Feels Like Fall

Summer must have its bags packed and sitting near the door, ready to make a quick exit at anytime. It’s downright chilly this morning (just under 50 degrees). Brr. We’ll see only 65 today. Nice, but definitely below average for this time of year.

It would appear that the driveway survived the rain from the start of the week, though I’m still going to wait until tomorrow (one more day of sunshine and air-drying) before I put the car back on it. Here’s hoping that it really is OK. It was waaaay too much work to have it all come sliding off on me!

It’s supposed to stay dry and get progressively warmer as the week wears on which is good news as I need to 1) cut the yard and 2) get going on Pimp My Shed. That will be this weekend’s big projects. They aren’t predicting rain again until late Monday night which I hope is correct. Son of Lawnmower Man is coming sometime Monday to dig out the remaining shrubs from hell and relocate them to their new homes. Yay! That means that once I add the finials to the new porch railing we will just have to put down more rock, set up the brick squares that the mother wants where each of the shrubs used to be, and put flower pots in place. Finally, the front of the house will be done!

Well, except for all that damn gingerbread I get to put up. But that should be easy compared to all the other jobs I’ve done so far.

I had hoped to get to clean the porch and walkway with muriatic acid and seal it. We’ll see if the weather holds out long enough for me to get to that. I do have to put those last few bricks in place on the side of the porch and I’ve got to add mortar to some of the joints or I don’t think they’ll survive the winter. I have to find time to get that done because it would really suck to have a number of bricks either cracked or popped out of place come spring.

So you'd think after a long, busy summer, followed by what will be a busy fall, that I'd get to hibernate for the winter. Think again. We'll just move the work indoors ...

Today, I Tap Danced!

And some little old man (not to be confused with Mean Old Man) even saw me! Of course, I didn't see him until I was halfway down. But I kept going anyway.

By the time he got in front of the porch, I had reached the end of the walk and of my silly little attempt at dancing. And no, Why S.? I was not wearing ruby red slippers, though I wished I had! (When it comes to dancing, I am one of those ultra-awkward white people with absolutely no rhythm. Add to that that I am clumsy with a terrible sense of balance and you can imagine the show that any traffic on our four-lane roadway, early on a holiday morning, got.)

"I've been watching you do that," says the little old man, referring to the walkway, not the tap dance. "I decided you could come to my house when you're done. When can you start?"

We laughed and talked a minute about the project with him first saying he'd thought about doing it himself and ending with, "Maybe I'll hire it done."

But I digress. (But I can, 'cause it's my blog!) OK. OK. Without further ado, here are the photos I promised. Drumroll please ...




Is it perfect? Hardly. Are there some things that I still need to do? Definitely! But even those tasks don't overshadow my feeling of satisfaction. And as I sit here with the MDA telethon on, I will not complain about my aches and pains. I will instead be thankful that I am capable of having them.

Then, I'll ignore them completely and move on to the shed ...

The Home Stretch

There's nothing to go out on the walkway and uncover this morning. I threw the plastic away yesterday! While I didn't get finished, I'm in the home stretch.

I didn't get as many bricks down as I would have liked but even as slow as I was moving (the week at work caught up with me and I was seriously short on steam), I forged ahead. This is all that's left! And ALL of the digging that I loathe so much is done. I have a single landscape form to cut and put in place and I've already started to put down rock.

I actually ran out of rock -- again. I swear to God there's a quarry out there! So after mowing the front yard, unloading 10 bags at the dump and grabbing a much-needed shower, I went to The Home Depot. Can you believe these people?! They had the 50-pound bags of gravel on an OVERHEAD shelf! Not sure how I managed it, but I got down what I needed and got it home. It's still in the car trunk waiting to be unloaded.

The mother stewed all day yesterday, but seemed a bit calmer last night. She was even picking on me as I relayed my plans to: 1) mow and visit the dump, 2)finish digging out the last third, 3)cut and get the landscape forms in place, 4) lay down rock and finally, 5) get down as many bricks as I could. (I had finally admitted to myself around 4 yesterday that I wouldn't get finished.)

After I relayed my list of planned activity, she says: "So when's the funeral?" When I was still toiling away at 7:30 last night, she was running around putting things away and cleaning stuff up. I had hoped to have the landscape form cut last night, but didn't make it so I literally was outside until dark. "It's time to quit," she bellowed from the front door.

