Blogging late April

Weekly highlights: April 20 - 26

The week promised lots of rain and much cooler temperatures, a letdown after such nice weather over the past 10 days. But it is spring so expecting anything less would be unwise.

Ordered basement carpeting from America’s Flooring, right around the corner from our home. Not only were they offering a high quality product but also at a great price and weren’t padding the total square footage to make an extra buck. Told us that they’d most likely be ready to schedule install in 5 days

Mindy developed a cold early in the week. At first she thought it was allergies, but I could tell otherwise.

Tough work week with a couple late nights. Presented a monthly and quarterly service review meetings, too.

Monday, April 20 

Woke extremely tired and didn’t want to get out of bed. Near 640am by the time I finally got up. By then the kids were just about to head out for the bus stop. Not only was I tired, but also achy and sore from the weekend’s yard work.

As a result of feeling tired and achy, I didn’t get out the door for a run until 830am or so. Trimmed my mileage to just three. Rained through most of the run, but was light.

Worked from Hilliard office, arriving around 1010am. At lunch time I made a run to Home Depot and Lowes to get all the supplies for installing the basement kitchen sink (mounting, plumbing, and drain). Sadly, I couldn’t get everything I needed at Home Depot. They were out of the 1.5” PVC trap kits. Fella said the contractors building the apartment project directly across the street were buying out lots of their inventory. I had to get the trap kit from Lowes.

Agreed to have leftovers for dinner, more chicken and noodle casserole.

Tuesday:

Come Tuesday morning I was feeling a lot better. The weather was a lot nicer than Monday too, A little cool, but sunny. I ran 4 miles, leaving the house again closer to 830am. Originally I planned to work across town, but our 1pm meeting was canceled due to numerous vacations so I ended up working at home. Felt good.

Spent my day completing both the monthly and quarterly service reviews as well as assisting a peer with some complex reporting. My boss got a hold of me late in the day asking if I could help further with a high profile deadline. Sure. That amounted to me working until about 930pm. As a result, Mindy ran Bella to and from gymnastics.

As for dinner, Mindy cooked a pork roast in the crock pot. Delicious.

Wednesday:

Rainy and raw on Wednesday, the high temperature barely reaching 50 degrees. For the first time in a while, I was up on a work day ahead of Mindy, and I headed out on a run before she was even done getting ready for school. Ran 4 miles.

1030am monthly presentation across town. Arrived with plenty of time to spare, somewhere close to 930am. Presentation went well. Around 1pm I made a run to Home Depot. I hoped to find a special board I needed to make the garage entry door repairs. Sadly, they were out of stock. Not giving up hope, before heading back to the office I popped in Lowes which is a few miles up the road, and part of the  Easton mall shopping area. They had the specialty board – a ½”X2.5” poplar scant. I also picked up brick molding kit.

Spent the afternoon helping a peer complete a project. Didn’t feel well for most of the day. At times I thought I might even earl. Never did, though. Happy when the end of the day came. With both Mindy and I feeling under the weather, we agreed to bag date night and simply relax at home.

Enjoyed leftovers for dinner. I had a pork roast wrap. Mindy enjoyed chicken noodle casserole.

Thursday:

Woke to widely scattered frost and 27 degrees, easily the coldest it’s been in several weeks. It was mostly sunny, so it warmed things quickly, though it never got above 48 degrees. I ran 4 miles in what turned out to be a lovely run.

I would usually work in Hilliard on Thursday’s, but we had our quarterly presentation scheduled across town for 2pm. As a result, I worked from home the first part of the day. Spent almost an hour on the phone straightening out our cell phone bill. It’s been messed up ever since we added Bella to the plan.

Left for Easton near noon. Worked for an hour or so before heading up to the large conference room where the presentation was being held. I knew my boss was coming in so I waited for him in the lobby.

All in all, the meeting went well. I felt a huge sense of relief having it behind me. Must've been around 330pm when I packed up and headed for home. And because it was still relatively early, I gambled and took 670west. Heavy traffic at the 670/70 merge but otherwise a quick drive home.  Talked with Mindy along the drive home. She was on the road for home too. Asked if I would drop and pick-up Bella from gymnastics since she was still battling a cold. Sure.

Despite feeling under the weather, she still whipped up dinner – chicken breast over rice. It was good. Left for gymnastics around 545pm, which any other day would be plenty early enough. However, the 70west on ramp was closed due to an over turned semi so we had to take the back way (Wilson, Fisher to Phillipi). At rush hour that is always a pain, especially once near the casino. Dropped Bella 10 minutes late.

Getting back was a lot better. Bought a new Kindle book this week, Power Foods for the Brain by Dr. Neal Barnhardt. Spent the next 75 minutes reading. Left to fetch Bella at 740pm. The 70west on ramp was opened and traffic nonexistent. As a result, I arrived at the gym with 10 minutes to spare. Been quite a while since I was inside. Watched Bella and team practice for a while.

Our drive home was quick. Because she was under the weather, Mindy was already off to bed. I did some more reading.

Friday:

Friday was sunny and in the upper 50s, but after Thursday’s chilly temps, it actually felt warm midafternoon. Unfortunately, the weekend forecast, and more specifically Saturday, looked horrible. Expecting heavy rain and temps below 50. I guess a silver lining would be forcing me to get more work done in the basement.

The recorded morning low was a chilly 25 degrees. But by time I left for my run (815am) it had already warmed above freezing and the sun left me feeling so much warmer than it really was. Like most Friday’s, I ran just three miles.

After a rather hectic work week, Friday was extremely laid back. I was able to get some of my time back. After my run I worked for about an hour and then headed to the basement to get started on the sink install. I wisely cut in the water valves first, figuring it far easier without the sink in the way. Aside from a very minor drip on the cold side, it went flawlessly. One extra crank and the drip stopped.

Next, I cut the 1.5” drain stub coming through the wall and installed the threaded nipple. Next, I cracked open the Delta faucet and installed it in the sink before dropping it into the counter top. That installed rather easily. Finally time to drop in the sink but only after running plumber’s putty around the perimeter. You may recall, I installed the clips on the sink a week or so prior. Tightening the clips was a trick. Not only were the screws hard to reach, but they turned stiffly too. What I really needed was a longer phillips screwdriver.

While installing the trap I determined that I needed to extend the straight piece of the trap into the stub out nipple. Crap. I needed another 4” or so. I had no choice but to make an unplanned Home Depot/Lowes run. I opted for Lowes where I struggled to find the extension but ultimately did. While there, I picked up a trim ring for the 1.5” stub out to give it a more finished look. I also picked up an 8” inch phillips.

