Zaphod's Best Weekend (Ever!!)

It is a well known fact at Highlands Bangor, that Zaphod loves to dig.  His love for digging is second only to his love for moving things.  So this was pretty much the best weekend that Zaphod can imagine.  (If anyone knows a good libel lawyer, Zaphod is taking names....)

On Saturday, while Trillian kept the little people occupied, in an attempt to prevent the entry of water into the basement, Zaphod and Fenchurch dug their trench a little deeper and then started throwing mortar at the wall, literally.  Fenchurch found that her instinct to "color inside the lines" did not really lend itself to throwing mortar at a wall, so Zaphod threw and Fenchurch mixed...because mixing mortar is kind of like mixing "just add water" cake mix.  Except you wouldn't want to eat it.  And it's a looooooooot heavier.

Four bags of mortar later and Zaphod and Fenchurch were both done for the day.  And only about 1/4 of the way around the wall.  Thank goodness next weekend should be sunny...

On Sunday, to rest from throwing mortar, Zaphod and Fenchurch moved things around.  There seems to be an unwritten rule at Highlands Bangor - if you're going to move something, the place you put it must be as inconvenient as possible for whatever job needs to be done next, thus forcing you to move the thing again.  The heavier the thing, the truer this is.

But rules are meant to be broken - so Zaphod and Fenchurch moved slate (for the keep-water-out-of-the-attic project) and wood (for the let's-not-freeze-to-death-over-the-winter project) to places which should hopefully be relatively permanent until the slate goes on the roof and the wood goes in the fire.

And Zaphod is looking forward to doing it all again next weekend!

Flash and Bang

Fenchurch-mom and Fenchurch-dad spent this past week at Highlands Bangor; Fenchurch-dad sawed and banged and carried things with Zaphod while Fenchurch-mom ran in circles after the orbiting Frogstar for whom baby gates now represent mere obstacles rather than boundaries.

We are indebted to them for their help and generosity.

Fenchurch-dad had hoped to see the dark red balau decking go onto the balcony, but alas, there were too many prerequisite steps and he had to go home without seeing the balcony completed.

Another day's work by Zaphod and Fenchurch has finally brought them to the point of laying the deck. 

Tomorrow. 

After Zaphod buys the screws. 

Because he didn't mention to Fenchurch before she went to the hardware store today that he didn't have the necessary screws. 

Because he didn't think they'd make as much progress as they did. 

And Fenchurch declined to go to the hardware store twice in one day because she needed to make sure she had time to passive aggressively snipe at Zaphod via blog post.

Someone has to get up tomorrow to go to the hardware store, that's all Fenchurch is saying.  And that someone probably isn't going to be her.  No sirree-sir, Bob Zaphod.

Videos of the day's work are below.

For those of you who have the time to watch all 4, you can leave your vote in the comments.  Alternatively, we may also call him Wonko the Sane.

Highlands Loses a Deck

The Ruler of the Universe Is Coming!!

Tonight is the long awaited arrival of Fenchurch's friend The Ruler of the Universe (henceforth Runi, to save typing).

Fenchurch has prepared the guest room by press-ganging Zaphod into moving totes.  Zaphod loves moving totes.  His witty comment of the day was, "A 6,000 square foot house and there's never anywhere to put things."  As usual, he triumphed in the face of bitter hardship and insufficient closet space.  Butterface approves the result.

And in response to feedback from previous visitors who declared themselves "always lost in your house", Fenchurch has added helpful labels around the house.

She's almost here!

Long Weekend, Long Wires, Long Post

Some photos from the long weekend activities here at Highlands Bangor.

Fenchurch's friend Babelfish spent the weekend.  She and Fenchurch and Zaphod raked and hauled leaves and created what may become the biggest leaf compost heap on the eastern seaboard.  It's as tall as the fence, and the yard isn't finished yet.

While working along our overgrown cedar and lilacs, Zaphod found a t-shirt...

... and Fenchurch found dog poop!  (Enough to half fill two contractor bags.)

The end result was lots of bare dirt, so please focus your attention on the area of purple snow drops.

Also Trillian made a fantastic lamb dinner for Easter Sunday.  (He is risen...)

And on Monday we moved the work indoors.

Zaphod DID get his joist sistered.

And the new electrical panels floated.

And much wire pulled through holes.  (Zaphod generously cleaned out the space behind the existing panels before it was necessary for Fenchurch to investigate the inside.)

If you are really bored, or really supportive, you can watch us unbox a new panel!

Off Limits

On the days when Trillian is showing off her mad barista skills, Zaphod has charge of Frogstar.  If you think it's hard to clean and mind a toddler, try repairing a dry-rotted joist while your 2 year old explores the 180 year old basement.

But Zaphod managed it with some improvised child gates to limit the little one's wanderings.

Yesterday, Fenchurch was impressed by the joist repair in progress, work the electrician required because he didn't want to run wires through the existing rotted joist.

Today, she was impressed by the nature of the improvised gates after she made the strategic morning error of trying to make both coffee and toast (ok, pop tarts) at the same time - and the electrical infrastructure denied her either.

Venturing down to the basement to reset the circuit, she found her way blocked by this...

...and decided cold cereal and half a pot of cooling coffee would be fine.

Looking for novel ways to keep your toddler contained?  If you can haul it, you can have it!

The Stud Finder

Fenchurch had the delightful experience of lumber shopping with Zaphod this evening.  She had, before tonight, no idea that a 2"x4"x8' sold at a very big store could be "no good".  But Zaphod won't settle for anything but the best (of what's available).  He must have the straightest boards with the fewest, smallest, most central knots (as compared to the other options).  He will not settle for the boards stacked to the front which have already been picked over, but dives to the back to eye the length of a potential stud.

Apparently pretty patterns don't matter in studs.  Which is why Zaphod was in charge of choosing lumber.  And Fenchurch kept her artistic commentary for another occasion.

Want to learn Zaphod's secrets for finding the right studs?
Come visit us at Highlands Bangor!!

The Key to a Good Plan

Zaphod and I had a plan for today - to associate every light and outlet in the main house to its appropriate circuit breaker or fuse.

While I was waiting for Zaphod to set up the Canon so we could make notes on printed floor plans, I sorted through a pile of keys looking for one that matched a rarely used exterior door.  (Butterface and I are still coming to an understanding about who gets to pee in the house and who has to go outside.  A more accessible door might strengthen my case.)

I called to Zaphod that I was giving up - I didn't think the key was there.  He replied that he couldn't figure out how to make the printer work.

"I'm good with keys.  Why don't I do that and you figure out how to print this?"

5 minutes later he handed me the key I wanted and I handed him a printed floor plan.

6 hours later...we were slowed by numerous debates with Benji-Mouse and Frankie about which order their Christmas Lego kits should be built in [all the good Star Wars guys first? or some of the good guys and then some of the bad guys?].  Also there was a  joint attack on Zaphod: both Frogstar and Butterface escaped their respective holding pens and made their way to the basement where Frogstar loaded up his diaper and Butterface unloaded on the basement floor.  (I'm not the only one interested in making the "outside" process easier.)

6 hours later, we had identified almost every circuit in the main house.

Posted by Fenchurch.