I’m working from home today so that the carpet guys can come in (sometime) and measure/eyeball the floor in the basement. I actually need to run downstairs and clean up the floor before they get here, but overall it’s in good shape. I also have this video card sitting here but I’m afraid to bust it out just for fear of blowing up this computer and not being able to work all day.
I have to admit, I’m stressing out about work and money issues. Work is going OK but I’m afraid that after this project I’m going to get canned for some reason. My boss is great but I’m feeling out on the ledge, and I can’t shake the feeling. I think my work has been good up until now, and I don’t think they’re mad at me, but I’m just really down on the economy and afraid that I’m going to lose my job soon. I’m going to head into Home Depot or Lowe’s this week and take some extra hours a few nights a week just to get the bank account padded and back up to fighting size, or pay off the credit card/second mortgage and free up some cash. I’ve been great with the credit card up until this past week, when we didn’t get paid on time. I haven’t put anything on it in about 2 months, and I’d like to keep it that way (although i bought the USB card for the Mac on it.) After this carpeting gets installed, I’m going on a budget of $100 a week or something like that so that I can really save some cash for the next few months. I have to find out what they pay hourly and do some math to see what I could make for 3 nights a week or so.
5:40 pm – Hmm. I found, after several abortive attempts at trying to start programming my own log program, a program called Greymatter, a free Perl script for starting a weblog. I do believe I’m going to try it tonight and see what results I get. I also got some good feedback from my boss about the interface, so I’m feeling better about that as well. All that having been said, I didn’t get a whole hell of a lot done today- lots of configuration, copying, uploading, etc. I did quickly get the USB drive up and running to get some stuff off the drive for Matt, and found a few things I should have archived a while back.
At work this morning and pretty tired from last night- Jen and I slept pretty poorly because the cats were so lonely. They spent most of the night walking on our heads, fighting on the floor, and knocking stuff over. Jen kept waking up and getting sick from the sleeping pill she took- she had no time to sleep it off. Then we were awakened by the guys working in the alley at 7:30 this morning. One good thing is that they are up to my backyard this morning, working on the wall in between Dick & Thelma’s and my own. I figure they’ll be done by the time I get home tonight.
Today I’m listening to Cure For Pain. I miss Morphine. I wish Mark Sandman was still around. Here is your homework, for anybody who might be out there: Go home, go directly to your CD player and pull out that new Blink 182 CD you’ve been sneaking when everybody else isn’t home; go dust off Cure for Pain, drop it in on shuffle, pour a tall glass of red wine, and chill out.
The city is finally beginning work on my alley today! Jen and I woke up at about 7:15 and by 7:30 there were a bunch of guys out on the north end of the alley with a jackhammer busting up the concrete. I am so happy this is underway. I have to rent a sledgehammer from Home Depot and break up the concrete shelf around the old garage footings so that I can *ahem* throw the busted-up stuff on their carry pile. The only drawback is that trash pickup is out fron this next week- we’ll have to make sure the street stays clean.
The first coat of stain is on the shelving and the finish molding downstairs. I still don’t have money in my account from work, so I can’t go and buy supplies, but I have enough to work with for the next few days- getting the basement cleaned, installing the electrical board and the closet pole, fitting the last kickplate board, sanding and staining, and finishing off the shelving. I can’t wait to start on that tonight. I ran some steel wool over the stuff I sanded and smoothed it out- it’s going to look great when it’s done. I used polystain on all the woodwork; I hope it holds and does a good job. (it’s a stain and polyurethane all in one.)
Sometimes, we hold these truths to be self-evident department: Never buy or eat a grocery store-made sandwich. Yuck.
Whew. Back from CT and a trip back into time- the first time I’ve been back up to the old Dugan high-school era homestead in about 3 years- that was a trip through time. Some random thoughts about the journey:
- Mahopac has not changed.
- The area in a 60-mile radius around New York City is still the Land of Classic Rock. I heard “Hysteria” by Def Leppard twice in 2 days on the radio. Basically the choices for radio up there are one of three: classic rock, sports talk, or latin dance music.
