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By Dave, December 31, 2009 6:18 pm

Bit that I thought was broken was an RSS feed in the sidebar that wouldn’t show up. Ended up deleting/replacing it and it now works. 🙂

Still got at least one bit broken but not sure where it is and tis not critical so will wait for WP 2.9.1 and see if it’s still broken then.

For those who have upgraded to WP 2.9 a patch is available at: http://www.semiologic.com/2009/12/21/wp-2-9-three-bugs-and-how-to-fix-them/

Well after updating one of my blogs I am waiting for WordPress 2.9.1 before doing the rest of them. There be bugs in WP 2.9!

Gonna spend some time doing updates to some of the blogs, rather than physical activity. Had not realized that a new version of WP was out.

Looks like cleaning out the corner and moving the table may be the sum of my endeavors today.

Course the fact that it’s still wet and dripping outside helps to keep me from doing some of the stuff I wanted to today.

Gonna try to take it easy today. Still got stuff to do but am not gonna get the monster maul and chain saw out like I had planned to.

Over did it yesterday. Kinda figured I had by the way the body was still hurting after taking something for the pain.

off, so am hoping they are right. Would have liked to get another cord or so split and stacked but doubt that I would have survived… 😉

Guess it’s a good thing that the rains came and put a stop to the rest of my plans for the day. Weather folks say that tomorrow should clear

Supper is done. Rain still coming down though it has slowed to a drizzle again now. Still feeling the mornings excesses with the wood.

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By Dave, December 30, 2009 9:53 pm

“You can’t say it isn’t true” – http://twlol.com/tw/?v7-34401 #lol #fail Go, look, LOL!

RT @boingboing Odds of being a terrorism victim on a flight Boing Boing

out the south east corner of the south room in preparation to moving the round dining table in there.

Post Office E-Bay run done. Raining harder so get to put off unloading larger cedar posts for the present. Think I will start clearing

a bit will get back out and see if I can get some of the larger cedar poles moved under the shed to prep for putting up in the south room.

Lunch done and I am still somewhere on the other side of exhausted. Ice turned to rain and now back to drizzle. Soon as the bod recovers

unloading, stacking, and hauling inside to burn… 😉

The fuel that warms you several times. Once when you cut it, once when you split it, once when you burn it. Not to mention loading,

Now to cool off a bit and eat lunch. Seems strange that ice is falling from the sky and I am this hot but that’s wood heat for ya.

the tractor and put it up. Came back up and Cat and I put the tarp over the trailer load of cedar so maybe it will stay mostly dry.

Got a fair trailer load and came back to the compound. Just as I was backing the trailer into place ice started falling, so unhooked

Has been dead a while and inside is good and dry. Had to cut it up as it lay as twas too heavy to move and load any other way.

and cut a bunch of standing dead cedar. Some for firewood and some for building with. Also cut a standing dead oak about 8 inches in dia.

Has been a morning. Got the large gum broken loose and dragged up here in two pieces. Then went across the creek to the cedar thicket

pile now. Gonna head to the woods and try to outrun the rain. Want to get the rest of the gum and a couple of more cedars in.

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By Dave, December 29, 2009 11:22 pm

Just in from cutting and splitting firewood. Me is one tired old hippy… 😉

Back from PO and store. Now to see if I can get the rest of the insulation on the ceiling and upper wall done prior to refilling the stove.

Heading to the post office to get some E-Bay stuff mailed out, then the grocery store to spend our vast profits. Back later…

Listening to the Christmas edition of The Clockwork Cabaret http://clockworkcabaret.podhoster.com/ – good stuff!

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By Dave, December 28, 2009 10:46 pm

Epic Kludge http://thereifixedit.com/2009/12/28/warning-smart-car-does-not-improve-intelligence-level/
Not so smart driver… LOL!!

when the ambulance left so…

When I heard the rollback pull up. Looks like the homeowner is there now too. He and the officer have been talking. Didn’t hear sirens

Missjudged the time. From the time of my last post to the one I just made was 30 minutes and I had gone out to watch just after it was made.

the person(s) out of the wreckage. Not sure what kind of car it is, but it took the roll back about 15 minutes to pull it out and load it.

tone of the impacts. So far have had ambulance, fire truck and rescue squad show up. No smoke or flames yet so guess they are cutting

have landed there since but I wouldn’t want to live in that house! This one sounded like someone was severely damaged or dead just from the

in front of the neighbors house. That yard is a magnet for accidents. They (the state) rebanked the curve a few years back and not as many

police car in the across the pasture neighbors drive with lights flashing. Suspect the car or truck that was being chased rolled and landed

Just as I was finishing up outside heard a terrible impact and then a bunch more. Came down off the ladder and went out front to find a

Seems to have less drafts in here now. Added one more piece of insulation which evened up the side. Cut it from scrap from the east wall.

