1928 Northrop Bungalow

architectural/cultural extinction??

2009-10-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

got a little troublesome news today, not about the house for once. at least there is a little distance between myself and this... Here's a blog post to read. If you are interested in historic preservation, architecture, music and history you should read it: http://www.celestialmonochord.org/2009/10/moonshiners-parking-lot.html

hopefully they can save this one.

my word

2009-07-31T07:00:00.001-07:00

As promised here is a pic of the back yard. A year ago this was a muddy pile of dead shrubs. After regrading the yard, ripping up 5 inches of gravel with plastic under it (no wonder all the shrubs died, they had no water!) adding a rain swayle that runs into a dry pond with native plants.... *deep breath* a series of rainbarrels and two raised veggie gardens made with lumber reclaimed from behind all the neighbors garages... here is it! happily producing tomatoes, basil, ground cherries, squash and about a billion big chili peppers.

The brick edging is actually made of old St. Paul city street pavers. They weigh about 15 lbs each, so when the dog zooms around the yard they will stay put!

More to come soon! Happy Friday everyone!

upstairs, downstairs

2009-07-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while... again. I've got that same awful feeling about this blog that I get when I forget to write to elderly relatives; the ones that don't do e-mail.

There's been a lot going on. I guess I would rather be too busy with house projects than have all the time in world to blog, but that doesn't make for interesting reading.

I recently traded an old dresser for a new-ish 10" Jet Table saw. I'd call it a good trade!

Problem is that this is one of those Norm Abram heavy heavy cabinet saws. The thing took 3 strong guys to get out of the back of a big pickup. (one of these guys could probably have picked me up and thrown me over the fence with one hand) The thing weighs about 600-700 lbs... I need it in the basement. God bless our narrow staircase, but it's just a little too narrow, which means that I need to take the table off of the table saw and carry them down separately.

While on the subject of power tools, here's my new favorite site: http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/workshop/index.htm
I have a couple of things to make from this site.

There's also a new firepit in the back yard, some old street-paver garden edging and about 1000lbs of flagstone for a patio. But not for this weekend... nooooo, this weekend I start the DRYWALL!! I'll be finishing up the holes made by the new addition, framing a ceiling and insulating while simultaneously stipping the paint and wall paper from the 1st and 2nd story hallways.

Oh for the endless weekend of house work :) Pictures will follow shortly, I just can't justify using my lunchbreak for both blogging AND uploading.

take care all

Who wouldn't want Less for More...? Huh?

2009-05-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

So, ever have this happen:

Grilling away, in the backyard or where ever and 'poof', out of gas. Kinda sucks. Well get used to it, because the Home Depot (and others) has decided to put LESS GAS in their tanks WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE! (this links to the Star Trib/Associate Press article) So be prepared to pay more for less... 'There have been no customer complaints, spokeswoman Jean Niemi said.'

Well, I filed one. And if this sort of ticks you off, you can too:

Jean_niemi@homedepot.com

Consider this the first complaint regarding the reduction in fuel in
the Home Depot propane tanks. It's hard for consumers to file
complaints when they are not informed of changes to products that can
not be easily identified. I'll be giving my propane business to
retailers who are more transparent about their products and services
and changes made to them.

Sincerely,

W~

Well, maybe this is all a product of too much sun today and not enough sleep, but whatever.... oooh, now I feel better :)

Photo Tour

2009-05-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

Well, The house is starting to shape up, though you'd never know it looking at it. The gardens are going (pics tonight) and the reseeding of the back lawn that the contractors mushed is almost done.

But I wanted to post links to the reno/resto photos. I'm working today so what I can do with galleries is limited, but I'll see what I can do. In the mean time here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/turbofan/sets/72157613125149929/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/turbofan/sets/72157606831532389/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/turbofan/sets/72157608648371814/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/turbofan/sets/72157608653667109/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/turbofan/sets/72157614280459872/

I'll put some more up here soo (like in the next day or two)

A quick history of the house: built in 1928 just before the market really crashed. A couple of months ago a kind realtor sent me the house abstract... and it appears that there have been a number of foreclosures on this poor house, in 1929 and recently (Not us!! Don't worry). It's interesting to see how little times have changed.

