Renovating our house

Cupboard Doors

2011-07-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

I am no finish carpenter, and I don't have a great eye for detail or "the final product." But I get by.

I made the cupboard frame, so I had to make the doors, too. I took some 1"x2"x8' pine and cut a groove along one egde, cut the pieces to the dimensions of the door, then mitered them. For the center of the door, we used composite board. We painted them to look like the ceiling.

I nailed the boards to the back face of the door, put corner brackets, hinges, and handles on.

Here's the first one in place. I use clamps to hold the door in place and also to put a spacer in at the bottom to show me where the bottom should rest.

The final look.

Jenn's coming up with the cupboard idea did us a major favor. We have a small bedroom, if you haven't noticed. We had our "stuff" jammed all over the place and it was very cramped in here before we renovated. Now we can store extra clothes, camera stuff, whatever in the area above our heads, which otherwise would be entirely wasted.

Hanging a Door On a New Jamb And Hanging a Headboard

2011-07-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

I hate dealing with doors. I hate dealing with hinges. I hate dealing with chisels. Here we go.

First, taking a tip from my brother, I use the old door jamb as a gauge and I clamp it side-by-side with the new one.

I mark where the hinges will be on the jamb.

I can't cut a straight line too well, either, so why not use a metal guide to help while I score the wood and start chiseling?

Let's start taking some wood out. Carefully. Here I remember Mr. Hackett's words: "You can take wood away, but you can't put it back." He was my shop teacher from 6th to 9th grade. He said lots of things like that, and "there are two ends to every board." I usually took them to be metaphorical.

Now I check the hinges with the door, which is still being finished, and make sure it all looks good. I have bored the holes already and set the screws after clamping and measuring the distance between the door and the jamb along the hinges.

We got our mattress in the room and then set out to put up the homemade headboard. We bought a "French Cleat", with a capacity of 200lbs, to hang it. I figure that's safe/

Putting the wall part on was easy because it comes already furnished with special screws that don't require an anchor to be set first.

Voila.

Jennifer about to sleep in our room, on our new bed, for the first time since May.

More Finishing Touches

2011-07-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Trim around the lights above the bed is in.

Shelf next to bed is in.

Getting Closer To Being Done With Our Bedroom

2011-07-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

Some baseboard moulding, heat duct and grate, and some door frame moulding (around the closet) installed.

Extra flooring tiles added underneath the shelf. This is where reading lights will go. We purchased some under-counter lights from Ikea for the job.

I made a PVC conduit to get the cord for the lights to the right place (where the power is).

This is all I will see when I look up from my pillow. The conduit runs the cord for the lights into the closet where a power strip is waiting.

Side-By-Side Comparison Of Paint Strippers

2011-07-01T04:18:00.000-07:00

I liked Peel Away so much that I got more. But while browsing the racks for that, I came across two other items that grabbed my interested: Klean-Strip and CitrisStrip in aerosol. I decided to try both on the same subject.

15-minute Klean-Strip, just after applying . You can see it where the foam is.

CitrisStrip, immediately after being applied.

Klean-Strip works fast, as usual, and cuts all the way to the wood.

The glop that comes off of the subject when you scrape the Klean-Strip off.

Close-up of the CitriStrip after a few minutes.

CitriStrip after about 30 minutes, the recommended wait time.

CitrisStrip does not go as deeply as Klean-Strip. You can leave it on longer, but I was not sure that would work so I applied the product again after scraping.

CitriStrip after a second application.

All told, Klean-Strip works fastest. I liked the aerosol application because it was not as messy, and oddly enough did not seem as caustic or volatile and smelly as it's counterpart in the gallon can.

CitriStrip takes a little longer and removes a little less but is not caustic or smelly at all.

Both are easy to apply. For $8/can each, I think it is a toss up. I'd like to give the CitriStrip a second chance by letting it sit longer, but I ran out of it. I ran out of both products, actually. I was able to do one whole side of the door but not the panels. Use it sparingly if you buy in this medium.

PeelAway Results

2011-06-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

This is the door after removing the paper, the stripper, and washing it off a little.

This is the other side of the door, shown to show you how much paint we removed.

Here is what it looked like as I removed the paper.

It worked very well. I will have little sanding to do, especially in the grooves around the panels. It's a bit expensive, but overall I rate it better than KleanStrip. Less poisonous, less volatile. seems to work a lot better overall, removing more. But it takes more time, too.

New Paint Removal Product

2011-06-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

Underneath the paper is a door slathered in a white paste called PeelAway. You're supposed to apply the paste, cover it with this paper, and wait 12-24 hours.

We have used Klean Strip in the past. It is volatile, caustic, and messy.

This product isn't as smelly, did not burn my skin immediately like Klean Strip. Let's see how it works.

Monday From Hell

2011-06-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

Apparently it was National Fuck With Paul day and I did not know it. I had to take Tuesday off and fix a few things.

First, I hit the gas shut-off valve with the mower, which bent the shaft. Time for a new engine if I could only figure out what would be the best replacement. Luckily, the a guy named Craig at Small Engine Suppliers was very helpful. He identified two possible replacements based on the model number I gave him. Both were lower prices than I could find anywhere else. The folks at Northern were nice but gave me a bad recommendation.

Before going to bed Monday night, I noticed the downstairs toilet started leaking. The wax seal was poorly done to begin with, and the whole connection between the toilet and the closet flange was hokey.

Then I noticed that the faucet on the sink was in bad condition all of a sudden. It wouldn't shut off. Time for a new one.

Floor

2011-06-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

Jennifer lays the felt down.

Goodbye, old southern yellow pine floor.

With three courses down, here is what the cork floor looks like so far. We matched the tiles up because our room just happened to be a multiple of the length of a tile.

We just ordered a new bed, and we're dying to move back in soon. Stay tuned.

Fan!

2011-06-15T19:25:00.001-07:00

Today I got the power to the house upgraded to 200A service. While the electrician was there, he also installed a lamp/fan in our bedroom.

Before We Painted

2011-06-06T19:27:00.001-07:00

Using The Tissue Paper Texture Technique

2011-06-06T19:21:00.001-07:00

Having rumpled the paper, Jenn straightens it back out.

Applying the paper to the wall - paint a little, put some paper on. I ran ahead of and behind her, doing the paint.

Up on the ceiling now (we're doing one wall and the ceiling the same).

