Finally got off my duff and started working on some of the home projects around here.
Got the office door hung, reworked the downstairs lighting to add the third bank of lights, moved the mechanical room light switch from the stairs to the mechanical room itself, and started the framing for the mechanical room door.
Watched "Apollo 13" with the family (well, most of the family) in the evening after I was too tired to work anymore.
Had a wonderful time playing in my little garage/shop. That place is addictive!
Now if I can only keep up the pace tomorrow...
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Thursday and Counting...
Hmmm. Almost out of holidays, and there's still too much to do around here.
Oh, well.
Adam's friends came over today and watched "The Empire Strikes Back", which was hilarious because one of the girls had never seen it, and the rest of them wouldn't shut up with the comments throughout the entire movie, and she was getting very annoyed (although she was gracious about it and didn't pull out an Uzi).
How is it possible for someone on planet Earth not to have seen the entire Star Wars trilogy yet? (I don't count the prequel movies, because those were just bad dreams, the output of a fevered mind, and should be completely removed from the canon.) This is something beyond my comprehension. And it makes it very difficult for the other members of the audience because they're all aching to spill all their trivia knowledge, but in order for the poor soul to get the complete experience, they really need to keep their mouths shut.
Well, they tried. And we got through the movie and no one was killed. Except, of course, in the movie.
Now we have to wait for another day to watch the "Return of the Care Bears" -- I mean, "Return of the Jedi" so she can finish up the rest of the trilogy. I don't remember if she's seen the prequels yet. I hope not. We're going to try and convince her not to see any of them, because it is a known fact that they cause brain implosions.
May the Force be with you.
Oh, well.
Adam's friends came over today and watched "The Empire Strikes Back", which was hilarious because one of the girls had never seen it, and the rest of them wouldn't shut up with the comments throughout the entire movie, and she was getting very annoyed (although she was gracious about it and didn't pull out an Uzi).
How is it possible for someone on planet Earth not to have seen the entire Star Wars trilogy yet? (I don't count the prequel movies, because those were just bad dreams, the output of a fevered mind, and should be completely removed from the canon.) This is something beyond my comprehension. And it makes it very difficult for the other members of the audience because they're all aching to spill all their trivia knowledge, but in order for the poor soul to get the complete experience, they really need to keep their mouths shut.
Well, they tried. And we got through the movie and no one was killed. Except, of course, in the movie.
Now we have to wait for another day to watch the "Return of the Care Bears" -- I mean, "Return of the Jedi" so she can finish up the rest of the trilogy. I don't remember if she's seen the prequels yet. I hope not. We're going to try and convince her not to see any of them, because it is a known fact that they cause brain implosions.
May the Force be with you.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Weary Wednesday
It's so hard to get anything done when there are so many interruptions. Today was supposed to be a day of working on the basement plans, but there were many, many interruptions.
Adam had his senior year pictures done today, which required a trip down to the photo studio.
Deb and James were gone on overnights.
Mary and I were taking care of a neighbor's cat, and then doing some shopping, which didn't get finished up til afternoon.
Then there was a surprise birthday party in the evening, which meant more shopping, prep time, actual event time, post-event travel time, picking up Deb at her friend's house, and then getting home late in the evening.
Another vacation day gone, not much (in the project sense) done.
Maybe tomorrow.
Adam had his senior year pictures done today, which required a trip down to the photo studio.
Deb and James were gone on overnights.
Mary and I were taking care of a neighbor's cat, and then doing some shopping, which didn't get finished up til afternoon.
Then there was a surprise birthday party in the evening, which meant more shopping, prep time, actual event time, post-event travel time, picking up Deb at her friend's house, and then getting home late in the evening.
Another vacation day gone, not much (in the project sense) done.
Maybe tomorrow.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Birthday for A Lovely Lady
We weren't quite sure what we were going to do for Cheryl's birthday this year, but we had a few ideas we were tossing around. One of them - going to Greenfield Village over near Detroit - didn't pan out because the place is only open in the evenings at this time of year, and while they do have this quaint little dinner event with historically accurate foods from various eras, the price for a family of six was prohibitively expensive (i.e. $60/person).
So we opted to first spend some serious time puzzling over some puzzles we received from some dear friends. Ten puzzles of varying sizes packed into a huge box.
So far, we've solved four of them! Go team!
Cheryl has always enjoyed venturing up to Meijer Garden to see the artwork, and at this time of year, they have an exhibit of "Christmas Trees from Around the World", so we went up to see that in the afternoon. It was a wonderfully warm (45°) day, so we were able to walk around the gardens outside and enjoy the fresh air. Then we wandered around the building and saw all the Christmas trees, which were amazing. And we also saw the train set that they put out every year to honor the "Polar Express" book / movie / whatever.
Since we'd spent the past two days cooking up all kinds of delicious food, we had a wonderful "leftover" dinner, and then watched "The Bishop's Wife" with Cary Grant and Loretta Young.
So we opted to first spend some serious time puzzling over some puzzles we received from some dear friends. Ten puzzles of varying sizes packed into a huge box.
Cheryl has always enjoyed venturing up to Meijer Garden to see the artwork, and at this time of year, they have an exhibit of "Christmas Trees from Around the World", so we went up to see that in the afternoon. It was a wonderfully warm (45°) day, so we were able to walk around the gardens outside and enjoy the fresh air. Then we wandered around the building and saw all the Christmas trees, which were amazing. And we also saw the train set that they put out every year to honor the "Polar Express" book / movie / whatever.
Since we'd spent the past two days cooking up all kinds of delicious food, we had a wonderful "leftover" dinner, and then watched "The Bishop's Wife" with Cary Grant and Loretta Young.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Christmas Day 2011
On Christmas Day, before we went to the Christmas service at church, we had a marvelous breakfast!
Afterward, when we had returned and eaten lunch, we sat around and worked on puzzles from a huge puzzle gift set we'd received from a dear family.
Ah, what a relaxing day!
Afterward, when we had returned and eaten lunch, we sat around and worked on puzzles from a huge puzzle gift set we'd received from a dear family.
Ah, what a relaxing day!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas Eve is Here, and We're Still Cooking!
And I'm still working on my Christmas cards.
Can you tell I'm not a card-writer? Nor a letter-writer? Well, at least not by hand. I've done most of my writing on the keyboard since about 1981, when I got my first typewriter (for graduation), and never turned back. Even now, if I try to write a letter, a simple one-page missive, my hand cramps up something awful and my fingers go on strike.
We have quite a long list of goodies to bake today. Pies, cakes, cookies, etc. I don't have any idea who is going to eat it all. Certainly not us! We're going to give it away, mostly, to anyone we find wandering around the streets looking hungry. Or hesitant. Or bored. We consider it our duty to stuff the gills of anyone we find, simply for the joy of seeing their insulin spike off the charts. What fun!
