Tuesday, November 11, 2008

The Great Wall

Monday: (11/10) Dawn headed down to San Jose for work. We all headed out early so she could catch the trolley. I stopped at the Kaiser clinic for some lab work. Lou and I then spent the day shopping.We started with some grocery shopping.

The washer failed so we looked for a new washer. The existing one is over 20 years old. We found a model we liked and ten found the cheapest place to get it. It turned out to be at Orchard Supply Hardware which is actually owned by Sears but it was cheaper at OSH than at sears?We'll pick it up and save the delivery/installation. They don't know how to install stuff and why pay $65 for bad work? Plus, I'm cheap. We supposedly will be able to return to the store during the thanksgiving sale and get our sales tax back? Might work.

We also stopped by Home depot for some plywood and sheet rock for Lou's living room wall job and some stuff for relocating some pipes in the green house that were in the flower bed that went to the sprinklers.

Tuesday: (11/11) I tinkered a little this morning. I installed the plywood to stiffen the house. I also cut a bunch of wood strips to shim up the wallboard. Our walls are one inch thick, half inch drywall lath and 1/2 plaster. To simplify replacement we shim the wall and use 1/2 inch wallboard. Lou's been busy working on the wall and working pouring doll parts.

I had a dentist appointment after noon. I bought gas on the way home. Wow! Only $2.39 what a difference a few weeks makes. We really need to get out on the road and enjoy these low prices.

For dinner, Lou made a tomato blue cheese and onion salad that was based on something we saw on the Rachael Ray show this morning. That went along with some BBQ ribs from Safeway.

Wednesday: (11/12) I ripped some strips of wood and shimmed up the wall studs to make the 1/2" wall board become 1" thick. I tacked them up so Lou can hang her drywall.

Hidden Villa Trail.JPG Looking Back Over Hidden Villa.JPG
I went out to Hidden Villa and hiked up toward Black Mountain and Duveneck Windmill area, then back down the mountain.

At the Top.JPG View Of Palo Alto From The Top.JPG
It's a pretty hike and also gives some nice views of the town below. You can see our house in the right picture above, top right of picture (if you have really good eyes).
On the way home, I stopped at OSH and picked up the new washer.

Dawn returned home this evening.

Thursday: (11/13) I started the day by installing the new washer. I then worked a little on the green house rerouting the sprinkler pipes. Lou and Dawn assembled a new worm composter that Dawn got through Palo Alto Freecycle. It was never used. Lou also cut the drywall for the living room wall and tacked it up. I'll screw it down later.

We all went downtown to Dawn's birthday dinner. Her birthday was Monday but the celebration was delayed until she came back home. We went the the Palo Alto Creamery for dinner and then she went to the Bell's Books for an author talk, "War Is Beautiful". Actually, the author died many years ago the manuscript was misplaced for years, found in a library and then published. It's not about President Bush as the title might imply but about the experiences of a soldier during the Spanish American War. Actually this is what I got from Dawn, Lou and I did a little shopping while Dawn attended the talk.

Friday: (11/14) We're in for a warm day today. 80 degrees in mid November? The ants know this means nothing and we're in for a really cold winter soon. That or they are wasting a lot of effort.

I screwed down the drywall for Lou and installed a plastic wall for dust containment. Lou and Dawn went grocery shopping and came back with a case of bananas Dawn will dry them, hopefully.

Saturday: (11/15) I started the day sanding Lou's wall. She had filled the large gaps and screw holes. Unfortunately, she used some joint compound that was left over from previous jobs. What she used was waterproof compound. It's more like caulk and was difficult to sand. Lou then taped and textured the wall.
I finished the sprinkler piping and started the floor in the green house.

Dawn dried bananas and other cooking all day.

Sunday: (11/16) I laid bricks to complete the permanent portion of the floor in the green house. I also installed some wood on the exposed edges and grouted the big gaps.

Dawn dried bananas.

Wall Ready To Finish.JPG Lou Finishing The Wall.JPG
Lou worked on the wall.

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