Birthday Party Puppet Show: The Paper Bag Princess

This year, we decided to add a performance to our seven-year-old's birthday party. As always, we provided drinks, dessert, and a BBQ feast, which always brings a crowd--this year there was a little 50 people attending. The secret is beer. Granted, that's not what you typically find at a seven-year-old's party, but it brings out entire families instead of the one parent who drew the card to attend a kid's party. Having just as many adults makes it fun for everyone, and people tend to stay longer and let the kids play. Besides, it's not like anyone was doing keg stands.

Anyway, back to this year. I had gotten into puppets lately, especially after seeing the documentary about Wayne White, Beauty is Embarrassing. Add to that last summer's visit to Atlanta's Center for Puppetry Arts, and we were all hooked. The excuse to make puppets for me was to do a performance, and this year's selection was The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch. Complete with dragon and princess (above) as well as the arrogant prince (below), we were set.




The show was a lot of fun. Fortunately, we simplified the performance with my wife reading the book and my daughter and I acting out the rest with the puppets. If we do this again next year, we'll continue making versatile puppets we can use in different roles, although the dragon might not work for every show.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

My Version of a Kids' Play Structure

The Challenge:
I had a lot of wood I couldn't burn inside (i.e., cedar and pine), and I wasn't able to burn it fast enough in the outdoor fire pits. We also adopted a slide from grandparents and need to put it to use or give it away. I didn't want a monstrosity of a structure dominating the yard, so I came up with my own design with nontraditional materials, I suppose.

The Solution (for now):
I added a second log stack (supported/flanked by 4 t-posts) and connected it to the existing (taller) one with a pre-cut, 3-step staircase. I used standard posts for railing, leftover cedar shingles (from roofing the adjoining hut) for a small shelter on top, and tongue-and-groove cedar for the floor.



To access the slide, I staggered longer logs on the back to serve as climbing steps (above). I also added a climbing wall (below) as a second access point for the covered tower (on top of the taller log stack). I connected climbing holds to signboard (MDO, not to be confused with MDF) with the usual 3/8" t-nuts. The planters in front of the stacks is a nice addition for summer snacking on tomatoes and mint.


Overall, I'm happy with the results. It was a good use of the materials I already had, and the smallest members have given their seal of approval. I am told the tower "is the perfect reading spot" and great for relaxing out of the sun. The biggest challenge was positioning the log stacks so the pre-cut stairs would line up. A little 10th-grade geometry came in handy--thanks Mr. Herder.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

This is where we live...

This is Carbondale. from Arthur Agency on Vimeo.

Adults like to drink, too

It's the holidays, and we've been inspired to have some friends over for good drinks, food, and conversation. Yes, there will be kids involved, and yes, we will start at the very uncivilized time of 5pm on a weeknight. In our defense, the early start will give us time to get the youngsters fed and stuck in front of a holiday movie. Then, the adults--many of whom have had all-too-many evenings end at 7pm--will be able to enjoy some festive cheer.

Admittedly, the event is inspired by the resurgence (outside of Brooklyn) of the craft bar. Some recent haunts are: Tavern Law in Seattle, The Esquire in San Antonio, and Scotch and Soda in (of all places) Springfield, Mo. (I've now made it my mission to visit new craft bars at every conference city I visit).





The revelation was a whiskey sour at The Esquire last year. The magical concoction is made with bourbon, ice (crushed by whacking ice in your hand with the back of a spoon), egg whites, and freshly-grated nutmeg. It was a treat to sit at the bar and watch the drink being crafted in front of me. Let's just say the spectacle was watching a craft being executed with care rather than bottle tossing by Tom Cruise in a scene from Cocktail.





It was sitting in The Esquire that I realized that adults once roamed bars in a bygone era when $.25 draws and chemically-dyed mixers were not the norm. We're a far cry from that in Carbondale, but I still have hope. Here's to the holidays and adults once again taking over the night.





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Floor from 1920s Kansas House

In 1996, my parents still lived in Kansas. My dad had a hobby farm, and we started building a cabin in the woods. We never finished it before my parents moved to Missouri, though, and I figured the frame has been rotting in the woods ever since.

