I Got Nothing....so I threw up this vid I took at the Chattanooga Aquarium

He's going to pop up!

Good Morning From The Hill

Stepped out into some chilly late April air this morning.
I'll stay hunkered in the cellar today working on the Thompson.
Hope y'all have a great day!

Day Off...?

My "Real Guy" electrician was suppose to come on sat. and help me wire the new meter panel to the new breaker panels inside. Also a little conduit wiring to hot water heater,dryer, washing machine and heat and air unit. He called and asked if it would be OK to show on Sunday? Sure. This threw me off a little so I called and yacked most of my morning away talking with brothers and my mom. Bic had planned a big shopping day, summer shorts and sneaks for me, and whatever her heart desired for herself. Me, I was going to finish the shelves to a ready to paint state, didn't get there. When she left I kinda shut down, hit the couch and did a couple of movies. Around 4:00 I got myself into a low RPM third gear and putts around the shelves and got a tiny little bit done. Oh Well! The evening out in the yard got me to clean up rocks, bricks, stone and lumber laying all around from the other big projects that were recently done. Oh well, that's something!
The "Real Guy" showed sun. before 9 and we worked all day!
My Sunday hands at the end of the day! Only a teeny bit of blood lost is a good day!

Rework

See....A real guy never ever, ever would forget to put in the ground rod and a ground wire! No way I was going to have the wire go across the new stairs, so I had to cut the concrete and chip it out, rework!
I haven't had a haircut or a beard trim in quite awhile so before I go out in public [boat docks]figured I'd clean up my act a little, so I got a haircut yesterday. That made the beard even fuller, so before I chomp it down to a more respectable shape, I took this and did a little rework.
Kitchen sink window. Notice there is no trim on the inside of the window. I have all this black marble that came off the old windows that I haven't refinished yet. I will just like Pa Kettle..."I'll git to it one o' these days ma" [rework]

HTML No Clue

How to save a 40 year old boat piece of cake!

Time Flys

I remember a long time ago I would wake up and the first thing in my mind would be, Shit, it's only thursday! Of course that was when I was doing the real job 7:00AM to 3:30 as a machinist full time somewhwere. Now, like this morning first thought, shit already thursday, these weeks go by to fast! Weeks, flying bye through my life.

Here's the windsheild of the Thompson that I'll disassemble, reglue and strip for new varnish. Today? I don't know. I need to go to Knoxville and get some mahogany ply or order it and wait till next week. The gas to go get it is 25$ and 2 1/2 hours.
This, to the real guy, is the most important part of the windsheild, cause it's not a windsheild until you attach it to something that flys through the wind. That would look good on my truck too!
Now this is a very sad site, looking very silly just sitting there being a boat seat, without a boat.

A Winner?

Another great morning here on the hill. Gave the new lawn a tinkle and have accepted my Peach Prize from Doc. Also, yesterday I won a CD from Bond. Who would of thunk someone like me, who doesn't even know how to pimp his friends with that linky thingy you do with blogger, as a winner? Some day I'll take the time to learn the link thing, but for now back to work in the cellar on the 57 Thompson. I'll finish stripping all the old varnish today and maybe be ready to put the seat back in.

Spring Showers By Mic

What a beautiful morning! I just came in from giving my three new lawns a bit of a sprinkle by dragging the only hose all around the house. [I'll get to more spigots later] I recently fed them some small chunky bits gently spread all around in a nice even coating but we haven't had the rain to get that food into the ground so I'm more than happy to spread sprinkles morning and night till the heavens help me.

Most of the big projects are almost done, they all have the little do da list for all the details. Does anyone remember me tearing into our living room? Well, I have managed to get all the permenant pieces in ready for paint.

This week and next week is my transition period to changing gears into boat work down on the docks. Once I get working there, there's plenty to keep me away from the house work, ha, and so much time playing blog!!!!!

Sorry, the text is at the bottom,
I screwed up again!

Click the pics!






For those of you who might not have guessed, Bic and I, after living on boats for a few years, went ashore and have taken up the the house flipping deal. We keep Malihini so at some point we can take off and do the Great Circle Route with her. We'd leave here from the TN River make our way to the gulf and to Florida. Come up the Intercoastal Waterway to the Hudson River, into Lake Champlain and then left into the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi and back to home. It'll be a three to four month trip. When? No clue yet! With this big house project 2 1/2 years underway and a market that's a little iffy, it could be a few more years, or next year. When the complete exterior is done we'll put a price tag on it. Houses this size are still moving OK in this part of the country. Can't stop us Baby Boomers! Anyway, I have some old [non digital] photos when we bought this overgrown beast and I figured we're close enough for before and after.

Oh, and anyone feels like they need something to do, you can come by and help.Ha Ha

Come On ...! Lets Go Boating!

Well, it's that time of the year to make my way to the docks, and play with my number two girl, Malihini! This season I hope to get the forward cockpit done, refresh all varnish and paint, reinstall a water tank with plumbing and maybe a holding tank for the head. [that's the shiter] A little bit of engine work too. Exhaust elbow needs repair. Bic will probably get the lower cabin and head all painted too. Damn, the gas prices won't stop me from playing with my 1935 baby!
[before you ask, yes,.... she is ALL wood...cedar hull on oak frames, mahogany trim]

My Very First Battle With The Mini Bugs

They didn't see me coming!
A few of the tough ones made a final stand!
I kicked and ate every one of their butts! Really was my first time eating those little buggers, I've tore into the big Maine bugs many times, but these spicy little numbers were GOOD!

The real guys have left the building! Were so happy with the stone work.

You'll have to wait for the before pics, someday I'll do a whole set

that will really show how much we've gotten done.