Drying.

Closeup of the texture.

Testing Out A Texture Technique

2011-06-06T18:55:00.001-07:00

We hate finishing drywall. We hate obsessing over every little crack, undulation, bump, blemish, hole - whatever. We especially hate it on ceilings, where you tire your arms out and get dust and joint compound in your eyes.

So, we started looking for ways to avoid finishing these things so perfectly. Like people wear cosmetics, we discovered that you can hide imperfections in your house with color and texture.

We had thought of getting textured wall paper for the ceiling, but the paper we liked was going to set us back $500+. Then Jenn started reading about some other ideas and came across a technique where you use rumpled tissue paper and paint over it. Here we are testing it:

Humidity Sucks

2011-06-01T09:29:00.001-07:00

It prevents drywall joint compound from drying. That and the Memorial Day holiday prevented me from accomplishing much of late.

Here you can see I started mudding and taping. This picture was taken Sunday, 5/22. The week after that I started painting and framing out the cupboard to go above our bed.

These last few days the humidity dropped a bit, so the sanding can continue. Yay.

Back To the Bedroom

2011-05-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

I've been working my day job a lot lately, racing to finish a project with my colleagues. Weekends have been spent doing things like Mothers' Day, planting, killing zombies. When at last I had the house to myself and a day and half of vacation, I got back to work.

Here I am about to put sheet rock into place on the closet.

I have the piece in place, now let's cut it.
Notice the dark spots on the wall where the head of our bed used to be. With the room unfinished for over three and a half years, our hair left grease stains against the wall. I decided that instead of fighting that stain with KILLZ or some other primer, I would just lay another sheet of rock over it. It also helps deaden the sound a little. My son's room is behind that wall, and it would be nice to hear a little less from his room.
Finishing more of the closet.
And yet more of the closet - the right-hand jamb of the door is in place.
Now it is time to hide the chimney, pretty as it looks.
I glued and nailed two 2x4s against the protruding corner. This is where I stopped for the night.
Up bright and early the next day, I got some insulation and other stuff at Home Depot. Why do I insulate my interior walls? To deaden sound. Doubling sheetrock does that, too.
To make that wall as smooth as I could, I laid a whole piece of sheetrock over the old and new space.
I took a few minutes to patch up the screws.
Now I have a piece glued in over the other face of the chimney - at last it is gone from view.
Here is where I stopped Friday afternoon.
And this is as far as I got by Sunday afternoon. A lot more mud and tape are in place, as well as some primer on the wall behind the head of our bed.
I thought we would have to move back in as the weekend is over, but Jenn and I are sleeping downstairs on the couch for a while. I will try to get more done during the next week, at night. The drywall compound is taking forever to dry in this unusually wet spring here in the northeast.

More shit no one cares about.

2011-04-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

Biko sits as construction goes on around him.

The lower rail of the cupboard is in place. We're seeing how we like the height.

Jennifer back to mudding and taping, her favorite job.

We're Back!

2011-04-10T17:33:00.001-07:00

We're finally working on our own bedroom. Here's what it has looked like for the last three and a half years:

The last picture shows where I have started to place my closet.

We're Back/The Things You Can Find On the Internet If You Just Look

2011-03-18T05:29:00.000-07:00

Chris has lamented (bitched, whined, complained, protested) our absence so, here we are.

Every wonder if mixing up all those switch types (toggle versus decora) is a bad idea because you can't find a switchplate for the mess? Well, so did I until I found these guys and I found my specific plate here.

Now Cara doesn't have to fear electrocution.

Welcome To My Latest Nightmare

2010-11-22T08:44:00.001-08:00

Open up the walls in an old house that has been hacked at over the years and you find bad stuff. This addition (about 8'x6') to the back of my house is one such example. I am asking my brother Pat for help in shoring up some of the problems here.

In the mean time, I furred out the walls, plugged up sundry holes, insulated and covered the walls with cheap waferboard. Next year we'll open it all again and fix it, then tear out the rest of the kitchen and fix that, too. How long have I been saying that?

Garden Update

2010-07-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

An earlier post shows the garden shortly after planting. Here it is today. We've already gathered zukes and cukes, and tomatoes are not far behind. We got one hot pepper, too, but that was a fluke. The squash & pumpkin are out of control, and I fear the pumpkin will crowd a lot of stuff out.

A butterfly on the butterfly bush! I don't know what kind it is.

It's really hot here. Dry, too.

PS: Ken, the octopus is doing fine. In fact, if you look closely, you can find him.

F****!

2010-06-28T06:02:00.001-07:00

I can't get just the glass for the door, no; I have to replace the whole door. That's going to set me out $150. Grrrr.

If anyone has a theory as to how the glass could have broken (I know there ain't much to go on here), holler.

The observations made before the problem are that

I used hot wash/cold rinse cycle, which I rarely do
I loaded a few towels (not a full load, just three or four bath towels)
Jennifer heard the washer being unstable, which concerned her enough to start walking to the basement, but she stopped when she heard it settle
Judging by the fact that there was no water or soap on the floor, and that the cycle appeared to have completed, I think the glass broke toward the end of the whole cycle (final spin).

I wonder if the machine itself has become very unstable, or something to do with the load made it so, temporarily. If it rocked enough, would that shatter the glass? Could temperature fluctuation have done it?

Gremlins?

2010-06-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

I went downstairs to check on the laundry and found out the circular glass door had shattered. How the hell did this happen? All that anyone heard was the washer going a little out of balance, and then it stopped. I don't know how it could have got out of balance (I was only washing a few towels), nor if that is the cause of the shattering or a result of it.

Time to order parts. Let's hope they make them in plastic.

Finn's Window, Again

2010-06-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

Finished extending Finn's octagonal window, painted it, and trimmed it.

Minor Things

2010-06-13T17:51:00.001-07:00

PVC is Lego for adults. Here's a new perch for the bird.

Two shelves for Finn's closet.

I extended the sides of Finn's octagonal window. It did not come all the way through the rough opening (A) so I added 4 1/2" wide, 1" thick boards to bring it flush with the wall. Eventually I will border it with some nice trim.

I thought it would be a major hassle to do this, but I only have to cut 45 degree bevels and nail the boards to the rough opening.

Almost As Much Fun As Watching Paint Dry

2010-06-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

...is watching me put up some shelves.

