Now I remember.

I remember why I haven't broke out the sprayer in quite some time.  And I'm not talking about lawn and garden either.  I mean,  spraying paint.
It's not the spraying that's the bother,  it's all the bloody prep involved.   Gah!
I don't have anything remotely like a "spray booth" or anything,  so that's one consideration.  So,  there needs to be a certain flow of air through the garage,  preferably no humidity.  What else?  I guess that's basically it.
Then of course,  I have to put up some sort of barriers to keep the paint from getting everywhere.

All because I had this notion that putting primer in all those nooks and crannies would be a bother.

The result makes it all worth it,  but only barely.   Then there's the gun to clean.

Anyhoodle,  that looks better.  

I know, I could have left it "wood coloured" ,  and it would have been perfectly functional,  but a little bit of paint never hurts.

If it wasn't such a complete pain in the ass,  I'd paint the entire garage.  I suspect it would something akin to a nightmare however.  

It is what it is.

The temperatures around here have been up and down like a toilet seat lately it seems.  Saturday was hot and humid,  then for the next three days it's been almost cold.  Relatively speaking of course.

Tonight was a sailing night,  and I made sure to go with the long trousers, socks and runners,  since I damned near froze my feet off last week. It just takes getting a couple splashes of ice cold water off that lake,  and soon enough I couldn't feel my feet at all.

Unfortunately, tonight it was dead as a fart out there,  and after a "delay",   they packed it in.  Most everyone then races to the clubhouse for a cold one.   We had adequate liquids on board,  so we chose to get everything stowed away,  set the hook and broke out the coolers.  (Um, beer coolers,  not those smarmy drinky-poo things)

I did take a picture of the Shepherd's Pie that I made last night,  which T.C. and I finished off this evening,  but it tasted better than it looked.  Possibly I could have helped it out with some sort of modification in a photo editing program,  but you can just use your imagination instead.  
It looked gastly.  Really.

Don't know why,  but I had a craving for Shepherd's Pie.   Plus,  there's always that hidden bonus of being able to have at least one left over meal out of the deal.

Who me, lazy?

In other "excitement",  there was a phone call today at around two o'clock from my (let me think about this) "nephew"?   He's the son-in-law of my sister-in-law.  Actually,  probably no relation.
Anyway,  turns out it was a plumbing question.  Which was basically a cry for help.  Seems that water had been discovered,  and after ripping out some closet or other in the basement,  it turns out that one of the copper pipes had started to leak.   There were no signs of a burst pipe as a result of a freeze,  but it was a very fine stream that was coming out about a half an inch from a joint.  I never thought it was possible,  but apparently this is a "thing".  Copper pipes can in fact, start to leak with little or no provocation.

Oh,  of course,  I know all this, since it was mentioned that he'd shut off the water for the whole house,  at which point I simply said,  "I'll be there within a half hour."    I packed up the car with whatever plumbing stuff I figured I'd need,  and headed off to sort it out.
Turns out, I couldn't get the water out of the one side, so we ended up putting in a couple "shark" fittings with a short length of PEX tubing.

Some kind soul has written a little Wiki blurb here, if you're not sure what that is.

I've used it here and there,  but I guess I'm old fashioned,  since I still have mostly all copper fittings here at the Ponderosa.

In this situation (sorry,  no pictures)  it was pretty awesome,  since there's no need to use a torch, or trying to get the copper above its "kindling" temperature so the solder will melt.  Plus,  this spot was really close to bit of the frame that easily could have been set alight,  so I was using my little heat deflectors,  with a spray bottle handy.
The pex isn't the cheapest method, mind you,  but when you need to turn the bloody water back on and nothing else works, totally worth it.

This is probably why we have a standing invitation to their cottage.
Pays to be handy.

'Cause,  if you're wife doesn't find you handsome"?   You know that one,  I'm sure.

Speaking of which:  Keeps yer stick on the ice.

Thanks for stopping by.

Crazy Canadian Weather.

And,  the reason I'm in here, is because I'd rather not be out there.   Seems,  if you're not keen on the weather around here,  just wait a day or two.  Well,  sometimes maybe a week or two.  In the summer at least.  Winters?  That's another story.  They do tend to drag on.

Just a day ago,  it was going down to single digits at night (temps in "C" folks!)  and I had no issues wearing my long trousers for a brief night out last night.

