What's New This Week?   For those of you that have been following along, Ken had some exploratory surgery done on his shoulder this week. It was an attempt to see if there was anything more that could be done to repair the damage from a fall eight years ago. Since this was the fourth surgery on this shoulder we figured the fourth times a charm.

I'll try to keep this light for the squeamish ;-) Tuesday started with arthroscopic surgery around 6:30 PM. I was scheduled for 5:00 but you know how hospitals can be about keeping schedule. After a peek inside it appeared that there was some bone edge that could be impinging on things and the rotator cuff didn't look too good. He ground down the bone and smoothed it out. Next he had to open me up from the tip of the shoulder down a few inches to get access to the rotator cuff. He found a very thin almost hole like area, that was in need of repair. He patched it up, sewed me back together and I was out of surgery by 8:00. Since it was so late they decided to keep me overnight. After a horrible night of interrupted sleep we were home by 2:00 on Wednesday. One of the things that made the sleeping so restless, besides the nurse coming in every hour to check vitals, were the fancy new beds they have. They have a computer in them and adjust the mattress to reduce any possible pressure points. Every time you move a little bit a motor turns on and moves some part of the bed up or down. While I'm sure this is good for you and the motor is pretty quiet it's still enough to disturb you.
It looks like I'll be in a sling until next Wednesday and then we'll discuss the physical therapy plans. I'm anxious to get back into the wood shop and back to playing my drums so I hope they are included in my therapy ;-) I'm afraid progress on my toolbox project will suffer for the next couple of weeks but things will be better soon.

     Do you have a common name? Just how common is it? We've found a web site that will tell you just how common your first and last name is. I punched in Ken and it is 265th while Kenneth, my birth name, is number 17. Marilyn is number 80 with around 307,275 US females named Marilyn. Our last name is a little less common. It ranked number 10,005th and there are around 2,500 of us in the United States. I'm sure that if this site did other nations like Sweden we'd rank a lot higher.
It's a fun site to see how common your name is as well as a good source to see how common the name you are choosing for your new baby is. By the way Ken's daughter Jennifer is #6. Just go to www.namestatistics.com and start entering names. It's really fun.

Corn Husk Sun Flower Refrigerator Magnet

     This week's project is sort of like last weeks project only not. We still have some corn husks left over and this refrigerator magnetic looks great. If your children want to help make these be sure to help them with the cutting and hot melt gluing.

Here's what you'll need:

A package of corn husks wrappers
Indian Corn
An iron
Scissors
Cardboard
Black Felt
Hot melt glue gun
Magnetic strips

Cut out a 2" cardboard circle.
Cover one side with black felt using hot melt glue.
Glue on an outside row of dark Indian corn all the way around.
Start the next row with lighter corn and place it slightly on top of the first row. This will make the row stand up a little.
Repeat this for each row. Each row will stand up straighter until the middle row of corn is standing on end.
Get the corn husks wet and then iron with a medium hot iron, no steam.
Cut the flower petals from the husks. Make the inside row a little smaller, the middle row bigger and the outside row the biggest.
Start gluing the small petals on first around the back of the cardboard. Have the petals so they curve forward.
Glue the second row and then the third.
Cut a 3" circle of cardboard and glue it in the center of the back.
Glue on the magnetic strips and it's ready for the refrigerator.

These are fun to make and your kitchen will take on a nice fall appearance. They also would look nice in your locker at school.

     We hope you enjoy Marilyn's Corner and look forward to all the fun things she brings you each week. If you have a fun project that would be suitable for our newsletter we'd love to share it with our readers. Just contact marilyn@runnerduck.com and we'll do the rest.

Remember we have all of our past projects archived on our web site at www.runnerduck.com. Just click on the Projects or Kids Only Eggs.

If you haven't ordered your Halloween costume yet now would be a good time. We found this really neat Harry Potter costume that would be the hit of the neighborhood. It probably won't give you magic powers but it might just help you score so good candy ;-)

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Well I guess I won't be drumming for The Tempos for a while until my shoulder heals up. I'll try to make it to a rehearsal or two just to let them know that I'm still around and so that they won't replace me. I guess after playing drums for them the past 30 plus years I might just be around for the duration. I hope to be back in the saddle soon but for now I just get to listen.

