Changing Seasons

I've written quite a bit, off and on, the past couple months. In fact, I had a pretty big entry penned up before the passing of Steve Jobs, and it never saw the light of day, either. My mood changed, or I got busy, or perhaps I felt the writing was too personal.

Time for an update-

As usual, my entries usually involve construction in some way. The big news is we finally have a steel roof on the new building. This is a big deal- instead of watching mother nature ravage the structure, it now stands a chance of moving forward without decay. No more pushing water out of the upstairs in the dark, or clammering on the roof trying to pin down ice shield and flapping panels.

This progress also coincided with a day or two break from the 9-5 (or 6-5) job. Amazing what a string of free days can do. In the country, something is always going on or needing attention. So...a trip to Waverly for some metal shears to trim the new roof yielded an ammeter for the tractor, a pulley for one day when I make an idler for the mower deck, a spare grease gun to keep in the new building, and generally whatever else caught my eye. On such a sunny day I did indeed pull the tractor out, tracked down a fault with the lighting, changed out the gauge, greased all points and parked it in the shed. (along with finishing off the east edge of the roof, of course) With sun in the PM, the Lodge's railings got wiped down with mineral spirits and touched up with rustoleum before the snow flies. The cement deck is showing wear too- I've only set foot on it a handful of times this year if you can believe it- but the elements are starting to pock it. Out came the tube of masonry patch to fill all the divets I could.

The day prior, another freebie, meant seeing if the boat would fit in the shed with everything else (it does). Lawn chairs now hang up. Garden tools hang up. A "bookshelf" now is attached in the corner and features quarts of oil, funnels, potting soil and pots, and other cast off items. I even trimmed the crude strut brace I had installed when I built the place, and took down a panel of steel that kept snow out when I was working to finish the structure two winters ago. Feels good to have at least one place organized.

And that's the momentum for getting the new CS3 complete. Get everything in its place. The lodge, while mostly complete, feels like a car I put together. Roadworthy. Solid. But marred by primered rockers and a makeshift interior. The last 5% is elbow grease and attention to detail but makes the whole 110%. All it takes is time and consistent vision (what's that?).

By the numbers- CS3 has come a long way since construction kicked off this year. Now granted, I believe it was November prior that the foundation was set, but there was nothing that could be done until spring when the ground thawed to allow excavation and pouring of the cement piers, and the start of the I-beam install. Could it be? A closed-in, inhabitable building in 12 months from thaw? I've still got a couple months before I'll have to hang up my hat on the interior. Hmmm.

News in Brief

It has been an absolute whirlwind lately but a brief reprieve is in sight. Now that we've got a roof on the place, well, most of a roof, I can sleep a little better at night. Next step is to close in the rear wall. Perhaps this week.

With the help of Cara, Ben S. and Cam C., we did the improbable in a single day. At 6AM, there were still joists to hang and plywood to install. By sunset, we were putting the screws in the last panel. One less person and it wouldn't have worked. One less drill and we wouldn't have finished. Any wind and we'd have been in a real fix with those 37' long panels. Rain? Disaster. And it all worked out. We topped off the festivities with a delicious meal at Panther's Pride (think I'll try the breakfast next time) and a very surreal experience at the PL where by 10:30, we called it a night.

Sunday- Felt like I was hit by a truck. Aches, pains; could have slept all day. We finally forced ourselves out of bed before noon, must be a new record for the lodge. I took the day a little easier but still managed to wrap the steel on the ground from rain, cleaned up the site, moved the picker to the SW and even typar'd the west upper wall. Picked up inside the lodge, worked on the wagon, analyzed the etchings of a RR control panel, etc. etc. A lazy, yet productive day.

On the wagon front, we should be ready for a trip to Missouri. The exhaust is patched up, rad overflow bottle swapped out, oil topped off, tempmatic system converted and a new Delco 2000 radio installed. All that's left is the rear headliner, which isn't crucial for highway cruising, but will need installation sometime soon.

About 10,000 other little things going on around here, too- From 'the great kitchen cleanup' to the 'seafoam green toilet seat fiasco'. Never a dull moment!

Touch the Magic

I knew 2011 was going to be a difficult year in terms of personal workload. That was pretty apparent in 2010, the year of "the fixening*". No surprises there. What didn't help was the late spring this year and the ridiculous amount of OT worked spring and summer. The "at-work" forecast for this fall does not appear to be much better.