Naturally, we'll ask to make sure they're not diabetic first.
Meanwhile, there is a Christmas Eve service tonight, and then a Christmas Day service tomorrow, and I haven't gotten a single thing accomplished on my housework list. (This is the list that encompasses the numerous activities involved with finishing the basement.) Just been sitting around doing stuff with the family. And watching movies. And eating chocolate-covered peanut butter balls. Which are very yummy. But highly fattening.
Oh, there was also the struggle to help a Boy Scout get through his merit badges before he ages out on Christmas Day. He's trying to get to Eagle beforehand, and just needed 3 more badges to complete. So the past week has been interspersed with various Eagle-related activities. Building shelves in the church. Finishing Personal Management, Physical Fitness, and Family Life badges. Which all have 90-day requirements (i.e. the Scout has to log 90 days of specific activities). These are not good requirements to leave to the last minute! Ask Brason or Mahlon; they know!
Well, back to my card-writing.
Anyone got a spare hand I can borrow?
Can you tell I'm not a card-writer? Nor a letter-writer? Well, at least not by hand. I've done most of my writing on the keyboard since about 1981, when I got my first typewriter (for graduation), and never turned back. Even now, if I try to write a letter, a simple one-page missive, my hand cramps up something awful and my fingers go on strike.
We have quite a long list of goodies to bake today. Pies, cakes, cookies, etc. I don't have any idea who is going to eat it all. Certainly not us! We're going to give it away, mostly, to anyone we find wandering around the streets looking hungry. Or hesitant. Or bored. We consider it our duty to stuff the gills of anyone we find, simply for the joy of seeing their insulin spike off the charts. What fun!
Naturally, we'll ask to make sure they're not diabetic first.
Meanwhile, there is a Christmas Eve service tonight, and then a Christmas Day service tomorrow, and I haven't gotten a single thing accomplished on my housework list. (This is the list that encompasses the numerous activities involved with finishing the basement.) Just been sitting around doing stuff with the family. And watching movies. And eating chocolate-covered peanut butter balls. Which are very yummy. But highly fattening.
Oh, there was also the struggle to help a Boy Scout get through his merit badges before he ages out on Christmas Day. He's trying to get to Eagle beforehand, and just needed 3 more badges to complete. So the past week has been interspersed with various Eagle-related activities. Building shelves in the church. Finishing Personal Management, Physical Fitness, and Family Life badges. Which all have 90-day requirements (i.e. the Scout has to log 90 days of specific activities). These are not good requirements to leave to the last minute! Ask Brason or Mahlon; they know!
Well, back to my card-writing.
Anyone got a spare hand I can borrow?
Friday, December 23, 2011
Ready or Not, Here it Comes
Christmas, I mean.
It's almost Christmas. Or Christmas Eve, whichever comes first.
The pies are baking in the oven, the cookies are resting quietly in the tupperware, the eggnog supply is rapidly being depleted by James, and we're going to watch part 1 of "Return of the King" tonight. (We've been watching Lord of the Rings all week long, 2 hours per night.)
Tomorrow night, we'll go to the Christmas Eve service; then, Sunday morning, we'll have a big Christmas brunch and go to the Christmas Day service. Then we'll hang out all afternoon trying to finish off all the food we've cooked up.
We're sure to gain at least ten pounds by Monday!
It's almost Christmas. Or Christmas Eve, whichever comes first.
The pies are baking in the oven, the cookies are resting quietly in the tupperware, the eggnog supply is rapidly being depleted by James, and we're going to watch part 1 of "Return of the King" tonight. (We've been watching Lord of the Rings all week long, 2 hours per night.)
Tomorrow night, we'll go to the Christmas Eve service; then, Sunday morning, we'll have a big Christmas brunch and go to the Christmas Day service. Then we'll hang out all afternoon trying to finish off all the food we've cooked up.
We're sure to gain at least ten pounds by Monday!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Well
It's been nearly a week since I've been able to think straight. Some kind of stupid virus or something had me unable to breathe through my nose, unable to think through the pain. Naturally, it wiped me out the first few days of my vacation. Hard to catch up on things when my mind and body have been out of commission for so long.
A few things got done around here, but I'll get to that in a while. For now, I'm going to stop and think about putting together some kind of annual letter which will be sent out to the people who haven't dropped off the radar completely. Most seem to have abandoned letter-writing altogether, relying on Facebook to maintain their contacts. Not that I can complain about that; I'm the worst letter-writer in the Universe. Will there suddenly be more time for such things once the kids have grown up and left home? No, there'll just be more people to write to.
A few things got done around here, but I'll get to that in a while. For now, I'm going to stop and think about putting together some kind of annual letter which will be sent out to the people who haven't dropped off the radar completely. Most seem to have abandoned letter-writing altogether, relying on Facebook to maintain their contacts. Not that I can complain about that; I'm the worst letter-writer in the Universe. Will there suddenly be more time for such things once the kids have grown up and left home? No, there'll just be more people to write to.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Music & Cookies
Adam read "Heart of Darkness" in his English class, and was assigned to do a project based on the book, some kind of artistic venture; or, as his teacher entitled it, "Art of Darkness". Ha ha. Francis Ford Coppola did his project based on the book and called it, "Apocalypse Now". Adam called his "The Ambush".
It's actually a musical score written as a theme for a particular scene. For those of you who remember the book, or have a copy handy, turn to the part where Marlow and his crew are going upstream after encountering the dense fog and are suddenly attacked by natives. Adam's theme follows the steamboat as the attack begins, the helmsman is killed, and then the natives withdraw.
He wrote an explanation of the theme to go along with the musical score, and made a CD for his teacher (with some help from his mother).
After all that work, he and Cheryl made a huge pile of cookies for him to take to school tomorrow.
Don't you love the last few days before Christmas break? All the projects due, all the snacks showing up. Extra stress and extra sugar, all rolled into one.
It's actually a musical score written as a theme for a particular scene. For those of you who remember the book, or have a copy handy, turn to the part where Marlow and his crew are going upstream after encountering the dense fog and are suddenly attacked by natives. Adam's theme follows the steamboat as the attack begins, the helmsman is killed, and then the natives withdraw.
He wrote an explanation of the theme to go along with the musical score, and made a CD for his teacher (with some help from his mother).
After all that work, he and Cheryl made a huge pile of cookies for him to take to school tomorrow.
Don't you love the last few days before Christmas break? All the projects due, all the snacks showing up. Extra stress and extra sugar, all rolled into one.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Christmas Madrigal
We've been looking forward to this event for a very long time. As the description says,
"Imagine for one evening that you could be transported back to a 16th-century English castle, where you could hear a cappella Christmas carols sung by lords and ladies, and you could get caught up in the mischief-making of the court jester, all while enjoying a 3-course meal served by friendly peasants.
"Every year, Great Lakes Christian College hosts a Madrigal Dinner and Concert series at Central United Methodist Church, in downtown Lansing.
