Showing posts with label Projects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Projects. Show all posts

Friday, January 19, 2024

Dreary Day Project

 Some days are just, dreary. 

Ender-3 V2 3D Printer
Tequesta, FL
January 18, 2024
That was yesterday--well, until the end of the day. As evening fell the skies cleared and the stars came out. Sadly, it cleared too late for us to see the space launch. That would have been exciting. 

I didn't ride my bike yesterday because it always looked as if it were going to rain. 

I spent most of the day trying to resurrect a 3D printer I was given. I made a lot of progress, but the inability to level to level the table was a show-stopper. I will be going to Ace Hardware today to get a couple items that will enable me to level the table and then, hopefully, fire up the printer and make things. I spent a lot of time cleaning and adjusting the printer. At one point I thought I had leveled the table, but with one of the adjusting wheels missing I was only deluding myself.

By the end of today, however, I hopefully will have a fully functional battle station, err printer. 

Chris is not amused that the printer is on the kitchen counter. I probably can only keep it there through today and then I need to find a more permanent place to set it up. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday, January 12, 2024

Back in the Storage Facility

Headed to the Storage Room
Tequesta, FL
January 10, 2024

 One of the problems we discovered with downsizing and moving into a condo is storage or, more correctly, lack of storage. 

We rent a storage room because we cannot not fit all of our treasures into the condo. Included in those treasures are 12 containers, plus one artificial tree, of Christmas decorations. With some creative packing, I can get Christmas into the truck for a single trip. But, I have to be a bit careful that none of the containers have loose covers.

Train Infused Traffic Snarl on a Rainy Day
Jupiter, FL
January 11, 2024
Chris and I successfully returned all of the Christmas decorations to the storage facility and we were lucky that we chose to do it on a day when the weather was good, because the next day it was rainy and cold. The increase in train traffic in the area, because of the Brightline, snarls traffic throughout the day making the short trip even tougher at times. But, we missed the rain and most of the traffic snarl by getting right on the project of taking down Christmas and not waiting. 

Yesterday was rainy and cold. Today will be warmer, but just as rainy as yesterday. Fortunately, our projects are complete and we can enjoy the day. I still have not had the opportunity to ride my bike this year--and it does not look as if today will be the day due to the less than optimal weather. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Saturday, November 4, 2023

The TV

 

TV on the Deck
Tequesta, FL
November 4, 2023
We have a small, older (720p) TV that has been gathering dust under a bed since we arrived permanently in Florida. It is just hard to say goodbye to objects which still work and have a unique feature. This small TV has a CD/DVD player built into it. It is the only DVD player we have, although we almost never play DVDs anymore when we can watch or rent from the many streaming channels. 

Originally, we didn't to do anything with it because we do not have an available cable connection. That is not longer a problem. We have a Roku connection and that means we have flexibility. So Chris had the bright idea to put the TV on the patio, under cover. One of our friends have done that with a TV (a much larger deck/lanai and TV). Our TV seemed properly sized for our small deck.

During the summer, it was too hot and humid to either install the TV or to consider watching it on the patio, but with cooler temperatures and lower humidity I installed the TV yesterday. I'm not sure what to do with the cord, But, I may think of something. 

Now we can enjoy Happy Hour on the deck and watch the news!


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday, October 13, 2023

The Flooring Project - Day 3

Living Room Nearly Complete
Tequesta, FL
October 13, 2023

 
And so it continues.

The flooring project is now into Day 4. I expect it to be complete this afternoon. All that remains is completing the powder room and installing the quarter round throughout. 

The good news is that the fridge has been returned to its proper place and we have full use of the kitchen. 

The bad news is that there is not a functioning bathroom on the first floor and that means climbing the stairs when nature calls. 

Powder Room
Tequesta, FL
October 13, 2023
Even Finnegan is inconvenienced. The patio has been converted to a workshop and he cannot make his way through the piles of flooring and tools to get out to do his business!   

