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December 4, 2001

You might have thought I forgot about writing. I didn't. I thought about it everyday. The reality is that I got busy around the house. Very busy.

In reference to my last entry in November.... about the murderer who was living across the street from my Sis - he's now locked up. They picked him up a few days after I wrote about it. The girl: Melissa... she's now living down the street < in the basement > with an older guy she had been seeing. In the course of recent conversation, she tells my sister that the murdering dude was ALSO a convicted sex offender. Melissa apparently knew this and failed to mention it previously. FINALLY... Sis tells her that she shouldn't come around anymore... there's too waaaaaaaaaaay too much trouble attached to her.

No shit! That's like the understatement of the year.

I spent the weekend doing odd jobs including sorting and some packing of things I haven't used in a while. The most significant accomplishment was the framing of a closet in the unfinished addition. There are some mighty high hopes here that all of the necessary nailers will be installed by the time Christmas rolls around. That way I won't feel too guilty regarding work left at home. Hell, even if I get close to that I'll be happy.

The weekend started off with my desire to begin work on the electrical plan. That is, until I reminded myself that the framing had to be completed before that could be done. There I go trying to get ahead of myself. Like it's the first time that ever happened, eh?

I've been looking into some supplementary heat for the new room and, it looks like I'm going with electric baseboard heat. That's the cheapest way to go and, a time saver. Actually, I am getting tired of putting money and time into this house. That's what I've been doing for the last 13 years... and, quite frankly... now that I know M and I are going to look for a place of our own: this needs to be done so we can move on. Unfortunately, the fact that I know I'm leaving, it doesn't make the work go any faster. I've found that I am quite particular about doing things and, just because I am not planning on living here forever, it doesn't allow me to slap what is left together. I won't lower my standards. And, whatever time I save by getting baseboard heat will be used up in the land of my excess. It seems that I can't build ordinary things. I have decided it's imperative to put some recessed shelves on the outside wall of the closet. Try to stop me. There's no talking me out of this. Why? Well... I know because I've tried. Once I see this in my mind, it is as if it HAS to happen. So be it. Another diversion in the making. But then.... storage space is a premium item... I'm certain that all the nooks and crannies, along with the mural on the ceiling in the wing, all of those unique things created over the years will be an asset once the For Sale sign is up >>> excuse me while I justify my neuroses <<<.

I'm getting excited about my upcoming trip to see M and the boys! My Aunt is as eager about the trip as I am. We will have a fantastic time no doubt. Even though I know the time will zip by faster than the speed of light... I can't get there soon enough....
>>> I promised myself I wouldn't whine, so... this paragraph is abbreviated as a result. <<<

My damn truck. The exhaust system has a problem because suddenly and without warning - it has begun to sound like a tank. Nothing is broken or hanging that I can see, and the muffler looks intact. I suspect that it has something to do with the pipe between the muffler and the catalytic converter. Either the connection has come loose somewhere there, or, that piece of pipe needs to be replaced. I haven't put any money into it in quite a while. That's if I don't count the 12 dollar mirror replacement made last month. Or... OH YEAH.... another thing recently "repaired" on the truck is sort of funny. Why? Because it flies in the face of normal repair. For aesthetic reasons alone, it is tantamount to a quick fix/rig job. Not something I'd ever thought I'd do. What did I do? OK... one of the parking lights mounted in the front bumper rusted loose and was hanging there cockeyed. I used construction adhesive to glue it back in place... and I've been laughing about it ever since I did it. But... that stuff works great. Especially if you get the type that's formulated for subfloors... the type I had can be used on things even if they are wet. Obviously, I don't care how this old truck looks anymore. But, I care about how it runs and how it sounds so... looks like I'll be taking 'er into the shop sometime soon so it can be hoisted up and inspected.

