simple is better...

I spent several hours today with table saw, router and an overactive imagination, working on a prototype for the brackets that will hold up the shelves in the living room that will go around the entire room, just over the height of the windows and doors. I created four different versions, all based upon various Arts and Crafts style brackets I've seen in magazines and on-line, but ended up creating a very plain style bracket that is of dimensions that will do the job, but not overpower any of the other features in the room -



Just your basic right angle bracket. The vertical piece that will mount to the wall is 2.5" wide and 12" tall. The horizontal piece is 2.5" wide and 10" long, set into a 1/4" deep dado in the vertical piece. The stock is 3/4" thick, so, once the shelves are notched around the vertical, it can be a minimum of 10.5" deep, which is perfect for books, CD's and DVD's, and will handily support a 12" deep shelf on the two walls that flank the mantle and the in the wall bookcase, to hold some of our vinyl albums and larger tomes. The back of the shelves will be supported by a 3/4" X 1.5" ledger strip run around the walls of the room, into which the back edge of the shelves will be attached with screws. It will all make sense once it's up and you can see the finished project.

I didn't get past this stage in the bracket making project today, I had to mow the grounds, including the wood lot, which was looking like a jungle. I only mowed back to the treeline and a swath of a path to the brush pile at the back of the property, because, for the first time in many, many years, the lot is loaded with wild blue Gentian.



They were welcome early Summer friends for many years, then disappeared. I thought it was because of my keeping the place mowed, but for some reason this year, they're back. Once they finish blooming and go to seed, I'll tame the rest of the woodlot, but right now it's a sea of pale blue blossoms...

Well, I'm going to go watch some basketball and then hit the rack, I'm beat. Lots of cutting and sanding to do tomorrow, I've two dozen brackets to make, so it's assembly line time.

Have a wonderful evening, my fellow wanderers...


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life is good...
on occasion. I'm sucking down my second Skyy on the rocks, Mrs. SOG is manning the grill (I'm forbidden to approach Grillzilla, except to clean it and repair it... she is a goddess, but doesn't appreciate my burnt offerings...). She's making grilled Cubanelle peppers, grilled asparagus, and grilled corn on the cob. I made a side dish of huge slabs of mozzerella cheese, topped with marinated plum tomatoes and fresh basil from the herb garden. All will be layered on thick slices of toasted semolina bread (except the corn, that will be rolled in a stick of butter and doused with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper), all to be washed down with my new favorite wine (more on that later - I'll save you a bottle, Bing).
Tomorrow night after work I will be making the prototype of the two dozen Arts and Crafts brackets that will support the book shelves that will run around the living room at the height of the top of the windows and doors. Once I refine the design, I'll throw a picture up here so you can ooh and ahh...
After some fierce calculations last night, I discovered that, barring some unforeseen disaster, I will be completely out of debt, except for the mortgage on this grim old pile, by the end of the year, which will allow me to fill the coffers with enough coin to start construction on the new woodworking shop next spring. YAY! Just in time to remodel the kitchen for the third time and the dining room for the second time. I have six base cabinets to build and five wall cabinets for the kitchen, with new solid wood counter tops. The dining room has been measured for five foot tall paneled walls, in the Arts and Crafts style, and a coffered ceiling with copper ceiling panels set in between the beams. Of course, that means all new trim and probably a new Arts and Crafts style mantle. I will probably be selling the period style mantle I built for the dining room fireplace at some point, if anyone's interested. It's big - almost six feet wide and five feet tall. It's in the Federal style, with dentil mouldings and such. I'll post a picture one of these days.
Well, the dinner bell has rung.
Have a wonderful evening, my fellow wanderers...

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milk for the duck...
I've been re-directing my anger and frustrations into constructive things, like gardening, and finishing up the remodeling project I started just about this time last year on Albatross Hall (the living room...).
And working on a new blog template. This one is way to busy... I'm thinking just going back to basic black. What ever...
I'm sure something will make me boil over to the point of needing to rant a bit, so stop by now and then. Probably have some gardening posts later this week over in the gardening blog and some remodeling pictures here.
Later.

