We woke up a little before 8 and got up about 8:15. Dola said she was going to be there by 9. About the time we were dressed she texted that it would be 11 instead. We did the pet stuff and breakfast and then I went outside. I started by weed eating the truck parking area. It took longer than it should because I thought the outlet was dead. It wasn't. Then I had to put more string in the weed eater. I clipped the grass as close as I could.
The next activity was gravel. I hauled about 15 loads, which covered all of the river rock areas in the driveway. That makes the effort completely done. I'll probably do some touch up later though. There's not enough left to do the truck area, so I'll be buying more after I finish what I have left.
The final activity was spraying the truck parking area. I mixed up about 1.5 gallons of spray, which turned out to be just enough. I got done about 1:30.
Jeff showed up about 11. He moved stuff away from the outside walls and power washed all three buildings. I had to string a cord from inside when he did the house because the loser's GFI wiring was wrong.
After lunch I did some surfing. I set up buying another bed tomorrow. I got bored and went out to the garage to drill some more hole. I used the big bits and managed to finish about 1/16 of an inch. That took about an hour. After that it was more surfing until Ellen left for shooting. Then I watched a movie I'd taped yesterday. I noticed that throughout the movie they would show 12 minutes of movie followed by 5 minutes of commercials. I'm glad I taped it.
After dinner it was TV and reading.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Monday, January 29, 2018
Day 838
We got up about 8, but stayed in bed surfing and playing games for awhile. We did pet stuff, and had breakfast. Then I got the lower ready for shipping. We left for errands about 10.
The first stop was Central Texas. It took awhile to fill out paperwork. The total cost was $65 for paperwork, shipping, and insurance.
The next stop was for a haircut. I really needed one. I picked the wrong time though. There were 4 guys waiting when I got there. When I left there wasn't any one there. At least the haircut was a nice one.
The next stop was to change the truck's oil and get it a safety certificate. They were very busy. We ended up walking the dog around for awhile and then eating lunch at Culver's. We still had to wait awhile after that before the truck was done.
There were three packages waiting at the post office. One was some miscellaneous Amazon stuff, one was some gun stuff, and the last was the bar door hardware. After that it was HEB for a couple of bags of food.
The last stop was Circle C. I was going to throw the bumper for the dog, but she only did three. She had diarrhea, so maybe she just didn't feel well.
When we got home I unpacked everything and put it away. Then I took down the lights along the back porch. Dola is about to start painting the house. She and Jeff came over and we talked for awhile.
The evening was surfing and reading. Ellen watched her fantasy shows.
The first stop was Central Texas. It took awhile to fill out paperwork. The total cost was $65 for paperwork, shipping, and insurance.
The next stop was for a haircut. I really needed one. I picked the wrong time though. There were 4 guys waiting when I got there. When I left there wasn't any one there. At least the haircut was a nice one.
The next stop was to change the truck's oil and get it a safety certificate. They were very busy. We ended up walking the dog around for awhile and then eating lunch at Culver's. We still had to wait awhile after that before the truck was done.
There were three packages waiting at the post office. One was some miscellaneous Amazon stuff, one was some gun stuff, and the last was the bar door hardware. After that it was HEB for a couple of bags of food.
The last stop was Circle C. I was going to throw the bumper for the dog, but she only did three. She had diarrhea, so maybe she just didn't feel well.
When we got home I unpacked everything and put it away. Then I took down the lights along the back porch. Dola is about to start painting the house. She and Jeff came over and we talked for awhile.
The evening was surfing and reading. Ellen watched her fantasy shows.
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Day 837
We didn't get up until 10. We didn't play games, we just slept in. Then it was pet stuff, breakfast, and out to shovel gravel. By 12:30 I'd moved 21 loads. That completed covering all of the area left to cover. I'm not done though. I still need to put a light covering over the areas that have river rock on them. I also want to do the truck parking area. That will take another load of gravel. All total this has taken at least 10 loads of gravel and rock. That's 60+ tons and over $3,500. I'm not sure I would have started the project if I'd known it was of that magnitude. The result looks a hell of a lot better than the original though. It's a lot more practical, too. No more mud and muddy streams when it rains.
After lunch and some surfing we took the dog to Circle C. We just walked around and gave her some unstructured time. Then we stopped at Tomlinson's to get dog food and cat litter. The final stop was Amy's. A guy at Circle C had mentioned he was going for ice cream and I thought that was a great idea.
When we got home it was surfing, reading, and TV for the rest of the day.
After lunch and some surfing we took the dog to Circle C. We just walked around and gave her some unstructured time. Then we stopped at Tomlinson's to get dog food and cat litter. The final stop was Amy's. A guy at Circle C had mentioned he was going for ice cream and I thought that was a great idea.
When we got home it was surfing, reading, and TV for the rest of the day.
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Day 836
I woke up about 8, played some games, and then got up for pet stuff and breakfast. When that was finished I went out to the garage. It was time for a new (actually continued) project. It was raining so outside work, or shooting, wasn't in the cards.
I set up the drill press and started to frill the second hole in the target plate. My $20 drill lasted a little over halfway through the plate before it gave out. I tried to expand the hole with several larger drills. I managed to finish about 1/32 of an inch. I kept switching drills and really working them hard. I even tried resharpening a couple. Nothing worked well. I finally gave up and went to lunch.
After lunch we went to Home Depot and Lowe's to return stuff we didn't use in the remodel. We also stopped at a donut store I had a coupon for. It wasn't very good. The last stop was the post office.
When we went out to the car at noon it was covered with these white spots. I think they were sodden ash. So when we got home we washed the car. It was filthy. It looked like we'd driven a long way on a oily, dusty, road. It came off easily though.
I went back out to the garage and worked some more on the drilling. I didn't make any meaningful progress. I think I'm in fo another $20 drill.
The rest of the day was surfing, reading, and watching TV.
I set up the drill press and started to frill the second hole in the target plate. My $20 drill lasted a little over halfway through the plate before it gave out. I tried to expand the hole with several larger drills. I managed to finish about 1/32 of an inch. I kept switching drills and really working them hard. I even tried resharpening a couple. Nothing worked well. I finally gave up and went to lunch.
After lunch we went to Home Depot and Lowe's to return stuff we didn't use in the remodel. We also stopped at a donut store I had a coupon for. It wasn't very good. The last stop was the post office.
When we went out to the car at noon it was covered with these white spots. I think they were sodden ash. So when we got home we washed the car. It was filthy. It looked like we'd driven a long way on a oily, dusty, road. It came off easily though.
I went back out to the garage and worked some more on the drilling. I didn't make any meaningful progress. I think I'm in fo another $20 drill.
The rest of the day was surfing, reading, and watching TV.
Friday, January 26, 2018
Day 835
I played games in bed for quite awhile this morning. I think we got up about 9:30. We did pet stuff and breakfast and then went to the apartment. I went to work on completing the gun cart. Ellen did a little fine tuning on the trim for the bathroom. When she was ready I came in and nailed it up. I used four nails. Even at that the nailer we bought was worth it. It saved a whole lot of work.
I spent the whole day (until 5) working on the gun cart. That's because I decided to make the top part removable. That required me to make a new cross piece and cut a slot in the cart handle. When I cut the slot the arm almost broke in half. So I had to bolt three reinforcing strips on it. Then I had to notch two of the strips to fit the cross piece. The whole thing was a lot of Dremel work and took a lot of time.
When I got the cart done it was cleanup time. There was a lot of metal filings on the floor. Then I installed the sprayer on the aborted gun cart frame. Finally I hung a power strip on the wall to replace the extension cord I had laying on the floor. That cord has been a pain in my ass for quite awhile.
In the end the garage is ready for a new project. It's supposed to rain tomorrow. If it does I'll start to drill the second hole in the metal plate. Remember that project from 6 weeks ago?
Ellen actually fixed a dinner - fried ham, leftover noodles, and bagged salad. That's a lot better than frozen dinner.
The evening was watching Gold Rush. They have hours of it on Fridays.
I spent the whole day (until 5) working on the gun cart. That's because I decided to make the top part removable. That required me to make a new cross piece and cut a slot in the cart handle. When I cut the slot the arm almost broke in half. So I had to bolt three reinforcing strips on it. Then I had to notch two of the strips to fit the cross piece. The whole thing was a lot of Dremel work and took a lot of time.
When I got the cart done it was cleanup time. There was a lot of metal filings on the floor. Then I installed the sprayer on the aborted gun cart frame. Finally I hung a power strip on the wall to replace the extension cord I had laying on the floor. That cord has been a pain in my ass for quite awhile.
