However, each days entries read from top to bottom? Yes?

Welcome to the January 2005 BLOG. Didn't see the end of last month?
Click here: December BLOG

Jan. 31, 2005

Jan. 30, 2005

We enjoyed a pleasant Saturday. Walked downtown. Saw a movie. Ate leftovers. Went to bed early. Life is good.

There is (was?) a business downtown called 'Paintapiecea Pottery', or something like that. Evelyn had used their facilities to make a ceramic tile which is now part of their outdoor display, even tho they may be 'history'. Ann points out the tile. . .

Evie spoke volumes, here.

This is the 'DOG' in question, relaxing on the couch, this morning. Well bundled, you might observe?

Anna made this earring for Ann.

Jan. 28, 2005

Anna, then Evelyn make Chico a long haired Fox Terrier. Sort of.

Speaking of Anna - the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. Her mom, that would be Barbara, is an artist extraudinaire. One of her many artistic talents is 'pointilism', where a picture is created by making very small 'dots' in an amazing quantity and pattern, resulting in something more than the total of the individual dots. This horse is an example of the technique, that I copied from a canvas bag. Barb has had her original drawing transferred to the bag by some process she has yet to explain to us. These one of a kind bags will be on Ebay in February.

WEll. Anna is learning (has learned?) how to do this dot/picture stuff. She looked at this picture of John (taken by his wife, Linda)

And made this! Yes, I am impressed.

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In the unlikely possibility that you haven't been exposed to enough 'tile/bath' stuff, there is THIS LINK, which will enlighten you, so that you will be able to immediately spot 'quality' tile setting. Oh, this is important!

OK, we have to say it - another month almost ready to go down the pooper.

Well, it was rather appropriate, considering the nature of the month's activities. Another month with WAY too many pictures. That's why we had spun off a monthly photo page for awhile. To get them off the Blog. Then there were several months where it wasn't worth having a separate photo page. Then the photo page got recombined with the Blog. Then we started flooding the Blog with photos, again. Very sorry, many apologies to our dial up friends, most of whom have simply given up on trying to load the Blog, even with small file sizes.

To those patient souls we say this: get broadband. A buck something a day. Time is money. The Blog loads in a few seconds with broadband. Nuff said.

Today was "OK to Dress Weird Day" at the Middle School. Here is Evelyn on the way to school. Yes, it's still dark at 7:20 AM.

This was taken after school, so you're not quite getting the full effect. The gist of the picture is; 'My desk ruined my tights!'

Jan. 27, 2005

This is a far as we got, yesterday.

Jan. 26, 2005

Girls going to orthodontist, for adjustments to their braces.

Out and about this day.

While we're waiting for the glue to dry. . .

More on the 'What did we learn from this?' question. This re: bath remodeling.
The last toilet that we had attempted to reseat (due to leaking) was at my Dad's. This was maybe six/seven years ago. We'd noticed water collecting around the base of the bowl. There shouldn't be any moisture visible around the base of a toilet.

After removing the toilet and scraping off the old wax/crud we determined that it had been leaking for a time. The wood was beginning to rot. We dried things out for a few days (fortunately Dad has more than one bathroom) and then attempted to reseat the toilet. It leaked. We removed it for the second time, and rethought the matter.

When Dad's bath had been remodeled (a few years before he bought the house) a nice thick vinyl flooring was added. This raised the height of the surrounding floor relative to the level of the old toilet flange, which no one had bothered to raise.

Whether it started leaking then, or later, it started leaking. Then the moisture swelled the flooring, further ruining the toilet/flange seal. We let things dry out, and again tried to get a positive seat using an extra thick wax seal. It almost worked. But after a few days, water was again seeping out from under the toilet.

Time to face the music. We ripped out the floor, all the semi rotted wood, etc. Rebuilt things to match the current floor/toilet configuration. Did this AND saved the vinyl flooring.

Somehow, it got in my head that the problem, if one has a leaky toilet, is a toilet/flange/wax seal thing.

