Home Construction Projects

Well, the basement door project came out beautifully, and is now ready for the new storm door. All I need to do is get Wifey to decide which door she wants. She has concerns with the pet door flap. Our friend's dogs refuse to use it on their new EMCO door, and she wants to take our dogs over their house to try it out. I don't think it is as big a deal as she does, but she is in charge of the dogs for the most part, so I relegate all authority to her on those matters.

One other thing I realized the builders fucked up on that delayed completion. They did not wrap the Tyvek sheet under the vinyl siding around the opening and into the house. They cut it flush with the edge of the siding. That left the plywood sheathing naked from the edge of the siding to the rough opening. Therefore, I primed and painted the plywood with 2 coats of exterior latex paint to add some extra protection against the elements. The door itself will get a fresh coat of paint after the storm door is installed and it is no longer exposed to the weather.

With that completed for now, it was on to the deck rehab. There were a couple of rotted floor boards, the stairs need repair, and the whole thing needs a pressure wash and water treatment application. I thought about replacing the entire deck floor boards. The deck is 12' x 18'. I need twenty five 5/4 x 6 deck boards 20' long. The thought was if not too pricey to just do it all over instead of piecing it together. Have you priced lumber lately? $50 a board for a total of $1250.00 plus tax before adding screws. YIKES! Just for ha-has, I wondered how much more synthetic decking would be. More than twice the price just for the deck boards, not including screws, mounting hardware, installation tools, screw plugs, etc. Guess it will just be a repair job. The initial haul from the building supply house was $290, and that included $40 for the brickmold to fix the door.

I started by removing and replacing the rotted floor boards. I thought I had screws. It turns out they weren't what I thought they were, they were too short. They were in a plastic bag that I had gotten from my Dad when he passed away. I figured I would grab the screws at Lowe's since I get a military discount there, and it would be an excuse to get out on "The Beast" for the afternoon. I also had a small busted bar clamp from Harbor Freight that required a free replacement, throw in a stop for lunch, hook up with my riding buddy after his doctor appointment, and there you go! $37 at Lowe's for 4 boxes of needed screws.

When I got home I screwed down the new boards and started dismantling the stairs. My wife asked that if the stairs were going to be replaced, could I widen them? Sure, since I had to replace the stringers, I would cut 1 extra and then install longer boards for stair treads and redo the railings. The stairs were in far worse shape than I thought.

Half the stairs and part of the railing removed. New deck floor boards in place

Close up of the rotten stringers. I will remove the rest when I start installing the new stairs.

I have decided not to reuse the 2 x 2 spindles. I will get all new ones wherever I removed old ones and redo the railing for the steps as well. I will also need to get a short pressure treated 2 x 6 and 2 x 4 for the railing top. Sigh... more money! But it will look nice when done.

Because it rained off and on all day, I worked in the garage to cut the new stringers after my wife left for the day. First thing I had to do, was clean and cover my bike to keep the sawdust off. I got them all cut from one 2 x 12 x 12' board. It was cheaper than buying pre-cut stringers which were about $40+ a piece depending on how many steps. 

The four new stringers. I used the one old stringer that was mostly intact for a pattern.

 

While working in the garage late this afternoon, I heard some lucky person exercising their 2nd Amendment rights over at my club range. There was a break in the weather for over an hour. It sounded like maybe an M1A to me.

Next up will be to complete the stair demo and get the concrete blocks set to the proper height, as well as put in the additional one. I'll probably go back to the supply house tomorrow for the additional lumber. Its less than 10 miles away, so not a big deal. Below is a photo of the debris pile so far that will need to go to the transfer station (dump). There is also a barrel of small pieces of scrap from cutting of the stringers sitting in the garage that needs to go too.

Still Finding Fuckups 16 Years Later

16 years. Thats how long we have been in our present house, which we had built. Even though I was on the job site every couple of days and photo documented virtually everything, mistakes were made and crappy workmanship was done. I found yet one more today.