With the quarter-round remaining, we have not returned all of the items to their proper places because most everything will need to be moved one more time. But, the living room is nearly complete. All of the items for the display cases are safely packed awaiting the completion of the project. 

The powder room is where the majority of the work remains. The flooring needs to be completed and the base boards installed. We took the six-inch ceramic tile off the wall and are going to replace it with a wide base board. 

Expected project completion: Today!

Projects are an inconvenience when underway, but the results are worth it. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Thursday, October 12, 2023

The Flooring Project

The Project Begins, Day 1
Tequesta, FL
October 10, 2023

 Today is day three of the flooring project. 

We have been installing flooring. Of course this is a multi-day project, but spanning into day 3 with the refrigerator in the middle of the kitchen made it a bit harder. 

It is going well, but slow. Anyone who has laid floor knows that the big areas are easy, the hard part is getting the cuts against the walls done properly, or going around walls and kitchen islands all while ensuring that the floor meets properly on the other side. 

At the End of Day 2
Tequesta, FL
October 11, 2023
I had hoped the project would be a three-day event, but it is clearly going to take until Friday, or possibly Saturday to complete. There is a major renovation still to occur in the powder room. Ugh. 

Why is the fridge in the middle of the room, you ask. Well, the flooring in its area is laid, but the quarter round has not been installed and we do not want to move the behemoth twice. Once was enough and I'm not sure my back can take too much more abuse from the fridge--which is surely more than an icebox. The floor looks great, right?

There is only a few square feet of flooring remaining, and of course the powder room. But there is tile work to do in the powder room. We are removing the tile which was used as along the base of the wall and replacing it with a more normal base board--but that means we may have to do some wall work as well. 

Projects--always bigger than they seem.


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Saturday, August 12, 2023

The Stool

Teak Shower Stool Refinished
Tequesta, FL
August 12, 2023

 Chris and I have a stool in our shower. 

It came with the house, but it has been a nice addition to the shower, not that we use it it as stool, but rather more as a gathering place for all of the shower-related items we use on a regular basis. 

The problem was that the finish on the chair was deteriorating. Badly. It was making the floor tile discolored.

Chris wanted to dispose of the chair, but after looking at the problem I determined that with a light sanding and the application of a new finish it could be salvaged. And, frankly, I didn't know where we were going to be able to store all of the stuff we use in the shower. So I had a project and over the past two days, I refinished the stool and it is happily reinstalled in our shower. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Getting a Trim


 

Trimmed Palm
Tequesta, FL
July 25, 2023
As I have written before, one of the things that I have learned from living in South Florida for the past year is that palm trees require a lot of maintenance. Much more maintenance than I had previously understood. Falling fronds and coconuts are a hazard to people and property.
Untrimmed Palm
Tequesta, FL
July 25 ,2023


In an effort to reduce the palm debris which occurs during wind storms, the palms must be trimmed regularly. 

The palms look scalped after they are trimmed, but they return to fullness within a year when they must be trimmed again. Hardwood trees generally do not require the same year-after-year care and only require trimming when their slower growing branches begin to interfere with power lines or sidewalks. 

My community had the palms trimmed last week and after the thunderstorms of the past few days, it was clearly obvious that there is far less debris on the ground. That is a good thing because palm fronds are not small and can do damage to cars and property when they fall. Palm trimming is an annual event here and I see the palms being trimmed all around the community generating a large amount of debris. But, at least the debris is being collected for recycling and not dealing during windstorms ad causing damage. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday, July 28, 2023

Tab A into Slot B

Looking from Dining Room to Patio
Tequesta, FL
July 28, 2023
 Assembly projects. 

They can be daunting. Some companies are masters of selling items with "some assembly required," like Ikea and Wayfair. 

Yesterday Chris and I assembled the patio furniture that we ordered from Wayfair. 

