Re-doing Another Work Table

Shingles All The Way UP!

 

HA!

 

The part of the roof that was prepped for shingles now HAS shingles!  I also trimmed off a bunch of branches from up there while I was in the mood for rooftops.  The 2x4 are my 'ladder' to the top, where I still have work to do on the ridge - and I have to finish the front ridge (trim the shingles and cut my old three-tab shingles to cap that ridge). 

 

I'm hoping to be able to use the old metal ridge-cap for the top - I like the look of it, and the balls at the ends ... if I can find enough that's still in good enough shape I want to use it.  There's still one section that's in really good shape on the remaining dormer, and I have more lying about somewhere. 

 

No, these shingles don't match the other half of the house, but so be it.  They're what's available so they're what I used.  They're darker, which might be an asset as the winter sun is to the south and black holds sun-heat.  At any rate, they're where they're supposed to be now! 

 

AND I have rain gutters to clean out. 

 

But not tonight. 

 

Tonight I write and sketch.  

Close, SO Close, To The Top Of The Roof

I hate to come down, because I'm so very close to getting that part DONE! 

On the other hand, when I start yawning, getting clumsy, and talking out loud to my tree, I figure maybe it's time to get off the roof for the day. 

Not to mention the raindrops. 

See, this is how come I'm not dead yet.  I'm so careful it's borderline chicken.  Since I ain't got nobody to catch me if I fall, careful is good.

No More Excuses! The Shingles Are WAITING!!

 

 

 

Thanks to my sister, brother-in-law, and neighbors, the shingles are right up there where I need them to be!  Tomorrow, the sound of hammering!

 

Studio Becoming Downright SPACIOUS!!!

Seven Boxes, Three Bags, and Two Chairs Later - STUDIO SPACE!!

My mom ain't a genius for nothin' you know.  She puts it to good use on my behalf all the time! 

My garbage container is full, and there's a dump run in my future. 

Besides getting rid of a bunch of STUFF that even my imaginative and creative mind couldn't think of any use for in any future that I can foresee, I rearranged more of my stuff. 

When I get used to remembering where things ARE instead of where they USED to be, it's gonna be great! 

NEXT!!! Work Space In My Studio!



After a consult with my mom, the verdict was that I need to be making space in my studio, which is filled to the gills with STUFF. 

 

Mom said I should throw some of it away but I reminded her that it's all supplies and I will need them - just as I'm right now using some supplies that I've had put away for years without touching them. 

 

As I go through everything, there will be stuff that I WILL toss, if it's beyond using any more; I have already been doing that. 

 

ANYWAY ... my immediate task was to clear off one of my old work tables so I might be able to actually USE it.

 

 

Indeed.

I know it doesn't look like much, but the fact that I can see the top of it is a breakthrough. 

This is one of my old work tables.  It has had most of my rough cut large works covering it for a long time, making it absolutely unavailable for me to use as a work area. 

Having been busy earlier this year rearranging things so as to make some space out in the porch, I HAVE space out there! 

Not quite as much space now, but the flat pieces stacked up don't really take up much room.  I just piled them all on top of the big angels!

So I have another work station in my studio!

As soon as I get the STUFF that surrounds it cleared away enough for me to get at it, I will have another work station in my studio! 

SIGH ... 

Still, progress is progress! 

I'll strip and refinish this one, get all that old paint and whatever off of it, and it will be good to go!

Working On The new Kitchen Floor - FUN!

 

Just for the FUN of it!

After this photo I got a lot more red squares of various sizes painted on the white kitchen floor!  It's not finished yet but I have a good start on it. 

 

If I don't like it when it's done, I'll just paint over the whole works and try something else. 

 

 





*Laughing*

I reckon I can try it this way for a while, see what I think, and take it from there!

NOTE ABOUT THIS BLOG

All of the posts beyond this point were taken from my main blog (shielabranson.blogspot.com)
as I sorted them out from the rest of that hodgepodge. 

They began in October or early November of 2011 - I moved back into my Studio House on Thanksgiving Weekend of 2011. 

I like having them all in one place; it gives me a sense of perspective when I feel as though I have accomplished so little.

Go About It In An Orderly Fashion

I ran into a dear friend at the post office and asked him if he thinks I'm too old to have a life, as in a REAL life, not just a job and home, work and sleep, ad nauseum. 

As we walked to our respective vehicles on packed snow and ice, I told him, "I think I want to expand my horizons, you know?"

He responded that he thought that was a great idea, paused as he was getting into his vehicle, and added, "Just go about it in an orderly fashion!" 

I answered, "Well you know me!  I always do!" and let go with a big belly laugh because he does know me and I NEVER do, apparently. 

Even so, there is almost always a method to my madness, which I cleverly conceal behind seemingly random and irrational behaviors. 

For instance, at the moment I am in the process of essentially giving away my 'good' house so that I can move half a block away into my 'tumble down cottage', which is quite truthfully a literal wreck of a place.  It's one of those apparently irrational behaviors that reinforce the idea that I am indeed a bonified lunatic. 

Explaining the method behind this madness here on my blog is not likely to blow my cover, as nobody even knows about it, let alone reads it! 

Nobody knows about me giving my house away except a few people at work (one of whom is the buyer) and none of them are confidants of any of my family or people who know me here in my Small Town USA.  The first indication they'll have is when they see my furniture being carted halfway down the block to my studio and the buyer's furniture being carted across the street into my house.  Since all three places are right on Main Street in the first block as you come into town, it's likely to be noticed by all and sundry.  We might get a couple of comments but more people will just shake their heads, maybe smile, and drive on by.  That's just the way it is.  People get used to the strangest things around here and don't bother themselves about it. 

As for the method behind the madness, to get back to the point here, that has to do with being ready, willing, and able to do whatever it takes to get through a Dakota Winter. 

In this case, the factor under consideration is 'happiness'. 

If I'm going to make it through this Dakota Winter intact I'm going to need every vestive of an edge that I can find and hang on to.  For me, the peace and serenity that envelopes me at my studio is more than a vestige of an edge; it's vital, a necessity.  I barely made it through the last couple of winters.  The prospect of this one frightens me in an elemental way.  The long dark of a Dakota Winter must be countered with something more powerful than a listless and vague hope for survival.  While the instinct for survival is a force in and of itself, it is not undauntable.  Dakota Winters are bloody well DAUNTING. 

