with adult money now. My wife needs to keep me in check.

Celebrating Solstice 2023

Posted on by Josef Havelka

Tonight we are having friends over to celebrate Winter Solstice. It’s a chance for my wife and I to entertain and see folks we have not seen since the summer.

Tonight almost didn’t happen for us this year. We had so much going on that we didn’t get a chance to figure out our plans until far later than expected. It was because of our friends asking us that we made the time. That’s what I love about our friends- they make friendship worthwhile. They all wanted to know when our party was going to happen.

All day long, my wife and I cleaned up and prepared foods for our soirée. Opening our home is something we enjoy doing. Bring on the food and fun!

Buying Big Ticket Gifts For Ourselves

Posted on by Josef Havelka

I have been with my wife since the year 2000. We are old enough to buy our own gifts for ourselves. Over the last couple of years- surprising one another isn’t a necessity at Christmas. As our kids are now teens/adults, there is no need to pretend a gift is from one of them either.

As well, gifts for us tend to be more practical in nature… usually. We collect things all year and save them to give to one another at Christmas. Naturally, we also forget about the items. So that can be an unexpected surprise when opening a gift (or wrapping for that matter).

Today I went out and bought a “Big Ticket” item that my wife and I will be sharing together. We talked about it for a few days before making the final decision. It was an one of those things that I have been wanting for decades. My wife wants to work on restoring it with me over the next year or so. I will share more photos of it in a couple of days when it is in our home.

Here’s a sneak peak of one of my lifelong wishes that is now in our possession. Stay tuned to see the final reveal and follow along to see the progress we make on it.