Radar58

Changing Seasons

2011-11-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-29T06:40:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

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

2011-07-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

Full-Throttle

2011-06-23T04:54:00.001-07:00

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

2011-05-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

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.....

2011-05-24T06:54:00.001-07:00

Bus Driver's Holiday

2011-05-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-04-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-19T05:09:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-31T18:01:00.001-07:00

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..."

2011-03-09T17:41:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I leave you with this....

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

Know when to Hold 'em

2011-03-08T13:47:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-14T06:13:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-31T05:39:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-01-12T15:19:00.001-08:00

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.

G12+

2010-12-30T13:55:00.000-08:00

It's not that I've intentionally been slacking on writing, it's just that life ended up getting extremely hectic towards the end of the year. So much so that I had little time to think at work (which oddly used to be a great thinking time...being holed up behind a desk with a couple of monitors and a stack of notepads). When I end up transitioning back into 'treading water' stage, writing is one of those things that helps take the edge off.

So here we are, another year down, and a full year in that 'factory job'. Blessings come in disguise and while the work itself demands the brain power of a drunken feline, the OT pay more than made up for it. On a look back, there's quite a bit to be proud of, even if I find myself more restless than ever.

It had to come sooner or later, the great lodge freeze-out. Actually, more of a snow-out. With adequate heat both upstairs and down, the major struggle is getting to the building. Since it was not originally intended for year-round living, there are of course, difficulties. Such as the occasional pipe freeze, or ice build-up on the deck. Not that big of a deal. But a major snow recently stopped us in our tracks. We were fortunate to get out the morning after to put together our plan while the flakes continued to fall with no end in sight. We made two runs out with clothing and perishables before parking the truck and going on foot for any additional visits. And then, surprise of surprises, a day or two passed and the 'neighbor' used his tractor to pack down the 1/2 mile path from the main road. And so there may be hope yet. While I write this it's 40F. A recent trip past the land gave me confidence that should temps return to below freezing, the path-in should be easy to traverse now that much of the high-centered snow has melted. Time will tell.

For the week off, it's been both relaxing and busy. I've gotten quite a bit of reading in. A LOT of organizing in the basement. Installed a coolant heater on Cara's VW. Purchased and shellac'd trim boards for the lodge, and tackled a few other to-do's out there. Tonight- a movie with friends. Tomorrow night- a new years eve bash here in town. Sat and Sun? Perhaps the lodge for a big project. Oye.

In no particular order, noteworthy events of 2010:

June 1st, Cara and I moved into the lodge and said goodbye to the CF apartment. We took in a Wright and Like tour in Racine. I bought a tractor and mowed a lot of open field. An Olds station wagon found its way to the lodge. Ben and I swapped a rear axle in intense Iowa heat and humidity. A drive-in screen went up...and then came back down. Cara and I took in a Madison modernism tour. I made a trip to MN for a grand wash-in. Cam, Ben and I took down Ben's dilapidated garage. One fine morning I got up early and started digging holes and mixing cement. Next thing I knew, I had a steel building. Ben and I worked on Don's Talisman in Rockford, once again in the blustery snow. I decided to visit MN in October for a week and explore the back-country, something I had never done. Fall parties and bonfires were hosted and I finally got that projector for showing movies...inside. Made a few friends. Sold a few things on ebay. Started the 'great basement haul-out' project. AND, broke ground on Cold Storage III, aka, The Research Lab.

Next year should prove very interesting.

Modulo 72

2010-11-16T13:17:00.001-08:00

It's not that I intentionally quit posting after my Minnesota breather, it's just that life just seemed to make convenient excuses. In fact, quite a few posts were started, and abandoned, in the last month or two out of loss of interest. But here we are, halfway across November. Weather turning, outdoor projects coming to a close.

The big news! The official ground breaking for the Research Building (aka CS III) took place 15 November 2010 with the trenching of the footings and, later in the day, string setup for the footings. Today (the 16th) supposedly the footing formwork will go in and the pour will take place. The weather is set to hold this week, though about 10 degrees cooler than last. Next- wall formwork, grading and compacting, and then the finished floor. Meanwhile, the lodge is getting buttoned up for winter and the pole building is now set for steel siding which is enroute.

Job wise, I'm in maintenance mode. Riding it out 'til things get heavy, or the soul-less burden becomes too much to bear. Unfortunately, it's a catch-22. Some people are able to be creative wherever they are. While I may have once had that skill, these days it takes the right setting, the proper surroundings, to get my mind into gear. It's like trying to compose a proper email with a radio blaring in one ear and someone trying to have a conversation with you in the other. Just doesn't work. The research building should help alleviate that. A place for everything and everything in its place- to soothe the mind. The proper tools and benches to tear into a project, or play around with an idea. The equipment to get me back into a place where the mind can run; productive or not. That…. and working garage doors.

A Mixed Bag

2010-10-06T13:06:00.001-07:00

Where would I begin. Perhaps with the obvious- Monday morning, slightly cranky and tired. I'll be throwing the levers alone this week while the other fellow is out of the office; let's hope it stays this quiet now that all the paperwork is out of the way.

While it's only the 4th of October, I'll turn my head and surely the 15th will be on me. Then November, when we all can agree the year is shot. The days are cold, the heaters run and you find yourself moving indoors. So it was nice to have a weekend of sun and warmth. Got much done even with my grandma's 84th birthday and a Saturday spent with Cara, palling it up with llama, goats, and other critters. Then a run to the CR Restore, but first, a little excitement with 5th street tire and exploding sidewalls. The good times, they did roll.

So, Sunday, managed to run the tractor up and down the lane, mowed the "front yard" for what'll probably be the last time this year. Trimmed the lower branches from our fast-growing side-yard tree. Organized the pumphouse shed. Weed-wacked about the place. Fixed a rear spotlight that I mysteriously found in several parts on the ground. Also, wired up and tried out a "new" 5kW industrial heater (hey, it works!). The day wasn't complete without cleaning and painting the final deck upright, then stringing (temporarily until I can find fittings) braided steel cable across the front upper deck. And, hauled in and hooked up the new switchboards to a pair of phones we grabbed at the parents after a noon lunch and stroll over at my grandma's.

…More to come...

Finally, a New Approach

2010-09-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

Despite what some may believe, the need for a storage building was dreamt up back in the days of the initial Lodge groundbreaking. The reason was two-fold- I had lots of things that needed shelter that you wouldn't want to be tripping over everyday, AND, you wouldn't want to pull your daily driver in and out of what's essentially your living room on a daily basis. The name "Cold Storage" came along and stuck, even though the actual storage may well see some heat. Cold Storage 2 was actually the first iteration, and if you snoop through my folders you'll find many variations on the idea, each time, a different approach, because frankly, the designs never really clicked. Whatever the design, the specs were rigorous, needing to both house vehicles, power tools and equipment, interim washers/dryers, and a good portion of basement glut. It also needed to complement the lay of the land, harmonize with the lodge and pumphouse, and not attempt to take center stage. Third, it must be cost and time sensitive and make use of the Lodge "lessons learned". Not exactly easy benchmarks to hit.

Finally, a new approach that breaks from previous designs so significantly that it's fair to dub it "Cold Storage 3". The present design is workable, flexible even. With potential for full insulation and heating, an upstairs bathroom (yes, two floors), and some novel, integrated solutions to storage and movement. Where difficulty lies, is in spanning both floor and ceiling distances with conventional techniques. This is where the real engineering comes in.

That's how you pass the time….

2010-09-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

I made the mistake Thursday after work of firing up the SubZero freezer and going about ironing, cookie baking (was that Thursday?) and other post-work activities. After an hour or two I transferred over ALL the items in our packed fridge to the freezer unit and set about defrosting the Coldspot. Several hours of attention (and hacking) later, the thing was finally frost-free. By now it was 10 and I knew Friday was going to be a long one. I crossed my fingers, checked the thermometer every few minutes, and transferred everything back over. Outside the side door, a big pile of frozen ice chunks. Now she runs great at even the warmest setting and we've regained our freezer space.

Friday…super long day of wearing multiple hats at work…simultaneously. Playing boss wasn't so bad, the minute-by-minute demands made the day fly by, and I held my own against rowdy union boys that tried their best to get one over on me, while still managing to keep lines flowing and the business unit manager happy. I was ready for that drink after work.

It seemed no matter how much sleep I got the following days, I was always exhausted, even if I was moving about. We slept in Saturday, then took advantage of the cool, but sunny, afternoon and got all the mowing done around the place. I even washed down the tractor and was reminded that yes, it needs a tractor shed. With chores finished, we rolled up Waverly way in the wagon to see the sights. I got sucked into the authentic Fareway for some oddball cuisine…after all, with a GIANT Fareway going up behind this one, it's not long for this world. That's unfortunate, because the existing one does everything it needs to, it's just cramped. The new one has ceilings that'll be too high, aisles too wide, and in the process, pick up that cold, unfriendly feel. It also looks like a giant Walgreens.

The vintage gas station-turned auto museum next door had a '56 Pontiac out front and a glimpse through the service bay windows revealed how much fun a true enthusiast can have when they've got some money and imagination.

The evening was low key, with some reading, Lawrence Welk, and a bad movie from Red Box.

Sunday, another shot to sleep in and we did. Followed it up with eggs, hash browns, sausage, OJ, and toast out on the lawn. More reading about the trials and tribulations of Control Data Corporation, THE supercomputer pioneers based right out of Minnesota. We got after the next chore before heading in to CF, namely house-washing the back of the lodge. Cara manned the hose and detergent and I scrubbed like hell with the acid brush. Didn't get too…wet, but worked up a sweat. Hung the clothes out and headed in.

Spent the rest of the day at the Pruisner's for Lydia's first bday party. It was a good time with good food and chit chat. My eyelids were dropping later in the eve but we somehow managed to make it past 10. Back at the lodge, I set up my R2R machine I grabbed from the parents on the way in, and played around with some tapes I had picked up the weekend prior. This vacuum tube machine hadn't seen any kind of use in over a decade; just sat silently in the basement corner, and yet it sprang right to life without prodding or coaxing.

The last day of vac and the writing was on the wall. The winds blew like crazy all day long, forcing my eventualy closing of the last open clerestory early in the AM due to the scream of wind cutting across the screen. It was too windy to clean up and paint the lawn furniture for the winter, but I did manage to roll a few coats of red on my pre-cut plywood panel destined to be the pumphouse door, and spent some time in the PM shellac'ing and sanding panels for the upstairs vanity. The rest of the afternoon was frittered away on an all-new design for Cold Storage 2. It's rare to get a block of time anymore to dedicate to this kind of free thinking and so far I'm enthused about the initial results.

The last free evening? Bad TV in parallel with reading, music, and internet putzing while waiting out the storm that hammered us. Note to self: buy an anemometer.

Music into Gold

2010-08-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! Should've been relaxing, but some sort of inner angst that I can't quite put my finger on had me feeling a touch under the weather (or just beat).

Friday, got out of work at a decent time and hit up M*nards for a cartful of supplies, half of which were grocery items. I returned the small impact gun which failed in the first week of use, only to discover that model is no longer being carried. Supplanted no doubt, by something pricier.

For such a nice evening I had thought about having the gents out to the lodge but with Cara's schedule it made more sense to hit up the PL. Had a grand time, spent too much but the juke had us rolling. Cam dropped in but was quiet for the most part. Cara came by and discovered some coworkers. All-in-all a good way to blow off a little steam from a long week.

Saturday I decided to make my own. Got breakfast going, made some macaroni salad, got laundry running and worked on a shopping list for the Fleet Farm. Hung everything out on the line around lunchtime and hit up Waverly. Picked up a pair of 12v lamps for the tractor, in small GE blue and yellow corrugated boxes reminiscent of the 60's. The computer text on the label side told me they were newish..actually they were 20 years old. Still, you could feel the quality in your hands. Also grabbed a mini grease gun and other maintenance essentials, a few pairs of work pants, etc. Scored well at T&T, including a Tupperware bowl from '54, a GE stainless 60's coffee urn, a blue heaven baking dish and a stack of reel-to-reel releases. By the time I hit evil W*lmart for wine and razors, I was beginning to drag. Weather was gorgeous, however, so I cruised home at 50 or so in the Olds, and greased up the tractor in the shade. Mowed the DI area and called it a day.

Sunday, not sure what went wrong. Plenty of sleep, up at 9, and zero motivation. Nevertheless, I strapped myself to the power tools the rest of the day and have the sunburned back to prove it. Things were really heating up temp-wise inside, but a steady breeze from the south made working outside the side door quite tolerable. In between cuts, measurements upstairs, and routering, I caught 'Eddie and the Cruisers II' in 5 minute chunks. 1 word: Predictable. But worth it as an unintentional documentary of the Springsteen era. Also cut a new door for the pumphouse to replace the temp siding "door". A few coats of paint and it'll be ready to hang.

Somehow managed to put away all the heavy equipment and clean up moments before Cara came home. Decided it was make-or-break time and installed an additional light in the kitchen over the counter adjacent to the sink while she rested. The install went almost too smoothly.

With a superb late summer evening still to come, we took the wagon into town to the parents for chit-chat and a visit by my grandma. Snuck a peak at the basement (where is my Akai R2R?) and made a quick mental note: double the size of CS2). Stuck around 'til dusk before heading back.

Fall is coming.

End of Order

2010-08-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been pretty hectic, though fulfilling.

How to get the most out of a Thursday:
Up before the sun.
Narrowly escape a speeding ticket thanks to the stickler driving in front of me.
Put a good 10 hours on the clock.
Pick up a rusty axle from the flood plain with Ben.
Purchase an Oldsmobile.

Friday: This pitch black at 5:30AM stuff has got to end. Put in another long day of OT at work, then the parts store for a few misc items for Saturday. Needing a plan for Saturday's axle swap, Ben and I met up at the PL. I gave Cam a buzz as well. Not only was the A/C shot and doors propped open, it was too hot to serve tap beer (all foam) and Miller's company was rather lacking. We were feeling pretty nonplussed as it was, so after a couple beers and a tentative plan, we went our separate ways. I returned to the lodge in time for the mosquitoes to take hold and worked on the Olds for a little while before turning in.

Saturday morning….where was the sun? I paced until the fog lifted around 10:30, then was able to start mowing. The temps came up and the sky cleared. I ran the tractor until noon, getting a couple acres done as Ben pulled in. By that point, shirt sweated through and a decent farmer's tan going. And so IT began. One long, hot, humid, sweaty, dirty axle swap. We both agreed that was about our limit for automotive endurance these days. 8 hours baking in the sun, fighting rusty bolts and stubborn iron. Around 4 we got a brief reprieve and headed for Waverly for parts and cassettes at the new Goodwill store. Fought and fought and fought the brakes, which could still use another bleed, but the Blazer is now fully mobile and back in service. Polished off our fair share of Old Mills as we sat in the dining area, unable to move. Shower, dinner, and bed.

I was a little achy Sunday, and in one of those moods where I wasn't sure I wanted to do much of anything, but labor called. Got up and ran the push mower around for an hour taking care of the detail areas you can't get with the tractor. Yes, the sun was beating down. Then time for a little breakfast. Determined to do….something, I made good on this year's promise of taking Cara to Antique Acres for the Old Time Power Show. It did not disappoint! After that, to the car wash, then the parents' place where I caught the second half of Ghandi on AMC. Next, home to try out a pickled egg recipe and bring in the clothes off the line as the sun was setting.

The next morning, back to the grind. An 11-hour day followed by a stop at AZ to return unused parts and loan-a-tools. A sigh of relief to have that off my chest. Then the 'rents, and Fareway, and before you know it you get home and the only thing you can muster is grinding kitty litter into oil on the driveway. That, and a Digiorno pizza. Oh hell, and 45 minutes of ironing while sleeping standing up.

I can't say this summer has been a total loss. It's a different whirlwind mode this year, where even though I'm working constant OT and trying to tie up loose ends outside of work, I no longer must succomb to the whipping of the daily task list. That said, I think a little fall mini-vacation may be in order.

Strange Days

2010-08-17T04:51:00.000-07:00

It's been odd the past week or so. Of course, there was the up and down of the drive-in screen. Spent Tuesday with the parents dismantling and salvaging a good portion of the remains. Then spent a few hours in the sun playing catch-up with grass that desperately needed mowing. The rest of the week was fairly quiet. Mostly because of late days at work and early nights in bed. After the drama and angst, I hit up the PL with Ben and Cam Thursday to blow off some steam. Still sorting out the Blazer axle, Ben and I engaged in enough automotive chat to turn Cam's stomach. Home by 11.

With a no-work-Saturday upon me, I relished in the fact that I could stay up late AND sleep in. Ran to Menards after work, then met Cara for dinner at the old Neighbor's establishment. Had a tasty bacon and cheddar burger and stopped by the parents for some books I still had over there. Home..tired and full. Went to sleep…not so late.

More of the same Saturday afternoon. Did my best to keep idle and "relax". Started off ok, but soon I found myself rolling in rust and dirt getting greasy under the blazer in the hot sun. Spun some LP's, looked cross-eyed at some technical pubs, but was mostly busy at nothing. Kept on that way until 11PM or so after putting up with enough calculations, and enough of a bad Jack Lemmon movie. Tired? Probably. Creative? Not so much. That did get me thinking about the creative process.

You might say I have a lot on my mind…two cars parked downstairs with drivetrains apart. Cold Storage 2 for this season (foundation types, roofing materials, costs). Replacing and building the drive-in. Cara's cabin. Getting the Blazer back on the road. Maintaining sanity from work. Stuff sitting around at the parents. Outstanding construction tasks. And lots of little things like taking care of the brougham title, sleuthing out a weather radio, searching out a snow plow and/or truck. Fixing the road. And all the mindless details that go into each of those. End of the day, apartment life sounds mighty good. Guess this is the price for being able to do what you want to do with minimal intrusion.

Meanwhile, vintage computing and design calls. Console sets sit, untouched. Business ventures, out of reach. It's not all negative energy, but it does a real number on the artful, creative side of things. But that I can deal with. Some of the most worry-less, simple, people I have had the 'pleasure' of knowing are not necessarily the most creative. And what about those individuals that were, but are now…not. What is the corollary?

When I worked in engineering, I could feel my soul being slowly overtaken. Same for energy. BUT, not creativity. And if a person is creative and positive, they can usually get themselves out of a lot of tight spots in life. Of course, outside circumstances were different, but I believe it was because I could counter the duldrum with my own time consuming inventions. Not quite enough time to get those ideas off the ground, but enough to package them up neatly and place them upon the shelf. A design for this. A solution for that. A small plan with beginning and end. The here and now is a different story. It's not the lack of free time that is the source of the problem as it would first appear, it's the slow attack on my intelligence. This is the conclusion I drew on Saturday. This wasn't a problem before- I wasn't dealing with idiots. But hang around a group long enough, and then tell me that your aspirations, intelligence, and attitude is not in some way affected. When meeting up for beers after work involves staring at a tv screen for 90% of the time with minimal engagement, you best put down your signature and give up. I mean, it makes sense why a major portion of the male population would rather do nothing than spend a Saturday afternoon watching sports and drinking beer, reacting only as events play out in front of them frame by frame. The trouble? I found myself equally motivation-less Saturday.
I'm going to chalk this one up to lack of sleep, but I best be careful, lest this situation consume me without further warning. Odd as it sounds, I miss the academic environment.

Yankee Brow Mopper

2010-08-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, 4PM. At the PL. This is a week that won't get any shorter, even with Friday approaching (I'll likely be working Saturday anyway) plus two layoff days at work this week meaning I still have to show up for meetings.

Here's the recap... Friday night Ben and I drove over to wellsburg to pick up the bucket lift. We managed to make it to the lodge even with the rr's handiwork. Then a few well rec'd drinks at the panther before a busy Saturday.

The next morning i was up and pacing. It was hot, it was humid, but work needed to get done. Cara managed to break her tow before the construction started but she took it in good spirit. The parents showed soon and we started auguring the first 6' hole, which took some doing seeing as the extension wouldn't fit the motor shaft. Luckily I had a few spare galvanized fittings on hand and we found one that would work. Much toil and A LOT of hauling with the tractor, then the big moment. We had Ben on hand, Cam came out and even Blake and Hannah made a surprise stop in time to see if we could upright the first timber. After much consternation I continued with the bucket lift and things went off without a hitch. Plumb it, cement it, clean up and head for the smoke shack where cara, cam and i had some of the best chicken I can recall, delicious sides and even got in a few free games of pool. Sunburnt and tired, we called it an eve and got to bed with light still in the sky.

Sunday, the 'rents arrived as I was finishing auguring the initial 3' of the easternmost posthole before adding the extension. Cara , who was not doing too hot, took off to get her eye checked out leaving my dad and i to get to it. Fighting broken shear pins and the hot, wet air, finished the augor job, dragged the column into place, lifted one end onto the bucket, and then proceeded to upright and sink it into place! Cam arrived at noon in the midst of more digging and together we got the other two poles sunk and plumbed in the afternoon heat.

We broke for lunch and cool down before mixing cement, but even that went quick enough with 3 of us pouring, mixing, hauling and shoveling cement. With the job done we retreated to the lodge to meet the girls who brought pizza and breadsticks, then to the side deck to sit in the shade, have a cold one and take in a truly glorious Iowa summer afternoon, the kind that can only be appreciated in soaked shirts and jobs done.

Monday... Menards after work for more bags of cement, then an evening of mosquitos and cement mixing. Snapped a few lines and let things setup overnight.

Tuesday... Right to the bucket. Slowly but surely made my way bottom to top marking lines, fastening braces and securing the horizontal stringers every 24". Inside for dinner, then bed.

Wednesday, here i am at the PL. Tonight's agenda? Cutting 2x4's to length and attaching to the back of the stringers for rigidity. Trim the post tops...maybe paint the "extensions".

And perhaps work in a good blog-venting...

Needles and Dimwits

2010-07-28T05:12:00.000-07:00

For putting in only four days at the factory last week, I sure felt exhausted. Then again, there was no shortage of drama. And with little down time in the evenings, I could see things slipping further and further behind at the lodge. I made the decision then Wednesday to take a little catch-up day Friday. Catch-up, I did.

Thursday night was a grand time at Steve's with delicious brats and tasty dogs, potato salad and corn on the cob; plus all the interesting conversation one can handle. It was nice to have that little voice in my head silenced, you know, the one that says, "it's a school night". Maybe I don't hear the voice, just the guilt. That's a real problem- when I play by others' rules, I commit, and end up limiting any fun to a Friday or Saturday night. Anyhow, a good time.

Woke up Friday morning and got down to it. Cleared the kitchen counter and sanded the filler around the glass block window where we had had a leak; then a couple coats of paint. While that was drying, got out the stain and sandpaper and went about touching up the leading edge of the pocket doors upstairs that were unstained. Next- the bathroom was initially designed for baseboard trim but I'm finding I prefer it without- that means any excess caulk and grout has to be cleaned up and new caulking done. So, got out the razor blades, vacuum, and caulk gun and went to town. Done. Cleared the side decks, scrubbed, and waited for the sun to dry off any moisture from the previous night. Meanwhile, sat outside with the Blazer counting rotations of the rear axle and crankshaft. 3.42 rear end. Time for some online gear shopping. With the deck dry enough I got out the porch and floor paint and masking and went to town giving it a nice even coat of red; really makes a difference. With paint and stain drying, now mid-afternoon, I loaded the STS with my heavy jack and tools, washed up, hopped in the car and headed for Waverly. Found a decent 1 1/2" socket and 3/4 slide bar along with gear oil at the fleet store. Then T&T for a few choice finds (vintage heater, desklamp, and tumblers). Next, downtown Waterloo.

Dropped by Laidigs to find the place open and the much-needed glass medicine cabinet shelves cut and ready. Bid adieu to the busy man and continued on to Menards to arrange delivery of the drive-in bill of materials. Got things setup for Saturday, then sweated my arse off sorting through 14' 2x6's to be added to the order. For what I wanted to do…purchase additional lumber, select it myself, and have it added to the delivery slip, I was surprised how 1) easy it was at the lumber desk, and 2) how it depended on high school fork truck operators to put my stack of boards with the correct tag in the correct place at their leisure half way 'round the outlot..if they had heard a word I said.

Turned up the A/C and pointed the car towards the parents', where I discovered the '76 was blocked-in by a neighbor's Buick inhabiting the driveway. With the neighbor gone, I could only roll the '76 out halfway. Spent a half hour squeezing between the sides of the car, breaking lose the axle shaft nuts on the front wheels with the new tools. With the heat, humidity and gusto, I pushed the car back in, collected my things and returned to the lodge for a much-needed shower. With evening closing in I returned to meet Ben and Cam at the PL to cap off a day of constant motion, where we cornered the marked on the jukebox and had a grand time.

Slept like the dead and accepted the fact that there was more work to be done with Saturday's morning light. Got up glumly and looked at my phone- Hmmm, a message from the Menards delivery fellow concerned about traversing the farm lane. There was no time stamp. I stepped onto the deck, and whoa, here was the delivery sitting in the side yard! Well, that'll have to be dealt with since the "delivery flags" were over in the DI area. Cleaned up, fueled up the Farmall and worked on a good sunburn. The tall, wet grass was a bit much and the soft ground made navigating tricky. I did what I could from the tractor seat before pushing the gas mower around for another hour or so and getting the bags of cement, now stacked in the sideyard, covered with a tarp. Came in for an afternoon reprieve, got laundry going and ordered up the gearset needed for the Blazer. Hung the laundry out to dry and noticed an email from Cara at work…Big Sale at Hancock's! Well then, only an hour left open. Hancock's…they know how to disappoint. That's a rant for another time. I accepted the situation and bought 5 yards of a deckstripe pattern for west window curtains, then made my way back via Greenhill to 218, whereupon I took a tour of the dilapitated housing down by the river and did a little snooping in the evening sun.