- County Adjustment Bureau is still as ugly as it was when I went to college, times two. We drove up and peeked in the driveway: there are lots of tractor trailers parked in there, but I took it as a good omen that a Scout 80 was parked over in the driveway.
- Ridgefield is still as rich as I remember it.
- The leaves driving back through New Jersey on Sunday were absolutely incredible.
Today I’m going to hit the Home Depot and order the carpeting I’ve been waiting for for 2 months. They’re having a special, with installation, where the padding is free. I took measurements last night and got all the relevant info I need. I also need to get the stain today and begin on the woodwork; once I get my paycheck I’m also going to pick up the wood for the stairs and get those installed. Luckily the side shelves, which were cupped slightly after I installed them, sanded down smooth and look clean. So after the underside caps are stained, I’ll install them and finish off the side walls. I also am going to measure the junction box at the store, cut down a piece of sanded plywood, and mount it on the wall in the closet. Then we can start the wiring…
Salon is no longer listing its main news stories for free- they’re putting them under the Premium service, so if you want to see good reporting by them, you have to shell out $30 or so. Now, I’ve been reading Salon for about the past four years. I love the magazine and have always supported it, talked it up, and browsed/read it daily. But in this economy, when I have to rationalize and justify a $15 bottle of wine, $20 worth of paint, or full gas tank in the Scout, I don’t have $30 to offer. Too bad. I suppose I’ll be looking at them a lot less now.
I read today that the guitarist from Limp Bizkit is leaving the band. While I wipe away a tear from my eye, I sit and meditate on this thought: What makes Fred Durst so important that his views on the tragedy in NYC are quoted in the paper? How did he and the pretty-boy guy from the Goo Goo Dolls get so famous and talented that they were allowed into the recording studio to do a cover of ‘Wish You Were Here‘ in memoriam? Now, don’t get me wrong, it was a cool idea (and a great song) but, man, was that bad. Those two dudes can’t sing.
Perhaps the guitarist just go so damn sick of Fred’s whiny voice that he couldn’t stay in the band? That’s my personal opinion.
I was able to get a bunch of stuff done in the basement last night; looking at it this morning didn’t reveal any major changes, but a lot of my time was taken up by cutting and fitting the finish trim to fit as best I could. Both side shelves are cut, fit, and tacked in. The closet interior is framed out save the mullions for the doors. The kickplate all the way around the room is tacked in with the exception of the one piece on the northeast wall. I installed the other access panel for the water shutoff, and the second stairway light, as well as swapping out the bad wallplate switch. Mostly what remains is buying or milling a bit more wood, sanding, and some massive staining and polyurethaning. There’s some finish painting that needs to be taken care of, another round or two with the caulk gun, and a bunch of touch-up in the stairway, but we’re drawing closer.
I also had the pleasure last night of hearing five short blasts from a ship’s horn, clearly audible from the front basement window. That was great. I love living near the water.
This is some sad news… I suppose I’m going to have to upgrade sometime to Win 2000- probably my next machine. I love my NT though. I guess I should really worry about getting myself a new Mac before that happens, though…
Update on the Scout: I called the owner, and told him I need some time to get the cash together; He’s completely cool with it, and told me to give him a call when I can move on it. He was ready to bring the title home to me in a few weeks. So I just have to bust ass to get the cash together. The Tortoise had another (this will be #3) bad tire; Mike switched it and swapped rims (apparently the right front was not the only rim to be bent- the right rear was too) and cleaned the throttle body out, which should take care of the bad idle.
I found some pictures of some clean Rallye Scouts from the 2001 IH nationals; at some point I’ll post them up here, just to keep myself motivated. The one to the right there is the first, and the spitting image of the one I’m looking at, save the running boards and white spoke wheels.
→ This is a syndicated post from my Scout weblog. More info here.
