HERE COME DA JUDGE

Another Monday rolled around and I had to go out and template a rather large residential bar and fire place.  It requires us to make 12 pieces.   Once back to the shop I began the forming process.  The first two pieces were easy..

The upper bar 

Tuesday I was called out to help prep another pool deck.  In this case we are pouring an overlay on top of an old pool deck.  Than we will stamp a nice slate look into the overlay and stain it.  Here is a before picture, I will try to post an after pic later.

don't drink the water

After the prep work was done I went back to the shop to continue forming the dozen piece bar.  I had to use a torch to melt plexi-glass into the desired shapes.  Don't worry, it's ok.  I played a welder on TV.

as Paris would say, "that's hot"

The next piece I formed was the wine bar.  It will have fiber optics and a rock face edge with wine holder columns on top.  We are even going to try to put fiber optics in the rock face.  Not sure how that will work yet.  Here is a photo of the start of the bar.

in the beginning...

Wednesday I formed up a small project for a client that wanted two patio tables with stainless inlays as well as glass.   Amber, grey and green were the colors of glass they chose.

is that emeralds in there?

The client asked that we make the glass inlays look a little like rivers or streams.  Once the glass was in place we were ready for concrete...

a river runs through it

Next I completed about 75% of the dozen job.  I am now waiting on the contractor for some needed items.

part of the dirty dozen

Wednesday night small group was postponed due to graduation commitments.  So, while I waited for American Idol to come on, (I can't believe Joshua is out) I re-read my devotional for the last couple of days.  

It talked about not bowing down to the ways of this world but to do what is right in the eyes of God.  I know that I fail here sometimes.  Actually, quite often.  Although I do boldly proclaim my faith, sometimes I feel frowned upon if I pray at a resturant.  Sometimes, in certain company, I may let an oppertunity to witness pass by because I feel imtimidated, and other times I find myself being judgemental of others when I know it's not my place to judge.

There is a great line in the devotional that should make me, and you, sit up and take notice.  It states, "You can't abandon the principles of God, and walk in the blessings of God."

If I pray aloud in public, and share Jesus with those who need it and accept others for who they are, then I am blessing them.  

All those instances are tests of my faith and when I can do these things, that's when I walk in the blessings of God.

 Thursday we flipped the patio tables and began processing them...

looking good

Then I ran out to the firepit job once again.  Someone forgot to put pea gravel in the bottom of the pit.  While I was there I snapped this pic of the finished project.  

stamped, stained and capped

When I returned to the shop I was asked to form a cap for a waterfall feature on the other pool deck we are repairing.  I posted a pic in my last post of the pool.

an easy one

Friday was spent getting the shop cleaned up and working on two bar tables that we are donating to a charity auction.  We do this every year.  They always draw in some big bucks.

cyclones

hawkeyes

I stopped by a local furniture store on the way home.  Last October I posted about our love seat having some problems and I took it in to get it fixed.  Well, they called to tell us it was done.  Yes, I said last October.  It has a lifetime warrenty on the mechanisams, but the steel had bent to the point of poking through the leather and we wanted that fixed as well as the mechanisams.  So you can understand why it took half a year to repair. (note the sarcasm here)

I was preparing myself as I drove there figuring out what I was going to say.  I didn't want to yell but I wasn't going to pay full price for the labor either.

I walked into the reception area and asked the lady behind the desk if I could pick up my couch.  She asked if it was done and I said, "I hope so, you've had it since Halloween but I'm not sure because I can't get your people to return my calls".

She didn't look up but started typing what had to be a book because she typed for a long time.  I didn't want to get in an argument with her because it looked like she might be able to hurt me, (she was a muscular gal) and I haven't been in a fight for more than a quarter of a century.  She got up and went to talk with someone at another desk, then came back and typed some more.

At last she handed me a piece of paper and told me to give them the number written on the corner.  Then I asked what I owed, knowing I was going to ask for a discount and got ready to defend myself.

She said, "no charge, we've had your couch long enough.  Sorry". 

Awesome!  I couldn't hit a girl anyway.

I went to the recieving dock and, after some confusion over the money, they brought out the prodigal love seat.  It was wrapped in plastic but I could see where they had tried to dust it off.  I read the reciept and it said two hours labor.  

I know!

When I got home and unwrapped it I realized how they were able to fix both mechanisams and repair the leather in just two hours.

Frankencouch

Saturday Robyn and I put up the decorations we bought at the thrift store in Pella the week end before

believe   joy   peace

Then we put some new plants in her flower garden and picked some weeds

weed free zone

Next we headed to Menards for 15 bags of mulch and some weed preventer paper to go under the mulch.  Here's a pic of Robyn loading the truck..

don't judge me, I do the driving

On the way home we stopped for a quick refreshment

a perfect pair

Then it was back to the grind.  We pruned the trees, removed the rest of the pea gravel, put down the paper and mulch, planted some plants and moved others, placed the big rocks and put in a little bird bath.

professional landscapers?

Sunday I was supposed to go into work so we skipped church. (We watched several messages online later that day so once again, don't judge me)  I got a call at 10 telling me they didn't need me so I went to mending an old family rocking chair that my sister Sherry brought from North Carolina.  Her daughter (my niece) Shonna is expecting very soon.  Sherry wants her to have it but it was coming apart a little.

Unfortunatly, my work bench is currently being used as a garage sale table, but as we all know I'm a multi-tasker.  Here is a pic of the work bench/sales bin.

looks like an Old Navy delivery truck exploded in my garage

While I was working on that and doing some yard work, Robyn and Nick finally got the guest bedroom painted.

a nice earth tone.

Just typing about all our activities is making me tired all over again.  

Another Monday is rolling around so I'm gonna hit the hay.  

By the way, thanks for not judging me, God bless you.

Peace

Dan