Every couple of years, I get this thought stuck in my head that I should move. I'm tired of the stairs, the garden is too shaded by neighbors' trees, I've lived here 27 years, etc. What I want is something more modern-wired (or communicationally wireless), one level, half-walled rooms (except for bathrooms and bedrooms, of course), on a few acres of sunny land. Ridiculously expensive...
It may be almost genetic. My paternal grandpa used to design homes to be built into the side of a hill for environmental reasons. Long shafts of mirrored skylights, massive passive temperature control, wind turbines for electricity, he was ahead of his time. He never built any of his designs of course, they were all impractical in the 1940s and 50s
Dad was a very practical engineer. The closest he got to radical ideas was a "Yankee Barn" in NH, and only then because the structure was standard in the planned community he bought into in 1979. But even then, he redesigned a lot of the structure (and did lots of the actual work - you just can't stop an engineer from building stuff).
So I have this idea of a house I would like for myself. I found a basic layout on the internet that I'm adapting (because really, I have some ideas but also, you have to stick with professional water supply and toilet connections close together. Some things just have to go together, and the basic water-stack is one.
I'm going to start diagramming my "perfect house". I could buy a CAD program, but quite frankly Excel offers sufficient line drawing for the basic design and I would need an architect to turn it into a real design anyway for the details.
What holds me back is a fear of actually packing stuff up and moving. I've mentioned this before and gotten good advice and I appreciate that. It's just scarey to contemplate, is all. And I have the thought of buying a new house outright and THEN selling this one after I fix it up after moving when it is empty.
I don't want to sound morbid, but I am practical and realistic. Dad is 92 and entering hospice care. My inheritence will be about the cost of a new house. I neither consider that something I am due or that I have "earned" in some way. But it is going to happen soon. Its not something to ignore. Just as I will die someday with a similar estate and pass it on to my siblings or their children some 20+ years from now.
And, for the record, "yes I know I am exceedingly fortunate to both have some accumulated wealth of my own plus anticipated wealth from my parents". If I'm being too honest, feel free to complain, borders are not my strong point. I lived much of my life "hiding my candle under a bushel basket" (as my paternal Pennsylvannia Deutch gramma would have said).
But I wrote all that to explain why I am rearranging the house to get rid of excess junk... I'm a pack-rat. Not a hoarder; there are not stacks of newspapers or weird stuff in the house. But after 27 years, you just collect a lot of "stuff" you would not really need in a new house.
I double-stacked the bookcases in the computer room and packed 7 boxes of books into wine boxes. I filled the recycling bin with "useful stuff" that I never use. I filled 5 bags of trash. I cleaned all the living room bookcases and arranged "decorative stuff" in them. Looks great.
Next week, I will attach plywood sheets to the attic joists to store good moving boxes up there. No books or old clothes, the humidity is too high.
But I spent 12 hours working in the house today and accumulated enough stuff to get rid of, that makes the flat rate landfill fee reasonable. All I have to do is fill up the car as much as possible to take advantage of the flat rate per car.
I'll probably regret saying some of this, but Dad was big on honesty and I think talking about reality is important. Not everyone has the same situations, and in my life I've gone from roach-filled apartments shared with 5 other guys to a decent home. So I can say "been there, done that".
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Back To Work
I spent the last week getting over the 2 teeth extracted. But I got back to yard work yesterday morning. One thing I read about was growing corn in bins. Well, guess what, I just happened to have some! THe County recycling system changed from carryable bins to one huge one, and they didn't want the old smaller bins back.
So now they are 3'x2' x18" planting containers! So I'm recycling recycling bins, LOL! I'm goin to use them to empty out soil in the raised framed beds and plant corn in them in the sunniest part of the the yard. But thaose bins needed soil, AND I had to clear some space in the old garden for new raised beds.
So first, I had to level the old box with a butternut tree and some roses.
