First Big Snowfall

We went to bed last night as the snow was starting to fall. I got up during the night around three and it was still coming down. It was clear we were going to get some coverage.

This was the first opportunity I’ve had this winter to use my re-built snowblower. It worked great. It really turns on a dime now…much more easily than before the re-build.

It was only a couple of inches of snow so it went quickly and easily. That was good because I’m to the point where this job is becoming harder and harder for me.

Everything is cleaned off and safe for walkers around the park.

One of the really amazing things I need to comment on is the lack of any appreciable snowfall this year. Here it is, February and I have pulled out the snowblower for the first time. Fortunately, the mountains have lots of snow which makes us skiers happy. As for us elderly and in-firmed snowblowers, keep the snow in the mountains.

Pantry Conclusion?

The Pantry is now completely tiled and all the seams have been caulked.

We are very pleased with the results. I was hoping this would finish the project but I think I’m going to be made to put up crown molding around the perimeter.

Well, we almost done.

Ceiling Tile - Day Three

We did not work on the ceiling yesterday because it was a ski day for me. I have my priorities!

But jumped on it today and made great progress. An added bonus is that we are still married.

Here are the pictorial results.

We have just the corners to put up and the pantry will be almost finished. We have decided that a small crown molding around the perimeter would look nicer than the sort of rough exposed edge that we have now.

Please also notice that all the bulbs in the light are working. Susan fixed it by simply putting different bulbs in the fixture. Don't ask me why that worked. I don't care. 

Ceiling Tile - Day Two

We are really going to get going today.

The light is back together and ready to be hung after we place the first row of tiles. 

The spot where the light is wired is almost the center of the room. Close enough that we have decided to place the first tile dead center on the light.

We made a template out of a piece of poster board we bought to properly locate the hole before we ruined a tile. It went perfectly.

We placed several dabs of glue on the back of the tile, placed the edge of the tile on the line we snapped to find center, and we were off. 

Once you get going, it goes quite quickly.

We finished the first row and decided that was enough for the day. We really wanted to get the light back up.

Hanging the light turned out to be quite an ordeal. The problem was that the light is kind of heavy and cumbersome, we are old, and it's a tight spot that is eleven feet from the floor. It took a while, and there was a LOT of grunting, moaning, and heavy breathing but we got it up, we got it wired and it mostly worked.

We have this light on a motion sensor so whenever we walk into the pantry, the light comes on for about 30 seconds. If no other motion is detected, it goes out. Sometimes, if you're looking for something for a while, you have to wave your arms every 30 seconds to reactivate the light. Also, if we just walk by the pantry on the way to the kitchen sink, it turns on.

For some reason, one of the bulbs works like it should. It comes on when the motion is detected. One of the bulbs stays on all the time. The third bulb does not come on at all.

I don't know what's going on but I will work on it later.   

Kitchen Remodel - Phase Four

Today we are starting on the final phase of the kitchen remodel...putting up the ceiling tile.

For the past several weeks, we have been preparing the styrofoam ceiling tiles we purchased well over a year ago. They have been sprayed with a fire retardant and now we have been painting them an out-of-the-can flat white. We added a fire retardant agent to the paint as well.

One of the things we discovered is that Susan doesn't like the flat paint. She would prefer a semi gloss. 

So we are repainting the 75 or so tiles we have already painted with the new semi gloss paint. In order to keep the look consistent, and to have the tiles treated with the fire retardant stuff, we will paint everything remaining twice. Once with flat, once with semi gloss. It's a major time consuming pain in the ass,  but I must admit the semi gloss looks better. Besides, we're retired. We have the time.

We decided to start in the pantry because it's a small area and seems like a good spot to learn from our mistakes. The first order of business was to take down the light.

Upon trying to loosen the ring that holds the cover plate in place, I broke the chain that holds the light. Fortunately, I was able to get replacement parts at Revival Lighting. We use them a lot for our lighting needs. 

Anyway, the light is down and we are ready to begin. But not today!      

Piano Repair Checkup

Today we got to go over to the “All Things Piano” warehouse and see the progress they are making on the piano. After seeing it, I’m really excited to get it back.

Here are some pictures.

There is the repaired sound board. If you look closely, you can see the pieces of spruce that have been slid in to repair the cracks. They are a slightly lighter color than the sound board.

