the Guamaso

Parenthood, Family, Rants – one memory at a time.

The Royal Chariots

Jul 1

Posted by CiriO in Blog | No Comments

Speed BabyAs if being picked up and carried everywhere wasn’t enough, Izzy has now discovered another form of transportation (or parental humiliation). It all began when she decided that climbing in and out of things i.e. boxes, baskets and such was fun. She has a little cart we gave her for her birthday. The concept behind the cart is for the child to load it with various treasures and for said child to push it to its destination. What a great concept! She can practice walking by pushing something! She can put toys in it since she loves placing and removing contents of, well, pretty much anything. Great toy. Until she figured out how to climb in it. And Mom in one of her less enlightened moments pushed her around in a loop going, "Choo! Choo!"

"How is that a bad thing?" you ask. Give Izzy an idea, and she runs with it! She deduced that if she climbs in the cart and gives the royal wave, she’ll get a ride. Otherwise she gets a little more demanding. This was fun the first eighteen rounds. However, as I am about to have another kid in less than a month, my back and general physical aptitude isn’t quite up to bending over a child’s toy pushing a 25 pound lump around several times a day. So I did what every desperate parent does when faced with a child’s obsession; I hid the Royal Chariot. Out of sight; out of mind right? Wrong! She takes an idea and RUNS with it! The next day or so, I see her sit on her red food tray (now named the Royal Carpet Glider), give the royal wave, and look at me expectantly. "Mom! I’m waiting here!" I push her back and forth with my feet, while sitting on my medicine ball. My aching back was spared. . .this time.

Downstairs she has a little tray with wheels that holds her building blocks. That tray has not seen its building blocks for many a day now as they are scattered throughout her kingdom. The tray hadn’t received much notice from her, until her agile mind discovered its true calling: a Royal Carriage! Yes, she sat in it, waved, and looked around expectantly. She was pulled around the living room by its child’s length rope and a hunched, harried parent, and disembarked satisfied.

Fast Forward to a couple of days ago with my first post "An Introduction." As I had been typing, I heard her paging me to another room. I located her in the master bedroom. We usually keep it closed off from her, but the air conditioner works better if the air can flow through the house and I had left the door open. I didn’t expect too much destruction since she is never alone for more than a minute or so. No, not too much destruction; she had acquired a Royal Sled. Izzy had taken the clean clothes out of the laundry basket, climbed in, gave the royal wave, and looked around expectantly. I guess when she looked around expectantly and saw none of her entourage awaiting further orders, she had a moment of panic. Until she remembered how to raise her voice to summon said entourage. I pushed her about six feet, picked her up, and carried her out-closing the door behind us. Oy.

Now she’s on to bigger and better things: walking, trying to talk, and all the while keeping up with her Destruct-O quota! She’s a busy Izzy Bean. . .

The Royal Chariots

From left to right: The Royal Chariot (Original), The Royal Carpet Glider, The Royal Carriage, and The Royal Sled

The Royal Chariots

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The Adventures of Izzy-Monster: Enter the Toddler

Jun 28

Posted by JuanO in Blog, Videos | 2 Comments

Is it always this way with youngins’?  Do they just pick up a new task and run with it?  In the past few months, Izzy’s capabilities for learning new things has dramatically increased.  She learned clapping in moments along with what “ouch” means.  Not only does she learn through repetition and teaching, but she now shows that she can absorb via osmosis.

If music is playing in the office, she comes by and turns the volume knob (she won’t do it if music isn’t playing.).  She does the same to my beloved Yamaha Receiver downstairs, she enjoys listening to the music in “Jazz Mode,” I know this because the next time I turn it on it is set to this mode.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, peeps.  The little friggin’ twerp is walking.  Yes.  It’s a brave new world for all that dwell under this roof.  No longer are we in the baby stages (at least until Jonas graces us with his presence) and we are now well into the Toddler era. It wasn’t something that she gradually learned, either.  Two days ago, she decided to take her first four steps from the receiver to the coffee table.  Today, nothing is safe.  She still prefers crawling just because she’s quicker and more experienced at it, but if she’s standing, she’ll walk to her destination without fear or hesitation.

Ciri says this is a good thing. Ha. Ha, I say.  When Jonas is born, Izzy will be able to move on her own without help from Mom.  That’s helpful when you have a little baby blob that needs food every few hours.  But I can see that whole deal getting really old when Izzy demands the attention she feels is deserved.  Hmm.  We’ll see if it’s still a good thing then!

