On Starters

So... On my way to my friend's house last night, I stopped at a 7-11 to grab a couple of snacks. When I returned to the car, the starter died. I know it was the starter as we checked the fuses and relays. So I got permission to leave it there overnight and made plans to repair it the following morning and got a ride home from one of my friends.

This morning, I stopped by Auto-Zone and purchased a new starter on the way to the 7-11 to perform surgery on the car.

After a successful, 2-hour surgery, the patient fired up like a champ. I'm proud of my ability to be handy. :) I probably saved us a few hundred bucks on towing and mechanic labor. I'll tell you this one thing. It is NOT pleasant working on a car in front of a convenience store in the COLD.

At least it's all done now. Cars are such money pits. :)

This post was brought to you by the letters F, I, X, and the number 13.

Busy, Busy!

I've been really busy, recently.

At work, I'm administering a new product line for my company, but it's so new that a number of processes are still in development. There is a TON of documentation and discussion to do in the development of those processes. Not only that, but I'm cross-training to help out the rest of my team on their workload. This training is a LOT of information to digest and process. Not to mention several applications to get familiar with while also doing my primary job. Needless to say, I've been really tired these last couple of weeks just trying to keep up. It's a good kind of tired, though, so I'm not complaining. :)

At home, we've been dealing with different people being sick at different times. This includes high fevers, racking coughs, extremely runny noses, refusal to eat, and the like. It seems at this point, the one who has it the worst is the Queen, but the Prince and the Purple Dragon have recovered enough to claim they're fine. Luckily, the Pink Princess and I have managed to avoid the critter that has plagued the house. Let's hope it stays that way, eh?

So, now you've been updated and my conscience is clear. :)

This post has been brought to you by the letters T, I, R, E, D, and the number 31.

Summer is a bad time for posting...

Apparently, getting a new job is great and all, but it eats into my posting time. Especially when I get home and need to do things like yard work, gardening, meal prep, dishes, laundry, help the kids with whatever they're into, etc. Then after all that has been handled for the evening, I'm tired and my brain won't creatively put together the words to make it all work correctly.

Oh, what a first world problem to have, right! :) I'll see if I can sculpt out some time to post more regularly.

Anyway, I need to apologize to the 2 or so readers who actually follow my blog.

This post was brought to you by the letters P, O, S, T, and the number 8.

Getting Some Interest

I've gotten calls recently, so it appears that things are possibly getting a little better. No interviews yet, but we're working on it.

Wish me luck!

This post was brought to you by the letters J, O, B, and the number 13.

Updates

Since I suck at posting meaningful entries, I'll update a few events from previous postings.

After 2 months, Facebook has finally gotten back to my wife to inform her that her case is under review. WTF! Have those butt-munches not ever heard of the concept of "Customer Service"? Really? 2 months to say it's under review? They also flat lied to her saying that they had issued multiple warnings to her when in fact they hadn't issued a single one. So I guess we wait an additional 2 months for them to realize they didn't send any warnings and that she isn't a computer program.

Moving on...

The hole in the yard has been dealt with and the entire yard has greened up nicely. I need to to ratchet down the sprinklers a bit more and mow the thing, but it's otherwise doing great. Too bad the previous owner was such a cheapskate and used a sub-par stop & waste valve. Can you believe the guy is a general contractor running a home remodeling business? How can you have a business like that and do such shoddy work on your own home? How can you justify supporting your deck on piles of construction trash? That's yet another item I need to correct.

Next item...

We went on vacation this year to our local city. That's right, we had a stay-cation. While it wasn't as glamorous as flying to Florida or driving to Cali to have fun, it was just a full of stuff to do and just as exhausting as the other, more expensive route we could have taken. It took me the better part of a week at work to recover from the activities. I'm not saying I was slacking or anything like that so don't Dooce me, but I am saying that work was less hectic and stressful. Next time, it's a few days sitting on the beach drinking cool drinks, reading books, building sand castles. That sounds good, right? :)

This post was brought to you by the letters F, B, S, U, X, and the number 46.

There's a Hole in the Yard, Dear Liza...

I spent part of my Independence Day weekend digging a 5+ foot deep hole in my front yard. The stop and waste valve has gone bad and is leaking water into the ground. That's wasteful and causing an issue with the yard. Nonetheless, I dug a hole for the plumber to get at the bad part.