The place is a little atypical for Minneapolis. 3 Bedrooms (2 big ones upstairs) with 8 foot ceilings. Double lot to fill with gardens, and a very pointy roof. So much so that I have decided that we're really got a cottage (when compared with actual bungalow) BUT the name stays... I figure in this part of the city, it's a lifestyle rather than a type :)

Discovered soon after buying the place that all the woodwork on the 1st floor is Oak, which the previous house flipper/moron painted white... Using no less than 3 coats of exterior enamel. I've only begun the removal process.

The addition that went up, which I designed, filled out an existing space to create room for a bathroom (upstairs! Yah!). The work also allwed us to pull off the aluminum siding (Death by Alumicide as Stucco House would say!) and restore the bargeboards and ORIGINAL PATTERN cedar shingles all around the house.

Next on the list: Old fashioned gutters on the way (literally in the mail now!) to put together with Rain Barrels from Metro Blooms. Rip out nasty vinyl wall paper on first floor and get back to plaster and paint. Heat gun the whole dang place!! At least on the first floor where it's oak. Frame out and insulate the addition BEFORE NOVEMBER!!!

That's a big nutshell for the story, but there you go...

Here are a few more Local House Blogs to check out:

A little house that needs a lot of work

eMpTy Bungalow

Bungalow 23

Stucco House

Hope you enjoy the tour!

correction

2009-04-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

corrected:

I took another look and see now that the official time for the neighborhood garage sale is SATURDAY: 8AM-2PM Just saturday... which works just fine for me. I guess I will get up early and open up at 8 :)

Bring the Wagon!

2009-04-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

My blogging has been truncated as of late... but I do have an announcement in between all this work.

There will be a massive Neighborhood Garage Sale next weekend, May 2nd and 3rd. It will be in Northrop Neighborhood, in the area of 46th and Cedar Avenue. (sounds like much of the activity will be to the North West of that intersection)

I've been cleaning, cleaning CLEANING trying to get as much stuff together as possible. As it stands I have a substantial pile of clothing and stuff. I will be adding a Gas Burning Fireplace insert, a couple of maple cabinet doors that have been stripped down (see a previous post) and STORM WINDOWS... since the PO's of my home decided to rip out all the hardware. A twin bed (two of them)/dresser set (from the 1930's) and a set of chairs that came from my great grandmothers beauty parlor in the St Paul Hotel from 1940. We'll see what else we can dig up... There may be a cat added to the pile if she doesn't stop waking me up at 4am to eat.

I would imagine that there will be a few people looking for deals EARLY in the am next weekend... but I will open the garage at 9am...

If you're into the garage/yard sale thing it's probably going to be a big deal.. there are SEVERAL homes within a couple blocks that are going to participate. I think that some of them are pretty serious about this stuff :) Probably a number of plants.. so bring your cash, a good eye and your wagon (warm it up for the Friend School Plant Sale)

Will

Portable jungle speak out

2009-03-25T18:36:00.001-07:00

clivia-oncidium1
Originally uploaded by gardenmonkey

Hey, look what happened to my window garden! These plants are so great. They only bloom in dry periods, so winter works out perfect. The quick evaporation from the furnace vent gives them just the right climate to send up a bloom. It's funny but plants like the orchid (the little yellow one) tend to bloom when they think they might die. But this one does it every year this time (sometimes earlier).

So, even if mother nature has decided it has to be cold for another week, at least I have spring inside :)

Beams

2009-03-20T14:06:00.001-07:00

Beams
Originally uploaded by turbofan

So despite all the going on with the outside of the house there's not too much happening (anymore) on the inside. Brent and Brian (the dynamic duo!) moved the original door to center it on the new peak of the back gable.

Because of the size of the roof and the sheer weight of the addition they needed to put in 18 inch laminated valley beams... hence the big ick cutting through the ceiling. It actually will work out, since that will likely frame in the top of an opening to a storage nook... Think archival storage... I'm a collector AND a curator.. it's a perfect marriage of interest and business :)

Also, the hole on the ceiling to the right side of the pic... this will MAYBE end up being the coolest thing in the world. I'm hoping to open up a hole, frame it nicely with oak and run a library ladder up to it thus creating the coolest guest bed in the WORLD. And on the other side, you can use the ladder to access the attic space.

It's all still developing. Keep an eye out to see how things progress (slowly...)

New addition is done!

