Friday, January 16, 2009

Freezer Day--School Holiday

Yesterday we were in the Chicago area just in time to wake up to air temperatures of -14 degrees Fahrenheit. That's not counting the infamous wind chill, which true winter warriors never trusted even before the infamous "they" up and changed it to make it seem warmer than it really is. Cold is cold, and -14 certainly qualifies. We were there to see family, but it wasn't a happy occasion. More on that later if I find the right words, but everyone in our household is fine and there's no one to worry about.

We're out of school today, along with just about every other school, counseling program, martial arts school, civic organization and sports league in the area, so I'm trying to put this found time to good use. This morning I've been cutting and fitting plywood to enclose the last bit of open ceiling, insulating as I go. Now that it's almost done (and not a moment too soon--the attic was warm enough to break a sweat and the rooms below are cold and breezy) I'm almost ready to finish up the wiring in the new upstairs bathroom* and then get to work running supply plumbing. I hope to have the old floor out and the new stuff going in before Monday. It's a holiday for us, but I'm already signed up to take tickets at the wrestling tournament. Still, if I can get the floor out and prepped for the new floor, I'll be very close to finishing this thing. I have all the fixtures except the tub, and the drain stack is finished, complete with an attic vent. The wiring is so close I can see it in my head, and everything that's connected works perfectly. I just need to get the switches done, add the last light fixture over the mirror, and connect the junction downstairs.

( *The wiring would be done if I hadn't made a mistake with the switches in the bathroom last week--right before I went on duty and had to quit for the night.)