Down another 1.6

Yikes! Six days without a post? Unheard of.
While I have been slacking off on posts, the workouts continue. The running has not become routine yet, so I think I will continue for a while. There is something comforting about the rhythm created by my feet. Once I get settled, it feels like I could actually do two miles without stopping. This from a man who has never run more than a half mile in one shot. In my entire life.
So I dropped another 1.6, bringing the total to 63.4 pounds. Yee haw, it looks likes I finally jumped off the plateau of 60 pounds. The challenge, as always, will be keeping it off.

- subject change -

So I took on this super ambitious project of building lofts beds for my girls (seven and three). Having pored over available plans I finally settled on some plans and starting collecting the few woodworking tools I did not already have (a table saw, some clamps, abrasives, general what not). I will not bother listing the huge number of mistakes I made while paring down the pile of lumber into usable bits. I will not bother you with the number of times I made THE SAME mistake nor how costly they were.

I will just submit a list of things I have learned:


- no matter what pictures you find to show the finished product, be prepared design changes that will add significant time to the project.

- it is not enough to measure it twice. make sure you are using the correct measurement to begin with.

- smooth wood, regardless of type, is expensive.

- measure it again.

- square your tools with the same gauge. a sixteenth of an inch on one could be different than another.

- make sure your sixteenth of an inch is accurate.

- add 20% to all your time estimates. this will keep you from having to work all night because the paint booth is only available on Tuesday and Thursday.

- add 15% to all your material estimates (includes consumables: abrasives, glue, et al.). this will save time going to the hardware store.

- power sanders rock.

I am sure there are more things, they just have not occurred to me yet.

- nn