Difficult Summer

It has been over 2 months since I undated my blog. I am sorry but I will try to do a lot better as we head into fall. I have had health problems, so I have been felling a bit low. It took all I had to keep up with my responsibilities both physically and emotionally. I have gotten the building in Round Grove down. Tomorrow I will be loading four 15' beams. Then on Friday I have two of my friend come and they will be loading up 26 pallets of block. I think that I will fell a weight has been lifted when that is done. I was doing so well at the start of the project in the Spring. I was putting in 6 hours a day sometimes 4 or 5 days a week. But June, July and August have been close to a total waste. I got hot and muggy, I was getting in 2 hours at a time and not getting the job done. It has dragged out all Summer long. I have felt guilty for not getting it done and have trouble keeping up at the genealogy society and home. The garden grew up in weeds, the lawn is bad too.

One big problem was the doctor put me on Abilify, then Lamictal, both brought my energy levels down. After getting down to about 240lbs, I gained over 20lbs on Abilify. So I stopped that. And Lamictal wasn't as bad but after stopping it I have improved a lot. Now I am on Wellbutrin along with the Prozac, and am doing much better. I hope to be able to loss 20 lbs before Winter. Just to let you know I don't get really depressed. I just feel physically wiped out and have to push myself to do almost everything. Life becomes drudgery, never enjoying anything.

The other problem has been the weather. The heat and humidity always gets me. I have to accept that was probably a third of my problem this Summer, maybe more. Life goes on and I have to make the best of it.

I was sadden and I guess heart broken because of what happened with JJ/Richard. I'm not on MSN and only read his blog. I didn't feel betrayed but it still hurt a bit. I am sorry that he felt that he need to lie to be accepted. But lying has consequences and he should have stopped it long before it got to where it did. I still would like to know what is happening with him, and still would like to be friends. I am the forgiving type and can't hold a grudge. But I don't let myself get used as a doormat ether.

I was afraid that I would loss this blog if I did post anything. I am going to update the progress on the RG project and get some pic's posted in the next few days. So if anyone is still out there take a moment and post a comment.

Who's Counting

There are some things that you shouldn't keep track of, like how much you spend on a hobby. Or in my case, the number of days I've been working on taking down this building in Round Grove.

Sometimes something takes as long as it takes, cost as much as it costs. You can't do anything to change how long it takes or what something costs. You just have to take things as they come. Focus on the task at hand. Maybe I need to reword this...  OK how about - Roll will the punches or go with the flow, and focus on the current problem that is in front of you. One thing at a time. That way I keep moving forward getting things done. I don't get as discouraged and I focus on what I am doing. If I'm at a meeting, I don't think about the work I'm not getting done. If I am working I don't think about an upcoming meeting or where I have to be later. But strange enough, I do think about the blogs I read and the people who write them. I think about all of you. OK so that is weird but it passes the time.

Time, I was getting to work about 6 plus hours at a time when I started this Round Grove Project. Now with the warmer weather and other things, that I don't want to go into at this time, you know keep it simple, I get about 2 to 3 hours of work before I am exhausted. It makes it a lot harder to get this building down. But I have mad some progress this last week.

BTW...How do you tell your doctor that the change in your meds has caused you to gain 20 lbs after losing 40, and make you want to sleep all of the time. It's like "Oh that's too bad, we should try something else." If I didn't wand to have a life so bad and be able to get some work done, I would tell him he is out of his frecken mind. If any of you know about a drug called Lamictal, I'd like to know more. Said the ginny pig.

Now only is the back wall down to the foundation, but the east and west walls are also. It took about 2 hours to do each one. You can see the ends of the floor joists, It is starting to look like a big deck.

Thursday, June 24th, took down North East corner.

Friday, June 25th, did the East wall.

Saturday, June 26th, did the West wall.

That would be 60 to 90 blocks per day. I know that doesn't sound like much but that is what I can do in about 2 hours each day. Tomorrow I should work on the front wall and clean up.