While building the cabin, we had the opportunity to salvage tongue-and-groove pine floors from an old house being torn down. The only cost was our labor. It was a great deal, but we were never able to use it in the cabin. As a result, my parents have stored the wood ever since.

Jump ahead 16 years, and I am in need of flooring for a new project (that I hope I will see completed). When I picked up the floor, I also grabbed some old cabinets my great grandparents put in there house in the 1960s. These will be perfect storage in the shed.



After bringing back a load of solid wood cabinets and flooring with 90 years of built-up dust, I got to work. Using medium steel wool to scrub a mixture of 1-part boiled linseed oil and 2-parts mineral spirits cleaned up the wood beautifully. Then, I rented a pneumatic floor nailer and was able to install the floor in about a day. The rental for the nailer was only $35, but the smallest size of nails/staples I could buy was $70 for 7,200. (Anyone want to buy 6,900 unused ones?)











I'm thrilled with the results. The floor has beautiful character. More is done on the exterior, too. I'll post those pictures soon.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Shed Progress

We need a space for making things and storing the tools to do so. I've been eyeing the modern shed kits you can buy. They make for the perfect outdoor studio space, have an amazing aesthetic, and are pricey-- too pricey. I found some cheaper plans online, but decided to have a go on my own. This would be a great opportunity to design something not too outlandish and learn more about building an abode. Further, it wouldn't be so big that my naive mistakes would matter too much, or so I hoped.

So here's the start. I was able to use the previous shesd's floor. In fact, the new one is the exact same footprint. It's amazing how much vertical space matters.

After laying down an additional layer of plywood to strengthen the floor, I bought the door and windows to have exact measurements for these spaces. Framing the walls came next. Then, it was adding the first layer of plywood to the walls before I used house wrap for additional protection. Finally, I installed the door and lower-level windows. A video from the This Old House website came in handy for this first-timer's work with windows and doors.

Still to do: a lot. I've be tackling the shed's exterior next, including the upper windows. These cool little rectangles (four will go across the top for aesthetics and ventilation) are called "basement windows" and are very cheap.

I've learned a lot. That also means I've made a lot of mistakes, but when is that not part of the learning process?

Oh, and here's a public thank you to my dad. He's been so helpful.













- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mod Dog Dwelling

It's getting cold outside, and the dog is in need of shelter. No ordinary design would do, so I tried to make a shed that mimicked the lines on our home. Here is the result after a Saturday's worth of work, and a little help fro my daughter.










- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Lantern Festival in St. Louis

...was last summer at the Missouri Botanical Garden. It was quite impressive and made for a great trip. Now I know what to do with those extra dishes.












- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

New Bench

I couldn't help but notice an attractive slab of wood in a friend's wood pile. It was from a local mill--a castoff because "city wood" has so many nails that it will damage the saw blades.

He said I could have half of the slab for a project. Then, began the task of loading it. A tractor eventually got involved, too.

Skip ahead with gravity helping me unload it, the addition of shims and wheels, and voilà--"instant" outdoor bench.

Now, how to finish/protect the top...?






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Starting the Shed

I suppose you have to break an egg to make an omelet. Last summer we started the long-but-enjoyable process of building a new shed.

First step: tear down existing shed, salvage as much lumber as possible to reuse, and make room in garage for stuff once in said dismantled shed (thus, the dumpster).






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cool Lego Cake

Our 5-year-old hit pay dirt with this one. Amy made the little Lego fan a pretty nifty cake for her birthday last summer.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

How 'bout some geography with that muesli? (New "curtains" for the kitchen and kids' room.)

Close to 15 years ago, I bought two old classroom pull-down maps. They were a buck each, so I wasn't able to pass up the deal. About 10 years ago, I figured out how to use them--they would make great pull-down shades. Since then, they've moved with us and have been stored in various places. Today, I finally put them to use.

Below is the new shade for the kids' room. We have ceiling-to-floor windows, so the tall U.S. map was the perfect fit.




Here's the shade for the kitchen. The world map is so old that it has the present unified Germany.




To get these to hang without too much fuss, I used a table saw to notch out groves in a 2X4 to make a bracket these could slide on and mount.




Granted, it took about 15 years, but I'm pleased with the finished product.

