Hope The Wires Don't Spark and Burn the House Down

For the most part, the wires are now in, threaded all over the basement ceiling and walls, just a bunch of spider-like webs. And this is why we say prayers at night, to keep the sparks from flying.

Yesterday the shower pan was laid, meaning a layer of quick-set cement was mixed and poured, carefully sloping down to the drain, a heavy plastic laid over the top and then another thin layer of cement over that--all left to dry overnight, except that the cat left her prints. No problem--the tile will be going over the cement.

With Only a Screwdriver and Pliers

For a couple years there has been a box in the basement containing the parts of this charcoal grill/smoker. Rafael received it as a work-based incentive program. Anyway, I put it together on Memorial Day--took me a little longer than the average Joe and I did come out ahead 6 washers and 6 screws (?), but I conquered.

So how were the ribs? Well, okay but not great. Problem: Because it took so long to put the dang thing together I was behind schedule in getting the meat going, plus I think that I didn't get enough charcoal going because it didn't register hot enough, so in essence needed a hotter coal, actually more hotter coals, and a longer cooking time, but there's always next time....just need to practice.

And Let There Be Light

Well, there's not light yet...but we (not me actually) put up the can lights yesterday.

We got a new furnace just for the basement installed this past week (the middle appliance), moved the hot water heater over and the old/upstairs furnace stayed where it was (the far most right appliance). In the foreground are some of the electrical boxes that R installed.

Just a few tools of the trade, actually Mr. Woolums tools. He'll be back tomorrow.

Victor installed the can lights. He and his dad worked about 8 hours downstairs yesterday after being instructed by Mr. Woolums on what to do. They stayed and worked even after Mr. Woolums left and pulled and cut wire--just getting ready for tomorrow. It may be a holiday, but there's work to be done!! And me? Well, I stayed out of their way. I worked outside for a couple hours and then did some housework, typed a little (have a ton to do tomorrow) and fixed dinner. We all went to see the new Star Trek movie last night--fun.

Just a Busy Week

No pics, just a general journal entry. Life is looking good today. Not much dictation yesterday and that frees up some time to run errands. Am going to hit the garden stores and pick up some items for the garden. Haven't planted a thing this season, so it's definitely time to at least get a tomato or two growing. Am hoping IFA still has some seed potatoes. Need to make a run to the DI. The weather is absolutely gorgeous, so let's get outside and soak in some vitamin D!!

This last Tuesday I had a record number of minutes of dictation, 3 hours and 37 minutes, and that had to be turned w/i 24 hours of dictation, which meant way too much time working. Our ward has had a bit of a drought on babies lately, but that is about to change. We had two sisters have babies w/i 24 hours of each other at the same hospital even. That's a fun part of being involved w/RS. I've also had visits, meetings, a food order....in other words, I'm so ready to get away from the phone and run some errands. I think that's one reason why I so enjoyed my girls' weekend a few weeks back. I got away from the phone, got everything arranged before I left (we had a funeral the weekend I was gone, and this is the first funeral in our ward in like almost 10 years), but when I got home there were a few messages. I ignored the return calls for a day . Amazing what gets resolved if you don't rush in to "solve" the problem. I have an excellent presidency and compassionate service leader.

My building person is on vacation this week, so not really anything new to report on the basement progress. We did get the plumbing in the downstairs bathroom moved and the hole in the floor re-cemented, plus Blair came in last Saturday and moved the hot water heater. We're going to install a new furnace just for the basement. The heating guy was supposed to come yesterday, hence why the water heater was moved, but there was some miscommunication, so he'll be here on Monday. Unfortunately we have to run more ducts which cuts into the ceiling, at least the family room. Oh well, I'd rather lose a little ceiling/aesthetics for the sake of comfort. The existing furnace is sized only for the upstairs. We could switch it out with a newer, BIGGER furnace and use the existing ducts, but that would be more expensive than just putting in a second furnace specifically for the basement and keep the existing for the upstairs, since it still has approximately another 15 years of life.

A Little B-Ball

Victor, third from the left, has been playing with a FOA team (Friends of the America). Ask him in person and he'll explain. Here are a few of the guys with whom he plays. Anyway, they've been busy playing lots of games, mostly in the valley, but some on-the-road games. Last weekend he traveled up to Idaho and played, I think, one game Friday night, played golf with his dad Saturday morning and then five games, almost back to back, arriving back home Saturday night at 11:30 p.m. No wonder he stays so lean--the guy is constantly eating, but then he burns calories like crazy. His last game was this past Wednesday and I think that he's glad to be done.

