Back To Work

This week, Dawn started summer session at SJSU. Lou has been busy going through her ceramic molds to get rid of the less desirable. She has hundreds. She also is cleaning up in the process. That really sounds like work.


I've been busy doing some work at her house there. There has been some water coming into the basement for a few years so I'm trying to eliminate possible sources. One is water from downspouts not draining away from the house. Originally, the downspouts went in to the sewer system but that isn't appropriate anymore, so they've been draining to the side of the house for the past few years. Odd, same period as the water problem. So I'm pouring some concrete on the North side of the house to allow the water to drain away and cap a potential entrance point. I'll also put in some drainpipe for possible future use but, since it's below any drain point, a sump pump will be needed in the future to make it usable. Another someday project. Until then hopefully the cap works. Of course, I work like I'm retired, a little here, a little there. The first order of business was to get the tools there. A lot of stuff to move in a little Volvo wagon. I'll need about 54 bags of concrete, about a pallet. When I did the last project there, I had two pallets of concrete delivered. The cost was 75 dollars. One pallet now would still be $75. I'm too cheap. That adds more than 33% to the cost of each bag. So, this time, I'm collecting the bags. The car will carry about 10 bags, so 6 trips will do it. Each time I pass the store, I'll pickup some until they're all at the work site. By the time I'm ready to pour, they should all be there. Second task, a little more pruning of the last remaining bush and then to get the stumps removed. Then remove a little dirt, about 2-4 inches or about one cubic yard of the stuff.

Since I was at pruning, I also pruned an apricot tree that has gotten out of hand there as well. It was supposed to be a dwarf tree but is actually a giant tree, as big as the old apricot tree at our house. It's only twenty years old. The tree at our house is probably 60 years old.

In addition, the tenant in the main part of the house called to say the dishwasher, wasn't. Turns out the door switch failed so it was ordered and replaced as well. It is nice, though unusual, when I work on something and it actually gets fixed.


And then there is my favorite job, inspector. They have been replacing the water main in the street in front of the house there. So, I have to watch the work and make sure they do the job right.

We're also having the floors replaced in the house so getting that project going was on the task list. Tomorrow, they come to measure for the flooring.