Vacation ambitions

In Australia a lot of office workers get the week between Christmas and New Year's off.  In addition to this, I took a few weeks off afterwards. 

As usual, I have a whole list of things -- about 85 -- that I'd like to get done during my vacation.  Clearly, I won't get all of them done -- so unlike my usual vacations where I don't make a list, or I only make a vague list, I've done a "brain dump" of various tasks that have been hanging around; I then put them into a spreadsheet (which I've added to as I think of new items), and classified them in terms of priority, whether it's for me or for the family/household, whether it's for fun or a duty/responsibility, whether doing the task frees up a bottleneck for other tasks, whether this task has any dependencies (i.e. I need to do something else on the list before I tackle this item), approximately how many days the item will take (ranging from "0.1" to "6 days"), and whether it needs pre-planning because it has many "stopping points" (e.g. need to let glue, or paint, dry overnight) and thus I can't crank it out on my final day of vacation.

I also noted which of these are best suited to a few weeks of vacation, rather than being a "weekend" project:  these would be things that require momentum, and/or where I tear something apart and it's totally in the way -- and then I put it back together the right way.

And then, as my vacation progresses, I can filter on un-completed tasks, as well as other characteristics (e.g. priority; how long they will take).

I've included some "easy wins" (e.g. "trim my beard!"), so that I can rack up accomplishments during my vacation:  inevitably I end up disappointed at the end of a vacation because I haven't accomplished all the things I wanted to -- so this is a way of recognizing all the things I did manage to do.

In no particular order...

1. Mow yard (fairly completely)
2. Clean up fallen shelves area
3. Cut coardboard for Harry Belefonte LP
4. Gmpa T audio
5. Test and install UPS (power supply box)
6. Tidy the music rack behind the door
7. Test SM58 for resistance to wind
8. Repair cables (mine; church’s)
9. Test USB drawing pad
10. Go through porch boxes
11. Catch up on laundry
12. Book electrician for solar panel
13. B/U HD’s (incl. One at M&D’s)
14. Other clothing repairs
15. Clean out work bag
16. Tidy neckties
17. Clean off bench end of porch
18. Visit D. Bretz
19. Edit blue timestreams video (incl. Color correcting and audio track)
20. Exercise
21. Edit park bench hat-adjust video
22. Finish adze knob
23. Put chopping block on legs
24. Make axe handle for re-rusted axe head
25. De-rust misc. tools
26. Bat signal
27. Roald Dahl instrument
28. De-rust small ball pien hammer
29. Lathe the vampire stakes
30. Lathe tool rack/box
31. Repair wooden chair leg
32. Repair wooden table leg
33. Suitcase drum kit
34. Adze handle for addt’l adze
35. Finish drainfield box
36. Write and record Max dancing song
37. Healer woman song
38. Build lathe shed
39. Suggest getting windjammer/dead cat for SM57 (but first test SM58 wind resistance)
40. Contact Rob on Gumtree for old PC parts (ask if he’d take CRT monitors) (also the giant tower)
41. Clean out (and re-stock) back of car/car boot
42. Sorry, buddy Timmy video
43. PVC frame
44. Repair M&D bench
45. Bretz steps
46. Finish prepping the wood in the water-filled wheelie bin (to make a chair)
47. Uncover drainfield hatch near wattle roots
48. Lay out boundary line
49. Clear off kitchen table (and floor)
50. Edit Max dancing video
51. Healer woman video
52. Lathe those angels
53. Lay tiles around the garden edge
54. Set up recording area
55. Build lumber shed
56. Repair fallen shelves
57. Instructional video for PVC frame
58. Ronin video
59. Make chair from wood
60. Test anti-feedback EQ
61. Test Inkel mixer
62. Drop off used books
63. Give old computer stuff to the hobby guy
64. Go through addt’l used books
65. Log items
66. Bottle recycling
67. Repair soft toys
68. Video chat w/ D #1
69. Video chat w/ D #2
70. Transplant plants to down lower
71. Clean out misc. plant area
72. Get BroDave firewood for black plastic sheet - DONE
    
73. Hand-mow dog yard - DONE
    
74. Finish cleaning out CB’s office (incl. Stationary cupboard)
75. Clean out kitchen
76. Learn my camera
77. Trim beard - TONIGHT
    
78. Repair/change brake light bulbs in white car
79. Finish small two-peg coat peg
80. Slab four pieces of wood from blue bucket
81. Sharpen long ripsaw
82. Sharpen regular ripsaw
83. De-rust and repair mattock

A lot of these are 0.1-day or 0.2-day items -- i.e. it'll take me a half hour or an hour.  Others are modular, such as "Going through the boxes on the porch", where even if I don't finish the entire task, I'll still have made quantifiable progress.