It took 30 minutes of hard chopping and digging to clear the first framed bed out. Here is just part of the butternut tree and roots. They actually spread 10' in all directions. Digging and chopping them out took most of the time.
Then, it was on to the old lost herb bed.
There were still herbs in there, but things had gotten so confusing that I decided to just start again. I dug that right to ground level. I'm any herbs survive that I recognize, I'll save them.
Then I started emptying the old trellis framed bed into the bins. Which I discovered were WAY too heavy to carry. I tied a hand cart, but even with a strap around it, it was too awkward to move (with all the dug-up carpet, there was no path out of the garden area).
So I switched to 5 gallon buckets to carry to a wheelbarrow. That works, but it was slow work. And quite frankly, after staying up all last night and doing this hard work in the morning, I went to bed. Best I could do was strapping the bins to the handcart, and that was too awkward to move around.
So now they are 3'x2' x18" planting containers! So I'm recycling recycling bins, LOL! I'm goin to use them to empty out soil in the raised framed beds and plant corn in them in the sunniest part of the the yard. But thaose bins needed soil, AND I had to clear some space in the old garden for new raised beds.
So first, I had to level the old box with a butternut tree and some roses.
Then I started emptying the old trellis framed bed into the bins. Which I discovered were WAY too heavy to carry. I tied a hand cart, but even with a strap around it, it was too awkward to move (with all the dug-up carpet, there was no path out of the garden area).
So I switched to 5 gallon buckets to carry to a wheelbarrow. That works, but it was slow work. And quite frankly, after staying up all last night and doing this hard work in the morning, I went to bed. Best I could do was strapping the bins to the handcart, and that was too awkward to move around.
Mowing The Lawn
Sometimes mowing the lawn is not so easy. In early April, I pulled
up some chicken wire and laid it to the side of the garden. I wedged up
some 4'x4' posts to and set them on the chicken wire. On top of that
has come a series of dug-up carpet (still solid after 25 years) black
plastic, landscaping fabric, and at the lowest level there was synthetic
burlap (also un-degraded). I can't imagine I ever used some of that
stuff.
The removal of all that stuff has been brutal! Each layer has required spade work under each layer to pry it up then yank it away from the intruding vine roots by hand a few inches at a time. Each exposed layer has had tree roots running through from the neighbor's yard. It terrible!
But the grass was growing throught the chicken wire and I had to do something about it. I pulled the chicken wire up, and it was like ripping asphault off the driveway. Each 25' piece took 15 minutes of hard pulling up from the grass. And then there were all the previously pruned pieces of thorny rose bushes and tree trimminings.
It took 45 minutes before I could even mow the overgrown lawn area.
And then it took multiple mowings over the overgrown area to get them down to height. The grass won't like that. The rule is never remove more that a 1/3 of a grass height. I removed 4/5ths . I'll have to tend to them kindly for a few months.
I am so far behind this year...
The removal of all that stuff has been brutal! Each layer has required spade work under each layer to pry it up then yank it away from the intruding vine roots by hand a few inches at a time. Each exposed layer has had tree roots running through from the neighbor's yard. It terrible!
But the grass was growing throught the chicken wire and I had to do something about it. I pulled the chicken wire up, and it was like ripping asphault off the driveway. Each 25' piece took 15 minutes of hard pulling up from the grass. And then there were all the previously pruned pieces of thorny rose bushes and tree trimminings.
It took 45 minutes before I could even mow the overgrown lawn area.
And then it took multiple mowings over the overgrown area to get them down to height. The grass won't like that. The rule is never remove more that a 1/3 of a grass height. I removed 4/5ths . I'll have to tend to them kindly for a few months.
I am so far behind this year...
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Intersections
I have this blog for myself, and I have a separate blog for my cats. I try to keep this one for my own thoughts and I try to leave the cats to theirs (with some usually unseen help on my part). But sometimes, both blogs intersect.
