Farm Boss

If that guy is not the Farm Boss, I don't know who is.

When I saw this guy, I was so pumped. It's pretty much how I see myself in 20 years or so. LOL.

And that's a nice chain saw, too, which brings me to the subject of my post: STIHL products.

Because I live in the countryside, and because I work in facilities, I am very much interested to know what are the best brands for various tools. So when I was on the phone with my dad, who has similar interests (not to mention an encyclopedic knowledge of tools), and he noted that my old parish where he works had just purchased a 20 inch STIHL chain saw, I was interested. Wanting to buy a saw myself some day, and needing one for the chuch where I work, I asked: "Is STIHL a good brand? His answer, "It's the best."

Numerous testimonials attest to his claim and what I have found in my short time becoming acquainted with our new 20 inch MS 290 STIHL Farm Boss chainsaw. (Those testimonials are a great read if that sort of thing at all interests you.) Namely, that STIHL makes a fabulous product.

I am relatively new to chainsaw-ing, but I have found that once you are in the groove with your saw, it is a very manly and rewarding action to cut wood. Chopping wood is one thing, wielding a chainsaw is quite another. It gets the testosterone flowing in a huge way, and after cutting up an entire tree, I felt supremely manly. Don't ask me why, I just did, and I think a new wood stove-friendly addiction has just been born.

In other notes of interest, I just picked up Jerome Corsi's new book, The Obama Nation, and suspect that I will plow through it in record time. Corsi is a senior staff writer at WorldNetDaily, and while I sometimes find their news suspect or dubious, I have no doubt that Corsi's work is an authentic piece of scholarly journalism, to which the Obama campaign's 40-page rubuttal remains impervious.

Juice.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Inge's Brats

Well, we had our annual fall festival at Holy Family this past weekend. Because of Tropical Storm Hannah, the event was moved inside. That did not stop people from coming, however, or Inge from making her famous brats and saurkraut.

Inge is an elderly women from Bavaria who loves Pope Benedict, is active in the parish, and sponsors the German booth during the festival, where parishioners from every cultural background, come together, cook, and sell their food at festival.

Last year, Clare and I were super-surprised with Inge's cooking, and I kept going back for more. So this past weekend, I knew right where to go. She would not give me her recipe--their are others before me in line for that, but she divulged to me her authentic German source for bratwurt and saurkraut: Rieker's Prime Meats in Philadelpia.

But the goodness does not stop there. The domination gets even better. Inge had leftovers from the festival, and was giving them back to the church to sell or giveaway. Needless to say, I took no prisoners at the opportunity to get some bratwurst. I bought 5 lbs., or 20 premium brats, for 3.29 per pound, Inge's cost, with free shipping and a tub of Inge's kraut! People were scrambling for those things, but at our staff meeting when it was announced there would be some for sale, I exclaimed "Those brats are mine!" I was serious but got lots of laughs, too. That is how I wage war.

I grilled some up tonight and was pleasantly reminded at first bite that, yes, these are the best damn brats I've ever had...

And now I know where to get them.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

PS-Another great thing about our festival is the raffle. First prize, which I think is 5k, went to one of the volunteers who spent his last 10 bucks on the 3 tickets. He's the nicest guy around, and has been volunteering at the Church over the last four months because he's been out of work. When I saw him, I asked him how he was and he said he was still out of work. I said man that's "rough," and he's like "yah...," and here he is walking around with a t-shirt that says Jesus saves, smiling, but suffering inwardly, but helping anyone he can.

Well to make a long story short and festival great, this guy won first prize the next day. Everyone cheers. He starts crying and everyone cheers more. It was genuinely awesome and I am so grateful that this guy, Harrison, won. Thanks be to God!

Random Monday Thoughts

Hey all. It's an update that's actually on time. Yay for Labor Day.

First, a shout out to John McCain for making a great VP choice. I don't think he could have picked a better running mate. Everyone has their fair share of challenges, but to my mind she was the best choice all along and has my full, enthusiastic support. Hip hip for Sarah Palin!

