Timothy S. Carlson's Blog

The 'Mad Scientist' Lab Is Back Up And Running!

2011-12-20T14:35:00.002+08:00

All of my balikbayan boxes have arrive, and I have managed to eke out a spot for my 'Mad Scientist' lab:

BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

One Of The Philippine's Latest Legal Residents

2011-12-06T16:03:00.003+08:00

Yes, it's me.

I'm Back

2011-11-16T17:23:00.001+08:00

No problems on the flight in, I've got my residential visa restarted, and my balikbayan boxes should arrive soon.

Good to be home. I missed you, sweetheart. :D

Moving Back To The Philippines

2011-10-03T20:58:00.001+08:00

My caregiver duties here are almost done.

Honey, I'm coming home :D

2011-09-12T06:50:00.001+08:00

Proof!

2011-08-04T07:09:00.005+08:00

But I'm only in it for the parking. :P
(That's joke, for you sourpusses that don't get the humor)

And for the parking when in someone else's car.

I've Been Called Many Names

2011-07-16T23:58:00.003+08:00

But I like 'sick fuck' the best.

Hey, what better picture to put on your old touch-tone phone than an old 'touch-temple' pic from Vietnam.

Offensive? Yeah. Do I care? No.

NetFlix Raises Their Rates 60%

2011-07-14T09:13:00.002+08:00

Just proves that marketing involves brain damage and alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol.

At least they changed their logo to reflect their new attitude towards customers:

My Fan Base Checks In

2011-05-25T19:30:00.003+08:00

I just had a couple of 'anonymous' comments to my 'Where In The World' post:

"you are messing with bad news. I gave him all your links so he can know who you are. Your mouth has dug you in deep now fool."

And this classic:

"you are fucked"

BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Update:
These comments are from the Philippines - so they can be considered all bark and no bite. I think these are from the folks that abuse and take advantage of women in the Philippines (via the intertubes). I have had a long running battle with these idiots - but they seem to care enough about me to drop a love note every once in a while. Good for them, because I forgot all about them. It may be time to turn the heat up on them again.

Where In The World

2011-04-14T04:06:00.003+08:00

Well, I'm back in Florida. It seems that aging is finally catching up to my Mother and she is no longer allowed to drive. It's hard for her to take care of her medications and finances, too. So, I'm back, taking care of things - actually, it's a tag-team between my sister and I. I do all of the grunt work and she takes care of the ugly bureaucratic issues. That's fine with me, as I hate dealing with government idiots, especially when I want / need something from a government idiot, which means I can't call them a government idiot without seriously jeopardizing whatever I am trying to accomplish.

My beautiful Asawa is in the Philippines, taking care of business there, but should be out to Florida soon (August hopefully). We are long overdue for a nice honeymoon and this area provides a lot of points of interest to wander about. Disney World, the NASA museum, the beaches.

Now that I have settled back into the beach house and caught up with all of the work (spring cleaning!) that was long overdue around here, I hope to be posting more often.

I Am _So_ Making This Recipe

2010-10-23T10:49:00.002+08:00

(Click the picture, or here, for the recipe)

With a filipino twist, of course. In fact, I can get 5 kilos of FRESH pork belly tonight - my neighbors butcher two pigs every Saturday night.

Who Do _You_ Write Like?

2010-08-01T09:42:00.002+08:00

Check out this link:

I Write Like...

Pretty cool. And I'm surprised, but happy, that I write like Vonnegut.

I write like
Kurt Vonnegut

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

A Full Day Of Welding

2010-07-27T18:35:00.007+08:00

I was busy making a protective grate for the sub-meters and fuse box at the apartments. You need to make sure no one can take stuff apart and steal it.

Yeah, it's not great welding. And I'm really slow at it. But, I was able to do it myself, and I only (almost) fell over a couple of times, so I'm happy with it.

I sure get looks like I'm stealing someone's job, tho. Real hairy eyeball stuff. I guess everyone expects an American (foreigner) to hire someone to do this work, not do it themselves.

I'm Really Itching To Buy A Trike...

2010-07-25T13:04:00.003+08:00

... especially now that I have a welder that I can use to customize it.

I guess the next equipment to get is an air-compressor and some painting tools.
This could be the start of a full-on business. ;)

Remember 'Toecutter'?...

2010-07-25T12:58:00.004+08:00

... from the first 'Mad Max' movie?

Well, this is a REAL toecutter, especially in the wrong hands.

