Another soggy weekend.

It actually got really warm on Friday after I wrote the prior post, so I opened up a bit for the afternoon.  It was nice to get fresh air in the house, this is the first time the windows have been opened for the season, even if it didn't last long.  

I also took advantage of the warmth to install the rain deflectors I ordered for the truck.  I am not too impressed with their manufacturing.  You can clearly see that they cut the deflectors with a knife to install the adhesive.  Way to weaken plastic that is already thin guys

 

Their installation was a pain, and I actually thought for a while I would have to remove the front ones; with those installed the auto up on my windows wasn't working, so I had to trick the truck to get the window to close, but I will see this week after they have had time to indent into the gasket a little bit if they still cause problems.  The back windows don't have the silly "something is stuck, lets open immediately!" sensors, so they should be fine.

 

The drawer organizers for the CR-V buildout arrived Saturday, so I played around with those a bit.  I think I prefer the double large on the right.  I have a bunch of leftover pieces if anyone wants them.  They are just bamboo silverware holder things.

 

vs

I started to glue them together.  The hope is that I can just glue them together and make them the drawer sructure.  That is why I bought bamboo ones instead of cheaper plastic ones.  This way I don't have to build a box around it that would take up valuable space.

 

I also went and installed the hooks and stuff it will need.  I plan to mount my emergency battery behind the basket.  

And bigger loops for a long bungee across the top to keep the toaster and microwave and stuff from bouncing.  

I tried to fit the cargo net I had picked up, but it clearly isn't as big as advertised.  It was advertised s 4x6, and this is only 5' wide and I had to reef on it to get this on.  I think I need a bigger one.  Unfortunately this one is past its return window.

 

I then got out the sander.  I started with the spice racks I made for Jess and Heather.  I assume Jess will be taking them back down with her, and I had kinda forgotten about them.  They were sitting on the sandpaper for my palm sander though, so I got reminded.

 

I also sanded down the build out.  Any surface where things slide got sanded, and all edges my fingers might find got sanded.  

 

It made a huge mess since I did it in the living room.  Not a good plan.

 

I also added a little gorilla tape to the tops.  One of them I wasn't quite straight enough when I drilled the pilot hole for the screw, and they are awfully thin dowels, so I figured a little reinforcement wouldn't hurt. 

For now, I am storing it in the master bedroom.  It isn't complete; I wanted to put felt pads on the bottom, and I only had a couple, so I will need to pick up more.  I moved the TV stand that was sitting here (empty) over by the window so I can put plants on it that I never planted.

 

I also got my window shades.  Those came in.  These are just to help me sleep in whatever vehicle I am in, and to keep the sun from blaring onto my fridge.

 

I am thinking about getting a set of window screens too.  The rest of Sunday was cleaning the sanding dust and vacuuming and stuff.   I otherwise don't expect that there will be too much going on during the week.  It is supposed to rain (or snow as I found out this morning when I woke up to everything being white again) the first half of the week, and Jess is coming out on Friday, so I really only have one evening.  I might try to get the excavator pulled apart then?  

Available Projects and annual tasks:

• Dunks and bug repellent.
• Clean up yard
• Take scrap metal away
• Finish cleanup on the pile in the back 
• Do something with the trailer.
• Fix excavator
  
• Finish drainage
• Build deck
• Push back trees
• Install concrete pilings
• Install landscape fabric and gravel underneath
• Build frame
• Lay decking
  
• Set up hot tub and pool
• Build insulated platform for hot tub
• Put down pool sand to level spot for pool
• Get water delivered for both
  
• Fix mowers and equipment
• Get tractor serviced
• Build travel station for CR-V/prep CR-V for travel
  
• Move carport
• Build the roof extension over to the rocks
• Fix front stairs 
• Test travel options (rent u-haul and test that, rent trailer and test that)
• Install storm doors
• Build overhangs for windows
• Insulate the water lines
  
• Front yard drainage
• Fix snowblowers (broken grease fitting on big snowblower, gas leak on small one)
  
• Gravel/hardpack driveway
• Fix grade to the shed
• Level a spot for a lean-to up the hill
• Build a small lean-to for off-season equipment
• Make shed mouse-tight 
• Create walking trails (put up markers, maybe put down some gravel).
• Clear and level a spot for orchard
• Build a bridge over the creek
• Build a gazebo or something on the other side

Spring Trip all set

The car is now clean.  Even after a few days and the cleaner smell has worn off, it still smells nice, even nicer than my truck.  More than good enough to sleep in.  There are a couple things that he missed/didn't clean, like there is still a coffee stain on the rear passenger door, but he also did a bunch of things I didn't expect him to, like he pulled apart the gear selector and got the gunk out of it, so it slides a lot smoother, and apparently there was mold under the passenger seat contributing to the smell, and that is cleaned up as well.  The floor mats also came out a lot cleaner than I expected.  Overall, I think it was well worth the $285 to have a professional do it.

 

Other than that I have been working on the CR-V build-out stuff off and on, though I haven't been working diligently at it.  It is now no longer a concept and the first two layers are all glued and stapled in (the last post everything was cut but not assembled).  I also went out last night and picked an array of storage bins that were roughly the right size for the larger storage area.  I have measured out the last piece but haven't cut it yet since it has been raining the last couple of days. 

