A Relaxed Sunday

I finally got my day off. Mostly!

We went to the Botanical Gardens for lunch and humidity. We had a very nice lunch out on the patio of the Gardens. Afterwards, we went inside the big domed building and looked at the jungle they are growing. The humidity in the dome was way up there.

It was quite refreshing when we went outside and strolled the gardens there.

Afterwards, we returned home and Susan and Margaret wanted to go Miniature Golfing. I elected to stay behind and do a whole bunch of nothing.

I watched a couple of shows on Netflix and read a little. It was delightful and a great way to prepare for the next couple of days that are highly scheduled.

Tomorrow, the fair...AGAIN!

Des Moines Farmers Market

Today was the best day of vacation so far. 

We started the day...well, it looked like this.

We drove downtown to the Des Moines Saturday Morning Farmer's Market. It seemed as though everyone who was at the fair yesterday followed us to the Farmer's Market today. The things extends for blocks and there are thousands attending.

They have crappy old pianos out on the streets all over town. This piano actually made me sound good.

After the street fair and lunch, I got the afternoon off. Susan and Margaret went off shopping at Antique Malls, and I stayed at the house and vegged. I read a little, I watched some TV, I napped!

It was great!

We all went out to a little wine bar that had this automatic wine dispenser so you could taste a variety of wines or just buy a glass of something you liked.

Then we stopped at a place called Eatery A for a light snack. Susan and I shared a small pizza.

The evening concluded back at Rancho Stoffreagen where we watched "Revenge of the Invisible Man".

A Great State Fair

We have returned from a full day at the fair. A full day! The whole MOFO DAY!!!

Susan's FitBit indicates we walked about eight miles. It feels like 20. All up hill. It's great to be in shape.

I have to get to bed because we going to the Farmer's Market tomorrow morning.

In the meantime, here are some pictures.

 Anderson and Erickson Cows

 Butter Cow

 Butter Monopoly Man

 The Cousins

 The Nada's

 The Neil

I am disappointed in my eating performance today. All I got off my "On a Stick" list was a pork chop. And it was good. It was real good. I forgot to take a picture for documentation purposes, so I'll probably have to have another.

I had some deep fried cheese curds towards the end of the day, but they were not good. I got them when they had really well used oil, I think.

What I didn't spend on food, I saved in my wallet for another day.

Des Moines or Bust

Our second day started out with a sumptuous breakfast at the Super 8. They have really nice little kitchens in their lobby's and we had a waffle and juice and took an apple for the road.

We had no trouble getting a credit from Bell's Motel and they apologized for the mix up.

We hit the road a little after eight and arrived in Des Moines at almost 7:26 PM. With the time change and stops, we drove for about 9 1/2 hours. We decided to trade off driving every two hours and that seemed to work pretty well. Most importantly, we finally finished "Shantaram", the book we have been listening to since we went to California in May. It's like 49 hours long.

It was nice to arrive while the sun was still up and the humidity was still strong. It appears that an outbreak of Cicada's is happening in Iowa. They make quite a chirping racket and I hope it doesn't disturb my sleep. 

Speaking of sleep, I had better get some rest. We are fair bound in the morning and staying the whole day.

The First Day of the Rest of Our Vacation

We are on vacation. We are off to Iowa to visit Susan's family.

Because we have a house we are pouring money into, we cannot afford the special nice things of life like flying to a destination. We drive.

So today was a travel day. 

We used to do this drive straight through, taking four hour shifts and going for 22 hours until we reach Des Moines.

Now we take two long days. We left this morning at a little after eight and we arrived in Spearfish, South Dakota just short of eleven.

If you eliminate the one hour time change, we drove for 14 hours. If you include stopping for gas and dinner, it was probably more like 12 and a half.

Normally, we try to make it to Gillette, Wyoming...which is about an hour and a half behind us. There is some Fireworks Festival going on there and the cheapest we could get a room was $239.00. Usually, it would be about $75.00.

So we found a place in a little motel in Spearfish for $64.00 and made a reservation.

As we passed through Gillette, we were treated to what a appeared to be a spectacular Fireworks display. At first I thought it was lightning, but as we got closer, it was obviously a Fireworks Festival. The show we saw must have gone on for 45 minutes. It was lighting up the sky way before we got to Gillette and I watched it in the rear view mirror for a good ten miles outside of Gillette.

We continued on down the road for about another hour and a half towards Spearfish.

Bell's Motel closes their office at 10:00 so we made arrangements with Jackie to pay the bill over the phone and she would leave Room 137 unlocked.

I had the GPS programmed with the address which took us right to their parking lot. Once we found Room 137, which took a little doing, we were greeted with a locked door.