Ah, the strange things you can make with a welder and grinder.

Actually, this is used to split firewood (and other odd jobs).

Batten Down The Hatches...

2010-07-13T07:57:00.003+08:00

... Typhoon Conson / Basyang (filipino name) is about ready to hit.

You can track it here.

Performing Miracles

2010-07-10T11:54:00.003+08:00

Taking a burned-out hulk and converting it to a nice filipino kitchen.

What Have I Been Doing Since I Retired?

2010-07-06T07:49:00.007+08:00

Learning new skills, that's what.

Painted and waiting to dry

Installed, with the gate open

Installed, with the gate closed

We needed a grate in the 1st floor apartment that would swing open for access to a maintenance shaft, but we could also close and lock to keep the tenants from climbing in the shaft and gaining access to the other apartments in the building.

It had to be a grate because the shaft also doubles as the cooking flue, to take all of the cooking smoke out of the apartments.

Made from 12mm rebar. We will drill holes around the shaft entrance and drive in rebar pegs, then weld the grate to the pegs.

For a first-timer, not too shabby. And not a bad skill to learn. Welding can be really useful around here.

Happy 234th Birthday, America!!!

2010-07-04T11:25:00.003+08:00

May she stand strong and proud for another 234 years.

Lumpia - It's What's For Lunch

2010-07-04T11:22:00.001+08:00

Fresh, hot lumpia for lunch. I've had 7 already, here's my last 3.

They are fresh, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the vegetables inside are hot and juicy and delicious. And they come with a garlic / onion / hot pepper vinegar sauce that is out of this world.

At p5 each (around $0.10), what a deal for lunch. And they throw in the sauce for free.

I'm Happy Again

2010-06-28T22:09:00.004+08:00

I found my Roomba - actually, it's a chinese version, the 'Mr. Cleaner'.

I watched it clean the room last night, and I already want to reprogram it. And it has already tried to hack my bank account and re-distribute my 'wealth' to the masses. If it doesn't start to behave itself - back to the reeducation camp!

What I Have Been Doing With My Retirement

2010-06-28T14:03:00.002+08:00

Turning burned-out shells of houses into apartments.

Have I Said How Much I Love American Technology?

2010-06-26T10:21:00.005+08:00

Census Time In The Philippines

2010-06-25T15:28:00.003+08:00

Answer a few simple questions and they paste a sticker on your house.

Easy.

So can anyone explain why the US census is so difficult?

Blog Under (re-) Construction - Yes, Again.

2010-06-24T12:58:00.004+08:00

I'm fixing things around here and making it a lot simpler. Gone are all of the JavaScript whizbang toys that only cause the blog to load slowly. Now this blog should be cleaner and leaner, and a hell of a lot meaner.

So, don't mind the dust - just blow things off and enjoy!

R.I.P. Hero: August 2009 - June 2010

2010-06-06T21:00:00.003+08:00

Good dog. Sleep now and rest.

Memorial Day 2010

2010-05-31T10:36:00.006+08:00

God bless the American military men & women who have given their
lives for America and the principles our country represents.
And God bless their families, too, for their sacrifice.

Looking For A Trike To Buy

2010-05-22T10:04:00.000+08:00

My Asawa and I are looking to start an income flow to suppliment the SSDI I get monthly. We thought about buying a trike and renting it out for a while to see how it works. If everything goes well, we'll buy more.

Does anyone in the Taguig City area have a trike for sale, one that is in good (or excellent) condition and has all of the permits to operate in the Taguig / Pasig area?

The trike pictured above is a little plain for us - we would like something fancier P

(Just joking).

Email me at tscarlson@gmail.com

I Just Realized Why I Am In A Bad Mood

2010-05-22T09:40:00.002+08:00

I missed the Roomba 530 for sale on wOOt! for only $139.

Oh well, I'll just have to keep looking...

FOXNews.com - Thai Forces Storm Into Bangkok Protest Zone

2010-05-19T14:48:00.001+08:00

FOXNews.com - Thai Forces Storm Into Bangkok Protest Zone

Trying out this new AddOn for FireFox - AddThis!

It allows me to easily add items from the web to my facebook page and my blog.

Interesting...

FINAL DECISION:

Good for use with Facebook, SUCKS for use with Blogger.