The bathroom is coming along very well. The plumbing is completely finished. The electrical is nearly complete--just have to wire up the new outlet, finish a little more framing and shiming and I'm ready to close this sucker up. Yes, it's been a long windy road, but it's one I'm ready to see the end of real soon.

It's already feeling like Fall out here. We have some early turners. Our black walnut and our neighbor's sycamore have already started to drop their yellowed leaves. I can't tell you how pumped I am for Fall colors this year. I am excited to see what colors the trees in our yard are going to turn. I am also excited for a drop in temperature, so I can wear long sleeves once again and get my wood stove fired up. I will also take that opportunity to get out to my shed and organize it into a worthy workshop.

Last week I mentioned I recommended a 16 0z. (Estwing) hammer for your bag. I have found this to be the perfect size and weight for most projects. However, if you are going to be framing, I recommend a 20 oz. (Estwing). Four ounces doesn't sound like much, but after a couple of swings the difference is clearly noticeable--your arm is tired and your swings pack far more umph. So, if you find yourself framing and doing rough carpentry, step it up to a 20 oz. You'll be happy you did.

Finally, I just want to say that I've seen a lot of hooked up Jeeps this past month and a half on 55. There's an old Jeep trail that goes up to Signal Knob, so maybe that's where they are going. I don't know, but I definitely want to get on that train.

Ok, time to get ready to go chop some wood. In the meantime, have a great Monday.

Over and out.

--Nick-Dog

The Tool Bag

I wanted to take a moment to talk about something that has become very dear to my heart over the past year or so, especially the past several months: my tool bag.

Last summer, I became inspired at work to assemble a new tool set replete with a domination tool bag to handle all my service calls. My buddy John, who helps with our HVAC contract, always has the latest gadgets in tools, and it is he who first introduced me to this bad-ass electrician's bag.

John D. has since replaced his (two) bag(s) with a backpack to make it easier to climb on top of buildings, but this bag, in my opinion, is still where it's at. I love it so much, I bought one for myself for home-use and began stocking it each paycheck with the best tools money can buy. That way, whenever I need something, it's not a deal. I don't worry about finding a such-and-such tool. I just go get my bag and handle the problem.

So what's in this organized bag of tricks? Glad you asked. For starters, American-made quality steel to begin tackling any challenge. Here's a breakdown of what I consider essential tools, with commentary on the best brands:

1.) 16 oz. Estwing Hammer. Estwings are the best, hands down. Made in the USA, they take the punishment and dish it out. It's worth the 20-25 bucks to have this in your sack. Their patented hand grip reduces shock, which keeps hammering relatively easy on your body, especially if you are pounding away all day. There is no mistaking the quality of this hammer. After you've used it for awhile, nothing else compares.

2.) Klein Pliers. The electrician's choice. Made in the USA. Anything and everything by Klein is Grade A select. I've had a pair of Klein side-cutting pliers for 17 years, and the domination has not stopped. I recommend all their products. In my bag at home, I keep a pair of their diagonal-cutting and needle-nose pliers as well as their wire-strippers.

3.) Screw Drivers. If you go into any home center, you will inevitably see a display with interchangeable, multiple-head screw drivers. These are ok, but I don't like that the heads sometimes come out of the sockets. It's frustration you just don't need. So I recommend getting normal, solid one piece 6 inch philips and regular screwdrivers, and keeping them very handy and visible. My personal favorite is to go with Kleins. Their rubber grip is comfortable and easy to recognize. Like most good tools, you can feel the quality of their craftsmanship each time you use them, and they will last you for years--that is, provided you don't drop them down an elevator shaft.

4.) ChannelLocks, AKA adjustable wrench. Made in the USA. Like many of my other tools, my dad always had a pair in his garage. These things are ready to rock and quality you can trust. Because there are so many situations where no other tool really works, they are a must have. ChannelLock also makes other products, including pliers, and I have a pair of their side-cutters in my bag. Their hallmark light-blue handles make them easy to find in your bag or tool box, a reminder that what you're picking up is a ChannelLock, a name closely associated with quality.