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On this day, Memorial Day, please remember to honor those who gave, on lands far and foreign, so that we may have our most precious freedoms... and please, don't let their sacrifice be lost to future generations, by letting those freedoms be taken away by the enemy from within, who's shadow falls long and dark upon our treasured soil. Speak up. Speak out. There are no greater weapons than truth and knowledge and there is no more formidable soldier than he or she who wields these unflaggingly in the face of this evil. Speak up. Speak out...

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yep...

"Things can be turned around...our political criminals and traitors have been exposed for the cheats they are...our system is imploding...good stuff!"

THUD, in comments... I couldn't agree more. The left is engineering their own demise, if you think about it. Will the Conservative front take advantage of this, or will it be business as usual? 2010 will tell.

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what. the. fuck...
The Half-breed Kenyan Wetback Squatter C**k Sucker who lives at #1600 is building his "Civilian National Security Force" by recruiting Explorer Scouts to train for domestic law enforcement, 'border control' and paramilitary scenarios, including home invasions. The last thing we need is raging hormone fueled teenage boys and girls running free in the streets with firearms, guided by the blinding light of Messiah Obama.



"I like shooting them," Cathy said. "I like the sound they make. It gets me excited."

It's 1939 again, friends. I wonder when the mass rallies and book burnings are going to start? I suggest you take whatever measures you see fit to protect your family and homes, friends. You could be considered a domestic terrorist and threat to the reign of King Uppity for merely flying an American flag from your front porch or being a member of the NRA or being a registered Republican or Independent, and the Obama Youth might just come crashing through your front door one of these days... I really don't care what the premise for this training is, this is the start of a threat to personal security on the highest level. WAKE THE FUCK UP, ASSHOLES !!! Get on the phone, get on-line and let the Boy Scouts of America and your so called representatives in DC know what you think about this. What next, a Merit Badge for turning in your parents for discussing Ron Paul at the dinner table or keeping a Bible in the living room?





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I'm back...
While I was away, I discovered some things...

The world really is flat. Honest, I'm not kidding. I've seen the edge...

The majority of people inhabiting said flat world have their heads to far up their asses that they don't really matter... they're just in the way and not worthy of worrying about... fuck 'em.

America is in it's death throes... the clutches of the ultra left are completing their strangle hold on our once great nation. There is no blinding Conservative light on the horizon... not even a candle... even if Gregory House were elected President, it couldn't be cured...

I'm sick of the whole Right-wing Conservative blogging world... all your pissing and moaning and sarcasm and the idea you make a difference has grown old... while you were sitting there on your asses in front of your computer trying to be pithy and witty, I was out there, beating the streets, trying to fend off this assault on America last November... thanks for the help.

I'm tired.

No, I'm not giving up blogging. I'm just tired.

Fuck Obama. Really... FUCK OBAMA and everyone who voted for him and more especially, everyone who sat on their asses and did nothing to help stop him. You're worse then those who supported him.

I'm going to go have some dinner while I can still afford to eat.



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nothing...
I've got nothing. My interest and sense of humor have been washed away in the constant rains that have battered Stately Sad Old Goth Manor for more than a week. Maybe something after this weekend, it's supposed to be somewhat dry and I've got flats and flats of stuff to get into the ground, I hope everything enjoys growing in mud. Until then, I'm going to spend my time drinking adult beverages, popping pain killers and generally be a slug. Stop back next week.

Here's some vintage King Crimson to amuse you...



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wow...



The Hunt For Gollum is now available on line, and it's wonderful, just wonderful. Grab a flagon of ale, stoke up a pipe full of Longbottom Leaf or some Old Toby, sit back and enjoy. Damn. Just wonderful.

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New Jersey...
seems to have taken on the climate of the North West... it's been raining off and on for days. Couldn't do anything outside so I decided to play with power tools... go visit Tilling By Moonlight and have a look...
later.

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