"We anticipate that the atmosphere, great food, lively drama, and concert will be a fun, unforgettable evening, both time and money well-spent!
"This year, begin the Christmas season in a unique, unforgettable way!"
We went last year and it was simply wonderful. Good food, good entertainment, a magical evening of drama and music and celebration. This year, we decided to bring the kids along so they could enjoy it as well.
And they did. Mostly.
But it took them awhile to get into the mood.
They weren't very excited when we were taking pictures prior to leaving the house.
But once we got there, they seemed to get into the spirit of things. I'm not sure if stealing my hat helped.
Or maybe it was wearing cool shades.
Either way, by the time the event was over, we were all in a good mood. Mostly.
"Imagine for one evening that you could be transported back to a 16th-century English castle, where you could hear a cappella Christmas carols sung by lords and ladies, and you could get caught up in the mischief-making of the court jester, all while enjoying a 3-course meal served by friendly peasants.
"Every year, Great Lakes Christian College hosts a Madrigal Dinner and Concert series at Central United Methodist Church, in downtown Lansing.
"We anticipate that the atmosphere, great food, lively drama, and concert will be a fun, unforgettable evening, both time and money well-spent!
"This year, begin the Christmas season in a unique, unforgettable way!"
We went last year and it was simply wonderful. Good food, good entertainment, a magical evening of drama and music and celebration. This year, we decided to bring the kids along so they could enjoy it as well.
And they did. Mostly.
But it took them awhile to get into the mood.
They weren't very excited when we were taking pictures prior to leaving the house.
But once we got there, they seemed to get into the spirit of things. I'm not sure if stealing my hat helped.
Or maybe it was wearing cool shades.
Either way, by the time the event was over, we were all in a good mood. Mostly.
Friday, December 09, 2011
Second Snow of Winter
I don't even remember when the first one was, but it was a long time ago. Now we finally got a little more snow - and I do mean a little! In Western Michigan, we usually start getting heavy snows by now, four to six inches or so, depending on how the winds are blowing. A week or so ago, there was a really weird wind which dumped snow right down through the middle of the state (near Lansing) and completely avoided Grand Rapids and Detroit.
It's not that I'm looking forward to shoveling it, but like Charlie Brown's little sister, I just want my fair share!
So we got a little bit last night, just a reminder that winter is upon us. Looks pretty when it first comes down, all white and clean. Then the cars start driving around in it, and things get yucky.
Maybe next time, we'll get more.
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Sleeping In
Everyone has a different way of looking at their calendar. I'm generally looking to see if there is anything on the calendar that will take me away from my home, something that interferes with my very strong desire to just stay home and do things around the house. Which is why we have our Family Meeting every Sunday night, to plan out our week so that I will know exactly how many nights I'll get to stay home.
What? You thought the point was to let everyone in the family know what is on the schedule for the week? Ha! Everyone else in the house has an infallible memory (although most of the teen hormones are also an effective memory-wiping chemical which causes them to forget little things like "chores" and "homework" and "we already had family plans for that night" when it occurs to them to do something spontaneous like go out to see a movie with money they don't have, in a car they don't own, with fuel they haven't paid for). I'm the one who can't remember for five minutes that I have an appointment with ... with ... um, which doctor am I supposed to see this week?
Calendars are merely tools, tools which are intended to drive me insane with anxiety over the ridiculous number of things that are scheduled to occur during the week. Every night with something scheduled on it, is a night I can't go out to my garage and play with my power tools. Or down in the basement to work on programming. Or in the living room to work on a short story. Or in the music room to play my guitar.
Tonight was Scouts. I'm the Family Life merit badge counselor. There were only two guys who were supposed to be getting the training tonight, but it ended up that the entire troop came into the library to listen to my "guidance". I'm not sure whether that was due to the fact that my spiel was that interesting, or they just didn't want to hang out with the other adults and listen to deer-hunting stories. But we had a grand time, talking about what families are, and how we support and love one another, how we learn so much from one another, how we learn to work together in order to transfer knowledge and wisdom from one generation to another so that society will benefit and civilization will survive and prosper. We talked about personal projects and family projects and weekly chores and things that could be done during the winter versus things that could be done over the summer.
Afterward, I talked to my Eagle Scout candidate about the things he has left to do - time is rapidly flying, and he has only three weeks to get it all done! - and then it was time to head home and see how the family was doing.
We're starting some new routines this week, owing to some decisions we made over the weekend. Telephone service and internet for sub-adults is going to cease after 10 o'clock at night; hopefully, that will prevent anyone from having difficulty getting to sleep owing to the huge distractions of remote communications. We adults are still struggling with that concept, but it's going to have to be for us as well, since we've noticed that the internet is a huge time drain late at night, and we really need to be getting to bed on time. I'm hoping it means that we can start getting up on time, too, because I experienced a rather slow start this morning.
It was terribly difficult to get out of bed, and it wasn't because the bed was nice and warm and the room air was cold, or because there was nothing to look forward to at work. No, the problem was that I was exhausted, and just couldn't get moving.
This sleeping in has to stop.
What? You thought the point was to let everyone in the family know what is on the schedule for the week? Ha! Everyone else in the house has an infallible memory (although most of the teen hormones are also an effective memory-wiping chemical which causes them to forget little things like "chores" and "homework" and "we already had family plans for that night" when it occurs to them to do something spontaneous like go out to see a movie with money they don't have, in a car they don't own, with fuel they haven't paid for). I'm the one who can't remember for five minutes that I have an appointment with ... with ... um, which doctor am I supposed to see this week?
Calendars are merely tools, tools which are intended to drive me insane with anxiety over the ridiculous number of things that are scheduled to occur during the week. Every night with something scheduled on it, is a night I can't go out to my garage and play with my power tools. Or down in the basement to work on programming. Or in the living room to work on a short story. Or in the music room to play my guitar.
Tonight was Scouts. I'm the Family Life merit badge counselor. There were only two guys who were supposed to be getting the training tonight, but it ended up that the entire troop came into the library to listen to my "guidance". I'm not sure whether that was due to the fact that my spiel was that interesting, or they just didn't want to hang out with the other adults and listen to deer-hunting stories. But we had a grand time, talking about what families are, and how we support and love one another, how we learn so much from one another, how we learn to work together in order to transfer knowledge and wisdom from one generation to another so that society will benefit and civilization will survive and prosper. We talked about personal projects and family projects and weekly chores and things that could be done during the winter versus things that could be done over the summer.
Afterward, I talked to my Eagle Scout candidate about the things he has left to do - time is rapidly flying, and he has only three weeks to get it all done! - and then it was time to head home and see how the family was doing.
