Monday, June 29, 2009

The Old Girl's Makeup

My sister indicated that I had not yet put up a photo that shows some of the color we're adding to the house, so here's one. Sorry, it's a photo with my phone, not so great. Note that I'm about ready to shingle the roof to the right of the dormer pictured here.

Top, fish-scales, are a dark grey, along with the brackets below the eaves and the panels above the upstairs windows. Diamond shapes on each side of the window are a lighter grey, and the window crowns and inner grooves on the brackets are a kind of orange. It's going to look good!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Rain, Yes, But Also Progress




Help yesterday from JB and TR got the roofing project moved along well enough to actually move the lift, so there are signs of progress. Here is a pic of me and TR tearing off the shingles on the "eyebrow" of the dormer so we can put the first new shingles ever on it. The other is of the wife adding some makeup to the old girl, putting a little dash back into her look, showing off some of her best features. I'll add later a picture of what she's done to the dormer--a look that adds some subtle touches that will change the look of the house entirely.

Today's forcast is for hot and humid, so I guess I'll get back up on the roof.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

One Good Day, More Rain Delays


It was supposed to be hot today, but with some isolated showers. So far it's been rainy, delaying the completion of this one section. Right now the wife is painting--touching up the paint on some repairs and trying out some accents on the windows and the fancy little brackets under the eaves. We'll see how that looks and post a picture.

Yesterday got a fair amount done. I fixed the eaves and the fascia boards on this section after having removed the gutters, which we're going to dispense with. There's no water problems and the gutters don't seem to do anything anyway.

Adam arrived late in the morning and we got started on putting shingles up, getting this much up before night came on. No more shingles yet today, though I did get paper up and over most of the roof. The very peak is still naked.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Mitch Hansen and Eric Nigg Make Funny

My kids' former classmate from Browns Valley, MN, Mitch Hansen and his partner Eric Nigg are apparently making waves with a comedy routine and some short humorous films he's put on the Youtube. Check them out here: "8 Glasses of Water" and "Heaven is a Rainbow".

Day Three on the Roofing Project


We got through two days of our roofing project without too much of an incident. The big thing today is the rain, which we weren't as prepared for as we would have liked. Things are buttoned up well enough now to allow us to relax a bit as the rain comes down.

Day one saw the wife and I on the roof as the father in law ran the forklift. We got some shingle-stripping done and put the show on the road.

Day two put the sripping in high gear, as Joe and Adam appeared from one area and TQ appeared from another. We got one whole section stripped by about 3:00, but then identified some real problems with the eaves, which stopped us, since the lumber yard in town had just closed. A trip to Menards in SF got the supplies needed. Thanks, Joe! Thanks, Adam! Thanks, Todd!

For day three, this morning we scrambled to put on as much underlayment as we could, got some tarps to cover the rest, and watched in the attic for significant leaks. This afternoon should let us get back on track, fix the eaves and start putting shingles on.

In the meantime, we've had a chance to visit with the B's for supper, with TQ and LB who stayed overnight, and with the Ryans, who had us and the Moose couple out for supper last night, where the sunset shone and the lake was pleasant. Life is good.

Check out photos of the roofing project here.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Other (Donut-Shaped) Roofing Supplies

The wife and the mother-in-law took their own trip to Sioux Falls yesterday, unloading after they arrived. How is it that this box of four donuts ended up in our car? M-I-L says that since donuts have such a short shelf-life, they should not be returned to her, but rather consumed at our house, advice that should not be ignored, in my opinion. What else to do when you're waiting for a boom truck delivery?

My Heart is Going Boom-Boom-Boom-Truck

Airlift support is on the way. I went down to United Rental in Sioux Falls yesterday and made the call, bringing this big unit to Madison to assist in the aerial support of the war on bad shingles. It's supposed to arrive this morning early. Not here yet. The peonies have been warned; civilian casualties are expected.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

A Pile of Shingles, a Roof in Need



It's time to make good on the promise to shingle the roof. I've got the shingles and the roof, and now I just need to put a plan into action. Now if I could just decide on a plan. Whichever action I devise, it will have to accomodate the significant height of the roof, a height that my hunky ladder cannot attain. Extended out to its full length, my big ladder will get me up to where I can reach the gutters (full of gunk and plants as you can see in the roof photo), but I'm looking at a big boom or fork lift to put me up where I need to be. More later.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Casey Gets the Job Done

Youngest son Casey graduated from Rosemount High School Friday among 545 others, which led to celebrations by friends and family. Here's a picture of David, Casey, and April with their dad. Good deal!

Their Grandma Rosemary also was in attendance and shows her happy face here.

More photos are available online here.


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Running Photos

Deadwood Mickelson Trail Half Marathon photos are available. I'm here. The wife is here. There's no blood!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Medals for Madison


We've been busy the past week or so, doing yard work, working on machinery and houses, and getting ready to run the 2009 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Half Marathon. It's a done deal, and we brought back two medals to add a little bling to the closet.

The wife was a little fearful of this, her first big race, and first half-marathon to boot. It was her longest run ever, and she faced it with aplomb, picking up speed throughout the race, finishing with the fastest mile of the 13. She wanted to finish under 2:30, but her pace brought her in over a minute per mile faster--2:14. She's ready to try it again! She's looking at the Leading Ladies Half Marathon in Spearfish Canyon. There may be some takers, now that we've got a growing group of runners. Congratulations Wife!

I did fine, not quite what I had hoped for, but about what I expected, same as what I did two years ago, about 1:41 for the half. I'll get better as the summer goes on (I hope).

We enjoyed staying in the Ryan cabin up near Terry Peak, especially the hot tub after the race. Sunday night, though, it snowed! Brother Jess and wife Rena showed up and we enjoyed lunch with them. Saturday we visited sister Renee and her son Dillon and the bunch at her house, who all went up Crazy Horse Monument for the Volksmarch.

I wonder if they're all still as sore as we are!