Sunday, May 01, 2011

Home many times can you go to the hardware store in one day...

So I spent a lot of time driving back and forth from the hardware store today, I had planned to get a "lot of stuff done" in the yard, and I did, but I also spent a lot of time being stupid.

My day started with a "quick" trip, which took longer, and resulted in a very large piece of lumber sticking out the back of the car.  I only had wanted to do that one more time... but managed to buy the wrong thing... A 2"x8"x12' instead of a 2"x6"x12, yes I know 2 inches whats the big deal (other then I'm speaking in imperial instead of metric.)  The issue is that I need two equally sized pieces of lumber to act as the joist for my shelf, and I already had one 2x6 left from the first phase.

I did get the lumber for my potato box, but more on that later.

Okay I guess it is later, when I got home, Bryan and I started assembling the potato box, Cedar on the outside for weather resistance (plan to use that again next year) and pine stakes on the inside because 1. you can't buy 2x2 in cedar, and 2) they were 97 cents and sharpened.)  At some point I had realized my lumber bumble and decided I needed to go back to the store.  Erin talked up Mr B to the point he was excited to go, wanted to go, needed to go.  So who am I to say no to a kid who wants to go to the hardware store (train handiness in early.)

So back we go to the store, with a honey-do list of this's and thats to get.  I manage to return the wood, get a new piece, a weed whacker, a gas can, some screws, some clamps, a new tape measure, some brain damage, some brain damaged staff, a pricing issue, an ulsar, some rain, and some *sounds of exhausted exasperation*.

Returning home, Erin and I collude on the phone to get a snack ready for B, so we can go do the one thing that was planned for the day, which was go get our raspberries plants from the garden store.  So B, snack, Evie, and all hop into the car.  At this point it is 1:00 pm, also known as... Bryan's normal nap time....

So off we go, at the garden centre E was touch and go, it became obvious in the later half of the day she was having an upset tummy, (only after we were far away from the gripe water, which really works?!)

So we toddled about, and had a hard time finding everything.  Then we found a tree we really wanted (need to figure out about where best to plant it.)  It is a corkscrew hazel standard, first picture time.  We've always loved the one in Erin's parents yard, (which sadly died suddenly.)  This one was a standard, and already pretty corkscrewy.  The hard part, was that all other ornamental standards, except it were 30% off, and so I started a chain reaction by asking if it was miss labeled, it took an age and a day to discover it wasn't on sale, but because it was by criteria in the sale of the week category they would give us the sale price.

At this point, we wanted it, and the shenanigan to find out the price had gone on long enough that we felt obliged to get it.  It also meant that B was getting fussy and so was E.

Then we bumped into Huma, which was fun, and B had a great time showing her all the water features.  At some point it all fell apart and fun turned to toddler mania.

We bailed with tree and got home, the dieters (aka Erin and I) were starved and grumpy.  We fed B, got him to nap, Erin drugged Evie with milk, us fed, we tackled the gardening.

So we got our raspberries in the grounds, and added some lilly of the valley for extra smell.  So we have two invasive indigenous species who can duke it out.

Next up I got my potato box started, I have to blame/thank brad for this, I hope to swap potato stories with him this year.  I had so many extra Yukon Gold's left I gave them to my neighbours, we agreed between the potatoes, apples, tomatoes, and misc berries we are going to start a little garden fresh store at the end of the driveway.

This is the potato box, basically as they grow you add more dirt, and then add more boards.  At the end you have a lot of potatoes, in a box.  Let the frost kill the plant, the skins harden, then just get a tarp, take of the side, and presto potatoes.  It is supposed to be cool enough to cold store in the garage, so I should have potatoes all winter (I hope.)


The rest of the garden is starting to come back to life, first, of course, is the daffodils.  They are blooming, and the tulips and day lilies are starting to sprout.

My apple's are also starting to bud, and their leaves are ever so tiny where they are out.  I don't think I ever showed the "finished" garden planter, and in truth it needs a little finishing, but I'm going to photo bomb for a moment, and then get back to silly stories.


Daffies

Blue Berries, in pink and blue (yes pink.)