That’s the new decal that goes on the sound board. They give it a day to cure before peeling off the backing paper.

That is the harp after it has been gilded. That’s going to look fantastic. That little addition added $600.00 to the cost of this project.

The next step after putting it back together is to restring it. I asked them to call me when that’s is going on so I can get some more pictures.

They think they will be done in a couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to getting it back. Did I mention that?

Another Day of Modest Achievements

8:10AM: I woke up today to a winter scene of perfection. Perfect because there was snow on the grass, but none on the sidewalks. Another snowfall where I don’t have to break out the snow blower. I suspect most the snow will be gone by noonish.

I plan on more kitchen work today. I am hoping to get all the remaining base shoe into place. It should just be a matter of setting up my chop saw in the Carriage House and walking back and forth while I measure and cut the pieces I need.

I also have a couple of errands to run this morning after a 9:00 haircut. I need to go by the Cabinet Shop where we bought our cabinets and see if I can get a laminate edge for a couple of shelves.

While there, I will probably head over to Costco and top off the tank and if they’re open when I get there, get some much needed vodka.

So I have a busy day ahead of me. Stand by and let’s see how I do.

1:15PM: I got my gas but had no luck with my shelves. I got back to the house and cut the shelves down to 23” x 6.5”. Then, Susan found some veneer material we had and stained a small strip to try and match the shelf. She done good. It’s a nice match. Not perfect, but you’ll never see it.

Now I have to get the strips glued on and we’ll be ready to mount these shelves.

That was the extent of what I accomplished today.

Another Spurt

Today is to be the day that I beat this malaise of not finishing projects. But this project could be the end of me. 

Putting these shelves in has proven to be much more difficult than I expected. The problem is the tight space I am working in and my ability to lie on the floor in the aforementioned tight space. Perhaps I should change that to my inability to lie in the space. I get dizzy and my glasses won't stay on so I can't focus on what I'm doing.

But before I go into that, let me tell you that putting down the base shoe went quite well. Once I got the air gun strung into the house, it was done in no time.

I fed the air hose through the open window and then used a towel to stuff the excess space. It worked quite well and kept the cold out so I could work comfortably.

Then it was just a matter of layer the base shoe into place and hitting it with my brad nailer. They're all down nice and secure.

So now we’re back to the shelving.

The lower shelf is in place and for the most part, I am satisfied. It appears to have an ever so slight slope but my level tells me it's good. It is square and level front to back as well. I may have to add a third bracket on the wall end to help with support.

After a little rest, I got back to work on installing the upper shelf. I predicted this would be easier as it is not quite as confined a space. But that remains to be seen!

As hoped and somewhat predicted, the shelf went in much easier. It was still a bit of a challenge getting it level but all in all, I am happy with the final result. More importantly, I think Susan is pleased as well. I am now invigorated to finish up the rest of the base shoe. That will make Susan happy too. At least, it will get her off my back and on to something else.

I must now take the time to admit to some poor craftsmanship on my part. I did intentionally because I just did not care. If I was more meticulous and dedicated and diligent, I would not have allowed this to occur.

On the other hand, the only way ANYONE will ever know about this shoddy workmanship is because I’m going to tell you about it NOW!

Ya see that corner down there where the shelves will be? Look closer.

Closer!

There it is. A crappy joint! I didn’t cut a coping joint into that corner, which would have made it a nice, neat, tight joint.

I just laid the flat end of the stock there and nailed it in.

And here’s why.

Nobody is ever going to see it!

A Little Spurt of Productivityness

I have recently rediscovered the fact that if you fill your days with things to do, they go by faster AND you feel productive.

Presently, I’m not too concerned about the day going by faster. It seems like I just got up and already it’s almost 4:00. But, I have not felt very productive. 

Now that we are out of the Holiday season where taking it easy seems to be the thing to do, it’s time to get back to reality and do something with myself.

To that end, I spent today working on a kitchen project that has been neglected for too long.

You see that big space under the counter. There are supposed to be shelves there. Two of em. I got to work to make that happen.

Of course, nothing in this house is as cut and dried as deciding to do a project and then doing it. First, I had to add some laminate edging to the exposed sides of the shelves. So, after getting them cut to the proper length, I ironed on the edging.

I will be pretty much ready to get the shelves in place after I finish laying down the base shoe around the bottom of the cabinets. This is another finishing job that I’ve just taken too long to finish.

