Memory lane

Interesting dental plan

My mini vacation ended with Denise all too quickly. Lots of beach time, really the only time I go, while working about three hours a day. Denise could not take the goat droppings so the downstairs has been cleaned. We could not get the exterior color or the living room right no matter how many samples I made. Plan B, we are going to actually knock on the door of the house where we saw the color in SF and see if they will share. As I mentioned previously, if they had a colorist choose their colors they may not. Sometimes it is even a contractual affair. The living room will even be tougher. We want the color of a national interior design company. It's akin to calling Tiffany's and see if they will give you the formula for "Tiffany Blue". We'll find out.

I dropped Denise at the St Thomas airport on November 1 and I'll be back picking up a childhood friend on the 6th.

The work now is pretty humdrum. Thirty two shutters to take care of all the upstairs doors and windows. Multiple designs preventing any real production sense. Every now and then I had to unscrew a piece because the backs and front are different as are the left and right sides. Space out just a bit and you end up making everything in reverse! What I can tell you, I learned why custom shutters cost so much. Even with the most economical lumber, hardware etc, putting labor at just $25 an hour, a pair of serious door shutters will set you back about $700. Kick everything up with stainless fittings, hinges, milled lumber and the like and you are way past $1500.

With my friend Jimmy coming I'll drop the shutter routine and figure out some two man labor.

Friends since we were seven. The math is scary.

With Jimmy here for two weeks I figured four hours a day of work with the rest for the island. He lives in NY so we don't get to see much of each other. Years go by. St John will actually be much more convenient.

The blue container was nearly empty except for about 40 sheets of the nine foot fibreglass sheet rock. While I have moved a fair number down to the house it is a delicate job for one person. Weight aside, getting them out of the container, sliding them into the truck then reversing the process and walking down the ramp, the fifteen steps or so into the house without breaking them is quite the feat. This time around we have to go even further, to the lower floor. One person very stressful. For two people its a tiresome lay up. Hello Jimmy! Furthermore, I have already sold the container and promised, with short notice, that I would empty it when called. Because of the steepness of the driveway, the camper shell, blah, blah, I can only take about 10 sheets per trip. Let's just say we took a couple of days to move it!

In an act of perfect timing Jimmy got an intro into island living. A concrete truck overturned on the way to Coral Bay. Remembering that we drive on the left this truck was probably full. Just a guess--he was speeding. Speeding on St John is going about 35! The speed limit is 20.

The weather was perfect for all the usual tourist happenings. This is the view along the ridge to the house or as I say when I have a guest--the "Three Seasons". With a tent pitched in the house, an outhouse of dubious merits and a cold hose jungle shower, I don't have many guests, as you would imagine. The paradise buzz only goes so far. Did I mention my cooking? It won't kill you but you do get to put your feet up everyday while I slave in the kitchen. Think of it as happy trails slop. As an added bonus I also do the dishes!

He's starting to get the picture at my Casa Rustico' !

Lameshur ruins

Annaberg ruins

Continuing with Jimmy's intro to island 101, this from the smugglers blues category.....
http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/domicanos-in-court-in-8-million-bust-1.1233720#axzz1iLTf3jPi


The view from the tent room suite. It could be worse. Don't forget at night it comes with all the rain forest sounds. Going to the bathroom can be quite the experience! Think of it as "outward bound" by accident.

Continuing the "I will work for room and board program", we jumped downstairs and put in all the electric and roughed in most of the plumbing. Two people make it so much easier. Afterwards we sheet rocked most of the bedroom ceiling.

In just two weeks he experienced the full monty of St John. Rainbows virtually everyday, wild goats, sheep, donkeys, deer, lizards, iguanas, feral cats, chickens, the hawks that eat them, noisy roosters, turtles every time we went snorkeling, some rain at night, all that and no mosquitoes. On top of that, now that I think about it, I even paid him money I didn't have. WTF.

the money shot

Here he is performing at the Castaway's. Ignore the bar noise in the beginning. He sings this song whenever we rally. He once sang it using a traffic cone on the Golden Gate Bridge 50th Anniversary walk back in 1987 and stopped foot traffic on the bridge. Yes, he has a band in NY--The Hey Baby Band. With different members it's probably going on 30+ years.

What makes it all the more remarkable is this is how he spent last year. He's now a survivor as they say after a brutal year.

On his last night we jumped over to St Thomas for the Paradise Jam. Easily the best deal in college basketball. Top teams, court side seats. You can walk out on the court during the shoot around and harass the players if you are in the mood. My friend Roger organizes it every year, springs for the tickets and a meal before the game. Who's better than him? Not to mention he even gets us over to St Thomas on the barge.

Just like that two weeks were up. I dropped Jimmy off at the airport and went back to the shutters. I have two weeks to get them all constructed so I can hang them all before I return to SF for the holidays. All I can say, they take a lot l-o-n-g-e-r than you think. Just trying to sand wood that should be planed takes over a week. What a waste. I won't make that mistake again. Well actually I will. Several thousand counter sunk screws take for ever to fill and sand. It all looks easy and simple to you actually do it. Paint, sand, patch, paint, sand, patch. Rinse and repeat four times. I can see why a lot of folks choose a more carriage bolt look for their shutters.

getting some primer on

Ultimately they will get four coats. Two primers and two top coats, sanded between with wood putty where needed. New construction takes a lot of paint. Benjamin Moore on St Thomas did not carry the oil primer I use. They said there was no demand for it here. I had to use a quick dry Zinsser stain blocker. It is not what you want to really use. It doesn't level and I find quick drys to be too brittle. Indoors ok maybe, but I prefer a true soaking oil primer for exteriors. These days the best long lasting combo I have found for wood trim is a slow/normal drying oil primer with a Latex topcoat. Beni Moore Super-Spec oil with a MoorGlo topcoat. With good prep you might get 10 or more years on the sunny side. Thankfully they carry the Satin Impervo oil for my interior trim.

Hanging them up to dry while I'm gone. I'll have to get the windows on my return in mid January.

These guys hung out everyday. The grey male was chased off by the local tom after a good beating one night a couple of weeks ago. I never got a chance to get him spaded. I need to take the two females in.

Lizzy was fixed at the beginning of the year. They have a program on St John where they give you the traps for feral cats and they fix them for free on Wednesday's. Every time I leave island for a month or so I wonder if it will be the last time I see them. Lizzy has returned twice so far. The Tuesday before I left to SF the young females disappeared and avoided the trip to the vet.

the hurricane year in review

Spotted as I was leaving St John.