It's been a couple of weeks since I've updated this blog (and others) and as I've mentioned elsewhere, life has been a something of a whirlwind. The biggest update to give is that this coming Saturday (the 10th of September, 2011) SENH - Habitat for Humanity will be dedicating Farmington Unit B for habitation. It has been more than just a few Saturdays here and there. People have been putting in extra hours on weekdays even working on Labor Day.
And, finally, at last this day is here.
My honor is thrice-fold:
(1) I've been asked to be a part of the dedication ceremony. I will be performing a prayer on the gathering and a blessing on the house.
(2) I've completed, as far as able, my self imposed vow to be a consistent part of the building of Farmington. Unit B is, at this time, very nearly completed with just some finishing to do. Unit A should not take us more than a month more. Now I can possibly get involved in some of the more egotistically rewarding projects. (Actually, the truss raising was!)
(3) I'll not go into the reasons behind this particular situation I had found myself in let us just say that this year I have come out of a fairly intensive social isolation. SENH - Habitat for Humanity has expanded my local social network by several magnitudes. This would normally be of some discomfort to me but unprecedentedly the quality of the people add in such quantity has been beyond my most sincere prayers.
My life is not perfect but with the love of my wife, the strength of our relationship, and the ongoing blessings she and I continue to enjoy I could have wished for no more. However the Lord has decided to overfill my cup and it would be churlish of me to deny my delight in his blessings.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
13-Aug-2011 Farmington Build
Working with Paul again! More doors but on the first floor. Not as many as before but the door leading to the basement required custom trim work. So I got a touch more experience. Also one of the pre-framed pre-trimmed doors needed to be cut-down some to fit due to the floor that was installed. We also built, from scratch, the access cover to the roof crawl space.
In retrospect it may not seem like we got much done on this day but first activity of the day was all about materials management and not building. We had to unload the laminate flooring from a truck then unpack and store it so that it would acclimate to the environment where it would be installed. Then we also had to move all the painted baseboards stock from the basement it was being stored in to a more appropriate location. (Basement is bad but storing it there at the time was an absolutely necessary evil.)
Good lunch was provided for by Jen. She's the single mom who will be living in Unit B where all the push to finish is being focused.
In retrospect it may not seem like we got much done on this day but first activity of the day was all about materials management and not building. We had to unload the laminate flooring from a truck then unpack and store it so that it would acclimate to the environment where it would be installed. Then we also had to move all the painted baseboards stock from the basement it was being stored in to a more appropriate location. (Basement is bad but storing it there at the time was an absolutely necessary evil.)
Good lunch was provided for by Jen. She's the single mom who will be living in Unit B where all the push to finish is being focused.
10-Aug to 12-Aug-2011 Decon: Restore New Location
Was totally unaware this was taking place. Just happened to be driving the misses to work (early) and noticed that there were some familiar vehicles parked at the old Newington Skating Rink/Happy Wheels. I've been aware for some time that Restore had acquired a lease for the building so that they could move from the Dover location. (Just a need for more space.) So after dropping the misses off at work I swung by and found the decon crew at work. Rolled up my sleeves and dove in.
It was a fair amount of work removing only what was needed to re-purpose the existing interior. We only did the removing mind you the re-purposing begins next week. But there was a lot of specialized shelving and accouterments specific to a Roller Skating establishment that simply had to be removed. Of course the sound system made for a good time during all the work.
Additionally, all the unloading of supplies (for industrial strength shelving units) made any visits to the gym completely unnecessary for those days. In fact I find that going to the gym on any day I do work for H4H not only to be redundant but makes managing my blood sugar more difficult. To avoid dramatic lows instead of highs (which is more common with type 2).
Still had a lot of fun and I've totally regained my composure with H4H. Also how others view me has also deepened in respect as well. Appreciation from ones social peers can greatly soothe a slightly battered ego.
It was a fair amount of work removing only what was needed to re-purpose the existing interior. We only did the removing mind you the re-purposing begins next week. But there was a lot of specialized shelving and accouterments specific to a Roller Skating establishment that simply had to be removed. Of course the sound system made for a good time during all the work.
Additionally, all the unloading of supplies (for industrial strength shelving units) made any visits to the gym completely unnecessary for those days. In fact I find that going to the gym on any day I do work for H4H not only to be redundant but makes managing my blood sugar more difficult. To avoid dramatic lows instead of highs (which is more common with type 2).
Still had a lot of fun and I've totally regained my composure with H4H. Also how others view me has also deepened in respect as well. Appreciation from ones social peers can greatly soothe a slightly battered ego.
06-Aug-2011 Farmington Build
I'll lead off with the fact that I wrote Jonathon a goodbye email. Well written, without any spite, and expressing my gratitude for the time spent with SENH. My wife felt it premature to write off my involvement and even though I agreed with her my feelings were in such a tumult that I could not "not" express myself. (I'm not known for being all that silent.)