Home, peanuts on the deck with Cara (where we noticed those huge dragonflies were frolicking enmass), then a final MadMen and sack time.

Sunday, supposedly a day of rest. But hard work begets satisfaction. After whipping up a pepperoni and egg breakfast burrito, I took to dismantling the Fleetwood in the yard. Cara mowed in the hot sun. I got door panels pulled, trim pieces yanked, fought wasps and disassembled the dash. Opened the glovebox door to discover it was packed full of insulation…then a mouse stuck his head out to greet me. Well hello. I relatched the door.

Cara ran off for groceries, I had the car pretty well stripped. Next, shoveling heavy dirt and sand. Basically, re-excavating both horseshoe pits. I had pulled all the weeds the day prior, and was surprised to fill my big wheelbarrow with the material from a single pit. Cut and placed weed blocking fabric in the bottoms of each and carefully packed the material back in, adding sand where necessary. Can't say I enjoyed that work much but it should provide many happy games of 'shoes. Got the weedwhip out of the shed and went about the great whipping of the weeds, which at this point is more like the cutting of the stalks. Grass and crap all over the place. Also told Cara I'd look at her car, which is now showing an ABS light. Well, removed both front wheels and had a look about. All ship-shape. Got on the net to find failing ABS modules for her car all the rage. Crap.

Cara returned and we cleaned up and headed out the door for the evening showing of "Inception". A fine flick! Even with the power going off halfway through the movie and the emergency lights coming on. At least the audience was used to sitting the dark.

And their you have it, another weekend in excruciating detail!

Hillbilly Harbinger

2010-07-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

Last week…. A real killer without much downtime. Long days at work, errands every evening and then things that always seem to need doing out at the lodge. Somehow, made it through.
Friday night we ate at My Verona. Pricey, but worth every penny. The service and attention to detail was topnotch, more so than any other restaurant I can recall. The dishes: unique, unpronounceable, and delicious. http://www.cedarfallstimes.com/assets/pagePDFs/pdf200916-43105.pdf Makes the Brown Bottle look like Burger King.

I took a bullet and supervised an 8 hour shift Saturday morning. Meanwhile, things were heating up outside. I swung by the parents around 2 for an old bottle of Disc Quiet, then to the lodge where the sun was out in full force. Cara ran errands while I hauled brush, shoveled dirt, painted the side deck and hauled the jack out front and changed the brake pads on the Blazer. Whew. Then… crack open a bottle of wine and take in a few MadMen as the sun set. Completely exhausted after 6 days of work and other sundry toil, I bedded down like the dead.

At 3:30AM Cara made several attempts to wake me, and finally, after the howling got too much to handle, I got up and scrambled. The lodge was fit to blow away in one of the most bizarre wind storms I can recall. Instead of a quick, violent downburst, the winds circled and changed directions north/south, then east/west, all pretty much simultaneously.

First, I closed all north facing windows and laid back down. (closing the north windows cuts the exit path for the south blowing winds and thus the wind goes around the building and not through it). No change. This was odd, I thought. Then, set up the ladder and closed all but one clerestory. Still, the wind was cutting parallel to the open window screen, whistling with ever changing pitch. I closed up all windows, trekked to the upper deck door and stepped outside. Trees were bending, the wind was forcing its way up inside the soffits and screaming as it cut across the edges of the fascia boards. I looked out in the side yard and one of the heavy wire chairs that had been on the balcony was now laying in the side yard…somehow it made its way through the steel railing uprights on the west end of the deck and launched itself down onto the grass….without leaving a paint mark or scratch on any of the railing. And still, no rain. With all windows closed and everything outside locked down, we went back to bed. So much for a good night's sleep.

Sunday, sun shining in our faces, guess we better get up. After breakfast and tidying, we took my spreadsheets and lists over to menards and, in one swoop, hauled, ordered, arranged delivery and purchased 95% of the materials needed to build the drive-in screen, fence, and concession and projection buildings along with the viewing deck. Can't say my wallet has screamed like that in a very long time. 10-day lead time on the special order, so I guess we'll see if official groundbreaking is the 24th, or the 31st.

And what better way to celebrate the accomplishment of getting out of Menards with souls intact than a trip to Hardee's. Actually, the good was great as usual. Angus thickburgers, onion rings and hand breaded chicken strips.

We decided to press our luck, and went to Lowes to try to order corrugated fiberglass panels that Menards did sell when I planned the DI, but no longer offers. Finding that Lowes had some of these on their website, same brand and all, gave me a glimmer of hope. But as is Lowe's wont, their staff consists of Home Depot castoffs that wouldn't know a truss from a joist. Much hand holding and photocopying of a brochure I brought in ensued. Will I get a call from them today? How have they managed to stay in business? These are the questions.

Uncle Frank and Bladder Lake

2010-07-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

A refreshing vacation, as always, though this year's "relief" was less intense than years' past when my days were dictated by late nights, schedules and punch lists lodge work demanded. Not that I’m slacking in the sense that I'd like to be, but that the day job pretty much occupies my waking hours. With that in mind, the Minnesota trip was bliss. With bags packed we started with our traditional route up old 218 to Owatanna, then to 35 to make up some time for our late start. The state highways were smooth and open for business and the weather, perfect. All we needed now were detailed maps of the state, something not readily available in paper form. But what was this? The iPad to the rescue.

To say it was useful would be an understatement. Not only were we tracking our movement in real time on the google-based map application but streets right down to residential were right there at a "pinch and zoom" while our location dot tracked nearby. Knowing there once was a DI in St. Ansgar, I pulled up safari, found an article released in 2008 about a vinyard on the old DI property, pulled up an address, loaded the maps and directed a change of course as we entered town. This was not just any drive-in, but a fly-in drive-in. The grounds had all been turned to vinyard but the concession stand remained as an outbuilding and the owners have taken to showing DVD movies on a 16x16 screen of their construction, even going so far as to create a retro-themed sign at the road with marquee of what's playing. A chat with a family member there filled us in on the details. From there, back on the road, but again, a problem. Entering Austin the 90 west ramp was closed. There was road in front of us but not on the paper maps. A quick check of the map app and it turns out it was a shortcut over 90 that we've always taken. Nice.

We soon found the backroads were a better choice than 35, which reached a standstill as we neared Burnsville. We could see the next exit from our position in gridlock and bailed when we got the chance. As Cara drove, I plotted through side streets and rural drives with an eye on a new route. We worked our way through Shakopee, Hutchison and various townships west of the cities, then up 22 through Litchfield, and eventually 71 north. All the while, never back-tracking or losing ground thanks to our new navigating device. It came in equally handy on our return trip thanks to its real time traffic mapping (green, yel and red on major interstates) and once again paid for its self when we hit a standstill heading south just north of the cities near Brooklyn Park. A quick exit and reroute to Ikea, Macy's and Harbor Freight was pie.

But what of the north?

Gorgeous weather, not a worry in the world. Stuffing ourselves silly with all the home cooking. Boating on the lake. Piloting the Suburban. One of the longest and most well-done fireworks shows I've seen in person. Shopping...in town, at the transfer station, and of course MN liquor stores. While the Stroh's and Grain Belt Light in bottles was tempting, it was the Hamm's and Special Export that made the cut. "Special Export, just like Old Style, but in a green can!" In retrospect, I should've picked up a case of Hamm's Special Light, but the couple cans I brought home will have to do. A couple drive-ins were photographed and will make it to the archive list. Some plumbing work completed, too.

As always, too short. Each night testing Cara and my will to make it past midnight with aggressive games of dominoes with the fam. We spent the final afternoon at the parents' place on Leech Lake where Brittni and the brother in law had been staying. An excellent boating venture out, followed by bocce ball and lasagna.

This could quite possibly be the last visit to the grandparents given their house is on the market and things are being sold off. Kodachrome was shot and Cara gave her new birthday camera a good break-in. And so another 4th passes, and I suppose it's downhill from here. On the way home I caught the tail end (okay, 10 seconds) of a Buffet song, Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude, and was reminded, as I had been a couple times earlier in the week, of two things. 1) It was as if it had been literal years since I had worked my day job. 2) Being so far removed from my routine allowed me to see outside my created reality. Of course, now the window begins to close.

Divided Highway

2010-06-26T06:46:00.000-07:00

There are few perks to waking up at 5AM on a Saturday…when you'll be heading to work shortly, and just finished a 12 hour shift and countless lodge dealings. Add in a freak overnight thunderstorm delivering wind gusts, pounding rain and strobe-light-esque lightning the likes you only get in the country and you've got a recipe for a restless night. No matter, it's not everyday you catch the backside of a storm illuminated by a low-rising sun.

I wrote up a long-winded tome Monday evening but it never made the likes of the net…probably because we didn't have the net. Though now we do. Sort of. The iPad has arrived, the unlimited plan situation has been rectified and I'm enjoying loading up on the apps at speeds approaching 28.8. This is the Edge network and I can literally enjoy a book at my side while pages load. BUT, it's better than nothing, and the Pandora app more than makes up for it. The big time shortcomings, which I knew previously, is that the iPad is NOT a computer replacement. I'm very much OK with this (which is why I bought one) even if it is occasionally a real PITA.

If a person did nothing more than net surf, it might work, supposing that you visited a friend or Apple store for updates, and didn't care about losing purchased apps should a reset be necessary, and you had someway of getting your DVDs onto the thing, and bought the camera kit to load your pictures, and all your music fit into the RAM with your apps…and you didn't regularly use apps that required pointer precision any greater than the bluntness of your finger (like 3D modeling, CAD layout, graphics and photoshop, etc.) If you doubt me, I'll gladly show you Adobe Ideas, which takes a stab at it.

Mostly though, the iPad has no visibly organized, easily accessible, file system. There are apps that seek to rectify this, but it's like running MultiFinder on a Mac 128k. In a desktop world where documents have equal footing to applications, the iPad/iPhone structure essentially buries your files within applications that can only run at one time. This format works great on pocket sized devices where you might tackle straightforward tasks, like crafting an email or checking your stocks in a business app, but the concept doesn't scale to larger devices (like the iPad) that have the hardware power and capability to do things you wouldn't normally do on a tiny pocket screen where modifying and 'bringing together' multiple documents is very realistic, like making a powerpoint. It's like running At Ease where you can only launch apps, not docs, you have no HD privileges, and the floppy drive is unavailable for temp storage. Now how are you going to write an email with rich text, attachments, and in-line photos that require a quick cropping and size adjustment? Better free up your evening.

Baby steps, and it'll get better. In a lot of ways, it's the Newton file system.

How Much Would you Pay for this Purple Rhodium Compound?

2010-06-08T15:14:00.000-07:00

A fine extended weekend it was. Took full advantage of the Wright & Like 2010 tour in Racine, taking in the big hits, like Wingspread and the Johnson Wax Admin Bldg, and the smaller, but just as impactful, like Trilogy and the William Mason house. The weather for traveling Friday mid-day was superb and the diesel transported us economically along the interstate system; no backroads or limping transmissions this time.

Friday night, then, we attempted to dine at "Oh Dennis! Saloon and Charcoal Grill" but, arriving in pouring rain at 9:01PM, discovered they kill the grills at 9:00PM. We backtracked to another spot I had heard good things about. Infusino's Pizza. Ordered the recommended House Pan and have to admit, 1- simply the best pizza anywhere, 2- the medium was too much for us to handle, and 3- the price couldn't be beat. Some chicago style pizzas focus on mass to garner their Pan claim. Not this one, and it's all the better for it. Bad part of town? Ooooh Yeaaahhh. Ghettos seemed to be the hallmark of the Racine trip. We rustled up some local bottled brews and cold Labatt's and enjoyed at the hotel.

Saturday night after a day of touring, and hitting up ALL the tour destinations, we returned to "Oh Dennis!"'s for their speciality: ribs. Came darn close to the Hickory House for falling right off the bone and not being too wet nor dry. Cara's fries were done to perfection and encrusted with parmesan cheese crumbs. I still give the HH a tip of my hat due to their sweeter sauce; Cara begs to differ. Full house of course, with a half hour wait. The dank, busy atmosphere, heavy paneling and prompt servers and bartenders helped speed the clock. Alas, no good brews on tap.

The spoils of the trip include a good folder of shots, slides, motivation, and Schlitz 12 packs for $9.49. By end of day Sunday I had forgotten what the factory even looked like.

It can be both motivating and difficult to see such unique, atypical structures in person. The motivation is often self serving, such as "I've considered that", or "that's how I did it". And the difficult, when you shake your head how anything so gutsy, aggressive and perfectly executed can exceed your wildest dreams. When it comes to Wright, his engineering standards and grasp on the physical environment was at times….shaky. On the other hand, by seldom tanking those things into account they never even entered his mind as limitations when laying out a design. Doors that have to be caulked shut at the bottom to keep out the rain, leaky windows and sagging roofs tend to characterize a lot of his work. Then again, why shouldn't it?

On the motivation front, I was up Monday and off to work on a list of tasks scribbled out Sunday night. Things I had not been looking forward to, but needed to be done. Chiefly, moving furniture and clearing the area in front of the rec room tri-window. I moved the saw, stand and tools out to the front deck and started work on trimming that fixed window out. It required several cuts exceeding the capability of the saw but I managed. Late in the afternoon, more re-arranging, and mahog end caps to the soffit light in the bedroom. Backing up to the AM in the kitchen, installed rolling racks in the lower cupboards and got a handle on our "kitchen stuff" situation. Finally, I think the pieces are coming together. As the sun set and Cara started dinner, I pressed forward on shortening the wooden blinds in the north upstairs windows and adjusting cord lengths; trickiest part is the time consuming removal of warning labels on the wood in half a dozen languages. I'll do okay if I can managed two per night.

Sycophantic Homonyms

2010-06-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

I may be getting closer to the shore despite the waves that occasionally toss me back to sea. I may have mentioned the thoughts and feelings that compelled me, nay, drove me, to seek something more all these months but have recently waned and been replaced with bewilderment and the thought that "they pay me for this?". This is both good and bad, obviously, because it means the day to day is kid-stuff, but also that I'm ultimately short-changing myself. The redemption is that success is difficult unless there's drive, so schedules and dates mean little without motivation; I'd short-change myself either way at the moment.

I think this has to do with the recent move. Before, the apt had been "settled" by living there. Often a mess, it was temporary and home and required little advance planning or work to be done. Meanwhile, the Lodge didn't necessarily need to be neat, orderly and 100% correct; it was a side project moving forward like other side projects. With the apartment out of the picture, the only thing running at 100% is the day job. That means everything else is ultimately chaos. I'm beginning to realize a lot of people must live their life this way.

But what a weekend! Slaved away the better part of the break but took the day off on Monday. Got off "early" on Friday (which meant 10 hours) and ran errands- dropping things off at the parents then to the lodge to putter and clean. Attempted to run the tractor and discovered I was out of fuel. Back into town for gas, extension cords and a case of oil I had at the parents. Ben came out later that eve and landed a hand on some projector trials out in the DI lot; I was beat as was he and he took off in short order. Managed a decent night's sleep.

Saturday was my big fix-up day. That's actually what I called it. The big fix-up day. I started with the tractor: first an oil change, then the filter..that turned into a fiasco. I'm thinking it had been a few years based on the remains of the metal cartridge I removed. Cara went off to run errands and I moved on to changing the oil in Blazer. Next was dragging two different lengths of aluminum ladders to each telegraph pole along the tracks. One, lightweight but only long enough to reach the lower crossarms, the other heavy as all sin, especially when being drug through waist-high weeds, avoiding holes and mounds from hidden, rotting ties. If you're looking for an exhilarating experience, try clinging to the top of a ladder perched in a thicket of sumac on un-even ground, leaning against a 100-year old creosote pole full of holes, with cross arms attached by luck and perseverance. I managed to get the old galvanized hardware to cinch-up after years of wind and storms had worked the nuts loose several inches(!). Obviously the crossarms were mostly swiss-cheese but they're no longer at risk of failing due to loose hardware.

Heat-stroke nearly set in on this little task, but the job is done. After a break I moved detritus from the side yard out to the fenceline, cursed at the mole and wired up a low-voltage control box in the pumphouse. Next, time to mow. I got the Farmall going and tackled mowing up at the road and started on the parcel south of the lodge. Cara took over the push mower and worked the west side. By twilight we had most of it done and settled down for burgers on the grill. A perfect evening, too. Cara's friends came out later that night for a tour but I was bushed.

Sunday, more of the same. A late breakfast also brought an unknown comedy- "The Last Time I Saw Archie", starring Robert Mitchum and Jack Webb. It was going to be a hot-one so I took the opportunity to make a no-bake Oreo dessert for later.

Cara ran the mower and we cleared the side yard entirely. I augured a hole for the clothesline post, filled it with peagravel then mixed up cement. With Cara's aid we plumbed the post and let it set up for the day. I moved on to raking down the hill-o-dirt in the septic area and then fought the dry ground, burying the horseshoe pit frames and filling with 70lb tube sand. I put together a patio table I had on hand and found a shaded niche for it under one of our few large trees, out near the pits.

Ben, Cam and Katherine showed up shortly after the work was done and we settled down for a mediocre game of bocce-ball followed up with a series of practice rounds of horseshoes. The weather was more fitting for conversation than a test of skill but nobody was interested in making a big night of it. Just as well, we were whooped. The next day was set for leisure. After organizing the upstairs, Cara got laundry going while I tackled ironing. I pushed the Kirby around while she scrubbed the bathroom. We packed cold chicken, the picnic blanket, the AM radio and some high life's and hit the road.

The Parkersburg recovery is nothing short of astounding. Eerie, actually, being that _everything_ is new. Two years ago the tornado came through and we had driven the same route 24 hours before. This time, we picked up snacks, lemonade and pasta salad at the new grocery store, Brother's Market. Excellent prices for a small town affair. The afternoon was terrific for a picnic at Pine Lake and 1330 came in crystal clear. After traipsing around the countryside we made it home around 7:30 with enough evening light to sit outside and take in the cleared yard and lazy sunset. I wish the sleep that night were as relaxing but a whole lot of bumps-in-the-night and an over-zealous bat made it a rough one.

A Relief from the Heat

2010-05-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. We're living at the lodge. Turned out our schedule synchronized perfectly with mother nature's humid wrath. We got our start early Saturday morning with help from the parents, moving the other section of the couch, the mattress and box spring, and countless boxes. For the help we all went to J's for breakfast enroute to the lodge. Excellent food. Extremely disappointing service.

Unloaded the works a little past noon, headed to the parents with the extra box spring and to pick up an NOS lawn spreader I've had in the basement for some time. A quick turn-around then the great unpacking. It was a long, hot, humid day. The floors were sweating as much as we were.

Life is in disarray at the moment. Face it, people like stability. Some like to be in control, others need to feel like they're under someone's care (control). When the markers and sign posts one relies on (I watch the news at this time, I hang my keys here, milk goes on this shelf, I keep my important papers there) are upheaved, things get topsy-turvy real fast. Add to that open contruction items and a yard missing a Sanford and Son sign.

In the last month my work "situation" has congealed, so to speak. To use a poor comparison, it's like a person finding out they have a terminal illness. Alive and going through the motions as if they were unaware, but the knowledge that things are/will be changing sometime in the future makes the present difficult. I can see how after years of the same, people come to rely on their jobs and careers as crutches. The same desk, the same familiar names in Outlook. Showing up at the same time each day. No wonder the true-blue hard working salary folk drop dead of a heart attack within a year of retirement. Sure, no one's forcing the "job change" on me, and that's the problem…the easiest thing to do would be to continue on that straight and narrow. But, when you've truly convinced yourself, whether the markers are there or not, you no longer can see them.

Next on the screed blog, the inevitable conundrum of 'stuff'. I take a lot of flack for the state of the parent's basement, but 95% of the things down there are discrete. A washing machine, a console TV, table radios, iMacs, etc. Stuff toaster size and smaller gets put on shelves. The rats nest of wires and parts and junk that were on the workshop shelves was sorted and tossed this past winter. All that remains of the horror-of-horrors are the workbench tops. But, I know what's down there and pretty much where it is. Where I get in trouble is when I put things in boxes. I use the same methodology when packing stuff to move. Put like things in one box and don't mix. Perfect time to sort stuff that maybe wasn't sorted pre-move. Mark clearly. Inevitably, this leads to the "I remember this" exclamation sometimes heard by others at the parents when I do come across a cardboard box I haven't opened in ages.

Here's the rub…the lodge is a showcase venue rather than a storage building. As strange as this sounds coming from a guy with half a dozen blenders, "clutter" drives me nuts. Clutter is in direct opposition to the modern aesthetic. The entry "room" of the lodge now has a couple washers, couches, a sheet of plywood, power tools and cardboard boxes up to my waist. I know it's only temporary, and as long as the boxes are organized, I'm cool with it, but I know Cara takes it personally as I grouse around searching for a pair of socks. What I'm trying to avoid is a repeat of the neighbors up the street. They moved from Dubuque to CF when I was a kid and I distinctly remember there always being an unpacked box or two upstairs, and loads of moving boxes in the basement. Made excellent building materials for forts, and I don't know if they ever did unpack them all.

And the new sleeping digs….it'll take some getting use to. Curtains will be much appreciated over the clerestories and the cable is in place. I worked Saturday PM installing the cut-to-width wood blinds in the upstairs north windows which helps some. No joke, the moon was so bright Monday night shadow puppets were clearly visible on the upstairs wall.

Toiled Sunday in the heat focusing strictly on yard work. Rolled out and soaked the grass seed blankets on the east side of the cement pad, wired up a recept next to the lower deck, and planted two yews along the east foundation wall. Far too windy to seed the lawn. Ran into town for another round of apartment pick-up and grabbed some Godfather's for dinner. To give you an idea of how packed our Coldspot is, finding room for a couple slices of pizza was a real challenge. Sunday night, better sleep.

Monday, spent 10 hours on the line and an hour in the office. The line had the heat and humidity of the 90+F exterior temps without the aid of the breeze. Chillers do nothing for the dew point. Attempting to 'turn the other cheek', I stopped off for a cold one at the PL enroute to the apt for more of the discrete things (laserdisc player, microwave, shelves, etc.) The temps inside were cool, I assumed from the A/C but it could have been since Mel was bartending. Cam dropped in and we shot some pool after a few beers and an enjoyable egg. I parted ways, headed towards the hill, then to the lodge to unload and "relax".

A few more days of this and the 3-day weekend is upon us. Looking forward to it.

A Thursday Summary:

2010-05-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

5:30 AM Up. Coffee. Not too tired, not too awake.

Two and a half hours of sitting in an auditorium watching other departments present their quarterly improvement projects; then presenting ours. Really? This is how I spend my waking hours? I'll show YOU a project. At least there were complimentary cookies, streusel and Diet Dew.

Immediately following: 15 minute return. Half hour at the desk for email. 15 minute...return.

11:30 to 5. A metrics summit. Q notes. Warranty. Culture change. Really? This is how I spend my waking hours? At least there were complimentary cookies, pizza and Diet Dew.

5 to 5:30: email and followup with the super.

6 to 8: Menards for two Yews, grass seed, seed blankets, a bag of cement, etc. Most of the time spent in the rain.

8 PM: Fuel: $70. FR Tire Pressure: 15PSI.

8:15: Turn on my personal cell to find this text: "You expressed interest in the Montana Bakken Shale Formation, largest oil discovery in US history. Serious inquiries only. If still interested, reply = OIL."

8:22 Dry Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Vodka.

8:27 Shale formation, eh?

Bar Furious

2010-05-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

So it's Friday morning, I'm at work, pretty much breezing through the day, figuring what it'll take to earn minimum OT and getting any open ends tied up before leaving town. I had been up a little later than usual the night before getting my things together but I had some pep in my step and the sun and warmth that greeted me on the way out of the concrete bunker made the trip north quite enjoyable, even if 5PM twin-cities traffic is a PITA.

Rolled into Coon Rapids a touch before 5 and a glimpse of turquoise in a garage behind the house let me know I had found my destination. The weekend had begun. I found Ben pounding away at a stubborn transmission still attached to a washer in the basement. Don, the proprietor, showed me around. Plenty of cool toys and not enough space at his quiet suburban abode. I threw a little water on my face, changed shirts, and we met the group of washer afficionados at Bar Abilene after a quick stop at R*bert's. Delcious food but a long wait to get our orders prepared (there were 18 of us). I was starting to drag by the end of dinner, and there was little to keep my attention. After settling our bills (and watching 16 of the 18 cough up 15 dollars each for a single drink, ugh) we took a stroll downtown to a grocery store known for their wide selection of laundry detergents and additives. No joke.

I was doing better Saturday after a short night of sleep on the living room couch. Lots to work on, including disassembly of a unit-bearing motor, as I learned they were called, and some playing around with a late 40's RCA hi-fi set that needed a little bit o' TLC. That eve was the big shindig though my interests of late have been quite muted for reasons I don't know. No matter, it was good to chat it up. En route Don, Ben, Geoff and myself stopped at a vintage music store specializing in only 78's. Also a 50's diner Supply Business. Most everything started at several hundred and only went up from there. Extremely cool place, however. Then to Matt's, a 50's era bar, for Grainbelt on tap and Juicy Lucy's- homemade hamburgers with cheese melted inside the patty. Terrific.

We were all pretty worn out by the time we got back to Don's. I bedded down and checked the speed of the vintage Kenmore box fan at my side using my finger tips. With two weeks left to get a month's worth of things completed, I resigned to returning home Sunday afternoon and using Monday vac to dig in. Don cooked up a helluva Sunday breakfast and I put together the GE fan we were working on and R&R'd the pushbutton mechanism for the RCA before getting his turntable "un-gummed". Left late afternoon for IKEA, spent a couple hours there with a list in hand, then to the open road for a quick and quiet return trip.

