Twilight's Folly

Completing a circuit

2010-01-13T11:33:00.000-05:00

Hannah and I had looked at the electrical outlets in the living room and realized that the wiring was ancient. I had bought some three-prongers, in anticipation that they could be easily swapped over, but after seeing the knob-and-tube, we gave it up. I have to re-affix the outlet covers, because as all experienced DYI-ers do, we ran out of time and ended up finishing the thermostat in th e dark. Or rather Hannah did, as I parked my butt on the couch and watched her put the tools away.

Today's ambition was to finish the tiling in the kitchen, but I'm not sure how far I'll get.

I just hauled two garbage bags of old junk from the basement and some old cardboard. There's a fair amount of old lumber down there that needs to go to the transfer station, but I'm not sure how much I can manage today. This alone will help keep down some of the odors I hope.

But the good news is... the old wiring follows either a central truss, or the perimeter of the house and is easily accessible. When I decide that I want to tackle re-wiring, and yes, I do. I do know how to read the code.... it shouldn't be that difficult.. famous last words I know, but the greatest relief comes from knowing that I'm not going to have to tear the walls apart to get at wiring. Fishing... coat hanger sacrifice. Hmmm... life insurance probably isn't a bad idea though.

Correctional Creations

2010-01-13T11:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I asked my daughter to make a detour while we were in Concord, New Hampshire. I'd remembered from years ago that the New Hampshire Department of Corrections encouraged it's male prisoners to take part in, and actively learn woodworking and other hand skills. Their efforts are sold to the general public, and the inventory ranges from small items like jewelry boxes, birdhouses and mailboxes to cedar chests, deacon tables and small end tables. Lots of cherry and walnut, lightly finished and not stained, and one jewelry box that caught my eye that had been done in black walnut and cherry so that the woods contrasted each other.

Definitely worth a return trip.... will have to strap the roof racks on the Subaru and try not to buy anything too large.

Big checks and small accomplishments

2010-01-12T21:21:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a strange, and stressful few days. The carpenters have been here and the two doors have been finished. The ceiling has been ripped down and replaced in the breezeway. The garage door opener has been installed.

My daughter and I tackled a few projects. Out of the 180 floor tiles in the kitchen/hallway, I've managed to put down about 150. The old ones were circa 1960, about 3 mm thick, heavily discoloured, and quite frankly, I've been on-site on piggeries where the odour was better. A few mishaps along the way, with sacrificed tiles and bloodied knuckles and I also pushed myself too far. My ass hurt. My knees hurt. But the light at the end of the tunnel is clearly visible.

Hannah somehow managed to pry out the lightbulb in the light fixture at the bottom of the basement stairs, ensuring that at least I won't break my neck because of the lack of light. Breaking it for other reasons.. those are still open....

We also tackled, together, with minimal swearing on both our parts, the removal of the circa 1950's Sears thermostat from the wall and the replacement thereof with a brand spanking new Honeywell digital thermostat. Which is now programmed to shut itself off at 10 p.m., which gives me exactly 32 minutes to put myself to bed if I want it to remain 70 degrees fahrenheit while I'm still awake. I think I'm ready.

Also discovered that the majority of the house is wired with knob-and-tube wiring. Note to self: find out if GFI's (total three in house), are wired to an independent circuit breaker per code.

Second note to self: decide if self wants to try wiring an electrical outlet in basement so that dehumidifier can be plugged in. Alternative is 25 yard garden extension cord to be plugged in in kitchen as temporary fix.

Self is no longer able to cope with such decisions and is going to bed with pillow over head. Things will look better in daylight, and perhaps bedroom will look better with four yellow walls instead of one yellow wall with sage paint bleeding through and three sage green walls. One can only hope.

Twilight House

2009-12-05T13:53:00.000-05:00

Well, it's mine. Complete with one working key and three doors that are missing keys.

The post is called Twilight House because that's what it seems to be. It's situated at the top of a hill in a quiet neighbourhood. The sun rises over the garage and slowly moves across the back of the house, casting the front kitchen and living room into shadows. A lot hasn't been done since it was built in the 1950's, and the most manageable changes, I'm arranging for now. New doors. New windows. And eventually a new bath and kitchen, with some floorspace in the attic being converted into liveable space.

After all, what's the use of having a full-sized weaving loom and stained glass making equipment if one doesn't have work space?

What needs to happen before I can move. Furniture! And dishes, since I literally don't have anything except a couple of baking pans. Giving up coffee means no coffee maker for the time being -- I wonder though since I'm down to about two to three cups per week if I downsize and have one really good cup of coffee... have to ruminate some more about that one. Or take more Prilosec.

With apologies to Thomas Wolfe

2009-12-05T13:44:00.000-05:00

Mr. Wolfe said you can't go home again. Well, here I am. Or at least as close to it as I think I am.

Six months ago, everything was packed up into big white boxes and taken away by three robust young men. Here, on the other side of the pond, the process was repeated in reverse, only things went into a storage unit. Strange to think of my life condensed into such a small space. Even stranger to open these boxes and to have conflicting emotions occuring. Sometimes opening things and seeing old friends. Sometimes opening and thinking... whyever was that important to me? And finally.. oh yes... someday soon, you will be on the mantel again soon, I promise. To quote another luminary.. I feel like the Maureen O'Hara character in A Quiet Man, whose husband couldn't understand why she was deviling him about having her dowry. "I must have my things about me" she says. And I exactly what she means. Who wants to camp when luxury means having a favourite book at hand?