Another consideration is that I need to decide whether to accomplish one or two of my larger-scale projects (which would take a week or a week and a half) -- or rather to stick to small and mid-sized tasks (i.e. 2-3 days max).  One consideration is that it's summer, here in Australia -- so the longer tasks tend to be labor-intensive yardwork (e.g. building a stand-alone shed for my extra wood) is better suited for a cooler season.

--GG

The end of vacaation -- Sunday

The last day of vacation.  So much left unfinished -- but, there's always next weekend.


We don't always go to church, but this time we did. 


Afterwards, I was going to go visit my friend at the nursing home, but I did a web search for visiting hours and it indicated that they didn't have any staff on during the weekend:  weird.  (It possibly referred to just the "business office"; presumably they'd have a front desk/reception person available at all times.  But, had to make a quick decision, and decided that since I didn't know his room number I should get more information -- later.  So instead, The Lady and The Girl drove off to Ikea, and I took the boys home -- but stopped by the store to pick up milk -- and immediately prior, I bought them cupcakes at the nearby bakery (I almost got the chocolate muffin, but decided to get the blueberry muffin for a change of pace; it was okay -- but should've got the chocolate muffin).


Put the laundry on; put the dishwasher on.  Had some food (a bowl of cereal?)


As mentioned, I foolishly stayed up 'til 1am last night (this morning) -- so I was tired.  Around noon(?) I set the timer on my phone for 30 minutes, for just a quick nap.  Unfortunately, I forgot to his "start", so I slept for more than 30 minutes:  woke up around 2pm, when hearing The Lady's voice (must've just arrived home).  

Changed into my yeardwork clothes.  Dumped out the vinegar soak and started to scrub the 15kg weight that I put in the plastic tub last night.  Decided that it needed more soaking, though -- so put it back in with more vinegar -- but this time diluted to abotu half strength, since it'll probably be in there until next weekend.


Worked on the property line some more, including a clever (so says I) lightweight solution involving a way to span the remaining palm tree:  using two sticks of bamboo as spreaders, similar to on a hammock (see photo).

But first, of course, had to source the bamboo (from a stash from 3-5 years ago), then cut to length, drill holes and make notches in the end for the cords.

It worked.


Also worked on the two door wedges:  cut them to length, based on the marks I made yesterday when I tried them out on the doors at the Cash Converters; sanded them; glued sandpaper to the bottoms.  Will oil them some evening this week, and probably deliver them next weekend.


Then it rained like crazy.  Being from the Pacific N.W., I considered continuing to work (eh; it's just water) -- but it was also thundering, and around here getting hit by lightning is a very real possibility -- so I came inside (which was disappointing). 

The Lady was clearing out a pile of things in the corner of the kitchen, so I helped out with that from about 4:50pm-5:30pm,  Then the rain let up a bit (but still drizzling, and I still had about a half hour of daylight -- so I went outside and pulled some weeds.  Did that until it was almost too dark to see. 


Came inside, chatted with The Lady, watched about a half hour of The Space Between Us (a movie) on Netflix.  That takes us to about 9pm.


Came over to my desk, and excavated a few things.  Was considering doing some mending, but I've been dong this blog entry for the last half hour -- I think -- and it's 10:35pm now.  I haven't played any musical instruments yet today, and I've been thinking about playing guitar -- so I'll probably do that instead of mending.


And... ended up finishing watching The Space Between Us, and noodling around on the three-string acoustic guitar.  Came up with some usable riffs:  we'll see if I remember them.  It's now around midnight; had pre-written the summary below; off to bed!!!


Over all, I had a productive -- and therefore "good" -- vacation.  I would've finished shooting the line along the property boundary, but the rain made the cord sag just enough to drag against some low items that would be difficult to shift:  better to wait until things dry out. 

Made some progress on a few small projects.  Watched a lot of the Black Mirror series -- plus various YouTube videos and other Netflix.  And had some great naps!!!  :)


Tomorrow:  back to the real world.

I will do very well at retirement...!!!