And it took Dick, with his suggestion to pour water directly into our leaking toilet, to jar my brain out of that loop. Maybe I'll remember this?

Here's Anna astride her (new) horse, Harley. This is in their 'front yard', so to speak. That's Campbell lake, in the background.

Anna's Mom, Barbara, doing the bareback thing.

You might recall that last summer Anna got a new puppy. Caleb. Well, this is Caleb today, and that's Caleb's mom, on the right. Oh! There's Fudge, too, getting in on the fun! The nice lady on the right must be Caleb's Mom's Mom?

Jan. 25, 2005

Another beautiful N'west day. Near sixty, and we almost made it out on the scooter two days in a row. Would've, too, if Evie and Talyn didn't have their orthodontist appointment this afternoon. Oh well, there's still the final 'touch up' going on in the back bath. Three tiles in the doorway had to be reset. They 'teetered' when stepped on, and were coming loose, cracking the grout. We tried to get them settled down a bit more. This time we'll let the glue set up a tad longer, too, since it wasn't entirely dried underneath these tiles. I might have been a bit hasty in grouting that area the first time around. . .

The sub floor is beveled off at the leading edge, leaving nothing under that part of the tile. This resulted in the 'teetering' problem. We filled that area with fiberglass, to get a flat surface, then re glued the three tiles. The tool is a grout remover.

Niomi sends this
Get you taxes done for FREE link.

Jan. 24, 2005

Finally - something besides bathroom stuff! Tuned the scooter. Well, changed the plugs. Just loafing it around the island tends to foul these old plugs. Usually the same one. Runs great, now. Noticed the hull of a boat that Dakota's   been working on for some weeks suddenly has a pilot house/superstructure. They must have lowered it on by crane, overnight.

Can't help but think there's a rear end to this hull floating around somewhere. Well, maybe not literally. . .

Getting a little supervision from Roma. OK, supervising Roma - 'look at the camera!'

Almost a month w/o a second bathroom. Glad that's over.

What can be said about the overall experience? It was a learning curve. (I mis-typed 'curve' as 'curse', maybe more correct?) They say you never forget how to ride a bike. That is probably true. But you are sure wobbly after a long hiatus.

I think I was a bit wobbly on both the tile and the plumbing.

But it's all over now. To quote the Stones.

The touch up continues, and will for a week or so. But, the worst is over. We're starting to feel good about the overall nature of the new work.

However, that 'failing' four times to seal the commode was an eye opener. Shoulda' thought more 'out of the box', or maybe, out of the 'can'.

Jan. 23, 2005

Now we have a new theory. That is, when the toilet still leaked after trying again to set it on the floor, a new theory became evident. Finally. Dick, who kindly consented to assist, had the idea to just pour water into the bowl, (after resealing/waxing it to the floor) instead of hooking up the supply and filling the tank. Water poured right out from under the toilet, without even beginning to fill the bowl. Just like the last three times. The conclusion? The 'trap' inside the bowl must have cracked the same night the sink froze. Many thanks to Dick for getting my one track mind going again. This was not easily visible from the underneath, or anywhere else. Solution? We're off to buy a toilet. Geez.

You're not going to believe this. Once we started to think 'cracked toilet' and looked underneath a bit more closely, what do you suppose we saw? A huge chunk of the trap just plain missing. Actually, the missing piece had popped off that part of the underside which advances/shoots water into the bowl from the front, during/after a flush. It certainly must have popped out when we had the big freeze, just like the piece that popped off the sink. I ruined two fixtures by leaving them outside during the cold snap. I must add, my darling wife had suggested that I bring them in, but I said, "Nooooooo, they'll be fine." To my everlasting joy and happiness, she has not said, 'I told you so' even once. Well, maybe once.

I didn't notice this large hole earlier, believe it or not, because viewed straight on, it isn't visible. Also, I was looking at the area where the wax seal goes, or 'horn' part of the underside, not where the hole had actually occurred. I sure noticed the water poring out onto the floor, though.