Our neighbor Jerry is moving soon and getting rid of stuff. He gave us a nice set of handmade dishes. We got some shelves at Lowes to put them on. They look rather pretty just sitting there.

Tearing Out The Kitchen (Poor Mark)

2010-05-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

Today Jennifer started ripping out the back hall of the kitchen.

Two odd photos show graffiti found underneath the paneling.

If you look at the other photos of graffiti from when we first started destruction (three years ago) you'll see that they really didn't like Mark. The big mystery to me: will the other wall opposite the door say "stabbard" (starboard)? It would be apt if one faced the front of the house from there.

We're back at it! It's gonna be a riot to see what kind of 'discussions' we have about decorating this room.

Garden And Other Stuff

2010-05-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

The first photo is the vegetable garden. Click on it to make the picture larger and you can read the notes in there.

Following that are three different peonies from the front yard - photos meant for Junior. I did not know I had three different peonies.

After that is the back door, above which I primed the eaves and faux rafter tails. I put that up last year & never got to painting it. Now I have to because the carpenter bees are invading.

At last is the window to Finn's room, which I painted, and the birdfeeder we put up for him.

I would have captioned each photo but this new 'advanced' editor is kinda retarded, or I haven't figured it out, or both.

A Little More Work In The Hallway

2010-05-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Looks better already.

Hallway

2010-05-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

We started work on the hallway again. in just a few hours before noon we did a lot that you can't see much of.

Bev/Ralph/Frank: Look for my other blog....

2010-05-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

go here

Home Invasion, Part II

2010-04-15T05:08:00.000-07:00

For being a mere one or two ounces, a small bird can make a hell of a racket. It sounded like someone was chewing through Finn's floor this morning, so I went to investigate. I don't have good hearing to begin with, so echolocation is not my specialty. Luckily I was able to find the intruder and it's port of entry.

Nothing on my house is normal. The Bob Goddard who put the last roof on put 2x4s on edge running parallel to the lower edge of the roof, and papered over them. They effectively make a gutter at the line of the outside wall of the house, a foot or two before the very edge of the roof. I imagine this design prevents ice dams and icicles during the winter . . . but it means that downspouts must be directed through the eaves at several points. These intrusions through the roof are prone to leaks. In the case of one, at a valley between a dormer and the main roof, it goes through my son's foyer. You can see it inside the house. It exits below the foyer, which is suspended above the bilco door to the basement. In the gap between the downspout and the aluminum siding, you can see there is enough of a gap for a bird to get in, explore, and possibly nest.

I hope I scared it away. I caught all sorts of hell for waging war on a squirrel who was chewing his way into my house last year. It started in the winter, when I thought I could just chase it away with a long stick, and that seemed to work until the late summer when I could see him clearly entering and exiting his hole. So I got on a ladder, laid wood, metal flashing, then roofing tar over the hole.

Well, that pissed him off. He sat on the roof and barked at us for days. He got covered in the tar, which I am told burns them. Cara and Jennifer were pissed at me, and I was pissed at them for siding with the critter.

I got a pellet gun and scared him away enough that he stopped. When Cara saw the rifle (a daisy, about 700fps) laying on the bed, and me looking like Lee Harvey caught red handed, she freaked out on me.

Some people need to see where beef comes from so they can get a reality check. One side of my family comes from farming stock and I know a good deal of hunters. I was not unexposed to the sight of beheaded chickens, slaughtered cows or pigs, and suspended deer carcasses.

Anyway, Mr. Squirrel is now affectionately known as "Short Tail" as he and two of his friends ("Fatty" and "Long Tail") visit regularly for handouts from the girls. Cara was the first to hand him a peanut directly, and just recently even I got to do that. It is kinda fun to see them run up to you when you leave the house to go somewhere. Maybe this will keep them from boring into my house.

Signs Of Spring

2010-04-11T16:07:00.001-07:00

This year I turned the garden over by hand, about 500 sq. ft.

The ornamental fruit trees are blooming.

The front garden is coming back up.

We're cleaning some junk out of the garage. I hung a cattle skull on the outside.

The girls set up the pergola, which they affectionately call "The Lawn Room".

Somewhere under all this is Finn and his friend.

I saw several small snakes today - this one I captured and put in a bucket. He was about five inches long.

Little Things Mean A Lot/Long Time

2010-04-08T20:49:00.001-07:00

We're way behind. The building inspector will not issue me another extension, and I haven't had the electrical finished. So I called the electrician and made a little progress: three fixtures installed.

A light at the top of the stairs...

...a fan in Finn's room...
...and a porch light.

We have to catch up. This summer I will tear out the kitchen walls, fir out the walls, insulate, sheet rock, and rebuild the kitchen to at least be usable.

The Storm (February 23rd to February 27, 2010)

2010-02-28T16:24:00.000-08:00

Starting Tuesday, February 23rd, snow started falling in our area. Finn's school was closed that day and the rest of the week. By Thursday, February 25th, snow started falling a lot faster. Finn and his friends started playing outdoors.

Finn sits in the cave that he, David, Gray, and Emily built.

Looking through the tunnel.

Gray yanks David out by his feet.
Just before I got Jennifer from the train I took a few pictures.

Jennifer, as we got home.

Shortly after we walked in the door, the power went out. Lola investigates a flashlight. I was able to make dinner by lighting the stove burners with matches.

Not content to sit in the dark after dinner, I decided to go for a ride back to the train station, which is on the river, to take photos. Before I left, I took this shot of the street we live on.

This is the train platform at Beacon station.
The hill down to the train station.

I waited for this train to arrive to shoot it. It stopped on the tracks and did not leave for half an hour.

The forward end of the train.

The train as it arrives from the north.

The dock to the ferry that takes you to Newburgh.
When I was taking these pictures, Cara called me around 9pm and said the power was back on. So, I went home. Pulling into the driveway, I got stuck and it took my neighbor Flip and his daughter Susan to help me get free again.

Cara helped me clear the driveway in anticipation of there being a lot more in the morning, when I would have to clear out a path and get Jenn to the train. She was ecstatic, playing in the snow and pelting the house with snowballs. Jenn and I went to bed, Cara stayed up to play video games because she was wired with adrenaline.