Happiness is perhaps the most powerful weapon at our disposal with which to battle forces beyond our control.  Part of my edge right now is knowing what I need to do and, perhaps more important, the ability to DO it.  The studio is haunted; I'd much rather be haunted than daunted, so part of Plan A is for me to put that haunting to good use and exorcise the daunting darkness of this Dakota Winter.  That's the happiness factor. 

It's not that I'm UNhappy here at my 'good' house.  It's that I'm MORE COMPLETELY happy at my studio, and I'm going to be needing that feeling of serenity with which the studio is haunted.  It's a tool I want, and need, to put to use this winter. 

Hence giving my 'good' house away to a young mother with two little ones.  I was in her boat once upon a time and God saw fit to bless my little family with a home of our own - the studio.  I've kept it all these years, empty for a good many of them, and perhaps this is the reason.  Perhaps it's another turn of the wheel as things come full circle.  Who am I to question the mysterious ways of things?  All I know is that it feels right, it feels good, and that's enough to guide me. 

There are other parts of Plan A which are also parts of every other plan of any letter of the alphabet.  These are the tea and vitamins, sleep and eat patterns, using my brain (what's left of it) to the best of my ability, etc. 

The thing is that all the parts have to fit together right or nothing will work right. 

The factor that concerns me at the moment is the sleep/eat factor. 

Because I have to work some nights at my job, and 3-11 pm on other days, my systems are all mixed up.  I can't do nights only (which would presumably provide a stable schedule) because I can't get my systems to settle into that schedule.  For months I tried doing nights only.  It didn't work.  The schedule person at work then finally gave me SOME 3-11 shifts, but with the nights still mixed into the equation.  That definitely does NOT work.  My systems are so screwed up and confused I can't think straight half the time and the other half of the time I'm either sleeping or feel comatose. 

I hate to be the one to break the news here, but THAT is not LIFE.  It's barely survival.  If I've been barely surviving my scheudule during the good part of the Dakota year, what does that say about my chances during the long dark of a Dakota Winter? 

See what I mean? 

As soon as my friend with the little ones says the word (the word is 'yes'), I can get my things and myself moved, removing that stressor completely from the equation and replacing it with its antithesis.  Out with worry and stress, in with peace and serenity - for both of us as a matter of fact.  Well, I'm not sure how much peace and serenity she's liable to have with two little kids running around, but they're darned sure to enjoy the running room and playing room.  At any rate, both of us will be getting what we want and what else really matters?  It's a win-win. 

As soon as I'm sure this house is going into caring and loving hands, and my stuff and I are securely settled in the studio, I can address the work schedule issue. 

It may well be that the happiness factor of the studio will balance the negative of the schedule.  Plus the fact that I do have a Plan B ready to implement on a moment's notice may well provide the needed incentive for the scheduling person to get me off nights, in which case Plan A will work wonderfully well. 

At this point I'm willing to give it my best shot, with the stipulation that if my best shot proves to be insufficient I'll go immediately to Plan B. 

So that's where it stands at the moment.  The next few days will have a lot to say I believe. 

If that's not an orderly fashion I don't know what is.

ORDERLY FASHION ... PLAN A

Already addressed are the preliminary phases of Plan A, namely getting my 'good' house into loving hands that will take care of it and fill it with the laughter of children, and getting my stuff and myself into my studio's serenity and peace.  And with any luck no more night shifts for me at work so my systems can settle into a regular routine that has a modicum of sense to it. 

Once that is completed, hopefully in very short order, Plan A follows its natural progression, which has been in the planning stages for a very long time. 

Basically the plan consists of modifying a 100 year old home into a wheelchair accessible one without compromising its historic integrity.  Let it be a challenge to me. 

One very positive aspect of the plan is that back in the day they built their doors wide and their floor plan is already conducive to chair mobility.  There are no unreachable built in cupboards and no carpets to contend with.  Everything's on one floor too, a serendipitous bonus.  There are laundry hookups in the basement, as well as old wash sink set (although putting in laundry facilities on the main floor will be a pretty simple task); the attic is wide open and a lift in the attic hall will allow access without interfering with the use of the hall.  It may also be possible to install a lift to provide basement access although I haven't really thought that one out all the way yet; it's just a glimmer of an idea, but having access to the entire house would certainly be an asset. 

The beauty of the place is that nothing I want to do to it will in any way change the original floor plans.  A door on the only side of the house that doesn't already have one and a doorway that wasn't there before are the only 'big' changes, and they aren't so very big.  Everything else I plan to  do will be absolutely easily reversible should anyone ever want it back the way it was. 

Plan A's immediate goal is to get me through the long dark of this coming Dakota Winter by providing me with peace and serenity as well as a challenge to my mind and body.  It is also designed to create a sense of satisfaction as the projects develop and progress. 

When I'm not at work or possessed by projects, another of the studio's characteristics will come into play. 

I don't refer to it as my studio for no good reason, you know.  There's something about it that jump-starts creativity.  It's where some of my best pieces have come to life.  It's where I found out I can sculpt a face and still not be able to draw or paint the same face - go figure.  Although I have found that I CAN produce fairly reasonable pieces in other places, I can't WAIT to get back in there and see what's waiting for me to find it!  The anticipation and excitement are heady, a real strength in Plan A.

Wry chuckle ... the pieces that don't turn out to my satisfaction I can just burn in my wood stove and nobody will ever know they even existed! 

There's enough sorting and filing to keep me busy for a good long time, just getting everything situated. 

Then will come the floor treatments, the wall and ceiling treatments, the window treatments. 

Then will come the building of accessible work counters and cupboards as the money accumulates to finance them.  The plans are already done so it's just a matter of doing the building. 

Also on the list is getting my double stainless steel sink set in and plumbed, as well as a walk in shower for the plumbing to-do list. 

Eventually I'm going to want a counter cooktop, but for the time being my regular stove will do fine.  For that matter the little wood stove would do fine for cooking purposes.  I also have table top burners, microwaves, and a big roaster oven so I don't even really need the stove at all but I'll put it in anyway.  The cold cupboard works great during the long dark of Dakota Winters for a refrigerator/freezer, but I'll put the ones I have in anyway. 

IF everything works out and Plan A is a go, by next spring most of the inside projects will be either done or well under way and I can leave them alone and get busy on the outside ones during the most wonderful part of the Dakota Year.  I will be in hog heaven while I'm finishing the roofing, getting the new door put in, and building ramps and decks in between working my 3-11 shifts. 

Having something to look forward to is as important as seeing progress on what you're working on. 