The Neighborhood

2009-08-09T13:50:00.006+08:00

Here's some pictures of the neighborhood as it looks today:

Bad Weather In Inverness

2009-06-24T20:07:00.011+08:00

Yesterday, June 23, 2009, we had a bad storm come through the area. Heavy rain, hail the size of mothballs, and some wind. Around 2pm EST, a huge gust came through the little slice of heaven that we live in: some say it was a tornado, some say it was a straight-line wind. Whatever it was, the estimates are that it was clocked at 100mph (160kph) - and it did a LOT of damage in the park. We had a couple of limbs come down from our trees, and one of the planters was knocked over, but no other damage - certainly nothing major. Others were not so lucky...

(Be patient - there are 75 pictures to load)

Flag Pole Spotlight - UPDATED

2009-06-12T03:43:00.006+08:00

SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES.

Here's another idea I had. I bought a solar-powered spotlight to light our flag at night (protocol states that if you leave a flag out at night, it should be lighted).

I had stuck the spotlight in the ground, pointing up at the flag, but here was this spotlight in the middle of the lawn, looking out of place.

And then it struck me - put the spotlight at the end of the flagpole and point it down at the flag.
Heh. It should work alright - the real test will be tonight.

Update 09.0615: After two days of playing with this spotlight (a piece of crap, BTW), I finally got it to work somewhat as I want. It originally came with three LEDs, which could hardly light up enough to tell that it was on, let alone 'spotlight' anything. I installed an additional three LEDs after the first night, but it still wasn't bright enough. Last night I installed another three LEDs, for a total of 9 LEDs. That seems to work well - good thing, too, as there's no more room to add more LEDs. The battery life is adeqate - I got up at 5am this morning, and it was still working. So, I think the project is done.

The major lesson learned is that LED spotlights are crap out of the box - especially if you pay only $10 for one. If you want a spotlight that works, either shell out the big bucks for a 'good' spotlight, or be prepared to do your own modifications to the crappy one.

I'll take a night shot of the whole setup so you can see how well it works :P

Electronic Fireflies

2009-06-12T03:39:00.009+08:00

Prototyped using a Basic Stamp board (a PIC prototype board with Basic embedded) and parts from a solar-powered lawn light and 8 yellow LEDs. I'm going to try it out tonight.

Parts cost:

- 8 yellow LEDs: $4.00
- 1 lawn light parts (plastic cap, solar cell, battery): $3.50 (4 lights for $13.00)
- PIC board: sub $1.00

Total - $8.50

In actual production, the costs would probably be sub $3.00 each. Think they would sell for $19.99?

Update 09.0615: Dammit. The idea is already patented.

Hire-A-Gimp

2009-06-08T00:56:00.005+08:00

I just put in a new faucet in the kitchen sink for my Mom.
It took me twice as long as it would have before the strokes, but not a bad job.

Blasts From The Past

2009-06-01T10:41:00.006+08:00

KFat can be found at www.kfat.com, KPig at www.kpig.com (duh!).
Or you can just click on one of the images, above, to go to the websites.

If you lived near Santa Cruz in the 80's/90's, you'll remember these stations.

Enjoy!

My Dad - 6 Or 7 Years Old - 1931 or 1932

2009-05-26T08:12:00.003+08:00

This is from the Jamestown Elementary class photos posted earlier. We _think_ this is my Dad, it looks like him, but there's no notations anywhere on the photos as to who is who, or even what year it was taken.

Memorial Day - May 25, 2009

2009-05-26T00:32:00.004+08:00

We went to the National Cemetery today to visit my Father.

We miss you, Dad.

New Computer System - Double Yippee!

2009-05-25T20:39:00.004+08:00

My old laptop gave up the ghost - well, I helped by giving it an inadvertent bath while powerwashing the roof, it's a long story - so I finally replaced it.

It's a Dell Inspiron Mini 10 (to the left). It's got a 10" screen, 160GB hdd, wireless, and HDMI outout. So I also bought the HP 20" LCD monitor, with a 1600x900 resolution. And that's a bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

Laptop - $300
LCD - $150
BT Keyboard/mouse - already had it

Very, very cheap. The cost for a new motherboard for my old laptop would have been around $300 - and there's no guarantee that's all that would need to be replaced. No idea if the LCD on the old laptop fried or not. And the key caps on the keyboard were starting to fall off, so...

And the new laptop is very lightweight and should be an extremely nice system to travel with. And when I'm at home, I have the bigger screen and the bigger keyboard / mouse.

Heh. It also plugs into my 42" flat panel, but that only goes up to 1024x768. But still cool.