So you might wonder what does he do with the rest of the day. Well several hours were spent watching Fringe season 1, working on season 2 now. And then there is Dr. Who, I've missed a season of that. The Dr. Who series used to be better. And of course Merlin both seasons. Its ok but I like the old StarGate series better. Something to pass the time, so I don't get too bored. We've had a lot of rain and can't work outside in the yard or garden. I hope things will dry up a little now.

And I been catching up on my blog reading. JJ of course and T-mans, Gabe, Rowan, DJ among others.

Until next time...

There is Some Good People Out There

I have been impressed time and again with the young men and the people who post on their blogs. These young men are going though some pretty rough times and show great courage in the way they handle things and the decisions they make. There is some really great advice give them by the people who post on their blogs. I have learned many things from all of them.

Although it is sometimes hard to read all of their blogs it makes me happy that they are out there. That there are such good people out there will to help others. And I have the privilege to peek in on their lives and see what they are doing. I miss not have children or teens in my life and I guess this helps to fill the hole a little.

I really had a good laugh the other day when Gabe said that I didn't like the different food to touch on the plate. It really made my day. I know it is a little thing but it still made me laugh.

It is getting late but I want to express how proud I am of these young men, and the joy they give me as they grow and accomplish things in their lives. Also there are some really good people commenting on there blogs. I hope I can get to know all of them better.

Round Grove Project

I managed to get several hours of work in this morning on the project. I am happy to say I got the back wall down. It was about 90 block and it went pretty fast.

Today 21 June 2010

Before

3 May 2010

I feel good about getting the wall down and every day more like I did when I started this project. A few more days like today and I will have all the block down. The there is only the floor. :-)

A Few More Hours and Rain Storm

It took about an hour and a half, but we got the front doorway down. The header above the door was about 9 feet long and made by putting a peace of railroad track through the middle of 7 blocks and filling them with concrete. We were able to safely push it off and break the concrete off the rail with a sludge hammer.

All that you can see now of the doorway is the gap in the wall.We are hoping for good weather next week so we can finish up the block and get the floor up. There are a few piles of 2x6's we have to move to ...... details, details, we'll work it out.

And here is what the other end is looking like.

There was a bit of a storm that blew through this afternoon. There were some trees down and a ranch style house that is in need of a roof. The wind took it clean off. Sorry no pic but I thought it would be in bad taste to stop for pictures with all of the firemen and police stiff trying to get things under control. You could see all of the inside walls and the roof was 50 feet behind the house in a creek.

I did get a pic of a tree that was snapped off. This is a mile from my house. I do love the storms but feel bad for the people with the roofless house.

A Little at a Time.

This is very frustrating. Not being able to do what work that I want to do. And making so little progress each time I am there. Here is how it looked today, when I was finished.

I need more space to stack the block, I have over 20 pallets and very little room to add more. The weeds and brush has grown up around the building and is getting in the way. The wood and rubble around the building is being cleaned up a little bit at a time.

Both Jim and I are being hindered by the weather and out heath problems. I have gained 20lbs in the last 3 weeks and and just getting things back under control. The drug Abilify that they have had me on, (also on Prozac), has brought back my cravings and has given me an almost uncontrollable appetite. I have stopped the Ability and am not just about back to normal. But the last month has had more ups and downs that I care for. I was down to a low of 240lbs I'm now at 260lbs. Abilify was putting me to sleep. I want to sleep all of the time. So then I get the energy drinks to balance it out. Well long story short, now it's no caffeine, no chocolate, no energy drinks, and no junk food. I try to only eat real food and keep the appetite under guard. I will see how thing next 7 days goes and will be seeing a doctor on Thursday.

Wednesday afternoon I took a drive. I was to relax and unwhine. It is so beautiful, all of the green and the corn and soybeans are growing so fast. We have had a lot of rain and it shows. As far as the eye could see.

Here are a few shots from the 6th.

I am hoping to get the rest of the front down tomorrow morning. No more doors or block sticking up. So to bed I go.

Hot & Humid

Yes it was a hot and humid few days. I have gotten a few more block down and removed the 2x6's that made up the stage. Here is a few pictures of what is left of the building.

As soon as health and the weather allows I will get the rest of the block down. Then I will get a simi trailer to load the 25 plus pallets of block on. I don't know if they will fit actually.