One of the outside projects I want to get under way is building a rock garage for my little pick up truck.  Heaven knows there are plenty of rock piles around that nobody would object to me robbing.  It doesn't have to be a very big garage.  Besides hopefully serving its purpose when I get it done, it will be good practice for a bigger project I have in mind - but that's a part of Plan B so I'm not going to get into it quite yet! 

Plan A, implemented in a duly orderly fashion, will keep me busy enough for quite long enough to get me through the next year!

 

PLAN A: PROGRESS - CONTRACT FOR DEED IS DONE

It's exciting and a little strange-feeling to have written another legal document. 

This one is definitely WAY less heart-wrenching than the divorce I wrote for my husband and myself lo these many years ago. 

There's a bittersweet feeling to the process and I'm having a hard time trying to define it to myself, let alone getting the words right here. 

The fact that it's basically a legal requirement means that I had it to do and so do it I have.  And it wasn't all that hard once I found one on line that I could modify to meet our specific needs.  The principles are simple and I simplified the wording without losing any of the pertinent necessities. 

Anyway, it's done.  All we have to do is take it to a Notary and sign it.  That part feels distinctly satisfying. 

In a very few hours now the 'Buyer' will be here to look at the 'Property' in the company of the 'Seller' (that would be me!) and we'll take it from there. 

If she doesn't like it after all, or chickens out, it's not really going to be a great big deal as I have Plan B all ready to roll. 

If she DOES like it and wants to go for it, we can get the 'Agreement' signed and notarized tomorrow and begin the moving!  Needless to say, that is what I'm hoping for. 

The thought of actually being able to live in my studio for the duration of this long dark Dakota Winter makes me happy.  The thought of being able to work on the projects that will turn that 100 Year Old Home into one that I will spend my later years in is exciting. 

AND, I'll have you know, I'm doing this in an ORDERLY FASHION.

 

PLAN A MOVING ALONG IN AN ORDERLY FASHION

The Box Piles Grow - and I've already taken two loads over!



Excitement is tempered with dismay as I take a good look at all of the boxes and furniture that I'm going to be moving by myself.

The living room and dining room and front porch and kitchen of my 'good' house are stacked sky high with packed boxes which bury most of the furniture.

YIKES!

Then I just have to laugh at myself because after all, what the heck.  It's not like I can't DO this thing, you know. 

When the 'Buyer' officially said YES the first thing I wanted to do was start carting the boxes out to my little pick up truck and begin hauling them the half block to my studio.  I was getting ready to do just exactly that when it struck me that it was DARK outside.  It was COLD outside.  It was WINDY outside.  Plus I'd had a long day and was more tired than wired, AND a weekend of night shifts is staring me in the face.  

Through my mind meander the words, "Just do it in an orderly fashion."

There's nothing orderly about deliberately zapping my strength when I know full well I'll need every ounce of it to get through a challenging weekend.  There's nothing orderly about choosing to lug a houseful of stuff out into the cold and dark and wind when it's possible that milder days are right around the corner. 

I checked the extended forecast. 

Well skippity doo dah day, imagine that.  Next week, when I have some days OFF, is supposed to bring better weather! 

Hallelujah! 

By the end of next week I'll be happily and contentedly sorting through all my stuff, taking inventory of what I have to work with in terms of both artwork and project materials. 

And THAT, my friend, is something to look forward to!

Amid the chaos I will seek and find the quiet peace that has always pervaded that place, and it will calm me while I methodically, in an orderly fashion, battle the long dark of this coming Dakota Winter and transform chaos into tranquility. 

That's the plan.

REFINING PLAN A: ELECTRICAL

Of my four daughters (by location they are GF, F, B, and TC) the one I most often brainstorm with is TC and it's always a joy, often provoking laughter as we wend our way toward solutions. 

On the topic of electrical ideas for the studio, she came up with a truly great solution to the question of how to light the front room (which will one day be the main studio work room) effectively and efficiently. 

The original light fixture is antique; while I love the aesthetics of it, it's not practical.  The same applies to the dining room. 

Given the need for good lighting, flexibility, and a desire to be able to spotlight different areas at different times (for showcasing a work and/or for various work stations) I was stymied.  Using lamps is only a stop-gap method of getting the effects I want. 

TC, bless her forever, suggested track lighting in an eight foot square. 

Now that's something I can get my head around. 

It serves the purpose, isn't 'invasive' in the sense of being an irreversible change to the 100 Year Old Home, and is something I'm fully capable of getting done my own self. 

The height of the old ceilings means the lighting isn't going to be the first thing you notice when you walk in.  It will be up high enough to not intrude on anyone's line of vision.  It won't, unlike the antique light fixture, hang down so far that it's in the way (low enough for some to bump their heads on).  And it's not pretty enough to detract attention from what is SUPPOSED to be the focus.  Namely (someday) works of art, either finished pieces or works in progress. 

As the dining room will be a secondary work room, it will have the same requirements; the same solution will work.  It's a smaller room so the tracks won't be as long, but the same principle is in play and the track lighting will definitely be a good move. 

I don't know what I'm going to do with the original hanging light fixtures; maybe when I get to the attic part of the studio projects I'll put them up there where I can put the center of the ceiling as high as I want so they'll hang up out of everyone's way while providing their own 100 year old beauty. 

Otherwise it's just a matter of adding more outlets and maybe another circuit or two, which is a cake-walk. 

The two original light fixtures I want to keep are the ones in the morning room and the kitchen.  I'll have to rewire them so they're up to code of course, but I want to keep and use them as they are so much a part of the rooms they are in. 

While I'm putting in track lighting I may as well give what will be the new kitchen the same treatment and be done with it.  My bedroom can have all the lamps I want. 

Having better than adequate lighting, during the long dark of Dakota Winters, makes an incredible difference.  Using energy efficient bulbs makes you feel okay about it. 

One thing about using wiring that exceeds industry standards is that I don't have to worry about overload. 

That too shows that I'm proceeding in an orderly fashion.

PLAN A PROGRESSING NICELY

After working a full night shift I found I was wobbling a bit by the time I got home.  I took a power nap, got some things organized, and then pulled my little pick up truck next to the side door.

Two loads of boxes later I decided it was time to use the front door, as it's much easier to access and many things won't fit through the side door route.  After a couple of trials I got pretty good at backing the tailgate of my truck smack up to the door sill!  That makes for a quick and safe loading and unloading process, which is just flat out nice. 