While CS3 (aka the Research Lab) is more simplistic than the lodge in many ways, it does have its novelties, and whichever way you slice it, you've gotta have time to build. If I can regain a couple weekends, I should still be able to attain my goal of having the place closed-in by this winter. That means cement downstairs, operable windows installed. Walls weather-wrapped. Roofing and trim in place, and rudimentary utilities installed. A closed-in upstairs means I can work on the interior when it starts to turn cold, and a closed-in downstairs means I can quit paying storage on my '60 and find a rightful home for all the construction necessities occupying good lodge space that's cramping my style (table saw, router, band saw, lumber, windows, shelving, fixtures, surplus mat'ls for drive-in, etc).

While I am inclined to write off the spring/summer/fall of 2011 as a lost-year, I need to keep in mind it's been a productive year, and the follow-through should pay dividends in time and money down the road. Plus, there have been perks... 2011 saw a trip to Palm Springs with Cara, the decoration of the living room with actual furniture, my introduction into vintage boating, a new computer for my well-worn G4, an engine rebuild well underway and a healthy addition to the television hobby.

So, I guess you could say I've been busy.

Just how is it some people retire and bore themselves to death? The number of D**re retirees that turn in their badges for their pensions, yet show up to work in a different capacity 4 weeks later just astounds me. This is practically the rule rather than the exception these days. Perhaps these folks do not have the gift a twenty, going on thirty, -year old has. Their life is their job. They've spent more waking hours with a company than their family. Perhaps I think about this occasionally because I couldn't do what I want to do without the paycheck, but compared to my productivity outside of work, I feel absolutely useless behind the desk. I understand life should be well-lived. With enjoyment and fulfillment. Variety. Hard-work. Leisure. One may feel they're invaluable to their job, their employer. I've watched good people suck-up to try to get ahead. Act like people they aren't. And yet once person A moves into position B, position A is so quickly filled with a warm body, and the work done equally, that in several months time, few even remember who occupied that space. I've always found that interesting. How can it be so obvious and yet not weigh on the decisions of those moving about? Odd.

I mention this because as time marches on, we adapt to our environments. If personal skills and cognitive assets aren't exercised, they wither away. I effectively have become a dumber person for excelling at my job, and I do not believe I am alone in this arrangement. This is a blinking light. A subtle warning. The point at which it becomes the background noise is indeterminate. Were I free man, I would heed such a warning. But a little thing called responsibility and adulthood make this complicated. I imagine this is about the time others begin to start families, settle down and buy-into social norms. The light becomes background as new goals enter the picture- Having children and becoming a father. Planning for retirement. Shifting focus from "me" to "them". If that's your bag, great. Novacaine for the soul.

Better get back to work, only a few good months left!

* "The Fixening". I just made that up right now and that's not really what I'd like to call 2010. But the sidebar is that that year was when we first moved in lock, stock and barrel (1 June) and there were no "major" construction projects going on. Not that I wasn't kept busy- August was spent working on the drive-in project. I built the pole-building in the Fall. I drew up plans and sought bids on CS3 before winter and got the foundation in. But I also found the odd weekend here and there between finishing up projects around the lodge to relax a bit. Managed to buy a tractor and a repair manual to get it running right which shaved hours off mowing. Picked up the Olds wagon to play with. And even spent the occasional evening on the front balcony.

On Kodak and the origin of the Digital Camera

Full-Throttle

I've been working quite a bit lately. Too much, perhaps, because the new building has fallen by the way-side. That tends to happen when you're left with an hour or so of daylight in the evening, and you discount rain and the other non-construction tasks to be done, but man does it weigh heavy on the soul.

The "full-time" work is not as bad as it was last year. Certainly not as monotonous at the moment, and even easier when you don't give a damn, but when the alarm goes off at 5AM, and meetings run 'til 6:30PM and later, well, something's gotta give. If I weren't in the midst of this construction I doubt I'd really complain that much.

But let's back up a bit.....

Two Saturday's ago- it was announced the day previous that we would NOT be working the weekend due to parts issues. So, I pulled the trigger on a deal I had been working out with a fellow up in MN the days prior. Hours later, management rescinds. Hourly workers can now 'volunteer' to come in Saturday. Salary, it's simply expected, will show up to support. I called BS and told my boss I made an agreement after the announcement and I was not about to discount my word on the pretense that the company I worked for did not stand behind theirs. I ended up working several hours that Saturday morning before setting out for a 6 hour trip north as a show of goodwill; also, my boss is an idiot.