2009-03-02T10:23:00.001-08:00

New addition is done!
Originally uploaded by turbofan

Attention, Men and Women, Boys and Girls, Children of all ages!!

The addition (and the outside 2nd floor restoration and the basement supports to level the floor etc) is done! On the outside. They did a great job and I would like to officially recommend Plekkenpol Builders. Friendly, SKILLED, honest etc etc. We worked with Keith, Flynn, Brent and Brian and would recommend them highly.

Now we just need to finish the inside and paint the trim. Don't know what color that will be. Any suggestions??

-W

The windows are in!

2009-02-20T20:07:00.001-08:00

The windows are in!
Originally uploaded by turbofan

Getting closer...

The roof is water tight, the bargeboard is secured, the sheathing is up and the windows are in... now I know, they look small, but keep in mind that this is a bathroom. It's doing to be nice to know that there is no conceivable way the neighbors could be exposed to.. well, anyone in the bathroom really.

Gosh, this project seems to be dragging on and on. I'm going to talk with a friend about framing and insulation this weekend (I hope) and the possibility of putting a sleeping loft up in the hole created by the construction. I suppose this is the most opportune time to try right??

Stay tuned, this should be winding up soon.. or at least changing tunes.

-W

House update

2009-02-06T12:51:00.001-08:00

House update
Originally uploaded by turbofan

Well, it's moving along. Surely but semi-slowly. We've had a good stretch of weather... which up here means it's been above 0F.

So Brent and the Crew scraped the snow off the back and brought out the saws! Ta-daaaa, we went from water-tight (sort of) to no roof to skeleton roof... and now to ROOF! When I left in the morning the goal was to seal 'er up. With the temp headed up to 40 degrees (that's 80 degrees warmer than a week ago!) we are expecting rain over the weekend, turning to ice and eventually to snow. Hoorah for Minnesota. (and you though that LONDON had it rough this week)

I thought that we would be freezing when they did this, but it turns out that virtually all the work is happening outside of what is already insulated. In face, they removed the trunk room door to put in a beam and replaced it with a chunk of plywood and some insulation. The plywood keeps out the cold better than the drafty old door! Don't worry, the door is going to be used in the bathroom. My hope is that no one will no the bathroom is new... just a really clean, old bathroom.

So I expect we will begin the inside mess next week some time. This will involve ripping out parts of the walls from the second floor to the basement to provide support for the roof in the even of a heavy snowfall. They will also be busting through the cement floor in the basement to put in 3 new support posts. 1 for the roof, and 2 to boost up the sagging spot in the floor. Gee, once they stabilize that I can finally attach the dishwasher and cabinets without worrying about having to take it apart to re-level it in a month.

I know that I promised to post a recipe or two. I am still thinking about it. The baking didn't go the way that I had hoped, but I'm going to do some more after work tomorrow. The pastry cream was awesome... and the creme brulee was to die for... and they might make it up here. If the new ones turn out I will post those.

House update

2009-01-24T13:02:00.001-08:00

House update
Originally uploaded by turbofan

and another photo, showing the front (still in progress). The eyebrow will get a bit of cedar, and paint. New screen this summer and (fingers crossed) installing a bit of trellis over the dining room windows... just maybe.

This is going to look great when the hollyhocks start to come up!

House update

2009-01-24T12:54:00.001-08:00

House update
Originally uploaded by turbofan

Well, here's the first 'reveal'. really just a partial reveal, the painting still needs to be done... and I have to add the corbels. But damn! I'm liking this restored look.

more to come

Another full cord of wood

2009-01-23T14:53:00.001-08:00

Another full cord of wood
Originally uploaded by turbofan

Well, consider the woodstove a success. SO BIG of a success that we decided to purchase another full cord of wood, and not a minute too soon. The last of the first load had just burned out in the fireplace when the guy pulled up.

I have to say what a huge fan I am of the Jotul 3CB! it's easy to clean, throws a LOT of heat (cut the bills in HALF!) and looks damn cute.

I only wish that it had a blower. Right now we use a 2 fan system to distribute the air around the house. Since the thing is recessed slightly into the original fire box we use a small fan to blow the heat from behind the unit and out into the room. Then we use a larger fan to blow the hot air over the (or under really) the arched opening and upstairs in the evening.

so the deal for next year:

Try out a new fan system. A while back I thought up this plan to install a small fan, maybe a bathroom vent fan (?), into the ash drop space in the basement. The idea would be to blow the cooler air from the basement up and through the trap at the back of the firebox and push the nice hot air out into the house. We'll see how it goes.