Anything I can get out through the front door of this house is a piece of cake getting  into the studio, as all of those doorways are plenty big and it's a straight shot into the place via the front door, front porch, foyer, inside front door, and double dining room doors (for the things that aren't staying in the front room for the time being). 

Dark comes too quickly at this time of the year or I'd still be loading and unloading.  As it is, I'm a wee bit tired but quite very pleased with the progress I made today.  I'm guess-timating that there will be at least a half dozen more trips before I've got everything moved, so it's fortunate the trips are short! 

Now it's time for supper, a good book, a long tub soak, and snuggly warm pj's and robe. 

I'll take the day off from moving tomorrow because I don't want to go in for my 3-11 shift dead tired before I even get there.  The following day ought to be one of most satisfying days of my life.

PLAN A: GOTTA LOVE IT

This is going to be wonderful. 

It already IS wonderful!

As things get put away the mountains that filled the rooms shrink and chaos subsides.

PLAN A: SORTING AND FILING

One thing about moving is that it reveals in no uncertain terms exactly how much STUFF you have accumulated. 

One thing I have added to my Plan A is clearing out un-used and/or un-wanted clutter.  I'm going to clean house, I say!  I'm gonna CLEAN HOUSE around here! 

My daughters will be so proud. 

Getting rid of the things I don't need, want, or particularly like means I'll have more space for the things I DO need, want, and like.  Now there's a 'duh moment' for you! 

I have to be utterly RUTHLESS, which doesn't come easy for me. 

My biggest couch I left at the other house, so that's one item I don't have to worry about. 

I have several chairs that there's no room for.  Out they go, along with one very ugly (also very heavy) couch that someone gave me. 

There are lots of clothes for me to sort through as well. 

I have my scrubs for work, which I will keep. 

I have my ordinary clothes which consist largely of jeans, sweaters, flannel shirts and such.  I can get rid of many of them. 

I have my 'work clothes', smeared and spattered with tar and paint and adhesives and who knows what all else. 

And I have my 'Real People Clothes'.  These are my suits, dresses, nice outfits and the shoes and accessories to go with them.  These I keep for the times I venture out into the real world (admittedly few and far between but I'm working on that, too) and add to my collection on occasion. 

I've got my work cut out for me in more ways than one. 

The time to begin is now.

To paraphrase Patrick Henry:  They tell me, sir, that I am weak, unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.  But when shall I be stronger?  Will it be the next week?  Or the next year? 

No.  I'm as strong today as I expect to be next week or next year, and my adversary ain't gonna be getting any weaker that I can see.  The time is now.  Right this very minute. 

I'm taking a deep breath and getting ready to fill up some of the boxes I unpacked with things that can go to the dump. 

Here I go.

PLAN A SEEMS TO BE WORKING WELL

Believe it or not I have filled several fairly big boxes (so far) with items sorted to be filed at the dump.  Let it be known that there were only a couple of the faintest of twinges of remorse throughout the process; mostly it was gleefully sacking every last thing I can no longer tolerate the sight of!  OUT they go! 

Gone, gone, gone! 

The couch and two chairs - GONE! 

I would have gotten much further along had not a friend showed up to provide a much needed (and long time coming) respite by taking me out on the town.

PLAN A: STILL WORKING FULL SPEED AHEAD

I really ought to have been taking photos all along here ... sigh ... but I'm making good progress, although undocumented by pictures! 

As items find their homes, the chaos diminishes only to crop in yet another room as one begins to take shape. 

Boxes get moved from one room to another in a kind of rotation.  While I'm putting things away in one room, the boxes that don't belong there get moved to another room.  If there's no space in the room they SHOULD go into, they get moved yet again when I advance to the room they're currently in. 

Eventually they will all at least get into the rooms they'll be unpacked in.  I hope. 

Today I brought my freezer over so am now well stocked with food.  My sister helped me get it into place and then I helped her move some things from town out to her farm, so it's a wash on the helping each other thing this time. 

Also tonight I did a mite of wiring.  It was no big deal and took all of a few minutes, but what an enormous difference it makes to have a stove.  Luckily for me the new breaker box I put in some time back came with a 220 breaker.  All I had to do was hook the wiring up, and I had the 220 from before when I bought like ten times more than I needed. 

An update on the CLEANING HOUSE HERE end of things.  I've filled another five boxes of clothes I haven't worn or even looked at in years!  I've also designated another two chairs for the dump and begun filling the front porch with the stuff that will be heading for the burn pile. 

In between there's a lot more sorting and filing. 

I have a LOT of art-related supplies and need to build myself some shelves SOON so I can unpack all the boxes and get an inventory of sorts made. 

My find of the day are boxes I'd forgotten I had - filled with 100 year old cedar shakes from when part of the roof got re-done!  I salvaged them and use them to paint on.  One of these days I'll post some photos of some, but not right this minute.

Right this minute I'm whupped and am going to read and listen to some Celtic Serenity and then GO TO SLEEP!

PLAN A: STILL PRODEEDING IN AN ORDERLY FASHION, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Okay, let's define "orderly fashion" here. 

To me, an orderly fashion includes setting some priorities. 

Although my personal priorities may not conform with what society at large may agree with, they are MY priorities. 

For example, in my own little world, the one I live in here in my Tumble Down Cottage on Main Street of Small Town USA, books and artwork are a priority.  According to most people I ought not to be sitting and reading a book when I've got plumbing and wiring to do.  According to ME, that's exactly what I ought to be doing.  The plumbing and wiring will get done, have no fear, and it will be done exceptionally well - in my own good time.  So will everything else. 

At the moment I'm multi-tasking. 

In between paragraphs, I'm painting a picture (not the recalcitrant child one; this is a different one I'm working on while that one's in Time Out to contemplate its evil ways until it agrees that I'm the boss here - it might be a long time out), putting things into place in my kitchen, sweeping the floor, telling Duke that no he can't go outside because it's the middle of the night, reading a book about Maine just before the Revolution, and working on a sculpture for one of my daughters. 

I'm also congratulating myself for the fact that there are NO boxes of stuff in 1) the dining room, 2) the kitchen (WHOO-HOO!), or 3) the bathroom.  And no it's NOT because there are boxes of stuff that go in those rooms sitting in OTHER rooms.  It's because everything is put AWAY.  Thank the Good Lord that I build sturdy shelving units! 

As I empty out the boxes I toss them (the empty boxes) into the morning room, which is getting mighty full.  Pretty soon I'm going to have to flatten out all those boxes, bind them up with baling twine, and haul them out to the dump.  I've got at least two loads of filled boxes (clothes and other burnable stuff) to haul out, so I hope the boxes flatten out well. 