In the end the garage is ready for a new project. It's supposed to rain tomorrow. If it does I'll start to drill the second hole in the metal plate. Remember that project from 6 weeks ago?
Ellen actually fixed a dinner - fried ham, leftover noodles, and bagged salad. That's a lot better than frozen dinner.
The evening was watching Gold Rush. They have hours of it on Fridays.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Day 834
I woke up at 8 today and started playing games. About 9 I managed to get Ellen's shirt off. That led to about an hour of fooling around. We didn't get the pet stuff and breakfast done until after 10. Then I went out to move gravel.
I spent 2 hours and moved 21 and a half loads. That was hat was needed to fill in all of the area in front of the garage out to the front of the trailer. There's probably 1 more day of moving gravel and the whole job is complete. I'm all ready thinking about expanding it by putting gravel where I park the truck.
After lunch I did a little surfing. Then we went to the post office. We also took the dog to Circle C for some unstructured time. She also did a few retrieves, but it was clear she really wanted to walk around sniffing things.
When we got back it was about time for Ellen to go to Dripping Springs. I went out to the garage to finish the mods I was making to the gun cart. Before I did that I spent a fair amount of time putting away all of the parts that I'd purchased since Thanksgiving.
It turned out that the mods I was making weren't going to work. So I took apart the sprayer cart and mounted the ammo carrier on it. That took some doing because the new cart frame wasn't the same size as the old one. That meant all of the mounting points had to change. I got the carrier mounted, but I still have to mount the stock holders.
Lucy really wanted dinner. So I took her to the mailbox and then fed her and the cats. Then I took a shower and had dinner. The evening was gun shows on TV.
I spent 2 hours and moved 21 and a half loads. That was hat was needed to fill in all of the area in front of the garage out to the front of the trailer. There's probably 1 more day of moving gravel and the whole job is complete. I'm all ready thinking about expanding it by putting gravel where I park the truck.
After lunch I did a little surfing. Then we went to the post office. We also took the dog to Circle C for some unstructured time. She also did a few retrieves, but it was clear she really wanted to walk around sniffing things.
When we got back it was about time for Ellen to go to Dripping Springs. I went out to the garage to finish the mods I was making to the gun cart. Before I did that I spent a fair amount of time putting away all of the parts that I'd purchased since Thanksgiving.
It turned out that the mods I was making weren't going to work. So I took apart the sprayer cart and mounted the ammo carrier on it. That took some doing because the new cart frame wasn't the same size as the old one. That meant all of the mounting points had to change. I got the carrier mounted, but I still have to mount the stock holders.
Lucy really wanted dinner. So I took her to the mailbox and then fed her and the cats. Then I took a shower and had dinner. The evening was gun shows on TV.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Day 833
I woke up a little after 8 this morning, but didn't get out of bed until 9. Then it was pet stuff and breakfast, followed by going to the apartment.
Ellen painted the bathroom trim piece while I put away all of the stuff that I'd stacked in the living room yesterday. I also got the new nightstand unpacked and set up. It's really nice.
After that I got out the tools and dug out the area around the bottom of the apartment steps. I also built a barrier out of a couple of pieces of treated wood to keep the dirt and rocks off the landing. Then I put everything away. When I had finished that I realized that I hadn't done enough.
It was lunch time, so I went in and ate. Then I surfed. I felt guilty, so I went back out and finished the work on the apartment steps. The gravel I ordered came just as I was finishing. There's been a $8.50/ton price increase since a month ago. After the truck was gone I moved 6 loads of gravel and put it around the bottom of the apartment steps. Then I had Ellen take a picture for Melissa. Melissa had been complaining about the rock at the bottom of the steps while she was here.
I put everything away and then we went to the post office. We also stopped at HEB and Circle C to run the dog. When we got home we both had to go online to renew our driver's licenses.
Ellen decided to make stroganof tonight. She started at 5. It's 7 now and it's still not ready. I'm starving.
Ellen painted the bathroom trim piece while I put away all of the stuff that I'd stacked in the living room yesterday. I also got the new nightstand unpacked and set up. It's really nice.
After that I got out the tools and dug out the area around the bottom of the apartment steps. I also built a barrier out of a couple of pieces of treated wood to keep the dirt and rocks off the landing. Then I put everything away. When I had finished that I realized that I hadn't done enough.
It was lunch time, so I went in and ate. Then I surfed. I felt guilty, so I went back out and finished the work on the apartment steps. The gravel I ordered came just as I was finishing. There's been a $8.50/ton price increase since a month ago. After the truck was gone I moved 6 loads of gravel and put it around the bottom of the apartment steps. Then I had Ellen take a picture for Melissa. Melissa had been complaining about the rock at the bottom of the steps while she was here.
I put everything away and then we went to the post office. We also stopped at HEB and Circle C to run the dog. When we got home we both had to go online to renew our driver's licenses.
Ellen decided to make stroganof tonight. She started at 5. It's 7 now and it's still not ready. I'm starving.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Day 832
I got up at 8:30. By 9:30 pet stuff was done, so was breakfast and a little surfing. I went out and moved gravel. It was hard work. First I had to rake the big rocks out of the rest of the driveway. Then I had to spread out what I'd collected beside the apartment porch. I was cleaning up the last of the gravel, so I had to dig it out of the weeds. When I got it to the driveway I had to push it under the trailer. It was a lot harder than a "normal" day of hauling gravel.
It took until noon to get the gravel moved. All of the area under the trailer is covered along with most of the area immediately behind it. I'll have to order more gravel before I can do more. I'll also have to do some the area around the base of the apartment stairs.
While I was doing that Ellen finished caulking the shower. It looks great. She also painted the trim we bought yesterday.
Central Texas called while I was eating lunch. The lowers are in. After Ellen came in and had lunch we went to get them. We also stopped at ReStore. We bought a few items, nothing big. They were all bargains though. The last stop was Costco where we bought the nightstand we saw yesterday.
We got home just in time for Ellen to go to Dripping Springs. I hung up the clothes, took a shower, and then had dinner. After that it was TV and reading for the rest of the evening.
It took until noon to get the gravel moved. All of the area under the trailer is covered along with most of the area immediately behind it. I'll have to order more gravel before I can do more. I'll also have to do some the area around the base of the apartment stairs.
While I was doing that Ellen finished caulking the shower. It looks great. She also painted the trim we bought yesterday.
Central Texas called while I was eating lunch. The lowers are in. After Ellen came in and had lunch we went to get them. We also stopped at ReStore. We bought a few items, nothing big. They were all bargains though. The last stop was Costco where we bought the nightstand we saw yesterday.
We got home just in time for Ellen to go to Dripping Springs. I hung up the clothes, took a shower, and then had dinner. After that it was TV and reading for the rest of the evening.
Monday, January 22, 2018
Day 831
I woke up at 6 today and coudn't get back to sleep. So I played Mahjong in bed until about 7:30. Then I got up, did the pet stuff, and had breakfast. Then we both went out to the apartment. Ellen finished up the shower floor patch. I cut the wood we bought in Fredericksburg to fit the kitchen bead board.
Cutting the wood to length wasn't a problem. Fitting it to the bead board and wall was some work. I had to get the grinder out to grind a notch to fit the board. It still didn't fit. That's when I noticed that they hadn't planed the back of the board correctly. I used the grinder to do that and then everything fit.
We finished about 11. We went back to the house and did some surfing and had lunch. I called Central Texas about the receivers i ordered a month ago. They said that they would be in tomorrow. We'll see. Then we took the truck to McCoy's. We bought two railroad ties, some trim for the bathroom, and some adhesive to attach both.
When we got back I cut one of the ties with the chainsaw. I couldn't use the other. It was too busted up (I didn't get to choose the ones I got). I used the sledge hammer to remove on of the old ties. The other was rotted into small pieces. Swinging the sledge was no fun.
Then Ellen helped me install them. Of course we ran into more evidence that the previous owner was an idiot. He had used short pieces of steel bolted to the ties to connect them and anchor them in the ground. The problem was that the pieces were too short to anchor the ground.
I got longer pieces of steel I had the idiot had left when he moved out to connect the ties and anchor them. That involved more sledge swinging. I don't want to do any more of that than is necessary. To finish it off I ground down the sharp corners on the new steel posts.
I put everything away and we went back into the house for a little more surfing. I couldn't believe that in two days we fixed the shower, fixed the ties, and fit that piece of trim. That's quite a lot.
Ellen found a place to clean the Chinese carpets that were in the apartment. It was on the other side of I35. We took the carpet over there and then stopped at Costco for a couple of things.
When we got home we had a dinner of prepared food from Costco. Right now I'm watching the Tarheels lose.