Almost finished raised bed, you can see the start of the top plate

Apple starting to bud, I sure hope it has enough bandwidth to get the nutrients it needs from the app store.

So back to hardware store anxiety.  SO the lumber that I took back and then got again with Bryan... Apparently distracted by everything... bought the wrong one again.  The first time was an honest mistake of ignorance, the second time was just incompetence.  Also the tap measure I bought was missing, and my mental recording of the incident left it clearly on the self checkout machine at the store.  I hate those things, really honestly and truely.  They put people out of a job, piss me off, they don't work and they are slow.

I digress...

So back we go, third times the charm, this time with Evie.  I actually didn't take the wood back, I just couldn't face it, but I wanted to get my tape measure before I missed my window (I figure the same people on duty is usually helpful.)

Third time was barely better then the second, store was FULL, and lines long and filled with cranky people, and there were a lot fewer cashiers then before (and of course only those automated crapinals (t crap + terminals.)

I got out of their, mostly unscathed, but I feel like I've been pithed some days.  The rest of the day went well, lovely family dinner, Charlie and Alex kept B bouncing off the walls, and he pooped in the potty (yes these are the victories of my days :) )

Now is now, and I've typed much more, and for longer then I thought, bed time.

G out

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Cutoffgeco

We seem to have found our phone and Internet sliced through by what I
can only assume was a backhoe exception as it seems Milton, Halton
Hills and Georgetown are all affected.

If you need us today call my cell.

G

sent on behalf of Geoffrey Peart by the Modrons who plumb the tubes of
the interwebosphere..

http://www.kintera.org/faf/donorreg/donorpledge.asp?ievent=439756&supId=178485907&msource=boundlessbadge

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Garage Super Shelf Phase 1

In the background of the last post you can see the ubër shelf I've been building in the garage.  You can see it in full (all be it messy) here:

That span is about 4 m and it is pretty solid.  The point was to be able to get the car nose under without worrying and I think I can.  I will probably add one asymmetric support pillar.
I will build on the left two more shelves, I really like on the left most side I have my tire rack, where the tires (all four) just slot down in.

Raising the Garden

Been working on some garden beds for our veggies this year, wanted to try something a little different, a little more instant construction.  So I'm going with the Lee Valley Raised Bed kit which uses pre-cast concrete instead of wood to form the bed sides.  What I didn't realize is pre cast concrete slabs weight 90 pounds a pop. So I'm exhausted from just hauling them into the yard.


Here are half the stones, and the limestone I need for the base
The first of the frames assembled with the
brackets installed.



I've put together the first frame in the garage, and I will do the second tomorrow, I used cedar instead of pressure treated because I wanted the to not worry about the chemicals leaching into the veggies.  Hopefully I can't get everything put together on Friday as I have a few cubic yards of soil coming to fill the bed.  I just have to remember no planting until May.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Heart and Stroke Ride For Heart


For the fifth year in a row my wife and I will be riding in the Heart and Stroke Ride for Heart raising funds to support the Heart and Stroke Foundation.  This cause has always been particularly close to my heart (if you will excuse the pun) my family has been touched the technologies and therapies made possible through research dollars donated through the Heart and Stoke Foundation.  From the pace maker that keeps my grandfather moving at the spry young age of 89, or the heart valve surgery my brother had before he was one year old.  These are just two of the many examples within my own family, and when I think on it, I can come up with a dozen more amongst my close friends, and colleagues over the years.
 
This is why my wife and I ride, and why I'm asking each of you to consider the importance of heart health, even if just reading this reminds you to watch out for your own, if you can donate, it would mean a lot to me.  The donation link
 
Thanks for your time and consideration, I promise not to abuse the broadcast address again (this year.)  You can  find the donation link in the footer of any email from me, or right here:
 
For those still reading at this point I'm going to put my money where my mouth is with this special offer, from anyone who donates $50 dollars or more to my wife or I, I (or a suitably neutral party) will draw a random donor who will take home a pair of Leaf's tickets for next season (Upper bowl, in the curve, second row, aisle seats.)