Bread making, clean up, and back at it

Natasha really enjoyed one of her Christmas presents. She
sits on it for hours watching the fire. 

Blogging has taken a back seat as has home improvement, although both are now moving back into the forefront. When I last blogged, I gave a quick Christmas summary including a list of the home improvement toys Santa brought me. Since then, much of our time was spent recovering from the holiday, including the somewhat depressing and tedious task of taking the tree down. It was a great, fresh cut tree that held it's needles well, but the right angle turn through the foyer and out the door acted a bit like a stripper and many of the needles were left there. So we pretty much exhausted a full day with the removal of ornaments, removal of tree, and vacuuming of needles of the floor. Of course, all the decorations need to be stowed in the attic so there is that too.

Much of January has been mild which made the outdoor light removal task much easier. It requires a fair amount of climbing in and around the front porch which is considerably less pleasant in the snow and cold.

Oops. A little crispy. We did 4 more that came out great. 

We made our first batch of bread at the new house, pushed our limits and tested the oven. This did result in some mistakes, but overall it turned out well. We decided to make three full matches since we were behind on our stock, which in turn caused us to really load up the oven. Well, not being used to this new gas oven in turn caused us to kind of burn some of the loaves on the bottom rack. Good news is despite a blackened crust on a few, the bread came out nicely.

Ugly gap

Gap fixed

After discussion we decided to change project priorities on the home improvement front. The ceiling repair in the den will require some research and take time so we shifted that project down the list and moved up the guest room, which is a fairly straightforward refresh project. As usual, the college students have left behind numerous holes, dents, and tape marks on the walls and ceiling which required attention. Then, there was a nasty gap between the woodwork and wall that needed caulking. Also, before the previous owner repaired the roof, water had leaked in and stained and cracked the the ceiling. So, some plaster work and application of a stain blocker was needed before I could paint. This room will have the added task of painting the doors. As you can see from the pictures, the previous painters really slopped on the paint and basically ruined the doors. I could strip the doors and leave an more natural wood grain but frankly they are in bad shape and will need to be replaced at some point. So, until then I will just paint them. Deciding on a color will be tough.

Stain and crack from leak undergoing repair.

Finally, we will install a ceiling fan in the room. It really dresses up the room and with our high ceilings they are practical and functional. I find it very pleasant sleep with a virtually silent fan moving the air about the room. The room should be finished soon and ready for visitors.

Otherwise, more mundane work continues. I have done a very amateurish but somewhat effective job of blocking the crawlway to the area under the back porch. Ridiculous amounts of cold air flow into the basement through this 20 x 30 inch hole and I've already noticed a warmer basement since my work began. I'm too embarrassed to show a picture of my work, at least at this point but will at some time especially if I improve the job. Unfortunately, some of my tugging on my panels and the pipe that passes through the gap started a leak from the sharkbite fitting on the hot water pipe. I may try to repair that myself or call back First Brother in Law Randy who did the original repair. For now, there's no hot water in the downstairs bathroom. Finally, the damn bathtub continues to leak at times, mainly when I decide to take a longer shower. I continue to narrow down and caulk suspected areas, but the struggle continues. I may lose a battle, but I'll win the war!

The Holidays

Cindy and I had a very nice Christmas at our new home. The holiday came up quickly for me, mainly because I was in Georgia over Thanksgiving and got behind on the preparations for Christmas but as usual things seemed to work out. Christmas Eve was over at Aunt Susie's for the traditional Holy Supper featuring potatoes several different ways, noodles several different ways, beans several different ways, cabbage several different ways, and mushroom soup. It's a Russian Orthodox strict fast meal with really nothing but starches and vodka. It inevitably leaves me with indigestion and a buzz. It is a good time although the crowd for the meal continues to shrink. This year it was just my aunt Sue, cousin Bobby, Cindy and me. Still, we had a very nice time and it's a very pleasant tradition despite the heartburn.

Santa did arrive at our new place

Christmas morning was just Cindy and I with the cats. It was a chilly morning so I started a nice fire and we spent a leisurely morning opening presents and eating Christmas cookies (indigestion, round 2). That evening, we headed over to sister Karen and brother Randy's home for dinner with a big chunk of the family on the Morford side. It was a very nice night in their beautiful home. We got to meet our great-nephew Magnus for the first time. He's a well behaved and happy child who is fortunate to have such loving and doting parents.The next couple days were spent leisurely opening a few presents and watching movies; really the first time in years we've just relaxed at home.