Cutting the wood to length wasn't a problem. Fitting it to the bead board and wall was some work. I had to get the grinder out to grind a notch to fit the board. It still didn't fit. That's when I noticed that they hadn't planed the back of the board correctly. I used the grinder to do that and then everything fit.
We finished about 11. We went back to the house and did some surfing and had lunch. I called Central Texas about the receivers i ordered a month ago. They said that they would be in tomorrow. We'll see. Then we took the truck to McCoy's. We bought two railroad ties, some trim for the bathroom, and some adhesive to attach both.
When we got back I cut one of the ties with the chainsaw. I couldn't use the other. It was too busted up (I didn't get to choose the ones I got). I used the sledge hammer to remove on of the old ties. The other was rotted into small pieces. Swinging the sledge was no fun.
Then Ellen helped me install them. Of course we ran into more evidence that the previous owner was an idiot. He had used short pieces of steel bolted to the ties to connect them and anchor them in the ground. The problem was that the pieces were too short to anchor the ground.
I got longer pieces of steel I had the idiot had left when he moved out to connect the ties and anchor them. That involved more sledge swinging. I don't want to do any more of that than is necessary. To finish it off I ground down the sharp corners on the new steel posts.
I put everything away and we went back into the house for a little more surfing. I couldn't believe that in two days we fixed the shower, fixed the ties, and fit that piece of trim. That's quite a lot.
Ellen found a place to clean the Chinese carpets that were in the apartment. It was on the other side of I35. We took the carpet over there and then stopped at Costco for a couple of things.
When we got home we had a dinner of prepared food from Costco. Right now I'm watching the Tarheels lose.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Day 830
We didn't wake up until after nine. Then, in a really rare turn of events Ellen wanted to play around. I got her off, but it was difficult because her pussy is bout closed up. My dick wouldn't work, but that's par for the course.
We got up about 10:30, did the pet stuff, and had breakfast. Then we went to the apartment. Ellen worked on getting the new shower stall floor ready. I moved all of the stuff from the garage back to the storage shed. I also cleaned up a few things and made the bed (Melissa had put the sheets in the washer before she left).
All of this took until 1 (late start). We called a halt because we'd promised Lucy a spa day. We took her to Circle C and she ran retrieves. Then we took her to Petco and gave her a bath - she was smelling really doggy. The next top was Home Depot where we ordered a door for the master bath. It's going to take a month to get here. The final stops were Cheddar's for lunch/dinner (it was 3), and Walgreen's to pick up some drugs.
We didn't get home until 5:30. The football game was just starting. I watched that and did some reading. We didn't eat dinner, just snacked.
There wasn't anything on the TV after the game, so I just played Mahjong.
We got up about 10:30, did the pet stuff, and had breakfast. Then we went to the apartment. Ellen worked on getting the new shower stall floor ready. I moved all of the stuff from the garage back to the storage shed. I also cleaned up a few things and made the bed (Melissa had put the sheets in the washer before she left).
All of this took until 1 (late start). We called a halt because we'd promised Lucy a spa day. We took her to Circle C and she ran retrieves. Then we took her to Petco and gave her a bath - she was smelling really doggy. The next top was Home Depot where we ordered a door for the master bath. It's going to take a month to get here. The final stops were Cheddar's for lunch/dinner (it was 3), and Walgreen's to pick up some drugs.
We didn't get home until 5:30. The football game was just starting. I watched that and did some reading. We didn't eat dinner, just snacked.
There wasn't anything on the TV after the game, so I just played Mahjong.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Day 829
We got up at 8, did pet stuff, and had breakfast. Then I did some surfing and went to the garage to lube up John's guns and get a range bag ready.
Ellen had decided to fix breakfast, bacon and pancakes. She didn't bother to tell me, so I had already had mine. I told John to go in and eat while I got everything together. When he was done we went to Red's.
We spent about an hour at Red's. John shot really well. We got the scope pretty much dialed in at 50 yards. I think he's really happy with the result.
We got back about half a hour before it was time to leave for the olive oil place. It's a little NW of Dripping Springs. It's quite an operation with a sort of wine tasting/bottling building. We took a tour and learned a lot about olive oil production. Ellen bought oil and soap. John and Melissa bought oil and vinegar.
The next stop was a vineyard across 1826 from the Salt Lick. We sat there for awhile and John and Melissa tried a couple of wines. They bought a couple of bottles. By then it was after 2, so we went across the street for a late lunch/early dinner.
The brisket was better than I remembered. The place was about half full. I suspect it got busier as it got closer to dinner time.
When we were done we went home. John and Melissa did some packing. I did a little cleanup and some surfing. Eventually they came back to the house. We talked and watched the car auction for hours.
They stayed later than usual, after 9. Then we said our goodbys. They'll be leaving about 4 tomorrow as they want to drive 1,000 miles (15 hours) tomorrow.
We watered the cats and then went to bed.
Ellen had decided to fix breakfast, bacon and pancakes. She didn't bother to tell me, so I had already had mine. I told John to go in and eat while I got everything together. When he was done we went to Red's.
We spent about an hour at Red's. John shot really well. We got the scope pretty much dialed in at 50 yards. I think he's really happy with the result.
We got back about half a hour before it was time to leave for the olive oil place. It's a little NW of Dripping Springs. It's quite an operation with a sort of wine tasting/bottling building. We took a tour and learned a lot about olive oil production. Ellen bought oil and soap. John and Melissa bought oil and vinegar.
The next stop was a vineyard across 1826 from the Salt Lick. We sat there for awhile and John and Melissa tried a couple of wines. They bought a couple of bottles. By then it was after 2, so we went across the street for a late lunch/early dinner.
The brisket was better than I remembered. The place was about half full. I suspect it got busier as it got closer to dinner time.
When we were done we went home. John and Melissa did some packing. I did a little cleanup and some surfing. Eventually they came back to the house. We talked and watched the car auction for hours.
They stayed later than usual, after 9. Then we said our goodbys. They'll be leaving about 4 tomorrow as they want to drive 1,000 miles (15 hours) tomorrow.
We watered the cats and then went to bed.
Friday, January 19, 2018
Day 828
We got up at 8:15 today - pet stuff and breakfast, no surfing. Melissa came over at 9 to finish up some caulking in the guest bathroom. When she was done we went to Fredericksburg.
It was colder than it was supposed to be today - 50 at best. John and Melissa - especially John, enjoyed walking through the booths. I found a couple of things - a Model A wheel and a metal highway flare pot. John and Ellen bought handmade shoes - $300 apiece. John also had a great time talking to some of the vendors.
About 1:30 we went into town for lunch. We were going to a German place, but saw a hole in the wall hamburger place. It turned out to be really good. After lunch we went to the Amish place. Unfortunately their lead time is too long for us to order a bookcase. So I took the information and will order it in Aug. or Sept.
We also stopped at the jewelry store to ask about aquamarines. He didn't have any, but offered to look for them at Tucson. I might ask him to. Then we went back to Trade Days.
We walked around the part we hadn't walked around before. John did more talking. I bought a Coca-Cola bear. We went home about 4:30. It still wasn't very warm, maybe 55 at best. It started raining some as we drove home.
When we got home we talked and had a dinner of leftovers. Then it was talking and watching TV (Barrett-Jackson and Gold Rush).
It was colder than it was supposed to be today - 50 at best. John and Melissa - especially John, enjoyed walking through the booths. I found a couple of things - a Model A wheel and a metal highway flare pot. John and Ellen bought handmade shoes - $300 apiece. John also had a great time talking to some of the vendors.
About 1:30 we went into town for lunch. We were going to a German place, but saw a hole in the wall hamburger place. It turned out to be really good. After lunch we went to the Amish place. Unfortunately their lead time is too long for us to order a bookcase. So I took the information and will order it in Aug. or Sept.
We also stopped at the jewelry store to ask about aquamarines. He didn't have any, but offered to look for them at Tucson. I might ask him to. Then we went back to Trade Days.
We walked around the part we hadn't walked around before. John did more talking. I bought a Coca-Cola bear. We went home about 4:30. It still wasn't very warm, maybe 55 at best. It started raining some as we drove home.
When we got home we talked and had a dinner of leftovers. Then it was talking and watching TV (Barrett-Jackson and Gold Rush).
Day 827
We didn't get up until 8:30. Then we did pet stuff, had breakfast, and surfed for a little while. There wasn't much surfing before I went out to start loading the garbage onto the truck. John heard me and came out to help.
Once it was loaded John and I drove to the Bee Cave garbage center. It only cost $20 to dump all of it. They didn't even squawk about the TV. On the way back we got donuts for everyone. I introduced John to kolaches.