Brought home a lovely '57 finned runabout and a carload of furniture that had been on our list for sometime. No, not the Macy's couch and chair that we had delivered (that's another story), but something like 12' of dressers and additional kitchen cabinets around the fridge. The front and side panels, now discontinued, require pick up in a week or two. More projects, but ultimately a reduction in clutter that's much needed. 5 hours of Ikea that Sunday and I was shot.

Since then, if I can even recall, it's been mowing, nightly furniture assembly, new headliner fabric on the wagon panels and even one installed this week, gathering scrap and dealing with the scrap-man, bought a boat cover, picked up and installed a water softener, calculated and ordered LVL's, arranged and picked up additional jalousies after work from the fellow I had bought from before, installed hurricane clips on the new building, cut studs for the west wall, and lord knows what else. Plus Damfest last Saturday after work and ultimately a Sunday off to catch up on labor around here. This is simply nuts. Now 12 hour days in my future and possibly a weekend in the factory. I think a night off (ok, a couple hours before hitting the pillow) is in the cards to blow off some steam.

More to come!

The Journey is the Reward

The problem with creating your own things is that there are very few surprises with the finished product. And without those quirks, twists, and surprises, one is always ready for the next big thrill after completion

Now, not everything has to be self-made. The impetus, of course, is that nothing else available is fit for the task. This might be because of location, time involvement, cost, etc. But, I'm not going to shoot my own movie because I can't find one I like. It must be hell on a director to have one in the can. Lots of excitement watching it all come together; pride in the finished product, but the satisfaction is one entirely different from that of a cinema go-er. At least from my perspective, it would seem the discovery and intrigue of whatever it is that I'm seeking would outweigh the DIY route. But the DIY route ensures the job is done right, and can put the end goal within reach without moving to Maine, or spending years putting together someone else's failed project.

There are car guys out there that will pour 10's of thousands of dollars into a restoration and once complete, they sell the car for a loss after only a short time. For them, it's a loss of interest. They're ready for the next project. Odd as it may seem, there are those that sell the car off incomplete and never even ride in it…because of that same loss of interest. I believe the term for that is "quitter".

All else aside...how does one evaluate this kind of situation? And where does the satisfaction lie?

The Many Faces of Jack Nicholson.....

Bus Driver's Holiday

Here I am at work. Except I'm on vacation today. Well, turns out I was a little nervous about cure time of my cement that we placed under the new building's steel columns. Better safe than sorry. Plus it was windy as all get-out yesterday. So I'll put in a few corporate hours today and shoot for Wednesday late afternoon for the big beam install.

Sunday, Couldn't even sheath the place. "Luckily", I had all sorts of other things to attend do.

Got the ol' table saw out and ripped my 'rare as hens teeth' half-inch board into thirds. Then to the miter saw for appropriate cuts. A test-fit along the gangway and they're ready for a coat of paint. This led to a bit of consternation as there are a couple interior cues I would have done differently when it comes to the beltline and accents that this feature will tie into. Things to be attended to down the road when the other building is finished and there's actual floorspace to move about in. So, I snapped a few photos, loaded them in the computer and made myself some notes for 2012.

I found myself heading to the pole building for saw horses, next thing you know I had the tractor out. Well, I attempted it. Battery went flat. Had to jump it to get her going….that building just kept getting further away as the afternoon wore on. Put the tractor on a ramp, started the battery to charging, blocked up the mower deck and proceeded to actually break loose the LH threaded bolts holding on the mower blades. Thank gawd for cheater bars.

Knowing I must make hay while the sun shined, and after anchoring and cementing the columns in place earlier that day with Cara's gracious assistance, I got out the saw, tape measure and square and man handled twenty-eight I-joists, cutting each to length. Then set strings, took measurements, etc. etc. before sitting down to dinner. A full day it was.

Saturday was just as crazy, with sales, construction, and a little R&R that night. Despite Panthers Pride's claim, they were not open 24-hours a day on the weekend. Still craving dinner, Cam, Ben and myself headed for Tony's on main. Slow service, abrasive environment, and annoying patrons. The pizza was quite good, however.

We've entered May, and spring must certainly be on its way. We have grass starting to green. Trees are budding, but the nights are still cold and the weeds aren't just dewey, they're downright frosty as of late. Even though we're running heat upstairs, I could go for a night 'round the old bonfire any day now.

