We got up at 8, did the pet stuff and had breakfast. John and Melissa came over at 9 to grout the tile.
They started off in the small bathroom. There isn't room for 4 people in there, so I didn't contribute much except to fetch some tools. When they moved to the master bath I still didn't have anything to do. I just stood in the background in case I was needed - I wasn't. My only real contribution was to tape up the metal, countertop, and plastic.
I did some cleanup after they were finished. Then I helped them load their van. They sure had a lot of stuff. We said our good byes and they left about 12:30. I was sad to see them go. I'm going to miss having them around. The next few weeks will be a little lonely.
After they left I put the rest of the tools away while Ellen cleaned the guest bath. We'd used the bathtub to store tools and stuff for this whole process. It was filthy. Then I got out all of the light bulbs that we had had under the sink. I separated out the ones we don't use and consolidated half empty packages. Unfortunately when I tried to put them under the sink the container wouldn't fit anymore because the new p-trap is lower than the old one.
We made a shopping list and went out. We stopped at Lowe's for some items. They had one of the Gorilla garden carts I wanted. The years of overloading have destroyed the one I have. They only had the display model left, so I decided to buy it even though we were driving the truck. When I got it to the car I had to remove the wheels to get it in the back. Even then it barely fit. Lucy was not amused.
Lowe's didn't have a new bin for the light bulbs, so we went to Home Depot. They didn't have one either. We bought groceries at HEB and stopped at the post office. By then it was after 3 and time to get home so Ellen could go to Hog Heaven. We hadn't eaten lunch yet, so we both made sandwiches.
I went out to the garage when Ellen left and put the handle from the old garden cart on the new one. The old handle had a tow connection and the new one didn't. Then I used the grinder to turn down the diameter of a piece of plastic pipe so I could attach the new hose to the small shop vac.
The temperature got warmer from the time John and Melissa left until about 6. It was low 50's during the day and 62 by 6 o'clock.
The evening was TV and some surfing. "Dinner" was some salad, cheese, and crackers.
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Day 1187
We got up about 8:30, had breakfast and did the pet stuff. Then we surfed until John and Melissa came over at 10. They worked with Ellen to put up the tile in the master bath. I felt like a fifth wheel. There was nothing for me to do.
It turned out that we had bought the wrong size tile spacers yesterday. Melissa had been using toothpicks. I was a little pissed, since I could have easily gone out and got the right ones. When I found out about it I went to ACE to get the right size. They didn't have them, so I ended up at Home Depot in Dripping Springs.
That was the sum total of my contributions today. I basically surfed while they worked. It took them until about 2 to finish. Then we loaded up some stuff from the play house into their van and they drove up to take it to Isaac. While they were gone I put all of the tools away.
After that it was more surfing. John and Melissa bought steak for dinner. By the time it was cooked it was after 7. It was a good meal though. We talked while it was cooking and afterwards. They are going to start us off with the grout tomorrow and then leave for Dallas. I'm really sad to see them go, but John is really worried about the affect of the cold on their house.
After dinner Melissa went back to the apartment. John and I watched car shows. It's not going to be as much fun here with them gone.
It turned out that we had bought the wrong size tile spacers yesterday. Melissa had been using toothpicks. I was a little pissed, since I could have easily gone out and got the right ones. When I found out about it I went to ACE to get the right size. They didn't have them, so I ended up at Home Depot in Dripping Springs.
That was the sum total of my contributions today. I basically surfed while they worked. It took them until about 2 to finish. Then we loaded up some stuff from the play house into their van and they drove up to take it to Isaac. While they were gone I put all of the tools away.
After that it was more surfing. John and Melissa bought steak for dinner. By the time it was cooked it was after 7. It was a good meal though. We talked while it was cooking and afterwards. They are going to start us off with the grout tomorrow and then leave for Dallas. I'm really sad to see them go, but John is really worried about the affect of the cold on their house.
After dinner Melissa went back to the apartment. John and I watched car shows. It's not going to be as much fun here with them gone.
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Day 1186
We woke up about 8 and screwed around in bed until about 8:45. Then we got up, did the pet stuff, and had breakfast. We had left the cabinets under the bathroom sinks empty in case there were leaks. It was a good thing we did. There was a little pool of water under Ellen's sink. I got under it and determined that it was coming from the threads on the down spout.
While I was taking the drain apart the tile place called. The tile would be ready for pick up at 2. John and Melissa had just come over. It was 11:30, so I stopped work on the drain and we left for the Oasis.
We had a great lunch at the Oasis, and I had my Mango margarita. We ddin't set outside because it was 50 degrees ans pretty windy. The view was great though.
When we finished lunch Melissa wanted coffee. So we stopped at a coffee shop. There was a pet store nearby, so after coffee Lucy got a treat there. We picked up the tile at the warehouse. We also got grout there, too. The guy at the warehouse was much more capable than the guy at the showroom.
The last stop was Home Depot we got several things for installing the tile. I also got a Texas flag plastic bucket.
Melissa was hot to get started on the tile when we got home. She started laying out the tile for the small bathroom as soon as we brought everything inside. John and I went to the garage to get set up to cut the tile with an angle grinder. That took some time because I had to use the Dremel to grind out the hole in a washer to make it fit the grinder. Then John started cutting and I puttered around the shop.
At 5 I took the dog to the mailbox. After that I didn't have anything to do while the other three worked in the small bath. So I surfed and looked for cat names. I'd like to use a Thai name, but the pronunciation is really difficult.
John, Melissa, and Ellen worked on the guest bathroom until after 7. They got the tile set in the guest bathroom and some of the tile cut for the master bath. Then they decided to quit. I got out every bit of leftovers that I could find in the refrigerator. We had pizza, pork chop, brisket, salmon, lamb, and cheese. Everyone picked what they want. Delssert was rum balls that had migrated to the back of the refrigerator and been forgotten.
After dinner Melissa went back to the apartment. John stayed and watched car shows.
While I was taking the drain apart the tile place called. The tile would be ready for pick up at 2. John and Melissa had just come over. It was 11:30, so I stopped work on the drain and we left for the Oasis.
We had a great lunch at the Oasis, and I had my Mango margarita. We ddin't set outside because it was 50 degrees ans pretty windy. The view was great though.
When we finished lunch Melissa wanted coffee. So we stopped at a coffee shop. There was a pet store nearby, so after coffee Lucy got a treat there. We picked up the tile at the warehouse. We also got grout there, too. The guy at the warehouse was much more capable than the guy at the showroom.
The last stop was Home Depot we got several things for installing the tile. I also got a Texas flag plastic bucket.
Melissa was hot to get started on the tile when we got home. She started laying out the tile for the small bathroom as soon as we brought everything inside. John and I went to the garage to get set up to cut the tile with an angle grinder. That took some time because I had to use the Dremel to grind out the hole in a washer to make it fit the grinder. Then John started cutting and I puttered around the shop.
At 5 I took the dog to the mailbox. After that I didn't have anything to do while the other three worked in the small bath. So I surfed and looked for cat names. I'd like to use a Thai name, but the pronunciation is really difficult.
John, Melissa, and Ellen worked on the guest bathroom until after 7. They got the tile set in the guest bathroom and some of the tile cut for the master bath. Then they decided to quit. I got out every bit of leftovers that I could find in the refrigerator. We had pizza, pork chop, brisket, salmon, lamb, and cheese. Everyone picked what they want. Delssert was rum balls that had migrated to the back of the refrigerator and been forgotten.
After dinner Melissa went back to the apartment. John stayed and watched car shows.
Monday, January 28, 2019
Day 1185
WE woke up fairly early, but stayed in bed surfing until about 9. Then we got up, did the pet stuff, and had breakfast. John and Melissa are gone, so we brought Reggie to the house. Devon was happy to see him and they played a bit. After that I started on some loose end tasks. I went out to the apartment to get a new air filter. I also figured out what I needed to fit my estate sale hose to the old shop vac.
I went back inside and replaced the air filter. That's when I remembered the one in the bedroom. It's never been changed. I opened the vent to get the size. I also got some liquid nails and reattached one of the plastic bag holder mounts. Then I went outside and loaded the old sinks, a floor lamp, and some other stuff into the truck. We put Reggie back in the apartment and left for Restore.
We dropped the sinks at Restore. I also picked up a short piece of pipe for the vacuum. I wanted a pipe for the windmill tail, but they didn't have anything. We left there and drove down 1st to Riverside. It was almost 1, so we stopped at the hamburger stand for lunch. After lunch we went to the dog park. We parked at the south end and walked all around the park. It's the first time we've been at that end in a long time.
Lucy did a grand total of 4 retrieves before she decided that was enough. At the end of the walk we were by the creek. Lucy took off, pretending she didn't hear me. I had to chase her for several hundred yards before I got her to come back. I was not happy. I loaded her into the truck and we went to Trader Joe's. Bought a bottle of the cheap red wine.
Then we went to Home Depot. I got another tube of Liquid nails to replace the one I used up today. I also got both sizes of air filter. I was going to get a new garden cart, but they seemed to be too expensive. The last stops were the post office and Goodwill. I left off the lamp and stuff at Goodwill and bought 3 wine glasses to replace the ones Devon has been breaking.
When we got home I unloaded everything. It was 4 and I didn't feel like doing anything else, so I didn't. Instead I surfed until dinner. Dinner was leftover pizza and salad. After dinner was a movie and some more car shows.
I went back inside and replaced the air filter. That's when I remembered the one in the bedroom. It's never been changed. I opened the vent to get the size. I also got some liquid nails and reattached one of the plastic bag holder mounts. Then I went outside and loaded the old sinks, a floor lamp, and some other stuff into the truck. We put Reggie back in the apartment and left for Restore.
We dropped the sinks at Restore. I also picked up a short piece of pipe for the vacuum. I wanted a pipe for the windmill tail, but they didn't have anything. We left there and drove down 1st to Riverside. It was almost 1, so we stopped at the hamburger stand for lunch. After lunch we went to the dog park. We parked at the south end and walked all around the park. It's the first time we've been at that end in a long time.
Lucy did a grand total of 4 retrieves before she decided that was enough. At the end of the walk we were by the creek. Lucy took off, pretending she didn't hear me. I had to chase her for several hundred yards before I got her to come back. I was not happy. I loaded her into the truck and we went to Trader Joe's. Bought a bottle of the cheap red wine.
Then we went to Home Depot. I got another tube of Liquid nails to replace the one I used up today. I also got both sizes of air filter. I was going to get a new garden cart, but they seemed to be too expensive. The last stops were the post office and Goodwill. I left off the lamp and stuff at Goodwill and bought 3 wine glasses to replace the ones Devon has been breaking.
When we got home I unloaded everything. It was 4 and I didn't feel like doing anything else, so I didn't. Instead I surfed until dinner. Dinner was leftover pizza and salad. After dinner was a movie and some more car shows.
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Day 1184
We got up about 8:30. Ellen said she and Melissa wanted to make breakfast, so it was just pet stuff. I started the cleanup while Ellen cooked and we waited for John and Melissa to show up. I collected all of the tools and put them on the hall bench. I just got finished with when John and Melissa got here.
Breakfast was bacon and waffles. It was good. Both Devon and Lucy liked their bacon tributes. When it was finished I began to clean the bathrooms. Somehow the Glass Plus has disappeared, so I had to get the bottle in the trailer. I used it to clean both mirrors and the lights. I also wiped down all of the horizontal surfaces like door frames and picture frames.
After that I took all of the tools back to the garage and put them away. That took about an hour. Somewhere during the morning I took three loads of stuff to the garbage. While I was doing that Ellen was mopping the bathroom floors and dusting the master bedroom. Then she painted the new sheetrock in both bathrooms.