The new bowl seated the first time, of course. It sure took me a long time to think that the problem might be the toilet, not the wax seal. Ann points out that not learning from ones mistakes is one of the classic symptoms of insanity.

At any rate - the job is now 99.9 percent finished. Ann and Evelyn are working on the final touches.

Cats inspecting the new toilet parts while still boxed. Ann is assembling a hamper from China. She notes that the instructions are 'interesting'.

The Mayor's Photo Blog  keeps getting better.

Jan. 22, 2005

The sink is OK. No leaks. It wanted to wobble a bit on the pedestal - thus the two shims. Shhhh! Don't tell. It's also fastened to the wall, of course. Once we're sure that all is well, after a few days of service, then we'll caulk everything in place.

Boy, did we see a lot of the bottom of this toilet today. Set it on the floor three different times, using three different wax seals. Leaked every time. ARRGGGGHHHH! Then it dawned on me - the toilet just came in from outside where it was fifty degrees and damp. It, and the wax seal, have to both be at least 70 degrees for the wax to seal to the porcelain. Duh. We'll try it for the fourth time in the morning. We're fresh out of wax seals, for the moment. . .

The shower tubing is back in place, and level again, for the first time in a year.

Tidied up the wall a bit, even though it is behind a cabinet, when all is said and done.

The tub is plumbed. We'll check it for drain side leaks tomorrow. The supply side was OK. The drain is sure hokey - but that's the way we found it, and that's the way it stayed. The old compression supply lines re attached and sealed with the judicious use of some Teflon tape.

Everything else going well. The end is truly in sight.

Jan. 21, 2005

Almost ready to put on the pedestal. For the second time. Leaked the first time we had it on the wall. Dang. Right where the rubber seal meets the bottom of the sink. Almost anywhere else, might have lent itself to fixing 'in-situ'. None of the pressure side stuff leaked. Go figure.

Don't think it's all work and no play. After a year of tinkering, it's beginning to sound like banjo music. Still looking for lessons.

Evelyn (and two associates, Sabrina and Talyn) entered the Science Fair, with a Power Point presentation about mold. They did their project on the laptop, and it won Second Prize!

The reward for all their hard work!

A few pix from Cassady's birthday party.

Jan. 20, 2005

Now. Here's all the pieces. We know what to do.

Changed the 'referrer's page' (at the bottom)  to reflect activity in the last two days, instead of five. The five day one didn't seem to ever let go of the old information? Here's what we can't understand; why so many hits from 'Last weeks pictures', off the RRDave site? There isn't even a direct link from that page to this one?

Cloudy, damp - but warm! What a month. We've had it all - rain, nine inches plus of snow, freezing rain, and now warm again.

Jan. 19, 2005

This pipe, the riser to the shower head, had been cut up for other uses when we mistakenly thought it was removed for good. As you might recall, it was only removed for a few months, before I was informed it was going back. This was last May/June. At that time I couldn't locate all the pieces. Well, the last piece turned up in the shed, so this seemed like a good time to put it back in the pipe. Now the shower curtain won't slope to the front. I couldn't find another half inch coupling in my bag of tricks, but I did have that half inch union. It looks more interesting this way, no?

The next thing is to make these various pieces

Look like this - and have water come out.

You know what they say about the proper attire for the job. . .

If you didn't get your fill of Tsunami news, this
WEBSITE 
has an incredible selection/collection of information. Many videos.

Finally. 65 and no rain. Time to lord it over the less fortunate midwest folks. My Dad did suggest that it might get up to forty in MI today, after being in the teens last night. Still, it will be only the hardy that get out on two wheels! The scooter fired off as soon as I hit the button the first time. Apparently sitting for a few weeks didn't bother the old Honda.

Jan. 18, 2005

Sixty degrees today! What a change, from only the weekend. The rains however, haven't let up. Flooding will be the next thing. I'll have to start the motorcycle tomorrow, rain or no.

