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QB called an audible

And nicely executed, despite much scrambling (and that it's not football season). "WTF?" You might ask. Let me elaborate.


The 7.12.07 post put forth a list upon completion of the kitchen backsplash. After spending about 3-1/2 hours on Sunday (7/22) scraping thin-set between about one-third of the job with dental technician-like precision -- and that backsplash is one dirty mouth (credits to the Orbit gum pitch-gal) -- I'm choosing plenty of breathers between scrape strokes. Plus (future DIY glass tile-setters take note), I've learned there are some issues as to the type of grout to use to prevent scratching the surface of glass tile. Epoxy? Unsanded? A combination? Regardless, there's some research to do in addition to the breathers. Moreover, at a reasonable distance or in a photo, you really don't notice that there's no grout in between the tiles. So I got that going for me.


So what did I do this past weekend? Something in between watching grass grow (more like turn brown, cuz it's pretty flippin' hot in Reno) and selecting the "write-in" option mentioned in 7.19.07's post. Specifically, the landscape light/garage rewiring project.

I got all the way to the mounting of the transformer box for the lights (they're the low-voltage variety) on the wall outsde the living room window. So far, here's what I have into the project:

  • 16 hours
  • 7 Coors Light
  • 4 Mike's Hard Lemonade Light (hey, only 2 carbs!)
  • 17 F-bombs (that's F--- as either noun, interrogative or adjective)
  • 24 feet of 1/2- and 3/4- inch conduit piping in "exposed" areas (see below)
  • 3 new outlets (2 in garage, 1 outside for the landscape light transformer)
  • 1 switch-driven exterior GFCI outlet (in front of the living room window) to control the water feature in the fair weather and holiday lights in the winter
  • 1 half-shock (I'm too lazy to turn off the power at certain testing intervals); I say half-shock because the fillings in my mouth didn't heat up
  • More trip$ to Home Depot than budgeted

On the bright side, I corrected any noticeable wiring gaffes and City code violations over the last 54 years. Namely: exposed wire (including sprinkler control lines) running in areas below the rafters from outlet box to rafter (needs to be in the wall or in conduit piping if exposed less than 8 feet from the floor), some with nails through them (oy); extension cord runs exceeding 8 feet for full-time items (the sprinkler control box, which was about 16 linear feet from the nearest source). If you think that was bad, the kitchen and laundry room wiring were equally creative.

So there's another internal, character-building, delayed gratification victory: those hidden/unsung improvements (like switching-out galvanized metal water pipes under the house with copper ones) that are standard-issue amenities in today's new construction. Until...tonight's task of wiring and placing the 10 lights along the front walking path. Directions say about 90 minutes to plumb and place. So if you're in the neighborhood, drive by around 9-ish tonight. Or wait for the photo I'll soon place in the Gallery (currently under construction).

Now, between this and the basement remodel, I really need to add "Add a new circuit" to the to-do list. But give me time to relish said improvement.

And if you care to leave an anonymous or unregistered comment, I changed the settings. So comment away on this or any other post.
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Eric said…
It's nice to see I'm not the only one for which home improvement projects occasionally proceed like something out of a book on Chaos Theory.

I'm adding central air to my house right now. So the furnace needed to be upgraded to accomodate the coil. And then the compressor needed more R22 due to the length of copper tubing between the coil and the compressor. And then a drain pipe had to be added for condensation from the coil cabinet. And now a subpanel needs to be added for power, since I ran out of space in the main panel for any more circuit breakers. I could almost drive to the hardware store in my sleep...

At least the beer makes it all seem less annoying.
August 10, 2007 at 3:45 PM
john-e-be said…
Amen to that.

Until we tackle that project ourselves (sometime after a new roof and electrical system...praying the dinosaur of an oil furnace doesn't kick it), we have the basement, which is a constant 69 degrees thank goodness. Had it not been for that, we'd get into Lisa's Audi in the garage and take turns in front of the vents.

We get by -- barely -- with the evaproative cooler, which is a mixed blessing. If you turn it on in the early afternoon on a hot day (any day this past month), you have to wait about 20 minutes for the hot water in the basin to cool down while the system is running. And that's just to get back to the 80 degrees it was before you turned the friggin thing on!
August 13, 2007 at 3:10 PM
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