Travelling Companion is away for the weekend for a "girls weekend" (and I don't even like the sound of that, but those aren't only my words) and as she offered to drive a couple other "girls" (really?) that meant that muggins here is "sans car".

Which doesn't really bother me. I mean, I made sure to pick up some beer,  and there's food in the house.  What more could I need?

 And besides,  there was an offer to come by and fetch me by one of our "pub buddies",  (also a term I'm not overly fond of,  but is a reasonable description) as a means to get to the weekly gathering at our favourite watering hole.  Gotta go to the pub!!

After that,  we went to another watering hole for a not too shabby dinner.  I paid.
Yes, I know, I'm normally pretty cheap,  but as the old man here was driven around and such,  I thought I'd step up.
In that tiny group I am in fact,  the oldest.   In the larger group, that's not quite the case.

Speaking of which,  last Sunday we said our final "goodbyes" to one of our somewhat long time friends at what was aptly named "Glynfest".   I'm pretty sure I mentioned his passing back in March. Still can't quite get past the notion that he's gone,  but I'm not going to get too maudlin.   I'll just say, I came to the realization at one point that,  I really wasn't looking forward to this gathering.  And it was not due to seeing all of those great folks,  that's for sure.  I mean,  there were people there whom I hadn't seen in a very long time.  Many hugs.  Many hugs.
No,  it was more like,  not looking forward to that final goodbye.   I guess that's it.  This is all something we have to face as the years roll by.  Gah!

This is starting to get to be a bit of a downer.  Time to snap out of it.

What else?

Well,  the "girl's weekend"  had been preceded by a "guy's weekend" back a few weeks ago.  There was golfing.  There was some *ahem* consumption of beer.  Other than that,  that's all there is to say about that.  "Cone of silence" and all.   No really.  I dare not even show you pictures.  Not for broader consumption.

Well,  I can show you the one,  as our host had set up a little "shrine" to our lost companion.

He was part of our annual "guy's weekend" group,  after all.

We did eat well though.  I have to say that.  Don't make a fuss about it,  but there was even salad. And,  not just one kind either.  We're not freakin' teenagers.  It's all about good eats,  good company etc.



I suppose I could show you another "thing" that I made for the shop.  In keeping with the "Sh*t Bob makes" theme.



It's this:

There never seems to be enough work surfaces when it comes right down to it,  and once upon a time,  I had (and still have) a set of plywood "lifts"  onto which I would place a sheet of  half inch plywood.  It was an awkward, wobbly arrangement,  and I had had enough.

This one not only has a laminate top,  but also folds up out of the way.

Thus:

Took a bit of trial and error to figure out the wooden catch at the top.  I wanted it to ride up on the side of the table as it went up against the wall,  but then to click into place without any worry of it coming down.

I think I got it.

Now I think it just needs a coat of paint.  

I'll get to it.

Oh,  and here's something you might find slightly amusing,  and I dare say something that you've experienced at least once in your life.

Ever gone back to a place of your childhood,  looked at it,  and said,  "Wow,  I thought it was bigger than that"?

Well,  a few days ago,  T.C.  and I took a little trip to the "Port Credit" area (now all "Mississauga" I think) to sort out a bank account at a credit union there,  and decided to take a drive past a house where she spent at least a few years of her childhood. 

I'm guessing from about 1952 to 1958.

She even thought the back yard was big.  Somehow I have trouble trying to picture that.

I vividly recall seeing the elementary school where I spent the first four years of school, and thought, "Wow, I thought it was bigger."   

I guess that's a common thing when you look back at your childhood through the eyes of an adult?  Well,  a grown up.  Not all of us are adults.

And by the way,  there were seven siblings.  

But you know, it's almost the same size as our family home back in rural Nova Scotia.  Maybe our place was a little wider?  No pictures, sadly that place burnt to the ground in about '68,  after we had moved to Ontario.   And,  there were six kids,  although my eldest brother had flown the coop by the time I came around. We'll not go there.

I guess that's about it for a while.

I'll *try* to not be such a stranger.   It's tough,  trust me.  I mean, do you give a rat's tiny behind if I water the plants each morning?  No,  I didn't think so.

We'll see.

Keep those sticks on the ice.

Thanks for stopping by.