I slept in as best I could Monday, gathered laundry, dropped off recyclables, deposited my state check and did some grocery shopping on the way to the lodge. First was unloading the washer and dryer pair riding in the Blazer. Cleaned them up with a little surface cleaner and they look like a million bucks. Unloaded the bulk of Ikea stuff, stained the lower deck perimeter, stained the last board for the pumphouse, transferred a load of fridge items from the apt to the Coldspot, got laundry going and set to work installing steel cables upstairs for curtains with supports between every clerestory window. Measured lower window frames, changed in a fresh fuel filter on the Farmall, charged the battery, hung out laundry, began marking and cutting the new blinds with the miter saw, got dinner going, used whatever light left to bundle and cut the last two blind sets and then cleanup and put away the tools as the sun set.

That was yesterday. Today…5PM? Exhausted.

'82 Oldsmobile

2010-05-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

The weekend- Spent most of it sleeping. Well, that's not true….sleep-walking perhaps. I had taken Friday off hoping for decent weather which was not to be. However, it's been a long time that I can say I really slept in; the overcast gray skies and drawn shades gave the illusion it was still 5-something AM despite the morning moving by. Packed boxes, and the Blazer, most of the day as the rain came and went repeatedly. Finally succumbed to taking a load out late in the afternoon and spent an hour or two working on the ETC getting it jacked up, removing exhaust parts and breaking loose the motor mount nuts. I was still feeling a little under the weather from a 24 hour bug but the sleep certainly helped. Got home, hot shower, and met Ben down at the PL. Cam joined in after the crowd died down and we finished the night with pool, drinks and excellent picks on the juke.

Saturday, Ben dropped by early afternoon and gave a hand moving out the bookcase, dresser and one of the couch sectionals. Once again, overcast skies that did nothing to help our resolve. Ben took off for a nap, I went upstairs to continue my indifferent lethargy. Finally, suggesting Cara and I go for a walk, we took a tour of the hill and decided to stroll downtown and pickup a couple half-racks of ribs at Zippy's. They did not disappoint. The evening air was brisk but a walk down some of CF's backstreets reveals some interesting houses and interesting details you wouldn't normally notice. Caught Betty White's monologue and got some sleep.

Imagine my surprise when I threw open the blinds to find sunlight and decent temps Sunday morning. Up and at 'em we grabbed breakfast and stopped by the 'rents on the way to the lodge. I took the opportunity to tear apart Cara's door panel- removed her old cracked-up passenger side mirror, and with a little patience, installed the new one. Put it all back together without breaking anything in the process.

Then to the lodge where we spent the afternoon mowing. I put the pushbar on the new mower for Cara while she got the Maytags started, then it was fightin' time with the Farmall trying to get it to run right; either an intake gasket leak, plugged fuel filter or time for a carb rebuild. Limped her along and cut around 2 acres while Cara must've cut a good 3/4 herself. Then to the road with shovel and saw. The new mailbox is now in place (but for how long?) The sky changed from clear blue to steel-gray as I mended the pasture fence near the gate on my way out.
Still feeling rather indifferent, I indulged in the delcious italian cheese bread and pizza Cara picked up, had some moscato and closed down the eve with a little MadMen.

Full Tilt Boogie

2010-05-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

I've finally gotten a dose of summer the way it use to be. It's been OT like mad up until this week and outside projects and the move have kept me busy. No surprise then that I'd get home after a long day, knock out a few things on the powerbook, then barely be able to keep my eyes open by 9PM. BUT, this week is a 'layoff week' which means, that while I've still got to show up for work, the pace is easy, the hours are short, and the annoyances, few. Seems all I need to put a bounce in my step and shift attitude is some good weather and the prospect of something other than the mind numbing mundane.

Busy weekend. Had to put off the epoxy paint until Saturday due to the rain and humidity that rolled through Friday night. Had a good time down at the PL even though we never connected with Micah and Co. Sat morning the sun was out and the temps fine. Cara and I got a jump on the paint project, having finished the masking and the mopping and the sweeping. As the floor cured we worked feverishly outside through late afternoon and early evening, mowing, hauling, sorting, towing. Still more to be done but things were looking good in the yard. Got back to the apartment to clean up and head downtown to meet my mom's college friend and her new husband as well as catch up with her daughters. Busy place but good food. Stuck around an hour or so amongst the friendly strangers before heading back, but not until an awkward moment where I was momentarily detained as a random girl chatted it up with Cara and I while attempting to "scratch and sniff" my shirt (the pattern looked like cherries).

Even though I had caught a few extra hours sleep Sat and Sun I was still feeling pretty drained, no doubt my body trying to recover from 50+ hours inside a windowless factory breathing in solvent and diesel fumes. That said, I got to the lodge Sunday a bit before Ben arrived, made myself some breakfast and started moving things around. He showed up with tools in tow and we started tearing apart the '85. We made good progress before a) the reality of all the krep in place still holding the drivetrain in sank in, and b) Ben getting a call that he'd be dispatched to Moline shortly. Cara went shopping and I spent the rest of the day moving powertools and furnishings back onto the freshly painted floor as a warm Iowa evening settled in. Sat down outside and cracked a beer.

Around a month ago I took my manager by surprise by setting up a meeting. Her, with my immediate supervisor/manager (we'll call him... Gary), needed to regain hand and attempted a bit of table turning Monday, 8AM. No sweat. All said and done I could tell by the look on Gary's face that he was confident things would play out 'by the book' (go figure), the look on his manager's face whom I set the original meeting up with revealed a far more realistic understanding of the situation. I revealed none of my cards.

Interestingly, the Universe tossed me a few bones that morning . It's not often I buy into the 'everything happens for a reason' argument, but I will say that statistically, there will be times in a person's life that analysis and perception intersects with events, situations and ideas so close to home that it just might as well be crafted by a higher power.

Took advantage of the warm afternoon to pickup some parts and change the oil and solenoid on the '76. With weather so nice it didn't matter that I found myself mopping up thick, black oil off the parents driveway with soaked paper towels in very torn denim...as the sun set.

An even slower day Tuesday but a day to set my own terms had me renewed when I clocked out. Picked up a load of groceries, stopped by Menards for a hefty price adjustment, ordered some parts for the ETC, and filled the Blazer with boxes full of books and yarn and shoes and what-have-you. Cara and a friend from work kept at the packing and we hauled it all out to the lodge as black clouds began to roll in and rain threatened. Got things sorted out and I spent the last hour inspecting the transmission I bought earlier this year and assembling the new mower (swapping motors back) before the spotty rain chased me back inside.

Pro-Ductive-Weekend

2010-04-25T15:40:00.001-07:00

It's been a relaxing 3-day break of getting-things-done around here. Took Friday off after last week's lost-weekend, which meant Thursday night I could finally relax. Hit up Menards after work, then pointed the Blazer for the lodge. It was already 6 when I got out there and changed but the threat of rain the rest of the weekend meant I better get busy. I finally was able to change the magneto cap on the Farmall and fire her up legitimately. Once up and running, I set forth to mowing the remainder of the drive-in acre and did so until just about sundown when Ben and Cam made an impromptu visit. We spent the remainder of the night taking in the good weather on the deck and trying out a number of LP's upstairs. Got to bed around 2 and was up a few hours later as Cara gathered her things for an Indiana trip.

Friday it rained off and on- worked around the apartment taking care of some chores and getting some things boxed up, then Lodge bound to tackle a list of indoor items including re-gasketing the fridge with a gasket that's the number I ordered but suspiciously looks like something else, and cleaning up and rewiring the low-voltage control cabinet over the main breakers (finally). Spent the majority of the day there working on this, that and the other before heading home with Little Caesar's, PBR and Casino on LD. Put in a good night's sleep in anticipation of getting up early for the Janesville city-wide sales Sat morning.

Which turned out to be a bust. Found a couple things, but the rain put a damper on festivities and sale after sale turned up nothing but kids clothes. Even struck out in Waverly. The skies began to clear by mid-morning and I set my sights to working on the tractor. With tool chest rolled to the side door I cleaned up electrical connections and wiring, tightened every loose nut and bolt on the old girl and played with the mower deck belt routing and tensioning. Stopped at the parents for a quick lunch and picked up my tax check, then to the apt to load up all the boxes Cara had packed for the lodge move now that the rain had stopped. Took some time to get the Fleetwood listed on eb*y and filled up a 5gal can of gas before making a return to Union Road. With an hour or two of light left, I finally got everything adjusted on the Farmall and decided to give the mower a shot at the "short grass" directly south of the Lodge. Even with her dull blades she made good work of it. Made the final pass as the sun disappeared over the horizon, then brought in the boxes. Finished the last piece of upstairs interior trim, an outlet on the downstairs side wall, and unpacked some of my things upstairs before heading in.

Sunday, yet again up with the alarm. This time, for Menards (again). Gray. Dreary. Rainy. Made a quick breakfast before setting sail. Absolute madhouse. Bought a mower, and a tree, among other rebates. (surprise, Cara!) Had planned to pick up rock, pavers and sand but gave up in disgust. Returned to the lodge doing a cool 30 MPH with branches dancing out the back hatch. Fought the mole's dirt piles (more like mud piles) and got the new tree in the ground. Tore into the new mower to discover not only is it 2" narrower (this I knew) but you have to unbolt all 4 wheels with wrenches when you want to change height. Forget that. Brought the old mower in and pulled the blades off both. Swapped the Briggs engine onto the old deck but with it's shorter shaft, I'm limited to the 20" blade. At least the wheels are easily adjustable. And more under-deck room to alleviate blade binding in wet grass. Wired in a lightning arrester into the shed. Said nuts to this weather and made it back to town my mid afternoon to run some errands.

Now....I need a shave and a shower.

Multiple Problems; One Good Solution

2010-04-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

When people get together, interesting things happen. And I mean interesting in the "you frickin' morons" sense, not interesting in the "entertaining" sense. To put it bluntly: I am on a ship of fools. The greatest nag of late is that instead of rising above what I do for a living and leading, growing, etc, I am merely being pulled down to the average, to be repeatedly pummeled with hard objects until the numbness leaves me forgetting what I could possibly achieve without these self-imposed shackles. It's easy to conjure a knee-jerk reaction to this on such a gorgeous day, but my mid-term plan is in place and I wouldn't want to be hasty.

In the news:
1. I've achieved a new personal OT best of 67.5 hours in 6 consecutive days.
2. Said days are getting longer, sun is shining, grass and trees are green about a month earlier than last year.
3. I am stuck inside earning OT and unable to enjoy the sun, grass, or trees.
4. The Pruisner's are moving back to CF for what will be a very interesting (there's that word again) summer.
5. My year-long quest for a tractor has come to a satisfactory conclusion.
6. The well is still pulling sediment, but the showers are great.
7. What's not workable is staying at the lodge on weekends without blinds.

It's sunny. It's after 5. Think I'll head over to the parts store. Then collapse.

No Milk Today

2010-04-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

No production today, and an hour to kill. Don't feel much like writing, other than to say I am not yet feeling the guilt of squandering good-weather days indoors. The only thing stopping me from not spending every waking minute at work (other than the fact that I have to be here for OT) is lack of conciousness. I've got the option open for more of said financial benefit, but I just can't get up that early on a Saturday. Lazy? Dunno. Tired? Definitely. Some things money can't buy.
How tired is tired? Not that tired. I miss those days of giving 100% well into the middle of the night on some project, propelled along by internal drive until I knew well enough to step away from the workbench. There's a sweet satisfaction to that mental wear-out. Similar to that satisfaction of toil on a hot roof in the sun. The principal difference I can find is that over time, one wears out your back and knees while the other improves by knowledge and determination.

Anyway.

Rushed home from work last night, stopped at Fareway for exceptional deals, hung out at the parents for a few to pick up paint and see the grandparents that made it to town. Then to the lodge for a few hours of toil. Painting. Staining. Grinding. And engine measurements with my new micrometer set. Next thing I knew it was dark out and I hadn't been to the apartment yet. To be honest, the temptation of moving in NOW grows by the day. I burn at least an hour each day between work, the apartment and the lodge just driving the Blazer.

Home, with just a few minutes to wind down before conking out for the night.

T-Minus 2 Months

2010-04-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

(Written Thursday)

This has got to be the longest "short week" that I can recall. We've started every day at 6AM, tentatively running 'til 6:30PM. As if that weren't a good base for a long week, add in a comedy of errors trying to thwart our production each and every day. This has included castings arriving from overseas rusty as all get out and unable to be used, changing our schedule significantly (a pretty important casting). Chassis parts out of tolerance requiring (out of plant) re-work to run (put us a full day behind schedule and caused layoff last week). Managers running around trying to explain why our production is not up to snuff. People just not showing up for work. Parts and pieces getting damaged in-plant. A chassis getting dropped. Paint system failure sending 3rd shift home. Etc. Etc. A full two hours of downtime were accrued yesterday and we still laid off early due to material availability. In short, a long week of fire-fighting. Today started no differently but it will end differently.

Exhausted, but work clothes are in the car and temps are expected to be glorious. After work it's lodge time to tackle some staining, engine parts bagging and cleanup, and side deck work. Nothing too wild, a prelude to tomorrow's list (water on for the season?), with, perhaps, a chance to enjoy the balcony or go out for a drink in the evening (or eat at Denny's, score some hard candy and roll a few hobos). Saturday, more of the same, but a load or two may be heading to the lodge, including the vintage Coldspot fridge.

Which brings me to T-Minus 2 months. 'Month 1' the lodge interior will shake off the cobwebs and accumulations of the past season, the floor will see epoxy, the SE corner will see paint and finishing, and the great move-in will begin with a vengence in 'month 2'. By June 1st, out of the apartment and into the lodge. Last night would have been great to enjoy out there with a drink and a book; winds had died down, sun was out and temps were just right. Lots of people hanging out on rooftops around campus. Me? Dead tired and inside. Soon enough though, soon enough.

This CD is a Macintosh to PC Conversion for: Jane Smith

2010-03-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

The long and the short of it…. As it turns out, the Panthers lost. Further grim news was that I'd be working a full 8 hours Saturday, starting at 6AM. The Saturday part I can deal with, but the implications of such news would drive a saner person to bed down early Friday night, completely deflating the self-set expectation of blowing off a little steam after a long week of OT. Suffering through the "saner" approach once already, I decided first to work on the lodge after leaving work, then, once home, discovered half a dozen phone calls on my cell about catching the game downtown at 8:30. Well, fine then. It was a pretty decent time though there's only so much Grainbelt I could take and the beer on tap was fairly high caliber for my, shall we say, traditional, palate. Got home in time to catch the last two minutes of the game, then caught a couple hours sleep.

The line ran somewhere between fair and poor the next day and I was pretty whooped by the time I walked out into the open air having dealt with fire-fighting and crappy attitudes. Pointed the blazer towards the parents, caught my second wind, and met Cam and Ben to lend a hand pulling an engine off a stand in the basement. From there, some cold brews, a heater working overtime, and an evening of engine removal and teardown on the '59. Cara stopped out but was none-too impressed with the situation. Meanwhile, we were celebrating our victory of liberating the engine from its bay in record time, without damage to it, or the car. We topped the night off with a sampling of quadraphonic cuts upstairs and a very questionable game of Go Fish. Totally exhausted, I made it back to the apt and collapsed.

The trailing downside of the Saturday-workday is the "lost weekend" feeling. I slept in Sunday as best I could, got myself out of bed to the welcome sight of sunshine, watched Cara go gangbusters cleaning up the porch, and got myself in gear to work on the side deck. A little windy, but you didn't need much of a jacket in the mid-day sun, as long as you kept moving. First though, was a yard cleanup. Took down the snow fences and posts, gathered the scrap wood, tightened down the canvas tarp and moved some steel stock. By "country" standards the yard is just dandy, but the toll of "clutter" is warping my brain. The yard may be my last refuge! We live in a small apartment with Cara's worldly posessions, shared furniture, and my daily things; pretty cramped. Most of my large stuff is packed in the basement not as display but rather an interim 'ready-to-move' basis. Looks like a warehouse in waiting. And then there's the lodge proper, half full of expensive, need-to-keep power tools and materials. Decently arranged, but visually assualting. Everywhere I turn, disorder!

Tackled the side deck while listening to a mix of AM radio and cassettes (huzzah, a player!). Finished up the majority of the planks with the sun threatening to set. Home for a little decompression followed by early bed. Yes, that's right, a week of 4:30 wake-up calls ahead.

Quid Pro Quo

2010-03-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Train wreck. That's how my body felt getting up the past couple days. Almost like the worn-out, hard-as-plywood mattress we've got out at the lodge. I can chalk my aches and pains up to construction-contortions but for whatever reason Cara is really feeling the pain.

Decent weekend with good weather Sunday. Friday, I was worn out from the OT but was still up for a little fun. Picked up my miter saw at Ben's before heading to CF. Met Cam at the PL to blow off some steam. We shot some pool, first against each other (with games rapidly deteriorating), then against a pair of chumps for shots. It all went downhill as I got destracted by the juke, and the other fellow got distracted by beer. In the end, all 4 of us were taking turns chasing the 8 ball around the table to the point that we sulked away embarassed. No shots were purchased.

It's clear spring is on the way. Of course the weather is improving, but the attraction of the PL is waning. The last handful of visits have been lackluster, not the least of reasons I can pin on the surly service from Mel, Miller and co. You'd think someone might offer a hello with the coin we spend there. Friday nights'll be better spent gathering 'round a bonfire or chatting it up on the deck in the sweet spring/summer air; a dollar goes further, too.

Up with the alarm Saturday for an estate sale where Cara and I ran into my parents, who tipped us off on a tag sale in W'loo. Our plan of heading directly to CR was delayed slightly by major re-org time in the back of the Blazer, trying to arrange a dresser, "Roto-Oven 400", cocktail cart and other misc finds (plus the miter saw, still riding with us). The Blazer's radio's rear channels finally went the total freakout route (gotta be bad caps) so we rolled along without the distraction of those commercial broadcasts. Once in CR, I spotted a new church addition that looks like it could have come from my hand (I say that with as little ego as possible), so we stopped for a photoset.

The restore failed to live up to past expections since their policies have shifted to carrying only newer or contemporary colors and fixtures, however, we did score some fixed tempered lites in frames and 4 complete miami window units for Cara's cabin. Pricing was decent, too. Next issue….how to fit 7 windows into the blazer on top of everything else.

Our return trip turned out to be fairly…interesting. CR to Palo, through Shellsburg, Vinton, Dysart, and Traer. Now we both know what "wind up in Traer" means. The original mission was to head for Steamboat Rock but we aborted after considering just how far out of the way it was. Plus we still had this load to, unload. Late afternoon, hit up the parents' place with the rats and laundry. Made a quick trip to the lodge to unload the goods and survey the outer yard. Showed Cara the progress upstairs. Then more laundry, home, and kaput. Full, productive day, to be sure.

Sunday, then, wasn't too bad. For once we had good temps and sun, but a coat was still recommended. I toiled at the lodge, carpetting in the closet, more side deck work, but my mind (and body) were elsewhere. Some leading-edge blocking and landscape cloth and the deck'll be ready for the planks (which I still have to rip lengthwise). With not a trace of August humidity in the air, wasps building nests, nor a weed to obscure the vehicle, I pulled out some cardboard and went about removing the front end and bumper from the Fleetwood in the yard. Few more pieces of trim and interior to yank and it'll be ready for the scrapper.

Now if I only had a place to store this stuff.

Fibonacci's Corduory Conundrum

2010-03-19T12:24:00.001-07:00

3/14/10- First day of lodge access.
A bit of a blur but this is how I recall it going down. Sunday- made a stab at heading to the lodge…and succeeded! Still some soggy, heavy, muddy snow blocking parts of the lane in, but once out there, I got busy. Opened some windows and aired the place out. Took off my coat and opened the shellac. Carefully measured the upstairs runs and corners and with only the table saw for assistance, I cut trim to length and shellaced 'em in the sunshine. While drying, I got the closet finished up, charged the compressor and surveyed the open list items. Installed what I could of the baseboard in the bedroom before the clock said it was time to go (actually, all the stock on hand). Had a good sit for a few minutes out on the deck admiring the neighbor's water-front property, then loaded the truck with trash cans and departed.

Still more OT spent at work for the week with a 3:30 reprieve Wednesday. Left work at 4, home at 4:30 to change and pick up my phone, then lodge at 5. Another "big" task closer to completion. The lower side deck still needed supports and joists…with angles. I finished the underpinnings just before the snow came on and there she sat for the winter. Got the difficult stuff done, then shellac'd more trim that I had picked up Monday night after work…..which brings us to…..

Thursday. I realized the night before after getting home that the shellac'd trim was still outside. Shellac and moisture do not mix. This was confirmed Thursday at 6:30 when I got the lodge. So- sand, couple coats of touchup, make a few cuts, move a few things upstairs, and at 7:30, trim was in. Bedroom 94% complete. Now I need the miter saw. Gotta say, even being "worn out": crossing things off my list and taking in the evening light feels 'good'.

Now, on the cusp of a Friday evening, heavy head and a long week behind me. Time to enjoy a bit.

You've Got to Get Up Pretty Early to Beat a Nazi Dictator

2010-03-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the slacking, been too darn busy at work lately to bang one out. Get a couple hours of freedom, then hit the sack and do it over again. I figure I can keep it up for a couple more months, pay for an engine rebuild, throw a few bills at cold storage 2, then look for new opportunities when the Iowa summer comes alive. 2010, a pivotal summer to be sure.

I may have mentioned this theory before, but batting it around recently at the PL with Ben brings it back to the top of the heap. Lots was discussed, including "lucky money". There are those that think they should get paid more no matter what they currently make; these people tend to complain incessently about everything. But on the flip side there are those making average incomes for work the individual feels they're being over-paid for. Lucky Money. The more I think about it though, it comes down to the worker's mentality because let's be honest, you can lose a ten dollar bill on a can of good coffee and a loaf of bread, and the more I look around, the more I realize how little work ethic and honest skillset is available on the market. And while flipping burgers at McD's may be the cliché'd pissant job, someone that digs ditches for a living in the summer heat might think a clean uniform and air conditioning for minimum wage is Lucky Money. Perspective I guess.

Had a grand weekend- after an atypical Thursday night out, I was starting to drag by the time I got home Friday at 6. Picked up Cara and stopped at the parents, who were back from their lengthy excursion down South. Nothing ground-breaking to note in the few minutes I was there; swapped stories, then bustled back to the apt to change. Made it downtown at 8 and met up with Ben at Toad's for a gut-busting chicken sandwich and frosty mugs of Coors (ahem, light). After dinner the three of us dropped in on the PL for a drink and were appalled at the scene- the place was loaded with 20-somethings and the roar of conversation and tunes on the juke was deafening. Ben, no doubt tired from standing at the bar, took his leave with us nipping at his heels. No sleeping in Saturday, had a job to do.

Up with the alarm, dressed, coffee at kwikstar and on the road. Spent the day helping a friend sheetrock a ceiling…. 3 scaffolds up! Perfect day for it as the weather was generally gray all day so no loss on outside activities. By dark we had the final panels up and I pointed the Blazer back towards CF. Got home, toiled at some design, then passed out.

Fibonacci's Secret

2010-02-22T18:21:00.001-08:00

A quick check of the archives reveals a fast-paced Feb '09. I had just gotten back from a whirlwind Florida trip. The month was moving by very quickly. I built the kitchen island out at the lodge (which I remember very well- it was a dry cold out there but sunny and I spent a long day with the kerosene heater, circ saw and clamps getting everything built up "just so"). Feb '10, however, is proving to be an opposite in many ways. No longer are there the post-work obligations of years past, and even though my hours at work fly by, the month drags on like a cement star being pulled across a field on a sheet of plywood.

The weekend that wasn't. Friday night was crippled by the fact I would have to get up at some ridiculous hour Saturday. Saturday was crippled by spending the morning at work, and exhausting the afternoon trying to make up for shut-eye lost. Sunday was crippled by all-around lethargy from the days prior. The silver lining, however, was Sat night. Despite feeling slightly achy and tired when Cara and I arrived at the PL (temporary bug?), it wasn't too long before the ship turned around. Drinks flowed like it was going out of style. We lined the pockets of steroid Steve and even gave ol' man Yukon Jack a try. I can honestly say, I had a great time.

Sunday was laundry, but not before hitting up HyVee for lunch, after striking out at Waffle Stop and Village Inn. Places were packed solid. A little tip- the all you can eat pizza buffet also includes the calzones and sausage rolls, which normally sell for a couple bucks each anyway. Not a bad deal; plus a chance to catch up on the 'paper and ads since we don't subscribe. Got things done over at the parents and took in one of the 'Pirates of the Carribean' flicks on TV.

Looks like another week of potential OT headin' my way. An excellent motivator to do a little more homework on my latest scheme.

Willy Wirehand Makes The Grade!

2010-02-16T14:57:00.000-08:00

Today's installment brought to you by Charlie Fubar Utilities!

I swear, the PoCo must have it out for me. There's a good chance they've got a note on file that says "troublesome customer" whenever they pull up my account. Once again, good intentions foiled!

I dropped in to pay the latest bill for the Lodge, and, being that a meter reader could NOT make it out there, they estimated usage by simply copy-pasting the month's prior usage (which I had phoned in prior, thus, accurate). The difficulty here was that I had used a good deal less power this month than the month before so they overshot my total owed. Getting a correction later in the season when someone WOULD be able to make it to my meter would be one option; BUT, the colder months like this are subject to greater "cost adjustment" fees than when the weather warms up so I'd ultimately be getting overcharged.