Oh, it can also plug into my Mom's projection TV (HDMI to DTI) - so I can wirelessly pull movies from my desktop, play them on the laptop, and display it on the projection TV. Very, very cool :P

Now if I can just keep from getting this new toy wet. It doesn't help that I drool everytime I'm around it.

New Business Cards - Yippee!

2009-05-25T12:30:00.004+08:00

I'm starting a photo scanning business - I hope that there's enough old folks around here with really old photographs that would be interested in having the photos scanned, re-printed, enlarged, touched-up and stored on CD.

Here's my first attempt at a business card - simple, and to the point. The only fancy thing about it is - it's two-sided. That should get their attention (not to mention the photos themselves):

Jamestown Elementary Class Pictures - Circa Early 1930s

2009-05-25T09:15:00.004+08:00

We think my Dad is in the second photo, front row, 4th from the right...

More Rain And Cat Ledges

2009-05-20T23:57:00.003+08:00

It's still raining and it is expected to keep raining for the remainder of the week. Lots of time to do schoolwork and computer related stuff.

Grits was on his cat ledge that I made for him out of scrap lumber. Here's a couple of pictures:

He's yawning - not hissing...

Raining Like Crazy Today

2009-05-19T02:33:00.003+08:00

The forecast from my Yahoo! Toolbar... FAIL!

We need a good soak, but this is ridiculous! There was a big thunderstorm yesterday afternoon and last night, and it has been raining steadily all day today (and getting cooler and less muggy).

Oh well. We need the rain since we are in the middle of drought restrictions here, and my 'just planted' plants in the front garden are loving it. As long as the wind stays down and the rain doesn't go horizontal, it'll be okay.

Lazy day!

More Old Photos

2009-05-18T07:03:00.005+08:00

Nora Jackson, with her classmates, circa 1910s.
(Nora is in the back right)

Nora Jackson, with a friend, standing on a plow, circa 1910s.

Nora Jackson, and her mother and father, circa 1910s.
(Nora's mother is sitting next to her. Hard to see in the small photo.
Click to see the large photo and you will see her more clearly)

Nora Jackson's cousin, 1911

What I Did For Spring Break - Part 2

2009-05-17T06:26:00.008+08:00

The front garden: Removed old crap plants and weeds; added edging, five new plants and cypress mulch.

The happy homeowner

The slack-jawed southern cracker laborer

In all it's glory, without the models :P

Corner garden: Removed old crap (dead) plants, rearranged some existing plants, and added three new plants (the pink and blue flowers). Plus I cleaned and repainted the lamp post, and refinished the name plate.

Damn. That sure is purty...

Side yard: Removed an ailing palm tree and replaced it with a hibiscus tree, and bought a US flag for display.

Ouch. I just mowed the lawn two weeks ago.

It looks like it needs it again...

My Dad - 3 Years Old? - Circa 1928

2009-05-15T07:14:00.003+08:00

I absolutely _love_ the car. Watch out, Dad, don't fall off! :)

Fetching Water - Circa 1925

2009-05-15T06:57:00.003+08:00

Nora Jackson, my maternal grandmother, doing one of the myriad of chores she faced each day.

My Maternal Grandmother - Circa 1926

2009-05-14T23:33:00.003+08:00

She died in 1929 at the age of 32, after having 8 children. Look at this picture, then look at the one I posted before, when she was a teenager. Life was hard on my Grandmother.

My Maternal Grandmother's Brother - Circa 1920s

2009-05-14T23:22:00.004+08:00

Great-Uncle Edgar Jackson. Good looking man. I love the hair. Full-blood Blackfoot Indian. He was a musician - a violinist.

My Mother's Maternal Grandparents - Circa 1920s

2009-05-14T22:56:00.004+08:00

My Grandmother was adopted by this couple. She was American Indian, from the Blackfoot tribe of Nebraska / North Dakota. Too bad her birth certificate and adoption papers were destroyed in a City Hall fire years ago. I could claim inclusion!

I love the suit. And the top hat is a nice touch. The detail from this old photograph is incredible!

My Mother's Mother - Circa 1910

2009-05-14T22:19:00.002+08:00

Nora Jackson. She was full-blooded American Indian from the Blackfoot Tribe.

