Sunset

In between shifts at the paying job, I have been plugging along on the tiling job.  I cut two paper templates today and then cut my weird triangles for the countertop.  I still need to apply mastic to both pieces but I will do that when I start installing the backsplash.  It only took 1.5 hours to get two triangles the correct size, no big deal.  I started cutting the backsplash and lady luck was not with me this time.  My outlet holes are directly in the middle of an intact tile.  I tried to use the multitool, but it just kept jumping all over the place and was not piercing through the tile.  I do have a carbide blade on it so it probably would have gotten through eventually.  I decided to break out the diamond hole saw I thought I needed but didn’t.  I did need it!  I just kept drilling holes until I had the outlet hole mostly done then used the multitool to clean up the edges.  It only took me about 30 minutes to do one outlet hole.  Luckily, I only have one more.  I have decided that I just need to work on it every day.  It is coming along.  I am hoping to get it all cut and installed the next time I work on it.  I need it to be done so I can go outside and spend about two days burning tumble weeds.  They are starting to pile up and the ground is still very wet so now is a great time to deal with them. 

Our sheep have not had a baby in almost a week. They are very spread out in the birthing process, but Annmarie and I have decided this is a good thing.  Instead of dealing with 50 babies in a single month we deal with them over a four month period.  It works out better for us and we pretty much have only about 3-4 months out of the year where we do not have babies.  Its easier to keep track of the little ones when they are not all tearing around and all the same size.  I have slowly been digging out the creek in the barn lot to make it narrower and get it down to its gravel bed and not this slow muddy mess.  It is starting to look good.  We do need to dig out the front creek again the entire length, but it is painful.  It is kinda on my list but not a real priority.  I need to go tag and band the five new babies in the nursery pen so their mothers and them can be let out with the main herd.  I will do that this week.  Its easy to tell if a baby has been tagged or not, we just look for the droopy left ear!  I always tag them in the left ear and as babies their ears are not strong enough to stand up with a tag in place.  Sometimes, it is harder to see the tag, but the saggy ear is a dead giveaway. 
 

Backsplash cutting in progress.

Not quite completed…

I marked all the tiles, numbered them and drew up a schematic so I knew where every piece went.  I then laid the tiles out all over the floor in some semblance of order and mixed up a large bucket of mastic.  I started on the right side of the countertop.  Laying in the first six tiles then working my way around the front all the way over in front of the sink.  I started to try and fit in a couple of triangle cut pieces.  The large missing triangle was the first casualty.  I needed to pick it back up and add some more mastic to get the tile the correct height.  I used my suction cup lifter and got the tile six inches off the countertop when it let go and broke a 2 inch piece off the tile!  I stuck the extra mastic on anyways and attempted to piece the tile back together in place!  I could still see the break.  I had to dig it out with my pocket knife. 

I mixed up another batch of mastic and stuck all the tiles down.  The back missing smaller triangle had a couple of gaps as it was not a smooth straight cut.  I said good enough and when the wife got home she looked at the countertop.  I dug it out with my pocket knife also.  I then scraped all the mastic up and now need to sharpen my pocket knife and cut two more custom tiles.  I am thinking about making a paper template for both holes so I get them right.  I only have five tiles left to get it right.  Luckily, I think I can cut both triangles from one tile so I have at least five more tries.  I will cut the backsplash in a couple of days.  Luckily, the backsplash is far more forgiving and once it is up and stuck on then I can grout everything.  I still need to crawl under the counter top on the other side and cut off the screws so the cutting board will slide back into its compartment. 

Countertop that needs to be cut.

I have finally found some more time to get back at the kitchen.  We are getting tired of eating out of our laps in the living room.  My daughter’s suggestion is to just buy some TV trays.  The problem with this is I don’t like eating in the living room.  I like eating at a table the way families should.  So the TV tray idea is out the door.  I just need to work faster so the kitchen tiling is done quicker.  The new countertops and backsplash are going to necessitate a new paint job in the kitchen.  Painting is the worse job I can think of but it doesn’t look like I am going to get out of it.  But that problem is for another day.  I slaved away and had half the kitchen countertops cut when Annmarie came home and we started discussing my cut job.  I did mention that it was not going well?  After near marital collapse we discussed my cutting job rationally.  I scrapped three pieces and went with a spoke pattern suggested by the lovely wife.  It follows my straight line rule and maximizes the tile size on the edges.  I spent the next day cutting all the pieces and fitting them together.  It was ready for mastic and some permanent bonding. 

Our free standing gas stove in the dining room had a fan go out two weeks ago.  On Friday, it made this explosion and ball of flames.  Annmarie had to go turn off the gas supply valve to get the fire to go out.  She is now spearheading the research for a new stove. 

Cut countertop, still needs to be stuck down.

I have started in on the second countertop.  There was lots of dust as. I trimmed with the sawzall, mutitool and sander.  I zipped my plastic door shut, turned on vacuum cleaner and opened a window. This minimized the amount of dust I had to breathe.  After everything was cleaned up I went outside and cut a couple of pieces of hardiboard. I am going to try and use three large pieces of hardiboard. 

I am hoping this will minimize the flex in the countertop. Tomorrow, I will tear out the kitchen sink and finish installing all of the hardiboard.  I will put the sink in place and cut the hole. My hope is it will drop right into the preexisting cutout. I am not holding out for that as remodel reality will surely rear it’s ugly head.  My goal, ambitious I admit, is to have all the tile work done by Sunday night. I may not have it grouted as I want the mastic to dry for two days before applying grout. 

It is good to have a goal!  You can see our paint chip cards taped to the cupboard doors. We are starting to zero in on our favorite colors. My new idea is to paint the entire kitchen. I think it needs to happen, if not now, then when we paint the cupboards. 

The weather is amazing!  It feels like spring. I stepped outside and saw 15 pheasants all down by the creek and flying around. I saw our red tailed hawk fly by the house and the grass is starting to green up  .  I could plant the upper four acre pasture but the weather is so screwy I don’t want the grass seed to sprout then get a hard freeze. Soi am going to hold off.  We had another baby lamb.  We have had three single births out of the last four.  Not sure why the sheep are not getting the, twins are needed, memo. 

I cleaned out the shoe closet downstairs and found an old .22 LR.  It has a little rust on the barrel and neds a new butt plate. It is amazing to me that after all these years we still find stuff hidden throughout the house!  I will clean up the gun and get the barrel reblued. So weird 

other counter to be tiled.

trim job done, hardiboard getting installed.