Anthropomorphization

Never thought about it, but it's absolutely true. I do it all the time.....

http://catb.org/esr/jargon/html/anthropomorphization.html

....yet so mild!

I had a delivery scheduled for Thursday PM, and by lunchtime that day, had already accrued enough OT to take a few hours off to see things got setup properly. Only problem? The materials were dropped off that morning. Best not to let it go to waste then.

So, I scooted downtown to visit my glass guy. Missed him by minutes. Alright then, to the parent's to pick up a package, and then time to get busy.

Toiled the afternoon away on walls and columns, only to discover the top plate of my central steel column was out of level. Not good. What else to do while the sun shined? Or rather, as clouds rolled in.

Patched the roof of the pole building. Anchored the EIFS up where water is taking its tool. Added a few drain holes. And came inside and cleaned up. Beat. Met Ben and Cam at the PL for a few brews before calling it a day.

Friday, a blur. Up and out the door with the column to have a new one fabricated. For a C-note plus, it had better be right the first time. Back to the lodge to take on an indoor task. I asked Cara to put together a list of incomplete tasks around the lodge to compare with my list. The summed tome then went into the computer. When the weather is too poor to work outside, I turn to this list, grin, and bear it. By mid afternoon I had the difficult work complete on the east triangle window trim-out upstairs. Even a couple of the trim boards shellaced. I took a brief intermission when my dad stopped out and gave me a hand hauling additionally constructed walls out to the foundation. Then back to my work in progress. Trial fits. Glass cleaning, and an application of anti-fog before coming off the ladder.

Late afternoon I rushed over to pick up the column. Discovered (the hard way) that Leversee road was closed for a section due to construction. Made it to the fabricators with only minutes to spare (and mud on my hood). Then back by the parents to load the new GE fridge for the lodge into their vehicle. Got things set and headed back to the country; Cara accompanied us right off of work. Column unloaded. Fridge unloaded (in the rain). Got the old fridge off the kitchen platform with a bit of ingenuity and the new one in. Parents took off. We scrubbed the interior of the GE a bit, then changed and went back to town for a grand dinner at Panther's Pride. Excellent food, mediocre service. Now to the lodge again (boy this was getting old) to install the turquoise refrigerator door and set things to running. Cut the last trim board under a dark sky, gave it a good shellac'ing, a little dry-time and installation. Then a Mad Men. I think.

Saturday. I have no idea where the day went. I recall putting up the last two 8' rear/side walls with Cara's assistance and hauling yard stuff to the pole shed. Also adding top plates to the walls. Oh yes, then framing the front walls which required a run to the lumber yard for 34 additional 2x6's. Then cutting everything to length and finishing the rough framing. Then it was dinner time. I got to work on Easter's banquet- macaroni salad with bacon bits, key lime pie with homemade whipped cream, and lemon sugar cookies. Cara took care of dishes as fast as I dirtied them.

Finally, night fell and we were able to sit down and enjoy a movie for once. LA Confidential. Very good, indeed.

Sunday- Easter. Full spread. Full stomachs. Spent the afternoon with family and animals before throwing in the towel late afternoon. Then it was time to get to work. Gave the old arm a workout building up the 2x6 column "stacks". Each one made of 5 "plies" of 2x6's which will ultimately support steel beams. Integrated these with the Saturday framed walls, and one by one, hauled them with the Blazer to the new foundation. Meanwhile Cara went to town with the mop and vacuum, making the place shine. With sun setting and legs aching, I put away the tools, poured a drink and we took in a MadMen before heading the sack.

Now that's a weekend!

Talk is Cheap

Monday. Overcast. Raining. It's been two weeks of semi-glorious weather since we've moved (back) into the lodge. A lot has happened, including wall-framing, hole-digging, sill plates, footing & pier pouring, wall erecting and bracing, not to mention that little bit about actually hauling our things back in, getting the lodge operational, awakening the tractor and wagon, etc. etc. Oh, and friggin' 11-hour days at work. Funny that now that I'm on the cusp of 8-hour workdays, the weather goes to pot.

Update- Tuesday. Worked last night prior to darkness and the rain moving in. Made up the 5-ply load bearing column of 2x6's that'll go in the west wall. Also got the final section of the rear wall framed up and ready to haul into place while Cara shoveled up broken cement chunks in the yard that have been our bane for sometime. And...cut studs and layed out the plates for the final section of west wall for when it's not raining out.