We had enough snow to run the snow blower in the middle of the month. I was way out of practice not having operated the thing in two years and I made some pretty crooked paths up and down the driveway. I need to adjust the little skid plates on the sides of the blower to better clean the surface but in general it worked well. The weather remained cold with a bit of new snow here and there so we ended up with a white Christmas, although it did turn mild near the end of the month.

Santa knew what I needed as an amateur home restorer and many of my presents were tools or tool related. I got a new cordless drill and impact driver set. While my old Craftsman drill works just fine (I got it as a kid) it is a pain looking for places to plug in and dragging extension cords everywhere. To go with it, I got a new drill bit set. My old drill bits were as as old as the drill itself and basically had no ability to put a hole in anything they were so dull. I got a nice new socket and ratchet set, the kind where the sockets work with both English and Metric bolts. Santa also brought me a 17 foot folding ladder, one of those that locks into several different positions and can be used as scaffolding or a step ladder. It holds 300 pounds so I'll be fine as long as a I stop eating Christmas cookies and potatoes.

While not a Christmas gift I did notice a good sale at Harbor Freight and went out and bought myself an electric chainsaw. I know enough about and had enough experiences with chain saws to have a healthy respect for them and think I can trim trees and cut firewood without dropping a branch on my head or cutting my arm off. We'll see. Chainsaws are an extremely useful but dangerous tool that require a lot of maintenance and care. I've hesitated to own one for those reasons, but really needed it for tree trimming and work on the firewood.

Home Depot continues to call for me to pick up our windows. I hope to do that over the next couple days and should find some time to install them. That will actually give me a project to write about in an upcoming blog.

Travel

Do I travel a lot? I'm not sure. It seems so sometimes. Travel for me seems to come in bursts. I've recently had two long trips, to Arizona and to Georgia, both for work and the two couldn't have been more different. I do not mean the destination, which of course, are very different, I mean the trip itself. The Arizona trip was troublesome, with several frustrating events, while the trip to Georgia went smoothly, and reinforced some lessons I've learned on previous trips.

My only picture in Phoenix. This was a stop I needed to
make to get my weather equipment. It wasn't there. 

My ultimate destination. Fire camp in northern Arizona.

On the Arizona trip, I was booked on two different airlines by the government travel agency, a big mistake, and was booked through Newark Liberty Airport, another mistake. The trip to Newark from Binghamton is no longer available, and I will not miss it. The Newark Airport is confusing, period. I've been through most of the large airports in the country, and I'm not stupid, but I absolutely could not figure out how to get to my next gate. I finally asked a pilot (because there was no one from the airport around to help) standing in line for coffee, who seemed annoyed but was helpful, The gate search was complicated by the fact that I was changing airlines and required leaving the secure area and re-entering through a security check point. Not intuitive at all. Adding to my frustration was a lousy breakfast sandwich from a "deli", which was amazing since I consider the NYC metro area to have the best food in the nation. Upon arriving in Phoenix, I waited almost 45 minutes for my bags to arrive. Yes, I check luggage. A necessity when you are planning a 2 week dispatch that requires special equipment. I was concerned that my bags would be lost, a not uncommon occurrence when switching airlines mid tip. Without my equipment, I'm pretty much useless. Also, since I'm not staying in a nearby by hotel, but expected at a wilderness location hundreds of miles away that afternoon, they must be with me and not shipped later by the airline. After finally getting my bags, I went on a tour of the enormous Phoenix Sky Harbor Aiport. Lugging my stuff through elevators and trains to the car rental center I arrived at the counter. Here, I waited for an hour and a half for the rental car company to sort through computer issues and get me and about 40 other people, their cars. The frustration on this trip was compounded when I went to the nearby weather office to retrieve my weather equipment that I had shipped ahead, only to find out that through a series of miscommunications and errors, my instruments would not be available until Monday, two days later. Ironically, once I finally arrived in fire camp, I found quickly that the situation was winding down and I would be sent home in just a few days.

Me an a couple other IMETS at the command post.

