Category: lakehouse

Yes, it is hot. Humid, and hot. Sunny and hot. So I’m out working in it… The highest I saw in the shade yesterday was 95F at the dock, with a cooler breeze off the water. The sun was hotter by a lot. I struggled to stay hydrated, but at least the humidity was only 50%RH. That helped quite a bit.

I did get a bunch of work done on the new electrical for the dock and dock house. Got the conduit and wire in for the little house, that was run as feeder without breakers. It’s two circuits in conduit now, with breakers (when I get them installed.) Got the feeder conduit and wire installed. Got the panel mounted. Brought two existing circuits into the panel.

I still have to install breakers and land the circuits. I need to add a box and some romex to straighten out the lighting circuit before connecting it, and I need to install a circuit for the sprinkler controller and the pump motor circuit. Once I get all that done, I’ll change the fused disconnect for a breaker/disconnect and power up to see what I’ve got…

I’ll admit that late in the afternoon, the sun and heat did get to me a bit. I was banging my head against a wall trying to get my fish tape through the conduit and it just wouldn’t go. I finally just cut the pipe near where the tape stopped and jiggled the tape past the binding spot. Should have done that sooner, but I wasn’t 100% at that point. Took a break and cooled down. Felt more rational after that.

It was a long day and I spent it entirely doing electrical. Running the conduit under the dock and around existing obstacles took much longer than it should have. Working in the heat just takes longer too.

Today the rest of the pack arrives at some point, and I’ll probably take a short break when that happens. Otherwise, I’ll be doing electrical work.

Always be working… and stacking…

nick

Hot, humid, and windy too. That’s today at the BOL. Wind was crazy last night, blowing steady 5-10mph with significant gusts beyond that. Couldn’t keep a lantern lit on the dock last night. At 84F it was pleasant for my radio and tiny little fire.

Got my morning stuff done, and eventually got out of the house and on my way yesterday. Had D1 and the dog in the truck so my pack was a bit different. Not as much stuff coming up here loaded into the back.

Got here and installed the stairs. Had help from my fisherman friend, with the main work done by the block and fall. Stairs fit without modification. Spooky how my life works sometimes. They aren’t perfectly suited to the job, but are more than merely adequate. A bit longer with a few more steps would have been ideal, but hey, they’re in, I didn’t have to build them, and they will be fine for as long as we need them. I have a little bit of fine tuning to do for the bottom landing, and some lights would be nice, but I got really freaking lucky with them.

Today will be electrical work on the dock. I think I have a plan and all the stuff I need. If it goes well, hooray. If not, we’ll plug away and do what we can. After the electrical, it’ll be time to do some plumbing for sprinklers.

There is plenty to do. I did add some frozen food to the stacks up here, and some more paper products. There were a few medical supplies as well.

Keep working on somewhere to go if you have to get out of Dodge. Keep stacking.

nick

Hot and humid, again, and still. Clear for the next few days too. It was another really hot day yesterday. A/C couldn’t keep up in the late afternoon. Cutting down the tree that shaded the back side of the house made a big negative difference. The slightly lighter roof color must help some, but not as much as shade.

I did my pickup yesterday, and stopped at Habitat for Humanity reStore looking for doors and cabinets. I found a staircase that will work nicely for the rotten old concrete and brick one I tore out just before leaving the BOL last week. Unfortunately I need to rent a trailer to get it home, or to the BOL. THAT is my task for today. Rent the trailer, buy the staircase, run it to the BOL, unload, then come home to return the trailer. I have until Friday morning if I need to stay, or don’t get back early enough.

Then I need to do what didn’t get done yesterday and head back up to the BOL with D1 on Friday. What was supposed to be a leisurely return to the BOL and a few days with just D1 and working on projects, has turned into a mad dash and lots of coordinated messing around. But I don’t generally say ‘no’ when the universe drops what I need in my lap. The staircase is at least a 90% solution as is. Can’t really say no to that. I’m pretty sure it will take a whole lot less effort to adapt it to work than to build something from scratch. Rough cost in money is about the same, but there should be a huge savings of time and effort. Right now, all three of those things are in short supply. And it could be an even better fit than I expect. I won’t know that until I get it roughly in place.

I really really hope it’s still there this morning. The way the reStore deals with holds, and delayed pickups is just plain retarded. It’s causing me anxiety this morning and could cost me a day of trailer rental for nothing, if someone buys the stupid thing before I can get there. Fingers crossed that it wouldn’t have been there for me yesterday if it wasn’t meant for me today.

Anyway that’s what I’m doing, working on improving my position. Stacking will wait for a day or two. Pick one or the other and just do it. (stacking is easier)

nick

Hot and humid, little chance of rain. The window thermometer in the kitchen read 112F yesterday afternoon. The sensor is always in the shade. I’m inclined to believe it. Holy Moly it was hot. REALLY hoping today isn’t as hot.

Did get some stuff done yesterday. Took the rebar to the scrap man. 442 pounds at 5c/lb netted me little over $21. Better than nothing and it had to leave the BOL some way anyway. Still, that’s a bit more than half of what steel was bringing just a few months ago. Would not have been worth making the effort if the effort was much more. Two cut off blades were used… a third would have broken the bank.

