Putting The "Labor" In Labor Day...

 We had today off from the Haribo!   That being said, I still volunteered to work on Saturday to help out with some organizing.   I didn't know it until the end of that shift that I had managed to put in just over 60 hours this week! 

Oops!

I think you have to have some special authorization if you are going to work that much.  Unless you are salary. ( I think) Well I don't think I have ever been in trouble for working too long for any job where I was employed. Usually they are trying to make overtime Mandatory!   Either way, I think Material Handlers have an open invitation for as much overtime as they can handle.  So I think I should be ok. 

That being said, I spent the last two days working at the "University of Home Ownership."  Most of my classes are "Hands On!" with no instructor.  Meaning,  I have to do my own research and learn my own practical skills.   Motivation is provided by you living on campus!   And you are forced to live with the grade you get.   IN other words:  If you fail,  you get to live in the home with no plumbing or electrical! 

That being said,  you get as many attempts as you want (or have money for)  until you achieve a passing grade.   Or even a grade you actually want!

Currently  I am "happy" with "basic plumbing and electrical."   That being said,  the plumbing leaks and the electrical is all over the place!  ( In other words:  The last owner was happy with a D- as a passing grade)   

But I want to add a little order to this chaos of a house! I want plumbing that works AND does not leak.   And is easy to maintain.   With some updated materials and methods thrown into the mix.   So I have big plans to maximize my education at this University! 

That being said... One class at a time.  

My First class:  The demolition class... Is finally nearing its end with the final removal of the hodge podge rooms that were created by the last owner.  Everything was nailed together.... 

And NOT in the best, most professional way!  It reminded me of that time we discovered an antique furniture that someone had "Nailed" back together....  Only to have it split and become unrepairable. 

Well,   The demolition man does not care about repair!  (Hey!  That Rhymes!)  

My goal over the last two days was to finish up and complete the demo of the main walls.   I was limited by the storage of the debris that was produced.   I have been slowly burning the wood in a small outdoor fireplace.   

The rest of it,  I have to wait until Tuesday  night to put it out on the curb.  I heard that there are "Bulk Pick up" days by the city,  but I don't know if I want to wait for that.  So far, I only have 4 garbage bins filled with drywall and insulation.    The neighbor said I can use his bin too if I need to.  So there are options....

I am impressed that the burning is actually working out... so far.   The HUGE pile of cut 2x2 is slowly disappearing as I go out ever half hour or so and continue to feed the fire.  I Still have to cut up some of the last remaining lumber but I think it will disappear in a similar way without having to be tossed into the bin with the other "Non-Burnable" stuff. 

I nice thing is that, with the walls and rooms finally removed,  I have access to outdoor natural light!   And have finally discovered  the main water chut off for the house!  I can now begin the plumbing classes!  

And there is definitely a reason to advance to that level....  The toilet needs attention.   Whoever installed it before....  Again,   Barely passed!   IT flushed!   And it filled with water.   But it leaks!   And now has  ruined the subfloor underneath.   I will be combining my class  of basic plumbing with some basic carpentry!   I will have to use the demolition skill to remove the tile flooring.   Then cut out the subfloor.   Replace the Subfloor.   Then replace the floor with new flooring before I can install a new toilet.    I think all of these tasks are within my skill set.   

It will just require extra time.   Because I want to do it right.    And,  since I live here,  I don't want to be a failure!  

But time is something I do not seem to have much of these days.   I may have to ask for a PTO day just so I can plan things out.  I don't want to go several days without a flushable toilet!    As it is, I have been peeing in the shower just so  I don't have sewage water trickling down to the basement floor.  ( I have a bucket catching it...still.... Kind of gross! 

All that being said, ( with perhaps, a little too much information added)   it should be understandable now why this project has moved up in priority.  

As for today,   I fixed the dishwasher. (Possibly a separate Blog Post)  Did my laundry. Mowed my yard.   AND I am currently feeding the remining scrap timber into the fire.  The big project will have to wait.  