So can now mark that round tuit off the list. Caulked a bunch of open seams and nail holes on the outside on that wall too.

Added a bunch of trim to the west wall on the top outside just under the roof. Been meaning to do it since I built the room.

Quite cold for here this morning. Almost 60 inside. Outside in sunshine is about 45. Ripping wood to strip in the last ceiling insulation.

Tis time and past to call it a night, so until the morrow…

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By Dave, December 27, 2009 12:30 am

Cat’s fed. Woodburner shoveled out and fire rebuilt. Time for a sit down.

At least one section. One piece on ceiling to go, which will be a pain as it will have to be cut n pieced or I’ll end up wasting a bunch.

Back from Lowe’s, Wally World, and The Dollar Tree. Bits and pieces acquired. Floor cleared. Insulation measured, cut, and hung.

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By Dave, December 26, 2009 8:34 pm

Coffee and food consumed. Now to get up the energy to go to Lowe’s.

Tis just the usual sequential vortex of projects around here. Time to quit blathering and go get coffee and food.

put up the support posts for the rest of the loft, which is what I have been trying to get done this whole time.

woodburner to get to the bottom 1/3 of 1/2 of the wall, so that bit isn’t gonna be very easy. But I can get enough of the wall done to

Then will just have the west wall to finish insulating. Course I have to remove the block and brick that is stacked on the west side of the

carry. Come back, then clear the floor in here so I can roll out and cut the insulation for the rest of the south room ceiling.

Was still a bit warm when straddling the flue to screw the last bit in. Now to eat, go to Lowe’s to pick up some stuff Wally World doesn’t

Got the last 3 ceiling strips up. Had to put up temp scaffolding to get to the area over the woodburner. Twas still burning but not high.

Supports on the west end. Thinking I will use cedar for these. Coffee is gone so guess I need to get out and at it.

Or actually procrastinating at the present while getting more caffeine in my system via coffee. Need to go and cut 2 more posts for loft

Working on an additional support for the insulation were it’s not meeting the stud after turning the corner from south to west walls.

Got the upper west window in the south room cleaned from the inside. Will be easier when the rest of the loft is in place.

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By Dave, December 25, 2009 11:44 pm

The day is done. Home again, cats fed, wood loaded, fire stoked with a Porter and plate of assorted cheeses, crackers, olives and pickles.

Tis late and I am done as soon as these cookies come out. Merry Happy All!

Will get up in the morning and get the eggs and sweet potatoes cooked, and the cheese and nibbles tray put together.

Last few cookies in the oven now. Total cooked 187, and I am worn out. Cat is upstairs now wrapping gifts.

Looks like one more hard patch of rain and possibly wind and the worst is over for us tonight. And the baking can continue.

Last oven full of second batch in now. Gonna take a break and see about supper prior to doing the last batch. Hoping the power holds out.

already made so I figure why not. Will see how they turn out when they come out. Time to check the oven.

Gonna be fruitcake, chocolate chip, and maybe walnut cookies. Or that’s the plan right now. Got the stuff to do it with and the mess is

in this batch so will take a lot more cooking. Then comes the creative batch where I am gonna make it up as I go.

First batch (4 pans full) of cookies out and cooling. Second batch of dough mixed and first 2 pans in oven now. Can’t put as many in a pan

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By Dave, December 24, 2009 11:15 pm

Oven heating now. First batch of dough is ready to go on the sheets. Supposed to make 5 dozen cookies. 2 more batches to go.

Time to start the cookies!

Rest of the counter is now cleaned off and washed down. Looks like a different kitchen (on that side of the room anyway)…

Will see how it works. For now back to the cleaning… 😉

pot for the sweet potatoes. 1/2 cup of water and however many washed sweet potatoes are to be cooked and turn on high for a few hours.

Soon as she is done I’ll start with the cookie batter. Also need to boil a dozen eggs and cook some sweet potatoes. Gonna try the crock

Back from the store. Got most of the wilderness that is our kitchen cabinet cleaned off. Part of it even washed! Cat’s washing dishes.