I had to cut the extension to size and also the tail drain, but all that went quick. Done by 11am. I went back to work for a while revisiting the job after an hour or so. Much to my dismay, there was a drip or two of water coming from the trap. Crap! It was already as snug as it could possibly be, but I went ahead and reinstalled it. Took only a couple minutes. I tested by letting the water run for a while and then filled the sink about half way before allowing it to drain. No leaks.

Around 330pm I headed out to cut the lawn. Because I edged and whacked last week, I opted to skip that step this week. Did 85% of the mowing with the tractor. As a result, it took no more than 45 minutes for all the mowing. Mindy and the kids were home at their usual times. It was a Jimaken weekend. Mindy and I didn’t have firm plans for anything, but with her being sick, I wasn’t sure we’d be doing much. That morning she said she felt awful. I was a little surprised then when Mindy said she felt better and wanted to go out.

After the kids left we agreed to pay a visit to CBC. I hadn’t been there for about a month. I was showered and ready to head out around 545pm. Mindy must’ve sent a text to Vince because she knew he was working. For the past couple days Mindy and Ashley had been going back and forth about the wedding shower. Ashley’s bff, Brittany K. has been blowing her off of late, and has made no such effort to organize one. In fact, Ashley shared that she was out as the maid of honor. Mindy agreed to step in and organize a wedding shower, but until Friday Ashley was unsure whether or not she wanted to have one. Oh boy! That, apparently all got worked out Friday afternoon/evening. Ashley gave Mindy the green light.  Mindy planned to have it at CBC and would work out the details with Jenn that evening.

The lot was full. Had no choice but to find a meter across the street. Happened upon Aubree and Matt on our way in. Word was Aubree decided not to take the engineering job with Ford in Detroit and instead accepted an offer with Net Jets locally. She sounded much more at peace with the decision. And Matt seemed happy too. After all, he was going to have to quit his CBC chef gig in the move.

Few stools were available at the bar so I stood while Mindy sat.  A kind gentleman offered me the stool next to Mindy. Few IPAs on tap. I opted for a White Rajah and so did Mindy. Soon ordered risotto balls too. Mindy chatted with Jenn at length, working out the details for Ashley’s wedding shower.

The bar remained busy for a solid two hours. The crowd sustained as long as I’ve ever seen it. All totaled, I drank 3 White Rajah’s. Mindy had just the one. I think Mindy’s cold spoiled her appetite and drinking palette.  I wasn’t that hungry but was looking forward to some wings. Mindy ordered bread and a salad. Wings were tasty! Thinking we left for home  around 830-9pm. As we neared the Hague Ave exit, Mindy mentioned that we should’ve visited Sideswipe Brewing’s taproom. I offered that we still could. I was surprised when she agreed, especially given that she wasn’t feeling 100%. Agreed to pop in for one.

Like the week before, we were the only customers, though the owner of Thurn’s eats stopped in with his son about half way through our brief visit. I was slow with my lone IPA. Enjoyed talking with Craig and the Thurn’s. I graduated H.S. with his cousin, Amy. Headed home around 945pm. We headed for bed around 10pm but watched a little TV – the Bruce Jenner interview. I fell asleep.

Saturday:

As advertised, the weather took a dive. The temperature dropped and it rained hard for most of the day. I don’t think it made it out of the 40’s. Lucky for me, the rain held off long enough for me to get my run in under cloudy but dry skies. Thinking it was near 845am when I headed out the door. Mindy was still in bed sleeping.

I was a tired and cranky for the day’s entirety. I’m sure it has as much to do with the four beers I consumed Friday evening as much as anything else. I checked the basement p-trap again and once again it was dripping from the same place – right at the transition from the trap to the wall tail. I took a few minutes to redo the connections then ran water and filled the sink to let it stress the drain. No leaks at the time but this same pattern occurred the two previous times too.

Mindy made me an egg sandwich shortly before we left to go sofa shopping. It wasn’t until we exited 270 onto Tuttle that I suggested we should’ve stopped by the carpet store to pick-up our sample to ensure the two go well together. Mindy offered that we go back. Meh!

More often than not, Mindy and I shopping for something significant, like furniture, is a challenge. Going in, we agreed that we wanted a sectional-type sofa design and we also loosely agreed that loose back cushions were out. Right away we found one we liked both in design and material. Soon we were joined by a sales associate whose name I can’t immediately recall.

I quickly offered that we had size requirements/limitations that the set we were sitting on and liked did not meet. Not only was it too long in one direction, but we soon learned that it was too tall to meet the 29” wide basement door opening criteria, too. The sales lady soon offered that we should measure minus sofa legs given that they’re removable for the purpose of delivery. She also suggested we go loose back cushions to which I promptly refused. Under her breath, Mindy snapped at me for being so sharp. J

I reluctantly followed Mindy as the sales lady pointed her to a few options that she thought might work. The two she showed us were covered in what I’ll deem as hideous material and color which made it hard for me to become amenable. Once again, Mindy gave a disapproving glare at my reticence.

Not convinced the structure we were looking at would fit the 29” door opening restriction, I asked the sales lady if she had a measuring tape.  Sure did. I measured and found it to be just under 28” high. The cushions rose about 4” higher than the back support but would crush down easily enough. We looked at a few more options before going back to the first one that met the size criteria. I eventually warmed to the possibility once the sales lady showed us the custom configurable options that would meet dimensional requirements as well as pointing out that we could have it covered in any material we liked. She also pointed out that a new sale started on Sunday and that it would save us a couple hundred dollars.

It was just before 2pm, the time that America’s Flooring closes on Saturdays. I called Ed to see if he would be willing to stick around  a few extra minutes or long enough for us to swing by and pick-up a sample of our carpet. He agreed.

Poured rain most of the drive towards home and the carpet store. Ed was just about to leave when we showed up. The only color sample he had was a 6”X 6” square. That would do. We took it home along with the sofa material sample and looked them over in direct sunlight and then in the basement where they’d live together. Despite the small samples, we liked the combo.

Mindy suggested we continue our shopping and head back out to look for a kitchen table. After snacking on some Triscuits, I was sorely in need of a nap so I went horizontal on the sofa for about 90 minutes. I might’ve slept for 30 minutes. The rest of the time I spent relaxing watching an ESPN story about a 1960s transgender tennis player, Renee’. Interesting. Surprised I hadn’t heard of her prior.

Around 4pm, Mindy and I headed back out destined for the Kitchen Table store up near Easton. Mindy also wanted to check Ashley Furniture after nephew Joe shared that he saw a table there that had the industrial look Mindy was hoping for.

