Sunday, October 7, 2007

  Holy cannoli, I'm beat and my feet hurt.  I started renovation on the bathroom, today.  This is the tear-down process.  I have permission to do a complete tear-down; even the detachment of the bathtub in its entirety.

  I currently have the whole upper level stripped.  Paneling, sheet rock, insulation (where applicable).  I also removed the whole counter, though something is wrong with one of the sink's shut-off valves causing it to leak if you shut it off.  I had to take the faucet out of the sink and re-attach it.  Now I have a naked faucet dangling down , resting on the drain pipe.

  Tomorrow, the Dish Network installer is supposed to come, so I have to be here between 12 and 5.  I can have more time than usual to do more tearing down.  FYI: we will be replacing the floor and ceiling as well, but not with sheet rock or plaster.

  We also went to Lowe's, but only to look.  The sink I decided to get is just a ceramic bowl that can rest on a shelf.  It has not way to attach a faucet to it, which is fine, and even preferred, but I'm not quite sure how I will secure the faucet of choice.  No bid deal, though.  I'll come up with something.

  We have a bathroom window, but we don't really use it, so we're going to cover it over, and when the outside is eventually done, it will be removed entirely.

  I've decided to paint the bathroom white and use black and silver (metal) for trim and accessories, but not too heavy on the black.  I want to open the space up visually.  I'm also opening the space physically with a little minimalism and the use of inner wall space, kind of like how some medicine cabinets are inset.

  But the floor and ceiling come first, and wouldn't you know it, the floor is something about which I haven't come to much of a conclusion.  It will be plywood (marine grade, I hear), but I'm not sure about the topper.  For a bathroom, I don't like seams.  Right now, it's looking like it will be linoleum.

  Okay.  I've eaten something, and I'm pretty wound down and cooled off.  I'm going to start getting ready for bed.

Monday, October 8, 2007

  I went to bed at about 2 AM, got up at about 9:30 AM, and got about one hour of actual sleep.  I was sore in various places so I couldn't get comfortable, plus I had trouble not thinking about ways to do the bathroom.

  I had to do typical "work week" stuff until later in the evening when I finished tearing down the bathroom walls.  That fiberglass insulation makes me super itchy, and I wanted to take a shower as soon as I was done, but wait- there's no water pressure.  As I said, "Now is not the time to have no water pressure."

  I had to turn the water off in order to get the wall out from around the toilet's supply pipe.  After some trips in and out, turning the water, on and off, I checked the pipe.  I was going to just wiggle it, but it lifted right up.  Great.

  Fortunately, I had removed the toilet, also the get the wall out.  Also fortunately, some previous work on the toilet had a section of the floor as a panel screwed down, so that did make it a little easier to get the floor up.  Unfortunately, not all the screws would come out, so I had to do some ripping up of wood.  Then there was the base layer of wood.

  I finally made a hole big enough, and though it was not ideally placed, it sufficed.  On the up-side, nothing was broken.  It was a simple matter of a connection come loose, though I think the guy who put the pipe in should have cemented it.  I put stuff on it and refit the pipe as best I could, given the lack of leverage due to position.

  I turned the water back on, came back to check it, and as soon as I got back in the bathroom, I heard it burst loose.  Turned the water back off, put more stuff on it, refit it, and then secured it by tying boot laces from it to another bend.  It's holding.

  I finally got my shower, though I had sweat off most of what was making me itch.  What a day.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

  I got a little more sleep than last night, but I started the day with two days of sore, so today has been a little rough.  I still had normal work to do, but I'm taking today off from the bathroom.  I need some recovery time.  I'm watching TV today.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

  I had to get up early today, plus I got in bed late, so I was not rested.  Had to do normal work late, and I will have to probably get up early again, tomorrow.  I think the renovation will end up being a weekend project.

  Anyway, here are the sink and faucet I intend to get.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

  Mainly just did some clean-up of the front yard, where I had dumped all the stuff from the bathroom.  Broke the sheet rock down into smaller pieces and trashed canned it.