Since no one was around to help us, we drove down the road and found a Super 8 for $100.00. 

So our first day ends at the Super 8. We'll try to get a credit from Bell's in the morning.

Sub Floor Day

I mentioned in my last post that all the receptacles are working. That appears to be wrong, a confabulation. It is in fact, an lie!

Only the receptacle I struggled with is working. I suspect I have the same issue with silver and brass screws.

But that is a problem for another day. I can work around it because today is SUB FLOOR DAY.

I am pleased to announce that I was successful in getting the flooring cut, placed and mounted.

Here are the pictures.

This picture shows a close up of the sub floor, prior to screwing. The photo below shows some screws in place. It was much more dramatic when I thought of it.

The receptacle on the right works. The one on the left is making a liar of me.

I got started in earnest on the project about 9 AM and worked until 3. Everything went smoothly but there was lots of carrying plywood sheets into the bathroom, getting a fit and then back down to the cutting area for a trim. 

I am also happy to announce that the floor is level---ish. I think it will be okay. I can tell you that it's better than it was.

And I never once fell through the joists. I would not have bet against that but I am pleased that I don't get to collect.

I am beat! Good night!

Comic Electrician

I had a nice bit of comedy occurring during my wiring project this evening.  

I had to get into the bathroom and put some finishing touches on the wiring so I could finish laying the floor on Saturday. I had to connect up a couple of power lines that go to outlets. Those outlets, and the main power into the room had to be connected to outlet receptacles that had GFCI, which stands for God Forsaken Current Inhibitor. 

I shut off the circuit breaker to the bathroom (Number 26) and began the task of completing my connections. I then attached the GFCI receptacles. Upon turning the power on, I had power to a couple of my receptacles, but no power coming in to the GFCI that sends a load to the light switch. It's my main power line. The lights and fan are attached to that line.

I checked my connections, tested it with my little outlet tester, all the while going up and down the stairs every time I checked a connection. And still no power to my light switch.

At one point, I realized I had hooked up the outlet wrong, putting the black wires on the silver connectors and the white wires on the brass connectors. It wasn't my lack of attention as much as it was my inability to distinguish brass from silver.

Finally, after several trips up and down the stairs. I rechecked the main connection where a bundle of wires are connected. Do you think I found a loose wire? So do I!!!

I got the connection back to good and solid, all the while swearing up a storm and sweating as if I was in one, and guess what...it all worked.

I could have saved myself about an hour of anguish and swearing if I had used my multi-meter. But I've misplaced it, just like I do with all my tools. 

I really need to conduct a study about the amount of time I waste looking for tools.

Lots of Weekend

 There have been some fires in the area and that has created very hazy conditions here in Spokaloo. Above is a picture of the sun yesterday afternoon...around 5. The picture doesn't do it justice. The sun was orange red and a bright burning globe in the haze.

 We have had what we are calling a successful weekend of work around the house. Susan has been on the front porch sanding and scraping and caulking the ceiling of the porch. It has turned into a much bigger job than originally anticipated.

On top of all the sanding, she is filling in the gaps and cracks with caulk. I think her neck is very sore.

My work continues in the bathroom. I spent Saturday laying shims along all the joists in order to bring the floor level. It's off by as much as an inch and a half.

Today I started laying the sub floor and got two pieces down.

To me, this is major and a long time coming. I'm hoping to have the floor fully in place by next weekend.

Swirls of Flies

The above picture is from the front porch looking west. It's about 7:30 in the evening and the sun is hanging low in the sky.

What the picture does not show is thousands of bugs swarming in the sky. I'm sure thousands is an under estimate. The warmth of the sun has drawn them and the angle of the light makes them very visible.

This is the second time we have seen this phenomenon. The last time was last year...probably about the same time of year.

The really cool thing about watching the swarm is that every few seconds, a really tight herd of bugs combine into a swirl that visibly moves through the sky. 

These "Swirls" seem to form and disperse with no rhyme or reason and continuously until the sun gets to low.

I wanted to get this post in so I can identify the time and date of this event for further future research.

We will try to watch for the event again tomorrow night.

Back on the World Wide InterWeb

I am sitting at the kitchen table and typing away on my new laptop. The old tower succumbed to the ravages of time, being somewhere around eight years old and died on me. The guy at the place where I took it said the hard drive was barely hanging on and ready to fail.

They were able to retrieve all my old data and move it here. So $600.00 later, I'm back, baby!

I had a very successful weekend of work in the bathroom. I accomplished my goals and a little bit more.

I got the electrical mostly roughed in and figured where everything will be going. The blue boxes are the spots where lights, switches or receptacles will go.

