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fallout shelter in the rug
Sunday, June 3 2007
After a burst of activity, I was able to hang the new shelving unit on the wall to the north of my computer workstation. The complex hinging system seemed to operate as expected and didn't seem to favor (by, say, a slight imbalance) one or the other end of its range of motion. I was not able to attach the ViewSonic 1680 X 1050 monitor yet, as I didn't have any suitable bolts (this was something I could ascertain with certainty because of my recent month-long organizational jihad). To mount a model VX2035WM to a wall requires four 4mm bolts in a square-shaped arrangement, exactly 10 cm on each side. In my particular application they would need to be at least 20mm long. Essential for some day obtaining the correct bolt from a hardware store, I actually did manage to find one screw with compatible threads, but it was far too short and had a Torx head on it; I'm guessing it came from a dismantled 80 megabyte full height 5.25 inch IBM hard drive (a great source for high-quality/small-dimension stainless steel metric hardware). (Apologies for the numerical density of this paragraph; it's really more to provide satisfaction for people coming in on Google searches than for regular readers.)
As part of the wall prep for the new shelving unit, I'd found myself repairing a few expansion cracks that had opened up where the vertical wall meets the sloping wall/ceiling. I'd filled these with DAP acrylic/latex/silicone caulk, which seems to have all the advantages of pure silicone while also accepting paint. Left, as always, with a large gob of caulk on the end of my caulking gun after I was done, I used it to fill out and round out some of the details in the ongoing ceiling relief project. It was great in this application, holding most of its thickness even after it dried. I also got a kick out of the way it felt fleshy to the touch. One could make a highly disturbing wall relief with that stuff.
Several thunderstorms pass through today, thoroughly drenching the garden and everything else not covered by a roof. It was the first real test of the flashing I'd put around the northwest foot of the pillar holding up the solar deck (this foot lands directly on the shingles of the roof above the laboratory). It had been my first and only flashing job, and I'm pleased to report that it appears to be working perfectly.
Rain usually makes me happy, but Gretchen was tabling for Catskill Animal Sanctuary at New Paltz Pride today and had been hoping for a sunny day. It turned out, though, that New Paltz is just far enough away that they experienced no rain whatsoever this afternoon.
Things didn't go as swimmingly for Sally the dog, who had to hang out with me and Eleanor all day. She's terrified of thunder and kept trying to dig herself a fallout shelter in the rug. None of the other critters were concerned about the bright flashes of lightning and loud booms, until, that is, a stroke hit somewhere very close and even elderly Marie (the cat most likely to get run over in the driveway) leapt to her feet.
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