We have a walkout basement, and that opens out to the fenced in yard for the dogs. The storm door we put on the basement door was beat to shit so we plan on replacing it with one that has a factory installed dog door. The brickmold around the insulated exterior door needed replacing as well. I bought some today at a local building supply house. It came primed and ready for paint, so I painted the surface that will butt up against the vinyl siding trim, because it can't be painted after its put up. I took off the old door, and got ready to demo the rotted brickmold.

 As I started to pry off the brickmold, I encountered some unexpected resistance in the form of 3" framing screws through the brickmold, plywood sheathing, and into the 2 x 6 framing. I had no idea why the builders did that until I got to the other side of the door where they also did it. The brickmold was what was holding the door frame in place so it was anchored outside with the extra screws. Who the fuck does that? Hacks, thats who.

Once I got all the brickmold removed I properly shimmed and nailed the latch side of the door frame to the framing members of the rough opening. The hinge side is held in by 3" screws at the hinges. The builders also neglected to put any insulation in the gaps around the door frame, so I used some spray in expanding foam. Since its not going to rain any time soon, I quit for the day. Construction called on account of darkness don'tcha know. Tomorrow I will cut and put up the new brickmold, and then give it two nice coats of white exterior latex. The door frame will be all ready for the new storm door when it comes in.

After I finish that, I will start on my deck rehab project.

Message 2021.0232

More fun using my skills learned at Fort Gordon, courtesy of Big Green!

 

44 39 44 33 45 20 55 42 33 37 59 20 4f 37 59 55 37 20 53 4d 30 48 44 20
30 44 37 4a 30 20 44 4c 59 30 30 20 56 37 46 4d 30 20 42 4d 4a 56 30 20
42 55 32 56 4d 20 32 59 55 4c 4d 20 32 42 56 4d 30 20 30 32 44 48 4f 20
59 34 41 49 4f 20 59 52 59 55 4c 20 48 44 52 56 55 20 4d 4f 56 30 30 20
56 55 52 30 32 20 33 42 59 30 4d

 

Fire up your super computers. I hope I burn time, money and valuable resources while you illegally spy on Patriotic Americans, you tyrannical commie motherfuckers!

All You Need Is Common Fucking Sense!

So the super smart doctors, bureaucrats, and other assorted fucktards lead by Dr. "Weepy" Wolensky at the CDC are going to be "considering" whether wearing a #MaskOfOppression outdoors is still necessary.

NEWSFLASH: It has never been, is not now, or ever will be in the future necessary to wear such stupid virtue signalling face coverings outdoors for the Chink Bug. In a dust storm, high pollen times (it gets so bad here you can see the clouds of it), smoke, desire to hide from facial recognition, or if you want to rob the stagecoach or train, then yeah, wear one outside. But truly "smart" folks already know this.

Strange

Gov. "Jolly" Ned Lamont is proposing the use of Kommiecticut taxpayer dollars to pay back bribes paid out by businesses of 500 employees or less to go get the "not a vaccine." These bribes are things like paid time off, free meals, gift cards, transportation, etc. that are provided by the employers. My question is; "why do you have to bribe people if the "not a vaccine" is just so fucking wonderful?" The question is rhetorical and the answer is quite obvious to those of us that have done any kind of research on the experimental jab.

Jolly Ned also said in todays presser that state contact tracers are going to start knocking on doors to encourage participation. Come knock on my door uninvited and you will immediately learn you are not welcome and should exit my property quickly for your own safety.

Message To The USPS

 

 

News story broke this morning across all media: The USPS has been spying on Americans.

 

How about you pay attention to moving mail and packages in a not totally fucked up way like you do now, learn to be fiscally responsible (HA!), and STOP SPYING ON AMERICANS!

Its just one more click on the ratchet towards ACW2, and one more cadre of goons that will be subject to S-S-S!

Happy Pagan Dirt Worship Day

For that is how I refer to Earf  Day. In honor of what this stupidity has become, I will be sure to leave my big V-8 pickup truck idling, leave lights on, turn the heat up to 74 (it is chilly here today), and put not one item in recycling... today it is all trash. I will also burn my brush today and light it up with some type of petroleum product. Too bad I don't have any diesel, that is nice and smoky.

I Wonder Why?

