Archive for the 'random crap' Category

google sketchup to the rescue

The house won’t be furnished like this, but the model is correct for the room architecture.

I should have done this months ago, so much less angst.

House test 1.jpg

House test 2.jpg

house update

In other news (tree death day), it’s time to update the house to-do list:

  • electrical: done
  • roofing: done
  • heating: done
  • arborist: hired and in progress
  • carpentry: install attic stairs
  • painting: in progress
  • decorating: decided to do it myself

tree death day

Not a good day to be a tree in my life.

Last night, around midnight, this happened… it sounded like an explosion out back.

I had just called the dogs in 5 second earlier, they were going nuts, guess they knew the tree was giving way.

poor tree lost an arm last night

Tree guy came out this morning, then pointed at the tree out front and asked me when I was going to stop fooling myself and remove the zombie oak next to the driveway. He’s right.

Drove up to SF to talk to the tree guys up there that I was scheduled to meet. Removing a blighted Willow in the back yard and dealing with the Sycamore up front and the neighbor’s tree that is trying to kill it.

The tree guy goes, wow, what a beautiful Acacia (it’s 70 years old and at least 70 feet tall)… stares at it a second and says… “oh fuck. pardon my french… take a look at that”. I look, and see that about 30 feet up there’s an 18 inch crack where one of the main branches is about to break, and probably take out 4 neighbor’s back yards… with the location of the crack, it looks like the tree won’t really be salvageable (horribly off balance), so it is probably going to get murdered too.

In case you weren’t aware, I happen to love trees, that was a main deciding factor for both houses, and both of them are getting denuded.

If you are a tree, for your own sake, stay away from me today.

house update

Almost six months have past and the list looks almost the same, but strangely enough, much has happened under the covers. New heating ducts and a furnace, rebuilt and insulated attic, deck rebuilt, new roof going on next week, plumbing fixed.

Todo:

  • electrical: ground/replace parlor outlet, add office outlet, add tv wall outlet (tomorrow)
  • roofing: new tar roof, eyebrow vents, fix flashing (next week)
  • carpenter: finish patching walls, attic ladder, bracing for tv, finish attic insulation (next week)
  • flooring: refinish hardwood floors (still need to pick stain color)
  • heating: final inspection
  • painting: color selection, paint and seal exterior, paint interior, stain deck
  • select a hot tub under deck, investigate moisture damage possibility for deck
  • electrical part 2: service upgrade, Tesla charger (220/70a), power for hot tub
  • get an arborist out to look at trees up front
  • webcam and water cannon to shoot neighbor when he throws shit in my driveway

ridewithgps.com

A friend of mine pointed me to this site, great tools for sharing proposed routes or actual tracks from motorcycle, car, and hiking trips.  It’s sort of a social networking site for trip sharing.

Unfortunately, most of the users seem to be from Oregon, so if you’re a Californian, get busy!  I’ve posted my favorites/recent trips.

motorcycle trip packing list (1 day up to orr springs)

IMG_0045.JPG Phoenix, Yv, Anton and I are heading out this weekend. This is my first ever motorcycle tour and it’s a shake-out for a week long in Baja this summer. I’m fighting with the urge to not over-pack (this list is already waaaaay too long).

Leaving San Francisco, up highway 1, stopping in Jenner for lunch, probably Mendocino for dinner, then onto Orr springs. Pick up breakfast supplies in Mendocino, leave Orr around one or two, quick zip home to SF.

Afterparty on Sunday at Jade Bar (the Liquid Munch).

  • two bottles of wine for sat night
  • corkscrew
  • two motorcycle tool kits
  • flat fixer
  • convertible first-gear jacket & pants (hot on 101, cold on 1)
  • t-shirt
  • socks
  • underwear
  • towel (always know where your towel is)
  • earplugs
  • ipod + sound isolating headphones
  • sunblock
  • toiletries
  • non-melty snack bars
  • hydration backpack? eh… maybe just a bottle in tankbag
  • AAA map
  • book
  • sunglasses
  • fastrack
  • small camera

Splurged and bought a tank bag, also have a big roll, so I have way more luggage than I need. Will probably leave roll at home, and just take tank bag and panniers.


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new house in the city

1.jpgI finally bought the farm, or in this case, the town house.

We are now the proud owners of a 125 year old Victorian near Duboce Park.

This time, I really want to do things right, so if you can personally reccomend an outstanding interior designer, please let me know. I’m looking for an eclectic theme, somewhat minimalist, with elements of both modern and contemporary style, but not something that’s going to look horribly dated. Probably impossible, but I can wish…

Wing - live in San Francisco

A bunch of us went to go see the unbelievably wonderful Wing!!!

Firelight Foundation

I don’t usually talk about charitable organizations, but there is one that I’ve been involved with that I really want to publicize, they do really good work and have very low overhead.

Firelight FoundationThe Firelight Foundation provides grants and works with community based care of children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Africa. It’s amazing how efficient a small carefully managed application of money and specialized training can make a difference. There are forty four million kids in Africa who have lost their parents. Firelight doesn’t build orphanages, instead, with only minor financial assistance, communities and extended families have gathered together to help house, shelter, educate, and give these kids a normal life. They’re not orphans, they have an entire village as their family.

my goddaughter, the nihilist

my anus is godotI wish I could say this was original, but my eight year old goddaughter was playing around with magnetic letters at lunch and demonstrated that she is ten times the philosopher I will ever be…

However, she has yet to learn that wise and crafty adults prey upon the talent of the young, so I have stolen her insight before she could get around to getting a copyright on her sacred doctrine. fnord. xenu.