Clark Creek Blog

Clark Creek, Sings of Life

2011-01-30T13:47:00.000-08:00

I’ve was surprised, recently to realize that it has been over three years since I stepped away from blogging. It doesn’t seem like that amount of time could possibly have gone by, but evidently it has.

Thankfully, life on Clark Creek, if undocumented, has been chugging along peacefully and, looking back, productively. We still have a spreadsheet which breaks down the projects in progress and yet to be started, but looking at it now, I realize that we are past all the major hurdles in getting our home into the shape we imagined it would be when we bought it. I’ll make follow up posts with a few photos from the past several years.

Friday, December 31st, 2010

2010-12-31T16:03:00.000-08:00

Quiet (rarely)

November 25th, 2010

2010-11-25T16:00:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving on Clark Creek.

(Serious business)

Sunday, November 21st. 2010

2010-11-21T15:58:00.000-08:00

Baking bread and pasties in the newly pretty kitchen.

Saturday, November 20th, 2010

2010-11-20T15:54:00.000-08:00

Digging potatoes.

R.I.P. Jonah. You were a fine friend, protector, and good dog.

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

2010-10-31T15:45:00.000-07:00

Costume designers hard at work...

To infinity and beyond!

Mr Roboto

What I found when I went to sit in my chair - Crazy Bucket Pumpkin Head Man said, No!

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

2010-10-02T15:42:00.000-07:00

Leaves have fallen, all around...

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

2010-09-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

Child labor or House Elf?

Sunday, September 12th, 2010

2010-09-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

We ended up getting the decking in place just in time to enjoy the end of summer out on it, eating and sleeping and just relaxing.

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

2010-09-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

Go on, give her a hand...

As It Should Be

2010-09-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

W and I taking a break while other people work.

Back Deck Begins in Earnest

2010-09-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

First Day Back to School

2010-09-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

2010-08-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

View of the repaired but yet to be refinished front hall floor. Thanks to neighbor Alen for lending his expertise.

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

2010-08-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

Leaves are beginning to turn and nights are a little cooler. There are few places on Earth I'd rather be than the PNW is late August, early September.

Most Sundays, the boys walk next door to pancakes with Grandma and Grandpa.

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

2010-08-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

Lights and mirror in. The mirror is an antique and seemed to be to go with the mosaic tiling.

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

2010-08-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

I let T. pick out the colors for the bathroom. I figured, "Hey, Why not? The next people will paint it how they like."

Potty back in place

2010-08-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

July 10th, 2010

2010-07-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

Just what you want to look out your window and see coming up the road when you are about to rush out.

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

2010-07-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

Wall tile coming along.

Detail behind the door.

June 26th, 2010

2010-06-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hop-a-long bike outing.

Saturday, June 19th, 2010

2010-06-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

Due to finding a close out sale, it turned out that I could do a 36" wrap around on the walls for less than 25 bucks in additional tile.

June 12th, 2010

2010-06-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

Not everyday is for working on the house.

June 11th, 2010

2010-06-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

Slow and steady wins the race.

May 30th, 2010

2010-05-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

Working with mosaic tile turned out to be lot easier than it looks. I ended up doing an alternating black and white border that let me float the mosaic in the center of the room without having to do a lot of cutting or tight numbers.

End of May, 2010 on Clark Creek

2010-05-29T14:14:00.000-07:00

May 27th, 2010

2010-05-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

The front hall potty gets a face lift. I tore out the wall paper covered fake wood paneling and what was probably the original cabinetry and caste iron sink. We think the bathroom was probably added later, after the house had been in occupation for some time.

Stairway to Our House

2010-05-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday May 15th, 2010

2010-05-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

An inadvertent exposure to whooping cough was the excuse for having several neighborhood quarantine parties.

Still infested with tiny dinosaurs

2010-05-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

We've tried traps, sticky paper, poison, interglacial periods and everything else we can think of.

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

2010-05-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

I built this garden gate for a friend in May, 2010. Although I apparently have not learned anything about dressing standards or posture control I have learned that with gates, the smaller the pieces used, the better and that ripping things down with a table saw is fun and productive. I'm really looking forward to similar projects in the future.

2010-04-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

April 24th, 2010, T at the Grandpa Dennis Household. Not home renno related but I like the pic so lump it.

Still Life with Reindeer

2010-04-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

The floor in the boys room has held up remarkably well. In the first room that I refinished the flooring in upstairs, I used sealant purchased at the local big box home improvement store. When I did the next room, I was concerned that because it was a high traffic, small boy room it might need something heavier duty. The guy at the specialty paint place convinced me to go with something he said they use in bowling allies that was almost sixty bucks a gallon and took over a week to set up. It turns out it was well worth it and looks brand new today, whereas the other room's floor looks more scuffed and dented. If you ever do a project like this, spend the extra dough.

What?

2008-11-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

Don't Forget to Vote!

2008-11-03T09:54:00.001-08:00

Don't Forget to Vote!
Originally uploaded by gene_poole

Tomorrow is the big day! As I drove up the valley this campaign season, looking at all the signs in the yards I was at first struck by all the division in my neighbors - Republican, Republican, Democrat, Republican, Democrat.... Then I thought more about the need for debate and participation in our democratic system. I urge everyone to vote their conscience - mail in those ballots tomorrow if you haven't already.

The destruction

2007-08-19T13:49:00.001-07:00

The destruction
Originally uploaded by gene_poole

Two days ago I finally got around to doing something that I've wanted to since the first day we looked at the house; tearing down the old deck off what is now our bedroom. It never had an easy life, rarely getting much needed preventative maintenance and wasn't really a good design for our climate. Tear down is always the easiest part of any project and getting the old deck down and carted around the house to the burn pile was less than a day's work. The plan for now is just to build a set of stairs from the bedroom door down to the yard and leave it so for a year or two. Eventually we'll probably replace the deck with a concrete slab and roof like the one over the deck on the north facing side of the house. Click on the photo to view more project photos in Flickr.

Project Enduring Containment

2007-03-12T19:31:00.001-07:00

Pre-Project Stairs of Death
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Here is a view down the 23 steps from our front door to the street, or as we have been calling them since having kids; The Stairs of Death.

When I built the deck a few years ago, I put railings all the way up the steps and along the front of the covered deck itself but for some reason I stopped there, never building the full enclosure.

Railing I Never Got Around To...
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Work in Progress
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

This past Saturday, I finally got around to finishing the rails and building a proper gate. The impetus for this tardy burst of activity was the three year old recently escaping from the shoddy child gate we had slapped in place and running off into the woods towards Grandma and Grandpa. We just barely caught the little booger before he was gone.

Muddy Deck with Beer
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

It rained most of the day, and ironically in an attempt to seal the deck off from dogs and other mud vectors, we got everything filthy.

Men Working
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

The little guy really wanted to come out and help but he doesn't have his union card yet so he had to stay inside.