My trip to Georgia was the polar opposite, and couldn't have gone smoother. I was leery of traveling through the Philadelphia Airport, given it's reputation, but the transfer between gates went smoothly, and my luggage made the connection. Upon arrival at the massive Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, I retrieved my bags almost immediately, and once again traveled through requisite train system to the rental car center. Upon arriving I was told by the friendly clerk that since I was a preferred member, I was to proceed directly to the garage and pick out my car. At the garage, another friendly clerk told me to pick any car I wanted out of the four long rows of vehicles. An immeasurably better experience than with the other company in Phoenix. I was on my way in no time and heading to the command post at the fire.

A lesson learned is certainly to join the free "club" of whatever rental car company you may be using. Being able to skip the interminable wait at the counter is a huge advantage, and I'll never do it again if I can avoid it, even if it costs me a few bucks. I have the good luck to often be selected for TSA Precheck, which puts in a much shorter line at the screening checkpoint, and allows you the luxury of leaving your shoes on, and your laptop in the bag. Much faster. If I traveled often, and was not selected like I am, (probably since they can see I'm on government travel from my ticket) I would look into applying online for a permanent precheck clearance.

Decorated tree and fire on a cold day.

On the home improvement front, progress has been nil. Upon returning from Georgia, we immediately picked out and cut down our Christmas tree and brought it in the house, The next couple days were spent decorating the tree and putting up the outdoor Christmas lights, which include a beautiful artificial garland around the picture window on the porch. I did spend more time working on the leak around the tub and made a significant improvement, although I bit more work is likely needed. We did hear from Home Depot and our windows are in. Need to get them home and find some time to install them and improve the insulation through the old windows.

It's been over a year since I started this blog and am pleased with the growth and audience. I've got several faithful readers in Germany and Russia, as well as other parts of Europe. Of course, I appreciate the support and kind words from friends and relatives. I hope to keep you interested through 2017. Happy Holidays!

Off to a fire

You may have heard that there's been a drought across the southeast, extreme by any measure, and the inevitable result is wildfires. As a part of my job, I am an Incident Meteorologist (IMET) available to be sent to these fires to provide weather for planning and the safety of personnel on the fire. So, I was called to the Rock Mountain Fire in extreme northeast Georgia around the middle of November, and now at the beginning of December I'm finally getting ready to head home.

A "portable" weather station set up
for the fire.

The fire started small, as they all do, but quickly spread in the extreme drought, burning freshly fallen oak leaves and small brush through the hardwood forest. It quickly became larger that the local authorities could handle so state and national resources were called in. A fellow IMET, who was being  released from another nearby fire was diverted to this one. After two weeks of service we normally "time out' and as he did I was called to relieve him.

As a part of my IMET job, I go out to survey the perimeter of the fire, and even took a helicopter flight to see the fire from above. This help familiarize me with the fire and the terrain, which in turn assists me in forecasting wind, temperature and humidity, critical element in fire behavior and growth.

My days are long. Generally wake up around 5 AM to get to my desk at 530 AM. I check current weather and any updates I may need to make to my forecast that I wrote the night  before. Then I'm off to brief fire staff and firefighters on what to expect out of the weather for the day. After that, it's numerous meetings, briefings and monitoring the weather through the day. Most days end around  9 pm. The good news is that this is the first fire where I've actually been given a motel room. Most fires I bring a tent and sleep on the ground each night. Also, I've been able to eat in local restaurants and have a real roof over my head.

My view of the morning briefing.

So, the work is tiring but very satisfying. It really feels like you are helping a community and providing vital information. It's nerve wracking too. A mistake can endanger lives, and the firefighters and managers are quick to tell you when you're wrong.

The small town we are in is about the friendliest place I've ever seen. The local townsfolk are truly gracious and appreciative of the hundreds of us that have invaded their town and took over their church. They cooked us all Thanksgiving dinner, and it's damn near impossible to buy a cup of coffee anywhere in town.

Helicopter selfie, My monstrous head is exaggerated  by the
big white helmet. Really.

All in all though I'm ready to get home. I missed Thanksgiving dinner with the family and miss my lovely bride. I missed a big snowstorm too, and a big thanks goes out to friends who pitched in and helped Cindy shovel. I owe you one.  I'm looking forward to getting home and putting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house. More than anything, I'm looking forward to getting a fire going in the fireplace and watching a few Christmas movies from the couch with Cindy.

