11.30.2021

Jim put the wide shelf pieces through the drum sander today...

Working on attaching pieces for the smaller shelf assembly...

A sample of how it will look - two of the big shelves will have these vertical dividers with adjustable horizontal shelf pieces.  I'm so excited about organizing all this space!

He then switched gears.  Hegot skim coat mixed up and started applying it to the corner and the west wall...

Working down the wall...

He got a huge chunk of this wall done - he just wants to go over to where the vacuum system is installed for this application, so he'll finish that tomorrow...

High 31/Low 27

11.29.2021

Jim continued to work on gluing pieces for shelving.  Once the 4Runner is back on the road, a trip to Ghent is in order to get more wood. 

Sanding the pantry shelves...

Gluing pieces on the shelves to accommodate smaller shelving as well...

Jim spent a lot of phone time today trying to find an inspection shop that actually had state inspection stickers.  He's been calling daily for the past couple weeks to get in at our small local place but they keep saying they haven't gotten any new stickers.  Since our inspections run out tomorrow, he called a bunch of other places and got the same story.  Go figure!  

He also spent more time hauling tubs - this time venturing out in the cold to go up in the pole barn attic to bring down decoration tubs.  (As a reminder - best.husband.ever).  Mom and I took apart the Thanksgiving tree in the stairwell and made it into Christmas!  'Tis the season - we even woke up to our first snow cover.  It was probably less than an inch but sure looked festive!

High 31/Low 15 - 1" snow

11.28.2021

Hard to believe, but we lit our first Advent candle this morning and Jim played Christmas music during breakfast.  So that means it's officially time to get some decorations out.  Jim (aka best.husband.ever) literally spent all morning hauling heavy dish tubs up and down 4 flights of stairs.  Mom and I had switching the dishes and we put the Nativity set up as well.

Somehow, Jim managed a few minutes in his shop this morning...

Then he transitioned to working on the car again.  Getting ready to install the brake parts...

Look how beautiful it looks - all back together!

Compare that sparkling side to the other side after Jim got things torn apart.  Yuck - this side was dripping oil!

Digging into it...

Jim got it all disassembled and the old axle seal out - tomorrow will be degreasing/cleaning time.

High 30/Low 24 - few flurries around

11.27.2021

As promised, a couple of pictures from Thanksgiving yesterday.  We were busy enjoying and not taking pictures!  Hmm...I guess I'm the only hungry one staring at the turkey!

A group shot the next day...

Today, Jim was back in the shop, continuing to make pieces for the pantry shelves...

Gluing up more wood...

In the afternoon, it was back to reassembling the rear axle and cleaning up all the brake assembly pieces...

High 30/Low 15

 

11.26.2021

 

We hope everyone had a very blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends!  Kyle and his girlfriend, Alisa, came up around noon yesterday.  We enjoyed meeting her and sharing a wonderful day together, complete with good food and fun.  What we didn't do was take many pictures - Kyle has some on his phone that I'll post tomorrow.  They left about noon today and he had to meet clients on the way back home.

Jim got back to work in the shop this afternoon - gluing up more wood for pantry shelf parts...

Mom and I headed to the grocery store for a few things and the auto parts store to pick up some degreaser for Jim to use on these parts that were so nasty.  Here he's placing the new seal...

Wow - look how great this looks after degreasing and power spraying!

Jim had to rig up a way to keep the axle from rolling away while power spraying.  If you look very closely, you can see some snow flurries in the air...

Everything cleaned up so well!

High 37/Low 24

11.24.2021

Thankfully, Jim felt fine after his Covid booster yesterday, so it was business as usual for him!  We had some things of my mom's to put up in the attic so he did that this morning...

He made a new cord on the extension cord we use for the bullet heater we use in the metal shop in the winter...

In advance of all the upcoming car work, Jim maneuvered the cars around to get all three in the space and have the Mini still accessible if the weather allows us to drive it...

The 4Runner is up on the lift and Jim is starting a very nasty job - replacing leaky rear axle seals.  He'll have to do a brake job as well because everything is full of oil...

Taking the hub off...

Definitely ugly - it's full of thick greasy oil...

Jim got this side all apart to end his day - greasy hands prove it!

My mom and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen today, doing Thanksgiving dinner prep.  It was a lot of fun to have her here for that - as well as a big help!

High 39/Low 23

11.23.2021

 Jim started attaching drawer glides to my mom's cabinet today...

Attaching the glides to the drawers...

Gorgeous!

Working on the next drawer.  Jim is not happy with these glides - apparently they are self closing, not soft closing like our kitchen ones, so he may reorder those.  

He cut and fit the pantry shelves - can't wait to fill these up!

It was Jim's turn to get his Covid booster shot this evening.  We all went out to eat at Applebee's afterwards - it was a fun evening.

High 32/Low 18 - coldest day so far!

11.22.2021

Jim had ordered propane last week so every morning he has been dressed and ready to go out and meet the truck.  It finally came around 11:00 today - we are all completely topped off now.  We should be all good for the winter but if weather holds out and we have enough room, Jim will get it topped off again.

Jim got all the ledger boards and corner blocks attached in the pantry room...

The repainted drawer fronts look fabulous and Jim is now happier!  So moving on, he started trimming the Formica on the drawer bottoms....

Attaching the drawer bottoms...

Look how gorgeous they are - two are completely fastened and two more to go...

While there was still daylight, Jim went up and got another load of rocks for the area next to the pole barn.        It got cold quickly while he was out - we're in for our coldest weather so far tomorrow.  No pictures though - Mom and I were gone doing a couple last minute grocery errands plus I got my Covid booster shot.

High 41/Low 23