Oh. Hai.

Another great behavior she’s learned in the recent weeks is climbing into things.  Boxes, buckets, drawers, and bins oh my.  Seriously, she climbs into things and sits in them or stands in them or dances in them.  That last one has me a bit worried.  I’m sitting on the couch watching her climb into the drawer and I can’t help but wonder what goes on in that cute little brain of hers.

“Let’s see, if the drawer’s volume is X and my volume is also X, than I should be able to fit in the drawer. Volume is a measurement mainly used for liquids, but for arguments sake, we’ll go with that statement.  Now, if I take into account that my bone structure is mostly comprised of cartilage, then I should… uh oh.  He’s staring at me.  I should do something cute.”

And there she goes dancing again… seriously. Should I be worried?

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An Introduction

Jun 24

Posted by CiriO in Blog | 2 Comments

An Introduction

I’ve never considered myself a writer. When pressed, I can usually turn out a well written assignment. Writing for fun? Never. However, I’ve realized that our little nuclear family has been separated from the rest of our extended family for almost five years. Weekly phone calls aren’t much of a connection. Izzy is almost 15 months old, and her grandparents haven’t seen her since Thanksgiving. So, in an effort to keep everyone in the loop, I’m taking up this blogging thing. We’ll see how it goes. Even if no one reads these, I will at least have chronicled some of the small stuff that is so easily forgotten. I am going to begin with the present (why not?) and wander through memories or past things as I remember them.

Right now, Izzy is just waking up from her morning nap. After changing her diaper, she likes to stand on her changing table and play with the dimmer switch. She’ll pull the switch up or down and look at the light when she does. What makes it really cute is that she whispers, “Wow” in a serious voice as she does this. As we move into her playroom, there are toys galore scattered everywhere. She plays with some of them, but really likes the adult things. The car charger for one of our old cell phones is a particular favorite. Don’t ask me why. She’ll crawl around with that in her hand forever. The remote control for the TV and Juan’s old TiVo unit. She can turn both things on and mess with settings I can’t even access! However, when she wants to watch a movie, fix whatever she messed up, or demand something in general, out comes the Tim Allen impression. You know, the ,”Huh?” that he made famous? Well, imaging that about three octaves higher in pitch coming from a 15 month old dictator.

The “huh?” coming out of her mouth is a request (demand). It is up to us, her minions to figure out what it is and cater to her. She graciously gives us about five seconds to figure whatever she wants from us out. Than the “huh?”s become louder, higher pitched, and closer together; “Huh? HUH? HUH? HUH?!!!!” No pressure or anything. Right.

Speaking of the Baby Dictator, some pretty insistent “huh?”s are paging me to her room that she has been quietly destroying for the last five minutes. She probably wants me to open the closet door because she’s pulled everything out of the drawers and needs new order to destroy. Until the next installment. . .

Ciri

Five minutes later: Quick update: I actually found her in our bedroom. She had pulled the clean laundry to be folded out of the basket, climbed in, and was awaiting transportation in the Royal Chariot. Obviously, I should have used my mind reading powers to deduce that she was expecting me to shuttle her around.  Oy. The Royal Chariot(s) deserves its own post though. I’ll make it the subject of the next update.

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There’s Change in the Wind…

Jun 20

Posted by JuanO in Blog, The Rant Corner | 1 Comment

Flickr: SeenyaRita

Flickr: SeenyaRita

I explained The Guamaso’s humble beginnings in the past; how it was originally for our family back in California and for the friends we made across the globe.  Recently, my interests made themselves known on the journal.  I started writing my commentary on things that my family had no interest in.  “But it’s MY blog,” I thought. I created the category structure to help filter out the posts so family could navigate the site with ease.  I thought that worked, until I realized that my family related posts slowed in frequency.

Ciriana came to me the other day and said she wants to start her own blog so she can write more on us and the kids.  (Within Facebook! O.O )That’s when I realized exactly how much The Guamaso had changed.  Not in a bad way, though, it is my site after all.  But writing for family is very important as well, so Ciri and I figured that changes need to be made.

I laugh at this, but essentially, I’m getting kicked off my own site!  :D   I’m moving all my geek related posting to CreativeandFlow.com and The Guamaso will revert back to just being about news and updates on our little family.