Yes. It. Is. Today is it, I tell you. Today. This project ends today. I've had it and it needs to be over. So, look out walkway. There will be tap dancin' yet ...

The Second Third - Part 2

I nearly did it: The second third is all but complete!

I had to stop to dig out much of the last third as if you don't, and work right to the edge of the current work zone, things get even messier and more complicated. I hate the digging. It's my least favorite part of the whole procedure.

I did get to go back and tack on three or four more rows to what I'd already done yesterday once I got to a good stopping point with the digging. I really did get a lot done.

It wasn't as humid as Saturday, but the sun was still hot so that slowed me a bit. As the sun began to drop and the walkway fell to shade, a nice breeze even kicked in, so that made the work go even better.

If Mother Nature will cooperate over the holiday weekend, this project will be done. I'm going to clean up my dancin' shoes as I fully intend to tapdance down the damn thing once it's finished.

Racing the Rain

The rain shouldn't arrive 'til later this afternoon (around 3 p.m.) but the humidity is already unbearable out there (currently 89 percent). I've already been out spreading gravel, letting it bake in the morning sun and I have my first two rows of bricks chosen and laid out. Now I have to go set up my sawhorses and grab my RotoZip. I've got bricks to cut!

I'm grabbing a quick bite -- and some Tylenol -- before heading out to the trenches. I need to see just how much I can get done before the rain rolls in.

The good news: The widest part of the path is done. From here, less bricks to a row, so ideally at least, it will go a little faster than it's been going. The bad news: The straightest part of the path is all done. It's strictly Angle City from here and I'm not looking forward to it, but hey, I'll adjust, right?

Well, here I go. Here's hoping I've got lots of progress to report later!

My Friends Dig Me

Or, more accurately, my friends dig for me. CD met me at Lowe's as planned early this morning and we proceeded to load up her SUV with gravel and some boards for a future project.

The day got off to an awesome start. We were just talking about Home Depot vs. Lowe's and I was telling CD about how much more generous Lowe's is. Almost as if they heard me, I was handed a $10 off coupon as soon as we walked through the door! Then getting to chat over a brief breakfast with one of my nearest and dearest was a treat.

Unloading was fun. (A half-ton of gravel in total.) CD got to see the infamous cart and appreciate its infinite value. She came to love it even more when, after we unloaded, she was determined to pitch in on the mudpit. "I'm ready to work," she said. And work she did. We toted some of the dirt out back to fill in where the newly departed tree once stood. The rest was dump-bound. CD's plans before picking up her young'ns had included a trip to the Y. After hanging out with me, she didn't need it.

Following her efforts at helping me clear the second third of the mudpit, the ever adventurous CD asked: "So where's the dump?" We loaded up her SUV and headed across town. (That gave us another chance to visit, too. How is it that when friends come to my house, we inevitably end up at the dump?!)

If anyone had ever told me I'd live long enough to see CD dig dirt, much less head to a dump, I'd have said they were nuts. But hey, she's a DIYer in her own right. She's been busy at home with her own projects. I've even witnessed her using a drill -- but on a pumpkin. I've got the picture to prove it, too.

By the time Chris left, a massive debris pile was gone and the second third of the mudpit was nearly cleared! I shaved the edges to finish them out, added my landscape forms and began filling with gravel. I was nearly done filling it with gravel when the sky got really cloudy. So, we started putting things away, cleaning up, and covered the gravel pit. Done by 3:30, so it wasn't nearly as long of a day. But it was a very productive one. And one I can't thank CD enough for all the help with. You really did help move things along.

Surveying today's progress left me feeling pretty good.

I then got cleaned up and attempted to get the car headlight fixed. But that's for another post.

Right now, I'm a little sore. Yesterday and today's hefting are catching up with me. So, I'm going to do what any self-respecting DIYer would do: take a nap.