Easiest fix? Supply them with the current reading, which I had!

Oh no. First, I was told any supplied reading would HAVE to be verified and that I could schedule a reading. (Did I mention I'd given them readings before?) Yet again I explained this meter was rather....difficult...to get to. Fought two different women over the matter. The former explaining the cost adjustment fees were fixed, then casually mentioned they had recently gone up. (Yes, that's refreshing.) The latter blinded by the fact that the reading I had supplied was taken this weekend (thus beyond the billable period). It just would not register that if she plugged my number in, any "excess" usage between the end of billable period and now, would automatically correct on the next reading, AND they'd have an actual number to both bill, and estimate from. Sigh.

I finally gave up, handed over my debit card, and listened to a lecture about how I could phone in a reading between the 25th and the 4th.

Something tells me I'll be hard pressed to use 150kWh of power at the lodge in the next 10 days.

Then again, maybe they were trying to baffle me with bullshit. If so, they succeeded!

Hippodrome Redux

2010-02-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

Terrific weekend, just the ticket to shave off some of the latest stress and glum. Had a break Thursday night with Cam at the PL and enjoyed several games of pool plus the awkward gaze of two (retired) high school teachers. Did it again Friday night, trying some sort of watered-down ice tea drink that did not impress; salvation in the popcorn, however!

What else…. Managed some down time at the Rod uncovering ancient articles in the archives. Read a piece on atomic weapons from '45. Did a little clothes shopping. Devoured two volcano tacos (eh-). Attempted to read at COJ while nursing a double-espresso. Dropped in on Aldi's to see what's new after 20 years…seriously…smells EXACTLY the way it did when I was a kid, and I had forgotten their labeling system of putting prices on a strip board up above the stock. Still left empty handed.

Made an honest attempt at driving out (or should I say, near) the lodge but the snow was up to the padlock on the gate. Walked the tracks in. Spent the afternoon out there toiling on the '59 and made some decent headway. Got out in time to win and lose a few eb*y auctions (and garner the attention of what appeared to be a bridal party enjoying a smoke outside the Rotary). Always an odd interaction.

Films enjoyed this weekend: "Back to the Future", "Caddy Shack", "Dead Man Walking", and the second half of "The Truman Show".

Of course Valentine's day, where laundry was done, mail sorted, a stocking knitted and heart-shaped pizza consumed!

And now, Monday. A return to the present, where diesel fumes mix with vulgar mouths and the penchant of laziness and finger pointing lingers with menial obligations. How anyone escapes alive is a mystery to me……

Still beats office politics.

Feb 2nd: Delaminating Ruminations

2010-02-08T07:55:00.000-08:00

The day started off well enough: toughest day of the week behind me. Longest month of winter, IMHO, in the rearview. Grocery shopping in the snow out of the way and today's list of meetings is pretty small. Then I checked my email. Not looking forward to this summer.

Especially when I value my time, and time is what I'll really need post-work as the ground softens and the weather improves. Big things on tap, like finishing the side deck and welding railings. Pouring rock and building fences. And the money pits, like developing the drive-in site and starting construction on what I’m affectionately calling "the cabin". This may not be the summer of the patio shelter, but god forbid if I don't make good use of the balcony.

As the roads got slushy and the winds picked up, I found myself driving across the corn field after work last night and checking in on the lodge. Everything AOK. But something else. A forest from the trees moment where I had been away long enough to see a greater picture than the details that continually weighed me down stepping through the door. If I can hold tight to those rosey glasses my blood pressure might drop a few points.

A quiet weekend by the usual standards. In lieu of a Friday night special I hit up the PL with Ben and Cam Saturday afternoon after galavanting the countryside. No Toro purchases in New Hampton, but Ben made an appliance contact in town. Near Traer I struck a deal on a FWD transmission needed for the ETC and met a truly passionate person the likes I haven't encountered in sometime. Gives a soul pause. Back at the PL we knocked out a few games of pool and had a spirited conversation about the arabs and their flaming power supplies. I took my leave shortly before 5 to cleanup and hit the town with Cara. There's no doubt in my mind that Beck is rolling in dirty, dirty money. We gave Roux Orleans a try and I do admit, it was an enjoyable experience, but he should be reminded this is Waterloo, Iowa. Price your drinks accordingly…chump.

Sunday was a lazy day, but a series of trials and errors brought forth a cabin design that's a natural outgrowth of prior ideas. I ran up a bill of material yesterday and continue to get stuck with the logistics of a basement. Year-round sump-pump? Block or Poured? ICF's? Ready-mix vs. bagged. Rent an excavator or hire it out. Etc. Etc. Might just end up slab-town, USA on this one.

Cattle Call 2.0

2010-01-21T18:24:00.000-08:00

The best weeks are those that allow for thought and reflection without one pounding on a desk demanding severance pay. This has been one such week. Even though we started Tuesday, today feels like it should have been Friday.

Things started off well enough. Ben gave me a hand on Saturday doing some serious wrenching on the '59. We somehow made it into and out of the lodge with frozen appendages occurring only AFTER a couple hours of wrenching. Lots of movies chewed through on Monday while Cara was at work. Should this have been summer I'd be giving serious thought to just about anywhere else than where I was sitting at that time. Tuesday through Thursday clicked right off even with meetings, angry wage folk, pressed clothes, early bedtimes, ebaying and all manner of ilk that came my way. I even managed to drift off to sleep with that 80% mind running-body too tired to care, feeling.

Tonight was especially interesting as the tab at a local downtown establishment was on the company. Drinks flowed and people talked, as it were. The most difficult part of the evening was leaving knowing there was another 9 hours in front of me starting off well before dawn the next morning.

But, the best part was reminding myself of the notion that each and every one of us has a say in our future. It was announced earlier this week that for the "best part" of the summer we'd be running OT continuously. This is terrific news for the bank account, but puts a real dent in the 'summer to finally enjoy' category. It's enough to make a man really consider how many bridges he'd care to burn, and lately I've taken to lighting a few off, knowing I'll be a year shy of a decade of service in a handful of months. It's good for the soul to run up against one's supervisor with enough gusto to leave them both curious and angry, even if it means a bit more time trading one of life's most precious commodities for the almighty buck: time.

And so goes this summer. A veritable laundry-list of activities, tempered with prostitution.

With a Twist of Lyme Disease

2010-01-12T14:56:00.000-08:00

(Note, the post prior to this one was written last week)

Terrific weekend after a slug of days that were taxing, but moved fairly quick. Friday night I met Ben down at the PL and had a few brews. Parents dropped in for a bit and Ben and I ultimately took control of the juke. I recall shots AND an egg. What more could you ask for on a blustery Friday night.

Did the only decent thing by sleeping in on Saturday, then heading out for breakfast at Jay's for the "UNI-que Domewich". You want a good croissant, look no further. From there, the Rod. Where else but on a Saturday afternoon? I renewed my card and went wild in the compact periodicals section. So much juicy information not available anywhere else, tilled under by that assuming internet. Found some real gems to take home.

From there, groceries- I did my part to keep the economy rolling. Each time I go to HyVee I like to try something new. Over new year's with cocktail fever, I bought a jar of Tomolives. Imagine crossing a miniature tomato with an olive and pickling it (like an olive). Pretty good. This time, it was nacho cheese with jalapenos in a metal can from the originators of the concession stand nacho. That, and a glass 16oz bottle of Coke. We made the mistake of using the self-checkout, which we normally avoid if we're buying any sort of "adult" beverage. This time it was the fat stack of coupons cut earlier in the day. I was warned the machine liked to freeze up, which was sage advice because I couldn't find a barcode or ID number to save my life and wasn't going to risk it.

We made it home and celebrated by enduring a recent acquisition of The Right Stuff before passing out like old folks.

Sunday I had intended to visit the lodge, but the heat wave of 11F wasn't winning me over and the clock was ticking. Instead, Cara ran errands while I took care of ironing and the dishes and LOTS of reading (periodicals are a 24hr checkout). I saddled up the laundry and we spent the late afternoon at the parents taking care of wash while I fired up the old clamshell, scanner and remote burner and committed a number of 50 y.o. articles to the impermanence of the bit. With a new yo-yo powersupply on that iBook (courtesy of the Lincoln School sale) I was reminded how much I like that machine when it's not powering down or sparking. It's so natural to carry it may find its way back into daily use this summer and the responsiveness of OS9 is surprising (you know what I’m talking about).

I had intended to pull out the soap box and do some grand standing but that'll have to wait for next time when I'm not immersed in reality.

Sprightly Prose

2010-01-12T04:38:00.000-08:00

It's unfortunate there wasn't more time in the break that I could have gotten around to part 2 of my last entry- I didn't intend to just up and leave ends loose. Also unfortunate is how, without some vacation, my mindset has reverted back to desk-jockey mode. At least I’m able to still identify the distinction.

What had been batted around as a legit Omaha escape ended up a 24 hr to-and-fro given the other events of the week and my desire to truly lose myself in a string of nameless days around town. Since I booked a room for Saturday night, Cara tagged along and kept herself occupied while I was at the shindig that evening. Had a grand time over appliances and was none too happy to leave Mariott's plush king-size bed the next AM.

Monday was a real drag and it's this getting up at 5:30 business that's the real sin. Forces my hand at 9PM, which unravels to 10 after getting home at 6. The rest of the week has been noticeably better in the "life sucks" department. Little Caesar's and a bond flick last night…one in which we had seen not that long ago, but had left such a weak impression on the gray matter that you could have fooled me; "From Russia with Love". A new flotilla of LD's are on their way which I should have ordered _before_ the break. Well...live and learn (then forget and do it all over again).

More to come....

265 75 R16

2009-12-31T15:28:00.000-08:00

It's not very often you find yourself scrambling eggs, watching MacGyver on Hulu and drinking wine at noon in the kitchen...all while noticing the neighbor's TV set being placed into a red Ford Aerostar. On a Thursday. But such is a life "on break". And pushing out the lines that form the letters, this has really been a lazy one. Last year at this time days flew-by. I was trenching in along the tracks in rubber boots, making use of the AM and shivering in the cold after an 8 or 10 hour stint. Day after day. Working on cedar above the gangway. Finishing out the closet. Prepping the upstairs for carpet. And other things I swear could have taken place last year...or was it the year before? ...Now there's a recurring theme.

But this year's xmas-new year's break has been anything but. Made it to the lodge once so far and spent the afternoon working on getting the LV-wiring up to snuff; felt good to get something done and fight my way out as the sun set and the cold came down. Christmas was good, but this is possibly the most remote I've felt compared to my personal barometer of yuletide engagement. On the upside, Alex visiting definitely improved things. A trip to the PL-turned Cypress for Schlitz, pool and debauchery. My first visit to the much-talked-about Spicoli's, topped off with an evening of bowling with Blake and his lady-friend H. A drop-in on Ben S. after a pitcher of draft-Busch light at everyone's favorite foundry-hangout, BJ's. Complete with 80's picks on the jukebox at Narey's 19th Hole. Cara and I even worked in a nice evening of martinis with Cam and Alex on his last night in town. A real good time, all around, and now we've got New Year's and weekend trip planned as well.

Of course, throw a few wrenches into the mix, like today's temperature of 10 degrees keeping me apartment-bound instead of walking open fields. Or Cara, cracking open her oil pan on an ice ridge and dumping 5 qts of black diesel oil down the drive. Some quick work and we had an overnight replacement part, german gasket sealant, and a little R&R in an 80 year old garage with an equally old electric heater I grabbed along with my tools to get her up and running. This was to be a short-lived victory, however, as her window clips failed the next morning, leaving her to place the (now free) passenger door glass pane in the seat next to her and enjoy Hwy 20 in full Iowa-winter goodness on her way home from work yesterday. The world is a strange place though. I waited an hour and a half for tires while she was at work and now, after a month's wait, still can't get use to taking corners without sliding across the powder pinball-style. Small improvements do a solid concept make.

So that's been a rough recap of the last few days. Today has been much like Monday; it wouldn't take Matlock to convince me I've pissed away the day. Something tells me, though, that these days will pay dividends down the line. It really has been a long time since I've had a moment where I thought "I'm bored", or "what can I muster to pass the time". Thought. And writing. Ideas may be pent up and waiting to be put to paper, but I haven't much inspiration for pencil lifting as of late. But thinking is something else. I mean, consider the day-ins and day-outs. I get up at the behest of the alarm, shower, dress, clean the percolator while making a cold lunch, drive half an hour to work in the dark, put in 10 hours and return to slump in my chair to check email, websites, and then dinner over TV. Maybe ironing, bill paying and then get ready to do it again.

Boo frickin' Hoo. That's the price of trading one's assets to make an earning. But it sure doesn't give much time to gear down to boredom stage and reconstruct one's mental surroundings. Move a dresser and discover a window. Beat the dust out of the old rugs. Then again, maybe that's just me. Takes a couple days to get there.

Course it's tough when there's arch websites to troll through and Family Ties on CBS.com to ignore in the background.

Jason and the Arggggonauts….

2009-12-22T16:26:00.001-08:00

Just a little check in on this experiment I call "my job". The drive is further, the hours both longer and inflexible, and the "cultural level", for lack of a better term, will drag you down like a skewered otter, but the political BS is remote, gray hair seems to be slowing, and my exhaustion at the end of the day is from constant motion and solving other peoples' problems rather than desk-jockeying in a sea-of-sameness.

That said, the cold and dark when I leave after work has done little to fire up any enthusiasm for lodge activities. Plus the snow. I slept like a gunny sack of wet sand this past weekend, after staying out with Cara till 1 or so Friday night at the parents for a 500 party, then doing my best to try to work in the Panther Saturday night after braving the mall. My enthusiasm was lacking though, and I was home at a reasonable hour to promptly head for bed. Sunday was a touch better, and the night was capped with a redbox viewing of Public Enemies and dinner.

And so started the Holiday week that is unfortunately not going to deliver on being an easy slide. It was a long Monday with an equally long drive home, immediately topped with a trip to Walgreens with Cara to print our xmas cards in some pretty slushy conditions. The photo machine, however, had the image resizing ability of a cobbled-up Xerox Parc, and while we could crop to our heart's content, shrinking our pic to fit on photo paper was not an option. Knowing under that façade there was probably a copy of MS paint that could do the job without having to drive home and fire up photoshop didn't help matters. The icing on the cake was tearing Cara's weatherstripping off her car by performing the act of opening the passenger side door. After dealing with German eff-ups in design and materials for 11 hours straight that day, I was none too pleased to see her and her VW get hosed by the same 'better-than-thou' mentality. Happens every winter; this time it yanked the rivets out, too.

It was a little over two years ago I decided that instead of taking a "lifer" path with my career I'd opt to gain some experience in other areas to help round out where life may eventually lead. Areas, some might think, are far enough off the corporate path to be beneath them. I don't think many realize I went out of my way to get here (which is fine with me b/c it's like being a stranger in your own town); occasional condolences prove that out. Sure, it may not be something someone wants to do forever, but getting in a different environment and out of my comfort zone will end up being a good thing in the long run, and helps shape where I want to bounce to next before my (self-set) clock strikes 12.

I have some high hopes for this xmas weekend, what with Alex and Blake back in town and some genuine time to sleep in (or at least not have to greet the day at 5AM). Let's hope things pan out!

Give 'em the Old One-Two!

2009-11-10T05:13:00.000-08:00

Now this time I can't complain. Friday rolled around and the sun and temps had driven most in the office to use vacation. By the afternoon it seemed like I was 10% of the staff on hand. I cashed in a few built-up hours and got out around 1. Stopped by the apt for sundries, then the parents for a turntable and all the LPs I could lay my hands on, plus a card table, CD's and whatever else was on my list. By this time it was after 4 and I headed for Fareway; busy place. As much as I like shopping HyVee for their variety, Fareway seems even friendlier without making a show of it. Simple aislesand markers. Low ceilings. Everyone in uniform. And very reasonable prices. The checkouts are a bit odd, however, and it's always a little awkward when they wheel your cart out to your car….of course if they did that at Menards….hmmm..

Friday night was a blast, though. I rushed out to the lodge, now after 5:30, and set to getting the refrig running, groceries put away, blazer unloaded, kitchen/dining area tidied and upstairs, getting the turntable set up with the amp (and getting the cart aligned) and trying things out. Back downstairs, I threw together a yellow cake and quickly changed before Cara and Cam showed. Dinner at The Goat- the cuban was excellent and the potato a winner but it seems we always get stuck in the same booth- not that the sports-bar side is much better. However if you like heavy coughing, we were in the right spot.

Jason and Holly joined us for cards, drinks and quad with Ben making an appearance and we made a rather late (for us, anyway) night of it. For a long day I was still humming along but I didn't complain at the prospect of a good night's sleep.

Saturday I putzed away at my weekend list, getting in deeper and deeper sorting out what's where. In between outside jobs (painting the flag pole smoke gray), I got things organized under the main work bench, sorted and boxed up electrical misc- plates, devices, Despard items, EMT related items, and so forth. Then went for the plumbing. Came up short on a few things so got a list going to tackle the odd jobs and by this time I had a decent pile of unused things to return (stuff like roof flashing and PVC fittings). By the time Cara returned from shopping I was back at the copper washing machine supply lines. Got things pretty well done while catching some bad TV downstairs. Did some reading out on the deck as the sun set.

The next day I tried my hand at french toast stuffed with cheddar cheese with a side of maple sausage and OJ. Not too bad but I need to pick up a skillet proper. I finished up the copper hot water supply and with Cara's help we transported it into position along the back wall. From there, some torching and the critical parts were in. With a makeshift washer hose I got things pressurized and checked for leaks. Found one connection that would seep just a touch- drained the works, blew out the line and re-flowed; all okay. Caught "A Day in October" while I worked.

With sun shining we headed out for returns and to complete the short list. First to the parents for some materials downstairs, then to Jo-Ann where Cara picked up some "on sale" yarn while I continued leafing through a shoebox of recent receipts pulling out anything HomeDepot. We stopped at Menards with a cart full of miscellaneous dating back to '07. With the "you find it" terminal (not it's actual name) we came up with receipts for quite a bit and kept the friendly girl at the return register busy. Even with monopolizing her for half an hour it was still smiles and small talk. Got what we needed in the store, spotted Ben and his copper pipe, and got out for Home Depot.

You'd think coming in with defacto receipts for roof flashing would be all that's necessary for a refund. Roof flashing from this summer even. Not so. In fact, all you can get after 90 days is store credit. Receipt or no. Served up with attitude, of course. We looked at tool chests (good luck finding anyone to point us in the right direction) and were pretty much appalled at the variety (your choice of 2!) and the steep prices. Now after dark we headed back to the Lodge. I got the Westinghouse running with a load of bleach to clean things out and then got busy getting a dryer operational. Next was installing towel hooks in the bathroom through the holes I drilled earlier in the day through the tile. This meant grinding the concealed screw heads down to virtually nothing so they'd fit the ill-conceived IKEA "hook" design. Also, melting the plastic anchor flanges pressed into the tiles so the hooks would sit flush, which they now do.

Completion of Sunday night? Pizza, Twin-Fin, and some light electrical work yielding an interior island light. About time I put that electricity to good use!

Red Skelton's Comedy of Errors

2009-11-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

To coin in oft-used phrase, "it started off innocently enough"…. I had just sat down with a brew when Cam walked in to the PL. The Dodgers (LA or Brooklyn, we're still working on it) were gearing up to play New York on the sets over the bar. That also meant no jukebox action. After an hour or so of chatting we ordered up a second round and worked our way over to the pool table to discover the pool light wasn’t just off, it was inop. My tinkering and Mel's glaring didn't seem to be working and the lack of music was definitely a problem. So, after enjoying an egg, we made our way to The Cypress to discover open tables and cold Schlitz. I had finally cornered Cam 3 to 2 and went up for more quarters only to be greeted by the friendly bartender opening two more bottles of the good stuff and coming my direction. Crap. In retrospect we can see why he thought we were thirsty as we later studied the change machine on the nearby wall, but that didn't change the fact we each still had full beers on the table. Hmm. By the end of a rather craptastic game we were Schlitzed out, but with a score to settle, we headed back for the PL even though the juke was playing some good stuff downtown.

Herein lies the rub. It started when a middle aged guy was having trouble loading the juke while we were gearing up for pool. I made the mistake of striking up conversation. This turned into a looong conversation with the three of us as he regaled us with unbelievable stories about 'nam? Libya? and his other shenanigans while on tour. Doing my best to pretend it was a Friday night I stuck it out through the game (both pool and the series) with Cam aka "gramps" besting me with his fancy bridge-skills. Our friend took off, leaving us 5 free picks on the juke which of course, we put to good use.

Today, November 5th, can go down in the books as the first morning of the year leaving a heavy frost on not only the cars but roof-tops everywhere (time to dig out the scraper). Let's hope this winter doesn't get too crazy.

Hey! No Statistical Voyeurism!

2009-11-03T20:15:00.001-08:00

A bit of a forced weekend it was. Got some things done but mostly I feel like I'm drifting as of late. The realization about the lodge project being more than just the time it took to build, but the time it took to design, the scrimping and saving, the hunt for the land, the build of expectation…everything leading up to groundbreaking, well, there's a lot of personal commitment there extending back beyond the horizon of construction time that's sort of hitting me right now. It's not that I'm not excited for the next stage, it's just that I feel exhausted and I know I shouldn't. There's still things left to do and little energy to do them. And that gets back to a more fundamental problem, err, discussion, about paychecks and jobs and the other little things that take over your life even after you leave the office. Regardless, November is a helluva time to come to terms and simultaneously light the rockets. If I had it my way I'd be looking to curl up in a warm cave for a few months and wait it out.

I buttoned up my 15 month project at work on Friday, had an interview for the next round in the AM, gave a bang-up presentation mid-morning and got rid of A LOT of files I had been dragging around the last couple moves. By the PM the office was pretty quiet and I was in good spirits. I was also looking forward to some pool action at the PL before packing up and heading to the Lodge for the night but it wasn't in the cards. I had gone a little nuts at Target so we ended up with a cornicopia of dinner choices but the buffalo chicken wings turned out to be too hot for Cara. I finally got the Sansui quad unit connected and wire run to all four speakers. Config'd the LD player for CD operation and fired up a song of two from the H&O box set before calling it a night. Yeah, pretty much blown away by the sound.

Saturday and the weather was improving. We took the long way to Waverly, which involved randomly turning down winding gravel roads. At one point I found myself standing in a ditch trying to lure curious horses up to the barb-wire. Found some books at T&T, stopped at the CV humane society to see the pups, did a drive-by past the giant billboard poles from the backside, and explored an abandoned house. That evening, Hamms, pipe, books, music, gun oil.

We slept terribly. Could explain my Sunday malaise. While Cara ran errands I hung out at the ranch. Tore down the WP dryer that had been taking up floor space (gotta keep cleaning house), planted a pine in the side yard, and while I had the shovel out I cut down a high spot of fill near the septic tank. Inside I cut and glued up the bulk of what will be the drain system for the washer area but I still need to pressure test and drag out my copper supply systems from the parents. Upstairs, I reassembled the cage and back of the Emerson and called it quits. Still no HV to light the screen; I need a repair cart and tools out there to get some of this stuff up and running.

2010: A Pivotal Year

2009-10-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

The last several months have been a mad dash, leading up to an intense couple of weeks, nay, hours, nipping at the heels of the great Lodge unveiling. Setting a firm date undoubtedly was the smart thing to do, and I don't think I was too far off with the pacing- it's pretty hard to hit an exact day when you're laying out what's to be done several months prior. But we pulled it off, with no small thanks to Cara and the parents. The transformation was nothing short of a TV renovation series, especially when you factor in family coming into town (and missing flights), food and party planning and execution (pulled-pork has to roast for a day or two before serving and half a dozen cooks makes it all the more difficult) and last minute material pick-ups, like the glass for the framed art over the workbench. Cut Thursday night, picked up Friday and framed and hung minutes before the party Saturday. All the while we toiled moving scrap lumber out to the trailer, sorting for the fire piles, moving bulky TV sets and appliances out and even working-in picking up the '59 (in the rain) after a several year hiatus in storage…and dealing with a loose distributor cap resulting in a stall-out on Hudson Rd near the University ave intersection at 5PM. Cripes.

But the party was a success- Despite receiving less than a dozen RSVP's, we knew we'd have a full house. Don and Carissa came from Indiana as did Cara's father and his wife. An aunt flew in from Boston, grandparents from MN heading for Texas, cousins from Davenport, Micah and Alice from Moline, and a strong showing from local friends and family. The "house warming" gifts were equally as varied (and appreciated) ranging from a platter of gummy to a bottle of Early Times. By my estimation at least 40 people showed and we didn't let the weather get in the way. In fact, it worked out well that there was plenty of interior room to set up lawn chairs inside to escape the cold. Unfortunately, the (extremely heavy) keg was out front; probably could have moved more PBR with it inside. Midway through the eve, the gangway served as an excellent platform for Don who gave a moving toast; a standup guy.

To my surprise, an intrepid group were able to get a wet pile of lumber to burn and by night's end we tried our best to play bocce by fire-light. Around midnight the last guests parted and Cara and I fished out the (half frozen) garden hoses and doused the ashes. It was cold enough that night that we ran the upstairs heat, which worked surprisingly well. We did our best to sleep in but were still exhausted when morning came. Late in the day we had dishes done, floors swept and vacuumed, food packaged up, records put away and the place shut down, but not before more fire dousing and a quick fill of the '59's radiator to assess mechanical damage. In a cruel and ironic twist, the day of lodge completion also marks the beginning of another time and money intensive project due to my own "absent-mindedness".

