Early tomorrow I'll be playing farmer while Terry hustles off to a morning doctor's appointment for some blood work. (I've asked her to get me an appointment so I can, hopefully, put an end to the coughing and hacking I've been doing lately. Some is undoubtedly allergy related but some is more bronchial.)
She picked up a bunch of perrenial plants today to go in the beds. Not nearly as many plants as I thought she would get but it's a start. There's some hosta and bleeding hearts; some heather and some eumonimus(?); some ornamental grasses and some mountain pinks. Many will go in the area next to the driveway where there is partial shade. But the salvia and a few others will go out in the raised beds where there's some more sun.
She got some tomato plants too but they will go into pots on the deck. I want to see if Wally-World or Agway have any strawberries and or blackberry plants I can put out. If they do, I'll fight the rabbits and squirrels tooth and nail for the fruits.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Basement Progress 7
I got nearly all of the remaining ceiling tiles in today. The three that went around the recessed lights weren’t as hard as I thought they would be. It just took time and patience to cut the circular holes in the right spot.
I had to wait for Terry to bring back the cross pieces I was short. And I just didn’t feel up to moving everything around so I could get to the place where the ceiling fan is going. I may have to cut and drill the pipe to extend the fan low enough to clear the ceiling tiles. The shortest extension they sell is still a 1-foot piece of pipe and that may bring the fan down too low. It comes with a 3-inch piece and that may be too short. I won’t know for sure until I get the majority of the stuff set up and actually hang the damn pipe from the fixture.
The missing panel in the back is where the ceiling fan is to go---tomorrow afternoon?
The finished ceiling adds a touch of class to the area. And quite an area it is, too. The two halves of the basement here are approximately 13' x 22' each. I worked in classrooms smaller than that.
Only three partial ceiling tiles to go in the back against the wall.
And so ends another day at the Aerie:
Sunsets like this are the norm. I find myself feeling rather bored with them. NOT
I had to wait for Terry to bring back the cross pieces I was short. And I just didn’t feel up to moving everything around so I could get to the place where the ceiling fan is going. I may have to cut and drill the pipe to extend the fan low enough to clear the ceiling tiles. The shortest extension they sell is still a 1-foot piece of pipe and that may bring the fan down too low. It comes with a 3-inch piece and that may be too short. I won’t know for sure until I get the majority of the stuff set up and actually hang the damn pipe from the fixture.
The missing panel in the back is where the ceiling fan is to go---tomorrow afternoon?
The finished ceiling adds a touch of class to the area. And quite an area it is, too. The two halves of the basement here are approximately 13' x 22' each. I worked in classrooms smaller than that.
Only three partial ceiling tiles to go in the back against the wall.
And so ends another day at the Aerie:
Sunsets like this are the norm. I find myself feeling rather bored with them. NOT
Out to Dinner
We went out for dinner yesterday to celebrate Terry’s birthday. (It was actually Saturday but the weather was not conducive to a drive across the county as heavy rain moved in late in the day.)
When you've had so many, they tend to become a bit ho-hum and neither of us has ever made a very big deal out of a birthday. That may, however change as we start passing 60, 65, 70, etc.
We went west on Route 6 to Galeton, PA to a restaurant that was new to us but has been in operation since 1932. The Log Cabin is just that. An old log cabin that is very unpretentious on the outside and decorated in the tradition of such places: mounted animal heads--and animals-- on nearly all the walls along with wilderness prints. A fireplace on one end of the room and a cathedral ceiling with exposed beams of pine poles stained dark with age rounded out the décor. The Sirus radio was tuned to a classic oldies station playing songs of the 50s and 60s at a volume that was not intrusive and, in fact provided just enough noise to offer privacy from other diners’ conversations. (If they had a bar, I could have sat there all day just listening to the music and drinking Killian’s Red.)
The menu was surprisingly extensive although short on pork. They offered a variety of appetizers plus an excellent salad bar. Several very appealing and quite lethal sounding fruit flavored mixed drinks were listed on the little sandwich board on every table. The wine list was large enough and had many local offerings. (The Finger Lakes region of NY is just a hop, skip and a jump over the mountains.) They had Killian’s Red on tap so I have no idea what other beers they had in bottles. Eight or so different “seafood” offerings (I put that in quotes because it included walleye and trout as well as haddock and salmon), all of which sounded excellent, were matched by chicken, beef and pasta dishes.
Terry and I shared a large bowl of French onion soup that was quite good and then helped ourselves to the salad bar. I ordered the salmon with blueberry sauce with a baked sweet potato that was served with a tiny cup of pumpkin butter. Terry had the Steak Alaska—a medallion of beef filet smothered in an Alfredo sauce rich with crab, scallops and shrimp—and a baked potato.
I must say that I was impressed with the excellent food preparation and unique offerings. When the meals were served the proportions were just right. Unlike many restaurants where you are likely to get helpings that will last a week, the Log Cabin presented a meal that you could enjoy without having to cart any home. In addition, Terry’s medium rare filet was still red in the center as it should be and my salmon was still flaky and not cooked to mush. (And the blueberry sauce was to die for!)
Following dinner, we had our choice from the dessert tray that today included a peanut butter meringue pie along with its more familiar lemon flavored cousin, chocolate cake with peanut butter icing, triple chocolate cake, red flannel cake, chocolate brownie sundae and apple pie. Terry chose the lemon meringue pie while I had the brownie sundae.
We were there at 1:30 PM on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon and business was slow. Two family groups were just finishing up when we arrived and another couple arrived just as we ordered dessert. There were signs that they were expecting a busier evening hour as a larger table for ten was set up as we ate. The waitress and two women, whom I suppose were owners/managers of the place, were very friendly.
We will definitely be returning to The Log Cabin for additional samplings of their menu. The walleye on the menu alone makes it intriguing.
When you've had so many, they tend to become a bit ho-hum and neither of us has ever made a very big deal out of a birthday. That may, however change as we start passing 60, 65, 70, etc.
We went west on Route 6 to Galeton, PA to a restaurant that was new to us but has been in operation since 1932. The Log Cabin is just that. An old log cabin that is very unpretentious on the outside and decorated in the tradition of such places: mounted animal heads--and animals-- on nearly all the walls along with wilderness prints. A fireplace on one end of the room and a cathedral ceiling with exposed beams of pine poles stained dark with age rounded out the décor. The Sirus radio was tuned to a classic oldies station playing songs of the 50s and 60s at a volume that was not intrusive and, in fact provided just enough noise to offer privacy from other diners’ conversations. (If they had a bar, I could have sat there all day just listening to the music and drinking Killian’s Red.)
The menu was surprisingly extensive although short on pork. They offered a variety of appetizers plus an excellent salad bar. Several very appealing and quite lethal sounding fruit flavored mixed drinks were listed on the little sandwich board on every table. The wine list was large enough and had many local offerings. (The Finger Lakes region of NY is just a hop, skip and a jump over the mountains.) They had Killian’s Red on tap so I have no idea what other beers they had in bottles. Eight or so different “seafood” offerings (I put that in quotes because it included walleye and trout as well as haddock and salmon), all of which sounded excellent, were matched by chicken, beef and pasta dishes.
Terry and I shared a large bowl of French onion soup that was quite good and then helped ourselves to the salad bar. I ordered the salmon with blueberry sauce with a baked sweet potato that was served with a tiny cup of pumpkin butter. Terry had the Steak Alaska—a medallion of beef filet smothered in an Alfredo sauce rich with crab, scallops and shrimp—and a baked potato.
I must say that I was impressed with the excellent food preparation and unique offerings. When the meals were served the proportions were just right. Unlike many restaurants where you are likely to get helpings that will last a week, the Log Cabin presented a meal that you could enjoy without having to cart any home. In addition, Terry’s medium rare filet was still red in the center as it should be and my salmon was still flaky and not cooked to mush. (And the blueberry sauce was to die for!)
Following dinner, we had our choice from the dessert tray that today included a peanut butter meringue pie along with its more familiar lemon flavored cousin, chocolate cake with peanut butter icing, triple chocolate cake, red flannel cake, chocolate brownie sundae and apple pie. Terry chose the lemon meringue pie while I had the brownie sundae.
We were there at 1:30 PM on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon and business was slow. Two family groups were just finishing up when we arrived and another couple arrived just as we ordered dessert. There were signs that they were expecting a busier evening hour as a larger table for ten was set up as we ate. The waitress and two women, whom I suppose were owners/managers of the place, were very friendly.
We will definitely be returning to The Log Cabin for additional samplings of their menu. The walleye on the menu alone makes it intriguing.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Basement Progress 6
I got back to work on the basement ceiling today. I had measured out the positions for the wall border and the lag screws yesterday so it was simple enough to zip right along the walls putting up the border using sheetrock screws and then zap the lag screws up before lunch.
The afternoon was spent alternately yelling at the TV where the Mets were blowing it to the Diamondbacks (final score 10-4) and installing the grid and the two recessed light fixtures. My calculations for materials needed were far better than the Mets' relief pitching. (I was just one 2' long cross piece short. The bullpen gave up 5 freaking runs in the eighth inning.)
Since we'll be going out to diner tomorrow (Terry's birthday was today), I'll probably get most--but not all--of the ceiling tiles in place.
Terry has an EGA meeting up near the Lowes in Horseheads on Monday and she plans on purchasing some perennial plants there so she'll also be able to get the missing cross piece then. (Gotta think about spending $10 worth of gas to get a $1.50 piece to finish the job.) I'll be spending Monday installing the ceiling fan and cutting holes in ceiling tiles for the recessed lights.
The entire job should be finished by Monday night.