As the name suggests, the Kitchen Table store is all about tables and has plenty of options. We found two we liked, one in clearance, which was our favorite of the two, and another on the regular floor. The clearance table was more expensive but also of higher quality. Both were high counter tables with four chairs and in a dark wood finish. The clearance also includes a leaf. Neither had the industrial look Mindy was hoping for, but she said she could live with the clearance table.

We left for Ashley furniture which we Googled and found was just a mile or less down the road in Easton proper. Largely disappointed with their offerings. They had just a few tables and none anywhere near the quality or design we were looking for. 

Jacob Turns 15, Visiting Sideswipe, Yard Work in Earnest

Happy 15th Jacob!

April 13-19

Warm start to the work week. Reached a high of 78 on Monday.  Extraordinarily stiff presumably from all the yard work over the weekend. Opted to run just three miles on Monday. Tuesday through Thursday I ran the usual four. Heavy rain was forecasted all week. Didn’t get nearly as much as they promised but it did rain a little each and every day. Pretty much hit and miss.

After Monday’s warmth, high temps hovered around 65 through Thursday, finally breaking into the 70s again on Friday, or just in time for the weekend. It was Jacob’s birthday week. His actual birthday falling on Thursday. Date night Wednesday, Mindy and I visited Barleys for the first time in 3 or 4 weeks. Since our last visit, they’ve changed the menu. Turned out only a minor tweak. I had just one beer, the Fortune Teller porter. Enjoyed K.C. wings along with sharing one of their new appetizers, pork egg rolls, with Mindy.

Work-wise, I worked from the Hilliard office on Monday and Tuesday and then at my customer’s campus Tuesday and Wednesday. I worked at home on Friday. That was a godsend. The weather turned absolutely gorgeous - sunny and 74.

I had a rare, dull headache most of the day Wednesday, and one that wouldn’t completely go away even after choking down a couple Advil. The same dull headache plagued me again Thursday only this time it was accompanied by a mildly sore throat and body aches. Uh-oh! I wondered if I was coming down with something.

I ended up taking an hour long nap in the recliner as soon as I got home, and then when Mindy was ready to head off to the Bone Fish Grill for Jacob’s birthday dinner, I declared myself unfit for dinner out. I headed up to bed where I spent the rest of the evening watching TV from bed and drifting in and out of sleep. I got up for about 15 minutes when they got home to enjoy some of Jacob’s birthday chocolate pie.

I woke sluggish again Friday but after skipping calisthenics and sucking down a quick cup of coffee I felt like myself again. I put in a lot of extra hours during work week so I took some unofficial comp time Friday, essentially spending the afternoon in reactive mode (there and available if needed). Near lunch time I headed out to knock one of my spring projects off the list – painting the trim on the garage return.

Two years ago we removed most of the English ivy from our home’s front stone façade but left it intact on the garage return. Last year’s brutal winter killed most of that foliage so we pulled all that down last spring.  The little feelers left the trim looking bad even after sanding and power washing. Friday was the day to address it once and for all. I removed the down spout and sanded and scraped and then repainted the trim and eve. Took about 2 hours start to finish.

Next, I temporarily disconnected the basement vanity drain assembly so I could raise the granite top an inch or two, enough clearance to apply a bead of adhesive. Didn’t take more than 15 minutes. Glued the back and side splash too. All that remained was to caulk the joints with clear silicone. Planned to get to that sometime over the weekend.

Took care of a few work related matter during the middle afternoon, including the week’s administrative tasks. By then the weather was incredibly nice. Ideal for touching-up the deck furniture with spray paint. I scraped and sanded away all loose paint, and then made a run to Home Depot where I picked up another can of special spray paint.  The kids were getting off the school bus just as I was back out the drive. I reminded them of the need to complete their homework and chores before play.

Took about 30 minutes to touch-up the table and chairs. Looks so much better and for just $7 worth of paint and about an hour’s labor. By the time I finished, Mindy was home from school. I spent the next hour or so edging the rear flower beds while also chatting with Mindy. I felt like I accomplished quite a bit in one afternoon.

Jacob was going to his girlfriend’s house to celebrate her birthday. He and she share the same b-day – April 16. Bella asked if she could go to the Chiller. Mindy left it up to me. Why not? We hoped that a friend’s parents could do either the drop-off or pick-up. After balking at doing dinner at the Dublin Rusty Bucket, Mindy went ahead and ran Jacobella to their destinations while I got a shower.

While she was away, I surfed Sideswipes website confirming their taproom hours. Yep, opened on Friday evenings 4-10pm. I’ve been wanting to check it out for a while now. When Mindy got home I shared our my thoughts on a venue. She was open to trying Sideswipe. Close to 8pm by the time we headed out.

Sideswipe is located nearby off McKinnley & Harper Rd on Scioto Harper Rd, in an industrial park. At almost at the very back of the industrial park, a small sign lead us directly to the location. The garage door was up. Craig, the owner operator, was the only person there. We spent an hour or so enjoying a beer and getting to know Craig. Seems like a great guy. A couple others popped in but just long enough to pick-up a growler. Before we left we bought a growler of their IPA and a pint glass. Enjoyed it. We’ll go back.

We left there at 930pm to go after the kids. We picked up Bella first. Arrived at the Dublin Chiller near 945pm. Mindy had to go find her. Her phone apparently died. We headed south on Cosgray into Hilliard and Alex’s house. She lives in the same subdivision where Mindy and Jimaken built a dozen years prior. Got home a smidge after 10pm.

I ate some leftovers. Just what I can’t recall. Mindy was off to bed almost immediately. I joined her a few minutes later.

Saturday & Sunday April 18 & 19

Up near 7am. It was a gorgeous morning. Clear blue skies and already in the mid 50s. Expecting a high near 75. Earlier in the week the forecast looked bleak. Glad it changed. We would be hosting Jacob’s b-day party at the house around 4pm just as we have for the past nine years. I can’t recall a nicer weather forecast. In fact, most of his b-day parties have been in less than desirable conditions – cool, rain and mud. Ugh!

I enjoyed coffee for an hour or so before heading out on a run. I also put the glass inserts back in the deck table and put the new cushions in the chairs. I was very much looking forward to a day working in the yard. There were two major chores I hoped to complete. One, picking-up, cleaning up the rear flower bed edgings. Two, I hoped to complete the lawn chores.

Before doing any yard chores, I wanted to run a few errands, including getting mower gas, a stop at Lowes, and a quick stop at Ohio Mulch to check out their mulch offerings. Headed out around 10am, stopping for mower and Accord gas first. Next stop Ohio Mulch. Too crowded to get out and check out the quality and color of the brown mulch. Perhaps another day. Onto Lowes.