Yesterday was a case in point. I read about 80 cat blogs every few days (for my own pleasure and to help my cats keep in touch with their friends). You never know what you are going to find when you visit one. One cat will have just caught its first mouse, another may report the death of a beloved old cat, another may have had a trip to the vet.
Sometimes I read a serious story about a cat that brings me to tears. I have read many of them over the years. Sometimes about lost cats, sometimes about cats killed in sad ways, sometimes about rescued cats. Isn't it odd how both happy and sad stories can bring tears to us?
Today I'm writing about an old neglected cat who found a friendly home to pass her last days. I won't repeat the whole story here; it is written so much better at Max, The Psychokitty.
There aren't many sad endings that also feel happy when you stop crying. If you haven't read that post, go there now! Go there NOW!
Yesterday was a case in point. I read about 80 cat blogs every few days (for my own pleasure and to help my cats keep in touch with their friends). You never know what you are going to find when you visit one. One cat will have just caught its first mouse, another may report the death of a beloved old cat, another may have had a trip to the vet.
Sometimes I read a serious story about a cat that brings me to tears. I have read many of them over the years. Sometimes about lost cats, sometimes about cats killed in sad ways, sometimes about rescued cats. Isn't it odd how both happy and sad stories can bring tears to us?
Today I'm writing about an old neglected cat who found a friendly home to pass her last days. I won't repeat the whole story here; it is written so much better at Max, The Psychokitty.
There aren't many sad endings that also feel happy when you stop crying. If you haven't read that post, go there now! Go there NOW!
Monday, May 26, 2014
Memorial Day 2014
I spent today somberly and with reflection on the events in our history that this day is about. I watched a few ceremonies on TV, cleaned house a bit, mowed the lawn. Things my WWII generation parents would have approved of...
But celebration is not out of order. Engaging in cookouts and happy events celebrates the "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" that my ancestors fought for. I'll just let it rest with that.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Meteor Shower Fail
It was a dud! Here, for me. I sat out on the front steps for an hour with my back resting against the door. That had me staring at the correct spot. After 5 minutes in the dark, I was seeing all the Big Dipper, Casseopia, and several Little Dipper stars. So I was light-adjusted.
Nothing...
I tried some tricks. I focused on one spot for a while. I let my eyes go out of focus for a while. I looked slightly to the side for a while. None of my usual tricks of seeing in darkness had any effect.
Nothing...
If they were there, they were too faint for me to see through the light pollution. But I could see most of the major constellation stars, so I should have seen some meteors. I will be interested in finding if others did see them. But for now, I'm just disappointed again.
Nothing...
I tried some tricks. I focused on one spot for a while. I let my eyes go out of focus for a while. I looked slightly to the side for a while. None of my usual tricks of seeing in darkness had any effect.
Nothing...
If they were there, they were too faint for me to see through the light pollution. But I could see most of the major constellation stars, so I should have seen some meteors. I will be interested in finding if others did see them. But for now, I'm just disappointed again.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Tooth Pulled
Well, I ended up having TWO teeth pulled Thursday! It was much less bad than I feared or had read about. The novacaine worked well enough so that I never really felt anything during the extractions. Oh, there was some pulling sensation, and I got poked on the other side by accident a few times, but the most disturbing part was the tooth-breaking noises and the dentist complaining that the main tooth just didn't want to come out.
He gave me a prescription for vicodin, but I didn't really feel that bad after the novacaine wore off, so I took the minimum dosage.
But I also had a plan to get through as much of the first 24 hours as easily as possible! First, I stayed up all night and day before the appointment. Then after the novacaine wore off about 5 pm, drank 2 bowls of soup (cream of mushroom and chicken noodle).
I went to bed at 8 pm! Other than taking another vicodin whenever I woke up after 4 hours, I stayed in bed until 4pm. Yes, 20 hours! And I only got up then to feed the cats... So I had a bowl of spaghetti. It seemed like the softest solid food I had. But it meant I pretty much slept through the 24 hours after the extractions.