--GG

Second day of vacation

Sunday:  second day of vacation.
Second day of vacation (Sunday, March 12th):


Sometimes we go to church; sometimes we don't.  This time The Lady and The Girl went, and the boys and I stayed home.

Watched various YouTube and Netflix -- possibly some web searches as well (don't remember; I'm writing this on Monday...).


After lunch I wiped down all the food items we took OUT of the pantry (one by one), circled the expiration dates, and restored each to the shelves (in an higgledy-piggledy manner).  Items that were just a month or two out of date, or about to expire, I put on a special shelf; items that were truly out of date I put in a box, piled the boxes/packages/cans on the front lawn, and later (with the help of the kids) emptied into a big bucket and then (just before dark) tossed into the bushes waaaay into our back yard (we have a big yard):  the animals may feed on them; it's sufficiently far from the house that I'm not worried about attracting pests; hope that some critter besides me enjoys that expired brick of Spam.

I recruited the kids to help me on the pantry-related tasks, on 30 minute rotations (I used the oven timer to measure the elapsed time):  I think each kid did three sessions (yow!  four and a half hours...!!!).


Watched a little Netflix, then around 3pm or 4pm chopped down (with permission from my neighbors!) a palm tree that straddles the property line:  a few months ago I tried to "shoot" our property line by hanging a cord from surveying peg to surveying peg, but the palm tree was in the way.  Used my late [paternal] grandfather's felling axe to chop it down, after having (a few weekends ago) re-ground it to a narrower pitch and then re-sharpening it.  Then chopped it into four logs about as long as my leg, plus the top bundle of "fronds", to make it move-able.  Plan on splitting the logs with wedges, then letting them dry for a half year or a year, to see if they end up being usable as lumber:  probably not, but it won't cost me anything except time (and I need to dispose of the logs somehow, regardless).

The tree fell the wrong way, BTW:  I chopped through about 40%, but apparently it didn't naturally "sag" in that direction like it was supposed to.  No matter:  I got out safely, and it didn't fall on anything important (in fact, it fell exactly on one of the "escape paths" that I'd cleared).

Also, I was afraid of the "hinge" (where I chopped) being too strong, and having to then free the felled trunk from the stump.  Quite the opposite:  completely fell off.  Probably due to the palm tree only having maybe 20% of the fibres of a "regular" tree:  the rest is filled with squishy stuff -- so, less tensile strength.

It's late summer, so it stayed light until maybe 6pm (I didn't keep track).  Brought my tools inside, then dumped the above-mentioned bucket in the lower back yard.


Since the kitchen isn't really usable (The Lady is still sorting the pantry, with things piled on the stove), she sent me out to pick up some pizzas for dinner.  I also put on some store-bought garlic bread, when I got home.


Re-strung the formerly 4-string, now 3-string acoustic guitar, while watching the rest of Get Out (suspense/thriller) on Netflix:  when playing that guitar yesterday had decided to change the tuning:  it had the correct middle four strings (A D G B) mounted, but was tuned to the lowest (thickest) four strings' tuning (E A D G).  But then when I re-turned it to the higher tension, I discovered that I didn't like this new (but correct!) tuning, because the higher string tension made me have to press down too hard to fret the notes, and it made it too hard to "bend" notes.

So, I removed all the strings, put the lowest two strings (E and A) back into the packet, and collected the highest-pitched four strings (D G B E) in the "wrong" positions (the centre of the neck, rather than the bottom four locations) -- with the intent of tuning them a little slack, so that the middle four strings would still be tuned correctly for their position (A D G B) -- but slightly slack.

However, when removing the strings, I somehow broke one of the strings near the tuning peg -- rendering it too short to mount.  So the current guitar is now just a three-string:  A [no D] G B.  This forces me into unusual fingerings, and I came up with some riffs that I wouldn't otherwise have stumbled upon. 

Anyhow, noodled around in that new configuration while watching the middle third of Get Out.


Finished Get Out around 9pm(?), but didn't feel like going to bed -- so finally watched Sin City on DVD:  bought it maybe half a year ago, on DVD, for a buck.  Engaging enough that I stayed up until about 11pm watching it, then went to bed.


End of Day 2.  Still enjoying myself thoroughly.  :)


--GG

Dirt over tree root

I'm on a week's vacation.  Usually after a vacation -- or even a weekend -- I know I did things, but it's all kind of a blur.  So this time I'm keeping a list, so I'll feel like I accomplished things.