Later at the McNugget Factory...
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Not allowed outside, he had to content himself with bifurcating the livestock... Sort of disturbing really...

DSCN2922
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

My dad came over and built this rack, which hangs in place and can be lifted onto pegs to block off the stairs of death.

DSCN2924
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Clever 45 degree cut blocks use its own weight to hold the barricade up against the railings.

DSCN2925
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Here is my railings and gate. I'm still trying to decide whether it needs some X bracing. I hope not. I like the way it looks as it is.

DSCN2927
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

When I built all the railings for the steps and main part of the house, I notched the 4x4s by six inches and then ran carriage bolts through the part that hung down, bolting them into the 2x12 deck supports. This didn't turn out to be as sturdy as I'd quite like in a few places. So this time around, when I had three new posts to install, I used pressure treated and ran them down all the way into the ground. I still bolted to the 2x12s, but hope this will be much sturdier.

Flickr

2007-02-16T20:51:00.001-08:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Sunday

2007-02-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

Sunday
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

End of a Day

new digs with brother

2007-01-27T14:40:00.000-08:00

new digs with brother
Originally uploaded by brit.

See, we do actually read to the boys...

2007-01-27T14:37:00.000-08:00

See, we do actually read to the boys...
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

I promised all you non-readers out there in non-blog-reading-land that the next post I made about the project room would show it in completed project, in-use status. Today I am in the happy position to oblige. I still have a little bit of quarter-round to put up, but other than that 30 minute task, we are done. Finito! Move it on down the road. My oldest son has moved in completely, even putting himself to bed in there – strange freak occurrence that that is. Last night on the baby monitor we heard the following repeatedly, (Bump), “Ow, sorry…”

Around-the-room

2007-01-21T15:03:00.000-08:00

Around-the-room
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

These five pictures run from left to right. You are seeing the same doorway in the first and last photos. I uploaded the five pictures one-by-one to Flickr as well.

How many more entries will I post to this blog, declaring the current project to be almost complete? This time it really is, I swear! All the finish work that had to be done before sealing is done. The final coat is on the floor. All that remains is a little molding, paint touch up, and to nail sealed ¾ round to the joint between the pine board wall and the beginning of the sheetrock – all told about an hour’s work left to go.

I have learned in remodeling the upstairs of my house that some projects can only be measured in the segment of your life they consume. When we first decided to rip up the carpets and break out the sledge hammer I had just finished college and we had a new little baby that we were still adjusting our life to welcome. Now I’m just about finished with my graduate degree and we have two son who really, really need their own rooms.

Tonight we will start moving in the beds, the dresser, and the desk. Stuff banished from the basement will return after years of wandering in the wasteland. My next post will be when the upstairs room is abso-fabo-utely DONE!

Next, I’m thinking about replacement decks and doctoral programs, probably in that order.

DSCN2525

2007-01-21T14:42:00.000-08:00

DSCN2525
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Another shot of the "distressed" look of the restored pine flooring

DSCN2527

2007-01-21T14:41:00.000-08:00

DSCN2527
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

I put the camera down just above the floor in an attempt to get a shot of the degree of gloss in the Gymcoat surface. This is two coats of satin and one heavy coat of gloss. The pine boards got one thin coat of the gloss while I had it out. It appears that the extra cost was warranted and this floor looks like it will cure to be much tougher than the polyeurothane I put down in the first bedroom upstairs.

Mmmmm, Smell that pine

2007-01-15T16:37:00.001-08:00

Firewood on the porch
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Firewood on the porch - thanks to uncle Todd for helping me lug it up the stairs.

Ship's Log, January 2007

2007-01-15T16:37:00.000-08:00

DSCN2463
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Times on Clark Creek are currently busy but a good kind of busy. It has been cold and icy the past week or so and we have kept snow on the ground, which is unusual.

Update on the project that will never end: I finished sanding the floor and sealed it. I got a more expensive sealant this time designed for gym floors, sports bars, etc. that hardened up very nicely. It has a more matt surface than what I used in the first upstairs floor I refinished and I think will probably be much more resistant to scratches, fogging, etc. This weekend I finished up the finish carpentry and started sealing the pine. I’m using the same stuff on the walls as the floor, so hopefully they will withstand many years of childish scribbling with crayons and the work of other hunnish vandals. I think when I’m done sealing the pine walls I’ll clean everything up and put another coat or two on the floor. I didn’t sand it quite as smoothly as needed it turns out and patches of it are not smooth and snag on sock-clad feet – not so good. After that, all that will remain is a little touch up work and finishing the door. Then, finally, we will be past this particular chapter in home improvement. May I never again blindly leap into a project without considering time, cost, and inconvenience to my family (not to end on a down note).

Terminé construyendo la mesa

2006-11-04T11:09:00.000-08:00

DSCN1959
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

I finished the table this morning with a layer of padded vynel table cloth, covered by the boy's train track table cloth from his birthday party last year (Neither were my idea Keefer-san). The vynel should give enough padding to the corners (which I also rounded pretty well with the belt sander) to keep little faces and bellies from getting injured upon impact, while not being too padded on top so as to prevent trains from choo choo'ing and pencils from drawing.

Feeling comfortably sore today from my run two days ago and a trip to the gym yesterday. Another run is probably called for this afternoon.

Still not writing paper.....

Stout II

2006-11-04T11:03:00.000-08:00

Stout II
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Mmmm, stout in the pot....

My goal is to have this stout and a pilsner in the bottle and sufficiently aged to go in Christmas baskets if they turn out to be tasty. I might also do an IPA if I get time. Crafty time is precious, though, and I want to spend some of what I have out in the studio, making more Christmas presents. Crafty!

I'm supposed to be writing a 20 page paper right now. The wife and kids have left me alone for this express purpose and what am I doing? Brewing beer in the kitchen - ah the procrastination...

Under two hour project

2006-11-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

made by Dad
Originally uploaded by brit.

The toddler wants to sit in a chair at the big person table now instead of sitting in his feeding station (which we just set on the floor). This is a problem because of the high stools we have and his potential for plummiting from said stool to certain death or at least injury. So, I made him this little table. It isn't much to look at, but I made it from scraps on hand in less than two hours.

About 7 more bottles of beer on the wall

2006-10-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

DSCN1846
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Almost done!

Mudding and sanding is 90% done as of this past Saturday. While doing the last of the sanding, I found a few small spots where I really should come back and do a little more mudding. After that, we'll be ready to paint and seal the pine. Woo Hoo!

