Radiant Barrier Test

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As you might recall, right after we bought our house, we hired a company to add insulation and radiant barrier to our attic. Insulation is self-explanatory. Radiant barrier is a special kind of foil (or paint, but the foil is more effective) that reflects attic heat away from the living area. With most installations, the foil creates a very hot area just under the roof and a significantly cooler area between the foil and the attic floor, the area where you might store your Christmas decorations. By making this area cooler, it reduces the amount of work that the AC units have to perform, saving power and money. Today, one on of the hottest days of the summer, I used my wireless temperature sensor to test our RB’s effectiveness.

First, I set the sensor in the cooler section of the attic, on the floor beneath the foil. The temperature stablized around 106 F. Then I set it on the bottom of the foil (there’s a small hole for access/testing). Above the foil the temperature was 136.8 F, a difference of nearly 31 degrees.

I don’t have any way to accurately measure how much money we saved with the insulation and radiant barrier, but I have no doubt that it’s significant. We also have no problem keeping the second story cool in all rooms. I sleep like a baby up there. So if you’re looking for ways to save money, seriously consider insulation and radiant barrier.

Here are a couple of pictures of the new attic.

STATUS UPDATES

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As you probably know, I love tinkering with this site and adding new features that you might find interesting. I am thrilled to announce a major new addition: status updates! Some programmers figured out a way to pull Facebook status updates into a WordPress blog. I usually update my Facebook status at least once a day, sometimes several, to tell my Facebook friends and family what’s on my mind or what I’m doing. Until now, I’ve had to maintain two separate worlds: my Facebook one, which is updated constantly, and my AndyBox.com blog posts, which occur a few times a week. Now the two have merged. Those of you who don’t have Facebook can still see my current status updates in the sidebar even when I’m not blogging. I hope you enjoy this as much as I will.

Vegas Trip

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I posted the pics on Facebook, which makes them much easier to manage. Here’s the link (you don’t need a Facebook account to see them): Vegas Pics on Facebook

The trip was a blast! We had no problems making our flights or getting around on the shuttles and busses there. The first night we stayed at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, which is normally out of our price range but is offering great deals this summer. It’s a GORGEOUS all-suite hotel that made us feel very out of place, but in a good way. We had a living room, bedroom, huge master bath, and a half bath. The room had 3 TVs – a big plasma in the living room, a smaller CRT in the bedroom, and a small LCD in the bathroom so you could watch from the tub. The master bath offered a giant tub with separate shower. Our room overlooked the Luxor.

Much of the first day involved exploring our hotel and others on the Strip, including Luxor, Excalibur, MGM Grand, New York, New York, Planet Hollywood, and Bellagio. Along the way we stopped in the Coke store and tried 16 different Coke products from around the world, which was a lot of fun. After walking our feet to death, we took a few turns in Mandalay Bay’s lazy river before cleaning up and enjoying FANTASTIC burgers, fries, and shakes at Burger Bar, which is like Fuddrucker’s on steroids.

The next day we took the Deuce (local double-decker bus system) to Stratosphere, a hotel with the tallest tower on the Strip. I rode the vertical-launch ride at the very top, Big Shot, while Jenny hung out on the observation deck. It’s weird to be so high – you’re so high above everything that it’s eerily quiet when the rides aren’t operating. I loved the views as well. Then we rode up to the Golden Nugget and relaxed by and in the pool for a while before enjoying a tasty Asian dinner. Since we stayed there, the Nugget completed a $30 million renovation to their pool, adding a 200,000 gallon aquarium with 5 different kinds of sharks right in the middle of the pool. A clear water slide passes through the middle. You can swim right up to the tank and come within a few inches of the fish, almost making it feel like you’re swimming with them. AWESOME.

Saturday we took a shuttle back to the airport and relaxed a bit before flying home. We returned relaxed, refreshed, and missing our little boy!

Shower vs. Bath

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On our trip (I’ll post about the trip, I promise!) we discussed bathing habits. When we thought about the people we know, the women of our parents’ and grandparents’ generations tend to take baths and either get their hair done or wash it in the sink. The men of those generations and both genders of our generation tend to take showers for daily cleaning. Baths are more of a luxury designed for relaxation rather than part of one’s morning routine. Are we correct in this? If so, why the difference? I am a showerer, if that’s a word, for a few reasons:

  1. They are faster than a bath since I don’t need to wait for a tub to fill.
  2. I feel cleaner since baths leave a soapy residue.
  3. It’s easier to wash my hair (what hair I have – it doesn’t take long!)
  4. Showers uses less water and energy.

Sure, they aren’t quite as relaxing as a bath, but I’m utilitarian. Showers get the job done. How do you clean up most often? Vote in my new poll.

Humpty

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My dad’s mother is a talented seamstress and has made countless blankets, toys, clothes, and other items over the years. One of her creations was a stuffed Humpty Dumpty that she made for me when I was a baby. Mom kept it all these years and let Brenden play with it once he arrived. He loved it like I did. Despite her arthritis, my grandmother decided to make Brenden a Humpty, a stuffed ball, and a bib of his own. As you can see, he loves it! Thanks, Great-Grandma Box!

Dead Man Walking

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Over the weekend I saw a very thought-provoking movie, one that I’d wanted to see for a while but always found an excuse to postpone because I knew it would be heavy: Tim Robbins’ Dead Man Walking. The book by the same name had rocked my world several years before, so I was curious. It tells the story of Sister Helen Prejean, a Louisiana nun (played by the fabulous Susan Sarandon) who reluctantly serves as a spiritual advisor to a death row inmate (played by the equally fabulous Sean Penn). Given writer-director Robbins’ far-left political views, I was surprised at how even-handedly he treated one of the toughest social questions we have: the death penalty. With great finesse he shows many sides of the issue: the inmate who is nearly impossible to love, even for a nun, the inmate’s relatives who understand his crime but don’t want him to die, the victims’ families who would gladly inject the poison themselves, the outside observers who are horrified that a nun would even talk to a convicted murderer.

With her typical brilliance, Sarandon subtly weaves a very complex and conflicted character, a nun who wants to serve God and help a man in great need but who is also disgusted by the inmate’s attitude and crimes. Penn’s convict hides behind a rough, barely endurable exterior but over time starts to crack, revealing glimpses of his own fear and pain.

Most of you probably have your minds made up regarding the death penalty. If you do, watching this film probably won’t change your mind, nor is that the film’s point. Robbins and crew want you to think about all sides of the debate and the impact on all the people involved. It comes down to the age-old question of justice versus mercy, a question with which I struggle constantly. The Old Testament advocates eye-for-an-eye justice, so many Christians who support the death penalty use the OT to justify their position. I think the New Testament, especially Jesus, advocate mercy, as Jesus did when the Pharisees brought him the woman caught in adultery whom the Law said should be stoned to death. I still haven’t decided which side is right as a matter of public policy, but I strongly recommend watching the movie and wrestling further with this question yourself.