I COMPLETELY underestimated the importance of kindling. if you are thinking of doing the heat-with-wood thing start chopping up kindling now. Especially when you burn White Oak like us you NEED to get something going first. It's pathetic, I can be walking to work and find myself picking up sticks to take home! sick... This made my new years resolution 'chop more kindling'.

Vacuum more... this is a dusty affair this heating with wood. We finally got a shop vac, but I dread the spring clean. I'm going to look like a chimney sweep from Mary Poppins. In fact I'm going to start growing the silly mustache right now!

So the whole time we were hauling and stacking this cord of wood the contractors were nailing away at the North gable end. IT LOOKS AWESOME. I plan to post the pic tomorrow when I can see it DONE in full light of day.

G'Night

Just a wee entry...

2009-01-19T15:34:00.001-08:00

Just when I thought it couldn't get any colder...
Originally uploaded by turbofan

Well, it's a slow time on the house-front. This is mainly because everything I really want to do, (actually the only things I can currently AFFORD to do) like paint removal and scraping off popcorn ceiling, all involve opening windows. So, while I wait inside for the contractors to finally start again I got to baking.

My friends know I'm a binge baker. When the moon is in the right house I will fill the kitchen with bread, cookies, brioche... but today was a pastry day. I tried a variation on a family recipe. My new version involves making lemon curd and vanilla pastry cream. And that didn't seem like enough to work with (silly me) so I also made Grapefruit curd (very tasty) and Almond pastry cream.

Soooo, all together I used 15 cups of flour, 5 sticks of butter, 3 lemons, 2 oranges, 1 grapefruit, 1/2 bottle of almond extract, 6 sticks of butter... etc. So, while I sit here and listen to my arteries plug up I figured I would post about why I haven't posted

anyone hungry?

Maker!!!!!

2009-01-06T17:41:00.000-08:00

Pardon the vacuous blog, I'm just happy to be distracted from the contractor issue:

I just found the most perfect TV show (gasp) of all time: http://www.makezine.tv/ : It's not on cable (I don't roll like that) it's on PBS Create. Stuccohouse wrote about the Create Channel a little while back (you are SOO right about Rick Steves!)

So, I think I may be watching the premier, but here's what has happened so far:
When I turned on the tube they were talking with an artist that uses a woodworking lathe to make a moving sculpture of a 3D matrix that makes a wave... all by hand. they moved on to:
how to make a lawn chair out of a shopping cart using everyday tools then talked about a musician who plugs his Goodwill finds into amplifiers and they are currently making a Trebuchet out of PVC. I can see all sorts of ways that these projects would come in useful for ANYONE working on a home. I guess it just depends on how much faith you put into your re-sale value.

That's all. It's worth a look.

Sign of the Times.. the crappy, crappy times...

2009-01-06T16:53:00.001-08:00

Well, here is a wake-up call.

Today I got a call from the contractor. I was at work so I thought that it would be: 'we need to leave the back gate open for tomorrow morning' or something like that...
Instead what I got was:
'We had to lay off the people working on your project, so it might be a while before there are enough people to start working again'
well, damn. I can't say anything bad about this company. They do great work. They are generally on time. did I say they do great work (so far). I'm lucky they hadn't torn off the back roof yet!
I guess this is just a sign of the times. Poor guys; I hope they can find a place worthy of their skills!
Oh, and I would have new pics up here now that the scaffolding is off the front, but I haven't been home in the daylight since this whole thing started!!
Stay tuned... more news in home re-newery to follow...

Forest Fire a'la Google Maps

2008-12-30T10:00:00.001-08:00

I was working on a project at work when I spotted this aerial portrait of a Forest Fire...