How to Dissuade Yourself from Becoming a Blogger

2006-09-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

How to Dissuade Yourself from Becoming a Blogger
What a buzz all the bloggers are making these days! It seems like just about everybody is pouring their musings into a text box. Are you feeling tempted to start a blog of your own? Here are some ways to bypass the trend.
Steps
1. Find five completely random blogs, and read them daily for a month. After thirty days, you will absolutely dread your self-imposed requirement to read all that dreck. Any blog you create will most likely be on par with what you've been reading. Don't put anyone through that.
2. Consider that your voice, even if it is truly a good one, is a tiny peep against the massive wave of tripe out there. The odds of anyone you don't already know finding your blog are low.
3. Write on a regular basis in a text editor instead. If that doesn't satisfy your urge, and you feel that you must post your blog online, then you might just be craving attention and validation--which you'll never truly find in a blog. If you give up on your Wordpad journal after about three days, you'll do the same with a blog that just takes up server space.
4. Ask yourself if you really have the time to commit to a blog. What about that tree house you wanted to build? Or the book you wanted to write? Or the car you wanted to fix up? Or the restaurant you wanted to take your significant other to? Or the new career you wanted to pursue? Instead of writing about pretty much nothing, or whining about all the things you wish you were doing instead, start doing something that'd actually be worth writing about. And if it's really worth writing about, you'll be having too much fun doing it to tear yourself away from it.
More of this at:
http://www.wikihow.com/Dissuade-Yourself-from-Becoming-a-Blogger

Vicodin is my friend...

2006-09-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I blogged about home renno, or much else besides running, but for the next couple of days, I’ll be cooped up in bed with my laptop, recovering from a minor surgery. Fortunately, I have recent progress to report.

I remember an exercise we did in a philosophy class. Start by walking half the distance between yourself and the wall, then walk half the remaining distance, repeat, repeat again. The question is, if you keep this up, will you ever reach the wall? That is how I feel about the project room. Every time I get a chance to spend a few days up there, we get a lot done, and yet, I think I was probably saying we were almost done about this time last summer.

That being said, we are getting dangerously close to done. All the paneling is done. The carpenter has built all the boxes for the shelving on one side and is working on the other. All along, I have helped him do one side of the room and then done the other myself. This worked well with the pine paneling, electrical and sheetrock (for example; I wired all the outlets myself and then he came back and checked them) but I left the fine carpentry to him. It will be a few years, yet, before I weld any biscuits.

All that is left is to finish sanding the floor (estimate eight hours), apply two more layers of mud to the new sheet rock and all the repaired seams on the pre-existing sheetrock (4 hours), prime and paint, do the finish work on the paneling (corner edges, ¾ round, filling, etc.), and then seal the floor. I have until mid-September to make progress before things get totally crazy with school and work. We have carved our calendar up between now and then and are actively seeking babysitters for weekend days so we can both work on The Project at the same time. We'll get there. October 1st is the goal – October One, Get it Done!

shelves-all-done

2006-09-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

shelves-all-done
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

The shelving is all done on one side. Storage will be at a premium. Each boy will get two deep storage bins and shallow book space for about three rows of paperbacks. I wonder if we will still have paperbacks by the time they are old enough to be interested. Each boy will have a total of 12 outlets for all their gagetry.

sheetrock-pre-mud

2006-09-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

sheetrock-pre-mud
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

If you have read this blog in the past, you'll know that we tore out the tiny closet in the corner to make way for a study nook with outlets at the floor, desk height and space for a small light in a little alcove above. I debated whether or not to build out a standard size closet here instead (the old one was too shallow to hang cloths in).

Eventually I went with setting it up the way we want it to be now. Later, I can frame out and rock a closet in about a day when we get ready to sell so that the room can be considered a bedroom for sales purposes.

sheetrock-post-mud

2006-09-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

sheetrock-post-mud
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

This was my first experience with hanging sheetrock or mudding. After working with the tongue in groove paneling, sheetrock turned out to be soooo easy. Mudding, which everyone also said was the hardest part of sheetrock didn't turn out to be much of a chore compared to tile or almost anything else we have done. Why didn't I try the easy stuff first?

Ceiling-Patch-Before

2006-09-01T18:19:00.001-07:00

Ceiling-Patch-Before
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

This has been my first experience with sheetrock - both patching and hanging new. What you see here is the hole left in the ceiling from when I took out the one light in the center of the ceiling an replaced with with four cans in each corner of the room. For this patch I put two small boards up into the hole so that they overlapped each edge. Each board had a screw in it's center that I could use as a handle while I set a screw into each side of it, screwing it down to the cedar boards in the ceiling. With the boards secure, I removed the center screws and screwed a sheetrock patch to the spanning boards.

Ceiling-Patch-Mudded

2006-09-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

Ceiling-Patch-Mudded
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

I'll probably do two more layers of mud before sanding.

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Cammie Cut Offs

2006-08-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

I feel like posting to the Clark Creek Blog tonight, partly because Meredith linked to us and we have to put out something for any company that might come knocking and also because home improvement frenzy time is almost upon me. Every August, my wife takes the boys and goes back East for a few weeks to visit family. I work four day weeks in the summer time, so with a few vacation days thrown in here and there, I can usually accomplish more in that short time than I might in the rest of the year combined.

This year I have almost no money to spend on home improvement, but that’s OK, seeing as there is plenty that needs doing that will require only a fraction of a cent’s worth of water gone up in sweat and plenty of elbow grease. The main goal will be to finish the upstairs project room. Long has it lingered. Deep runs my shame. I have all the materials I need to finish sanding sealing the floor and enough pine paneling to finish the last bunk. Thankfully I learned sealing the boy’s room that many of the slight imperfections I spent hours sanding out look interesting and add character to the floor when seen from under several layers of seal (polyurethane, not sea mammal).

Other than that, I would like to seal the floor in the woodstove room (1950s oak shorts), and finally finish the railings on the back of the deck. I can’t afford to buy more 2x2’s currently but I should be able to fashion something more or less toddler proof with what I have. Maybe I’ll even rip down some 2x2s from the scrap sixes I have.

I feel like a kid going into summer vacation.

Bathroom Remodel

2006-06-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

DSCN1073
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

These pics aren't from my house, although I wish they were. An artist friend of ours has been gradually remodeling their old dairy farm house into someplace fantastic. The last time I saw this upstairs bathroom, it had bare plywood walls and flooring and no real lighting or amenities. Check out what he has done.

Kyle Blows

2006-06-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

DSCN1076
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

For a living, my friend Kyle blows glass.

For a time, a guy who did custom logging and milling operated out of the back end of Kyle's barn/studio. When he left, he left behind lots of gorgeous lumber like that which went into this counter.

Very Nice

2006-06-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

DSCN1075
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Form, function, and style

Kick Ass Claw Foot

2006-06-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

DSCN1074
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

This tub was original to the house. Obviously it will be getting an enamel job as part of the remodel.

Umm, You figure this one out

2006-06-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

Umm, You figure this one out
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Care to suggest a title for this one?