We got home a little after 11. Everyone had a donut for lunch. I mounted the scope on John's rifle and showed him how to bore sight it. Then Melissa got out her tools and started installing an outlet in the cat room. She and John have it down to an art, so my participation was limited to getting tools and equipment.
When they were finished Melissa insisted on doing the floor molding in the guest bath. That involved me getting out more tools and then going to Home Depot to get another length of molding. I took the opportunity to take the excess carpets to Goodwill.
When i got back John and Melissa were busy installing. Ellen started painting the new molding. I sort of sat around.
When Ellen was finished painting she continued the dinner cooking that Melissa had started. We had dinner when the molding was finished.
After dinner we talked for hours and semi-watched car auctions.
Once it was loaded John and I drove to the Bee Cave garbage center. It only cost $20 to dump all of it. They didn't even squawk about the TV. On the way back we got donuts for everyone. I introduced John to kolaches.
We got home a little after 11. Everyone had a donut for lunch. I mounted the scope on John's rifle and showed him how to bore sight it. Then Melissa got out her tools and started installing an outlet in the cat room. She and John have it down to an art, so my participation was limited to getting tools and equipment.
When they were finished Melissa insisted on doing the floor molding in the guest bath. That involved me getting out more tools and then going to Home Depot to get another length of molding. I took the opportunity to take the excess carpets to Goodwill.
When i got back John and Melissa were busy installing. Ellen started painting the new molding. I sort of sat around.
When Ellen was finished painting she continued the dinner cooking that Melissa had started. We had dinner when the molding was finished.
After dinner we talked for hours and semi-watched car auctions.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Day 826
It was cold this morning - 19 degrees. John and Melissa left early to get john's phone fixed. So we stayed in bed until after 9. Then we got up, did pet stuff, had breakfast, and surfed. We surfed until after noon.
While we were surfing I discovered that no one in Austin could supply the water heater we wanted. We'd have to order one. So that put an end to that idea.
John and Melissa got home after 1. The handled some banking they needed to do and then John went to Cabela's with us about 2.
Cabela's was depressing. They didn't have much in the gun, knife, and optics departments at all. One of the clerks said that Bass Pro shop isn't ordering anything because they are changing over to the Bass Pro product mix. That will mean lots of fishing and boats and very little guns and hunting.
I had gift cards and a lot of credit. All I bought was some 22. I didn't want anything else that they had in stock. John bought a scope mount and some ammo. I HATE Bass Pro.
Lucy went with us and she did 25 retrieves before we left.
We stopped at a roadside bar/restaurant on the way back. John had a beer. Ellen and I had hot chocolate.
When we got back Ellen and Melissa cooked Tuna steaks. They were really good. So was the wine they'd picked up at Trader's Joe.
After dinner we talked for awhile and I put the scope on John's gun. Then He went home and we went to bed.
While we were surfing I discovered that no one in Austin could supply the water heater we wanted. We'd have to order one. So that put an end to that idea.
John and Melissa got home after 1. The handled some banking they needed to do and then John went to Cabela's with us about 2.
Cabela's was depressing. They didn't have much in the gun, knife, and optics departments at all. One of the clerks said that Bass Pro shop isn't ordering anything because they are changing over to the Bass Pro product mix. That will mean lots of fishing and boats and very little guns and hunting.
I had gift cards and a lot of credit. All I bought was some 22. I didn't want anything else that they had in stock. John bought a scope mount and some ammo. I HATE Bass Pro.
Lucy went with us and she did 25 retrieves before we left.
We stopped at a roadside bar/restaurant on the way back. John had a beer. Ellen and I had hot chocolate.
When we got back Ellen and Melissa cooked Tuna steaks. They were really good. So was the wine they'd picked up at Trader's Joe.
After dinner we talked for awhile and I put the scope on John's gun. Then He went home and we went to bed.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Day 825
We didn't get up until 8:45. It was 24 degrees and there had been an ice storm overnight. Everything had a coating of ice. We did the pet stuff and had breakfast. Then we surfed and listened to the traffic problems on the TV.
About 10 I went to the apartment to ask John if he wanted to build his rifle. He said yes. I got out the parts and tools and got started. I don't know if John had fun, I didn't. John wouldn't listen to the DVD, or what I was telling him. That meant everything went very slowly. By 1:30 we still hadn't put on the buffer tube and assorted parts.
After lunch we finished the lower. Then I put away the lower tools and got up the stuff for the upper. I discovered that the rail on the handguard was out of spec. It was too big. That meant that the scope mounts I had purchased wouldn't fit. I looked through everything I had, but none of my appropriate mounts had 1" rings.
About that time the Medicare insurance people called. It took until after 4:30 to make a decision on options and get enrolled. Much of the time was spent in a recorded conversation where I continually repeated the same info and said yes to the same questions confirming I wanted to buy the insurance.
When that ordeal was done I went back out to the apartment and finished as much of the rifle as we could. John couldn't work the mag release very well, so I took the rifle back to the house and replaced it with an extended one. Then I gave John a talk about operating the rifle and cleaning it.
We had stew for dinner. It had been cooking all day. Then we watched a car auction for hours.
About 10 I went to the apartment to ask John if he wanted to build his rifle. He said yes. I got out the parts and tools and got started. I don't know if John had fun, I didn't. John wouldn't listen to the DVD, or what I was telling him. That meant everything went very slowly. By 1:30 we still hadn't put on the buffer tube and assorted parts.
After lunch we finished the lower. Then I put away the lower tools and got up the stuff for the upper. I discovered that the rail on the handguard was out of spec. It was too big. That meant that the scope mounts I had purchased wouldn't fit. I looked through everything I had, but none of my appropriate mounts had 1" rings.
About that time the Medicare insurance people called. It took until after 4:30 to make a decision on options and get enrolled. Much of the time was spent in a recorded conversation where I continually repeated the same info and said yes to the same questions confirming I wanted to buy the insurance.
When that ordeal was done I went back out to the apartment and finished as much of the rifle as we could. John couldn't work the mag release very well, so I took the rifle back to the house and replaced it with an extended one. Then I gave John a talk about operating the rifle and cleaning it.
We had stew for dinner. It had been cooking all day. Then we watched a car auction for hours.
Monday, January 15, 2018
Day 824
We got up at 7 so we could be ready to go by 8. Somehow Ellen couldn't be ready until about 8:15.
The drive down to San Antonio was stress free. I drove 5 to 10 miles over the speed limit the whole way and got 32+ mpg.
When we got there we explored the Alamo for about 2 hours. Then we walked the River Walk and ate lunch at a restaurant there. I ordered chips and fed the ducks. We walked back at street level and found the buckhorn museum. We took them there and John had a real good time.
We were done with the museum about 3. Melissa wanted to see the missions, so we drove to two. The first was partially restored. The second was fully restored, and showed how extensive the missions really were.
We drove home with almost no traffic problems. We were going about 80 much of the way, with 33.7 mpg. We made good enough time that we managed to stop at the vet for cat water. That was good, since we are going to run out tonight and tomorrow is supposed to be an ice storm.
Melissa fixed pork chops for dinner. Afterwards it was conversation and TV.
The drive down to San Antonio was stress free. I drove 5 to 10 miles over the speed limit the whole way and got 32+ mpg.
When we got there we explored the Alamo for about 2 hours. Then we walked the River Walk and ate lunch at a restaurant there. I ordered chips and fed the ducks. We walked back at street level and found the buckhorn museum. We took them there and John had a real good time.
We were done with the museum about 3. Melissa wanted to see the missions, so we drove to two. The first was partially restored. The second was fully restored, and showed how extensive the missions really were.
We drove home with almost no traffic problems. We were going about 80 much of the way, with 33.7 mpg. We made good enough time that we managed to stop at the vet for cat water. That was good, since we are going to run out tonight and tomorrow is supposed to be an ice storm.
Melissa fixed pork chops for dinner. Afterwards it was conversation and TV.
Day 823
We got up at 8:30 today. After pet stuff and breakfast we went to the apartment. We decided to go to NXNW for a buffet brunch. It was really good, and we all over ate. Then we went home to work.
John and Melissa had already done some work. They had hung the doors. I started out by cutting 1/4 inch off of all of the folding doors to make them fit. Ellen did painting and caulking. Melissa did cleaning. John did a few miscellaneous things.
When the doors were cut John and I installed them with Melissa's supervision. Then I installed the shelves by the vanity. John had run out of things to do, and kind of hung around like I've done a lot of. Melissa continued cleaning and Ellen switched to caulking.