I’m an opinionated person and I like to express these opinions in writing so I think those will continue on the Guamaso as well.  I hope this isn’t confusing.  I want to write more and more on creativity, design, and geekness so it makes sense to move to a different domain.  The new domain name better explains what the site is about and it will keep the different types of posts in their separate homes.

I’ve already started changing some things around on the new domain.  I copied over a ton of posts that I feel are more at home there.  I’m not sure yet if I will remove the posts from the Guamaso and provide a re-direct, I don’t think I get enough traffic to warrant that amount of work.

I’m pretty sure this won’t impact anybody too much.  All two of my readers. ;)   But if it does, please bear with me while I get all the bugs under control.  The good thing about this is that Ciri said she’ll start writing a bit more as well.  She’s not into the whole WordPress thing (GASP! I know!) but she’s willing to try some desktop blogging solutions (Sounds like it’s review time!) that will help her ease into writing online.  We’ll see if she has any follow-through.

So, just to recap.  I’m moving my nerd-ness over to Creative and Flow.  Ciri is going to write more under the Guamaso (hopefully).  Guamaso is only going to be about our family, for our family.  You are welcome to continue following this blog as I’ll still write my rants and complaints here (I like to complain).  Lastly, the design will be changing again in the next week or so.

Thanks for your kindness and attention,

Management :)

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Post WordCamp RDU Thoughts.

Jun 14

Posted by JuanO in Blog | 3 Comments

WordPress is a piece of cake. XD

WordPress is a piece of cake. XD

Yesterday was WordCamp RDU at NCCU’s School of Education.  Being my first Camp of any kind, the night before I searched for ideas and tips on what I should prepare for.  The first article I found had three basic points.  The most important to me was something I didn’t think of: be prepared with questions for the speaker.  I knew I would get to ask questions, but I didn’t think to have them prepared beforehand.  It’s the simple things that we miss.

I spent all evening trying to come up with some questions and I kept arriving to the same question for all the speakers.  How do you get creative?  Then, I thought, if I could only ask one person this question it would be Matt Mullenweg.  I did get to talk to him for a brief moment, but I’ll get to that in a bit.

So Saturday morning I met up with a friend of mine from NC State and we headed out for the school.  From the very beginning I could tell we were going to have fun.  The volunteers were friendly and helpful.  Danielle Baldwin, one of the people responsible for the event, did a great job.  It was like they had done it before and yet, this was the first Raleigh/Durham WordCamp.

The other participants were really great too.  (Well, except for a couple of rude people. Yes I am linking that image, that guy was rude.) I met a couple of awesome writers and fellow geeks.  The dynamics were all over the place as well; old, young, experienced, beginners… everything.  It was awesome how this dynamic didn’t matter, everyone had a great time sharing their thoughts and experiences on WordPress and what they use it for.

There were two sets of presentations, sometimes three at a time, and a few of them were difficult to choose between.  For one time slot it was between Copyright tips, WordPress as a CMS, or Videoblogging.  Of the three I was more interested in Copyright Tips and Videoblogging, but you can see the difficulty in choosing from the three.  All very good and interesting sessions.

The best presentation of the day, in my opinion, was given by Andy Beal about SEO.  My SEO is pretty weak ’cause SEO and I have issues. :)   Andy’s zeal about the subject, along with some great questions by other antendees, really helped me understand it more.  He’s a pretty rad speaker.

The keynote for the day was by WordPress creator, Matt Mullenweg.  I have a thing about presentations: the slides are not que cards.  I don’t like it when people just read off the slides and offer no other comment or conversation about what they put on the slide.  Matt had about three or four slides with only a few words of text.  Everything else came from him.  This, I think, is hard to do which is why people rely so much on the slides.  Matt was inspiring to say the least with is presentation and his thoughts.  He’s a cool dude.  It takes a big person to say they don’t like their own product (He did say they are fixing it.  Actually, the new version is coming out later this month.).  Amazing guy.

So, during the Q and A, people were asking him questions mainly about WordPress, Automattic, and the many projects he’s involved with. My question seemed out of place and I felt like asking him one on one anyway.  After the keynote, I had a chance to ask him my question.  His answer was pretty straight forward.  “For starters, if I am working on a project that is on the computer, the first thing I do is get off the computer.”  He does his photography and he also sketches in a moleskin for inspiration.  He mentioned the site ColourLovers.com, which is new to me and is quickly becoming one of my favorites.  If I sound fanboy-ish, than so be it but Matt is an inspirational creative and I am glad to have met him.