We're starting some new routines this week, owing to some decisions we made over the weekend. Telephone service and internet for sub-adults is going to cease after 10 o'clock at night; hopefully, that will prevent anyone from having difficulty getting to sleep owing to the huge distractions of remote communications. We adults are still struggling with that concept, but it's going to have to be for us as well, since we've noticed that the internet is a huge time drain late at night, and we really need to be getting to bed on time. I'm hoping it means that we can start getting up on time, too, because I experienced a rather slow start this morning.
It was terribly difficult to get out of bed, and it wasn't because the bed was nice and warm and the room air was cold, or because there was nothing to look forward to at work. No, the problem was that I was exhausted, and just couldn't get moving.
This sleeping in has to stop.
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Closing Matinee
It seems rather odd to have a Saturday matinee as the final performance of a play, but perhaps that's the way it is for Middle School musicals. Certainly, none of the Middle School / Junior High musicals I'd ever seen were quite as sophisticated as this one, so it is probably to be expected that the schedule of performances would be non-standard as well.
The only real complaint about the scheduling of this performance is the same complaint I'd have for any middle-of-the-day event for a Saturday: it kills off the whole day. I can't really accomplish anything else, because during the morning, I'm preparing for the event, and afterward, I'm recovering from the event. So, there goes another Saturday!
Having a few hours beforehand did provide me the opportunity to clean up the shop area. I'd left it in a huge mess Friday afternoon as we were in a rush to get to the performance, so there was sawdust and board scraps and tools scattered thither and yon all over the place. Took me quite a while to put everything back in its place. Then there was just enough time to grab a quick lunch before heading off to the school.
As a villager, a non-principal part, Mary didn't have to do microphone checks or extensive makeup or complex costuming, so we didn't have to be there extremely early. As you can see from the picture below, she had a simple costume. The kerchief gave me the impression that she was a Russian peasant, probably because I've seen far more photographs of Russian women wearing them than French, but it's still valid for the period. And she looked great onstage.
Here she is standing in front of the cart.
The afternoon performance didn't start off well. The principal actress, playing Belle, had been struggling with a sore throat all week, so it really wasn't a surprise when, after only a few notes into the first song, her voice cracked and she had to switch it down an octave. Caught me by surprise, though, because she'd been doing so well all week long. From backstage, it sounded as though she'd suddenly switched to an alto harmony part instead of the melody, but people who were out in the audience assured me that it was simply an octave switch.
Then there were some unexpected hitches with some set pieces catching on curtains and floors and things. A few rushed lines, a few missed blockings, one or two places where a singer couldn't find the pitch or the beat, or rushed ahead of the music a bar or two. The wood-chopping "invention" worked great. The fog machine (for the Beast-to-Human transformation) still didn't work right: the fog missed its cue, so there was a huge cloud of fog swirling around the floor after the Beast had turned human. I don't think that trick ever worked right except once during rehearsal.
The cart looked great.
It was a bit of a relief and a downer when the curtain finally went down and we were all done. Putting on musicals can be such a stressful time, but when it's all over, you just can't wait til the next one starts up. Unfortunately, there isn't another Middle School play for a year or so.
Meanwhile, there was a set to strike, and the kids got to work with a vengeance, tearing the flats apart with hammers and screwdrivers, pulling the styrofoam arches apart, sweeping up the mess of debris that was scattered all over the stage. It took us the better part of an hour and a half to get it all done, then it was time for the cast party.
The parents in charge of the food had done a marvelous job preparing the cast party. There was pizza and vegetable trays and fruit trays and chili cheese dip and crackers and chips and crab puffs and stuffed mushrooms and cupcakes and fudge marshmallows and cookies and -- did I mention pizza? There was far more food than could possibly be eaten by the cast and crew, but they gave it their best. Mary and I didn't stay til the end because she was tired and I was tired and we wanted to get home and relax for awhile, so we did.
Now only two more weeks of school & work, and then we're off for a while!
The only real complaint about the scheduling of this performance is the same complaint I'd have for any middle-of-the-day event for a Saturday: it kills off the whole day. I can't really accomplish anything else, because during the morning, I'm preparing for the event, and afterward, I'm recovering from the event. So, there goes another Saturday!
Having a few hours beforehand did provide me the opportunity to clean up the shop area. I'd left it in a huge mess Friday afternoon as we were in a rush to get to the performance, so there was sawdust and board scraps and tools scattered thither and yon all over the place. Took me quite a while to put everything back in its place. Then there was just enough time to grab a quick lunch before heading off to the school.
As a villager, a non-principal part, Mary didn't have to do microphone checks or extensive makeup or complex costuming, so we didn't have to be there extremely early. As you can see from the picture below, she had a simple costume. The kerchief gave me the impression that she was a Russian peasant, probably because I've seen far more photographs of Russian women wearing them than French, but it's still valid for the period. And she looked great onstage.
Here she is standing in front of the cart.
The afternoon performance didn't start off well. The principal actress, playing Belle, had been struggling with a sore throat all week, so it really wasn't a surprise when, after only a few notes into the first song, her voice cracked and she had to switch it down an octave. Caught me by surprise, though, because she'd been doing so well all week long. From backstage, it sounded as though she'd suddenly switched to an alto harmony part instead of the melody, but people who were out in the audience assured me that it was simply an octave switch.
Then there were some unexpected hitches with some set pieces catching on curtains and floors and things. A few rushed lines, a few missed blockings, one or two places where a singer couldn't find the pitch or the beat, or rushed ahead of the music a bar or two. The wood-chopping "invention" worked great. The fog machine (for the Beast-to-Human transformation) still didn't work right: the fog missed its cue, so there was a huge cloud of fog swirling around the floor after the Beast had turned human. I don't think that trick ever worked right except once during rehearsal.
The cart looked great.
It was a bit of a relief and a downer when the curtain finally went down and we were all done. Putting on musicals can be such a stressful time, but when it's all over, you just can't wait til the next one starts up. Unfortunately, there isn't another Middle School play for a year or so.
Meanwhile, there was a set to strike, and the kids got to work with a vengeance, tearing the flats apart with hammers and screwdrivers, pulling the styrofoam arches apart, sweeping up the mess of debris that was scattered all over the stage. It took us the better part of an hour and a half to get it all done, then it was time for the cast party.
The parents in charge of the food had done a marvelous job preparing the cast party. There was pizza and vegetable trays and fruit trays and chili cheese dip and crackers and chips and crab puffs and stuffed mushrooms and cupcakes and fudge marshmallows and cookies and -- did I mention pizza? There was far more food than could possibly be eaten by the cast and crew, but they gave it their best. Mary and I didn't stay til the end because she was tired and I was tired and we wanted to get home and relax for awhile, so we did.
Now only two more weeks of school & work, and then we're off for a while!
Friday, December 02, 2011
Opening Night
It was a scramble, mad-dash, race for the moon kind of day.