By the time I finished with the shelves Ellen and Melissa were doing decorating. John and I worked on my gun cart rebuild until they were finished.
It was warm today, so after the decorating we took the dogs to Circle C. They deserved it. Lucy was really happy and traveled a long way exploring and sniffing.
We ate nachos for dinner and then watched football and random TV shows.
John and Melissa had already done some work. They had hung the doors. I started out by cutting 1/4 inch off of all of the folding doors to make them fit. Ellen did painting and caulking. Melissa did cleaning. John did a few miscellaneous things.
When the doors were cut John and I installed them with Melissa's supervision. Then I installed the shelves by the vanity. John had run out of things to do, and kind of hung around like I've done a lot of. Melissa continued cleaning and Ellen switched to caulking.
By the time I finished with the shelves Ellen and Melissa were doing decorating. John and I worked on my gun cart rebuild until they were finished.
It was warm today, so after the decorating we took the dogs to Circle C. They deserved it. Lucy was really happy and traveled a long way exploring and sniffing.
We ate nachos for dinner and then watched football and random TV shows.
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Day 822
We got up at 8, did the pet stuff, had breakfast and surfed until 9. Then we went to the apartment to work. John and Melissa worked on the molding. Ellen painted. I started out doing the threshold in the water heater closet. Then I put away a whole lot of tools and took all of the refuse to the garbage.
By then the washer/dryer alcove was finished. Melissa and I turned the dryer receptacle the right side up so that the dryer cord would match. Then John and I moved the washer into position. John insisted on connecting it up. Then we moved the dryer. Both John and Melissa insisted on connecting it up. They are perfectionists.
While they were doing that I installed the shelf above the toilet. That took awhile to get it perfect (Melissa's only acceptable criteria). Then I ripped the board for the side shelves. It was a little wide the first time, so I had to do it again. Then I attached two support boards for the shelves.
John and Melissa were finishing up the molding while I was doing that and Ellen had graduated to caulking.
We called a halt about 2:30. Everything major is done. The side shelves need to be attached (I need brackets). Then the doors need to be put back up. I hope that doesn't involve cutting them. Then a little cleanup and they're done.
We went to lunch/dinner at the Cajun place. It was good. Then we took the two boxes of flooring we had left back to Home Depot. We got lucky on that. We only had 1 and a half boards left over. At $60 a box it was nice we didn't have to open a partial one.
The last stop was HEB. We'll be back there tomorrow. Ellen can't seem to grasp the concept of buying food for several day's meals.
When we got home we watched a little football. When it was over we switched to episodes of the Grand Tour.
After John and Melissa left we injected water into the cats. When Fletcher was done Ellen decided to see what would happen if she dropped him on Lucy right outside the bathroom door. That resulted in then knocking over the stand by the vent. That broke a vase and the Galileo thermometer. It took half an hour to clean up the broken glass and spilled alcohol.
By then the washer/dryer alcove was finished. Melissa and I turned the dryer receptacle the right side up so that the dryer cord would match. Then John and I moved the washer into position. John insisted on connecting it up. Then we moved the dryer. Both John and Melissa insisted on connecting it up. They are perfectionists.
While they were doing that I installed the shelf above the toilet. That took awhile to get it perfect (Melissa's only acceptable criteria). Then I ripped the board for the side shelves. It was a little wide the first time, so I had to do it again. Then I attached two support boards for the shelves.
John and Melissa were finishing up the molding while I was doing that and Ellen had graduated to caulking.
We called a halt about 2:30. Everything major is done. The side shelves need to be attached (I need brackets). Then the doors need to be put back up. I hope that doesn't involve cutting them. Then a little cleanup and they're done.
We went to lunch/dinner at the Cajun place. It was good. Then we took the two boxes of flooring we had left back to Home Depot. We got lucky on that. We only had 1 and a half boards left over. At $60 a box it was nice we didn't have to open a partial one.
The last stop was HEB. We'll be back there tomorrow. Ellen can't seem to grasp the concept of buying food for several day's meals.
When we got home we watched a little football. When it was over we switched to episodes of the Grand Tour.
After John and Melissa left we injected water into the cats. When Fletcher was done Ellen decided to see what would happen if she dropped him on Lucy right outside the bathroom door. That resulted in then knocking over the stand by the vent. That broke a vase and the Galileo thermometer. It took half an hour to clean up the broken glass and spilled alcohol.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Day 821
We got up before 8 today, did the pet stuff, had breakfast, and surfed until about 8:45. Then we went to the apartment. John and Melissa were still eating breakfast. When they were finished we went to work.
John and Melissa worked on the final prep, laying floor, and the toilet. I worked on the bead board in the washing machine area. I also did the bathroom threshold and helped with the floor laying. Ellen painted everything.
We made a lot of progress. By the end of the day ALL THE FLOORING IS DOWN AND THE TOILET IS IN. John made a mistake installing the toilet and had to go to Home Depot for parts. Melissa wasn't happy.
By the end of the day the bathroom was put back together. All that is left is installing the floor trim in the bathroom, replacing the washer and dryer, and painting the trim. Then it will all be finished. Hopefully we can get that done by noon tomorrow. That way we can take the afternoon off and have fun.
The result is pretty impressive. The kitchen with its new counter, painted cabinets, and new bead board looks much better. The bathroom has a really nice toilet in it. Hopefully re positioning the washer and dryer will add some storage space (we'll see). The other rooms are really nice with a real floor.
All of this took most of the day. Melissa bought dinner while she was out and cooked it when she got home. Then we talked until about 9 and watched a Godzilla movie.
John and Melissa worked on the final prep, laying floor, and the toilet. I worked on the bead board in the washing machine area. I also did the bathroom threshold and helped with the floor laying. Ellen painted everything.
We made a lot of progress. By the end of the day ALL THE FLOORING IS DOWN AND THE TOILET IS IN. John made a mistake installing the toilet and had to go to Home Depot for parts. Melissa wasn't happy.
By the end of the day the bathroom was put back together. All that is left is installing the floor trim in the bathroom, replacing the washer and dryer, and painting the trim. Then it will all be finished. Hopefully we can get that done by noon tomorrow. That way we can take the afternoon off and have fun.
The result is pretty impressive. The kitchen with its new counter, painted cabinets, and new bead board looks much better. The bathroom has a really nice toilet in it. Hopefully re positioning the washer and dryer will add some storage space (we'll see). The other rooms are really nice with a real floor.
All of this took most of the day. Melissa bought dinner while she was out and cooked it when she got home. Then we talked until about 9 and watched a Godzilla movie.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Day 820
We were up a little before 8, did pet stuff, and had breakfast. I took out some more garbage and the recycling. While I was at the gate John left to go to Home Depot. He didn't say so, but he went to get the right toilet hose.
I went to the apartment and started helping Melissa work on the bathroom. She finished doing the multi-tool cutting while I cut the bead board for the wall. John came back and helped her with the plastic. I was still working on the bead board. It took earful measuring for the access holes and to match up the patterns between boards. Ellen was painting - cabinets and trim.
When John and Melissa were ready I stopped cutting bead board and started cutting flooring. Ellen started painting the boards I'd already cut. John and Melissa stopped for lunch about 1:30. I kept cutting bead boards so Ellen could keep painting. I finished about the time they finished lunch. Then I ate lunch.
We spent the rest of the afternoon laying flooring. There were some difficult places to fit the flooring to. We stopped when we had the toilet area completed. Unfortunately it was 5 by then. Melissa would have to spend another day without a toilet. We did get the area around the toilet complete (bead board, caulking, molding). We also unpacked the toilet and put it in place. It looks like it will fit nicely.
We called it quits about 6. We didn't want to do another late night. Instead we had a dinner of whatever was available (chips, salsa, smoked salmon, crackers, and frozen pizza). Afterwads we talked until 9.
I surfed for awhile and then went to bed.
I went to the apartment and started helping Melissa work on the bathroom. She finished doing the multi-tool cutting while I cut the bead board for the wall. John came back and helped her with the plastic. I was still working on the bead board. It took earful measuring for the access holes and to match up the patterns between boards. Ellen was painting - cabinets and trim.
When John and Melissa were ready I stopped cutting bead board and started cutting flooring. Ellen started painting the boards I'd already cut. John and Melissa stopped for lunch about 1:30. I kept cutting bead boards so Ellen could keep painting. I finished about the time they finished lunch. Then I ate lunch.
We spent the rest of the afternoon laying flooring. There were some difficult places to fit the flooring to. We stopped when we had the toilet area completed. Unfortunately it was 5 by then. Melissa would have to spend another day without a toilet. We did get the area around the toilet complete (bead board, caulking, molding). We also unpacked the toilet and put it in place. It looks like it will fit nicely.