Walking Along

My horoscope has had a grain of truth to it for the past few days. From today’s email: The opportunity to travel, perhaps with friends or with a group you belong to, could come your way today NV. Discussions with others could lead to the confirming of plans and practical arrangements.
Last month, Mr. and Mrs. MonkeyGirl came to my aid, removing the shrubs from hell. This month, my highlighted helper friend is CD. An avid supporter, regular reader, and occasional commenter, CD is another of my group of eight from high school.
CD called me Tuesday morning and asked if I needed any help. With both boys in school now, she’s able and willing to contribute to a This D*mn House cause. Since it’s not too far out of her way, she living relatively close to Hardware Heaven, I’m going to meet her there very soon. She’s going to help me haul gravel in her SUV! And it’s just in time, too. I used everything I bought already since I got this far on the walkway yesterday.
I almost got the first third finished! (Where you see the plastic in the front of the photo is the start of the second third.) I’m afraid to get too excited but it’s very cool. Even if I’d had more gravel though, I don’t think I could have gotten much farther yesterday because as it was, I was watering it all down at dusk. (That’s the chief reason why there was no photo last night. I also was outside ‘til there was no light left as I got the front yard mowed and all of the filthiest of the bricks washed off.)
You’re reading the ramblings of a very grateful person. First, I can’t believe that we’ve had this amazing weather for so many days now. It’s just been perfect. The sunsets have been nothing short of incredible. In my ideal existence, it would be this way year-round. I’m afraid it’s coming to end though as rain is in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow.
Second, I’m grateful that my employer let me juggle a few things to get this time off, even if I did work a good chunk of yesterday. I had to jump while the weather was on my side.
And finally, I’m humbled to have such incredible friends who continually offer – and provide – assistance, love, humor, and support. To my high school circle, you guys are nothing short of awesome. To those of you in cyberworld who have regularly voiced concern and encouragement, it has helped more than I can express.

Me Vs. Dirt

I did finally get myself moving and returned home with 300 pounds of gravel and 100 pounds of sand. Unfortunately, none of it got down today.

But, I did take advantage of this glorious third day of lovely weather by continuing to dig out the mudpit. The first one-third has been excavated! I mowed the front yard and delivered its clippings along with about 100 gallons or so of dirt to the yard waste dump. Not the most fun thing I've ever done. Taxing on my already throbbing wrists and generally, just a pain in the a** to do.

Some of the gravel is down in it already due to my stubborness last night. The next step: tamp the remaining uncovered dirt, add more gravel and TAMP, TAMP, TAMP! Then sand, mortar, and finally ... BRICKS!

Maybe someday there will be a walkway here ...

Must. Get. Going.

Mother Nature is keeping her part of the bargain. It’s yet another bright, sunshiny day. (That’s three, count ‘em three) CONSECUTIVE days like this. And I’m grateful. But I’m having a hard time holding up my end of the deal – literally. My butt feels like it’s draggin’ the ground.

I worked until dark last night and was finally able to put gravel down! It was an exciting accomplishment after days and days of nothing but dirt. Of course, this is only the first third of the walkway. I'm tackling it a third at a time. I figure it will be easier this way to handle both supplies and access if the walkway appears a little at a time rather than keep it all torn up and completely covered until I can start bricking the whole thing.

I had a rare night of having the house all to myself last night. The mother went to a reunion. I guess as you approach 70, you can’t wait 10 or even five years to get together, so they do this every year.

It was a nice change of pace. I pay for ultra cable each month but rarely watch much of it so I tried to get some of my money’s worth last night. I started out watching Gone Baby Gone, directed by Ben Affleck. It’s based on the book by Dennis Lehane (whom I adore) and features Patrick and Angela, his two detectives who recur in a number of his books. I’ve always had a picture in my mind’s eye of Patrick (and had a crush on him.) But Ben’s casting of baby brother Casey – who looks 12 –to play this role ruined it for me. I didn’t make it past the first 15 minutes. So the night quickly descended into a “chick flick” night with me opting for “The Jane Austen Book Club.” Predictable, but enjoyable romantic comedy with lots and lots of references to an author whom I adore.

After that, I happened upon Evening. This was a movie I had wanted to see, then forgot about. I liked it, though I missed the first 10 minutes.

I need to eat something, take some Tylenol and get on the road to the hardware store for supplies. By the time I do that and get back and unload, the dump will be open and I can transport some of this dirt and the rest of the weeds. (And, it’s time to mow again. Already. God, I hate yard work!)

Now all I need to do is convince my body that it’s time to go.

Now what?

That seems to be the question on everyone’s mind when it comes to the walkway. The quick and ultimate answer: bricks. But first, there are a whole lot of “now whats” to be done.