Ann gets a nice shot of our Mountain, that would be 'Baker', early in the day on her way to work. It is framed by the Berensten Bridge, which crosses the Swinomish Slough, making us an island.

The last time I referred to this bridge was when Evelyn "climbed" it, two summers ago.

Ann is polishing the finally grouted bathroom floor. Time to re-install the fixtures.

Jan. 17, 2005

An article from the local paper talking about the severe weather that sent Ann off I5. Starbird road is where Ann and Fae did their off the road on the road maneuver. Today it was over fifty, and pretty damp and windy. The snow is all gone.

This isn't really a fair picture at all. Mainly because Ann did her share of the grouting, working with me all day - and I didn't get a picture of her. Anyone in their right mind would surely rather look at Ann. This leaves the floor to be grouted tomorrow, and the end is in sight. Maybe even by the end of the week?

Jan. 16, 2005

Thanks to Jack for this great link, which helps explain a bit of that perennial question:
Why is the train late?
 
These are unbelievable! You will see why getting the trains running again, anytime soon, might prove to be a challenge!

The weather gets back to more normal for this time of year. It's over forty and all yesterday's snow is already gone! Ann says that spinning off the freeway yesterday now seems like a bad dream.

However, Fae is here 'doing' hair, so we still can't shut the water off.
Ann's haircut

Barb's

Fae in action with Anna

We did get a hole poked in the wall on the opposite side from the leaking sink shut off valve. It's amazing what they've left in these walls. When we cut through for the animal door, sawdust started trickling out. We thought, oh oh - ants! As the hole got bigger, the flow of sawdust got more impressive, until finally we had filled two large garbage bags. Too much for ants! The wall proved to be filled with sawdust, we assume as an insulating material?

This time the wall was filled with junk from a 1950's remodel - old wallpaper and drywall scraps. We pulled it all out through the small opening until it became apparent what the next step should be - unsolder the offending copper pipe and lengthen it. As soon as we can turn the water off!

When a cabinet was moved to expose the wall behind the bathroom sink shut off valves, It developed that the pipes were not IN the wall, but on this side. So, a small hole told us what we needed to know in order to unsolder the pipe with a leaking compression fitting.

The license plates keep the wall from catching fire. Once the solder loosened, Ann pulled the offending piece out the bath side of the wall. We made up a new piece the correct length with a half inch copper to half inch pipe thread end. Ann stuck that back through and we resoldered it to the water supply.

The end product. We'll simply put a plate over the hole, since it's out of sight.

The happy face again, at last. Ready to grout!

Jan. 15, 2005

Later news - Ann's home safe and sound. Forced off the road once by a guy going out of control in front of her, but using her innate mid western driving skills drove right out of the median and back on the hiway! Got home a little late, but in one piece. Amen.

Just in time too, as the snow turns to freezing rain after piling up about two inches. The view is from our porch. That's Captain Bob's house across the street.

The chickens ride out the storm in their coup, with a foot of straw on the floor and a light for heat.

Again, the snows come. Never got above freezing today, so the hose wouldn't flow. It's the lowest water point in the house, and the only way to get the water out of the bathroom pipes. What's this mean? We couldn't work on the plumbing. It's impossible to solder or unsolder copper pipes unless all the water has been drained out of them. The only water outlet lower than the bathroom sink is the outside hose. So, after shutting off the water and opening a few faucets and the outside hose, the pipes under the bathroom sink will drain. OH well, there's always tomorrow.

Ann is out in the snow, driving back from Seattle. I'm worried.

Jan. 14, 2005

This happy face means that the old compression rings re sealed, with only minor struggling, and the sink shut off valves are replaced and extended out past the tile.

This meant turning off the water to the house, you see. That valve is tucked down in a cement covered trap in the front lawn.

There is a small metal trap door, in the larger cement cover.

The city has a tool that reaches thru the smaller opening, and slips over the underground valve to shut off the water.

