Sunday, July 20, 2014

Time to clean up.

Before my head explodes.  I can only handle the disarray for so long,  and then I start to get grumpy.

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I didn’t take any more pictures, but you get the idea.  What’s missing is enough boxes to put all the scraps in.  Of course,  the grocery store down the street doesn’t have much of an empty box selection on a Sunday.  I’ll go back there tomorrow and take a look.  A fair amount of that will end up in the fireplace.

The wood burning one in the basement, that is.   I should probably give some to my sister-in-law as well,  since she does use her wood burning fireplace from time to time.  It’s mostly only good for kindling,  but at least there’s some value in getting some heat out of what would otherwise be garbage.

 

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So with the exception of two pieces of tongue and groove that I’m missing,  that’s the end of “phase one”.  Although,  I never did think in terms of “phases”, but we still have the copper ends to put on along with the new windows that I have yet to order. 

What’s up there now isn’t staying.  We’ll actually be able to open and close windows without the frustration that accompanies anything to do with the ones there now. 

I guess the original idea was to not have any windows,  which is what I’ve seen in Austria and Slovenia,  but then there are the squirrels to reckon with.  So even if I fixed it so that nothing could get from there into the attic,  they’d still be crappin’ everywhere and causing huge amounts of destruction. 

Ain’t gonna happen.

Oh and by the way,  since having taken those two pictures,  I’ve taken down the rest of the scaffold and taken away that ladder,  but not before reattaching the down spout in its proper place.   Temporarily of course,  since we have a company on its way to replace all that stuff in the not too distant future. 

And here I was thinking we’d go to a cottage for a few days. 

Again,  ain’t gonna happen.

 

We worked like dogs all yesterday to get it done,  in the pouring rain to boot. 

My feet were like prunes.

We wrapped it up at 4:45 though!   Ha!

I had already made the commitment that the scaffolding was due to be picked up Monday morning,  plus I wanted to release Carpenter Dude from my employ at the end of the day.  He’s done.

Now I realise that some of you had said something to the effect that I could very well have done this on my own?   Well yes.  I suppose so.  I do have the skill set.

However,  having Carpenter Dude here “on the clock”  was the ultimate motivation to get it done.

Sometimes you needs to pays yer money

And then just “suck it up Buttercup”,  and move on.   Saying,  “Oh I’ll do it myself”,  starts to wear a little thin after 10 or 20 years. 

 

Basically, I’d still be out there,  most likely for the rest of the summer.  I know what I’m like.  About mid day,  I’d “need” a nap.

And then after that?   Too groggy to do much else.  And so on.

 

And how depressing would that be?  Having this project looming over my head.  Never quite done.   There’s more “on the list”.  Trust me.  So it’s not like I’m ever really *done*.

 

Now,  speaking of fireplaces,  my next little concern will be getting the “exhaust hat”  on the chimney cap along with the ‘in’ and ‘out’  tubes that have to run down to the gas insert that needs to go in.   I want to have that sorted out before too long,  since we’ll be getting a new roof presumably sometime in September,  and after that I’m not going up there.  It’s a metal roof,  from these guys.

 

Oh,  and did you know,  that if you use some sort of card (we have a debit card system here in Canada) at Home Despot,  you can take stuff back within 90 days and you don’t need your receipt?   I just found that out this morning.  I had bought boatloads of the adhesive that we were using,  and took back all the extra tubes that were never opened.   We’re talking like fifty bucks here.  No point in keeping ten tubes of PL Premium hanging around.  When am I ever going to use that much adhesive?  I’ll get some more if I need it.

 

I guess that’s all I have in my pea brain.

I’ll resurface in a day or so if I think I have something worthwhile to say.

 

 

Keep it between the ditches.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

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9 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. And then of course there would be the motorhome "projects". It's all the same, really.

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  2. I have been following along, Bob. Although a taxing job, the fix up sure looks great. I agree with your reasons to hire a complementary carpenter. It did look like a two person job. Nice!

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  3. I agree with Kevin sell house, buy motorhome, much smaller projects and can still enjoy travelling a bit here and there.

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  4. What a great looking job, can't wait to see what your new roof will look like.

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  5. I agree - sell house, buy motorhome. The projects wouldn't be near as "big" as the ones you're tackling now. The house really is looking good though. And I agree with you, sometimes it pays to pay for the work to be done.

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  6. That really looks nice Bob, and with new windows it will be off the chart! And your still the head carpenter dude to us, even if you do hire a helper once in a while....

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  7. Your hard work really shows. Your home is magnificent!

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Well, I've been getting too many spam comments showing up. Just a drag, so we'll go another route and hope that helps. So, we won't be hearing anything more from Mr. Nony Moose.
I guess I'll just have to do without that Gucci purse.