So, I think I have done everything I can do today to get ready for a major spurt of accomplishment tomorrow.

If I just do a little bit every day, I will get it done!

Happy 2025

I'm always pretty good about getting on here on the first of the year and posting stuff. Then, I fall off the radar and you hardly hear from me again. 

Why should this year be any different.

We woke up on the new year to snow falling. It was pretty sparse and pretty wet. I barely stuff to the grass and didn't cover the sidewalks for very long at all.

In spite of today being a holiday, we got stuff done. We got the Christmas Tree taken down as well as the lights on the house.

Now we have a bunch of boxes to stow but that will come later.

One thing at a time.

TV Returns

A week ago, our Satellite TV crashed. The hard drive in the main unit crashed. This meant we lost all the shows we had recorded, we couldn’t record anything new, no access to replay, and no access to Netflix or Prime TV.

It was like, we had to watch regular television, which we hate. We like to pre-record shows and watch them at our convenience, which allows us to skip through the commercials.

The new cable unit arrived last Saturday. It was reasonably easy to install, just plugging it in and swapping out the old connections with the new.

Then I got this screen.

It was up there for quite a while and didn’t seem to be advancing or making any progress. 

So I called in for a little tech support and they were able to make it go.

We have TV again.

2024 Corbin Park Carriage Ride

Another Carriage Ride is in the books and I think everyone had a good time. We managed to fill the carriage for every trip around the park. A large crowd showed up on the lawn at 709 W Waverly Place and enjoyed the wide variety of treats, hot cider and a blazing fire.

I made the mistake of taking a bunch of pictures with this iPad which does not have a flash. So here’s what I got.

Randy and Karen joined us for the fun. If only we had snow!

Christmas Begins

We are now officially into the Christmas season because the tree is up.

We got it yesterday as the rain poured down. We gave it a night in the Carriage House to dry out and it was all ready for us today after we got home from church.

We still have a few baubles to add and of course, I have to set up the train. 

It’s a little different this year with the piano being at the musical hospital and all this space is available. I may try a new configuration for the train if I can get permission.

Tonight is the annual Corbin Park Carriage Ride. The horse drawn carriage will be here in about an hour and fun will ensue.

Barbecued Turkey

Okay, here we go! 

Today, I am cooking a 14 pound turkey on our Weber Kettle barbecue. I have not done a turkey before but I feel pretty confident about the outcome. The only real question is how long will it take.

I am using the charcoal snake method. This will allow me to cook the turkey for several hours without ever having to remove the lid to add charcoal. It should provide a nice even heat around 275° for up to six hours.

The deal is that you light one end of the snake and let it burn around the outside of the kettle.

Also, I’m going to sprinkle some damp apple wood chips on top of the snake. That will add a smoked quality to the cook. I will place a small pan of water in the center of the charcoal which will add a little moisture to the cook as well.

The turkey has been brining all night and I’m about to take it out and rinse it in the sink. That will remove any excess salt. Believe me, there is plenty of salt in that brine.

Here is the delightfully brined bird. It’s been soaking for about 18 hours.

I have removed the turkey from the brine and rinsed it in a sink full of water for 15 minutes.

We did the normal turkey prep…separating the skin and basting it with melted butter.

11:50 AM: I have lit the starter charcoal which I will pour onto the start of the charcoal snake when it’s ready.

12:15PM: The turkey is in.

I am using a bluetooth meat thermometer. You can see it on the left side of the bird just below the wing. The brand I'm using is called Meater. I really like it. It is essential for doing these long cooks on the barbecue.

I've used it a few times when I've done brisket. The nice thing about it is the data it provides to my iPad. 

It lets you see the temperature in the grill, the temperature of the meat and the temperature you are cooking to. It will even provide an estimated time to finish but there are a lot of variables with that and I generally don't pay attention to the time until the very end. It gives you a little guidance but I'm looking at the temperature of the meat. 

1:42PM: It seems to be cruising along quite nicely. I was expecting it to get up to around 275 but right now it’s at 320 and still climbing.

Right now, MEATER is estimating it will be done around 3:40. We’ll keep an eye on that and see how it does.

2:24PM: We couldn’t resist. We had to look. Susan wanted to know if we were getting any drippings.