At Lowes I returned the incorrect jigsaw blades I bought a couple weeks ago when I bought my new saw. I also picked up a kit of 14 different correct blades. More specifically, the kit included two blades specifically designed to cut laminate, which I need to cut the hole in the counter top for the basement sink. While there, I bought six colorful cushions for our deck bench surround. Lastly, I made a stop for a large bag of ice.

I failed to mention that the growler we bought from sideswipe brewing Friday evening exploded spraying about a pint of beer in my backseat after rolling around on our drive to pick-up the kids. My car smelt of IPA! Before doing any yard chores, I took a few minutes to clean-up the inside of my car.  I vacuumed and scrubbed the carpeted floor mat then cleaned the leather seats. Took about 20 minutes. Time well spent.

Time to work in the yard. I opted to whack and edge first. While whacking around the bridge rail I noticed what looked a lot like an animal carcass floating along the pond’s edge. On closer inspection, it was either a raccoon or beaver. The fur was covered in moss/algae. Probably been in there since winter. When I poked it with a stick the fur peeled off too easily. Ugh!!

First time edging along the new service walk and wings. Looked real nice. Push mowed around the yard’s perimeter. Tractor mowed the rest. Lawn’s looking really lush. Once my mowing was complete I blew the beds and walks clear. With the lawn looking good, I fetched the trailer for my Deere and pulled up alongside the rear beds where I picked up Friday’s edgings. Easier said than done, since micro roots for the red maple near the deck lurk just beneath the top soil and spent mulch. In other words, the edgings don’t come up easily. In fact, it‘s harder than the edging itself.

It was 320pm by the time I finished my yard work. I felt really good about all I’d accomplished, which was far more than I envisioned. Gloria was already at the house helping Mindy ready for Jacob’s party. Lindsey dropped off the boys just before I headed up for a shower. I asked the boys to help me a little – one, chase the geese out of the front lawn and then asked them to Windex the glass entry doors. They did neither. J

By the time I was out of the shower party guest were already showing up. Fair to say I got every possible minute out of my day. Dad showed up, which pleased Mindy much. He hasn’t made too many family birthday parties past. All of Mindy’s siblings and their families showed as did a few of Jacob’s buddies.

Along with a table full of snacks, Mindy ordered pizza and picked up Cane’s chicken tenders. I planned to enjoy a couple of beers but not until later. After all that yard work, I was crazy hungry. Because the weather was so nice, the party was both inside and out. Darwin and his young boys showed an hour or so into the party. Said Connie and Lane would be joining us soon. They showed perhaps another hour later. By then I cracked open my Sideswipe growler of IPA. Lane stopped by after working on his mini bike. Man, he’s grown and matured a whole lot over the last year.

Thinking it was near 7-8pm when most of the family departed. Darwin shared that he planned to have a bonfire in his backyard later that evening. Mindy and I agreed to pay a visit once all of our guests were gone and the mess cleaned up. I washed all the party dishes while Mindy stowed the food.

Thinking it was near or after 10pm when we finally headed to the McVey’s. Darwin’s buddy, Rick was there, the two of them already out by the fire. Mindy headed inside to talk with Connie while I hung outside with Darwin and Rick. We had a ball! I popped in to say hello to Connie. Ended up talking to she and Mindy for a while before heading back out.

Brought five beers in my cooler. Drank four of them, sharing one with Rick. Had to be near midnight when Mindy came out advising that she was heading home. I was still having fun and opted to stick around a while longer and walk home. Mindy wasn’t thrilled with my choice but in the end agreed. She was gone too long when I sent a text asking her to come get me. As I exited the fire pit area, I tripped over the 1’ high stone wall scraping up my left leg pretty good. Mindy pulled up just as I walked out front. Fair to say that I was feeling no pain. After woofing down some leftovers I headed up to bed.

Sunday:

Despite not feeling 100% Sunday morning, I was up before 8am. The weather forecast called for increasing clouds, wind, and steady rain by 2pm. Still expecting a high around 70 degrees, though. Hoping to complete even more yard work, I planned to knock my run out as soon as possible in hopes of getting out in the yard ahead of imminent rain.

Ran three miles even before Mindy was up. She was up by the time I got back. She acted surprised that I was no worse for Saturday nights’ wear. I made a couple eggs before heading for yard work. Outside by 10am. My number one goal was to pick-up the rear bed edgings. Took an hour or so. Dumped the pile out back. Next I used a weed digger to pull up the wild patches of new grass growing in the flower bed on the east side of the house. Most of that a byproduct of seeding my service walk last fall. That took a good 30 minutes.

Still ahead of any rain, I had enough time to edge the front beds and do a mulch-ready bed cleaning. All that’s left to edge is the westside flower bed. Feeling ahead of the game! Mindy had a change of heart and decided to grocery shop that afternoon. Originally said she was going to grocery shop on Monday after school.

It began to spit rain around 130pm. Without me asking, Mindy brought in all the deck cushions. And because it was getting really windy, I put down the patio umbrella and tied it closed with a bunji cord. I headed inside ahead of the inclement weather.

Before showering, I thought it a good idea to head to the basement and cut the hole in the laminate  counter top for the sink. I was both eager and nervous, having never done it before. However, I felt confident in my tools as well as the videos I watched a month or so ago. I took my time, taping off the outline of the sink with masking tape on Saturday. To cut the hole I move the top to the floor elevated about a foot of the concrete. New jigsaw and laminate blade worked flawlessly. And perhaps the best tip I got from the Youtube videos was to screw in a support board across the laminate so the cut-out piece wouldn’t drop and tear.

Next, I made sure the sink sat into the opening and then installed the 8 clips. That took some doing. Frustrating, but finally got them installed.  I considered making a Home Depot run to get the rest of the plumbing materials necessary to complete the full install (p-trap, drain tail, sink strainer, etc). In the end I decided instead to call it an afternoon, figuring I could stop at Lowes/Home Depot on Monday during lunch. By then it was 4pm. I headed for a shower and then some couch time.  Mindy was home from the grocery around 430pm.

Rained on and off most of the late afternoon and evening. Mindy made one of my favorite dishes for dinner – chicken noodle casserole. Yum! Jacob, by the way, had a soccer game in Cincinnati that Jimaken took him to. He picked him up around 11am. He got home around 630pm.

Relaxing evening at home. Jacob and I watched Last Man on Earth come 930pm. Funny!  To bed soon after.

Gradual Metamorphosis

The early days of April

The month of April began on a Wednesday, and the weather was gorgeous – sunny and in the mid-60s. No sight of winter anywhere in site. The 10 day forecast calling for highs in the 60s with rain on at least 50% of those days, which is expected this time of year.  I hope to wrap up the construction phase of the basement project by the end of the month, furnishing and decorating, of course,  will go on for a while after. As spring evolves and the weather warms, I really needed to turn my attention to outdoor projects.