5.) Flashlight. How many times do you find yourself wondering what the last flashlight you owned looks like and where it's at? You can never seem to find it when you need it. Unless, of course, you make it a part of your tool bag. I prefer a small Maglite. It's made in the USA, can take a beating, and work reliably for years. I keep a full-size in my Jeep for emergencies.

Ok, so those are some of the essentials. Putting together an awesome tool-set is a lot of fun, for some of us anyway, and I will be back with more on what you should keep in your bag, if you can't tell already by looking at the picture.

Until then, over and out.

--Nick-Dog

Habits of Late

Hey everyone. Sorry for being such a complete slacker on the Update. I have a myriad of excuses, of course, but you know they're no good when even I'm like, "WTF, I have to update my blog, pics or no."

Yes, I have taken some pics to upload for interesting subjects of discussion, but getting them up here from home is practically a Herculean effort. A couple of would-be posts were doomed from the start when I began uploading pics and the connection died, leaving me repeatedly throwing my hands up in frustration, putting the computer down, and cursing under my breath. Well, under my breath most of the time.

Progress on the bathroom has been intermittent. Some days the commute and work saps my extra energy and I just need to chill. It's partially the fact that I so love just chilling out here at the house. I can relax here, and that feels palatial, even with the un-finished bathroom.

I also think that my inertia has to do with not training aikido regularly, which for me helps me chill out bigtime. This Weds. I made it down to class, feeling like a lethargic tub, but by the end of class, as predicted to myself, I was just juiced and ready to go.

As many of you are aware, my favorite direction for an update topic is aikido and application in everyday life. So in that wise, I would like to say that when you feel like you have no energy, but you're getting sleep, eating well, but working a lot, chances are you may not be having much, if any, physical fun.

Even if it's tossing the old pig skin with some friends, it's important to get out and play. Play is an oft overlooked good. So many people want to be good professionals, for example, that they stay late at the office and put in extra time, but it often becomes for naught when the good of play is overlooked and the person begins to feel like life is closing in on them.

But when you can just get outside, roll around in the dirt, smash people, or whatever it is you like to do, and play physically--in such a way that you are no longer worried about people at work, or that thing you gotta get done--the effect is postively transforming. Instead of worrying about work, or family or whatever, you zone in on catching that ball or swinging that bat that you've totally forgotten about everything else but that moment and can simply enjoy yourself and what it is you are doing.

In terms of aikido, Saito sensei said you should do jo or bokken suburi every day. It's easy to see why, particularly for a modern aikido-ka (or practitioner of aikido) who easily finds himself caught up in the things of everyday life. When you are focusing on completing you cuts properly, not wasting movement, the right method of extension and so forth, everything else fades into the distance and you just find yourself standing in the here and now. Chill.

And that's generally the way it should be.

Over and out, homies.

--Nick-Dog

Inspiration...

Last Sunday, Clare and I took Anastasia and the Jeep for some joy-riding after Church. Now, I used to be critical of Sunday drivers for no good reason, but these days it seems to me to be the most natural thing in the world. You know, to head out for ice cream, or a snack, and a cruise/adventure after Sunday Mass.

Fate first brought us to Woodstock, Va., where I replaced a dying Jeep battery, probably the original, and threw in some more coolant. Ready for further adventure, I took us to Fort Valley to Seven Fountains Road, where I discovered this incredibly spectacular setting.

I rolled the Jeep down into this mini-valley off-road--without a problem, of course--and snapped the shot you see here. For me, it doesn't exactly the do the moment the true justice it deserves, or capture totally the sheer granduer of the surrounding mountains and seemingly elusive Blue Ridge in the distance. Still, it does reveal something of that moment's greatness. When I hopped back in the Jeep, I victoriously proclaimed, "To go where no Jeep has gone before."

In other news, Clare and I just purchased a Jotul F3 woodstove (used) from a guy south of Charlottesville. In case you are wondering why I drove so far to get this thing, let me just first answer that the price was right for this certifiably kick-ass Norway-approved, Norway-made heat source.