A curious part of the whole operation was that the dentist put a blood pressure cuff on me that automatically inflated, displayed my blood pressure, then deflated. And did that every few minutes the entire time. I'd been wondering about my blood pressure for years. Sitting in a dentists chair, awaiting the operation, it was 120/70. The highest it got the whole time was 157/85. The dentist was surprized too. When he saw the first one, he laughed and said "You're going to be just fine".
I don't consciously do meditation or related relaxation techniques, but as I was sitting there waiting for the novacaine to take effect, I recalled snippets of a mantra from the sci-fi book 'Dune'. I basically came up with "Fear is the mind-killer. I will not allow fear to control me. I will adapt to the requirements of the moment." I don't know if that actually had any effect, but it seemed to do no harm either.
Naturally, I looked up the quote when I got home. It reads, in full,
He gave me a prescription for vicodin, but I didn't really feel that bad after the novacaine wore off, so I took the minimum dosage.
But I also had a plan to get through as much of the first 24 hours as easily as possible! First, I stayed up all night and day before the appointment. Then after the novacaine wore off about 5 pm, drank 2 bowls of soup (cream of mushroom and chicken noodle).
I went to bed at 8 pm! Other than taking another vicodin whenever I woke up after 4 hours, I stayed in bed until 4pm. Yes, 20 hours! And I only got up then to feed the cats... So I had a bowl of spaghetti. It seemed like the softest solid food I had. But it meant I pretty much slept through the 24 hours after the extractions.
A curious part of the whole operation was that the dentist put a blood pressure cuff on me that automatically inflated, displayed my blood pressure, then deflated. And did that every few minutes the entire time. I'd been wondering about my blood pressure for years. Sitting in a dentists chair, awaiting the operation, it was 120/70. The highest it got the whole time was 157/85. The dentist was surprized too. When he saw the first one, he laughed and said "You're going to be just fine".
I don't consciously do meditation or related relaxation techniques, but as I was sitting there waiting for the novacaine to take effect, I recalled snippets of a mantra from the sci-fi book 'Dune'. I basically came up with "Fear is the mind-killer. I will not allow fear to control me. I will adapt to the requirements of the moment." I don't know if that actually had any effect, but it seemed to do no harm either.
Naturally, I looked up the quote when I got home. It reads, in full,
"I must not fear. Fear
is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I
will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it
has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has
gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
But there is another part to my scheduling plan. There is a brand new meteor shower that will be visible in all of North America from 2-4 am EDT Saturday (as in 2 to 4 hours after Friday midnight, Washington DC time. It may be a spectacular Meteor Storm (1,000+ meteors per hour) or it may be a dud. The meteors will come out of a spot dead north (just to the right and down from the Big Dipper.
So be staying in bed so late today, I will be awake at that time! And for once during the regular meteor showers, it will be warm AND the sky will be clear. I sure hope it is spectacular. I've never seen a good in my life!
Back to the dental work. My tongue tells me that there is a HUGE GAPING HOLE in the back right upper side. The jaw hurts to open fully, but that's from the novacaine shot (I've experienced that from past dental work). I suppose I will wait longer than necessary to chew on that side of my mouth agai. Well, I've been chewing on one side for a couple months, so another week won't matter.
But I seem to have gotten through...
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Funniest Jokes
Since I will be pretty loopy and really unhappy after the tooth extraction at 2 pm today, I am leaving the 4 best jokes I ever heard, for your amusement. I'll be back online Friday (I hope) or Saturday (If things are difficult) when the extraction heals and I don't have the painkiller pills messing up my mind...
Laughter is sometimes the best medicine...
1. Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls 911s. He gasps, "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says "Calm down. I can help. First, let's make sure he's actually dead." There is a silence, then a gun shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says "OK, now what?"
2. Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson go on a camping trip. After a good dinner and a bottle of wine, they retire to their tent for the night, and go to sleep.
Laughter is sometimes the best medicine...
1. Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls 911s. He gasps, "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says "Calm down. I can help. First, let's make sure he's actually dead." There is a silence, then a gun shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says "OK, now what?"
2. Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson go on a camping trip. After a good dinner and a bottle of wine, they retire to their tent for the night, and go to sleep.
Some hours later, Holmes wakes
up and nudges his faithful friend. “Watson, look up at the sky and
tell me what you see.”
“I see millions and
millions of stars, Holmes” replies Watson.
“And what do you deduce
from that?”
Watson ponders for a minute.
“Well,
 |
Astronomically, it tells me
that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of
planets.
|
|
Astrologically, I observe
that Saturn is in Leo.
|
|
Horologically, I deduce
that the time is approximately a quarter past three.
|
|
Meteorologically, I suspect
that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.
|
|
Theologically, I can see
that God is all powerful, and that we are a small and insignificant
part of the universe.
|
But what does it tell you,
Holmes?”
Holmes is silent for a moment.
“Watson, you idiot!”
he says. “Someone has stolen our tent!”
3. Two guys are in the woods when they see a grizzly bear running towards them. The first guy runs away and the other follows.
Surprised, the other man says " What are you thinking, we can't outrun a bear! The first guy says "I just have to outrun you."
Surprised, the other man says " What are you thinking, we can't outrun a bear! The first guy says "I just have to outrun you."
4. A research group was engaged in a
study of longevity in mammals and had recently focused their attention
on a particular species of porpoise. They came to believe
that, if fed just the right combination of nutrients, this particular
porpoise could, in theory, live forever.
To put this to the test, they studied the world's flora and fauna to see if any naturally occurring organism would fit the bill. They finally narrowed the selection down to an unusual species of mynah bird, and they sent a team of researchers off to gather a specimen.
It turns out that the mynah bird in question was quite rare, living only in a single tree in Kenya. The research team finally arrived at the tree to capture a bird, only to find that the tree was surrounded by a pride of very hungry lions, precluding any reasonable attempt to approach and climb the tree.
A suggestion was made that the lions might be manageable if they could be fed, and a couple of fat cape buffalo were captured and offered to the lions. The hungry lions devoured the hapless beasts and lay down upon the grass to digest their meal.
One of the researchers then gingerly tiptoed past the lions, climbed the tree, and had little difficulty capturing one of the mynah birds. He climbed back down the tree and walked past the lions to rejoin the group when a game warden appeared and arrested him for (what else)...
"Transporting mynahs across sated lions for immortal porpoises."
To put this to the test, they studied the world's flora and fauna to see if any naturally occurring organism would fit the bill. They finally narrowed the selection down to an unusual species of mynah bird, and they sent a team of researchers off to gather a specimen.
It turns out that the mynah bird in question was quite rare, living only in a single tree in Kenya. The research team finally arrived at the tree to capture a bird, only to find that the tree was surrounded by a pride of very hungry lions, precluding any reasonable attempt to approach and climb the tree.
A suggestion was made that the lions might be manageable if they could be fed, and a couple of fat cape buffalo were captured and offered to the lions. The hungry lions devoured the hapless beasts and lay down upon the grass to digest their meal.
One of the researchers then gingerly tiptoed past the lions, climbed the tree, and had little difficulty capturing one of the mynah birds. He climbed back down the tree and walked past the lions to rejoin the group when a game warden appeared and arrested him for (what else)...
"Transporting mynahs across sated lions for immortal porpoises."
Hope you liked them
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Happy Birthday To Me.
Today's my 64th birthday (sounds of the Beatles "When I'm 64" running around my head), Tomorrow, I get a tooth pulled out, and I mean yanked right out of my jaw like it was done 100 years ago. Well, OK, painkillers are better today.
Um, "woo hoo and yippee"...