Friday, October 12, 2007

  I don't think it's the first episode of the new season, but I'm watching my first new episode of Boston Legal.  A girl wants to sue her high school for teaching abstinence only, because she chose to have unprotected sex and got H.I.V..  So, here's my question, before I watch more:  Prior to her escapade, had she never heard of a condom, did not know what one was, and/or had no idea how H.I.V. could be transmitted?

  I so hope she doesn't win.  Even if she was ignorant of all those things, it's still not the school's fault.  I'll watch the rest later.

  I got the tub out and tore up more of the floor boards.  Now I can get to the pipes more easily, and I can dig out some of the dirt that is covering or lifting pipes.  I wish we had the money to just tear down the place and build a new house.

  We intend to go to Lowe's tomorrow and buy "everything" we will need.  I need to make a list... and possibly check it twice.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

  We were going to go to Lowe's, but we spent all day on jobs.  Actually, there were only three jobs.  One was in town, one was about 50 miles north, and the other was about 100 miles south.  Just from sitting in the truck so much, I'm sore.

  I watched the rest of Boston Legal.  Not only did she win, but the judge made the school pay damages, even though the girl didn't ask for money.

  It's either me or Boston Legal has started going down hill.  On the one hand, I had noticeably less than my usual interest in the show in general, but on the other hand, they've either increased the amount or I'm just noticing more, the tendency toward rewarding irresponsibility.

  'I did something stupid, so it's your fault.'  I'm growing increasingly weary of it.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

  We went to Lowe's and Home Depot, but we did not get everything.  We got enough to finish the floor, and a little for some other things,  but I won't be able to do that until I get all the plumbing sorted out and in good condition.

  When it was new, the overall construction of this house left much to be desired.  Still, it has lasted 30 years without any serious problems not caused by outside forces.  Maybe 25 years ago, some guy drove his truck through the front of the house.  He fell asleep at the wheel.  Can you imagine how much it would suck to be the driver in that situation?  "Oh, crap" doesn't quite cover it.

  This is just something I need to get out.  Remember that Osama Bin Ladin video where he admonishes the Democrat house members for not keeping their promises?  Let's just overlook the domestic matter of the savior Democrats not keeping their promises (not like it's any surprise).  What I see, that I find of greater importance is that what the Liberal Democrats keep saying they want to do is exactly what the Islamic Extremists want done.

  Does this little fact not make an impression of any of them.  Hello, people: the folks that want us all dead are essentially on your side.  What does that tell you, dumbasses?

  When the people who want you dead are encouraging your proposed course of action, then just maybe that course of action isn't really in your best interests.

  The massive stupidity is just baffling.  Liberalism really must be a mental disorder.  I'm referring mainly to modern Liberalism.  Back in the day, Liberalism was worthy of at least some respect.  Back when they actually stood up for freedom of speech.  Back before political correctness.

  Then we have the Socialists who are afraid to call themselves Socialists; Hillary Clinton being the Queen of them.  I can't really lump her into the dumbass category, because she's actually clever.  I have recently dubbed her a political ninja.  Let me clarify.

  In my view, politicians should be samurai to the American citizens, but ninja's to everyone else.  This means, good, honorable, and serving of the citizens, but using deception against the enemy, when required.

  Hillary is a political ninja to everyone.  Her only interest is acquisition of power, so she'll offer anything that sounds good on the surface, no matter how damaging it will actually be, like universal health care and $5000 for every America-born baby.  Or any other policy that will result in raising taxes.

  Some Democrats still think the government will make more money by raising taxes, even though history and this very year has shown that tax cuts equal increased revenue, because the people have their money to spend, and how does an economy thrive?  By people spending money.

  You take away their money, and what happens?  See: great depression.  What happens when you cut taxes?  See: roaring twenties.  Huge tax cuts-roaring twenties.  Huge tax increases-great depression.

  Now, I have a feeling Hillary is smarter than this.  I think she knows the score.  I think she's just counting on voters being idiots.  I think she's well aware that the best way to control people is to make them dependant upon you, and that she wants that power.

  Obama is an amateur who just needs to go away for a while: come back when you have a clue.  John Edwards is barely worth talking about.  He's just utterly pathetic.  He just needs to go away, period.

  4'x8'x3/4" plywood sheets are rather heavy.  I'm glad we did not get all the plywood at once.