The afternoon was spent alternately yelling at the TV where the Mets were blowing it to the Diamondbacks (final score 10-4) and installing the grid and the two recessed light fixtures. My calculations for materials needed were far better than the Mets' relief pitching. (I was just one 2' long cross piece short. The bullpen gave up 5 freaking runs in the eighth inning.)
Since we'll be going out to diner tomorrow (Terry's birthday was today), I'll probably get most--but not all--of the ceiling tiles in place.
Terry has an EGA meeting up near the Lowes in Horseheads on Monday and she plans on purchasing some perennial plants there so she'll also be able to get the missing cross piece then. (Gotta think about spending $10 worth of gas to get a $1.50 piece to finish the job.) I'll be spending Monday installing the ceiling fan and cutting holes in ceiling tiles for the recessed lights.
The entire job should be finished by Monday night.
Happy Birthday, Terry!
Today marked Terry's 59th birthday.
Tomorrow I'll be taking her out to dinner in celebration.
Tomorrow I'll be taking her out to dinner in celebration.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Come for a walk on the wild side.
Holy crap! No way would you ever get me to walk this little trail.
A stroll along this might get son Rick over his "fear" of heights--he's the guy climbing trees to cut them down.
(And I don't think my BiL would even look at the video without a half bottle of Scotch or Dramamine.)
(This has been on several sites I visit so it's tough to say from which I'm grateful(?) to for the frightening experience.)
A stroll along this might get son Rick over his "fear" of heights--he's the guy climbing trees to cut them down.
(And I don't think my BiL would even look at the video without a half bottle of Scotch or Dramamine.)
(This has been on several sites I visit so it's tough to say from which I'm grateful(?) to for the frightening experience.)
Basement Progress 5
Slow day today. I've been fighting a respiratory infection the last few days and breathing has become very difficult at times. I got very little sleep the last two nights so I decided to take things easy today.
I did clean up the workshop a bit, mark out all the spots for the lag screws to go up, and drew the line around the perimeter of the room for the molding but that's it. I was going to begin installing the wall molding, but Don and Adam came over to take a look at some of the little problems that have developed in the year and four months we've been in the Aerie.
There were two angles that never got trimmed out under the eaves. Amazingly, we never noticed this all last year. Only the fluttering of a couple of birds in the area of one of the gaping joints alerted us to the problem. Also, the deck power outlets have been acting up. I wanted to use one last spring and it kept tripping. We "fixed" it then, but in the fall, it was back to tripping again. Don's working on trimming out the angles and Adam has figured out what's what with the electrical.
I did clean up the workshop a bit, mark out all the spots for the lag screws to go up, and drew the line around the perimeter of the room for the molding but that's it. I was going to begin installing the wall molding, but Don and Adam came over to take a look at some of the little problems that have developed in the year and four months we've been in the Aerie.
There were two angles that never got trimmed out under the eaves. Amazingly, we never noticed this all last year. Only the fluttering of a couple of birds in the area of one of the gaping joints alerted us to the problem. Also, the deck power outlets have been acting up. I wanted to use one last spring and it kept tripping. We "fixed" it then, but in the fall, it was back to tripping again. Don's working on trimming out the angles and Adam has figured out what's what with the electrical.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Basement Progress 4
One recessed can was moved about 8 inches from where the original, temporary light fixture was located. (See the 2 x 4 just to the right? That's where the former utility box was attached.)
The ceiling fan support had to be moved diagonally to get it nearer the center of the 2' x 4' ceiling tile. I’m still working out how to install the ceiling fan itself. Right now it looks like I’ll be slicing a 2’ x 4’ ceiling panel in two and placing one 2’ x 2’ semi panel on each side of the pipe supporting the fan from the box shown here.
All the grid and molding is 5 inches down from the bottom of the floor joists. Putting the furring strips in, reduced space to 4-1/4 inches which was very tight for installing the ceiling tiles. No furring strips on the other half of the basement! No fancy cuts like this called for either. Should be a piece of cake.
At the end of Wednesday (day three), all the molding and grid work was up and waiting for the ceiling panels.
The orange glue-lam beam that supports the first floor, will still be exposed when the ceiling tiles are in.
This morning I started installing the tile. Every tile that contacted the wall had to be cut for either length or width or, sometimes, both.
Tools for cutting the tile: Utility knife and a good solid straight edge. I also used clamps to hold the straight edge in place and a piece of plywood under the tile and on top of the waist-high saw horses.
The large tiles in the center of the field were the easiest to install. It helped that the support wires were all on the same side of the grid nodes. That positioning gave me the leeway needed to leverage the tiles into place.
The two missing tiles are where the recessed light and ceiling fan will go. I'll cut them last as there are two more lights on the other side of the basement that will need the same special cuts.
The smaller the tile the more difficult it was to lever it into position...until I figured out the secret. You go in from next door. Lift up the tile next to the one you want to install and slip it over the transom, so to speak.
