the screaming pages

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.

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

This morning we were up bright and early to head to the Grant McEwan park for the Ellerslie Highland Games. ‘Twas a long hard day, but we had a wonderful time.

Last week, friends of ours who are activing in the local Scottish society put the call out for volunteers and we answered. Drew spend the day tallying results while I spent my day manning a booth.

And the t-shirt? It’s a custom made shirt with Head Guinea Pig written on the back. I may not be able to convince the dean to allow that or WebCT Weenie to be printed on my business cards, but friends are always more than willing to write silly things on your clothes. The hubby’s shirt is perfect too – he’s the Assistant Guinea Pig.

Technorati Tags: Highland Games, Dancing, Pipers, Drummers

With my co-workers, I’m participating in a Habitat for Humanity women build on Tuesday. According to the local Habitat Web site, the women build program was established to:

… encourage the involvement of women in the construction of houses. Women make up 50 percent of Habitat’s volunteer force, yet often because of lack of training they account for less than 15 percent of workers on the construction site. The Women Build program was designed both to teach women the fundamental skills required to manage basic home repairs, and to empower women in the struggle against poverty housing worldwide.

As a volunteer builder, I needed CSA approved footware, work gloves and safety glasses for the build site. It’s not easy to find appropriate shoes or gloves for my small appendages, so we did have to do some running around to specialty stores.

As of this afternoon, I am now the proud owner of a pair of grey CSA approved Worx shoes by Red Wing Shoes. I’m thrilled that Habitat allows volunteers to wear safety shoes instead of requiring boots since most of the stores visited say that women’s workboot sizes start around size seven. I might never have found anything to fit!

I was amazed that finding gloves to fit was easier than finding shoes. My new work gloves are spiffy and black. They’re less rough on the inside than the leather work gloves I’m used to, but since those type of gloves were miles too big for my hands, it was nice to find a suitable alternative.

My neighbour next door, ever the helpful contractor, spent some time this week teaching me how to properly swing a hammer – so I shouldn’t make a complete fool out of myself. One of his crew lent me his spare tool belt (to be held up with suspenders) and even kitted it out with a framing hammer, knives – can you imagine anyone in their right mind loaning me a knife? – pencils, measuring tapes, squares, chalk lines, levels, and other small hand tools. I did try to tell them that these items were supposed to be provided once I arrived on site and was given my work assignment, but I think they were having way too much fun to stop.

I’m really looking forward to the whole experience but I’m sure I’ll be whining about all my sore muscles come Wednesday morning. Not to mention that the women build team will be framing the second story of the house I’ll be working on and I’m terrified of heights. I’m in for an interesting ride over the next few days.

Technorati Tags: Habitat for Humanity, women build, CSA

I learned of a handwritten sign taped to the back of a vehicle window this week. It read I’m not drunk, I’m avoiding potholes. Ignoring the few sink holes that have popped up around the city and the mass of potholes has become a full time non-contact sport for drivers in Edmonton of late. It has me wondering just why I’m paying (increasingly huge) taxes to the city. I pay to have my garbage removed. A plow never made it’s way down my street or alley in winter – the hubby and the neighbours cleared those out with snowplows so people could get to work – and the roads are a mess. The housing crisis has resulted in the appearance of tent cities and there appear to be few new low income housing and shelter spaces being developed.

So what is the city doing with it’s tax dollars? Well, the mayor and councilors got a nice 13% raise and we’re about to have a brand spanking new art gallery. There’s also talk of a new hockey rink for the Oilers. Somehow none of these items is on my city improvement wish list.

There’s a civic election taking place in October and no one is running against the encumbent mayor as of yet. There’s no way this mayor or council should be re-elected, but unless someone else throws their hat into the ring soon, I predict another four years of shoddy city management, poor infrastructure maintenance, and increasing taxes with little or no return.

I love my city, but this is getting to be ridiculous!

Technorati Tags: Edmonton, taxes, potholes