"What Software Developers Do When They Are Not Developing Software".

[JW-JnJ]

---

@Ben wrote:

Nice post Josh!

Thank you.

Re: the bleach thing...

Will that part of the fabric decay before the rest of the shirt?

Re: brewing...

Take care if you are using a collapsible hose for the wort chiller. The first time I did that, the hose started to collapse when I shut-off the water and almost pulled the pot of the stove.

Ben

---

Regarding bleach shirts. Not so far. It's a timing and dilution thing really. You want to dilute the bleach, then dunk the shirt in cold water as soon as the color is gone.

Regarding brewing. I'm avoiding buying as many thing as possible to avoid my buyer/planner from putting a stop to this hobby. So I don't have a chiller. Really, a wine expert would scream at me for heating up the fruit in the first place (rar, pectin makes cloudy wine!). However, the alternative to heating is adding sulfites, which I'm avoiding at the moment since I don't care about cloudiness. What I do is make 1 gallon batches, cap them in a glass jar with a bubbler, rely on the smaller volume to cool faster, then add yeast. Plus, beer is a lot more sensitive to contamination, hence the chiller to cool it before something else can take hold.

[Ben]

While standing in front of my house in the extreme winds we had on Sunday, I heard a racket behind my and turned to witness a tree coming down and taking out two others as it did so. It left the last tree standing with its branches tangle in another tree.

Cinched up the base of the tree with a cable hooked to the winch on the front of the pick-up and took it down gently.

The street is now safe and clear again.

Ben

[Ben]

Well there was more fun than those three trees of mine that came down.

That pile of debris next to the wooden shed was inside a metal shed on Saturday. The wind from Sunday picked up the shed leaving the contents largely untouched and dropped it in the field on the edge of the neighboring horse farm.

I had been clearing out that shed over the last couple of weeks and asking myself if I should keep it or toss it. God answered that question on Sunday.

So "when I am not developing software" I will be tending to the previous contents of that shed.

Side benefit!

I will not have to endure my better-half as she channels Monty Python and "Arthur (two sheds) Jackson skit.

Spoiler

Ben

[Ben]

I made this animation while pulling up floor boards in that 100 plus year old disaster of a house we are redoing.

The interesting thought is that the old man that lived in this place just died about a year ago.

And yes those floor joist where just sitting in the dirt.

Ben

[mcduff]

You think that is bad. What most people don't know is that the first Predator movie with Arnold is loosely based on a true story. We have one of those predators in our backwoods here; you can see one of there "trophies" below.

Makes for an interesting walk with the avatar.

mcduff

[RavensFan]

---

@Ben wrote:

I made this animation while pulling up floor boards in that 100 plus year old disaster of a house we are redoing.

The interesting thought is that the old man that lived in this place just died about a year ago.

And yes those floor joist where just sitting in the dirt.

Ben

---

Hi Ben,

I'm sorry but I've got to ask.  Wouldn't it have been easier to just tear the whole house down and start over?

[Ben]

---

@RavensFan wrote:

---

...

---

Hi Ben,

I'm sorry but I've got to ask.  Wouldn't it have been easier to just tear the whole house down and start over?

Easier?

Yes but it would have cost more. By doing all of the work ourselves, we hope to have this place pay for itself in 2 or 3 years and bringing in a steady income as long as we can keep it rented out. A tear-down and replace would also bring in the revenuers to get in the way of everything. The work we are doing is technically considered "mantainence" and the only time we will have to get a permit is when we move the service entrance.

Spoiler

Besides, my siblings and I grew up poor in handyman specials most of out lives and the work brings back memories of working with my father as he replaced all of the windows of a house located in Duluth Mn in the dead of winter when I was in first grade. I actually enjoy it!

One of my Father's quotes goes;

"Rayners do not pump iron. We dig dirt!"

Ben

[Ben]

... and then there is the bonding time with my better-half spending two days in the hole.

We uncovered tunnels where some creature had stashed its hoard of plastic gloves, and toy rubber snakes. I felt like we were in the movie "Planet of the Apes" when (was it Cornelius?) said "and this level we found..."

Ben

[Ben]

This is an update on that wreck of a house that we have been working on.

The entire family has played their parts, including the G-Daughters. They inspect the catacombs on week-ends. The youngest made my better-half smile after whimpering as she found her way from one side of the excavation to the other and as she emerged proclaiming;

"That was fun! I want to do it again!"

Kids!

Ben

[Ben]

The digging I had posted about is approaching the 1/2 way point with the crawls space done save dirt steps to get in and out.

The next mini-project is install a proper cellar door as I document in this video.

In addition to a lot of digging there will be drainage concerns, pouring concrete, a lot of other. The current access "door" is may 4' high. My brother wants us to take it down to 6-7' if we can. Our cement mixer is going to earn its keep again before this project is done.

Take care,

Ben