Icewind's Ramblings

The weather here over the last couple of days has been interesting to say the least.  It has many similarities to Alaska weather in the summer.  Mornings can be chilly requiring a sweatshirt and quickly changing to sunny, warm making one shed the layer of clothes put on.  It has been for a few days with a cold front coming through that it has been constantly changing multiple times a day.  Chilly, cloudy, misty rain, clearing for a hour or so then mid to heavy rain.  There have been a couple of thunderstorms with lightening, thunder, and hail. Working in it has been a mixture of setting up the saws and other construction items to work for a bit then covering up everything with tarps, sitting it out for thirty minutes or so then uncover and continue working.  Some small showers you have a tendency to just work through until you are soaked then you debate whether or not to put on a rain jacket or be wet.  After the fourth or fifth time shedding clot...

Many years ago when I lived in Atlanta I was involved with Habitat for Humanity as the Atlanta Chapter plumbing lead.  I originally got involved because they were going to do the first ever “Blitz Build” of 21 homes in one week.  I was more curious than anything at first to see how they would pull off such an unheard of feat completing 21 homes in a week starting from scratch.  Short version of the story is we accomplished this feat with the efforts of many people, tradesmen, volunteers, and the proposed home owners who did “sweat equity” as part of their qualifications to receive the home.  I did other projects for Habitat over several years both in Georgia and Utah before heading to Alaska.  Alaska had a program but I was so busy I did not remain involved during my time in Alaska but they did build much needed homes there. I give you that background to start this story of my latest project.  During my stay here in Portland I have started contracting ...