I Know What You Did Last Summer 7/19/11

I went to that other job and painted a little.  But, eventually it was decided that this excessive humidity may cause problems with the paint.  So, I got home earlier than usual, and "the day off" tomorrow.  Of course, it's too hot and humid to do my painting, too.  I did, however, pick beans.  Then I cooked them and ate them.  They were delicious.

I Know What You Did Last Summer 7/17/11

Instead of doing my projects at my house, after work and Saturday I have been helping that other guy with his painting project.  I still managed to pick raspberries, beans, and peas and mow the lawn.  I am thinking I should have planted more beans.  Last year, we had way too many and they just got wasted.  This year, I only have enough for one meal at a time, every other day.  That would be fine if I didn't want to freeze any, which I do.  The raspberries, on the other hand are bountiful.  Really, this is what I expected our raspberries to be like.  But, up until this year they only produced about a quart or half-a-quart every couple days.  This year, it's more like a gallon a day or two days.  So, I've frozen as many as I will likely use myself.  I'm contemplating what I should do with them after today.  I don't feel like picking them anymore.  That may change tomorrow.

As for the painting, I probably could have done some today, but my wife asked if it was good to paint in 95 degree weather close to 100% humidity (which is unusual-- 85 degrees is more common, with varying humidity but rarely this high).  The paint container only says to limit application to temps between 50 and 90 degrees.  Since she is afraid of ruining/wasting the paint, I won't paint today either.  Also, this is the kind of weather that can cook up nasty thunderstorms, so even taping off windows today or other prep-type work is not high on my list since that could be so easily ruined overnight.  Bottom line:  it feels like a wasted day, but as long as I don't run out of summer days to do stuff, I'll probably be just fine if I treat today like a rainy day.  Close enough.

I Know What You Did Last Summer 7/14/11

I've been expecting rain for 2 days now that has not happened.  It's no big deal, except postponing the paint activities anticipating the rain only to have it not rain makes me feel foolish.  But, I accepted a side job helping a paint crew with a job.  In a perfect world, I'd be doing that while I can't be painting my own house, but getting a little outside income is pretty sweet regardless.

I Know What You Did Last Summer 7/12/11

Acquired the ladder today.  I decided I wanted it for reference before finishing the storage rack for it.  Then, I finished the storage rack.  After that it was time to clean the garage floor-- it has been through a mess of stuff lately.  In the process I rediscovered how much I love my ShopVac.   Guess how wide the wide floor tool attachment is.  14.5 inches.  Doesn't ring any bells?  If you build walls with the studs 16 inches on center (which is how almost everything is built) the width between those studs is 14.5 inches.  So, the tool is perfect for cleaning unfinished areas like that.  I like that kind of fore-thought.  Also, it has huge capacity, is durable enough to handle all sorts of materials and the suction to pick it up.  The tube is 2" diameter so it does not plug up easily and that is the size of the exhaust on my saw, so it serves that purpose to keep that mess off the floor in the first place (credit the saw manufacturer for that function.)

After all that, I picked a good pile of beans and peas from the garden as well as the first raspberries of this season.  Good stuff!

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Since the last post, I have finished and primed that last west side section of the stucco project.  I am ready to paint-- except I need to acquire a ladder, make friends with my paint sprayer, and tape off the windows and doors and stuff I don't want painted.  We've had a little rain along the way.  I started that flooring (vinyl tile)  project around the basement stairway area.  I ran out of tiles... by only a handful.  That kinda sucks.  Beans and raspberry season will probably interfere with the painting.  Also, I started and completed half the project I need to store the ladder after I acquire it, which is a set of brackets on the ceiling of the garage.

I Know What You Did Last Summer 7/6/11

I decided early that I better focus on gardening tonight.  But, after picking strawberries and our first handful of green beans, running the weeder around and installing some weed fabric against the west fence, I was pretty much done.  Plus, my wife came home and told me the chief of police was going to be on the news for yet another bogus scandal of our dumping little town.  It's not that dumpy.  But, all this stupid, petty, bickering and political posturing is, well, pathetic.  So, I went in to watch the news.  I fell asleep... a little... just for a few seconds.  Well, then I was refreshed and went out and prepped the short section of the west wall, fixed the threshold on the front door (which I had taken apart for the stucco on the north side), and touched up the seal on the screen door since I was there and it (news to me) needed it.