View Larger Map
Those of you that know me know that I was a Wildland Firefighter for about 5 years. I saw this and thought 'Controlled Burn'... but there are no vehicles. I wonder if the golf course sustained any damage??
(this post is mainly for my Dad)

Digital Dreaming

2008-12-25T12:04:00.001-08:00

So this is what I am working towards at the moment. All the exterior work is building towards this style sensitive addition on the back of the house. It's been interesting trying to figure out what would be most accurate. My best resource has been the Minnesota Historical Society library collection. They have an incredible number of historic home plan books. Many (most) of them are companies from MN... all of them were available to consumers in MN. So I went through them over and over and over. Finally came up with this (after the first plan went WAY over budget)

As most people will note, my house is more of a cottage and less of a bungalow... I know, false advertising or whatever. Bungalow is a reference to a one story style home from colonial India, with deep porches and low rooflines. But it seems to have expanded to include most 1 1/2 story homes built between a certain period. I have all of the same woodwork as my traditional bungalow neighbors (more of it actually).

Anyway, I may have to change the name of the blog once the new gable goes up since I will lose the big plane of the roof.. and really look more like a 'cottage'.
Oh well, it'll be nice either way.

The second pic is the interior layout. I'm trying to keep the plan very honest, functional and open. The upstairs is so light and spacious I didn't want to try to cram in a bathtub. Besides I have the original, deep, cast iron tub on the first floor.

So picture white hex tile on the floor with a border and baseboard of white marble. Subway tile wainscot and light painted plaster. I think the woodwork will end up painted white like the rest of the second floor (it's not oak up there, so don't worry). Chrome fixtures and wall sconces on either side of the sink area.

The medicine cabinet will be on the wall between the toilet nook and the main sink area. Over the sink we will use an accordion style swing arm mirror. Lord knows that we need a couple of window for light up there!

So keep an eye out for updates. This project should be progressing steadily through January!

let's call this the just-barely-not-before shot

2008-12-22T13:18:00.001-08:00

House remodel finally begins!
Originally uploaded by turbofan

So it started. The contractor showed up, did some things and then left. Somehow they managed to get one gable end ALMOST done in the coldest week of the year. In the snow. Sure am glad I don't work for them!

So just an update one what is happening. This past summer I decided to restore the outside of the house. The Aluminum siding just wasn't floating my boat (for obvious reasons). It was also holding in condensation!! Soaking the walls and wall paper for the melty part of the winter. Thank-baby-Jesus we don't have a mold issue!

So we had a few people come over... look at the metal and project what it would cost to make it look like it did. Making the assumption that everything that was once, was no more.

A few astronomical quotes later I found myself on the upper end of a 30' extension ladder ripping off bits of my house.
SURPRISE! Everything underneath was original to the house!
After documenting what was there.. and assessing what, if any, rot there was (nothing really...) We had the quotes re done. And Ta-daaaah. The restoration begins. the aluminum has been ripped off. The original cedar shingles photographed and removed and the OLD tar-paper shredded.

The new Cedar Shingles are going up (the old were too brittle to keep :( ) We carefully measured the staggered reveal to exactly recreate what was original.
A new horizontal strip with a great drip cap detail is getting installed between the stucco and the shingles... and it's getting properly FLASHED in. The window trim was covered with aluminum, and was (to my dismay) not particularly salvageable. The bargeboards on the eaves and the the bead board soffits are quite intact. With a little scraping it really took shape. I don't think we're going with the original red.

It's going to look a little dingy until we paint in the spring.

You can bet I'm going to update these pictures often!

Let there be....... !

2008-12-22T11:00:00.000-08:00

After being directed to a FANTASTIC lighting company by 1912 bungalow, I remembered seeing some really cool lighting.

here's Schoolhouse Lighting... what a perfect place for me! they have a great selection of toned-down art deco fixtures. My house is a 1928 (obviously) and has a few deco inspired parts.. well, I'm sure it used to anyway...

and then there is the more modern, more green (since that's sooo trendy right now) Eleek.

Really cool stuff. I like cast aluminum.. it's silver without showing fingerprints. I like that it's not shiny; because in my place things don't stay shiny for too long.
another post to follow shortly... now where did I put those pictures?

Wicked!

2008-12-11T14:55:00.001-08:00

Wicked!
Originally uploaded by turbofan

I better blog this too.

Went to see WICKED on the 29th. It was my way-late-b-day present. It's about the best one that I've even had!!

Good music, good story, good voices... followed by good beer and good friends. Thanks you guys!!