In the mean time,  I will be planning things out.   It cost nothing to think and plan.   And I can do that without having to take time off from work.   "A Plan of Action!"  And lots of You Tube videos!   

Well,  Better get out and put some more wood on the fire.   With a little luck, I can get the pile down to just the panelling and stuff I have in the basement.   I would not want to miss an opportunity to make every second count. 

Wreck It, Ralph!

 The Demolition continues.... A Little bit each day.   Like  mentioned before..  Pull on a small thread and the entire "Patchwork Quilt" unravels.  

And that is a pretty good analogy of what I am dealing with here.   A "hodgepodge" of skills and materials for some unknown objective.   I think the unfinished  "Finished" basement was a dream of someone who lacked the skills or knowledge or resources to complete it.  I mean,  it looks like they knew how to put down tile.... they just forgot hot to keep the basement dry. 

And now I pulled on the thread of the Wiring.  I was kind of forced to do this when I discovered a wall plug in the make-shift wall I was trying to remove.  The plug looked broken. ( And it was!  50% was missing!)  But when I checked it for electricity, it was LIVE!  

So... I played around with the breaker box until I found the Unmarked Breaker  for that room and flipped the switch.   I went a little further and removed the wire entirely from the Box.   

I big shout out to Youtube for giving me the confidence to attempt such a thing.   (And you thought I only used Youtube for Subaru Repairs! ) Not wanting to fry myself,  cut the wire and began pulling it out.   It allowed me to remove the wall "safely",  ( there are still lots of rusty nails and splintery  2x4's to be aware of.)  And now I can see light from the other side of the house!  Slowly, the maze of make-shift rooms is opening up. 

So now the clean up begins. Garbage man came today so I now have a fresh, empty bin to fill back up.   I 'm sure that will take about 5 minutes.   That means I will have to wait another 7 days for it to be empty again.    So I bought several garbage bins to sweep up the junk as I wait.  (Rather than keeping a mess or neat little piles of drywall  and timber on the floor.  

As for the electricity,  I thought I could simply remove that plug and be done with it.   And the wire that ran to the box was the only circuit I would have to worry about.   

Turns out...  That "Unmarked Breaker" runs power to my washer, Basement lights, and half of my living room AND kitchen!  Honestly, the "Organization" and grouping of the lines make no sense.  My guess is that rather than run a new line to the box,  they just "spliced" into an existing line where ever they could find a hot wire. (At least they used a Junction box... Kind Of)  And that would explain why the microwave trips the breaker and why there are several plugs up here that do not work and are boxed over.  My guess is they would constantly overload the circuit and the would just cover them up rather than run new wire to unload the system.  

But what do I know?  I'm no electrician.  But I am I DIY-er... with an imaginary degree in Youtube.  

Speaking of "internet"..  One of the plugs that no longer works was powering all of my devices.   I now have to run an extension cord from the other side of the room to get  online.  Hooray! 

The sunny side of all of this is it now provides the motivation I need to get dirty and get busy.   I won't live with things this jumbled!   And I need Internet Access to blog!   ( And electricity to do Laundry!) So hopefully I will find the time to continue to chip away at the project(s) Because every second counts....

Demolition Man

 I fancy myself more of a builder.   An artist and creator...  Rather than a demo man.   Demolition falls more under my brother's category rather than mine.  (Then again, he did build corvettes at GM.   But really, fast cars are for people who are trying to destroy something in the most dramatic way possible. So... Still applies.) 

Today I have been demo-ing my basement.   I actually started last week sometime with the floor.  You see,   we had some serious rain a few weeks ago.   And the Basement got a little flooded.  I figured I could simply dry it out with a fan, but after several hours of nothing, I decided to pull out the trusty Shop Vac.   

55 gallons later!   I concluded that something has to be done about the basement.   And that something means I have to install a Sump Pump. 