However as the week progressed my wife's words sunk into me. Also in my prayers I felt a strong sense of disquiet within myself. When I allowed myself to reconsider my position the realization that I was in error, from ego and shame, caused me to reverse my decision. My sense of calm restored I made plans to return. I just didn't warn Jonathon.
The day went well. Paul and I was joined by Air Force SSGT Pat (last name witheld - duh) as we worked on installing baseboard molding all along the second floor. Wheee, yet something else I've never done before. Some valuable experience was gained that day as we worked with the miter saw all day long. And let me tell you, I think I still have another 1900 uses of the saw before I can be considered competent. It looks easy, lord yes, but being sure of your measurements and angles is the key to quality, even passing, work.
But mostly it was just nice to be back and that kind of overshadowed a lot of the social byplay. My appearance was openly welcomed and my worries of having become a pariah totally unfounded. I went where prayer (and my wife) led me and my cup overflowed.
However as the week progressed my wife's words sunk into me. Also in my prayers I felt a strong sense of disquiet within myself. When I allowed myself to reconsider my position the realization that I was in error, from ego and shame, caused me to reverse my decision. My sense of calm restored I made plans to return. I just didn't warn Jonathon.
The day went well. Paul and I was joined by Air Force SSGT Pat (last name witheld - duh) as we worked on installing baseboard molding all along the second floor. Wheee, yet something else I've never done before. Some valuable experience was gained that day as we worked with the miter saw all day long. And let me tell you, I think I still have another 1900 uses of the saw before I can be considered competent. It looks easy, lord yes, but being sure of your measurements and angles is the key to quality, even passing, work.
But mostly it was just nice to be back and that kind of overshadowed a lot of the social byplay. My appearance was openly welcomed and my worries of having become a pariah totally unfounded. I went where prayer (and my wife) led me and my cup overflowed.
30-Jul-2011 Farmington Build
The day started well for me as I got to partner up with Paul, great chap with decades more life and experience than I have, for the purpose of hanging doors!! I've never installed a door in my life so I was extremely excited.
The doors in question are not as difficult as I had feared/hoped. They came assembled inside their own frame with trim work attached. Leveling the doors out was complicated by the squareness and plumbness of the openings left for the doorways but not impossibly so. The first two doors went in easy peasy pumpkin pie. Then Paul and I decided to take a morning break. (Him for a smoke, me for my diabetic snack.)
That's when crapola hit me in the kisser.
During the break, one of the bigger wigs decided it was an ideal time to pull me aside and have a discussion with me. While I've come to respect this man, highly!, his pulling me aside for a disciplinary chat was not very well done. It singled me out in front of my peers - never a good thing. Then the matter itself left me more mortified and annoyed - highly for both.
Essentially: Someone overheard a conversation I had with a young lady of my acquaintance while we were at the Wolfeboro decon job. This person felt that my statement to the young lady inappropriate and made them feel uncomfortable for the young lady.
Her hair was down, not normal, and I complimented her appearance with it down.
The problem for me was that I was quite inhibited to respond appropriately to the situation as presented to me. Firstly, the complaint was completely out of line. "One of" compliments between co-workers during social activity does not constitute any level of hasrassment - subject or third parties alike. Secondly, my respect for Jonathon prevented me from setting him straight as to how I was approached and to my "real" response to having my behavior dictated by ... well I have to say it... a professionalism neophyte.
And I think that is the essential problem here: With proper diversity and sensitivity training people learn what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. What is out of line behavior or what is, alternately, out of line reaction to appropriate behavior. It is a truth that some people do act badly and some people just react badly to innocuous behavior. Training, for staff and leaders alike, is integral to help avoid harassment or slander.
But the day went downhill from there for me. My calm was so disturbed by this that we screwed up installing the next two doors and finally did one without a hitch just before lunch. At lunch I made some polite excuses, attempting social grace, and left for the day.
I had no intention of returning due to my embarrassment and frustration.
The doors in question are not as difficult as I had feared/hoped. They came assembled inside their own frame with trim work attached. Leveling the doors out was complicated by the squareness and plumbness of the openings left for the doorways but not impossibly so. The first two doors went in easy peasy pumpkin pie. Then Paul and I decided to take a morning break. (Him for a smoke, me for my diabetic snack.)
That's when crapola hit me in the kisser.
During the break, one of the bigger wigs decided it was an ideal time to pull me aside and have a discussion with me. While I've come to respect this man, highly!, his pulling me aside for a disciplinary chat was not very well done. It singled me out in front of my peers - never a good thing. Then the matter itself left me more mortified and annoyed - highly for both.
Essentially: Someone overheard a conversation I had with a young lady of my acquaintance while we were at the Wolfeboro decon job. This person felt that my statement to the young lady inappropriate and made them feel uncomfortable for the young lady.
Her hair was down, not normal, and I complimented her appearance with it down.
The problem for me was that I was quite inhibited to respond appropriately to the situation as presented to me. Firstly, the complaint was completely out of line. "One of" compliments between co-workers during social activity does not constitute any level of hasrassment - subject or third parties alike. Secondly, my respect for Jonathon prevented me from setting him straight as to how I was approached and to my "real" response to having my behavior dictated by ... well I have to say it... a professionalism neophyte.
