Monday, May 14, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
It's all finished--even the hem!!
And just in time for 100 degrees. It felt cooler when I was playing in the water at the sink so that's good.
Restaurant sinks for $150 are few and far between so I felt really lucky when I spotted this one on Craig's List. And it was in good shape even though it needed some cleaning (which Bill did as part of the gift).
It's definitely a great gift. Bill's eight trips to various stores and my one trip to a fabric store for deeply discounted UV resistant fabric was very worth it! I'm glad we found this before it started hitting the hot temperatures or it may not have gotten installed as quickly.
You can see how convenient it is to the studio door. I think I'll put a couple planters along the fence and I'll almost feel as if I'm in an oasis.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
There is a limit to everything.
In the last post I commented how special it is to share space with wildlife. Well, not always.
Last night in the hot tub we heard a rustling noise. It was coming from the space between the wall and the storage sheds. I went in the house to get a flashlight. After some patient searching I spotted the pack rat. Pack rats are fine out in the desert. Like rattlesnakes. Not in my yard, though.
Truly Nolen will be out in the morning. Or should I just ask to borrow the neighbors' cat?
And, for the record, it took 8 trips to get everything to get the sink installed and functioning. Casey is hereby declared the winner. But Peggie is the true beneficiary. And I have a pick again. Not that I look forward to using it any time soon.
Last night in the hot tub we heard a rustling noise. It was coming from the space between the wall and the storage sheds. I went in the house to get a flashlight. After some patient searching I spotted the pack rat. Pack rats are fine out in the desert. Like rattlesnakes. Not in my yard, though.
Truly Nolen will be out in the morning. Or should I just ask to borrow the neighbors' cat?
And, for the record, it took 8 trips to get everything to get the sink installed and functioning. Casey is hereby declared the winner. But Peggie is the true beneficiary. And I have a pick again. Not that I look forward to using it any time soon.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
A little detour
I am waiting for the sun to move a little bit so my work area will be in shade, so I will tell you about yesterday.
Margie and Dave are in town again so she can attend a PEO convention and he can play. I joined him at sunrise yesterday and we drove down to Madera Canyon to do some bird watching. It was a typical Tucson day, clear sky, moderate temperature, slight breeze. We parked at the trailhead at the uphill end of the road. We checked the board to ascertain that my "old farts' card" would cover the parking fee, and headed a short distance up the trail. We spotted something interesting and dropped into the dry creek bed for a look. It turned out to be a great spot. We just sat or stood around and the birds came through as if the waterway was also a flyway. Other people came by occasionally to have some birder chat. The big question was "Have you seen him?" They meant the Elegant Trogon male who overwintered in the canyon. Normally in May and June they inhabit the area, but this one stayed all year. Well, we did. See him. We heard this strange call that sounded like a raven doing its dog impression. "aarrk, aarrk, aarrk" coming from down canyon and getting closer. Then a brilliant flash of red and he landed in the tree overhead. He just sat long enough for us to confirm it was him, then he continued up canyon. So right away, the day was a success. I won't recount all the birds we saw, but they were numerous and pretty. Eventually, we headed to an area where the creek runs above ground, and the water attracts a different variety of birds. We were again holding still and observing, when we heard a distant "gobble, gobble." Well, every kid knows that that is a turkey. We could tell from the occasional call that he was getting closer. Finally, I could tell that he was going to be passing on the far side of the creek and across the road. So I climbed up there, saw some other people heading in what I thought was the right direction, and there he was. Just a big tom, all alone, heading downhill. I remembered my camera was in my pocket, so I walked along the edge of the road parallel to old tom and managed to snap a few pictures. Then it occurred to me that he was trying to get to the water. So I stopped walking. Some other people were about a hundred yards away and the turkey fanned his tail feathers and gobbled angrily, circled a bit, then strutted across the road between me and the other folks. Headed for the creek.
