Sick of pictures of drywall yet? I get bored with it at times. I still have a LONG way to go. But when I stand back and look how much we have accomplished, that helps.
I had a few problems on this seam. Don't judge me by my missed screws.
Friday, May 9, 2014
More drywall????
Sick of pictures of drywall yet? I get bored with it at times. I still have a LONG way to go. But when I stand back and look how much we have accomplished, that helps.
I had a few problems on this seam. Don't judge me by my missed screws.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Seamstress
Walt Kowalski gave me a new title: seamstress
I like that.
With the second new window installed, itchy insulation was next on the list.
Then came drywall and more itchy insulation in the ceiling.
Then it was my turn. The seamstress.
Seams and screws and seams and screws and seams and screws.
Last night we spent what felt like and eternity at the home improvement store. It was probably only a half hour that we waited, but it felt longer. Everything feels longer when you are thirsty, hungry, and tired, which we were. (Even worse if you have to pee.) We even had a snack before going to the store!
We needed something on the top shelf. So did another gentleman. This required assistance. Lots of assistance. Several lane closures and a forklift.
When we finally got our supplies loaded on our cart, the other gentleman waiting was just beginning his load up. Walt Kowalski offered and helped him load up his boards.
Frank. He was a nice guy. His name was on his work shirt. He told us he was residing an old shed. He would have struggled loading the boards onto his cart alone. (Of course, after the employees got the boards down from the top shelf they instantly disappeared. Luckily, there was assistance outside to help Frank load his items into his truck.)
But before Frank loaded his own goods, he stopped over to our truck to help us load our things.
I like that.
With the second new window installed, itchy insulation was next on the list.
Then came drywall and more itchy insulation in the ceiling.
Then it was my turn. The seamstress.
Seams and screws and seams and screws and seams and screws.
Last night we spent what felt like and eternity at the home improvement store. It was probably only a half hour that we waited, but it felt longer. Everything feels longer when you are thirsty, hungry, and tired, which we were. (Even worse if you have to pee.) We even had a snack before going to the store!
We needed something on the top shelf. So did another gentleman. This required assistance. Lots of assistance. Several lane closures and a forklift.
When we finally got our supplies loaded on our cart, the other gentleman waiting was just beginning his load up. Walt Kowalski offered and helped him load up his boards.
Frank. He was a nice guy. His name was on his work shirt. He told us he was residing an old shed. He would have struggled loading the boards onto his cart alone. (Of course, after the employees got the boards down from the top shelf they instantly disappeared. Luckily, there was assistance outside to help Frank load his items into his truck.)
But before Frank loaded his own goods, he stopped over to our truck to help us load our things.
J
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Logging
There is a timber company logging on our road, about 1 mile away. We can't hear the saws or see the trees, unless we drive by. However, I can hear the trucks driving by.
The trucks full of logs that are using the road. The trucks full of logs downshifting gears and using their Jake brakes on the hill and curve before they gun their engines to get up the next hill. Then they are turning around and coming back the same route. Using their brakes again, in the opposite direction.
It's noisy and startles all of the cats. And me.
Commonly called Jake brakes, they are actually engine brakes. Engine brakes are the ones that make that distinctive staccato sound.
Brrrraaaaaaaaaapppppppp
The brakes are made by the Jacob Company. The Jacob Company produces several different types of brakes. Some are quiet.
Unlike the wheel disc brakes on your car, large diesel trucks have a compression release engine brake. The jake brake opens the exhaust valves to create drag on the engine by releasing the compressed air so the fuel won't ignite. Diesel engines don't have spark plugs like gasoline engines. They rely on compressed air to ignite the fuel.
The driver can adjust how many cylinders to open to slow the engine.
The noise comes from poorly muffled or unmuffled exhaust systems, or exhaust systems that have been illegally modified or are poorly maintained. Not the engine brake.
Let's hope they finish logging soon and they don't put a new housing development where they logged.
The trucks full of logs that are using the road. The trucks full of logs downshifting gears and using their Jake brakes on the hill and curve before they gun their engines to get up the next hill. Then they are turning around and coming back the same route. Using their brakes again, in the opposite direction.
It's noisy and startles all of the cats. And me.
Commonly called Jake brakes, they are actually engine brakes. Engine brakes are the ones that make that distinctive staccato sound.
Brrrraaaaaaaaaapppppppp
The brakes are made by the Jacob Company. The Jacob Company produces several different types of brakes. Some are quiet.
Unlike the wheel disc brakes on your car, large diesel trucks have a compression release engine brake. The jake brake opens the exhaust valves to create drag on the engine by releasing the compressed air so the fuel won't ignite. Diesel engines don't have spark plugs like gasoline engines. They rely on compressed air to ignite the fuel.
The driver can adjust how many cylinders to open to slow the engine.
The noise comes from poorly muffled or unmuffled exhaust systems, or exhaust systems that have been illegally modified or are poorly maintained. Not the engine brake.
Let's hope they finish logging soon and they don't put a new housing development where they logged.
