The Soffits of Madison County

Well here's my first post of any evidence of actual work being accomplished while I'm not forsaking this blog or watching netflix or eating at the OE. (which reminds me I have to ask Heather how she does those cool ass blinks on her site- she's got an Over Easy link, that geek!)

So this was the job that was supposed to ruin my back. All those white rectangles are 4x8 sheets of cement siding. Not as heavy as a PPB would suspect but far from weightless nonetheless. Fortunately I thwarted fate by incapaciting myself doing the setup work- that's the part of the job where you take time to prep things to make the jobsite SAFER. It's not supposed to actually cause the injury.

Anyway that's ancient history and recovery and since then Hugh, Ivan (Boryan's grandfather), and I have heroically finished the work. Notice the daunting 8' overhanging soffit. Those are full sized cement boards hanging 15' above would be sunbathers. Don't worry, we used lots of screws. Put on more sunscreen.

Also featured here is the studio and the original house Maria and Jakub designed and built with help from Ivan and Demeter. It was really nice to finally be able to contribute to their little settlement.

Street Mace

This array of pre-war (WW2) spices were perched on the side of this beat up old truck for weeks here on Highland St. Just thought I'd add some neighborhood color to the sphere. Spicing up the blog, ah yeah... 

Amelie will be a carpenter

This is my beautiful niece Amelie. As you can she she's planning on being a carpenter like her uncle when she grows up. She's checking that post for plumb and is obviously not satisfied. Also she's not so sure about the backyard fence. And she's planning an addition to playworld. How does she stay so clean? It's like a miracle in that sea of grass. Almost like she's walking on water. Hmmmm.

I'm still working on those bug pictures.

sin bugs

Just wishing we were in Guanajuato, that's all. Actually I just got the cutest pictures ever of my niece and nephew who are little bugs. I was having trouble posting that picture so Guanajuato will have to serve as a place holder until I can produce the bugs. 

Re: Cleanliness, Matrimony, Rules

Photographs are against the rules at the Buncombe County landfill so I had to drive away a bit and take sneaky pictures from the cab of my truck. I'm not sure what the consequences of dump photography are but I don't want to piss off the guys driving the giant stuff-crushers. It's good to keep on their good sides b/c they push you out of the muck on rainy days plus they could "accidentally" crush you and leave you for the trash archeologists to find in 100 yrs.

This is totally unrelated but I've decided that keeping the house clean and tidy makes up like 70% of the unwritten marriage contract. The unwritten marriage contract, or UMC, is made up of all the things you never talk about or even think about before getting married that end up being crucial deciding factors of marital bliss or discord. For us tidyness is a big factor. This one's tough for me b/c while I'm predisposed to excel in some spousal departments- handiness, sweetness, loyalty- I am in fact a natural mess maker. I spend my days converting perfectly good lumber into housing and dust. I find extreme comfort in eating crumbly things in bed. I like to organize things on the floor in little piles. Apparently some people (name withheld) find this system messy. Intolerable even.
Landfill-ish. I'd show pictures of the house but it's against the rules to take photographs. Kidding. 

This is blogging the future. Tommorrow we're having a Day of the Dead party. It was so great. Everyone had the best time ever and the dead were honored to boot. If this doesn't turn out to be the case I'll make another blog entry to rectify and promise never to record the future again.

Your reward for checking my blog is that you're invited to this party even if I forgot to invite you earlier. Even if I don't know you you're invited. Come it sugar skulls with us. And tamales. 

Jesus was a carpenter

I'm not saying I'm Jesus. We just have some stuff in common, JC and me. Apparently he was a woodworker although I haven't studied the bible to find out if he was a trim carpenter or a framer. I'm pretty sure they didn't stick build back in Jerusalem in the day so he must have been a finisher or perhaps he did olde cabinets or furniture. Anyway, I do know he rose again on the 3rd day in accordance with the scriptures. I too rose again from the near dead on or about the 3rd day in accordance with my need to pay the bills and get the hell back to work. I did get to finish Charles Frazier's new book in 2 days which is like a miracle. Also finished this great and terrible PS2 game GOD OF WAR in about as much time. So here's my advice to you would be followers who pick up silly heavy things and immobilize yourselves: lay low, heat AND ice but first ice, finish a book and a video game, find a yoga Guru (thanks Jackie!!), allow friends and neighbors to pamper you, and beer and ibuprofen are useful palliatives. Thus endith the lesson.