Dave had joined me by then, so we crossed the creek again and headed back towards the car. On the way we stopped to admire a pair of painted redstarts. They do not stay still long, but for some reason, perhaps a nearby nest, they cavorted just above my head for a while before I moved on. Just a few feet up the trail, I turned my head to see what was rustling the dry leaves and saw a small doe heading in the opposite direction. About the time I saw her, she froze. She held totally still for several minutes with her ears turned straight ahead. She was more alarmed about something ahead of her than about us. Eventually she resumed walking, she was joined by a fawn and then we saw that she was joining another pair of does in a low meadow. As we watched she turned and walked right towards me. I could tell she saw me, but she was not overly alarmed. Living in a public area like this had reduced her fear of humans. She was joined by the fawn and they browsed no more than 25 feet from either of us. It is always special to get to share space with wild animals. Finally, the deer began to move, and we saw that there were six of them, altogether. As we headed up the trail again, they were also heading up the creek parallel to us, about 50-60 feet to our left. We came to a spot where another family was sitting on some rocks by the creek watching the deer approach. Then a really funny thing happened. A car came whizzing by on the road, and the deer quickly retreated toward the creek. The fawn was in full run when she saw the people on the rock. Wham! She set her brakes! Then is when you see that animals can have facial expression. Her eyes were huge, and you could clearly see the confusion in her mind. Where is the greatest danger? That noisy vehicle behind, or those people on the rock ahead? She probably stood frozen for 20-30 seconds. Then she kind of shook herself, looked around, saw mama was not panicked, and nonchalantly nibbles some grass.
On our way out we saw another tom turkey who wanted to cross to the creek. He was really displaying his tail and voicing his objection to the the people who seemed to be in his way.
It was a fabulous morning. We saw the trogon, two turkeys, six deer, and a whole bunch of other birds we hadn't seen before. Then we had some really good chile con carne at Guillermo's on south 4th.
Margie and Dave are in town again so she can attend a PEO convention and he can play. I joined him at sunrise yesterday and we drove down to Madera Canyon to do some bird watching. It was a typical Tucson day, clear sky, moderate temperature, slight breeze. We parked at the trailhead at the uphill end of the road. We checked the board to ascertain that my "old farts' card" would cover the parking fee, and headed a short distance up the trail. We spotted something interesting and dropped into the dry creek bed for a look. It turned out to be a great spot. We just sat or stood around and the birds came through as if the waterway was also a flyway. Other people came by occasionally to have some birder chat. The big question was "Have you seen him?" They meant the Elegant Trogon male who overwintered in the canyon. Normally in May and June they inhabit the area, but this one stayed all year. Well, we did. See him. We heard this strange call that sounded like a raven doing its dog impression. "aarrk, aarrk, aarrk" coming from down canyon and getting closer. Then a brilliant flash of red and he landed in the tree overhead. He just sat long enough for us to confirm it was him, then he continued up canyon. So right away, the day was a success. I won't recount all the birds we saw, but they were numerous and pretty. Eventually, we headed to an area where the creek runs above ground, and the water attracts a different variety of birds. We were again holding still and observing, when we heard a distant "gobble, gobble." Well, every kid knows that that is a turkey. We could tell from the occasional call that he was getting closer. Finally, I could tell that he was going to be passing on the far side of the creek and across the road. So I climbed up there, saw some other people heading in what I thought was the right direction, and there he was. Just a big tom, all alone, heading downhill. I remembered my camera was in my pocket, so I walked along the edge of the road parallel to old tom and managed to snap a few pictures. Then it occurred to me that he was trying to get to the water. So I stopped walking. Some other people were about a hundred yards away and the turkey fanned his tail feathers and gobbled angrily, circled a bit, then strutted across the road between me and the other folks. Headed for the creek.
