I’m not sure if this is due to the pressure treated lumber being new (sometimes it’s wet), or due to the wood being outside during yesterday’s snow/rain storm. Either way, some of these boards were sopping wet and were about 5x heavier than I expected them to be.
We’re using this set of instructions as our primary guide, taking some tips from this guy’s implementation. For the most part, we know what materials we needed… it was just finalizing the overall dimensions (which would inform how much wood we would need to get).
Tonight, Bob stopped over with Julie and helped us configure our new miter saw. We got a 12″ 60 tooth blade, which he showed us how to install. Unlike normal screws, the one used for the blade actually works in reverse. A regular screw, when rotating with the blade, would become more loose over time. So that’s why it’s reversed – in that if anything, it will become tighter, not looser.
We’ve done a lot to convert the space back here into an actual yard. And this spring, we’ll be hopefully making it into a space where we can spend more time – with one another, and with friends. We’ve done plenty of removing. Looking forward to adding more this year.
Note my fancy workstation. I took a few photos of some items Bob/Julie wanted to get rid of and posted them to Craigslist.
While some things are the same from this photo circa 2013, a lot has changed. We’re no longer in our lovely apartment in Logan Square, and have been living in our new home in Hyde Park for nearly two years.
Videos were recorded of all the readers (there’s a really impressive archive on YouTube), and I’ll share mine once it’s up! Really great time, and truly enjoyed the chance to read my poems again in a public venue.
There was a good amount of “stuff” in the attic, but all in all it wasn’t that bad. They had experienced some squirrel damage to some items, and a lot of the work involved sifting through what remained undamaged… and what was worth keeping.
It’s funny in that, talking to Liz, we both realized we were kind of excited at the idea of Permaseal coming. We’ve been getting so much done and ready for their arrival, it’s almost turned into a mini-milestone.
Liz, using a 20 ton jack to prop up the house. Though we heard some slight creaks and pops, nothing extremely loud (something we were expecting).
This is another huge milestone, to me and Liz. With this window filled, along with our new security door – the basement feels that much more solid, our house that much more private and secured. It’s a really great feeling.
Bob said: “This was made during a dark time for Liz.”
As a kind of early Valentine’s Day event, Michelle, Mike, Liz and I all headed over to Meg’s new apartment, where she and Josh hosted a dinner and game night.
On Saturday, in addition to picking up the hardware for our new security door… we also picked up a roll of new carpet. Because Phineas has been in his area for so long now, we decided it would be best to relocate both bunnies to a completely new space – totally neutral and new to both.
Having a new security door in the basement is another one of those big milestones for us. It seems that there is a never-ending list of things that need to get done in the basement… but to have this particular item checked off the list? It’s huge.