Hmm. Let’s start with Boring News About The Basement. I was able to construct the bookcase last night and install it in the wall; it looks real good and fits perfectly. I’m now reconsidering the decision to have it stick out from the plane of the wall by 1.5″ or so, but I’d really like to have it as deep as possible, and I think that I can frame it in in a satisfactory manner. I also mudded most of the little problem spots around the room that had only become apparent after painting, and put another square in place at the base of the staircase ceiling- the original had been off-square and looked crooked. I hand-painted the drywall in there and it looks GREAT. I’m really excited to finish-paint that whole stairway and install the lights- it’s going to look great. Tonight I’m going to pick up the louvered door for the closet and put in the framing around the doorway. I also have to reconfigure the back of the basement to move the stupid file cabinet out of the closet.
I’m nearing the end of Cryptonomicon, and it’s got me hooked again; there are passages and chapters that are really funny and incisive; the problem is that these chapters are outnumbered 10 to 1 by whole chapters that are plodding and irrelevant. I like Stephenson’s ability to spin a yarn, and I’m enjoying how all the characters are coming together over the generations, but Jeez, man. I’m going to check out Snow Crash after this and see if it’s a better read. Oh, and as a friend pointed out about this book: Alan Turing was gay. (this is ironic, sarcastic humor: this fact is mentioned about 400 billion times.)
Another good night in the basement last night; I was able to get the floor in the basement vacuumed and painted battleship gray, while also managing to spill about 1 quart of white latex flat on the floor in the back half like a seizure victim. The endcaps to the ceiling tiles are caulked and awaiting finish paint; the area above the window is figured out and mudded (it sits more or less flush with the joist above) and the stairway ceiling is sanded and ready for priming. Tonight I have a list of supplies to pick up:
- 1 gallon of Glidden Flat Latex White
- 2 rollers for the walls
- Wood for the shelves (list in bag)
- More masonry anchors for the panel, closet pole hanger
- lighted switches for all the lights
- plumbing supplies for the washer (TBD)
A week ago today the planes started falling. A week ago today I sat in the same place I did this morning, bowl of cereal in hand, watching the events happen. In the past week, I have found a newfound and undying respect for firefighters, EMT and police personnel; A new reason to fear air travel (as if there weren’t already enough), a new, special kind of love for Peter Jennings, a rapidly enlarging hole in my stomach, and a Sam’s Club card to stave off the apocalypse with pallets of cat food and mineral water stocked in my basement. Oh, and a newfound hatred for the religious right. Speaking of, Falwell decided to apologize for his stupid-ass remarks. The guy doesn’t have enough brains to say something intelligent or enough balls to stand up for what he does say.
I also brought in my box of old comics today to go through and catalog; I’m going to get a list together at lunchtime. I am a nerd.
Ruby (the NT box running IIS here that Breakaway) got hacked again by the same 14-year-olds as a few months ago. What a headache for Dan, the IT guy here.
This morning I woke up with both cats in the bed with me. Teller slept almost the whole night with me- that was what I needed this morning. The day broke clear and crisp; I didn’t have a splitting headache when I rose, and the house was cheery and bright. That was great.
Spoke to a urologist this morning; they ran a urine sample and found blood. I don’t know what that means, but I’m concerned. They’re scheduling two very medieval-sounding test for me to take sometime in the future, and then we’ll have more of an idea as to what’s going on in my lower urinary tract.
This weekend Jen and I did a bunch of shopping for her job at the Sam’s Club; we also bought a bunch of stuff for us, too. We stocked up on some frozen goods for the next few weeks- pierogies, chicken, and gnocci. I also found a Sharp 32″ TV for about $350, which (I thought) was a stellar price. Hopefully it’ll be there in another month or so when I have available cash to pick one up.
Sunday I woke late and got to work downstairs; I sanded my brains out again and got everything finished; by 3 in the afternoon I had all the walls covered with two coats of primer. It looks really good now that it’s not green and white and the floor isn’t covered in white dust. There are a few places to hit with some finish plaster to hide some stray paper and bumps, but overall we’re ready to start the painting. I’m going to block off some stuff and fire up the spraygun maybe tomorrow after I get some more latex flat. I also finished off the south side cieling areas where it meets the wall so the finish looks a lot better. Still need to figure out what to do with the flat cieling section directly in front of the window, but that shouldn’t be too hard. Let’s see- here’s a partial list:
- vacuum the floor and cover with 2 coats of floor paint
- buy the wood and construct the bookcase
- buy the wood and set in the shelving
- buy the door and wood and install on the closet
- buy fittings for the washer, install, and move it to the back corner
- measure and buy a large shelf for the tupperwares and set it up
- get all that stuff out of the dining room!!!
