Back To The Wall

Monday: (04/24) Threat of rain but none appeared today. I started with a trip to Harbor Freight. I picked up a burrito at a taqueria next door. I got some cement finishing tools. I can’t find mine and the set was only $13. Of course, I found a few other things that I “needed” as well before I left. On the way home I stopped at Home Depot for some concrete mix bags. I also got a piece of rebar and some EMT conduit for a trellis. I returned three more times to Home Depot for more concrete increasing my stock to 36 bags to be used to pour the fence base. It’s 6-7” thick, 2 feet tall and 21 feet long. I should end up with too much concrete but never like to be short. In the afternoon I finally got back to the lat form and finished digging the trench and installing the form. Tomorrow I intend to remove the first one I installed because I’m not satisfied with its installation it has a taper getting thinner on one end. Cottage cheese and fruit for lunch. Lou’s clam chowder for dinner.

Tuesday: (04/25) Lou and I headed off shopping early. Breakfast at Walmart’s McDonald’s. Other stops were Trader Joe’s, Sprouts and Grocery Outlet. Once home I got busy on the fence. I reinstalled the first form I had been lazy with and was crooked. I also formed the little piece connecting the new base to the old base up front. I mixed and poured about 23 bags of concrete doing one fence section. My estimate was off and I didn’t have enough bags to do even one more section so I changed plans. I spent the rest of the afternoon making 4 more runs to Home Depot for 36 more bags of concrete. Should have enough for the other two sections if they consume similar amounts. Lou made a sausage sandwich for lunch and gnocchi for dinner.

Wednesday: (04/26) My birthday. I had granola and a banana for breakfast. I was outside about 0730 to get ready to pour more fence base. I mixed about 35 bags of concrete and placed it into the forms. I used my little red wagon to haul it to reduce carrying the buckets. I was finished about 1005 and took a shower and cleaned up and awaited the drying of the concrete to allow finishing.By 1700 I had done the final finishing. I seem to have a real problem estimating concrete consumption. I thought I had what I needed yesterday and was short more than ⅓ of what I needed. I bought way too much more and ended up with 14 extra bags of concrete. Then I had to put those away in a nice dry place in the tent. Leftover gnocchi for lunch. We all went out to the Los Altos Taqueria for dinner. Ernie joined us. I had a nice chili relleno combo. Nice homestyle Mexican cooking. My cake was a cheesecake thanks to Ernie.

Thursday: (04/27) Lou and Dawn had appointments this morning After those I met them for breakfast at A Good Morning. Once back home I got to work and stripped the forms to the fence base. Backfilled and cleaned up a little.Lou made clam chowder for dinner.

Friday: (04/28) I got out early and stopped by Orchard hardware to get the posts, rails, and hardware for my fence project. I managed to forget to get the fence board screws so Had to make a second trip later in the day. I installed the posts and rails, trimmed the fence boards and installed most of them. I have to trim some to fit and reinstall the neighbor's gate tomorrow. It’s going to be nice to have it finished but I may not get it done before heading out camping next week.I stopped at Super taqueria for a burrito for breakfast/lunch. Lou made beef stroganoff for dinner.

Saturday: (04/29) I picked up a breakfast croissant and maple bar for breakfast. Ernie and I did a little work on the fence installing the spacer boards on the end post to connect the short fence to the tall fence and also install the neighbor's gate. About noon I cleaned up and cooked some corned beef hash for the potluck tonight. I drove down to Morgan Hill in the afternoon for a potluck get together with the San Jose Mid-Week hikers at Chris Harrington's place.

Sunday: (04/30) I spent the day working on the fence. Installed the neighbor's gate and trimmed it to fit. Realigned some fence boards to make them vertical and also trimmed some to fit. Installed a permanent fence from our driveway gate to the new fence. Job now complete except for some concrete work when I get back next week. Leftover pancakes with strawberries and a sausage for breakfast. Leftover beef stroganoff for lunch. Dinner at Marie Callender's with Ernie.