A few moments ago on Fox 61 out of Hartford, they had a live broadcast on the streets of Hartford with a black female reporter. The caption below said, "Communities React To Chauvin Verdict." Apparently only people of color live in what the media calls "communities," I'm not sure what I live in now... in their eyes probably a Klan?

I'd like to see how citizens outside the urban shitholes would react if asked. I have an idea. My personal reaction is I have the same doubts about the fairness of the trial due to external forces (I did not watch or see all the evidence, but I saw enough to have reasonable doubt) as I do concerning the 2020 elections.

HA... Nope

In the wake of the guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin, I keep seeing the George Floyd mural in Minneapolis on TV and noticed the caption at the bottom, "I Can Breathe Now."

Last I checked, even though Derek Chauvin has been declared "GUILTY," George Floyd is indeed still dead, not breathing, and taking an eternal dirt nap with the worms. So... no.

Before you go thinking I am all pro-police... AW HELL NO! When they are doing their jobs properly, yes. Like when they are more like "Peace Officers" than "Law Enforcement," called to investigate a crime or stop one because they happen to be right there. When they are trampling on our rights, enforcing intolerable/unconstitutional acts passed by tyrants, running DUI or seat belt check points, or just being obnoxious pricks, they can go fuck themselves.

Just Wait

If you thought the streets were gonna be on fire with a mistrial or not guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial, just wait until the verdict gets tossed out on appeal.

Fire up the popcorn popper and hang on tight. Its gonna be a hell of a ride.

So I Guess I Need To Shun Subway Now?

Because apparently their new spokes-thing is the anti-American purple haired unpatriotic Team USA women's soccer player Megan Rapinoe. I typically don't care about someone's politics, sexual preferences, or ethnicity unless they put it out there to be their whole identity and persona.  That piece of shit represents the United States on a world stage, and if you can't stand for our flag like a normal human being then fuck you and EVERYTHING you represent, including Subway.

So until that cunt (dick? not sure about relationship roles) is no longer doing Subway commercials, I won't be eating there.

Classic Rhodesian Ridgeback

Eli (named for Eli Whitney) is the 4th Rhodesian Ridgeback we have owned. He will be 1 year old next week.

My handsome boy mugging for the camera

Like his predecessor Ernie that we lost at the end of 2018, this is the favorite spot to be on the couch when I am watching TV. Snuggled up in the crook of my leg resting his head on my knee. In the background at the other end of the couch is my Miniature Poodle boy.

Nothing better than a warm Ridgeback on a chilly and rainy afternoon

I guess his nose got cold because this is what he did right after I took the previous picture.

While Rhodesian Ridgebacks are certainly high drive and energetic dogs, they can also be couch-potato cuddlebugs. He has recently really found his legs and runs super fast. He can outrun but not out maneuver my female Standard Poodle that is his playmate. She gets mad because she can't catch him anymore, and he can certainly catch her. But she is so springy and agile like an NFL running back, that she can bounce far out of his reach in an instant.

Well, The TV Commercials Have Begun

We've all seen them, from the big national "slip-n-fall" law firms, fishing for clients harmed by asbestos, Round-Up weed killer, pedophiles in the Boy Scouts and church, and both prescription and OTC medications.

The newest ones show several "clients" that were supposedly harmed by... DING! DING! DING! DING! you guessed it... VACCINES! Unfortunately, there is no video up yet, so I will have to try and capture one. So far I have only seen them on late night TV.

And Kommiecticut is now on a "pause" with distributing Johnson & Johnson vaccines because of the possibility of blood clots. Ole Gov. Jolly Ned Lamont says don't let that be one more reason not to get vaccinated.

IT IS ONE MORE REASON NOT TO GET JABBED!!

This Is What It Will Take

So the Gropey Joe/Harris Ho administration has declared their allegiance to the EnviroNazis that are going to dictate our lives in the future based on the farce that is global warming/cooling - climate change/disruption caused by human activity. NEWSFLASH - temperature on the planet is controlled by one thing only... the giant ball of fire in the sky. Find the thermostat and try to control it instead of trying to control the world's population.

Here is what it will take for me to willingly purchase an EV (electric vehicle), bullet point by bullet point. There are no compromises, this is an "all or nothing" GO-NO GO list. This was lifted and updated from a post on my old blog.

