Raincharm’s Weblog

I arrived and left work today at a little past 7:30.

One of those days – with a rate hearing at the end.
Not too bad, and we actually had four customers show up.
Sometimes we have one, sometimes none.
What this really means is that, for our area, the cost of water and sewer is not the focus for most people.
Even those that did show up had reasonable questions.
No pitchforks.

Came home to Carl having lost a fight with a butternut squash.
He was gaining ground with the big knife, but wanted more, and went at it with the smaller version.
He paried, the squash twirled and grabbed the weapon.

Short version, he has a cut on the back of a thumb knuckle. Not too long, but deep enough to keep bleeding through the bandaid and wrap. (I think it has slowed down to a mere trickle.)

Enough for now, it is 9 PM and time for dinner.

March Madness was always a fun event for our family.
We do a random drawing for teams, and then cheer them on – striving to be the winner of the roost.

Prizes used to be treats – for each game your teams won.
Because it is around easter, easter treats were normally the prizes.

The kids are older.
We are not eating sugar (much).
And chocolate may melt in the mail. (This is from experience.)

But bragging rights, and trash talk throughout the tournament can still be fun.

Throughout the years we have our favorites, and our hated rivals. Hence the “Much Sadness” part of the game.

A few tidbits from this year’s drawing.

• Rey got 3 of the 4 number 1 seeds. (The top 3 seeds as well.)
• Jay got Colorado State, an alma mater.
• Jay got Rey’s alma mater, Montana
• Ashlan got Jay’s other alma mater, Michigan State
• Ashlan also got Carl’s almost mater, Illinois
• Michigan State plays Valpariso in their first game. The carpool should be interesting on that day, as Valpo is one of my carpooler’s schools.
• Jay got Duke, who has never been high on her list.
• Rey got  Gonzaga, and everybody always wants Gonzaga.
• Ashlan got LIU Brooklyn – close to her current whereabouts.
• Ashlan plays herself three times in the first round.
• Rey & Jay each play themselves once in the first round.
• Carl has the possibility of moving all 16 of his teams through to the second round. (And also the possibility of losing them all.)
• Rey will try to equally trounce each of his parents 6 times, while only picking on his sister twice.
• Teams with a direction in their title generally don’t go too far.
  • Northwestern State doesn’t even bother to tell you which state.
  • Southern doesn’t bother either
  • Middle Tennessee is just funny.

In their wisdom the NCAA has delayed the tournament until mid-March, and it doesn’t end until April now. Maybe they will have to come up with a new nickname. But perhaps not. The madness is usually most fun in the first couple of rounds. Then it gets downright serious.

It is the madness I enjoy.

Go Liberty, Western Kentucky, Akron, or South Dakota State!
Let’s have some upsets.

You know you are not blogging regularly when you have to go back and see where you were the last time.

So – to continue the travails of the asbestos waste.

For the want of a sticker it is once again piled at the bottom of our driveway.
The stickers, which are apparently required for non-friable asbestos, have been ordered and are hopefully in transit somewhere. It will be too late for a trip this weekend. I really want it cleared out so I can clear out other stuff that is queued up for a truck that takes away your garbage (but not asbestos).

This morning I started cleaning up from the demo project. We still have a few nails to pound down, and then a final sweep, but after that I think the room is ready to be used to stage things that need to be moved – out.

Almost cleared – and the beast remains.

In other news, the Sounders lost the home opener that we attended, but had a thrilling comeback in a game we did not attend. And my new favorite player, Yedlin, scored. (That game was part of the Concacaf tournament, and the tickets don’t come as part of the season ticket package, it was raining, and a work night.) There is a home game today against arch-rival Portland Timbers. But we exchanged our tickets with a friend so we could have four for a game in May when some friends will be in town. [And it will probably be raining tonight, the game is on local (non-cable) TV, and we have plans to Skype with the kids to draw for our NCAA March Madness bracket.]

Spring has sprung. This picture is notable because it was not raining and taken AFTER arriving home from work. (Still light out.)

Spring is springing – before the equinox

And finally, I realize I am getting older when I no longer know the current little kids critters. Carl and Sagan are holding oblongs or something. [I checked, they are Yo Gabba Gabba.]

