What's making you happy today?

[chrisinhouston]

Now that car repairs are over for my wife's car and waiting on a part for the Rover I addressed my kitchen remodel yesterday. It has been sitting patiently waiting since we ground off the old floor a few weeks ago.

I finally took a tape measure, pencil and level and mapped out on the wall where the upper cabinets will go. This was important because I had left wires in different parts of the walls behind the new sheet rock for the under cabinet lighting that will eventually be installed. Since I am building my cabinets from scratch I have a bit of leeway on measurements but so far the upper cabinets will be pretty standard in sizes. 18 inches above the counters, 42 inches to the ceiling (no fur-down). 12 inches deep and in widths of 12", 15, and 30. I installed after-construction outlet boxes for the wiring, just below where the upper cabinets will meet the back splash (nice glass tile mosaic), they are controlled by a switch I added at the kitchen entry.

Next step will be to float and tape all the drywall. I will use hot mud to start with and then finish off with the regular stuff.

[glatt]

I love hot mud. It's great not having to wait a day for it to dry. Although I wish I was more skilled in applying it with a smooth finish. It's especially good when you have to put it on thick and regular mud in the same location would never dry.

[BigV]

After a four hour drive, I am number one on the sign in sheet at the muster point for the tour.

Be back later!

[DanaC]

For context this needs to start with some unhappy: back end of last week my skin went loco again, and as is often the case at such times, I started breaking out in lots of little infections - boil in my ear, red and watery eye, and a little nailbed infection at the tip of my right index finger. So, I called my doc and got a prescripton for anti-biotics, all dandy.

Then, two days into the anti-biotic course, I got hit with a vomiting bug. A full 24 hours unable to keep anything down for more than a few mins = fucked up my anti-biotics.

Though my eczema flare and most of the little infections were more or less done anyway, the fingetip just got worse and worse. Massively swollen. Ended up over at the doctors where he had to drill a little hole through the top of the nail to try and drain some of the goo...and doubled up the anti-biotics.

That was on Monday. Whatever he'd drained off seemed to have been replaced within am hour or so with more gunk, lifting the nail up and swelling the surrounding skin to a tight red mass, with the green starting to expand out beyond the nail and up onto the finger joint. I've been in nightmarish amounts of pain with it. Ridiculous amount of pain to be had from the nail and its bed - I see why torturers historically seem so fond of fingernail stuffs. It looked for a little while like I was auditioning for a zombie movie (or...my finger was anyway, the rest of me was fine!). Tried getting a pic, but too blurry and badly lit to bother posting.

Last night I was getting to the point where I thought I may end up down at accident and emergency to have it properly dealt with...was starting to think maybe...maybe this is going all the way in and I'll be out for the count with sepsis.

This morning it started to leak stuff out. The pressure has been dropping for the last few hours. Am starting to feel so much better! And can now stop fretting that maybe that greeny,bluey,blacky,murky bit at edges is the beginnings of gangrene :p

Smelled bad though, the stuff that came out. And more to go. Probably still be doing stuff one handed for a couple of days yet.

[chrisinhouston]

Originally Posted by glatt

I love hot mud. It's great not having to wait a day for it to dry. Although I wish I was more skilled in applying it with a smooth finish. It's especially good when you have to put it on thick and regular mud in the same location would never dry.

One of my sons (the one in Alaska) is a drywaller and showed me the benefits of using it. I use the web mesh tape as the mud penetrates it and you don't have to do 2 passes of plaster to embed it like with the paper tape. The big thing is to have as much done ahead of the actual mud work as 45 minutes goes by pretty quickly. Also don't mix up more then you can use. I've got a few spots where I got off a bit and the gap between the wall or next sheet is 1/4" or so and the hot mud is great for filling it in. I use the regular topping mud for the later coats as it works better and gives you more time. I start with a 5 inch knife and work up to a 14" one at the end.

[chrisinhouston]

DanaC, glad it is improving and you can actually find something positive in all this.

I busted my right thumbnail today while installing the electrical outlets in my kitchen. Not sure what I did but my hand slipped and the next thing I knew I had torn back the nail a bit from the bed so it was bleeding and hurt. I shouted out a string of curse words and my dog ran in the other room to hide.

[glatt]

I usually draw blood a little bit when I'm doing wiring, but I've never torn a nail. Ouch!

And Dana, I'm sorry about your finger.

[Sundae]

Jeez Dana.
If that's good news...

Damn, I was going to another thread to moan about a canulla. I feel unworthy now. But then I have photos and I bet you don't

Yeah, sorry about your finger, and the rest of the horridness.

[footfootfoot]

Dana,
No topical antibiotic for the finger?

[DanaC]

Nah. But antiseptic rinses and antibiotic tablets.

I forgot to mention my other reasons for happiness and good cheer:

Carrotchops had his hip assessment today (shold have been a fortnight ago, but no matter ;p). Rhona the hydrovet was very pleased. His muscle development is almost approaching normal now for his size and age. He is far more stable with his footing, and able to right himself if pushed slightly, can stand on three legs if she lifts one of his rear feet off the floor. Did a walk round the carpark and his gait looked good, much more even and deliberate.

Did a stint on the underwater treadmill and this time she had him running, going really fast. Gosh he was wideeyed after that. Did well though and looked much more confident and even in his movements than he used to.

The difference in strength and flexibility between his right and left rear legs has decreased dramatically. He's still stepping slightly further with one side than other other, but it's barely noticable now. And in terms of muscle mass in his thighs there's now only about a 10% difference, whereas it used to be closer to 30-40 %

So...I've to increase his exercise a little more. And introduce some new challenges, like some on lead trotting at speed and things that force him to try and stabilise, like just gently nudging his back end as he walks past so he has to right himself:p Whilst also keeping up with his current regime.

Keep that all going for two months then go and reassess. If she's still happy with the rate of progress and his overall stability then she may sign him off at that point until such time as need arises (injury forces a reduction in exercise and a need to rebuild/winter weather makes getting the right amount of exercise difficult/ maintenance sessions if problems arise with increased exercises).

So pleased

And to celebrate, carrot spent the afternoon working on a new project: a beef knucklebone marginally smaller than his head

[chrisinhouston]

I am happy because my wife is alive and safe in Seattle waiting to fly home for the weekend. Last night she headed south from Burlingham, Washington and crossed the I-5 bridge in Mt. Vernon over the Skagit River.

An hour after she crossed it the bridge collapsed.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/C...208760201.html

[ZenGum]

Yo mama so fat ...

[chrisinhouston]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Yo mama so fat ...

And if I had posted that my wife had died or was injured would you have responded the same way? Asshole!

[ZenGum]

Of course not. So, no.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by chrisinhouston

I am happy because my wife is alive and safe in Seattle waiting to fly home for the weekend. Last night she headed south from Burlingham, Washington and crossed the I-5 bridge in Mt. Vernon over the Skagit River.

An hour after she crossed it the bridge collapsed.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/C...208760201.html

I'm glad Mrs Houston is ok.

btw, that's Bellingham.