Similar to the scene in the picture above, he lived on the short side of a mountain at the bottom of a majestic valley. To get to his house, I took a gravel road through an Orchard that literally had to have had something like 3000-4000 apple trees. It was incredible, especially shortly before sunset when I arrived. I wish I had pics to show, but suffice to say the view felt like the crowning achievement to a long drive. Being already familiar with this area before driving down, I was more than happy to further justify the trip to myself to see some spectacular views. And am I glad I did.

I will post pics of the stove in the future after the install, but for more information on Jotul (which is pronounced "yo-dul"), check out their website.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

The Bathroom, cont.

So, work in my bano continues. Today I put in approximately 13 hours of work around the house, but mostly in my bathroom, interspersed by an occasional Coors Light or a Coke to keep me going.

Today, I finished prepping the floor for the tile by applying thin set (mastic), hardi backer cement board, and the requesite screws. In some ways, that doesn't sound like a lot, but that included a trip to Lowe's for a paddle bit to mix the thin set. Thank God it was only one trip today. It's like that store has a syphon tube to my pocketbook.

After that, I laid the tile out in a "dry" run and successfully cut all the pieces for the floor. Because I am putting marble down, it took a painstaking amount of time to cut the tiles. My wet saw, the cheapest one you can get at Lowe's, is the bomb, but between measuring, spacing, selecting tile, locking up the blade on occasions, looking for my safety glasses for the 18th time, etc.--all that adds up, and before you know it hours have passed.

While cutting tile on my porch, I watched several storms roll in over the mountains. The sky was dark blue and spectacular, with a strong refreshing breeze as the cold front rolled in. Seriously awesome, notwithstanding the humidity. But that's what cold beverages are for.

Pics of the bathroom to come, when I can finally load some up.

To keep myself mentally in the game on this project, I just think that every day is a process in a series of steps until that final day when I can finally shut the door on the place and forget about it because I know it's done.

That said, laying tile is actually really, really cool, especially marble because it looks so nifty. While working the trowel, I felt how I think a medieval craftsman may have felt doing his craft, working to put together something architecturally mighty and stunning.

But right now, sleep sounds even more stunning. Over and out.

Ciao,

--Nick-Dog

It's not Monday, but I'm still LOCO!

Hey peeps!

So much has happened in the last 2 weeks, it's hard to choose something about which to sound off. So I'll just use the "paint with broad strokes" approach and leave it at that.

My renovation of our bathroom seems to be coming along, but, in all honesty, it has been one roadblock after another. First, the floor, then the plumbing, then leveling everything, and now I have to figure out how and where to tastefully to build the wall and install a soffet (enclosure) for the drain vent. With this bathroom, the drama does not seem to end...

My mom and dad came out last week for four days. My dad was the most completely helpful in going about tackling the plumbing in the bathroom and gave me a host of tools that I remember from when I was 5. No joke. It was actually quite moving for me to be taking this stuff. It kind of feels like the passing of the torch, if you know what I mean.

Being a homeowner is so awesome. I am so content, and I think Clare is too. We just discovered that we have a cherry tree in our yard, with more cherries than we can handle. Clare went and picked a slew of them yesterday, jarred 'em and made pie this evening, which, I have to tell you, was the most splendid treat. Eating fruit creations from your own yard is like winning the lotto and going to your favorite cafe in the Carribean. You bask in the experience.

We also have a blueberry and blackberry patch, but presently it is a domineering weed patch.

Anyhow, there are so many projects for me here, it's overwhelming, but great, because I feel like there is always something productive for me to do. "Build the kingdom," ya know?"

Also of late, I feel that I have become something of a tick expert because this area is swarming with them. Pliny called them "the nastiest creature on earth." My favorite resource is www.tickencounter.org. They don't play around over there.

Later, yo's.

Over and out,

--Nick-Dog

Not a Doomsayer, but...

Well, maybe I am.

The pic to the right is from I am Legend.

My friend Ben Hatke, about a year and half ago, introduced me to the quasi-organized body of knowledge regarding "peak oil," a phenomenon which basically means we are going to run out of oil relatively soon and our economy and way of life will change dramatically.