Hoping that the two items are the last of the day. I still gotta get to baking and cooking for tomorrow, not to mention wrapping…

We got home there was just one more thing that we gotta have. Make that two. So now that the rain has set in, we gotta head out again.

Back from the last minute shopping trip which of course ended up at Wally World. Got all that we thought of at the time but by the time

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By Dave, December 23, 2009 11:37 pm

Think we have enough to last through till after Christmas. Hope so anyway as I am worn out. Came in and am sitting in front of the fire.

Split 3 of the sweetgum rounds and that did it for the day. Cat loaded the cut and split bits up and stacked them under the tarp.

Put the tractor up, got out the chain saw and cut the logs up along with almost all the rest of the cedar off of the trailer.

Got back around 3:40 PM. Unloaded and then went and cranked the tractor. Rounded up some chain and hauled a couple of logs in to cut up.

Heading to Calcis. Back later…

Insulation up. Supper cooked and eaten. Firewood for the evening inside. Woodburner pumping out the BTU’s. Wanting to hit the sack…

Staples pulled and south wall ready to insulate. Gonna clear the floor in here so I can cut the 6′ x 10′ 5″ and 6′ x 10′ 6″ pieces.

Rocks are piled up around the back of the woodburner. Me is tired. Still need to get staples pulled and insulation up on south wall. 🙁

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By Dave, December 22, 2009 11:32 pm

Then get to do the same thing on the west wall. Ah, forgot the step that goes first I get to move a couple of thousand pounds of rock… 🙁

Guess I will finish removing the plastic from the south wall, pulling the remaining staples, and then put the insulation up.

Two cans of foam used, seems to be much less air coming in now. Cut up the rest of the turkey and the cats are now and will feast for days.

Guess I’ll get on with foaming the worst of the openings. Maybe it’s not too cool for it to expand properly.

Back from the madness that is Wally World. Survived though there were times I had doubts. Was gonna cut wood this afternoon but too late.

Outside that are letting the winter winds in. Back in a bit…

An area that needs to be sealed with more than caulk so gonna have to go get some spray foam to fill it and some other large openings to the

Cut some strips of thin plywood to staple the insulation to on the long wall where there are no studs. Put the first bits in and found

Battery charged right up after a 2 year hiatus and is working fine. Got the rest of the 2×4’s off the walls and started stripping plastic.

Other two bad batteries to make one good one. Coffee perking away on the woodburner and starting to smell good. Getting a late start. 😉

Found the charger for the Craftsman 18v cordless drill. Got the battery charging now. Need to see if I can get enough good cells from the

Old decking taken down. Now to clear the debris out of the way and put the insulation on the walls. First to take a break and do supper…

Second and last batch of fiberglas insulation moved into loft. Boards taken off walls and getting ready to put up 3 more ceiling strips.

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By Dave, December 21, 2009 11:55 pm

First batch of insulation is moved. Got one more batch to go and then can finish tearing down the raised platform behind the woodburner.

First section of insulation is cut and up. Fixing to dress for the job and move the pile of fiberglas insulation into the back of the loft.

Now to clear floor in here so the 6′ by 12′ sections of insulation can be cut. First am gonna go and cut some more firewood and bring in.

Several hundred screws sorted. Boards to be used for stripping to hold insulation cleaned of nails and those above finished loft installed.

But, damn, it’s taking a LONG time to eat this elephant… 😉

Now to clear the crap out from the floor, put plastic down then carpet, and move the table and chairs out there. Getting closer…

Light and switch are installed in the south room under loft ceiling. Whole thing is rough as a cob but it matches the rest of the compound.

Got the firewood in. Decided to put up a light in the south room under the new loft instead of doing the stripping on the ceiling.

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By Dave, December 20, 2009 11:34 pm

Last 2 pieces of flooring cut and installed. Thinking about starting on striping the ceiling but gonna get some firewood in first.

Then I can start with the strips on the ceiling and get the first piece of bubble wrap insulation up. Which may or may not happen tonight.

2 more pieces of wood to cut and put down and the first leg of the loft will be done, or at least as done as it’s gonna get tonight…

Going back on my head now, coffee break is over… 😉

The bit that was needed to fill in to the 2×4 slot I’m leaving open for the pony tail palm was 16 1/2 on one side and 13 1/2 on the other.