Mmm hmmm, One Half comp day well spent

2006-06-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Mmm hmmm, One Half comp day well spent
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

This was them minutes after arriving in their new homes. I brewed Friday, pitched my yeast Saturday morning, and by Saturday night, when I went out to check on them and see if it was time to start heating the water bath, they were both bubbling merrily along. Even in the high 50's, I had a steady stream of CO2 like a fish tank bubbler so I left the heat off. By this evening things seemed to be holding steady with no danger of a blow - we'll see tomorrow. Kyle brought me two more kegs, more hop plugs than have any business with, and a very accurate thermo-coupler this weekend. Garage sales look out. Daddy needs a kegerator. Being able to control the temp. of my kegs means I could start playing with meads and lagers, maybe reason enough to get back into bee keeping, only time will tell how many hobbies I can get away with.

How the heck did it get to be June 10th already?

2006-06-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

It’s Saturday morning at the house with a hot cuppa tea and the boys are both still crashed out. It is good to be home. My trip was busy and very interesting – not what I’d call fun but very informative. Tomorrow I leave for an overnight to Yakima but then I get to stay home for the rest of the month.

No brewing news to report. I went out and unloaded the kiln last night and waxed my feet and bases. I didn’t lose anything in the firing, which is a relief because I had some really big pieces packed tightly in there. I’ll sneak out and glaze this morning before we go to a barbecue.

In the exercise/career development area, easily the best news is the possibility of becoming the junior frogman. Our college has a series of swimming and lifeguard training classes that run at noon. I’ve been talking to the instructor and trying to get in there to lap swim on my lunch breaks. He is someone that I work with in a few other capacities at the college and have come to know over the past few years. Anyway, yesterday he approached me and told me that he will be retiring in another few years and hasn’t identified anyone to take over his classes and that I might consider it. How much would that rock? Teach swimming and CIS courses online and do my administrator gig as a supp contract or additional duty? I could get a big chunk of the summers off and maybe even be my own kids’ swim teacher/coach. Obviously I’d better not try to get a job in the English dept. with all my incomplete sentences. Over the next few years, I’d have to get certified as a lifeguard and swim instructor and then state certified to teach lifeguards and instructors. I was a fairly strong swimmer in high school and the military but that was ten years ago. He said to meet him Tuesday at the pool and he’d “get me started.” I think that may end up being a euphemism for kicking my butt, we’ll see.

Corn is up and it looks like a good crop. Only about half as many bean plants are up as I had hoped for. I’m going to try starting a second batch. Potatoes are chugging along just fine.

Joe's Ugly Green Shoes Ride Again

2006-06-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

DSCN0958
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Brushed the sawdust off my old street bike and took a spin. The tubes held pressure up to the end of the road and back. Next goal is riding down to the office and back to see how long that takes.

"What is a house but a place to keep your stuff while you're out getting more stuff?"

2006-06-03T13:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a long day. A colleague and I drove up to Redmond for an all day conference/summit deal at Microsoft. Boy, all the stories about how the other half live are true, driving around the campus the little we did reinforced for me that those people have some serious dough and they spend a lot of it. The presentations were good and I’m glad I went, even if it did eat up the entire day.

Today is mostly getting ready for the trip I will leave on tomorrow. In packing, I had to ask myself where the line is that when crossed means you have gone into tech overload (similar to death by OG or over gold). For a four day trip I among other things I have packed:

A laptop
A PDA (with keyboard, etc.)
Camera
Cell Phone
Garmin Forerunner
iPod
Memory Stick

Plus books, magazines, DVDs, and a computer game. When did we/I start needing 6 million distractions to make it through a 96 hour period?

If my new iriver was here yet, I’m sure I’d pack that too.

I post

2006-05-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

T. (aka Train Boy) has progressed to the point where he uses a personal pronoun with adjectives (I funny), but not when giving voice to a verb he would like to accomplish (See pool? See water?) unless it’s a verb he realllly wants to accomplish (I see mama?).

Ran home from work tonight. That is really working out for me. I haven’t done it as many nights as I’d like but when I do it rocks. I’m going to lap swim tomorrow at noon for the first time in years and then to toddler swim after work. Besides getting ready to leave for Louisville on Sunday, my main goal for this weekend is to unearth the bike and take it for a shake down ride.

Long Weekend Recap

2006-05-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

Looking back on it, sometimes the best plan is no plan at all. This past weekend we did absolutely nothing and it was everything it could have been. OK, while fun to say, that isn’t precisely true. We actually accomplished quite a bit. We just didn’t rush off for a long weekend of highly structured fun and travel related expense and stress like we usually do on the Memorial Day weekend.

Accomplishments:

The corn is in the ground – four varieties in about ten fifty foot rows. Corn baby!
I bottled five gallons of IPA and kegged a hefeweizen. Unfortunately I squirted about half of the remaining hef. onto the wall in the basement
Planted various beans, spuds, and tomatoes. The new plan this year for carrots is to plant the seeds in tubs that can be overturned and the carrots hosed off in the fall.
No running :( No progress upstairs :(:(
Came in comfortably high in the middle of the pack at a pistol match at the range
Went out to the studio and loaded the kiln – wedding season is upon us and I’ve got to get wedding bowls done for several friends. I’ve got some big steins in the works, too, that I’m excited about.

The weather has turned obscenely pleasant today - more torment for those who spent the holiday weekend huddled in tents at the coast no doubt. Tonight is swimming at the Y and then we are going to run the lake.

Tell it Ice Cube...

2006-05-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

...Today was a good day

Today was a pretty good day all around. I had a good work day – working on projects all day that are the ones I look forward to spending time on and I had fun with my coworkers. It was sunny, dry and 85 here. I kept finding reasons why walking across campus was necessary. I had a really good lunch, outside in the sun with good company. After work, I ran the five or six miles home without any pain or pooping out. When I got home Brit and the boys were here with my favorite aunt who came to visit for the day. They were just arriving home with yummy food and gardening stuff. After eating and having beers on the deck, they put in herb gardens and I went out to my brewing area to confront what I was pretty sure was a spoiled batch of porter. It turns out the beer was in good shape after all. It tastes really good so I ramped up the CO2 and started the force carbonation. Tomorrow looks like about the same thing but substitute toddler swim lessons at the Y with my boy where favorite aunt came into the picture today – not much to complain about on this end.

Beer Update

2006-05-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

I just wrote the following in an email to an enquiring friend. I'll post it here as well (pics soon).

Beer - I forgot to respond to that.

My first two batches were a stout and an IPA (which I blogged about initially). They both turned out quite tasty in my opinion, with the stout being the better of the two. The IPA was too hoppy and bitter for a lot of folks, but I liked it. Maybe I'll call that recipe Earwax IPA for now. Both the stout and IPA are now mostly a happy and somewhat foggy memory except for two bottles of each that I kept for doing future comparisons.

Then I did a porter, which is currently in the keg but hasn't been there long enough to sample. I'm a tad concerned about it as I never saw any active evidence of the fermentation process happening (no bubbles). On the other hand, it did ferment at a lower temp and for a longer period of time than the first two and the sediment in the primary looked normal. I'll probably tap the keg this Friday, so we'll see.