We called it quits about 6. We didn't want to do another late night. Instead we had a dinner of whatever was available (chips, salsa, smoked salmon, crackers, and frozen pizza). Afterwads we talked until 9.
I surfed for awhile and then went to bed.
Day 819
We got up at 8 today, did the pet stuff and breakfast, and surfed until about 9. Then we went to the apartment. John and Melissa were already at work. They had cleared out the bathroom and were starting to remove the molding. I did a couple of cleanup things, and then left to take some things to Goodwill and fill a shopping list of things we needed to finish the bathroom.
It took awhile to find everything I needed at Lowe's. Some of the stuff they didn't have. I tried to call, but no one was answering their phone. So I decided to go home, stopping at HEB on the way back. At HEB I finally got them on the phone. John suggested getting some more supplies. So it was back to Lowe's. Then home. Both times I left Lowe's I was stuck in a traffic jam caused by construction on Brodie.
When I got home John had bad news. The dumbshits that built the place had added a layer of concrete patch around the toilet. It had to be removed before the floor could be laid. He needed a cutter wheel and some self leveling cement to fix it.
I couldn't leave right away. I needed to fill up the garbage can with debris for tomorrow. So I did that - no lunch, and then got back in the truck. The first stop was Home Depot for the cement. I couldn't find the aisle it was on (58). Neither could any of the employees. I dicked around for almost an hour there before I finally found what I needed in the back corner of the store - as far away from where they have cement and masonry as they could put it.
Lowe's was just as bad. I found the other stuff I needed and then got someone to load the toilet into my shopping cart. I wheeled it to the checkout, but before I went to the register I decided to check the model number. (it was that shitty a day). It was good I did, he had given me the wrong toilet.
I took the toilet back to plumbing (in the back of the store) and told him I needed the right one. He said they were all on the top storage rack and he was going on lunch break. He got another guy to get one down (the guy was not). It took quite awhile to find the guy, for the guy to get his lift, and for the guy and his lift to get me my toilet. I finally got out of there, but had to load the toilet myself, and it was damn heavy.
When I got home John started work on removing the concrete patch. I took time for a quick dinner and then joined him and Melissa. The ground and chipped the patch away. Then they mixed up the self leveling cement and replaced the patch. I helped where I could. It was after 9 before we were done.
Oh, by the way, the toilet valve is non-standard and won't fit the standard hose I bought. That's another trip tomorrow.
I went home, took a shower, and went to bed. It had been a really shitty day.
It took awhile to find everything I needed at Lowe's. Some of the stuff they didn't have. I tried to call, but no one was answering their phone. So I decided to go home, stopping at HEB on the way back. At HEB I finally got them on the phone. John suggested getting some more supplies. So it was back to Lowe's. Then home. Both times I left Lowe's I was stuck in a traffic jam caused by construction on Brodie.
When I got home John had bad news. The dumbshits that built the place had added a layer of concrete patch around the toilet. It had to be removed before the floor could be laid. He needed a cutter wheel and some self leveling cement to fix it.
I couldn't leave right away. I needed to fill up the garbage can with debris for tomorrow. So I did that - no lunch, and then got back in the truck. The first stop was Home Depot for the cement. I couldn't find the aisle it was on (58). Neither could any of the employees. I dicked around for almost an hour there before I finally found what I needed in the back corner of the store - as far away from where they have cement and masonry as they could put it.
Lowe's was just as bad. I found the other stuff I needed and then got someone to load the toilet into my shopping cart. I wheeled it to the checkout, but before I went to the register I decided to check the model number. (it was that shitty a day). It was good I did, he had given me the wrong toilet.
I took the toilet back to plumbing (in the back of the store) and told him I needed the right one. He said they were all on the top storage rack and he was going on lunch break. He got another guy to get one down (the guy was not). It took quite awhile to find the guy, for the guy to get his lift, and for the guy and his lift to get me my toilet. I finally got out of there, but had to load the toilet myself, and it was damn heavy.
When I got home John started work on removing the concrete patch. I took time for a quick dinner and then joined him and Melissa. The ground and chipped the patch away. Then they mixed up the self leveling cement and replaced the patch. I helped where I could. It was after 9 before we were done.
Oh, by the way, the toilet valve is non-standard and won't fit the standard hose I bought. That's another trip tomorrow.
I went home, took a shower, and went to bed. It had been a really shitty day.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Day 818
We got up at 8 today. After pet stuff and breakfast we surfed until a little after 9. Then we went to the apartment. I took the clock I'd fixed.
Apparently John was successful in getting the water filter connections to work. Unfortunately now the water filter itself is leaking. He tried to tighten it, and we'll see what happens.
While they did that I reinstalled the power cord in the bedroom closet. Ellen started painting the trim and grate in the kitchen. This took awhile and we sort of sat around waiting for her to finish. When she finished we moved the refrigerator back into the kitchen. We didn't notice until later, but that broke loose the garage door threshold.
When Ellen got the bedroom closet painted John and I got to work. We rehung the closet doors. They fit without modification - amazing. Then we rehung the bedroom door, too. It also fit - yahoo. Then we started moving the bedroom stuff from the living room back to the bedroom. That all went smoothly.
All of this time Melissa was busily cleaning everything - the kitchen cabinet and their contents, vacuuming all the rooms, and dusting the things we moved. Ellen finished the bedroom and started painting the kitchen cabinets.
John and I continued by moving the furniture from the garage back into the living room. Everything went well again. We finished at 1 and went back to the house for lunch. John and Melissa made another try at attaching the garage door threshold before we left.
We were going to go to the kart track, but it's only open on the weekends. So we went to the mall so John could get the battery in his phone replaced. We ended up waling through most of the mall. They bought a couple of trinkets. We bought some stuff at Brookstone and the toy store. Our last stop was the yuppie grocery. We bought more shrimp for dinner.
It was dinner time when we got home. Melissa fixed the shrimp. It was really good. Then we talked for awhile and watched some car racing. Then John and Melissa went home. I surfed some and then we went to bed a little early.
Apparently John was successful in getting the water filter connections to work. Unfortunately now the water filter itself is leaking. He tried to tighten it, and we'll see what happens.
While they did that I reinstalled the power cord in the bedroom closet. Ellen started painting the trim and grate in the kitchen. This took awhile and we sort of sat around waiting for her to finish. When she finished we moved the refrigerator back into the kitchen. We didn't notice until later, but that broke loose the garage door threshold.
When Ellen got the bedroom closet painted John and I got to work. We rehung the closet doors. They fit without modification - amazing. Then we rehung the bedroom door, too. It also fit - yahoo. Then we started moving the bedroom stuff from the living room back to the bedroom. That all went smoothly.
All of this time Melissa was busily cleaning everything - the kitchen cabinet and their contents, vacuuming all the rooms, and dusting the things we moved. Ellen finished the bedroom and started painting the kitchen cabinets.
John and I continued by moving the furniture from the garage back into the living room. Everything went well again. We finished at 1 and went back to the house for lunch. John and Melissa made another try at attaching the garage door threshold before we left.
We were going to go to the kart track, but it's only open on the weekends. So we went to the mall so John could get the battery in his phone replaced. We ended up waling through most of the mall. They bought a couple of trinkets. We bought some stuff at Brookstone and the toy store. Our last stop was the yuppie grocery. We bought more shrimp for dinner.
It was dinner time when we got home. Melissa fixed the shrimp. It was really good. Then we talked for awhile and watched some car racing. Then John and Melissa went home. I surfed some and then we went to bed a little early.
Monday, January 8, 2018
Day 817
We got up a little after 8, did the pet stuff and had breakfast. We went to the apartment a little after 9. John was working on installing the water faucet. I was a little disappointed, but I needed to fix the shower drain in the house. It was a pain because the guy who put it in covered the screws with grout. I cleaned the out and then pulled two large clumps of hair out of the drain. They were impressive. At least they came out easy.
When I was finished with the drain I started by installing a wall cover in the apartment living room (big effort). Then I started on the bedroom closet. Ellen spent the whole day sanding the kitchen cabinets.
The first job was putting the door guide back in the floor. I had a hard time finding screws that were long enough and thick enough. Eventually I had to drill one of the holes out and install a longer screw. This took quite awhile. While this was going on Melissa was helping John. Apparently the water faucet was resisting attachment even though we'd bought the right parts.
After the closet door guide I put up the new closet bar. This was complicated by having the existing shelf supports blocking the way. I could have taken them down, and probably should have. Instead I notched one support 2x4 and did an angle cut on another. The result works, but looks a little weird, like "what were they thinking".