The Boat is Still Afloat

Before this surge of posts (today), my last entry two years ago was about the trials of maintaining a houseboat. Needless to say, there have been several moments since then that I was ready to post it on Craigslist (more on that another time); however I can now say that we're starting to spend more hours playing on it, rather than just maintaining it. Here's a pic of a sunset tour we took last summer. This year, we got an early spring and have already enjoyed several afternoons swimming, grilling, and just plain having fun at the lake. Here's to Moby not killing the captain, yet.

"Tree" House

Another amazing spot we found in St. Louis is the Missouri Botanical Garden. Last summer, they hosted a special event, "Extreme Tree Houses." Local designers and architects created unique structures, many from upcycled and recycled materials, that adorned the already amazing grounds. I always love going places that are inspiring, in a design sense. In some cases, I feel inspired (and bold) enough to say, "Let's try to build one of those."
Prior to the visit, I had been drawing up planes for an uber-modern playhouse for the kids--think corrugated sheets of metal hung horrizontally on a simple rectangle structure.
Then I saw this....




I was in awe of the simple, yet smart, design. The skeleton of bent boards provided an excellent frame for weaving branches to form organic walls. As you can see from the photo above, they also bent branches for arched doorways.
This was it. Instead of buying and cutting up a lot of materials with scraps that would end up in the dump, why not upcycle the branches that always fall in our yard after a storm? Further, we are always trimming back overgrown branches from various vegetation. Instead of paying to have them hauled off (and hopefully ground up for composting), I would have a continuous supply of materials.
The next weekend I got started. (Like I said, I was pretty inspired.) Below is my version that is the result of months of casually weaving branches as they became available in the yard. (Next to the hut is a stacked wood climbing wall with holds.)




So how was it done? The most important piece is the top that holds the bent frame. Below is a photo of what I came up with for this "cap." Eight thin boards were attached to this top to create what looks like a giant spider.




To get boards that are pliable enough to bend without breaking, I ripped leftover 10-foot, treated (not the greenest or toxic-free option, I realize) 2x4s into half inch strips. I then created a makeshift "tub" out of a tarp to soak them for about 30 minutes (see photo below).




After I connected the boards to the top frame ("cap"), I measured out evenly spaced stakes for attaching the bottoms of these boards. I also placed pavers in the top of the "cap" to weigh it down and create a yurt-like structure instead of a cone. (The wet boards makes this more possible.) After that, it's preparing the roof for cedar shingles and creating frames for weaving a lot of branches.




I'm pleased with the results. The house continues to evolve as we add more branches to strengthen and thicken the walls. The organic look works just fine with a modern aesthetic, and more importantly, the kids love it.

New Wood Pile (sounds exciting, eh)

Two years ago, I finally finished a small project I intended to do ever since we got a wood burning stove. Who says a wood pile (especially one next to the house) can't have a modern touch. Inspiration from the folks at AK47 and an image from an earlier post.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Screen Printing Onesies for the New One (2 years ago)

About two years ago, our second child was born. That's also about the time of my last post. Coincidence? I think not.

Since then, I downloaded an app for my tablet so I can post at "any moment." They will likely be a bit less verbose than my usual entries (unlike this sentence), but it will be nice to get back in the swing of documenting our lives.

Below are photos of the onsies big sis and I screen printed for the new arrival. It is what I would call low budget screen printing. I made the screens for free at the local university's craft shop and used old credit cards to apply the ink. (You can see the inked screens we used in the middle of the drying rack.) Just let dry and iron with a brown paper bag on top of the shirt to set the ink, and there you go. Renegade screen printing on a pinch.












- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Courtyard Fence

Another project we finished a bit ago is our courtyard fence. The old barn red one (with what I think is called a double blind layout) didn't quite accomplished the mid-century feel we wanted. It's a simple design with stained cedar. (We tested a treated plank and the finish was no comparison to cedar, which should wear outside in the elements just fine.) That's all it took: simple lines with quality materials. Since finishing the fence, we had a local craftsman weld an amazing gate. I'll post photos of that soon, too.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Nice Grill, You Maker

I really love the DIY/Maker trend (though self sufficiency's been around for a bit). I remember the first time I saw Readymade magazine. This, I thought, is the type of design, ingenuity, and self efficacy I espoused to have in my life.