At the time, I was a car salesman, already seeing the desire of many customers for hybrid vehicles and gas conservation. Because of this, I thought that car companies would see the writing on the wall and make more earnest efforts to alter their fueling technology. But this has not been the case, as the automakers continue to produce gas guzzlers, even while they cut production for vehicles in North America. Ford, has recently announced plans to cut production of their best-selling F-Series and SUVs due to gas.

The F-150, the best-selling large pickup for 31 years only gets an estimated 12 MPG in the city and 18 MPG on the highway. That's awful, but that's been the industry standard for many years now and the industry, while it claims to be "green," has barely made even a dent in our consumption of oil.

Meanwhile, the auto industry in China and India is booming--and they're not drving Hybrids.

What I am gettting to is that this means a lot of consumption of fuel. I presently believe at this time that we are in for an oil shock at the pump, while the MF oil companies' revenues continue to soar to record margins to the tune of a billion a week. Some are preparing in a very serious way to handle this seemingly inevitable catastrophe, and the more gas prices spike to where the oil companies want them to be, the more I think these people aren't so loco and it's time to get a subscription to Mother Earth News.

Back at Christendom, I thought it was almost the cute eccentricity of a bygone age when my history teacher--the college founder--related the sage advice of his grandmother from Maine: "Don't let your life be ruled by a machine."

She had said this in response to the boom in mechanized industry at the beginning of the 2oth century. He had ended his class on this note, and even laughed about it, passing it on for what it's worth to reveal just a glimpse into the hardened personality of those in ages past.

Common sense is that we will one day run out of oil. Many debate when, but it may not matter if price shoots up to 10.00 a gallon and the world's economy comes to a screeching halt. Back to the horse and carriage we shall go.

And the Glock will come with me.

Over and out,

--Nick-Dog

A Shout Out to My Homies

Hey there. Sorry for the continued lack of updates, but if you've seen my bathroom lately, or lack thereof, you'd understand.

I've been working hard not only to rebuild our bathroom from scratch, but also to rectify our home's plumbing problems.

After I ripped up the floor in our only bathroom I discovered that I certainly got more than I bargained for:

1.) Termites in ages past had eaten through some of the joists
2.) Others were warped
3.) The plumbing for the entire house is not properly vented
4.) The drain pipes were also configured incorrectly, e.g., a clog in the toilet could very well become a problem in the tub or sink

Thus far, I've leveled and reinforced the joists with new 2x10s and attached them (unlike before) to the wall where they end with brackets. (Because of the wall's configuration, joist hangers, my original plan, would not have worked without serious reconfiguration.) I then cemented in 4 cement posts underneath the middle joists with T brackets in hopes that 15 years from now the floor will be just as strong.

Next comes shoring up some of the remaining floor framing, cutting out the remainder of the shoddy plumbing, and then starting from scratch with a new and hopefully improved design.

Many have said, "Nick it's so good that you can do this!" My response: Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I'm really just flying by the seat of my pants and trying not to get my ass kicked.

And that, my friends, is a Monday moment.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

A Quick Word..Closing Day

Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates in recent days. Clare and I have been preparing, albeit at what sometimes seemed a glacial pace, for closing on our house, moving in, and renovating it, all at the same time.

So even though this day often felt like it would never come, when it finally did come, it went as fast and smooth as could be asked for, thanks be to God.

So, yes, we're homeowners now. Big Dogs. Now we have just have to open up a bottle of Wild Turkey, walk around with a couple of shot glasses in our hand and introduce ourselves to the rest of the neighborhood.

Some other good news is that everything in the house works more or less. The bad news is that the floors need some love and attention, which is hard to give when you are being distracted by 5 other things that also need your love and attenion..

We're just happy to have a place of our own, finally. Hope all is well with you. More later.

Peace.

--Nick-Dog

A Pilgrim's Journey

Well, today is so special for so many reasons, one of which is that I was able to attend His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI's papal mass at the new National's Stadium in Washington, D.C. The last I heard, some 46,000 excited Catholics were in attendence, which made for an extremely powerful experience.

The Pope said the Mass of the Holy Spirit in anticipation of Pentecost and consonnant with his trip theme of "Christ Our Hope." His homily was beautiful, but tough to understand at times because of his German accent. Indeed, his Spanish feels far more comfortable than his English. All hispanics in attendenance were thrilled that he addressed them in their native tongue, and so smoothly at that.