Nevertheless, this is a very odd time for me. On the construction side, the hardwork is done and I can actually sleep in, or relax in a comfy chair and watch a movie after work, or go out to eat with Cara on a whim without having to schedule it a week in advance. That'll take some adjusting. The place is also livable, but winter is heading this way, and a new set of snow tires won't guaranty passage season-long, so with that comes a new set of decisions to make. The parent's basement is still chock'ful and a storage building is the only practical way out; I'd like a break first (and a chance to actually bank some earnings). I've got a new job starting this month, AND an intense program I'm currently trying to wrap up in my current position. Bottom line, I've just gotta roll with it, be thankful for friends and family, and take some time to enjoy where I'm at.

One Expensive Breakfast

2009-09-15T04:54:00.000-07:00

Back at the grind. It was still only a 4-day work week but the difference was playing desk jockey on a Friday, thanks to Labor Day. This resulted in a standard weekend for lodge work, which was about all I could handle. My legs ache and my system could use another, say, 10 or 12 hours of sleep. Since my task list gets blown away and evolves daily, I figured it wise to jot down this weekend's accomplishments before excel wiped them from the face of the earth. Lord knows I couldn't recite half of these from memory….

Friday night, the Blazer was loaded with lengthy trim boards, aluminum extrusions sticking out the tailgate hatch, 125 pounds of black oxide cement coloring and 3 ungainly panes of 1/4" glass. Somehow I managed to the lodge without incident. Ripped down and duped a beltline board, then mitered to size and installed. Knocked off the shoulders and divided a stack of treated deck planks, installed screws (oh yeah, a FF stop after work as well) in the existing decking and unloaded everything as the sun began to fade. A solid 3 hours. Rushed in, cleaned up and headed over to the PL to meet Cam for drinks and pool. The place started with sufficient energy but had cleared out pretty well a couple hours later. That was OK with me, morning would be calling soon enough.

Saturday and things were clicking along, the only hiccup being running short on conduit in the afternoon and making a trip to Waverly for supplies. I finished the side deck in the AM doing my best to match each plank to the countours of the ones prior. A cloudless sky with a light breeze, the sun really handed me a beating. Completed the work by cutting out the outline with the circsaw and lengthy guides a little after noon. Cara joined later in the day and as evening rolled around, she put some coals on the grill while I worked on getting the porcelain lights installed inside above the garage doors. In between, drilled through beams and added screws for center uplift prevention, got out the rustoleum and pan and rolled more red on the new sections of steel railing, and installed strip lights and wiring in the kitchen cab. That night, burgers, twice baked potatoes, and the soft glow from the new interior (and now functional) exterior overhang lights.

In classic fashion, I'm finding that I spend Sunday making up incomplete Saturday tasks, and losing the one big Sunday task until, well, sometime later.

Sunday Summary:

Drilled and fished romex up through kitchen wall from cabinet to false ceiling, wired in.

Shellaced finish board for top-of-stairs install (2 coats with sanding).

Install security closet magnetic latches.

Build light fixture for over-bed.

Surveyed and set pins for driveway cement pad.

Started work on bathroom pocket door-track and handle.

Took measurements for clerestory boards.

Cut/countersink/attached aluminum rail over shear wall with Cara's assistance.

Installed precarious glass panes over wall, shimmed up and adjusted "just-so".

Measured for pane #1 and took all the glass back down.

But, I really can't complain. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and things are getting finished up. Cement work kicks off this week and I've got one more big order of steel tubing to put in prior to Friday. In just a couple weeks we'll have our hands full not only "finishing" the construction but trying to decorate AND manage the details of the shindig. Who am I kidding? A couple weeks is NOW.

A Fistful of Yen

2009-09-08T19:21:00.001-07:00

Another 4 day weekend, this one pausing just long enough before throwing me back into the work-week. Sleep doesn't come any easier at the lodge so far but hopefully that'll change once the glass partition is installed over the upstairs dividing wall. Another slew of work accomplished, though I suffered a late start Thursday night after leaving work later than usual and making stops for supplies and groceries at Target. Friday it was more of the same with a run to Menards for lumber for the side deck mid-afternoon and a return to tearing apart the kitchen floating soffit, rebuilding with freshly cut and painted perf steel. Also installed a choice faucet upstairs and had all but one piece of the drainwork in. Spent the night at the apt as Saturday I would not be lodge-bound.

In fact, I spent Saturday clearing out the parent's garage, all the while wondering just where in blazes half this stuff was going to go. I pared down the automotive stuff pretty good but was left with box after box full of vacuum tubes. A legitimate plea for Cold Storage II could be heard (mostly from me). Made a mad-dash to the apartment late in the afternoon to change and was off with Cara and company for a wedding reception at Hartman Reserve. This did much to resolve my grumbling attitiude from shuffling through krep in the hot afternoon sun on little sleep to the point that, at night's end despite being exhausted, we were still able to work in a Mad Men viewing.

Sunday I was out the door early, grabbed some caffeine and got to work on the side deck, squaring up boards and working the angles. Cara joined me later in the afternoon and helped as I hand mixed cement and set the deck posts. I've gotta hand it to her, she did a bang-up job of cleaning up the mess in the kitchen, too. As the sun-set, I fired up the Weber and tossed on some italian sausage, taking in a picturesque Iowa evening with a cold one in-hand and the AM playing. After dinner, I built the next soffit light fixture before joining her on the deck, her with a novel, me with my latest copy of Dwell.

If only sleep came as easily as the work. Monday I got a start on attaching the cross braces and perimeter to the newly set posts and knew we were going to be one board short. Cara returned from running errands later in the day with another pressure treated 2x6 which I promptly worked in. I ripped down the planks into 2.5" strips and then we set about loading wheel barrow after wheel barrow with fill-in dirt to dump at the side entrance to help with drainage. Then the weed-block cloth and rocks. Finally, cleanup and home to decompress.

Not as much got done this weekend as I had hoped, but I can't really complain. The effort was there and the time wasn't pissed away by excuses or sleeping in. Come end of this week, the "big stuff" list should be halved. I'll be working right down to the wire, certainly, but without plausable milestones and end dates, all you're really talking about is a hobby. I may not remember exactly what a hobby is, but I’m pretty sure this isn't it.

The Lost Weekends

2009-09-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

The "out of my hands" work is underway now with the brick progressing nicely. If all goes according to plan, the final wash will take place tomorrow and we'll be set for caulking and fixture install. Next the cement contractor can start the driveway pad job. Meanwhile, I can begin boring on the east side to sink timbers to support the side deck approach.

Inside, things are moving about as well as can be expected. Fixtures getting built, panels going on. Staining and painting to do. A mad rush for sure. That being as it may, Cara and I had wanted to see Inglourious Basterds and were talked into joining Ben and Cam Friday night. Afterwards, Ben cut out for a more exciting venue leaving the 3 of us to hold our own. PBR and cut-throat followed and we were home a little after 12. Not too shabby for some old folks.

After several days of mulling I've arrived at the following conclusions:

What I liked about the film:

Attention to details.

95% perfect casting.

Tarantino's ability to keep you second guessing with every twist.

What I disliked:

Wooden dialogue.

Length- Once or twice I found myself thinking, "get on with it". 10-20 minutes could have been trimmed.

Inconsistent pacing (and not in a good way)

Character development.

I make these conclusions based on some preconceptions going in. I was expecting Dirty Dozen-Guns of Navarone setup and action coupled with Tarantino's penchant for violence, in-depth character development and his general ability to take even a lackluster setup and somehow manage to crank the knob to 11. Even though a good attempt is made at showing the comraderie and backgrounds of the basterds early on, there was nothing that really stuck with me through the film to cause me to really give a fig about any one in particular. As far as I'm concerned, Hans Landa is the only one that ever delivers on who he really is and isn't just cashing the check. He may be an outright weasel and just plain ful'o hate, but wanting him dead is no less powerful an emotion than wanting any one good guy to live.

As a showcase of skill, talent and expert cinematagraphy, the film doesn't dissapoint, and on those merits I'd consider seeing it again, but I found it terribly difficult to cling to anything the way films such as NCfOM or There Will be Blood, so easily offered up. Even Tarantino's "Death Proof " had me immersed.

Disc #35

2009-08-25T04:55:00.001-07:00

Wednesday was a real mess, and I mean that in the best way possible. Time flew by at work, and I finally got to relish in those situations I miss at the factory, where the sky is falling, things aren't working, choreographing discussions and rework, etc. etc. A huge downpour came through around 3 and I decided I'd meet a couple Moline folks at a local fab shop at 3:30. Conveniently, alarms and lights sounded for a hazardous gas evacuation leaving a full building of people to wonder if this was just a test, for real, or bumbling security. Now, imagine 3 floors of people, many that have decided this is as fine a time as any to shut their computers off and head home, trying to get through a single turnstile-type door. Why security didn't open the adjacent man door and hit the release so the turnstile would default open, I have no idea. To add insult, security then thought this would be a good time to perform a "bag check" because nothing speeds an evacuation like holding up the line to root through purses and lunchboxes. Several hundred people had turned around by this point and were heading back and word was spreading of a false-alarm, which caused others to peel off the "leaving" line and head back. The hallway was packed wall to wall. Meanwhile, the rain continued to pour. Learned later on it was not a false alarm. Eh.

Thursday, another quick day punctuated by a visit from Don and a viewing of The Junkman with Cam and Ben. An impressive film in the 70's weak-plot and smash-em-up genre. Released in '82. The next morning I slept in until 9 or 10 and generally took a breather; had been a while. Spent the afternoon at the lodge and got quite a lot done, enough to justify taking Ben up on his offer of the PL later that night. Standard fare, different clientele. And oh, the pickled eggs. So good.

The beautiful weather on Saturday was too good to pass up so when Cara got home from work around noon I roped her into doing some heavy lifting. Together we got the canoe up on the Blazer, and with paddles and vests stowed, we were off for Waverly. It was a gorgeous day for a canoe ride down the Cedar but the trip down to the C-57 access may have been a little overzealous. Underway around 2PM, and with little river current, we eventually made it…5 hours later! The sun had practically set as we drove the VW back north to fetch the Blazer, stopping for groceries on the way. Knowing we wouldn't be able to repeat the feat of getting that 18' monstrosity on top of the Chevy, upon return to the lodge we hitched up the trailer and went back for the canoe. Now around 10 we were ready for a shower and a hot meal! A good night for sleeping, if not too chilly.

Sunday, then, taking up the slack. First order of business involved opening the garage doors and cutting/gluing/nailing rubber strips to the lower edges to keep rain out and prevent wicking. Easier said than done as the residential grade rollers are leaving something to be desired. The big question, what to do with all this construction krep? Patched a little water damage in the kitchen, smoothed wall gouges in the bathroom that were to be covered by tile, but not anymore. Took inventory of materials req'd to finish the beltlines. Marked and drilled out the C-channels for the soffit lights to discover the lamp holders have no fasteners with them. Had a lunch of dessicated pizza rolls. Finished the day by getting most of the upper cabinet components cut to size and ready for final assembly Monday. Home for a shower, wine and a viewing of a recent Amazon purchase. Totally wiped.

Red Skelton was Right

2009-08-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

A strange week for sure. In the classic style, I'll start with Thursday. Not that I can really recall what happened Thursday, but I'm sure long hours at the lodge were involved. I may have picked up the tempered glass for the shower doors, mid-day. Or Friday. Anyway, this week is different, but I'll get to that. Friday night I was beat and ready to cut loose, or hang loose, or hang ten, or something like that. But decided that I really needed to finish the bulk of the remaining tile job now that I actually had tile. I ended up running right up until the clock was out, went straight to the apt, showered quickly and headed down to meet Ben at the PL. Cam was a no-show but Cara dropped in after work and the three of us ordered up PBR's. I can't say Ben nor I picked up a pool cue the entire night, but that didn't stop us from enjoying ourselves (though they really need a decent alternative to Select on draw).

Sat AM, up and at 'em. Pulled myself together in clean, though grubby appearing construction clothes, and strolled down to the PL to collect my car. Grabbed a bite on the way and gave the iPod a run. Saturday I worked like a mule knowing I'd be staying over night. Stopped at the parents in the afternoon to collect more large items to drag out to the lodge. They followed in their vehicle to lend a hand with tasks they knew they could assist with. Dad and I loaded the trailer with all the sumac I had cut down earlier this year while my mom finished up the last bit of mowing. We also put up fencing around our two trees and dragged the massive dead branches I had cut down from the ash tree over to the burn pile. Then it was interior time - finishing the sisal. They took off and I finished the shower tile and cleaned up. But….sundown was no longer a physiological calling that the day's work was done and I didn't mind pressing onward. So, I grouted the place, and warmed up the oven. The wind began to pick up around 9 as I tried to enjoy a very thin, tasteless pizza on the front deck. The overnight is a blur of tossing, turning, wondering what time the storms were going to blow through, opening windows, closing windows, searching out earplugs, wandering in the dark, etc. etc. When the morning came there was no "sleeping in". Not with umpteen windows and zero curtains.

Sunday was a long smear of tasks punctuated by an aggravating run to Menards for a can of laminate contact cement, but at least it gave me a chance to return the myriad excess items I've had in the wings for a while now. Called it a day around 6 with quite a bit of work behind me. Ready for a reprieve, I fired up the French Connection on LD; neither of us had seen it before.

Monday, on the road to the quad cities. A long day of testing and driving. Made extremely good time on the way back and found myself in CF around 7:30. Alas, blew right by the I-80 Truck Stop. Bed was calling but the conscious refused me to even consider that after an aggregate of 5 hours behind the wheel accomplishing little. Went for a walk with Cara to calm the nerves.

Tuesday, continued need of recharging reared its ugly head, but we tackled the invites and laundry (all Cara) after work. By that time I was in no shape for construction work despite having changed. An hour of daylight left at the most. Tonight'll really sock it to me, but I have to make up for yesterday's list.

Onward, ho!

"Built Fun Tough"

2009-08-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

Thursday was car day. The weather was pretty decent and I was ready for a post-work change of pace. It's been a long time since I can recall dressing "casually" right after work. I ran a few errands, dropped off the recycling and kicked things off by washing the '85 Coupe; noting the ravages of mother nature, and cruising her out to the country for pictures. I bought this car a few years back as a "project" with a slipping trans but great paint and interior. Changing interests and new responsibilities caused her to sit far too long, in the rain, snow and summer's heat. Another season outside wouldn't be right. I'll list her this week with a modest reserve.

Next was cleanup of the '76. A quick cruise proved she was anxious for the road, but impending rain sent her to the garage for the night. I went home, cleaned up, and got some sleep.

Most of the office was out Friday and those that were there bailed out after lunch. Despite that, my dad's AM retirement "roast" was a success. I helped myself to the coffee and breakfast pizza and enjoyed the speeches, photos and backstories. Nowhere else was it so apparent how many people were lamenting my his leaving and appreciative of all his efforts over the years. The afternoon ended fairly somberly but work picked up around 3.

I managed a couple hours at the lodge then came in for drinks at the PL. My "Glass Tower" was especially minty, but enjoyable, nonetheless. Pool and music were pretty decent, too.

How to almost miss a wedding:

First stop Saturday morning was at the transfer station to unload a bunch of scrap metal from the trailer. From there, Cara and I hit up the art store on the parkade to see what cardstock and envelopes they offered; didn't find exactly what we wanted. Then to the parents. Cara got a load of laundry going, meanwhile I loaded the riding mower into the trailer. We headed out a half our later and put in an hour or two at the lodge in prep for Saturday night. This meant building the platform for the bed using 3/4 plywood that I had freed up the night before while Cara wiped down jalousie panes and took them upstairs. The temps were rising and the spotty rain earlier in the day only added to the humidity factor. Keeping our eyes on the clock, we finished our tasks and headed back to the parents to swap laundry and get the '76 out. Then to the apt to cleanup, pulling ourselves together in the stifling heat and getting to the church a quarter 'til; meeting Ben as he strode down the front walk.

The Dave and Rebecca wedding went off without a hitch. The heat and humidity were oppressive, but being use to donning a sweat-soaked t-shirt on a ladder 16' up in lodge-internal, where the summer's sun has superheated the surrounding air while the cement below radiates waves of moisture, it wasn't _that_bad. A quick ceremony and we were headed for the Rotary. I got the distinct vibe the group of us were "the outsiders" at the event. Whatever the case, the A/C was blowing and the diet Mountain Dew was working overtime to keep my head off the table. Around sundown we took our leave for Andrea's parents' place.

The selection of games was seriously lacking from the last visit and it was apparent the heat of the day had taken its toll on everyone. But once Trivial Pursuit was out there was renewed energy in the room. Ben and Robert put up a good fight and between Cam, Micah and I we were able to slug through some oddball questions. What we couldn't figure out was how to play, or even the name, of a game that involves the phase "the deal has been made". I seem to recall a lot of ear-tugging and nose-tapping that went along with that one. Anyhow, it was past 1 when the shindig broke up and we parted under a clear night sky with a fairly full moon.

A quick walk down the RR tracks from the Rotary and a jaunt through tall grass and weeds in the moonlight lead us to the Lodge. The heat of the day had dissipated and a shower really hit the spot before bed. The next morning, light was streaming in the windows, but it wasn't long before the mists came. Then rain, thunder, lightning and a black sky. I turned on the '48 television and consulted the charts for KWWL's transmitter location. We got a picture of the radar pattern showing a big time storm (with digital TV the pics buffer and when the signal drops, they freeze). But without a good signal we had no audio at all. Terrific. Got a call from the parents that things were going to be getting bad quickly. We closed up shop and ventured out into the storm, moving along the tracks as fast as we could to get the '76 home before the hail storm. We made it, but a friend's place near Eldora was hit pretty hard by the storm system with strong winds, half dollar size hail and lots of tree damage.

There'd be no picker work or lawn mowing the rest of the day. We went back with the truck and worked another six and a half hours with Ben showing around 1 just in time for another storm system. We loaded up a couple Maytags as the skies opened up. Once again, I was drenched. Did manage to change the blade and fix the mower, ripped some stock for the workbench, cleaned tile and even grouted a good portion of the bathroom. Cara cleared the area under the stairs with the shop vac and proceeded to vac the downstairs, and I mean, the whole downstairs!

Already beat, we closed things up around 6:30 and headed in to get our laundry and grab a bite. Home by 8 and ready for the sack. That's a weekend.

Random Thoughts

2009-08-11T05:58:00.000-07:00

(written Thursday the 6th)

Finally, the slow crawl to Thursday. I can't complain too much, though the yawns are starting to take hold. After a day at the office and a night in the country I’m usually out as soon as my head hits the pillow. Not so this week. I must have gotten an honest recharge this past weekend and the ideas (and obligations) continue to bounce around long after the lights go out.

In other news, the Gen 3 iPod is back on the road. A tear-down and inspection at the ESD station at work under the microscope revealed a little problem. 3 surface mount components were literally sheared off the PCB! Yes the board, case, hard drive, etc were fully intact. Tweezers, a steady hand, and a very fine soldering iron tip put things back to operational. Half the battle was finding a torx bit roughly the size of a ball point pen's tip.

The Lodge clicks along with directional lighting and the complementing 18' workbench completed last night. Gaining a foothold on the tools, materials, and good usuable scraps you'd expect to accumulate in a bldg under construction is the next big thing. Flashing, 2x4's, strips of cedar, paint cans, ceiling tiles, tar paper. You name it, it's good material and its' got to go somewhere, lest the finished product end up looking like Sanford and Son's living room. OK, it still may end up looking like that, but with far more interesting, umm, pieces.

I may have mentioned before about how, as the place progresses, I can start to give legitimate thought to more permanent facilities for some of the hobbies that otherwise haven't seen the light of day in years, or never really had the proper venue to fully enjoy. Enter, the Quad bug. For once I'll have a large enough room to permanently set up a real quadraphonic system without making a bunch of half arsed concessions about equipment, speaker locations, furniture placement, etc. This means I get a shot at doing it right, and as I know all too well, trying to do things the right way costs bucks.

And the bucks be flying. At some point you have to ask, is the service worth the price tag? When you do it yourself, you're already of the advantage of knowing you can use premium materials and come in far under the asking price of the cheapest hire-ons. You also can put legitimate prep work and finish time into whatever it is you're doing and get superior results because your goal isn't to get in, get paid, and get out in the shortest amount of time like the majority of "pros". But when the work doesn't call for exacting tolerances and the bulk ends up as labor, like say, pouring and finishing a cement slab and requiring some heavy equipment that doesn't make sense to rent, all bets are off. Ultimately, you either suck it up and pay the man, or open a big ol' can of worms. But said can of warms could save a couple grand, so what do you do? One thing I know for sure, it's tough to get a lot of warm and fuzzy dividends from a slab of cement, regardless of cost. Whatever that means.

Do Not Belittle the Logarithmic Scale

2009-08-03T20:07:00.001-07:00

It started Thursday night, with a retirement party for my dad (good turnout) down at VooDoo, followed by a quick bite at Toads (no longer carrying Schlitz), a brief stop at the new Target with Cara, and finally westward on 20 to bring home the cherry picker while she packed her bags. Got things set up at the lodge, unhitched and home around 9:30/10. Friday then, off like a shot for a day of bucket work in the sun.

Installed the final upper corner fascias, trimmed, fastened, coerced the aluminum drip edging into place, then trimmed the shingles in 4' swathes across the front and east side. Gave the east and west fascias another coat of paint and installed some cedar exterior corners around the clerestories. Around 9 hours later I was beat, but the job was finished. Things went well enough except for my earbud cord getting snagged early in the day, forcing my much beloved 3rd gen iPod out of my vest pocket and out of the bucket for an 18 foot fall! Several things in my favor: It ricocheted once and landed in the pea gravel garden drain rather than the very firm ground. The poor thing would have been in 10,000 pieces if it weren't for the rubbery slipcase. And the harddrive was parked as it was in the middle of a song at the time. I plugged my headphones in to find it still playing…though all controls are unresponsive. Thankfully it was on a shuffle and the volume was at a good level so away we went for the next 5 hours. I'm afraid it's time for the soldering iron.

Met the gents for some beer and pool and had a rather enjoyable evening down at the PL, topping things off with Christopher Cross' "Sailing" and a Rusty Nail.

Tile work consumed my Saturday, punctuated by simple tasks on the list to spice things up. Since we have a television out there now (a '48 Emerson) I was looking forward to taking in the evening air, a cold one, and putting on Guy Lombardo. This would mean an earnest attempt at receiving the new digital television standard. I finally did get Lombardo, but the DTV converter generated enough RF noise on its own to hash the picture, and any feeble attempt to adjust the antenna resulted in frustration. Unlike real-time analog, results are not instant, and the theory that you either "have a picture or you don't so this really should be quite simple" doesn't hold water since you can also have a picture that breaks up every 5 seconds or so with sound that cuts in and out. You get up, approach the antenna, the signal improves as you get near the antenna, you fiddle with the UHF loop, the rabbit ears, the rotary control on the amplified base, etc. Just when you think you've got it, you get a few feet away and it all breaks up again. I'd like to see the take rate on satellite subscriptions since June's intro date….

With the fun sucked out of that, I put things in order, swung by the parents to pick up a package that was in and finished the eve off with the Criterion LD of North by Northwest.

Sunday, a little sleeping in, a lot of flat tire. Pulled the wheel while waiting for a ride, then proceeded to sit on the steps of the apartment house, fitted in construction rags, reading the Saver in the Sunday lite like this was the projects and I was in the wrong century. PM: ripping, cutting, fitting corners for the pumphouse. Shellac'ing panels. Some staining. Brought out a load from the parents and my mom offered to paint the bathroom. Who am I to complain? Cara happened along late in the day, fresh from her weekend trip visiting family, and caught up on her reading while I put things away. Then…digging the full-size spare out from under 10,000 vacuum tubes (of course), pizza and "The Game". Doesn't hold up quite as well when you know the ending, despite years between viewings.

Progress in the Art of Electric Metering

2009-07-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

Bewildering week it was, with a change-up weekend. At least I feel exhausted now, as opposed to a few days ago where I could barely do anything intelligible outside of work, and yet wasn't feeling particularly sleepy. In bed by 8-something after a try-and-fail lodge expedition Friday night helped charge the batts a bit and made getting a crack on things early the next morning all the more easy. On the upside, I didn't burn another vacation day...sitting through 8 hours of Friday boredom, and I was able to get the necessary bricks and mortar ordered over lunch.

Saturday, then, progress central. Finished the last upstairs wallpaper. Gave the upper fascias a good coat of paint so they'll be ready for installation next Friday when I get the picker. Masked and stained the interior clerestory window trim. Started work on the west soffit light and bullet lights. Mixed up mud and gave the east wall another skim coat before the "Sisaling" slated for this week. Plus finished the formica on the last kitchen countertop (on the island). Lights and upper cabs in there and we're done. Came home around 6, washed up and hung out with Cara and took in a fantastic LW show from 1960; Tribute to the Big Bands. We meandered up the hill for some pipe tobacco and cider. Pretty quiet out.

Met Cam and Ben at the PL and we ventured up to Janesville Days for excellent weather and semi-cold beer…in the street. Highlights also included taking in a fight inside the Panther. Pepperoni pizza under the stars at Suds, idling outside the Raceway watching people pay 25 bucks a head for the Night of Fire and a brief stop at the Hydrant to let us know what we weren't missing.

The fantastic weather continued Sunday but a lack of usable wall texture meant I'd have to sacrifice part of the afternoon for a Menards run. After hauling the old gates from the road to the lodge with the trailer, giving our trees some attention, masking the bathroom and cleaning up test efforts (outside) to use mixed popcorn texture, I set forth to the parents to get laundry started. Menards could also hold legitimate claim to "busiest place on earth" for a Sunday afternoon. Got what I needed, more laundry at the 'rents until I get a proper hookup at the lodge, and then load-up time. Some furniture, a mattress, a '48 television. I set out like a bad episode of the Beverly Hillbillies and managed not to get the mattress (tied on to the roof) airborne.