I haven't found a deep C channel yet, so I might just make one.  This is so I can attach a shelf going the other way (so I have counter space essentially).  Just take a board, plop it on top of one of the other boards, and this would act similar to a clamp.  I am not too worried about it tipping over, I think there is more than enough weight (several gallons of water plus a 45lb Jackery to hold the build out down).  Either that or get one of those super compact quick folding camping tables.  Just something so I have a place to put the stove when I pull it out and maybe a cutting board.  If I get a folding table, I can also use it as a laptop stand when lying down on the bed, but it is another thing I will have to make sure I have space for.

 

I did pick up a couple of things on Wednesday when I went out shopping to get stuff that wasn't available on Monday.  I got a cheapo battery operated fan from Walmart.  

I ran it for an hour or so and it went down less than 5% on the battery (it had 83% on it coming out of the box), so it should be okay.  I mostly wanted to make sure if I needed to run it overnight it would last.  It is a little noisier than I like but I will get over it.  It isn't a piercing high pitched whine or anything, it is just as much white noise as a bigger fan.

This morning I actually remembered I had the two long strips I cut of the other shelves in the unit, and set them on it.  It looks okay.  It will need some more support for the top shelf, the microwave is a lot of weight and made it sag a little, but that isn't a big deal. 

 

I am not sure I like using two separate boards for it, but oh well.

 

The plan is to use this drawer (the only actual drawer in this cheap as possible build out) as a shelf for if I want to run a movie or something at night while I go to sleep.  I can pull this out and just set the laptop on it.  This drawer was something I had lying around, from one of my failed attempts to make the pantry in the house better.

 

Since I am using the scraps for the top, I also now have a complete sheet of plywood to make the bed platform out of.  There is also plenty of underlay there if I want to glue it on the top shelf so it is a smooth surface.I might add a piece on the back just to add some more rigidity to the build, though it hasn't felt like it needed it.  It hasn't seen potholes yet though, so I might beef it up anyways.

 

This weekend looks miserable from a weather standpoint again, but I should hopefully be able to finish the CR-V buildout, even if I don't get around to testing it.  I need to remove the back seats to test it, which while simple (I have read), I don't want to do in the rain which would not be good for the leather.  I will probably spend a fair bit of it cleaning up before Jess arrives next week.

 

Thinking of traveling, I have completed the itinerary for my spring trip and made the reservations, so it is set in stone at this point.  I am not doing anything too crazy, basically just going to KY and hitting some spots I have missed over the years on the way back.  Despite going to Toronto a couple of times I have never visited Niagara Falls for example.  Not much in the way of National Parks on this one (just one National Monument):

4/24 - Thursday - Drive to KY.  Work half day

4/25 - Friday - Finish drive to KY.  Work half day

4/26 - 4/27 - Saturday and Sunday - in KY.

4/28 - Monday - Drive to Niagara Falls.  Stay at Niagara Falls

4/29 - Tuesday - Niagara Falls (NY).  Visit Yancey’s Cheese Store.  Stay at Falls

4/30 - Wednesday - Niagara Falls (CA). Stay in Webster

5/1   - Thursday - Visit Letchworth State park, Chimney Bluffs state park and The bluffs on Mcintyre road.  Stay in Syracuse

5/2   - Friday - Visit Green Lakes and Wegmans.  Visit Chittenango Falls.  Visit Carrier coworkers.  Stay in Syracuse

5/3  - Saturday - Visit Taughannock Falls State Park. Visit Fort Stanwix NM on route east.  Stay with Aunt and Uncle

5/4   - Sunday - Go to Dog Shack, Hicks, Argyle.  Stay at Mike Kelley.  

5/5   - Monday - Work remotely half day, visit Mike Kelley, drive home afterwards.

 

I haven't thought too much about the fall trip, but I am not sure if I will need to use any vacation time this year for project work.  I intend to avoid it if at all possible, but I really want to get all that done before winter.

 

Available Projects and annual tasks:

• Dunks and bug repellent.
• Clean up yard
• Take scrap metal away
• Finish cleanup on the pile in the back 
• Do something with the trailer.
• Fix excavator
  
• Finish drainage
• Build deck
• Push back trees
• Install concrete pilings
• Install landscape fabric and gravel underneath
• Build frame
• Lay decking
  
• Set up hot tub and pool
• Build insulated platform for hot tub
• Put down pool sand to level spot for pool
• Get water delivered for both
  
• Fix mowers and equipment
• Get tractor serviced
• Build travel station for CR-V/prep CR-V for travel
  
• Move carport
• Build the roof extension over to the rocks
• Fix front stairs 
• Test travel options (rent u-haul and test that, rent trailer and test that)
• Install storm doors
• Build overhangs for windows
• Insulate the water lines
  
• Front yard drainage
• Fix snowblowers (broken grease fitting on big snowblower, gas leak on small one)
  
• Gravel/hardpack driveway
• Fix grade to the shed
• Level a spot for a lean-to up the hill
• Build a small lean-to for off-season equipment
• Make shed mouse-tight 
• Create walking trails (put up markers, maybe put down some gravel).
• Clear and level a spot for orchard
• Build a bridge over the creek
• Build a gazebo or something on the other side