Tomorrow: The west side of the basement!
We already moved many of the boxes of books and software as well as some of the furniture out of the way. First thing in the morning I will be laying out the position of the lag screws then installing the molding and grid. Then moving the lights and putting in two recessed cans in place of the temporary fixtures currently in place. There will be NO furring strips!
Now that I know what I’m doing, it should be ready for ceiling tiles by Saturday.
Piece of cake!
Brrrr!
Hot (so to speak) on the heels of record snowfalls last week in Anchorage, Alaska and Minnesota
(not to mention the morning temperatures in the upper 20s here at the Aerie) come these reports:
The Pacific Decadal Oscillation flips, and California cools
Global warming could stop NATURALLY for ten years,' say scientists
Guess those carbon offsets are really paying off, heh?
(That reminds me. If it gets much cooler, we’re all going to have to start talking like Canadians, eh? Spelling things funny like neighbour and colour. And start participating in curling leagues. The Canadians--I refuse to call them Canucks--could be heading south to stay instead of just for a couple of weeks at the Jersey/Delaware/Maryland shore. And that's okay--as long as they leave the Quebecuois up north. Can't read or speak English--tough!)
(not to mention the morning temperatures in the upper 20s here at the Aerie) come these reports:
The Pacific Decadal Oscillation flips, and California cools
Global warming could stop NATURALLY for ten years,' say scientists
Guess those carbon offsets are really paying off, heh?
(That reminds me. If it gets much cooler, we’re all going to have to start talking like Canadians, eh? Spelling things funny like neighbour and colour. And start participating in curling leagues. The Canadians--I refuse to call them Canucks--could be heading south to stay instead of just for a couple of weeks at the Jersey/Delaware/Maryland shore. And that's okay--as long as they leave the Quebecuois up north. Can't read or speak English--tough!)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Basement Progress 3
Almost all of the grid is up in the east side of the basement and the two fixtures (recessed light and ceiling fan) have been moved to the center of a panel.
The recessed light has been installed and works fine with a 75 watt flood.
The bracket to support the fan has been installed and the wiring run to the box. Right now that is still a 100 watt light bulb as I try to figure out how to install a hanging fan from a box five inches inside the ceiling panel which can't hold any weight. It's like one of those folk puzzles. I've got a 12" pipe to connect the motor on the down side with the box on the other. The electrical wires run through that pipe from the motor to the box. Sounds simple, right. The problem is the whole thing has to go through the middle of a 2' x 4' ceiling panel. The motor is 8 inches in diameter so I can't slide the panel over the motor after everything is wired and connected. Trying to wire the thing and connect the pipe to the support would be like trying to change the oil in your car while you were locked in the trunk.
Tomorrow's bird walk has been canceled due to conflicting appointments" (plus it's supposed to rain), so come morning I'll slip the full panels into the grid system and then cut and install those that go around the edge.
So far I've been very good with materials. My calculations as to what would be needed for the grid on this side of the basement have been dead on. If things work out this well on the other side, I should have almost nothing left over except for ceiling tiles. I anticipated a need for 8 extra tiles to account for strange cuttings (not errors, just weird corners, dimensions and such) and I ordered an extra box of 10 to be put away for the future.
I learned that the use of furring strips was a complete waste of time and money. I will not put them up on the west side. Every one of the lag screws that was going in hit a floor joist dead center. (They are 16" on center and the 4' dimension of the tile spans three gaps in the floor joists.) I thought there might be more of a chance that they would not hall on the joists. I was wrong.
Once the tiles are up, the afternoon will be spent moving furniture and storage boxes from one side of the basement to the other so I can work. By the end of the day, I hope to have started laying out the positions of the lag screws and drawing the line for the wall border.
(I will also have pictures of the nearly finished east half of the basement. Promise.)
The recessed light has been installed and works fine with a 75 watt flood.
The bracket to support the fan has been installed and the wiring run to the box. Right now that is still a 100 watt light bulb as I try to figure out how to install a hanging fan from a box five inches inside the ceiling panel which can't hold any weight. It's like one of those folk puzzles. I've got a 12" pipe to connect the motor on the down side with the box on the other. The electrical wires run through that pipe from the motor to the box. Sounds simple, right. The problem is the whole thing has to go through the middle of a 2' x 4' ceiling panel. The motor is 8 inches in diameter so I can't slide the panel over the motor after everything is wired and connected. Trying to wire the thing and connect the pipe to the support would be like trying to change the oil in your car while you were locked in the trunk.
Tomorrow's bird walk has been canceled due to conflicting appointments" (plus it's supposed to rain), so come morning I'll slip the full panels into the grid system and then cut and install those that go around the edge.