Since I had prior experience, over the weekend I did another hack job on a car. Not my own, but for Cass. She came over on Sunday and for whatever the reason < oh yeah... we were taking some stuff out to her car >, we were out in the driveway when I noticed some trash there in the drive. Hmmmmm... I picked it up and headed for the trash can when I noticed she had a pretty good sized open hole in the rear quarter panel and I could see stuff in her trunk. We laughed about it for a while and this beater she's driving, well... it's way safe to say that it has seen better days, but... she can't afford a new car now and it's been reliable. One of those ugly but reliable rides. You can't get too upset about that. So.... what did I do? I went into the garage and ripped off a roof shingle from the pile and used construction glue to glue it in, black side out. I shoved a plastic 2 liter pop bottle in the trunk to hold it in place until it set up. There is a part of me that feels like doing things like this is soooooooooooooo wrong!!!!!!! But, there is that other part of me that is laughing my ass off. The practical side of me says, "...at least there will not be a trail of debris coming from her car and, things won't get wet when it rains." I'm trying to imagine Martha Stewart demonstrating this skill on her show.

Anything that needs repair this week is a candidate for construction adhesive. I think that is only one step up from resorting to duct tape. Nah. It might be equal.

While some of my standards are unshakable, others have clearly slipped. But, next time you are out - be sure to pick up a few tubes of construction adhesive. And, they fit rather nicely in those Christmas stockings....

December 16, 2001

Sorry to seemingly spin off into cyberspace < again > like I did. I've been getting mail that has prompted me to stop what I'm doing long enough to write. So, I'll address the common concerns and questions here:

WHERE IN THE HELL ARE YOU? Not to worry... I only departed from the writing jag, not from life itself. I've been busy, busy, busy. Busier than usual. Waaaaaaaaaaaay busy. Yeah.... that's right. I'm still around - moving in and out of a blur. A flurry of activities. Nope... haven't been here writing much lately - like I need to tell you that, right? Apparently not.... but, I knew I would slip off this month between the holidays and the construction work. I'm trying to focus and, so far, it seems to be working. Didn't I warn you about that possibility? I could have sworn I did. But, I might have only thought about it.

WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? Working on the addition. I've managed to get 95 percent of the nailers in the addition, thus surprising myself. They should be completed in their entirety by Monday. Last Monday, I went out and bought wiring, electrical boxes, receptacles and switches. Even picked up a new spade bit to drill holes to feed the wire through. That should keep me busy. Things are moving right along. Full speed ahead.

Yesterday, the first electrical circuit in the addition was roughed in. Completely ahead of schedule. I couldn't be happier about that. My drive is kicked into high gear... I've been going with it. I'm heading back to the dusty world after uploading. The scaffold is beckoning. I'm apparently destined to be whistling while working. Motivated by time constraints.

Went to a little Christmas party last evening. Drank 3 beers while I was there, mingled with strangers along with talking to the two people that owned the house. Worried about my water heater the entire time. WHY? The discovery of a leak. Right before leaving the house. SHIT. I put a shallow bowl down after a quick assessment. The drain valve has sprung a leak. So, I'm at the party listening to people talking about everything from hunting < somebody had just bagged a big white tailed deer > to taxidermy; Christmas decorations, the flu season, cats and birds, trees planted too close to the house ... to furnace ducts, mayonnaise, make-up, suspended grid ceilings, the price of gas, salsa.... and on and on. I felt a bit out of place there alone and surrounded by the coupled up hetero crowd, but, hey... they choose the lifestyle they live. They cannot help who they are. I really think it's wholly innate. They were born that way.

GOODGOD. At least they weren't flaunting their sexuality.

That's if you don't count the toy wind-up walking penis with the Santa hat.... oh, nevermind.

