Category Archives: Ponderings

Floored

Ponderings

It’s been a busy month, in many ways: the holidays, the tattoo studio has been crazy busy, and the floor in the bathroom is installed!

Heated floor mats…

11/30 - Floor warming pads, from Lowe's
11/30 – Floor warming pads, from Lowe’s

Why they price them by the foot, I have no idea, especially when you have to buy the entire thing. But so it goes.

12/06 - Floor warming pads installed
12/06 – Floor warming pads installed

Now we have to wait 30 days before we can turn on the heated floor. Nothing like anticipation.

And then I started the laying of the tile.

12/07 - The first run of tile down.
12/07 – The first run of tile down.
12/08 - Second run installed
12/08 – Second run installed

I realized that doing an entire 40 pound bag of mortar at one time was a little more than I could handle. By the time I got about 3/4 of the way through, that last 1/4 was starting to harden. So I started halving the bags each “session” after the first weekend.

12/14 - Third run installed
12/14 – Third run installed
12/15 - Fourth run installed
12/15 – Fourth run installed

milli frequently inspected my work at all times. If she didn’t like the way I placed the tile spacers, she was quick to bat them out. 😉

12/20 - Fifth run installed
12/20 – Fifth run installed
12/21 - Sixth run installed
12/21 – Sixth run installed

Next time I design a room, I need to remember to NOT do anything with funky angles. *sheesh*

12/21 - Seventh run installed
12/21 – Seventh run installed
12/22 - Final tile run installed!
12/22 – Final tile run installed!

And then we got to pick out the grout color. Which took the both of us forever to decide. Unlike paint, once the grout is installed it’s not something you can just roll over and change. We went with a dark color that was close to the darkest wood grain color in the tile.

The grout. Combining these two makes some color called "Ocean Deep", although I have no idea why they call it that.
The grout. Combining these two makes some color called “Ocean Deep”, although I have no idea why they call it that.

The grouting was an interesting process. It was like the day after bad Mexican food induced Botulism. So much wiping!

12/28 - Grouting in progress.
12/28 – Grouting in progress.
12/28 - Grouting done.
12/28 – Grouting done.

It took several wiping sessions to get all the haze off the tile. And probably a few more just to make sure before the entire bathroom is complete.

12/29 - The finished floor!
12/29 – The finished floor!

Once we have completed the installation of the wainscoting and the fixtures, we’ll apply a sealant to the floor that will give it a wet look. As you can tell from the last two photos, the tile and grout look way better “wet”. At least to me.

Up next, starting the wainscoting…

Until next time...
Erik

The Wettening

Ponderings,

The rains started late Christmas night. And it’s still raining as I type these words. But it’s finally letting up.

I'm all about getting 7" or more, but this is ridiculous...
I’m all about getting 7″ or more, but this is ridiculous…

Between the tornado warnings and flash flood warnings, I’m really tired of hearing that Emergency Broadcast System tone over the last two days. We ventured out to my favorite watering hole Saturday afternoon/evening, and it was “funny” because the entire restaurant would squeal out with that sound as everyone’s phones would go off simultaneously.

The Husbear came home to this wonderful mess happening Saturday night.

This is, or was, our driveway. We just can’t seem to get it fixed.

And this is coming down from between my workshop and the chicken barn. The deluge was so great the embankments couldn’t contain all the water.

Water was also starting to come into the back of the house from the back patio, as the drainage couldn’t keep up with the deluge. But luckily he worked his magic and got that corrected quickly.

Sunday afternoon we ventured into town, and were greeted with this monstrosity.

Sugar Creek on the south side of Hwy 72
Sugar Creek on the south side of Hwy 72

Normally Little Sugar Creek is just that: a VERY little creek, without the sugar. Today, not so much.

When you enlarge this picture by clicking on it, you’ll see the tree line way off in the distance. That’s normally where this little creek sits.

Sugar Creek just south of Hwy 72
Sugar Creek just south of Hwy 72

What’s funny to me is that a developer wanted to fill this area with very high-end homes. That would have ended… badly.

Panoramic view of Sugar Creek just south of Hwy 72
Panoramic view of Sugar Creek just south of Hwy 72

Everything seemed to become a river around here.

There was so much rain and runoff that it actually ate out culverts. Not small culverts either, mind you. The one you see in this picture is 3′ in diameter.

Washout on Sugar Creek Road
Washout on Sugar Creek Road

And this is the normally dry creek bed in front of the house.

Somewhere downstream is most of our driveway. I guess we’ll be getting that fixed. Again.

There are many roads in the area that are closed due to bridges and culverts washing out, and some people are trapped in their homes because of that. So we lucked out there that only one end of our road was washed out.

Tomorrow it’s supposed to not be raining, so I’ll venture out on the property and see what other damage may have occurred.

Until next time...
Erik

The (Day and) Night Before…

Ponderings

While I’m not a holiday kind of person, I do understand others—like the Husbear—feel differently about this time of year.

I originally posted this image in 2009, but it’s one of those things that I needed to come back to this year.


click to embiggen

— Christmas Eve —
On window panes, the icy frost
Leaves feathered patterns, crissed and crossed,
But in our house the Christmas tree
Is decorated festively
With tiny dots of colored light
That cozy up this winter night.
Christmas songs, familar, slow,
Play softly on the radio.
Pops and hisses from the fire
Whistle with the bells and choir.
My tiger is now fast asleep
On his back no dreaming deep.
When the fire makes him hot,
He turns to warm whatever’s not.
Propped against him on the rug,
I give my friend a gentle hug.
Tomorrow’s what I’m waiting for,
But I can wait a little more.

Holiday hugs to all my family and friends.

Until next time...
Erik

Bathroominess

Ponderings

Two years ago?? December 2013 was apparently the last time I posted about the Master bathroom. That was about the ceiling.

We’ve had a few other projects between then and now: remodeling a portion of the salon, redoing the floors in the tattoo studio, rewiring the electrical in the house, the entire barn project. The downside to doing-it-ourselves is time. Or lack of it.

The bathroom, of course, is still in progress. I missed posting about the interior walls.

January 5, 2014
January 5, 2014
January 5, 2014
January 5, 2014
January 13, 2014
January 13, 2014
January 14, 2014
January 14, 2014
January 23, 2014
January 23, 2014

And sometime between then and now I also textured the walls.

Which brings us a full year forward. Which has us again re-starting the bathroom.

The Husbear primed the bathroom.
The Husbear primed the bathroom.
The Husbear applying the first coat of the color we decided on, something called "Crystalline". I seriously wish all paint companies would just start using Pantone numbers.
The Husbear applying the first coat of the color we decided on, something called “Crystalline“. I seriously wish all paint companies would just start using Pantone numbers.
We finally decided on tile, and picked it up today at the Home Depot: MARAZZI Montagna Saddle Glazed Porcelain tile.
We finally decided on tile, and picked it up today at the Home Depot: MARAZZI Montagna Saddle Glazed Porcelain tile.
milli taking up her role as manager.
milli taking up her role as manager.

Another coat of paint tomorrow. Then I install the heated floor mats and the floor tile. Getting closer… finally! Well, closer than we were. 😉

Until next time...
Erik