In a little bit I'll head for a bath in my 100 year old clawfoot bathtub, which is in incredible shape for its age, I have to say. 

Considering it IS the middle of the night, I've been busy. 

I tell ya - I'm gonna get through this Dakota Winter in FINE shape this year!

Good thing I work the 3-11 shifts at work!

GARDEN PLANS

This summer I intend to have a garden.

I'm not sure right now exactly what kind of garden I'm going to have but chances are it will not be a traditional one.  The plants will be traditional, of course, with tomatoes, carrots, onions, potatoes, beets, spinach, cucumbers, and probably some kind of squash - along with whatever else seems to be what I want at the time.

The non-traditional part will depend on how much time I have to work with (i.e. whether we have an early spring or a late one).  If it gets nice enough soon enough I might have time to begin the raised bed garden I want someday to have.  If not, I might have to make do with the only garden space I have right now, which is mainly my flower beds.  They'll grow vegetables as well as flowers, you know. 

Even so, I would prefer to have my garden in my sunny back yard.  If I can't manage to borrow a tiller this year maybe I'll just use my shovel to dig trenches for the root crops, a post hole digger to make holes to put tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash plants into (and use 2 liter pop bottles with the tops and bottoms cut off to line them), plant spinach in the over-sized flower pot I have out front, and call it good enough. 

With some major projects that need to get under way as soon as the weather gets halfway decent, the garden may have to take a back seat - but we shall see what we shall see. 

Since I'll have to be rock-hunting anyway, I may as well hunt some to use for the raised beds.  They might give me good practice.

ROOFING PLANS

Roofing isn't a new thing to me, thank goodness. 

Before I even begin, I'll have to make sure I have decent scaffolding and all the supplies I'll need.  And I'll say a prayer because this will be the first time I've tackled a job of this size all by myself.  Pre-organization is going to be crucial. 

As soon as the weather gets nice (yes, this has been an exceptionally nice winter - knock on wood - in our neck of the woods, but it's still North Dakota and I'm not getting on my roof YET) I'll be up there taking off two layers of cedar shakes.  And I'll be doing it carefully because I'll be salvaging as many as I can for future reference.  It will no doubt be time-consuming and people will ask me how come I don't just rip them off regardless of whether they get broken into bits.  I have my reasons for doing things my own way. 

As I go, I'll be pulling out all those nails (there are a lot more of them with shakes than with asphalt shingles, believe me) or pounding in the ones I can't pull. 

The next step, as I go along, is repairing or replacing roof boards that need it, and fascia, mainly around the bay window.  My 100 year old roof isn't sheathed with plywood, nor would I want it to be.  It's got a variety of boards from a variety of sources, and I like it that way. 

Also as I go along, the result of each day's work gets covered with that sticky-backed black stuff that's usually only put on the edges of a roof - it's to keep ice from backing up behind shingles and loosening them - but it goes onto every bit of my roof instead of tar-paper.  Because I want it that way, that's why.  Remember I'm going to be up there all by myself; I want my footing to be as safe as possible and this stuff has grit embedded in it besides adhering to the roof securely.  It won't slip or tear like tar-paper might.  And it won't blow off no matter how windy it gets.  That stuff is truly wonderful.  Its adhesive is good and when reinforced with a few staples it flat out ain't going to come off.  Plus I can cut it into sections small enough for me to handle comfortably and carry a small stack of those pieces up with me instead of trying to fight with a big roll.  Once the shingles are in place you'll never know what a patchwork it looks like under them. 

As I work my way up, I'll be nailing 2x4s onto the roof over the black stuff so I'll have something secure to support me.  You take a 2x4 of whatever length you're comfortable handling up there, nail three or four pieces of tin (about three inches by seven or eight inches, or more, however much you want) onto one side of the 2x4 so it's got tin tabs sticking out, enough to nail into and hold the 2x4 when you use the tabs to nail it to the roof.  That's so when you get done putting the new asphalt shingles on all you have to do is snip the tin tabs under the edge of the shingle so it won't show; the 2x4 comes right off and the tabs left behind just disappear under the shingles - you can't even tell they're there and leaving those nails in place means no nail holes are exposed, even under the shingles.  You can dab a little tar on when you nail them on (to be on the extra-safe side) if you want but it really isn't necessary.

For the first row of shingles you can either buy the edging shingle rolls or just cut the tabs off the regular ones so there's a solid edge of asphalt along that bottom roof line.  Getting the first row perfectly straight will mean the rest of it will be fine, as long as you have a good eye and keep it that way.  Using a chalk line to double check is a good idea, too.  Assuming the edge of the roof is straight (which it had darned well BETTER be!) you just measure the same distance up on each end, fasten the chalk line securely to one end, stretch it TIGHT to the other end at the measured spot, and give it a good snap or two.  If you're concerned about a level, straight line, use your level along the line you snapped to double check.  Me, I mainly want the rows of shingles to be spaced evenly and straight with the edge of the roof.  For all I know my 100 year old house has settled crooked.  If I go with the bubble level I might have a shingling job that's level all right but crooked on the roof. 

Because I have a hip roof I have to cope with four diagonal lines going down from the hip to the corners.  All you have to do is trim the shingles along that line to fit that edge as you go.  When you've finished the top row of shingles, cut shingles at their tab lines (vertically) and start at the bottom of the roof line, overlapping them as you go up, like the shingles.  Use a couple of nails on each side of the edge and make sure they're tight as you go.  This is a good place to use quite a bit of tar, as the last thing you want is for those pieces to ever come loose.  The same goes for the ridge on top.  You should tin there too, under the shingles. 

Working around the dormers is when things can get dicey.  Although I've done two of them already I'm already nervous about this third one.  The first row or two of shingles are easy enough, as they go below the dormer, and the ones that butt up against its sides won't be too hard.  It's weaving the ones on the roof of the dormer into the ones on the main roof that gives me fits every time. 

However, even before worrying about the shingles, I have to make sure the seal around the dormer is good.  That means, to me, a LOT of tarring at the seam.  And getting the tin secured just right, with lots of tar over nail heads, none of which can be in the valley itself but HAVE to be on nails that go into WOOD, not empty air under the valley tin.  Complicating things, the siding on the dormer can't be removed to fit the tin under it.  At least I'm not going to tackle that beast.  All I can do is the best I can do.  I figure it doesn't have to be absolutely perfect; it just has to look halfway presentable and not leak.  Critics are welcome to get up there and fix it any time they want. 