The first performance was at nine o'clock in the morning. An auditorium full of elementary school kids, all with ADHD, were the first recipients of the talents of the middle school dramatic personae. And they loved it! But what's not to love? One of their favorite stories from childhood come to life, onstage, with music and lights and special effects and "Big Kids" playing the roles they've only seen on the television.
The Company did very well. Most of the lines were remembered, most of the songs went off well, most of the stage survived. I was mortified that the cart wasn't completed yet: some of the side panels weren't painted yet; there was duct tape covering some gaps; the wheels weren't painted yet. But "Chip" didn't complain, and the show went on.
Mary was obviously having a great time. I'm not sure yet if a serious drama bug has bitten her yet, but she seemed to relish the life backstage. (Those of you who have been behind the stage know what I'm talking about.) The tension, the chatter, the gossip, the whispers from the crew to "Hush!" She looked so cute in her villager outfit, makeup done just right, standing at the edge of the stage and waiting for her cue.
As soon as the presentation was done, I grabbed the cart and took it outside to where Cheryl was waiting with the van. We loaded it up and she drove it home while I went back to work. After lunch, I went home and together, we worked on completing it. She did the (marvelous) painting job, and I finished the wheels and filled in the gaps and tweaked a few things here and there.
We took it back to the school after dinner, around five-thirty, where I had to finish one final task - painting the wheels gold - and then it was finally ready to go.
The show started promptly at sometime after seven o'clock. The auditorium had a few people in it - probably around a hundred, mostly parents - but they were ready for it. (Thursday nights are traditionally a Dress Rehearsal night because no one in their right minds goes "out" to a show on a Thursday night, but apparently things have changed over the years, and this was actually considered a regular show.)
It didn't go as well as before, and mostly that was due to the fact that the kids had already done it earlier in the day, and their voices were tired. And they'd been in school in the meantime, so there was some regular tiredness as well. And there were several tech things that didn't work: the fog machine, the microphones, the automatic wood chopper thingie.
The biggest thing that went wrong was the scene where Gaston and Lefou and one other henchman stroll across the stage on their way to the castle. Gaston and the henchman didn't show up. It seems they were playing around back in the dressing room (or locker room) and weren't paying attention, and they were supposed to be out on stage, and they totally missed their cue. A third actor, who was really the main instigator, was there as well. So Lefou walked across the stage by himself, got to the end without saying a word, shrugged his shoulders, and exited.
I'm sure the audience was confused.
After the show, after final bows and curtain calls and all that had been done, the director took the three boys aside and told two of them that they were in "major trouble", and told the third that he was out of the show, not to return ever again. (He had been messing around quite a bit throughout the whole production.)
First time I've ever seen an actor removed on Opening Night.
[Some of the aficionados of the show might've noticed as well that the Wardrobe lady was missing. She apparently stopped showing up for rehearsals a few days ago and so was dropped as well. Must be a Middle School thing. Mrs. Potts has had to improvise some cover lines for that situation, but she's done well.]
After that unpleasantness, the kids all went down front of the auditorium and were congratulated by their parents and other well-wishers. Then the kids went back and changed into normal clothes and we all departed for home.
Well, almost. Actually, Mary and I departed for Wendy's, where we got Frosty shakes to celebrate, and then we went home. After all, an actor deserves her due!
Tomorrow night's production should be very interesting.
The first performance was at nine o'clock in the morning. An auditorium full of elementary school kids, all with ADHD, were the first recipients of the talents of the middle school dramatic personae. And they loved it! But what's not to love? One of their favorite stories from childhood come to life, onstage, with music and lights and special effects and "Big Kids" playing the roles they've only seen on the television.
The Company did very well. Most of the lines were remembered, most of the songs went off well, most of the stage survived. I was mortified that the cart wasn't completed yet: some of the side panels weren't painted yet; there was duct tape covering some gaps; the wheels weren't painted yet. But "Chip" didn't complain, and the show went on.
Mary was obviously having a great time. I'm not sure yet if a serious drama bug has bitten her yet, but she seemed to relish the life backstage. (Those of you who have been behind the stage know what I'm talking about.) The tension, the chatter, the gossip, the whispers from the crew to "Hush!" She looked so cute in her villager outfit, makeup done just right, standing at the edge of the stage and waiting for her cue.
As soon as the presentation was done, I grabbed the cart and took it outside to where Cheryl was waiting with the van. We loaded it up and she drove it home while I went back to work. After lunch, I went home and together, we worked on completing it. She did the (marvelous) painting job, and I finished the wheels and filled in the gaps and tweaked a few things here and there.
We took it back to the school after dinner, around five-thirty, where I had to finish one final task - painting the wheels gold - and then it was finally ready to go.
The show started promptly at sometime after seven o'clock. The auditorium had a few people in it - probably around a hundred, mostly parents - but they were ready for it. (Thursday nights are traditionally a Dress Rehearsal night because no one in their right minds goes "out" to a show on a Thursday night, but apparently things have changed over the years, and this was actually considered a regular show.)
It didn't go as well as before, and mostly that was due to the fact that the kids had already done it earlier in the day, and their voices were tired. And they'd been in school in the meantime, so there was some regular tiredness as well. And there were several tech things that didn't work: the fog machine, the microphones, the automatic wood chopper thingie.
The biggest thing that went wrong was the scene where Gaston and Lefou and one other henchman stroll across the stage on their way to the castle. Gaston and the henchman didn't show up. It seems they were playing around back in the dressing room (or locker room) and weren't paying attention, and they were supposed to be out on stage, and they totally missed their cue. A third actor, who was really the main instigator, was there as well. So Lefou walked across the stage by himself, got to the end without saying a word, shrugged his shoulders, and exited.
I'm sure the audience was confused.
After the show, after final bows and curtain calls and all that had been done, the director took the three boys aside and told two of them that they were in "major trouble", and told the third that he was out of the show, not to return ever again. (He had been messing around quite a bit throughout the whole production.)
First time I've ever seen an actor removed on Opening Night.
[Some of the aficionados of the show might've noticed as well that the Wardrobe lady was missing. She apparently stopped showing up for rehearsals a few days ago and so was dropped as well. Must be a Middle School thing. Mrs. Potts has had to improvise some cover lines for that situation, but she's done well.]
After that unpleasantness, the kids all went down front of the auditorium and were congratulated by their parents and other well-wishers. Then the kids went back and changed into normal clothes and we all departed for home.
Well, almost. Actually, Mary and I departed for Wendy's, where we got Frosty shakes to celebrate, and then we went home. After all, an actor deserves her due!
Tomorrow night's production should be very interesting.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Dress Rehearsal
Tonight, the middle school kids put on their dress rehearsal production of "Beauty and the Beast, Jr.". It was a remarkable improvement from Monday night's rehearsal.
Monday night was full of forgotten blocking, dropped lines, bad acting, technical mishaps, and entirely too much conversation in the wings.
Come to think of it, so was Tuesday night.