All three of us saw blue and green flashes that we believe were the power lines arcing. About 12:30 a.m. Friday, I woke and the power was off again. I warned Jenn to set her alarm on her phone, and we went back to sleep. When we got up to start our day at 5:30 in the morning, the power was still off. I checked the train schedules and weather reports with my cell phone. Jenn showered with candles downstairs - we still had hot water as the hot water heater requires no electricity.

I went out side to shovel so the car could get out.

Ready for work, Jenn stepped outside and snapped a shot or two with her cell phone. At least 12" had fallen overnight.

I carved a path to the car, where Cara left it at the end of the driveway the night before.

Jenn posing before we leave for the train.

A payloader runs ahead of us on the way to the station. It went to DIA Beacon, an art museum.

An Amtrak waited at the station. They never stop there, so you know something is wrong when they are there.

When we drove to the station we went to the riverside, where we always go. On a normal day, Jenn goes under the tracks then up between them to the platform to board the train. That route was blocked off because the wet snow flooded the tunnel. You can't tell too well but I threw a snowball into about 6 inches of water to demonstrate that there is water there. I drove Jenn around to the other side of the station, where she can take stairs over the tracks to get to the platform. I went back to the riverside to take some more pictures.

On the hill that leads away from the riverside of the station, a Smart car was buried since the night before.
I then drove home, knowing Jenn was safely on her way to NY.

A tree across Rombout Street, which runs parallel to ours.

A tree down on Main street.

A tree down near DIA Beacon.

Our dogwood bows under the weight.

I was low on gasoline so I went to the only station that appeared open and operating. I filled the tank and went home. Power did not appear to be coming on any time soon. The power company advised us to seek shelter elsewhere if we lacked heat (which we did). I set a few pots on the stove to boil water to keep the house tolerable. That got the temp back to 70F from 62F. I bagged snow from outside and set bags in the refrigerator and chest freezer.

As I cleared the driveway I saw my next door neighbor and asked how they were. They had generators and wood stoves, and they were bailing their sump by hand. She advised me to do the same. When I went to check on it, it was indeed full, almost to the basement floor. I bailed it out.

When I was done with that, Cara and I prepared to go to NY. We packed up the bird, but left the cat. Her boyfriend joined us and we headed south on Rte 9D to the Bear Mountain Bridge. Only a mile or so from the bridge in Garrison, a tree was across the road, but on the shoulder there was a gap that some were driving under on the shoulder. The ruts were very deep and we decided it was a bad idea to try. We turned around and went to Rte 403, then Rte 9, to Peekskill and turned North on route 6 to the Bear Mountain Bridge and we made it to the Palisades Parkway on the other side of the river. That highway was largely clear but some spots had a lane closed due to a downed tree. We cross the Hudson again on the George Washington Bridge, got to Jenn's hotel, and called it a day. We had a decent dinner, bowled at the Port Authority, then went to sleep in warmth.

The next day I decided to go home for fear that the basement would be flooded and the cat frozen. Cara stayed behind to help Jenn at the hotel, and Vinnie went to Beacon with me.

I got home and found that the basement was not flooded - the sump had filled again, but did not overflow. The cat was alive, and the house had only dropped to 52F. The snow in the chest freezer did not melt at all, so I knew the entire contents were at most 32F. The snow in the refrigerator melted, so I knew some things in there had to go, but it wasn't a total loss. Relieved, I sent messages to Jenn that I would bail it, warm up the house, feed the cat, then return to NY.

I set pots boiling on the stove again and soon the house was warming up. I had to light the burners with matches, again. I decided to take a little break in the kitchen and gather my thoughts when I heard clicking. I looked at the stove, where the noise was coming from and realized that it was the burner ignition making the noise. I was puzzled. Then I saw that the clock was blinking and the power was back. I did not have to bail the sump again because that started right up.

Sure the power was on for good, I told the girls and they decided to come home. We avoided total disaster for a change. It was exhausting for all of us. I missed work entirely on Friday.

Sunday After the Storm

2010-02-28T16:13:00.000-08:00

Looking down the streetOur backyard. The neighbor's arbor vitae are bent over our fence, and our dogwood lost a small limb.

Our house.

Images from around town.

Winter Diversions

2010-01-17T18:24:00.001-08:00

(Warning: boring)

Some people watch football playoffs. I fix things.

The faucets on the clawfoot tub upstairs (dropping some adjectives there, ain't I?) have been dripping since we bought the house. I always took care of it by tightening the packing nut or wrenching the stem in as hard as I could.

They also squeaked madly, and the bird has mastered this noise to the point where she can break glass with it.

I removed both stems and handles.

I know it looks like an obscene elephant, but I put the short hose on the spout so we could direct the water a little when we draw it for a bath.

Recently having become a bright boy, I decided that photographing washers and rings on the stem in the order in which they ought be assembled was a good idea.

Stem detail showing order of beveled washers, washers, rubber seat. This shit is old. I ain't gonna write down a part number and order it.

Fully exploded from seat to handle.

So I take the whole mess to Home Depot to get new washers & seats. Like I said, I can't just look up the part numbers, so I do my best to select from the generic washers and seals and go from there. I bought some new seals and new beveled washers, and reused some of the metal washers.

The seats fit fine, and I put new screws in to hold them because the old ones were rusted badly. I had to drill larger holes in the beveled washers to make them fit round the stem.

I also greased up the threads on the stem to stop the squeak. If I could only do the same with the bird.

So for about $10 and an hour of work I fixed an annoying drip & a horrible noise. I banged up the faucet a little by using slip-joint pliers on the brass packing nuts, but hey - we're gonna replace it all some day anyway.

Finn's Birthday

2010-01-11T17:58:00.001-08:00

Closet Door

2010-01-03T08:55:00.000-08:00

I am about 3/4 done with the baseboard and shoe, there is the ceiling to be framed in bed moulding, the octagonal window and two doors need casing. Then the two doors need refinishing. But it's a long way from two weeks ago. (see http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xdzXd7llESw/Sy7fVYBZTVI/AAAAAAAACLc/-z-VM-Egasw/s1600-h/finn%27s+bedroom+floor+001.jpg), for example).

I had to modify the closet door. I made the rough opening just a tad too small or got the wrong size door - take your pick. I trimmed 1 3/8 inches from the height and 5/8 from the width, then re-drilled the pivot holes to make them deeper, and last painted the sawn edges to match.