Will's refurbished cabinets circa Nov 2007

2008-12-11T14:52:00.001-08:00

Will's refurbished cabinets circa Nov 2007
Originally uploaded by turbofan

OK,

well this is really an old photo, but I have been thinking a lot about re-use. I'm still working on finding a good photo of this project finished... Right now the poor thing is covered with ingredients of what will soon become bread and christmas cookies.

But lets talk reuse. The thing was free. I got it off www.twincitiesfreemarket.com it's funny that I actually got it from a college guidance counselor! Funny how small the world is (and how many people go to Hamline!)

So it DID take a bit of work. Lots of paint removal, lots of routing to fit in the little wine fridge. Thank god I am up to date on my tetanus shots! Part of the cabinet was a little.. well, rotten. so I ripped it off and put in a dishwasher.

I spent a lot of time on the drawer pulls. I used paint stripper and steel wool and got a cool brused effect out of them. Very Restoration Hardware. But it I had to do it all over I would have just simmered them in hot soapy water until the paint bubbled off. I have done that with hinges and other hardware recently. It's Way easier. LOVE IT!

Things to watch for in the updated photo:
-A way cool wooden end panel.. Made of maple to match the cabinets and oak to match the rest of the house.
-lots of stuff on the counter.
-no more white sticky on the stainless dishwasher

I do have to admit that I haven't attached everything yet.. I know that it's been over a year but here's why.
We've been working with a contractor for 6 months to add an upstairs bathroom. Part of the big project involves sinking a couple of new load bearing supports in the basement. So we are going to put in two additional and give the sagging floor a bit of a boost. It will even out the floor a little, and this project sits right on top of a sagging spot. I didn't want to get everything installed and then have to do it all over again when everything was straightened out.

besides, it works just fine right now... except that the dishwasher flips out a little bit when you open it all the way. oh well.

God that floor looks awful against the new shiny stuff. Guess I should put that on the punch list too :)

Cover your SHAME!

2008-11-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

Well, it's not quite what it sounds like... or maybe it is. Windows are nothing to be ashamed of... unless they are as leaky as ours. Now I know, these windows are made of the best wood you could get... and we'd never be able to find this quality these days... BUT I live under the flight pattern, on the busiest residential road on the planet and I could use a little peace and quiet some day. That's why I lust after THESE. (on this link they have a new version of my original windows. One day we plan to replace the lot... and find someone with a better situation to reuse the old ones... I couldn't bring myself to toss them.
But until that beautiful far-off day we will be forced to wrap all fenestration in plastic, every November. Actually I will be forced to do it because I'm better at it.
If anyone want's pointers I'm available to teach classes for a billion dollars an hour. only 20 left!

The Portable Jungle: Native Uprising

2008-11-17T07:23:00.000-08:00

Funny thing... I have a portable jungle. A family of a dozen large plants that make seasonal trips inside and out. They are a lot of fun in the yard. They add interest to the back yard. Some of them are edible (Ginger, Vanilla pompona even though it's not easily edible) Some of them were projects (avacodo, clivia and seedlings, various orchids) One of them is well over 40 years old... great Grandma Fay's spider plant... which shades the roots of the Fiddlehead Ficus and the Vanilla orchid..

ANYWAY, the cat was being pretty loud last night.. more than usual. I couldn't figure out why, until just now. This has never happened before with the portable jungle, but aparently this summer built up a bumper crop of earth worms in the pots. Yesterday's deep watering must have driven them up and OUT. So this morning I have been picking up dried nightcrawlers that the cat dragged all over the house. YUK! I can't wait until we have the Jungle room/greenhouse up so I can just leave the plants in one place. Unfortunatly that's Waaaaaay off, if ever.

So, be aware container gardeners, you may have an uprising of your own. Poor little guys, just tryin to stay dry :(

Sunday Soliloquy

2008-11-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

Well, I think this is the last week of outside time for MN. I spent the few hours of daylight cutting back the Hydrangeas, mulching the hibiscus and the front prairie, topping the iris and putting the final blanket on the Musa Basjoo (hardy banana). I sure hope it will take another winter, it's been so fun to have that big waxy foliage in the back yard. This year it really went... well... Bananas, and put out about 10 new shoots. Boy, it sure would be great to have a healthy cluster of tropical (looking) plants in my MN garden!

