I Did That

I found my camera!  There are tons of pictures on it and I can’t wait to get them posted on my various websites.  The bad news is I can’t find the USB to Micro end cable that I use to download the pictures.  I guess there is a run to a store that carries such things in my near future.

More good news:  we got the sunroom tiled.  The quarry tile looks great out there.  More bad news:  the grout haze has been a nightmare getting off.  Good news:  I found something that takes it off.  Bad news:  it’s vinegar. Phew!

The slight acidity of the vinegar loosens the grout that is stuck to the top of the tile and it wipes right off after sitting for half a minute or so.  The problem with that is that you have vinegar sittting on the floor for half a minute or so, per tile.  Lots of tiles = lots of stinky.  I will have it finished today, though and once it dries (and airs) out, I will put a high gloss acrylic sealer on it for a nice “wet look”.  After that, it will be rock and roll time and my wife will finally get to decorate the sunroom.

It turns out that despite my extensive tool ownership, I am a few tools short of what I need to keep up the yard here.  In the old house I did very little yard work.  I paid someone to cut the grass and did what ever little pruning I had to do on an infrequent basis.  Here, I don’t have that luxury and will have to do a fair bit of yard work on my own.  So I’m going to need the tools it takes to do that.  Here;s a tentative list of what I’m going to need:

1. a riding lawnmower/tractor
2. a chipper/shredder
3. an edger
4. a gas chainsaw
5. a mortar mixer

Number 5 might seem a little strange next to the others, but I have a number of sidewalks to repair/replace and want to build at least 2 retaining walls and a couple of buildings, so I’m going to need to mix some concrete at some point.  I think I need the chipper before I get anything else and I think I will get a self-propelled push mower second hand at first because I will be beating the tar out of it in the back yard and there is no sense putting a brand new mower through that sort of punishment.  I can borrow my Father-in-law’s chainsaw for now.