It's hard to believe, but the month of August is already two-thirds of the way over. It really seems to have flown by for me as I've been going non-stop for awhile. And you can probably tell by my lack of blog postings lately that I haven't had much time to blog. Well, hopefully the end of the month will allow me some more free time to do writing because keeping up on my blog is a personal goal of mine and I don't think I've ever had a month where I wrote less than five blogs since being on Blogger.
Probably the activity that has kept me busy the most is the construction/remodel work taking place at my mom and dad's. I wrote about it in a previous blog; but for about a week straight, my dad and I worked many hours on the project. Of course I had already started taking all of the siding off the west wall of the house earlier in the month and before my dad and I really started working on it, he also did a good chunk of the demo on the rest of the siding that needed tearing off. But from Monday, August 11 through Sunday, August 17 - our main focus was tearing out the old and installing the new. By the time Sunday rolled around, we would've liked to have been farther than we had gotten, but that's basically how it goes in construction. One of the days we had to take a trip to town to get construction supplies and we didn't leave as soon as we would've liked. Then we spent too long in the home improvement store. And then another day, my sister and her kids were over, so our entire focus wasn't on the project for a good day in a half. Those two things slowed us down, but to be honest, I was pretty happy with all we had accomplished. All that we have left now is to install the vinyl siding, which I was able to start on this past Monday. I figure it should take us a couple of days to have the vinyl completely installed on the house and we can be 100% completed. Of course that's not taking into account other delays that could pop up and further disrupt our progress.
In the midst of all the construction work that was taking place, I developed an infection on one of my fingers which nearly made me take a trip to see a doctor. To make a long story short, it was caused by a bad habit that I still have been unable to shake for all these years - nail biting. Usually when I'm nervous is when I start to bite my nails or a lot of times, I like to trim off the hang nails that develop with nail clippers. I think what happened is I trimmed a hang nail from the side of my ring finger and dirt got stuck in there from work. Then in a matter of days, an infection formed. I will be honest, I've gotten these sorts of infections before, but my fingers usually just got red and it hurt to touch the sore area. But within a few days, my finger would be as good as new. Not this time - my ring finger only got worse and worse and before long, it was puffed up near the first knuckle and the skin was turning green near the side of my finger nail. I was getting pretty concerned, so I got on-line to see exactly what it could be. And wouldn't you know, it didn't take me very long to find out exactly what it was. I had Paronychia and it matched exactly the symptoms I had. At that point, it probably would've been a good idea to see a doctor for it the next day, but I figured I could at least attempt to fix it myself. So I got some hydrogen peroxide out, put some of it around the infection and see where things went from there. A little bit later, I got the nail clippers out and tried to open up the infected area and not before long, pus started to ooze out from one area. I soaked my finger in peroxide a few more times that day and by the time the next day rolled around, it was about as good as new. But that is one thing I have never experienced before - my finger being infected that bad. Hopefully it'll end up being a lesson-learning event for me. That's not really something I care to go through again anytime soon.
Another thing that has been bothering me as of late and started around the time of the construction project is the irritated and itchy skin around my ears, neck, and face. It all started with my ear lobes being really itchy at times and it seems to have progressed further and further to my face and neck. I think it's due to dry skin which is not really much a surprise because we haven't gotten much rain as of late and the humidity in the air has been pretty low. But I don't ever recall having dry skin around my face like this. I don't know if it's a combination of the weather and the soap I'm using - which I've never had a problem with before, or if it could be an alergy of some kind. If it keeps progressing, it's probably going to be something I'll have to get checked out. There have been moments when I can't stop itching and other times when it's been okay. I've been putting lotion on my face now which seems to be helping a little bit. I'll see if it ends up making any difference as the days move along.
So we are reaching the end of August and there's still lots that I intend to do. Hopefully in the midst of everything going on, I can still get out and enjoy the nice weather we've been experiencing. The temperatures have been really nice for this time of the year - hanging out around 80 during the day and in the mid 50's during the night. So that's one thing we can't complain about - although it would be nice if we did pick up some rain. The grass is starting to look quite parched and it wouldn't hurt if we got a nice soaking rain for a change. We'll see what happens as the rest of the month gradually comes to a close.