Rain. Water. It truly ruins everything. About all you can do is build a dwelling out of stone. Top it off with a terra-cotta roof. If you could deal with the cold and moisture intrusion, you'd be about as weather proof as it gets for the long run. Asphalt shingles will fail. Roofing felt will deteriorate. Plywood walls will crumble behind soggy, chalking siding. Wind will attempt to rip off just about any roof with a wide overhang. And rain will find its way around and into every window, door and crevice.

I hate rain.

Forecast for the following week? Rain.

Back in the High Life

It's been an interesting last couple of weeks. First there was the trip to St. Louis for Blake and Hannah's wedding, rounded out with a brewery tour and some time around the arch. No sooner than we had gotten back to town than I started re-packing for Europe. Destination Germany. Monday morning I was in the Blazer headed down to CR with a bag packed and laptops aplenty. The initial leg to Detroit was quite favorable and I was able to experiment with various window configurations for the new building using the MBA. Oddly, the woman next to me spent much time flipping through her binder of what appeared to be window configurations and cross-sections. After a short while she realized what I was doing and we struck up a conversation about...windows.

The 4 hour layover in Detroit went much quicker after a burger and a couple beers and after a bit I was in the air. I remember looking out the window as we went over St. John's Bay and watching the lights disappear into the darkness of night; next stop, Frankfurt.

The week was a blur of large and delicious meals, dark beers and little sleep. There's much to take in and much to wax philosophically about. Eventually I concluded that the people I traveled with were oblivious to their surroundings. I was searching out details- comparing and contrasting human behaviors, energy saving schemes, road signs and markings, construction details, similar but different items in stores, etc. They were searching out...bars. Eventually I got over the jet lag...just in time for the return trip. The 8 hour flight was made easier by the "on-demand" video system. I rewatched the highlights of The American, took in Unstoppable, and an awful movie, Hereafter. Described as "a thriller centered on three people who are haunted by morality". "Thriller" is not exactly the word that comes to mind.

Now it's been a week back in the country and I'm pretty much over the jet-lag. However a new problem...Construction Season.

Since we've been "on shutdown" I've had a little time to line the ducks up for April. Not only is the official move-in this weekend, but if weather holds for Sunday, the initial stages of construction will begin. This means hammering out details and drawings for the steel beams and columns, gathering materials for the downstairs framing, and at the same time getting the lodge back into shape. Today's post-work task was stocking up on 2x6's that were actually straight and usable, loading them all into the Blazer, and hauling them to the lodge. All 42 of 'em. Yesterday it was treated lumber post-work. The day before it was hauling the trailer to Waterloo for a load of glass and jalousie windows. And the day before that it was a lodge visit (damn mole!) and getting the trailer roadworthy.

Tomorrow, a visit to the steel fabricator's and the engine rebuild machinist. Plus starting on the Lodge's spring punch-list.

I think it's time for bed.

"Talk About..."

Tonight, I leave you with this....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HaAOCGb3bw

Know when to Hold 'em

There's a certain something in the air. Not quite the indicators of spring, after all, March in Iowa has been known to dump a lot of snow on us. But the pavement is covered in sand, and not the white stuff. The lawns look like matte paintings. A slight tinge of green and brown with the consistency of a brillo pad. And occasional days of sun.

This bodes well because I'm eager to get Cold Storage III off the ground, and that means excavating for pier footings. Hard to do with frozen earth.

It was a whirl-wind-weekend. I spent the majority of Saturday fighting off the effects of Friday night. Getting up after only a few hours sleep and hitting the open road was rough, too. A tankard of coffee and Mickey D's helped get the motor going, and after a couple hours Ben started feeling better as well. We took his Tahoe down to DM for an appliance haul, and a random CL search turned up an extremely rare appliance find in CR of all places. It was unfortunate we didn't have a lot of time to snoop out the small towns, but that kind of venture really needs a dedicated day. Flashlights. And a flatbed. So we criss-crossed the state, unloaded the goods shortly before Cara made it back to CF and decided at the last minute to grab a bite to eat at Z's. My hot beef sandwich was pretty good, but not as good as Cara's reuben. Exhausted, I hit the pillow shortly after getting home and slept for 12 hours.