Monday, we got all the way through Act One, and it only took two and a half hours.
Tuesday, we got all the way through Act Two, and it only took three hours.
Together, that makes for a five and a half hour play. It's supposed to be an hour and ten minutes, tops. Throw in an intermission, and you've got roughly an hour and a half. Where did all the extra time come from?
Missing props. New stage direction. Wireless mikes that needed adjusting. Figuring out the timing for the costume changes. Repeating scenes that just didn't work.
Tonight was a non-stop run-through. Absolutely no repeats. Deal with the mishaps and mistakes, just keep going. Got it down to about two hours. Not bad.
Tomorrow morning is another "dress rehearsal", except that it will be taking place in front of all the elementary school kids, who are being bussed in to watch the performance. Mr. Hudson said there would be 650 of 'em. Really? That's going to be one loud auditorium! And very unruly, to boot. Can't wait to see how that works out.
I've got to be there at the end of the production so I can grab the tea cart and make a few minor adjustments to it. Still need to paint the wheels. And add some floral patterns. So that by the time we open "for real" tomorrow night, it'll be all prettified and elegant, like a tea cart is supposed to be.
I find myself looking forward to any excuse to go out and work in my shop now that it's all closed off and insulated and cozy. And it's so relaxing! Especially when there's time to do things right, and not be in a rush.
I'm so looking forward to Christmas vacation. There are many ideas floating in my head which involve wood in some way.
Monday night was full of forgotten blocking, dropped lines, bad acting, technical mishaps, and entirely too much conversation in the wings.
Come to think of it, so was Tuesday night.
Monday, we got all the way through Act One, and it only took two and a half hours.
Tuesday, we got all the way through Act Two, and it only took three hours.
Together, that makes for a five and a half hour play. It's supposed to be an hour and ten minutes, tops. Throw in an intermission, and you've got roughly an hour and a half. Where did all the extra time come from?
Missing props. New stage direction. Wireless mikes that needed adjusting. Figuring out the timing for the costume changes. Repeating scenes that just didn't work.
Tonight was a non-stop run-through. Absolutely no repeats. Deal with the mishaps and mistakes, just keep going. Got it down to about two hours. Not bad.
Tomorrow morning is another "dress rehearsal", except that it will be taking place in front of all the elementary school kids, who are being bussed in to watch the performance. Mr. Hudson said there would be 650 of 'em. Really? That's going to be one loud auditorium! And very unruly, to boot. Can't wait to see how that works out.
I've got to be there at the end of the production so I can grab the tea cart and make a few minor adjustments to it. Still need to paint the wheels. And add some floral patterns. So that by the time we open "for real" tomorrow night, it'll be all prettified and elegant, like a tea cart is supposed to be.
I find myself looking forward to any excuse to go out and work in my shop now that it's all closed off and insulated and cozy. And it's so relaxing! Especially when there's time to do things right, and not be in a rush.
I'm so looking forward to Christmas vacation. There are many ideas floating in my head which involve wood in some way.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Oh Christmas Tree
We pulled the tree out of the attic. Cheryl set it up. The girls, with the help of their friend, Sarah, strung up the lights.
Then we turned it on.
So, are you ready for Christmas yet?
Then we turned it on.
So, are you ready for Christmas yet?
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Tea Cart
You wouldn't think to look at it, that it would take so long to complete. But there are always complications. Especially something that is supposed to be as flexible as this.
There are only a few things that the tea cart has to do.
One, it has to roll across the stage. So, it has wheels. Actually, it has real wheels underneath and "fake" wheels on the side. The fake wheels are supposed to look like old-fashioned spoke wheels, the kind you'd find on a piece of furniture back in the 1700s in France which wasn't supposed to carry an incredible amount of weight on it. The "real" wheels are supposed to carry about 100 pounds of weight (depending on the size of the occupant), so there's a furniture dolly underneath to do the real work.
Two, it has to have room inside for an actor, somewhere between seventy and one hundred pounds - depending on who is playing the part of Chip, the tea cup. The actor sits on the little seat, facing forward, with his/her head sticking out of the top. (No, I haven't cut out the hole for the actor's head yet.) The actor's feet must fit in the space between the seat and the front of the tea cart. The top of the cart must allow the actor to get in, and must allow the actor's head to come through it.
I thought about creating a split lid which would fold together with a center cutout, but that seems a bit difficult to support along the seam, so instead it'll probably just be a single cutout for the head, with a tablecloth to hide the hole. The most important thing is that it can't be obvious that there is a person's body stuffed inside the tea cart. The plan is to use mirrors to make it look like there isn't someone inside the cart. I'm still working on that part.
There are only a few things that the tea cart has to do.
One, it has to roll across the stage. So, it has wheels. Actually, it has real wheels underneath and "fake" wheels on the side. The fake wheels are supposed to look like old-fashioned spoke wheels, the kind you'd find on a piece of furniture back in the 1700s in France which wasn't supposed to carry an incredible amount of weight on it. The "real" wheels are supposed to carry about 100 pounds of weight (depending on the size of the occupant), so there's a furniture dolly underneath to do the real work.
Two, it has to have room inside for an actor, somewhere between seventy and one hundred pounds - depending on who is playing the part of Chip, the tea cup. The actor sits on the little seat, facing forward, with his/her head sticking out of the top. (No, I haven't cut out the hole for the actor's head yet.) The actor's feet must fit in the space between the seat and the front of the tea cart. The top of the cart must allow the actor to get in, and must allow the actor's head to come through it.
I thought about creating a split lid which would fold together with a center cutout, but that seems a bit difficult to support along the seam, so instead it'll probably just be a single cutout for the head, with a tablecloth to hide the hole. The most important thing is that it can't be obvious that there is a person's body stuffed inside the tea cart. The plan is to use mirrors to make it look like there isn't someone inside the cart. I'm still working on that part.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Post-Thanksgiving GiG
It's Friday, and there are a million things to do today. The most important, obviously, is to get my GiG (Garage-in-Garage) ready for winter, because the weather is going to start turning cold very, very soon.
As you may recall, the doors to the GiG were started a few days ago, but there hasn't been an opportunity (until today) to get the door handles on them. And they really need door handles. Currently, they don't close very easily, which is part of the design. Tighter doors make for tighter seals against the cold, you know. But that means that the doors can't be shut by simply closing one side and then the other. The doors have to be brought together carefully and set to just the right angle and then pulled sharply together so that they mesh. But that's very difficult to accomplish when there is no door handles.
So, first order of business is to make the door handles. Starting with the main entry doors which go from the two-bay garage (where the cars are parked) to the GiG.
Next, the doors which lead out of the GiG into the "shed" which was created by the extra space between the GiG and the 3rd bay garage door. This will allow access from the GiG to the shed where all the snow removal (and grass removal) equipment is kept, as well as the recycling and trash bins which must go out every week. The intent of putting doors here is to seal off the GiG from the exterior cold which creeps in when we're shoveling snow or putting out the garbage every week.
