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Showing posts from May, 2015

Raise the Roof!

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I built the roof of the chicken coop!  I'm very pleased.  It was a complicated step that required a fair bit of geometry.  I had such a busy month that I haven't had a good work day on the coop in nearly three weeks.  Here it is, though.  It isn't done, but it is free standing and solid.  Next, I have to add supports to the corners so that it has the right shape so that I can attach chickenwire. I built the general roof a few weeks ago, but it was very rickety.  Today, I started by straightening it out and screwing it all together.   These blocks were bolted down.  You can't see the masonry bolt well. Another beam attached  My neighbor's son helped me lift it up.  Added another beam to the front and back Here it is!

A Hedgehog's fight against cancer gives hope to us all (Pt. 1)

Unfortunately, Julie's hedgehog Kali had to be put down recently.  Kali had breast cancer.  It was identified in October of 2014, the same week Julie reluctantly adopted the hedgehog.  A friend of a friend unloaded the creature on Julie when he felt in over his head caring for this deceptively exotic animal.  It turned out that he was right, because he wasn't aware that she had a large tumor. This isn't really a negative story, though.  Instead of focusing on her death, consider how well her life was extended.   First, a vet performed a mastectomy to remove the primary mass.  Although they were thorough it was clearly already malignant.  It had spread and it would be back.  No surgery could change this.  The vet suggested that we consider a  Deslorelin implant.  This is a device that slowly releases a chemical that instructs a body to cease releasing estrogen.  Though primarily intended as a birth control device, the vet offered it because it could dramatically slow the

Andrew reviews "Daredevil" in 30 words

I just finished watching Netflix's Marvel's Daredevil, and my final assessment is that it ranks as "guilty pleasure". It's fun to watch, but surprisingly hokey at times.  That is all.

Happy Birthday to Me! (and Jack too, I guess)

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During the lead up to my birthday, Julie insisted that she'd planned an incredible evening. She'd informed me that I should request the day off from my boss the following day, or at least permission to show up later than usual. She also told me to wear a suit. This hype up started about two weeks before the day. Jack declared that it seemed impossible that it wouldn't be a let-down. Amazingly, it wasn't. Julie took Jack and I to The Magic Castle. The Magic Castle is a renowned Hollywood institution. It's a private club, so in order to enter you must either be a member or the invited guest of a member. The club itself is actually called The Academy of Magical Arts, and the Magic Castle is its headquarters. It is a large former mansion in Hollywood which was converted over 50 years ago to serve for stage magicians the way the Friars club serves comedians. Inside of the Castle is a four star restaurant; five bars; a library; a museum; numerous stages; and

Captain America Shield

I went with friends to the premier of "Avengers: Age of Ultron" in costume, by which I mean that I made Captain America's shield. I'm outlining the basic build process for the sake of others who might learn from my partial success. TL;DR: I cut costs and got an okay product, but with way more work. Basically, there is a right way to make a Captain America Shield.  Buy an MH brand saucer sled and paint it with stencils.  I didn't want to spend $38 on the sled, so I found a much cheaper, flimsier one and then tried to strengthen it with fiberglass.  It worked, but I spent a week and a bottle of fiberglass resin just to get a saucer that was almost  as nice.  Frankly, I should of just spent the $38. The painting went well enough, but the fiberglass took so much time that I didn't get to paint the back or apply a gloss coat, and I had to rush the star on the front an hour before the movie started.  See below.