He'll get to put the new part in today after I get home from work and then, I'll get to put the dirt back into the hole. It's party time at my house tonight!!! :)

Couldn't I just bury my money in a shallow hole in the yard and bypass all the middlemen? It's going to cost on the order of $350 when it's all said and done.

Now, my back and left shoulder are killing me and Iam acutely feeling the effects of age. Getting old sucks!

Once again, this is proof that owning a home is a giant money suck.

This post was brought to you by the letters P, A, I, N, and the number 23.

Weekend? PLEASE?

This week has been filled with what can only be described as an emotional roller coaster. First, I have to admit that I've been feeling real sorrow for my fellow human beings in Haiti. My heart goes out to them.

The Dallas Cowboys have won a playoff game and won in December all within a few weeks each other. I have to be happy about that, right? :) I've gone to one physical therapy treatment for my neck and I have to admit that it feels a bit better. I'm going back for the next treatment tonight and then I get to go hang out with some friends and be geeky. :)

We've decided to finally try D&D 4th edition after it's been out for nearly 2 years. I'm looking forward to it. If it's a spectacular failure, it will still be an escape for me.

I need an escape after this week of work. Wow! I can't tell you any specifics because this is "teh Internets" (and it's always possible that someone from there could read this and then I'd be Dooced), but suffice it to say that it has NOT been a pleasant week. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad to be gainfully employed, but this week has been difficult. I can only hope that next week is more pleasant for all parties involved.

This post was brought to you by the letters M, J, H, and the number 9.

Ooops! I Broke It!

I killed the hand mixer Monday night. The Pink Princess and I were making Zucchini Bread and after adding the dry to the wet, (the batter gets really thick at this point) the mixer slowed to a near stop and then there was a ZZZZZZ-POP and a puff of smoke. The mixer had expired after 11.5 years with our family. It had finally given up its electric ghost in an acrid cloud of smoke.

LOVELY!!!

At this point I was forced to complete the mixing by hand on batter that was the approximate consistency of concrete. After a few moments, it was time to add the shredded zucchini and that addition of liquid was enough to loosen up the batter a bit so that it could be poured into the bread pans.

The bread turned out nicely! :) I'm sure we'll kill another loaf tonight. :) I was told by the recipients of the mini loaves at work that it was excellent, but I think I could have done better.

In the aftermath of this, we've finally purchased the KitchenAid stand mixer we were instructed to purchase with some money from our wedding 11.5 years ago. Yeah, it's a little late, but we got around to it. The new mixer is scheduled for delivery on 12.9.2009.

I think I'll be making another double batch of Zucchini Bread that night to break it in... We'll see if the KitchenAid can handle the concrete. :)

This post was brought to you by the letters Y, U, M, and the number 5.

Exhaustion

I am really dragging these days. The carpet was installed yesterday and we've begun bringing back furniture.

I still need to install the molding downstairs and complete the door trim (3 pieces remain). The new door hardware needs to be installed downstairs and I need to cut a half inch from the bottom of a door. I had been hoping to avoid cutting the door, but it is inevitable. I also need to paint a window sill I completely forgot about when I was painting trim in the rec room (this needs 2 coats at least).

Once all the above is complete, I can begin assembly on the new furniture. There are at least 4 pieces that need complete assembly. Then I can move some of the heavier items of the existing furniture into place.

The incidentals that remain include installing electrical plates and a bunch of touch-ups as well as temporary installation of a handrail to the basement. I have the materials to create a new one, but I'm not going to have time to build it and stain it before the party tomorrow night.

I think I'll leave the incidentals other than touch-ups to last, possibly tomorrow since it really won't take very long to perform those tasks.

This post was brought to you by the letters T, I, R, E, D, and the number 30 (hours to go).

Paint Fumes!