There are a few other resources from yesterday that are starting to get posted online.  I know Wayne Sutton did an interview with Matt and he recorded A LOT of video of the event too.  I saw almost everyone taking pictures and stuff, but I have yet to find any on Flickr, save a few from myself and Wayne Sutton.  Mine aren’t that great, btw. ;)

So that’s pretty much everything in a nutshell… a large nutshell, but a nutshell nonetheless.  It was a great time and my only complaint is I didn’t win a WordPress shirt. :(

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Online Web Apps for private journaling.

Jun 10

Posted by JuanO in Reviews | 2 Comments

I’ve started up my personal journal again.  (Yes, I am writing a diary…)  Only this time, I thought I’d try a virtual journal in the hopes that I would continue writing in it longer than a few months.  I enjoy writing and chronicling my thoughts, but writing in a book never worked out for me.  I would jot down my thoughts and ideas more often if I could write from anywhere and anytime.  What better way to write on the go than with my iPhone?

The first thought I had was to search for some sort of iPhone app that was password protected.  I found a few, some free and some at a small premium.  Writing from the iPhone is convenient when there isn’t a full size keyboard around, but I would rather use a computer when it is available.  So if I was going to buy an app, it would need to sync with some online service or at least sync with my PC.  I couldn’t find any apps that had this functionality so I thought of just using a webapp instead.

Immediately, I found this cool service called Penzu.  It’s a very well thought out service and really simple to use.  It’s completely private and, unlike a public blog, the individual entries don’t have a URL for robots to scan.  Let’s say someone figured out your password, each entrycan be individually locked and would therefore require a second password to view.

It’s also well designed.  When you visit the site you can start writing right away by clicking on the “try it out” link. After you’re done writing, just log in and it will save the entry automatically.  As you’re writing, the text appears on what looks like a sheet of lined paper.  Like I said, really cool site.

Unfortunately, writing on it in Safari on the iPhone is really cumbersome.  I was typing pretty fast and after a while, I had to stop so it would catch up with me.  The site is really good, and adding an iPhone app would make it the best private journaling application I could find.  I ended up not using it because of how the iPhone interacted with it.

This search turned out to be a little more drawn out then I thought it would be.  I thought of  using Evernote or the Notes app, but I thought I would look at Blogger and Wordpress first to see if there was a “private” setting.  I created a blog at Wordpress.com first and set it to private.  Using the Wordpress iPhone app, I was able to log-in to the blog and start writing.  I checked to make sure I couldn’t access the site if I wasn’t logged in and that the RSS feed was not displaying either.  So far, this seems like a pretty good solution.

Evernote could work as well since I have the desktop application and the iPhone application.  It wouldn’t be as  efficient since it’s designed for quick note taking, plus I’m a huge Wordpress fan so using the Wordpress.com blogs is ideal for me.  Blogger allows for private settings too, but I couldn’t find an iPhone app for it.

I honestly hope that Penzu releases an iPhone app to go with their web application – I’ll switch over if they do. Penzu is designed to be private unlike WordPress which is designed to be public.  Either way, Wordpress is a good solution for now and hopefully I’ll keep up with this journal-keeping quest for once.

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Hacking Wordpress shortened links and Twitter Tools

Jun 1

Posted by JuanO in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

This shortened URL business really has gotten out of hand.  Morning Toast wrote a rant about it a few days ago and it got me thinking about their usefulness.  He also twittered about Flickr’s own URL shortener as well.  Although Flickr uses a different domain name for these shortened URLs, the link is still obvious about it’s context; it is a Flickr image.

I found out about this idea of using “rev=canonical” within a link.  I’m still trying to understand the whole concept: essentially if a link is created, a shortener service checks if the link owner has already shortened it.  If the owner has indeed shortened it, the shortener service will provide the owner’s short URL to the request-or.  That’s way to complicated for me, but it would be nice have my own shortened links when I post them to a service like Twitter.

Then it hit me.

I remembered that when you first install Wordpress, “pretty” permalinks are deactivated.  Running in this default mode, a post link looks like this: http://guamaso.com/?p=293.  It still doesn’t have the context of the post itself, but at least now you know that it is related to The Guamaso.  It may not be shorter than http://bit.ly/1m4Qp, but the added context is worth it to me.