Monday, May 5, 2014
When in doubt...
get the sawzall out. This is our go to statement in many aspects of life. We have lots of favorite sayings at the Cat Ranch:
'Get a bigger hammer.'
'We're going to need a bigger boat.'
'All in.'
'A responsible person would do that.'
'Well, we're back in the car again.'
Several of those are quotes from movies. We have lots of movie quotes in our dialogue. There are others. Lots of them. These are just the ones that come to mind at the moment.
The weather wasn't too shabby on Sunday. It was cool and there were two occasions we thought we were going to get rain showers, but never did. The afternoon turned very nice.
I mowed the grass at House #1 while Walt Kowalski removed the window in the living room.
Siding, too. Walt Kowalski said that as he was removing the aluminum siding an older man drove by v-e-r-y slowly eyeing up the growing pile of siding. Walt Kowalski said 'Move along Pappy. I'll be keeping the cash for recycling this siding.' Sounds like I will be headed to the scary junk yard one day this week.
There is the sawzall.
The window is nice. Open. Close. Open. Close. Open. Close. You couldn't do that with the old windows. Walt Kowalski opened the window and it came crashing down and smashed his finger. We never opened that window again.
Once we got the window installed and the dark clouds passed, Walt Kowalski suggested we head back to the Cat Ranch. He wanted to mow, I wanted to mulch, and we had another large pile to burn.
We get the most out of our days.
'Get a bigger hammer.'
'We're going to need a bigger boat.'
'All in.'
'A responsible person would do that.'
'Well, we're back in the car again.'
Several of those are quotes from movies. We have lots of movie quotes in our dialogue. There are others. Lots of them. These are just the ones that come to mind at the moment.
The weather wasn't too shabby on Sunday. It was cool and there were two occasions we thought we were going to get rain showers, but never did. The afternoon turned very nice.
I mowed the grass at House #1 while Walt Kowalski removed the window in the living room.
Siding, too. Walt Kowalski said that as he was removing the aluminum siding an older man drove by v-e-r-y slowly eyeing up the growing pile of siding. Walt Kowalski said 'Move along Pappy. I'll be keeping the cash for recycling this siding.' Sounds like I will be headed to the scary junk yard one day this week.
There is the sawzall.
The window is nice. Open. Close. Open. Close. Open. Close. You couldn't do that with the old windows. Walt Kowalski opened the window and it came crashing down and smashed his finger. We never opened that window again.
Once we got the window installed and the dark clouds passed, Walt Kowalski suggested we head back to the Cat Ranch. He wanted to mow, I wanted to mulch, and we had another large pile to burn.
We get the most out of our days.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Window!
Ceilings were supposed to be in on the agenda yesterday. We had a change of plans.
After we hung the drywall in the dining room, we went for a window. The weather was agreeable and worst case we had the porch as protection. We got a few sprinkles of rain in the process and got the window installed before the big evening rain came.
As with everything, when one thing comes out, multiple things have to go, too. The siding needed trimmed to fit the new framing. It was easier and faster just to remove it. Which was holding the screen door.
I was glad to see the screen door go. It was only held with 3 nails that were constantly coming loose. At one point, I attempted to remove the nails and put in screws, but the holes were so big that the screws wouldn't hold either. I got one screw to hold, but then it made the door so tight it didn't line up and the door wouldn't properly.
The previous owners used the boxes the siding came in as insulation before they installed the aluminum siding. Good idea, except it wasn't water tight and this is the weather side of the house. The cardboard was wet and had been wet for a while. Mold was growing on he cardboard, behind the siding.
The old insulbrick siding was actually nice and not in bad condition here on the porch. It's probably asbestos. We are just leaving it there and covering it up.
We made the window smaller for several reasons. Savings is one of them. Safety is another. The old, large windows were only a foot off the foot, let out lots of heat and made it difficult to place furniture underneath. The newer, smaller windows will allow the family to put a table or couch under the window and because we raised the screen portion of the window above the height of the porch, the breeze coming in is even better than previously.
It looks so nice and still lets in light and air.
I have lots of seams and screws to patch this week. Walt Kowalski doesn't want me to be bored.
After we hung the drywall in the dining room, we went for a window. The weather was agreeable and worst case we had the porch as protection. We got a few sprinkles of rain in the process and got the window installed before the big evening rain came.
As with everything, when one thing comes out, multiple things have to go, too. The siding needed trimmed to fit the new framing. It was easier and faster just to remove it. Which was holding the screen door.
I was glad to see the screen door go. It was only held with 3 nails that were constantly coming loose. At one point, I attempted to remove the nails and put in screws, but the holes were so big that the screws wouldn't hold either. I got one screw to hold, but then it made the door so tight it didn't line up and the door wouldn't properly.
The previous owners used the boxes the siding came in as insulation before they installed the aluminum siding. Good idea, except it wasn't water tight and this is the weather side of the house. The cardboard was wet and had been wet for a while. Mold was growing on he cardboard, behind the siding.
The old insulbrick siding was actually nice and not in bad condition here on the porch. It's probably asbestos. We are just leaving it there and covering it up.