All of that and a little surfing took us to about noon. John and Melissa left for Home Depot to get some painting supplies for Isaac's table. When they got back Melissa used them to do some painting. I helped John load the bookcase into the van to take to Isaac. They wanted to meet us at a park in Round Rock.
Ellen and Melissa finished about the same time. It was a really nice day, so we decided to drive north to a restaurant on Parmer with a dog friendly patio. It was really a bar with a pizza place next door that served the food. It was weird, but worked. We stayed there for about an hour and then met Isaac and his girlfriend at a park about 5 miles away.
The park was nice. It ws pretty big and was just up stream from a dam which provided it a lake. We walked along the lake and over the dam. Then we turned around and went back. Lucy had to be on a leash, but she still enjoyed herself. When that was done we drove to Isaac's place in Round Rock. It was 10 miles away over toll roads.
When we got there we waited for everyone else to arrive. It wasn't a long wait. Then Isaac, John, and I carried the bookcase upstairs to their apartment.
We wanted a dog friendly place for dinner. I looked on Google and there was a place about .7 miles away. It turned out to be this weird wine store/hamburger place in a gas station. The food was OK, but expensive. The sun was going down, so it was getting cold.
We finished a little after 6. We stopped at HEB for bananas and the post office on the way home. We got home about 7:30. Then it was feed the pets, TV, and surfing for the rest of the evening.
Breakfast was bacon and waffles. It was good. Both Devon and Lucy liked their bacon tributes. When it was finished I began to clean the bathrooms. Somehow the Glass Plus has disappeared, so I had to get the bottle in the trailer. I used it to clean both mirrors and the lights. I also wiped down all of the horizontal surfaces like door frames and picture frames.
After that I took all of the tools back to the garage and put them away. That took about an hour. Somewhere during the morning I took three loads of stuff to the garbage. While I was doing that Ellen was mopping the bathroom floors and dusting the master bedroom. Then she painted the new sheetrock in both bathrooms.
All of that and a little surfing took us to about noon. John and Melissa left for Home Depot to get some painting supplies for Isaac's table. When they got back Melissa used them to do some painting. I helped John load the bookcase into the van to take to Isaac. They wanted to meet us at a park in Round Rock.
Ellen and Melissa finished about the same time. It was a really nice day, so we decided to drive north to a restaurant on Parmer with a dog friendly patio. It was really a bar with a pizza place next door that served the food. It was weird, but worked. We stayed there for about an hour and then met Isaac and his girlfriend at a park about 5 miles away.
The park was nice. It ws pretty big and was just up stream from a dam which provided it a lake. We walked along the lake and over the dam. Then we turned around and went back. Lucy had to be on a leash, but she still enjoyed herself. When that was done we drove to Isaac's place in Round Rock. It was 10 miles away over toll roads.
When we got there we waited for everyone else to arrive. It wasn't a long wait. Then Isaac, John, and I carried the bookcase upstairs to their apartment.
We wanted a dog friendly place for dinner. I looked on Google and there was a place about .7 miles away. It turned out to be this weird wine store/hamburger place in a gas station. The food was OK, but expensive. The sun was going down, so it was getting cold.
We finished a little after 6. We stopped at HEB for bananas and the post office on the way home. We got home about 7:30. Then it was feed the pets, TV, and surfing for the rest of the evening.
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Day 1183
I woke up at 7:30. That was way too early to get up, so I dozed for about an hour. Then it was get up, do pet stuff, and have breakfast.
Today was supposed to be an easy day - spend two hours or so putting in the faucets. That ddin't happen. I started working on the right sink in the master bath. I got the spout in pretty easily. The valves were a bitch. I had to go to Harbor Freight to get tools to do it. John came over when I got back. Together we fought the two valves into place and hooked up the transfer hoses.
The next step was the drain. It turned out that I'd bought the wrong p-traps. So off to ACE to buy three new parts for the wall extension. While I was doing that John put in the valves for the other two sinks.
By then it was almost 1. We stopped for lunch. It was leftovers from our trip to County Line. When we were done John continued to work on the guest room sink. I measured out the drain pipe for the first sink and installed it. Then we got together again and I hooked up the sink stopper control. It didn't go well. The rod interfered with the transfer lines. It took a lot of work to get it to operate.
Then I hooked up the supply lines. When we turned on the water the sink leaked at the plug. I had to take the drain apart so John could put some sealant on it. The final problem was the hot water valve. It leaked a lot until we got it fully opened. That took using a wrench just like closing it did on Thursday. Finally, one sink was done.
The left sink in the master went a little better because we'd learned from the first. Instead of following the directions we re-positioned the transfer lines so they didn't interfere as much with the stopper lever. I was quicker in putting together the drain. Unfortunately the supply lines fought us. It took a lot of time to get them installed. Part of the problem was it was almost 5 and both John and I were getting really tired. At least nothing leaked when we turned on the water.
We moved all the tools to the guest bathroom and started to complete the sink. Because it had the AC drain it turned out that we needed another part. I went off to ACE again. By then it was raining. I got the part and some Girl Scout cookies. I felt sorry for them standing in the rain.
When i got home I really didn't want to work on sinks anymore. However, I wanted to get finished more. It took awhile to put the drain together because it was more complicated. The drain rod actually went in fairly easily. The supply lines were a bitch. They were ones I found in the garage. The large connectors were smaller then the ones from the master bath. We didn't have a tool that would work. It took a lot of time to fight them into place. It all worked perfectly when we turned it on though.
By then it was 7 and we were wiped out. Ellen fixed pizzas on the Traeger for dinner. After dinner we talked and watched car shows for awhile. John and Melissa left a little early.
Today was supposed to be an easy day - spend two hours or so putting in the faucets. That ddin't happen. I started working on the right sink in the master bath. I got the spout in pretty easily. The valves were a bitch. I had to go to Harbor Freight to get tools to do it. John came over when I got back. Together we fought the two valves into place and hooked up the transfer hoses.
The next step was the drain. It turned out that I'd bought the wrong p-traps. So off to ACE to buy three new parts for the wall extension. While I was doing that John put in the valves for the other two sinks.
By then it was almost 1. We stopped for lunch. It was leftovers from our trip to County Line. When we were done John continued to work on the guest room sink. I measured out the drain pipe for the first sink and installed it. Then we got together again and I hooked up the sink stopper control. It didn't go well. The rod interfered with the transfer lines. It took a lot of work to get it to operate.
Then I hooked up the supply lines. When we turned on the water the sink leaked at the plug. I had to take the drain apart so John could put some sealant on it. The final problem was the hot water valve. It leaked a lot until we got it fully opened. That took using a wrench just like closing it did on Thursday. Finally, one sink was done.
The left sink in the master went a little better because we'd learned from the first. Instead of following the directions we re-positioned the transfer lines so they didn't interfere as much with the stopper lever. I was quicker in putting together the drain. Unfortunately the supply lines fought us. It took a lot of time to get them installed. Part of the problem was it was almost 5 and both John and I were getting really tired. At least nothing leaked when we turned on the water.
We moved all the tools to the guest bathroom and started to complete the sink. Because it had the AC drain it turned out that we needed another part. I went off to ACE again. By then it was raining. I got the part and some Girl Scout cookies. I felt sorry for them standing in the rain.
When i got home I really didn't want to work on sinks anymore. However, I wanted to get finished more. It took awhile to put the drain together because it was more complicated. The drain rod actually went in fairly easily. The supply lines were a bitch. They were ones I found in the garage. The large connectors were smaller then the ones from the master bath. We didn't have a tool that would work. It took a lot of time to fight them into place. It all worked perfectly when we turned it on though.
By then it was 7 and we were wiped out. Ellen fixed pizzas on the Traeger for dinner. After dinner we talked and watched car shows for awhile. John and Melissa left a little early.
Friday, January 25, 2019
Day 1182
We got up at 8 again today. We got up, did the pet stuff, had breakfast, and cleared off the master bath counter. John and Melissa showed up at 8:30 to finish the sheet rock. They worked for a couple of hours on it. Then they had to wait for things to dry.
While they were doing that I took out one of the faucets to figure out how to install it. It turns out that the down spout was smaller than the p-trap pipe. I decided to wait until John was finished to talk to him about it. When he was done we both used the internet to discover that we needed adapter rings.
We surfed for awhile more and then I went to ACE to get the rings. It was almost noon, so I bought donuts for John and Hate Chicken for everyone. We ate it when I got back.
After lunch there was a little more surfing, then John and Melissa did the last bit of work. John came back to surf. Melissa couldn't stand it and went around dusting. The whole house is dusty. When she was finished John and Melissa went back to the apartment.
Ellen had called the tile guy early in the day. He said he'd check on the tile delivery and would call back, of course he didn't. So she called him and got a run around. I was pissed. The counter people were late, so I wasn't happy about that either. So I called the tile guy and told him that we'd be coming in on Monday to get a refund (it was too late to go today). Ellen called the counter people. they were still coming, but they were two hours late.
A little later the tile guy called and said he'd have the tile here on Tuesday. We OK'd it, but John and Melissa had planned on leaving on Sunday. They aren't too upset though because there's a snow storm coming.
The counter guys showed up about 4:30 and went to work. They were really fast. They were done in a little over an hour and di a great job. Jon and Melissa came over to watch, which was good. The master counter needed a little fine tuning that they OK'd when the installer asked.
It was dinner time when the counter guys were finished. Ellen and Melissa were really hungry, so that was the end of work for the day. Dinner was smoked salmon and stroganoff.
After dinner was car shows. John and Melissa went home early. Ellen and I fell asleep watching TV. When we woke up we went to bed.
While they were doing that I took out one of the faucets to figure out how to install it. It turns out that the down spout was smaller than the p-trap pipe. I decided to wait until John was finished to talk to him about it. When he was done we both used the internet to discover that we needed adapter rings.
We surfed for awhile more and then I went to ACE to get the rings. It was almost noon, so I bought donuts for John and Hate Chicken for everyone. We ate it when I got back.
After lunch there was a little more surfing, then John and Melissa did the last bit of work. John came back to surf. Melissa couldn't stand it and went around dusting. The whole house is dusty. When she was finished John and Melissa went back to the apartment.
Ellen had called the tile guy early in the day. He said he'd check on the tile delivery and would call back, of course he didn't. So she called him and got a run around. I was pissed. The counter people were late, so I wasn't happy about that either. So I called the tile guy and told him that we'd be coming in on Monday to get a refund (it was too late to go today). Ellen called the counter people. they were still coming, but they were two hours late.
A little later the tile guy called and said he'd have the tile here on Tuesday. We OK'd it, but John and Melissa had planned on leaving on Sunday. They aren't too upset though because there's a snow storm coming.
The counter guys showed up about 4:30 and went to work. They were really fast. They were done in a little over an hour and di a great job. Jon and Melissa came over to watch, which was good. The master counter needed a little fine tuning that they OK'd when the installer asked.
It was dinner time when the counter guys were finished. Ellen and Melissa were really hungry, so that was the end of work for the day. Dinner was smoked salmon and stroganoff.
After dinner was car shows. John and Melissa went home early. Ellen and I fell asleep watching TV. When we woke up we went to bed.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Day 1181
It was up again at 8 for pet stuff and breakfast. Then I removed the rest of the tile from the master bath. Ellen started in on sanding the rest of the counter.
John came in about 9 and started to work on the sheet rock. That left me with nothing to do for awhile, so I cleaned the sheet rock dust off the garage floor and took the remaining sheet rock pieces to the storage shed. There wasn't a lot left.
When John finished with the guest bath I removed the sink. It came out very easy. The valves didn't leak, but I capped them anyway. Since it was broken, I threw the sink in the garbage. Between that and the broken tile that can is really heavy. Then it was a little more down time while everyone finished with the master bath.
The sinks in the master bath required two of us. The cold valves closed easily, but the hot valves wouldn't budge. I had to hold the valves with a wrench while John turned them with another. It took a lot of pressure to close them. Even with that, none of the valves leaked when they were closed. I capped them anyway.
After that there wasn't anything for anyone to do until the sheet rock dried. I decided to take a look at one of the faucets. It's a good thing I did. It was a Rube Goldberg design with a bunch of unnecessary parts that could only leak over time. To make it worse, it was designed to have a very low water flow.
We decided to return them. Ellen filled out the Amazon forms. We needed to take it to a place we thought was downtown near UT. So we all got in the car to go there and other places.
The Amazon place turned out to be in the middle of the UT campus. You couldn't drive there because the streets were blocked. Also, we got there at noon and half the student body was walking around. We had to wait 10 minutes at a crosswalk for a gap so we could get across it. We had to drop John off with the package and park down the block. We were really lucky to find the place.
When John came back we drove to an estate sale near Far West. They were working on loop 1 in 2 places along the way, which made it a slow trip. There wasn't a lot of interest at the sale. It opened yesterday and was pretty picked over. I did buy some yard art cheap.
The next stop was County Line for lunch. It was sunny, 64, and we sat outside on the enclosed deck. The food was great and so was the place.
After that we drove back to Home Depot. We stopped at the wine store on the way so John and Melissa could replenish their supply. We bought some plumbing supplies and three new faucets at Home Depot. we made sure that they weren't designed as stupidly as the ones from Amazon.
The last stop was the post office. There were two really large boxes there. I had to take the stuff out of the boxes in order to fit them in the car. As it was, everyone got a faucet to hold on the way home.
When we got home I unpacked the gun cases to make sure they were the right ones. Then I hauled all of the cardboard to the can and took the dog to the mailbox. John and Melissa worked on phase 2 of the sheet rock while that was happening.
After that Ellen and I were done. Melissa and John worked for more than an hour more on the sheet rock. We should be completely ready for the counters tomorrow.
We're not sure what's going on with the tile. Ellen called the guy and he said the shipment had been lost. He was supposed to get it reshipped today, but he didn't call us back.
Dinner was a little late and left overs. After dinner was TV.
John came in about 9 and started to work on the sheet rock. That left me with nothing to do for awhile, so I cleaned the sheet rock dust off the garage floor and took the remaining sheet rock pieces to the storage shed. There wasn't a lot left.
When John finished with the guest bath I removed the sink. It came out very easy. The valves didn't leak, but I capped them anyway. Since it was broken, I threw the sink in the garbage. Between that and the broken tile that can is really heavy. Then it was a little more down time while everyone finished with the master bath.
The sinks in the master bath required two of us. The cold valves closed easily, but the hot valves wouldn't budge. I had to hold the valves with a wrench while John turned them with another. It took a lot of pressure to close them. Even with that, none of the valves leaked when they were closed. I capped them anyway.
After that there wasn't anything for anyone to do until the sheet rock dried. I decided to take a look at one of the faucets. It's a good thing I did. It was a Rube Goldberg design with a bunch of unnecessary parts that could only leak over time. To make it worse, it was designed to have a very low water flow.
We decided to return them. Ellen filled out the Amazon forms. We needed to take it to a place we thought was downtown near UT. So we all got in the car to go there and other places.
The Amazon place turned out to be in the middle of the UT campus. You couldn't drive there because the streets were blocked. Also, we got there at noon and half the student body was walking around. We had to wait 10 minutes at a crosswalk for a gap so we could get across it. We had to drop John off with the package and park down the block. We were really lucky to find the place.
When John came back we drove to an estate sale near Far West. They were working on loop 1 in 2 places along the way, which made it a slow trip. There wasn't a lot of interest at the sale. It opened yesterday and was pretty picked over. I did buy some yard art cheap.
The next stop was County Line for lunch. It was sunny, 64, and we sat outside on the enclosed deck. The food was great and so was the place.
After that we drove back to Home Depot. We stopped at the wine store on the way so John and Melissa could replenish their supply. We bought some plumbing supplies and three new faucets at Home Depot. we made sure that they weren't designed as stupidly as the ones from Amazon.
The last stop was the post office. There were two really large boxes there. I had to take the stuff out of the boxes in order to fit them in the car. As it was, everyone got a faucet to hold on the way home.
When we got home I unpacked the gun cases to make sure they were the right ones. Then I hauled all of the cardboard to the can and took the dog to the mailbox. John and Melissa worked on phase 2 of the sheet rock while that was happening.
After that Ellen and I were done. Melissa and John worked for more than an hour more on the sheet rock. We should be completely ready for the counters tomorrow.
We're not sure what's going on with the tile. Ellen called the guy and he said the shipment had been lost. He was supposed to get it reshipped today, but he didn't call us back.
Dinner was a little late and left overs. After dinner was TV.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Day 1180
We got up at 8, did the pet stuff and had breakfast. Then I started the last minute things to get ready for the sheet rock install. I removed the tile from the back of both sinks in the master bath. That was necessary to give them access. Then I brought down the sheet rock from the storage building. That was unpleasant. The wind was blowing and it was about 35 degrees. I brought Ellen a plastic bin and she filled it with the stuff from under the sink.
By then it was nine and John and Melissa came over. The first thing we did was move the bookcase over to the garage. Apparently Isaac has decided to take it.
I didn't have much to do while John and Melissa cut away the old sheet rock. When they were done I cut some 2x4 and plywood pieces for them to use to mount the new sheet rock.
It didn't take long for mission creep to strike. Melissa decided we needed a new receptical on the right side of the master bath cabinet. So I was off to ACE to get the parts. I got some sugar donuts for John at Dunkin Donuts, too. When I got back I got some Romex out of the garage loft for the project. I found some metal water hoses for the sinks tucked away on a shelf at the same time. That will probably save us buying some.
I kept busy playing go-fer for awhile and then we decided to get lunch. I started looking at the guest sink. It had a hose connected to the drain pipe. I talked to John about it. He didn't have any ideas. Then it dawned on me that it might be the AC drain. Iwent up in the attic and it was. We have to keep it, so we need some more parts.
It was almost 1, so I got up the Hate-chicken menu and everyone chose. Then I went back to ACE for the parts and Hate-chicken for lunch. It was about 1:30 and the place was still packed.
When I got back the Amish were finishing delivering the new bookcase. When they were gone we ate lunch and took a break. Then Melissa and John went back to installing sheet rock. I rearranged the bookcase and the file cabinet. Ellen got scooter up several more levels.
John suggested lubricating the sink valves. So I emptied the area under my sink (Ellen had done hers). Then I used Kroil on all of the valves and pipe fittings.
When they finished installing the sheet rock John started mudding it and Melissa went back to the apartment. I took all of the bookcase stuff that was on the guest bed and put it in the new bookcase. It all fits pretty well. That was the end of the work for me.
I took the dog for a walk. After that it was surfing until Isaac and his girlfriend came to dinner at 6. Amazingly they were on time.
Dinner was smoked salmon and pork chops. Ellen did both on the Traeger and they were great. Isaac left soon after dinner.
Melissa went back to the apartment and John and I watched car shows.
By then it was nine and John and Melissa came over. The first thing we did was move the bookcase over to the garage. Apparently Isaac has decided to take it.
I didn't have much to do while John and Melissa cut away the old sheet rock. When they were done I cut some 2x4 and plywood pieces for them to use to mount the new sheet rock.
It didn't take long for mission creep to strike. Melissa decided we needed a new receptical on the right side of the master bath cabinet. So I was off to ACE to get the parts. I got some sugar donuts for John at Dunkin Donuts, too. When I got back I got some Romex out of the garage loft for the project. I found some metal water hoses for the sinks tucked away on a shelf at the same time. That will probably save us buying some.
I kept busy playing go-fer for awhile and then we decided to get lunch. I started looking at the guest sink. It had a hose connected to the drain pipe. I talked to John about it. He didn't have any ideas. Then it dawned on me that it might be the AC drain. Iwent up in the attic and it was. We have to keep it, so we need some more parts.
It was almost 1, so I got up the Hate-chicken menu and everyone chose. Then I went back to ACE for the parts and Hate-chicken for lunch. It was about 1:30 and the place was still packed.
When I got back the Amish were finishing delivering the new bookcase. When they were gone we ate lunch and took a break. Then Melissa and John went back to installing sheet rock. I rearranged the bookcase and the file cabinet. Ellen got scooter up several more levels.
John suggested lubricating the sink valves. So I emptied the area under my sink (Ellen had done hers). Then I used Kroil on all of the valves and pipe fittings.
When they finished installing the sheet rock John started mudding it and Melissa went back to the apartment. I took all of the bookcase stuff that was on the guest bed and put it in the new bookcase. It all fits pretty well. That was the end of the work for me.
I took the dog for a walk. After that it was surfing until Isaac and his girlfriend came to dinner at 6. Amazingly they were on time.
Dinner was smoked salmon and pork chops. Ellen did both on the Traeger and they were great. Isaac left soon after dinner.
Melissa went back to the apartment and John and I watched car shows.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Day 1179
We woke up at 8:15, but didn't get out of bed until 8:40. Then it was pet stuff and breakfast. We started removing the tile in the master bath a little after 9.
I tried to get the backsplash off without damaging the drywall, but I coiuldn't figure out how. Once the first foot or so was damaged I just started pulling the tiles off. The drywall would have to be replaced anyway. I remember the guy who did the shower saying that it would have to be replaced. He was right.
I did all of the backsplash. I managed to save most of the sheet rock on the short left side. John and Melissa may replace it anyway. Once I got about half of the backsplash under the mirror done Ellen started removing the counter tile. We are leaving the tile pieces around the sinks so we can still use the sinks.
I took over removing the counter tile when I was finished with the backsplash. Ellen started cleaning off the counter at the same time. Of course I got finished first, so I put the tools away and waited for her to finish. I'd bought a new multi-tool blade yesterday to help her, and it speeded up the process.
While we were doing the tile John and Melissa were working on the van. John got the first brake put back together and took apart the second. Then they went back to the auto parts store to get the second disc turned.
We had lunch while they were gone - sandwiches. A little after lunch the Amish called. They are delivering our bookcase tomorrow. That meant we needed to move out the old one. We took everything off the shelves and put them on the guest bed. Then I texted Lee and Isaac asking if they wanted it. Lee said no. Isaac didn't reply. So John and I will take it to Goodwill sometime tomorrow.
By then Melissa and John had been home for awhile and John had the van put back together. The left to test drive the van. Ellen an I went to the post office. I felt sorry for Lucy because she'd been ignored all day. So we stopped at Tomlinson's and bought her some treats.
John and Melissa got home later. We talked for awhile and then had dinner - lamb cooked on the Traeger. I had to leave right after to go to the board meeting. The meeting itself was boring.
When I got home everyone was watching the funny science fiction show we were watching yesterday. John and Melissa left when it was done.
We spent the rest of the evening surfing.
A note: I spent a lot of last evening and the first part of the day stressing over yesterday's call to Denney. It seemed that they want to force us out using the sewer. Today Ellen got a text saying that Dan had all of the documentation showing that it had been inspected and approved. Fuck them.
I tried to get the backsplash off without damaging the drywall, but I coiuldn't figure out how. Once the first foot or so was damaged I just started pulling the tiles off. The drywall would have to be replaced anyway. I remember the guy who did the shower saying that it would have to be replaced. He was right.
I did all of the backsplash. I managed to save most of the sheet rock on the short left side. John and Melissa may replace it anyway. Once I got about half of the backsplash under the mirror done Ellen started removing the counter tile. We are leaving the tile pieces around the sinks so we can still use the sinks.
I took over removing the counter tile when I was finished with the backsplash. Ellen started cleaning off the counter at the same time. Of course I got finished first, so I put the tools away and waited for her to finish. I'd bought a new multi-tool blade yesterday to help her, and it speeded up the process.
While we were doing the tile John and Melissa were working on the van. John got the first brake put back together and took apart the second. Then they went back to the auto parts store to get the second disc turned.
We had lunch while they were gone - sandwiches. A little after lunch the Amish called. They are delivering our bookcase tomorrow. That meant we needed to move out the old one. We took everything off the shelves and put them on the guest bed. Then I texted Lee and Isaac asking if they wanted it. Lee said no. Isaac didn't reply. So John and I will take it to Goodwill sometime tomorrow.
By then Melissa and John had been home for awhile and John had the van put back together. The left to test drive the van. Ellen an I went to the post office. I felt sorry for Lucy because she'd been ignored all day. So we stopped at Tomlinson's and bought her some treats.
John and Melissa got home later. We talked for awhile and then had dinner - lamb cooked on the Traeger. I had to leave right after to go to the board meeting. The meeting itself was boring.
When I got home everyone was watching the funny science fiction show we were watching yesterday. John and Melissa left when it was done.
We spent the rest of the evening surfing.
A note: I spent a lot of last evening and the first part of the day stressing over yesterday's call to Denney. It seemed that they want to force us out using the sewer. Today Ellen got a text saying that Dan had all of the documentation showing that it had been inspected and approved. Fuck them.
Monday, January 21, 2019
Day 1178
We got up at 7:45 today. After getting up and getting dressed I went out to open the gate for the counter people. They were supposed to show up at 8:30. They got here at 8:20.
Just before they got here Ellen decided that she wanted the bull nose tile on the master bath counter. So I was removing that while the counter guy was measuring the other bath. He has the cool laser thing that made the measurements and transferred them directly to the cutting machines. John and Melissa came over to watch.
I managed to get the tile removed and the bathroom cleaned up before the counter guy was ready. This was mainly because John and he were engaged in a lively conversation. The counter guy left about 10. Reggie and Devon had a great time playing while this was happening.
John and Melissa went back to the apartment. Ellen and I attacked the tile in the guest bath. Fortunately the tile was installed correctly, rather than glued in place. It took me over an hour to remove it with a hammer and chisel. When I was done there were still patches of thinset and tile shards. Ellen went to work with the multi-tool and hand sander. When she was done the counter top is ready for the new counter top install. The only thing left to do is replace the sheet rock I destroyed. John said that would be easy.
Ellen finished up a little after noon. John and Melissa came over and we decided to have lunch at the Cajun place. We went there and had a great lunch. Then we went to the post office followed by Harbor Freight so John could get some tools to do a brake job on Isaac's van. We stopped at Central Market to buy salmon to smoke. We ended up buying shrimp and lamb also. We also stopped at Home Depot to buy supplies for repairing the sheet rock.
When we got home John went out and removed one of the rotors on the van. I watched and fetched him tools when he needed something Then I took the dog to the mailbox while John went to an auto store to get the rotor turned.
While John was gone Melissa signed our TV into Hulu so we could watch a hilarious science fiction show about a society ruled by social media. John got home just as it ended.
Ellen fixed shrimp for dinner. We ate dinner and talked until 9.
Denney sent a text to Ellen asking her to call. The Heitlaufs are asking about the sewer at the club. Apparently they've gone as far as finding out that there's no permit filed with the county. Obviously they are trying to drive us out. She talked to Denney and told him we knew nothing. Then she called Dan and asked him to give him as little information as possible. I'm afraid this might get ugly.
Just before they got here Ellen decided that she wanted the bull nose tile on the master bath counter. So I was removing that while the counter guy was measuring the other bath. He has the cool laser thing that made the measurements and transferred them directly to the cutting machines. John and Melissa came over to watch.
I managed to get the tile removed and the bathroom cleaned up before the counter guy was ready. This was mainly because John and he were engaged in a lively conversation. The counter guy left about 10. Reggie and Devon had a great time playing while this was happening.
John and Melissa went back to the apartment. Ellen and I attacked the tile in the guest bath. Fortunately the tile was installed correctly, rather than glued in place. It took me over an hour to remove it with a hammer and chisel. When I was done there were still patches of thinset and tile shards. Ellen went to work with the multi-tool and hand sander. When she was done the counter top is ready for the new counter top install. The only thing left to do is replace the sheet rock I destroyed. John said that would be easy.
Ellen finished up a little after noon. John and Melissa came over and we decided to have lunch at the Cajun place. We went there and had a great lunch. Then we went to the post office followed by Harbor Freight so John could get some tools to do a brake job on Isaac's van. We stopped at Central Market to buy salmon to smoke. We ended up buying shrimp and lamb also. We also stopped at Home Depot to buy supplies for repairing the sheet rock.
When we got home John went out and removed one of the rotors on the van. I watched and fetched him tools when he needed something Then I took the dog to the mailbox while John went to an auto store to get the rotor turned.
While John was gone Melissa signed our TV into Hulu so we could watch a hilarious science fiction show about a society ruled by social media. John got home just as it ended.
Ellen fixed shrimp for dinner. We ate dinner and talked until 9.
Denney sent a text to Ellen asking her to call. The Heitlaufs are asking about the sewer at the club. Apparently they've gone as far as finding out that there's no permit filed with the county. Obviously they are trying to drive us out. She talked to Denney and told him we knew nothing. Then she called Dan and asked him to give him as little information as possible. I'm afraid this might get ugly.
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Day 1177
We woke up at 7:30, but surfed until 8:30. Then it was pet stuff and breakfast. After breakfast I took out some garbage and got calipers out of the garage. I measured the nuts on the bathroom sink valves. They are the same size as the 3/8" caps I bought, so I think the caps will fit.
Then I got one of the plastic truck boxes out of the apartment and cleaned it up. I put all of the stuff that was on the top of the master bathroom counter on it. It has to be clean when they come tomorrow morning (8:30) to measure it. Then it was time to remove thr grout in the master bath.
It took three hours to do the job. I wore out one of the new grout blades I bought and put some wear on a second. I also used up the 6 amp and 3 amp batteries. It's all done, though. After wards Ellen and I both cleaned the place up. Then we took a shower. We were both covered in dust. I was tired by the time we were done.
After the shower it was time for lunch and football. The timing was great. The game started just as I turned the TV on. The Rams one, which I sort of wanted.
John and Melissa got home just as the game was ending and we were having dinner. We sat and talked as well as watching the second game. Devon was happy to see Reggie. He started playing with him almost immediately.
Melissa went to take a nap about 7. She wants us to wake her up in time to watch the lunar eclipse. It's not until 11:10, so it will sort of be a late night.
Then I got one of the plastic truck boxes out of the apartment and cleaned it up. I put all of the stuff that was on the top of the master bathroom counter on it. It has to be clean when they come tomorrow morning (8:30) to measure it. Then it was time to remove thr grout in the master bath.
It took three hours to do the job. I wore out one of the new grout blades I bought and put some wear on a second. I also used up the 6 amp and 3 amp batteries. It's all done, though. After wards Ellen and I both cleaned the place up. Then we took a shower. We were both covered in dust. I was tired by the time we were done.
After the shower it was time for lunch and football. The timing was great. The game started just as I turned the TV on. The Rams one, which I sort of wanted.
John and Melissa got home just as the game was ending and we were having dinner. We sat and talked as well as watching the second game. Devon was happy to see Reggie. He started playing with him almost immediately.
Melissa went to take a nap about 7. She wants us to wake her up in time to watch the lunar eclipse. It's not until 11:10, so it will sort of be a late night.
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Day 1176
We got up at 7:20 today, did the pet stuff and had breakfast. Then we headed to Marble Falls. It was cold - 40's with 20+ mph winds. I wore a fleece shirt and my fleece sweatshirt. I needed them.
The wind was a head wind all of the way to Marble Falls. We got crappy mileage - at least a 10% reduction.
When we got to the club they were having a big two day jeep off road jamboree. There were trucks hauling built up jeeps all over. We made it through the jam up at the entrance and drove to the back of the place where the sporting clays course is.
When we registered I decided to spend an extra $23 to get a cart. It was too cold and windy to walk. The wind was so strong that at some times we had to brace ourselves when we were shooting. Neither one of us shot very well. I don't expect to. At this point my left eye is so bad that it's just luck if I hit a target from the left. The course setter did a good job though compensating for the wind. All in all it was fun, but cold.
The club fed us lunch because we pre-registered. It was a sandwich, chips, and a cookie. I thought it was good. We were going to shoot super sporting, but it was too cold. We left after lunch - it was still before noon.
We went back to Marble Falls and drove to the yard art store on the north side of town. We stopped for coffee and donuts on the way. We bought a couple of small pieces of yard art and a coll cowhide purse that Ellen can use as a computer case.
On the way home we stopped at Tractor Supply for bird seed and HEB for Rice Krispies. Ellen is going to fix marshmallow crispies for Melissa. They get back from Hawaii tomorrow.
We got home about 4. We put everything away. That took until it was time to take the dog to the mailbox. Dinner was HEB dinners, the last ones we bought the other day.
The evening was watching TV and a little surfing.
The wind was a head wind all of the way to Marble Falls. We got crappy mileage - at least a 10% reduction.
When we got to the club they were having a big two day jeep off road jamboree. There were trucks hauling built up jeeps all over. We made it through the jam up at the entrance and drove to the back of the place where the sporting clays course is.
When we registered I decided to spend an extra $23 to get a cart. It was too cold and windy to walk. The wind was so strong that at some times we had to brace ourselves when we were shooting. Neither one of us shot very well. I don't expect to. At this point my left eye is so bad that it's just luck if I hit a target from the left. The course setter did a good job though compensating for the wind. All in all it was fun, but cold.
The club fed us lunch because we pre-registered. It was a sandwich, chips, and a cookie. I thought it was good. We were going to shoot super sporting, but it was too cold. We left after lunch - it was still before noon.
We went back to Marble Falls and drove to the yard art store on the north side of town. We stopped for coffee and donuts on the way. We bought a couple of small pieces of yard art and a coll cowhide purse that Ellen can use as a computer case.
On the way home we stopped at Tractor Supply for bird seed and HEB for Rice Krispies. Ellen is going to fix marshmallow crispies for Melissa. They get back from Hawaii tomorrow.
We got home about 4. We put everything away. That took until it was time to take the dog to the mailbox. Dinner was HEB dinners, the last ones we bought the other day.
The evening was watching TV and a little surfing.
Friday, January 18, 2019
Day 1175
I woke up a little after 7, turned over and went back to sleep. I did that a couple of more times, and then surfed for awhile. I didn't get out of bed until 10. Then it was pet stuff and breakfast.
Devon is fully recovered from yesterday's dietary indiscretion. He's back to being hungry all of the time and playing with stuff. He's also getting a little more friendly. He sat on my lap while I was surfing for awhile. He also sat on the chir with me in the evening.
After breakfast I went outside and loaded the car with stuff for the shoot tomorrow. I also reinstalled the seat cover that Ellen washed a few days ago. I had to vacuum the seat and wipe it with cleaner first.
Then it was surfing until lunch (sandwich) about 2. Late rising, late lunch. Then we went to the post office, mainly for something to do. After that it was directly back home. By then it was raining lightly.
I went into the guest bathroom and removed the rest of the tiles next to the mirror. The new blades are really nice. The one I used didn't show any wear at all after I was finished.
Then it was TV. I watched a bunch of shows that were taped. It was so nice to fast forward through the commercials.
Dinner was frozen pizza. After dinner was more recorded shows with a lot of fast forwarding.
Devon is fully recovered from yesterday's dietary indiscretion. He's back to being hungry all of the time and playing with stuff. He's also getting a little more friendly. He sat on my lap while I was surfing for awhile. He also sat on the chir with me in the evening.
After breakfast I went outside and loaded the car with stuff for the shoot tomorrow. I also reinstalled the seat cover that Ellen washed a few days ago. I had to vacuum the seat and wipe it with cleaner first.
Then it was surfing until lunch (sandwich) about 2. Late rising, late lunch. Then we went to the post office, mainly for something to do. After that it was directly back home. By then it was raining lightly.
I went into the guest bathroom and removed the rest of the tiles next to the mirror. The new blades are really nice. The one I used didn't show any wear at all after I was finished.
Then it was TV. I watched a bunch of shows that were taped. It was so nice to fast forward through the commercials.
Dinner was frozen pizza. After dinner was more recorded shows with a lot of fast forwarding.
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Day 1174
The cat woke us up at 7:30 by barfing in the bedroom. It turns out that I'd left the pantry door open. He got in and gorged himself on dog food. We got up and had breakfast. Lucy ate, Devon did not.
Devon dragged ass all day. He refused to eat. He spent most of the time laying down. Occasionally he would walk around and little and meow. I suspect he'll be OK in the morning. Otherwise it will be a trip to the vet.
Ellen left about 10 to have a lesson with Gebben. After she left I took Lucy for a walk at Circle C. It was sunny and warm - about 70. After that I went to the post office. All of the new multi-tool blades I ordered came in today.
I got home after 1. I went out to the garage and cleaned up the mess I made a couple of days ago trying to figure out how to get the tile off the sheet rock. Ellen came home about the time I finished and we had lunch - sandwiches.
After lunch I cut up pieces of foam and glued them into the bottom of 27 little plastic boxes. Now Ellen can use them to hold jewelry. Then Ellen and I surfed until she left for Hog Heaven. I did a little more surfing and then took the dog to the mailbox. I fed her, but Devon wasn't interested.
Dinner was more HEB meals. After dinner was gun shows on TV.
Devon dragged ass all day. He refused to eat. He spent most of the time laying down. Occasionally he would walk around and little and meow. I suspect he'll be OK in the morning. Otherwise it will be a trip to the vet.
Ellen left about 10 to have a lesson with Gebben. After she left I took Lucy for a walk at Circle C. It was sunny and warm - about 70. After that I went to the post office. All of the new multi-tool blades I ordered came in today.
I got home after 1. I went out to the garage and cleaned up the mess I made a couple of days ago trying to figure out how to get the tile off the sheet rock. Ellen came home about the time I finished and we had lunch - sandwiches.
After lunch I cut up pieces of foam and glued them into the bottom of 27 little plastic boxes. Now Ellen can use them to hold jewelry. Then Ellen and I surfed until she left for Hog Heaven. I did a little more surfing and then took the dog to the mailbox. I fed her, but Devon wasn't interested.
Dinner was more HEB meals. After dinner was gun shows on TV.
Day 1173
We got up about 9, did the pet stuff, and had breakfast. It was cold and raining in the morning, so we just surfed. We really didn't have anything else to do. About the only thing I got accomplished was taking out the recycle and garbage.
It's been quite awhile since I sent in my ear plug for service. I asked Ellen to find the tracking number slip, but she couldn't. That meant I couldn't confirm they'd gotten it, or even when we mailed it.
Somehow the surfing extended past lunch. About 2 we decided to go out and get the mail. I also wanted to go to Harbor Freight to get a breaker bar. I also wanted to get a box of plastic containers. The one we got a few days ago was cracked. We did that, and stopped across the street at Hobby Lobby. I got some foam rubber for the plastic boxes and Ellen got some art paper.
The earplug was in the mailbox. It's kind of weird that I'd just thought about it today and it showed up. I tested it, and it works.
We stopped at HEB on the way home to buy some more of their pre-made meals. They are tasty and handy. We also stopped at Tomlinson's to get some dog cookies. We're running low and Reggie will be back next week. We run through treats fast with two dogs.
When we got home it was more surfing. Dinner was courtesy of HEB. After dinner was more surfing and TV.
It's been quite awhile since I sent in my ear plug for service. I asked Ellen to find the tracking number slip, but she couldn't. That meant I couldn't confirm they'd gotten it, or even when we mailed it.
Somehow the surfing extended past lunch. About 2 we decided to go out and get the mail. I also wanted to go to Harbor Freight to get a breaker bar. I also wanted to get a box of plastic containers. The one we got a few days ago was cracked. We did that, and stopped across the street at Hobby Lobby. I got some foam rubber for the plastic boxes and Ellen got some art paper.
The earplug was in the mailbox. It's kind of weird that I'd just thought about it today and it showed up. I tested it, and it works.
We stopped at HEB on the way home to buy some more of their pre-made meals. They are tasty and handy. We also stopped at Tomlinson's to get some dog cookies. We're running low and Reggie will be back next week. We run through treats fast with two dogs.
When we got home it was more surfing. Dinner was courtesy of HEB. After dinner was more surfing and TV.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Day 1172
We got up about 8:30, did the pet stuff and had breakfast. After a little surfing we started on the guest bathroom. I used the multi-tool with the blade we bought to remove the grout on the back splash. Then I tried to remove the tile. It didn't go well. The tile wouldn't come off the drywall like it was supposed to. I ended up destroying the drywall behind the tile. I left the top row up because it was by the mirror.
That whole effort took until after noon. We had lunch - cheese and crackers. Then I surfed. I also ordered some new blades for the multi-tool.
I kept thing about the tile. I decided to get some we'd removed out of the garbage and try to get them off the remaining drywall with damaging it. I got out the Dremel (used in every project). I tried several different bits. I finally discovered that I could weaken the tile with a metal cutoff blade and then break it off in pieces without damaging the drywall backing. It's very slow work.
I took the Dremel back the house. I used it to remove 3 of the 7 remaining tiles. By then I'd run out of both Dremel and multi-tool blades. I quit for the day.
Ellen went to Hog heaven. I surfed the rest of the afternoon. Dinner was more stuff from HEB. After dinner was surfing and TV.
That whole effort took until after noon. We had lunch - cheese and crackers. Then I surfed. I also ordered some new blades for the multi-tool.
I kept thing about the tile. I decided to get some we'd removed out of the garbage and try to get them off the remaining drywall with damaging it. I got out the Dremel (used in every project). I tried several different bits. I finally discovered that I could weaken the tile with a metal cutoff blade and then break it off in pieces without damaging the drywall backing. It's very slow work.
I took the Dremel back the house. I used it to remove 3 of the 7 remaining tiles. By then I'd run out of both Dremel and multi-tool blades. I quit for the day.
Ellen went to Hog heaven. I surfed the rest of the afternoon. Dinner was more stuff from HEB. After dinner was surfing and TV.
Day 1171
We didn't get out of bed until after 9. Then it was pet stuff and breakfast. After breakfast we left for Bee Cave and Lakeway. We turned in the tile samples at Bee Cave and then went to Home Depot in Lakeway. We turned in the grout blade we'd bought and got another that fit. Then we went to the Lakeway tile store.
We ordered the tile and talked to them about trim tiles. The guy said they didn't have much, but they did have metal. He said to try Home Depot for trim tile. So we took the sample back to Home Depot and looked. They didn't have any appropriate trim tile, but they did have metal. Better yet, we could match the color to the faucets we bought. So we bought the metal there. It was probably cheaper than the tile store anyway.
We went back and turned in the sample at the tile store. Then we stopped at the Lakeway HEB for gas. We also went inside. It's the yuppiest HEB we've ever seen. We bought dinner for a couple of days.
I stopped at the Bee Cave SportClips. I needed a haircut badly. They have an online appointment thing. Even though there was only 2 guys waiting, my wait would have been an hour and a half. I turned around and left. So did two other guys that walked in at the same time I did.
We stopped at the post office on the way to the SportClips I usually go to. It had the same thing. Three guys waiting, but my wait was over an hour. I needed a haircut really bad, so I waited. It was OK in the end, the lady who cut my hair did a good job.
It was cold all day, and we hadn't eaten lunch and it was after 2. So we stopped at the coffe place for coffee and muffins. Then we went to Best Buy to look around. We saw a compact camera we might buy. Then we went to Office Depot so Elle could get some art paper. The last stop was the pet store on William Cannon for a dog treat. They had a lady doing nail trimming there, so we had Lucy's done.
It was too late to do anything when we got home. Dinner was stuff from HEB. After dinner was mainly surfing with a little TV.
We ordered the tile and talked to them about trim tiles. The guy said they didn't have much, but they did have metal. He said to try Home Depot for trim tile. So we took the sample back to Home Depot and looked. They didn't have any appropriate trim tile, but they did have metal. Better yet, we could match the color to the faucets we bought. So we bought the metal there. It was probably cheaper than the tile store anyway.
We went back and turned in the sample at the tile store. Then we stopped at the Lakeway HEB for gas. We also went inside. It's the yuppiest HEB we've ever seen. We bought dinner for a couple of days.
I stopped at the Bee Cave SportClips. I needed a haircut badly. They have an online appointment thing. Even though there was only 2 guys waiting, my wait would have been an hour and a half. I turned around and left. So did two other guys that walked in at the same time I did.
We stopped at the post office on the way to the SportClips I usually go to. It had the same thing. Three guys waiting, but my wait was over an hour. I needed a haircut really bad, so I waited. It was OK in the end, the lady who cut my hair did a good job.
It was cold all day, and we hadn't eaten lunch and it was after 2. So we stopped at the coffe place for coffee and muffins. Then we went to Best Buy to look around. We saw a compact camera we might buy. Then we went to Office Depot so Elle could get some art paper. The last stop was the pet store on William Cannon for a dog treat. They had a lady doing nail trimming there, so we had Lucy's done.
It was too late to do anything when we got home. Dinner was stuff from HEB. After dinner was mainly surfing with a little TV.
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Day 1170
We woke up at 9 today. I stayed in bed looking at tile removal videos on Youtube. It told me how to do it, but I need some more tools. So we got up and did the pet stuff and had breakfast.
After breakfast I went out to the garage and put on the labels I made last evening. It took awhile, but the result looks a lot better than the handwritten ones. After that we left to buy tools.
Lowes had everything I wanted except one tool that I'd seen in a video. I've never seen anything like it before, so I don't know its name. I dont really need it, but it would be nice to have. I stopped at Home Depot, but they didn't have it either.
We had lunch, sandwiches, when we got home. Then I went to the garage and collected the rest of the tools I thought I'd need. I took everything to the bathroom. I tried to put the multi-tool blade I bought yesterday on the tool, but it doesn't fit. I'll have to get one that does tomorrow. I can't start removing tile until I have one.
Not having the tool put a stop to anything useful being done. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching football. After dinner it was a movie and then some surfing.
After breakfast I went out to the garage and put on the labels I made last evening. It took awhile, but the result looks a lot better than the handwritten ones. After that we left to buy tools.