Roofng the dormer itself is the scariest part of this whole project.  For the rest of the roof I'll have as many 2x4s as I want for support and stability.  For the dormer it's different.  I'll be able to reach well enough from the roof to get a couple of rows of shingles done without undue anxiety but from there on up I'll have to be perched up on the top of the dormer basically working upside down.  The parts I can't reach from below HAVE to be done from above and that, my friend, is no picnic. 

Be that as it may be, it will get done.

I'll begin with stripping off all of the cedar shakes and getting the entire roof and dormer roof sealed with that black stuff, then seal around the dormer liberally and thoroughly.  I will NOT have leaks. 

Then on go the shingles, actually the easiest part of this whole thing.  Up the roof front to back to where the roof of the dormer merges with the main roof, and back to front the same way.  THIS is why it's pretty blasted important to make the rows of shingles uniform from the bottom on up.  Because by the time you get to the merge point those front and back halves of the roof's shingles had better be lined up right or the whole roof will be cockeyed.  Bad enough that you'll have to be weaving shingles from the roof of the dormer, which sticks out of the main roof at a 90 degree angle on top of the diagonal lines of its slopes ... the rows of the main roof have to meet up at the peak of the dormer where they'll merge and you'll then have straight through front to back rows up to the top (those last rows are a huge relief after the trauma of the dormer and weaving and valley tinning and yada yada, let me tell you!).

That's the biggest part of my summer-to-come right there.  Roofing.  I've got the long south side of the roof to get done, with the dormer in the middle of it, and the shorter back with no dormer thank heavens.  Then it's just finishing up the ridges and I can rest about my roof for thirty years. 

Fortunately for me there are tree branches overhanging the first part of the roof I'll be working on.  Every once in a while someone will nag me about cutting them back but I'm leaving them in place until that part of my roof work is done.  Until I get my roof legs I like the security of having them there where I can grab them for balance if I need to.  Not only that, but I have an enormous rope that I used when I did the other side of the roof.  It gets securely fastened inside of the dormer on the other side of the house, goes out the dormer window, runs over the top of the roof to the side I'm working on, and I can either hold onto it or wrap it around me if I want that extra security. 

By the time I'm done I expect I'll have a pretty strong right arm.  I intend to pound in every nail my own self, with a hammer, so I know I'm nailing into wood and not air.  Because the roof is made of an asortment of boards, there are gaps of varying sizes, none very big, but they're there; it's not a uniformly solid surface.  I think that may be a not-so-bad thing, now that I think of it.  It allows for seasonal contraction and expansion, cold and heat.

BUILDING WITH STONE PLANS

I really hope this spring, summer, and fall are beautiful. 

I won't mind if it rains during the nights as long as there's time for everything to dry out so I can get my projects done.  Rain days are the pits.

Whether or not I'll be able to accomplish it or not, one of the things I want to try to do in the coming three seasons is to learn to build with stone. 

Rock piles abound in this area.  I have a little four wheel drive pickup.  I'll take all the rocks you want to get rid of that I can carry.

There are several stone projects I'd like to try. 

One is a house for Duke. 

One is my raised bed garden. 

One is for the ramping to my back door. 

Having a reasonable modicum of intelligence, I did some on line homework and am fairly certain I can do this.  If not, you can have your rocks back. 

I already have many of the things I'll need for these projects:
Plywood, which I'll cut to the sizes of frames I'll need;
2x4, for reinforcing and stabilizing the frames;
1x2 or 2x4, for width spacers;
Saw, for cutting the above;
Wire, to hold the frames and spacers in place;
Wire cutter, to free the frames;
Spade/shovel, to dig the foundation trench;
Measuring tape;
Level;
Square;
Five gallon pail, for mixing concrete;
Stir sticks, ditto;
Plastic scoops, for scooping globs of concrete as I don't plan to use my hands for that.

I'll have to buy the concrete as the stuff I bought way back when is probably useless by now, and I'll have to go rock-collecting. 

The simplified directions are to (once your materials are on hand and your frames are built) dig the foundation trenches the way you want them (which would be deep enough and wide enough and squared at the corners), fill them with stone and concrete, let set up and backfill, assemble the frames and get them on the foundation, fill with stone and concrete, let set up, then remove, reassemble and do another row or level.  Wherever you want an opening, build a framework for it and work around it.

Yes, there's a bit more to it than that.  Did I not just say these are simplified directions?  But there's not much more, unless you're building a house and have to plan for roof and floor joists and such. 

I have to remember, when I'm building my raised beds, to put sections of pipe through the rock walls down low for drainage.  The same goes for Duke's house (although not for drainage) in case he ever wants inside plumbing, or electricity.  Easier to build in the accesses than try to put them in after the fact.

Really.  I ask you:  how difficult can this be? 

I reckon I'll find out.

FENCING PLANS

To begin with, as soon as the ground isn't frozen I have to move a big section of my wooden fence line. 

I want easier access to my back door from the outside, which the current fence line doesn't allow for, the reason being that if Duke went out either the side door or the back door he'd still be in a yard (his is the side yard, which has an additional fence line separating it from the big back yard). 

Since I have now decided that the best place for my garden is in the big back yard, Duke no longer gets to have access to it, too bad so sad.  He's got plenty of running room in his own yard.  Plus, if he has access to my garden he'll eat all my tomatoes, and I want to eat them my own self, and can some. 

Besides that, given the current economic situation, I want a ramp going up to that door.  What, you may ask, does economics have to do with ramps?  Well, bad knees run in our family.  Mine are fine so far but you never know what the future holds. 

My mom told me not to worry, that medicare/medicaid would provide me with new knees if necessary, like they did hers.  By the time I need new knees those programs may well be defunct, the way things are going, so I'm figuring that I'd best make my own plan.  That includes handicap access to my home, as well as making the inside as chair-accessible as possible. 

Hence the ramps. 

Hence the moving of the fence line.  I'll build the ramp alongside the new line, right up to the back door. 

Moving the fence line isn't going to be complicated. 

All I have to do is disconnect the sections, dig out the posts, dig new post holes, put the posts into them, and reconnect the sections. 

Piece of cake. 

I hope. 

Once it's moved, I'll paint the big back yard fence so it matches the house and Duke's fence, and do some touch-ups on his, and be done with it.