Carl+Sagan (yes, really)

Just when you think a major project could actually be over, it isn’t.
Over the weekend we completed burrito, double burrito-wrapping our non-friable asbestos.

This was where we learned that the 6-mil clearish plastic we got from Ace Hardware was slipperier than the 6-mil clearish plastic we got from Home Depot. We were one set of plywood+tile flooring with asbestos (non-friable) mastic away from finishing our plastic wrapping when our Home Depot roll ran out. (So close, and yet so far.) I decided to not drive as far and go to the neighborhood Ace Hardware instead. Their version looked exactly like the Home Depot version. But when we cut and were duct taping the first plastic burrito, the duct tape would barely stick. And then it would let loose. After some discussion about whether the plastic had dust from the floor, we decided it was just more slippery than the other roll. Since sealing the plastic with duct tape was central to our abatement strategy it stopped us cold. In the end I went to Home Depot to get more of what we knew worked, and Carl returned the unused plastic to Ace. (To their credit, they gave us full credit even though a few feet was missing.)

And then I just jumped into the friable asbestos removal.

There was only one old duct secured to the wood joists with asbestos laden tape. Lots of water, the half-mask (which was much easier to use than those painter masks), my favorite cats paw like tool, and a large hammer. The large hammer was used to expose 6 little nails that held the metal ductwork in place – after the dangerous tape had liberated the metal duct from the joists. (Elevating a board from its normal place in a hallway floor about one inch.) The cats paw helped to liberate nails from the joists, but mostly to gently scrape tape residue from old wood.

I was so happy to have completed a task in less than one day. And – the asbestos could all leave the house in one day – today! And most of it did technically leave the house.

It got into the car. Except the one piece that does not fit into our car (48-inches square), and the other piece that was sitting next to big Bertha. I figured Carl could dispose of most of it and we would find a larger vehicle for the remaining 2.

So Carl took off for Rabanco. His report was that a line of trucks all around a little Prius. Talking to a lady in a window built to talk to drivers in tall trucks, with a quiet voice that would disappear at the end of a sentence. In the end they would not take our asbestos because it didn’t have a required sticker.

The question now is – which asbestos needs a sticker. When I called to ask they said the friable needed to be in a yellow bag with a pre-printed asbestos symbol. (I have a line on a bag.) But they were not sure about the non-friable. I am going to call again tomorrow and limit my questions to non-friable, and insist on a firm answer. (The stickers are not in stock, and their requirement poses a potential delay – arghhhhh.)

So do we unload the car? Leave it in? Rent a truck to carry it all in one load?

I think I know why some people just turn their back and throw it all in the trash.
They make it difficult to follow the rules. Even when you have read the rules.

We did manage to get a load over to a rummage sale. They are really liking your shoes Ashlan.

And for entertainment we saw the Music Man at the 5th Avenue.  It was quite well done, especially the number in the library. Lots of action with props that were well done.

For those that have made it this far, a little hereditary news.
Both Ashlan & I sleep with our eyes open (a little bit).

Always keep an eye open

We’re taking toast.

As in, “Burnt toast.”
Or is it, “Burned toast.”

Whichever, it cost me about 3 hours this afternoon.
The toast, sourdough, ended up darker than intended, and emitted those small particulates that alert smoke detectors to emit loud, ear-piercing noises.

Our, “no it is not a drill,” activity went pretty well.
Better than our last drill.

I must have been asked by about 10% of evacuating people whether it was a drill.
Not one that I put together, was my stock answer.

Roll call went very well. Only one person unaccounted for.
It was not too cold.
It was not raining.
And after we finished roll call, I asked whether anybody knew why the alarm had gone off.
And one person admitted to be the Burnt Toast perpetrator.

About that time we got to meet the nice firefighters, and provide them with a limited tour of the office.
The fire panel, the kitchen (with said toaster), and the smoke detector with the blazing red light.

I have to admit to a bit of an Alexander Haig moment in all of this.
Usually during drills I prompt our GM to do the roll call, and follow through on everything.
Today I just took charge, and ran with the response.
(I don’t think he minded, but I have not had an opportunity to check in, and to apologize if necessary.)
((In truth, being in charge of Emergency & Security might give me the right to step up.))

