649 6th

master of my domain

A couple of nights ago the lights in the hallway and dining room stopped working. I went down to the basement and flipped the circuit breaker and they came back on. The next day they were off again and flipping the breaker did not appear to bring them back. The breaker it was on was from the original house, and not one of the new sub-panels we installed. It seemed likely that it could be defective

Today, rather than sit at home like a damsel in distress waiting for electrician Michael to get home, I took matters into my own hands. I've always walked a wide circle around the elctrical. Michael had a notion for it, so I let him own that body of knowledge. I like to think of it as the same division of labor we have over baking and cooking.

The circuit was a 15amp. I powered down the house and flipped the main, removed the 15, and replaced it with a brand new 20 I had just gone out and purchased. Got it all screwed into place, flipped it back on...and nothing.

Hmmmm... So in the spirit of "the house the internet built" (that will be the book deal I'm sure), I went on-line and asked mr google "testing circuit breakers". It produced the dummies page and I was off to the races. I tested the new 20 as instructed, and appearnetly it was deffective. So, I rooted around the "left-over electrical parts" drawer and found a 30.

Then I turned everything off again and went through the process once more. Flipped it on, and, Voila!, lights. Took a few hours, but after returning the newly purchased circuit breaker, it cost me nothing. Now I am basking in that warm cozy glow of figuring out something new.

 

 

neighborhood tradition

it's saturday, and ours is probably one of 100 other library purges spotting stoops and sidewalks all over Park Slope-- like loamy growths of succulent mushrooms for the intellectual appetite. call it gentrification if you want, I call it community.

varnished oak

Michael put the snow day to good use on a dozen oak planks, sanded, cleaned, and sealed with 50/50 varnish & naphtha. tomorrow, a very light sanding, more cleaning, then a full vanish coat, followed by another light sanding. undetermined whether that will be enough or if another coat of varnish will be needed. at any rate, snow day = productive, and would could possibly finish the second floor shelving once and for all this weekend!

out of the shadows

 
late last night we finally clamped and positioned the other set of bookshelves for the living room that are matching extensions of the ones in the dining room the floor below. I had been waiting for this moment eagerly, wanted to see what it actually did to the light that we installed to play off it it some 4 years ago.

It is NOT screwed in place and the books are simply for this photo. more of the real deal soon, but I couldn't wait to show the light effect.

favorite wall anchor design

I've used just about every kind of anchor available to hang stuff by now. This, is by far my fovrite anchor. Simple, elegant, the slight angle you need to drive the nail so that the stabilizing foot sits flush to the wall has the perfect amount of claw for drywall, and of course they meet my most ultimate critieria, they look cool.

If you are shopping for say up to about a 5-10lbs solution, they're great.

fast acting kitties

I was sanding back some spackle the other day and realized I didn't have the vacuum. So, I sprinted to the basement to get it before the cats noticed what I was doing.

...best laid intentions.

rounding the bend

It was long time coming but we're finally putting the last touches on 649 6th Ave v1.0. More than 6 years in the making, I'm certainly glad our quirky design didn't align with one particular seasons fashion.

We are aiming to be done by the first of February, so stay tuned for a few more posts as we near the end, including the party in February.

Finally, Tim was over the other day and shot some pictures of Michael and I hanging a large mirror. Made me stop to reflect for a moment, if nothing else, we really have found how to be a joyful team of two as we knock this work out...and they said it would only end in divorce.