It's still summer

This week proved to be a little hectic with some late nights at work; I've missed riding my bicycle but managed to get in the last Tuesday night Time Trial. While my time was slower than the first time I rode, I still had a lot of fun. I answered my lingering question about how much to warm up before a race--a lot! It's good to have a base line time to compare to next year; I definitely want to get better. Everyone is so friendly and encouraging; plus, it's a tremendous workout.

With the last DINO race on Sunday, I've committed the rest of my time to helping Mr. Wonderful put siding on the back of our house. We had put in new windows and a different door that will open up to our limestone patio. It's all very exciting, but the work is SO slow. It troubles me to spend hours and not see much progress even through the prep work and details are the foundation for the repetitive, more speedy work. Also, I didn't realize "putting siding up" would encompass tuck pointing. After finding some cracks and gaps in the foundation, the foreman tasked me to mix mud and fill them in. I had a crash course during my undergraduate program when I went to a job site and found Jason's boss miffed that he had gone home extremely sick while the $60/hour crane was sitting in the parking lot of a school. The boss taught me the basics in a few minutes and I was mixing and tucking. It took me a while to get the hang of it again today. Nevertheless, I set out with my task and came out with some decent and not-so-decent marks. (Note that only 2 of mine are in the pic below; the not-so-pretty ones that are already dried were there before. My quality would never be that bad!)

Now it's the middle of the afternoon and we haven't even started the fun part. But I learned what J-channel is, how to install it, and why it's needed. The wood blocks are the basis for a small awning to go over the windows where lights and speakers will be installed. He has some good ideas sometimes.

So, I'm still getting to play with all kinds of man-tools, power tools, etc. I even wore a tool belt for a little while! I learned about a speed square and why it won't help me racing. No wonder guys want tools all the time! My new electric screwdriver was awesome for installing the new hinges on our cabinets, which was last weekend's task.

Thankfully, Mr. Wonderful doesn't read this site, so I don't have to worry too much about advocating expenditures on cool stuff, although, he has already mentioned his need to go to Lowe's today. Guess my overtime from this past week was a good thing. At least we're helping the economy.