68. Good Fences

OK, if you are all done with your tissues/barf bags, it's time to get back to work!  And now you won't have to keep asking yourself how I get Dave to volunteer on so many projects.  He is what you might call "The Most Helpful Man in the World"  (world...world...world...)" and I can't seem to shake him so I might as well put him to work, huh?

Here he is posing by his latest creation.  While we were selecting some fence posts at Home Depot we noticed a boxed set of gate hardware that looked like it would make the job much easier and more rugged.  It was about $50 but turned out to be a good investment.  It came with hinges and heavy-duty metal brackets that you slip a couple of 2x4s into and then put the fence slats on top.  There is also a cable strung diagonally (you can just barely make it out in the picture) that can be tightened up to keep the thing from sagging over time.  This is a 6' gate and it's pretty heavy, so it needs that extra strength.  Worked like a charm - I would definitely recommend it.

Here is the full view of the fence - the small leg at the bottom of the pic with the little gate was already there and we tied in to the end of that.  It took a lot of discussion and tossing around of ideas about how to connect things and where to put the step downs since one end of the fence is about 2' lower than the other, but I love the way it turned out.  You can see the little hacked-off mulberry peeking out of the corner, it may not look so great there but after a month it already has so much growth I know it's a happy tree!

And of course you know who else is enjoying the new fence... if you can make them out way in the distance you can see the doggies romping in their new yard!  You can also see the dark brown fence that remains between us and the blue house.  One day we're going to work that thing over too - it needs a post or two and some slats will have to be replaced as well.

I had applied for the permit for the fence and gate a couple of months ago, before the demo was even completed.  For some reason people always think that permitting is such a pain in the butt, but I haven't had any problems.  The drawing I gave them with my original plan had a 3' retaining wall and a 4' fence, with a 14' gate in it.  The permitting department made one change:  they told me I was only allowed a 4' walk-through gate since they don't like people using the vacant lots for parking.   When it was finally time to build the thing, we decided on no retaining wall, a 6' tall fence and a 6' wide gate, so naturally I expected the inspector to have something to say about it, and I wondered if I would have to submit a permit change and pay another $31 to boot.  The day the inspector came all he did was comment on what a nice fence it was and how good it looked!  I really think all that "jumping-through-hoops" they make you do is to intimidate the people who don't want to do a good job.  You build something solid, safe, and that looks great, and the City is happy.  I've had a great experience with them and I would say they were lenient, if anything, once they see you are really trying to improve things in the neighborhood.

That being said, let me mention that the City of Daytona Beach is doing everything it can to improve the "Surfside Village Historic District" where Grandview is located.  And how are they doing this?  By showering the residents with what I call love letters... detailing all the things that are wrong with each house.  It's part of a campaign called "Daytona Beach Proud" where City employees are sent around on a regular basis to pinpoint any code violations.  It's a big job, and I am not really complaining, but it is a little scary when I realize that my peely paint might get me a fine.  It scared me more at first, but after numerous calls to the city with no return calls, and talking to someone who said the City gave out 120 "love letters" last month... I don't think it's really something I have to worry about.  I've already decided that if push comes to shove I'll just tell them I will paint when they clean up the slummy/drunk loser hangout right outside my back door.  Trust me, they do NOT want to get me in a public hearing because I would invite Channel 2 news cameras to join me for what would really be a great show.

Now for some more fun stuff.  Dave and I hit a few garage sales one Saturday - our first time doing so in Daytona.  We made quite a haul including some great tools and this brand new floor register I found for .50 that replaces the rusty one shown here.  It was even labeled "Marvel" which is what I did when I found it!

I put my electrician skills to work in the basement installing outlets in the ceiling so we could have some lighting down there.  It is no longer a dingy cave!  While I was working on that, Dave built me those shelves you see there, so we could clean out the "tom boy pantry" in the kitchen, in anticipation of trim and paint up there.  Then we worked together and mixed up some mortar to fill in a few places in the floor and wall.

Part of getting the place all nicely organized and clean was to install supports in the rafters for all our scrap lumber and miscellaneous - getting everything up off the floor was a big relief.  Especially since I am a klutz and would regularly trip over or bang my head on one item or another.

Oh and I almost forgot:  On the day I was there by myself to meet the City inspector, my washing machine stopped working!  I was so bummed out (I'm putting it mildly) I took off the front panel and became so frustrated I began searching Craigslist for a replacement (which would cost as much as someone to fix the dang thing).  Then I remembered Episode 52:  Ice, Pantry and a Kitchen Window in which I vowed to NEVER AGAIN give up and call an appliance repair man.  *sigh*

Fortunately before I dissected the entire machine I did a little Googling and  that's when it hit me:  the switch that is engaged when the lid closes must be broken!  Two little screws later I had this in my hand, and I didn't even have to bend over!  I guess I had dropped the lid so hard last time I knocked the thing loose, and since I couldn't find a tiny zip tie just then, I fixed it with that piece of string you see there.

Put it back together and it worked like a charm... I think my washing machine was just as happy as I was, don't you?