Did a quick pickup and stopped at the Habitat reStore on the south side of town. Their prices have gone WAY up, and their stock has gone way down. This store used to always have tile, doors, and paint, as well as new cabinets. They have only a few of those items now. I’m still looking for doors for the BOL, and not finding any deals. I want to try the reStore that’s north of Houston again because they always have used cabinets, and some doors. I want some cabinets for the laundry area at the BOL, and the key to buying used is to keep checking for new arrivals. I might get to there today since I’ll be on the north side of town anyway.

Or I might not. I still have to get the tire I found half inflated checked and repaired. I still need to go to HEB for the stuff I buy there. I still need to hit Lowe’s for the electrical stuff I need, and I still have a couple of other things to do at the house too, before heading back to the BOL. The net-net on all that is I’ll probably head up on Wednesday.

Some of the Costco run, and part of the HEB groceries will be added to the BOL stacks. There is always something to be added, or refreshed. Your own stacks are probably the same, so give them some love this week… Stack it up.

nick

Hot and humid in Houston. Whoddathunkit? The rain did cool things down a bit, for a while, but it’s summer, and summer is hot and humid. It would be nice if it stayed below 100F and 89%RH

Yesterday I tidied up and headed home from the BOL. I have a pickup truck bed full of scrap iron used as rebar. That will go to the scrap man later today, if I get to it. And I’ve got a tire to run by my tire guy to find and fix the link. It’s small and slow, but I really don’t want to get stuck changing it somewhere in 110F sun.

But first, I’ve got my non-prepping hobby meeting. Meatspace. One of the guys who is also a ham is supposed to be giving me an antenna at the meeting. And we’re planning for our regional tradeshow/swapmeet/convention which I should attend as I’m a committee chair this year. In other words, stuff to do.

So I won’t be sleeping in, trying to clear some of the fuzz out of my head. The intense focus and effort of the past two weeks has me stumbling around and not thinking straight I’m so worn out. Maybe tomorrow. Or maybe I’ll sleep when I’m dead.

I also need to shop. I’ve been gone for 2 weeks, took about half the fresh stuff in the house up to the BOL, and no one does any real shopping while I’m away, apparently. Nor do they restock the bathrooms even though they have been walking past the bale-o-TP for a month. So I’ll be stacking this weekend. If not tomorrow, then Sunday, at least the non-Costco parts. I don’t go in there on weekends if I can help it.

So stack some stuff, lest you find yourself with empty refrigerators, and no wipes for your bottom…

nick

Hot and humid again. Brief respite after the storm yesterday, but back to normal summer now. 90s, for temps and humidity, but it will start nicer.

Well, I finally finished the major projects and some of the ‘since we have the machines and dumpster here’ projects too. There are some follow on new projects, like stairs from the house down to the yard and lake… since I took out the broken concrete and brick stairs, and some landscaping, like grass seed at a minimum. I did complete a massive amount of work.

So onward. Home for a couple of days, then maybe back with one child. Other child has camp, and wife suggested I could head back up. Hmmm.

Today I’ll be getting some good measurements for supplies to build the stairs. I’ll be looking for cheap and quick alternatives when I get home to my fast internet. Maybe a salvage set, or something industrial will pop up. Stranger things have happened.

Then I’ll be packing up and closing up. Oh, first I’ll fuel and wash the rentals. Do NOT want to get charged, although how realistic is it to expect construction equipment to come back clean? I’m certainly not hand detailing them, but I’ll hit them with the pressure washer and knock off most of the red mud.

It’s been a long couple of weeks and I’ll be glad to be home, if only for a few days.

Been stacking up skills, and improving my position. Been showing the locals I’m not afraid of hard work, and can get things done. Those are good things.

Stack good things.

nick

Hot and humid. Cool enough to start, but broiling under the sun later in the day. Highs yesterday were mid 90s. Probably get the same today. I’m blessed that most of the work I’m doing is in the shade.

I continued working on the side patio. I’ve been grabbing a task here and there as I drive the machine back and forth to the piles of dirt and the work area, like leveling the area in front of the entry door, or pulling a root ball, so MOST of the regrading of the front yard is actually done, or very close to done.

I should be able to finish the grade and backfill on the side in the morning, leaving a few other ‘could do’ ‘would be nice’ and ‘you’ve already got the machine…’ jobs. Pulling down the concrete steps from the house to the yard is technically one of those optional tasks, but it needs to be done and I’ve got the machines…and the dumpster still has room in it.

The machines are crazy useful.

And I’m getting pretty good at fixing pvc pipe that was/should be/will be buried, after breaking it.

Still have all the dock electrical to do, but don’t have the panel. Wife has approved doing that next visit. I need to secure it before I leave though. I’ve been here a long time. It’s a bunch of massive projects. Time to finish and get home.

Always working to improve my situation. If I can’t stack, I’ll work… but stacking is good too.

nick