option 3

Shut The Fuck Up has has been the prevailing sentiment here for some time, and unwritten blog posts the consequence.  like mom said, "if you don't have something positive so say . . ."

have been so unremittingly under the sway of  the critical voice, only two "constructive" changes/additions to this blog have been repeatedly coming to mind:

first is the notion of deleting many, if not all, of my posts here -- perhaps contacting the zaadz gnomes and telling them to yank the whole thing.

second is the idea of posting a simple list of all the derogatory adjectives and invectives i so roundly hurl down upon myself -- conceivably, a list without end -- a catalog, perhaps.



today, a third option emerges: let all this lamenting and jibberish stand, as is, for what it is; and simply confide, typical blog-fashion, some of what of is going on here, as is, for what it is.




have written here before about my involvement in remodelling my sister's home. 

this past week, we demo'd the wall that seperated the living and dining areas, where we will be adding a see-through fireplace.  we've completed the rough framing; decided on a "finish" for the living room side; and inquired about a commissioned tile surround for the dining room side.  the fireplace itself, on order, arrives this coming week.

awaiting an estimate on a system to heat the under-the-floor radiant tubing we are retrofitting into the house.  the upstairs "loops" and finished flooring have been complete for some time -- the downstairs loops and flooring are yet to be installed.  going with a redundant boiler/evacuted-solar-tube system.  the solar tubes should, with storage, handle most of the winter heating needs.  but the highly-efficient boiler can completely heat the house and provide domestic hot water at a significant cost - and energy-saving rate over the existing gas fireplace-insert my sister has been relying on.

rented a backhoe, and with an excellent hired helper, dug the post holes and did some excavation for a patio/pergola sort of thing we are doing.  mangaged to break the main water line on the very first hole -- "aha! that's where it is!" -- but it was easily fixed.