Back on the Rock

 

http://www.angelsrestusvi.com/index.html

 

 

The "red eye" express back to the rock. Usually arrive around 1:30pm.

 

The truck has a flat, it always does. I have a leaky rim. Put a can of fix a flat and limp down to the gas station in Cruz Bay. My buddy Roger lets me park at his house so it's not too far. On the bright side, the truck, no matter how long it sits, starts right up. Praise the lord! In a rush I make for the market to pick up a few things before I cross the island to Coral Bay and the shack. I need to get in there while it is still light out. Things move in when you are not around. Plus, the electricity might not work. There's a short punch list of things that can make my jet lag even worse. This time everything fired right up. Plugged the frig back in, same for the micro and we're living large again. No tree rats. A man can't ask for more than that. I always bring coffee from SF so we're good for a couple of days until I can jump to St Thomas and provision. Tomorrow I'll deal with the house.

 

This was the porch when I left

The house was in good shape for being closed up so long. Some mold was trying to start. The drill is the same every time I return. I wash all the walls with diluted bleach while trying to figure out what I was doing before I left for SF.

 

Seven weeks is a long time to be away. Don't get me wrong, I wish it was even longer but the major drawback, and it is major, I have no idea where I left off. Worse still, when I do remember, I can't recall how I was actually doing things. Say what?

 

Take the railings below as an example. Sure I designed them using readily available bits on site and copper pipe from Home Depot but I forget how I assembled them, what little tricks I had learned, where had I hid the used 2x6's and scrap 1x stock that I could make the stanchions with. Oh that's right, I needed more screws and I'm out of primer, copper pipe and the wood putty has gone dry. You get my drift. That's  just for the railings. Usually I have about five different things going on, so just extrapolate it out. 

 

 

Because St Thomas is a whole day affair, not to mention the barge costing $50 plus other fees, I generally lay about for a couple of days and figure out what I need from Home Depot and any other stores to keep me busy for the next month. The finished railings above were my way of easing back into work mode once I remembered how I had made them. All the pictures I take are the key.

 

Next on the agenda was finishing the upstairs wiring, putting in all the receptacles and switches. Same drill, re-study everything. It has been many years since I was certified at City College in SF so I have to get out my textbooks and review everything. It wouldn't be St John without a delay. Home Depot was out of the fan switches I wanted so I had to order them on Amazon. These then get shipped to SF and then on to me from Denise. So now let me tell you what happens in real life. I move onto other things, weeks later the switches will show, I'll keep working on something else and the switches will sit in the corner for who knows how long. Then by the time I get back to the fans I'll have forgotten which dimmers I'm replacing. And so it goes. Whereas, if I was stateside, I would have gotten the switches I wanted the next day and the wiring would have been completed while it was fresh in my mind. Now instead I have a gi-normous punch list with hanging chads. And so it goes. 

You have seen this guy before. He's king of the wild goats. I'm always happy to see him.

 

 



My first remodel. I mentioned in my last posting that I originally penciled things out with wall sconces for the utility and bedroom door lights. Denise and I had even starting looking at lights. I worked out how I would get the wiring through the concrete, blah, blah, only to realize while contemplating storm shutter design when I returned that nothing can go on the walls--that's where the open shutters go--duh! 

 

Now I have a problem. The ceiling is up and its wired but not in the right places for any fast/easy fixes. The first solution was recessed lights with glass panes. I bought three for wet conditions. The existing wiring would work with some effort. While holding them up for possible placement the little people on my shoulder started in. What is this, a Holiday Inn? Back and forth for a week while I did other things. The end result, the lights are going in the ceiling of the closet. I pulled a new cable and the covered porch will now have two small chandeliers (so gay..;~) with a fan in the middle. (the wire sticking out above). My boss in SF agrees. I hid the holes I had to make under the trim divider board that I removed for the job.

 

More termite tracks

Thor arrived on island for his winter hibernation while waiting for a boat delivery. He gave me a hand, his idea, moving the refrig, dishwasher and stove from the container down to the house. OMG, it almost killed us. It wasn't so much the weight but the ramp and stairs. All I can tell you, stoves are a bear at 150 lbs. We weren't sure we could do it. Things get really dicey on a 4' wide, suspended 32' ramp over a very deep divide, across a small slanted roof and down 17 very steep stairs. All I could see was the frig taking a tumble. God forbid if these appliances don't work after so many years in the container. The property might look like Appalachia! I totally understand how these things end up on front porches. ;~)

 

Who knew termites love Styrofoam. You don't even want to see the refrig!

