Preparing to Install Exterior Lights

Lets talk nails as in fingernails.

I have found that when I start even the smallest of projects and it begins with a broken nail, it not a good sign.

For the good part of my adult life I have had long artificial fingernails.  When my husband was racing motorcycles and I was his wrench at the track, I had really long hot pink fingernails and never broke a fingernail.  All my years of working on the development of engines (technician/mechanic) I always had long fingernails and rarely broke a nail.

But once I retired, I decided to forgo the artificial nails and just grow my own out.  Generally there is no problem except when spray painting, the nail sometimes gets in the way of the spray.  It's when I use my left hand that I get in trouble.  Because of the bulging disc and resulting pinched nerve on the right side I tend to use my left hand when I bend down to pick up a tool.  Today I misjudged and promptly rammed my freshly manicured thumb right  into a Wonder Bar and broke a nail.  And it was down hill after that.

Today we removed all the drywall around the patio door and discovered a very poor installation of wire from the duplex outlet to a switch to the light over the center of the door.  None of it was attached to the studs with wire brads and the wire was twisted and laid on top of several studs rather than through drilled holes in the studs.  I think the outlet is too low (I didn't measure yet) and the box for the switch is right up against the jamb.

There was some fiberglass insulation that we removed which in turn unearthed a million walnut shells and the remains of a wasp nest.  By this time it was almost 4 pm and since it was raining, it was already getting too dark.  So we decided to clean up the area and start on the detangling of wire on Friday.

I swept up the small debris, as R  broke up the drywall into smaller pieces so we could throw it into the trash container to get picked up on Friday.  I finished sweeping and decided to use the shop vac to clean out the stud cavities and fine debris between the wood floor and the bottom plate.  I leaned over and flipped the switch only to have dust and debris fly out of the exhaust hole and directly into my face.  

That's bad for a person with good lungs so it immediately sent me into a coughing/wheezing fit because of my COPD from exposure to internal combustion exhaust and exposure to chemicals.  I stopped coughing long enough to open up the shop vac and discover that the filter had falling off.  I reinstalled the filter and even checked to make sure it was snug.  

I flipped the switch and immediately heard a clunk and before I could shut it off, I was blasted in the face again.  At that point I called it quits.

Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and for residents of Michigan that means the Detroit Lions will kick off their annual Thanksgiving Day game.  In the past we would get tickets and go to the game and then come back and eat.  But this year we will watch it on TV and then go to a Hungarian restaurant in Detroit for dinner.  I'm looking forward to chicken paprikas and torte for dessert.  Unconventional but tasty.

Have a great Thanksgiving

Reuse Repurpose Recycle

If a tree falls when the Detroit Lions are playing, will they still lose???

The Detroit Lions have broken more hearts than Carter has little pills. Some years they just plain suck from the very beginning. Then there are other years where they win their first game of the season and you have that fleeting thought..."could this be the year?" Then they win a second game and you think, "do I dare get my hopes up?"


But were optimists here in Michigan when it comes to our sports teams. We have the Red Wings that NEVER fail to deliver. They have spoiled us and anything less than a Division title and we're unhappy. We have the Pistons, who have consistently given us good teams since the late 80's and early 90's. The Detroit Tigers made us suffer for 2 decades before giving us that spectacular year last year. But the Lions are another story. They just keep on breaking our hearts. I can't imagine how Michigan would celebrate if they ever made it to the Super Bowl. We're not fair weather fans either. Week after week they sold out the Pontiac Silverdome (80,368). The Lions then moved to Ford Field (65,000) and continued to sell out every game. The fans are doing their part.


Last Sunday in between listening to the Lions on the radio, inching a hood riding boulder up a hill in our backyard, and periodically listening to the NASCAR race, we managed to cut down a leaning and half dead Box elder tree.




We have a very old, unused concrete swimming pool in our backyard. Our plan is to remove the pool and eventually replace it with a smaller fiberglass pool. But until that time comes, the pool is a perfect burning pit.

Fire in the hole!!!

After accessing the situation, we decided that the best plan was to drop the tree directly into the pool. That plan eliminated having to carry, drag, and haul the wood unsuitable for fireplace burning to the fire pit (swimming pool). The tree was leaning to the northwest. The pool was directly to the west and the majority of the tree limbs were on the south side of the tree. We talked about where we thought Roger should cut out the wedge and how far above the wedge cut should he make the back cut. Roger placed himself on the south side which we felt was the direction that the tree would least likely fall. I stood far enough back, that no matter which way it fell, I was safe. No need for both of us to get hurt, someone needs to call 911. I watched the very top of the tree for movement and yelled to Roger when it started to move. The tree slowly fell directly to the west and the Lions lost. Again.