Rainy Days and (Oh, hell, you get the idea)

Saturday, I woke up at the usual time, after a long night’s uninterrupted sleep (thank God!)

I stayed in my bathrobe while I fixed a cup of coffee and then worked on the Blog entry. Next, I worked on my Kroger’s shopping list, incorporating the few items I need or want with the rest of the ingredients I require for my mac and cheese.

I cleaned off the stove and put the grates and the drip pans in the dishwasher and that gave me a full load. So, I fired it up.

I also put a load of work clothes in the washer and fired that up, as well…

I wrapped up two packages that I need to ship and thought of how I learned to wrap packages (see previous post).

I was supposed to go to Kroger’s but it was still raining. I thought about it for a while and decided tomorrow wasn’t out of the question, since I don’t “need” anything except for my Sunday supper and the upcoming mac & cheese event.

So, I went out to the garage and figured out the center of the “wall”/garage door I need to put in the outdoor light. I was still in my bathrobe, BTW.

I decided to remedy that. So, I watched more of the morning news and shaved, then I took a shower.

I got dressed and headed out. I went to the bank to take care of some things, then to the Post Office to ship my stuff. I mailed most of the Christmas cards while I was there.

Since it was way after noon and I was already that close (Beech Daly), I drove over to Telegraph and got a three piece spicy chicken with red beans and rice from Popeye’s for my lunch. Then I drove home and pigged out. Damn, that was good!

I transferred the clothes in the washer to the dryer and set the stove timer for 35 minutes. Then I went outside and started to mark the spot on the rear garage door I need to open up for my light.

While I was out there, I emptied the shopping cart that I used to store kindling in for the chiminea. I got it from the next door lot eight or nine years ago when the homeless people who lived there either moved or were forced out. It says “Larry’s Foodland” on the handle and I have never even heard of that store.

Leaves had piled up and I was afraid of fire, so I went and got my blower and the 100-foot extension cord and blew them away (I REALLY need a battery-powered blower!)

I went back in to get a short step ladder and a level and the timer was going off. So, I hung up my shirts and pants and then got back to work.

Now, here’s the problem: I know that the metal garage door that used to open to the rear of the house is permanently down and covered on the inside by two 4 x 8 sheets of plywood with no studs (just a header and footer). But, I don’t now what is between it, if anything. I was reluctant to use the saber saw because even if there is nothing there, the blade would most likely hit the plywood. So, I decided to use Jake’s electric grinder wheel.

[Note to self: You always call it Jake’s electric grinder, but he has had PLENTY of chances to take it and hasn’t. So, stop calling it “Jake’s”]

Anyway, again worried about fire from the sparks (oh, I know it won’t set the plywood on fire, but there may be sawdust or a mouse nest or something inside that wall), I grabbed the fire extinguisher from under the kitchen sink. And, I am damn glad I did! I bought it and mounted it when I first moved here 10+ years ago for kitchen fires and, now that I actually took it off and was looking at it, the gauge is on the border of “Empty”! Looks like a Home Depot run, again.

But, I took it along, anyway. Then I ground out the octagon shape of the box. Nothing caught on fire (whew) because the previous owner put insulation in between. I dug out the pink stuff and then drilled a half-inch hole through the plywood.

I went back inside and cut the end off my worst extension cord. It was not ratty or anything, it just had cement stuck on it here and there and I hated using it. Then I laid it out from the nearest plug, over the pegboards and stapled it where I could and then shoved it out the hole.

I put it in the box and secured it with the clamps inside the box. I mounted the box to the garage door with self-tapping screws, then attached it to the plywood with 4-inch deck screws. Then I put caulk around the outside of the box (see photos).

Darkness caught me and I had to stop (there’s obviously no light out there or I wouldn’t be doing this, LOL).

I wasn’t really hungry, but I warmed up two brats and ate them on buns with deli mustard for dinner, so I could take my pills.

I watched the first hour of “Alone in Alaska.” That guy was freakin’ cool (but a little bit nuts). He video-taped himself with a camera-mounted tripod while he built this cabin. The “nuts” part was he only used hand tools! And, although he put down tarpaper, he roofed it with moss he dug out of the permafrost. He was rocking it old school.

He was eating sheep and elk he shot and was re-supplied now and then by a float plane.

I thought, “Hell, he’s gotta be dead by now, I wonder if I could buy that cabin?” But, at the end it said he deeded his cabin to some conservatory. So, I won’t be moving there.

I decided to skip the second hour and went to bed.