Friday, April 29, 2011

Anthropomorphization

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

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

Monday, April 25, 2011

....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!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

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.