So far I've been very good with materials. My calculations as to what would be needed for the grid on this side of the basement have been dead on. If things work out this well on the other side, I should have almost nothing left over except for ceiling tiles. I anticipated a need for 8 extra tiles to account for strange cuttings (not errors, just weird corners, dimensions and such) and I ordered an extra box of 10 to be put away for the future.
I learned that the use of furring strips was a complete waste of time and money. I will not put them up on the west side. Every one of the lag screws that was going in hit a floor joist dead center. (They are 16" on center and the 4' dimension of the tile spans three gaps in the floor joists.) I thought there might be more of a chance that they would not hall on the joists. I was wrong.
Once the tiles are up, the afternoon will be spent moving furniture and storage boxes from one side of the basement to the other so I can work. By the end of the day, I hope to have started laying out the positions of the lag screws and drawing the line for the wall border.
(I will also have pictures of the nearly finished east half of the basement. Promise.)
Basement Progress 2
I got all the boxing finished in the morning, measured down four inches all around the edge of the room drawing a line as I went and then put in the perimeter molding for the east side of the basement yesterday and will be putting up the lag screws and wire to support the grid today.
All the up and down on the ladder has me feeling like I'm doing a work out on a StairMaster. Up three steps, measure, draw, down three steps, move the ladder, up three steps, measure, draw, down three steps, move ladder repeat. Then up three steps with the molding, install molding to line with three screws, down three steps, move ladder, up three steps, add three more screws to that piece of molding, down....You get the idea. Up and down all day. But at least at the end of the day, something was accomplished. (Besides sore legs.)
I did take a break immediately after lunch. Terry and I drove to Lowes to get the cans for the lights as well as an extension pipe for the ceiling fan (not included with the kit because of the many different options for ceiling height, slope, etc.). While there, we started talking about and looking at some of the perennial plants they have. We need to supplement the wild daisies and other plants around the yard while at the same time being wary of the rabbits and raccoons that would devastate any vegetables we might plant. (Also not to forget is the chilly, chilly air at 2100 feet on the northwest side of the hill that can bring frost into late May and early September.)
Oh well, time to get back to work in the basement. Hopefully I'll have the grid up by the end of the day, the light moved from its current position (no that's not a pun on electrical work!) and the box for the ceiling fan relocated before I call it quits today. If I get that far, it will be picture time!
All the up and down on the ladder has me feeling like I'm doing a work out on a StairMaster. Up three steps, measure, draw, down three steps, move the ladder, up three steps, measure, draw, down three steps, move ladder repeat. Then up three steps with the molding, install molding to line with three screws, down three steps, move ladder, up three steps, add three more screws to that piece of molding, down....You get the idea. Up and down all day. But at least at the end of the day, something was accomplished. (Besides sore legs.)
I did take a break immediately after lunch. Terry and I drove to Lowes to get the cans for the lights as well as an extension pipe for the ceiling fan (not included with the kit because of the many different options for ceiling height, slope, etc.). While there, we started talking about and looking at some of the perennial plants they have. We need to supplement the wild daisies and other plants around the yard while at the same time being wary of the rabbits and raccoons that would devastate any vegetables we might plant. (Also not to forget is the chilly, chilly air at 2100 feet on the northwest side of the hill that can bring frost into late May and early September.)
Oh well, time to get back to work in the basement. Hopefully I'll have the grid up by the end of the day, the light moved from its current position (no that's not a pun on electrical work!) and the box for the ceiling fan relocated before I call it quits today. If I get that far, it will be picture time!
A bit on the nippy side
A mere 28 degrees at 7 AM this morning at the Aerie. After a day filled with mostly puffy, cumulus clouds, the sky cleared completely last evening and remains without a trace of a cloud this morning. The lack of blanket permitted what little heat that had accumulated during the 55 degree day to escape.
Tonight there's a warm front coming in--I hope--and the temperatures will rise into the 60s during the day and drop "only" to the mid 30s at night. Of course the front will also bring some rain with it. There's a 50% chance of showers tomorrow. Thursday is our usual birding day around the county. I just might forgo that to continue on the basement ceiling.
Tonight there's a warm front coming in--I hope--and the temperatures will rise into the 60s during the day and drop "only" to the mid 30s at night. Of course the front will also bring some rain with it. There's a 50% chance of showers tomorrow. Thursday is our usual birding day around the county. I just might forgo that to continue on the basement ceiling.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Global Cooling runs rampant in north-central PA!
After a foggy, rainy, chilly day yesterday, last night’s temperature just kept moving downward as it eventually bottomed at 34 degrees here at the Aerie. We’re in for more of the same today with overcast skies and some drizzle in the forecast. Tonight’s temp? Supposed to be in the mid to high 20s. I had to turn the heat on again as the indoor temp sank to 62 degrees.
Anyone hear from Al Gore lately?
Guess we’ll have to bring in the plants on the deck. Sure am glad we didn’t do any serious plantings yet.
(It's not much colder at the Bolt Hole either. Just hope the water pipes don't freeze as I didn't drain them last week and there's no heat except the sun.)