Closet & Trim In Finn's Room

2010-01-02T15:31:00.001-08:00

This is what the hallway looks like as I work in Finn's room.

Closet rough opening is trimmed and ready for a door. (I know some things are uneven in that room, but doesn't the door look like something out of an Escher drawing? It's not that bad in reality, honest... the jambs are plumb and right with the header...maybe it's the paint lines...but the white trim looks like an uppercase pi walking toward the camera. )

Lola was hanging out in the bathroom while I worked, muttering things.

Skydiving

2009-12-31T03:54:00.000-08:00

For our birthdays, Cara and I got our first jumps from Jennifer. Here are some pictures from that adventure.

On a sunny Sunday, November 30th we got to Skydive the Ranch in Gardiner, NY (a bit south of New Paltz). After about 30-45 minutes of training, we were suited up and ready to go. That's Cara behind me, also in yellow.
We sit on long benches in the plane with our instructors behind us. That's Cara to my right.
Cara jumped first. In a tandem jump you are strapped to the chest of your instructor. The person just below Cara and her instructor is a cameraman.
Then I went.

Part of our present was the accompanying pictures and videos, taken (for me) by a woman with a video camera and a digital still camera on her helmet. The instructors were all very friendly and made sure we faced the camera for the minute of freefall that we had.
You can't hear a damn thing so everything is coordinated with hand signals. You are told when to put your arms out, when to reach back and find the ripcord so you know where it is when it comes time to pull it, then put your arms back out again, then you signal off to the photographer that you are going to pull the cord. I was too busy waving to the camera and John, the instructor, could not get me to finally pull the ripcord, so he did. I just felt a sudden deceleration and then we started floating. You can see this in the video below that he gives up trying to move my arms.
The diver with the camera landed first and got us as we landed. I landed on my butt and not 30 seconds later, Cara came in on her feet. Her instructor was nicknamed "Batman".

Of course I'd do it again, and I will this spring. Chris wants to go, and so does Ken. Cara is rounding up some friends, too. Wanna join us?

Here are the videos.

Special Anniversary

2009-12-29T20:22:00.000-08:00

It's a special anniversary for Vaclav Havel, the eponym for my 'vaclav's hovel':

(the following is shamelessly stolen, in it's entirety, from the Writer's Almanac)

It was on this day in 1989 that playwright Václav Havel (books by this author) was elected president of Czechoslovakia, ending more than 40 years of Communist rule. Havel is the author of nearly 20 plays. His plays challenged the oppressive Communist regime, and for that he was blacklisted in 1969 and his plays were banned. He left Prague, moved to the country, got a job at a brewery, and continued writing plays and also political essays. He was in and out of jail, serving for about five years, and he wrote three major plays during the last years of Communist rule: Largo Desolato (1984), Temptation (1985), and Slum Clearance (1987).

In November of 1989, he helped establish the Civic Forum, which spearheaded the nonviolent resistance movement, and on this day in 1989, he was elected president. He served until 1992, when he resigned in the face of political tensions that split Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, a division that he opposed. In 1993, he was elected president of the Czech Republic, and he served for 10 years.

He said: "I understand, especially when one is looking at me from a distance, that I might seem as some kind of fairy-tale hero who banged his head against the wall until the wall fell, and then reigned. It makes me blush slightly, because I know my mistakes. On the other hand, I do not ridicule it because people need these kinds of stories."

Xmas Traditions

2009-12-20T19:04:00.001-08:00

Jennifer is cranking out cookies. I hope these leave the house soon, lest I eat them.
Cara is feverishly working on her famous Christmas Cards...

Next....

2009-12-20T18:45:00.000-08:00

Before Xmas hits, I want to see if I can finish the floor completely (I have to face nail in some pieces close to the wall and in some corners), put in the baseboard, maybe . . . just MAYBE . . . install the closet door. then that leaves his door, miscellaneous other trim, and then we'll move to his "porch" in the good weather.

If I don't weigh 500lbs after Xmas, maybe we'll start in on the hall. I bought all that flooring for Finn's room but I will have at least two boxes - almost three - left to start it.

Finn's Floor

2009-12-20T18:33:00.001-08:00

Uf you look back through the blog this might look familiar. At any rate, this is where the heat was rerouted betwixt his room and Cara's. I finally installed a proper outlet and covered it up for good. His bed has been resting over the bulk of this, and the rest of the floor was covered with those colored, interlocking squares so he had a decent surface to play on.

Voila le flooring product.

First course ready to go.

I love floor nailers. Just remember, they nail into the tongue side.

With half the room and the closet done, I have to move the things from one side of the room to the finished floor. I don't have a lot of spare space here.

The door strikes the floor. I had to take it off, then downstairs to the basement where I sawed off 1/2 an inch.

That's the door to Finn's "porch" or the entry way from outside stairs. It's full of the rest of his things at the moment.

I had to get him a floor by Christmas if it killed me.

Yes, it's been awhile.

2009-11-12T07:27:00.000-08:00

We've stalled. Too much other stuff going on. Jennifer is trying to open a whole new hotel (two, actually), and I got whatever it is that keeps me employed to worry about.

I did finish the back porch. I sealed the door in nicely, then put up some weatherproofing in various unfinished windows to prepare us for the cold. The garden is dead and down, the pergola is just an empty frame and the furniture is all put away.

I also re-seated one more window in my bedroom and man does it make a difference. I hear that leaks are the most common and most egregious heat loss problem. Just plug up the holes first, or the insulation will do nothing for you.

We'd like to get working on the upstairs hallway and finish Finn's room before Christmas but I don't see that happening. Money and time are too tight at the moment.

The original building permit expires again in June. I'll have to see about what it takes to close that or extend it again.

Throw money.

No Mechanical Aptitude

2009-08-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

Here's where that and some scrap lumber get you.

We replaced the rear screen door. Then I decided some other changes had to be made.

I had to plane the jambs by way of ripping on the table saw to make the opening sufficient for the new Anderson door.

stay tuned.

Cara's Party

2009-08-05T17:12:00.001-07:00

Other Stuff We Did Today

2009-07-12T17:55:00.001-07:00

Put teak oil on the new outdoor furniture.

Moved Finn's house off the lawn. Not sure where we'll put it yet. Don't have a lot of choices.

Replaced a tail light on the car.

Jennifer straightened out the garden. We had some cukes and beans along with the rabbit tonight for dinner. No, we did not shoot the rabbit ourselves - we got it at Adam's Fairacre Farms.