Now that the GiG work is done, it's time to work on the tea cart for the school play ("Beauty and the Beast").
The Tea Cart is supposed to look like a real tea cart, only it has a person inside who will be playing the role of Chip, the tea cup. The actor has his/her head made up to look like a tea cup, and the actor's body is hidden inside the tea cart.
I can't wait to see how (if) this works!
As you may recall, the doors to the GiG were started a few days ago, but there hasn't been an opportunity (until today) to get the door handles on them. And they really need door handles. Currently, they don't close very easily, which is part of the design. Tighter doors make for tighter seals against the cold, you know. But that means that the doors can't be shut by simply closing one side and then the other. The doors have to be brought together carefully and set to just the right angle and then pulled sharply together so that they mesh. But that's very difficult to accomplish when there is no door handles.
So, first order of business is to make the door handles. Starting with the main entry doors which go from the two-bay garage (where the cars are parked) to the GiG.
Next, the doors which lead out of the GiG into the "shed" which was created by the extra space between the GiG and the 3rd bay garage door. This will allow access from the GiG to the shed where all the snow removal (and grass removal) equipment is kept, as well as the recycling and trash bins which must go out every week. The intent of putting doors here is to seal off the GiG from the exterior cold which creeps in when we're shoveling snow or putting out the garbage every week.
Now that the GiG work is done, it's time to work on the tea cart for the school play ("Beauty and the Beast").
The Tea Cart is supposed to look like a real tea cart, only it has a person inside who will be playing the role of Chip, the tea cup. The actor has his/her head made up to look like a tea cup, and the actor's body is hidden inside the tea cart.
I can't wait to see how (if) this works!
Monday, November 21, 2011
James is an Old Man!!
Once upon a time, there was a boy named James who suddenly, inexplicably, was attacked by the EEE-vil forces of the "Axis of Geriatric Enemies" (A.G.E.) who wanted him to become an Old Man with gray hair and arthritis and creaky bones and aching joints. But James was, after all, only sixteen years and didn't deserve such a horrible fate.
The EEE-vil forces of A.G.E. sent in a huge Army of Penguins to destroy whatever semblance of good health he might be enjoying by infusing him with massive doses of sugar.
He did his best to defeat the Army of Penguins, one at a time, using only his teeth.
Remarkably, his strategy worked and he was mildly successful. Except for a huge sugar rush which threatened to send him into a diabetic coma. Even though he's not diabetic. Yet.
Oddly enough, once his huge sugar rush had dissipated, he was given a weapon to use against the forces of EEE-vil which consisted of very sweet, very sugary bag of Chocolate Kisses from a not-so-secret admirer! (Face not shown so as to protect her identity.) Some suspect that this was actually some kind of Secret Code.
In addition to the encouragement he received from his not-so-secret admirer, he was also encouraged in his struggle against the forces of A.G.E. by many loving friends and relatives who sent him cards and notes and gifts.
Young James read them.
All of them.
And he was filled with joy upon receiving them. Especially the maroon ones.
So now we all know what color 'maroon' is.
And we know what 'chocolate' is.
And we know what Starbucks Gift Cards are.
Yes, young James was very pleased and content with his cards and gifts, a shower of love and affection from his friends and family.
And, like most of the Meyer family celebrations, it wouldn't be any fun at all if there wasn't a book involved!
So James was strengthened and heartened by the wonderful attentions from his friends, family and admirers, and was able to successfully defeat the EEE-vil forces of A.G.E.
At least for another year...
The EEE-vil forces of A.G.E. sent in a huge Army of Penguins to destroy whatever semblance of good health he might be enjoying by infusing him with massive doses of sugar.
He did his best to defeat the Army of Penguins, one at a time, using only his teeth.
Remarkably, his strategy worked and he was mildly successful. Except for a huge sugar rush which threatened to send him into a diabetic coma. Even though he's not diabetic. Yet.
Oddly enough, once his huge sugar rush had dissipated, he was given a weapon to use against the forces of EEE-vil which consisted of very sweet, very sugary bag of Chocolate Kisses from a not-so-secret admirer! (Face not shown so as to protect her identity.) Some suspect that this was actually some kind of Secret Code.
In addition to the encouragement he received from his not-so-secret admirer, he was also encouraged in his struggle against the forces of A.G.E. by many loving friends and relatives who sent him cards and notes and gifts.
Young James read them.
All of them.
And he was filled with joy upon receiving them. Especially the maroon ones.
So now we all know what color 'maroon' is.
And we know what 'chocolate' is.
And we know what Starbucks Gift Cards are.
Yes, young James was very pleased and content with his cards and gifts, a shower of love and affection from his friends and family.
And, like most of the Meyer family celebrations, it wouldn't be any fun at all if there wasn't a book involved!
So James was strengthened and heartened by the wonderful attentions from his friends, family and admirers, and was able to successfully defeat the EEE-vil forces of A.G.E.
At least for another year...
Saturday, November 19, 2011
A Door for the Garage
The Garage-Within-a-Garage (GWiG) is coming along nicely. I have completed the first set of doors! (Well, almost...)
As you can see, these doors form an entryway into the little gap between the GWiG and the actual garage doors which lead to the front driveway. The theory is that we'll be able to use these doors to take care of the snow removal during the winter and the gardening during the spring and summer. The gap actually is like a little shed inside the garage. I used the outer wall of the GWiG to hang the tools on, and the shed has just enough room to enclose the lawn mower, the show blower, the garbage bin, and the recycling bins.
In this view, you can see through the GWiG doorway all the way out into the driveway, and you can even see the garbage bin beyond.
Here you can see that the garbage bin has been brought into the little shed area between the outer garage door and the inner garage (GWiG) door.
Now I've lowered the outer garage door so that you can see that the gap between the inner and outer doors forms a little shed space.
Finally, when the GWiG doors are closed, the GWiG is isolated from the outer garage. And, hopefully, warmer, too! After all, the whole purpose of this project is to provide a warm place to work on projects for the winter.
Notice that the doors are currently held by clamps. Tomorrow, I need to get the hinges so they'll be "real" doors!
As you can see, these doors form an entryway into the little gap between the GWiG and the actual garage doors which lead to the front driveway. The theory is that we'll be able to use these doors to take care of the snow removal during the winter and the gardening during the spring and summer. The gap actually is like a little shed inside the garage. I used the outer wall of the GWiG to hang the tools on, and the shed has just enough room to enclose the lawn mower, the show blower, the garbage bin, and the recycling bins.
In this view, you can see through the GWiG doorway all the way out into the driveway, and you can even see the garbage bin beyond.
Here you can see that the garbage bin has been brought into the little shed area between the outer garage door and the inner garage (GWiG) door.
Now I've lowered the outer garage door so that you can see that the gap between the inner and outer doors forms a little shed space.