This morning I spent a hour removing the 2x6's and had had enough. So we loaded the truck up with scrap and took it in, it came to over $60, not bad. Then we went to Menards to get a small air conditioner for Jim. This weather, the humidity, really makes it hard for him to breath. And considering I was having a hard enough time I wanted to make sure he had an air conditioner.

I am starting to feel a bit more rested and hope to be stronger this summer. I have just got to get a bag of mortar mix and start to lay some block. And yes I will have pictures. After all of this time I think I almost need proof. It will get done, a little at a time.

Bonfire

I have been trying to get this clip uploaded since about the 2nd of June. Thanks Brian for the help.

Now I live here in Illinois and it has been raining several times a week. We cut the brush about 2 or 3 weeks before and I don't have to worry about starting the whole town on fire. I do have to be concerned that I don't melt the neighbors siding off their house though. I do have a hose there and I do wet the fire down when it gets going more that I like.

It took about 20 to 30 minutes to burn but I shorten it a bit. I know it is kind of fun watching a fire but not for 30 minutes. I guess there is a little pierow in all of us.

BTW take this stuff to the land fill is not even a consideration.

Bonfire in Illinois

Wind in the rafters

Just a test to see it I could get one to work. This is the way the wind was blowing and I had been taking down the roof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQht6MJqI50

New day New week

I haven't kept up my posts like I should have. I have gotten some more block down. But not a lot of time in. The weather has been hot and humid. The new air conditioner is working great and I am getting some better rest.

Its moving slower that I would like but I got 2 hours in tonight and about 40 block down and one less window.
this morning 10 until 2 this afternoon I was a the genealogical society in Dixon. Pat and I work on getting the basement setup. I wasn't their on Saturday so I really did need to do my part today. I took a picture of the basement but someone had his finger sticking up and I will get a better picture tomorrow. It is going to be a good work area.

Bad day - Wednesday 26 May

It is official, this has been a bad day. I guess I have reached the end of my leash. I dropped an air conditioner out a second story window. I might still work with a little body work. I have to have air conditioning when it gets hot like this. I knew today that I was going to have to cut back. It always happens when I get really tired. I make some mistake and something goes wrong. As I tried to get the air conditioner to fit in the opening, somehow, I lost grip and out it went. The cord with plug tried to take the nail of my little finger with it. It is all blue under the nail. It is so dumb, I have put the air conditioner in for years and never had a problem. Yes I am depressed about it. And I feel a little guilty because this is nothing compared to the problems of; Paul, Gabe, DJ and JJ.

And thanks JJ for the post it did help brighten my day. I hope to get more done around here the next week or so because I just bought a $200 air conditioner to replace the one I destroyed. I'm out of money, so I got to cut back until the new month when I get my check.

When I over do it, it takes me days to weeks to get back my strength. The meds help a lot but not as much as I want. When it gets hot and humid it also makes it harder on me. So I thought that I get this air conditioner in and I will get a lot better sleep. Well that didn't work out like I had planned. Yes I do have air conditioning tonight but it cost me a bit.

I seem to think that if I push myself hard enough I will get the job done. But I get less done and I screw something up, every time.

Now yesterday I did get some block down, about 40 or so. I took them home and finish the raised compost bin. I just have to get some worms for it now and make a cover. This kind of composting is called vermicomposting

Rock River and Prophetstown, Illinois - Tuesday 25th.

My new Vermicompost bin

Work Day 29 - RG Project

I went and got to work a little after 9am. I didn't last 2 hours before I was out of there. I did get some more of the walls down. Would have like to have done another row but I was already soaked and it felt like about 90 degrees. I didn't want to ruin things for tonight or tomorrow by pushing it took much. So here is some pictures.

Look back and compare, I took out another window too.

Yes, we do have a mess all around the building.

So I loaded the truck up with 35 block and when home. I upload them to make this raised compost bin. I got to get some worms and make a top for it. Oh, tomorrow I will finish the block, and see what I can come up with for a top.

It is 2'x18' inside dimensions.