Dave had joined me by then, so we crossed the creek again and headed back towards the car. On the way we stopped to admire a pair of painted redstarts. They do not stay still long, but for some reason, perhaps a nearby nest, they cavorted just above my head for a while before I moved on. Just a few feet up the trail, I turned my head to see what was rustling the dry leaves and saw a small doe heading in the opposite direction. About the time I saw her, she froze. She held totally still for several minutes with her ears turned straight ahead. She was more alarmed about something ahead of her than about us. Eventually she resumed walking, she was joined by a fawn and then we saw that she was joining another pair of does in a low meadow. As we watched she turned and walked right towards me. I could tell she saw me, but she was not overly alarmed. Living in a public area like this had reduced her fear of humans. She was joined by the fawn and they browsed no more than 25 feet from either of us. It is always special to get to share space with wild animals. Finally, the deer began to move, and we saw that there were six of them, altogether. As we headed up the trail again, they were also heading up the creek parallel to us, about 50-60 feet to our left. We came to a spot where another family was sitting on some rocks by the creek watching the deer approach. Then a really funny thing happened. A car came whizzing by on the road, and the deer quickly retreated toward the creek. The fawn was in full run when she saw the people on the rock. Wham! She set her brakes! Then is when you see that animals can have facial expression. Her eyes were huge, and you could clearly see the confusion in her mind. Where is the greatest danger? That noisy vehicle behind, or those people on the rock ahead? She probably stood frozen for 20-30 seconds. Then she kind of shook herself, looked around, saw mama was not panicked, and nonchalantly nibbles some grass.
On our way out we saw another tom turkey who wanted to cross to the creek. He was really displaying his tail and voicing his objection to the the people who seemed to be in his way.
It was a fabulous morning. We saw the trogon, two turkeys, six deer, and a whole bunch of other birds we hadn't seen before. Then we had some really good chile con carne at Guillermo's on south 4th.
Friday, May 4, 2012
The Story, The Whole Story, and Other Things, Too.
Peggie found the three-compartment food service sink on CraigsList. Only $150, which is a very good price. This was on a Sunday. Being the busy bees that we are, we couldn't get downtown to see it until Tuesday evening. Downtown streets are torn up for the construction of a trolley line. We found an empty meter only a block from the location. While we waited, Peggie got a text that the seller couldn't find the key to the storage place. We waited. He showed up and we went around to the alley. The door had a combination lock, not a key lock. He had a key to the front door, so we went around to the side with the construction and he let us into the kind of place you'd never go in if you were in a slasher movie. Dark, crowded with detritus from bars, restaurants, apartments, junk yards, whatever. It was being used as a practice hall by this guy's rock band. Sure enough, there was a keyboard, guitars, amps, drums. Way in the back, was the sink. It was in good physical condition, but you could tell by its (long-term lack of) cleanliness that you were happy not to have eaten in the bar from which it had come. No way we could carry it back through the maze and around the block to our parking spot. Enter the smart phone. He texted someone and got the combination to the alley lock. So I brought the truck into the alley, we loaded up, tied down, and headed out.
When we got it home, unloaded it and carried it into the back yard, we discovered problem #1. One of the legs was missing a piece I have since come to know is called a bullet foot. It slips into (and, apparently, out of) the hollow legs so height adjustments can be made to deal with the inevitable uneven floor.
Plan A involved taking an inventory of needs to clean the sink, and hook it up to water and drainage. So I made a list and made Trip#1. Lowe's for water line and drain pipe, Restaurant Supply for bullet feet and sink stoppers. I got everything on the list, except bullet feet. I was given the name of a local manufacturer of stainless restaurant equipment. They are out near D-M AFB, so that is a trip (#2) for tomorrow.
The clean up went well. I searched on-line, Casey, and found some instructional videos on cleaning stainless steel. Vinegar, lime juice, and baking soda were about equally recommended. I went with baking soda and it worked just fine. Except for the going blind part. Oddly, all of the videos were done indoors!
While hooking up the water supply, I realized I had waaayyy over engineered the project. So I scrapped Plan A, and since I had to make Trip # 2 anyway, I returned several pieces of plumbing and exchanged them for a simpler solution, namely a Y fitting for the existing faucet. We have used these successfully in RV parks, so why not? Because....