We don't. We must remove the entire cement cover (after first loosening it from the frozen earth) and then try to toggle the valve with a large crescent wrench. Clumsy, but it works.

How fast things can go awry! A few hours later, the shut off extension for the cold water (the one that gave me a bit a trouble) - was a drip drip dripping. Note: happy face gone.

And if that isn't bad enough, these last few sub freezing nights cracked the bathroom sink, which has been living in the back yard! There was water stuck in the overflow part of the sink, and the way it was tilted when it froze, popped out a chunk of porcelain.

Jan. 13, 2005

Niomi reminds us about the 'Code Amber' Alert Program. Thank you.

The founder, Bryant Harper, has this to say about the organization:

About CodeAmber.org

"Hello, I am the proud Grandfather of two adorable girls ages 3 and 4.

In August 2002 I was horrified by the viciousness of what seems like an epidemic of child abductions around the United States and recently in the UK. In response to these crimes we developed the Code Amber Alert Ticker to provide every web site owner with the ability to display Amber Alerts on their site by adding our Alert Ticker. The Ticker is a single line of code that loads a Java Script from our server that is updated anytime we are notified of an Amber Alert."

The 'ticker' looks like this:

More information is available on the Code Amber website.

After loafing along for two days reading my Christmas present from Cassady, CRYPTONOMICON by Neal Stephenson, (which we highly recommend) we are back on the case. In other words, working on the back bathroom. The sill is in place, and a new heat vent installed (the cover). All the tiles are cut and glued, at last. Well, except for the four tiles that go around the sink shut off and drain area.

Evelyn found this wee pumpkin on her desk. It had been mellowing (rotting) unobserved since Halloween.

A picture of the rest of the room would help explain how such a thing might happen? However, we were advised that this is not a fortuitous time for said picture. "After I clean my room!" Is what was suggested.

Ken reminds us that a man made object will land on one of Saturn's moons, Titan, tomorrow.
Cassini-Huygens 
Thanks! Click the picture for the website.

Jan. 11, 2005

Whoa. A lackluster day. Started out sunny, turned grey. But things are still melting. I can see the water shut off in the front yard. It's calling to me: Dave - get off your butt and do the plumbing. That and the door sill are holding up the show. Well, that and my lack of motivation, this day. Ever have a day like that?

Started out the morning by pushing Ann's truck uphill. There is still ice on the street, where the plow did its number. We are trying to remember to park facing down the hill. . .
Some kitty litter under the tires, a heave and a ho and she was out.

I am saved! Ann found the door sill! Which goes here, you see, at the entrance from the back hall to Evie's bathroom? Perhaps this photo might also explain why the back hall/room is the next to get attention? Altho, the piece (of linoleum) that we cut off, will patch the torn piece visible in the photo. Won't put off the next project, but it'll look better until then.
We were looking for a piece of that faux marble, but I think she found a real one! It should make a nice sill. This area, and the 'rejected' tiles shown next - and the dang wall shut offs, are the last stumbling blocks before grouting walls and floor.

Here's the marble piece that Ann found today! It'll look great, snugged underneath the existing door stops.

Now. These tiles were rejected by the tile inspector. They were too visible from the door, to be cut a tad short. We don't want a fat grout line in front of the whole world! I hasten to point out that I, personally, tiled that section. Maybe a tad too fast and loose? My own words were, 'let's take our time, and do it right!' So, we are.

The pink 'n black tiles atop the grey. This was a great idea! And, the tiles were already out there. Well, except for the black, which we cut down from six inch pieces, since there wasn't enough of the pink!

Dad Smock, my Dad, sends along a picture that he turned up of HIS Dad, that would be Harold Greenwood Smock, on his (Grampa's) 80th birthday. Photo taken by Bernice, from the handwriting on the back. This is appropriate, as Dad's 80th birthday is coming up this May. Grampa lived into his middle eighties, but had health problems all his life. He was declared 'dead' in his twenties, (as a war victim/soldier) and only the lucky observations of a local nurse, who observed that he was still breathing after he'd been 'covered up as dead' - allows ALL of us to be here!

