Archive for ‘September, 2008’

the future

I watched the movie “Next” several weeks ago. It is a 2007 movie based on Philip K. Dick’s short story titled “The Golden Man”. In “Next”, the main character, played by Nicolas Cage, can see 2 minutes into his own future – with the exception of a woman to whom he will become close.

But, my reason for bringing up the movie is a Nicolas Cage line that goes:

Here’s the thing about the future…every time you look at it, it changes…because you looked at it. And that changes everything”.

In the movie, this is illustrated by seeing, through the Cage character’s mind, various scenarios of the future.

But, in our real life, we do this also. We often project what “might” happen and base our current actions on this “future” scenario – …and that changes everything.

About 7 1/2 years ago I took my dog Zack to the vet. He had some swelling in his “armpits”. The vet found swelling in all of his lymph nodes. It suggested lymphoma – a deadly, fast growing cancer that typically kills dogs within 4-6 weeks of diagnosis. A test was scheduled to make a determination.

Right after that vet appointment, I had a massage appointment – a monthly indulgence with a masseuse who is a wonderful, compassionate woman and also a dog lover. I told her what was going on – we went ahead with the massage which I mostly cried through. Towards the end, she stopped and asked me to listen to her. Her words changed everything for me – she said: “You are grieving about something that has not yet happened. You might consider enjoying every day you have with Zack while he is in good health and save the grieving for when it does happen – if it does.”

And while it was lymphoma and I did ultimately lose Zack in 5 weeks – I learned a valuable lesson about the pitfalls of looking at the future. Not a day went by that I didn’t remember those words and they helped me release my fear, live with hope – the best thing I could do for my dog.

Now, I’m not saying we do no planning for the future. I am saying that it is important to live in the “now” and to live with “normalcy”. Now, when all seems uncertain and it is tempting to hang on to money and all that we have – Now is the time to live boldly, with “reckless confidence”, believing in a good future. The hoarding of anything will only add to current problems. Today is the day to enjoy, to embrace good, to work, to love, to live.

Matthew 6:34: “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself”.

Matthew 6:27: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

“We know nothing of tomorrow; our business is to be good and happy today”. –Sydney Smith

On the hunt

It was overcast, cool, blustery, rainy and drizzly. There must have been something good out there as Bob was out until the drizzle changed to sleet.

An editorial comment???? – put another log on the fire!

As a well trained human, I put another log on the fire.

Later in the afternoon, there was some blue sky, a bit of sun and no rain – Karl and I headed out for a walk. Rain in the valley, but a tiny bit of snow on the mountain!

The front porch project

So, last Saturday’s good idea #2 – decided in a sunny moment on the way home from the grocery escalated from “Oh, this would be a good time to pressure wash the front porch ” to a mini construction project.

My thoughts as I rented the pressure washer were that I’d spend a pleasant, warm afternoon spraying the porch, then have a couple of warm days to let it fully dry, ending with applying a coat of water seal. The reality was that it took a good day and a half with the pressure washer AND stripper and still I didn’t get all of the paint.

Above, after the wash and strip operation…

Monday morning, I returned the pressure washer and asked about renting a belt sander. Now, I’ve never actually used a belt sander, but I knew what they looked like and in theory how they worked. I have an orbit sander but it would leave swirly marks. The rental place “had” a belt sander but they told me that its motor was kaput. I must have looked forlorn enough … they retrieved the thing which had no plug, wired a new plug and turned it on. It only worked on high speed. They said I could take it and if it didn’t work for me, no charge. They suggested that I use it for a short time and then let it cool off – perfect as that is exactly how I like to work! Off I went with my high speed belt sander and a bunch of sandpaper for it.

I assembled the tool of minor destruction, along with safety and comfort gear…

The sander and I got along well – both it and I were good for 4 boards the length of the porch and then it was break and cool off time. It turns out that working with a belt sander on hands and knees is pretty much the equivalent of a full body workout – holding the position and holding the belt sander as it wants to scurry across the porch – it was fun…

And did you know??? – there are people who modify and race belt sanders???

-that second site contains a “how to modify your belt sander for racing”… I’m sticking to using this one for its intended purpose. But if computer programming work dries up I might make a workout video featuring a belt sander – I was plenty tired and a little bit on the sore side the next day, but I liked the way the porch was looking!

I had some trouble getting the paint off the board nearest the house, despite the fact that some of the house paint came off. Can of worms#1 – I decide that I will get some 1×4, paint it and make my own “floor trim” to camoflage that ugly area where the porch and house meet.

Applying the water seal went pretty well. I had a “paint pad on a stick” and splurged on Thompson’s Advanced One Coat water seal.

As I was applying the water seal and thinking about the trim and how I liked how things were looking, the porch rails started bothering me. When I finished with the water seal, I started looking at how things were put together and realized that the horizontal rail sections were just that – sections. I walked away and looked at the porch… Can of worms #2 – I decide to remove the rail sections. The porch is on grade so rails are decorative, not a safety feature. This is the west – I decide to see if a western look will work – adding some upper braces to the uprights – like on the porch below:

And then – Can of worms #2b – as long as I’m doing that, I might as well get rid of the blue trim that I dislike…I pick up paint samples:

I’m not sure the colors in the photos are representing well – I selected Evening Hush …I think…- a dark gray with a bit of blue as it looked best against the existing house color as well as picked up the gray-blue of the tree trunks. Looking at the photos I may check again…like the Beluga as well as the other very dark gray-browns…we’ll see.

Back to the rails – they are not proving to be as easy to remove as I’d hoped – screws painted over some time ago – some come out easily, some I’m going to have to dig out and undo with a wrench – not something I have the endurance to do in one session.

But I did get one section off and I have all but 2 screws out of the section it is leaning against in the above. Next week’s workout will feature sessions dismantling the rail sections. The painting I can do a bit at a time on warm nice days as they occur. Things may look a bit “patchwork” as I progress but ultimately for not too much money and a bit of effort I believe I will be much happier with the exterior.

Friday night I started putting things back on the porch – I’ll have to shuffle a bit as I work on trim and paint but much as I enjoyed the time “in the front yard”, I was ready to be back on the front porch.

Thus ends this chapter of the Front Porch project!

Signs of Fall

Fall arrives sometime on Monday but out and about today there were the beginning signs…

You’ll have to trust me that they are headed south…

I saw the yellow aspen and red and yellow ??? behind Karl on a late afternoon walk. Clouds were starting to roll in as forecast – a few thunderheads starting to build behind the mountains.

As I write this, early evening, thunder is rumbling behind the mountains and it has become very still.

Signs of change, signs of Fall.