Showing posts with label construction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label construction. Show all posts
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Thursday, March 01, 2007
My Imaginary Town
When I was a little boy, I was rather infatuated with earth moving equipment and road construction. Back in 1987, a major water line was extended around our property, so I got to see large backhoes digging holes and moving dirt within close proximety. There was also a lot of bedrock in the ground (typically found in the area I grew up), so the construction crew had to do a lot of blasting. Just as they were ready to blast the ground, you'd hear a horn honk and then shortly there after, there'd be a large explosion that would rock the house. It was such a neat experience and it was fun watching it live and in person (of course, I was inside the house when they did all the blasting).
Then, six years later, the water line was extended across the road from our house. So again, I was able to witness much of the same work that went on years earlier. I've always enjoyed seeing this kind of work go on. When I was little, I was always thrilled to drive through a road construction project and see all of the big equipment around us as we drove by. And now that I am much older, I appreciate it even more because it is a sign of progress. I still enjoy driving through construction, unless it's on one of my usual routes; then it can be annoying. But no matter, I'm usually a patient person anyways.
My love of construction got me thinking of developing my "own" construction company when I was little. So I started thinking up all of these ideas and soon enough, my dream became a reality - in fantasy. At first the "headquarters" for my company was this black garbage bag in the woods. Yes, rather primitive, even for a kid. I knew that wasn't going to work, so I moved it to one of our storage buildings in the backyard. I started developing my own "network" of roads that I would maintain and "upgrade" as they needed it. I created my own road signs and posted them along the routes. I even made a business sign for my construction company and posted it outside of the storage shed on wooden stakes. I was having lots of fun in my own little made-up world. A lot of the roads that I developed weren't even on our property, since we lived on a rather small parcel of land. But our neighbors that owned the land didn't seem to care, so I went about my business. I would use the lawnmower to cut the grass along the roads to maintain them and if I'd find a low or uneven spot along the road, I'd start construction to "fix" the problem. Heck, I'd even post road construction signs and even planned detours if need be. I tell ya what, I tried to be as authentic as I could to the real thing. But I didn't really want too many people to know what I was doing. My parents and sisters knew what I was up to, but it kind of embarassed me when my friends or cousins would stop over for a "surprise" visit and see everything that I had going on. I guess I didn't want them to think I was weird, even though I was just a kid and only having some fun. But I still didn't let them stop me, and they never really made fun of me, either.
I even started developing my own "town" around our property. Houses sprang up along the "roads" that I maintained. A grocery store, retail store, a bank, and even a movie theatre all made up the businesses along my roads. Houses were being developed and I even started "selling" property to interested buyers. Of course, I was always dealing with imaginary people and there were never any buildings that came of this. But they were always in my mind and I knew exactly where these places were. I would even hold community events, such as a 4th of July celebration - complete with a parade, fireworks and all, a golf tournament, an alumni basketball tournament - with as many as 100 teams participating, and a community celebration, among others. I tell you what, I was never bored during summer vacation and made the most of my time.
I can't forget about the public school that was located within my "town," as well. It was a small, Kindergarten through 12th grade school that I would drive "bus" for. My bike was the school bus and I would usually just drop kids off after school (I never wanted to get up early just to pick up some imaginary kids - I wasn't that crazy). I would drive throughout my town and on all of my roads and drop kids off for the day. Even when I got a new bike, I would treat it as a new "school bus" as well. Once again, I was trying to be as authentic to the real thing, just as what happened with my real school. But I must admit, looking back on it now, I think sometimes I went a little too far in some of this stuff. But heck, I was just a kid. I was just having fun.
Even as winter came around, I acted more as a road commission than a construction company. I'd plow most of "roads" I maintained for the imaginary public. "Plowing" usually involved shoveling snow with a snow scoop and creating these huge mounds of snow along the roads. If we'd get a huge snow storm, it was hard to keep the roads plowed and eventually I ran out of room to store the snow. A few winters I remember giving up and just waiting for all the snow to melt. But the majority of the time, I'd keep things open. Gradually as I grew up, I'd cut back on my shoveling duties in the back yard. And even though I still do some shoveling in the backyard, it's not for the imaginary public like it used to. It's mainly now for the wild birds that come around in the winter to feed on the bird seed we put out. We also have a barel we burn papers and other burnables in year-round that is in the far corner of our property. Without those reasons, the backyard would probably be filled in with snow during the winter time.
I guess you could say I had a very creative imagination. But with most activities when you're a kid, you grow out of them. I remember a point where I said to myself, "you're getting too old for this." And from that point on, I didn't care to live in my imaginary world anymore. Besides, people would start thinking I'm insane if they still saw me posting road signs along my imaginary roads. Even today as an adult, I still walk through the backyard and remember certain spots where particular activities took place or where one of my roads had been. They are great memories I hold onto and ones that will live with me for along time.