     The Tempos big swing band is available for hire. If you have a special event that could use the wonderful music of a classic sixteen piece big band be sure to contact thetempos@runnerduck.com. We perform all over the Seattle area for all sorts of events.

Album Pick of the Week

There is a jazz festival that comes to Seattle every year, Earshot Jazz, and one of the top billed performers every year is Don Lanphere. We are saddened to say that Don passed away last Thursday. He has long been an icon in the Washington jazz scene having one of the nicest saxophone sounds you'll ever hear. We'll really miss Don at the festival this year but fortunately, through recordings, his music will live on.

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Remember, we have a link on our web site, www.runnerduck.com, to our ever popular Grammy® Shopper site. If you haven't been there yet just click HERE to see all the 2003 Grammy® winners complete with links to purchase any one of them.

The RunnerDuck web site is hosted by

This was submitted by Barbara W. in Bothell, WA.

Over 15,000 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society about an 8-week old black Labrador retriever.
Men are so easy.

Thanks Barbara, ain't it the truth!

   THIS WEEK'S FREE RECIPE

• Ritz, Graham or other dark cracker.
• White Frosting.
• Chocolate Frosting.
• Raisins.

Remember, if you have a recipe you'd like to share please send it to marilyn@runnerduck.com.

     Every month we post a new recipe on our web page. Be sure and check out the October recipe at the RunnerDuck Kitchen Store.
We'd be happy to post your favorite recipe there or in our newsletter and give you credit. Just drop a line to marilyn@runnerduck.com.

Be sure and visit the RunnerDuck Cookbook Store for other great savings on cookbooks and cooking supplies.

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5 Drawer Tool Box

Circa 1940's

This is week five for this project and we're still moving slowly. Last week we glued the box together and let it dry. This week we moved even slower because of my shoulder surgery. I did manage to get the lid cut apart and things sanded up.

If you've been following along this is what your toolbox should be looking like by now.

Before cutting the lid I'd recommend sanding everything smooth. Unless you are absolutely perfect with all your cuts and gluing there are bound to be some high spots and low spots. I started with 100 grit sand paper and worked my way down to 220. That should be good enough for now.
Cutting the lid can be a bit tricky. I think I made the mistake of having my saw blade too high. I'd suggest lowering it down to where the middle of the kerfs are about even with the top of the board.
Set your fence to 2 1/4".
Lay your box down long ways with the top to the fence.
Carefully make your first cut.
Rotate the box up on end and make your second cut.
Flip it over to the other end. Put a spacer into the cut slot to keep the blade from binding. Make your third cut.
Lastly lay it long ways again to make you last cut. Put spacers on the ends and top to again keep the blade from biding.
If you did it very carefully you should now have a lid that fits perfectly to the box.
I wiggled a little bit at the end of my first cut and made a little gouge in the seam between the top and box. I now get to go in and clean it up.
Sand the edges and knock the sharp edges off. Don't round them just break them a little.

Next we'll start working on the drawers.

We hope you enjoy our projects. Remember, if you ever have any problems with our projects just drop us a line and we'll try to help. Since we build every one of these projects we have a pretty good idea of how to get through them. We also make lots of mistakes so we can help avoid them.

For a great selection of woodworking supplies and tools check out Rockler, Great Prices/Great Selection!

If you have a project that you would like to share please send us an email and we'll help get it published in the RunnerDuck review. We are looking for woodworking, gardening, crafts and kids projects so send us your thoughts at projects@runnerduck.com .

      Do you only print on one side of the paper in your printer? Well stop it! A lot of people find it easier to read things on paper than on a computer monitor. They print out everything and then throw it away, hopefully in the recycle bin! Save all the paper that you've only printed on one side and recycle it through your printer again. This will help save a few trees and it works great. If your work place will let you, bring home paper from there that's only been printed on one side. It will save you money in the long run.

If you have a conservation tip please send it to conservation@runnerduck.com and we'll post it in our newsletter.

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