Putting Up a Pergola

2009-07-12T17:43:00.001-07:00

Trying to figure out how all the pieces go together. We bought the floor model. No instructions & 9 bolts missing.
After a trip to Home Depot to get the bolts, we started raising it.

I have read that a lot of these things blow away, so I put three lag bolts in each corner. Sinking them with a drill was a lot easier than using the ratchet.

Notice the top piece is not right. Had to fix that afterward.

That's me moving Finn's house in the background.

Now the top is fixed. I laid 8' 1x1s on the top of the frame, pulled the center piece out, and let all the 'rafter' pieces rest on the 1x1s as I turned the center piece 45 degrees, reattached all the pieces, and was done with it.

More Patio work

2009-07-12T17:36:00.001-07:00

All stone cut and in place.
The right blade made it easier. Jennifer spotted it when I was looking for more of the other type & convinced me it was worth it. It does work faster & doesn't wear down.

All the sand is spread in.

Now we've wet it for the first time.

This is the stuff. It's supposed to stick into the joints a little better.

What's the Bird Eating Now?

2009-07-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

Rabbit on the grill.
Bird eats rabbit.

Eet smakelijk!

More Pictures of Ancestral Homestead.

2009-07-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

My mother is infirm from a number of maladies including two artificial knees, arthritis, back surgery, and a recent bout with cancer. she needed a ramp, so after the contractor finished raising the attic roof, they fixed up the back porch.

They fixed up the siding for the raised attic.

It's hard to see here but the flat roof over the back of the house is now gone. The old flat roof never worked well, so this will keep the back of the house a lot dryer now.
And yeah, this really is our 'ancestral homestead' for what it's worth. 40 acres or more in the area belonged to my great grandparents Domachowski. They sold the property in the 40s and the place changed hands a few more times as the neighborhood came up around it, but the house largely remained the same in shape until we got our hands on it again in the 1970s.

Patio Progress

2009-07-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

With the area framed in, I spread some leveling sand on the concrete slab. This will make it so the pavers don't rock underneath your feet.
Time to cut pavers. I did it with three carbide masonry blades on my skil saw. the dust was horrible.

I put all the whole pavers in then started cutting them in half to cover the gap. Since it worked out to 7.5 bricks across this one way, the pattern looks preserved.

This is what happens to the blades after awhile.

All the half-block cuts are done. With one blade left I have to cut through some to make up the gap toward the front of the picture. These will be about 2/3 the length. Why didn't I start from the center to make the edge look uniform all around? I would have had to put quarter size blocks on two edges and 1/3 size blocks on two other edges. That's twice the amount of cutting for something most people ain't gonna notice. Besides, since I had half blocks on the one side, the pattern looks almost continuous because of the way a whole block appears to have a line through the middle.

Almost done. I need three more blocks.

Other Stuff

2009-07-05T18:55:00.001-07:00

Dinner tonight was grilled duck. Gramma and Grampa would be proud. Jennifer got half a duck at Adam's and grilled it over indirect heat with an orange marmalade glaze. We also ate our first zucchini and yellow squash with it.

Had to replace the spot on the garage recently. Here is the result.

This is my neighbor, Flip.

Patio Prep

2009-07-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

Jennifer and I started digging out soil around the slab where Finn's house has rested for two years now. We bought timbers, patio brick, and sand to create a patio for our pergola.

I rolled Finn's house to the side using some old posts.

Putting the timbers in place. These are 6x6 pressure-treated southern yellow pine. Each corner has two Simpson straps with 3" deck screws and two 10" lag bolts.

1/2" drill bit for the bolts. I was really pleased with the service at Home Depot today. In fact, we have noticed the service at Home Depot and Lowes to have improved manifold.

Jennifer ratcheting in the corners.

All four sides in.

We played with the stone a little to see what it will look like. But it's time for bed now.

Independence Day

2009-07-04T16:36:00.001-07:00

Fireworks, July 3rd, Beacon

2009-07-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

Garden Update

2009-06-25T19:22:00.000-07:00

Grüß Dich!

Roof Woes

2009-06-25T18:42:00.000-07:00

I am not sure why the previous owner(s) did this, but the gutters are integrated into the roof. Look down the valley to where two black lines converge. That's a hole in my roof at the convergence. Water collects against 2x4s buried under paper and shingles slanted toward this hole. The hole goes into a downspout and on this side runs through the foyer in my son's room. It also leaks. I found out recently that it's because it clogs easily with the sees from local trees. When that happens, the water does not drain and backs up underneath the shingles. Ironically, I think the design was done to prevent ice dams from forming and causing water to back up under the shingles. Until I can afford to fix the entire roof, I gotta patch this and live with it.

Here's a different problem. I think that, instead of lapping the shingles properly in this valley, they cut them at the vertex and expected the flashing to take care of everything. It don't, and now I have a small leak when the wind blows rain in here. What's funny is that it runs in, then under the rafter, down to the wall, and in at exactly one point where there happens to be a sheet rock screw near said rafter's covergence with the top sill of my bed room wall.

And this is what a squirrel does to your roof. I had to beat on this area with a stick every time I heard the squirrel because I don't have a ladder and I could not get up here to fix the hole. Still, he opened it up enough to put a nest inside. I got him out (yes, I killed him) but then some birds made a nest. I think they left after I poked around here too many times.

I will probably do the roof myself. While I like the hard work, I do NOT like the heights. Time to call Ken.

Removing More Fence

2009-06-14T18:28:00.001-07:00

Jennifer at work with the reciprocating saw again.

All gone. Because it was up against my neighbor Barb's stockade fence (a good neighbor, unlike the cretins directly behind my house who caused me to put up my stockade fence), weeds and trees grew between the two fences, intertwining with or climbing up them.
Here's what happens when an Asian Mulberry grows unchecked in your fence. We had at least three of these, plus a maple or two. They are nasty, filthy, weedy trees that grow like carp in Onondaga lake.

Various Subjects

2009-06-13T20:25:00.001-07:00

Chimnea: A cheap way to get rid of lumber scraps and brush. Note the new border around the herb garden, behind.

A posthole. I don't know why we took this shot.

Dinner: lamb chops!

Garden Report

2009-06-13T20:13:00.001-07:00

White and red onions.Beans

Tomatoes.