Jan. 10, 2005

My good friend Ken thought that the toilet drain picture, (seen a bit below, I'm too lazy to add a link, here) was the bottom of a shower stall. Well, it could have been. The tile looks like that.
He was adamant about making some serious changes. We are finally back on the same page. Whew!

Jim sends some Christmas pictures:
This would be that fellow himself, Jim the Vee, and his two sons - James, and Steve

Plus, daughter Nicola and husband Josh, with Pam

Here you see the only man ever to beat me twice in the same evening. Beat me at pool.
Beat me home, while I went to jail.

From my son Brett, a picture of Hogan. Hey! Brett is back online!

Here are two interesting pictures of Ivey - who will forever after be known as the young woman that places things on her head!
Here she has placed a boomerang atop her top knot

And here a heart pillow is a-top!

Or, places herself on her Mom's head!

Sign at the Anacortes Middle School, today :)))

Jan. 09, 2005

I once received some very good advice from my old man. I had been living on my own for some months, for the first time in my adult life. I'd had room mates and wives in my twenties, room mates and wives in my thirties, and was single in my forties, and was now living in an upper flat outside Chicago.
I let the dishes go for several months. It was a large kitchen, and I had a lot of garage sales dishes. When dishes were finally piled sky high everywhere, I became frustrated. The task of ever getting the kitchen 'right', seemed insurmountable. Plus, I'd never properly cleaned the kitchen after moving in, and the lady that had lived there before, died there. But before that, she had managed for quite some time on her own - by doing her own cooking - and little else. The stove was covered with baked on crud. You couldn't tell what color the floor was? We won't discuss the bathroom.

I asked my Dad on the phone, half jokingly - what I should do?

He advised that I just do a little - every day.

What great advice that turned out to be. A totally huge task was broken down into manageable chunks. I just gave it some effort everyday. It took a few weeks, but finally I had a nice shiny kitchen.

I've used that advice to get myself going on large projects, ever since. Just get something done, everyday.

Today, amongst other things, it was drain work, and caulking where the wall meets the floor. That's where grout is most apt to crack. So a rubbery caulk goes in there first. Then grout over that. If the grout does crack, water still won't get into the floor below. We did the same thing where the sink counter meets the back splash.

Here, the plexiglass (used to bring the floor up to the 'new' level of the tiles, as well as right other faults) has been fastened to the floor (and the brown paper covering removed), over the sanitary pipe opening. A hole was cut to match the floor opening. Plumber's putty fills in underneath where the old floor was cut out incorrectly. This had forced the old wax seal to tilt, and eventually leak.
It's not a cast iron flange, but it'll seal up ok. What we're hoping now, is that the toilet bolts line up the same?!
Is this fun, or what?

Jan. 08, 2005

Niomi and Ivey are returned from San Jose del Cabo. (picture below).

Dang. Snowed again. Inch or so. Excuses will only go so far, then one must produce. So, we cut tile again today.

It did just get over 32 degrees, and the hose thawed out.

This gave Ann the incentive (and product) to apply the last of the trim tiles, top. . .

and bottom. . . This means we can grout, as soon as the plumbing is done. We think that problem (fixtures too close to the wall) was solved today.

This is the sink shut off solution: Keep the same compression nut.
When we removed the existing shut off valve (faucet), it developed that it was fastened to 1/2 copper pipe (not iron pipe) via a compression fitting. So, hoping that the existing compression ring will seal again, we'll adapt from 1/2 copper to 1/2 inch pipe thread. Add a 1/2 inch short pipe nipple, then the new shut off - the whole thing now coming out from the wall the necessary inch or so we need to accommodate the ceramic tile.

Evelyn still hasn't had enough of this snow stuff - she was making a snow man in the fading evening light, as we finished cutting tiles.

Jan. 07, 2005

Snow in Anacortes. No school! No tiling! Winter!

