This post is a little later than I would prefer. So many distractions. It also comes without the obligatory photo-shoot. I blame Apple for that. A simple task like upgrading iOS version is completely beyond Apple's ability to manage and so I become a victim to its hubris, losing all my settings, music, photos... etc. It's possible the photos will be recovered tonight as they download themselves from icloud back on to my phone. Why can't I see them directly in icloud? There are so many things I would like to say about Apple and my iPhone, which I have loathed pretty much every day for over three years. I will conclude by saying this: I can't wait for my Nexus 5 to arrive in 2-3 weeks and I shed Apple and its monstrously appalling products, hopefully forever.
Back to my house:
The Master finished fitting the skirting and architraves in the passageway. They look totally ace - but you'll have to trust me on that for now (see above). The cupboards were also fitted out and now we have a cupboard with shelves in the front bedroom and a walk in robe with shelves in the master. Pretty damn cool.
The Shadow and I had a look at some iron places as we will be needing to get some iron lacing for the verandah and put in a fence and what-not. There is some cool stuff out there.
On Sunday we loaded the trailer with some crap in the backyard, left over mostly from the plasterers. Holy crap did those guys know how to make a mess and NOT clean it up. And why not just leave a bucket full of water that stagnates and then gets thrown into the trailer and the water goes everywhere and stinks? And I'm totally cool throwing your cigarette packets away, don't trouble yourself.
And then we tore down the brick fence at the front. Was that tiring work? It turns out that once a brick has been mortared to another brick they do not want to let go. Not at all like Lego bricks. Long story short: brick fence is gone, sledgehammer and jackhammer were in use (like a boss), nephews demanded soccer and gridiron practice following said fence-removal, body sore and achy, no post until Thursday.
Our letterbox was part of the torn down fence so we had to figure out how to replace that. A trip to Bunnings late Sunday evening for a new box and a box of screws. It provided the perfect opportunity to try out my new drill set that had been delivered Saturday. Awesome!
If I could I would add a photo of our newly drilled on letterbox, fenceless frontage, skirting and architraves and cupboard. But you know, Apple doesn't want me to have nice things, and you, in turn, are also punished. Think about that.
The Master's are on their annual sabbatical, living large on a cruise ship somewhere. Work is suspended for a week or two.
Thursday, 21 November 2013
Monday, 11 November 2013
Tyburn prepares
A weekend of ongoing preparations for the big day, Hanging Day.
In typical Tyburn fashion the house was alive with work, but I was involved in none. Despite that I would not characterise my weekend as 'a weekend off'.
The Master continued the assault on the wood work, cutting and installing many door frames, window frames, skirting boards and the shelving in the front bedroom's cupboard and walk in robe.
Meanwhile, our electrician was busy all weekend putting in the power points, light switches and lights. Yep, finally we can see what the house will look like at night (although we havent yet), and we can see in the bathroom. Still quite blue.
The supplier was unable to supply the necessary architraves and skirting boards for the passageway, the passageway having a more detailed design that the bedrooms. So it remains somewhat naked and exposed. Next weekend it should be properly clothed.
As for The Shadow and I, we spent several hours on Saturday back on the shopping trail, this time looking at cupboard handles. We found a suitable design in Richmond.
On Sunday we took the nephews Dewey and Louie to Mt Dandenong and looked down upon Melbourne and laughed maniacally from the great heights like four gods looking upon the earth and laughing maniacally. Dewey spent a good about of time bringing The Shadow up to speed on the ins and outs of Naruto.
Thirty minutes of soccer and gridiron practice upon our return and I was probably less rested than the previous few weekends working at the house.
Up next: the woodwork and the painting continue, and the scraping the plaster and other crud off the floor so proper flooring can be laid begins.
In typical Tyburn fashion the house was alive with work, but I was involved in none. Despite that I would not characterise my weekend as 'a weekend off'.
The Master continued the assault on the wood work, cutting and installing many door frames, window frames, skirting boards and the shelving in the front bedroom's cupboard and walk in robe.
Meanwhile, our electrician was busy all weekend putting in the power points, light switches and lights. Yep, finally we can see what the house will look like at night (although we havent yet), and we can see in the bathroom. Still quite blue.
The supplier was unable to supply the necessary architraves and skirting boards for the passageway, the passageway having a more detailed design that the bedrooms. So it remains somewhat naked and exposed. Next weekend it should be properly clothed.
As for The Shadow and I, we spent several hours on Saturday back on the shopping trail, this time looking at cupboard handles. We found a suitable design in Richmond.