Turning A Window Into A Door PLANS

The new kitchen in my house used to be the back bedroom. 

It's a long story. 

Anyway, one of the windows of my new kitchen looks out into my courtyard, which is on the opposite side of the house from Duke's yard. 

I want that window to be a door. 

Since inevitably the things I want do not just automatically or magically happen all by themselves (sigh) I guess it's up to me to turn that window into a door. 

My mom gave me a door and frame, even a screen/storm door with it, so I've got the door.  That's good news. 

More good news is that, unless my artist's eye fails me, it ought to be a good fit.  As soon as I take out the bit of wall that's beneath the window.  Actually, I set the door in its frame smack up against the window.  Since the tops line up and the sides line up, my artist's eye tells me that the idea is not outside the realm of possibility. 

How hard can it be to take off the trim, remove the window in its frame, cut out the bit of wall beneath the window opening, reinforce the exposed framing, set the door in its frame into place, and put back the trim, using the part that's now beneath the window to fill in the vertical gaps at the bottoms of the sides? 

Think how nice it will be to just walk out the door from my kitchen to my courtyard! 

Of course it would be a big step down from the door to the ground, but building the decking and ramping for that is another project.

Plan A Still On Track

Finding 'homes' for everything, sorting and filing as I go, yada yada, what can I say?  Some days are more productive than others!

One thing:  I figured out where I can put the McCord hutch so as to open up that corner of my studio work room!  You'll never believe this, but that hutch is going ... drum roll please ... IN THE OLD KITCHEN!  And the Wagaman/Gibson dresser(s) ... in the morning room along with the Blanton library table and the antique Hotel dresser. 

The corner cleared by moving the hutch will become home to four display boxes.  I have a LOT of finished pieces that I like but never get to see because they're all stacked on top of each other.  Hence the display boxes. 

Speaking of display boxes.

I built a bunch of them, with the intent of putting shelves in them and using them for my supplies.  Got them done and up on the wall, wondered if one of my sculptures would fit, tried it, and it's still there. 

Which means I need to build a bunch more boxes (with shelves) for my supplies.  Wry chuckle.  I also need to build even more (lots more, with shelves) for all my books.  Some of them have been in boxes for YEARS; unpacking them is like having a reunion with dear friends whom I haven't seen in a long time!  One entire wall of my dining room MIGHT be enough.  If not, I guess I'll keep building.

Dining Room Floor



Well now.  This ought to be fun!

I'm in the process (okay I'm taking a break from the process at the moment) of sanding the dining room floor in preparation for re-sealing it.

Breaks are mandatory because I'm using a little electric sander and my fingers, hand, and half my arm go numb from the vibrations. 

The good news is that it seems to be working fine. 

In between other things I'll be sanding away on it all day today, and then at bedtime I'll paint myself out of the dining room and into my bedroom to give it plenty of time to dry overnight.  Duke will have to spend the night in the old kitchen, which he might gripe about (you think dogs don't gripe?  You'll have to meet Duke someday; he's adept at it) but he'll survive.

Plan A Still Toodling Right Along



Dining room, attic hall, and bathroom floors have been stripped, sanded, and sealed; that's a nice step in the right direction, and they look one heck of a lot better than they probably have in the 100 years of their lives to date.  Having gotten that far, and being heartily sick and tired of re-finishing floors, I decided that the old kitchen and the new kitchen are getting linoleum. 

The new kitchen's walls are also primed (okay, I admit I still have a little detail work and one little corner to do, but for the most part they are done!) so now I can get on with figuring out exactly what I want to DO with them.

Shelving units are built and more planned.  Some are for artwork display; some are for books.

I've begun collecting more materials for the roofing and for ramping.  The roofing will be time-consuming, what with having to remove two layers of cedar shakes (all those NAILS!!), but I'll dodder along as best I can.  As soon as I have the scaffolding (next on my purchase list) and the weather is nice enough, I can get on with it!  I have plenty of everything I need to get a good beginning.

One thing I discovered today is that my little pickup is a great little work pony!  I hauled almost half a ton of materials and that little old truck performed like a trooper, which is a huge relief.  This time it was mainly concrete blocks and rolls of roofing stuff; next it will be more rolls and lots of shingles, which aren't exactly feather-weight.

Moving right along ... in order to do the dining room floor I had to of course empty the room.  Once the floor was double sealed I decided I really like the space in there when it isn't all filled up with a big dining room table, the accompanying chairs, couch, easy chair, and whatever the heck else I had taking up all the room.  Since it's just me and Duke here, I made an arbitrary decision to dispense with most of all that stuff.  I'll have my small antique table, a couple of chairs, the counter for electronics, and my recliner and that's it.  Out with the rest!

For a few days the couch sat in the middle of my studio work room, taking up all THAT space.  Then I heaved a heavy sigh and went ahead and dismantled the day bed in the morning room to make room for the couch in there for the time being.  The day bed, dismantled, I just added to the rapidly filling front porch.  Some of the clutter out there consists of dump-bound junk; some of it I want to keep (if I can ever get to it); a large portion will sit there until the people who want it are ready to have it (which will hopefully be in this decade).  Once that re-distribution happens this old house will have a look that I will sincerely appreciate.

One of my 'between-work' projects in the next couple of days is going to be constructing the framing to use in building Duke's stone doghouse.  It's a practice run for the bigger projects I have in mind.  I'll also have to go rock-hunting, which will probably be the most fun of the whole project.  Other than that, I just have to get some concrete mix and a five gallon pail.  Well yeah, then I have to DO the project! 

Oh, an explanation of the term 'between-work':  I'm a CNA at a local medical facility and work the 3-11 shift.  When I have a bunch of work days in a row, my daily schedule is getting up and moving around nine or ten, eating, bathing, spending a little time on line or fiddling with either planning or working on something or other; then, because I'm OLD (and because my job is physically and emotionally demanding), I'll usually try to get some rest from noon until two when it's time for me to get ready for work, leave for work at two-thirty so as to get there on time, work from three to eleven, get home shortly before midnight, wind down until one or two in the morning, and do it all over again.  So the 'between-work' time consists of maybe an hour in the late morning. 

Anyway ...

The gal I 'sold' my other house to told me that she's going to pay me a little more on it, so I'm hoping to be able to go shopping again on my next weekend off, for those roofing materials and hopefully the linoleum for the kitchens. 

In between now and then I'll have one day 'off' from work and according to the extended forecast it's supposed to rain that day so I reckon maybe I can use that day to do something creative for a change.