This past Saturday I brewed another IPA (different recipe) and a hef, both of which are bubbling merrily away. In fact the hef blew out two fermentation locks before I finally put a burp tube in instead.

Salad Shooter Get Behind Me!

2006-05-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

I’m excited. My wife and I just made a date. We’re not going to a restaurant, or a movie, or anything nearly as lame as that. No, we’ll be in our kitchen, getting rid of clutter. Periodically we schedule a date to do just that and attack a particular room. After reading Jeannie’s post about de-cluttering, I contacted the spouse and we penciled it in. Do we really need 18 spatulas? No! All the stupid crap that people give you at Christmas because they don’t know what else to grab so they get you a plastic microwaveable potato rack or rubber ice cube trays at Ikea? No! Pick a room, de-clutter it and then clean – that’s my idea of a hot date.

Still got a pulse...

2006-05-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

Long time, no blog posting, no blog reading…

Warning; I just read back over this, and wow, what boring prattle. Who cares, I’m posting it anyway. Try and stop me!

It’s amazing how quickly something can become a part of your daily life and then how quickly you can drop it as well. Maybe partially it is because the summer weather is here and I’ve gone into my usual hyper-frenzied levels of activity, and partially because I haven’t been training and following training blogs, and work has been crazy-go-nuts, but mostly I just haven’t been interested in journaling. Maybe I need a new camera. Yes! A new toy, a new material purchase would make everything better!

Speaking of material purchases; I drove the truck down to the lumber supply place yesterday for what I hope will be the last load of pine boards for the upstairs project. If you are ever asking yourself how much extra cost and expensive putting up wood paneling vs. sheetrock would be, the answer will be somewhere in the orders of magnitude. Its been a fun project but I don’t think I’ll ever to true paneling again, at least not until I’m old and the kids are gone and I’m looking for projects. I bet by then, the thought of laying on my back in a hole in the wall, holding paneling up with my feet and running the nail gun probably won’t be all that appealing then either. Anyway, that project nears completion (does anyone still believe me on that?).

Yesterday I put my third batch of beer, a porter, into the keg and started five gallons of IPA, and five of hef. I’m starting to get things figured out in that realm but I bet I learn a ton the first time I get to brew with someone else present. I’ve discovered three guys at work who brew and one acquaintance from school. Maybe we’ll form some sort of club like the one Keith attends in E-burg. I did have one scary moment yesterday when a mistake I made caused boiling wort to spray back into my face. Luckily I just burned my lip and missed the peepers. I won’t do that again.

Garden: I got everything tilled up, spuds in the ground, and about half my seeds into seed trays. That’s my goal for the evenings this coming week – seeds in pods.

Right now I’ve got five gallons of beef stew simmering and a monster fruit salad to cut up later. For now I think I’ll take a book and got sit outside for a while.

Tagged by the 10 Good Things Meme

2006-04-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

1. beer
2. beer
3. beer
4. beer
5. beer
6. beer
7. beer
8. beer
9. sausages
10. beer and sausages

Thursday was a good day

2006-04-20T21:50:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty good day for me. In fact, it was like a Saturday for me. How do you make a Thursday feel like a Saturday?

Don’t go to work! I took eight hours of vacation time in order to stay home and work with the carpenter in the project bunk room. We accomplished a lot in six hours – finishing bunk one, framing bunk two and getting it’s back wall about half hung with pine and finished up the wiring almost. There are still a couple of boxes to be put in and all the plugs and switches to be wired in but nothing complicated. I’m putting out the call to all my local friends. If I can get my hands on a finish nail gun and compressor I think I should be able to finish hanging the pine myself. The alcove that used to be the closet needs to have sheetrock hung and I need to repair and mud where the bunks join the ceiling sheetrock. I’ve never done any of that but I can’t do worse than the last guy up there and there are a few small projects that need doing in the basement that I can use as learning/testing opportunities.

IMAG0004
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

I took this out when cutting out the pony walls. In the heart it says, "Meg was here" and below that in flowing cursive, "Barbra." I've known Meg since we were both about five or six. You know, you're a little kid, scribbling in your crawl space and then twenty five years later, some guy puts your writing up on the Internet for the whole world to see. Who'd have guessed? I work with her mom now. Maybe she'll want this to put on her desk for a while. Maybe I'll send it inter-office.

IMAG0005
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Bunk #2, looking good. Do you like what we've done with the sheetrock? I call it, "And then I learned how to use my box knife."

Prediction of time left on project:

Hanging the rest of the pine – 1.5 full days
Getting the carpenter back to hang the shelf boxes he is building – one half day a few weeks from now.
Finishing sanding the floor – 2 days
Sealing the floor – one day
Sheetrock – one day

Total: About 5 – 6 more Saturday or vacations days

I see the light at the end of the tunnel. We’re getting dangerously close to project completion here.

IMAG0006
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

I've been framed! Today we framed in the shelf box frames from Bunk #2 and started to pine up the back.

All day long I was up on my feet, then on my knees, then on my back, then up again so good footwear and clothing were very important. The carpenter (who I will henceforth refer to as “Dan”) had on a pair of Carhart carpenters bibs. They have an integral apron and pockets for knee pads. Because the pads are built in there is no elastic strap to bind up behind your knee and drive you crazy. Also, you don’t have to mess with suspenders or saggy belt syndrome with the apron. He told me that after he bought his first pair and wore them for a day, he could imagine ever not having them. At first I though to myself they would be nice to have but I couldn’t justify buying a pair because I don’t really do that type of work often enough. Then I thought, “I am going to be spending a sizeable portion of my free or free-able time doing just this sort of thing until we either sell this place or I kick off and am in fact deed.” After dinner we went to Bob’s and I bought me some in size 42. T. got some tracks for his trains (percy-thomas-toby-jake-gordon, percy, percy? peeerrrccccyyyyy!!!!). I’m wearing them now. Am I joking? I guess you’ll never know, will you?

IMAG0007
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

The only thing left for Bunk #1 is to finish the edge between the sheetrock and the pine and put corner guards on all the corners. Well, I guess there is actually still quite a lot to do, like bleaching my hemlock face plates so they'll better match the pine, figuring out what to seal all this with, and hunting up carpet remnants for the floor.

IMAG0008
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

I took this picture while sitting in my son’s bunk, or what I predict will be the bunk my oldest son chooses when we move him in there. How long will the boys sleep up here before one or both claims the basement with its own bathroom and built in sneak out at night opportunities? How many nights will he look at this same wall before going to sleep? Who else will sleep here? Will they smoke? I hope not. The pine is currently very fragrant and fun to work with, both because it smells good and because it is so pliable. Today we were ripping salvaged old growth fir 2x4s down to modern size to use in framing. Every time, the room filled with a blast of great sap smell. I can tell you that perfume makers really haven’t figured out the male market yet. If they had there would be billboards for “Kalvin Klein’s Hops” or “Old Growth Fir – put some behind your ear.”