All the chopping wood, winterizing the house and tucking in the plants has me ready to hibernate. But at some point the contractors are supposed to start residing the dormers and putting up an addition. I am SO glad I'm not a contractor, I will sit inside by the wood stove and listen to them hammering in the cold. It's not my fault they have been dragging thier feet. I just want it done, but I will settle for started.

I also have fairly lofty plans for turkey-day: The whole fam is headed over. I've volunteered for Turkey and stuffing, the rest has been outsourced to volunteers. I also have about 5 loaves of sourdough to bake. Sourdough is another ongoing hobby that has earned a blog entry.. just not today. It's still a couple weeks off but I have started planning the logisitics. And if something doesn't work out I plan to have a lot of Three-Buck-Chuck on hand. That usually mellows us all out :)

Since I don't get family over that often I think Thanksgiving is a good time to update them all on the house projects. This year the will see the finished (nearly) dishwasher bay (see former blog for those pics) the wood stove, various paint stripping projects, the dormant remnants of the 3rd year prairie in the front yard and everyone will eat something from the VERY productive herb garden. I'm sure that I will drag them into the back yard and point them to the set of raised veggie gardens in the back. I'm turning hippie without knowing it. Either that or I'm just getting too far into my pioneer research work. Whatever. As long as I get a nice nap at some point.

Happy Sunday everyone!

The accident scene

2008-11-13T15:11:00.001-08:00

The accident scene
Originally uploaded by turbofan

Neighbors typically meet each other in similar way. Over the fence, walking the dog, raking leave etc. It’s an unfortunate thing to meet a close neighbor through a terrible accident. On the night of November 4th around 11:45pm that’s just how I met my neighbors across Cedar Avenue. People from the surrounding 4 blocks had descended on the intersection of 45th and Cedar to view the horrific, 1 driver accident that had recently rattled their windows. The car somersaulted end over end after hitting a car parked in the parking lane. The driver was traveling well over the speed limit and was not wearing a seatbelt. The fact that she was alive when the ambulance arrived is amazing considering the circumstances.
So my neighbors and I stood in shock, shivering in our PJ’s in the cold, watching the flashing lights and paramedics, marveling at the fact that a car in a 30mph zone managed to total 2 cars and fling herself 50 feet through the windshield. All injuries aside we were all amazed that this didn’t happen sooner. High speeds have become a defining feature of Cedar Avenue. It’s the ‘short cut’ from the burbs, it’s the fastest way to the mall when the free way is jammed up, and most important, they don’t put cops on Cedar, you can go as fast as you want… and people do. The day before I had finished composing a letter to Mayor Rybeck, pleading with him to up enforcement in our neighborhoods. I outlined the dangers, the livability issues, lost tax revenue based on dropping property values, the crime related to high speed and volume traffic the list goes on. Coincidentally, at the end of the letter I said that we needed to do something before something terrible happened . And right on cue…
We’ve got ourselves a problem in south Minneapolis. An over capacity freeway system, a huge ring of great urban housing stock and an even bigger ring of suburbs trying to get from what used to be the country to the city as quickly as possible. For residents of South Minneapolis it’s a losing battle. The capacity of our streets is based on the local population, the proximity of houses to the road is based on this capacity. The only way to increase capacity is to increase the speed, which happens on its own due to lack of enforcement.
As it stands now, according to city documents: Cedar Avenue is the only street in S. Minneapolis that is over capacity (WAY over), contains three of the highest crash intersections in the whole city and runs over a bridge estimated to be at less than 60% integrity (the Nokomis Lagoon bridge). There are a lot of people that live on Cedar Ave. There are a lot of people that rely on Cedar. How do we decide who takes precedence? We need to think about this.
The Cedar Ave. United (aka Cedar Avenue Restoration Effort) seeks to create a plan for Cedar Avenue by incorporating residents and neighborhoods in the planning process. In the past few months we have been meeting at various community centers in the area, planning. We have a lot to gain by creating a good plan for Cedar. We need to preserve our community, encourage our local businesses, improve transportation and increase our safety and livability.
Standing in the cold on the sidewalk, barefoot, listening to my across-the-street-neighbor talk about how she made her daughter change schools so she wouldn’t have to cross the road made me realize that there are a lot more concerned people than I thought. So now it’s time. We need your support. We realize that not everyone has the time and energy to commit to planning. We also know that there is a LOT of talent in South Minneapolis. We are a grass roots organization, and we need you, if only your support or signature. You can find out more about Cedar Ave United by e-mailing cedartraffic@gmail.com

Thumbs up!