Ran 4 miles. We spent our first date-night of the month at Milestone 229 along the river. Patio not opened. Enjoyed dinner and a beer. Before heading home, we stopped at Land-Grant Brewing for a 2^nd beer, a Stiff Arm IPA. Recognized a face from Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, Justin.  He bartends at both venues.

Later that night, I finished reading Thomas Paine’s, Common Sense. Enjoyable read. He wrote with an obvious bent against the monarchism. To bed around 1030pm.

Thursday was again in the 60s but with the season’s first thunderstorm. Got my 4 mile run in ahead of any rain or storm. Mindy was off work for a modified spring break for the next 5 days including the weekend. I worked from the Hilliard office. It was storming as I headed in to the office.

Got an email from Home Depot informing me that my pick-up in store order was in (kitchen sink, vanity top, and side splash). Planned to pick it up on the way home after work.  Rained on and off most of the day, and very hard at times. Wasn’t 100% sure that I could get everything in the Accord but did. Mindy actually offered to meet me there with the Pilot but I declined.

Mindy’s mom was at the house. They spend most of the day together. We ate leftovers for dinner: tacos, pizza and salmon patties. I had two tacos. Mindy ran her mom home around 630pm. While she was away, I carried in the Home Depot stuff. The vanity top was the toughest carry.

I opened the vanity top and put it in place to get a feel for what it looked like. Nice! The kitchen was next. I cut my finger on the sharp edge of the drain hole and quickly determined that it was a little too big to allow me to do the cut-out with my jigsaw. Figured to return and order one slightly smaller. Opened the side splash next. What? Really?  Not the right color. The vanity top is black granite. Despite ordering a matching black, the side splash they sent was gray and white – Napoli. Dang it!

We agreed to watch the boys on Friday (Good Friday) and we both agreed that having them come over Thursday night would be better than early AM. Think it was near 730pm when Lindsey dropped them off. Both boys ended up sleeping on the sofa in the family room. Prior to that, Landon had a mini meltdown after Mindy refused to let him call his mom for a 2^nd time. Heck, he’d only been there for 30-40 minutes and was already asking to go home. J He calmed down and fell asleep within the next 30 minutes.

Later that night before I headed for bed,  I downloaded a book sample – Greek Mythology. Read just a few pages before falling asleep.

Since I was the only one having to work or school, I was the only one up for an hour or so. It was rainy and 60 but the forecast promised the rain would slowly move out well before noon.  Didn’t head out for a run until 930-10am, or shortly after Mindy was up. Ran just three miles. By then still cloudy but no rain. Nice run.

The evening before I exchanged emails with Home Depot regarding the incorrect shipment. Said I’d have to return it to the store and reorder. Ugh!  Asked Landon if he wanted to go with me to return the Home Depot stuff. He in turn asked if I would take him to McDs.  I agreed. Mindy took Bella to her root canal appointment while we were away. The return and reorder went about as smoothly as could be expected. Noticed neighbor Kenny’s mom is now working at the Hilliard Home Depot. Been at the Marysville branch for years.

As promised, we made a stop at the brand new McD’s on the way home. Landon specifically requested a plain cheese burger and 4-piece chicken nuggets. He was upset that they put ketchup and mustard on his cheeseburger. Refused to eat it and gave it to me.  Mindy and Bella were gone when we got home. Didn’t expect them back for a couple of hours. Mindy sent a text around 1pm letting me know that the procedure was a success. They were wedding dress shopping at Macy’s afterwards.

I worked from home the rest of the day. After Mindy got home around 230pm, she and the kids colored eggs and baked Easter cookies. We invited Olivia to join us too, but she and Ashley were spending the day together.

Mindy invited my dad to stop by to pick-up his Easter present – a Snickers bunny. Must’ve been around 430-5pm when he arrived. Lindsey picked up boys around 530pm. Dad headed for home around 6pm. We agreed to take Bella to the Chiller later that evening with friends. Mindy, Jacob and I would do dinner at the Rusty Bucket. Left the house near 7pm.

Dropped Bella & Makayla near 730pm. Minutes later we were at the Dublin Rusty Bucket. YaYa was our server. Joe stopped by our table to chat for a bit.  I ordered a White Rajah, Mindy a glass of wine. We shared an order of mussels and fried pickles before dinner. The mussels were very small meat-wise Not much bigger than a dime)  but also very delicious. Ordered chicken parmesan. Mindy order pasta, Jacob the buffalo chicken sandwich.  Dinner was delicious.

Picked up Bella near 930pm. We had to text Makayla since Bella’s already exceeded her monthly data allotment. At home I poured a pint of CBC IPA from the growler we brought home the Friday prior. Mindy pretty much headed straight to bed. I joined her about 30 minutes later.

Saturday & Sunday, April 4 & 5 - Royal Flush

Sunny but a cool start to the day, even a little frost on the cars.  I was up and downstairs enjoying coffee by 8am. Mindy was up even before 830am. That came as a surprise. She’s rarely up before 9am if not 10am on the weekend. Said she slept better than she has in a really long time. Started laundry right away and then ran Jacob to soccer practice in Dublin.  She was back pretty quickly. It was 930am before I finally headed out on a run which was after walking the pug.

By run time it was a little warmer but still not quite 40 degrees.  Mindy was busy whipping up chocolate pie filling upon my return from a run. The recipe calls for egg yolks but not whites. She used the whites along with a couple additional eggs to make a pan full of scrambled eggs, which the pug and I enjoyed.

Mindy asked if I still planned to install the basement toilet. Yes. I was nervous about the work but soon down the basement organizing everything I thought I might need to get the job done. Keep in mind, the 4” conduit stack was still rising 2’ above the stained concrete floor. I planned to use my oscillating tool to cut the conduit flush. However, before I could get a flush cut, I needed to grind away a slight lip of concrete around the base of the conduit. I used my oscillating tool with the special grout grinding blade to do that task. Worked like a charm. Subsequently, the conduit cut went well, too, far easier than I anticipated.

Next, I placed the $’ male flange into the conduit. Tight fit and I was worried about forcing it for not being able to pull it back up to prime and glue. Per some insightful Youtube directions, to ensure the toilet would set flush to the way, I measured and marked a line each side of the flange where the toilet bolts would be (11”). It was then that I learned my PVC glue was hardened. I had two cans of it and both were the same. And the thing is, I contemplated by another can but was sure I had plenty left over from the PVC drain work I did last fall for the kitchen sink.

