Well, I've been slow in getting back into my blog. Christmas was not as I had envisioned, what with my sister getting a skin infection that almost cost her her right arm, but we made it through, and here it is another new year with infinite possibilities. I see I have a couple of new subscribers. Welcome! It's always exciting to know that someone cares enough to read what I've written.
I'll start off with news that Jim is finally getting his workshop, well deserved and a long time coming. He does woodworking and is better than he thinks. I can find a shelf, easel, picture frame, etc., in a magazine, and he can usually make it for me, even in the crowded third-garage where his tools have been for the 6 years we've lived here. The consummate perfectionist and practicing Obsessive Compulsive, with literally hundreds of drawers of wrenches, screws, nails, and such, no matter what anyone needs, he knows whether he has it and right where it is, as compared to me, if I laid down a book 2 hours ago, I may not find it again for weeks.
He has put off getting the shop because, frankly, from the day we moved here, we thought it was temporary, till we could find our dream home out in the country, but this is a great house, and over the years of wearing out several Realtors, we haven't found anything we like as well. One day on our way home from another failed house viewing, it came to me. I said, "James (I call him that when I'm serious), I know why we haven't found our house yet; it's because we're not looking for the same house!" We've considered lots of houses I liked and lots of houses he liked, but they were never the same house, so eventually, we came to know that this is probably where we'll live out the rest of our years, and Jim got serious about finding a contractor to build his shop, in mid-winter.
He found Ray, who as luck would have it, lives 2 streets away from us and who's one of the nicest guys you'll meet and almost as meticulous as Jim. He brings his radio with him, sets it up on the air conditioning unit, and lets his jivin' Contemporary Christian music wail till I've been thinking the neighbors would complain, but ya can't hold being an in-your-face-Christian against a guy. He lured me into one religious debate, and I found myself freezing in the ever deepening twilight air, inching my way toward the relative safety of my backdoor; I've avoided philosophical chats with him since then.
The workshop isn't quite as big as Jim would have liked, but it's as large as city code will allow, and he even walled off one end for storage for my decorating stuff, much of it Christmas decor, which will be so much better than dragging it back up the folding ladder to the attic. I've posted a few photos of the progress. By this time next month, we're hoping to have it finished and moved into, but you never know about Arkansas weather. One day last week the high was around 7 degrees w/ snow flurries, and yesterday it was sunny and in the low 50's. But even if it's not finished till spring, this shop will be the perfect Man Cave for Jim where he'll spend many happy hours.
I'll start off with news that Jim is finally getting his workshop, well deserved and a long time coming. He does woodworking and is better than he thinks. I can find a shelf, easel, picture frame, etc., in a magazine, and he can usually make it for me, even in the crowded third-garage where his tools have been for the 6 years we've lived here. The consummate perfectionist and practicing Obsessive Compulsive, with literally hundreds of drawers of wrenches, screws, nails, and such, no matter what anyone needs, he knows whether he has it and right where it is, as compared to me, if I laid down a book 2 hours ago, I may not find it again for weeks.
He has put off getting the shop because, frankly, from the day we moved here, we thought it was temporary, till we could find our dream home out in the country, but this is a great house, and over the years of wearing out several Realtors, we haven't found anything we like as well. One day on our way home from another failed house viewing, it came to me. I said, "James (I call him that when I'm serious), I know why we haven't found our house yet; it's because we're not looking for the same house!" We've considered lots of houses I liked and lots of houses he liked, but they were never the same house, so eventually, we came to know that this is probably where we'll live out the rest of our years, and Jim got serious about finding a contractor to build his shop, in mid-winter.
He found Ray, who as luck would have it, lives 2 streets away from us and who's one of the nicest guys you'll meet and almost as meticulous as Jim. He brings his radio with him, sets it up on the air conditioning unit, and lets his jivin' Contemporary Christian music wail till I've been thinking the neighbors would complain, but ya can't hold being an in-your-face-Christian against a guy. He lured me into one religious debate, and I found myself freezing in the ever deepening twilight air, inching my way toward the relative safety of my backdoor; I've avoided philosophical chats with him since then.
The workshop isn't quite as big as Jim would have liked, but it's as large as city code will allow, and he even walled off one end for storage for my decorating stuff, much of it Christmas decor, which will be so much better than dragging it back up the folding ladder to the attic. I've posted a few photos of the progress. By this time next month, we're hoping to have it finished and moved into, but you never know about Arkansas weather. One day last week the high was around 7 degrees w/ snow flurries, and yesterday it was sunny and in the low 50's. But even if it's not finished till spring, this shop will be the perfect Man Cave for Jim where he'll spend many happy hours.
Jim's Man Cave is set into a beautiful space, Cat. Wes' Man Cave is a long tool table, with drawers aplenty, along the back wall of the garage. Garage is deep enough so there's room for him with his car parked. But if he wants to roll out the table saw, he has to move the car. Moves mine out too if he doesn't want to wash the sawdust off! Ha!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to photos of the progress. And BTW, I thought I was following you here. I'll try that link again...