WHAT ABOUT THE DOG? HOW IS SHE? Tasha is adjusting. She's doing OK without her brother. It's only been a month since he's been gone, and, at the moment, it's hard to believe everything that transpired last month which led to his untimely demise. Of course, there hasn't been a day that has gone by that I haven't thought of him. He was a pile of work but, he was surely loved. It's funny, but now I can see him in a different light now that he's no longer disrupting the neighborhood with his stealing and bullying Tasha around. Now, she gets the undivided attention that she never had. Whenever she would come up to me before, he would push her out of the way and stand between us. He was quite the attention hog. He was jealous of my paying attention to any other animal other than himself. It was all about him. I'm sure you know the type.

Tasha is doing pretty good with the indoor leash training. At least she's getting better. She's not wrapping my legs up with the leash much anymore. Last weekend I managed to get her in the truck for a ride to the store. Of course, she didn't go willingly. And, she managed to escape immediately upon opening the driver's side door. So... I picked her up and put her back in place. The way she looked at me told me she knew there was no way out of this. But, the poor thing panted and shook uncontrollably all the way to the store. She continued to tremble even after she ate the greasy sausage thing in the blister pack. Apparently, the tremors did not mar her appetite.

OTHER STUFF: Got my truck repaired this week. Now I can hear myself think again while driving and pedestrians are not flailing themselves up against buildings when I drive through town. There were 2 parts of the exhaust system that were replaced - the manifold section and the pipe connecting the converter. Also, there was also a bolt missing from another part of the system. All in all... it was cheaper than the majority of new vehicle payments. While that's true, I have to tell myself this so I don't get pissed off about another surprise cash outlay before Christmas.

Ack. The house is full of dust from the ongoing construction again. It makes the job all the more annoying, but, it's a phase of the work. I keep telling myself that because I don't care for that little nagging feeling of defeat the dust seems to have on me. When I'm at the office and thinking about it... I always find myself wishing that I didn't have to go home to such a mess. Yet, there isn't a way to avoid it unless short of driving right on by the place. Obviously, I keep coming back. But, I've snorted enough construction debris to hack up, at least, two Adirondack chairs.

ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING TRIP? Hmmmmm.... let me think about that...... NOT!!!!!!!!!! That goes without saying, doesn't it? I'm very excited about being with M and the kids again! VERY. In graphic terms, 2000 pt. Arial Black bold. Italics even.

Happy, happy, happy.... and, I love happy. Happy is good. Happy is very good.

Still... I fret. Will Tasha get any attention while I am gone? Will she be sad that the routine we've established will be upset? Will that leak in the hot water heater burst open while I am gone. Hey... maybe I should shut off the water going to the washer, too. I've read about those things bursting. High pressure hoses. Shit. I forgot... a long time ago I was supposed to buy those braided hoses for the washer. I keep forgetting. Do I have enough dog food? Treats? Will it snow while I'm gone? Will we get a storm? Will the flight be cancelled, delayed or something? Will I have a cold? What am I bringing with me? Is there anything else I need to get before leaving? Don't forget to pay the bills. Don't forget to talk to the neighbor, Pat. Don't forget to run electricity to Tasha's water dish.

OH, there must be a hundred things I could fret about. Instead, how about if I just get my ass back to work before I begin to freak out?

. . . . December 16th . . . . continued

It's 9:49... do you know where you are? While I'm unsure about you... tonight - I brought home the gold. Another rough circuit was run in the room. ONE circuit!!!!!!!!! So, I'm doing some jamming tonight! Happy ain't the half of it.

Busting! Kickin' it. Ohhhhhhh yeah. Happy day, happy day, happy day.... and all of the spade bit holes are in the proper places for the last circuit.

December 21, 2001

Friday! Finally. The end of the day ushers in my holiday break at the office. No doubt, I'm happy about that.

On Monday, the last electrical circuit was roughed in the room! I can hardly believe how much has been accomplished. Far more than I had anticipated. Since this doesn't happen often, I nearly feel like I should have a celebration over it. At least a mini one.