Anyone hear from Al Gore lately?
Guess we’ll have to bring in the plants on the deck. Sure am glad we didn’t do any serious plantings yet.
(It's not much colder at the Bolt Hole either. Just hope the water pipes don't freeze as I didn't drain them last week and there's no heat except the sun.)
Monday, April 28, 2008
Basement Progress
I'm getting somewhere in the ceiling project, but things are moving more slowly than I anticipated. I forgot that working over your head can be really, really tiring on your arms and neck. I would mark off the location of the furring strips on the east side of the basement and then have to take a break. Then I would install five or six furring strips, screwing them to the floor joists, and have to take a break.
As I started to lay out the furring strip rows I discovered that one of the rows of furring strips will be passing almost directly over the existing light fixtures. This is not good. Those fixtures need to be moved to the center of a ceiling tile which means between the rows of furring strips. Guess I'll be running out to get some wire and three cans for recessed lights. I'll also need to hone up on the installation fo the ceiling fan. I'll need to have something solid for it to hang from and that means moving the fixture box and adding some bracing.
I did get all the boards for the boxing in of the fireplace ceiling and the stairwell cut and installed, however, and that counts for something.
As I started to lay out the furring strip rows I discovered that one of the rows of furring strips will be passing almost directly over the existing light fixtures. This is not good. Those fixtures need to be moved to the center of a ceiling tile which means between the rows of furring strips. Guess I'll be running out to get some wire and three cans for recessed lights. I'll also need to hone up on the installation fo the ceiling fan. I'll need to have something solid for it to hang from and that means moving the fixture box and adding some bracing.
I did get all the boards for the boxing in of the fireplace ceiling and the stairwell cut and installed, however, and that counts for something.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Blogging may be light...
...for a few days at least while I get my act together in the basement. I'm likely to be working through the evening as well.
That means some of youse will take a hit on the old meter when I don't click through my customary 3 or 4 times a day.
If you want the full reason, check the previous post.
That means some of youse will take a hit on the old meter when I don't click through my customary 3 or 4 times a day.
If you want the full reason, check the previous post.
Basement Ceiling Project
Last Friday I made the rounds of the Lowes in the area to collect nearly all the materials I will need to install a suspended ceiling in the basement here at the Aerie. I initially went up to Horesheads, NY where I hoped to get everything but they were 8 pieces short for the long rails I needed and that necessitated a trip over to Sayre, PA and their Lowes. Luckily, they are both reeeeal close to Route 17 so by doing a loop instead of coming home and then going out again, I traveled just about 20 miles extra instead of 50 or 60. And at $3.70 per gallon and 18 mpg…well, you do the math. (I can't wait for them to start construction of the Lowes to be built in Mansfield!)
Having gotten all the materials I thought I would also pick up some furring strips so I would have a bit more leeway as to where I needed to put the lag screws that would attach the grid to the floor joists. So Saturday, after the bird walk at Hills Creek State Park, I stopped at the building supply company in Mansfield to get 32 of the 8’ long furring strips.
Here’s all the stuff stacked up in the basement.
The basement is really divided in two halves by the main support beam that runs down the middle. Each half is approximately 13’ wide and 25’ long. The west side is the easiest as there are no real fancy details to worry about. The east side, however has several zigs and zags and areas that need to be built up or around.
West half of the basement. Note the small bump out that occurs between the two doors. That, and a similar bump out on the other end, is the only thing that prevents this from being a real rectangle.
There are two light fixtures in each half. Both fixtures on the west side will be replaced with recessed lighting. (Shoot! I forgot to buy the cans for that!)
The west side from the opposite end.
The east side of the basement. This side is a different story. The stretch along the stairwell will require a board be hung so the wall trim (which holds the tiles and the grid in place) will have something to which it can be attached. Also, a smoke detector and an alarm sensor will have to be relocated.
On the other end of the east side…
The light nearest the fireplace will be replaced with a ceiling fan. Being quite heavy, some imaginative thinking will be required to figure out how to hang the fixture. (The floor joists are 8’ 9” off the basement floor. Dropping the ceiling 5” will still leave plenty of headroom even with a fan in this location.) Another problem is the rock board that acts as a fire proof ceiling over the wood burner drops down from the floor joists about 3”.
Fire proof ceiling is a requirement.
It will have to be boxed in but…
There is also an air filter/intake for the living room fireplace mounted here. This circulates air to the jacket of the fireplace and heats it before blowing it into the room. It will need to be boxed in but with room left for free air circulation.
So that’s what my week holds for me. I expect to have all the boxing in done and the furring strips hung by tomorrow evening. If all goes well. Once that’s done, the rest should be a snap.
Except for all that shifting about of the electrical stuff. But that has to wait for the grid to be in place so the fixtures end up where they should…in the center of a tile instead of where they shouldn’t like right over a a grid line.
