Last week I wrote about my experiences (here, here, here, and here) volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.

My mother-in-law, not to be out done, shared an episode in the on-going renovations at the family home. It’s been a long standing family joke that Red Green has to be based on my father-in-law. While it’s not accurate, if you’ve me my f-i-l, you’d understand the comparison.

Here’s what she had to say:

As you know Ian took out a wall in our kitchen last fall and we have been in a construction zone since then. Well. Ian and Dan have finished the floor and have put the bottom cupboards together and have put on the plywood to make the counter top. We are going to tile the counter top. We have put in a front loading washing machine and dryer in the kitchen. Leon’s sells the under counter version. I love them, love them, love them. They use so little water and are so quiet.

I have been home the last 2 days. I have a rotten summer cold and am hacking out a lung so I have been home watching them work. I will explain to you why it has taken so long. They went to home depot to get some glue and came home with wood for the arbor in the backyard. They have built a 2 story ( maybe I am exaggerating a little bit but not by much) over the patio. The idea is too provide a place where the climbing vines can go and then they can take down the leaking metal roof over the back porch. So they played outside for a while. Then they decided to install the air conditioner in the wall of the family room. So they cut a hole in the wall on the hottest day of the year. I must admit it really didn’t take them too long to install it. Then they went back to Home Depot to buy foam and trim to finish off the trim around the newly installed air conditioner. They came back with the supplies and also with a new front door lock. after the air conditioner was done they took off the front door and installed the new lock. And that was the entire day’s work and nothing was done in the kitchen!!!!

You should be happy you have Drew. He is not as attention deficit as his brother and Dad.

I’ve often said my mother-in-law could make a fortune with a stand-up comedy routine. All she needs to do is tell stories about my f-i-l and the boys growing up. She’s got the facial expressions and voices down pat. The stories she can tell would have even the most humour impaired person rolling in the aisles laughing. A sampling of the greatest hits include:

• “He had a flashlight and a hatchet in his hand, so of course he propped the window open with the hatchet…”
• “four hours after the cast came off the arm, we were back at emergency getting on put on his foot/leg…”
• “fell asleep and rolled off the boat…”
• “threw all of their shoes off of the boat…”
• “opened the door and pushed his brother out of the moving car…”
• [boys] “What about the dog?”
  [Dad] “I left him for you.”
  [Mom] “You said WHAT to the boys? What were you thinking? They’ve never had a dog before!”
  [Mad rush outside]
  [Narrator] “The dog was on the chopping block. Paul was holding the dog, Ian was stroking it’s head, and Drew was trying to heft the axe over his head…”

Most days, we’re just amazed that any of them grew into adulthood, let alone productive members of society. And yes, I know I’m really lucky to have Drew.

Technorati Tags: construction, family

It’s definitely time to set a new goal. Any suggestions?

It’s been a few months since my last update, but I haven’t had much chance to read of late. As of early May, I’d read 40 traditional (hard/soft cover) books. Since then, I’ve only managed to read an additional 18 books. Not to fear, I’m still plugging away at it and am giddily awaiting the arrival of the final Harry Potter in a few weeks and received my advanced shipping/packing notice from Chapters.ca this evening.

As always, I’m breaking the list down into two parts. The fist list contains paperback and hardcover books I’ve been able to find and list on Shelfari and the second list contains all the eBooks I’ve been reading that I can’t figure out how to add to Shefari yet. Their ISBN’s don’t bring up any information. If anyone knows how to get an eBook added to Shelfari, please let me in on the secret.

Hardcover/Paperback

1. A Dirty Job – Christopher Moore
2. The Last Juror – John Grisham
3. Goal Analysis – Robert F Mager
4. River’s End – Nora Roberts
5. Rebellion – Nora Roberts
6. Don’t be Afraid – Rebecca Drake
7. Who Moved My Cheese – Spenser Johnson
8. On The Run – Iris Johansen
9. Every Which Way But Dead – Kim Harrison
10. Five Point Someone – What Not to do at IIT – Chetan Bhagat
11. One Night at the Call Center: A Novel – Chetan Bhagat
12. Jack Knife – Virginia Baker
13. The Opium Clerk – Kunal Basu
14. I, Lucifer – Glen Duncan
15. Our Iceberg is Melting – John Kotter, Holger Rathgeber, Spenser Johnson
16. The Thirteenth Tale – Diane Setterfield
17. Dead Until Dark – Charlaine Harris
18. Living Dead in Dallas – Charlaine Harris
19. Club Dead – Charlaine Harris
20. Dead to the World – Charlaine Harris
21. Dead as a Doornail – Charlaine Harris
22. Definitely Dead – Charlaine Harris
23. Practical Demonkeeping – Christopher Moore
24. Mind over Matter – Nora Roberts
25. Island of Flowers – Nora Roberts
26. Unfinished Business – Nora Roberts
27. Irish Thoroughbred – Nora Roberts
28. Irish Rose – Nora Roberts
29. Deja Dead – Kathy Reichs
30. Death du Jour – Kathy Reichs
31. Fatal Voyage – Kathy Reichs
32. Bare Bones – Kathy Reichs
33. Monday Mourning – Kathy Reichs
34. Dragonflight – Anne McCaffrey
35. Dragonquest – Anne McCaffrey
36. The White Dragon – Anne McCaffrey
37. A Mortal Bane – Roberta Gellis
38. Sullivan’s Woman – Nora Roberts
39. Irish Rebel – Nora Roberts
40. The Master Stroke – Elizabeth Gage
41. Born in Death – JD Robb
42. Knots and Crosses – Ian Rankin
43. Hide & Seek – Ian Rankin
44. Talk, Dark & Dead – Tate Hallaway
45. Undead and Unwed – Mary Janice Davidson
46. Undead and Unemployed – Mary Janice Davidson
47. Undead and Unappreciated – Mary Janice Davidson
48. Undead and Unreturnable – Mary Janice Davidson
49. In the Mood – Suzanne Macpherson
50. Strip Jack – Ian Rankin
51. The Sixth Phase – Robert J. Ranisi
52. The Skeleton Room – Kate Ellis
53. Morrigan’s Cross – Nora Roberts
54. Dance of the Gods – Nora Roberts
55. Valley of Silence – Nora Roberts
56. Grave Secrets – Kathy Reichs
57. Cross Bones – Kathy Reichs
58. Conquistador – S.M. Stirling