There are 2 exterior lights and an outdoor receptacle to wire yet. I'm thinking ya better do this now because by the time ya get back from the trip to see M and the boys, it should be sub-zero around these parts. Brrrrr. It seems I'm never ready for winter. So.... I'm going to try and do this over the weekend. Saturday looks like the best bet. Even though it's cold, it isn't as cold as it will get. If I put this off, I'll be waiting nearly until spring. If I get it done, I can potentially get some insulation in the room during winter.

This weekend - at som point... I hope to stoke up a nice fire in the Outback Inn and clean the place up before leaving. Things need to be swept up and wiped down. Plus, I'm still sorting through things out there, too. It'll also be a good way to hang out with Tasha. She loves a fire in the wood stove. Almost as much as I do.

At some point this weekend, I'll have to get my site pages ready for the new year, or, at least, January. Since I won't return until late on the 5th, you can plan on an update on the 6 or 7th of January 2002. I won't tell you that I'll write while I'm gone, because I said that last time and didn't! Oh well... I'll just be nice to be there with them. And, although I didn't write much this month... there's always next year.

With Christmas nearly upon us, my upcoming trip takes center stage in my mind. I haven't packed a single thing yet. By now, M would already be packed and have the kids packed, too! She'd be ready to leave today. But, I'm sure to be packing on Christmas Eve. And, this has nothing to do with procrastination on my part - I pretty much know what I'll be packing. 2 check-in suitcases and my carry on backpack. After I do a few loads of laundry, everything will fall into place. I'll bet I can be packed in about an hour.

Sis had a court date today and it was cancelled again. I thought about mentioning it earlier in the week, but... there's always a chance it will be cancelled. And so it was. She was supposed to be there at 8:30 this morning but got the word from her lawyer that it was cancelled yesterday late in the afternoon. We'd been waiting for this day in court for a few months, after it was previously cancelled at the last minute. Merry Christmas from the American justice system.

OH YEAH... I forgot to mention something important here.
Something that happened on Thanksgiving.

I went to Mom and Dave's early before anyone else arrived. I was in the kitchen talking to Mom and hanging out while she prepared food and refused assistance. She had everything under control as usual. She casually mentioned that she had bought gifts for the boys in Arizona. OK. Cool! Very nice... then she looks right at me and says, "...would it be OK if I signed it Grandma and Grandpa?" Ummmmm.... sure Mom. Whatever you are comfortable with. I answered in a calm and reserved manner, but inside... I am jumping up and down and screeching for joy!

Wahooooooo!!!!!!
Do I have the coolest Mom on the planet or what? I sure do. That unprovoked gesture sent a gush of electricity down my spine. It warmed me beyond words. It was one of the most loving expressions I'd ever experienced. My new family is welcome in my family! That means so very much to me.... I could cry now, but... I won't.

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Later - the same day...

Without a doubt, it was good to be home. Unfortunately, I didn't stay home long though. Shortly after I got there, I let Tasha out. She bolted out of the starting gate and was leaping up to greet me. For whatever reason she was crazy today. Running around in tight circles... completely showing off pure dog artistry. Springing through the pampas grass, jumping like a deer through the brush, it was quite the site. Then, I threw her a piece of rawhide.

Enter the addition: Suddenly, I realize that the lights purchased weren't going to work. It seems that the mount will be too close to the soffit. Too high. DAMN IT!!!!! Better go to the hardware place. The junky one that you'd rather avoid. The rathole of all hardware stores. But, they get all these closeouts. You never know what you'll find there, BUT... that's the problem with that place. Too many times I went there and they didn't have what I wanted. Plenty of times I've walked out empty handed. Possibly muttering. Perchance cursing. Without a doubt that irritates me. But, I have to go. I want to get this done, or - attempt to put a dent in it.

After looking around, I decide to use these 2 halogen lights that are already here. OK... so I have to get a couple of exterior mount electrical boxes and, the covers with the round screw mount hole for the light. Gaskets, too.

Ohhhh Tasha.... Tasha! Do you want to go for a ride???