2008-11-05T10:08:00.001-08:00

Thumbs up!
Originally uploaded by turbofan

Roofing and building is, indeed, fun. Or at least the end product is.

So this weekend my dad came down to help with this project. It was either going to be this or the tile around the fireplace.... since I haven't yet fired the tile.. this is what we did.

I had to work Saturday, but when I got home at 4 Ryan and Dad had already torn off the rotten cardboard (seriously) siding and picked up the materials.

By Sunday at 2 we were stapling up the tar paper on the roof and moving the firewood into the shelter.

Now I know, I know. You aren't supposed to put firewood next to your house or other structures because of Ants and Mice. I have to point out that 1) we go through wood so fast I don't think it will be an issue, 2) If the ants want to eat the cardboard off the rest of the garage they can be my guest... it would probably kill them anyway.

seriously though, we have sprayed for carpenter ants already and the dog loves to catch and fling mice. I don't think it will be a big deal.

I still have to put on the finish fascia, drip edge and shingles. I am going to go ahead and say that this new addition is probably more sturdy than the original garage. Yah for us!

2008-10-31T13:42:00.000-07:00

Well this weekend will be a busy one.

The new stove addition is requiring a little auxiliary building. Fire needs fuel... This one needs nice DRY wood; DRY being the operative. So there is a little plan sitting on my dining room table for a 4' eave extension on the garage. THe idea is to build 3 Corbels (like those that I will eventually be adding to the eaves of the house) to support the over hang so it will not require posts. I want to keep the roof feeling light. The back yard will start to feel too small if there are all these structures eating into the ground space.

I will scan in the drawings just for fun... they are on notebook paper. I want to make this element match the house, so I'm hoping that the contractors have some cedar shingles left over from the siding for me to fill in the small space above the bracket.

I am going to take some process pics of this so y'all can see how far I can get in one weekend (seeing as how I work on Saturday until 4!! Boooo!)

check back!

Sunbeams cutting through the smoke from our break-in fire

2008-10-28T09:51:00.001-07:00

Sunbeams cutting through the smoke from our break-in fire
Originally uploaded by turbofan

So if you could hear a chorus of angels singing as this sunbeam passes the woodstove, that would just about sum up how I am feeling about it today... now if we could only get some dry wood on hand to burn...

Will admiring the stove

2008-10-26T17:24:00.001-07:00

Will admiring the stove
Originally uploaded by turbofan

Nice, warm, bright... so different from the cold, dark, useless hole that once occupied this room.

Once upon a time this was a woodburning fireplace... sometime in the 80's or 90's it was converted to a gas log... we all know what happened to the price of gas... Anyway. Not we have a high efficiency Jotul F3CB partially recessed into the opening. It looks Fantastic!! and works like a dream.

Funny story about the gas log and our gas bill... ha ha. Before we bought this place a 'special' woman from Texas was trying to flip it. Not having much experience with a furnace, she opted to try to heat the house with the old gas log in the fireplace... that explains why our bill shows December of 2006 with a $600 gas bill. As a side note, she also painted all of the SOLID OAK WOODWORK white... with exterior grade enamel... more on that as it comes off. Until then I'm happy in the warm glow of the fire :)

Second Beginning

2008-10-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

I came upon a junction where my path diverged in the wood... and I just HAD to take the path less traveled. Now I know why no one used it... I web was a pain in the butt to blog with. It was very pretty, but limited me to using my home computer.. the one in the cold upstairs bedroom. So I am officially starting on blogger after having a fair amount of success using it for work. If you want to see the old entries go look at www.laughingwatertile.com I'll keep it open... since it's already there.

But on to the new.

Last Thursday the woodstove guy came to install the Jotul F3CB I have been lusting over for the past year or so.

I'm currently sitting in the glow of a 500 degree heat machine. The cat is passed out in heat-induced bliss next to me and Ryan is playing Risk on his I-phone at the other end of the couch. The past three days we have heated the place exclusively with the woodstove. Awesome.

Pictures to follow, as soon as I figure out how to link Flickr to Blogger.. this warmth is making me lazy (lazier)