I hop, You hop, We hop, Uh Huh

IMAG0009
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

In beer news; I transferred both Pale Ale #1 and Stout #1 from their primary fermenters to secondaries. I siphoned off a few ounces of each into glasses and found them both to be super yummy already, even though they were both 70 degrees warm and flat. The pale is hoppy, super hoppy like I like a pale ale to be (More hoppy that Bridgeport IPA, even). The stout has a nice series of flavors and smells really good. I have decided that my beers will be referred to as Stout I, Batch 1, Stout I, Batch 2, etc. When I get a particular recipe down to a regularly reproducible, predictable success, it will get a name of its own and stop being referred to by batch. Currently I’m favoring DFK, or Dirty Faced Kid for the stout and Lucky Dog for the pale (named for the pale dog down the road who isn’t so lucky).

IMAG0011
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

I took this picture because I’m not afraid to share with the world that yes, I am brewing beer in my shed on a worktable that is built, in part, from a circa 1985 color, simulated wood television set, complete with fake drawer handles. Despite this reality, I do not have any refrigerators on my porch, have regular trash service, running water (hot and cold), and several toilets that flush. I’m holding onto the T.V. in case I get a hankering to watch reruns of Solid Gold Dance Fever.

Scott Brews

2006-04-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I brewed 10 gallons of beer – five of pale ale and five of stout. Even though it was my first time and everything was new, it was also surprisingly easy. The whole process from start to clean up took about four hours and I’m guessing I probably have about another one or two ahead of me, cleaning out kegs, transferring to the secondaries, etc. Most of that time was idle time too, so I was doing other things in the shed while I watched the pot. It was a lot like cooking stew – a great puttering hobby. Rather than keep a diary of what I did for each batch, I think I’ll start yet another blog!

Flikr photo set over here:

Post About Actual Forward Progress

2006-04-14T18:45:00.001-07:00

IMAG0019
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

In house news, the carpenter came today and we spent four hours working on the bunk project (I took a half day at from work). If I have time, I might attempt the other bunk myself after watching him do the first one. The wiring is pretty simple and I know where to borrow a finish nailer.

Today we finished the inside walls, built part of the exterior wall and put up the necessary strips of ship lap so that the front surface is all of one level.

IMAG0020
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

I dropped today's paper, unread, down inside the new wall. Maybe somebody down the line will get a treat. All I've found so far is empty wasp nests...

IMAG0021
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

In brewing news; tomorrow is the big day. I have studied and purchased, and practiced and consulted. Tomorrow I start my first 5 gallon batch of pale ale. Hopefully I'll have something decent to contribute to my friend's batchelor's party.

Cheers!

No running news..

Spring fever is alive and well all across the land.

2006-04-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

Garden:
I’m a little jealous of them over at House Made with their winter veggie crops but I think I might get away with planting some of my own potatoes this coming Saturday if I hike over to the garden patch with a shovel. It is definitely way to wet still for the tiller but I might try putting in some hills. I think this summer's garden is going to be about the same size but simpler with less crops types and more hardy species - mostly corn, tomatos, potatoes, and beans.

House:
I really like our contractor/master carpenter. He does very high quality work at a rapid pace. The problem is that he is always booked up for months. How long do you, dear readers, think we should wait for him before hiring someone else to help finish upstairs?

Running:

I had to do a six thirty orientation tonight at work. I snuck out of the office a little before five and went to run the lake. The sun was out, no clouds and it was pushing 68 degrees. There were pasty people staggering around the paths, looking about in startlement like people coming out of a fallout shelter after 20 years. Almost as soon as I started I ran into (literally hid behind a tree and ran into..) an old friend I’ve known since the six grade who still lives in town. He is definitely one of my best friends in the world and always will be even if we don’t keep in regular contact. I could not talk to him for five years and then donate an organ if he called up needing it – that kind of friend. Anyway, over the past 10 years my friend, through determined eating of crap and lack of any exercise had put on the pounds – pushing 250. He had become the kind of guy who breathes hard going up the three steps of the front porch after walking from his car. I last saw him at Christmas time and that was the state of affairs then. I was really surprised to find him jogging – slow, but jogging none the less. He described to me how he and his wife had just finally gotten fed up with being fat and out of shape. He felt constantly ashamed of his appearance and was bored with having only enough energy to make it from bed to his desk at work and then back home to the easy chair. She quit smoking. They stopped drinking beer, and cut the junk and high calorie foods out of their diet and started walking every night. At first, even once around the block was a task. He could not run once around the track at the local middle school – this is a guy who competed in sports at the national level in high school and who could run my ass off six ways to Tuesday. Every night he went back to the track and got to where he could add one time around the track per week. He has lost 20 pounds so far and has 25 to go. Tonight was his first time at the lake. So far his longest run has been 2.5. The lake is 3.7. He made it all the way around. I did most of the talking and we went really slowly but he made it. Afterwards he kept saying how much easier it is with a partner and we agreed that in a couple of weeks we’ll start running it regularly together. Woo hoo! Go man go!

Also in Running:

I’ve decided my new, post-Vegas goal is to get back up to where I’m regularly running the second or third week before the taper starts of a half so that I can run a fun or competitive half whenever I want but still not spend too much time on the trail.

Signs of Life

2006-04-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

Still Life with Sawhorse
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

All the green leafy things have new buds shooting out all over. I'm feeling a lot better too. I still have a slight residual from the flu but I spent all weekend being more or less active with little negative consequence - Running tomorrow for sure.

The project room has been just that for so long now that we don't call it Brit's sewing room anymore. I'm starting to think of it as the boy storage unit. Before I ran out of both time to work up there myself and money to pay contractors, we got the lighting done, the in-wall bunks about half done, and the floor 90% ready for a new coat of sealant. Then the doldrums set in. This weekend I cleared out a lot of the detritus that builds up in rooms left long vacant and started to get everything ready to resume work because (drum roll puhleazze...), we are getting back to the interest free loan we made to the federal govmint. Our tax return this year should pay for the contractor to come back to finish upstairs and maybe enough to fund my summer deck projects. We'll see. All I know is that breeding and shifting all our debt into deductible mortgage made quite the positive difference.

In other news, I took a truckload to the dump and another to the recycling plant, and spent a few hours shifting and sorting in the shed to clear a corner for home brewing. I got out all my stuff from ten years ago and also bought two new 5 gallon kegs. After a run to Portland some time soon for supplies, we should be in bidness.

First day of the new quarter tomorrow - Happy, happy, joy, joy....

Under Pressure

2006-02-20T15:20:00.000-08:00

It's actually something we haven't had for sometime...in the shower that is. We knew when we moved in that the waterheater was on its way out. But it has lasted us three years. Until this month when the hot water and the pressure became a small trickle. And in the winter...you want a hot shower, not this trickle business. Finally yesterday Scott with a little help from sister's man, installed a new waterheater. It is glorious. So much water, so much heat!

the never ending joys of owning an old house!

