There’d be no stopping me yesterday. A couple of things slowed me down, though.
The first was a plugged toilet in the cabin. (That’s my second-best thing, right behind self-inflicted scalp wounds from banging my head on stuff.) It wasn’t completely clogged, but it ran slow and the bowl didn’t drain completely.
I was headed to Lowe’s anyway. I added “toilet plunger” to my list.
The Mountain was socked-in pretty good when I left around 7:30am. Foggy conditions persisted all the way to Mountain Home, except for a three-mile stretch the other side of Gassville. I picked up what I needed at Lowe’s and turned toward home.
The very first thing I did when I got back was deploy my new plunger — a can’t-miss “behive” model — and attack the clogged toilet. Worked like a charm.
Finishing the shower surround was my top priority. It took four eight-foot sheets of corrugated galvanized steel roofing, shaped by five cuts, plus about 40 pilot holes and an equal number of gasketed roofing screws, sealed with a tube of clear silicone caulk.
The nibbler attachment for my DeWalt drill couldn’t handle steel that thick, so I used hand shears for almost everything. I made the longest cut with my jigsaw and broke two Diablo blades in the process.
I dulled a drill bit, too.
When I conducted the first test of my freshly surrounded shower, the water got warm but not hot — the valve’s internal stop apparently had been set by Delta’s legal department. I partially disassembled it and made an adjustment.
When it was done — or as done as it needed to be yesterday — I was satisfied. Eventually I’ll add a piece of trim to the inside corner. The top edge will be accented by a strip of red cedar. And yes, there will be a shower curtain, but I’ll have to think on that some.
The dogs and I will move into the cabin today.
Why not yesterday? Because I dig symbolism.
I’ll shut down the water heater in the camper. I’ll also turn off and defrost the fridge and the freezer. I’ll leave the power connected and the HVAC fan running, just to keep air moving.
Until I can get the cabin at least partially insulated, I predict that from time to time the dogs and I will seek air-conditioned refuge in the camper as long as it’s here. If yesterday is any indication, the cabin can become an oven during the heat of the day.
The air conditioner in the bedroom, even aided by two box fans, can’t keep up. I’ll continue to experiment, but at least the west wall needs to be insulated.
I’ll get there, and I’ll deal with it ’til I do.
This is gonna be a pretty special day. It’s great to be here.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable