Leslie's Birthday is Today!

Today is Leslie's birthday. To see how young she is today, read the adaptation I wrote based on Sammy Hagar's song "I Can't Drive 55," below. To enjoy the adaptation, you need to play the song first. You can find it on YouTube.

 YOU DON’T LOOK SIXTY-TWO

[In the style of Sammy Hagar]

One foot in the grave and one on the ground?

No, there’s too much living, you’re gonna stick around.

Well, you sit up and do your stretching moves,
And you’re out of bed and into your groove…again!

So put on your makeup and all that goo,
Do in the morning what you gotta do,

Throw your SS card into the loo,

Cause you don’t look sixty-two!

Now you could call a halt today,

And SSI will send you your pay.

Oh, you can retire, and you will be fine,

All you gotta do is sign on the line!

But put on your makeup and all that goo,
Do in the morning what you gotta do,

Throw your SS card into the loo,

Cause you don’t look sixty-two!

Used to, you could work all day;

But four hours is now okay.

Yet you’ll never slow down, and you’ll never stop,

For as long as you can cha and bop.

So put on your makeup and all that goo,
Do in the morning what you gotta do,

Throw your SS card into the loo,

Cause you don’t look sixty-two!

No, you… don’t… look… sixty-two!

Day 10, Basement Renovation Project

May 18, 2012

Today Mark installed Hardiebacker board walls around the shower frame and sealed them at all the joints. He also swept up the floor and put everything in order, including setting up the washer & dryer for laundry. I am not sure how many carpenters would do the same.

Thus, Week 2 has ended. Next week: further plumbing & electrical work, and sheet-rocking.

Day 9, Basement Renovation Project

Thursday, May 17, 2012--Day 9 of the project. Mark laid another layer of concrete for the shower base today.

He put up the framework down the south side yesterday and brought it around the west side wall. 

He also brought the framing all the way around to the steps, and he tore out the old door to the workshop and installed a new door.

An adjustment will have to be made: the floor at the west end is 4.5 inches higher than than the east wall, where the original drain is that has been converted to the shower drain. In order to install cabinets on the floor, he will have to build some kind of leveling base for them. But he's capable of coming up with a fix.

Tomorrow: installation of the shower plumbing and maybe some rerouting of electrical lines. 

Day 8, Basement Renovation Project

Today was Day 8 of the basement renovation project. Major progress occurred today, as the pictures below show. Framing is up down the south wall of the basement. Below is a view from the garage door end of the room. Click on each picture to enlarge it.

The red that you see in the shower base below is a sealant. I never knew about sealant before finishing a shower base.

Below is a view from the other end of the room.

I was home most of the day, grading freshman essays. It was sure noisy all throughout the house, the hammering and sawing reverberating throughout the framework of the house itself.

Mark is doing a good job. We look forward to seeing what he accomplishes tomorrow.

Day 7

Today was the 7th day of the basement renovation project. Progress today: new window frames, new water lines (the tubes hanging down in the shower area), new box for washer-dryer-drain, some more framework. The windows will be deeply-set, as you can see by the far window.

It's coming along nicely. Mark is working alone, so this is a slower pace than if there were three men working, or even two. He says it will take about 3 weeks, and we are almost halfway there in terms of time. 

Day 6 of the basement project. Here are a couple of photos showing today's progress. The first is of the carpenter, Mark Morgan, a very nice young man. The second is of the framing for the shower. Mark says that he will be working on plumbing tomorrow. Probably by Wednesday the wall framing will be up. He is doing a nice job, don't you think?

The two original windows and window wells will be taken out and new ones installed.

















Shower dimensions at this point are 34" X 39", plenty of room.

Dale is 64!

 

[Note: Dale was 64 on April 18, 2012]

NOW YOU’RE SIXTY-FOUR

How’d you get old with all that gray hair?

Can’t believe it’s true.
You are still my sweetie-pie, my valentine.
Birthday greetings, husband of mine!

When I get up at quarter to three,
wakened by your snore.
Yes, I still need you, and I’ll still feed you,
Now you’re sixty-four!

oo oo oo oo oo oo oo oooo 
I got older, too, (ah ah ah ah ah)
And if you suffer GERD,
I’ll get Tums for you.

You could be handy, making a stew,
While I’m still at work.
You can spray the bushes with insecticides.
Sunday p.m. bicycle rides.

Readin’ ‘bout Frodo, dancing the jive,

Vacuuming the floor.
Yes, I still need you, and I’ll still feed you,
Now you’re sixty-four.

Every summer we can rent a cottage

At Big Cedar Lodge, if it's not too dear.

We shall rock and roll.

Grandchildren on our knees—

Norah, Dom, and Noel.

Send you an email, text you a line,
Update my status, too.
Indicate precisely that I’m here to stay.
Love you always, waste not a day.

My final answer, no phone-a-friend,
Yours for evermore.
Yes, I still need you, and I’ll still feed you,
Now you’re sixty-four.