And I think that is the essential problem here: With proper diversity and sensitivity training people learn what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. What is out of line behavior or what is, alternately, out of line reaction to appropriate behavior. It is a truth that some people do act badly and some people just react badly to innocuous behavior. Training, for staff and leaders alike, is integral to help avoid harassment or slander.
But the day went downhill from there for me. My calm was so disturbed by this that we screwed up installing the next two doors and finally did one without a hitch just before lunch. At lunch I made some polite excuses, attempting social grace, and left for the day.
I had no intention of returning due to my embarrassment and frustration.
25-Jul to 28-Jul-2011 Deconstruction: Emery Farm and Wolfeboro
Okay, spent 4 days doing deconstruction work that will bring in marketable supplies to the Restore. On the 25th we worked in the morning at the Emery Farm in Dover NH. Sad that we could only be available for the morning but we were able to salvage a kitchen cabinetry set and a half dozen almost new windows. Interestingly enough the windows sold within 24 hours. Wolfeboro however was another beast entirely!
The Wolfeboro decon job is massive and, given my choice of tense, still going on. 4000 square foot abode being taken down from roof to foundation. The property is on a stunning bit of land abutting Lake Winnipesaukee. Gorgeous land but the new owner is totally dissatisfied with the original house so it must go. Deconstructing this property has been difficult but not without rewards and surprises.
One of the biggest rewarding surprises, to me, was that much of the upstairs walls was secretly covered in 1-inch thick cedar planks tongue and grooved together. Old cedar wood - which if anyone reading this is in building you know that old wood is better quality than what is on the market today and cedar is a most excellent material! What made it such a secret was that at some past date someone decided to plywood over the cedar and then wallpaper over the plywood.
Note: I'm posting this about 3 weeks late. Any further updates on this job, by me, is from second hand sources as I've not returned to the job site nor talked with the man in charge of it (Keith).
The Wolfeboro decon job is massive and, given my choice of tense, still going on. 4000 square foot abode being taken down from roof to foundation. The property is on a stunning bit of land abutting Lake Winnipesaukee. Gorgeous land but the new owner is totally dissatisfied with the original house so it must go. Deconstructing this property has been difficult but not without rewards and surprises.
One of the biggest rewarding surprises, to me, was that much of the upstairs walls was secretly covered in 1-inch thick cedar planks tongue and grooved together. Old cedar wood - which if anyone reading this is in building you know that old wood is better quality than what is on the market today and cedar is a most excellent material! What made it such a secret was that at some past date someone decided to plywood over the cedar and then wallpaper over the plywood.
Note: I'm posting this about 3 weeks late. Any further updates on this job, by me, is from second hand sources as I've not returned to the job site nor talked with the man in charge of it (Keith).
Friday, July 22, 2011
23-Jul-2011 CANCELLED
Okay, let me be a bit honest first. I was not going to be attending the Farmington build regardless. However my conscience is soothed by the executive decision to cancel all building for this coming Saturday. Some very hot days are predicted and it is safer to avoid an heat casualties. I totally agree with this decision but that's no surprise.
On site I'm a drink your water nagaholic. The military drilled into me that if I saw a squad mate it was my responsibility to ask, "Did you drink some water?" During Desert Shield/Storm the question was changed to, "Did you drink some water in the past hour?"
So I'm going to spend this Saturday with a Nashua Eve Online get together. I've kept in touch with many New Englanders I met at CCP's Pax East player gathering earlier this year. This will be the second gathering for this particular group and I'm thinking about trying to get the "corp"/"guild" to come out for a H4H day. Maybe get it into the Eve News as well. But I digress.
Starting next week there will be two deconstruction jobs to be done. One is in Wolfsboro (60 minute drive) and the other in Durham (5-10 minute drive). After spending a few hours doing the math I'm going to join the one in Durham. As I've got little planned next week I'll probably go 2 - 4 days. Just have to be careful to not be too late due to my gym needs and the current house hunting/negotiations.
Please, everyone remember to drink plenty of water.
On site I'm a drink your water nagaholic. The military drilled into me that if I saw a squad mate it was my responsibility to ask, "Did you drink some water?" During Desert Shield/Storm the question was changed to, "Did you drink some water in the past hour?"
So I'm going to spend this Saturday with a Nashua Eve Online get together. I've kept in touch with many New Englanders I met at CCP's Pax East player gathering earlier this year. This will be the second gathering for this particular group and I'm thinking about trying to get the "corp"/"guild" to come out for a H4H day. Maybe get it into the Eve News as well. But I digress.
Starting next week there will be two deconstruction jobs to be done. One is in Wolfsboro (60 minute drive) and the other in Durham (5-10 minute drive). After spending a few hours doing the math I'm going to join the one in Durham. As I've got little planned next week I'll probably go 2 - 4 days. Just have to be careful to not be too late due to my gym needs and the current house hunting/negotiations.
Please, everyone remember to drink plenty of water.
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