Having gotten all the materials I thought I would also pick up some furring strips so I would have a bit more leeway as to where I needed to put the lag screws that would attach the grid to the floor joists. So Saturday, after the bird walk at Hills Creek State Park, I stopped at the building supply company in Mansfield to get 32 of the 8’ long furring strips.
Here’s all the stuff stacked up in the basement.
The basement is really divided in two halves by the main support beam that runs down the middle. Each half is approximately 13’ wide and 25’ long. The west side is the easiest as there are no real fancy details to worry about. The east side, however has several zigs and zags and areas that need to be built up or around.
West half of the basement. Note the small bump out that occurs between the two doors. That, and a similar bump out on the other end, is the only thing that prevents this from being a real rectangle.
There are two light fixtures in each half. Both fixtures on the west side will be replaced with recessed lighting. (Shoot! I forgot to buy the cans for that!)
The west side from the opposite end.
The east side of the basement. This side is a different story. The stretch along the stairwell will require a board be hung so the wall trim (which holds the tiles and the grid in place) will have something to which it can be attached. Also, a smoke detector and an alarm sensor will have to be relocated.
On the other end of the east side…
The light nearest the fireplace will be replaced with a ceiling fan. Being quite heavy, some imaginative thinking will be required to figure out how to hang the fixture. (The floor joists are 8’ 9” off the basement floor. Dropping the ceiling 5” will still leave plenty of headroom even with a fan in this location.) Another problem is the rock board that acts as a fire proof ceiling over the wood burner drops down from the floor joists about 3”.
Fire proof ceiling is a requirement.
It will have to be boxed in but…
There is also an air filter/intake for the living room fireplace mounted here. This circulates air to the jacket of the fireplace and heats it before blowing it into the room. It will need to be boxed in but with room left for free air circulation.
So that’s what my week holds for me. I expect to have all the boxing in done and the furring strips hung by tomorrow evening. If all goes well. Once that’s done, the rest should be a snap.
Except for all that shifting about of the electrical stuff. But that has to wait for the grid to be in place so the fixtures end up where they should…in the center of a tile instead of where they shouldn’t like right over a a grid line.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
The SS Democrat may have hit an ice berg
TigerHawk has a post up today about the problems the Democrats have been facing in this year’s election process.( Schadenfreude ) In it he discusses—and agrees with—the Op-Ed piece in the New York Times by Bob Herbert. ( Heading Toward the Danger Zone ).
TigerHawk concludes:
I concur with his (and Herbert’s) analysis that we are witnessing a slow motion train wreck, but would say that this is a problem the Democrats have been fostering for quite some time. The Democrats have been courting disaster by courting voters as blocs as opposed to courting them as Democrats. The Democrats have courted and attempted to appease women, gays, blacks, unionists, Hispanics, peace activists, etc. They have invited them into the fold but have not assimilated them once they have them there. Each group is a click within the party and maintains its own cause(s) and cares. Not being assimilated, a schism can be created within the party allowing one or more groups (or in the worst case scenario ALL the groups) to go their own way. By choosing to live by identity politics, the Democrats are now discovering what it is to die by identity politics.
Contrast this with the Republican Party. Become a Republican and you are either moderate or conservative. These are policy differences and they can be and usually are ironed out. Seldom do you see the same sort of fracturing take place and never have I heard the phrase “women Republicans” or “Hispanic Republicans” or any of the other “identity-group Republicans” used. (Except by the media.) It makes no difference to the Republicans if you are a woman or Hispanic or Black or whatever. What matters is you are a Republican.
Now the conservative members of the Republican Party have taken McCain to task for his work with the Comprehensive Immigration Reform of last summer and McCain-Feingold election laws of a few years back. Some have even said they will sit out this Presidential election because of these and a few other issues. McCain still has a respectable voting record on conservative issues in the Senate, however, and serious reconsideration of that withholding proposal is in order. There is nowhere near as much acrimony on the Republican side as on the Democratic side. There, a sizable chunk of the electorate have said they will, under no circumstances, vote for the other candidate if theirs loses the primary or is seen to have been shunted to the side by the super delegates/party bosses in Denver.
What with the convoluted primary rules (proportionality and super delegates) and violations (Michigan and Florida), mixed with a very lackluster performance in both the House and Senate (how did their job performance rating get so damn low?) and the Democrats may be pulling a defeat out of what was supposed to be a banner year for their party.
TigerHawk concludes:
The problem is that the most determined candidate is not the most popular, and the line between them has been drawn more by identity and character, which are mirrors that project our self-image, than by meaningful differences in proposed policies or, for that matter, proof of executive experience or ability. It is a terrible bind for the Democrats, and a stroke of luck for the Republicans.