Lowes had everything I wanted except one tool that I'd seen in a video. I've never seen anything like it before, so I don't know its name. I dont really need it, but it would be nice to have. I stopped at Home Depot, but they didn't have it either.
We had lunch, sandwiches, when we got home. Then I went to the garage and collected the rest of the tools I thought I'd need. I took everything to the bathroom. I tried to put the multi-tool blade I bought yesterday on the tool, but it doesn't fit. I'll have to get one that does tomorrow. I can't start removing tile until I have one.
Not having the tool put a stop to anything useful being done. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching football. After dinner it was a movie and then some surfing.
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Day 1169
I woke up about 8, but didn't get out of bed until almost 10. It was cold, and there wasn't really any reason to. After breakfast and pet stuff I went to the garage and finished up my work in the tool cabinet. I installed the second shelf and put all of the tools back. I also glued a crack in the old cat carrier. Ellen got some pictures of the Siamese kittens last night. That got me thinking abut. We won't pick up a kitten for another 6 weeks though.
When I went back to the house I hung up the cat picture that Isaac gave us for Christmas. I needed to wait until the water heater was installed. Then it was errand time. We went to the post office. The new faucets were there. Then we went to Home Depot. I got a couple of tools that I'll need to remove the tile. I also got a storage box at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. We had lunch at the hamburger place across the street.
We stopped at HEB on the way home for toilet paper and some groceries. Then we took the dog for a walk in the park. She had a really good time. I keep worrying about her back legs, but they seem to be holding up. She does get unsteady at times, and she really doesn't have much stamina. The walk today left her as tired as a day hunting used to.
I took the tools and box out to the garage. I brought back the labeler. I made up labels for all of the tool boxes while I watched the football game.
Dinner was coconut shrimp and noodles. It was good. After dinner the Cowboys played the Rams. The Cowboys lost. Great.
The small amount of the evening left was surfing.
When I went back to the house I hung up the cat picture that Isaac gave us for Christmas. I needed to wait until the water heater was installed. Then it was errand time. We went to the post office. The new faucets were there. Then we went to Home Depot. I got a couple of tools that I'll need to remove the tile. I also got a storage box at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. We had lunch at the hamburger place across the street.
We stopped at HEB on the way home for toilet paper and some groceries. Then we took the dog for a walk in the park. She had a really good time. I keep worrying about her back legs, but they seem to be holding up. She does get unsteady at times, and she really doesn't have much stamina. The walk today left her as tired as a day hunting used to.
I took the tools and box out to the garage. I brought back the labeler. I made up labels for all of the tool boxes while I watched the football game.
Dinner was coconut shrimp and noodles. It was good. After dinner the Cowboys played the Rams. The Cowboys lost. Great.
The small amount of the evening left was surfing.
Friday, January 11, 2019
Day 1168
We woke up at 7, got dressed, did the pet stuff, and left for the tile store by 7:40. Traffic to the store was light. We got a couple of samples from them, stopped at Funkadelic for breakfast, and then went to the counter store. We compared all of our samples to the counter sample and chose two finalists. We also got a chance to see the two cm material and how it will look with mitered edges. It's actually better looking then the 3cm material.
We took the two samples we'd picked up back to the tile store. We were going to go to Bee Cave and Lakeway to return the rest, but then we remembered that the Bee Cave store was closed. So Ellen just called the Lakeway store to order the tile. They said they'd get back to us.
We went home. I thought we might stay the night in Fredericksburg, so we loaded a suitcase with what we'd need. Ellen left a whole day's worth of food in the cat room. That was pointless, he'd eat it all before we left. I got the CD out of the truck so we could continue to listen to the story.
The drive to Fredericksburg was uneventful. It was raining by the time we got there. I was surprised to see it was only 52 miles. I'd always thought it was farther. The little towns along the way make it seem so.
We left the dog in the car and went to the jewelry store. The new ring is great. We spent a lot of time looking at other stones. I saw several I liked, but Ellen didn't want to buy anything except a really nice aqua for the pendant we need to make up.
We spent the rest of the afternoon walking through Fredericksburg It was raining when we started, but dry by the time we were done. We ate lunch at the brewery. It was a lot of food. We were both complaining about eating too much afterwards. We bought a picture of an Indian motorcycle for John and some chow-chow for Patsy. Lucy stayed in the car the whole time, but got a rice bone on the trip back.
I decided not to stay, so we started back a little after 4. We were home by 5:30. The whole trip home was in the rain. Lee was exercising one of the horses in the cul-de-sac and I stopped so Ellen could meet it.
When we got home I took the dog bed and the suitcase and opened the door. The only other things in the trunk were the computers and the shopping bags. I figured Ellen got those. I fed the dog (none for the cat) and then started ordering the gun cases that DVOR had on sale. That took awhile, because I got out each gun to make sure I ordered the right size.
When I was finished I got out some crackers and cheese. Did I say we had a big lunch? That's when I realized the computers weren't inside. I went out to the car to find that Ellen had left the trunk open in the rain for the last 2 hours. I went back inside and told her to go out and dry everything out. Of course it was my fault that she hadn't either 1 - closed the trunk, or 2 - told me that there was more stuff to get so it was still open. I yelled and she's really pissed right now.
I spent the rest of the evening surfing.
We took the two samples we'd picked up back to the tile store. We were going to go to Bee Cave and Lakeway to return the rest, but then we remembered that the Bee Cave store was closed. So Ellen just called the Lakeway store to order the tile. They said they'd get back to us.
We went home. I thought we might stay the night in Fredericksburg, so we loaded a suitcase with what we'd need. Ellen left a whole day's worth of food in the cat room. That was pointless, he'd eat it all before we left. I got the CD out of the truck so we could continue to listen to the story.
The drive to Fredericksburg was uneventful. It was raining by the time we got there. I was surprised to see it was only 52 miles. I'd always thought it was farther. The little towns along the way make it seem so.
We left the dog in the car and went to the jewelry store. The new ring is great. We spent a lot of time looking at other stones. I saw several I liked, but Ellen didn't want to buy anything except a really nice aqua for the pendant we need to make up.
We spent the rest of the afternoon walking through Fredericksburg It was raining when we started, but dry by the time we were done. We ate lunch at the brewery. It was a lot of food. We were both complaining about eating too much afterwards. We bought a picture of an Indian motorcycle for John and some chow-chow for Patsy. Lucy stayed in the car the whole time, but got a rice bone on the trip back.
I decided not to stay, so we started back a little after 4. We were home by 5:30. The whole trip home was in the rain. Lee was exercising one of the horses in the cul-de-sac and I stopped so Ellen could meet it.
When we got home I took the dog bed and the suitcase and opened the door. The only other things in the trunk were the computers and the shopping bags. I figured Ellen got those. I fed the dog (none for the cat) and then started ordering the gun cases that DVOR had on sale. That took awhile, because I got out each gun to make sure I ordered the right size.
When I was finished I got out some crackers and cheese. Did I say we had a big lunch? That's when I realized the computers weren't inside. I went out to the car to find that Ellen had left the trunk open in the rain for the last 2 hours. I went back inside and told her to go out and dry everything out. Of course it was my fault that she hadn't either 1 - closed the trunk, or 2 - told me that there was more stuff to get so it was still open. I yelled and she's really pissed right now.
I spent the rest of the evening surfing.
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Day 1167
We got up at 5:30 this morning. By 6 we had John and Melissa loaded in the car and we left for the airport. It took us half an hour to get there - traffic was light. We dropped them off and then went to the restaurant by Kohl's for breakfast. It didn't open until 7, so we had to wait in the parking lot for 15 minutes.
The owner actually recognized us even though we hadn't been there since last spring. We had a good breakfast. After that we went home to change vehicles.
We took the truck to Bee Cave. The first stop was the garbage station to drop off the old water heater. It didn't cost us anything. Apparently they like water heaters. Then we went to a tile/counter/floor covering store to return a sample. We looked at all of the tile that they had and picked a few favorites. Then we went to a second store and did the same thing.
We stopped at Lowes so that I could get a 4x8 sheet of plywood to make the shelves I wanted. There was a lso a quick stop at HEB for milk. the last stop was the post office. We were home before 1. Getting up that early allows you to do a lot by noon.
After lunch I went out to the garage. I cut up half of the plywood sheet to make four shelves. I used two of them to replace weak shelves in one of the metal shelving stacks. I used the other two to make half shelves in the wooden tool cabinet. I took out the stuff in one of the two storage areas and installed a shelf. Then I put everything back. I labelled all of the tool boxes so I would know what they were. I also arranged things so that the duplicate stuff was at the very back.
I took out all of the stuff from the other area. I attached the supports for the new half shelf, but didn't attach it. It was after 5 and I was tired. I cleaned up all of the sawdust and put away the tools I don't need anymore. I'll finish up tomorrow.
Ellen had already fed Lucy when I went to the house, so I went to the mailbox alone. Then I fixed dinner - Ramen. Ellen's asshole has been giving trouble since we got home.
after dinner was a little surfing and then TV. I think I fell asleep for awhile.
The owner actually recognized us even though we hadn't been there since last spring. We had a good breakfast. After that we went home to change vehicles.
We took the truck to Bee Cave. The first stop was the garbage station to drop off the old water heater. It didn't cost us anything. Apparently they like water heaters. Then we went to a tile/counter/floor covering store to return a sample. We looked at all of the tile that they had and picked a few favorites. Then we went to a second store and did the same thing.
We stopped at Lowes so that I could get a 4x8 sheet of plywood to make the shelves I wanted. There was a lso a quick stop at HEB for milk. the last stop was the post office. We were home before 1. Getting up that early allows you to do a lot by noon.
After lunch I went out to the garage. I cut up half of the plywood sheet to make four shelves. I used two of them to replace weak shelves in one of the metal shelving stacks. I used the other two to make half shelves in the wooden tool cabinet. I took out the stuff in one of the two storage areas and installed a shelf. Then I put everything back. I labelled all of the tool boxes so I would know what they were. I also arranged things so that the duplicate stuff was at the very back.
I took out all of the stuff from the other area. I attached the supports for the new half shelf, but didn't attach it. It was after 5 and I was tired. I cleaned up all of the sawdust and put away the tools I don't need anymore. I'll finish up tomorrow.
Ellen had already fed Lucy when I went to the house, so I went to the mailbox alone. Then I fixed dinner - Ramen. Ellen's asshole has been giving trouble since we got home.
after dinner was a little surfing and then TV. I think I fell asleep for awhile.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Day 1166
I woke up at 7:30 this morning and didn't want to go back to sleep. So I surfed for a little bit and then got up. Then it was pet stuff and breakfast. I surfed until about 10 and then went out to the garage to put away the stuff that I'd left out yesterday.
Melissa came out and started to refinish Isaac's table. John came out to help her. When I finished putting stuff away I stayed out there and talked. When Melissa finished we took the dogs to Circle C. We walked around the east loop of the park and then took the west path over to the creek. It was sunny and warm - over 70. I was sweating by the time we were done. Lucy was hot and tired.
We both stopped at Wells Fargo for money and then went to Torchy's for lunch. After that they went home. We went to Tomlinson's and the post office and then went home. John and Melissa loaded the van with Reggy's paraphernalia and we left for the Goodwill dumpsters. We met Isaac and girlfriend there. They took Reggy while John and Melissa go to Hawaii.
From there we went to the counter place down the street. We ended up getting counters for both bathrooms. It was only $300 for the counter and sink in the guest bath.
After that we parted paths. John and Melissa went to Costco and then home. We went to Home Depot and Lowe's to look at tile and faucets. We got home a little after 5:30.
