Sunday, May 25, 2008

Bouldering and Home Renos

Who knew that home renos and climbing go together so well? I've been bouldering a ton lately, as the weather is junk and my project route is likely underwater to the second or third draw. That would make it a bit easier if I could get to it in a kayak or something. Bouldering doesn't take long, which has left me some time to session on a wood stove project reno. Here are a few of the fun things I've managed to discover about home renos and bouldering.

-A chop saw will chop its own cord if you set it up just right. Fortunately I've done this before and had electrical tape and connector bits, only took ten minutes to fix, getting faster on the sequence.

-No matter how strong you think you are getting, there are always people who are way stronger. If some of them would come help me move my wood stove that would be cool.

-Drywalling sucks. How can I manage to create four feet of just beautiful inside corner joint and four feet that looks like it was done by a crack addict in withdrawal? In the same corner, alternating every foot like I meant to do it that way?

-Gear Tip: Everybody should buy a Makita hammer driver drill thing. It can sink a six-inch deck screw through four inches of seasoned fir and into my vapour barrier, wind up at least ten meters of insulation fiber on the screw, and continue to sink the screw head another two inches into the wood, right to the chuck (which means that screw will NEVER come out, even though it's not exactly where I wanted it) and still have power to burn. Sick, truly the finest power tool I've ever bought. I'm really wondering if it would work in rock.

-Climbing and renos often start alike. "I'll just have a look." Months later, with a badly dinged bank account and some weird memories, it's hard to believe it all started with just one move. I swung a hammer into drywall, I gripped warm spring stone, it's just gone sideways since then. Perfect.

-You just never know about renos or bouldering. For instance, I sent a problem that was hard for me yesterday in the gym even though my skin was blown, it was too warm, and some other excuses. And today I turned on the power to some pot lights I'd just put in, and despite fully guessing at times about which wire went where the lights came on without any of those cool blue flashes I'm kinda familiar with. You just gotta try.

The weather is biblical here in Canmore at the moment, four days of pretty much solid rain. I was getting depressed about this until I remembered that I could be in Vancouver or Seattle, which Canmore is starting to resemble. I even saw people running and riding in the rain today, a sure sign of depression and angst. May it break soon!

Not very seriously,

WG

4 comments:

Ruahines said...

Kia ora Will,
Stumbled across your excellent blog via The Mountain World. Had to laugh about your reno, especially the wood stove as I not long finished with mine. Which is quite nice as moving here in New Zealand into winter that crackle of fire and warmth was worth the effort. Best of luck. Kia ora.
ka kite,
Robb

Anonymous said...

Ha Will i have done all those mistakes and even more. Keep at it you will get better have fun. We can help move the fir if you can arrange our flights and of cause fare. See ya Dave and LEE.

Anonymous said...

Watch those cracks about Vancouver! Alice and I had dinner with your dad yesterday in blazing sunshine. He'd walked across Lions Gate Bridge and met us at a great Iranian restaurant in North Van.

Otherwise, I admit we've had a cold, crappy spring, and it's clouded over again.

Cheers,
Crawford

Will Gadd said...

I'm looking forward to the crackle of fire and not electricity, should be a nice switch, thanks. Stay warm over there.

Yo Team River Gums, thanks, I'm moving into a new stage of things--Table Saws! This is going to be all kinds of fun, should be harder to cut the cord at least.

Looking out the window now it's pretty much full Vancouver weather again. Keep yer city and its weather out west would you? Grin, glad to hear you had some sun, don't get used to it.