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

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

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

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****!

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

1. I used hot wash/cold rinse cycle, which I rarely do
2. I loaded a few towels (not a full load, just three or four bath towels)
   
3. Jennifer heard the washer being unstable, which concerned her enough to start walking to the basement, but she stopped when she heard it settle
4. 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?

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

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

Minor Things

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.