OVER THE WEEKEND

We did get the some plants in, m parents and I. The asparagus bed didn't do well and we only have three plants, right in the middle of the bed. So I tilled the ends and put in...

1st. pic: Kohlrabi and Brussels Sprouts. 2nd Pic: Bell Peppers and Broccoli. And the chicken wire is to keep the rabbits out. Cross you fingers. Bottom pic's that won't go where I want them and some "wild flowers" I planted last year.

I have a Lee County Genealogical Society board meeting to go to. So I have better get ready.

Friday

I didn't do much today, just took it easy for the most part. Took some pictures, along the Rock River, at Seward Park in Rock Falls. I also went down to the Hennepin Feeder Canal, near Tampico, and got s few nice shots. I sure do need practice.

Seward Park, Rock Falls, Illinois

Hennipen Feeder Canal

Hennipen Feeder Canal

I got a call from Jim about the building, I haven't been there since Monday and I guess he was beginning to wonder if I got lost. He has gotten a lot more of the block down and took out another window. I will be back at it on Monday whether I am ready or not. I hope to recover more over the weekend.

Round Grove Project, looking north

Then last I went home and got the fence around the garden. We have a lot of plants ready to go in but the rabbits will get them if we don't fence it off. I hope it will be enough, I have seen rabbits get though this type before. Turned out to be 15'x48'.

I talked to a friend who had tried to take have grown wild rabbits and pen them up. He said they just died. It must be too much for wald rabbits to cope with. I really want to get some ducks and geese. I would have to have the back yard fence in to do that anyway. Most of it is done, except the one side that you can see above. One more tree needs to come out and all the stumps ground out. It happens to be the tree in the center of the picture. 

In another few weeks I should have the Round Grove project done and be laying the block for the greenhouse.

Thursday is the Family Tree Center

Every Thursday I'm at the genealogy societies library, The Family Tree Center, up in Dixon. I am the VP for the society and I run projects also. I have been Projects Chairman for about 15 years and this year they need a VP so they got stuck with me. I do enjoy genealogy and have gotten a lot done over the years.

Tonight I worked on the index of the Dixon Daily News, 1910-1914. There are almost 100,000 entries in this newspaper index, about 800 pages printed on both sides. I should have it ready for the shelf already but I have been busy with other things....

One of the other tings is the garden. I got 30 plants in this morning, 15 Okra and 15 Sunflowers. I put them in the Grove St. bed. It is along the fence that is along Grove Street, of course. Then I got a second fence up to keep the rabbits out, I hope. I even did some mowing and mulched some of the bed.

It is kind of hard to see them but they are there. The Okra is on the right and the Sunflowers are on the left. The Sunflowers should get to be 3 or 4 feet tall and the Okra 5 to 6 feet.

If it stops raining long enough tomorrow I will get a fence around the garden. I have 15 Kohlrabi, 13 Bell Peppers and 7 tomatoes. All of which I love to eat. There is nothing like eating a fresh picked Bell Pepper. You know, like an apple.

I do like JJ's idea of catching the rabbits and putting them in pens and eat them. Rabbit is good but I don't know how they react to being in a cage. It is better that by buddies idea of feeding them to his snake. And I really don't like shooting them. I shot one last year, no thanks.

Rototilling the Garden

First off this morning was a 10am dentist appointment. I got two crowns put in the upper left. They put two temp crowns in the lower right. It was the first time they worked on the lower teeth. So Novocain in the lower jaw. It took forever to wear off. I was in there an hour and it was after 3:30 before I got all the feeling back. Lunch was fun.

So this afternoon we laid out the garden. We being; nephew Todd, nephew Josh, and me. We were trying to get it straight and rectangular. The lot isn't square in the first place and the garden last year wasn't straight ether. We made it longer and now it is about 15'x50'. As soon as it was measured and staked out, nephew Josh disappeared and left Todd and I to mow and then rototill. It took about 3 hours to do everything and I did three passes tilling the garden. It will take at least three more especially for the new ground before it is ready for the plants.

I have the museum in the morning and a 2pm doctors appointment. I'm going to ask for them to up the Prozac. I don't have a lot of hope that they will, but I will try. It seems to "run out". I don't expect to be able to work and 8 hour day but I would like more than I getting now. I have been pushing it, today was no exception.

Anyhow tomorrow I would like to finish the rototilling and get the Grove St. bed along the fence planted also.

There are 6 blueberry plants in a row on the right and the bed I want to plant is along the fence on the left. I have 15 sunflowers and Okra plants each, to go there. I will be putting a fence around them to keep the rabbits out. Wish me luck.

Work Day 28 - RG Project

It didn't rain, it went south of us. So at 10 I was at Round Grove working on the northwest corner of the building. There is a stairwell in the stage and we needed some of the scaffolding to have a platform to reach the block from.

Anyhow it took about 2 hours and I got it down far enough so we can reach it from the outside. We loaded up 40 block into the back of the truck along with the last of the scaffolding and I was done there. I went home and unloaded the block, showered, ate lunch, dug up a rhubarb plant for a Sister at church, she picked it up and then I took the scaffolding back to my friend.

I was tired and had enough for the day so I took a 30 mile joy ride. Bought a Mt. Dew and a candy bar and went north. Driving helps me to unwine, clears my head. When I get back home what do I do? more work. A wood corner fence post, pulling weeds, filling holes in the ditch from the snow plow, and a little mowing and mulching. Now it was about 5:30 and although I could see another dozen things that I want to get done, I go in the house.

I've been thinking about church yesterday. It's ... odd. It is kind of like going home after you have live away, like off to college, or just moved out. Home stays the same, we change.

In Sunday School the lesson was on Moses and how the children of Israel, needed to have things to remind them of God. They must of had really short memories, and easily distracted. So anyhow the teacher is going on how we should have things in our home to remind us of the Lord. Pictures of the Temples, prophets, church mags.... you get the idea. Its good to have those things around. But they don't stop you from doing wrong. You choose who you want to be and how you want to act.

And to forget God. I have talk to other people that have quite conversations with God all of the time. Some people like to drive and talk. That seems to be the most poplar. Now I will admit that most of us don't get Him talking back. At least not in the regular way. But many feel that it helps them make decisions or that they feel inspiration. They fine it helpful in their lives to have this kind of relationship with Him. To be able to talk to Him like He is your best friends

My point is that if you have a good relationship with God, then you really don't need your home plaster with reminders. Put God first, trust in Him, have some faith, things work out. You do the best you can with what happens in your life. That is all you can do and all He wants you to do. Maybe I am oversimplifying this? I don't know. But at church it like they are into the mechanics of it and miss the point of church. To be closer to God and to be as much like Christ as we can.

I know it is going to take me a little time to adjust to going to church every Sunday. They have better get me a calling, (a job to do), really quick. I'm more of the giving, serving kind of person. Not the sit in the pew and don't notice me kind of guy.

Tomorrow morning I have a dentist appointment. I should be back from Rockford by 1pm and then I should rototill the garden. My plants are getting big. Oh and fence out the rabbits.

Two More Trees

Today I cut down two more of the trees that are on our fence line. I don't like using the chainsaw but these had to go so that we can rototill the garden. It is already late, all of the rain and the RG project has put me behind. One of the trees landed in the area we tilled last year and the other in the area we want to expand into this year. We will almost double the size of the garden.

My father, Louis, nephew Todd and myself did most of the work. Nephew Joshua helped with the rope and pulling the trees to make sure they fell where we wanted then to. I know it sounds like we don't know what we are doing, but well, I'm not good with the chainsaw and we don't want the tree to go into the neighbors house. It went well and nothing went wrong, they both fell right where we wanted them to.

You can see how far I got cutting them up. I ran out of gas, the saw was fine, I just couldn't cut anymore. I will try to work on it Monday. But of course we are getting more rain on Monday. It is suppose to be dry the rest of the week though. Take a look at the burn up pile we have. Still have a little more to go on it. I will let it dry out the then do a quick and controlled burn.