Riordin on the Sofa
Tequesta, FL
July 27, 2023
Yes, we finally decided to upgrade the patio and make it into that outdoor living space that we have been missing since we left Maryland. We did not bring our outdoor furniture with us because it was too large for the tiny patio that we have now. And so, we have been waiting to find a properly scaled set to help us enjoy our screened paradise.

Riordin quickly decided that he liked the sofa. He napped on it for most of the afternoon. His asthma seemed better in the warm, humid afternoon atmosphere.

Assembly projects remind me that I still need to be able to use skills I learned in kindergarten: Insert Tab A into Slot B! The assembly project went well, except for the obligatory problem. Every assembly project has at least one problem and this one was an improperly drilled screw hole. I was able to overcome the problem by finding a larger bolt. There is always something, but I have to admit, the instructions were generally good, if not humorous in the way they were written. The translation from the original language into English left something to be desired. I don't understand why companies can take a moment to hire native language speakers to ensure that the written language can be comprehended. For instance:

"Locate each Left arm (A) and Right arm (B) to the Chair backrest (C) by the pre-drilled threads."

Huh? Seriously, and I retained the original capitalization of the instruction. 

Ah, the joys of assembly projects.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday, June 16, 2023

After Sitting a Month -- A New Tool

My Compressor
Tequesta, FL
June 16, 2023

 Chris and I experienced one of those car care moments when we returned to Tequesta after being away for almost a month. The tires on our Toyota Highlander were soft. We noticed the softness when we moved it from the parking space and were preparing to go shopping. The screech and rub on the pavement was too obvious. 

Well, I got out the hand tire pump that I use for bikes and proceeded to pump the tires to proper inflation. It took a while because the tires were all equally at 20 psi and I needed to get them to 35 psi. 

Do you know how many pumps it takes to put 15 psi into an automobile tire? 

I counted: about 120!

The inflation process took a while and in the heat I began sweating profusely. 

I was smart, however, and asked Chris to help inflate the third of the four tires. After her experience she suggested we get a real compressor! 

I was ecstatic! I have wanted one for a while, but could not figure out how to justify the purchase. Later, that same afternoon, we were at Home Depot and I came home with a new portable, battery powered compressor with a short hose. I already had the inflation kit, which I saved from the compressor I had in Elkridge. 

I am so happy. Being batter powered, I can take it almost anywhere even across the street to pump up the tires on the truck! 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Thursday, June 15, 2023

After the Storms

New Outlet Installed and Ready for the Cover
Tequesta, FL
June 15, 2023

 We had some exciting storms last evening. Not so much rain, but the lightning was fabulous! It was one of those storms that was right atop us and as soon as the flash occurred, the thunder arrived. Chris and I really appreciate a good storm. 

There were, however, consequences. 

The outlet on the patio which controls the electric screen stopped working. I was able to determine that two things were at play. The outlet was bad and it was not getting electricity. After a two hour search and phoning a friend, we finally determined which GFI in the house controlled the outlet. It was not an easy search. Turns out the GFI that controls the patio outlet is all the way across the house at the front of the garage! Who knew?

But, with perseverance the job was completed and we are back in business. I was lucky to actually have had another outlet in my tool box, which made the repair faster. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Thursday, April 13, 2023

Springtime Projects and an Update

 

Electric Mower
Odenton, MD
April 11, 2023
I live in a condo community and so I do not have yard work. I must travel to have the opportunity to get out into the yard with a mower and create the dust and pollen to which I am allergic. The other day I mowed the lawn at Nicole's townhome. It is much smaller than the lawn I used to mow on my tractor and I used a self-propelled electric mower. I was good to be in the yard doing work. I did need to boost my allergy medicine afterwards--I am very allergic to Maryland. Funny, I don't need allergy medicine in Florida. 

I actually enjoyed getting out in the yard and doing one of the first mowings of the season. Chris and I used to compete to do the first mowing at our house in Elkridge. 