Last night I painted the ceilings of the Basement buildout and the rec room. This morning, the Queen claims to be a bit high on paint fumes and the Princess has claimed to HATE the smell of paint. The ladies are a little demanding! :)

How am I supposed to paint the space before the carpet is installed if I don't apply paint to the ceiling and walls of the space?! I mean SHEESH! :)

Anyway, I finished up around midnight and I'm dragging at work a bit today as a result. Tomorrow, the marathon really starts. I have to paint the walls of the new bedroom 2 colors (light over dark), the common area and stairs, and the rec room 2 colors (accent wall). All of it needs 2 coats. I also need to install the door hardware and start painting the trim and chair rail that we'll need to get. On Sunday, I get to install chair rail and start installing the trim. (I'm planning on watching my Cowboys win another game and the Nascar race as well - should be some really good crashes). Then Monday and Tuesday nights, I have to try to finish up because the carpet gets installed on Wednesday. Wednesday and Thursday, I have to assemble some furniture and put it into place. Sounds fun, eh? :)

Wish me luck at getting it all done!

This post was grought to you by the letters H, O, M, E, and the number 5.

Back to Work...

I got back to work on the basement over the weekend. I installed the bathroom vent and flex ducting to the outside and reinstalled the fiberglass insulation. I then installed the green board on the ceiling and tray of the bathroom space. I also installed the dry fixtures so there is some light.

Let me tell you, if you install drywall on a ceiling by yourself, be ready to experience a backache. The pain has since faded a bit, but I'm expecting it to revisit me tomorrow morning. I'm NOT looking forward to that.

Tomorrow, I'll work on the walls. Once that is done, I'll move on to the cement board in the shower area. I plan to be done with the green board this week so I can mud and tape everything I've done so far.

This post was brought to you by the letters A, C, H, E, and the number 9.

How Much More Can I Slack!

Boy! I've really slacked on my postings. There is no excuse for it, so I will offer up none.

My son is more that 3 months old and gaining weight. he regularly smiles and Mommy and me and occasionally adds in a coo. :)

I've actually started working again in the basement of the house. As you'll recall, I basically took 3 months off, but I've gotten back into it. If I do something on it each day, I feel like I'm making progress and I'm a lot more motivated to do more. Perhaps, I'll post some pictures or something - yeah right, re-read the title, please.

I'm trying not to be so grouchy in my posts, as you'll see by the fact that it's been so long since I posted ANYTHING on my flame blog.

I'm also attempting to reduce the size of the bellybag (pronounced FAT) attached to the front of my frame.

We're going on vacation soon and I'm getting pumped up to see some old friends and have a chance to rest and relax a bit.

That's what's going on. I'll try to be better in the future.

This post has been brought to you by the letters R, S, T, L, N, E, and the number 26.

Not Enough Time...

... in a week to complete all the things I need to do, which is why I haven't updated you all in an age. Basically, our little Prince threw a monkey wrench into our plans of getting things done in time for his arrival by joining us 4 weeks prior to his due date and 2-3 weeks prior to when the doctor wanted to deliver him.

As a result of the turmoil, the projects have been thrown into disarray. The renovation to the basement has ground to a halt and I'm focused on completing the Prince's quarters of the castle and getting the carpets cleaned in that wing. The last of the painting in the his room was completed last night at 1:30am. The carpets are scheduled to be cleaned tomorrow afternoon. :)

I have to clear all the items from our upstairs bedrooms tonight by myself which is only an issue for 2 or 3 pieces of furniture. The rest of it is either small or can be disassembled so it is more a matter of just doing it. It's still a lot of work though. I'll post pics of his room once I've reinstalled all the outlet covers, blinds, curtain rods, door hardware and put in all the furniture. You'll get to see the completed room soon enough. :)

I'll try to be better about keeping you all updated even if I happen to be exhausted at the time. :) Keep checking his blog or the Queen's blog for other updates.

This post has been brought to you by the letters T, I, R, E, D, and the number 3.

Yet Another Update...

...on the remodel project. The North and West walls in the room are done and I have the closet and window walls remaining as well as the walls of the landing outside the bedroom. After that, is mudding and taping. YUM!!! :)

It's beginning to resemble a room a bit now. I'm happy about that though really tired when I go to bed each night.

This post was brought to you by the letters S,W,E,A,T, and the number 4.

Here's an Update...

...on the remodel project. The insulation has been completed and I've started on the drywall. The ceiling of the bedroom is complete and I plan to work on the walls this week. :) Then, I'll switch over and do the greenboard and hardy backer in the bathroom. After that, it's time to add the doors.

There is still a bit of framing left to do in the landing area, but I should be able to knock that out after work tomorrow.