I also got a new power line laid from the box to the bathroom that will provide power for the heated floor. We ran an additional line because I think I'm going to add a ceramic wall heater as well. Back up, ya know!

The really smart thing we did was to pull a string through the difficult area of the wire run in order to more easily access the area if we ever want to run another line for something. What, I don't know. Perhaps a gymnasium or a flux capacitor. The point is that if we want to run another line, we can do it easily.

When I say we, I mean Jerry and I. jerry is my Electrical Expert. I run the wire and he does all the important work at the box.

On Sunday, goal was to remove the door and fill the hole.

Once again, mission accomplished. I am so awesome! That is generally the type of thing I write just before a disaster happens.

I think I shall humble myself by stating I still have a looooooong way to go and lots of possibilities to electrocute, lacerate or maim myself.

Here's an idea of the shower placement. Wow! It doesn't look very big in that picture. The shower enclosure is 38 inches on either side. It's not as large as our upstairs shower but who cares. If you need more room to shower, you go upstairs.

Susan accomplished some stuff this weekend as well. Her project was to try and waterproof the upstairs balcony. We have had some issues with water dripping onto the front porch and we know it is coming from the balcony. She is applying some rubber baseboard around "the balc" in the hopes that the water will stay up there until it evaporates or enters the food chain.

We haven't really had an issue with the leaking until recently so we think our caulking has shrunk and pulled away from the seams. It's been about seven or eight years since the balcony went in.

She is having some issues with the Liquid Nails she is using. It doesn't appear to want to stick to the siding. We'll get this project done and then keep an eye on it.

Construction Update and Weather Forecast

This post is not an indicator that my computer is back and operating within normal parameters. It is an indicator that I got in to work early this morning and decided on making a little update.

And "Little" update is the key. I have been plugging away in the bathroom, making small progress every night, leading to the hope of massive progress this weekend.

The plan is to block off the door, get the wiring roughed in and get the floor ready to be laid.

I checked on siding yesterday and it is going to cost about $350.00 for the siding we need. We are hoping to feather it in and eliminate a bit of the rough contours that we presently have. I guess what I am saying is, I do not want to replace the siding and have it look obvious that it is a patch. I want it to blend with the rest of the house and appear as if there was never a door there.

The heat spell continues but it has eased. We are not having the 100 degree days we were experiencing. Just into the 90's now. The forecast for today is 98 degrees and the record, set in 1985 is 100.

That's your Accu-Stan Weather forecast for July 9th, Twenty-Fifteen.

Summer Photo

Nothing to report today.

But here's a cool picture from the front porch. The lantern is not lit, the sun is setting behind it.

Going Dark

The Heat Continues.

It's just plain hot and that has been going now for about three weeks. Thank the Lord we have plenty of water to pour out on to the ground and roll around in.

We made a little bathroom progress today as we worked on preparing for the sub-floor and taking out the old door. I may have the door part finished by the end of the week. Well, not finished but blocked off and sealed shut. Here's the wrath of destruction that Susan reeked forth on this fine day.

My immediate problem right now is this computer here at home. It is infected with major crapoleena. I'm taking it in tomorrow to have it de-crapisized.

So, until further notice, we are going dar-

Happy 239th America

A Fabulous Fourth of July with temperatures well into the thousands of degrees.

We floated the Little Spokane. We barbecued meat. We gathered a bunch of friends together and rode bikes downtown to watch the explosions.

Here is the pictorial evidence.

Can you find the face in the rock?

It's good to be an American!

Heavy Delivery

The heat wave continues. The high temperature for today was 99 degrees.

Prior to my piano lesson tonight, my friend Mark stopped by with his little truck packed full of cast iron and porcelain. It was our new bath tub. We unloaded it into the garage. That MoFo is heavy. It will remain there until I am ready for it in the bathroom. I'm hoping that means the end of July. 

If it turns out to be there longer than that, then I shall begin a shame spiral.

Solstice 2015

I made a conscience effort prior to the start of the party to remember to pull out the camera and snap some pictures.

This was the best picture I got.

I also got a good shot of the food.

But that was about it. I basically forgot to take pictures.

For the few who showed up, there was great food and cold cold beer. I don't blame anyone who stayed away. It was HOT! And I'm sure that is why we had such a low turn out. The other alternative is that we are not that popular and I just don't see that.

I am not complaining. We had a party and people came. I don't think we had more than 30 people. That's more beer for me.

We went through almost all of my 5 gallons of homebrew, a lovely clone of Alaskan Amber. And everyone who showed up got to see the bathroom in transition.

The official, record breaking high temperature for the day was 102. It was about 89 when we went to bed at 1AM.

Susan and I are both glad it is over.