On the home front, I order six windows from Home Depot before I left and hope they'll soon be in. I'd hate to have to install them in the dead of winter, but don't want to delay too long since I'm counting on them to lower my heating bill. Otherwise I need to button up some of the drafts in the basement and better secure our home for the winter.







More time, more joy, and more sorrow

Back in June, I wrote this blog about time upon the passing of my father in law. It has become one of my most popular posts, with many gracious compliments from family and friends. I often think about the post, and Geno, with fondness. Well, time continues to pass of course, but has once again brought both joy and sorrow. In one week, time brought our family two births, a wedding, and unfortunately, another passing. In sadness we were told that our cousin Lisa had passed after a long illness. Lisa was smart, funny, kind, and a mentor for Cindy as they were growing up. We hadn't seen her in years but like other distant family members, she and her family were often in our thoughts.

Nativity of our Lord Church

In joy, we celebrated the marriage of our niece at a beautiful church in Scranton. The reception was at a Masonic Temple built in the early 1900's by the same architect that built Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. The wonderful reception in the beautiful and historic hall was highlight for the year so far. I was also impressed at how much improved downtown Scranton is. The immediate area around The Hilton was very nice, with restaurants and nightclubs, with shopping for Cindy and trains for me. While Cindy was getting her hair done, an historic steam engine passed by me behind the old Lackawanna Station. Quite a thrill.

Reception in the Grand Ballrom, Masonic Temple, Scranton.

We were thrilled by two births. First, cousins Dan and Emily had their first child arrive. Elliot arrived in New York City to loving parents. Our next joyful arrival was with niece and nephew. Sara and Stephen who brought beautiful little Nora into the world. We and they are thrilled. Only a few days before the birth, we celebrated with Stephen, Sara, and family Stephen's graduation from the FDNY academy as valedictorian. Steve, a man of few words, gave a six minute address to his classmates, their families, and assorted dignitaries. Well done probie!

Prepping the window for paint.

With all the events, work on the house has been slow, but hasn't stopped. On the general maintenance front, the great leaf attack has begun. I spent most of one day raking and bagging leaves in the north lawn, accumulating 17 bags for the city's mulching truck. Since then, more leaves have fallen so I feel certain another 17 bags will be filled, at least, before we're done. Over on the projects list, I have finished scraping, repairing, caulking, and painting all of the windows and frames on the first floor. This is in preparation for installation of custom storm windows, I have measured each of the six windows three times to be sure I'm ordering the correct sizes. Eventually, we may get replacement windows, but in the meantime these will improve the look of the house, and greatly increase the heat efficiency of the windows. Only a few of the old storm windows remained and they did little to keep the cold out of the house.

It's been cold enough at night to enjoy a few fires in the fireplace. It really does a nice job warming our living room while we watch television, and of course it looks great. On the down side, it does make the other rooms feel cool, and perhaps truly cool them, as the draft from the fire draws the cooler air in from outside, It doesn't matter though. We love it, And we have plenty of fuel for the winter.

One year of ownership

Wow has time flown by. The 29th marks the anniversary of us closing on our home. I can hardly believe it. We've done so much, yet there is so much to do. The house looks much better than it did here, and certainly our main living areas are just the way we want them. Still, at some point we face a major renovation of the kitchen and upstairs bathroom, and the guest bedroom and den both need a makeover. Then there's the sun rooms are the 1st and 2nd floor. Yikes! Now I'm getting nervous all over again.

Halloween, last year, right after the bushes were cut down.

We love our home though. The stress of the last few years living at Helen St with the psychotic pseudo-landlord was really taking it's toll on us. I no longer worry about what obscene, rambling, nonsensical note may be taped to our door, or when the rent would be randomly raised. Now, just Cindy, Katia and Natasha wait for me. We enjoyed our new place almost immediately, greeting trick-or-treaters from our porch just days after signing. Our Christmas tree was up before we moved in. After we moved, the resolute sturdiness and overwhelming quiet of our well built home was an immediate comfort. The Christmas holidays came and went with joy and peace.

Last year's lonely Christmas tree. 