Plan A: The Roof Over The Bay Window

It's a dirty job but has to be done, so ... I just do it.

Demolishing the back porch and fixing the roof.

It seems I got that area sealed off in the nick of time.  It's raining.

The last time it rained I was appalled to notice that a significant leak had developed and some of my art supplies stored on bakers racks in the bay window (where they fit PERFECTLY side by side!) were getting somewhat damp.  Sigh.

Shifting my focus from the back porch removal, I knew I HAD to get that leak stopped so shifted gears in my mind and got to it. 

I had a couple of days off from my job and spent the first one getting the scaffolding moved from the back porch to the bay window, then clambering up to see what the deal was. 

Right here is where I have to tell you that I had already known this particular part of the roof was going to be problematic.  Years ago I put a 'bandaid' patch up there (back when I had some actual very sturdy and big scaffolding and we were painting the house and working on the other half of the roof).  I'm just happy the bandaid held as long as it did, because until just recently when I bought myself some scaffolding of my own I wouldn't have been able to get up there to do anything about fixing anything.  So there's that. 

Right here I also have to tell you that roof work is not my most favorite of all projects.  Every single time I have to go up there it's daunting.  After the FIRST time climbing the scaffolding, I can remind myself that the fact that my legs are shaking and my arms trembling is moot; the shakes WILL subside within a minute or so once I'm up there, but that very first time going up is a challenge to my courage because if it's been a while I've forgotten that the terror will fade in the face of necessity.  At least I'm able to somehow force it into submission; otherwise I'd never get anything done on my roof at all.  

Anyway, that first trip up to the roof is inevitably the worst and I have to make myself take each rung in turn regardless of how badly I'm shaking.  I tell myself that all I have to do is hang on and move my arms and legs - and try really hard not to think about the fact that I'll also have to go back DOWN, because ... well ... because that would be just TOO much, you know? 

Once I've made it up and down a few times it's not quite so awful, but I'm not one to monkey around with it, either.  I go up carefully and I work carefully and I come back down carefully.

Because, of necessity, I'm alone.  When you're alone, there's nobody to catch you if you slip, so you'd better not be slipping. 

Back to the bay window roof.

The area I wanted to clear and seal is roughly two and a half feet by six feet.  The top surface of my scaffolding puts me at about waist high to the roof line, a fairly comfortable height, and I could reach the area I wanted to clear and seal. 

Pulling off two layers of soggy old rotten cedar shakes isn't really all that hard.  It's the nails that will do you in and drive you crazy.  Many of the oldest ones just lose their heads, or lost them long ago, so can't be pulled.  Those get driven back with a hammer.  The rest get pulled, and when I say there are an abundance of nails used to apply cedar shakes I'm not joking. 

As the shakes came off I realized that someone long before me had also had trouble with this area of the roof.  There were sideways shingles and some old asphalt sheeting, and a foot-wide strip of tin in between layers of shakes. 

Once I had the whole works peeled off, I realized that I'd have to replace a couple of the roof boards so I removed them and put into place one board I had on hand that would fit.  I also put in a couple of rafter ends cut to fit properly onto rafters that needed reinforcement while I was at it.  Thankfully my step-dad had provided a bunch of them for the other part of the roof which had already been done and there were left-overs.  As it was too late by then to go to the lumber yard for more boards, I covered the open area for the night even though it wasn't supposed to rain.

Come morning I went and got more boards than I needed (because I know I'll need them soon anyway) and headed back to finish the project. 

Measuring the length of the space I needed a board for, I climbed down the scaffolding, collected a board, cut it to length, and then climbed back up and nailed it into place.  

No I didn't just climb up the scaffolding carrying a six foot board, no way could I do that!  I hiked it up onto the lower platform which is six feet up, then climbed part way up, pulled it free, and levered it up onto the higher platform with one hand while hanging on with the other.  NOT enjoyable.  But I got it done. 

With the boards in place I still had to seal off that area of the roof.

Back down I went, armed with the measurements and a utility knife.  I had rolls of water/ice seal in the back yard where I'd dropped them when I got them home.  The boxes have cut out 'handles' but they broke when I tried to use them (and I had gotten the big rolls instead of the smaller ones because it's cheaper that way) so I finagled the roll I wanted until it was out of its box, realized it was much too heavy for me to try to pull with my hands, and finally just stretched out my arms, grabbed it on the ends and carried the blasted thing into my courtyard where I could unroll it to the length I wanted.  

I cut a six foot length, then cut it down the center (or close enough!), rolled the pieces back up, hoisted them onto the lower deck, climbed part way up, and hoisted them up top, again hanging on with one hand while getting them moved with the other. 

Once up there, it was relatively easy to get them into place.  First the one along the bottom roof line, then the other one over-lapping it.  That stuff has an adhesive backing so I started peeling the protective paper before putting the stuff into place.  Then it was just a matter of pulling the paper the rest of the way off and sticking the stuff onto the roof boards that I had thoroughly wiped down in the process of confirming that all the nails were either pulled or embedded into the roof.  One nice thing about the new roof boards I had put on:  no nails! Except for the ones I used, of course.

Anyway, I got the sealing stuff stuck down and tucked in around the edges, tacked some of it over the edges to seal them, and climbed on down.  

By that time I knew it was definitely past the time when I ought to have been back on terra firma.  

You see, it's easy enough to tell when it's time to NOT be on a roof. 

When the wind threatens to blow you off.
When you feel dizzy.
When lifting the pry bar gets hard to do.
When lifting the hammer seems more than you can handle.
When your muscles start trembling with fatigue. 
When you get clumsy.
When it's too dark to see what you're doing anyway.
When it's raining.

In this case it was the trembling muscles and inability to effectively use the pry bar or hammer that told me I was already past my limit. 

When it's just a matter of the burning/stinging in my muscles, that's okay.  That just means they're getting a work out.  But when they begin trembling with the effort of continuing on, it becomes dangerous.  If I were working out in a gym, or running, or whatever, it wouldn't matter so much to push myself physically.  The worst that could happen THEN would be that I fell over with exhaustion.  

Being up on a roof or scaffolding, it's not exactly the same concept.  Falling over in exhaustion would mean falling OFF.  Not an option. 

At any rate, at least that little part of the roof is done AND I've gotten those initial quivers out of my system, the worst of them anyway.  Using the scaffolding while working on the back porch DID help with that too, thank goodness.

And (knock on wood) so far not a hint of a drop has fallen into the bay window area!