And that means that I have to first clean and clear up the basement so I can install such a thing.  I knew that it would only take a small thread of some issue to be pulled for the entire "fabric" of the basement to begin to unwind.   Whoever worked on this basement before really had no clue what they were doing.   I say this as someone who have the most BASIC of knowledge when it comes to understanding plumbing and basic carpentry.   Even I know this guy had no clue!

That being said,  it looks like construction that Eric and I would have done back when we were 12 or 13.  Everything is nailed together...  with the nails being bent over for "extra support".   Drywall is used as "walls" with no support or backing.  Electrical cables are dangling about with no apparent purpose.  

Now I have build furniture before.   And I would be the first ot concede that I am no "master" when it comes to assembling shelving and cupboards.   But nailing hinges together is a whole other level of "What the Heck were you thinking???"  (Check out this Railroad Spike!)  I guess farmers used the methods and tools they had available at the time.   With a limited skill set to apply that knowledge as well.  I should be impressed that they were able to turn this barn into a livable space.  

And so the demo begins!   I have already removed the tile flooring, because the water had already pushed up most of the tiles from the concrete.  I purchased a hammer drill to aid me, but in the end, I used a hammer and crowbar for all of it.   It was not that difficult, but it was a very hot job.  

With the tile gone,  I began work on the number of random shelving units that cluttered the area.  I also removed the water damaged vintage paneling that was all the rage back in the '70's.  My guess is the guy must have wanted to have a "finished" basement with a bar.   And then,  after the first rain completely destroyed all of his efforts,   he abandoned it to the elements.   Including cutting several wires to unknown destinations.   

Even now,  I am very cautious on what I want to remove.  Several pipe are still filled with wires!  And I am not sure if they are actually live or not!  

 "Do no harm" is my motto....  Especially to myself!   Because I am the only one here and there is no one else to call for emergency in the event I fry myself.  

In the end,  I managed to remove more wood and crap than I have space for in my garbage can... so I am pretty much done until tuesday... when the Garbage Man comes to empty it out.   Until then... I just have to pile it up and hope there is room for another bin.  

I also cleaned the paint off of the Glass Block Windows.   The previous owner painted them black!   (Um.. Why?)   The entire point of the glass block window is to let light in and not allow anyone to peep inside. 

  But I guess if you want a gloomy Self Made Bar vibe,  you gotta paint the windows black.   

Or if you are hiding a Vampire... or Creepy Torture chamber.  

Just kidding.   I have not encountered any hauntings from any ghosts or undead spirits.  So I know the bad Bar idea... Though STUPID!   Was not intended for Evil cult-like rituals.   (unless  getting hammered in your ameture DIY basement is evil...) 

Anyway,   The knocking down of the walls "really Opens up the space!"   To coin a Changing Spaces line.  ( Does anyone remember that show?) I'm sure the idea for closing everything off was probably a good one at the time, but now it just made everything feel cluttered and sloppy.  Not to mention the water damage,  possible black mold, and rodent living arrangements.   

Speaking of rodents!   I did not find any.   Yet!   But there is plenty of evidence that they have been here previously.   And it is possible that my cat has been playing a role in keeping them hidden or absent.  

 The only creepy crawlies I discovered were the House Centipedes.  ( LOTS of them!)  That probably explains the lack of spiders down there.  I actually like House centipedes just for that reason.  (They eat spider... and Earwigs) 

I'm thinking I could burn the wood rather than fill my dumpster with all this crappy lumber.  I have a firepit in the back, though I it will probably take several days of burning to get through all of these 2X4's.   And the rain today does not really help much.   Bit a little at a time and maybe the neighbors will not complain.  

That is all for now.  Last week flew by!  And I worked Saturday so today was my only day of "rest"   And now even that is mostly over.   Time to wrap this up so I can relax for the remaining hours before I head back to work tomorrow.   Time is so fleeting...  That is why we have to make every second count. 

No Chanterelles.... But The Russulas Are in!

 A  "quick" post on the activities of my life.   And a few of the things I have been skipping out on over the last month.   I know I was going to post "progress Reports" of the Cat Pole Project.   Well....   Over the one weekend where I had a full two days,   I just up and finished it.  