Mixed the texture, drug the heavy compressor upstairs and sprayed the bathroom walls; turned out alright for a first effort. The parents showed to give a hand with the mattress and the Steelcase furniture I packed in their Outlook. Highlight of the weekend was really dinner on the deck with Cara. A legitimate spooling down without obligation knocking at the back door. Sun setting, deer venturing into the fields, Sub City and a cold libation. And not 1 but 2 rabbits working busily on the clover. Big deal you say. Well, when you build a place in a cornfield all the trimmings and expectations of suburbia do not necessarily follow. Orioles and gold finch we have plenty of. Now if we could attract a few squirrels.

Thomas Jefferson was a Jerk

2009-07-21T20:03:00.001-07:00

Brief weekend, to put it bluntly. I took Friday off to get a jump on finishing the front-upper fascias, and you'd think that'd be nice to get a day away from work. But when you burn vacation on projects that just won't end, instead of lounging in the sun someplace, the time off is bittersweet. Of course it means I can work late Thursday nights with wreckless abandon. Which I ended up doing (let's not get too crazy here!). And meeting late in the eve with the mason that will take on the brick job as his schedule permits.

Friday was off with a bang, spent the AM fixing and finishing the rear PH siding, then moved onto interior staining, followed by the front fascias per the plan, and burning an hour or so directing gravel to be spread along different portions of the farm lane. It's a good thing I don't measure cash flow in terms of Mac Mini's. Or Airport Expresses, for that matter. Packed up shop a bit after six, and met up with the crew at the PL around 8. A more rambunctious night than usual, and Cam and I closed the place down in high style!

Saturday. Slow, methodical, 8 hour bathroom tile session. But the day was saved with a late dinner with Cara at Bourbon Street. Note to Beck: turn the treble down a touch on your background music. Then to the parents to help with the iMac which has been a touch flaky the past 6 months. It should not take 2 hours to boot up, and do so without errors. Even after a fresh install on a formatted drive.

The cool weather made Sunday perfect for working outside but the sun let you know who was boss by the end of the afternoon. We started with an early morning run to Menards, then hauled up a trailer-full of treated lumber from the lodge to the road to work. I cut back A LOT of fence weeds while Cara ran in for some 2 stroke oil for the inaugural run of the post-hole digger. I wished we had snapped a "before photo" of the entry off the road. End of the day we had a complete north fence from road to gate installed and painted, half the work completed on the south side. One of two new gates installed and painted, and prep work for the other complete. A real Kodachrome transformation with vivid blue and white oil-based paint and green grass and flowers. Plus a lot of gawking from passers-by, probably wondering why we were dressing up the entrance to "just a field".

Right to Dry

2009-07-15T14:38:00.001-07:00

I fell short of my rather ambitious list of things to get done at the lodge this weekend, despite putting in almost 30 hours of solid time in 3 days, plus a visit to Menards. But Cara put things in perspective for me last night. At the end of the weekend we had a fully padded and carpetted upstairs. The top-of-stairs door was modified and hung. The kitchen sink was installed and we had leak free plumbing…huzzah, running water! The countertop backsplashes were 90% done. Kitchen island totally banded and needing only 1 sheet of formica to go. Plus all our yard work punctuating Sunday. Cara ran the riding mower for 7 hours straight and I gave a hand up at the road with the push mower and weed whip. Finally, measurements for the fencing.

Friday evening both the carpet installer and myself were totally beaten but the temptation of cold beer at the PL was too good to pass up. After seeing the installer out I finished the few things I was working on and Cara and I joined Cam, then Mia, then Katherine later in the eve to share stories of "the storm", but the 10 hour day, compounded by only a couple hours sleep had Cara and I packing before midnight. Slept like a log.

Saturday night made up for lost time that morning running to Menards for supplies. I had Dick Bartley on the AM, and working on countertops in the kitchen meant an inaugural meal of Pizza Rolls in the '60 Frigidaire oven was not out of the question. Fired it up around 10:30PM and broke out the ice cold High Life. Not bad. Hitched up the trailer in the dark around 11 and headed in, keeping my eye on the low, orange moon.

Sunday then meant prying our lifeless bodies out of bed, getting on the road, forcing the riding mower into the trailer and annoying just about every speed demon that came along on North Union. Long day. But sunny, and not nearly as humid as Saturday night. Cleaned up around 9 and we hit up the OP for cold Schlitz and fantastic pizza.

Which brings me back to Thursday night. I got home late from the lodge and ended up not getting to bed until at least midnight. Only a few hours in and we were both awoken by that unmistakable sound of trees being shaken by high winds and torrential rain. We raced around the apt in the dark, closing windows and surveying how much water had come onto the porch when the lights up and down the street went out. Through the sheets of rain Cara pointed out through the bedroom window that the top of our backyard tree was gone. I could only make it out aided by the flashes of lightning and thought it merely double over on itself. Clearly, this was more than a thunderstorm. As the wind escalated and the noise level outside grew to deafening proportions I wondered, "Why weren't the sirens going off?" Seconds later it got very violent. We hit the floor as hail pounded the building and the cracks and groans of the old trees let us know they were giving way. The rain pounded the glass and siding and we expected the windows to blow in at any moment. No joke. In fact, the windows in the apt downstairs did.

Then….the winds calmed, but the rain would not let up. 3" worth when all was said and done. With a flashlight we started drying things on the porch. It was approaching 4AM. Then it hit me. If the parents (who were in MN) lost power the way seemingly half the town had, the sump pumps wouldn't be pumping. The amount of damage this would cause is unthinkable. We grabbed whatever clothes we could find and raced down the steps in the rain, did our best to avoid the ankle deep lake in the backyard and made our way to the Blazer. The tree I thought had doubled over had actually split at the crotch and dropped 40' worth of trunk mere inches from our cars. It had come to rest both on the ground and supported by the trunk phone and cable lines over our vehicles. Getting across town was a lot more difficult than we had imagined. First with the alley blocked by a tree that had also fallen on a Mercury. We 4x4'd our way to pavement with the wipers running on high. Second, almost every turn yielded a blocked road. At one point on 18th I was driving through water that was up over the truck's frame and doing my best to figure out how we were going to proceed with 2 blocks of snapped power poles in front of us. House lights west of Hudson Rd. gave us some relief and we found the pumps running at the parents. But the carnage through town was pretty amazing. Rather than a tornado's wandering path of destruction, it seemed as if the whole town had been hit with equal force from above. Thankfully, the only damage to homes was wind torn fascias, broken windows and lost trim; cars didn't fare so well with all the falling detrius, however.

Next, to the lodge where we had some water intrusion, but the place was still there (and the road a freakin' river). Then to my grandma's around 4:30AM where trees had toppled ripping down her feed from the transformer. She slept through the storm, but without power, her basement was flooded.

We returned home, and eventually got an hour or two of sleep as the idiots in the frat house behind us tried to noisily clear a path out of the alley. I ended up using a tow rope to drag the blocked limbs clear and with some help from Cara and others we drug it out of the way. That's how you start a Friday.

More Bang for Your Buck

2009-07-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

Even though the 4th has passed, it still feels like summer is just getting started. Maybe it's the current, hurried pace that keeps me from glancing at the clock too long, or the oddly cool weather we've been having the past week or two. Whatever it is, I'm not going to complain.

Cara and I set off last week for the annual N. Minnesota pilgrimage, and, leaving on the 3rd, planned our route accordingly to avoid the heavy holiday traffic around the twin cities. While we added a couple hours to the drive, never once did we find ourselves at a standstill or for lack of genuinely interesting scenery. Getting out of Iowa, we managed 57W to Sinclair, surveying the recovery of last year's tornado that destroyed their elevator and snapped hundred year old trees like twigs. Then on up 14 through Greene, eventually onto the 4-lanes "to make time" as far north as Owatonna. From there it was a laundry list of small-town Minnesota. New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, Hector, Willmar, etc. Allowing plenty of opportunities to stop and snap pics or do some snooping. Walmart provided a) a new car battery and b) fixin's and an ice chest for lunch. After a few hours more we stopped for lunch at Sibley State park, found a nice grassy spot in the shade near a stone and timber shelter likely built by the CCC, and had ourselves a meal while being scolded by a red squirrel. Then onward another couple hours to our destination, the final leg intentionally taking some very back roads to see the scenery.

An after-thought before we set out that day, I cross checked several of the small MN towns against a list of closed Drive-in theaters to see if we had any hits. Indeed. But finding them without addresses, nor knowing whether there were any remains, was the challenge.

Sidebar: Drive-in cataloging is difficult work, given the great number, and short lifetime of some drive-in theaters, especially in areas that couldn't support such a theater for more than a few years. Having only screen and snackbar, mother nature can work fast recovering what was once there, and developers especially like already graded plats making it ideal to plant a megastore right on top of an old DI location. One gent uses Terraserver satellite images to investigate a locale once he knows a drive-in existed in the area. Sometimes you can make out the "baseball diamond" footprint of an old theater, though cornfield or walmart usually makes that very difficult.

Hector, MN supposedly had a DI but we couldn't find it. A gent in town pointed us to one he knew once existed in Buffalo, MN, so down the road we went. All that was left was the snack bar now storage building, and concrete piers that once anchored the screen. Wadena, MN had a DI and the towering tin of the neon sign/marquee still stands, though if it were to disappear, one would never know given the trees and brush that have taken back the land over the past 20 years.

The Long DI in Long Prairie opened in 1956 and is still operating today. I was able to snap off a few pics along a fenceline in the rain, but being the middle of the day, the gates at the road were locked and it was a long, wet approach into a wooded area to get to it. Must be something to see in the twilight...

So yeah, we found a few DI's.

Never a dull moment- boat rides, fireworks, the annual trip to the transfer station to stand in awe of appliances accumulating in the sun. And to date many of them, easily providing service for 5 or 6 decades continuously. Think about that for a minute. Even worked in a trip to the parents new place to help get a 300lb diving platform into their lake.

We made the mistake of taking 4-lane back to CF and ended up in stand-still traffic north of Minne, likely due to an accident as it was mid-day Tuesday. A sly exit and our 2-lane escape plan put us back on the road. Even with what must have been a 3 hour stop at IKEA, we managed to get home shortly before dark, Blazer loaded down. Now if only we could get a vacation to recover from our vacation.

The Cedarloo HyVee on top of the StarLite Drive-In outfield.

A Week of Sundays

2009-07-02T19:42:00.001-07:00

The ring is in sight, but of course the 4th Holiday makes this a short work week, and an oil change, haircut, carwash, etc. is in the cards for tonight (and getting a jump on sleep would be nice), so that's meant packing a week's worth of duties into 3 days. Burning 2 hours vac Tue and Wed meant _almost_ getting in a full day of work at the desk job jockeying meetings and surprisingly fitting in another honest 7 hours each night at the lodge. Not that I'd want to do that regularly, but I've had weekends that've felt more taxing out there. Last night was nice, though. Cara came out shortly before dusk to christen the freshly-installed commode (or at least hit the flush lever a few times for novelty's sake) and we had pizza out on the deck as the sun set, watching the deer roam the fields. Afterwards, she watered the crab apples while I glued down the last black VCT in the washer area.

July will be a month of tying up loose ends, contracting out cement and brick work, and getting down and dirty with the outdoor assignments. Oh yeah, and that whole moving heavy, awkward, irreplaceables out to the lodge that has Cara a bit worried.

Poor Walmart. They know they'll no longer be the only game in town and they're putting on their best poseur threads to fit in with the cool kids. The whole exterior has been painted (light beigy brown from the old blue) and comically, their new outbuilding sign is now light blue with white type. Speaking of type, they've dropped the Sam Walton era typeface and gone with a "cool" softer look that's so very now. They've been studying the playbook pretty closely: setting their aisles on diagonals, building a freestanding pharmacy, adding "dramatic" lighting and track grids over the bakery and produce areas. They even changed out the bulbs in the upright freezers, or at least pulled the diffusers, for a "crisp" effect, which isn't as "crisp" as it is hard-on-my-eyes. They even had a landscape crew busy out front Tuesday but their asphalt wasteland is no match for all the trees and green across the street. The only good to come of this is that when I stopped in after leaving work, I noticed the prices were once-again hitting reasonable levels. Loaf of bread: <$2. Two liter of Vault: $1. Totinos: $0.98

Still, they falter. I hear the merchandise continues to move around the store inexplicably. And in the great beigoning, someone thought it'd be a good idea to paint all the rough-face block while they were at it. Oh, the desperation.

Selling the Sizzle (written Monday)

2009-06-30T20:03:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy month trying to hit the goal of "ready to move things in by end of June", but barring any unforeseen snafus this week, we should hit the mark. Drawings and funds have changed hands for the carpetting, scheduled for when we return from the July 4th vac. Wall tile is up and grouted in the bathroom and the toilet should be going in tomorrow after sealing. The VCT floor will be finished this week along with laminating the kitchen countertops. Plumbing was done yesterday so the kitchen sink can drop in once the Formica is adhered and trimmed. Umpteen tasks are in-process, like painting the clerestory surrounds, putting up the last strips of wallpaper, and installing the shower doors.

The shower doors is an interesting one. I started installation last week and discovered the doors and frame are taller than the fiberglass tub by 1.25". Pretty standard, but looks ridiculous. So the aluminum framing is now cut down and installed, the sliding doors are torn apart, and I'm waiting on a call for replacement glass panes that are 1.25" shorter from a local glass shop. Tempered of course. (You can't cut glass once it's tempered) Never a good sign though when the glass pattern is commented on as "never seen that before". Great.

I spent Friday out there making big progress and got a call from Ben about the time I was heading out, around 6. Went home to clean up- still unbelievably muggy and temps hovering between 90 & 100F upstairs so I was a real mess. The big news of the evening was the replacement jukebox at the PL, the old one was practically an institution…a very similar model to the Tap's before that was replaced by an internet jukebox (and a good reason why I haven't been back). The PL's was cantankerous, often ignoring quarters and requiring you to beat on the page turn buttons every once in a while. You quickly learned which songs to avoid choosing as it would pass them up (likely due to dust or scratches I assume). A Rowe "CD Phonograph" that had a motorized CD on display, top-center, long since frozen. The new model isn't a total bust; many of the CD's were transferred over and it is NOT an internet model. But no longer can you get 3 plays for a buck, and the LED lightshow this thing puts on is seizure inducing.

After a couple hours Ben took off in typical fashion and Cam and I made good on our promise made months ago to hit up Suds as we knew the college crowd was out of town and the evening temps couldn't have been any more perfect. Enroute we made a quick stop at the Hydrant and I witnessed possibly the finest rendition of Totally Eclipse of the Heart I had ever seen. Words cannot describe this duo's performance.

The ice cold PBR at Suds did the trick and a new discovery was made. Their juke actually pre-dated the old PL machine and was equipped with A) the same discs we found popular at the PL (but no one else found popular, apparently), and B) discs I had never seen at any other juke in town anywhere, and could have come right out of my itunes library. "CD-Phonograph", indeed.

Why Don't you Monkey with the Monkey?

2009-06-29T06:36:00.001-07:00

I was sweltering at the lodge Tuesday, doing my best to keep the sweat out of the fresh shellac as the mercury approached 100F upstairs. An hour or so before the blue sky and bright sun made snapping some kodachrome slides ideal (gotta finish that roll) but now there was a wall of gray approaching from the west. Around 4 I stepped out onto the front deck to take view of this and in the course of 30 seconds standing outside the yellow door, the trees practically bent over, the black clouds rolled in, temps dropped 20+ degrees and a very forceful mist, almost like needles, pummeled the lodge. I rushed in to fight the side and back windows closed as the winds intensified. The mist was much like you'd see in a movie like the perfect storm, where rain is falling vertically, wind pushes it horizontally, and you crank up the windspeed until you don't really have drops, just a wall of fine water coming at you. This kept up for a few minutes, coming directly from the NW pounding the glass and siding. The radio was going nuts with storm warnings and reported on the wind as being in excess of 70mph. A few minutes later the large drops were falling and yet the wind refused to let up. I was still running around inside, lights on, checking for leaks, peering out the windows listening to the radio when I got a call from Cara saying a tornado had touched down a few miles away and they were in their shelter at work. Time to ride this one out. Water was now running down the cedar wall near the uppermost window. I can only surmise the storm was forceful enough to get in the uppermost fascia corner outside (needs a flashing cap), drive around the insulation, and follow the interior of the soffit down to the wall where it found its way inside. Pretty wild, really.

Charlie M.

2009-06-25T04:53:00.000-07:00

Whatever bug I picked up early last week is still hanging around. At least I'm mobile, but the tossing, turning and coughing doesn't bode well for Cara's sleep. Monday post-work at the lodge I felt the fatigue hit while opening a paint can. Middle of the night I'm awake with sore throat and a fever. Tuesday was spent mostly in bed catching up on my classic game shows on youtube, and a living room viewing of Das Boot. Terrific pic.

Wednesday I went back to work but wasn't feeling so hot. Handled loads of laundry and an evening of trying to back up the parents' iMac that night. Something was seriously wrong as the transfer rate in FW mode was pathetic. Thursday and Friday I was back at the lodge, sealing grout, laying VCT, tackling the sundry tasks. And Cara came out with me Saturday morning and we really went after things. Slathered up in sunblock, she started mowing on the rider, I went for the east fascias. I kept a box fan running up on the deck as I worked and between us we went through several gallons of chilled water. I took over the mower for a few passes when she went in for the Mo*air Pear sidewalk sale/lunch and realized the SPF50 wasn't working so hot when you're continually drenched in sweat. Unloaded the shower door, finished the outer angled fascia, glued down a portion of the VCT pattern and gave the trees a good drink. Before getting back to mowing Cara gave me a hand pasting up the final length of wallcovering we had on hand for the bedroom.

I ran the pushmower around the sideyard and cleaned up where the rider couldn't get to, then set forth to scraping and cleaning the NE clerestory for screen installation. This sucker still had painters' tape baked on from the staining operation, and the crud of 10,000 asian beetles. Done. I met Cara out front, we loaded the mower on the trailer at 6 and headed back to the parents for unloading and cleanup at the apartment. Tired, sweaty, generally beaten by the heat and humidity. But at least it was starting to cool. A cone at 4 Queens hit the spot, and with a cooler of ice and a fresh change of clothes, we turned right back around for the lodge for some bonfire action.

Plenty of scraps to burn, including the old OSB that made up the front false garage door walls. I salvaged what framing I could to be re-used as bracing as Ben pulled up; he made quick work of dragging off the separated sheets to the fire area. Wasn't long and we had a good blaze going and a rather nice night for it. Cam joined in and it was after 1 before we called it quits. I was still going strong, oddly. Back at the apt around 2 for some sack time.

Sunday, then, was a nice change of pace, as the sore throat came back and the sunburns kept us preoccupied. I treated Cara to a delicious breakfast at W*ffle Stop, then to the parents to finalize software installations and backups as our work clothes were washing. Saw off Brittni and John on their adventure back to Europe, and finally made our way lodge bound for interior painting. One little problem….we were too pooped to climb the ladders. The oppressive humidity didn't help matters either. Change of plans- we set up shop outside and hand sanded all the glass-stop trim on the vintage door that goes at the top of the stairs. Took _forever_ but we managed to get it in shellac-ready condition just as the rain started to fall and the tornado warnings were brd'cast on the radio.

It's been an interesting June. For Iowa, the weather has been oddly perfect until this week when the A/C units fired up all across the valley. Getting sick was unexpected and hurt productivity a bit. The wedding and family in town was a nice change but really took it out of all of us. (So….much….summer sausage….) The Wright and Like tour at the beginning of the month was fantastic. Looking back, it hasn't been such a bad month at all.

The "ready to move things in" goal still stands for end of June. Approx 2 weeks left and it WILL be busy. Countertops to build, bathroom walls to tile, interior painting (clerestories) to do, and the real PITA, front fascias to finish. (Plus all the little stuff.) The heat index will be the limiting factor I imagine.

Getting around to it...

2009-06-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

Weekend Wrapup: (written the weekend prior)

It had been a rather atypical week, starting with the usual late-night lodge activities M-W evolving into a Moline trip Thursday, topped off with more late night work with Cara that evening, buttressed with pizza and laundromat chores. On the upside: free beer. Having been tired hours prior, it was after 11 when we got home. Friday, then, I scheduled a half day to make up for the time shifted to Brittni's evening wedding festivities. Spent the afternoon at the lodge tiring myself out; home for a much needed cleanup and a good sit.

The rain started about that time, but couldn't dampen the spirits of my sister's rehearsal dinner at island park. The food and bev's really hit the spot and there wasn't a soul that didn't enjoy themselves. Cara and I pressed on at 8 for a PL meeting with Cam and Ben, Cam and I sticking it out after Ben tired of cut-throat. Pretty decent eve no matter how you slice it.

Saturday was the big day. We headed over to the house and jumped right into the chaos to prepare for the reception. Utter madness, but I like it that way. Everybody had their own idea of how a job was to be done, and many forgot this was not their wedding…or even immediate family they were dealing with. Must've been a dozen people working in the kitchen, a dozen more in back moving tables, laying out flowers, setting up tiki torches, moving tables again when someone wasn't looking, etc. Thankfully, both the dance floor and large tent had been set up the day prior, and practically came to blows I hear. Despite the best efforts of covering the parquet floor, Friday night's rain had found it's way onto the surface. We set forth dismantling the whole thing, drying both sides of the soaked panels in the sun and reassembling elsewhere in the yard. Not an easy process.

The sky did finally clear, all arrangements were in place, and the ceremony went off without a hitch, including a sermon prepared by the groom's dutch friend/pastor Tim. As getaway-driver, and Cara as my co-pilot, we took the bride and groom downtown, tin cans trailing behind us, rice everywhere, horns a blowing, leading two cars in-tow with the bridesmaid and her BF, and the bestman and his GF from Holland. I parked the car and strolled into the Stuffed Olive after dropping everyone off out front, only to find the group standing around in front of the bar, dressed to the nines, with odd looks on their faces. Why? The server demanded ID from the bride. Seriously. This was also news to the Europeans who found the concept of ID'ing very foreign. I made it clear this was ridiculous, and lead the wedding party out front, along the street where two men with guitars began seranading the group, and marched everyone into the Blueroom for a line of shots! Red-headed sluts. The Euro's loosened a bit and after a quick jaunt through Cedar City, we hit the reception where the party went well past 2 I hear. The band from Minneapolis was fantastic, you couldn't have asked for better weather, and everybody had a great time in the backyard. Upon arrival, rose petals covered the driveway and candles in bags lined the edges leading everyone up to, and around, the house where a thousand+ white xmas lights glimmered in the twilight.

Sunday, up and at 'em. I forewent any lodgework to help with the day-long teardown of the backyard, punctuated by socializing with other close family on the deck, and enjoying reception leftovers. The evening brought a heated bocce ball competition, culminating in a post-meal walk about twilight, and total collapse back at the apartment. 10,000 other things surely elapsed, too, but this entry is boring enough without additional assistance.

"1580AM....The Goose"

2009-06-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

Wright and Like Tour '09: Madison, Wisconsin. We set sail Friday in the untested '85 ETC after several days of pulling out hair trying to figure out a part throttle bucking problem and going through hell and back in diagnosing, substituting and outright replacing worn parts. Thursday after work I rolled the dice, dropped the fuel tank and changed the pump and hoses. Finally, success! Cara dropped by and we set to cleaning her up for the trip.

So we hit the road, stretching the car's legs for the first time with luggage onboard and a picnic lunch packed. It was around Dubuque that we discovered a serious problem. Transmission+Extended driving (heat) + coming to a stop = slipping and loss of 4th gear. We pressed on to Blue Mound state park in WI in 3rd gear before stopping for lunch and looking seriously at the situation. Fluid level was OK. TV cable was adjusted properly. Bottom line: McScrewed. We decided to press onward the half hour to Madison and rent a car for all the starting, stopping, and darting in the heavy construction zones the city offered. This was a real shame, too, as the car was simply flying on the interstate pulling in 25mpg and doing it so effortlessly. Hotel. Phone calls. Shuttle. Airport. Sentra. And a little peace of mind.

Fantastic weekend. I'll keep most of the thoughts in my head, but many architectural details gleaned from one of the masters and his apprentices. It was refreshing to both see how these buildings were not perfect and never had been, and to compare some of my atypical solutions to design problems that never creep up on conventional dwellings and see that they jibed pretty well with these structures. For the most part, it was a shot of inspiration and understanding that I once had, before starting work full time, dulling the senses and sucking a whole lotta' creativity out of me. I've also been so close to the lodge project that it's very difficult to tell anymore what is appropriate and what is ridiculous in completing it. A good example is the flying railings upstairs, meant to evoke a soaring, trepidatious response in visitorsr. I stood there last night, asking myself, "this is it?"

Bottom line: creative surge, newfound respect for a man I have viewed from both sides, and of course, food for the soul.

I should point out, Friday night's visit to "http://www.theoldfashioned.com/" down on the square could have justified the trip in itself. Ice cold PBR draws for a buck seventy-five, and Cara's Schlitz served up in a pilsner glass with logo was icing on the cake. Food was to die for, and the ambience and vintage decor, perfect. And yes, there are 150 Wisconsin beers.

Sunday, the ETC rewarded us with 4th gear and TCC lockup on our pilgrimage to Spring Green to see Taliesin. Afterward, it fought the hills OK, pulled in bucco economy, and then we hit Dubuque with their stoplights. And so it was, 3rd gear and a steady 55mph to keep the revs down all the way back on 20. But we made it… And with a case of Blatz tallboys to boot!