I concur with his (and Herbert’s) analysis that we are witnessing a slow motion train wreck, but would say that this is a problem the Democrats have been fostering for quite some time. The Democrats have been courting disaster by courting voters as blocs as opposed to courting them as Democrats. The Democrats have courted and attempted to appease women, gays, blacks, unionists, Hispanics, peace activists, etc. They have invited them into the fold but have not assimilated them once they have them there. Each group is a click within the party and maintains its own cause(s) and cares. Not being assimilated, a schism can be created within the party allowing one or more groups (or in the worst case scenario ALL the groups) to go their own way. By choosing to live by identity politics, the Democrats are now discovering what it is to die by identity politics.
Contrast this with the Republican Party. Become a Republican and you are either moderate or conservative. These are policy differences and they can be and usually are ironed out. Seldom do you see the same sort of fracturing take place and never have I heard the phrase “women Republicans” or “Hispanic Republicans” or any of the other “identity-group Republicans” used. (Except by the media.) It makes no difference to the Republicans if you are a woman or Hispanic or Black or whatever. What matters is you are a Republican.
Now the conservative members of the Republican Party have taken McCain to task for his work with the Comprehensive Immigration Reform of last summer and McCain-Feingold election laws of a few years back. Some have even said they will sit out this Presidential election because of these and a few other issues. McCain still has a respectable voting record on conservative issues in the Senate, however, and serious reconsideration of that withholding proposal is in order. There is nowhere near as much acrimony on the Republican side as on the Democratic side. There, a sizable chunk of the electorate have said they will, under no circumstances, vote for the other candidate if theirs loses the primary or is seen to have been shunted to the side by the super delegates/party bosses in Denver.
What with the convoluted primary rules (proportionality and super delegates) and violations (Michigan and Florida), mixed with a very lackluster performance in both the House and Senate (how did their job performance rating get so damn low?) and the Democrats may be pulling a defeat out of what was supposed to be a banner year for their party.
Saturday at Hills Creek State Park
Today’s bird walk was part of the series at Hills Creek State Park. Because Gary was going to be out of town, I volunteered to lead the walk. The weather forecasters early in the week had predicted heavy rain much of the day. Then they changed it to scattered thunderstorms but kept te probability of showers at 80%. We had a very thin line of storms move through the region last evening but the sky has cleared considerably. The forecast is still 80% chance of thunderstorms with the possibility that one or two might be quite severe. Radar, however shows almost no activity anywhere in Pennsylvania so if it is going to rain, they will have to develop swiftly, a la Florida storms. Since the air temperature is up into the mid-70s (some 15 degrees above normal), I suppose that the storm development is a possibility.
All that is to say we had a beautiful morning for a walk. There wasn’t a breath of a breeze when we started at 8:30 AM as witnessed by the flag at the park headquarters. The lake was mirror smooth for much of the two hours we walked along its shoreline.
The group was small, consisting of only four people: myself, Audrey (the Park Ranger), and Ron and Mary Jo, a husband and wife pair who are also members of the Tiadaghton Audubon Society but who disappear for months at a time to travel around the country. They have a house near the park and are frequent visitors for walks along the trails and roads. We had a good time despite the low turnout.
Here’s today’s report:
Location: Hills Creek State Park
Observation date: 4/26/08
Notes: Warm, very clear and still. Temperature: between 55 and 75. The eagle was a juvenile and had not yet developed its white head or tail.
Number of species: 27
Canada Goose 6
Mallard 2
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Ring-billed Gull 8
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 3
Blue Jay 10
American Crow 12
Tree Swallow 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Black-capped Chickadee 4
Eastern Bluebird 2
American Robin 4
European Starling 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler 7
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 8
Dark-eyed Junco 2
Northern Cardinal 4
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Common Grackle 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
All that is to say we had a beautiful morning for a walk. There wasn’t a breath of a breeze when we started at 8:30 AM as witnessed by the flag at the park headquarters. The lake was mirror smooth for much of the two hours we walked along its shoreline.
The group was small, consisting of only four people: myself, Audrey (the Park Ranger), and Ron and Mary Jo, a husband and wife pair who are also members of the Tiadaghton Audubon Society but who disappear for months at a time to travel around the country. They have a house near the park and are frequent visitors for walks along the trails and roads. We had a good time despite the low turnout.
Here’s today’s report:
Location: Hills Creek State Park
Observation date: 4/26/08
Notes: Warm, very clear and still. Temperature: between 55 and 75. The eagle was a juvenile and had not yet developed its white head or tail.
Number of species: 27
Canada Goose 6
Mallard 2
Turkey Vulture 1
Osprey 1
Bald Eagle 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Ring-billed Gull 8
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 3
Blue Jay 10
American Crow 12
Tree Swallow 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
Black-capped Chickadee 4
Eastern Bluebird 2
American Robin 4
European Starling 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler 7
Eastern Towhee 1
Chipping Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 8
Dark-eyed Junco 2
Northern Cardinal 4
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Common Grackle 2
Brown-headed Cowbird 2
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)
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