It began last night, then quit. Still no snow at three AM.

Evie and I checking the tile. I love this picture - Ann is in the background, and that's a smile!

Then this morning -

Here are the girls going sledding. In Anacortes!
Evie, Sabrina, and Talyn

Ann catches me shoveling. We don't own a snow shovel. We couldn't even produce a flat bladed shovel, of which the short handled ones were called 'coal' shovels? I remember my dad stoking a coal furnace, out of the coal bin, with such a shovel.

The girls drying out after snow sports.

Snow near Galesburg, IL - Thanks to Jack.

Jan. 05, 2005

Oh, geez. What a great picture from Cous Linda! She is slowly giving up a picture at a time!

I'm including this picture to aggravate Russell, who thinks that he doesn't like cats.
We all thought that, at one time or another. . .

We did tile some more during a very pleasant afternoon. The hose thawed out, and life ran.

Well, Dang. It's cold! This is my first exposure to cold in the great Pacific Northwest. Sunny, but just hitting thirty degrees at 11 AM. This has put a real damper on the tile project. Ice (that's frozen water) in the tile cutter, and all. Ice is well and good in certain applications - cold beverages come to mind - but no help at all in keeping the diamond blade spinning.

I was running in and out (cutting tile) the other evening when it started freezing - it was not the high point of my day. Or night. If we had a basement, we'd be cutting tile indoors. But the machine is too messy to use anywhere else but outdoors. We tried.

We may get to work a bit this afternoon. I'm sure that would make Ann and Evelyn extremely happy. They're not used to sharing a bathroom in the morning.

This is the problem - frozen sludge - and a frozen hose. I tried carrying water out from the house - it froze.

There is the toilet plumbing prep to work on in the meantime. A quarter inch piece of plexiglass fastened and properly centered over the old 'off center' cut out on the sanitary pipe will raise the toilet to it's desired new height. The height of the tile. A generous amount of plumber's putty and a new wax seal/flange combination will give us a snug and sanitary arrangement - if not strictly up to 'code'. C'est la vie. The string backing from the tile will be removed before the toilet is reseated, of course. In the meanwhile, it's just keeping me from dropping tools through the floor. Yes, I've done that. You don't want to know. . .

The sink supply shut off faucets need to come out an inch or so. They should have been brought out during the last remodel, when someone 'dry walled' over them. We have already extended the drain, you will note. I hasten to add that I am so happy to at least have the shut off valves already in place. Though it will require turning off the water at the street to extend them a bit.

Jan. 03, 2005

Evelyn is home! I left her a bit of the Gingerbread house!

Back to business, for Evie!

Someone we know, was in this beautiful place. More to follow!

Jan. 02, 2005

The floor tile application has begun. The 'prep', measuring and cutting, is half over. Half are glued down. Since the dang tub won't fit out the bathroom door, we must keep shifting it back and forth from one side of the room to the other. It's heavy!

The tile saw, and the bath fixtures in temporary back yard storage. You might know we're having a cold snap. It barely hit forty yesterday.

As mentioned (somewhere) we are using tiles that came with the house. We found boxes of them in the shed. There are about an equal number boxes of 'buff' tiles and 'gloss' tiles. Enough together to accomplish this job. Ann mixed them 'randomly', (no small task!) and it looks great!

Had to call it a day as temps dropped into the twenties. Yikes! A real cold snap. However, all the floor tiles are cut. Half still want to be glued down. Tomorrow is another day.

The work passes pet inspection. We think.

Cousin Linda sends along this picture of her husband, John, taken during their recent travels. She notes:
> Here's one of my favorite pictures from Thailand. You should also know that
> this elephant, Nying Nyong and his handler carried two children to safety
> before the tsunami struck Phuket. As an aside, the hotel where we stayed had
> some damage, but was protected somewhat by the headland to the south
> and was not devastated as some of the other resorts were.

Ken's cozy cottage in MI, looking out over the big water - Lake Huron.

Jan. 01, 2005