... we have anti-siphon attachments on our outdoor faucets, and they leak when held under the pressure of a closed valve downstream. So, I had to remove that. Bad news. Twenty five years ago, when the contractor installed this device, he crossed the threads. So now I have to replace the faucet. I know I should just take the faucet with me, but that would mean leaving Peggie without water while I am gone.
But wait, there are multiple sizes and types at the store. So this time I left the water off and took it with me.
Faucets are too expensive at Ace, but I remember seeing them for less at Lowe's.
So it is lunch time on Friday now and I think I have everything I need. After lunch I will make the "final" hookups.
Or so I thought. Here is what happens. Every time you get a connection to stop leaking, it puts pressure on the next connection. So, here I make the "last" connection solid and discover that the on/off handle leaks. Just a little bit. But, you know.
So, to recap: the swivel faucet had obviously been leaking for a long time based on the calcium build-up around it. The new washer there was in Plan A. When put under pressure, the valve on the wall spigot leaked. That was around Trip # 4. The connection from the garden hose to the sink hose leaked. That was part of Trip # 2. The faucet handle required Trip # 7.
Altogether I visited Restaurant Supply, Lowe's, [#1] AIS (for bullet feet),[#2] Lowe's,[#3] Lowe's, [#4]Ace,[#5] Lowe's,[#6] Ace.[#7] This is about 80 miles and another $50 over the original price, plus all those "priceless" hours of labor. I tried to time the work to coincide with shade after that debacle scrubbing in the blinding sunlight. I was interrupted by a crew who came to trim the big mesquite, a side chore to reset the timing and alignment of the drip system, some books that needed to be read, some TV shows that needed to be watched, and crosswords that needed to be filled in.
I still have to dig the trench and sump hole for the drain, but I have all the pieces of PVC I need.
Famous last words?
So far Dave looks like the winner. Thank you to everybody for playing. There is no prize beyond all the fun.
When we got it home, unloaded it and carried it into the back yard, we discovered problem #1. One of the legs was missing a piece I have since come to know is called a bullet foot. It slips into (and, apparently, out of) the hollow legs so height adjustments can be made to deal with the inevitable uneven floor.
Plan A involved taking an inventory of needs to clean the sink, and hook it up to water and drainage. So I made a list and made Trip#1. Lowe's for water line and drain pipe, Restaurant Supply for bullet feet and sink stoppers. I got everything on the list, except bullet feet. I was given the name of a local manufacturer of stainless restaurant equipment. They are out near D-M AFB, so that is a trip (#2) for tomorrow.
The clean up went well. I searched on-line, Casey, and found some instructional videos on cleaning stainless steel. Vinegar, lime juice, and baking soda were about equally recommended. I went with baking soda and it worked just fine. Except for the going blind part. Oddly, all of the videos were done indoors!
While hooking up the water supply, I realized I had waaayyy over engineered the project. So I scrapped Plan A, and since I had to make Trip # 2 anyway, I returned several pieces of plumbing and exchanged them for a simpler solution, namely a Y fitting for the existing faucet. We have used these successfully in RV parks, so why not? Because....
... we have anti-siphon attachments on our outdoor faucets, and they leak when held under the pressure of a closed valve downstream. So, I had to remove that. Bad news. Twenty five years ago, when the contractor installed this device, he crossed the threads. So now I have to replace the faucet. I know I should just take the faucet with me, but that would mean leaving Peggie without water while I am gone.
But wait, there are multiple sizes and types at the store. So this time I left the water off and took it with me.
Faucets are too expensive at Ace, but I remember seeing them for less at Lowe's.
So it is lunch time on Friday now and I think I have everything I need. After lunch I will make the "final" hookups.
Or so I thought. Here is what happens. Every time you get a connection to stop leaking, it puts pressure on the next connection. So, here I make the "last" connection solid and discover that the on/off handle leaks. Just a little bit. But, you know.
