LAST CALL

Wednesday morning at work we polished the piece with the large river rock in it.  It has a natural creek look to it.  I think the client is going to be very happy with it.  Check it out...

lots of color

I also was asked to make a stand to display our concrete vessel bowls.  I used some extra maple and fabrcated a spinning post.  It turned out really cool.

a microwave tower??

Wednesday night we had small group.  Robyn and I have rejoined our old group for this study.  I will not be leading however, my good friend Terry has taken the helm.  This study will take 31 weeks and we will study the entire bible story, chronilogi..  cronolo..  as it happened through time.  You see, the bible books aren't necessarly in the order they happened so this will help us understand the bible better.

Thursday I installed the copier cabinet at the main office.  It fit perfectly.  While I was at the main office I measured the small pass through window.  I have been asked if I can make some kind of door to fit the opening.

take note of the copier..

These guys are making use of all available desk space.

you can see the small window in the background

Thursday night Nick didn't show up at my work.  I couldn't reach him because his phone was out of minutes.  I wondered if he might have been overwhelmed at the offer to stay with us.  But I suspected there was just some confusion on which day he was moving in with us.

Friday I was sent out to template a kitchen for a new job.  The client wants the island to be one piece.  It is over 11 feet long and almost 4 feet wide.  Thats a bigger piece than we would usually do but we are always up to a challange. 

Island?.. that's more like a continent.

I got back to the shop and began the layout.

It seems even bigger here

Nick called and told me he would be there at 5.  He was pretty excited.  I told him I had a side job to do for a friend on Saturday and he asked if he could help me.  I can always use an extra set of hands.

Saturday morning we headed over to the job.  My friend told me she needed me to put up some crown mould on cabinets her husband had installed.  

Simple.  

Not.

She had the most unusual trim I have ever seen.  I told her I wasn't even sure what it was for.  But that wasn't all, I also needed to put in missing filler strips, install toe kick, and shoe, I needed to make a base to go under the wine fridge and a panel above the microwave.  And I needed to case two doors and install the base in the kitchen.  As far as the crown mould goes, it wasn't like any I have ever put in but she said she had the plans somewhere and would find them for me.

So Nick and I began putting on toe kick and shoe.  That went pretty quick.  I also cased one door and began basing the kitchen.  We measured for the fridge base, fillers and microwave panel, took some trim pieces and went to my shop to do some fabricating .

My little helper brings in some tools

When we got back my friend told me she couldn't find the plans.  I asked where the cabinets came from and she told me the place was no longer in business.  I asked how long ago the cabinets were installed.  She told me it was 4 years ago.  Wow!  Obviously time was not of the essence on this job.  But I wanted to get my part done.

In these next two pics you can see how much better it looks with the fillers in place.

these spots are hard to clean

much better

We were losing daylight so we called it a day.

Sunday morning Nick joined us at church.  I hope he grows to like it and continues to go.  It may be the thing that helps change his life.  A little Jesus never hurt no one.

After church we went back over to my friends to finish the job.

I made a suggestion on how I would install the "crown mould" and she said go for it.

it sits flat but gives a finished look

I installed the fridge base and used some of the crown trim to make this nice microwave panel..

looks store bought

Then she askd if I would base the bathroom too, and the two upstairs baths and the family room.  I also need to hang two doors and case them.  This job was not going to be complete today.  But after waiting over 4 years, another week wasn't a big deal.  

At 4 o'clock I had to head home because Robyn and I are starting a class called Financial Peace.  A christian based class on how to get out of debt and begin to build wealth.  It was offered at Point of Grace, although they don't have any affiliation with it.  Hopefully it will help us get our finances in order.

Monday I got the forms built for the massive island and kitchen

almost need binoculars to see that far

I also began building the doors for the pass through window.  I'm going to do two small by-pass doors.

these pieces will be the tracks for the doors

Tuesday we poured the big island (from now on refered to as Hawaii) and the two other pieces.  We did the same technique we used on our office desks.  But we used a light brown base and added two darker brown tints swirled in.

the top of these will look way cooler

I had to tend bar Tuesday night, but the gal that cuts our hair offered to come over and give Nick a free hair cut so he could look good for job interviews.  Very nice of her.  Here is a pic of Shelly from a while ago when she was giving Robyn a cut and color.

getting all dolled up

Shelly offering the free hair cut isn't all that has happened since we had Nick move in.  My sister has offered Nick a place to stay once in a while if he wants to get away from me every now and then.  My brother has offered to help with groceries or what ever we may need.  But the most amazing thing of all is Robyn's unemployment check was raised by 50 bucks and we aren't even sure why.  The hand of God is at work here.  All the Glory to God.

good things are happening

Wednesday we began to process the swirled pieces 

they look even better than our desks

Russ at work on Hawaii

Wednesday I was asked to lead small group because Terry was out of town.  Before we could head out I needed to print the study sheets e-mailed to me by Terry.  For some reason (maybe because I'm a griswold) my printer took this moment in time to go on vacation.  Remember I told you to take note of the printer earlier in this post.  That was because I wanted you to see what a working printer looks like.  I fumbled with it for a while, then asked Canyon if he could help me.  It was like a Nascar garage.  Canyon was under the hood and I was laying in a puddle of grease underneath the rear axel.  

I can kick the tires with the best of em, but darn it Jim, I'm a carpenter not a mechanic!

Canyon tried a few tricks but this is one stubborn copier

I called someone from the group and they said they would print them for me.  

We were studying about Abraham this week.  The story of God asking him to sacrifice his only son is heart breaking.  But Abraham follows the call faithfully, figuring that God will raise Issac from the dead.  That sacrifice never happens because God intervenes.  We learned that it was a test of Abrahams faith but that it is also the very same location where Jesus, God's only son, would be crucified 2000 years later.  Robyn and I are awe struck at Abrahams faith and only hope that we would be as faithful if God calls us.  And it's odd because I do feel called, I just am not sure where He is calling me to go.  Right now it's like a distant voice, I can hear it but can't quite make out what it is saying.  Stay tuned.

Thursday we installed the countertop with the river rock aggregate.  In this pic the undercounter lights make the tops look different colors but that is not the case.  The tops look awesome.  See what you think...

looks sharp

We also got Hawaii ready for sealer.  It looks incredible.

marble?  no, concrete.

Well,  it has started to snow again and it is beginning to pile up.  They may call me in around 4 in the morning to opperate a shovel again so I will draw this post to a close.  In closing I ask everyone to listen for that far off voice, because He calls on all of us.  When we hear it I pray that we will have the faith of Abraham.

Oh, and does anyone one wanna buy a used printer?

Peace

Dan