More specifically, I've been doing a lot of small- and medium-sized projects, to achieve a sense of accomplishment -- instead of setting out to do some giant project, running out of time before completing it -- and feeling like I didn't accomplish anything.

Here's one of my small things:  there's a tree root in the front yard to rises up from the grass.  When I ride over it on the riding mower I sometimes get stuck -- the wheels dangle -- and I have to get off the mower and pull it sideways to free it.

So, today I got a wheelbarrow of dirt and spread it around the protruding root, to make the over-all curve more gradual -- so that I will no longer get stuck.  Blondie boy (B1) helped me

The Girl drove over it on the riding mower -- and didn't get stuck!  Yep; seems to have worked.


--GG

Bored bored bored bored bored

So, my shoulder's feeling better -- a lot better -- so I'm trying to be cautious and wary and not be over-ambitious.

That means that I'm trying to not try to do physically active things on weekends, like woodworking or yardwork, or recording (e.g. playing guitar, re-arranging microphones).  And Monday-through-Friday I've been typing two-handed at work, which does make my shoulder a little sore by the end of the day -- so I really shouldn't do much computer work on the weekend.

And it's physically difficult to hold a book with just one hand -- so that means I can't really sit around reading.

So, that leaves:  watching t.v. and DVDs during the weekend.  Which I can do for a while.  But I'd much rather be doing woodworking or yardwork or music.

So I'm getting kinda bored.

But!  In two weeks I get to go back to the doctor's, and see if I can ditch the sling and start doing physical therapy.  We'll see.


--GG

Best vacation EVER

I'm on a week's vacation.  This is the best vacation I've **ever** had!!! (!!!!!) (!!!!!!!)


It started out unpromising, in that last Friday was supposed to be my last day at work:  I just had two tasks to wrap up -- tasks that I really couldn't delegate.  However, Friday morning I was given two new tasks, that needed to be completed "sometime next week" -- while I was on vacation. 

So, instead of spending Friday wrapping up my two existing tasks, I ended up spending all day working on my new tasks. 

Since I didn't have any specific plans (e.g. a family road trip) for my holidays, I ended up deciding to come in on Monday, as well.  I ended up finishing all but one of my now-four tasks -- and the person to whom I owed the fourth task said that it could wait until I got back from holidays.


So!  Vacation started Tuesday.  It is now Friday evening.  Each day I've spent at least a half a day in the shop, working on my "swamp guitar" (it's like a cigar box guitar; more info when I finish it). 

When it gets too dark to do woodworking in my workshop (no electricity), I go outside and clean up small sections of the back yard:  clearing things out of the way and mowing the long grass that remains.

Today I managed to spend the whole day in the shop.  I reached a "gluing point" -- when I glue a section of a project I'm basically stuck until the next day -- so I turned my attention to two other projects:  a tool caddy (photos when I'm finished), and the Bretz Steps (free-standing steps, three steps high, for the back years -- for exercising). 

Today, as well as the other days, I also spent a little time clearing off parts of my cluttered workbench, as well as lapping (flattening a surface) and sharpening some chisels and handplane blades (i.e. making second-hand chisels and handplanes better).


Picked up a 300 grit Japanese waterstone a few days ago, to make lapping my blades easier.  This is the coarsest, fasting-cutting sharpening surface that the speciality woodworking store sells -- as far as I know.  It seems to work:  I'm wearing down -- and therefore evening out -- the backs of my blades noticeably faster than with my previous gear.


And!  I'm only halfway through my vacation.  So hopefully I will actually finish my swamp guitar -- rather than have yet another partially-finished woodworking project.


Stay tuned.  :)
   

--GG

Actually using them

One of my arguments for why I'm not a hoarder -- at least, not to a pathological degree -- is that I actually use some of the things I save.  They're "spare parts".

If I collected bits and pieces, and then didn't remember what I had -- or remembered what I had, but couldn't find them when I needed them -- then it's no good having them.  But if I **do** remember where there are...  then, good thing I have 'em!


For example:  I'm on a few day's vacation, so I'm doing various useful things around the house.  As I took out our battered (but faithful!) old electric lawnmower, I decided that it was finally time to repair the back flap -- it was just **too** worn:  the rust hole was so large that chunks of grass were spraying out at me.  Plus, it's a safety concern:  hard things could be flung at me as well.