Cukes.

We were going to use newspaper for weed block, but it blew around too much. Instead, whenever I mow, I bag the clippings and dump them. Even in the places where we did not lay paper, they are blocking the weeds just fine... and feeding the plants.

Barbarians At the Gate

2009-06-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

We got up bright and early, went to Lowes, and got four panels of stockade fence and some posts.
We just had to put up a fence in the backyard. The neighbor's kids yell, scream, and throw stuff over the existing 4' chain link fence all the time. I come home and find some of the kids running around my yard or just sitting in my backyard like it's some kind of vacation. Additionally, when the whole family of inbred product of different fathers gets together, it's like Lord Of the Flies over there. We wanted some privacy, at long last.

First I had to get rid of an old stump in the corner (see pictures from last year in April or so where I take the tree down).

Using a reciprocating saw and a circular saw, I reduced the stump to grade. Brutal and primitive, but I just did not see the need to buy or rent a chainsaw.

Now we are tearing out the old fence.

Jennifer is using the reciprocating saw where an Asian Mulberry grew through the chain link.
One panel,
two,
three then four:

Sanity achieved.

No More Fence

2009-05-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

Paul and I decided to show off Grandma's peonies and take down the chain link fence that faces the street.
Before:

After:

Getting Rid Of an Eyesore

2009-05-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest was our garage which had been covered with a bright blue tarp which was keeping everything inside the garage dry.
So we bought some tar and roofing paper to perform a temporary, but better, fix for the leak.

Two pairs of pants, two t-shirts and one pair of tennis shoes (yeah, I called them that Laura!) were sacrified for the cause.

The man and woman of the house are quite proud of their efforts.

All done!

Wow

2009-05-23T17:50:00.001-07:00

Our flowers are pretty.

Another Beauty

2009-05-23T17:42:00.001-07:00

Paul and I stopped at the train station to get a better view of the sunset tonight.

Finishing What I Started

2009-05-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

Two years ago I got the bright idea to start painting the house. Paul warned me that I was biting off a bit more than I could chew...but I was stubborn. This is the way the front has looked since then.

Today I got off my duff and did some work. We are trying to figure out how we are going to get to the top, and since both of us are afraid of heights, this should be interesting.

(paul's note... and here it is before that:)

No Frost Here/Hiking Pics

2009-04-30T04:23:00.000-07:00

yay!

Since it pisses off some people (Chris) when I post my hiking pictures here (fairy-ass hippy nature shit) I will post them elsewhere in:

www.hikingbeacon.blogspot.com

Jardin du Vaclav

2009-04-29T18:10:00.001-07:00

Grandma's peonies are coming back.
The front yard woke up.

We took a chance and planted the vegetable garden early. As I write this there is a freeze warning in effect for the area. We'll see.

There is a story in my family that my great-grandfather Domachowski took a chance one year and planted the crops early. There was no more frost that spring, the crops flourished, and he was first to market, raking in enough money to pay off the farm.

I should have stayed on the farm, I should have listened to my old man. (Bernie Taupin, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road )

Gardening, part I

2009-04-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

Last year, this is what it looked like toward the end of June. You can still see where the previous owner had a pool. The sand pit that remained was a haven for hornets that nested in the ground, cats for pooping, and weeds.

You want to break up zoysia grass and flatten that? Get help from your neighbors. That's Susan, with her husband Gray kneeling and her father Flip standing. Flip lent me his tiller. He and Gray chopped up the thatch from the remaining grass as I tilled the soil and threw the compost pile all over it.

I owe these people a steak dinner each, at least. They are the best.

Just about done....

Done, for today. We found 13 cement blocks, one cinder block, several bricks, one snake, and a huge (5") slug.

Notice the compost pile is gone. Next up: cover the area with a tarp or something to help the stuff degrade more and keep new stuff from sprouting.

Before & After

2009-04-12T16:27:00.001-07:00

Before: from the dining room at the base of the stairs, looking through to the living room.After:

Before, looking from living room into dining room at the stairs:

After:

(The woman with the shawl was our realtor.)

Finishing the Dining Room

2009-04-12T14:42:00.001-07:00

Another one for Laura

2009-04-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T14:37:00.001-07:00

Steve and Cara watching baseball.
Pane di Pasqua ready for the oven.

A Little Like Lego

2009-04-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

We decided to do something different in the DR with the floor - click-and-lock laminate. It's still bamboo, and even harder than than the existing stuff.

Here I've cut a straighter edge on the existing floor in the LR.

The first three courses are in place. It took a little struggling because they don't snap together tightly and irrevocably, so I put down some braces to push against. Once we got three rows down, it became easier.

By this time, even with not a single nail, the floor feels very solid and unmovable.

Here I show off some of the trickier cuts we had to do, first around the heating duct, then around the stairs.

Framing Of a Different Sort

2009-04-05T18:20:00.001-07:00

A bit of review: Here was the planned color scheme for the DR:

Here is Jennifer painting in the frames. Open up the picture to see the chalk lines on the wall. She used a long straightedge to help with the edges of the boxes.

Next weekend: trim goes in.

For the Wealth Of a Nail

2009-03-31T03:49:00.001-07:00

If my coworkers wonder why I come in looking like what the cat dragged in, here's an example.

The washer would not drain last Sunday. Reading the owner's manual, I learned that the solution was to open the drain on the bottom, let the water go out (it's near the sump, no biggie) and clear whatever was in the little filter there.

I did not find anything so after several attempts at that I gave up for the day. Last night, I opened the back and checked all drain hoses and returned them. Still no good. I made dinner and thought about it awhile.

This morning I got the courage to pull the pump and drain/filter piece out, pull the pump out and inspect the impeller. Lo and behold, a small finish nail had jammed the impeller. I removed it, jury-rigged a power source to the pump, checked that it still worked, and it's almost all back in. All before 6:45 a.m. (I also made three gallons of iced tea, washed the dishes, fed the animals, and made a hot tea for Jennifer, if I may brag.)

By tonight it should be operable again.

It reminds me of the story "For the Want Of a Nail," except this time I had one and it was all the woe.

Time washer was inoperable: three days.
Time spent working on washer: two hours, cumulative.
Money saved: probably about $200 or more.
The joy of rolling around a wet basement floor this morning & the satisfaction of knowing I did it myself: yeah, that.