As an aside and a follow-on to yesterday's blog about the Arundel Junior Varsity Baseball Team, Chris and I attended a home game last evening. The Arundel team spotted the visitors 10 runs in the top of the 1st inning, but over the course of the remaining innings of the game outscored the visitors 14-2. Final score: 14-12 Arundel! Jackson did not get into the game, but it was thrilling to see the boys claw back into the game by tying tie the score at 11-11 in the 4th inning and then press on to win. It was a long almost three-hour game, but it was full of action and drama.


-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Thursday, February 2, 2023

Instructions are Misleading

 

Happy Groundhog Day!

The groundhog saw its shadow and the forecast is for six more weeks of Winter! I can handle that living here in South Florida.

Happy Hour on the Beach
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
February 1, 2023
And so there we were, sitting on our favorite beach at the end of a busy day. During the day, I had helped Fran erect a pergola in his lanai. The instructions that came with the kit indicated that the project should take about 45 minutes. Ha!

We began constructing the pergola about 9:30 AM. It was finally erected, with additional help from a neighbor and Mary, about 2:00 PM--but it still was not completely done. Screws need to be driven into the concrete and additional screws need to be installed in the beams. OK, why the difference in time? Well, this pergola is double size from the instructions, it is constructed with very heavy pressure treated lumber, and there was cutting involved. It is fairly clear that there instructions were written for a pergola using pre-cut not pressure-treated lumber, like the 8 foot 4 X 4s that come direct from Home Depot or Lowe's and the pergola would be a single span of 8' square.

Looking East Over the Ocean at Sunset
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
February 1, 2023
We survived without major injury although at times I was concerned about the sanity of what we were doing. 

And so to celebrate victory over the instructions and inanimate objects, we decided to wash away the sweat, frustration, and problem solving of the day by enjoying dinner and Happy Hour on the beach--beginning at 4:00 PM with sunset being at 6:02 PM. It was again an awesome way to end the day.

I do so enjoy sunset Happy Hours on the beach.


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Through the Screen

 




Through the Motorized Screen
Tequesta, FL
January 4, 2023

Chris and I made a minor, but significant upgrade to the patio. We had a motorized screen installed. The screen keeps the leaves and debris off the patio, but more importantly, it allows me to sit outside without being covered by bug spray on beautiful evenings. I wrote briefly about it yesterday, but decided to expand on the item a bit. 

Last evening after the sunset, I looked out at the moon rising above the senior citizens living center next door through the screen. It actually reminded me of Elkridge and looking out through the screens on the porch during the nighttime hours. It made me happy.

I actually have an image to post with this item, but Blogger is having problem this morning and will not let me add the image to this blog. Hopefully it will resolve itself later in the day. I added the image to the Facebook and Twitter items. 

The screen added a surreal look to the scene!


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday, December 16, 2022

Escaping the Heat

Chris on the 9th Tee
Jupiter dunes, Jupiter, FL
December 15, 2022

 According to the weather almanac, the high only managed to reach 80 degrees yesterday. That significantly helped in keeping our house, which still has no A/C or heat, from turning into a baker's oven. I am concerned about next week as there is the threat of potential lows in the 30's.

We were promised that the new system will be delivered between 9-10 AM this morning. We are hopeful that it will actually arrive and provide relief not so much from the heat, which is not too bad, but the humidity. And of course, allow us to silence the outdoors noises of life by closing the windows which will make sleeping far easier. I am amazed how much happens during the dead of night and before 6 AM in the morning around here. I wish we had quiet hours to enforce.

In an effort to beat the heat, we went golfing yesterday. It was great to be outside on the course smacking the little ball around on a beautiful mid-December day in South Florida. Chris had a great round; me, not so much. I did finally figure out how to hit the greens near the end of the round and finished exactly with the score I should have as a bogey golfer. I definitely need to play more so that I don't have to relearn my swing with every outing. 

Here's hoping that the promises of a repaired system ring true today.