The photo above shows it post-repair -- but you can see how large the hole was.

I figured I should cover up the hole with some sort of sheet good.  Originally, I was going to use plywood -- so I went to my stash of small-to-medium-sized sheet goods.

Aha!  This old plastic cutting board!

I held it up to the inside of the flap; marked a "cut line" (with a trysquare!); and trimmed off the excess -- the section that used to have the carry handle.  I just used a regular backsaw.

Then I drilled a few holes, and attached it to the inside of the flap. 

You'll notice that I have the long sections of the bolts protruding outwards, rather than inwards, towards the blades.  This was an intentional trade-off between aesthetics and functional design:  the relatively smooth bolt heads are facing inwards -- meaning that they'll collect fewer grass clippings than the bolt shafts would, had the bolts been pointing inwards.  And although having the bolts protruding towards my legs is a minor safety concern, it's pretty darned minor:  my legs don't get close enough for me to be in danger.

As a bonus, notice how I've "clocked" the screws:  all of the slots are aligned (the red lines are just for emphasis).

My dad taught me this -- although he didn't have a specific name for it.  I think his own dad taught him this, as well.  It shows pride in one's work, and attention to detail.

Or at least as much pride in one's work as could be expected from someone who re-uses old plastic cutting boards to repair their electric lawn mower.


--GG

Decent weekend

Well, a pretty good weekend.

**Finally** managed to mow the lawn (about 2/3 of an acre, so it takes a while).

Shifted a pile of wood that had grass grown up around it, and thus was starting to rot here and there. Luckily about 90% of the wood is still good. Moved it to a more sheltered location. Really need to build some sort of mini-carport for my lumber -- but, have other things that are a higher priority.

Spent time w/ the family.

Spent an evening tidying (excavating?) my daughter's room. Had tried cleaning her room in conjunction with her, but her attention span isn't enough to make it productive -- ended up just being frustrating for me. When she's older, she can do it herself.

Kept meaning to play the bass, and it didn't happen -- other things took priority. Hopefully later this week.


--GG

Home handyguy

Well, I completed what is probably my first substantial "homeowner guy" task.

One of the requirements for getting the shed/garage/carport certified by the city council was jacking the rainwater from the downspouts into the stormwater drains. Finished doing this yesterday (Sunday).

So, I spent several weekends (a few hours per day -- not **all** day) digging a trench. Then I cut pipes and hoses to length; glued them (using special PVC glue) to connectors; laid 'em out; and (mostly) filled the trench back in.

Finished the bulk of the pipe-gluing and pipe-laying on Sunday. Which was Father's Day, here in Australia. Not quite what I'd wanted to be doing on Father's Day -- but, eh.


Surprisingly, the whole project went smoothly. I'm pleased to say that I didn't screw it up -- as near as I can tell.

What's more, with some **super** minor exceptions, I don't see any "Gah! Wish I'd done it differently" spots.

That's a real confidence-builder. Good stuff.



Oh! And I used the pickaxe that I inherited from my paternal grandfather. Used it a **lot**, actually: partway down I hit a fairly rocky layer that the spade just didn't want to go through -- so I had to break it up with the pickaxe before I could spade it out.


The trench ended up being "bottom of my kneecap" deep. That's reasonably substantial.


Gotta get prints of these photos that I've posted here, for the inspection guy's records.


--GG

Wasted weekend

Thursday I went to work, even though I was feeling poorly: I had stuff I needed to do.

Likewise Friday.

I had **planned** to finishing digging a drainage ditch in the back yard, mow the lawn, and various other things. But, nope. Sat around, going "uhhhhhhhh" (and feeling crummy) the whole weekend.

**Did** finish watching a season's worth of the original Twilight Zone t.v. series on DVD. Plus another movie or two.

But basically, a frustrating weekend. By Sunday I felt a little better -- but not enough to actually **do** things -- neither physical work nor sorting/tidying things. Gah.


--GG

I saw

Sadly, one of the trees that self-planted itself (from a seed, presumably) in our back yard right after the house was built (a few years ago) has died. Not a BIG-big tree -- probably two Gye Greenes tall.

I need to take it down before it rots and falls over on the doggie yard fence, or the children's play yard fence, or the septic tank control panel.

So, started sawing off some branches. Smaller ones will be kindling for next-door uncle; larger ones I'll save for woodworking.


Hm. Kind of a boring blog posting. Ah well.


--GG