And I'm not even allowed to have any wine afterwards even with dinner for 2 days because the painkiller pill is serious stuff. The dentist says I should have someone "with me", but I don't so I will just stay in bed with the cats, have some soup ready for reheating, and wait the healing out.
He says I can't even drink through a straw ("negative pressure"). I bet I can. But I may not test it.
I hate having been too stupid to have avoided easier solutions, but sometimes even intelligent people do stupid things. Seriously, 8 years ago, I could have just had the damn crown reglued back on. All I can say is that ignoring it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Don't ignore dental stuff!!!
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me.
Happy Birthday you stupid idiot,
Happy Birthday to me.
Um, "woo hoo and yippee"...
And I'm not even allowed to have any wine afterwards even with dinner for 2 days because the painkiller pill is serious stuff. The dentist says I should have someone "with me", but I don't so I will just stay in bed with the cats, have some soup ready for reheating, and wait the healing out.
He says I can't even drink through a straw ("negative pressure"). I bet I can. But I may not test it.
I hate having been too stupid to have avoided easier solutions, but sometimes even intelligent people do stupid things. Seriously, 8 years ago, I could have just had the damn crown reglued back on. All I can say is that ignoring it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Don't ignore dental stuff!!!
Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me.
Happy Birthday you stupid idiot,
Happy Birthday to me.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Thinking Outside The Box
I'm a very law-abiding person (well, before and after my college days). But I do think of myself as creative. So I saw something today that really blew my mind.
I was in the car waiting for the left turn light to come on and a guy in the straight-through lane came to a complete stop in the intersection. And stayed there. This is something I have never seen before.
I pondered that while the various traffic lights cycled around to my turn and I carefully drove around the stopped car.
Then it hit me! No, not the car, just a sudden realization. The intersection has one of those "automated traffic-ticket cameras". They work by taking a picture of your back license plate after you drive through the intersection after the red light comes on.
OMG, he stopped in the intersection so that the camera couldn't take a picture of his license plate. When the light turns green again, the camera won't take a picture!!!
I'm not supporting drivers pushing red traffic lights; its dangerous to them and others. The driver probably has other bad habits. In fact, it's likely that he's a jerk.
But I just have to admire the thinking of anyone who figures out a way around some of the minor daily rules of life.
I was in the car waiting for the left turn light to come on and a guy in the straight-through lane came to a complete stop in the intersection. And stayed there. This is something I have never seen before.
I pondered that while the various traffic lights cycled around to my turn and I carefully drove around the stopped car.
Then it hit me! No, not the car, just a sudden realization. The intersection has one of those "automated traffic-ticket cameras". They work by taking a picture of your back license plate after you drive through the intersection after the red light comes on.
OMG, he stopped in the intersection so that the camera couldn't take a picture of his license plate. When the light turns green again, the camera won't take a picture!!!
I'm not supporting drivers pushing red traffic lights; its dangerous to them and others. The driver probably has other bad habits. In fact, it's likely that he's a jerk.
But I just have to admire the thinking of anyone who figures out a way around some of the minor daily rules of life.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Deck
Well, I had a deck builder come by yesterday to discuss replacing the old deck.
When I moved here 27 years ago, one of the first major things I did was build a 2-level deck. The main floor had sliding glass doors 10" above ground level and a pre-made fence section nailed across the outside so that no one could accidently open the doors and fall out.
But below that was a sunken patio with a cinder block wall around it. So it seemed like a good idea to use the cinder block wall to support deck posts, and I sort of wanted to use the sliding glass doors for "something". I bought a book on building decks, designed one, ordered the lumber for delivery, and recruited a friend and a friend-of-that-friend to help. I'm a by-the-book builder. I follow "the rules" (Dad was an engineer, and certain habits get passed along). Like bracing posts using small boards to anchor the posts. The friend had the carpentry skills of a hippo (zero) and his friend was a "just do it fast" type. It was not a good combination.
