unicornduke (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
unicornduke) wrote2023-12-24 01:38 pm
unicornduke) wrote2023-12-24 01:38 pm
(no subject)
It was chilly cold the last few days at home (not now here at my parents), so I bundled up in the afternoons and did some workshop work. I got a ramp built for Mara to handle the stairs at my parents, which was two 9 foot rough cut 2x4s with 3 10 inch connector 2x4s in between them. I then took mostly rough cut plank but also some smooth scrap pieces and screwed them down. Put together a quick 2x4 railing. When I got here, I cut a notch for the stair to rest in and attached the railing.
First time, Mara was appalled that I would be asking her to go down this weird thing, but once I physically took her feet and placed them on the ramp, she seemed to understand what was going on. The first walk down was very tentative, but now she will go right down it by herself without my assistance at all. The only thing to change is to add more planks right at the bottom and find something to make the bottom planks rougher. The rough cut one bys at the top are fine but the scrap smooth stuff is too smooth. The gaps between the planks keep it from being too bad but it would be good to fix. She's now happy to head right down it, which is far different than her upset about the stairs. She doesn't like going up it, but I think it's because she wants to spend more time outside. She's getting four walks a day, but she wants to be free.
I also got the warping board done once I got a new size drill bit. The only thing left to do on it is glue the dowels in and that needed to be done in the basement and I ran out of time.
This is the other fun here at my parents':
This is where the upstairs bathroom used to be plus a section of the laundry room. Dad decided that the beams were no good (he said one had been pieced together with hinges and drywall screws) and removed them, so this is currently the danger zone. In theory the new joists are going up this afternoon. Fun! Given the house is shaped like a C on the first floor, we have to walk through the construction zone to get to the kitchen or the bathroom. Or the outside.
We are ahead of christmas schedule in that we picked up the tree yesterday instead of today and I dug the christmas ornaments out of the attic, which required me to stand on the top of a ladder to get to the inaccessible laundry room in the right part of the photo, then move a giant chunk of plywood (there's also the washer and dryer up there, plus the ceilings are low, so little room to maneuver it out of the way of the attic door.) Then I had to get up the attic stairs, which had stuff piled on it, then find the christmas deco bins, some of which had been placed at the far end of the attic. The attic has no floor, so I had to walk on the beams. I still need to wrap my presents
Life is interesting. But Mom bought me four boxes of gluten free cookies at the store, so I'm happy.
First time, Mara was appalled that I would be asking her to go down this weird thing, but once I physically took her feet and placed them on the ramp, she seemed to understand what was going on. The first walk down was very tentative, but now she will go right down it by herself without my assistance at all. The only thing to change is to add more planks right at the bottom and find something to make the bottom planks rougher. The rough cut one bys at the top are fine but the scrap smooth stuff is too smooth. The gaps between the planks keep it from being too bad but it would be good to fix. She's now happy to head right down it, which is far different than her upset about the stairs. She doesn't like going up it, but I think it's because she wants to spend more time outside. She's getting four walks a day, but she wants to be free.
I also got the warping board done once I got a new size drill bit. The only thing left to do on it is glue the dowels in and that needed to be done in the basement and I ran out of time.
This is the other fun here at my parents':
This is where the upstairs bathroom used to be plus a section of the laundry room. Dad decided that the beams were no good (he said one had been pieced together with hinges and drywall screws) and removed them, so this is currently the danger zone. In theory the new joists are going up this afternoon. Fun! Given the house is shaped like a C on the first floor, we have to walk through the construction zone to get to the kitchen or the bathroom. Or the outside.
We are ahead of christmas schedule in that we picked up the tree yesterday instead of today and I dug the christmas ornaments out of the attic, which required me to stand on the top of a ladder to get to the inaccessible laundry room in the right part of the photo, then move a giant chunk of plywood (there's also the washer and dryer up there, plus the ceilings are low, so little room to maneuver it out of the way of the attic door.) Then I had to get up the attic stairs, which had stuff piled on it, then find the christmas deco bins, some of which had been placed at the far end of the attic. The attic has no floor, so I had to walk on the beams. I still need to wrap my presents
Life is interesting. But Mom bought me four boxes of gluten free cookies at the store, so I'm happy.