Door opener issues

OK, now that we have decided to get a new garage door after Adam's interaction with the old one, today all of our garage door remotes (including the one on the wall outside of the garage) stopped working.  Perfect!  It is now cold outside and we have to get out and open the door by going inside and pushing the button.  We can't pull the emergency handle inside and leave it like that (using the door old style) as that would leave the garage unlocked.

The information on the Chamberlain Whisper Drive website suggests that there might be interference with the signals, but I haven't been able to trace it - I even turned off all the power to the whole house except that one circuit.  I will turn off only that circuit and run an extension cord to it, but I expect that might not work.  Chamberlain says one of the most frequently ordered parts is the main receiver logic board (US$106), so I will have to also consider that.

It couldn't have done this in the summer when it was warm enough to play around with the thing...

Photos from November 2013

Just a few photos taken during the month of November. Many of them are from a hike that we took along the Beaches in Toronto with our friend Penny.

https://plus.google.com/photos/+EricSeidlitz/albums/5942853216832440721

Adam had an ooops!

On heading out to school this morning with Wendy's car (which he wasn't really supposed to take), Adam little accident. As he was backing out of the garage, the door came down and crunched the rear spoiler.  Quite the noise!

Since the spoiler is made out of plastic, it kind of crumbled.  We've looked to get a replacement and the best price so far is about $750.  Not going to happen...

We will have to look at repairing it some how, as removing it isn't an option.  There are two large holes with bolts that hold the thing on, and it would likely cause a lot of rusting if we removed the whole piece.

Piano arrived!

We bought a used piano at a great price for our living room and it came in this week.  Parker has been taking lessons for a long time and it was finally time to get a real piano - he has been using an electronic keyboard in his room since he started playing. Wendy and I are considering learning how to play as well.

We had to rearrange our living room, and decided to give up one of the TVs in the house.  The living room can now be for reading and listening to music, and, of course, watching Maddy play.

The piano is a Heintzmann (made in Canada in 1968). We got it from Case Van Geest House of Piano's in Waterdown. Great condition!

Photos from October 2013

Here are a few photos from October 2013.  More hiking pictures and a few from Halloween.

https://plus.google.com/photos/110052724444343595009/albums/5941394223368696049?banner=pwa&authkey=CIqE__arhZ2NGQ

Eric gets promoted...sort of...

After a 2 year contract as a Research Associate - Academic at McMaster, I was recently promoted to a staff position called Research Scientist. Aside from being the first job title that I have ever had that actually made sense, it isn't much of a promotion.  A significant pay cut, being put into a union, and getting only a 1 year contract isn't much to get excited about. Maybe when I renegotiate next year, things will be different...

Pie, anyone?

Every year the Bachelor of Health Sciences program raises money for charity with a "pie in the face" of the associate dean. I usually keep well back from the carnage (they do it during the class that I teach) but the associate dean had other ideas this year.  He offered to match donations if myself and Chari (who teaches with me) would agree to become targets.

We agreed, and the rest is history...

Check out the YouTube video of the event.