New adventures.
This morning we decided to go to a new playground because Luke wanted to kick the soccer ball, and this park had ball fields. Unfortunately it was gated without explanation. So we found another park nearby that had two great play areas and Luke had a lot of fun. Since we forgot to pack a snack we went to a coffee shop in Mount Pleasant. It was a really neat spot and we enjoyed relaxing and talking with the proprietor. We decided to do some scenic driving so Luke could nap, so we passed through some pretty areas west of town. This afternoon we just hung out around the house. Later Liz went to the grocery store and Luke and I played soccer on the back deck. Liz is putting him to bed now although he seems pretty amped up. Soon I will drive to Monteagle.
Roll Tide!
This morning Luke and I played after breakfast while Liz went shopping. Then we all went to the farmers market before lunch. After lunch we went for a drive and after a visit to Kroger came back to the house to play some more. I loosely followed the Alabama game on my computer. After dinner we went to the Christmas parade downtown. Luke really enjoyed that. He was pretty tired tonight and fell asleep quickly.
Friday, with a twist.
This morning I organized my car a bit and then went to the dump, lumberyard, and bank before meeting with the plumber at the house. I did some more organizing at the site but didn’t get a whole lot done overall. Back at the cottage I started messing with receipts and will take them home to work on this weekend. I drove home via Fayetteville and arrived just as Liz was getting off work. We decided to go into town for First Friday. We got dinner from food trucks and walked around a little bit. The weather was pleasant and it was nice to be out. The only downside was that Luke ended up going to bed very late.
Bonkers night, normal day.
At about three this morning Luke woke up all out of sorts and he didn’t calm down until after four. Fortunately he slept in a little bit. I took him to school and then returned home to get a few things before driving to the Mountain with a stop at Home Depot in Manchester. I also stopped for lunch in Pelham. At the job site I did a bit of organizing and prepared the porch ceilings for painting. It wasn’t as productive a day as I would have liked, but we are still moving forward.
Looks pretty good and smells even better.
That is a reference to the cedar ceilings, not my helper. We got off to an early start this morning and were able to nearly finish the vaulted ceiling in about four hours. We need some information from the electrician before proceeding. Next we finished the front porch ceiling and cleaned up a little bit. I returned to the cottage, packed, and drove home. I arrived at 5:15. Luke and I played and read books before dinner, and played hide and go seek after. Liz is putting him to bed now.
Another productive Tuesday.
I got to the job site just after seven this morning and started setting up. Once my dad arrived we continued with our cedar installation on the vaulted ceiling. We made good progress although there was a little hiccup with the can lights. My math was wrong so we had to redo a little bit. We got about halfway done and then went to the front porch. We almost finished it before preparing for tomorrow. This entailed setting up the scaffolding, bringing in more lumber, and giving the great room a good cleaning. After packing up everything I returned to the cottage and dropped off the trailer. Next my dad and I drove to Lowe’s in Kimball, where we spent much longer than expected buying appliances. We ended up getting a decent deal though. After driving home we each made a little bit of dinner.
Cranking through it.
After stopping at the storage unit and lumberyard I arrived at the job site around 7:30. After setting up I started installing the front porch ceiling boards. That went pretty well and continued until my dad arrived. Then we started installing the cedar ceilings. The wood was okay, there was a bit of junk, no real surprise given the low price. We knocked out the flat ceilings fairly quickly, then moved to the large vaulted ceiling. That also went well. We worked until the light started to fade, then brought in a bit more lumber and packed up. We had dinner on campus, then just relaxed at the cottage. I had a hot shower that felt great, and will try to go to bed early.
Sunday work day doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.
I got to the job site around eight this morning and focused on completing the back porch. That took a bit longer that expected and I didn’t finish until nearly two. Then I went to the Goat Market to hang out with Eric and Spenser for a while. That also took a bit longer than expected. I returned to the house to clean up some and install one board on the front porch. Around five I packed up and drove down to Lowe’s in Kimball for a few tools. I next drove to campus, but the dining hall closed at seven instead of eight this evening. That was a letdown, but I did go get a few things at Piggly Wiggly. Now I’m just relaxing at the cottage.
Fun on the Mountain.
This morning Luke came and got us out of bed. After breakfast we drove up to Monteagle to spend the day with my family. First we went to the farm on campus to see the goats and walk around Lake Cheston. Back at the cottage Luke played with the train set and then we had lunch. After lunch my parents, Lauren, and Wild Dog left, and we went to see the house I’m working on. Luke helped take the paper off the windows and picked up a lot of scrap wood off the porches. After returning to the cottage and packing up, we drove home via Fayetteville and Lewisburg. I packed up and drove back to Monteagle so I can work tomorrow.
Happy Black Friday.
Luke slept in a little this morning and I did some online shopping before he woke up. After breakfast we played a bit and Liz prepared some food for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving dinner. After lunch we drove to a Christmas tree farm in Shelbyville where we bought the biggest live tree that they had. Luke enjoyed watching me cut it down and carry it back to the car. This evening we started setting up and decorating it.