  

 

 

You think you are going to town? Oh no you're not. A concrete pumping truck decides to take the scenic route on the north shore and gets stuck for half the day on a switch back. Of course it blocked both lanes. A dump truck and a chain saved the day. Until then we all stood around saying how we would do it! Good times had by all.

 

 

 

 

My second remodeling job. This was truly a pain in the ass. That little corner took all those tools. The one problem with building Fort Knox is when you decide to change something. Those steel studs are 14 gauge. In layman's terms, weldable steel. This is not the stuff you see commonly used. My problem, I had to lower the drain pipe and I didn't have the right tools for such tight spaces among a host of other issues. It doesn't take much effort to break a wrist when the torque gets out of control on a power drill. It ended up a two day project all because the basin of the pedestal sink had an appendage that would, or so I thought, make the p-trap drain assemblage to low causing the sink to drain too slowly. Am I certain about it? No. But I did not want to find myself in a situation where I was right but the bathroom was done, the walls were finished and I had a slow drain. Truth be told, I had forgotten how many studs were in the wall, how close they were, all the while thinking it would be a layup. Haha.

 

 

Island hopping with my truck!

wiring the crown molding

Moving along I jumped back into the living room after returning from another trip to St Thomas. It's a once a month thing. I brought all the 1x4 stock I needed to finish the crown molding. Previously I had already finished the base and wall attachment. Now I spent the time wiring all the spots. Once completed I then attached all the facing boards. I put up all my trim wet, screwed in place. If I don't, a lot of the treated lumber goes all twisted especially the 1x stock. I don't have the luxury of ample space where I can stack and dry it properly.

I let it sit for weeks before I prime it with oil.

think 4th of July for a month

 



The latest from the "sunken boat" chronicles.

http://www.stjohntradewindsnews.com/index.php/586-news/2013-02-news/8389-s-v-perstary-catches-fire-sinks-in-coral-bay-harbor

 

Next project, the Juliet balcony. Way back when, while framing the house, I changed a picture window in the kitchen/dining room to a set of French doors. Now at last, the balcony that goes with it. Steel from the scrap pile bolted onto the wall. That gauge will hold thousands of pounds.

 

Once again the subfloor gets covered with Strataflex, the water proof/earthquake membrane before tiling. It gives such a nice surface to work on not to mention keeping everything dry until I get around to laying the tile.

 

Keeping it clean and simple I just carried the same design, trim etc from the porch. Ultimately the travertine trim will continue all the way down the side of the house. I cut the 16" floor tiles into 4" strips and away I go. The only added expense is the pencil trim that goes on top. Another bonus, I get to use tiles that I wasn't happy with on the floor. Cut in strips I don't see what bugged me. I know, I know TMI....Denise will like it because the house will  feel a little different than last time. She arrives next week.

 







Hole? What hole?

"Recent heavy rains brought down a new section of the already eroding area of Centerline Road near the Upper Carolina subdivision turnoff, above. DPW officials are aware of the problem but don’t expect to move ahead with repairs for at least three months."



In true island style they have been saying this since October 2010. Thank god this is not California otherwise the road would have been closed a long time ago. The tourists don't know any better and we just drive by and smile!

 



The latest entries to the "smugglers blues" category...

 

http://stthomassource.com/content/news/local-news/2013/05/19/roberto-tapia-arrested-drug-conspiracy-firearms-charges

 

http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/feds-nab-v-i-police-sgt-in-tapia-probe-1.1495472

 

http://stjohnsource.com/content/news/local-news/2013/04/10/dea-and-coast-guard-harvest-3000-pounds-marijuana-sea

 



 



 Full screen

A lazy Christmas

California Street with a zoom lens



It was a lazy decorating Christmas

Yes, the tree is supposed to be the root ball with the red ornaments. We were just not up for a tree this year. We'll bounce back next year. When you don't have kids running around it's easy to make excuses. This is our first time. It seems we are not the only ones. A quick drive through the neighborhood shows a significant decline in outdoor lighting etc.