The only down side to this drill that was not a drill, is that it will continue tomorrow morning. Most of the time wasted on this little exercise was spent trying to reset our automatic drop-down door over the reception desk. It makes the wall a fire wall. It is a pain to reset. It requires climbing into a very small space and wrestling with a gear, chain and pin. When I wrote the directions for resetting the door I included the statement, “This is where you swear.” [I wrote the directions listening to the people doing the work tell me what they were doing. This was done because they always hoped they were not asked to do it again, but there would need to be directions for the next minion assigned the task.]

We are back to having it down.
I am sure more fun awaits us in the morning. 

On the up-side. We walked to and from Yoga tonight, and did the Yoga class as well. I am nicely tired.

It has been a hectic few days.
A large part of hectic for me was doing the work of two.

Not at work.

At home.
I do truly understand what an easy life I lead.

I had to fend for myself from Friday until today. Although technically it would seem that it will be tomorrow when Carl actually arrives home.
Fending for myself should include some explanation.
I had to prepare (juice, heat up, maybe slice or spread) all of my meals.
Make my own coffee. Wash my own dishes.
[Like I said, I have it pretty good.]

The biggest effort of the weekend was working to clean up/out one room.
The girl’s room.
How can one house have sooooo many pens and pencils.
And shoes, and earings, and make-up, and lots of things that are fairly easy to throw away.
And one kindergarten train that will remain in our possession.
One recycle bin of paper later, the house is now starting to rise off of its foundation.
[We really need to get that earthquake nailing done.]

There is a rummage sale that will be getting a few box loads.

It did provide my exercise for the weekend.
Stairs, lifting, and lots of sorting.

Now – after a long day at work, my support system is going to arrive back home.
Of course I need to be at the airport at midnight to assist him home.
And he will be more tired than I am, so I guess I will need to be his support system.

Easy, peasy. There is still meatloaf left in the refrigerator.

Our chiropractor has a white board in the treatment room where he writes little things like, “exercise, …”
Today I asked him if I could add a bit, and wrote, “Choose Your Attitude.”
(This is part of the Fish Philosophy.)

My own attitude was changed this morning when I spotted not one, but two, eagles perched together on a bridge light.
It just made me smile.
Smiling made me happier. (Smiling really does work to make you happy.)

Work today was all about writing.
Of course I was writing a piece that was due Monday (past) at noon.
I finished it before launching myself into traffic.
It was 2-1/2 days late, but it still felt good to get it moved on.

Carl spent the early part of the evening cooking.
He has put away about four days worth of food. For me.
He is leaving on a jet plane tomorrow for a loooong weekend, and didn’t want me to starve, or worse yet, fall of the vegetable cart.

Carl is leaving to visit his folks and Steve & Jeanne.
Doris had some surgery and is recuperating.
The initial idea was to provide support, do some errands, etc.
It appears that is still the plan, but the scope has changed.

Instead of spending a week or two or three in care facilities, Doris is home after one day.
Hmmmmm.
Apparently it is hard to predict what Medicare will and won’t do, and even after you are in the hospital it is apparent clear as mud.

Carl likens it to bullying.
Yes, you jumped through our hoops and will be cared for here, and in a care facility.
No, sorry, you have to go home.
Oops, we will care for you here.
Double oops, you must leave. Now.

I think Doris is doing OK, but I really won’t feel like I know until Carl can see her in person.

Tomorrow is our day of many things.
Work for both.
Cabinets, plumber, HVAC.
Airport for said plane.
And a talk about the Elwah dam deconstruction.

I am excited about almost all of the day.
And maybe there will be another sighting of the eagles.

Many wise people say they strive to learn something new every day. This allows them to thrive.

I would like to think I try as well, although I do not wake up in the morning with that thought in my head.

We did wake up to Sunday Morning. (The show on CBS, not that we did not sleep through Sunday.)
This morning’s show was all about the Oscars. It included a complete airing of one of the nominees for Animated Short. They were able to air the entire Fresh Guacamole entrée, because it is a short short. (Follow the link to see a short bit of this short.)

It involves an “avocado” and details how to remove the seed by gently hitting the exposed seed with a knife blade, which should then be embedded into the seed, allowing you to pull it out.
When Carl fixed a salad at lunch, including an avocado. And wouldn’t you know, it works.