I don't hate it, but it definitely is not what I was visualizing in my head. ( they never are...)    At least the cat has jumped in it a couple of times. 

(She jumps out the moment I reach for the Camera....)  And I am already thinking on ways I can improve on the next design.  ( All those "Wrong Paths" and Headaches I can skip over and avoid....)  We learn by Doing!   

And the reason experts seem like masters is because of the endless failures they had to overcome.   Too bad it takes a life time to figure that out. ( Something School can't really teach you.) 

I have been mushroom hunting at least one day each week this month... In the hopes of finding the Chanterelles that pop up this time of year.    "Unfortunately"   I have found more Chicken Of The Woods this year than I remember!   ( A nice way to be disappointed...)  I finally finished the last of the Chickens last night.   And I still have a freezer bag filled with frozen ones in the freezer.   Still,  I enjoy the search. 

Last week I found Boletes!  Most of them were already past their prime, but I managed to harvest a couple small ones.  There were also a lot of Waxy Caps.

I love Waxy caps.   They are so pretty...  And I have eaten a number of them without getting sick.   Apparently,   a few of the "redish" ones can make the tummy hurt...  So either I have a tolerance/ immunity;  They are WRONG in their assessments:  OR I just rolled the dice and lucked out.  

 It is possible that all three are true. I have knowingly ate mushrooms that are "toxic" and lived to tell the tale without any of those nasty issues.  (Usually vomiting and diarrhea...) 

I have certainly eaten a lot of mushrooms over my life ( and other "junk" that possibly armors me up against "bad Food")  And I know that many of those books error on the side of caution rather than telling people something is safe only to have "Vegans and Glutton-Free" people issue complaints.   

It is also possible that I correctly ID'ed it and was able to enjoy the satisfaction of a successful Mycology Knowledge Base!

All Bragging and ranting aside,   I found a BUNCH of Russulas yesterday.   (Well... At least a Basket full.)   I LOVE these guys! 

They come in all colors of the rainbow!  Green, red, purple, yellow...  Even black!   

And I have eaten them all!   The trick... And probably the reason I like them so much, is that you have to "Taste" them to correctly ID them.   Take a small bite,   Roll it on your tongue, and spit it out.   IF it is bad... You will taste either bitter, Sharp, or hot pepper taste.   If not.. It is Edible. 

There are over 3000 species of this type of mushroom.   They are called BRITTLEGILLS for a reason.   They crumble very easily and break like chalk.  After a while, you can Id them just by that.  ( At least against other mushrooms... You still have to taste them to see if they are good) A Fun Find. 

Yesterday.  I found the Bare-toothed Russula.   A BIG ONE!  The App that I have positively Confirmed my ID. 

Actually I found several and ate them yesterday for lunch.   The taste like almonds or cherries.  PErsonally I find ALL of the Russulas excelling in flavor over most of the other mushrooms.   Chanterelles and Chickens have flavor, but they also have a texture that is cool.   Brittlegills are a lot like Morels.   They have a flavor that sets them apart. ( My opinion.)  

I realize that lots of people would probably disagree with me, and that is fine.   I know what I think and have experienced.   So I will continue harvesting and eating them... And singing their Praise. 

Just like Last night... If you missed it,  There was a Lunar Eclipse!   And here in Kenosha,  We had PERFECT viewing weather!    

The full-est part of the  eclipse was supposed to happen just before we got out of work around 11:20 or so.  I saw the small sliver leading up and must have missed the full eclipse by just a few minutes.... But those things are over so quickly and unlike the Solar eclipse,  you can look right at it and watch it happen.   

At least there are a few other "Nerds" working at the Haribo.   Even people who did not follow things like that were able to check it out when we told them about it.   A small bit of the mysteries of the world. 

This post is getting long, so I will skip the part of the "Basement Renovation"   Hopefully I will have more pics of that than the Cat Tree Project.    I just have to remember to stop, take a break,  snap a picture now and then, and make every second count.