Winter and early Spring brought trials and tribulations, to be sure, but we were happy. Later in the Spring brought the illness and tragic loss of First Father In Law Geno, a staggering blow. His gentle leadership and advice have been missed. That, and joyous family events,  limited our time for renovations and repairs well into the summer. I just wish I had gotten more work done outside. I'm pleased with the porch and trim work along the south side of the house, I wish I had gotten to the north side windows, painting and repairing the trim work, and replacing the windows. Perhaps if we have one more warm spell during my days off, I can still get to that.

Bread and Cinnamon buns from 2014 

So we head into the holiday period better equipped to handle it. Cindy and I have already discussed our baking schedule and I really look forward to our first batch of Christmas bread and cinnamon buns in our new home, The Christmas music and Bloody Mary's will be flowing. With more time to think and plan, I hope to step up our game for the lights and decorating this year. I want to get my train out, and get more of the Snow Village buildings out.

Last winter was so mild, I shoveled once (barely) and never used to snow blower. Even if we have a normal winter this year, I'm sure the maintenance of our long driveway, and even long sidewalk will be interesting. If we have a snowier winter, it could easily become a real challenge. I am committed to keeping the sidewalk as clear as possible as we have several walkers around the area with the park next door, and with college and high school students in the neighborhood. Plus, with the B&B across the street, we need to make a good impression for visitors.

So what will year two bring in our new home? Other than the weather, I refuse to predict. What is certain is that there will be more good memories, more unexpected challenges, and, of course, more blogs.

Firewood and 7 years of bad luck

A full cord of wood is dumped in our yard

Last winter, which was quite mild, we really enjoyed our fireplace and ended up going through almost 2 face cords of wood. We moved in late enough last year so that were too late in the season for most wood sellers but I did find a place up off Robinson Hill Rd in Johnson City that had wood for sale, but you had to pick it up. So twice last I borrowed First Brother In Law Randy's pickup truck and loaded, then unloaded wood. This year, although I waited a bit too long again, I contacted the logger and tree remover that lives across the street from my dad and he managed to scrape together a full cord, which is about 3 times as much wood as a face cord. With what we had leftover from last year, I'm hoping it will be enough to get us through the season.

Cindy helping. Her back is still sore. SORRY HONEY!

The finished stack. Mind the glass please. 

The fire wood was dumped in the backyard and once again Cindy was a good sport and helped me move and stack the wood in the garage. I considered purchasing a steel cart to transport the wood, but in the end the distance of about 15 feet didn't make it worth loading the cart, then unloading to stack. So, Cindy and I hand carried every piece into the garage where I stacked. I first pulled last years wood out to stack the new logs on the bottom. Then, it was just a matter of staying at thejob. After about three hours we were done. I had thought that we would  have to stack some outdoors in the alleyway, but I managed to get it all in the garage, although I'm not real happy about how high it is, or that I blocked the lower part of the window. Going to have to be real careful not to knock wood into the glass.

Firewood warms you at least twice, When you burn it, of course, but also when you move it, stack it. or split it. While I wouldn't mind getting my lumberjack on and going after some of this with a wedge and maul, the logs are pretty much in perfect size to burn. We are actually looking forward to some cold and snowy days,

A large mirror after being
hit with a hammer. Several
times.

Speaking of glass, the previous owner of our home really liked mirrors. In fact, there were four large, plate glass style mirrors in the house, the biggest mounted over the fireplace. Other mirrors included one in the basement, another mounted in the bathroom, and one in the upstairs hallway. The mirror in the hallway remains there, the other three were moved to the garage where they were taking up too much room. The only way to get rid of them is to break them (Yikes!), put them in boxes, and bring them to the landfill. So, I first laid down a canvas drop cloth, then a plastic drop cloth, then the mirror, I made sure my glasses were on, put on an old pair of heavy fire gloves, and smacked the mirror with a ball peen hammer. Nothing. I hit it harder. Still nothing. I then closed my eyes tight and smacked it really hard. Smash. I was impressed how hard I had to hit it. Several more smacks and the mirror was in manageable pieces and I loaded them into a box. I did this for two more mirrors and ended up with a remarkably heavy load of broken glass, and hopefully not 21 years of bad luck. Actually, each one of them already had a small crack or break so I'm banking on that releasing me from being the original breaker, and not the bearer of the curse.

That's it for this time around. Coming up in future blogs will be additional tub leak battles, making the newly painted porch less slippery, and trying to get some new storm windows before the cold weather really hits.