We did more burrito wrapping today, and now Carl has reduced the (2) big brutes to 4 medium-sized brutes. We will wrap those soon. Then to the disposal site (not sure when this will be fit in to the work schedule). One more bit of toxic waste out of the house.

Except the two pieces of old ductwork that have FRIABLE asbestos tape on their edges.
I will have to re-read the asbestos material to see whether we need permits, etc.  They are small enough that we may be able to essentially encapsulate it from below before we detach it from the basement ceiling.

Filing enough months of paperwork backlog that it included closing our nice old small mortgage, and opening our nice new LARGE mortgage.

And now – watching the Oscars. (At least I am. Carl is slaving away – groceries, composting – and I am expecting that he is making dinner as well.)

We win – we have seen an Oscar winner, before it won. Brave. Best Animated Feature Film.

Carl has been spending part of the last several Saturdays pitching batting practice to the Garfield High School baseball team. He has done this for several years. This is Rey & Ashlan’s alma mater, and one of our friends sons is the coach. Now in early spring the coaches are not allowed to work with the kids. But a parent or two arranges time in the batting cages to throw, hit and generally get ready for the real team work.

The real practices start next week, so Carl may be done with this gig for the season.
This pre-season effort was a bit more fun for Carl than usual because one of the incoming freshman players had a father that helped out as well. He happens to be a former Mariner. I always enjoyed his play, Ashlan – not so much. [I really don’t know why.]

Baseball stories

Carl & Dan

We closed the evening by visiting an old acquaintances new restaurant. (Bruce Coogan for the kids)

Busy kitchen, (Jake Hoel’s mom on the right)

It’s call “Harry’s”, after his dad. Small world.

Harry’s

Good chicken (smoked, breaded in some secret spices and fried), greens (collard greens and kale) with caramelized onions cooked up on the grill, potatoes and rosemary roasted using duck fat. It was quite tasty and not at all greasy. It’s a small storefront, but it was filled up tight before we left.

Back to baseball. (There is a tie-in here, because Carl played baseball with Bruce). We ran into Jake Hoel’s mother at the opening. Carl was involved with Jake playing baseball with the kids. Jake’s mother gave Carl a real compliment, saying what a good positive impact he had on so many kids lives by coaching and generally hanging around playing. (Jake is in Auckland, so he wins the flying away from the nest contest.)

We are nearing the end of the great basement demolition project.
There is still some work to be done, but at least it feels like we are in the last stage.

The tile floor attached to its underlying plywood with Non-Friable Asbestos laden mastic, has been broken into mostly manageable bits. (Cold chisel and hot muscles. No power equipment here.) The 2x4s that were beneath the plywood, giving an air-space below the floor, have been pried off. Hundreds of nails have been removed, or pounded down to a less aggressive angle.

And now the wrapping party has begun. It is actually going fairly well, although our estimate of the amount of 6-mil plastic sheeting we would need was underestimated. And we are running out of duct tape.

The nice lady at the disposal site described how to properly package our flooring in plastic, “Like a burrito.”

6-mil double wrapped burritos. Ummmm

It took us a little effort, but we now have the wrapping down.
Carl, “It doesn’t need to be as neat as a present.”
Jay, “But that is easier to tape thoroughly!”

To complete we need to finish wrapping (with additional supplies), split the largest “not-quite-manageable” bit in two so that the burrito may actually fit in the Prius, and have a fun trip to the disposal site.

Of course that just leads to the next big step, which involves getting a contractor in to work on the basement drainage issue. This is now possible since the floor is out of the way.

And meeting with more and more sub-contractors.
And actually making some decisions.

This last week we met with a window guy, a cabinet guy, the insulation auditor guy and the general contractor is spending time running around measuring things and asking questions. Next week we are visiting the cabinet shop and meeting with the HVAC guy. (We need a new furnace, regardless of the rest of the work.)

It has been a good week for feeling like the project is actually moving forward.
Scary too, as we really need to get serious about packing. (May 2013 move out likely)

In other news, it appears that Spring is on the way.

Daffodils fighting for their space

Of course that probably means that so is our first big storm of the winter. While others have had extraordinary storms, we have been cold, wet, and very normal. (In a Seattle sort of way.)