Life Imitates Art

We watched a couple of the Pink Panther movies with the kids, and they sure loved them. Actually, what they really loved was Clouseau, and he wasn’t as prominent of a figure in the first Pink Panther movie, and was definitely not as bumbling and funny. It was the Return of the Pink Panther that the kids really loved, though I recall one of my favorites was Strikes Again. Either way, in the Return, there is a cool scene where the jewel thief sneaks into a museum and steals the Pink Panther diamond. In order to pull this off, he has to escape all sorts of traps and alarms, and this really inspired the kids.

What they ended up doing was setting all these traps around the house with trip wires. They were very clever about it, using electronic sirens and buzzers with insulators that would slip out when we walked through the wire. I actually contributed to the mix by suggesting they tie a thread to a jar of marbles and placing it on a metal tray. When the trap gets set off, the marbles roll around the metal, making a raucous noise. It’s cool that they were so creative about it, but I set the traps off about two dozen times a day. This, as you might have guessed, amuses the kids to no end.

Oh well, you reap what you sow, right? Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Sinks and Baths

We ordered and received the toilets for the barn, but that’s only part of the picture. KB said to order the sinks and a bathtub, as well. I guess those are important, as well. One interesting note about the downstairs bathroom: when we were in Florida, the house that we stayed in had a small bathroom that was nearly identical to what we had in mind, but with an interesting twist.

We had originally envisioned a small bathroom with a door on one end, a wall mount sink on the side which you would have to walk around to get to the toilet. What the Florida house had was a bathroom with a sliding door on the side that allowed for a full size pedestal sink on one end and a toilet on the other. I’m not a huge fan of sliding doors, but you could always put in a regular door, and this would allow for much more space.

The bathroom is already framed out, but nothing a reciprocating saw and sledge hammer can’t handle. Did I mention that I like framing?

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Ryan Smart for the pic.

Signs of Winter

For me, one of the true symbollic acts to signal the advent of winter is removing the screens and installing the storm windows. Then you’ve really taken steps to prepare for the cold weather. What’s nice about it is the windows let in much more light without the screens, though our windows were a bit dirty.

With this in mind, I set about doing something I’ve never really done before, and that was washing the windows. Now I did this before we left thinking that it would be too cold to wash windows upon our return from our trip. This was incorrect thinking, but how could I have known that before we left? Either way, it was a bit of a scramble to wash the windows in the midst of preparing for the journey, all by my lonesome, no less. I tried to be practical about the whole thing, so I only washed the outside because once it got really cold, I couldn’t really do that. Plus, washing the outside was a little easier since I could splash and spill water and not have to worry about furniture, floors, etc.

The storm windows presented a bit of a challenge, because we have two sets of glass to clean, and two sets of surfaces, both inside and out. Just thinking about it makes me want to ignore it, but I persevered and got it done, at least on the outside. I still have to clean the inside, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Sometimes ambition can work against you.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Looking at the Bright Side

It’s a total bummer that we had to delay our departure due to illness, but it was a no brainer. It’s not fun traveling when you’re sick, heck, nothing’s really fun when you’re sick, and the extra few days really helped us to get back on our feet and feel better. We made the right decision, though it delayed our reunion with mom, whom we miss terribly, none more than yours truly.

On the bright side, however, the delay affored me more time to finish what I originally set out to do, which was to complete that darn woodpile, and complete it I did. Not wanting to squander a golden opportunity, I went to work immediately and told myself that I wasn’t going to stop until it was done. I lucked out with good weather, cool and dry, though it rained one afternoon and I went out and split anyway. How’s that for being a hardcore Vermonter?

Now the pile is done, sort of. I still need to cover it with a tarp before the snow comes, but one thing at a time. Let me relish the sweet afterglow of accomplishment.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Broken Toilets

This is kind of a bummer that actually has a happy ending. You have to appreciate these moments. We ordered our toilets online and got free shipping, which is nice because it would have required a truck of some sorts, and yet it’s strange to think that they would deliver a toilet by FedEx. They each weigh about 100 lbs.

The site, National Builders Supply, is a great site. We got a good price on a toilet that is not always easy to find, a Toto. Plus, as I mentioned, we get free shipping. Anyway, I think we may have ordered from them in the past, and what I recall is that they sternly warn you to check the delivery for damages before signing the receipt. The problem is, the FedEx guy isn’t going to sit there and wait while you cut open the boxes and pull out the toilets to inspect them. The guy basically unloaded the boxes and left.

Last time I ignored this and it worked out fine, but this time around, when I opened the box, one of the lids to the toilet was cracked in half. Total bummer. I immediately called NBS and they said Toto would replace it for free. So I called Toto, and sure enough, they said they’d send me a new one, no questions asked. Whew! Dodged a bullet there.

I love when that happens. Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Determination

I set my sights on finishing one goal before we left, and that was to complete year two of the woodpile before our departure. It seemed so plausible because I had a huge pile that was split and ready to stack, and the pile was at least 60% done. Then again, 40% of five cords is still a fair amount of wood, two cords to be precise, and before I knew it, my split pile was depleted and there was still a large gap in the stack.

With only a day left before leaving, it’s doubtful that I’ll get it done, but at least I tried, and that’s the important thing. Besides, I have all winter and spring to finish it, though if it were done, I could have focused on other important tasks, like working on my tan.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Toilets and Sinks

We ordered our new toilets for the barn, and went with what we’d purchased in the past. At least for me, there are two issues in making these choices: selecting a toilet (there are so many choices it’s madness), and then getting it home. KB offered to pick them up with his truck, but I’ve found the better way is to order them online and have them delivered, especially if you can score free shipping. Such was the case this time around.

Many places seem to be offering free shipping, I’m guessing to attract customers during these difficult economic times. Toilets are pretty big and heavy, so it’s a bonus for us. We went with Toto, just because that’s what we got in the past, and they get good reviews. Plus, this simplifies what could be an overly complicated situation where choosing a unit from literally hundreds of choices can bog a person like me down. No thank you. It’s done and over, now we just await their arrival.

Of course, we still have to choose sinks and, gulp, a bathtub, so we’re not out of the woods quite yet. Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to engindeniz for the pic.