Cue the Skee-Lo

2009-06-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Thursday night, Cara came along for an evening of lodge work when I checked my phone. Hmm. Missed call. Hit the connect button to discover Bob and Barb visiting the lodge…and we were about 10 minutes out. Gave 'em the full tour, and with an evening so perfect, it was tough to get to work after they left. Alas, we did. I scraped clean the bathroom tile floor with a razor blade while Cara sanded her door. Painted fresh nail heads. Cut and installed the PH roof flashing "tails" and glued down the rubber corners. About dusk we retreated the deck for a drink and discussion on where to plant the trees we picked up. More decisions.

Starting my Friday off without coffee was an amateur's mistake. The intent was a day of fascia work but my focus was lacking, and the fatigue of the week had caught up. Nevertheless, I managed to get a 14-footer up with the correct compound angle (took most of the morning), and Zinser'd the remaining boards in prep for final paint. Vac'd the debris off the bath floor, liberated a bird, and headed in for lunch.

The ETC was ready for the pressure test so I figured I'd shift gears and work on the car over lunch (if I can get it ready by Friday we're takin' it to the road). Filled it with coolant, cranked her over and she fired up. Drove it around the block; no leaks. But still plenty of bucking. Ran to AZ to return the pulley puller that was "loaned" and picked up a temp sensor. On the way over I ended up in a bottleneck of 4-lanes reduced to 1 on 218, and 4mph cruising speed. Passed a late model Buick lacking most of its front end. 3 fire trucks, couple ambulances. Didn't look like anyone was majorly hurt.

The Sat radio in the parents new Outlook has me thinking about a subscription. Being able to pull up hits of the 40's on demand is a great perk. True 50's hits (without the dominating late 50's popular songs everyone knows). Plus they've got a 90's channel that was not the same old krep over and over like FM. They swung the full span of the decade, playing Genesis, En Vogue and grunge as well.

Back to the car, changed the sensor, had to solder/shrinkwrap on a weatherpack connector, then on a hunch played with the EGR. A Ha! Not. Holding. A. Vacuum. Ran a can of Sea Foam through her and returned to the lodge. With measuring cup in hand, I mixed up the sanded grout and got to work. Grouted the floor and set to planing and ripping fascia boards while waiting for it to set up. Got everything squared away upstairs and hand sanded the boards outside. Sponged and wiped the tile, then put the works away and headed in around 7ish to clean up and meet Cam for pool and drinks at the PL. Walked down to the PL where the ice cold beer really hit the spot. A good time was had.

Now for the real work. The big Saturday job was installation of the SE garage door and knocking out the false wall. Cut/installed 3/8 plywood on the rear of the pumphouse to help with shear. Then ran up to S&R in Waverly for a 1x8 and took stock of their wares (not bad, but pricey). Prep'd it and another board, then got to work knocking out the old OSB and framing. Cleared away the debris, and once again, the place did not fall in on me. Now I could run all the (heavy) PH siding outside to my makeshift assembly line. Spent a couple hours staining those and setting them in the sun to bake, then cutting track and filler for the door when the parents arrived to give a hand. Together we jockeyed the door sections around and into place with only a few crushed hands. Mounted the door hardware and let the parents flee. It was going on evening but the door must be stained, so I got after it as the wind eased and the sun set. Long Day. Jockeyed the siding inside and got to the apt around 9:30 for cleanup and a viewing of "See No Evil, Hear No Evil" on LD.

Up and at 'em on Sunday to first, chase a bird out of the lodge, thenm clean up after it. Note to self: get a hand to help plug the 3" gap over the new door. Grabbed my tools and wrapped the PH in tar paper, getting it ready for siding. Marked and snapped lines for fasteners. Brought out the 10' siding strips that still needed stain and got after them, then ripped some starter strips, stained them, and brought out the drip edging for paint. Put in the remaining garage door hinge screws and drug the new trees out to their respective positions (to watch them blow over in the gale wind). Late afternoon, time for lunch. Contributed my part to the sister's wedding plans by calculating electrical loads for the number of party lights and available ckts. Grabbed a bite, then back at it to install the trim and starter strips. My mom came out to lend a hand holding the opposite ends of the siding strips and by nightfall, all the siding was up. Closed up the bird opening and once again, arrived at the apt at 9:30 for a hot shower, cold beer, and some sleep.

Busy weekend, but a little recoup is on the way!

*Update Monday night: Crap, home at 10PM.

I'm in the Mood for a Paradigm Shift II

2009-05-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

Wednesday: What an utterly crappy day. The skies never cleared and it rained off and on all day, with reports of flash flooding possible from the local creeks. My optimism for knocking out the evening's small lodge tasks started to dwindle as the day went on. I languished at my desk going out of my way to keep occupied, and once home, managed to change and get out there with the returning trailer following me in.

The good news was the garage door we installed and stained on Monday still looked good despite the stain being very fresh, and the rain very wet. I set about my tasks, worst being cleaning up tile mortar in preparation for grout. Changed some fluoro bulbs downstairs, took inventory of our oddball tile for the bathroom wall job, filled voids in the front soffit with plasti-wood, confirmed materials for front fascias, etc. etc. The bulk of the 3.5 hours out there was spent rearranging and cleaning up the downstairs. The elephant in the room made itself heard as I stared at things like the router table, table saw, and stacks of building material too useful to toss out, but completely inappropriate to store inside the lodge long term. The PumpHouse is designed to handle outdoor things like the mower, shovels, rakes. But not sheets of plywood nor appliances in-limbo. This is Cold Storage II territory, and I shudder to think about the cost in building that.

Around 8 I headed for the parents to pick up Cara's dress. I ended up checking the garage for an AIR pump belt for the ETC, came up with every size but, so figured might as well install the (pricey) one I bought. Frustration time. By 10PM the car was all buttoned up, but I remembered there was one bolt that captured two bracket eyelets behind the alternator. I spent the next 30 minutes fighting to get both brackets inline, even pulling the alt, starting the bolt through both and trying to wrestle it back into position. Was NOT GOING to WORK. I frankly couldn't remember if both had been attached prior or if the last mechanic had the same problem. I should point out, this is a fixed bracket, yet the alt is designed to revolve around a pivot to take up belt slack. You begin to get the picture. With hands black as the night and a frayed temperament, I cleaned up best I could and went home for some sleep.

PBRMeASAP!

2009-05-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

A lengthy writeup for a lengthy weekend. To recap: a succesful Damfest, an enjoyable Saturday break, and enough labor to cause every joint in my body to ache by Monday night.

Having been putting in long hours at the lodge last week, and spending Thursday night arms-deep in the ETC waterpump R&R 'til after dark, I cashed in a little vacation Friday, giving me an extra hour of sleep before bouncing into work with a devil-may-care attitude and a couple hours off in the PM to give a final coat of paint to trim boards, and measure for carpet out at the lodge before heading in, changing, running over to the parents at 4 (after buying the requisite High Life) and getting a jump on the great round-up.

We have the Damfest mat'ls down to the essentials, and while they stay put over the winter, it's always a burden to drag up speakers, the card table, the giant cooler, the filthy grill and then go hunting for all the small stuff like the lights, toolkit, powerstrip, banners, etc. I had everything lined up by 5 when Cam stopped over and we loaded up the goods and headed to the dam. From there it was a whirlwind. Unfortunately, a bamboo reed on one of the tiki torches diced my finger up pretty good mid-evening and from that point on it was tough to shake the pain; a real king-hell papercut. Other than that, excellent turnout, great polaroids and thanks to Ben and Cara for handling the grilling after I opened an artery.

Saturday morning went pretty much by the book, hitting up the ReStore in CR mid-day for some decent finds, than onward to Coralville for the one distributor that carries the commercial brand of carpet that possibly has the color I want for the lodge. As always, dealing with carpet sales people is a struggle, especially when they're blowin' smoke. From there we hit up the Old Capitol Mall and drove around taking in the scenery and eating a tasty meal at Boston's. Cara caught some rest on the way home but I was driving and struggling to do so. Once at the apt it was light's out.

Sunday was spent at the lodge, then a reprieve mid-afternoon for lunch and unloading of Cara's car and mine, still full from Damfest. Then right back out to the lodge until 10PM or so. I set the cut tiles for the bathroom floor, taped and mudded the 20x16' high east wall with an exterior extension ladder (that was fun), put up the final exterior red beltline board, trimmed steel up on the deck and managed to install, trim and touch up a good portion of the Pump House fascias before it was too dark to see my own hand in front of me. Meanwhile, Cara had been doing a bang-up job cleaning at the apt, scrubbing floors and running errands. Around 10, with temps just right, and a light blue sky to the west, I cracked a beer and sat on the deck; listened to an owl off in the woods and regained my composure. Finally, home to pass out.

With a 6AM alarm sounding, we struggled to wake and pull ourselves out of bed. My body was not pleased with all the ladder climbing and contorting from the day before, but we were up and on the road by 7 with the trailer in-tow heading for Menard's. 2 hours later we had what we needed, including impulse buy ornamental trees (hey, when you've got a trailer to haul 'em, and 22% off, might as well). Loped over to the parents and loaded their riding mower, then got to work. Even with the rider, we were both impressed that it took almost 4 hours to mow the yard. While Cara ran the tractor, I finished up on the Pump House mitering, adjusting, fitting and end-painting the last fascia board, then painting all the nail heads. Finally, installing metal flashing along the rear edge, trimming and fitting the pieces to length and getting out the oh-so-messy roofing glue. Roof: Done. Next, the moment of truth…

False-walls have been in the garage door openings for a couple years now, in fact I put them up shortly after getting the roof on, to keep the place closed in. This means the steel beams spanning the openings were effectively shored up by the framing. They were even in place when the cement deck was poured. However, Monday, the south-west false-wall was torn out to make way for the actual garage door. What might happen without the shoring in place was anyone's guess. Would stress cracks appear in the EIFS? How might the cement deck respond? Cara kept mowing while I went about pulling off the OSB panels and methodically knocking out studs and pulling out plate sections…until all was free. The place, DID NOT, fall in.

After some prep work and installation, the parents showed around 3:30 and we set forth to shuffling around door sections and going for the full install. Ben stopped by, dropping off anRR and TV, and helped lift and clamp the upper panel into position, allowing the lower panel to be slid into place. Then the top panel released, and hinges tightened. It was obvious I was beat, and my bumbling in fetching hardware didn't speed matters any. But we were done and without a lot of sweat, or so we thought.

With rain looming and winds getting ridiculous we discovered the plastic to protect the wood door was soaked all the way through. Tarps and piecemeal visqueen were a lost cause in the high winds so we weighed our options, and the parents, Cara and I got out the rollers and stained the door right then and there. I will with-hold conjecture about the door for now, but suffice it to say, it's in, and hopefully held up to the rains of last night.

Then to the parents to unload the mower, grab some pizza, load tires, and limp home while the skies spit rain.

Now That, is a weekend!

Third Time's a Charm

2009-05-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

My legs ache. My arms are heavy. It was one of those good old-fashioned summer-time weekends where you lay there in the morning wondering what kind of train hit you. It all started out innocently enough. If your definition of innocence is intentional ass-hattery. Received a call Wednesday AM. Inspector said the electrical installation looked top notch and he was releasing permission to the PoCo to put the meter in that afternoon. Huzzah! Electricity.

Received a call mid-day from major-jerko at the utilities. They concurred, the install was top notch. But he was not going to hook me up. Sorry. He'd like to see that meter a good 2' higher. I went round-and-round citing exceptions, but eventually gave in, taking it as a personal challenge unto myself to correct the situation before this guy had time to even consider resting on his laurels. Sidebar: this chump has been a grade-A jackass since my dealings started last year. Additional sidebar: You cannot simply move the meter up 24+ inches. There's 50' of heavy cable underground, already cut and installed in the base and plumbed through a maze of conduit and connected at the other end.

Weighed my options that evening and acted on my bill of materials Thursday, calling chumpo to let him know I would be ready for the flowing electrons Friday PM. He was caught off guard and tried to wiggle out…."the crews don't work on Fridays". I found this hard to believe. Later, "they work but must have a call by 1PM for dispatch". OK, then, I said I'd give him a call. I also was not in the mood for additional surprises and told him what would be waiting Friday PM when they got out there. I could see his face twist up over the phone; he figured I'd have to pull 50' of 4/0 triplex and replace it with 52' of 4/0 triplex. I was installing a disconnect. This would cost me some change but would not require total rework of what was in place. Additionally, my underground feed would now be protected. A win-win.

Next thing I know I'm getting a call from an inspector summoned by chimpo. I explain it to him. I get a canned answer back about grounding. I explain why that's not necessary in this situation according to the code. He pauses confusedly, and says I better talk to the other inspector. Sidebar: neither meter nor disconnect are located on a structure, both are paired and over 100' from the main point of service.

Friday: 7:30AM busy working at the lodge getting things ready. New struts in the ground, couplers in place, enclosures properly located. One problem. Can't get a hold of the inspector. Clock is ticking to get CFU out there. He finally calls and I tell him to drop by. He has a different take on grounding and I offer up code-compliant alternatives. He was a nice guy, don't get me wrong, but it all seemed to slide in one ear and out the other without processing. If burying a ground wire will appease, so be it. He gets chimpo-chump of the POCO on the hotline. That's agreeable to them, but they will not be coming out today. Mind you, it's 11:30. I'm still an hour and a half away from even needing to let them know whether or not to come out. The inspector passes my words on that I'll have it all set in the next hour and a half, but chumba-whumba has made up his mind and no crews will be visiting today.

Spent the rest of the day toiling in the sun. Staining, painting and prepping the shear wall for wall covering. Called it quits around 5, totally beat, and headed in to clean up. Then it was box-store trifecta for returns and materials, topping the evening off with a Pan-Normous and a viewing of The Godfather.

Saturday, a break from the mundane, but more taxing than you might think. We went over to the parents to help pull up carpet and pad, and yank all the little staples out of the subfloor in preparation for new carpeting. This included moving all the furniture too ('56 RCA, anyone?). We pulled up the living room, dining room, library, two sets of stairs, hallway, both downstairs bathrooms, the landing and the guest room. Plus snuck in an oil change on Cara's car. By nightfall we were really feeling it. Headed home and collapsed.

Sunday up and at 'em. Gorgeous day to say the least. Cara got started mowing after a bit of mower jerry-rigging. First mow of the season. I started digging the trench and laying the ground cable. After buttoning up that little issue, I headed onto the pumphouse roof with a bucket of glue and a roller and started adhering the rubber roof membrane, fighting to keep air pockets to a minimum. Got the job done in a couple hours but what a mess. Later, trimming and clamping. Then mowing. Then hauling brush. We hobbled to the truck around 5 and limped ourselves back to the apt to cleanup (after a delightful Mc'Ds shake and some forever stamps). Then put in a big Chinese order to surprise my mom for mother's day, eating in a kitchen that included lamps, tables and a piano.

Today, then, we find out whether or not there'll be power. I moved out there to escape this bureaucratic nonsense, and barely got in under the wire.

PostScript: Rolled up at 4:30 to find 2 PoCo trucks and 3 guys....installing 1 meter. We are officially ON THE GRID!

You Snooze, You Lose

2009-05-05T04:52:00.000-07:00

What a week it was. Let's see if I can recall the goings-ons to help settle my nerves….Concurrently, I'm in (or was in) a rush to button up the electrical service for inspection so we can get the power flowing from the PoCo. Juggling arrangements for the cherry-picker to finish the front fascias before a crafty bird decides to move in. Playing JIT with the pumphouse build. Figuring and ordering the Formica sheet goods for the kitchen, searching for the perfect brick, and knocking out the day-to-day tasks that keep the wheels turning. In the past, April was the big spin-up month after a slow winter, with May reaching new heights of activity, but this past winter wasn't as loathesome as the previous, and having side soffits in made working out there all the more tolerable during the cold months, so I didn't get much of a break this year.

Getting the secondary feed in place meant visiting the local electrical supply house for a meter base specific to the local PoCo ($$), then trenching in conduit and 4/0 aluminum. Then locating a suitable 200A weatherproof disconnect (special order, but available, thankfully). Since these parts end up in the pumphouse, that structure has to exist. The framing plans had been done for some time now, but getting the necessary siding, ripping it lengthwise and then cutting the sections to width took a little doing. I put the framing up Friday after ordering the formica and picking up my brick samples, then plumbed in half the service conductors into the disconnect that afternoon. Took note of what was needed and added it to my list of lumber to acquire Saturday morning (needed to construct the roof). I was in good shape inside the lodge, having fought the heavy cables previously in the week and landing them in their terminals. Plus getting the low-voltage relays connected, the water heater bypass switch operable, etc. Friday night: The PL with Cara, and a drop-in from Ben.

Confession time: I took Monday evening off. Between leaving work late, struggling to keep my eyes open, and skies threatening, I finished up some geometry on the ol' PowerBook and took in Two-Lane Blacktop, compliments of Cam.

And the geometry paid off. After braving the box stores Saturday morning, I cut up the majority of the roof 2x6's, gave a tour of the place to the visiting grandparents, and finished up the total pumphouse electrical conduit run, after capping the walls with 10' plates. We're now ready for inspection, and ready for a roof. Finished up at 7PM and enjoyed the sundown with Dick Bartley, cold cider, Computing Before Computers, and my pipe. Perfection. Joined Cam at the PL at 9 and won a few rounds of pool before playing teams and losing to a guy that could barely stand up. After our 10 free juke selections had played out, we headed downtown for a cold one at the Cypress before closing up shop around midnight. Not bad at all.

Sunday AM, back over to W'loo, then out for more sun (and sweat). By late afternoon the sections were ready for assembly and I had the 18x18x14 roof put together with the minimal number of parts to allow it to be carried over for installation (tentative help today). Headed in to the parents with the tools and helped correct a crooked deck step that had heaved every which way over the years. Then home for shower and a dinner, and Cool Hand Luke.

OK, so if I keep running at full steam I should be able to put a lot of this to bed, but it'll take all of this month. It seems that if I have a general interest in a project, I can manage it no problem. Tasks are broken down by days, weeks and months, many contingent upon other seemingly unrelated tasks. All on a sliding scale to accommodate new issues that pop up, or a day or two of slack that can be better utilized. You wouldn't want to install carpeting, then weld the adjacent railing. But carpet has a lead time so it should be ordered early. However, you can't weld the railing without power (which we don't have). If you get the pex crimper for a day you want to make the most of it to attach all the final stops for the sinks and such, but you can't do that upstairs unless the vanity is in. Can't put the vanity in (even though it's built) without tile in place. But you don't want to install the kitchen countertops before the valves downstairs, so you have to strike a compromise of all the events those requirements hinge upon. I could tile the bathroom now, but it makes more sense to spend a weekend on the garage doors so the masonry boundaries are defined.

The wrench in the works is that I'm also getting one car ready for eb*y, and another fully roadworthy ASAP (waiting on parts, now). One less car in the driveway means the '59 can come out to play.

And lest we forget, Damfest!

Post Script: The roof has been hefted and installed!

Plans...Thwarted!

2009-04-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

I found myself on a gorgeous Friday afternoon sitting behind the desk in an empty office, light on work myself. It had been a quick week made long by excessive tasks and loose ends not quite ready for the tying. Finally the day yielded and I was off, headed for the box stores. The special order electrical panel was not yet in, and too many variations in size for the Formica order put a hold on things until I firm the plan this week.

Ran myself ragged (our stain color is being discontinued, also) and was back on the road by 6, creating quite a stir with my 16' masonite siding (loaded in an 8' payload Blazer). Picked up Cara while rain threatened and headed straight for the lodge. With groceries in tow, we watched the storm roll in from the deck and I commented the last time we tried this (last year) I was so PO'd the soffits weren't in that I could scarcely enjoy sitting up there. (They're in now) We closed up shop with lightning cracking all around and made it before the gully-washer hit.

Sat AM Cara went on her walk for the March of Dimes (in the rain) and I shipped out for some decent finds at the JV city-wide sales. The break in the rain coincided exactly with my arrival at the lodge and I took the opportunity to dig out the dust mask and circ saw and ripped the siding to length. Worked inside the rest of the afternoon while it rained off and on. There would be no staining or PH siding-install this weekend.

Met Cam and Ben down at the PL for a few drinks (and a good sandwich) that eve and shot some pool before Ben unexplicably took off as things got going. Cam and I set sail for The Cypress, had some cold Schlitz and looked on in disbelief at the packed house. Made a brief stop at Toads but weren't in the mood for the mindless patrons and slow service and cont'd on to the BR where the live music and foosball entertained.

Sunday, more interior work at the lodge while the skies pounded. Watched the fog roll in the low lying areas and escaped with 4WD late in the afternoon. Spent Sunday eve at the parents while Cara worked on a dress and I tackled laundry. All eyes were on the TV as the storm kept on and the tornado sirens sounded. Set a new record for rainfall totals as well. I kept tabs on the sump pump and ended up filling half a 5gal bucket with silt and clay scooped by hand from the bottom of the pump pit. This fill over the years had effectively raised the bottom of the pit, offsetting the float's normal working range. With the range offset, the duty cycle of the pump was skewed such that I feared the thing would burn itself out. Saying that'd be a bad deal would be the understatement of the year.

This week? More rain.

Egg. For your Face!

2009-04-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

I mentioned before how this month is just screaming along, but as far as Aprils go, we've had much worse. Looking back at my records, May has always been the biggest month for knocking off tasks. This April might be a tie if I don't peter out.

Took Friday off to knock out the SE corner blocking and soffit sections. Took around 5 hours but was more bearable than the SW corner done two weekends before. How it can take so long is beyond me. The temps topped 70F and with a clear sky, it got hot working in the sun.

After assembling the new drop hitch and airing up the low tire on the trailer (while the generator knocked and puttered for mercy trying to start that big inductive load), I hauled said trailer to the rear fenceline and commenced filling with sumac, saplings and all manner of sharp, difficult-to-load brush. Brought the trailer to a heaping load and parked it in front, resuming upstairs electrical work. Went home, took a much-needed shower, and headed out for the eve, meeting up with Cam, Cara and Ben, then finally closing down the PL with Cam after some seriously questionable jukebox selections and pickled eggs with all the fixin's. Strolled home in short sleeves taking in a pretty nice night, hitting the hill just in time to watch droves of drunken college kids stumble out of every doorway within sight.

Sat AM my stomach was demanding answers (*Note to self: No vodka tonics after a night of hops). But pressed on with some coffee and once I was working out at the land things really clicked. Prepped the meter box for the elec service. Found some 3/8 bolts of proper length for the rail mounts. Drilled and cutout the openings in the front soffits for the can lights. Installed the SE cedar deck corner, then hitched up the trailer and headed for the landfill drop-off.

Ventured on into Cedar City where the dump was once upon a time. I remember the dirt path from the Biarritz era, a tune before there were paved biketrails meandering back in the woods and prior to the chain link fence guarding the slightly unnerving one-land bridge over the swamps. A steady stream of vehicles were either dropping off leaves and brush, or helping themselves to the complimentary wood chips. I got everything unloaded without poking out an eye and headed in for lunch and materials from my private stock.

All day the skies had been threatening and light rain occurred off and on. After lunch I got busy with the shovel, digging a trench from the xformer to the pumphouse base. Still plenty hot out, more of a balmy hot, especially digging. Managed to thread the 50' triplex up through previous conduit in the PH foundation, then used the 2 sticks I had on hand to lay the cable. I began backfilling as I went which turned out to be a good move, for after getting the conductors in the general vicinity of where the risers need to go (need more conduit), the sky opened up and I knew this was the real deal. Having an open hole and a pile of black dirt is a bad situation if it rains. So, I quickly filled the void, threw some scrap plywood over the meter area, gathered tools, and hustled inside for some late afternoon elec panel work. Also managed to adjust the front deck cans and install the glass trims and power things up. Nice. Made an earnest record of what breakers lead to what (my master list went missing) and decided to head in around 6? 7? for dinner with Cara. Stepped outside to unhitch the trailer and take in the rolling fog.

Cleaned up and settled on Rudy's Taco after trying our hand at Gary's (closed). A fine meal indeed. Capped the night with further elec catalog planning back at the apt, and a good nights sleep.

Slept in Sunday, but we were still up at 9-9:30, greeted by a chilly, windy, overcast day. Cara came out and we went gangbusters on the upstairs for a couple hours, vacuuming, sorting tools, hauling out scrap in prep for the grasscloth install in the afternoon. The parents met us at 1 and around 5 hours later we had knocked out the living room side of the shear wall and all of the bathroom exterior. It all turned out very well for a bunch of amateurs working over walls that had a finish level intended for paneling. By the end though my nerves were shot and the burning question on everyone's mind was "can we go now?".

Finished with pizza over laundry and The Apprentice while the dryer did its thing. We arrived home both completely exhausted.

Chip a tooth, win a prize!

2009-04-16T14:30:00.001-07:00

(written Tue)

A very busy week so far and if I take Friday off to put in a day's labor at the lodge (anticipating Saturday's crappy weather), I'll really need a recharge. But, we're moving forward.

Last Friday was a holiday and I spent it working on soffits and odd jobs. A real taxing day, just couldn't find my rhythm. Ended the night well enough though with drinks at Toads, and later, The PL with McC and crew. A very enjoyable outing. Keeping my word about trying again Saturday night, Ben, Cam and I hit up the Tap only to find a pool tourney underway and the place overrun by JV 20-somethings. We left after our $1.20 beers.

At the PL, we doubled the occupancy and took control of the pool table and juke. I end up feeling like a heel asking if they'll turn the lights down. It's SOP, but someone always forgets behind the bar. Despite having worked all day at the land, ripping, sanding and staining cedar, replacing a blown out part of the water system and burning off the weeds with Cara, plus a drop-in visit by Cam, I ended up staying out quite a bit later than planned and enjoyed every minute of it.