Welllllll, her actions said... "ummmm... maybe. Kinda... oh, wait... I've changed my mind... nah... well, yeah.. Yeah... uhhhhhh... but, I'm scared... I'm not sure I like it... I'd like to please you, but...ummm... alright. Try to get me in the truck. But... you'll have to catch me first. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me in the Outback. I don't wanna go. OHNO... not the leash! Not that!

Aaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeee somebody help!!! Somebody help me!"

I pick her up and put her in the truck on the passenger side. The minute I open the driver's side door, she has her nose down as far as she can get it and she's helping to shove the door open as she quickly dives out. The leash is attached to her and she hates the way it flaps around when she runs. But, it does help to run faster when she's trying in vain to get away from it.

OK now... where are you? Tasha... ohhhh Tasha! Tasha come! Come on! Tasha come!

Not a sound broke through. Silence. I begin walking around the house. Calling her name. No response. It was near complete darkness. She was found hiding in the corner where the new addition meets the house. Sitting like a statue. Didn't try to run when I walked up and took the lead. But, soon let me know she knew that she was going. She didn't fight it. She let me pick her up and put her in the truck.

The ride was amusing. Christmas lights seem to freak her out a bit. She's staring at them and the staring back at me with her head cocked. Vehicles passing freaked her out, too. While driving, she was head diving and she had her doggie ass pressed firmly in the direction of my ribs. She would not back off. I don't know about her but, for me, it wasn't comfortable at all. Especially since I have a manual transmission. She may as well have had her legs up against the door and been pushing with all her might.

I can imagine that some day chance are good that she will jump right in without any trouble. If that's true, it'll take some time. But, she won't be happy about the trip to the Vet. And, she'll be due for shots soon after my return. Now that ought to make her want to jump right in don't ya think?

Anyway... so I took the usual off the track route... but hey, it is generally circuitous. Eventually. So here we go: the scuzzy hardware outlet did have the stuff I needed.

Merry Christmas, eh?

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December 23, 2001

Two more days until Christmas! Two more days until I leave to see my girlfriend! The long awaited trip is coming right up. I am as excited as hell. And, that's not because I think hell would be particularly exciting, considering the rumors and everything. Surely, that's a silly phrase.

Yesterday, the 2 outside fixtures were indeed wired and installed, as well as the outdoor receptacle. There's even a residual smirk leftover today from that feat. I'll finish up the electrical after the trip, but... that won't be so bad considering what has been done.

Today I cleaned up the Outback and started a fire that's still burning. I swept up what seemed like a bucket full of dirt. Along with cedar chips and wood from the pile that Tasha chewed on. The place was a mess. I also hooked up the anti-freezing water dish along with putting a radio on out there. The dogs grew up listening to a radio... that is, until Booda got hold of the original boombox. He removed the antenna, chewed on the speaker wires and relieved the unit of its power cord. It hit the trash not long after that. This time, there's no worry about that happening. It's much too high up to be reached. Hopefully, the radio will be somewhat of a comfort to her. It always seems to put her to sleep when she's been in the house lately. Much to her annoyance, it has an entirely opposite effect on me.

I pissed myself off today by breaking a nail on the firewood. Somehow, I managed to escape nail breakage while wiring and putting in the nailers. Go figure. Although last night, I did manage to put a nip in the tip of my finger. On the very last receptacle that was wired.

Way to frickin' go.

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December 24, 2001

Well... twas the day before Christmas and I began to go nuts. It's early and I'm running around like crazy trying to get things ready to leave tomorrow. Later, I have gifts to wrap for my family and whatever last minute preparations I need to do before I go. Right now, my mind is drawing a complete blank.... but, I know there is plenty yet to do... in the meantime, I'll be cleaning the house. There's nothing worse than coming back from a trip away to a mess of a house.

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THEM!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to get there.

Today is my frenzied day. Let's hope I can sleep tonight.

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Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!

 

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