So how do I implement this “built-in shortener?”  I use Twitter Tools to automatically send a blog post to Twitter.  Why not use Twitter Tools to send the short URL instead of the pretty URL!  I changed a few things on line 466:

$shorturl = get_bloginfo(’url’);
$shorturl .= “/?p=”;
$shorturl .= $post_id;
LINE 466: $url = apply_filters(’tweet_blog_post_url’, $shorturl);

UPDATE: The items in bold are what I changed / added.

I sent a a test “twit” to Twitter earlier and it worked (actually, I initially forgot to add the “p” but it’s in there now.).  So instead of passing the full permalink that will get shortened by Twitter anyway, it now sends the shorter WordPress URL that starts with my domain name.  Boom.

I don’t think a reader can find the post’s ID without direct access to the Admin area, so providing this short link for the reader to use is the key to making this method successful.  I’d also like to see more plugins that use these shorter links when posting to Twitter.  It makes way more sense then letting Twitter make the decision.  On the other hand, blogs that post 10+ entries a day may out grow it in a few years… but hey, maybe by then we’ll jump to the next social trend anyway.

UPDATE 2: Scratch everything I just said!  Don’t edit Twitter Tools, instead download the Twitter Friendly Links plug-in.  It works with rev=canonical, Twitter Tools, and it will also add the short link on your posts for your readers.  The best part is it will make the link shorter than with the hack I explained above.  Instead of http://guamaso.com/?p=293 it will be http://guamaso.com/293. Good plugin, give it a try!

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Why the Zune HD will fail.

May 27

Posted by JuanO in Uncategorized | No Comments

Dramatic title, right? Well, it’s just my opinion, but from the confirmed specs listed on Microsoft’s release about the new Zune HD, I believe it is doomed to reside in the shadow of Apple’s iPod alongside the rest of it’s brethren. If things change between today and it’s release then maybe the Zune HD has a chance. The people are eager to have choices in a Portable Media Player and therefore eager for the Zune brand to succeed. I know I am.

Zune HD

Zune HD

At first blush, the Zune HD is beautiful, inside and out. OLED multi-touch screen, HD Radio, HD Video playback, Wi-Fi, and web browsing all in a nicely designed package. Then, a closer look reveals that the unit is missing some important information. Is there going to be an “app store?” Did they increase the DPI on the screen? (The iPod Touch DPI is 163ppi.) Internet Explorer based browsing? Really? Cost? Hard drive size? (If you want HD video, it’d better be larger than 32GB.)

The biggest issue here is some sort of third party application delivery. Without the app store, the Ipod Touch would just be a fancy media player. The applications bring it to a whole new level. Not really a PDA but not only a media player. In order for people to switch over to the Zune HD, they have to know that they’ll receive the same experience, i.e. downloadable applications of all types and purposes. So far, a few games aren’t going to persuade users. I want to download my email, send a “twit” on Twitter, I want to be able to post on Wordpress from it! That is the strength of the iPod touch. If the Zune HD really is meant to go “head to head” than that app store needs to open soon.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for Microsoft succeeding and providing us with more choices for out entertainment delivery. The Zune HD does some things right. HD Radio is the future (distant, but certain) and I am glad that it is included. Although I wonder about the reception, our car’s HD radio reception isn’t all that great. OLED screens will save on battery power and, unlike LCD technology, OLED can display true blacks.

If the Zune wanted to pull ahead of Apple, they would add a microphone and a video capable camera to the unit along with their own app store. That’s the winning combination right there.

Like I said, I hope that the Zune HD becomes a viable option in the PMP market, but I really doubt it will. That seems to be the Zune legacy.

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Life Update

May 23

Posted by JuanO in Blog | No Comments

If there’s one thing I dislike, it’s not being frequent with posts on my journal.  If there’s two things I dislike, it’s not being frequent with posts on my journal AND not explaining why.  So, here I am trying to get back on track – or at the very least explain myself.

Ciri is nearing the end of her terminal leave and she will soon be an official Army Reserve Soldier.  If you follow my Twitter, you know that I have been applying and interviewing for work now that Ciri is home.

Most of my energy during the day is spent looking for work, adjusting my resumes, applying for jobs, and attending a few interviews.  The remainder of my energy is split between Izzy and Ciri.  Izzy is a veteran crawler now, with a few freestyle bipedal moves under her belt as well.  This is a beautiful thing to me as a Father, but it’s also very absorbing.