I still don't have the pictures rescued from the Queen's camera, but once I do, I'll add them on here for you.

So far, it looks like we're still on time to have the bedroom done by the time the Prince arrives. The bathroom is another matter altogether. Since we're now going to tile the bathroom, we've decided it's OK to complete that AFTER the Prince arrives.

This post was brought to you by the letters T, I, R, E, D, and the number 5.

Basement Project...

Here's an update for those of you who are interested. I don't have pictures yet, but you'll forgive me for that, right? :)

The framing for the bedroom and bathroom is complete. I need to add another small bit of framing for the landing at the bottom of the stairs so that there will be an edge for the carpeting.

The plumbing supply lines have been run to the bathroom space complete with a pair of Master cutoffs for that bathroom.

The electrical work is nearly complete, just need to hook up a few lights and get an electrician to wire the outlet circuit into the electrical panel and check over the wiring.

I need to do the insulation once my part of the wiring is complete.

After that, there's the doors, the drywall, mudding and taping, finish carpentry, and then painting. All this needs to be complete by the last week of April.

I'll try to get pictures posted soon.

This post was brought to you by the letters S, T, U, D, and the number 100.

We Have HEAT!!!

There is now heat in the basement. Last night, I ran a duct and tapped the main supply to provide heat for future bedroom in the basement. It just happens to provide heat to the area where I'll be working. :) I'll post pics once I get them off the Queen's camera.

The Queen just told me this morning that she thinks it's silly to heat the basement when it's not insulated. In principal, I agree with her, however, the heat happen to be one of those necessary items that needs to be run sooner rather than later, along with plumbing which I'll need to alter really soon. Besides, As long as we'll need to be working down there, it has to have some heat and I can always turn off the vents and direct the airflow up through the house instead. It won't cost us any more than using an electric heater down there while I'm working, so I don't really see a problem.

Am I alone in this train of thought or is the bridge out ahead?

I got a surprise when I was working on the heat down there last night and I'll post about it later. I'm sure you'll get a kick out of it. :)

This post was brought to you by the letters H, E, A, T, and the number 9.

Fingers?, Toes? What are those things?

It is frakking COLD! The boiler at work broke at some point over the weekend and I could see my breath when I walked into my office this morning. It's only marginally better at this point, but typing is a real challenge. Unfortunately for me, I have craptacular circulation in my hands and toes so they'll be cold for the next week or so.

I've been in my fleece and coat all day in an effort to fight off the insanity, but I'm not really sure how well I'm doing in this fight. This is probably a bad sign, but such is life, eh? :)

On to other things, I have enough materials (once I get a bucket of nails and a small shopvac) to start work in the basement of our house now. Of course it still isn't cleared out, but there are a few more items I can do before I start the framing. I have to relocate/reconfigure a few pipes, run a heating duct into the bedroom and add a cold air return to the space in the basement all of which can be done before the framing starts.

Wish me luck! I'll take pictures and post them. :)

This post was brought to you by the letters S, B, Y, E, and the number 3.

The Big Work Begins...

This afternoon after work, I'm going to go get supplies to begin our home improvement project. This means that the big work on the project will begin really soon now.

One of the more onerous tasks I have to deal with is the fact that I now have to dig a hole outside my house to locate and seal the source of a slow seep into our basement where the renovation will occur. In case you've not been reading along, I'm recovering from a sprained wrist and we have had atrocious weather recently.

I'm planning on doing what I can inside and hoping for a warm weekend or something that will allow me to be outside for extended periods of time while working without freezing. :) None of us likes to freeze, so here's hoping...

Anyway, I'm not whining about it, I'm just informing you all that I'll be really busy for a while and I may appear to be a bit cranky for a few months. :)

This post was brought to you by the letters U, G, H, and the number 133.

Projects...

I hurt so much right now. Since yesterday morning, I've been working on the girls' bathroom. The sink (and possibly the toilet) have been leaking in such a way that it wasn't readily detectable and has damaged the floor. In order to investigate the damage to the floor and to determine just how bad it was, I had to completely disassemble the bathroom. I will post images of the ordeal once it is actually complete. :)

In the mean time, The Queen may have a few things to say on the matter and I need to get back to it so I can complete it today. I'd like the girls to be able to use their bathroom and not ours.

This post was brought to you by the letters G, R, R, and the number 5.