Melissa had bought pork chops for dinner. Ellen fired up the Traeger and put them on. It was after 7 when we ate, but it was good. We talked until about 8:30, then John and Melissa left to pack. They want to leave at 6:00 tomorrow. That means we'll be getting up at 5:30.
After they left we surfed, made the bed, and watched TV for awhile.
Melissa came out and started to refinish Isaac's table. John came out to help her. When I finished putting stuff away I stayed out there and talked. When Melissa finished we took the dogs to Circle C. We walked around the east loop of the park and then took the west path over to the creek. It was sunny and warm - over 70. I was sweating by the time we were done. Lucy was hot and tired.
We both stopped at Wells Fargo for money and then went to Torchy's for lunch. After that they went home. We went to Tomlinson's and the post office and then went home. John and Melissa loaded the van with Reggy's paraphernalia and we left for the Goodwill dumpsters. We met Isaac and girlfriend there. They took Reggy while John and Melissa go to Hawaii.
From there we went to the counter place down the street. We ended up getting counters for both bathrooms. It was only $300 for the counter and sink in the guest bath.
After that we parted paths. John and Melissa went to Costco and then home. We went to Home Depot and Lowe's to look at tile and faucets. We got home a little after 5:30.
Melissa had bought pork chops for dinner. Ellen fired up the Traeger and put them on. It was after 7 when we ate, but it was good. We talked until about 8:30, then John and Melissa left to pack. They want to leave at 6:00 tomorrow. That means we'll be getting up at 5:30.
After they left we surfed, made the bed, and watched TV for awhile.
Monday, January 7, 2019
Day 1165
We got up about 8 today, did the pet stuff and had breakfast. John had gotten up early to see Isaac. He wanted to install the water heater in the afternoon, so I went out to the garage and got together all of the tools and stuff we'd need. I put it all in the cat room.
Melissa came over about the time I was finished. She used Ellen's sewing machine to repair some clothes for Isaac. It was warm and humid today, so I checked the sighting in the pellet gun. It's perfect. I don't know why I miss so many squirrels. Then I sighted in the new BB gun. It was very frustrating. I finally got online. The reviews say it's a piece of shit and doesn't keep it's zero. I'll put something else on the gun.
I was finished with that about noon. We all had leftovers for lunch. I had the rest of the Central Market sandwich from a coiuple of days ago. Then Ellen and Melissa went to JoAnn's to get sewing supplies. I stayed home and surfed. John showed up about half an hour later and we got to work on the water heater. It was probably about 2 when we started.
Things went well at first. We disconnected the old heater and drained it. That took quite awhile. Then we put it in the truck.
Putting the electric anode in was a bitch. We uncovered the anode in the old tank to see how it worked. It involved prying off a plastic cap and then digging through 3 inches of foam insulation to uncover the top. I'm glad we had the old one to practice on. I got the cap off the new heater and dug down through the insulation. Neither of us could get it unscrewed. I ended up putting a pipe on the end of the ratchet to get enough leverage. It was really on there. Then we put in the new anode.
It turned out that we needed a couple of plumbing parts, so we went to Belterra about 5. When we got back John worked on the new plumbing while I tried to make a wall plate for the conduit. I broke the plate, so it was back to Belterra. I got three more plates.
It took two plates to get a good one when I got back. John ate dinner while I got the strain relief on and the wire in the conduit. broke the plate in the process and had to make another. Somewhere along the way I misplaced my knife. Things were beginning to go south.
With everything ready we brought in the new heater and lifted it into position. Then John hooked up the hoses. They were really stiff copper hoses and hard to work with. He was really careful to make sure they wouldn't leak. I started cleaning up and putting things away while he did that.
When the hoses were hooked up John opened the valve to fill the tank. I continued cleanup/put away. I kept looking for my knife, but couldn't find it. When the tank was filled I connected the power to the heater and the anode. Then I turned on the heater. Miraculously it worked. Ellen programmed the heater while I finished the cleanup. I found my knife in the last pile of tools and parts.
I finished and had dinner about 8. It took about 2 hours for the heater to heat up all of the water. It seems to be working fine right now with no leaks.
We surfed and talked for awhile and then John and Melissa went to the apartment. We surfed and watched TV some more.
Melissa came over about the time I was finished. She used Ellen's sewing machine to repair some clothes for Isaac. It was warm and humid today, so I checked the sighting in the pellet gun. It's perfect. I don't know why I miss so many squirrels. Then I sighted in the new BB gun. It was very frustrating. I finally got online. The reviews say it's a piece of shit and doesn't keep it's zero. I'll put something else on the gun.
I was finished with that about noon. We all had leftovers for lunch. I had the rest of the Central Market sandwich from a coiuple of days ago. Then Ellen and Melissa went to JoAnn's to get sewing supplies. I stayed home and surfed. John showed up about half an hour later and we got to work on the water heater. It was probably about 2 when we started.
Things went well at first. We disconnected the old heater and drained it. That took quite awhile. Then we put it in the truck.
Putting the electric anode in was a bitch. We uncovered the anode in the old tank to see how it worked. It involved prying off a plastic cap and then digging through 3 inches of foam insulation to uncover the top. I'm glad we had the old one to practice on. I got the cap off the new heater and dug down through the insulation. Neither of us could get it unscrewed. I ended up putting a pipe on the end of the ratchet to get enough leverage. It was really on there. Then we put in the new anode.
It turned out that we needed a couple of plumbing parts, so we went to Belterra about 5. When we got back John worked on the new plumbing while I tried to make a wall plate for the conduit. I broke the plate, so it was back to Belterra. I got three more plates.
It took two plates to get a good one when I got back. John ate dinner while I got the strain relief on and the wire in the conduit. broke the plate in the process and had to make another. Somewhere along the way I misplaced my knife. Things were beginning to go south.
With everything ready we brought in the new heater and lifted it into position. Then John hooked up the hoses. They were really stiff copper hoses and hard to work with. He was really careful to make sure they wouldn't leak. I started cleaning up and putting things away while he did that.
When the hoses were hooked up John opened the valve to fill the tank. I continued cleanup/put away. I kept looking for my knife, but couldn't find it. When the tank was filled I connected the power to the heater and the anode. Then I turned on the heater. Miraculously it worked. Ellen programmed the heater while I finished the cleanup. I found my knife in the last pile of tools and parts.
I finished and had dinner about 8. It took about 2 hours for the heater to heat up all of the water. It seems to be working fine right now with no leaks.
We surfed and talked for awhile and then John and Melissa went to the apartment. We surfed and watched TV some more.
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Day 1164
We got up at 8 today. We expected Melissa to come over fairly early to fix breakfast. We did the pet stuff, but didn't have breakfast. It turned out that they had gone out to do grocery shopping and get parts for Isaac's car. They didn't get back until 11. Then Melissa fixed breakfast - waffles and sausage. It was good.
After breakfast we went to the gardens at Zilker. It turns out that they allow dogs - something they didn't do a few years ago when we went there. So Lucy got to walk around with us. The place is quite large. The dinosaur and Japanese sections were really nice. The rest was less interesting because it's winter and nothing is in bloom and all the deciduous trees are bare. It was really cool overall.
We stopped at Trader Joe's on the way home for wine and a few groceries.
When we got home I cleared the garage so John could work. He did a little prep work. Then we surfed for awhile while Ellen and Melissa sewed. About 3 I started watching football and Melissa started dinner. She fixed two types of pasta, sausage, and salad.
Isaac and his girlfriend came a little after 4. John jacked up his car and determined that the brakes really didn't need work. It still took awhile to inspect them.
They all came in the house when they were done and we talked for awhile and then had dinner. Football was on, but we didn't really pay much attention.
When dinner was over we talked for awhile and then Isaac and girlfriend left. The rest of us cleaned up. Then Melissa went to the apartment. John stayed and surfed for awhile and then left, too.
The rest of the evening was surfing.
After breakfast we went to the gardens at Zilker. It turns out that they allow dogs - something they didn't do a few years ago when we went there. So Lucy got to walk around with us. The place is quite large. The dinosaur and Japanese sections were really nice. The rest was less interesting because it's winter and nothing is in bloom and all the deciduous trees are bare. It was really cool overall.
We stopped at Trader Joe's on the way home for wine and a few groceries.
When we got home I cleared the garage so John could work. He did a little prep work. Then we surfed for awhile while Ellen and Melissa sewed. About 3 I started watching football and Melissa started dinner. She fixed two types of pasta, sausage, and salad.
Isaac and his girlfriend came a little after 4. John jacked up his car and determined that the brakes really didn't need work. It still took awhile to inspect them.
They all came in the house when they were done and we talked for awhile and then had dinner. Football was on, but we didn't really pay much attention.
When dinner was over we talked for awhile and then Isaac and girlfriend left. The rest of us cleaned up. Then Melissa went to the apartment. John stayed and surfed for awhile and then left, too.
The rest of the evening was surfing.
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Day 1163
We woke up about 8:30 and got up at 9 today. We weren't sleepy, it was just cold and the bed was warm. When we did get up it was pet stuff and breakfast. Melissa came over a little after breakfast. John followed a little while later.
Isaac and company called/texted to say that they wanted to have lunch. Apparently they were in south Austin to go to garage sales. So we left for Central Market about 11:30. We met them there and had lunch. They need to take his girlfriend's brother to the airport tomorrow, so afterwards they will come here so John can fix the brakes on their car.
After lunch we did a little shopping and then went north to a farm museum. Unfortunately we had to go up I35, which was really slow going for several miles through Austin. The traffic thinned out a few miles before we turned off at Braker. The museum was about 2 miles to the east on Braker.
The museum was really neat. It was an old homestead that had been given to the city. It consisted of maybe a dozen historical buildings that had been moved there and set up as exhibits. Some dated back to the 1850's. A couple were older. There were also livestock exhibits with donkeys, chickens, and longhorns. Many of the buildings were furnished with period artifacts and furniture. The whole thing really showed how people lived in those times. There was even a blacksmith's demonstration. Everyone left feeling that it was a really neat place.
There were accidents on both loop 1 and I35 when we left. We went south on I35 and turned off before the backup. We drove for a couple of miles on the surface streets and then got back on on the other side of the accident. From there it was smooth sailing since the traffic was blocked north of us.
We stopped at the post office on the way home.
When we got home I took the tools and parts from yesterday out of the truck and into the garage. I'd been too lazy to do it yesterday. John moved the windmill parts in the van to make them more secure. Then we surfed and watched football. Dinner was meatloaf that we'd bought at Costco a couple of days ago. Football was a bust. The Texans lost, and so did the Seahawks.
Isaac and company called/texted to say that they wanted to have lunch. Apparently they were in south Austin to go to garage sales. So we left for Central Market about 11:30. We met them there and had lunch. They need to take his girlfriend's brother to the airport tomorrow, so afterwards they will come here so John can fix the brakes on their car.
After lunch we did a little shopping and then went north to a farm museum. Unfortunately we had to go up I35, which was really slow going for several miles through Austin. The traffic thinned out a few miles before we turned off at Braker. The museum was about 2 miles to the east on Braker.
The museum was really neat. It was an old homestead that had been given to the city. It consisted of maybe a dozen historical buildings that had been moved there and set up as exhibits. Some dated back to the 1850's. A couple were older. There were also livestock exhibits with donkeys, chickens, and longhorns. Many of the buildings were furnished with period artifacts and furniture. The whole thing really showed how people lived in those times. There was even a blacksmith's demonstration. Everyone left feeling that it was a really neat place.
There were accidents on both loop 1 and I35 when we left. We went south on I35 and turned off before the backup. We drove for a couple of miles on the surface streets and then got back on on the other side of the accident. From there it was smooth sailing since the traffic was blocked north of us.
