This year's reno...

I now have in my possession 300 square feet of clapboard. I'm hoping to get some of that stained over this coming weekend, but it doesn't look like the weather will cooperate. When I get back from Montreal, we (being myself and the contractor I have lined up) should be able to start getting that up, with Tyvek underneath it. (still can't believe that Johnny Cutcorners who flipped the house didn't do this).

Hopefully this will mean fewer (zero?) leaks when it rains with a southeast wind -- the two usually go hand-in-hand... spiteful weather. And no more smelling Gary's woodsmoke from across the street. And, most importantly, fewer BRUTAL drafts in the winter. Might actually get some insulation under the siding as well, which should cut down the heating bill a bit.

If I notice a difference this winter, I may very well tackle the other two sides of the house next summer. Given that I should know the ropes by then, I should be able to go it alone. It'd be nice if the back siding matched the front -- it's a common trick on my street to use cheaper vinyl on the back. I'm also hoping that at least some of the siding we'll be tearing off can be salvaged for siding my shed (which held up quite well without it this past winter).

Sadly, this means yet another summer of passing on my deck extension. The idea is to whittle away square footage in the yard, thereby eliminating the need for mowing. The temptation is huge just to get a ton of mulch and bury it all...

Of weekends and oil heat

So my plans to go camping this past weekend sprung a bit of a leak.

Everything thing was all set for Windmill Bight. All we had to do was go to mudder's (who is out of town) to get the tent and allied hardware. In searching for said allied hardware in her basement, I was greeted by about a centimetre of water over the furnace room floor, which had spilled over into the adjacent rooms. As it turned out, the coil in the furnace had developed a pinhole leak, which was causing the pressure relief valve to trip and spill water, everywhere.

So instead of camping, I was shopvac-ing her basement for all of Saturday afternoon and evening. When things got under control, I still got drunk, albeit at a different locale than hoped for.

A blessing in disguise, I guess. I'm glad I discovered the mess then, and not when I got back from camping. Also, I managed to meet up with Steve at CBTG's that night. This is two weekends in a row; I'm hoping it means that he's back in action. I guess the little one is at an age where critical surveillance from the parents is no longer necessary.

In summary: oil heat, while comfortable, is a pain in the chookies.

LCD Bliss

So I got a new LCD monitor for work today. And Holy Crap, what a difference. First of all, it has liberated about 400 square inches of desk space (which I can now fill with other crap). Second, my eyes are no longer less than a foot away from the screen. And finally, it's nice no longer having that old Radiation King drying my eyes out and leaving a silhouette of my head on the wall behind me.

This changes everything.

This was one result from my performance review meeting yesterday. The other being the return to my conundrum about pursuing further graduate studies (i.e., da PhD). "They" seem fairly keen on me doing so. The problem is that over the last year or so, I have become less keen on me doing so. But they did briefly mention a kind of fellowship that they offer for this endeavour. Basically, I'd still be an employee, but a student as well, and with only a modest pay cut. I'll have to get in touch with the guy at work who is already doing this (incidentally, a former undergrad classmate of mine), and see if he either advocates or warns against it.

Something to think about (again), I guess...

Lobster & Good Times

So this was an entertaining weekend. Started out Friday at Mike's place for a small b-day shindig, followed by Jenn's and then CBTG's to check out a band called the Subtitles. They were pretty damn good; well worth the price. We then headed over to the Trinity Pub since the following band was "worth leaving bars over". It was a late, but not bright-sky late, evening.

I wound up sleeping in till 10:30. That annoys me nowadays. I also had a sore head, which I first thought was undeserved, but then after doing some light addition... Anyways, a couple of cups of coffee later I was fine. I had grand designs to finally tidy up my office, but decided the afternoone would be better spent at Hava Java with Ginny, drinking still more coffee. No regrets, since I was a tidying powerhouse when I got back.

I then took a nap, only to be woken at 10pm by my cousin, wondering why I wasn't at his brother's grad shindig yet. After some quick preparation, I bolted over there. Lots of Rock Band played. And some other game called SingStar, which was a bit like karaoke except with only lousy music selections. A cruel joke, really.

Sunday was also nice. I managed to get a power supply more-or-less completed (all that remains is an enclosure, which I may make out of scrap wood). Electronics projects go a lot more quickly than woodworking projects, because solder dries in seconds (unlike carpenter's glue), and there's no freakin' staining involved.
I guess it was fitting that that was my project du jour, since I had an IEEE lobster boil that evening. God I love seafood. And I also managed to walk away with a shiny new Newfoundland Hydro water bottle as a door prize. Sweet...

At long $#%@ing last

One month overdue, and a few fuckups later, the dresser is done. Well, I still have to secure the top to the carcass, but so long as I don't move it in the interim, it should be fine. Here's a pic:



(Note the junk and dust still under it from the previous dresser. I was too excited to get it there, that I didn't bother, you know, cleaning.)

By the way, this is the first image I've put on this blog, apart from my Clint-Eastwood-meets-Steven-Seagal avatar. I've decided it's time I put my camera to use. The Dave Cave is now multimedia!

With tangible results, and it being the 11th of the month, you better believe I'm doing a resolution recap.

Cooking/lunches Suppers have been good; lunches have fallen by the wayside this past week. There's been a lot on the go the past little while, and I hadn't been able to make it to a supermarket. Hopefully after today's Bitters adventure, I should be back on the wagon. The few weeks prior to that went really well.

Housework Good Lord, I'm a slob. Some positives: I've restored the semblance of order in my workshop; I've finally picked up paint for a couple of touchup jobs that have been forgotten about; and I gutted my fridge.

Carpentry As above. Now I need a new project, preferably one that can be completed in 3 weeks so I'll be back on schedule. Maybe a night table to match the dresser. Or a square coffee table for my office. Or, I may just take a break from carpentry, and pick up the slack during the chilly autumn weather (not that this summer has been very balmy).

Electronics Got a Digikey order in a couple of weeks ago. And now that the workbench is no longer riddled with sawdust, tools, and scraps of wood, I can actually get to work. First project of the year: a power supply. Logical start, no?

Piano Still going well. I feel like I'm stagnating, though, and I'm considering taking lessons again in the fall.

Once again, middling success. And with a season of yardwork, shed maintenance, trips to Montreal, two weddings, and hopefully Tyvek'ing the front of the house, I don't foresee improvement till September.

Yikes. This entry started with such promise. I won't have it end sombrely, though, so I'll talk about the weekend.

Saturday morning was the farmer's market. No produce yet, obviously, but the place was still packed, and there was plenty to see. I may just make it a weekly thing, given it's proximity to my house. And then that evening was pretty damn good. Started at Ginny's for some awesome curry. Went to the Grapevine to meet up with some other folks, including this new fella who's doing a folklore degree (I know a disproportionate number of folklore grad students). So, of course, we had to get him screeched in. Vokey wasn't at Christian's, so he got a lesser ritual, but still got the certificate to prove it. Then to the Republic to finish it all off. Guinness ain't a good closing drink... makes one a bit logy.

And Sunday we went for a hike around Bay Bulls and Witless Bay. It was nice to breathe in the sea air and the smell of woods and bog. It's got me wanting another...