Life is, Well, Exhausting

(Victor): School is sooooo tiring. I'll just watch a little ESPN and....

(Tony): Last Saturday, I got a call from our neighbors who were in Florida and flying home wanting to know if Tony could drive their Suburban to the airport and pick them up. Uhh, well, Tony isn't feeling so well (when a teenager is asleep at 7 p.m. on a Saturday evening, you know that a cold has attacked) so I'll come get you. Lovely family, was glad to help.

Hey Tony, Feel Like Being a Model?

I've been wanting for a while to take a picture of Tony that I could use for a graduation announcement--I was thinking something macho like hanging upside down over a rock cropping, maybe even to a local park with some cool rock walls for leaning against ala Dean James style, but due to time constraints and the fact that Tony really didn't want to have a picture taken, he consented to five minutes in the backyard "just the way I am," not even one quick look in the mirror (you gotta love boys--maybe that's why I don't have girls--I just simply do casual). Anyway, I snapped these pictures and I'll send you all an announcement with the pose that Tony selects.

Second Day of Framing

The boys who carry the construction belts around their hips just left and so I ran downstairs (okay, so I don't run any more) and snapped pics following the second day of framing. Above shows the boys getting ready to frame in the heat ducts, water lines, etc.

Here's a picture from the family room looking toward the utility room. The debris on the floor is what is left of what was once my wall at the bottom of the stairs (right section of picture). We had to cut it out to open up the room, otherwise with the utility room framed there was no way to really get into the family room.

There's now a hallway at the bottom of the stairs.

Remember that big pile of wood a couple posts back? Well, it's dwindling.

Ah, I feel like a part of my house has been ripped away. Hey, wait. It has been ripped away--to make way for an entrance to the family room.

A Hammer and a Saw Equal....

Rafael told me to take some pictures each day of the basement project, so yesterday we got my room (above picture) framed, minus the closet and hallway portion, part of the bathroom and the perimeter of the family room. Jared and I cleaned up the little pieces of wood that the framers no longer want and took those outside (at least we won't have to go searching for wood for the annual Halloween fire this year). I did a little sweeping.

The above is the bathroom. We had a cement cutting company come in and make some cuts because we need to reroute some water lines. So speaking of water, I happened to be in the shower washing my hair when the water was turned off--but nobody mentioned to me anything about have the water off. fortunately, most of the soap was washed out.

Those big chunks of cement the boys are going to carry out tonight (we save a few bucks by doing what we can after the construction guys leave for the day).

This is a corner shot of the family room. That's a piece of insulation hanging from where they cut out portions of the older water line and did some updating (we've only been in the house for 11 years and we're already outdated?). My neighbors down the street are just finishing their basement, and they actually replaced more water lines than we did--going from the copper lines to new plastic.

Anyway, thus ends the first day of real constructions. It was a framing day.

A Little Fruit and a Lot of Sugar

The strawberries are in season (love them!!), so bought a flat and did a batch Friday, but just simply ran out of steam last night, so finally tonight am finishing up. I have a couple batches mixing of the freezer jam. Ran out of corn syrup so stopped by the store yesterday and ee-gads it was nearly $5 for a quart. Oh well, it will be worth it.

It's been a great Sunday. Little chilly w/some occasional thunderstorms, but church was great. Something wonderful happened. Tony got up and bore his testimony. One of the guys, Adam Nielsen, whose farewell was last weekend, got up and shared his testimony, and I think that spurred Tony a wee bit. Adam--I love you. Tony also went over to the SLCC Campus and listened to Elder Bednar's talk to the college-age (and invited seniors) kids. Think positive everyone.

Okay, I have to go give the strawberries a stir so that the pectin can do its job.

I Feel Like Whittling--Anyone Got a Knife?

I went shopping at Home Depot the other day and picked up a few items including the wood which was delivered this morning. We removed some windows and my new friend, Mr. Woolums, or "Dick" as he would have me call him, R, J, V and I moved all the delivered supplies through the window into this corner of the basement. We've been cleaning out the basement lately (filling the garage) so that we can move forward on REAL rooms and not the make-do ones that we've had for so long downstairs.

I know what's going to happen. We're going to get the basement done and then I'm going to start looking around upstairs at the beat-up linoleum, etc., and start dreaming of "some day."

Okay, I've got to get back to work--have to pay for that pile of wood shavings.