His preaching alighted on the theme of interior conversion from the frequent reception of the sacrament of reconcilliation, which produces an effect--holiness--that it both "inspires and accomplishes." It is the fruit of this conversion, joy, hope and love, that becomes leaven to our confused and increasingly secular society that inspires others to take up Gospel message.

The Pope also had frank and sweet, healing words of compassion regarding the grave evil of the sexual abuse scandal in the U.S. In case you missed it, the Pope had a private, unscheduled meeting with some of the victims of sexual abuse at the Apostalic Nunciature in D.C. You can read about this moving event here.

I am gladdened that the Pope has been so forthright and direct in his dealings regarding the scandal. I am presently reminded of his words (then Cardinal Ratzinger) from the 9th Station during the Papal Stations of the Cross on March 24, 2005: "How much filth there is in the Church, and even among those who, in the priesthood, ought to belong entirely to him!" To be sure, one reason Pope Benedict has come to America and D.C. is to bring healing and hope the Church for this great evil. It is my feeling, and that of those around me, that his words and example are having their intended effect.

The Pope has many messages and insights for us to be sure on this trip, more definitely than I am able to give justice to here. I just want to say, due to a lack of some time to really update, that I love Pope Benedict. He is the total bomb!

Viva el Papa!

--Nick-Dog

Some Spiritual Thoughts

Hey everybody! It's another Monday, and so it's time for another update.

Today's post, I thought, should take into account some spiritual thoughts, especially since Pope Benedict XVI leaves tomorrow morning for his historic trip to the United States.

Before Easter, I went to confession. It is a requirement of the Church that Catholics go to confession once a year during Lent. I was fortunate to go to a confessor who exuded that sense of holiness you long for when you go to confession--a man passionate about souls, someone who seriously takes into account your journey and others,' the quest to get to Heaven.

It is honestly a huge boon to go to a confessor who you know cares about you and understands, if only intuitively, your troubles and the burdens of both daily and spiritual life. At just the right moment, a holy confessor can turn the tables for you with the right words and directives. Your soul has to be willing, of course, too, to do what it must, which can be painful if you are trying to grasp and hold onto undue pride.

Anyway, I hit a turning point for myself when, on following my confessor's urging, I right then and there decided to really make every effort to say a daily rosary again in earnest. That is to say, a daily rosary approached with the mindset that I am actually going to pray because I need to to be holy, not because it's a routine I do.

Since then, I have noticed a major difference in myself and the world. Just by being really sincere in saying the rosary every day, my family and I have benefitted tremendously. For example, I am less of a jerk and way more happy. Moreover, I have been brought back to the truth that we really do come to Jesus through Mary. This isn't just a Catholic saying, but a physical and spiritual reality. In fact, my whole conversion began through the Discalced Carmelites, an austere order devoted to the due honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Anyway, I just wanted to sound off about that. Do not under estimate the power of the rosary. And do not under estimate your need to say it. St. Padre Pio, a holy and stigmatic priest, called it 'the weapon.' You can read more about the benefits of the rosary here.

I used to have a bumper sticker that said "A rosary a day keeps the devil away." If you pray it faithfully, it will. Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us!

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

The first & the last

...cups of coffee today.

So, this morning, before getting pegged with an Orange via my cell phone, I brewed a pot of some amazing Intelligentsia Coffee. Intelligentsia on Broadway in Chicago is my favorite coffee shop of all time, hands down. I am a bit biased, of course, being from Chicago and all, but there are many other coffee enthusiasts nationwide who would agree that the shop's sophisticated ethos and name aptly reflects the sheer magnificence of their coffee and espresso, not to mention the decision to drink it.

Indeed, there are many on whom Intelligensia's greatness would and will be lost. I honestly don't mind, first, because those people really don't care anyway, and second, that means more stupendous Intelligensia Coffee for me.