I used my time machine to go ahead a day and snatch tomorrow's headline, which I think is an appropriate legacy with which to remember this weekend.

The paper is reporting that the official temperature for today was 105, the hottest recorded at the airport since August 4th, 1961.

That is also the temperature I recorded on the deck, in the shade, just a little bit ago.

Preppin' for a Party

One nice thing about having a party is that the house gets all cleaned up and straightened. For a couple of days, you actually live in the place that you want the rest of the world to think you live in. 

We have been doing all the final touch ups on the yard and the house and Susan is in a fury of food prep.

I suspect a low turn out due to the heat. It is already over 100 degrees.

I think this is one of the prettiest sights on earth.

This is even prettier.

Happy Solstice (One Week Late) to all who are celebrating.

Here Come Da Heat

Susan is working a Spokane Shock game tonight and I am on duty to complete some jobs prior to tomorrows Solstice (one Week Late) party.

I've got to get some lights up, do some finishing touches on the yard and try to stay cool.

It looks like we are in for a heat wave weekend.

Rants and $$$

I have stuff to report but first, a rant about Coffee Hipster Doofusses. Or is it Doffussi? Whatever it is, it prevents me from getting a decent cup of coffee in the morning.

Let me start by saying I am no coffee purest. I load in the sugar. Coffee on it's own is not for me. I can get along without cream but I must have the sweet.

While I can defer the creamer, my preference is for a creamer of the chocolate variety, making a nice soothing mocha with which to start my day.

But can you find a flavored creamer that is just chocolate? The answer is "NO!"

They have vanilla (not bad), hazelnut (nope), Pimento with ginseng (NOOOOOOOOO!). All I want is a delicate chocolate tint to my coffee. But there is nothing even close...or it is sold out. That alone should tell these grocery people what to stock.

I've been forced to buy a little bottle of Nestles Quik and use that, AND IT'S NOT CUTTING IT!

See what I'm like when I don't get my coffee!

Two major purchases in as many days is moving us onto the cutting edge of the cutting edge.

I bought a Dremmel side cutting saw ($89.00). I need to get in close to the walls in the bathroom to clear the ledge where the sub floor will rest. Chiseling the old floor boards was not cutting it. (Pun intended) It appears that the old sub floor went down before the walls went up. That makes it very difficult to remove the flooring.

Anyway, I'm plugging away at the walls and hopefully will have some subflooring down on Sunday.

The other big purchase was a long overdue NEW LAWN MOWER. My old Craftsman Tecumseh had finally thrown in the lug wrench. It lasted for almost 18 years and that was after I bought it at a Pawn Shop. So it served me well and I felt a twinge of guilt as I turned it over the Country Homes Power for a $50.00 credit towards my new HONDA Double Bladed Power-Torque Mulching Lawn System (499.99 plus tax).

That's right! It's not just a mower. It's a Lawn System. I think that allows them to charge an extra $150.00 for it.

That five hundred bucks includes an extended warranty with annual servicing.

I mowed last night and it was quite fab. The mower has two features that really made it attractive. Number One: a really big opening to the grass catcher which makes dumping the grass much easier than my old mower. Number B: Susan paid for half of it.

On top of all this activity, we are two days away from our annual Solstice Party. We are a week late because Susan had to work last Saturday at a giant event. So we put it off until this Saturday. We've been slowly cleaning and preparing for a couple of weeks now so we have not experienced the level of stress that normally oozes from Susan and runs downhill to me.

A bunch of food is already prepared, the homebrew is in the keg, and the grounds are acceptably ready. Not great, just acceptable.

And of course, we will be one bathroom short.

Here's a digital version of this years invitation. Sorry I can't make it any larger. If you double click on it, it comes up pretty clear.

Plumbing Accomplished.

I was told the Plumbers would arrive between 8:30 and 9:00. At 9:35, I called and was told they are on their way.

I got them set up and left them to do their work when they arrived at 9:50. Rick said he expected to be finished by 3.

I drove up at 5:30 and there were two Plumbers trucks in the driveway. "This doesn't bode well.", I thought to myself.

I went back to see what was going on and there were three guys working away. It had not gone as well as Rick expected.

The drain for the toilet went surprisingly easy, I guess. Above is a picture of the old drain line and the new one.

The problem they ran into concerned the joists on the southern third of the floor...the newest section of the floor. The half inch plywood that had been the floor was supported by a ridge shelf all the way around the floor area and two 2x6's. A 2x6 does not meet code for a floor and it's even less supportive when one drills a 4 inch hole through the board.

So Rick bought some 2x8's to sister to the 2x6's. That seemed to do the job, but of course, added a lot of time to the job.

They finally got out of there a little before eight.