This is one of the reasons I love Salon: They have had great coverage on several aspects of the NYC bombing.
I’m going to bring in a box I have in my basement full of old comics and Nate is going to help me sell them on Ebay. Maybe I can make some bucks off of that- it would be helpful. I also still need to venture to DC to get rid of $60 worth of Metro cards before they expire.
The contractor at the next desk over from me is stabbing his keyboard in a random and scattershot manner not unlike that of small-arms fire. Someday the Powers That Be will design a keyboard that actually benefits from a “quiet” action, instead of the goopy, mechanical sound most current keyboards emit. Until then, I get to deal with the annoyance of this guy angrily poking through the keyboard into the desk below. Time for headphones.
Woke early this morning to the sound of thunder; I lay in bed and waited for the cats to join me. They stayed with me for a few hours and left- by that time it had passed. When day broke, it was overcast and gloomy, much like my mood.
Jen helpfully pointed out that what I should have said last night was:
I think you wanted to say: “a woman smarter than myself/me” instead of “smarter woman than I”. Writing it like you did implies two things: 1) that you are a woman and 2) that you are surprised that a woman could be smarter than you.
None of which are true. Just for the record.
Here’s another good reason that the Christian far-right should probably be sterilized for their own protection. People as ignorant as this should just not be allowed to procreate. I’m sorry. But then again, it was inevitable that somebody would do something stupid.
3:05 PM – More sanding last night; sanding my brains out. The sanding block I bought last week is dead, and my mud is gone, so I went out today and got more. This weekend will see the stairwell sanding getting finished, the stairs themselves being torn out and probably replaced, and some paint in this mutha by Sunday evening. Halleleujah. I also got a Sam’s Club membership yesterday through work, and we spent about 45 minutes wandering the caverns of that store staring at pallets of dog food, gallon bags of shrimp the size of my feet, and cheap electronics. They had a 15″ LCD monitor for about $375 there, and I’m sorely tempted….but not giving in. Somehow it all seems wrong to spend money on myself right now, economic paralysis or not. About the only thing I can rationalize is spending on the basement. And I think that’s just so I have something to occupy my mind.
Back at work today; Jen and I had another great weekend together, even though she was feeling a bit down about work. I know she’s pushing herself really hard to do well, like she does with everything else in her life, but she needs to take it easier on herself about this job- I don’t want to see her burn herself out by worrying about it too much. The two of us had a great evening at Peter’s on friday, capped off with a trip to the balcony at Lista’s for some margaritas, and then a fantastic nightcap.
Saturday I was able to get a lot of work in the basement done- the window is now framed in and enclosed with drywall, and I took some of the old pink foam and insulated the front wall from the A/C ductwork. The shelf went in smoothly and the sides are tapered out about 2 inches wide and one inch tall, so there’s a real nice feeling of openness coming from that wall instead of a porthole effect-I was dreading that possibility, because the front wall had to be framed out about 16″ to clear the gas and water meters. I’m also very happy because the cats will have a great place to sleep, there will be a wonderful place to put some plants, and there’s a ton of light flooding into an otherwise pretty dark room. I was also able to form some flashing around the outside on the bottom and the top of the window box; that was a pain in the ass and took more time than I thought, but it doesn’t look too bad. I probably should have done the bottom section first to practice. The sides should happen sometime this week, before it gets too cold/wet/etc. I also need to recaulk part of the top flashing and borrow a tall ladder from Dad to repair/repoint/recaulk the front picture window.
Pretty impressed with myself for remembering how to ftp via the windows console; I forgot to bring my PC disk in to reinstall some of my software on this machine, so I just wrote this in Notepad.
Anyway, tonight I’m going to buy some metal bead edging and another tub of mud, and try like hell to finish up the sanding as quickly as possible.
Wesley Crusher has a website.