My day with Mark

I had a great day today...  It started like any other with the alarm going off seemingly too early.  After taking Tim to school, instead of going to LBC, I drove to visit Mark.  He had a few projects that he wanted help on, and it was time for me to make a trip anyway...so I went to help.  I'm glad I did.  It was good for us to see each other, and to catch up on life since our last visit.  I am already looking forward to the next trip I make. (today was convenient since his girls were all in school, my son was in school, and my girls had other obligations.  Was just a guy day)

After a brief tour of the changes he has made around the house since my last visit (including adding a new shed for the motorcycle, moving the existing shed a few feet to make a lean-to for his wood pile, his new woodstove (and thus why he needed to add space for a wood pile), a trailer which has proven his very useful in getting wood.  Oh!  and his new dinky chain saw.  Very nice!), we got started with putting in the outlet in the closet.  Now that the closet is the entertainment center (since the wood stove is where the tv used to be) I figure he should have a proper outlet instead of an extension cord.  Check!

We also wanted to replce the 4 foot section of wiring in his attic that had the insulation cleanly chewed off by some rodent.  It was discovered by the chimney install guys.  Yep, the outer layer and the colored layer around each wire.  Yep, bare wires ... 4 feet ... not even a fried rodent or a tripped breaker.  Not sure how it could have happened, but it did!  So, before lunch we peeked up there just to know what we were up against.  We then discovered that there was a 3 foot by 8 inch gap in their house located behind their primary chimney!  Not noticable from the outside, but in the attic, it was very noticable.  Just not sure why the (new) chimney guys didnt point it out??  Guess that would explain how the mouse got in to chew the wiring...  While out for lunch, we got the 3x expanding foam to seal the gap.  Upon returning from lunch we got the new wiring in place, and as a bonus, I added a light to the attic.  Check!

So at lunch I met the Shalom Christian Academy development director.  He had birds painted on his head?  Yes, birds painted on his bald head.  The deal was that if the students brought in enough names for their race for education, they could shave his head (yes, normally he is very well groomed...as in NOT normally bald), and then, if they raised enough money, they could also paint birds on his head.  Since the school has 3 sections, this was day 2 of 3 for bird painting!  The best part...Mark and I were eating at a pizza shop...and he was there, in public!  Good for him for being so proud of the students and not ashamed to bring attention to the Race-for-education cause. Props to the bird man.

After lunch we headed to Shalom Christian Academy and I got a chance to see J & M & L.  That was fun.  Wasnt worth the trip without the girls.

The #3 thing on the list was to replace the basement light with something a bit more low profile.  Too many head knocks on the existing light and poor lighting.  So this was the least important, but also easiest.  Mark was preping the area as I was finishing adding the wiring from the new outlet in the entertainment closet into the existing circuit in the basement.  I was running out of time, and I was hoping to get the basement light finished...so I was having his help with mounting the new light in place.  I would just terminate the wiring. ( :)  I'm already chuckling about what happened next.... :)  )  Mark: "Is this the right spot to hang the light?"  Micah: "Yes, just make sure that I can add the wire through this opening here...that way I dont have to add new wiring."  (a few moments pass)  Micah: "Oh, Mark, before you screw it up. . .?"  Mark: "I already did!" but he was still holding the light in his hands!  I laughed so hard.  If you didnt get it, read it again.  That was near the highlight of my day!  Needless to say, it got done.  Check!

We didn't have time to get a load of wood, or replace the other outlets, or fix the light switches, or tighten the other thing, or plan the future improvement of ....  Oh well.  All in all...a successful day.  Any day spent with Mark is bound to be successful even if nothing gets done.