Anyway, Make magazine has also taken on the task of inspiring and showcasing Makers' work, and this cool grill made from sheet metal and end caps is one example. I can imagine a 6-foot version lining the table for a party - build and pull your kebob as you like.




From Make Magazine.

Oh $#@%, My Captain!

Taking on Water (the engine and pontoon in the foreground is sinking)

Day 1: Tuesday, July 20
Last Tuesday morning started like any morning. I got to work early hoping to get some writing done. The am hours were clipping along quite well until I receive a call at 10 o'clock. It was the marina manager who told me, "I hate to tell you this, but your boat is taking on a lot of water." I immediately left for the marina, drove who knows how fast, and arrived to find the boat dramatically tipping up on the front right-hand side.
"What do I do?" I wondered. What would you do? I had no idea. Fortunately, the water had not reached the deck, but who knows how long until it did. I knew that I had to drain the pontoons, but how? I was going to get that lesson from the previous owner when they returned from a trip to Mexico. That wasn't until the 25th, and this was the 20th. I searched through the closet, found what looked like a miniature pump (it had two places to attached a hose, one labeled "in" and the other "out"), loosed what I knew to be the pontoon plug, and got to work.
In the meanwhile, I needed to figure out how I would get the pontoon fixed. That required getting it out of the water, but we don't have a trailer. The marina manager suggested Wain (not Wayne), a guy who works at a nearby welding shop. I called Wain, but he didn't think his trailer would work. I call three other places: one was retired, another had a trailer but it was out west, and the third didn't think his trailer would fit our boat. I called Wain back, and he agreed that we could give his trailer, with some modifications, a try the next day.
The rest of Tuesday, I prepared the boat for an overnight stay. I was able to fix the air conditioner. (I can't give myself too much credit, because I really don't know what I'm doing. I just opened the cover and pushed on what looked like a suspended drum. That apparently loosened it enough to get it spinning and cool air blowing.) This was the first night any of us had slept on the boat, and this wasn't the type of occasion I had in mind. I just wanted to be able to monitor the amount of water that came back in the pontoon.
The "slumber party of one" was fine. I dug out my old Nintendo Entertainment System (the old 1985 console) and a few games, hooked them up to an old tv and basically just hung out. That morning, I boiled water for the coffee percolator on the grill. I also baked a few eggs over some sausage I cooked in a cast iron pot. Under other circumstances, it would have been the perfect morning meal on the boat.

Getting the Boat out of the Water

Day 2: Wednesday, July 21 Wednesday was pretty low key. I pumped more water out of the pontoon, went back to the house to get cleaned up, and began assessing what work I would want to get done on the boat while it was dry docked. The marina gave me a one-week permit to be parked near the dock. After that, I would have to beg for a few more days or move the boat elsewhere. What could I do in a week? Well, I knew I wanted to:

1. repaint the railing and railing panels,
2. repair the outside decking,
3. lay new carpet, and
4. fix the gas line for the oven and hot water tank.

The interior needs work, too, but I figured the four tasks I listed above would be easier to accomplish with the boat out of the water. And I was actually looking forward to beginning the restoration process. In fact, I recognized that I was building a weird relationship with this vessel that had just about did me in. It was as if I had been presented with an immense challenge I was determined to accomplish. It was either the boat or me. (I never read Moby Dick, but I imagine that the sailor had a similar fear/respect/admiration for that karn-sarn whale. The sailor doesn't die in the end, right?)

That evening, Wain called for me to meet him out at the dock. There, he had the trailer hooked to the front of his tractor, which he was able to drive further into the lake to load the boat. It just took two tries for me to get the boat on the trailer. It was a tight fix, and navigating that boat is definitely an acquired skill. He slowly pulled the boat up the ramp to the spot where it finally rested.
Now, the next challenge was bracing the pontoons on the left-hand side. Since there was still so much weight in the boat, it was buckling the entire structure. The only part of the boat resting on the trailer was the middle section. The pontoons hung out on the sides, unsupported. I raced to a few different stores and finally found the proper 3 ton floor jack. I picked up a couple of friends and headed back to the boat. By dark, we had the pontoon properly blocked.