This evening, Clare and I took a jaunt into D.C., admittedly to purchase a kitchen table off Craig's List. After the exchange, we took a detour to check out Tryst, a centerpiece of D.C.'s happenin' coffee scene. Though it's seemingly more a night time hang-out and Adam's Morgan social institution, their coffee and espresso was not disappointing. Perhaps not the amazingness of other coffee places, but still cool nonetheless.

So no sooner than we checked out of D.C. than we hit some traffic delays. Good thing we were well caffeniated to handle the situation. I even called WTOP to let them know of an additional delay. I talked to the traffic person, who was really cool, and she announced my update on the radio! How sweet is that?!

Anyway, that wraps up the update, albeit a day late. Watch out for oranges.

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Still Fills Me with the Juice

Every time I watch it...

Hell ya.

--Nick-Dog

To be a Champion...

That is, a Champion Spark plug.

Today I changed the Spark Plugs in the Jeep to Champion 4412s--good, old-fashioned Made in the US of A truck plugs, and now the Jeep runs smooth as silk. Thank you fellow Jeepers for your online reviews and recommendations. Good to remember.

But more importantly, Happy Easter! Christ Is Risen! Indeed He is Risen.

So that's it for now. I am chomping at the bit to get into my new house. We are looking forward to cracking open a bottle of wine and celebrating. I have the perfect bottle for the occasion, too.

More later, juicebags!

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Rolled by....

This weekend rolled by faster than I could say, "What the...?"

Yesterday, Clare and I went to Olde Town Occoquan, which is mostly for old people who want country crafts, and then traipsed out to Strasburg to scope out the new house and explore the area a bit more. We visited some of our hillbilly neighbors--er, I mean, just passed by their houses--and it was such an eclectic mix of old buildings, some new ones, and, of course, ones in between.

It was just good to be out there envisioning the possibilities and looking forward to the move, sometimes after our new closing date of April 30. We decided on a locale for the eventual garage, which won't interfere with the main view. Also good to note, is that our view of Signal Knob, at least, depending on where you stand, should be visible all year round, which is damn good. I look forward to sipping beverages on our porch and gazing out to the mountains (hell, yeah!)

Today we went for a moderate hike in Caledon Natural area, though we didn't see any caledons (aka, bald eagles). It was more of just an excuse to get out and walk with nature. After a brief stop at Hyperion Espresso and Old Mill Park, we got a seat at St. Mary's in the cry room, where I chased Anastasia back and forth during the reading of the Passion.

So here I am, back at the in-laws, listening to the wood crackling in the wood stove as I type, waiting on din-din to be served.

So, not much else is going on, really, other than eagerly awaiting our transition from here to a new house.

Thanks for stopping by. Over and out.

--Nick-Dog

"Sweating Metal" & YouTube

So, this week flew by rather quickly--about as the fast as the winds blowing through this region yesterday at gale force. I had to go check out a fallen tree at work. Thankfully it landed quite safely on the grass. Anyone under that thing would have been gacked.

Determined to learn the art of soldering copper, I re-embarked this week on the craft as we move to towards completion of Phase II of our office renovation project at work, the kitchen/work area. With the exception of the electrical and floor tiling, we are doing everything ourselves from the demo to the plumbing to the finish work. We will probably have the counter installed, too, since I don't think it comes any other way.

Anyway, part of the job is to plumb for the kitchen sink. I ripped out the old one, cutting the copper lines that led to the faucet in the process, figuring (correctly, thank goodness) that I could just solder on some new and improved connections for the faucet.

Back in August, I gave soldering a shot in the rectory and it was very nearly my downfall. When the rectory was built, the builders did not install shut-off valves for any of the exterior faucets, let alone access panels. So when I had to take out the exterior faucet, I had to rip out the drywall and then cut the pipe. When I tried to resolder everything back together I failed at every turn. No matter what I did, failure became a closer and more familar companion.

So I learned the hard way that you don't just go cutting copper pipes with abandon. I eventually called a really cool plumber to handle the situation, but that's not a scenario I want to repeat, especially since I was at the rectory that night until 10 PM, trying to figure out a temporary solution to my problem. With no shut-off valve other than the rectory water main, I ran a long piece of black tube out the window and into the grass for the night until my rescue the next day.