So, to recap: the swivel faucet had obviously been leaking for a long time based on the calcium build-up around it. The new washer there was in Plan A. When put under pressure, the valve on the wall spigot leaked. That was around Trip # 4. The connection from the garden hose to the sink hose leaked. That was part of Trip # 2. The faucet handle required Trip # 7.
Altogether I visited Restaurant Supply, Lowe's, [#1] AIS (for bullet feet),[#2] Lowe's,[#3] Lowe's, [#4]Ace,[#5] Lowe's,[#6] Ace.[#7] This is about 80 miles and another $50 over the original price, plus all those "priceless" hours of labor. I tried to time the work to coincide with shade after that debacle scrubbing in the blinding sunlight. I was interrupted by a crew who came to trim the big mesquite, a side chore to reset the timing and alignment of the drip system, some books that needed to be read, some TV shows that needed to be watched, and crosswords that needed to be filled in.
I still have to dig the trench and sump hole for the drain, but I have all the pieces of PVC I need.
Famous last words?
So far Dave looks like the winner. Thank you to everybody for playing. There is no prize beyond all the fun.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Clarification on the rules
Greg and Peggie have convinced me to make the following revision/clarification. So, Plan A was to visit two stores in one trip. That equals one trip, because it was the original Plan. But, since I couldn't get one item at those two stores, Plan B has to equal trip two. So, Greg's suggestion about sales receipts would seem to apply. For instance, I already have to go to the place where they build sinks like this one to get the adjustable feet for the legs.
What else might come up?
What else might come up?
The Gift
Peggie has been doing a lot of fabric dying. Our patio looks like a redneck laundromat. We have a galvanized wash tub on a loose cinderblock stand with a garden hose going to it. The used water drains through a hole in the bottom of the tub, down through the blocks and into the yard, where it makes.....mud. We have a clothesline strung on the patio. (For you youngsters, that is a small rope used in the olden days from which wet clothes were hung to dry in the sun. Think of it as a solar powered dryer with no moving parts.)
Peggie has been lusting after a "professional" setup with a multi-tub sink, plumbing, and drainage, under a shade cover. For her birthday last year, I said I would do the installation when she found the sink(s) she wanted.
She found one. On Craigslist. A three-tub stainless steel restaurant sink with drainboards on both ends. (For you youngsters, a drainboard is a sloped surface near a sink where dishes are washed and rinsed and dried by hand. !!!!!)
So, now that we have air conditioning that makes it comfortable to stay indoors, I am cleaning up this grungy sink salvaged from a boarded-up dive bar downtown. Did you ever try to scrub stainless steel in the full sun? Well, don't. Just stare right at the sun for five minutes if you want to go blind.
And, guess what? The plumbing set-up requires a trip to a restaurant supply store AND the home improvement super store.
Before the next post here, the betting windows will be open. How many trips to the store will I really need? Pick a number higher than one and less than a hundred, place your bets in the comments section. Winners will be announced when the job is complete. Good luck to all of us.
Peggie has been lusting after a "professional" setup with a multi-tub sink, plumbing, and drainage, under a shade cover. For her birthday last year, I said I would do the installation when she found the sink(s) she wanted.
She found one. On Craigslist. A three-tub stainless steel restaurant sink with drainboards on both ends. (For you youngsters, a drainboard is a sloped surface near a sink where dishes are washed and rinsed and dried by hand. !!!!!)
So, now that we have air conditioning that makes it comfortable to stay indoors, I am cleaning up this grungy sink salvaged from a boarded-up dive bar downtown. Did you ever try to scrub stainless steel in the full sun? Well, don't. Just stare right at the sun for five minutes if you want to go blind.
And, guess what? The plumbing set-up requires a trip to a restaurant supply store AND the home improvement super store.
Before the next post here, the betting windows will be open. How many trips to the store will I really need? Pick a number higher than one and less than a hundred, place your bets in the comments section. Winners will be announced when the job is complete. Good luck to all of us.
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