Its a new record

2006-02-12T11:47:00.000-08:00

IMAG0001
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

52 days straight of rain and now we're molding, er, moulding, molting maybe?

A Room of Moos' own

2006-01-29T19:53:00.000-08:00

A feeling of completion falls across Clark Creek as we settle back in the disgusting dampness of the Pacific Northwest on our 44th day of rain. And it is gross. We packed off the kid to his Grandparents today and went to down on the now completed (except for the molding which is bought but not painted and soon to be in place) little boy room.

All of his clothes, and toys are now in his room!! More room in my dresser for my clothes (yeah not, we already filled it up with the new baby clothes)

Moo's collection of cows

the door organizer that we hope keeps him busy at night

Please Sir, Might I go to school instead of sanding the floor again?

2006-01-23T14:43:00.001-08:00

Please Sir, Might I go to school instead of sanding the floor again?
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

"Back to work kid!"

It is a little known fact that most of the Clark Creek House projects are in fact accomplished by blatant flaunting of child labor laws and international law.

Escape Artist!

2006-01-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

Escape Artist!
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Two Coats Wet

2006-01-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

Two Coats Wet
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

The first upstairs bedroom is getting dangerously close to complete. Yesterday, Cousin Steve and I ran a rented drum sander in there and then put down the first clear coat. I lightly sanded and tacked that this morning and put down a second coat (seen wet here). After a third coat, I hope its ready for Mop and Glo or some floor wax and a good buffing. After that I move onto some molding for the floor edges and then.... Finito!

Two Coats Wet II

2006-01-23T14:38:00.000-08:00

Two Coats Wet II
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

I set my alarm for an hour early tomorrow so I can get up there and put a third coat down before I go to work.

Lots more to do...

2006-01-23T14:37:00.000-08:00

Lots more to do...
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

The bunk room obviously still has a long way to go.

Before

2006-01-08T17:30:00.000-08:00

Before
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Despite the lingering head cold, I decided to brave the upstair and spent two hours sanding the floor in the second of the two project rooms. This coming weekend Super Steve has proposed that he come down and help me knock that project out for good. That will be nice.

After

2006-01-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

After
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Yesterday was mostly about recovering from a nasty chest and head cold. It never seems to fail. My extended relatives make me sick at Christmas (literally) and then I have the second busiest week of the year as everybody comes back for winter quarter.

At any rate, even though I never really made it out of the PJs I decided I needed at least one project for the day that would be more meaningful and lasting than doing the dishes. I decided to spiff up the woodstove, which while doing admirable duty in keeping us at a toasty and uniform 68 degrees F. was looking decidedly shabby.

I threw out two of the three fire pokers we had accumulated. Who needs three hot pokers? Has a three headed fire hydra ever menaced us from within the firebox? I can see the headlines, though if we had kept these three dangerous objects in the house (man runs amok with three fire pokers). I generally wiped down and spruced up. Lastly I applied vinegar and scrubby pads to the two copper boilers we use for storing firewood. My parents have had one of them since before me. I got the other one off Ebay a couple of years ago when we put the stove in. I've been meaning to give them a good scrubbing since and yesterday was their day. In spite of that, I only gave them a partially good scrubbing. Completely pink copper will have to wait for another day to really shine.

Note for any of you guys out there who might be looking for a great way to ingratiate yourself with your spouse; spend 45 minutes flicking green verdigris laden vinegar all around the kitchen with a scrubby pad while the copper boilers make really loud and annoying pop can crinkling noises. Then get yourself an electric drill with a brush bit attached and head back to the kitchen. She'll love it!

Signs of Life on Clark Creek

2005-12-18T17:38:00.000-08:00

Well, I ran my marathon, made it through the quarter at work, and the semester at night school. Yesterday I spent most my time getting firewood in and loading the kiln out at the studio. Today was my first free day to get to work on projects around here. I used up an entire can of Great Stuff like some sort of demented mud wasp set loose on drafty cracks and crevices around the house. That stuff really does expand to twice its initial volume just like the directions say in really, really fine print. So far over the holiday break I've managed about 8-10 hours on what can legitimately be called home improvement time, which is 8-10 hours more than I got in last month, so I'm counting that a victory.

Tomorrow, more sanding on the floor upstairs. I promise!

Gone Fishing....

2005-10-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

...hang a sign up on the door...

For anybody who has wondered about the paucity of posts here at the Clark Creek Blog, I have this notice. Full time job, family, two masters programs at the same time, and training for a marathon has left me little home renno time and energy lately. In the interests of conservation I've also mostly limited my blogging activity to my running blog. When my time becomes more my own, the bank account swells, and I can get back to working on the house, I'll start posting again. Until then...

corn in the pot

2005-09-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

corn in the pot
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

It seems like forever since I've been able to work around the house. OK, I got to do this a couple of weeks ago but it still FEELS like its been since forever ago. Last night I got the old pickup out of mothballs and drove down to the industrial area for a load of mill ends. I found some great kiln dried alder for only about twenty bucks a pickup load. It was so dry and kept us toasty last night that this morning I decided to go back for more. About half way there something broke and the engine wouldn't go anymore. The starter would turn over all day and I seemed to have good electrical flow but the engine sat, as quiet as tea kettle. I had plenty of time to reflect on the fact that I should have taken the cell phone with me and also that the geriatric truck breaks down about every third time I take it off the property. Thankfully my dad drove by about a half hour after I started walking and picked me up. By the time I got home, I was ready to go through the phone book until I found someone who owns a tow truck. I met him at the scene of the break down with the keys and the title and handed them both over. Good riddance. The worst part was that I spend half an hour this morning putting shiny new duct tape over the broken window. Wasted duct tape, oh know!

steamed
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

After the truck debacle, I really felt the need to accomplish something and do something fun so I went to the garden to harvest corn and potatoes. I end up with about five full paper grocery bags of potatoes. I harvested half the corn even though not all of it is ripe yet because the wet weather is here now, mildew is starting and who knows when I'll get back to it. After shucking, boiling and cutting it off the cob, I got a total of about 10 quarts. The other half I'll leave up for us to continue eating.

Ended up with about 8 quarts
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Gardening Lessons I've Learned this Year:
1. Plant only red spuds. Those did really well where the purples and yellows came out of the ground not much bigger than when I put them in.
2. Plant all spuds deeper.
3. The bean house is a waste of time and string and is not as condusive to all plants getting enough light. Bamboo teepis are easier both to build and harvest from.
4. Forget about cabbage. The slugs go nuts for it, but I didn't really want the head s I got.
5. Plant more onions, deeper, and in raised beds.
6. Same goes for snow peas. They were delish and I could have eaten twice as many.

Four Generations

2005-09-24T15:16:00.000-07:00

Four Generations
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

We found out yesterday that the new baby will also be male. Pictured here are my son, my, dad, and Poppa.