My Dad With His Father - 4 Months - 1926

2009-05-14T22:07:00.003+08:00

My Dad With His Mother - 4 Months - 1926

2009-05-14T21:51:00.002+08:00

My Dad - At 5 Months Old - In 1926

2009-05-14T08:44:00.003+08:00

I've been working on scanning old photos, cleaning them up, and printing them. And since I have digital copies, I can start posting them :P

Here's the very first one - my Dad at 5 months old in 1926. He died about 1 1/2 years ago at 83.

You were a cute baby, Dad.

Original and 'Reimagined'

2009-05-11T08:19:00.015+08:00

What's better - the original or the 'reimagined' piece?

FECarlson - 1965	TSCarlson - 1977

"Family" - Sand & Oil	"Computer Age Family" - Sheet Metal

The correct answer is: neither is better than the other. Each has flaws, each has redeeming values, but one is not better than the other. Each should be enjoyed for the their beauty and technique and for whatever message they are trying to convey.

Unless we are talking about the original 'Planet Of The Apes' and the Tim Burton 'reimagining' - the Tim Burton version sucked.

What I Did For Spring BreakUpdate: Day 2 Pictures AddedUpdate: Day 3 Pictures Added

2009-05-03T04:33:00.043+08:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MOM!
(I know, it's next week. So, sue me...)

We hope you enjoy the new, brighter, cleaner ramp!
With Lots Of Love From Deb & Family and Tim

Happy, happy Mom!

Sorry, but I have to include the girls (boys? I still don't know :P)
"GRITS"

Remember Grits. He stars in this post a little later...

"OATMEAL"

The full report below the fold...

DAY 1

This project is to beautify (or 'finish' as Mom puts it) the ramp that is outside of her kitchen door. My brothers built it a few years ago, after Mom broke her back. It's a nice ramp, but it's all pressure-treated wood and rather ugly. So, since I have been so gung-ho about fixing things around here, I suggested to my sister, Deb, that we grant Mom's wish. Deb provides the financing (since I have none), and I get to do all of the backbreaking labor :)

Ah, I found a picture of the ramp, pre-work, pre-prep.
Lovely, no?

First work picture of the ramp. I already started the work -
stripped off the carpet, removed some railings, and put up
the masking papers. It's all pressure-treated lumber, and
really, _really_ ugly. So a good (couple of) coat(s) of
high-white glossy enamel will do wonders!

Same ramp, slightly different angle.

I found Mom's left shoe :P
I found it under the ramp, all the way in the back corner.
She threw away the right shoe years ago, after she couldn't
find the left one.

Nice job, ramp constructors! :P

Hey, at least that's all I found under there.
There are a lot of creepy crawlies here in Central Florida.

There was also a whole bunch of leftover wood 'stored' under
the ramp that I found much earlier (a few months ago) and
I have been going crazy building all sorts of little stuff for
around the house with it.

Including a removable 'kitty ledge' for Mom's bathroom window.
So Grits can watch what is going on outside, without his (her?)
fat ass falling out of the window and onto the floor.

After what Grits did on Day 2, I am beginning to wonder if that
damn cat deserves it now. Keep reading, you will find out
what happened.

A view of the ramp from in the garage.

First primer! Just with this little bit, it looks much better.

The happy ramp owner :P

Just some slack-jawed southern cracker doing the heavy work...
A note to everyone out there: hire a cripple to do the work
around your house. They appreciate the work, and are
entertaining to watch. Just ask my Mom :P

Dude! Where's your shoes! Nice tat, BTW...
Here's a tally from Day 2 - I've bled both days (of course!
I can never do any handiwork without bleeding somehow),
but I haven't fallen over (yet). A couple of close calls, but no
actual falls. Let's hope the final day (day 3) is just as uneventful.

More primer. Hmmm.... Painty.....

The 'supervisor'...

I think she was waiting for me to fall over...

Even more primer. Note that the plywood decking is started.
This wood sure sucks :P I'm almost through the gallon.

Dammit - ran out of primer.

See all of the railings I have to paint, and put back on,
in the lower right corner?

With the lattice work just propped in place. Nice! Done for the day...

More pictures to come, once I finish the paint coat, put back the
railings and the carpet, and take care of all the 'finishing touches'.

DAY 2

Starting with the nice high-white glossy enamel! Pretty...

This is going much faster than yesterday. Still using
a lot of paint. But it should be enough... I hope.

Getting really shiny now.

Dammit. I was trying so hard to keep paint off the cement.
Then GRITS (remember him?) runs out of the house,
directly across the freshly painted deck, and all over the driveway!