 

Upon returning to SF for a month during the holidays it doesn't take long to get right back into our fur lined rut. Museum exhibits, most of the movies contending for academy awards, dinner parties, great walks, boxes of chocolate, the perfect car to drive, HOT water, you know, the normal things. We basically cram into one month what we probably would have done together in SF over the previous five.

 

This holiday season was especially nice, lasting almost seven weeks. I arrived the day before Thanksgiving just catching my bother and sister in law from Australia.

It's not all play however. I generally bring home a long punch list of "things" I have to buy that fit in my luggage.

 

 

http://www.sfmoma.org/about/press/press_exhibitions/releases/937

 

the Presidio walk that never gets boring

 

a new house--a rare event in this area of SF

Another Andy Goldsworthy installation in the Presidio. Three cheers for his liking SF. I'm for anything that cuts down the Eucalyptus trees. Not native and they burn hot. Make sure you check out the google link of his work. Very interesting stuff, a lot of which disappears with the elements.

http://www.presidio.gov/explore/Pages/andy-goldsworthy-spire-wood-line.aspx#.Usx_m8jD_Dc

 This is a google link to pictures of his work. http://tinyurl.com/kog49qh

 

The best movie of the seven we saw.

 

A great private collection. Walking through it is hard to imagine having so many wonderful paintings hanging on the wall. I'm glad someone got to enjoy it.

 

William Paley

 http://www.sfgate.com/art/article/A-Taste-for-Modernism-review-artistry-flair-3866009.php



this would look good on St John   ;~)


In art related news from St John.....heiress Lisa de Kooning was found dead at her home.

http://tinyurl.com/mpoyx57

 

 

Not everyday is sunny. The famous fog horns as freighters pass under the Golden Gate.

 

Her 21st birthday. Only 125K miles.

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaJ3XQBqKn0

 

If you like ballet, I think they are some of the best athletes in the world maybe the best, this was a great installation. You felt like you were backstage, all the while with life size videos of several performances playing, shrouded by thin curtains. It was great. I had no idea he got busted in the Haight at a party. Too perfect.

 

 

Even if you think you don't like ballet give this a chance. Margot Fonteyn was in her mid forties while Nureyev was in his mid twenties. She retired at 61! Full screen of course.

 

The one exhibit I missed. She came just after I left SF.

 http://www.thestylesaloniste.com/2013/01/girl-with-pearl-earring-opens-at-de.html




Tennis buddies

New Years at Lake Tahoe. Denise's friend Carolyn and her husband have a wonderful home overlooking the lake. What a lucky invite. As it turns out her husband Bob and I practically lived in the same tenement building in Manhattan when we were still in diapers. What are the chances. 

 

 The view out our bedroom. Cut a tree down? Go to jail. 

 It's a crazy world. A couple of days later, a different beach, the sand is white and the temps are in the 80's. It's back to work.



I'm back at the beach....



 

  



And coming around the far turn

 

Teenager

Adult

 

Upon returning from St Thomas with the lumber to finish trimming out the kitchen baseboards and the front door porch I stacked it to left it dry out for a couple of weeks. The stuff is literally dripping with the treatment. It gets all over the truck when it is really fresh. Like I said, I put it up wet but not dripping!

 

Home Depot finally received more of the travertine bullnose I needed to trim out the porch. Because they never had enough I had been buying 8-10, one foot pieces, whenever they had any over the last year. Now I had the forty I needed. I was really looking forward to getting this work done. Despite my best efforts water was still finding its way in along the edge. Not a lot but just enough to piss me off on occasion, leaving a water mark after it would dry.

What you can no longer see in the photo above is the seam between the 2x12 and 2x4 that I used as a combo fascia board to encapsulate the red iron i beam. There were no 2x16's available and even if there were I couldn't afford it--not to mention the weight. To cover the seam I cut the 16" tiles in four inch strips. They are already in place above waiting for the bullnose.

 Place camera on scaffolding, run down plank, pick up bullnose and smile!

 

There's always drama with everything. As I mentioned I bought all the bullnose over the course of a year. All from the same supplier in Turkey. I was so looking forward to put it up. I laid it out to get the color mix right and got to it. Well as it turns out every batch while looking the same was slighly different, each in a different way. Either the curve was bigger or smaller, likewise for the height, depth and all the ways it could be measured. Basically everything was off about an 1/8". Maybe no big deal to a professional but a huge headache to me. If you know where to look you will see it.