Finally, when the GWiG doors are closed, the GWiG is isolated from the outer garage. And, hopefully, warmer, too! After all, the whole purpose of this project is to provide a warm place to work on projects for the winter.
Notice that the doors are currently held by clamps. Tomorrow, I need to get the hinges so they'll be "real" doors!
Friday, November 18, 2011
A Roman Temple
James has completed his Roman temple!
Can you see where the half-round dowels are used?
This Roman temple even has a Roman god of some kind inside. Who is that?
James says it's Fortunas, the god of gates and keys.
Can you see where the half-round dowels are used?
This Roman temple even has a Roman god of some kind inside. Who is that?
James says it's Fortunas, the god of gates and keys.
Latin Class and Golden Temples
So you're probably wondering to yourself, Why on earth would anyone need to cut dowels in half length-wise? (Unless you work in the Interior Decorating, or Carpentry business, in which case the answer is obvious.)
The answer is, of course, for trimming things.
James is taking Latin this year (yes, we're "stunned and amazed", too!), following in the footsteps of his elder brother (but don't tell him that, because he don't follow in nobody's footsteps!); and one of the projects that the Latin students take part in, is the annual Build-an-example-of-Roman-Architecture project. Where they build an example of Roman architecture. Or did you already guess that part?
Adam built a very nice model of a Roman villa a few years back. James decided to build a Roman temple instead. In this case, a temple dedicated to the god of keys and locks. Can't remember his/her name. But the temple is definitely worthy of a Roman diety! All gold-colored, with fancy columns and high ceilings, and even a statue of the diety itself.
The columns are, of course, fake. The ones which grace the exterior of the flat walls are not fully round, they are only half-rounds which are glued onto the wall so as to look fully round.
Which is where the dowel-cutting comes in.
Roman architecture demands strict adherance to symmetry and form, so the columns must look nice. And had we tried to cut the dowels in half (length-wise) without the use of a jig, they would've looked awful.
And we can't have that, now, can we?
The answer is, of course, for trimming things.
James is taking Latin this year (yes, we're "stunned and amazed", too!), following in the footsteps of his elder brother (but don't tell him that, because he don't follow in nobody's footsteps!); and one of the projects that the Latin students take part in, is the annual Build-an-example-of-Roman-Architecture project. Where they build an example of Roman architecture. Or did you already guess that part?
Adam built a very nice model of a Roman villa a few years back. James decided to build a Roman temple instead. In this case, a temple dedicated to the god of keys and locks. Can't remember his/her name. But the temple is definitely worthy of a Roman diety! All gold-colored, with fancy columns and high ceilings, and even a statue of the diety itself.
The columns are, of course, fake. The ones which grace the exterior of the flat walls are not fully round, they are only half-rounds which are glued onto the wall so as to look fully round.
Which is where the dowel-cutting comes in.
Roman architecture demands strict adherance to symmetry and form, so the columns must look nice. And had we tried to cut the dowels in half (length-wise) without the use of a jig, they would've looked awful.
And we can't have that, now, can we?
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Log-Splittin'; or, The Jig is Up!
Problem:
How do you cut a 6-inch dowel in half length-wise?
Solution:
Make a jig!
Here is the jig that Dad built. 1-inch block base with two 2x2 blocks attached to it, spaced one saw-blade apart. The bottom facing edge of each of the 2x2 blocks is angle-cut to provide room for a dowel to fit between the blocks. Each 2x2 block is secured to the base with screws. An additional screw on each 2x2 block is angled down toward the facing edge to hold the dowel in place.
Here is the dowel being inserted into the jig in the space between the blocks.
Here is the dowel being secured into the jig with the screws.
Here is the dowel being sawn length-wise.
Here is the dowel being pushed out of the jig with the other dowel.
And here are the two halves of neatly-divided dowel, ready for use!
Tomorrow, I'll explain what all this was for.
How do you cut a 6-inch dowel in half length-wise?
Solution:
Make a jig!
Here is the jig that Dad built. 1-inch block base with two 2x2 blocks attached to it, spaced one saw-blade apart. The bottom facing edge of each of the 2x2 blocks is angle-cut to provide room for a dowel to fit between the blocks. Each 2x2 block is secured to the base with screws. An additional screw on each 2x2 block is angled down toward the facing edge to hold the dowel in place.
Here is the dowel being inserted into the jig in the space between the blocks.
Here is the dowel being secured into the jig with the screws.
Here is the dowel being sawn length-wise.
Here is the dowel being pushed out of the jig with the other dowel.
And here are the two halves of neatly-divided dowel, ready for use!
Tomorrow, I'll explain what all this was for.
$575 Later...
The Subaru is fixed. My wallet is broke.
The diagnosis was exactly what I suspected: the drive shafts needed replacing. The CV boots have probably been cracked for quite a while, letting all kinds of dust and gravel and dirt and debris into the gear mechanism. Once it started making that grinding noise, it's too late to try and salvage it. Just a question of how much it's going to cost.
And it cost plenty. Parts were around $350, labor was around $180. Taxes and miscellaneous items brought it up to something near $575. Yeah, I probably could've gotten a better deal somewhere else, but frankly, I just didn't feel like trying yet another car shop. I still haven't found one I like (non-dealership, I mean). And the dealership is very close to work.
So I brought it in early and sat in their very nice waiting room and took advantage of their free WiFi to work remotely so I didn't miss out on anything, drank my Coke Zero and waited patiently. It only took an hour and a half. They had all the parts right there in the shop.
So an hour and a half later, still somewhat early in the morning, I drove out of the dealership parking lot and went to the office. There were no noises coming from underneath the front end anymore. When I got home from work, I put the car up on the ramps so I could take pictures of the new drive axles and CV boots.
Ain't they pretty??
The diagnosis was exactly what I suspected: the drive shafts needed replacing. The CV boots have probably been cracked for quite a while, letting all kinds of dust and gravel and dirt and debris into the gear mechanism. Once it started making that grinding noise, it's too late to try and salvage it. Just a question of how much it's going to cost.
And it cost plenty. Parts were around $350, labor was around $180. Taxes and miscellaneous items brought it up to something near $575. Yeah, I probably could've gotten a better deal somewhere else, but frankly, I just didn't feel like trying yet another car shop. I still haven't found one I like (non-dealership, I mean). And the dealership is very close to work.
So I brought it in early and sat in their very nice waiting room and took advantage of their free WiFi to work remotely so I didn't miss out on anything, drank my Coke Zero and waited patiently. It only took an hour and a half. They had all the parts right there in the shop.
So an hour and a half later, still somewhat early in the morning, I drove out of the dealership parking lot and went to the office. There were no noises coming from underneath the front end anymore. When I got home from work, I put the car up on the ramps so I could take pictures of the new drive axles and CV boots.
Ain't they pretty??
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