Organized Thoughts

The Shed

2009-11-14T09:43:00.001-05:00

This is not really an epic story. There was indeed a stretch of time from beginning to end, and of course some traumatic happenstances along the way. The Shed does not have the dramatics or dynamics of The Shack (if you are familiar with that book) There is however a list of character's, who are characters. There are weather elements and without doubt procrastination. The Shed is done, but I'll begin at the beginning;

The old storage shed was rusted, bent and in general an eye-sore. After much debate, trips to the stores, the consideration of the various types and materials involved a decision ws made. We decided to get the exact same shed we all ready had. The shed was ordered on August 2, 2009. It was shipped on 8/4/2009 & received here 8/11/2009. I was expecting two boxes. Had been told there would be two boxes. So the one box was stood on end and leaned against the work bench in the garage. August became September and I'm fuming. Where's the other box?

So, I sat down with the invoice, my telphone headset in place ready to paunce on whomever answered the phone at customer service. While on hold, listening to elevator music I re-read the invoice. OOPS. I hung up the phone and lowered my head in my hands. There is only one box after all. How in the hell did they get a 5.5' x 8' shed in that one box? The box continued to lean against the bench, for some time.

Work in earnest began at the end of October.Completion date about the 2nd of November.

We learned: There is a method to removing a shed;
1sr - tear down old shed - stack old metal for pickup.
2nd - level or remove pavers to smooth out sand base of old shed.
3rd. Most important - put it all off for one reason or another.
4th - while putting it off, reconsider, deciding to build a wooden platform rather than build directly on ground.
5th Talk son into doing it, the platform that is.

There is a method to building (an erector set) storage shed.
1st - at the home depot store you purchase lumber to build a base for the shed that will last forever and starts out looking better than what was there.
2nd bring all materials home. Stack neatly.
3rd - wait for son to show up (excellent carpenter - does this stuff for a living.)
4th - live through a period of weird looks and facial questions all amounting to: "when will it be done?"
5th - son builds platform. wait
6th platform sits. wait.
7th - Mary and I put shed pieces together in garage. wait.
8th - base of shed mounted to platform - wait.
9th - Mary and I start building shed. All goes well until...
10th - father over stretches back, spine out of alignment, go to bed rest. wait.
11th - after waiting and a partial recovery, Mary and I continue the process, building the shed.
12th EUREKA - The shed is done. It gleams in the Florida sunshine. A marvel of architechtural design, and a shrine to stedfastness. So what if everything didn't line up peerfectly at the end. We redrilled holes, left no holes uncovered, picures were taken and now. What's Next? Bring it on. Mary and I can handle anything.

There were 24 pages of instructions. We finished in 15 steps. On a scale of 1 to 10 as shed builders we came out an 11. Much credit and thanks to Aaron for his help. Mary is a great driller and screwer. I honed my skills as diagram reader, and project coordinator. Construction boss.

At the end of the process, I celebrated as depicted in the photo.

Housing hype and other personal matters

2009-11-11T07:45:00.001-05:00

.....thank you GOD for the vision you have entrusted to me. jdc

In September of 2001 an elegant old lady entered my life. At one time she was the best of the best but she had been neglected and become unappealing to just about everybody. Then I happened along, saw the beauty still there and she became a new lover. All 8' X 32' of her. A 1982 Holiday Rambler Imperial Motor Home. Her engine ran rough. The generator didn't work. She was dirty, both in and out. Only one of the A/C units worked. With no brakes to speak of. The salesman thought I was nuts. In fact he tried hard to get me to look at other units but I had found my love and nothing would change my mind. My soon to be ex-wife rolled her eyes, crossed her arms over her chest and just stared, anger writen all over her countenence. What the hell did I care? In a few weeks she would be an ex wife with no position in my life anymore.

The engine was tuned up. Oil got changed. Brakes were repaired. The generator (though difficult) worked at last. All the water tanks held up with no leaks. It even had central heating.

I polished and scrubbed from one end to the other, from wheels to roof, and side to side. Obviously, she was not new in the sense of being Brand New. However she shone, and ran, and kept me cool or warm as weather dictated. I named her "LeBarge."

We traveled some. Farthest we got was North Carolina. She would start and idle proudly waiting to get on the road. She ran better than might be expected of a slightly tired coach. Then we would stop, set up camp and stay in one spot for weeks at a time.

My traveling companions were one large gray cat named Caht. And Ally, a german shepherd who adopted me at a shelter in central Florida. After several months Ally left us to live with a family who had a male shepherd. If she remained as happy as she was when introduced to her new friend she has had a good life.

When I returned to Jacksonville and the park I considered home base LeBarge got a favored spot and was set up to stay for how ever long. I had no idea how long that might be. At the last, I moved out and on to an apartment home. LeBarge stayed for another year, a/c and water hooked up. Used mainly as a storage room.

Having sat so long when it came time to move her I needed a wrecker to do the job. Once again she required a mechanic to bring her back to life. I got lucky. A family came along and bought her for the exact amount paid in the first place. Not a bad deal after Three years of use.

LeBarge is a fond memory. I think of Ally every once in a while and Caht has passed. More than anything else in my life his passing left a huge hole in my heart. He's out in the back yard, buried under a cactus plant - seems sort of appropriate for his demeanor.

Today is Veterans Day, 2009. Hug a Vet. Say Thank You. Mourn your loses if you have any. Celebrate your freedom, of which there is no doubt. Be proud of our country and grateful to those who keep us free. jdc

The Rune of Isa

2009-11-10T10:40:00.004-05:00

In the bottom rear of my night stand I discovered my bag of Runes. This morning I've decided to consult the Runes and here is my question. "What is my next Life Step?" The answer is both lengthy and a surprise.

I drew Isa - Standstill or Withdrawl
     The winter of the spiritual life is upon you. You may find yourself entangled in a situation to whose implications you are, in effect, blind. You may feel powerless to do anything except submit, surrender,even sacrifice some long-cherished desire. Be patient, for this is the period of gestation that precedes a re-birth.
     Positive accomplishment is unlikely now. There is a freeze on useful activity, all your plans are on old. You may be experiencing an unaccustomed drain on your energy and wonder why: A chill wind is reaching you over the ice floes of old outmoded habits.
     Trying to hold on can result in shallowness of feeling, a sense of being out of touch with life. Seek to discover what it is you are holding onto that perpetuates this condition and let go. Shed, release, cleanse away the old; doing so will bring on the thaw.
     Usually Isa requires a sacrifice of the personal, the "I." At such a time you cannot hope to rely on help or friendly support. And yet there is no reason for anxiety. Submit and be still, for what you are experiencing is not necessarily the result of your actions or habits, but rather arises from conditions about which you can do nothing. What has been full must empty, what has increased must decrease. This is the way of Heaven and Earth. To surrender is to display courage and wisdom.
     And yet there is another face to Standstill. Just as winter is a time for going within, drawing Isa can announce a time of restoration and renewal at the deepest level. In your solitude, exercise caution and do not stubbornly persist in attempting to work your will. Remain mindful that the seed of the new is present in the shell of the old, the seed of unrealized potential, the seed of the good. Trust your own process, and watch for the signs of spring.

I will be giving this reading a lot of thought today.
I know it will fit in my process some how

I believe we are blessed in our endeavors by a God/Creator which
surpases all our imaginings. Our contribution is to do the very best
we can with what we have been blessed by. jdc