We made the window smaller for several reasons. Savings is one of them. Safety is another. The old, large windows were only a foot off the foot, let out lots of heat and made it difficult to place furniture underneath. The newer, smaller windows will allow the family to put a table or couch under the window and because we raised the screen portion of the window above the height of the porch, the breeze coming in is even better than previously.
It looks so nice and still lets in light and air.
I have lots of seams and screws to patch this week. Walt Kowalski doesn't want me to be bored.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Ceilings nothing more than ceilings
We finished the ceiling in the dining room.
I had to lay down to take the photo. My arms were too tired to lift the camera. It looks great.
I started patching the seams and screws and decided I wanted to test out the primer on the stairwell. Also, because Walt Kowalski is ready to finish the drywall on the bottom of stairwell and the homemade scaffolding needs to come down.
Wet paint always looks blotchy. With painting, the most important thing to remember is when to stop painting.
Leave it alone. Let it dry.
We went back in the evening to inspect. A couple of screws are still noticeable and one seam needs a little more sanding, but otherwise it covered so nicely. That was just the first coat of primer!
I had to lay down to take the photo. My arms were too tired to lift the camera. It looks great.
I started patching the seams and screws and decided I wanted to test out the primer on the stairwell. Also, because Walt Kowalski is ready to finish the drywall on the bottom of stairwell and the homemade scaffolding needs to come down.
Wet paint always looks blotchy. With painting, the most important thing to remember is when to stop painting.
Leave it alone. Let it dry.
We went back in the evening to inspect. A couple of screws are still noticeable and one seam needs a little more sanding, but otherwise it covered so nicely. That was just the first coat of primer!
Thursday, May 1, 2014
May Day
Reasons I would be a bad parent:
1. Dealing with bodily fluids.
2. Dealing with bodily fluids that are not mine.
3. Dealing with bodily fluids that are not mine before breakfast.
4. Disgusting, foul smelling garbage.
5. Total panic and fear when one of the furballs is sick.
Fudge was not feeling well this morning. He ate breakfast and second breakfasts, but as I was booting up to check the interweb, I saw him squatting in the corner by the island. He only does this when he's having problems.
No, nonononononono I'm not in the mood today (Are we ever in the mood for a sick pet?)
Fudge has urinary tract issues. He eats special food and all of the furry, four-foots drink distilled water. It wasn't a urinary issue today. He was constipated. He was trying and struggling.
I shooed him down to the game room and closed the door behind him. Litter boxes and tile floor are always easier to clean and sanitize than hardwood and bedspreads.
I ran back upstairs to look for answers on the internet. BIG mistake. Everything says YOUR CAT IS GOING TO DIE IN THE NEXT HOUR IF YOU DON'T GET IT TO THE VET RIGHT AWAY. Always good for the sanity.
By the time I got back downstairs (two minutes later), Fudge was no longer constipated. At least he got close to the litter box. *sigh*
He's feeling better and refused to have his picture taken.
Litter boxes got scrubbed, the floor got scrubbed, I got scrubbed. He's napping now. I need a nap, too. Now I can sit and have my morning cup of tea. I'll keep an eye on him today.
Happy May Day! I bought tomato plants yesterday.
And the azaleas are going to bloom. (Please no frost in the next week!)
P.S. Yes, I know the characteristics that would make me a bad parent are also the characteristics that would make me a good parent. Crap. :)
1. Dealing with bodily fluids.
2. Dealing with bodily fluids that are not mine.
3. Dealing with bodily fluids that are not mine before breakfast.
4. Disgusting, foul smelling garbage.
5. Total panic and fear when one of the furballs is sick.
Fudge was not feeling well this morning. He ate breakfast and second breakfasts, but as I was booting up to check the interweb, I saw him squatting in the corner by the island. He only does this when he's having problems.
No, nonononononono I'm not in the mood today (Are we ever in the mood for a sick pet?)
Fudge has urinary tract issues. He eats special food and all of the furry, four-foots drink distilled water. It wasn't a urinary issue today. He was constipated. He was trying and struggling.
I shooed him down to the game room and closed the door behind him. Litter boxes and tile floor are always easier to clean and sanitize than hardwood and bedspreads.
I ran back upstairs to look for answers on the internet. BIG mistake. Everything says YOUR CAT IS GOING TO DIE IN THE NEXT HOUR IF YOU DON'T GET IT TO THE VET RIGHT AWAY. Always good for the sanity.
By the time I got back downstairs (two minutes later), Fudge was no longer constipated. At least he got close to the litter box. *sigh*
He's feeling better and refused to have his picture taken.
Litter boxes got scrubbed, the floor got scrubbed, I got scrubbed. He's napping now. I need a nap, too. Now I can sit and have my morning cup of tea. I'll keep an eye on him today.
Happy May Day! I bought tomato plants yesterday.
And the azaleas are going to bloom. (Please no frost in the next week!)
P.S. Yes, I know the characteristics that would make me a bad parent are also the characteristics that would make me a good parent. Crap. :)
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