Jake is...

If I still had a Facebook account right now, my status would be: Jake is disgruntled and needs someone to gruntle him. That sounds nice. I could go for a good gruntle right now.

My Shop

I have to admit, I'm really excited about this post! Haha. So shortly after we bought the house, my dad called and said, "It's time to build you a shop!" After all, how could I keep my man card without a shop in the garage?!? Indeed. So when he came down for Jeremy's birthday at the beginning of June, we went to work. It's SO nice to have a little place of my own where I can kinda escape and build things. There's just something special about having your own space where you can get sawdust all over the place and IT DOESN'T MATTER! And we couldn't have built the salon without it. (Those are Amber's words, not mine. But I agree.) I can't wait until Jeremy's older and can come and help me out there... I also can't wait to put some speakers in the ceiling and set up a hard-core sound system! So here's a little tour of the man cave:

This is my work bench. Dad brought down some wood that he milled himself on the ranch, so it's got a taste of home. We threw up some plywood so I could hang up my tools and keep my workspace clear. It's got lots of shelf space down below for my power tools and floor space below that for extra supplies. And of course, I had to throw up some snowboard banners for steez and to add my own personal feel to it. I can feel the hair growing on my chest just looking at this picture!

This would be the portable work bench. Basically, now I can have a flat work area wherever I need it and not be limited to working on the fixed bench. We put wheels on the bottom so it can wheel anywhere I'm working. Again, more shelf space below and having it at the end of my fixed bench gives me more space to spread out if I'm working on something big. My next project will be to make a snowboard rack on the wall above the portable bench to keep all my boards. It's gonna be sick!

This would be my saw and peg board. The stand that the saw sits on is SO ill! It extends completely out either side so you can cut any length of board. And what's cooler still is that the whole thing collapses so that you could store it or transport it with ease! Amazing. To the right inside that little cubby space is where I keep my shop vac which is great because it's out of the way, yet easy to get to. On the wall is JP busting a gnarly rodeo with the same Forum board that I use to jib with. So yeah, that's pretty sweet too.

This is the table saw that belonged to my father-in-law before he passed away. I was really lucky to have Amber's mom let me have it. Amber's dad also shared in the love of woodworking and so it's really really cool to have something of his in my shop as well. It's so cool to have a tradition like this to share with my dads and I can't wait to share it with Jeremy as well one day. I just hope that I can make amazing creations like my dads have. Big shoes to fill and steps to follow for sure. But that's how it should be.

Well that's the big tour. Special thanks to Dad for giving me this and allowing me to start my own shop in my home. Ever since I was a teenager, Dad's given me tools for my birthday and Christmas. I guess at the time I always thought it was cool and stuff, but I never realized until now how smart he was and what a blessing that would be later on. Makes it easy to stock your shop when you already have most of the tools! I couldn't have done this without him. You're the man, Dad. I'd add more, but I gotta go start another project! Peace!

Oh! I almost forgot! This is Napoleon. Every guy has something wierd in his shop it seems like. For example, Amber's dad had a cowboy monkey... Yeah, it's gnarly. Well, this is mine. Push a button and hear him say, "Saa-weeeet!" And just in case, he's always got a screw ready!

Amber's Birthday

Today is Amber's 24th birthday! Unfortunately, I had to wake up early to go to work today, but she was such a good sport! She woke up at 6:30 for me so I could see her open her birthday present. (I guess a room full of pink balloons and a dozen roses makes 6:30 seem not as early as it really is!) I got her a new camera because our old one finally died for good. It was so cute to see her carry it around with her all day and take tons of pictures! Glad I picked something good. ;) Sounds like she had a good day though. And the best part is that the festivities are just beginning! We both have the day off tomorrow and are planning on going to see a movie, go to the Gateway, and just enjoy having a day together with NO WORK! It's so amazing to think that we've known each other as long as we have and that we've been able to spend so many wonderful birthdays together! This would be number 9!! Time really flies. And the coolest thing is that I still look at her and think: "Wow. I'm SO lucky to be with her!" I guess it just goes to show that sometimes "even a blind squirrel gets the girl." Or is it "wins the race?" Doesn't matter. We've come a long way from the two infatuated 16 year olds that met that magical summer 9 years ago... but at the same time, not much has changed. She's still my best friend and my inspiration for everything. I'm so glad she's put up with my nonsense and stuck with me through the hard times, making the good that much better. I love you, baby! Happy Birthday!

Amber's Salon (Artistic Expressions)

Well at long last Amber's salon is finished! I'm soooo stoked on it. It was quite the project for sure, but it was definitely worth it. And all things considered, it went pretty quick. The best part was that I got to spend plenty of time in my steezy shop putting things together, cutting things apart, and getting lots of use out of my tools. I really have to hand it to Amber. She had a vision of what she wanted and she got it. I think all of us kinda wondered what she was thinking at first, but in a good way. She was able to look at a drab utility room and see a beautiful hair studio. I will take cred for the name though: "Artistic Expressions." (Nailed it!) So here's some pics with a little play-by-play commentary...

The view as you walk into the door. Nice!

Amber's station. I made the shelf. Yeah, I'm pretty proud of myself.

Opposite corner. Posh.

The sink. This thing was a beast to put in. Glad that is over! Turned out good though.

The door. Yeah, everything was going so well... until the door was bigger than the opening even though it's the same size as the old one?!? That's okay. The saws-all took care of that. Gnarly!

Nothing like an inspirational quote to get you stoked. Word.

Tape Ball Update

So for those of you who don't know, back in my Sophomore Spanish class, I started a tape ball. I admit that at the time I was simply trying to waste time. That waste of time, however, turned into a hobby and a survival tactic through three years of high school. The tape ball even walked through the line at graduation with me. Yup, we've been through a lot together. While I was gone on my mission for two years, my brother continued the legacy and the tape ball blessed another generation of oppressed (or is it DEpressed?) students at BCHS. That was, of course, until the P.E. teacher accused Tim of stealing a shot put ball and covering it with tape. I guess we did such a good job of making it exceptionally round and tight and heavy that they thought Tim was a thief. The tape ball was seconds away from being cut in half in the woodshop to prove Tim was innocent until the principal asked what his last name was, recognized the eternal connection between "Olsen" (aka me) and "tape ball" and he was let free with the "delicate" reprimand to NEVER bring it back again or he'd be expelled for bring a weapon to school. Nice work, Mr. H. Anyway, as you can see, the tape ball is now red, soon to be orange, and now weighs a whopping 14 pounds!! Oh, and it's also nearly the size of a one-year-old child. (See below)

Here's a pic of the orange version. All ready for hunting season! Or Halloween...

JetBoil

So while I was on my hike/camping trip to Havasupi, Jeff introduced me to the JetBoil camping stove. All I can say is "WOW!" Having grown up on Boy Scout trips and having to wait half an hour to boil water, this stove blew me AWAY! The package claims to boil two cups of water in under 2 minutes and it DOES. Absolutely amazing. And the best part is that it's super light-weight, fits entirely inside itself (gas and all), and is so easy to use. It's so incredible to be able to boil water so quickly, immediately pull it off the heat and be able to hold the cup in your hand without getting burned! Even as I'm writing this I still can't believe it. It's so perfect for backpacking, camping, and to put inside a 72 hour emergency kit. And the fuel is super cheap! Only $4 each and they last a whopping 45 minutes running at the highest level. Pair this baby with a Mountain Home meal, and you got yourself a feast away from home without breaking a sweat. Definately check it out! I promise you'll be amazing!!