It has been busy around here anyways. You know...projects.
The neighbors have all noticed by now that I am always buried in another project. A week or so ago, the next door neighbors asked if I wanted an expensive Keurig coffee machine to try and fix. I said no...I have enough going on. Noticed a look of disappointment, I changed my mind.
I fixed it. It seems to be a nice machine. I see they run about $300. There is more to the story. I knew they made refillable baskets to put the grounds in, The waste and cost is excessive, so until we found the refillable baskets, I refilled the used ones we had.
They worked fine. I just used the aluminum tape. I also cut pieces of reynolds wrap to put inside the tape. Not really wanting glue in my coffee. A couple days later, when we knew the machine was going to stay working, bought the new baskets and have been enjoying the coffee machine.
Of course...the list does not stop there. Nor do all my projects make it to the blog.
The outdoor furniture has been needing a new paint job.
So the table was on the chopping block yesterday. The best way is to take it apart first. It is the only way to match a factory paint job. Otherwise you end up with places that get painted over dirt. Peeling paint in said places really looks cruddy later on.
I also had to build a tile with a hole for an umbrella. The shelf below is also an addition to hold umbrella. Tile was a flooring laminate over a polyurethaned piece of plywood. All edges sealed with that rubber used to coat tool handles with. It should last a while. Shelf below is heavily painted plywood with same rubber edging. Boards underneath to stiffen it up and also screwed to sides.
It will not be likely to fall apart. :-)
You may have noticed the greenery in the courtyard is doing well. That little live-oak tree we rescued last year has got all kinds of new growth just coming out. It should be pretty thick in another month. I have white sage just starting to come up in one planter. The rosemary and lavender are growing like crazy and Vivian just planted new basil and cilantro. I have a big pot of what is supposed to be rainbow chia. Made tea with it already. Not bad.
Certainly not to be left out of this weekends chores. It was time to repaint the faux picket fence and blow the leaves out of the rock beds.
Leaf blowing first.
But not until the crumbling fuel line is replaced.
It was mostly back together before pictures were taken.
The culprit. I am surprised it had even started. The fuel line in the tank just crumbled when it was touched.
One of the well known factoids about Myrtle Beach is the fossilized shark teeth that can always be found on the beach if one looks hard enough for them. We go to the beach close to the house here often. A state park is just about 3 miles away.
I had never looked for any. Just went to enjoy the beach. As we walked along the other day, Vivian spied this prize.
A couple minutes later we talked to a gal out shark tooth searching. Vivian's is the large one for comparison.
From what I understand, the size of Vivian's is quite exceptional. So off we went our separate ways. On our way back down the beach 20 minutes later. The other gal had all these.
Guess they are there if you really want them.
Next weekend I move Mary Lee back over to Johnson's marina/campground for a month of spring cleaning and to finish the haul down and reef lines. Couple other things and then down to Charleston harbor for July, August and September sailing. Possibly a little October sailing before heading to Florida. Will see how the hurricane season wraps up.
The recovery from my back injury continues. I am buying a gazelle this week.
I have owned them before. People have told me they don't do much. I beg to differ. Get on one a few hours, then, when you crawl off it, tell me what it does not do.
The thing is. Because it is so smooth and non-jarring. It does not feel like it does much while on it. Once you have spent many hours on one, over the course of time, you realize you are walking much faster than you ever did before. You have trained yourself to walk at a faster pace without realizing it. It gets your blood pumping and in my case, it will do a great job on my lower back without jarring it. I have spent over 5 hours on one at a time. I know what I know.
A thought for today. I have noticed my recovery seems to run two steps forward and one back. It is easy to remember, and even dwell on, the step back. It seems to take a more concentrated effort to remember the steps forward while going backwards. It helps if you can.
All these projects you see me start and not quite finish??? Ever wonder about those?
I learned a long time ago that some projects need a little stewing time for the idea to come together. Of course...if I were working, I could just buy everything I need for every project and just roll through things like I did when I was. That also includes me being recovered enough to keep up the pace :-)
I think we all know that while other people paid for a formal education, I paid for a hands- on education with me and what books I could find as the instructors. So others have a piece of paper that says someone taught them how to think, I have lot of years spent teaching myself how to logically approach a problem and solve it with my hands, tools and whatever insight I can muster.
I have always searched out new things to figure out and my mind is always working on something. There is no way the average person could afford to work on all the things I want to work on. Between tools to do it and materials/books. Just cannot.
I have drawings of ideas I will likely never get to. I have a couple books I have been mentally writing on when I can.
It goes on and on. There are always several thoughts going at a time. THAT...is why I had to get away from the pain pills. I love thinking....almost as much as finishing a project. That could be because I am already thinking several projects ahead :-)
And for the record. I always finish what I start. In order of importance.