The answer is not much in the way of drippings. It actually looks a little burned on one side. That may be from the apple wood chips I spread on top of the snake. I only soaked them for a couple of hours so they might be catching fire rather than smoldering. We decided to cover it loosely with foil.

The good news is we did not loose a lot of heat when we lifted the lid.

The latest data indicates it will be done at 4:00.

3:34PM: It appears we are on track for about 4:00 to pull the turkey off the barbecue. The temperature is up to 368 in the grill. I’ll have to remember that for the future. I can get it to 350ish when cooking with the charcoal snake.

4:08PM: I just pulled the turkey off the grill. We’re going to let it rest a bit and then I will carve.

It’s a little more charred looking than I would like. We’ll see if it burned under the skin.

5:30PM: I am happy! That was an excellent turkey. It was moist, just a hint of smoke and not salty at all. I was a little worried about that. Susan said she bit into a piece that was really salty but I never hit one.

I think I have a new tradition. Total cook time was about three and a half hours. The barbecue got up the 370 but it took a long time to reach that temperature. 

We have another turkey Susan bought in case this didn't work out. I am going to want to do this again for Christmas.

Thanksgiving Report and BBQ Turkey

 We were invited over to our friend’s house for Thanksgiving, kind of at the last moment. Susan and I had planned on a quiet Thanksgiving here at home. Since there was no pressure to present a perfect meal, I decided I wanted to try and barbecue the bird using the charcoal snake method.

That has now been moved to Saturday. Right now, I am boiling up a brine solution to soak the turkey in. I’m going to go for about a 16 hour soak.

The brine solution is a mixture of apple juice, kosher salt, brown sugar, garlic, pepper corns, bay leaves, rosemary, orange peels and water.

It’s been sitting on the stove for a while now and almost to a boil. Then it has to cool before I put the turkey in it.

Yesterday’s Thanksgiving meal at Randy and Karen’s was great. So great, I gained three pounds. There were two pies, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and lots of stuffing…mostly me.

Piano Repair

We are doing a major project on the piano. 

We met Michael at the Fair back in September. He had a booth to get the word out about what they do. I told him we had an old Steinway that had a cracked soundboard. He said he could fix that and put a new finish on it too. I told him there will be no refinishing.

We made an appointment for him to come by, take a look and give us a quote.

Ultimately, we accepted his bid and today, they picked up the piano.

The bid for repairing the sound board, regilding the harp, restringing the piano, tuning it, plus pick up and delivery is just over 10 grand.

Now we have a big empty space in the living room. It’s going to be a couple of months.

Weather Report

It has been wet.

After our first snow of the season last week, it’s done nothing but rain since Wednesday. I just went out and checked my rain gauge and it had filled up to the two inch mark.

According to the weather almanac in the newspaper, we are about 2 inches short of our normal rainfall for the year to date, but we are about 2 inches over the normal rainfall for November. And there’s more rain in the forecast.

Even though my ski season has been cancelled, I have been looking at the Mt. Spokane website and watching the snowfall. 

They are hoping to open next weekend. At least, a partial opening.

Lookout Pass is open on the weekends and they have pretty good snow coverage.

First Snow

As we went to bed last night, we were getting the first snowfall of the year. They had forecast it and so I went out to check about 10:00 and the lawn was white. A very wet snow was falling. It turned the grass white but the streets and sidewalks were just wet.

By this morning, no sign of even a flake.

It's still early in the season. I wouldn't expect to get much snow yet. We have promising signs in the mountains. There are even a couple of ski hills that have opened, Lookout Pass for one.

  

2024 Great Pumpkin Toss

It is Election Day and to turn our attention away from that, we did our annual Pumpkin Toss today. Mark and Randy came over and we had quite a few pumpkins to toss.

I don't want to brag, but I think I was the only one to cleanly sink my pumpkins...at least a couple of them.

Zags Return

Today was the first day of College Basketball. That means the Gonzaga Bulldogs are back on the air for our viewing enjoyment.  Neither Susan or I are big basketball fans but we like watching our local team who, at the start of the season is ranked 6th.

Tonight they played Baylor here in town at the Arena. They lost the national championship game to Baylor three years ago. I think it was three years ago. I might need to be fact checked on that.

They looked really good tonight and they easily put Baylor away, winning 101 to 63.

Their next game is Sunday against Arizona State. It’s stood to have them back!