The finished look before grouting.  

 

A baby burro having its leg fixed after being hit by a car

 

In what has to be a first, Tortola's Road Town Ferry sunk in the harbor while being worked on.

 

http://www.bviplatinum.com/news.php?page=Article&articleID=1342093661

Drying out!

 

With the lumber dripped dried I set about encapsulating the small front door porch. You can see some of the rippled milling I have to deal with.

Priming the baseboards before putting them up.

I had not shaved in so long that when I did, I had this! Denise's worst fears about me turning into Grizzly Adams came true when we did a Skype call. She can handle a lot of things but facial hair is not one of them! I figure with the gray hair folks will stop thinking I'm in my 40's. ;~)))))

 

Tropical storm Rafael taking shape

What a nice hurricane. Changing course several times to miss everyone!

 You have your info commercials and we have ours! ;~))

 

September, October and November, my favorite months. Empty beaches, well almost, and warm water. Every time I have to jump to town for fresh produce or other supplies I try to get to the beach about 3:30pm. That gives me an hour before the showers close at Trunk Bay.

Full screen a must....

 

Next up, downstairs.

The router, miter saw and the table saw you don't see.

I should have taken some before and after pics. What you don't see, this area was piled high with everything that had been stored inside and was moved to pour the floor during the last concrete work.

It was a good two days before I had everything stored and new work benches in place. I relocated everything from upstairs. All future messes will be made down here. It feels so good. Progress.

The work benches also doubled as my scaffolding while I put in the electric for the fans, lights and put up metal furring strips to drop the ceiling below the red iron. I screwed up the electric. More on that later.

After trimming out the columns etc I started putting up the ceiling. A lot of the 4x8 beadboard panels had suffered some cosmetic termite damage with their long years in the containers.

No worries however. These two products, which I tested by applying them to another board and leaving it out in the weather for several months, passed the test. One for bulk, the other for skim coating. With time and patience it makes crude treated lumber look like its been milled.

 

Same drill as everywhere else, multiple coats of paint to get a build with wood putty skim coats in between. In the end four or five coats. Hey, its new construction--that's what it takes.

It feels like a death in the family. My sander of 17 years gave up the ghost. I can't bring myself to throw it in the garbage yet. I'm getting pathetic!

After multiple coats the columns are starting to look pretty good. A half column will be put up on the far concrete corner, housing a two way light switch for the covered porch lights. With all the small changes I make as I go along, things I thought out years ago sometimes get overlooked. This time it was the layout and location of the lights. I got carried away with the idea of wall sconces on each side of the bedroom doors and another by the utility room. Wired everything and put up the ceiling only to remember why I did not do that years ago--the storm shutters have to go where the sconces would be! Duh. My hope, with four inch recessed lights I should be able to get my arm up into the ceiling and get a hold of the wires. If not, I'll have to take down the ceiling.

This is how it happens.

 

The best nine minutes for anyone building, buying or remodeling.
 

 

In another surprise I found I was allergic to the new treated lumber. Blistering everywhere the saw dust and sweat mixed. The itching later was worse than poison ivy. The first attack was everywhere over my chest and arms. The old stuff never bothered me.

 

Back to the crash chronicles. I guess they are happy the retaining wall was done! Thankfully no one was hurt.

 

 On a truly sad note there was a small airplane crash at sea between St Thomas and St Croix. One survivor. The wreckage arrives in St Thomas.

http://www.stjohntradewindsnews.com/index.php/582-news/2012-10-news/8266-downed-aircraft-located-and-bodies-of-two-missing-passengers-recovered

 

 the day after

 

Back to upstairs....

The discarded original screens got recycled into the porch railings. Copper tubing with number 3 rebar inserts. Simple, strong and a very inexpensive to construct. Did I mention the patina?

Waiting for the top rail.

That's is far as I got when I ran out of my 10' copper pipe. I'll get the rest when I return from San Francisco. This year I'm leaving the day before Thanksgiving and staying for six weeks. Denise was not able to make her October visit so we are doing a twofer! See you next year assuming the Mayans are wrong!