While I was doing that John and Melissa were finishing the bedroom floor and starting the floor molding. They stopped and all three of us worked on the garage door threshold. We decided to hold it down with caulk instead of the supplied adhesive strip. We'll see if it worked tomorrow.
John and Melissa went back to the bedroom and I installed the front door threshold. It was a pain in the ass due to cheap Chinese screws and the need to drill holes in sloping aluminum. The result worked well though. I also cut out the rotted baseboard and replaced it with a new piece of wood.
By the time I was finished Melissa had finished caulking the bedroom molding. John was back working on the faucet. We waited for a little while he finished and then we called it quits. It was 3 and no one had had lunch. Beside, everyone was tired of looking for tools - something we all did today.
The day was sunny and over 60. So we ate with the dogs at Waterloo Ice House and then took the dogs to Circle C. When we were finished there we went home.
Mainly we surfed, but there was a basketball, and later football, game on. We were tired. John and Melissa went home at 8:30. I replaced the workings of the apartment kitchen clock and then went to bed at 10:30.
When I was finished with the drain I started by installing a wall cover in the apartment living room (big effort). Then I started on the bedroom closet. Ellen spent the whole day sanding the kitchen cabinets.
The first job was putting the door guide back in the floor. I had a hard time finding screws that were long enough and thick enough. Eventually I had to drill one of the holes out and install a longer screw. This took quite awhile. While this was going on Melissa was helping John. Apparently the water faucet was resisting attachment even though we'd bought the right parts.
After the closet door guide I put up the new closet bar. This was complicated by having the existing shelf supports blocking the way. I could have taken them down, and probably should have. Instead I notched one support 2x4 and did an angle cut on another. The result works, but looks a little weird, like "what were they thinking".
While I was doing that John and Melissa were finishing the bedroom floor and starting the floor molding. They stopped and all three of us worked on the garage door threshold. We decided to hold it down with caulk instead of the supplied adhesive strip. We'll see if it worked tomorrow.
John and Melissa went back to the bedroom and I installed the front door threshold. It was a pain in the ass due to cheap Chinese screws and the need to drill holes in sloping aluminum. The result worked well though. I also cut out the rotted baseboard and replaced it with a new piece of wood.
By the time I was finished Melissa had finished caulking the bedroom molding. John was back working on the faucet. We waited for a little while he finished and then we called it quits. It was 3 and no one had had lunch. Beside, everyone was tired of looking for tools - something we all did today.
The day was sunny and over 60. So we ate with the dogs at Waterloo Ice House and then took the dogs to Circle C. When we were finished there we went home.
Mainly we surfed, but there was a basketball, and later football, game on. We were tired. John and Melissa went home at 8:30. I replaced the workings of the apartment kitchen clock and then went to bed at 10:30.
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Day 816
WE got up about 8:30 for pet stuff and breakfast. A little after 9 we went to the apartment. John and Melissa had just finished putting down plastic in the bedroom. The did the first complex cuts while I set up the saw and did some minor things. Then i sat until they had the crucial starting row set up.
We started going to town. I cut the pieces while they installed them. Ellen painted the trim in the living room and repainted the other bedroom door. We worked until about 1:30. At that point we'd laid flooring from the door all the way over to the closet.
After lunch Ellen and I went to do some errands. We went to Walgreen's, HEB, Tomlinson's, and Home Depot. The Home Depot stop was important. We were at least 2 boxes of flooring short. I bought three.
The last stop was the post office. That's where I learned that Amazon had screwed me again. I'd selected our home address for the new filter pump. They sent it to the post office. I could have installed it yesterday or today if they had delivered it to where I specified.
While we were gone John and Melissa finished all of the bedroom except the last few boards. They went off to do errands. I tried to install the new clock mechanism for the clock in the apartment kitchen. Unfortunately the pendulum arm was broken. I glued it back together. Hopefully it will work tomorrow.
We watched football until John and Melissa came back. We all ate leftovers for dinner. That cleaned up several things in the refrigerator.
The rest of the evening was watching football and a motorcycle race that we'd taped for John.
We started going to town. I cut the pieces while they installed them. Ellen painted the trim in the living room and repainted the other bedroom door. We worked until about 1:30. At that point we'd laid flooring from the door all the way over to the closet.
After lunch Ellen and I went to do some errands. We went to Walgreen's, HEB, Tomlinson's, and Home Depot. The Home Depot stop was important. We were at least 2 boxes of flooring short. I bought three.
The last stop was the post office. That's where I learned that Amazon had screwed me again. I'd selected our home address for the new filter pump. They sent it to the post office. I could have installed it yesterday or today if they had delivered it to where I specified.
While we were gone John and Melissa finished all of the bedroom except the last few boards. They went off to do errands. I tried to install the new clock mechanism for the clock in the apartment kitchen. Unfortunately the pendulum arm was broken. I glued it back together. Hopefully it will work tomorrow.
We watched football until John and Melissa came back. We all ate leftovers for dinner. That cleaned up several things in the refrigerator.
The rest of the evening was watching football and a motorcycle race that we'd taped for John.
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Day 815
We were up, with pet stuff done and breakfast, by a little after 9. I went to the apartment and got John and Melissa's shopping list. Then I went to Dripping Springs. I got diesel, water, bananas, and beer at HEB. Then I got more floor molding, a threshold, some paint, and some caulk at Home Depot.
When I got home I unloaded everything. John and Melissa were finishing the floor and molding in the living room. When they were finished John and I moved all of the bedroom contents to the living room. Ellen started painting the new molding. John had showed me where the garage door was binding. I worked on freeing it up. The result was a small improvement. John says it should work much better than it does.
After lunch I didn't have much to do. Ellen was sanding the cabinets and John and Melissa were prepping the bedroom. I read a magazine and took a short nap. A little later I managed to be a little useful by helping clean up the bedroom.
It was really noisy with Ellen sanding and Melissa using the multi-tool. So John and i took the dogs on a walk. We walked through the vacant lot next door to the power lines and then down the lines to south Madrone. Then we walked home. I was a little disappointed that there is enough land on the vacant lot for a house. The good news is at least half the lot is on the other side of the lines.
We had a late dinner of lamb chops It was great. Then we talked and sort of watched football.
When I got home I unloaded everything. John and Melissa were finishing the floor and molding in the living room. When they were finished John and I moved all of the bedroom contents to the living room. Ellen started painting the new molding. John had showed me where the garage door was binding. I worked on freeing it up. The result was a small improvement. John says it should work much better than it does.
After lunch I didn't have much to do. Ellen was sanding the cabinets and John and Melissa were prepping the bedroom. I read a magazine and took a short nap. A little later I managed to be a little useful by helping clean up the bedroom.
It was really noisy with Ellen sanding and Melissa using the multi-tool. So John and i took the dogs on a walk. We walked through the vacant lot next door to the power lines and then down the lines to south Madrone. Then we walked home. I was a little disappointed that there is enough land on the vacant lot for a house. The good news is at least half the lot is on the other side of the lines.
We had a late dinner of lamb chops It was great. Then we talked and sort of watched football.
Friday, January 5, 2018
Day 814
We got up at 8 today. We did pet stuff and breakfast and surfed until a little after 9. Then we went to the apartment. John and Melissa weren't quite ready, but we left for Fredericksburg by 9:30.
We made good time and good gas mileage to Fredericksburg. The Audi gets at least as good of mileage as the Texas Mazda did. Our first stop was the ACE. I needed to get a screw to replace the hinge screw I broke yesterday. It turned out to be a weird size. They had one, but there was no way Lowe's or Home Depot would have them. We also ended up buying paint, plumbing stuff, caulk, and a door jamb also.
When we were done there we went into town. It was almost noon when we parked and started walking through the town. We stopped at a few stores and we made some purchases - a cowhide, some summer shoes, and some barn hardware. Everyone got hungry by one, so we went to a German restaurant for lunch. After lunch it was more shopping and a stop at the ice cream shop.
On the way back we stopped at the Texas Ranger's memorial and the adjacent fort. John found it really cool and we walked around there for over an hour. We stopped at HEB on the way home for bread, milk, and lottery tickets.
When we got home no one was hungry, so we skipped dinner in favor of some snacks. Then we watched a Grand Tour episode. Everyone was tired, so we went to bed early.
We made good time and good gas mileage to Fredericksburg. The Audi gets at least as good of mileage as the Texas Mazda did. Our first stop was the ACE. I needed to get a screw to replace the hinge screw I broke yesterday. It turned out to be a weird size. They had one, but there was no way Lowe's or Home Depot would have them. We also ended up buying paint, plumbing stuff, caulk, and a door jamb also.
When we were done there we went into town. It was almost noon when we parked and started walking through the town. We stopped at a few stores and we made some purchases - a cowhide, some summer shoes, and some barn hardware. Everyone got hungry by one, so we went to a German restaurant for lunch. After lunch it was more shopping and a stop at the ice cream shop.
On the way back we stopped at the Texas Ranger's memorial and the adjacent fort. John found it really cool and we walked around there for over an hour. We stopped at HEB on the way home for bread, milk, and lottery tickets.
When we got home no one was hungry, so we skipped dinner in favor of some snacks. Then we watched a Grand Tour episode. Everyone was tired, so we went to bed early.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Day 813
We got another semi-late start with get up, pet stuff, and breakfast done by 9:15. We went over to the apartment. Ellen and I were going to start on the water faucet, by John wanted to get involved. After taking it apart he concluded that the parts that the guy sold me yesterday wouldn't work. At that point I made an executive decision to shit can the whole thing. I went back to the house and ordered a new one on Amazon. I also got a new clock movement for the clock that died in the kitchen.
For awhile I was sort of a fifth wheel. Ellen was helping John and Melissa lay the floor. So I did a few small things like garbage and wiring a new battery holder on the water filter. After lunch things got busy.
The front door scraped the floor after it was installed because the concrete wasn't flat. So we removed the door and I used an angle grinder to grind off the bottom. When I was finished I repainted the bottom of the door and we rehung it.
John and Melissa were having slow going because it was difficult to cut the pieces around the corner molding and the door jambs. Once they got past that things went much faster. Ellen had to leave to teach, so I took over sawing boards. We made really good progress. By the end of the day there were only three lines of boards left to lay. Unfortunately their measurements were a little off and the last row will require a lot of sawing and gluing.
We're going to need some more floor molding to finish the living room. I'll be buying that in a day or two. They want to go to Fredericksburg tomorrow, so we won't be working then.
For awhile I was sort of a fifth wheel. Ellen was helping John and Melissa lay the floor. So I did a few small things like garbage and wiring a new battery holder on the water filter. After lunch things got busy.
The front door scraped the floor after it was installed because the concrete wasn't flat. So we removed the door and I used an angle grinder to grind off the bottom. When I was finished I repainted the bottom of the door and we rehung it.
John and Melissa were having slow going because it was difficult to cut the pieces around the corner molding and the door jambs. Once they got past that things went much faster. Ellen had to leave to teach, so I took over sawing boards. We made really good progress. By the end of the day there were only three lines of boards left to lay. Unfortunately their measurements were a little off and the last row will require a lot of sawing and gluing.
We're going to need some more floor molding to finish the living room. I'll be buying that in a day or two. They want to go to Fredericksburg tomorrow, so we won't be working then.
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Day 812
We were a little late after 9.getting up and didn't have the pet stuff and breakfast done until after 9. Then we went to the apartment.
John and Melissa wanted the living room cleared, so I started on that. They finished up the kitchen doing the bottom of the cabinets and the rest of the floor molding. Ellen helped them.
I got done with the living room and took out all of the garbage and recycling. I also put a cover on the hole I'd punched in the wall for the new TV antenna lead in the living room. The final thing I did was put a lever door handle on the door to the garage. The damn thing was supposed to come yesterday. Instead it came to late to help while I was moving things to the garage.
John didn't want to work past noon, so we went to lunch at Hopdoddy's. Then we walked up and down south Congress for awhile. After that we went to the Texas museum. The final stop was the toy store downtown. We also stopped at the yuppie grocery to get some shrimp.
It was after 6 when we got home. Dinner was late, almost 7:15. We watched the Tarheels lose while we waited.
After dinner we talked for awhile and then they went back to the apartment. I watched some TV - For a Few Dollars More. At first I thought they'd enhanced the movie quality. Then I realized it was just the new TV is so great.
John and Melissa wanted the living room cleared, so I started on that. They finished up the kitchen doing the bottom of the cabinets and the rest of the floor molding. Ellen helped them.
I got done with the living room and took out all of the garbage and recycling. I also put a cover on the hole I'd punched in the wall for the new TV antenna lead in the living room. The final thing I did was put a lever door handle on the door to the garage. The damn thing was supposed to come yesterday. Instead it came to late to help while I was moving things to the garage.
John didn't want to work past noon, so we went to lunch at Hopdoddy's. Then we walked up and down south Congress for awhile. After that we went to the Texas museum. The final stop was the toy store downtown. We also stopped at the yuppie grocery to get some shrimp.
It was after 6 when we got home. Dinner was late, almost 7:15. We watched the Tarheels lose while we waited.
After dinner we talked for awhile and then they went back to the apartment. I watched some TV - For a Few Dollars More. At first I thought they'd enhanced the movie quality. Then I realized it was just the new TV is so great.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Day 811
We got up at 8:30 again, did the pet stuff, and had breakfast. I went to the apartment at 9. Ellen stayed at the house to do washing. There wasn't much for me to do, as John and Melissa were busy figuring out how to cut boards for the hallways (the hard part). I did help clear part of the living room so it will be ready for flooring. They needed a door threshold and we still needed plumbing pieces, so I made a list and went off.
My first stop was a plumbing place near 35 and 290. They had what I needed. Then I went to Lowe's to get the door threshold. I got that and a couple of other items. I also went to Home Depot to look at thresholds, but didn't buy any. The last stops were the post office and HEB.
When I got back John and Melissa were waiting for the threshold. I gave it to them and then ate lunch.
After lunch I tackled the plumbing. I connected up the water line and then I did the drain pipe (after some consulting with John). When I tested it, two of the water connections leaked. I fixed one, but the other dumped so much water that I don't want to crawl under the sink until tomorrow. It was 5 anyway.
While I was doing that, John and Melissa finished the kitchen, did part of the floor boards, and got a lot of the hallway done. It doesn't sound like much, but it was a lot of work.
While we were doing that, Ellen finished the wash and took down the Christmas tree.
After dinner we watched a movie, and then a couple of episodes of Grand Tour.
My first stop was a plumbing place near 35 and 290. They had what I needed. Then I went to Lowe's to get the door threshold. I got that and a couple of other items. I also went to Home Depot to look at thresholds, but didn't buy any. The last stops were the post office and HEB.
When I got back John and Melissa were waiting for the threshold. I gave it to them and then ate lunch.
After lunch I tackled the plumbing. I connected up the water line and then I did the drain pipe (after some consulting with John). When I tested it, two of the water connections leaked. I fixed one, but the other dumped so much water that I don't want to crawl under the sink until tomorrow. It was 5 anyway.
While I was doing that, John and Melissa finished the kitchen, did part of the floor boards, and got a lot of the hallway done. It doesn't sound like much, but it was a lot of work.
While we were doing that, Ellen finished the wash and took down the Christmas tree.
After dinner we watched a movie, and then a couple of episodes of Grand Tour.
Monday, January 1, 2018
Day 810
We got up at 8:30, did pet stuff and breakfast. We were at the apartment by a little after 9. John and Melissa were just starting.
I cleaned up my workbench and the floor. It was really dirty after all the work I did there yesterday. Then I used the Dremel to shape the laminate I glued on to the end of the counter, it came out nice.
John wanted some plumbing parts and needed some multi-tool blades. So I went to Lowes. I got talking to the plumbing expert. He said that the water filter and hot water dispenser makers purposely use non-standard parts. He also said changing our water heater may fix the stinking water.
When I got back Ellen and I helped them lay flooring as best we could. I did some demo and worked a little on the plumbing. Ellen unpacked boards and used the chop saw. John and Melissa worked really hard.
By 5 the kitchen was done except for a couple of pieces and there was a start on the hallway. We quit for dinner (I went out for pizza). After dinner it was football - college playoff games.
I cleaned up my workbench and the floor. It was really dirty after all the work I did there yesterday. Then I used the Dremel to shape the laminate I glued on to the end of the counter, it came out nice.
John wanted some plumbing parts and needed some multi-tool blades. So I went to Lowes. I got talking to the plumbing expert. He said that the water filter and hot water dispenser makers purposely use non-standard parts. He also said changing our water heater may fix the stinking water.
When I got back Ellen and I helped them lay flooring as best we could. I did some demo and worked a little on the plumbing. Ellen unpacked boards and used the chop saw. John and Melissa worked really hard.
By 5 the kitchen was done except for a couple of pieces and there was a start on the hallway. We quit for dinner (I went out for pizza). After dinner it was football - college playoff games.
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