eBooks

1. Stripped – Rhonda Stapleton
2. Improper Longings – Dawn Ryder
3. High Seas Desire – Mlyn Hurn
4. Call of the Untamed – Michelle M. Pillow
5. After Sundown: Redemption – Eden Robins
6. Crime Tells: Lyric’s Cop – Jory Strong
7. Elisabeth’s Wolf – Lora Leigh
8. Malachi – Shiloh Walker
9. Mythe: Vampire – Shiloh Walker
10. Stud Finders Incorporated – Alexis Fleming

Technorati Tags: 52Books, reading, ebooks, books

Yesterday we helped friends move from their house into a new condo and I woke up this morning feeling worse than I did when I was helping on the Habitat build. Muscles I forgot existed are screaming at me today.

So, what did we do after earning all these sore muscles? Gardening of course. The hubby picked up weed and feed and some new seed, and I picked out a bunch of new flowers. We dug up the old, half dead garden, and laid a new one. Drew planted a wild rosebush and we’re hoping that soon we’ll stop being the neighbourhood eyesore (my description of our front lawn) and start looking as chic as everyone else.

Tonight, Drew packs for his trip to Montreal and I’ve a to do list to draft so I know when to water all of the new plants. I’ve a black thumb, but hopefully all the new plants will still be alive by the time he arrives home later in the week.

Wish us luck!

Technorati Tags: garden, flowers, roses

Happy Canada Day everyone.

Welcome to the 29th edition of the screaming pages Thursday Thirteen.

If you’ve been visiting TSP since I returned from my self-imposed hiatus, then you know I’ve be blogging about Habitat for Humanity for the past few days. I was out at our local Women Build site on Tuesday and thought I’d better make a note of all the important things I learned.

Thirteen things I learned from volunteering with Habitat for Humanity Women Build. Despite the name, men are welcome on Women Build sites. They just have to be patient and share the power tools. The Women Build hard hats are neon pink. ALWAYS wear the hard hat. You never know when you’re going to bean yourself on a cross-beam or smack yourself in the head with a broom handle (yes, I did – no, I didn’t stand on it). It’s easier to toe-nail a block in than it is to nail it in from the side when you’re blocking wood at the bottom of stairs for baseboard/trim support. Those of us who brought out own safety equipment (glasses, gloves, shoes) didn’t end up with any blisters from improper fitted items. I knew there was a good reason to buy my own safety shoes! It doesn’t matter how good your hammer is if you don’t have room to swing it. Mud is quickly tracked through the building and takes ages to scrape off the floors and shovel out the door – but everyone has to participate in clean-up before the day is over. The site supervisor tries to match you to jobs that fit your skills (or lack thereof) and abilities. If you’re afraid of heights, they won’t make you climb scaffolding and hang off the roof. It may not bother you at the time, but crawling up and down wooden stairs on your knees hurts like hell 24 hours later. The safety video shows people wearing shorts and t-shirts. I’d recommend jeans and long sleeves – less abrasions and scarring in the end… Demolition is far more satisfying than construction. Especially if it’s NOT the section you just nailed in that you’re tearing apart. Drink lots of water. Even if you think you’re not thirsty, drink it anyway. Dehydration sneaks up on you. It’s an awesome way to build team spirit and spend time with co-workers outside of your work environment. You learn a lot about people on a project like this. Get the Thursday Thirteen code here! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted! View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Technorati Tags: thursday thirteen, t13, meme, Habitat for Humanity, Women Build

I should have posted about this yesterday, but I was just too tired and sore. I did, however, use the time I would have spent blogging to hang out with my neighbours, drink beer, and share ‘construction’ stories.

They’re just thrilled I’ve found a new respect for framers, construction workers, and trades people. Sure, I always had a healthy respect for them because my dad and father-in-law had trades, but after spending a day at that back-breaking work, I can state unequivocally that there is a lot of skill and hard work that goes into everything they do.

As for my day on the construction site, I lucked out and didn’t have to crawl around on the second floor (with no framing). There were three tri-plexes on site and two were completely framed. The third was the one I was too much of a chicken to work on.

Granted, being afraid of heights didn’t get me out of any hard work. There was still a lot to do inside the two framed houses. Instead of walking around on an open second story, I was half hanging off of a set of stairs nailing blocking between the frame struts. Of course, I’m not half as handy as my co-worker David, so it took me a while to master ‘toe-nailing’.

Who am I kidding? I mastered nothing – but I can figure out the business end of a hammer and nail. I’m looking forward to volunteering for a few more days on the site when I’ve earned some vacation time. I’m most interested in getting a few days in when they’re finishing the house. The purpose of the Women Build sites is to teach us useful skills around out own home – so I want to be there when the tiling, laying of flooring, etc. all takes place.

Technorati Tags: Habitat for Humanity, Women Build