Before I could proceed any further, I had to make a run to Lowes. No biggie. You can always count on at least one unexpected run. I picked up a can of PVC glue along with a few other items, including a new pair of giant loppers (tired of pinching my hands in our old pair). Said and done, I dropped $50. J

At home, it was time to prime and glue the flange into the 4” conduit. You only get one try. I was nervous but also confident. Before gluing and inserting the flange, I grabbed a hammer and a block of wood to help drive the flange as deep as it needed to go, since a dry go by hand left about ½” to go. Nervously, I tapped the block of wood numerous times and harder with each subsequent blow. Being a basement floor there’s always a slight slope. I got it as near flat as it was going to go. I felt good about it.

Next, it was time to drill pilot holes for the Tapcon screws to hold the flange in place. I used three. That was easy. Before moving the toilet in place, I thought it wise to get the plumbing squared away. After all, far easier with the toilet out of the way. Turned off the water after warning Bella, who was milling around upstairs.  After cutting the copper stub-out I realized that I didn’t pick-up the trim ring that goes around the pipe coming out of the wall or floor. It’s nothing but cosmetic but I wasn’t about to complete the work without it. Dang it! Another trip to the Depot!

At Home Depot I bought four of them, they’re cheap! I bought two plastic and then two in chrome. The plastic I noticed half a slit so they can be slid over after the fact. Who knew? While there, I also bought two more on-off valves for the vanity. Figured it made a lot of sense to plumb those in while the water was off and before mounting the vanity cabinet in place.

Plumbing in the three water feeds (cold to toilet, hot & cold to vanity) went smoothly. By then Mindy was home.

The toilet I bought came with everything I needed for the install, including the wax ring. I had Mindy on standby in case I needed her to help lift the toilet base onto the flange. Like sinking the flange, you only get one try with the wax ring. The kits these days come with flange bolts that are conveniently held in place by a screw on washer. That helped a lot. I still called for Mindy’s help. We quickly got the bowl on the flange but struggled to get it to seat squarely around the seal without any rocking. No matter what I did we couldn’t get it to seat any closer than about 3/8” above the floor. I wasn’t sure if we didn’t have it in the hole (doubted it or the bolts wouldn’t have lined up) or if it was the wax ring.

I remembered watching a Youtube video where the plumber advised that when mounting a toilet on a concrete slab one must use a wax ring without the diaphragm to account for the raised flange. I was fairly certain that was my issue too. I had no choice but to pull the toilet, scrape off the ring and then head back to Home Depot or Lowes for another, and this time a ring with the rubber diaphragm.

Opted to hit Home Depot so I could also get a snake plant for the master bathroom. The guy working the plumbing aisle has been at Home Depot for many years. He’s a nice enough gut but he and I never seem to communicate well. He isn’t that knowledgeable but acts as if he is.  When he came by to ask what I needed or was looking for it happened yet again. “I have no idea what you’re talking about”. Kept insisting I needed a wax ring with the diaphragm, and no matter what I said he kept saying I don’t understand.  Finally, found the diaphragmless wax rings. I went ahead and another with the diaphragm just in case. After three trips, I wasn’t in any frame of mind to want to make another.

Back to the basement, before trying the new wax ring, I made sure the toilet seated correctly without any wax ring. Yep, got it to seat uniformly around the concrete floor. The diaphragmless wax ring worked like a charm. Didn’t need help lifting it into place either. The tank installed on top of the bowl with ease, too. They’ve really made it simple these days. 30 minutes later I was testing the flush. Perfecto! Felt good to have that job behind me.

I cleaned up my mess and moved on to transplanting the new snake plant for our soaking tub planter. While I did that, Mindy ran to pick-up a growler of Bodhi and also dropped off a snall chocolate pie to Vince, her all-time favorite server. Before coming home, she was picking up Jacob, who was afternooning at his girlfriend’s home.  By the time they were back, I had the plant potted, the soaking tub cleaned , and a shower.

We were invited to neighbor Chrissy’s sister’s 40^th birthday party. We walked down around 6pm. The eats were provided by City Barbeque. Yum!  The first of two Final Four games was whirling on the TV. Most of the men present were glued to those results.  Michigan State got blown out by Duke.

Enjoyed a plateful of City Barbeque, mostly brisket, but everything else was delicious too. We went through our growler of Bodhi pretty quick. I went to the house to get the CBC IPA growler. Still about half full. We went through that quickly too. J Partied with the neighbors until halftime of the 2^nd Final Four game – Wisconsin and Kentucky. It was tied at the half.

Headed home I’m guessing near 10pm and it wasn’t too much longer before we were off to bed and asleep.

Easter Day - Got Bunnies?

Sunday was Easter and we celebrated with Mindy’s family at her sister Jodie’s house. We headed over around 3pm on what turned out to be a gorgeous early Spring day (low 60s and sunny). We spent the early part of the day at home where we had a mini egg for Jacob and Bella.

At one point Mindy snapped at me for revealing the location of a “money” egg. The kids otherwise would not have found it. After a run and before heading to Jodie’s I spent a couple hours in the yard cutting back ornamental grasses and raking the rear beds.

Mindy made two chocolate pies to take to Jodie’s. The kids headed with Jimaken & Molly to his parent’s home. They met us at Jodie & Larry’s around 4pm.

Jodie & Larry had lots of good eats laid out, the most notable being Cane’s chicken. I especially liked the lemonade. I was surprised when Jodie revealed that it was Country Time mix. Very good! Because it was so lovely, we spent the lion’s share of our time on the patio.

Hung out with the family for 3 hours or so. On our way home we stopped by Joe & Rick’s new place in Westgate to check out the recent paint job.  Looking good. At home near 730pm, we spent the rest of the evening relaxing. I had another slice of chocolate pie. We brought an entire pie home from Jodie’s.

Before bed, I read a little Ralph Emerson Waldo. He’s an eloquent writer but in many cases hard to read and follow (over use of the comma spliced sentence).

Monday-Friday April 6-10:

Monday started out nice enough but clouds and rain moved in quickly and it didn’t stop raining until early Friday. In fact, we had some very animated thunderstorms Tuesday – Thursday. Temperatures moderated as the week progressed, moving from the low 60s on Monday to the low 70s by Thursday. Ran 4 miles Monday through Thursday, three miles on Friday.

Mindy made dinner Monday and Tuesday, and Thursday.  Enjoyed chicken, artichoke in Penne pasta on Monday, homemade mini-pizzas on Thursday. Wednesday, Mindy and I dined out at G Michael’s. Like our last visit, I ordered mussels and shrimp and grits from the happy hour small plate menu. Mindy ordered calamari. Drank a Two Brother’s Domain Dupage and then a stiff Jack & Coke.