Right now, the entire walkway is covered in heavy gauge plastic. We may get rain tonight and maybe again tomorrow. After all those years of having the sidewalk to safeguard against water seeping beneath the house, I sure don’t want to leave it exposed for any longer than I have to.

First, I have to finish the perimeter of the porch. Once you can no longer see the gray facing of the plain concrete, the porch will be complete. Then, once those bricks are in place, I get to play with rocks and sand. LOTS of rocks and sand.

Before I do that though, I have to even out the dirt sides and put in some metal landscape forms. Technically, I don’t have to do that, but I’d rather do it than risk having no barrier between where all the landscape rocks and the yard meet the bricks. Then, I will put down a few inches of gravel and level the whole thing and tamp it down firmly. This is going to take a while. In the pictures, the walkway may not look very big, but it’s about 30 feet long total and more than 2 feet at its widest.

Then, I get to do the same thing again with a combination of mortar mix and sand. Fill it up, level it out. Tamp it down.

And finally, I will get to lay bricks in what’s known as a running bond pattern. (I chose this first, because I like it, and second, because I saw several references to this being the easiest pattern when doing a curved walkway.) I won’t have that several rows of straight lines in between. It’s just a continuous curve with the rows of bricks having a staggered start. I think it’s simple and classic and won’t clash with the pattern on the porch.

Then, I get to sweep in mortar and sand and mist 'er down. I'm sure I'll be doing it a little at a time. Look how long it took to do the porch without all this prep work! *Sigh*

It’s going to be a lot of work and I’m not sure how long it’s going to take. I'm hoping to have it done by the end of next weekend. A lot will depend on Mother Nature’s cooperation and she has been quite the beeotch this year, so I won’t hold my breath. We'll just have to see what happens.

I keep telling myself it's going to look great, it will all be worth it and I'll be sooo glad I did it.

Uh-huh. Keep on talkin.'

A Magical Visit to HardwareLand

It’s Friday. There will no doubt be lots of banter at some point today about everyone’s weekend plans. Barbecues. Pool parties. Out-of-town guests. Baseball games.

But me, I’ll have none of it. The mother is meeting me at the station tonight and we’ll head off to HardwareLand, that magical place that empties your wallet, loads your car, and hijacks your agenda for most of the year. How can you possibly compete with that, you say? I’ll give you a pointer. You, too, can visit HardwareLand at a discount, courtesy of One Project Closer.

A few weeks ago, I discovered their post on a Lowe’s project starter coupon which is good for $10 off a $25 purchase when you use your Visa card. The catch: It expires July 31. So print your coupon, plan your project, and save a few bucks in the process.

As for me, I’ll be buying the rest of the landscaping forms for the walkway, more gravel, and more mortar because my plan is to actually get the concrete removed tomorrow. I think my alternate plan will work now that the biggest piece is out already. (Emphasis on the word think.)

If it doesn’t, it’s going to be a loooooong weekend to be sure.

WWW: Bric(k)-a-brac(k)ing

For this week's Weekend Warrior Wednesday feature, I think I've created a new word: brick-a-bracking. It's a verb that means brick-hoarding. Came home from The Home Depot with every Holland paver they had (71) in the trunk of the 'Bird.

I'm starting to prepare for the long dreaded and long postponed porch and walkway project. And since the Home Depot's version is nine cents per brick cheaper than their competitor, I figured I'd save a few bucks. Lowe's, however, will likely get the lion's share as I have two dollar-off cards (one for $10, the other for $25) that expire Sunday. I hope they will have enough supply that I can use them both.

I'm starting to hoard because even though I already had about 100 bricks before the latest trunkload, Memorial Day weekend is not that far off. I'll get off early on Friday, have the holiday weekend through Monday, and then tack on two days of vacation. So, I'll have plenty of work to do and a little extra time to do it in.

Mind you, we still haven't started Carole's bedroom yet. And, except for wallpaper paste, I already have all the materials for that. In fact, the basement family room more closely resembles a warehouse than a family room right now. I also have to disassemble the existing daybed and assemble the new one. And that's while trying to keep up with yard work, the one major downside to warmer weather.

I'm exhausted just thinking about it all. But it will all look good when I get done, right? Stay tuned ...