But it worked out OK. They did the initial cutting away of some vinyl siding (I couldn't watch that part) and heavy lifting to get the ledger board attached to the house. I did all the rest myself so I could do it "my way"). Even today, the deck guy pounded and jumped on the deck and said it was still "damn solid". But even pressure-treated wood does not last forever, the deck was never build "to code" (I had no idea there were codes at the time), and it is ugly as hell. You can build something to engineering specifications and still have it "ugly". My artistic skills are not outstanding. If I had design physical things for a living, I would starve to death. Let's just say that if life was a ballet, I would be a hippo! My constructions are very functional, but that that's about it.
Plus, it is a 2-level deck. The higher level is 12'x12' and the lower level 12'x16'. I had in mind throwing parties in my new house. I learned I couldn't fill a closet with "friends" and I'm am not a party-thrower...
So the new deck will be a slightly larger upper one and no lower deck. The new 16'x16' deck will have very sturdy composite flooring (it used to be cheap and flimsy, but the current stuff is as solid as real '2" by 'wood, and will last longer than I will. And it is colored right through, so no staining required.
It will take a several weeks for the deck guy to get the building permit, which is good because it gets me past my dental work next week and also into the drier time on the year (the front yard is muddy in April/May and it is a LOT easier for him to bring the lumber into the back yard by small truck). I can't wait.
BTW, I mentioned only one builder. I'm good about competitive bids. I had 4 estimates last Fall. So I took the one I preferred among those and asked him for a revised estimate. Since the revised estimate was so close to the previous one (even with a couple of changes) I just accepted that one.
When I moved here 27 years ago, one of the first major things I did was build a 2-level deck. The main floor had sliding glass doors 10" above ground level and a pre-made fence section nailed across the outside so that no one could accidently open the doors and fall out.
But below that was a sunken patio with a cinder block wall around it. So it seemed like a good idea to use the cinder block wall to support deck posts, and I sort of wanted to use the sliding glass doors for "something". I bought a book on building decks, designed one, ordered the lumber for delivery, and recruited a friend and a friend-of-that-friend to help. I'm a by-the-book builder. I follow "the rules" (Dad was an engineer, and certain habits get passed along). Like bracing posts using small boards to anchor the posts. The friend had the carpentry skills of a hippo (zero) and his friend was a "just do it fast" type. It was not a good combination.
But it worked out OK. They did the initial cutting away of some vinyl siding (I couldn't watch that part) and heavy lifting to get the ledger board attached to the house. I did all the rest myself so I could do it "my way"). Even today, the deck guy pounded and jumped on the deck and said it was still "damn solid". But even pressure-treated wood does not last forever, the deck was never build "to code" (I had no idea there were codes at the time), and it is ugly as hell. You can build something to engineering specifications and still have it "ugly". My artistic skills are not outstanding. If I had design physical things for a living, I would starve to death. Let's just say that if life was a ballet, I would be a hippo! My constructions are very functional, but that that's about it.
Plus, it is a 2-level deck. The higher level is 12'x12' and the lower level 12'x16'. I had in mind throwing parties in my new house. I learned I couldn't fill a closet with "friends" and I'm am not a party-thrower...
So the new deck will be a slightly larger upper one and no lower deck. The new 16'x16' deck will have very sturdy composite flooring (it used to be cheap and flimsy, but the current stuff is as solid as real '2" by 'wood, and will last longer than I will. And it is colored right through, so no staining required.
It will take a several weeks for the deck guy to get the building permit, which is good because it gets me past my dental work next week and also into the drier time on the year (the front yard is muddy in April/May and it is a LOT easier for him to bring the lumber into the back yard by small truck). I can't wait.
BTW, I mentioned only one builder. I'm good about competitive bids. I had 4 estimates last Fall. So I took the one I preferred among those and asked him for a revised estimate. Since the revised estimate was so close to the previous one (even with a couple of changes) I just accepted that one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Good News
My efforts to get the printer working again failed, but today the search function is working again. Maybe. I'm not sure if I got luc...