Worked at the Hilliard office Monday and Thursday, at customer’s campus Tuesday and Wednesday. Tough week workwise. Very busy! Worked late into the evening from home pretty much every night.

The grandkids were being spring break, Ashley asked if I could watch Olivia on Friday since I planned on working at home. She also asked if we would be interested in keeping her overnight Thursday. I also volunteered to keep the boys so Lindsey didn’t have to waste a sick day/vacation day. The boys didn’t come over until 10am Friday morning – after their previously scheduled dental appointment.

Olivia woke far earlier than I anticipated Friday morning (645am). It hadn’t dawned on me prior, that I’d have a problem squeezing in my run. I asked Mindy her thoughts just prior to her school departure. We agreed that under the right conditions, I would leave Olivia in the guest room watching TV for 30 minutes while I ran. That’s what I did. She was good with the plan. Went without a hitch though I was nervous the entire time.

It was a kidless weekend, and with that Mindy & I made plans to have dinner and drinks with Ben & Ryan at Wolf’s Ridge Tap Room. Somewhat late, we learned that Rene & Vaughn were going to meet us there too. After school and before they left for the weekend, the kids paddled around the pond for a while. I’m told the geese were very upset with then being on the water and near the island. Rocky apparently decided to get in the water to push off from a low area. Meanwhile, Olivia and Landon were tossing pebbles in the pond from Mindy’s patio. You guessed it, Olivia slipped in too. J Steven came to pick-up Olivia around 430pm. Lindsey came to get the boys around 530pm. I finally got a shower shortly thereafter.

I was very happy to see that Edward Sharpe & the M.Z’s are coming to Cincy June 28. I, of course, hope to go. Ben & Ryan met us at the house around 630pm. Enjoyed a beer at home before heading off to Wolf’s Ridge.

Hooked up with Rene & Vaughn who were already at the taproom. The six of us had a fun time for the next couple of hours. Rene & Vaughn had already eaten, so they didn’t plan to join us for dinner in the restaurant. Must’ve been around 8:30-845pm when we headed up the stairs and down the hall to the restaurant. Dominating a lot of our jokes and fun was a young woman that was wearing a dress that fell just shy of her arse. Any slight movement netted a fleshy reveal.

Chels(ea) was our server. Said hello to Stacy who was tending bar. Ben ordered the sweet breads as an appetizer. I ordered a Caesar salad and scallops. A very nice dinner, to be sure. And since Ben & Ryan covered the bar tab, I picked up dinner. Pricey!

I drove, so Ben and Ryan opted to hang with us for a while before heading home. Fairly early on, Ryan fella sleep on our sofa. Meanwhile, Ben and I enjoyed some single barrel Jack Daniels on the rocks. I consciously paced myself, not wanting to wake Saturday in a fog or worse yet, with hangover. Mindy was off to bed around midnight. Ben and I stayed up playing music and chatting until 115am. The two of them wisely opted to spend the night.

Saturday & Sunday April 11 & 12 - Running, Draining Water

I got up at 8am doing my best to keep my self -generated noise to a minimum. Ryan was asleep on the sofa. I didn’t want to wake her. Around 835am I headed back upstairs taking Mindy coffee and getting into my running clothes. I asked Mindy if she could get up shortly. I headed out for a 3 mile run in sunshine and cool temps – somewhere near 40 degrees.

Arriving back at the house near 915am, Mindy, Ben and Ryan were sitting out on the deck in the sunshine. It wasn’t too long before our friends departed for home. Mindy and I made plans to visit Rite Rug, mail Ashley’s wedding invitations, and then stop at Lowes. Neither of us took a shower. Near 1015am when we left the house.

First stop Rite Rug. Kevin Wright was working. Looked at carpet samples. Talked him into letting us take two home to evaluate the color against our paint and stained floor. Promised to bring them back later that afternoon. For whatever reason, I was needing to pee every 30 minutes or so. Bad too! Asked to use their facilities before we left.

Found a mailbox along Riverside Dr where we dumped the wedding invitations. I had Mindy pose with the lid opened reenacting the mailing for a photo op. Sent the pic to Ashley. Onto Lowes. At Lowes we hoped to pick out a mirror and a light fixture for above the basement bathroom vanity.

While there, I suggested we look at new patio furniture chair cushions. We ended up buying some new ones. We also picked out a new cushion for her patio bench. Found a light fixture that we both liked. Yes, miracles do sometimes happen. We didn’t care for any of the mirrors they had. Agreed to head just up the road to Home Depot where we picked up the sink I reordered a week or so ago. Both Home Depot and Lowes were very crowded.  Let the spring season begin!  Target, on the other hand, wasn’t too busy at all. We found the perfect mirror and for a reasonable price. I also picked up a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable for my cell phone to car audio system.

Tired and hungry, we finally were headed home where we promptly unloaded our gets. Mindy planned to run back out for more errands, but not before enjoying a sandwich and checking out the carpet samples we brought home. We quickly picked one over the other. She planned to return both while out and about. We installed two of our new patio chair cushions. Look really nice – refreshing splash of color (vibrant orange-ish red).

Mindy joked that I needed to have the bathroom vanity plumbed in by the time she returned home. Hah! After a brief nap, I finally felt motivated enough to get busy installing the faucet and drain kit into our new granite vanity top. My plan was to completely install the faucet before permanently setting the granite top in place on top of the vanity. That way I wouldn’t have to work blindly and get bloody knuckles.

Like a few of the online reviews stated, the directions for the install left a lot to be desired. Still, I got the faucet installed in a little more than an hour. Keep in mind, this model was a bit more complicated given that it’s a three-piece model. Installing the drain stem was a little tricky too, but after two hours in total, I had it ready to set onto the vanity. Next, I got busy with the trap and drain tie in. This was the part I was most concerned about having never done it from rough-in before.

AS with most vanity sinks, the drain stem exits the bowl with a 1.25” pipe. The standard sink drain rough-in is 1.5”, and in kind, I bought a 1.5” trap kit. They’re inexpensive – only about $4, though at the time I wasn’t by any means sure that I bought the right stuff. After looking over the task I became convinced that I needed to return the 1.5” trap kit for a 1.25”. Dang it! Back to Home Depot. And since I was heading there, I opted to take a couple other items I needed to return as well. One for Home Depot, the other for Lowes (finish nails I bought way back in December).

I stopped at Home Depot first. As expected, no hassle with the return despite me having opened the trap kit. I returned the extra wax ring I bought a week earlier too. Very crowded!!

Back to the plumbing aisle where I toiled over what I really needed to complete the drain install. I must’ve stood there looking at the various kits for 10 minutes before going looking for an associate. Any other time there are plenty of associates offering help in and around the plumbing aisle. Not then. Just as well. Probably would’ve been that guy that more often than not gives me bad info.