Go On and Sand That Floor

2005-09-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

IMAG0004
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Sanding 98% complete. I have to go back, still, and sand away some of the patterns left by the 50 grit belts and my propensity to tip the sander up on its nose, but a noisy, stinky, unpleasant task is now almost completely in the past. Next stage is a light stain and then several coats of sealant.

Strippers in da house

2005-09-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

Well Scott in Washington and Cousin Steve have been busy busy busy. The constant grinding of the sander is enough to drive anyone completely crazy..I don't know how they can stand it.

I've been holed up in the bedroom with cottonballs in my ears, while they strip the 70 plus years of varnish off Mr. Moo's bedroom floor.

I'm sure The Man will want to post about the actual heinous-ness that is sanding..for now here are my pictures.

The boys before they started this morning:

A before shot, and a during shot...

Sanding the floor is really boring.

2005-09-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

Its true.

Stupid Meme Tricks

2005-09-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

Alright, you asked and you pestered and you badgered me... OK, not really, but here it is.

7 things I plan to do before I die:
1. Run a marathon

2. Retire and live quietly

3. Finish my studio

4. Take my son backpacking

5. Go to Russia

6. Learn to weld/fabricate

7. Take cooking classes

7 things I can do:
1. cook

2. run away really far

3. talk to people/groups/interviewers, etc Its like crack for me

4. throw pots

5. concentrate and learn

6. do the driving

7. Speak three languages

7 things I cannot do:
1. stop geeking out on one thing after another

2. talk without hand gestures

3. anything higher than calculus

4. object oriented programming. I can't grok it!

5. navigate my way out of a wet paper bag

6. play golf

7. fix my car

7 things that attract me to the opposite sex:
1. Well, lets just say that the first I notice about you as you come towards me on the jogging path won’t be your sense of humor

2. humor/intelligence – everyone says that, but can you imagine not saying it?

3. Long legs/tall

4. An easy laugh

5. Athletic

6. Caring for kids/dogs/things that go goo goo

7. Someone who can take care of themself but is willing to lean on me too

7 things I say most often:
1. "Its my fault"

2. "hmm, OK"

3. "What I hear you saying is…"

4. "no, no, NO, Thomas! get away from there! Ok, thank you, good boy"

5. "Now click on the, no move your mouse over the, and left click on the.. No, OK start over. Move your mouse to, no, OK, hit the back arrow."

6. "That sounds good, but email me."

7. “Put your hands on your head. Now get down on one knee.. Now the other..” Wait, I don’t have to say that anymore do I?

7 celebrity crushes:
1. Brad Pitt

2. Linda Carter

3. Kylie Minogue

4. Sandra Bullock (Baa haa haa, like that could happen!)

5. Elizabeth Schue

6. Clair Danes (not stolen from Keith)

7. Lauren Bacall

7 people I want to do this:
1. I dunno. This is stupid?

2. Do it if you want to?

Back in the Saddle

2005-09-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

I don’t feel right blogging about the day-to-day stuff in my life until I get something out of my system, so bear with me.

My first reaction was a little nod at sadness, then alarm, then anger, then deep sadness. I’ve be back and forth on that scale since. My gut reaction was to load up the truck and start driving but I know that wouldn’t help anybody. By the time I got there the really crucial time would have passed (let’s hope). My next thought was to jump on a plane and go there to lend a hand where I could but then I realized I can’t do that either. I have more responsibility now than I ever have had in my life. I have a little son and a pregnant wife and a mortgage and a job that makes the first part of this sentence possible. So, I threw off the romantic and emotional responses and did the best thing I could do – drove down to the Red Cross to write a check and give a pint of blood. I hope we can connect personally with some of the poor people who have lost everything but their lives and send them some of the items they need to rebuild. Other than that the best thing I can do is keeping going to work, work on the house, mow the lawn etc. That and keep voting.

‘Nuff said. I am taking the last week of the summer off to work on the house before the kids and faculty all come back to the college. The contractor called the other night and said he doesn’t know when he is going to be able to get back to the house to work on the bunk room. That was stipulated when he started the project so no worries. The target moves instead to getting the boy’s room habitable. I have the carpet and linoleum torn out. Today I moved all the boxes and furniture out of the room and started preparing to sand. This will be my first experience with the shellac and poly process I’ve read about on the likes of Aaron and Jeanne’s and Gary’s and Greg’s blogs. I’m excited.

Cutting Edge, Baby

2005-09-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

Cutting Edge Baby
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

File under: How Cool is That?

It's a dimmer switch. Small, lightweight, inobtrusive... I can plug it into an outlet and then use it to dim the lamp I plug into it. What will they think of next? My wife will be so happy when I plug the interogation strength reading lamp I use at night in bed into this baby and amp it back a bit. And can you imagine, our industrial arts people were going to throw this bad boy away?

A Day of Destruction

2005-08-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

DSCF0004
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Today's project would be reigning in the front yard "planting beds." There is evidence of the area in front of the house having once been nicely landscaped and planted - maybe in the 60s?? I try to keep it at least somewhat under control in anticipation of the day when we can turn our attention from house renovation to such rewarding and pleasant tasks as gardening and landscaping.

The other day, as I was looking at a blackberry vine that had forced its way in through the laundry room window I realized that its been a year since I did anything out there - an entire year!

DSCF0006
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Never get out of the boat... Duvall in Apocalype Now Style Yardwork - I wanted to bring in a load of napalm on my own position.

This is what happens when I do no yard work what-so-ever for an entire summer and put my time, instead, into remodeling the upstairs.

DSCF0002
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Low Fat, High in Fiber

First I had to have a light breakfast. The corned beef hash turned out to be really gross and the cats and dogs each got a share.

DSCF0011
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

I'm the man for the job. Maybe you can't tell, but in this pic, I'm growling. The hat and shades are just to keep up with Silly Keith and his two bit axe.

DSCF0025
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Smuggling Plums
The plum tree that someone attacked with a chainsaw but didn't kill gets its revenge at the end of each summer by dropping a slushy mess of over ripe plums the dogs promptly churn into little dirt balls.

DSCF0030
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Help from my little friends or..
With a little help from my friends... The T-meister gets into the action.

silly2
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

Jonah swears allegiance...
I really enjoy swinging the machete. Its good exercise and while I cut through the blackberries and knot weed I can imagine I'm exploring in Borneo or doing battle in the gladiator pits of Rome.

silly1
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

I can imagine myself charging across the plains to do battle with an entire grisley horde of cgi animated bad guys. Orcs fear me. Elf princesses want me. Take that Russell!

done1
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

About 3 hours of hacking and clearing later...

done2
Originally uploaded by gene_poole.

All finished. The dogs are tired. Apparently armor is heavy and Lily isn't used to being my stead. The result is not beautiful by any means, but it preserves the option for us to maybe someday get around to landcaping and gardening our yard.