I've pretty much hit the wall with headway on the basement front. What needs to leave in the first wave when the new bldg is complete is packed and ready. A big pile of stuff is set for the spring garage sale. And there's still some items that'll hit the rubbish bin once there's more room to maneuver. So now it's a waiting game. My goal is to get the new building up and closed in this year. Yes, start laughing now. It may not be sided (I'd like to focus on the siding as a single event), and I don't plan on full bathroom/kitchenette completion upstairs. But structure complete, insulation and wall covering, typar wrap, roof, locking doors, downstairs floor, operable windows in, etc. is the goal. Then the exodus will begin!

B'wana She No Home

Where shall I begin?

Well, for one, the little vaca was a terrific break. Just the absence I needed. At the moment, the thoughts are a little clearer. The purpose, more defined. It won't last, of course. It can't. Not when you're scheduled to work 11 hour days all week, inside a plastic clad satellite office in the middle of a window-less manufacturing facility, enjoying an intoxicating mix of fluorescent lighting and diesel particulate.

And still, people can't see how this might affect creativity.

Surprisingly (at least to me anyway), I was not "blown away" by the architecture as one might expect. It's true, there is no greater assemblage of modern design anywhere else on the planet. It took an aligning of the stars to create this mecca. A rising of new materials, the hollywood mores of the time, the draw on aspiring young architects to this strange place, the desert climate and location, and the money, just to name a few. What was a surprise, is 1) the size of Palm Springs in 2010. And 2) shaking ones perceived expectations. After all, when these iconic structures were built, photographed, and made famous, they were islands in the sand. Now, all that aren't built on a mountainside, have stucco boxes and terra cotta roofed neighbors encroaching from all sides. Sinatra's famed Twin Palms is now smack dab in a residential neighborhood, though block walls and foliage provide ample privacy.

Several things stick out. There is no vinyl siding anywhere. It's either totally modern, or Spanish villa. There is also something a little unsettling about the modern design. There is no frost there, so there are no frost footings or foundations. Everything is on a slab. There is no snow so roof structures need not support 35 pounds per square foot. Rain is little, so roof drainage and fenestration detailing is an afterthought. Compared with the engineering obstacles we here in the midwest have to face, these structures were built like the proverbial house of cards, and here they stand 50 years later, looking like day 1.

Not to make light of it, but the most difficult engineering and construction that makes this style take flight, goes right out the window when frost heaving, snow loading and precipitation aren't a factor. Not even bugs or mosquitoes. Telescoping sliding doors were 8' tall and 20' wide and totally screenless.

Secondly, I was left with the personal opinion that as great as the desert setting is, there is nothing quite as cohesive as modern design in an environment of rivers, trees and rolling hills. Even if it means the structure must be water resistant, require diligent maintenace, and be designed and overbuilt by a factor of 5.

So here I am back in town, trying to take advantage of my fleeting amnesia. By week's end it will be gone. Will there be some sort of catharsis or awakening? Will motivation and inspiration free me of my self-inflicted creative bonds? Or will optimism for my summer plans be enough to carry me through? I guess we shall see.

Movies from Last Week

Well now, a little R&R. Nothing too crazy to speak of this weekend. Hobbled into the lodge to check on the new foundation, the current building, and gather some items peacefully resting inside. It's a little odd, really. You step inside and it's a touch warmer. Had a very enjoyable breakfast Sunday at VI, and fired up the bread machine later in the day. Gathered firewood out back, etc. etc. Also identified the best time to head to the rec center, during some sort of bowl game.

This weekend's movies. First, "Unthinkable". I may have enjoyed this moreso than Cara, but we both found it to be a good watch though we initially made the mistake of viewing the official cut. The 'extended version' adds some 90 odd seconds to the tail of the movie which can make all the difference. If you rent it, flip this option on. Afterwards, a quick check on the net reveals why the ending is so abrupt. They ran out of money to properly finish the thing. Oh well.
The better film, IMO, was RED. That's one I might consider picking up on DVD for sheer entertainment value. The pacing, characters, and over-the-top (but not A-Team unbelievable) antics were spot on.

Sunday night we took in a film Cara wanted to see, The Town. Also pretty decent, but as I understand it, they cut almost 2 hours off the film before releasing it, including much character development and story-building scenes. As it currently stands, it makes a decent afternoon cable TV drama.

Welcome to the Last Day of January

January has always been a long month, at least for me. The cold is on. The snow gets deep. And the cabin fever seems to hit hard. Especially hard lately. On the upside, I've made good progress on the basement effort, done quite a bit of reading, and have the majority of heavy details pinned down for CSIII to be built later this year.