If Ciri isn’t feeling good, I obviously have to make time for Izzy.  Just last week, Izzy was holding herself up by the TV stand, eating some cheese goldfish.  I glanced over at her just in time to see her chin slam against the corner of the TV stand.  She fell back like Glass Joe and started to cry.  She cut the outside of her chin and the inside of her lip.  She bled all over her favorite blankie.

Which brings me to the remainder of my energy.  When Izzy makes sudden alarming movements, Ciri tends to jerk forward in an attempt to catch Izzy before she can hurt herself.  Ciri is now almost eight months pregnant and she tires easily.  Plus, she tells me her body feels as though it is reaching a point of complete muscle failure.  So fast and sudden movements don’t help Ciri’s situation at all.  In comes Dad.  Ciri is a tough girl, but sometimes I have to put my preggo kicking boots on and force her to lie down and take it easy.

Long story short, I gots no time to write.  I save lots of ideas via the iPhone – they’re there, waiting in my little Que – but they aren’t done and need major editing.  As I get time, I’ll try and finish them or just log in and write “live” like I am now.  My goal for a long time now has been to post two entries a week.  Until things mellow out a bit, I’ll probably knock that down to maybe – BIG maybe – one post a week.  Yea. That’s the new goal.

For this week, here’s some more updates…

Interviews are going well, even in this high jobless economy.  I am relieved that I am getting interviews, not because I may suck, but because there is just SO much competition for jobs right now.  It’s a relief.

Ciri is doing ok-ish.  The baby is a real kicker apparently.  Izzy liked to kick strangers, Jonas, on the other hand, doesn’t discriminate; Mom’s bladder is one of his favorite items to practice his round-house kicks.

Izzy is Izzy.  The Izzy-monster.  The Izzy-bean.  The pook.  She’s about a couple of weeks away from walking on her own.  She just learned to wave and we’re starting to teach her to blow kisses.  She also loves to make us laugh and she likes to wrestle on the couch.

There’s more, but it’s so late and I need to mow the lawn early tomorrow morning.  I still update Twitter fairly constantly, so you can get your Guamaso fix there.  G’night.

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Save Our Saturdays: Staining the Garden

May 13

Posted by JuanO in Reviews | No Comments

So I was lucky enough to review Krylon’s new spray-on wood stain for their Save Our Saturdays promo.  The package arrived a couple of weeks ago, but with all the rain it was a wee bit difficult to head outside and use the product like I wanted to. I finally started to paint some boards of wood that will eventually make a bed frame for our guest bed.  Last week, the rain stopped long enough for me to stain the veggy garden that Ciri’s Dad built us.

I was dreading the task of staining the garden because of how awkward it would be to apply the stain. It had been a couple of months since we started using it and the wire fencing would make it difficult to cover all of the wood.  Enter Krylon’s Spray on stain

Armed with a few cans of Rustic Brown stain, my camera, and the baby monitor (Ciri was at a doctor’s appointment), I headed to the yard during Izzy’s afternoon nap.

The can has a rotating nozzle which made it REALLY easy to apply in a vertical or horizontal motion. I started spraying the posts and frames and about twenty minutes later (it would have been less if I didn’t take pictures :) ), I headed back inside. That’s it. Done.  Awe. Some.

Three hours later Ciri came home and she went to check it out.  Ciri found some wet spots even though the can claims to be “dry to the touch” in fifteen minutes.  It wasn’t dry to the touch, but it was good enough. I should mention that I gave it a heavy coat instead of the light coat that the can says to give.  The spray on stain sounds like it is the perfect solution for projects that should be quick but actually take up a whole weekend.  Considering how long it would have taken to wipe on the stain, drying overnight is no big deal.

The can also says it will cover 25 square feet and I thought one can, maybe two, would be enough.  I ended up using two and a half cans.  After doing my math on the surfaces that I covered, two and a half cans was an accurate number – even with the heavy coat!  It’s a good thing I didn’t use the rest on the bed frame project!

The stain seems durable and strong, but I wouldn’t say it’s the prettiest stain I’ve seen.  I’m under the impression that the best looking stains are wipe-on, and I kind of agree.  On the other hand, for convienience and durability, I’ll stick with Krylon’s spray on stain.  I won’t use it on projects like Ciri’s Coin Display, but it does have it’s place as the quick and easy solution.

Here are some before pictures of the garden:

Array

[flickr]photo:3527683152[/flickr]

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