And NO, nothing is straight with ANYTHING else. One end of the 4×8 sheet of OSB had to have 3 inches cut off one edge to 0 on the other.

First sheet of decking down in the loft. 2×4 connector blocks cut n fixing to be put in. Will be glad when this is LITTLE project is done.

Got a couple of more pieces of wood cut and screwed in place. 2 more to go on this first section till I can start on the decking.

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By Dave, December 19, 2009 11:50 pm

Did a Wally World run and got needed items. Got wood in for the evening. Trying to get up the energy to do more on the loft.

Got a few more pieces cut and installed in the loft, then cleaned the flue on the woodburner. It’s drawing much better now.

Some red mud and resealed the seams. Much cheaper than furnace cement, works pretty good and here in Alabama tis always available… 😉

Headache has eased off some. Fed the cat horde. Flue pipe was smoking worse after a 2×8 fell on it earlier, so went outside and got…

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By Dave, December 18, 2009 10:31 pm

Gonna take a break from manual labor and see if I can get rid of this headache. Need to go to the store for milk but thats gotta wait too.

Post is now slotted for one joist which is fitted and secured. Taking a break for a late lunch and will get back on it. Pics coming soon.

Post is upright and in the correct position! Now to measure and cut the sections out that the joists will fit into and secure them to it.

Got it up at a 30-35 degree angle. Gonna have to run a steel pipe from the west window sill to the loft beam to lift the post in place.

Post is now inside. Sucker is HEAVY. Still not quite sure how I am gonna stand it up, but gone too far to back out now. 😉

Worst of the rain seems to be past. Hoping to get the post inside and upright after it ends, then I can get on with the rest of the loft.

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By Dave, December 17, 2009 7:07 pm

Bolt found and chain works better than rope sling, but I am about worn out. Wired work porch lights to switch with plug on it for now.

Walking it in won’t be a problem but getting it to stand up once inside might be. Will cross that bear when I get to it. 😉

And moved it about 20 feet before the rope broke. Got some chain but need to find a bolt to attach it, so came in to take a break.

Got the bark off and most of the trunk cleaned up at least enough for now. Took 2 T posts and a piece of rope and made a walking sling…

Heading out to try to finish cleaning up the oak post. Hoping the hands and arms hold out.

Still got some cleanup to do, then will cut slots on 2 sides for the joists so they are resting on rather than just attached to the post.

Can hardly move now. But am about 3/4’s done with getting it ready to use as a support post for the loft project.

Spent a couple of hours today with adze http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adze and drawknife, debarking a 10 ft long oak log and over did it…

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By Dave, December 16, 2009 12:12 am

And then decking.

With light on the work porch, was able to get the last joist cut for the first section of the loft, and put in. Now for some 2×4 belting…

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By Dave, December 15, 2009 11:28 pm

Got all the bits to do it with, just got to figure out where to run the cables and put the box. Then the fun part of wiring in outlets.

To the back and a branch breaker box so I can remove some of the 8+ extension cords that we\’re running everything off of now.

Got lights installed in the work porch and temp hooked up with a extension cord. Now to get power run from the front of the qhut…

Got the first 4 joists up in the loft. Thought I had another one cut but didn\’t, so will wait till tomorrow to finish the first section.

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By Dave, December 14, 2009 12:29 am

And used neither square or level. However, trying to use 4×8 sheets of flooring in the loft is proving to be a bit of a problem.

Have come to the conclusion that NOTHING in the south room is square or level. Only myself to blame as I built it to begin with…

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By Dave, December 13, 2009 10:14 pm

http://twitpic.com/temqt – Post from second floor


http://twitpic.com/temom – Post from stairwell


Got the floor as done as it\’s gonna get for now. Added a top post to the handrail on the stairs. Split and carved out of a piece of willow.

Just finished eating lunch. Heading back upstairs to finish screwing in the last piece of flooring so I can get back to working on the loft.

Just got the next to last flooring board in place upstairs. Been several years that we have been living in it, so guess it\’s about time.

Between the length of it and the first cross support which is 68 inches away. Knew it was bad but didn\’t realize it was quite that bad. 🙁

And work it out as I go, since the walls are not square or straight. Just measured the east outside wall and there is a 3 inch difference…

Trying once again to get my head wrapped around the loft support structure for the south room. Thinking I am just gonna start on it…

According to the radar the rain is out of our area but tis still gray and dripping outside. Looks like an inside work day…