Right now the space between the houses looks like swiss cheese with chopsticks sticking out of the holes. Really want to get some concrete in the holes and some panel boards and new gates up, that way I can start tearing up the rest of the yard and fence without everyone watching. Yard work gives everybody the urge to stop and chat.

 

Haha yeah get that fence up to keep the neighbors out! I've got my new deck started and it is also at a standstill with no boards screwed down and temp stairs so the dogs can use it. Wouldn't mind some nice dry evenings so I can get that done too.

 

Yeah its a pretty funny situation. The hood saw the real estate sign for 2 months, house got sold but I didnt move so some convinced themselves that I bought it. They see me finally upgrading the place so naturally they stop when they walk by and see me. Same conversation, no I didnt buy it, new owner wants it fixed up and looking sharp, has 2 other rental houses that will need work and theres only 2 houses left on this side of the street that I havent worked on so I'll be needing work soon. Being retired means I dont need to advertise and travel time to work is measured in feet not in15 minute intervals. The tough life of a retired contractor, sure aint no recession for me. Lol

 

It's always good when your work gets you more work. I've known some guys with the opposite problem. They build one fence, and then can never build another in the same area, because of how pathetic the first one was.

 

Last year I was visiting my accountant and she was complaining about the brick work falling off the front of her house. The contractor never installed the angle iron ledge on the bottom of the brick. He saved the cost of a hand full of quick bolts and 20' of angle iron, but also left an entire neighborhood with houses that cant hold the brick work. If you know some one who can install hricks right, theres at least a full season of repair work in her area of Saddleridge alone.
During the boom there were a lot of good companies with shoddy crews. A lot of times the crews were kept around because they had friends or relatives in management that had the same habits as them.

 

Good evening everyone..so far it hasn't rained today...

 

Get all set up to cut some metal to make a mounting bracket for a fence post and it starts to rain again, hurry up and wait time.

 

Good evening everyone..

 

I got a few hours of deck building time in, was able to get the rest of my joist hung and start the border. Did not finish though. Got a little tired from starting my day job at 6 this morning.

 

Spent the day dodging rain but managed to get the metal pieces cut and cleaned. This is going to be used to mount the striker post to the sidewalk, I could've bought one at Rona but those ones are an 1/8" thick and dont tighten up properly. The one I'm making is 1/4" thick and has a support running up the blind side of the post, it's also made to size and will hold the post tight even before I tighten it. Overkill sure but it'll last for 20 years, not 6 weeks.

New neighbors showed up to clean up before moving in, they're Syrian, 2nd wave and have proper sponsorship, just a 3 piece family. Met the whole works and they appear cool, have an "old country" mentality which doesnt bother me at all as I was raised amongst old country Mennonites. Beats the hell out of a bunch of drunks, junkies or scammers like the old management seemed to like. New owner is Russian and is on vacation so his daughter was over to give them the keys, she is a dark red haired babe with grey eyes and they had to name her Ivanna, she definitely is an I vanna type of girl. Was dressed up like she just stepped out of a Grease, American Graffiti or West Side Story scene.

 

Good morning everyone..

 

Happy Stampede to any cowtowners. Parade is this morning, which I will avoid as usual. I'll be in the cheap seats at the rodeo this afternoon, trying to empty a few Budweisers. Wish me luck.

 

Good morning everyone..

 

Evening everyone, guess we made headlines
Ford Truck Owners Pursue World Record for Largest Truck Gathering - Ford-Trucks.com
Maybe next year

 

Good morning