We stopped at the post office on the way home.
When we got home I took the tools and parts from yesterday out of the truck and into the garage. I'd been too lazy to do it yesterday. John moved the windmill parts in the van to make them more secure. Then we surfed and watched football. Dinner was meatloaf that we'd bought at Costco a couple of days ago. Football was a bust. The Texans lost, and so did the Seahawks.
Friday, January 4, 2019
Day 1162
We woke up about 8:30, but didn't get out of bed until 9. It was cold, and the warm bed was hard to leave. When we did get up I discovered why it was cold. The front door was open about 6 inches. Luckily the cat hadn't gotten out.
We did pet stuff and had breakfast. I took some garbage out and met John and Melissa going out for groceries. I went back inside and started planning out how to install the new water heater. the new heater has the pressure relief on the top. The old one has it on the side. That means the outlet pipe will need some extensive modification. Everything else should transfer over pretty well. I made up a parts list.
We surfed until John and Melissa cam back a little before noon. Melissa had wanted to go to a farm museum, but Ellen was busy smoking chicken wings. So John and I went to the junk yard to get Bronco parts.
The pickup at the junk yard was in a lot worse shape than in its pictures. I was disappointed to see that the driver's door was gone. Then I saw that they'd left the armrest. Yeah! They'd also taken the steering column apart, but they'd left the wiper switch. Yeah again! They had taken out the heater controls. However, when I moved some junk on the floor I found the one fan knob from it that I needed. Yeah for the third time! Things went downhill a little after that.
John started to work taking off the wiper motor. He worked outside while I tried to get to it from the dash. I got the instrument cluster part of the way out, but couldn't get it the rest of the way. It diddn't matter though, because there was no way to get to the motor. John couldn't get to the last bolt which is inside the firewall. We finally gave up, since I'd never get to replace the current one anyway. There were a couple of after market speakers that had factory mounting brackets. I don't know if they will fit, but I took them anyway.
We took everything to pay for it, $40. As we were loading everything in the truck I realized that we hadn't got the rear view mirror. So we went back. It was gone, but we got the headlight bezels.
On the way back we stopped at Lowe's and got the parts for the water heater install. Then we stopped at Doc's backyard for beer. I had sliders, because I didn't want chicken legs for dinner.
After a stop at the post office we got home a little before 6. Traffic was a lot lighter than I would have expected for a Friday at 5:30.
Dinner was chicken legs, salad, and bread. Dessert was key lime pie that Melissa made. It was VERY good.
After dinner was car shows. Ellen and Melissa watched chick flicks again. Then it was a little surfing and bed.
We did pet stuff and had breakfast. I took some garbage out and met John and Melissa going out for groceries. I went back inside and started planning out how to install the new water heater. the new heater has the pressure relief on the top. The old one has it on the side. That means the outlet pipe will need some extensive modification. Everything else should transfer over pretty well. I made up a parts list.
We surfed until John and Melissa cam back a little before noon. Melissa had wanted to go to a farm museum, but Ellen was busy smoking chicken wings. So John and I went to the junk yard to get Bronco parts.
The pickup at the junk yard was in a lot worse shape than in its pictures. I was disappointed to see that the driver's door was gone. Then I saw that they'd left the armrest. Yeah! They'd also taken the steering column apart, but they'd left the wiper switch. Yeah again! They had taken out the heater controls. However, when I moved some junk on the floor I found the one fan knob from it that I needed. Yeah for the third time! Things went downhill a little after that.
John started to work taking off the wiper motor. He worked outside while I tried to get to it from the dash. I got the instrument cluster part of the way out, but couldn't get it the rest of the way. It diddn't matter though, because there was no way to get to the motor. John couldn't get to the last bolt which is inside the firewall. We finally gave up, since I'd never get to replace the current one anyway. There were a couple of after market speakers that had factory mounting brackets. I don't know if they will fit, but I took them anyway.
We took everything to pay for it, $40. As we were loading everything in the truck I realized that we hadn't got the rear view mirror. So we went back. It was gone, but we got the headlight bezels.
On the way back we stopped at Lowe's and got the parts for the water heater install. Then we stopped at Doc's backyard for beer. I had sliders, because I didn't want chicken legs for dinner.
After a stop at the post office we got home a little before 6. Traffic was a lot lighter than I would have expected for a Friday at 5:30.
Dinner was chicken legs, salad, and bread. Dessert was key lime pie that Melissa made. It was VERY good.
After dinner was car shows. Ellen and Melissa watched chick flicks again. Then it was a little surfing and bed.
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Day 1161
We didn't get up until a little before 10. It was somewhat embarrassing. We were still in bed when Melissa came to the door. We jumped out of bed, threw on clothes, and opened the door.
After finishing the morning ablutions we did the pet stuff and had breakfast. Then we sat around talking and surfing. John showed up in about an hour. We talked/surfed a little more, and then decided to go to Harbor Freight and Hobby Lobby. That's when things began to go south.
I noticed that Lucy was a little unsteady on her feet. She'd been fine when she got up and ate breakfast. As we went outside she was even more unsteady and a little disorientated. She couldn't tell the difference between us and John and Melissa. We put her in the car and took off for the stores.
We got to Texas 45 and Ellen said that Lucy's eyes were going back and forth. Then Lucy vomited. I said "call the vet".
We drove directly to the vet. i had to carry Lucy inside - she couldn't walk. They took her immediately. The next half hour or so was pretty bad. I thought we might have to put her down. The vet came in and said that they had her stabilized and she was improving. They took some blood and were waiting on the results. She also said that one of the front runners for the problem was "old dog disease". They don't know what causes it, but that most dogs get over it in 2 days to 2 weeks.
She suggested some more tests. We said do them. She brought Lucy back. Lucy was still shaky, but much better. The vet said that the blood test looked pretty good. Her advice was take Lucy home and see if she improves in the next couple of days.
By then it was after 2. We drove to Harbor Freight and bought a couple of items. Then we went to Pei Wei for lunch. When that was over Ellen and Melissa went to Hobby Lobby. John and I went to the Park. Lucy stayed in the car all of this time. I wanted her to rest.
John and I got to the Park just as happy hour started. He had beers and I had mojitos. Note the plural. We watched soccer, there wasn't any football. The girls were gone for a couple of hours. When they showed up Melissa had a drink and then we left.
We stopped at the post office on the way home. Ellen drove. I sat in the back with Lucy. She was definitely better than when we left. The new anode for the water heater came.
We got home at 5 - time to feed the animals. Lucy ate, but for the first time in her life didn't clean the bowl. Then she laid down. We surfed and watched car shows on TV. About 7:30 I fixed some cheese, salmon, crackers, and bread. Lucy actually got off the couch and came to beg. Ellen gave her some sweet potatoes.
Melissa and John left at 9. The rest of the evening was surfing and TV.
After finishing the morning ablutions we did the pet stuff and had breakfast. Then we sat around talking and surfing. John showed up in about an hour. We talked/surfed a little more, and then decided to go to Harbor Freight and Hobby Lobby. That's when things began to go south.
I noticed that Lucy was a little unsteady on her feet. She'd been fine when she got up and ate breakfast. As we went outside she was even more unsteady and a little disorientated. She couldn't tell the difference between us and John and Melissa. We put her in the car and took off for the stores.
We got to Texas 45 and Ellen said that Lucy's eyes were going back and forth. Then Lucy vomited. I said "call the vet".
We drove directly to the vet. i had to carry Lucy inside - she couldn't walk. They took her immediately. The next half hour or so was pretty bad. I thought we might have to put her down. The vet came in and said that they had her stabilized and she was improving. They took some blood and were waiting on the results. She also said that one of the front runners for the problem was "old dog disease". They don't know what causes it, but that most dogs get over it in 2 days to 2 weeks.
She suggested some more tests. We said do them. She brought Lucy back. Lucy was still shaky, but much better. The vet said that the blood test looked pretty good. Her advice was take Lucy home and see if she improves in the next couple of days.
By then it was after 2. We drove to Harbor Freight and bought a couple of items. Then we went to Pei Wei for lunch. When that was over Ellen and Melissa went to Hobby Lobby. John and I went to the Park. Lucy stayed in the car all of this time. I wanted her to rest.
John and I got to the Park just as happy hour started. He had beers and I had mojitos. Note the plural. We watched soccer, there wasn't any football. The girls were gone for a couple of hours. When they showed up Melissa had a drink and then we left.
We stopped at the post office on the way home. Ellen drove. I sat in the back with Lucy. She was definitely better than when we left. The new anode for the water heater came.
We got home at 5 - time to feed the animals. Lucy ate, but for the first time in her life didn't clean the bowl. Then she laid down. We surfed and watched car shows on TV. About 7:30 I fixed some cheese, salmon, crackers, and bread. Lucy actually got off the couch and came to beg. Ellen gave her some sweet potatoes.
Melissa and John left at 9. The rest of the evening was surfing and TV.
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Day 1160
We didn't get up until 9 today. There was no reason to. The temp was 40 and it was raining hard. It rained hard all day, 2.16 inches total.
After pet stuff and breakfast we surfed for awhile. At 10 Melissa came over and we left to look at counter tops. John went to downtown Austin to meet Isaac and go to the state museum.
We went to 2 places. They are both supposed to give us estimates. One place looks like the one we'll use.
Did I mention the weather sucked? The drive back was nasty. I could barely see because of the rain and spray.
We stopped at Costco to get water and some more food (including a pizza). Then it was a stop at the post office and home.
When we got home (about 1:30) we had leftovers for lunch. Then it was surfing for the rest of the afternoon. Melissa went back to the apartment to work on her Metalworks dinosaur. She came back over when John came back.
We talked until dinner. After dinner John and I watched North Carolina wipe out Harvard. Then we watched car shows while Ellen and Melissa watched chick flicks.
After pet stuff and breakfast we surfed for awhile. At 10 Melissa came over and we left to look at counter tops. John went to downtown Austin to meet Isaac and go to the state museum.
We went to 2 places. They are both supposed to give us estimates. One place looks like the one we'll use.
Did I mention the weather sucked? The drive back was nasty. I could barely see because of the rain and spray.
We stopped at Costco to get water and some more food (including a pizza). Then it was a stop at the post office and home.
When we got home (about 1:30) we had leftovers for lunch. Then it was surfing for the rest of the afternoon. Melissa went back to the apartment to work on her Metalworks dinosaur. She came back over when John came back.
We talked until dinner. After dinner John and I watched North Carolina wipe out Harvard. Then we watched car shows while Ellen and Melissa watched chick flicks.
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Day 1159
We didn't get out of bed until almost 10. When we did it was pet stuff and breakfast. We invited John and Melissa over. Ellen fixed bacon and pancakes.
It was cold and windy. Nothing was open because it was New Years. So the day was spent surfing and watching TV, mainly football.
Lunch was cheese and crackers.
Then more football.
John and I took the dogs to the mailbox. There was no delivery today, but I'd forgotten to pick it up yesterday.
Dinner was various leftovers.
After dinner was more football. Ellen and Melissa watched chick flicks in the bedroom.
All in all it was an OK New Years.
It was cold and windy. Nothing was open because it was New Years. So the day was spent surfing and watching TV, mainly football.
Lunch was cheese and crackers.
Then more football.
John and I took the dogs to the mailbox. There was no delivery today, but I'd forgotten to pick it up yesterday.
Dinner was various leftovers.
After dinner was more football. Ellen and Melissa watched chick flicks in the bedroom.
All in all it was an OK New Years.
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