Day 3: Thursday, July 22
Around 1:30 am, my dad arrived from Missouri. My mother had already been here helping us take care of our daughter while her daycare is closed for a two-week vacation. That morning, my dad and I got to working labeling and removing the railing and panelings around the boat, tearing up the carpet, and assessing the plywood decking. That afternoon, I wasn't able to work on the boat because I had to finish writing and submitting a conference presentation proposal. Later that evening, we took a break and went to 17th Street BBQ for dinner and another hardware store to check about outdoor carpet. I finally got a hold of my engine guy, Jerry, and made plans to meet him at the boat on Saturday morning.

Day 4: Friday, July 23
Today, we continued to take off the railing and panels. I went to check about paint and borrowed an electric pressure washer to clean the pontoons so Wain could assess where our leak was. We soon discovered that the electric washer would not do the trick as quickly as I had hoped. So, my dad and I are now the proud owners of a 2700 psi gas-powered pressure washer. That night, I finished spraying the grime off of the pontoons. Washing the outer sides of the pontoons was no problem, but washing them on the insides underneath the trailer made it a miserably wet and uncomfortable process.

Day 5: Saturday, July 24
We met Jerry at the boat at 7am. While he assessed the motors, we scraped the sides of the boat. Fortunately, the engine work will be minimal, at least when compared to the rebuilds we feared. That afternoon, we went to a birthday party at the Trail of Tears park in the Shawnee National Forest. It is absolutely beautiful there.

Culprit #1: Crack in side of Pontoon that Allowed Water to Reach Culprit #2

Culprit #2: Crack (center of photo) on Top of the Pontoon

Day 6: Sunday, July 25 Today has been the most pleasant day (weather-wise) so far. This morning we scraped the panels. Around 10:30am we went to the boat to begin supporting decking. Wain and (another) Jerry finished welding the cracks in the pontoons. As you can see from the photographs, the spot where they had to weld supports is where the engines are attached. They had not been attached properly and had been pulling on the old welds. We took measurements for boards to support the rest of the flooring and headed back to the house. Right now, we've been resting and I've had enough time to update this blog. I'll continue to post updates as the restoration progresses. Here's to Moby Dick.

The Naked Boat (Let's Hope She Looks Better in a Week)

Becoming Boat People

Oh, Captain...
My in-laws have just bought a houseboat located at nearby watering hole, and we couldn't be more excited. It's a 40' 1967 (I'll say "vintage" to make it sound cooler, which it is) model that will need some cosmetic surgery. Basically, the price was right (it's a fixer-upper) and no one could resist.

Amidst the exciting visions of BBQs on the deck, relaxing afternoons strolling around the lake to find the perfect cove, and beating the heat with dips in the lake, I've been looking around the web for ideas. That is, just what exactly do these houseboat people do, exactly (especially those who have restored affordable models)? As way of an introduction to what will no doubt be a nasty habit of browsing the web, here is what I've found so far. (Hopefully, these will be the resources the inspire the a successful restoration.)

Solar Power. The slip (i.e., parking spot) included with the boat does have electrical and water hookups. This is not to say, however, that you would have the modern convenience of an electric fridge while parked in a cove. Solar or wind power seem like an obvious choice, and Wholesale Solar just so happens to have packages for the energy needs of a boat.

Blog Inspiration. I found a blog chronicling another happy camper's (or rather boater's) journey to restore a '43 yacht. The entries at Must Be Nice chronicles the progress on an 80s model and a totally different design, but inspirational none the less.

Keeping it Modern. Admittedly, my father-in-law will want to have a Jimmy Buffett or Log Cabin aesthetic for any remodeling, and as long as we get to enjoy the houseboat that's fine with me. Regardless, it was nice to see that there are renovations leaning toward the uber mod out there: Inhabit (hmmm...a roof garden), Sunset, and Metroshed (including interior layouts).

Furniture Inspiration and Design. Outdoor furniture is just one of the many appealing designs provided at a few new finds: 6 Different Ways, Extremis, Greenform, and Furniture Fashion.

I'll try to provide updates to my restoration progress along the way. Here's to happy boating (and the hope that I finally learn how to pull the boat into the slip without too much chaos...I'll leave that story for later).