The Finished Look

2009-03-29T17:26:00.000-07:00

Notice the 'medallion' around the light. Flooring and trim next week.

Putting Wallpaper On The Ceiling?

2009-03-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

I gather it's a lot easier on a wall. The most interesting part of the job was the glue - when we squeegeed the paper, the exceess glue would spill out on our hair or hit the floor with a sound similar to a cow pissing on a flat rock.

OK, this is a little more serious

2009-03-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

rilly!

silly

2009-03-22T18:26:00.001-07:00

That's monster zucchini in the garden.

Outdoor Plans

2009-03-22T17:58:00.001-07:00

Our meager estate.
Stare long enough and to the left of the garage a larger vegetable garden will appear (this year we're gonna put Michelle Obama to shame). With a little luck and time, a patio, trellises, and arbors, too.

Somewhere in all of this we're gonna get married, too.

Construction At the MomCat Inn

2009-03-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

My parents live in a 180-year old farmhouse north of Syracuse, NY - one my mother lived in (and was born in) when it was her family's farm. Now it is surrounded by houses and streets, and in need of a new roof.

Wow, would I like to be there swinging a hammer.

Color Scheme For the Dining Room

2009-03-22T17:40:00.001-07:00

Here's the color scheme and layout that we picked for the dining room (Jennifer made the picture). That will be what the largest wall will look like, the one you see with the newspaper on it in the photo posted earlier.

The dark color is called Merlot and the white trim is Ivory.

Scenes (I know Cogs hates this stuff)

2009-03-22T17:30:00.001-07:00

This is the Fishkill, near the cat sanctuary.
Sunset near Garrison.

Catz

2009-03-22T17:19:00.001-07:00

Beacon is home to a cat sanctuary. I visited it the other day to see about doing volunteer work. Here are some of the denizens.

"I'm Noko Marie! Don't mess with me!"

A few are FIV+ or leukemia patients.

Dining Room - Getting Started.

2009-03-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

We started with some painting. We painted the ceiling dark, but that's only so that the wallpaper we put on it won't show white if there are gaps between the sheets. The wallpaper we chose will make the ceiling appear to be made of copper or cupric metals.

The walls paint is peanut butter, believe it or not.

Jennifer used newspaper to see what wall-frame moulding would look like on our walls.

Dining Room

2009-03-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

Here's what it looks like now.

After two hours at Home Depot yesterday, we're ready to get working again.

Where'd we go?

2009-03-22T16:57:00.000-07:00

Well, let's just say that a few weekends have been blown on the couch playing Xbox.

Times Square

2009-02-20T07:17:00.000-08:00

View from room 2017, Marriott Marquis.

Mt. Beacon A Different Way

2009-02-14T16:18:00.002-08:00

My friends Mark and Dave asked if I would go hiking with them. We had Finn with us. Though it was rather icy on the trails, we all got up with a minimum of trouble.

Jennifer Went To Europe, Not Paul

2009-02-14T16:18:00.001-08:00

She wrote the posts about Europe, and took the pictures.

It's a Small World After All

2009-02-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

A friend mentioned that foreign languages and traditions were intimidating, but I think my travels make me understand the opposite, especially...

Everything sounds better in French
Bad cell phone habits are world wide
Trains are the most humane of all travel, air the worst
The French and Italians say hello. A habit Americans should think about trying
"Yes We Can" has inspired the world
Foreigners know more about our politics that we do
Good food is the international language
No matter where you are or the beautiful sights you see, if you aren't with the person you love with all your heart, then you really aren't anywhere

The Final Stop

2009-02-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

My trip to Milan started off wet and ended that way as well. Despite the rain, I was able to explore the part of town closest to the hotel, the famous Duomo, a gothic church and the shopping area surrounding it.

A Day in Venice

2009-02-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

There simply are no books, movies or pictures that do Venice justice. It is one of those places that seems as old as time itself, and I guess it really is. There must have been a certain madness that created a city consisting of a labrinth of paths and passageways with the only true method of transportation boats and gondolas. But a city it is, and I was completely dazzled by the history, beauty and life. Every building, wall, doorway...I was dazzled by it all and my time there was way too short to see it all but long enough to make me want to return.

Trains, Planes and Automobiles

2009-02-04T14:49:00.000-08:00

I woke up in Paris and am falling asleep in Venice. Not bad for a day's work! It was, however, a bit harrowing getting here.

First, I took a bus to the airport at 5:30 in the morning. That was okay except I did one of those things where I woke up cause I had a dream that I didn't wake up so then I stayed up...

I got to the airport to find out that they had built a new terminal and I had to take another bus to get there. I was still on time and managed a quick cup of tea before we boarded. We were then informed that due to weather we would not be going to Florence, we would be going to Pisa. Sooooooooooooooooooo, off to Pisa and then another busride to Florence.

This was almost a picture of the leaning tower. I saw it, but couldn't snap it fast enough. Plus I was on the wrong side of the bus...

Florence was way too fast, but I did manage to meet everyone at the headquarters and have a delicious lunch at The Michelangelo before getting on a train to Venice.

Hey. I made it! This is the view from my window (at night). More to follow tomorrow.

Culture Shock

2009-02-04T14:41:00.001-08:00

Yes, that's Dick Van Dyke and that is Diagnosis Murder. I guess that isn't so bad, I'm sure France has geriatrics that enjoy his clever sleuthing. But Full House? REALLY?????

I'm here because...

2009-02-04T14:33:00.000-08:00

I should mention that I am in all these amazing places because my hotel company had a sales meeting and wanted me to see some of our "signature properties" for cross selling purposes. This is the gang that attended the meeting. Seated is Ms. Elizabetta Fabri and her husband. Ms. Fabri is in charge of the whole ball of wax known as Starhotels.

It was Ms. Fabri's birthday on Tuesday and she was surprised by a special cake from the chef.

This is Dorella Lazzarotto, the woman behind the sales conference and the driving force for me attending the meeting.

Can't stop me now

2009-02-03T07:12:00.000-08:00

See how good I am...you even got a picture of me taking a picture of me. Yes, that's fur on my lip...look at the damn Eiffel Tower. I found the Jardin Des Tuileries...a giant park off of the Rue de Rivioli

This is the Rue de Rivioli...its really amazing, I learned that Paris was relatively untouched in WWII.

I'm being artistic...