About to give up, the store manager happened down the aisle offering assistance but also clarifying that he wasn’t a plumbing expert. However, he added that he thought he could help. I quickly shared my dilemma – 1.25” tail drain ultimately terminating into a 1.5” drain at the wall. Simple, he said. You need the 1.5” trap kit that I previously bought and returned along with a 1.5” to 1.25” washer made just for that situation. It really was that simple. I was a tad embarrassed that I just retuned the same kit minutes earlier. Meh! The manager joked that if I hadn’t made 5 trip yet, I was doing good.

Onto Lowes where I planned to return those 4 month old finishing nails. The returns line, however, was ridiculously long – about 10-12 deep. Never seen it like that. I turned around and headed back to my car figuring I could easily make the return on Monday at lunch when there will be next to no crowd.

At home again, I sized up the drain configuration checking to make sure the reducer washer would work. Sure enough! However, a new problem became evident. The tail drain from the bowl wasn’t long enough to tie into the trap and drain at the wall. Needed to be about 4” longer. Sadly, I looked at extensions while at Home Depot earlier. Heck, it was only a little more than a $1. I should’ve bought one. At that point, I decided to bag it for the day. Guessing it was near 4pm. Mindy was home a short while later. By then it was absolutely gorgeous outside. Not only that, but Sunday promised to be even nicer – sunny and near 70 – ideal spring day. While out, she bought steaks and White Rajah. Agreed to grill around 630pm. After a shower and a little rest, I offered that she and I make yet another run to Home Depot to get that drain extension. That way I wouldn’t have to run out on Sunday before getting back on it. We weren’t gone long, 30 minutes tops.

I took the part to the basement and pushed it on the tail drain. Looked like it would work just fine.

Upstairs, we eventually got busy grilling steaks and shrimp. Turned out perfectly. As much as Mindy wanted me to get busy on the basement again come Sunday, I told her that I thought I might work in the yard instead. My thought being that the basement will always be there calling, but the lovely weather this time of year is fleeting.

I checked my email hoping to get the final carpeting estimate from Mr. Wright at Rite Rug. Sure enough, it was there just as he told Mindy it would be. Holy smoke! It was about $1000 more than we expected. Missing were his exact calculations I.E. measured sq. footage. I had the measurements and the installed price per sq foot.  I fired and email back sharing that we loved the carpet but not his price. Furthermore I asked for detailed breakdown.  I took his number and divided it by the cost per sq ft installed of the carpet we chose. It appears that his estimate was charging us for an extra 100 sq feet. And that was after I added in an extra 10% of square footage to the actual measurements. Not good! Too much competiion out there to get taken advantage of.

After dinner I enjoyed a couple beers - both IPAs. After a late night partying Friday, both of us were ready for bed before 10pm.

Up near 730am. Enjoyed coffee and internet. Chased the geese out of the yard a time or two as well. Mindy slept in until 9am.. It was lovely – about 50 and sunny. We sat on the deck for a few before I headed out for a 3 mile run.

After my run, I fried both of us eggs.  I was very much looking forward to a day working in the yard.  But with so much to do, I had to make a mental list of the chores I wanted to accomplish lest I get side tracked. While I readied for yard work, Mindy showered and headed off to run errands, including a stop at Joe & Rick’s, Kohl’s, and the grocery store

First task I tackled was trimming away English Ivy from the foundation. There wasn’t a lot since we cut it back last spring too. Still, English Ivy grows quite vigorously, especially once the hot, humid nights of summer come. My second task was to prune the dead wood from the weeping Mulberry tree. Knocked it loose with a plastic leaf rake. Worked quite well. Third task was a rough raking of the flower beds. I’ll need to do another final raking after edging and before mulching. That took some time.

Next, I cut and transplanted maiden grass filling-in the center that dies out after so many years with the sprawling new growth. Time for the season’s first mowing! Pushed and tractor mowed. Bella came out asking to ride the tractor.  I let her cut the middle back yard.  She loves to drive the tractor. I didn’t bother edging. That’ll be next time. By the time I finished mowing my body was aching. Keep going!

Next up, I changed into my oldest, filthiest pair of retired running shoes after removing the sole liners then entered the pond where I retrieved the large rocks kids pulled from along our bank over the winter and tossed onto the ice. There must’ve been about 6 of them. Quite heavy, but happy to have that checked off the list. Reattached the hose so I could rinse my feet, shoes and gloves. Noticed the hose bib was dripping when I approached. Obviously had been running since Rocky rinsed his feet Friday afternoon. Dang it!

I still wasn’t done. Next, I got out the blower and blew the beds and the grass clippings. Lots of leaves from neighboring trees scattered amongst the ivy. One of the last things I did was shovel the matted leaves from the street gutter leading into the storm basin. That responsibility really belongs to the neighbor just to our west, but they’re not exactly on top of their yard chores. They’ve been there since last fall and were half dirt. While finishing up in the yard, I decided to try starting the BM’er. And much to my surprise, it started first try. I let it run for 20-30 minutes.

I headed in for a shower, some sustenance, and some Advil. I was really stiff. Mindy got home from grocery about the time I was headed in. I helped carry in the groceries ahead of my shower. We boiled and grilled brats for dinner. But because Jacob doesn’t like them, she grilled chicken breast for him. I ate my brat and then half of Bella’s. She thought they tasted funny.

By the time dinner and clean-up was completed, I got a 2^nd wind. I quietly slipped off to the basement to see how much progress I could make on plumbing in the vanity drain. Went smoother than I envisioned. Once again, my oscillating tool came in handy cutting off the cap on the roughed in 1.5” PVC drain pipe.  An hour later I had running/draining water. Only one small leak, and that was the nut and washer around the drain tube coming from the sink. A couple extra turns and that fixed it. I planned to let it set as is for at least a couple days before loosening the drain, raising the vanity top and gluing it down with liquid nails.

Mindy and I hung the light fixture next. Two small issues arose. One, the jct. box didn’t have the requisite screws for attaching the back plane of the light fixture. But Mindy found some in an old bag of miscellaneous screws in the garage. The other issue was a nick in the black hot wire more than halfway back into the jct. box enough to expose a little copper. Mindy suggested we simply place tape over it. Using my better judgment I decided to cut it back to the nick. That way I would sleep easier. Looks nice.

We would’ve hung the mirror too but we didn’t have any picture hanging wire.

Read a little Ralph Waldo Emmerson before bed. Had a tough time falling asleep. Wasn’t in bed long before getting up and heading back downstairs for more reading.