Sunday then, Easter with the family. A walk around Timberledge. Laundry and automotive work in the late PM. Zero engine maintenance by the PO on the ETC resulted in seized t-stat housing bolts. Seized to the point of snapping an easy-out off in there. Started yanking the fan and and pulleys off the front to gain access to pulling the waterpump. Should get interesting.

It may only be Wednesday but the weekend feels like it's almost here. A surprising phone call Monday from the local poco informed me that I would need to pull a permit and request inspection for the service entrance before they can drop their meter in. This code went into effect March 1st. Even though "Chet" Culver signed this thing last year, and is a state-wide utility requirement, it somehow slipped their mind until this week despite payment and project kickoff incurring last fall. What this means is a new level of complication. As there's no local jurisdiction to set requirements in the rural area, it's entirely the inspector's call on what he likes and doesn't like. You might think there's a right way and a wrong way to do each job, and you'd be wrong. Simple things like grounding or bonding can vary wildly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction; state to state. In my case, I have the meter 25' from an intermediate panel which is 25' from the main panel. All feeders underground. Nothing wrong with this, but it's so atypical as I know it'll cause some consternation. You can't just invite the guy out on a pre-inspection as each visit racks up bucks for the state. Way to go, Culver.

Handily, the local Poco also followed through on their meter base/socket requirements. My choice of 2! You see, back in the day, the poco would provide the meter, the meter socket and everything up to the socket. Then they'd place their meter in the socket after the house was connected, and close up the box with a padlock-type seal. Your responsibility was downstream of their meter. Nowadays it's the same, except YOU furnish all of this stuff for their end. (and in my case, everything up to the road, though they "own" it.) The cheapest meter socket for this provider is over $200. The $30 socket from the box store is sufficient for all the other providers in and around the county.

So, it's been crunch-time getting my ducks in a row, playing out disconnect scenarios for various equipment. Determining sources and pricing, etc. On top of the daily list. That's not a complaint by the way, just fact I guess.

Yesterday, post-day job, I arrived to work on more of the same (gorgeous evening, btw) and found the farmer busy tilling, two fullsize JD's running in the field. May is going to be here in a the blink of an eye.

Hannibal Harbinger

2009-04-07T20:15:00.001-07:00

This winter weather business is really getting old; not only the havoc of working out in the cold but dealing with mud and the road erosion on a daily basis takes a toll. Seems like a far cry from last Friday when we had terrific post-work weather. A little windy but warm enough to work shirtless from the bucket. Before sundown I had the side casement windows dismantled, masked, primed and frames painted. Much better. We hauled the picker in to town and headed for the apartment to collapse.

Only to spring up hours later and hit the road at 6AM. Destination: St. Louis. Summation: Picked up the precious turquoise cargo, strolled about the arch, had lunch on the riverfront with Cara's friend and family. And endured the agonizing 6 hour drive back. Not only was it a long day, but someone stole my hitch between Friday night and 6AM Saturday.

And then the snow came Sunday. Thick, slushy snow. There would be no picker transport today. Road crews couldn't keep up and Hudson Rd. was such a mess that after pulling out from an intersection, the Blazer remained motionless, spinning its rear wheels in place. Kept the 4WD going all the way out on Union. Drove in, noticing something wasn't quite right. The 4WD light was no longer lit. Hmmm. Did the bulb go out or was I really without front wheel assist? Pretty sure it was the latter after sticking the Blazer in the wet mud near the lodge. Trudged up the hill, wet snow piling and water dripping from the brim of my hat. Worked a couple hours building the bath vanity before heading to the Blazer and trying my luck. No dice. The snow was really flying by now and I walked to the road (laundry bag in tow!) to get a ride from Cara. We (and the parents) returned to the scene a couple hours later to see if we could break the beast free, even jacking the vehicle up and placing plywood under the wheels. But, without 4x4 action, this was a lost cause.

Monday: After some internet detective work Sunday night I took a stab at the Blazer's problem. Had a part sent down from Waverly to the local auto store. Trudged out after work with tools and slid under the frame on a sheet of scrap plywood with a new thermal axle actuator. Bingo, bango we were back in biz. Got the blazer out and toiled until dark on const activities. Finished things up by moving the "new" stove into the kitchen. Then home for cleanup and some Cary Grant. My body says, take a break pal.

This week- more of the same.

The Lido Shuffle

2009-04-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

(Written earlier this week)

The weather Friday wasn't too bad. A little chilly, but an indicator of things to come. I stayed at work an extra hour to make up some time I lost over lunch and didn't make it home until 5. Just enough time to change, head to the parents and flush the cooling system of the ETC. Then back to the apt to change and rush down to the PL with Cara to meet up with Ben. I had been running at 120% all day and was looking forward to a good sit and hobby talk. Got there and the place was standing room only. To add insult, the best we could get was a wobbly table in the (too well lit) corner by the ATM. If it's one thing I can't stand, it's the tables at the PL.

Saturday AM, waiting for things to warm up. Finished a book due back on Sunday. Made some sausage, brewed some coffee, went over the receipts and hit the road. Spent the next 5 hours working on soffits over the deck until the blowing snow made the concrete dangerously slick. I found a good stopping point and managed to get to T&T in Waverly just before close. Verdict: high prices and poor wares. Paid more than I wanted to for a picnic basket and drove back into town via Winslow road; sipping coffee from the thermos and cruising at 50MPH. "So this is what it's become," I pondered.

Another exciting Saturday night! (actually, one of those nice quiet nights in). Paid the bills while watching Guy Lombardo, then turned my attention to the pumphouse blueprints. Worked out the math for 3 different scenarios that I ended up modeling and revising. Would take some further analysis. Despite getting to bed before midnight, I was still beat come Sunday morning.

With a solid blanket of snow on the ground, we patiently waited for temps to hit 40F around 1PM. You see, Sunday was supposed to be the big weed burning but the weather put the kabosh on that. Instead, Cara and I took up the tools and tackled brush, tree trimming and a whole lotta sumac cutting before spring gets sprung. Totally worn out, nightfall nearing, we still managed to unload the '55 Frigidaire without incident. From there, Sub City, hot shower and a little decompressing before total collapse.

Weekend Wrapup

2009-03-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

As far as weekends go, they don't get more pleasurely productive as this past one. There's a fine line to walk- you can bust ass all weekend and not bring anything to completion. Result: unfulfillment. You can peter out halfway through the day or sleep in a little too long. Result: Shame and guilt. If you're feeling it, you can work at 100% for 100% of the time and when the alarm goes off Monday morning you can't lift yourself out of bed. Result: Sweet satisfaction, but you've set yourself up for Monday fail. Ideally, I like to run at #3, and then force myself out there for Monday action (and bed….early). Trouble is, if I don't get myself to bed at a reasonable hour the rest of the week, the fatigue rolls on down to Friday like falling dominos. This is not good.

They say variety is the spice of life. True that. Got off work a little early on Friday and checked on the cars in storage. Things looked ok and the batt in the '59 appeared to hold a charge. Maybe I'll get it out next month. Wrote a check and headed into town to change. The skies were looking unfriendly so instead of pounding nails, I decided to turn wrenches; added Friday's list to Saturday's. Spent a few hours working on the ETC. Put in the new gas lift cylinders for the hood. Worked on getting the batt to take a charge. Started pulling lights and dash parts. Swapped brackets and connectors to put the Biarritz radio in. Discovered all 6 tailight bulbs were either blown entirely or only had half good sections; plus sockets full of crud. Flushed everything with lots of brake cleaner and started making a list. One taillight extension had been installed after repaint pinching a wire between metal and metal. Fixed that. Yanked the aftermarket fog light wiring and got down into the fuse panel. I would have guessed replacing two open fuses would have brought back the Climate and Fuel readouts. They did not, but I was getting closer. Swapping the climate head made no difference either. Followed the trouble-tree and schematics in the shop manual and made it all the way to the very last step in the guide with my meter: Replace A/C programmer. Hmmm. I did have a spare board downstairs, missing the solenoids. Worth a shot. Swapped it in and still no luck. Then I had a thought. I replaced both it AND the climate head and we were back in business! Plus a functioning warning chime. Tore apart the head and found a severely burnt resistor in the power supply section. The programmer must have shorted and taken it out. OK, now I had a list.

Sat morning, the real work began. Moved the picker to the east and let the sun soften the shingles. Finished the last panel of aromatic cedar in the closet, installed the freshly painted exterior recept cover, installed the last piece of red cedar on the gangway wall and drug the stain outside to warm in the sun. Managed to drill and install the aluminum drip eding on the east side, followed by (very messy) tar to seal nails and shingles back down. Measured for cedar corners while I was up there. Fixed a kink in some z-flashing and folded the picker up to move to the west side. Once there it was 'beat the clock' with the sun moving overhead. With brush and handi-pail, stained the west siding to remove all traces of the white paint faux-paus (finally!). Riveted the dip out of the west flashing and then proceeded to carefully and tediously cut the shingles flush to the flashing in 4 ft sections with the shingle knife. Did a little electrical wiring, then decided I better put a drop of white paint on the rivet head up there. Done and done. Gorgeous day to hang out in the bucket.

Now late in the afternoon, it was time for errands. Picked up automotive supplies, bulbs and a new battery. Home in time for Guy Lombardo (yeah, yeah) and a viewing of Taken. I'd probably feel cheated if I were paying at a theater, but being action-driven, it loses something on the small screen. Tough call.

Sunday. Crappy, crappy weather. Toiled on the second garage door, section #2, for a couple hours to the point where it was ready for a 24 hour adhesive setup. Headed to the parents with bags of laundry and got things going. Spent the afternoon running laundry and working on the car. Swapped taillight lenses and bezels (ETC's have painted bezels and (non-OEM) cracked lenses, apparently). Loaded fresh bulbs. R&R'd a socket that was too far gone. Shimmied underneath the rear to find both backup lamps were toast. Replaced. Still no workee. Tore apart dash for a deep cleaning. Found a broken mount on the wiper control pod. Replaced from my stash. Paint monkeys had snaked the RH remote mirror cable out and botched that control pod. Removed, scrubbed clean and re-heat-staked the faceplate (and re-routed the cable). Polished all the dash chrome, scrubbed the nicotine off the soft parts. Pulled driver's visor. Swapped batteries. Soldered in a 15 ohm resistor into the control head and that fixed that. The car now runs without any error codes but still surges under load. Clean as a pin underhood.

That is one of the nice things about these cars- yes, lots of plastic, which is the way of the world since around the '70 models, but everything can be removed with screws, repaired if you're careful, and put right back in. No mega-assemblies, proprietary components or 'break-clips' to remove type parts. So far only money spent has been on maintenance stuff- battery, coolant, light bulbs. Well worth it for the therapy of making something better than when you found it.

What Time is it Mr. Fox?

2009-03-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

3:30 Leaving work- Getting into car.

3:40 Entering Menards

4:00 Deftly executed- walking through Menards' exit with bags- stain, paint, nails, quotes.

4:20 Arrive at apartment. Change, grab a bite.

4:40 Leaving alley.

5 to 5 Roll up to Lodge

8:30 Dark, beat, ready for a shower. Turning onto 1st from Union.

8:33 Waiting for burgers at McD's. Notice I better switch the truck to heavier oil this spring.

8:35 Shake fist and curse city for Dam Neglect.

8:42 Alley. Home. Shower and Schlitz.

10:21 Posting this blog.

Pinkertons

2009-03-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

Once again, my plans thwarted! Old man winter (Old man river?) and young, woman, spring? (this doesn’t make any sense) teamed up to bring us continuous rain on Saturday in amounts sufficient to trigger a flash flood watch by the afternoon, and a bout of snow on Sunday with flakes the size of Chinese Stars (Jet Li?) that are still sticking around today. Since temps were above freezing pretty much the entire weekend, it’ll be some time before I can navigate the Blazer out to the lodge to move around the 5000lb bucket lift without a) getting stuck on the way in, and b) carving deep, muddy ruts around the building with that sucker hitched up.

So what did we do instead? Made excellent use of Saturday by getting up early and taking to the road. Headed down to Des Moines to the ReStore to see what they had to offer (scored a nice stack of 9x9 VAT) and some DalTile. From there to Calypso in one of the malls down there (http://www.calypso968.com/new/home.html) which was a very surreal experience in that you weren’t surprised by the Mohair Pair-esque items, but were caught off guard by vintage typewriters, chrome tables, radios and dinnerware actually for sale….inside a store…in the mall. Cara, being a pen lover, picked up another in the Retro 51 series and I couldn’t resist a chrome Colibri. The spacing and typeface on the clip reminded me very much of that used in the late 50’s, early 60’s on high-brow adding machines and computer equipment. Very Remington-Randish.

The rain continued off and on and we kept our eyes on the field waterways, driving north taking in the show. Stopped off at Bob and Barb’s after passing through Eldora and got the full tour of the place. A few hours later….still soggy and getting dark. Headed back and phoned in a pizza. Changed the clocks and collapsed in a pile of utter-tiredness.

More Sunday. Vowed to sleep in (huzzah!) and yet we were still tired. Shopped for groceries, spent a couple hours on laundry, and trekked over to the CF Lib with Cara. Here’s the deal: They have no books. Cara got her stuff, I found 3:10 to Yuma (2007) on DVD and upon looking over the Technology/Video/Computer non-fiction choices, I was awestruck by the fact that pretty much all the books were the exact some ones I checked out as a kid over 20 years ago. Nothing new. I cracked a couple open and sure enough, it all came back to me. Left with a very tattered copy of one I recognized, copywrite ’81. Flipped through it last night. Why should I pick VHS? Why should I pick Beta? The last half are all the machines on the market- features, prices, reviews. Interesting to actually own many of the machines and learn of their context in that time, 30 years later.

3:10 to Yuma (2007). Good movie, even with the english subtitles stuck on.

Sour Sequence

2009-03-02T14:12:00.000-08:00

There really wasn’t a good reason to be so sour yesterday, and yet by the time evening rolled around, I was simply Not Pleased with Anything.

Got up, hefted out the laundry, filled the tank with fuel for the gen and headed for the lodge. Put in a 4 hour shift before coming in for lunch and starting on the copious amounts of laundry we’ve got. This may have been the start of my discontentment, watching usable daylight slip away. Didn’t change the fact that it was only 20F, though. While the machines were humming, Cara brought over the supplies for me to make a batch of my tempting egg-salad.

Got through most of the laundry, went back out until dark, realizing along the way how tired I really was. But there’s no good reason for that either. Then, back to the parents to finish up. Grandma stopped by which was nice as we hadn’t seen her in some time. Endured ridicule by the group on my anti-closet policy while I thumbed through the Menards ad waiting on the dryer. Also learned that my other grandma had purchased a 17” PC laptop a couple months ago and I will obviously be expected to help with the matter as sometimes things work, and other times not. This is probably what put me over the edge.

Undoubtedly, I am the most vocal Apple enthusiast in the family. Apparently I have no right to be offended when people ignore me (that’s their right), but dear reader, you know how this is going to work out. If I decline to help, stones will be cast upon me like a sequel to The Lottery. Worst. Grandson. Ever. If I do help, it goes against every fiber of my being and my words (all these years) are simply hollow. Why did she buy this computer? There were rebates.

I find it a shame for a couple reasons- One, this is her first foray into computing and this experience is only going to reinforce what post-boomers tend to think about computers. Two, she doesn’t have a tech service next door to her. This isn’t going to bode well when she picks up some spyware or a virus, or the registry gets corrupted or she has to figure out the Task Manager on_her_own. In the end, I’m betting this computer gets put aside somewhere because of all the niggling little problems. (BTW, I’m on a PC at the moment, drafting in Word because my Outlook keeps crashing.)

Friday night was a blast however. Blew off some steam from the week down at the PL. A couple girls at the bar wanted to know if Ben and I were any good at pool. Any good, ha! So we racked ‘em up and started shooting. This was, however, moments after getting off the phone with Cara and inviting her down (she was getting off work). As you can imagine, the scenario was quite odd but I’m thinking this may have worked to Ben’s advantage. After a couple games we turned the table over to Levi and chummed it up at the bar, discussing marriage, kids, and being ostracized by coworkers for holding atypical views on such. Cara asked Mel her take on things and her response was A1. Ben was agog.

Saturday: Re-assembled the medicine cabinet I had re-hab’d, then toiled at the lodge in good spirits. At nightfall, home to cleanup and we set our sights on Applebees. Packed. Fine then, Taco Bell it is! Home again. Shawshank Redemption on LD. Then, a good night’s rest.

Small, Strange, World.

2009-02-27T14:33:00.000-08:00

Friday. Finally. Odd week at that. Spent my evenings trying to recharge my batteries (semi-successful) and took advantage of the warm temps mid-week for some staining, planing and painting. Unfortunately, yesterday's oddball spring storm and day-long mist meant I'd be walking in the rain, through the mud and standing water (ground still frozen) for a little lodge action. And I was tired, too. I turned to plan B: courthouse for title transfer and plates, parts store for a pressure hose for the Blazer (rewards card, cha-ching!), a quick stop to investigate a couple woebegone Cads, inspection of a tractor that's priced right and will soon be needed out at the land, pickup of laundry and signing the lease extension. Then home for a movie, cold beer and a good pipe.

I had one of those life-imitates-art experiences Wednesday afternoon. Stopped by the UNI surplus sale preview after work and the fella that runs the place saw me eyeing a Radarange they had up for sale. We're perfect strangers except for him remembering I'm the guy that bought a 5' tall spotlight earlier in the year. While looking over the merchandise, he mentioned he had done a little research on it earlier in the day and that he felt the $10 price was fair. After all, there's a guy on the internet that will sell you the trays for $25 alone! I grinned, looked at him and asked, "would you believe I’m that guy?" He stared at me, not sure how to reply or if he even heard me correctly. After a moment, and without missing a beat, he replied, "Oh, so you have that model." And thus, the circle of absurdity is complete.

We'll be shifting into March here momentarily and suddenly, without warning, the water and ice on top of that soil is going to disappear completely overnight. It's strange to observe. An additional day or two of sun and wind and the dirt will be ready for work. The PoCo can get their trenching contractor in for power without getting stuck. I can deploy the post hole auger and get some timber in the ground. Temps will be up enough to schedule the brick work. And with dedicated power, I can actually weld. It really is the kickoff of construction season as it use to be (before the days of crews pouring cement in the dead of winter). But things won't be in full swing until May. The most action always happens in May.

It's interesting to look back 36 months to March '06. Pictures show a brown, dry landscape. Us in jackets. A pile of I-beams on the ground and a cement pad, waiting. I made a statement back around December this year that barring temp related activities, March will be the turning point, the "conclusion" to the project. I'll stand by that. We're ready for the carpet crew to roll in now (yet it might be May before we find the right red!). Interior glass gets ordered next week. All the sheetrock is in, upstairs and down; just need a mud job downstairs when temps improve. VCT is in boxes, waiting for a 50F slab. Same for the bathroom tile. Cedar is done. Woodwork is shellaced. End of the month, both garage doors will be ready for installation and the exterior front soffits and fascias should be done, too. Etc. Etc. April through June will be the finishing touches. The exterior railing, gluing Formica over the installed cabinets, epoxy painting the floor. Cars and furniture should be rolling in. Lots of exterior action in the yard, too, when summer breaks. Planting trees. Seeding the prairie. Building fences. Pouring more cement. Constructing both the pumphouse AND a picnic shelter. Improvements to the road. A new gate. Should be a "good" time!

Two Times the Toner

2009-02-23T16:50:00.000-08:00

I actually watched the 1972 NBA All Star game last weekend. I kid you not. And I found it strangely intriguing. Sure, it doesn't hurt that you're watching the best of the best duke it out at the Forum, but there was something else. For one, there weren't ads and banners hocking cell phones and diet drinks all around the court. In fact, the court itself appeared to be the apex of what a court should be. A couple 70's colors and "The Forum" in a circle at the center. Simple, but not plain. And not a hint of commercialism. Cara pointed out the player's shorts weren't the shiny, baggy, distracting garments you see today. And all the light in the place was focused on the court rather than the rafters of spectators; makes sense. And you know what else? What you saw on your TV screen was the game, not a tickertape of numbers and stats and continuous gibberish rolling across the bottom half of the screen in 20 different hues. When points were scored, you got "east vs west" and the tally superimposed over the action for a couple seconds. Brilliant! And something else, too. Despite many greats in the game, nobody was hanging off the backboards, not a lot of hot-dogging and the commentary was concise and unobtrusive. Simply put, it was an entertaining, un-sensationalized, basketball game.

Started a terrific rant yesterday but lost interest. And it's been a while since I've had a good rant.

OK then. I'll move onto the latest. Spring is almost here, and with it, some great excitement to roll my sleeves up and put the finishing touches on the lodge, get the cars out of storage, move things in, and maybe try out that hammock Cara convinced me to buy 2 years ago that's still wrapped up. Things would move a lot faster, and my creative drive wouldn't be so tempered if I weren't working 40 hours a week in a cube farm, totally under-utilized. And despite warnings from friends and elders that going full-time where I work was a bad idea, the bills still must be paid. The silver lining is that I do not consider my occupation to be a career for me, though many would be thankful to have such a job. And more unfortunate, this is not really the economy to go job-hunting. But spending time at the office, and placing the majority of passion in outside activities yields an interesting perspective that makes one wonder, is everyone else just doing this for the money? Or do they genuinely enjoy frowning all day, complaining about their jobs and counting their years to retirement?

An Atypical weekend.

2009-02-16T19:29:00.000-08:00

Last week Ben and I were on the road with a car in tow, doing our best to keep our eyes open and put a few miles under our feet. This weekend, a different pace. Friday night was the standard PL visit with the crew. Shot some pool; won a few, lost a few, watched a few. And didn't close out the place as is my wont. It was a welcome break from a week of lodge work and a couple days recovery from last weekend. Before heading out for the PL I played with the ETC a bit and finalized some dimensions for the kitchen island so I could actually build it Saturday.

Come Saturday morning I was up and out the door, and spent pretty much the day building said island/bar. First time building "cabinetry" and no real blunders to speak of (knock on wood). Clamped everything together over in the kitchen and to my dismay, even though the dimensions were conservative, the angled sides made the scale appear much too large for the space. Took a few notes and headed back into town after running a load or two of laundry. Made a few modifications to slim down the island visually while Cara prepared for a night out with friend. With the place to myself, I poured a drink, lit my pipe and put on a favorite movie. (Followed by opening every window and running all the fans less someone confuse the place for an Elks Lodge.)

Sunday was bittersweet. Laundry, a couple hours at the lodge making alterations to the island, and a trip to the Humane Society with Bandit, who had passed away that morning. She lived to 105 in dog years and beat the vet's expectations for her size, but she was in failing health the last year or so and we knew her time was coming. People always like to think their dog was the best, but it was tough to beat a dog like Bandit. She would refuse to bite anyone no matter how riled you got her, never chewed on furniture, didn't slobber all over you and everything else and was all-around a "good" dog. Spoiled rotten. She had a penchant for lurking up the street to the neighbor that would cook her eggs and give her scraps when you turned your back, and she'd sit at your side and cry for table scraps once she knew we were all a soft-touch. She will be missed.

Finished up the night with big shopping at HyVee where we ran into both Cam, and Alex's parents. Partook in the manager's Chinese special; lost half an hour ironing, and we called it quits early. Didn't help. We're still totally wiped.

Blockin' the Blues

2009-02-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

Never trust a month that only occupies four lines on the calendar. This February is going to be a flash in the pan as far as I can tell. Just enough time to see some improvements made, and one big step closer to Spring, without the lethargic waltz March puts on that makes you want to pound your fists and shout "enough already! Get on with the thaw!".

We had a break in last week's cold streak that let me get some construction work done on Thursday, with a solid Saturday and Sunday encore. I know I've mentioned it before, but the only thing equally as irritating as not being able to finish off big tasks due to temperatures (anything involving grout, thinset, paint or adhesive) is not being able to polish off big tasks due to being limited to materials that can only be carried in by hand. If it's heavy, awkward or fragile (like the large panes of glass I'm ready for) then I'm just SOL. On the bright side, temps were in the mid-30's this weekend which allowed me to sand and shellac the woodwork upstairs. Cara came out Saturday and I helped her with a project she's been wanting to do- make a notebook with wood covers. Garage door #1 is now 95% complete, with the skins of panel #2 firmly glued and nailed in place. A followup around the perimeter with the router will cut the luan flush.

I gave the old eb#y a spin last week and dumped a load of excess….stuff..onto the interwebs to see who'd bite. Slow market indeed. Though a couple items are finding happy bidders. And if nothing else, such an activity does a fine job of bringing out the total internet junkie in me, checking ten times a day to see if anything's new in the sales department. Remind me to avoid Mesquaki.

In the blowing-off-steam department, it was a fine weekend. Vic's, E-dale Casey's, and the PL were the places to be Friday night. I would have rated Vic's pretty good if not for the lighting. Neon accents and carpetted interior? Excellent. Then add compact fluorescents sunken into dark stained cedar. Ugh.

Sat nite Cara and I closed out the Hydrant, finding several bizarre opportunities to test our dance skills. By the time we arrived for dinner Ben and Cam had already found a booth. Spectacular showing by "wild Bill" on the karoake over the course of the eve. I told Ben I was going to make it an early night but I was having an uncharacteristically good time and knew I'd be too pooped to pop next weekend. The "bucket brigade" hit the spot, and Cara was in good spirit, too. Not only that, but I was the winner of a rare opportunity on that auction site mentioned before. A 1985 Eldorado Touring Coupe. Tough to have a bad time, really. All-in-all, I'm totally exhausted.