Part of me thinks I was at the church so late because, as I found I out the next day, other events were afoot. The church food pantry was broken into that night, sometime after 10:30 PM, and I think the Holy Spirit conspired to keep me there for whatever reason. And let me tell you, if God doesn't want you to succeed, you will definitely not succeed. In this case failure certainly seems to have been part of His will.

So anyway, with not a bit of trepidation, I bought some more plumbing stuff, went to my shop, lit the torch and began heating the metal so I could solder. I have never seen this done, though I knew the elements, sort of, of what you are supposed to do. Having always considered myself the friend of the torch, I was not too put off, but after five or ten minutes of torching I began feeling that my technique was incorrect.

Well, I was right. I went online to see if I could find some soldering videos and came up with a bunch of great, illustrative stuff on YouTube that showed me the error of my ways. Instead of heating for 10 minutes, which, I learned, actually oxidizes the metal and prevents you from soldering correctly, you heat quickly for 8-10 seconds and the solder gets sucked into the joint, zips around the metal, drips and then you're good to go.

Simple! I was making it way, way more tough than it had to be. After my YouTube instruction, I started soldering like a moefoe, which, as you can imagine, with my history of soldering misadventures, felt entirely too good.

So if you have a home improvement or construction question, YouTube may be the answer to your woes.

Good luck and over and out!

--Nick-Dog

To Train

Sometimes I think about life. LOL. I know, that's dangerous. It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but in all seriousness, as I think, I've noticed that my time to really ponder life's mysteries has been usurped greatly by my numerous duties.

I am at peace with that, because I have been blessed to have received answers to my many, many questions. I feel very satisfied, knowing that, at some point, you just have to take the leap and live what you've learned, putting your knowledge to the test, to handle--with some degree of finesse, hopefully--the battles and drudgery of daily life.

For those who have chosen the warrior's path, daily life becomes the battlefield. I can't imagine what it is for others, because that's what it's always been for me. Often the test comes first and study comes later. Sometimes it is bereft of enemies and othertimes the din of war is ubiquitous.

But it is a windy path, one that winds around always, with long grand vistas at times and at others valleys shrouded in darkness, where we are either made or broken. Regardless of my specific spot on the road, however, and my feelings about it, I am invariably brought back to one of my favorite quotes by an old Japanese spearmaster, Deishu Takahashi:

"If a sword is not constantly polished, it will never show it's lustre."

Oh, and this is me getting launched by one of my favorite teachers. I guess that's what you might call "getting polished."

Over and Out,

--Nick-Dog

Renovations Ahead

Hey there everyone!

So it is finally March! Hip, Hip! That means we are one tangible month closer to getting into our house.

But it needs work. Cleaning and work.

The realtor has given the go-ahead for us to start cleaning after our financing is finalized. So we are waiting on that.

Then once we actually get the house, the first item of business is to gut and then completely redo our 5x7 bathroom. On the inside it looks like an outhouse--no joke. Clare thinks it's appalling, particularly the faded Mustard Yellow Shower/Tub drop-in, but I have seen way, way worse. Still, I am hoping that with some elbow grease and a hammer my HGTV addiction will not have been for naught.

Yesterday we made a family excursion to Home Depot for a change (we usually go to Lowe's) to get the creativity flowing. Since the bathroom is a small space, we can afford to be a little more choosy about what goes in it, since you can only install so much in a 5x7 area. Without really expecting it, we found the ultimate flooring at el cheapo prices. We picked up some beautiful 1x1 marble tile for less than $10 a box (5 sq. ft.). Not bad, when you only need to cover 24 sq. ft. or so.

My plan is to go for high-end style in a mini-bathroom. I think it can be pulled off, more or less, except that it's just such a small space, it's going to be tough to make it feel opulent, let alone functional.

My budget for this project is about $1000. More or less. I am sure I will go over by a hundred or two when you bring in all the fixtures and drywall. Considering the fools on T.V. will spend upwards of 30k on their master baths, I don't consider this too unreasonable.

I am just ready to rip the damn thing apart.

Over and out,

--Nick-Dog