Category: Blog

My company, Red Gate software, has given me a 6 week sabbatical. I’m documenting the time with all the posts under a tag if you want to follow along.

Today I’m losing most of another day away from my flagpole. Next week, I keep telling myself.

I had the second round of high school principal interviews first. We had voted on two candidates last time and they were both coming back today for more questions and a scenario. I got the schedule last night and it was interesting. Since a principal is a leader, the scenario has the candidate leading the committee through a process. It’s an interesting technique, perhaps one that can be used in my other work somehow.

I also think I semi-volunteered for more work. I talked with the superintendent a bit, saying that one of the issues I think lots of parents have is that we don’t understand the process and cost of education. One of the teachers had mentioned they needed lots of prep time for class, and I asked him why they needed the prep they said after they’d taught the class a few times. He asked if I might help figure out how to better educate and inform parents.

Not sure what I’ll be involved in, but I’m guessing I’ll be on the hook for something.

Half my day gone, Pilates in the afternoon and then class. Not quite what I was hoping for. I packed up and left for Goodwill, dropping off some clothes and then Pilates.I was late, having assumed the time and not looked at the reminder I’d set. However still a workout before fighting traffic for class.

Tenons

Tonight was the start of us cutting tenons by hand, We started with a lecture, watching the instructor cut, trim, and shape a tenon by hand. It didn’t look hard, and I even took notes. In fact, I spent the first 10 minutes of class writing down some of the things we’ve learned, trying to be sure I’ll remember them in the future.

I marked and went to cut my first tenon, badly twisting the saw and cutting at an angle. I wrecked both sides of the first tenon before getting a few hints from the instructor and starting on the other side of my board.

I got better, working slowly on this one, and finally getting it cut before starting on the other side.

I wasn’t trying to be too exact, cutting close and then snapping off the sides, knowing we’d use a router plane to clean up the tenon.

I was one of the slower ones to get mine cut, but once it was done, it was acceptable right away by the instructor. Even though it didn’t look great, it fit nicely.

Then I had to start cutting another one. I didn’t finish, but I did learn a bit of a new skill.

My company, Red Gate software, has given me a 6 week sabbatical. I’m documenting the time with all the posts under a tag if you want to follow along.

Today was my first time volunteering on a Critical House Repair for Habitat. I thought I might be taking Tia and Kendall to the airport, and was thinking I’d need to leave early. However Kyle said he’d drive them and I left at 8, which turned out to be a touch late.

Lots of traffic and I stressed a bit driving. There was construction out in the country, and a 8 minute delay for me there, which had my arrival time at 9:03. Then construction on I-70 as well, but I managed to pull up at 9:02. Fortunately they hadn’t done the safety briefing.

I got the standard spiel I’ve heard a few times, with a foreman and 3 Americorps volunteers there. They said mostly painting and caulking, which I don’t enjoy. However the foreman said one person could help cut wood for the railings and ramp in front and I volunteered. I think I was lucky that everyone else was from one company and they stuck together.

This house needed help, and the program with Habitat upgrades problem areas at cost. In this case, the man was starting to have walking issues and we were putting a wheelchair ramp on front of the porch. We also had to put new railings up, as there was a new roof over the porch. Previously the house had gotten a new roof, new windows and doors, and was almost done.

As I watched others caulk and paint the upper eaves and upper half of the house, I helped frame out the upper platform off the porch, then moved off to put new railings with pickets in front and on one side. I cut lots of wood to size, and held lots of pieces that people screwed in.

Near the end of the day we were decking the top with TREX and I helped screw pieces in. We managed to get the upper and lower platforms framed and mostly decked. The lower ramp needs to wait for some other work, so we were almost done with the project at the end of the day. I’d like to go back and help, but other volunteer tasks this week.

It’s neat to help improve things. Unlike some of the other builds where it barely feels like I did anything, it felt like I helped today as I was working with 3 of the regulars and we moved quickly.

However I’m beat. Ready for bed.

My company, Red Gate software, has given me a 6 week sabbatical. I’m documenting the time with all the posts under a tag if you want to follow along.

I was hoping to get more done today, but it was a touch of a bust. A late start, lazy in the morning catching up on some blogging and laying around with my wife, who had a late start.

Then it was off to the store. The flagpole was stalled until I had more 2x4s for the other side. As I drove, I think I figured out the problem. I jointed too much off the 2×4, which was somewhat bowed, and then when I tapered it, there wasn’t enough scrap to cut the other side.

I picked up 2 2x4s, fairly straight from what I could see. I brought them home, stopping for a couple errands, but when I got home, it was windy and rain was threatening again. Grrr. Too much of a pain to get the jointer and planer out.

I decided to then get some things done at home. With PT in the afternoon, I cut some grass, got kids to cut grass, and got a kid to load up the truck with giveaway clothes. Then it was PT, cook dinner, and off to Scouts, where I’d committed to review an Eagle project plan.

The one good thing was that a friend of mine was there who’’ does a lot of welding. He’s looking for work, with lots of free time and I had the chance to ask him about the base support. He said it would be easy to weld and to come see him sometime. I think next week might be the time to do that.

That’s about it for the day. Tomorrow volunteering.

My company, Red Gate software, has given me a 6 week sabbatical. I’m documenting the time with all the posts under a tag if you want to follow along.

Today I had a new volunteer task. The local high school my son attends lost their principal last year and they are searching for a new one. They asked for parents to volunteer to interview candidates and I sent a note in. Today I got called to help out.

Up early, arriving at the school board building at 7:30 and then spending 5 hours interviewing and then discussing candidates for the position. It was a long morning as we had to whittle things down to two candidates, which we did. Now I get to go back Thursday for more interviews.

Flagpole

The second part of my day was flagpole work. I first had to watch my video again, or part of it, and then measure to move the cleats on the flagpole. This is to cut down the thin sides. I did that, and you can see below that I moved the first section over.

Once that was done, I knew I had to hurry a but. The wind was picking up and dark clouds coming in, so I quickly cut the boards once they were secure and got two pieces.

I was supposed to flip over the scrap to cut it again, but I had an issue.

As you can see above, the middle part, isn’t quite wide enough. I’m not sure if that’s a measurement error (it looks OK), or a warped board (more likely). That’s an issue. I can’t use this as this piece will be thinner than the other. I need to buy another.

However that’s another day. The wind rolled in and I had to cover things quickly, tying down the tarp. No more for today, but I’ll need to go pick out more boards and then cut them again. I’m going to try to do that tomorrow.