After chasing him around the next door neighbors car, he runs
back to the ramp and RUNS ON IT AGAIN! AND back onto the concrete!

I caught him, finally, but only after a couple of good scratches on my arm.
That's the blood for Day 2.

GRRRRR cats...

"Grits was here."

More painting, and a quick trip to Ace for some
'graffiti remover' (huh, Grits 'tagged' me!).

Wow. That remover works great! No more pawprints!
And the cement's not stained, as advertised.
(those stains to the left are water marks from plants)

A different view. Not in focus. It's not you, it's me.

Holy Crap! That's purty!
All of the railings and lattice are back in place, and the
masking papers have been removed. Even the plant
hooks have been reinstalled.

Detail note: after I reinstalled the lattice and plant hooks,
I touched up the heads of the screws and the plant hooks
with white spray paint. Remember, it's the little touches.
My Father would have appreciated it...

Running really close on the paint. This is the final 'grit
coat' on the deck, to make it non-slip. Works great.

The 'grit coat' is basically a mixture of your paint and
a special sand (or grit). It keeps the deck from being
extremely slippery when it gets wet - and this high
gloss paint would become a slip-and-slide without it.
Safety first!

Slowly tilt your head to the right. Does it look better now?

Oh, this is a nice shot. I should have gotten one like this
before it was painted.

The white rectangle in the foreground is the 'door/potting
table' that goes on the front of the ramp. I'll take some more
pictures of that tomorrow, after I reinstall it.

A closer look at the grit coat.

More pictures tomorrow, after I put the carpet back down
and finish it up completely.

Here's a side-by-side 'before and after' shot...

Wow. A big change after only 24 hours.

Heh. The 'projects' never end. Now she wants a lattice 'cage' for the trash cans so you can't see them from the street. For you, Mom, of course. I'll do the work - anyone out there want to provide the financing?

DAY 3

Started early (again) and got the carpet back in place.
This is the view from the kitchen door. You can see the
garbage cans in the background. No wonder to wants to
hide them with lattice.

The view from the garage.

The 'good view'...
Everything is done. Carpet, knick-knacks, and plants.
You may be asking "If you put down carpet, why the heck
did you bother with the 'grit coat'?" Well, carpet is not permanent.
If something happened, and the carpet had to come up, the grit
coat is there to make sure the deck isn't slippery. And, there are
some parts, especially at the end of the ramp, that the carpet
doesn't cover. I would have had to grit coat those bits, no matter
what. So might as well do the whole thing.

Before, when I put down the carpet, I notice that the shiny silver
staples were visible. Not a good look. I tried to cover them with
magic marker, but I managed to create some big black spots on the
rug, which was the opposite effect I wanted.

This time - I took the staple strip and colored them with magic
marker _before_ I put them in the staple gun. No mess on the
carpet, and you can't see the staples, once installed. Nice, huh?
Another little trick that my Dad would have enjoyed.

(My creative side I get from my Mom. My obsessive-compulsive/anal-retentive
side I get from my Dad. He was a nut for the little details. The combination
works well if you are doing computer graphics. I can spend hours manipulating
a single pixel. :P )

These are the plants on the front of the deck. The rectange in
front (behind the lower plants) is actually a storage door/potting table.

Just remove the plants from the hooks...

And flip up the door/table and hook it with the chain.
Mom can hide all her gardening supplies behind it.

When you are all done gardening, just unhook the chain, drop the
door, and re-hang the plants.

A view from the back of the ramp. You can see all of the
stuff hidden behind the door. The door is mainly to hide
all of the gardening stuff when you look at the house from
the street. Just another bit of that scrap lumber I found
under the ramp.

This is the floodlight by the kitchen door. It has had a
facelift, too. I stripped all of the peeling paint, and painted
it all glossy white. Including the plastic molding on the
wall, which had turned that ugly 'aged plastic' color.

Another view of the floodlight, plus the 'Every Birdie Welcome'
plaque that my Niece Jackie gave to Mom. I use adhesive hooks
to hang things on the siding, that way there's no holes :)
Sometimes the adhesive doesn't hold too well, so I use a little
dab of hot glue for some extra hold.

I love hot glue. It's one of my favorite repair materials :P

Grits (to the left) and Mom and Oatmeal (to the right)
enjoying the morning on the linae.

Another pic of Mom and the 'girls'.

Here's another side-by-side comparison:
'pre-prep, prepped, after paint, and complete' shots...

I'm happy. Tired, but happy. And Mom is _really_ happy :)