Then, six years later, the water line was extended across the road from our house. So again, I was able to witness much of the same work that went on years earlier. I've always enjoyed seeing this kind of work go on. When I was little, I was always thrilled to drive through a road construction project and see all of the big equipment around us as we drove by. And now that I am much older, I appreciate it even more because it is a sign of progress. I still enjoy driving through construction, unless it's on one of my usual routes; then it can be annoying. But no matter, I'm usually a patient person anyways.
My love of construction got me thinking of developing my "own" construction company when I was little. So I started thinking up all of these ideas and soon enough, my dream became a reality - in fantasy. At first the "headquarters" for my company was this black garbage bag in the woods. Yes, rather primitive, even for a kid. I knew that wasn't going to work, so I moved it to one of our storage buildings in the backyard. I started developing my own "network" of roads that I would maintain and "upgrade" as they needed it. I created my own road signs and posted them along the routes. I even made a business sign for my construction company and posted it outside of the storage shed on wooden stakes. I was having lots of fun in my own little made-up world. A lot of the roads that I developed weren't even on our property, since we lived on a rather small parcel of land. But our neighbors that owned the land didn't seem to care, so I went about my business. I would use the lawnmower to cut the grass along the roads to maintain them and if I'd find a low or uneven spot along the road, I'd start construction to "fix" the problem. Heck, I'd even post road construction signs and even planned detours if need be. I tell ya what, I tried to be as authentic as I could to the real thing. But I didn't really want too many people to know what I was doing. My parents and sisters knew what I was up to, but it kind of embarassed me when my friends or cousins would stop over for a "surprise" visit and see everything that I had going on. I guess I didn't want them to think I was weird, even though I was just a kid and only having some fun. But I still didn't let them stop me, and they never really made fun of me, either.
I even started developing my own "town" around our property. Houses sprang up along the "roads" that I maintained. A grocery store, retail store, a bank, and even a movie theatre all made up the businesses along my roads. Houses were being developed and I even started "selling" property to interested buyers. Of course, I was always dealing with imaginary people and there were never any buildings that came of this. But they were always in my mind and I knew exactly where these places were. I would even hold community events, such as a 4th of July celebration - complete with a parade, fireworks and all, a golf tournament, an alumni basketball tournament - with as many as 100 teams participating, and a community celebration, among others. I tell you what, I was never bored during summer vacation and made the most of my time.
I can't forget about the public school that was located within my "town," as well. It was a small, Kindergarten through 12th grade school that I would drive "bus" for. My bike was the school bus and I would usually just drop kids off after school (I never wanted to get up early just to pick up some imaginary kids - I wasn't that crazy). I would drive throughout my town and on all of my roads and drop kids off for the day. Even when I got a new bike, I would treat it as a new "school bus" as well. Once again, I was trying to be as authentic to the real thing, just as what happened with my real school. But I must admit, looking back on it now, I think sometimes I went a little too far in some of this stuff. But heck, I was just a kid. I was just having fun.
Even as winter came around, I acted more as a road commission than a construction company. I'd plow most of "roads" I maintained for the imaginary public. "Plowing" usually involved shoveling snow with a snow scoop and creating these huge mounds of snow along the roads. If we'd get a huge snow storm, it was hard to keep the roads plowed and eventually I ran out of room to store the snow. A few winters I remember giving up and just waiting for all the snow to melt. But the majority of the time, I'd keep things open. Gradually as I grew up, I'd cut back on my shoveling duties in the back yard. And even though I still do some shoveling in the backyard, it's not for the imaginary public like it used to. It's mainly now for the wild birds that come around in the winter to feed on the bird seed we put out. We also have a barel we burn papers and other burnables in year-round that is in the far corner of our property. Without those reasons, the backyard would probably be filled in with snow during the winter time.
I guess you could say I had a very creative imagination. But with most activities when you're a kid, you grow out of them. I remember a point where I said to myself, "you're getting too old for this." And from that point on, I didn't care to live in my imaginary world anymore. Besides, people would start thinking I'm insane if they still saw me posting road signs along my imaginary roads. Even today as an adult, I still walk through the backyard and remember certain spots where particular activities took place or where one of my roads had been. They are great memories I hold onto and ones that will live with me for along time.
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