In an effort to combat the winter blues, I decided to take a breather on Friday. Ben joined me and we took care of a little thrifting on 18th street where I unloaded an excess LD player, then back to the parents to go through the archives of the computer museum. With a couple hours of sunlight left, it was time for the real deal. We headed lodge-way to make good on our traditional PL toast of getting something done with the '59's engine block. Off the stand, carted out, and loaded into the Blazer. From there, a machine shop in Dewar, IA. I should have an update later this week.

Saturday we renewed our memberships at the rec and did our best to avoid getting carried out on stretchers. The afternoon movie: Little Big Man (thoroughly enjoyed it). A trip to Lava Lounge was also in order for later that night but things went south quickly when I ordered a PBR and it arrived in a can. Returned home and gave a new LD a spin, a brief look into the private life of Albert Einstein. Brief it was. 60 minutes in all.

Sunday I putzed about. More sorting and culling downstairs. Laundry, ironing, the usual preparations for the week. Quite a bit of ebaying and when I finally was ready for bed, got the motivation to start on 3D geometry and layout for the new building (a version modeled to dimensions taken from the actual cementwork). Just what I needed (to avoid sleep).

Additional movies this week: A Single Man and The A-Team. Both hit their respective bullseyes.

Saturday Night at the Movies

It's been a long week. A cold week to boot. The paycheck will be nice but day after day ofunknown quit times, working holidays, and weekend(s) has really messed up my internal clock. Frankly, I've entered a bit of a zombie zone. Get up, go to work, come home, waste time and go to bed. Pretty indifferent about it, actually. So Saturday night was a welcome change- rented a couple movies while out shopping. First up was Wallstreet: Money Never Sleeps. That film had all the punch of a wet dish cloth. Michael Douglas puts in an addictive performance when he turns on his charm, and yes, there are a few minor twists and turns but overall, pretty predictable. Good for a Sunday cable movie.

Next up, The Social Network. A much better film, and Justin Timberlake sells the sleazy, partying, pseudo-con extremely well. I must admit, I pretty much dismissed FB for several years, back when it was fresh and my sister (and everyone she knew at college) were engaged in it. Dismissed in much the same way I felt about cell phones. You see, I'm not that social of a person. In fact, to say I was a traditionalist is like saying the sun is hot. But these days it doesn't take a genius to see how great a tool FB is. Privacy aside (please, if you're reading this you're on the net, you gave up privacy years ago), there is no better method today to bring friends together collectively. Instantly. Flexibly. And with minimal time and expense. It is, in fact, the modern replacement for the Saturday night card party when local friends would get together and chat and share and discuss. Today, of course, we're global. I have friends with similar interests in Iceland, Belgium, Australia, and all over the US. Anyone of us routinely posts pictures of the latest challenge, the new acquisition, a common-interest news story on the web, what exotic dish someone is making tonight, etc. Soon, one finds new acquaintances with friends of friends. A phone call or an email is a medium. But FB is a tool, and really I think, just the tip of the iceberg. How far one extends their toes into the water is up to them.

You Are Not LeBoeuf!

Wednesday. In the middle of an odd non-week. It all started 7 days ago when announcements were made about our production schedule, leaving Thursday as a layoff day for the workers, and myself in charge for Friday. That's when things really got odd. In the end, we were not going to run the following week (of course, salary folk must show), so I took Tuesday off after a semi-leisurely Monday. Plans changed and now we are running. Plus Sunday and Holiday. But Tuesday was a welcome break.

Monday, business as usual. Put in 8 hours. Filed paperwork at the Sheriff's office. Visited Scheels to inspect a few sidearms. Had a couple brews at the PL. Or should I say, paid-in-full for a couple brews at the PL. Picked up dinner, picked up Cara at the 'rents and we took in a viewing of Runaway Train.

Tuesday…had the day off to take care of a few things. Namely…moving. I started on draining water lines and scrubbing faucets and fixtures for the close of the season while Cara packed misc things to take in. I cut the heat, got out the hose to drain the water heater and pressure tank, cut a copper line I knew would cause trouble, and then went for the RV anti-freeze. At least I thought I had some. Next stop: Waverly. By the end of the day we had the place 95% winterized, power cut, made a stop at the humane society, unpacked in town, took in a screening of True Grit, and gave The Pizza Ranch a try. All-in-all, a grand time.

I realize this reads like a laundry list but time is shorter and patience shorter. It's about that time for a good reflection on life and the new year provides some inspiration for that. Now to pencil it in.