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Thursday, December 15, 2022

Day 4 - No A/C

 

The lack of air conditioning in our Florida home has now stretched into day 4. It took until Day 2 (Tuesday) to realize that the system was not functioning which added a day to the entire problem. The weather has been cooperating and it remains comfortable inside. The indoors temperature climbed to 77 degrees yesterday and with the ceiling fans it was not uncomfortable. 

Thankfully, we have ceiling fans in every room except the kitchen. 

I called the HVAC service company twice yesterday. I was advised that they had put out an emergency order for a replacement. Later I was told to expect the new unit on Friday because a the replacement was being shipped from Lennox because they did not have a system compatible with mine in stock. If that is the definition of an emergency, I am sure the patient would have died! When I put the system 2 years ago in and purchased the additional service plan I was promised not to be without air for more than 24 hours! So much for promises.

We will see how today goes. The outdoors temperature is expected to rise to 83 degrees by 3 PM. We are cooling the house with the morning outdoors 70 degree air in preparation for the hot afternoon. Fortunately, we have friends who have offered us a place to stay if the house becomes too uncomfortable. 

Sadly, we have been through this before. Funny, in over 21 years in Maryland we were never without heat or A/C for more than 24 hours. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Broken HVAC

The Offending HVAC
Tequesta, FL
December 14, 2022

 I cannot escape broken HVAC systems, it seems. The system cooling (and very occasionally heating) our Florida home developed a leak in the coils. Turns out it is not a simple fix where it can just be welded. No. The entire coil needs to be replaced!

This is not the first HVAC system I have dealt with this year. Before we sold the house in Maryland we replaced one of the HVAC systems. So it seems that 2022 is the year of the HVAC system.

Turning to my Florida situation, the real rub is that I replaced the entire system during September 2020! Yup, you got that right.  Brand, spanking new inside and outside system and now it has a major freon leak in the coil! Wow! Great construction Lennox!

The good news is that the system is still under warranty and I also have a service plan. That means, hopefully, my out of pocket cost will be $0. The downside is that we do not currently have A/C in the house. For the first night since we have owned the place we slept with the windows open. The temperature went down to 69 degrees and so we are getting by without A/C--as long as it remains cool. Ceiling fans are saving the entire situation.

Hopefully, it will be repaired today!


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Sunday, November 20, 2022

Deck the Halls!


Christmas Tree with Colored Lights
Tequesta, FL
November 20, 2022


The days have become cooler here, in the 70s. That made Chris and I realize that when we return from our trip north to celebrate Thanksgiving, it will be just weeks before Christmas. 
Christmas Tree with White Lights
Tequesta, FL
November 20, 2022

In keeping with the season of goodwill, I relented yesterday and fetched the Christmas decorations from the storage room, saying goodbye to Elmer, my large turkey and the rest of our Thanksgiving decorations. 

The house has been Christmasfied. 

Yes, the Christmas decorations are up in the house before Thanksgiving, but that means we will be in the spirit when we return from our trip to the frozen northern wastelands. The transformation has taken two trips to the storage room and had caused the garage to become cluttered. And then there was the new tree that had to be purchased as we disposed of our old ones when we moved believing that we would not have a tree in Florida--I knew that was a dream, but our trees were old and shedding more needles than a real tree does at the end of the season.

Nativity Scene in TV Stand
Tequesta, FL
November 19, 2022

It was hard to find a Christmas tree that was not pre-lit! We have lights and we have really cool lights that we can set to white, color, or have them switch between color and white. 

The decor has changed in the house from our preferred coastal to a more traditional Christmas scene and all of the wall hangings were swapped out for the Christmas theme. Even Chris felt that we had brought our home from Maryland south when we finished late yesterday. 

I am usually a stickler for the display of seasonal decorations. Halloween cannot be displayed before October and precisely on November 1st, the Thanksgiving decorations replace Halloween. Following that Christmas must not appear before Thanksgiving; however, this year is a special case and my guidelines needed to be adapted to the situation.

