Looking back at the coast from the 1/4 mile buoy.
Two of my boys, Jesse - 16, Josiah - 14
Me on the left.
Josiah
Jesse
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Went Ocean Kayaking Today
Looking back at the coast from the 1/4 mile buoy.Two of my boys, Jesse - 16, Josiah - 14Me on the left.JosiahJesse
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Shoutcast Server
I'm going to try to setup my shoutcast server connection from my blog, more or less turn my blog into a music oriented blog. Starting with a link at the right that lets you listen to my 'radio station' that i'll be playing from home.
Next step will be to incorporate a display of the current song and the last 10 songs played. I'm thinking of using a classic rock format but add a heavier concentration of a different 'featured artist' every day or so. Also plan to take requests.
It's a lot easier than trying to be witty every day.
Next step will be to incorporate a display of the current song and the last 10 songs played. I'm thinking of using a classic rock format but add a heavier concentration of a different 'featured artist' every day or so. Also plan to take requests.
It's a lot easier than trying to be witty every day.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Missionary or Mercenary
I haven't talked much about this, but my 16yo is spending 2 months this summer on a missionary venture. 2 week crash course in primitive construction classes at a 'boot camp' in Florida, before spending 6 weeks on the islands of Trinidad & Tobago using those construction skills.
In the bottom picture, Jesse is in the front left with the black t-shirt and red bandana headband.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Sticks & Stones...
...(and jungle gyms) may break my bones...
My 8yo learned a valuable physics lesson on Friday.
My 8yo learned a valuable physics lesson on Friday.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Ever Stop to Think and then forget to start again?
There are a couple problems with this mentality. Liberals, please take note.
You can not impeach a president just because you don't like him or because you disagree with his choices. Consider it another inconvenient truth.
Perhaps the more important question is, "If President Bush were to be impeached, that would leave Dick Cheney in charge. Do you really want that?"
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Monday, March 05, 2007
Flip dis Crib
Any aspiring Do-It-Yourself'ers out there - listen up?
If working with stucco seems like a frightening experience...trust your instincts. Here are some tips I can give you.
1. Pay somebody else to do it. This is a difficult process but if you can succeed, it will greatly increase the odds of a successful outcome. As a first time attempter of stucco-ing, i hadn't realized how important this first step was, so I will give you some suggestions to help. Getting a contractor to come look at your 100 sq foot wall is a major accomplishment. They are all much too busy to be bothered with your 'little' hobby. LIE, do not tell them you have a 100 sq foot wall, tell them it is 500 sq feet, and when they show up, plead ignorance. Then once you have them there, BRIBE them to do the job.
2. If you are unable to procure a stucco contractor, do not feel like a failure. I called 5 different contractors in this economically depressed community and could not get one to even look at my project. You are, however, left with the unenviable task of doing the project by yourself. Before you begin, you might want to spend a week or so binge drinking just to get it out of your system.
3. Before the actual stucco, you need to cover the wall with 'felt' (tar paper) and chicken wire. You can spend a lot of money on fancy stucco mesh, but chicken wire will do just fine if you keep it tight, if it sags, you're f'd. The chicken wire must be spaced 1/8" to 1/4" off the felt. There are special nails for tacking the chicken wire up like this - get them.
4. A proper stucco wall requires 3 'coats' of stucco, all with fancy names. Ignore the names - for the beginning DIYer, just get the shit up on the wall. Let each layer 'cure' for at least a week before applying the next layer. Not only will this make the project feel like eternal hell, but it will give the skin on your hands almost enough time to heal between applications.
5. Inventory - I used 6 bags of stucco for my 100 sq ft wall. One bag was completely wasted because it got damp before i got around to putting up the 3rd coat. Unfortunately I didn't discover this to be a problem until after the stucco was supposedly cured and it all crumbled off like a child's sandbox in a windstorm. (btw, what didn't crumble off before i painted, flaked off WHILE I was painting = bad news)
6. BEFORE you even think about painting, make the effort to fill in any valleys and holes and etc. DIYers are notorious for covering up shoddy workmanship with a coat of paint, but that method won't work here. You can get the fluffiest paint roller that money can buy and you will still spend an eternity trying to get an even coat of paint on your wall.
7. The lady at the paint store will tell you that one gallon of paint will cover 300 sq feet. Do NOT believe her. Stucco has a quark-like property and sucks paint into a black hole. I needed almost two gallons to cover 100 sq feet.
8. Make sure to turn up your music really loud while you're working. You should not have to go through hell alone, force your neighbors to listen to your music.
If working with stucco seems like a frightening experience...trust your instincts. Here are some tips I can give you.
1. Pay somebody else to do it. This is a difficult process but if you can succeed, it will greatly increase the odds of a successful outcome. As a first time attempter of stucco-ing, i hadn't realized how important this first step was, so I will give you some suggestions to help. Getting a contractor to come look at your 100 sq foot wall is a major accomplishment. They are all much too busy to be bothered with your 'little' hobby. LIE, do not tell them you have a 100 sq foot wall, tell them it is 500 sq feet, and when they show up, plead ignorance. Then once you have them there, BRIBE them to do the job.
2. If you are unable to procure a stucco contractor, do not feel like a failure. I called 5 different contractors in this economically depressed community and could not get one to even look at my project. You are, however, left with the unenviable task of doing the project by yourself. Before you begin, you might want to spend a week or so binge drinking just to get it out of your system.
3. Before the actual stucco, you need to cover the wall with 'felt' (tar paper) and chicken wire. You can spend a lot of money on fancy stucco mesh, but chicken wire will do just fine if you keep it tight, if it sags, you're f'd. The chicken wire must be spaced 1/8" to 1/4" off the felt. There are special nails for tacking the chicken wire up like this - get them.
4. A proper stucco wall requires 3 'coats' of stucco, all with fancy names. Ignore the names - for the beginning DIYer, just get the shit up on the wall. Let each layer 'cure' for at least a week before applying the next layer. Not only will this make the project feel like eternal hell, but it will give the skin on your hands almost enough time to heal between applications.
5. Inventory - I used 6 bags of stucco for my 100 sq ft wall. One bag was completely wasted because it got damp before i got around to putting up the 3rd coat. Unfortunately I didn't discover this to be a problem until after the stucco was supposedly cured and it all crumbled off like a child's sandbox in a windstorm. (btw, what didn't crumble off before i painted, flaked off WHILE I was painting = bad news)
6. BEFORE you even think about painting, make the effort to fill in any valleys and holes and etc. DIYers are notorious for covering up shoddy workmanship with a coat of paint, but that method won't work here. You can get the fluffiest paint roller that money can buy and you will still spend an eternity trying to get an even coat of paint on your wall.
7. The lady at the paint store will tell you that one gallon of paint will cover 300 sq feet. Do NOT believe her. Stucco has a quark-like property and sucks paint into a black hole. I needed almost two gallons to cover 100 sq feet.
8. Make sure to turn up your music really loud while you're working. You should not have to go through hell alone, force your neighbors to listen to your music.
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