• A new vehicle will have to be comparatively priced to its gas/diesel powered counterpart, whether a sedan, SUV, or full-size pickup truck. WITHOUT TAXPAYER FUNDED SUBSIDIES
• All vehicles must have "horsepower" equal to or greater than fuel power counterparts.
  
• Sedans and SUV's must have comparable comfortable passenger capacities
  
• Full size pickups must have comparable passenger, cargo, and towing capacities. The vehicles stand- alone GVW must not push the GVW of a combination with a trailer to require a special license.
  
• Battery range must be equal to or greater than liquid fuel, including when carrying cargo or towing a trailer. This includes the operation of environmental controls, lighting, and windshield wipers.
  
• Charging stations are as numerous, compatible, and easy to use as a gas station.
  
• A re-charge while on a road trip is as quick as filling a liquid fuel tank. Charging overnight at home is optional.
  
• Battery re-charge prices are the same or less than a tank of liquid fuel.
• Battery banks and motors last as long as a gas or diesel powered drive train, and are not any more expensive to replace. 

We bought a brand new 2005 Toyota 4Runner and traded it in at the end of 2019. It had 268,229 miles on it and basically only needed fuel, oil, tires, brakes, and batteries. It had a couple of repairs for normal worn parts. It was in need of tires and a worn wheel bearing, but we traded it in because the tailgate was rusted out. If not for the tailgate, my wife would still be driving it because the engine and drivetrain were running strong. The vehicle that replaced it was a 2017 Toyota RAV-4.

• Normal maintenance items are not stupid expensive (like a routine brake job on a Mercedes or Range Rover for example)
• Aftermarket accessories are easy to add and connect to power
  
• The choice to buy is mine, not a government mandate. 

The irony is funny as to how much environmental damage occurs in mining the minerals for the batteries, and how much "dirty" electricity from coal, oil, and gas is used for charging these supposed clean vehicles. Then there is the HAZMAT problem of battery disposal. IMHO, the only real reason to buy one of these things is to virtue signal how much you care about the environment. If new gas/diesel vehicles become extinct, I see myself becoming like a Cuban that keep 1950's vintage cars on the road into the 2020's.

A New Hero For EVERYONE

This incident took place in Calgary, Canada on Holy Saturday. This guy... Pastor Artur Pawlowski let the jack-booted (literally... look at the blonde female as she walks away outside) goons know they were not welcome in his church, and to come back with a warrant. Who knows about such things better than someone that grew up and lived behind the old Soviet "Iron Curtain?" H/T to the Zelman Partisans for making me look into this further, and having another hero of Polish descent.

 Below is the video of the news story with Mark Steyn interviewing the Pastor on FoxNews.

The Pastor's actions, while certainly admirable and heroic, have unfortunately secured his passage in one of the first boxcars of the early train to the extermination camps.

BREAKING NEWS

A report just came across my afternoon local newscast about a shooting at a Knoxville TN high school. No details, possible multiple victims.

Yup. Another shooting at a Gun Free Death Zone (GFDZ). Will the #LIBTARD gun-grabbing hoplophobes EVER see the correlation? If not, then they are truly just mentally retarded.

Personal History For Today April 12, 2021

I was reminded of today's anniversary by my fellow blogger at Mostly Cajun, All American and Opinionated with his daily posts on "Today In History." In today's post, we are reminded of the first launch of a crewed space shuttle, Columbia STS-1. This is also an important date in my personal history.

I enlisted in the US Army Reserves on December 3, 1980 in the delayed entry program. I was nearing the end of my first semester at Hartford State Technical College, and wasn't doing so hot. But this type of enlistment was going to let me do both, staying in college and serving in the reserves.

Halfway through my second semester, it was obvious college life was not for me. I contacted my recruiter at the recruiting office in Enfield, CT and told him to cancel the delayed entry and get me in as soon as was possible. I was told it would be mid-April and I immediately dropped out of school. I never regretted doing that, what I did regret was not moving from the reserves into the regular army.