Tomorrow the trip north begins! It is 28 degrees there this morning and we will certainly be in the frozen Christmas spirit when we arrive! Did I mention that it is 75 degrees here this morning?

Happy Thanksgiving to all.


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Clearing the Palms

 

Palm Debris in a Truck
Tequesta, FL
November 15, 2022

Last week's hurricane prompted the management company to get our palm trees trimmed of excess fonds and the bumper crop of nearly mature coconuts.

It was too little, too late. 

Only a few of the palms were able to be trimmed in advance of the storm and the rest were finished yesterday. 

Fortunately, there was no damage caused by falling palm debris or coconuts from the storm as the worst of it missed spurt community. 

I was amazed at the amount of trimming the palms required. In the image, the trimmed palms are in the background and some of the debris is in the truck. I know that at least four truckloads were removed and probably more from the community. It was a mess for most of the day with large piles of fonds and coconuts lying everywhere. It is a huge project especially since our palms are very tall. 

Sunset on the Intracoastal Waterway 
Jupiter, FL
November 15, 2022


To celebrate the end of the day, Chris and I went to our favorite beach. There we found that the bottom of the stairs across the dunes had been washed out and so we found a spot on the Intracoastal Waterway to watch the sunset.

It was a stunning sunset. 

I had planned to get up during the middle of the night to see the Artemis 1 launch, but in checking the weather before bed I was concerned about cloud cover and so I slept through the successful launch. And that mission is underway. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Saturday, October 29, 2022

Too Many Whites

 

Look at the Corner
Tequesta, FL
October 29, 2022

There are just too many different shades of white!

We finished painting the wall with the color that we thought matched the existing walls and once it was all done--wrong shade! I had even painted some of the color we were putting up onto the other wall, but for some reason, apparently, the difference in the shade cannot be recognized until and entire wall has been painted. 

So we get to do it all over again! Now was the shade Simply White or Distant Gray? I get so confused.

Ugh!  Oh wait, at $75/gallon!

Roiling Ocean of my Painting Woes
Jupiter, FL
October 28, 2022
After all of that I decided that I just needed to stand in the ocean and have it wash all of my cares away. 

It was off to Happy Hour on the beach for some relaxation. Well, mostly, there was a wedding happening on the beach and even though we were not directly in front of the ceremony, we were in offset line of vision of some of the people attending, they asked us to move. Mind you, they were at least a 100 yards behind us. It is a public beach, after all. We moved. 

And another idyllic (really, I chose that word?) day ends. I did manage a 21.25 mile bike ride in the morning! I am closing in on 300 miles for the month. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday, October 28, 2022

Rolling out the Barrel

 

The weather this week continues to be enjoyable and Chris and I took advantage of yesterday from sunrise to sunset.

Chris on her Bike
Tequesta, FL
October 25, 2022

We began the day with an easy 14.5 mile bike ride. It was Chris's first ride on her new bike. I took it easy on her and by the end of the ride she had completely bonded with the bike. She took Wednesday off from riding due to a sore knee and so yesterday was the first real ride on the new bike.

The Wall in Progress
Tequesta, FL
October 27, 2022
As the day continued, it was finally time, after delaying it as long as possible, to break out the painting supplies and begin painting the wall in the dining room. Ugh! I hate painting. It turns out that I do not enjoy home repair/improvement projects that begin with "P". Plumbing and painting specifically. Posthole digging is right up there as well. The first coat of paint is on the wall and the second will be applied today. The newly whitened wall adds additional light to the room and the entire area. 

And then the evening. 

What to do for the evening?


Yes, Oktoberfest! The Town of Juno Beach held an Oktoberfest celebration complete with pretzels, bratwurst, beans, sauerkraut, and beer/wine. All included in the admission!

We rolled out the barrel and had a great time! We enjoyed the live accordion music (and Chris danced) until after dark. It was a great way to put an exclamation point on the day. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

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