I Know What You Did Last Summer 7/5/11

Great night!  Yeah, yeah, I removed the forms and primed the stucco.  But, then we grilled burgers, ate together, and watched the DVD of Season 2 of the one of our favorite shows.  The weather was beautiful-- sunshine, 80's, no wind (and in ND that is huge!)  Great night!

I Know What You Did Last Summer 7/4/11

HA!  I did it!  I was able to get the north side stucco on (and etched) today.  And I still have a decent chunk of the afternoon and evening to relax.  I also mowed the lawn.  I just can't express how great it feels to know that is done, rather than still in front of me.  It makes the whole weekend, the whole holiday.  That sounds strange.  Of course I enjoyed all the socializing and laughter and the fireworks and the bonfire, but knowing I got that done makes the memory of the whole weekend that much sweeter.  Happy Independence Day!  (It was for me!)

I Know What You Did Last Summer 7/3/11

Sunday - started the day with church and that project there.  With the holiday and the fact that the usual pastor is on vacation (because of the holiday) the whole experience was a bit off.  It's a journey, not a destination.
I had big plans with this weekend to make progress on the stucco.  I need several consecutive hours to get it on the wall.  But, with the fireworks last night and the guests for lunch (I grilled) and plans for tonight (bonfire) I had pushed the whole thing on to the shoulders of good weather tomorrow.  And really, that's why we need vacations and holidays-- to reconnect and... stuff like that.  I have too much farmer-mentality carry-over... maybe.  Something like that.  I am just squirming a little with the idea of missing those fleeting windows of opportunity.  They shut too fast in these parts.  It's July already and I haven't painted anything, yet.  If I was comfortable taking all summer to do it, that would be different, but I have other plans to get to.  And some of those plans involve making money rather than spending it.
Ironically, I'm thinking all of this on Sunday.  So, I'll just chill out, now.

I Know What You Did Last Summer 7/2/11

Did the usual Saturday morning work at work.  We were done by 10:30, though.  I failed (FAILED) to realize that I needed more stucco mix until after the lumber yard closed for the holiday.  So, I wasted time driving out of town for that.  I got the north side prepped, though.  The rest of the evening will be vacation-esque.  Fireworks tonight at the lake.

I Know What You Did Last Summer 7/1/11

Ok, so I haven't been posting everyday, but I didn't realize it had been a week!  Let me see if I can even remember anything.  Umm... Sunday 6/26/11 was a rainy day.  I did get to church, though, and got started on a project there.  One week at a time...  Not unlike a house project, or even a regular job for that matter.

I don't know what I did Monday 6/2711.  I do know that the stucco was not as cured as I would have preferred because I didn't do anything with it.

Tuesday 6/28/11 I removed my forms and prime/painted that east side.  So, that side is done until I finally paint the whole house.  Then I did more of that caulking.  I had to quit after that because I had a church project due after work that I needed to prepare.

Wednesday 6/29/11 I remembered the church project after work, but I had forgotten the "Safety Committee" meeting I had to attend after work, first.  So, it was later than usual before I got to the house.  First, I mowed the lawn.  Then, I did some more caulking.  In fact, I decided I was done with the caulking.  It was time to move on and just let it be. 

Thursday 6/30/11 Part of the reason I had to be done with the caulking was that I still needed to stripe it and it has to cure, first-- and it takes much longer that stucco.  Thursday, I striped it.  First, I used the level and a sharpie pen to mark where the lines went.  Then, I used a Dremel to cut the lines into it.  It worked well enough.  I also prime/painted it  But, actually, it doesn't look very good.  It's the same problem I had when I tried to use the stucco as a patch rather than a replacement.  The transition is just too obvious.  But, it looks better than it did before I started.

7/1/11 - Since I was expecting rain today, I should be happy with anything.  All I was able to do was cut off the old stuff.  When I did, I found some weird stuff.  I won't go into the gross details.  Besides the gross stuff, the other thing I found was the wires to the doorbell.  Luckily, I did not cut them.  I cannot understand why anyone would have routed them through the wall 10 feet away from the door, then under the siding over to the door, then up to the final location.  My theory is the door was actually centered on the house at one time.  My wife disagrees.  Whatever the reason, I spent the rest of the night fixing that.  That's not all bad, though.  The wiring of that doorbell has bothered me since we moved in.  We bought a new bell early on, and I had new wiring in that process, but I never got the wiring to the bell because of the weirdness.  So, now I have new wires and it is routed much more logically.