Early on the morning of April 12, 1981 my Dad dropped me and my bag off at the AFEES (Armed Forces Examination and Entry Station) located in the main US Postal Building on Main Street in Springfield, MA. While waiting in the holding area, there was a television on and of course, every network (there were only 3 after all) was broadcasting live from Cape Canaveral. I watched the launch hoping it would go OK. You see, the original launch was supposed to be April 10th but it got scrubbed. It was such an ungainly looking spacecraft I didn't see how it was possibly going to work as expected. There had been a few years of test flights launching from the back of a 747. But then, I'm not a rocket scientist so what do I know?

I spent that morning finalizing paperwork, getting a physical, and reciting my Oath of Enlistment. The next item was getting lunch, which was on Uncle Sam next door at the White Hut burger stand. It would be my last meal as a civilian for the next few months. In mid-afternoon, I boarded a bus bound for Fort Dix, NJ where we arrived in the early evening. Because we were fresh off the bus and going into the "in processing" area, we were given a USGI boxed lunch for supper, which was most likely a bologna and cheese sandwich, a bag of chips, and a can of soda. It was then the usual welcome to the Army we are all familiar with. A half dozen drill sergeants moving around the holding area screaming at everyone, having to dump your bags on the floor looking for contraband, and then packing all your stuff back up for the double time to the barracks. After a restless nights sleep, boot camp started in earnest!

All Done, Ready to Mount

The bell restoration is finished. Below is the turn knob and escutcheon plate caked in a century's worth of thick brown paint before stripping.

 

 

And here is the same assembly restored back to the original brass.

All the mechanicals have been taken completely apart, cleaned, reassembled, and lubed with a light bearing lubricant. I put the bell in my vise to hold it so I could ring it while shooting a quick video.

 

 

That bell had not worked in decades. I remember it worked when I was a kid, but in later years the knob just spun because the gears were out of alignment. Now I need to go out and purchase some decent wood to construct the display mount. I will then need to go to a trophy shop to have the engraved brass plaques made up.

The Re-Tooling

The removal of my old blog and account have  been a bit of a blessing. My exposure, readership, and comment participation on this blog space is way greater than it was previously. In the mere couple of months of existence, and without being hammered by bots, my count numbers are pretty high. Could I monetize it? Maybe, but since I find ads annoying, I won't inflict them on my readers and its not why I write. It also keeps my blog under Google's radar for giving them an excuse to shut me down.

I Had To Ask

We had on The CBS Sunday Morning show, being bombarded with all the LIBTARD propaganda an alphabet legacy network can spew. In between of course were the commercials and PSA's encouraging jab participation. Their final story was of NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins that is also an evangelical, and that getting jabbed shows you "love your neighbor." Fuck off, pal  I love myself first, and won't partake in self-harm.

I have no idea (and neither does "science") what the long term effects of getting the jab are, like 5, 10, or more years from now. What I do know is my wife and I will be casual observers, not participating lab rats. One possible scenario I pose is being exposed to something that reacts badly with the new RNA instructions and creates a zombie apocalypse. I know... crazy, but in my view just as plausible in the realm of unknowns and experimental goo jabs.

So I told a friend of mine that got the jab my theory, and asked him not to hold it against me when I have to doubletap him when he approaches me, arms out, drooling, and mumbling, "BRAINS!"

He said he would forgive me.

I Finally Jumped In

I had been waiting for my financial situation to improve, and it has. We re-financed the house which will save us $300 per month, and am saving over $1000 a quarter by getting rid of supplemental insurance and joining a medical sharing organization. We make too much to qualify for any discount on Obummercare, and not enough to afford the full freight, even on the cheapest plan. Anyway, starting today, I began an automatic monthly donation to Tunnel To Towers. They ask for $11 a month, but I went up to $20. I also included the optional extra dollar to cover the processing fee for a total of $21. They give you the option to honor or memorialize someone on your donation, so I memorialized the LT from my former fire department that died in the line of duty in 1990. I was right there that night it happened and have never forgotten.

My wife has been instructed to call them if I die in the line of duty to get the house paid off.

I Wonder

Just how much doubt has just been put in the minds of those hesitant (unlike myself that WILL NEVER submit to the jab) to get the jab thanks to the fuck up at J & J requiring the destruction of 15M doses?

Time will tell.