On Sunday we took the nephews Dewey and Louie to Mt Dandenong and looked down upon Melbourne and laughed maniacally from the great heights like four gods looking upon the earth and laughing maniacally. Dewey spent a good about of time bringing The Shadow up to speed on the ins and outs of Naruto.
Thirty minutes of soccer and gridiron practice upon our return and I was probably less rested than the previous few weekends working at the house.
Up next: the woodwork and the painting continue, and the scraping the plaster and other crud off the floor so proper flooring can be laid begins.
Cupboard shelving in the front bedroom:
Cable madness, now with power points:
Window frames:
Door frame and naked light switch (don't stare!):
Again with the jokes, our wonderful rose with naked globe (STOP STARING!).
The actual light fixture is sitting at home waiting patiently to be installed
so it can look like a boss:
Monday, 4 November 2013
Naruto madness
 |
| File footage: Dewey. Dewey likes Naruto, ball games and chicken. |
At the risk of losing the preferred-uncle status and being hated forever, I will characterise Naruto, just between you and me, as being like Dragon Ball Z and Pokemon. In other words, nothing like the He-Man, Ninja Turtles or Transformers I grew up with, or the Phineas and Ferb I currently adore. This is faaar more complicated, interwoven and trans-media.
Finally, they, despite being ninja's, didnt sound like the ninja's I grew up with either. I'm thinking, American Ninja this ain't.
Naruto - totally ninja!
Michael Dudikoff - totally ninja?
He was in the early 1990s:
What the hell were we thinking back then?
Steady as she goes, Cap'n
You know that annoying ad for superannuation - from little things big things grow - it kind of feels like that at the moment. And now you have the annoying song in your head too, right. Sucker.
As the house moves towards the finishing point it is mostly smaller things that are being added and so the change is not as obvious as taking down a wall or putting one up. But the change is still there.
This weekend we wet-proofed the bathroom. Yes, we. I helped... mostly by watching and occasionally moving out of the way. Sometimes even without being asked! Wet-proofing was a time-consuming process of laying down a couple of coats of goop where water may fear to tread. Good luck if it tries to tread now - KABLAMMO! I assume KABLAMMO - what else is the membrane supposed to do, if not totally destroy water molecules? Why all the effort?
The archways received their first undercoat and now look even more excellent. The door jambs were put in place so the doors can be hung. Hanged. In any case, I shall call the house Tyburn Square for the period of time in which the hangings are taking place, and, obviously, the hangman shall be known to all and sundry as Jack Ketch, obviously the suitable payments shall be paid for a favourable outcome (ie, quick). And now, if you're correctly illuminated, you are thinking about Jack the Coiner (aka Quicksilver, aka l'emmerdeur), and how it is time to renew that acquaintance.
Next week, architraves around the doors, skirting boards, a hanging or six(!), after that the painting resumes.
**Note: I blame my iphone for taking poor photos, it has nothing to do with me, I'm an innocent!
As the house moves towards the finishing point it is mostly smaller things that are being added and so the change is not as obvious as taking down a wall or putting one up. But the change is still there.
This weekend we wet-proofed the bathroom. Yes, we. I helped... mostly by watching and occasionally moving out of the way. Sometimes even without being asked! Wet-proofing was a time-consuming process of laying down a couple of coats of goop where water may fear to tread. Good luck if it tries to tread now - KABLAMMO! I assume KABLAMMO - what else is the membrane supposed to do, if not totally destroy water molecules? Why all the effort?
The archways received their first undercoat and now look even more excellent. The door jambs were put in place so the doors can be hung. Hanged. In any case, I shall call the house Tyburn Square for the period of time in which the hangings are taking place, and, obviously, the hangman shall be known to all and sundry as Jack Ketch, obviously the suitable payments shall be paid for a favourable outcome (ie, quick). And now, if you're correctly illuminated, you are thinking about Jack the Coiner (aka Quicksilver, aka l'emmerdeur), and how it is time to renew that acquaintance.
Next week, architraves around the doors, skirting boards, a hanging or six(!), after that the painting resumes.
Future front door, note, not to colour:
Seriously, Masters, we need to work on our communication skills.
I said I wanted the bathroom to 'be as pretty as the sky',
you know, all poetic and whatever, not to look like the sky!*
Freshly painted archway and newly installed door jambs:
Archway, shrouded in mystery (or just a poorly taken photo**):
*News to hand, apparently the sky blue bathroom is not in fact its new colour scheme but merely the colour of the waterproof membrane (aka gloop, aka water disintegrater).
**Note: I blame my iphone for taking poor photos, it has nothing to do with me, I'm an innocent!
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