Apr 14, 2011

Quick Updates

At least they've taken "chance of snow showers" out of the weekend forecast. Yeesh.

I've been scheduled a pretty consisted 25ish hours at BBHIS, on top of the 40 at Day Job. I'm generally having fun with it, although it certainly helps that I'm doing it because I want to and not because I have to. I can see people getting frustrated in it - "full part time" seems to be a standard for them (39 hour weeks) and a certain repetitiveness to the day. We're usually out the door around 11pm after doing nightly closing chores - facing, stacking and restocking, sweeping, etc. I really enjoy that hour after the door is locked. Half the lights go off, I can turn off my brain and just start winding down. Pushing a dust mop up and down an aisle isn't stimulating work, but that's not what I need then.

I ordered and brought home most of the materials needed to build a small (12x12) barn for the goats and the impending chickens, along with enough space for MrsZ to keep her garden stuff and maybe a potting bench. Driving home, the load came loose and tried to end up in traffic. The city officers were polite and professional, exactly what I expect from them. No tickets, although if they had chosen to write me for an unsecured load I wouldn't have argued - it's their job, and it was pretty clearly inadequately secured. DPW happened by with a loader and shoved the load back on the truck enough for me to get out of traffic and re-stack everything. No harm, no foul.

I'm going to try to document (and photograph) the barn-building process as I go. This is my first attempt at real framing and I've been reading *constantly* to pick up tips and ideas and see how others have done it.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm no expert carpenter (that was another Jewish guy) but if you'd like a spare set of hands, say the word. You saw a few buildings I helped build in Roscoe. Of course, I can even just come take pictures.

ZerCool said...

Offer gratefully accepted - the trick becomes, of course, balancing around work schedules. Where I expect I'll really need help is getting the ridgepole and rafters up.

doubletrouble said...

If you'd like, I can give a few "DIY" pointers, where the "Y" reeally means yourself. Alone.

I put up my barn my myself with the exception of the ridgepole; I invented a little trick to haul up the rafters to the ridge. Fun stuff.

Old NFO said...

Good luck with the building... tips and tricks are GOOD! And I'd bet the reason you got no ticket was you were polite and knew you were at fault and didn't try to blame somebody else...

ZerCool said...

DT - since it's only 12x12, the largest single piece of lumber will be the ridgepole - a 14' 2x8. Bulky and awkward, but manageable for one person. That said, any advice you have is gratefully accepted - email is fine, or however else you care to reach me. (Smoke signals and semaphore not recommended, it's been a long time since Scouts.)