As soon as I can I will till and fence in the garden area. We do have a lot of plants ready to go in. We have a grow light setup. Okra on the right, kohlrabi on the left. There are bell peppers in the blue cups and sunflowers to their left. We have tomatoes, broccoli, brussels sprouts and celery started also. I hope to get all of these in the ground this week.

There is spinach and lettuce already coming up in the raised bed. The yard is a disaster, but I did get the front lawn mowed this afternoon.

Work Day 26 & 27 - RG Project

We did get a little work in on Wednesday. Jim, Les and I got about 2 hours in. We got the southeast corner down to where we can get at it without the scaffolding.

Thursday was more rain. But not today!! We got a lot done and we had some help from my nephew Todd. Today we worked on the north end of the building. I cut down the ceiling joists and removed the sill plates on the right and left sides. Then went to work on the block.

Before

During, that's Todd, 1:00 pm

After, 5:30 pm

We started a little after 9:00 am, took about an hour to pickup 10 more pallets and eat lunch. Finished up before 5:30 pm and we stacked the block on the pallets. There seems to be more block than I anticipated.

48 blocks per pallet, about 1,700 lbs.

I am feeling a bit better today. Got lots of rest last night and am going to take it easy tomorrow. I have to find my balance, just like everyone else. There is always work to do. But work is to help us have joy, not take all the joy away.

Picture for JJ

I took this picture in May of 1981 while I was serving a mission. It was taken at the Wind Rivers in Wyoming. I hope this brights your day JJ.

Tired...

I wasn't going to post but I thought I should put the good and the bad. I am like that dog that has a 10 foot chain but thinks it is longer. He will run and when he gets to the end he tries to keep going. His head and collar stops but his butt keeps on going and he lands on his back. He is always surprised, like "hey what happened."

Well that's me. I was feeling so good and getting so much done. Then it starts to get hard to keep the pace up. But do I slow down, no. I just keep pushing myself to accomplish my goal. Always hoping that I will get done before I crash and burn.

So here I am, tired, wiped out. I need to just sit and do nothing but rest. But I don't want to rest. There are things to do. I want to get up and get things done. But then I don't feel like doing anything. I don't enjoy the things that I do get done. I don't enjoy anything, I'm just blaaaa. You would think that I would learn.

So I will go to bed early and hope that tomorrow I will be in a better mood. That the sun will be out and I will start to feel like getting something done. Not that I have to get things done. It has been raining all week, so it suits the way I been feeling.

Long Ago - 1963-67

JJ asked how did I learn all this stuff on buildings. So I dug out some old pictures. I have live in Como most of my life. We moved here in 1963 and lived in an very old house until we built a better one, which we live in now. We have a double lot, it's about 3/4 of an acre on the corner of Front St. and Grove St. The Rock River runs just on the other side of Front St. and a line of houses. Its about 200 feet away I'd say.

The old house, my Gramma and nanny goat, May 1966

 

We have never had much money but we always made the best of things. Dad was running the Galt Garage in 1963 and went to work at GE in Morrison about 64. I remember moving to Como in the company car. I thought it was so cool because it had a fold down seat and a lot of rollers in the back. I don't know if I realized that it was made to haul dead people.

Galt Garage Company car and Roger?, 1963

We put in this big garden, which we had for may years. I think it was in the 80's that we stop the big garden.

Gordon (me), Tim and Tom my brothers, 1964

Similar angle in 2007, same house in back ground.

Looks primitive don't it, 1964

We need a new house and dad couldn't get a loan. He said he was going to build a house if he had to charge it as Sears and Robuck. So in 1966 we started by digging a hole, for a 32x36 basement. We used hand shovels.

Summer of 1966

We had a rain storm and I remember it filling with water and the sides caved in. More digging. I did help with the digging. It was fun but hard work for a six year old.

Dad laid all of the block himself, 1967

During the winter of 1965-66 we tore down a house in Sterling for the building materials. Dad was taking off the roof in freezing weather. I remember removing the plaster and lathe. It was freezing cold and mom brought hot chocolate.

Winter of 1965-66.

What seems strange now is that I was only 5 years old. "Helping" tear down a house, I must have scared the living daylights out of my parents at times.

To be continued