First and second pic is the entrance to Bics stained glass shop,

and the stairs to around back and the patio.



Then there's the top of the stairs down to the garage.

Good timing for Bic to start on the front gardens, yeah!

These stairs just blow my mind. I've gone up and down that


old rotten concrete for so long!!!





Also my completed underground service installation. When the


old meter and pipe comes off, I'll put the dryer vent in that hole.
Here's the completed inside panels with all the rest just hanging there


waiting to be torn out. I hope the Fire Marshall doesn't stop by for a visit!
The completed stairs up to the patio. Still plenty to do back here!
New brick cap to the old flower box. Still plenty of work before


this area becomes Bics new stained glass shop.

It's Been Chilly

It's not even dark yet, and this where I'm hangin this evening.
First thing this morning [monday] while emptying a trash can, I yanked my left upper arm into a pain full position. That kept me at 20% work capacity all day!

I just took the easy road today and got a few things done.

So now I get to enjoy a nice warm fire on a chilly night!

Can You Say..."Electrical Cluster-F#ck"

That's nine boxes, a hanging!

Lets get rid of them all

and put two nice shiny new

big ones with breakers!



When the new power is all done to the panels,

I'll take out the old power supply mast

and have a hole to put the dryer vent out.

Then simply relocate the faucet, and my new

power supply entry and staircase will be

a beautiful thing!

Who Woulda Thunk It?

Trust me......111,111,111 times 111,111,111 equals 12,345,678,987,654,321

If I Sit..My Back Wont Git Back Up

I managed to get the patio preped to resurace this week but my prayers of not hurting my back this week went unanswered. I should of had this done yesterday but I'm just an old fart that's
still trying to work like a man of 35. So I got a real guy to help me today and get this started before the rain comes on friday. 800 mil. Ibuprofin......your my friend!
800 mil. Ibuprofin .....your my friend!
Look at the stairs I've been going up and down for two years knowing that someday they will get finished. Well today, they will have all the risors done, hot diggity dog!

Real Guys Rule

Blah Blah Blah, Blah Blah So what I find most obvious here in this picture, is experience!



You just don't put pieces of stone and mortar together like this,................................ without experience, and lots of it!





Some things, are best left for the real guys, ehh?








Oh ya, ...and were really, really happy these real guys are doing the front of our house and all the steps, left ,right,and back. [three sets]

Bring On The "Real Guys"

Over the past few weeks, some of you might have thought, why does Micky push so hard at all these different projects? Well, it's to be ready for who Bic and I call "The Real Guys" they cost money!
I do most all projects myself but there are a few things that I leave to these guys, they do it all day long so I get as much done as I can to make their job easier which costs me less money.
These guys doing the stone work in the front of the house started mixing mortar first thing and were laying stone within the hour. I was ready for them and I got a better price.
The guys in the back I'm paying by the hour so I do all the grunt work I can and have them put on the finishing touch.
By the time these guys finish up there'll be one more real guy to finish the new 400 amp power service. I'll have all the exterior work done and possibly the new power boxes inside ready.

AND THEN......
I take a break from all this and go to work to make money for all the boat owners who consider me........The Real Guy.

Will The Sun Really Come Out Today?

Looking for a "Good Day Sunshine"
I don't see it ...yet!

........The Patio........

This first pic shows the patio just after I got all the flagstone, mortar and trees off of it. Our first summer here in the house on the hill. What you don't see is all the vines, trees and brush that I cut away just to walk in this area! That was spring time.
For the nitty gritty be sure to click on the pic!
This second pic shows a little of when we redid the top end of all the brick, which was all cracked and rotten. That was last summerish. Most all of the top 6 rows of brick were replaced at this time.
Check out all the Mud Dobber nests that were at every window.
This is where I'm at today. That whole concrete and rebar edge has been cut off by me, some rental equipment and two hired hands. You can see a couple of the chunks we cut off up near the corner. We managed to get the open gap on the long side between cinder block and brick sealed up with some concrete mix.
This pic showes that all done and ready for the new brick edge row. That was the dry day.
This shows the edge by the stairs that I finished cutting first thing in the morning trying to beat the rain. Well I lost, it started pouring by 8:00AM and the waters flowed, into the gap it went and moved easily into the windows, which is a straight shot into the cellar. At mid day the rain stopped enough for me to mix some concrete and slap it in wherever I could to help staunch the flow. It helped a little but fresh concrete washes away in heavy rain. Duh! I'm OK, there's a boat in the cellar if I need it!
Next week should be quite full of activity too!

I did manage to stifle the flow of water into my cellar, between breaks in the rain yesterday. It's a good thing too, because today it's REALLY gonna rain. This has been a tough week to have rented a tractor. The soil here is more clay than anything else so when wet, it sticks like glue to shovels, picks and tractor wheels. It's like fill a shovel, go to throw it, it doesn't come off the shovel, so you just made a fool of yourself for the wasted effort to even try! Last night before dark I'm trying to push huge gobs of dirt back in the hole, the mud starts building on the wheels and the front of the tractor starts to rise, I lose my gob.
It's just gob awful stuff!

Cellar is Awash!

Tried to beat the rain and I lost. Got buckets and pans to empty every 45 min or so!
Oh Well, had time to catch up on the blogs after I put on dry clothes.

I Need Every Inch Of Daylight Today

Gotta go now!

The Working Fools Day

So after a backbreaking monday hauling all that iron off the patio I ended my day in the cellar sitting on my ass, rolling around with a heat gun softening 8 layers of paint [lead?] and scraping it off with my handy dandy Sandvic scraper. A nice hour of mindless income, no thinking, no planing, no worrys!

This morning the inspector man came and looked at the big muddy hole with the long grey snaky thing in it and gave me the OK to fill it in.