How are you spending News Year Day?

[Jeff Horton]

I am spending the morning in the bowels of my house! I have a partial basement and they dug out a larger area, about 3' wider than the basement in some places So once you get in the crawl space you can drop down in this pit where you can walk around the behind part of the basements walls in the crawl space. Well the ....... just say my stubborn builder didn't listen to me and install proper drainage. So sometimes I get ground water in there and it has no way out. A sump pump cured it but it shouldn't have been needed.

Last night I found water in my basement. Turns out the sump pump went out! So have spent the morning in the hole (Stu, you think you have a dungeon!!) pulling out the old pump. Of course the black and orange spotted salamander was keeping me company so that was better than being alone. And no way will my wife even stick her head in the access space. She is convinced it will close in on her.

So, once I finish this cup of coffee I get to go back in the mud pit and install the new pump. And of course Lowe's was out of the one I had so that means I have to do more work to make this one fit. Oh well, it could be a lot worse.

Jeff
Who isn't really complaining, just whinning. Cause at least I don't have to pay someone to come fix it.

[Frank Fusco]

Strickly vegetating. Arkansas Razorbacks play in the Capitol One Bowl in about an hour, I'll be watching that. Don't even know why I bothered getting dressed.

[Travis Porter]

I am "piddling". I stayed up last night and got 100 meg ethernet into my shop. The wireless has been the pits with signal fading in and out so now I have good Internet in the shop. Picking up the shop some, putting stuff away, and trying to finish my daughter's dresser that I have been working on for 2 months. Lazy day, sad though. I have to go back to work tomorrow after being off since Friday before Christmas.

[Stuart Ablett]

Went shopping at Costco with my wife, we were 11th and 12th in line

Got our free breakfast and then bought some stuff, no big ticket items, their selection of tools etc it getting worse each time I go there!

We then went and washed the van, as we are heading out tomorrow to our friend's place in Zushi for a New years party, I'll take pics, we hope to see Alex, his wife and daughter there too, then on the 3rd, we are heading over to Alex's place, I have the van loaded with Ginko wood turning blanks for him, and to get the grand tour of his shop etc.

Oh, and I went to the Dungeon and did this.......

First 2007 Turning!!

Cheers!

[Nancy Laird]

Surfing the 'net. Here it is 10:30 a.m. and I'm still in my jammies! Finishing up a couple of laser orders, cleaning up the laser room, doing laundry, some minor chores around the house. Two of my planned activities didn't get done over the holidays. I too have to return to work tomorrow after being off since the 22nd, and I anticipate about 35 messages in the voice mail and a host of po'd clients who couldn't reach us during Christmas break (don't they understand that lawyers and their staff need time off too?).

Have a happy, everyone.

Nancy

[Frank Pellow]

Sorry about your problems with the sump pump Jeff. I know only too well what a mess non-funtioning sump pumps can cause and what a bother it can be to replace them.

Today, is Margaret's birthday (2 minutes after midnight), so we started the day as we have every New Years eve ever since she was 16 and I was 18 with an approprite acknowledgement of that anniversay.

I made and decorated a cake yesterday and will be cooking dinner this afternoon. The dinner will be shared by one of our daughters, two of our grandchildren, and a son-in-law. Our other daughter and our other three grandchildren were here for breakfast this morning.

[Steve Clardy]

Work day as normal around here.
Working on vanity's for a new house. Kitchen included.

Also will do a little more organizing in the shop. I have stuff everywhere, out of place due to my shop roof being replaced.
Finding a lot of stuff that I am wondering why its even in here.

[Jim O'Dell]

We slept in a little this am. Did the breakfast thing, then I got up on the roof and blew the leaves off and out of the valleys...should have done that last week. Just remembered, didn't do the shop roof. Then had to sweep the leaves off the back patio and front walk.
The first of 2 groups coming to look at rescue dogs is here now. He and my wife are taking 3 for walks. He has adopted from us before, and has fostered some in the past. A new family will be here this afternoon, and he's a woodworker!! He has seen some of my posts over at SMC, so I'll get him hooked up here if he hasn't found us already.
I set the threshold into place right before Gene came. I need to get some colored filler to fill in a spot at the bottom where my cut went askew. Can't see it, but I'm afraid one of the dogs will slide into it and cut a paw. Matched the stain on the parquet floor in the entry pretty well considering I had 3 stains "in stock" to choose from. The floor is real dark (read that as I really don't like it) so it is amazing that I had something that worked as well as it did.
After the second group leaves this afternoon, I need to paint the trim on the doorway I cut in this weekend, and cut the old stained trim and reinstall. Jim.

OOPS Forgot the picture.

[Jeff Horton]

Just realized my first project of the year was to replace a sump pump.

It's done but not right. Had to use a different style pump and it needed to be installed different. For one thing it needed a deeper hole. I pumped as much water out as I could. Standing in ankle deep mud I started trying to swing a pick and I hit rock. Forgot about that. House is built on rock. Hole ain't going no deeper. After about an hour in mud I have the pump workign but it is not right. Really tired and frustrated.

I am starting to think that is time to install the pump in the basement. Rent a man-killer (jack hammer) bust up the slab and rock and put in a proper pit.

Jeff
Tried and feed up with sorry builders that think they know more than me.

[Jesse Cloud]

Mostly shoveling snow. The wife has to go to work tomorrow, so we are trying to get the driveway clear enough for a 2 wheel drive to climb. Its a long steep driveway with a U-turn at the top. We decided our next car is going to be a snowplow.

Usually, the snow melts quickly here in NM, but its just barely above freezing today, so no help there.

I might give the back a rest and spend some time in the shop sanding this afternoon.

Defintely black eyed peas tonight!!