TAKING THE GOOD WITH THE BAD

Iowa weather is a fickle thing.  They say if you don't like the weather here just wait 24 hours and it will change.  Last week we went from hot to cool to hot again and we haven't had any real rain in almost a month.  At least I thought it was hot.  The real heat and lack of rain was becoming evident.

Monday I formed up the pieces for the covered patio job.   It took me most of the day because all the pieces required caps.  This is the job that was supposed to be ready in 10 days.  I think some clients think we just pull these things out of our hats.  They don't realize the labor involved.

Our boss gave us an extra three days.

some odd shapes

On Tuesday we poured the covered patio job and had it out of the molds that night.

where the magic happens

Tuesday night at the bar was special.  The tempurature had been hovering around 85 for the last few days and the humidity made it miserable, but the air conditioner in the bar was set on frosty.  My brother-in-law Mike stopped in to get out of the heat.  I don't see him often enough even though we only live a few miles apart.  Then we were joined by my sister Debbie and she brought along my sister Sherry, who I rarely see.  Sherry lives across the country and dosen't get back often.  My fellow worker Chris dropped by also.

I was especially glad to see Sherry.  As siblings often do, we don't see eye to eye on a lot of things.  But we do both agree on one very important thing, and that is that Jesus is our Lord.  All of us talked and laughed into the night and by closing time it was just Debbie, Sherry and myself.  (my friend Danny was with us too)  We ended the night with our regular Tuesday night prayer circle.  Sherry's input helped to make it deeper and more thought provoking.  It would be nice to have that more often.

I believe Mike may be suffering a heat stroke

On hump day we loaded up the pieces for the giant job in Paton Iowa.  This project has been ready to go since last fall.  The Iowa weather changed too fast and we had to hold off on the install until now.  The land scape company doing the job is one of the better ones.  We have worked with them before and they demand perfection.  So far we have delivered.

almost 2500 pounds of concrete

Thursday the color for the other 4 benches for the Iowa State project came in, so we got the rest of the job poured.

Chris gets the mix ready

We also continued on processing the covered patio job and got the second coat of sealer on the big 12 piece job.  

signed, sealed and awaiting delivery

At the end of the day I demolded the ISU benches.  All these projects will be installed with in two weeks.

tree stumps in a concrete jungle

Friday morning I came into work and stopped at the koi pond to feed the fish.  It has become my responsibility to do the feeding since the guy that used to do it left to pursue his own career.

After several weeks I have the fish following me everytime I walk past the pond.

the smallest fish has actually ate out of my hand

Then I began forming the big project for the Iowa Shelter.  This will be the reception area for the new homeless shelter.  This may be our biggest project to date

just the beginning

The heat for the last few days has been pushing the mid to upper 80s.  My niece Sarah had asked if I would help side her garage this week-end.  My nephew Dean and Canyon were going to do the roof (I knew that I would be up there too).  

All week long people had been complaining that their lawns were so dry it was like walking on glass. 

So as Iowa weather always does, just when I didn't want rain, it showed up.  At a quarter to five on Friday, just when I was preparing to head over to work on the garage, the heavens opened up.

where's Noah?

I took a couple ladders over to the garage and snapped a quick pic to use as a before reference.

we can rebuild it, we have the technology

Early Saturday morning we headed over and got started.  Robyn and Nick came to help out too.  The temperature approached the mid 90s and the humidity from the rain made it a little hard to breath.

Canyon and Dean on the roof, Nick works on the siding

For some reason, Sarah decided to feed us health food for lunch.  We had pin wheel finger sandwhiches and fresh veggies.  Not real manly.  (admittedly it was yummy)

We worked until 5 or so.  Robyn and I had a graduation party to attend, but right about 5:30 I got a call from Robyn's boss.  His wife was ill and they had tickets to the production of Billy Elliot at the Civic Center.  They couldn't go but he didn't want the tickets to go to waste.  If we wanted them they were ours.  

Of course we did.

The show was at 7:30.  So we rushed home, showered and raced downtown to the Civic Center

a little culture in our lives

The musical was very good.  It was the story of a poor mining town on strike.  The son of a miner wanted to be a ballet dancer but his dad will not allow that.   The dancing and singing were exceptional.  The down side was that the show was riddled with profanity.  When we got home that night we were exhausted.   We slept in and missed church.  When we finally got moving we went back to Sarah's to finish up the garage.

By noon Sunday we were hard at it.  I got up on the roof to show the boys how to hammer down some shingles.  A nail gun showed up at about 1 and I challenged Dean to a race.  I used a hammer and he used a gun.  He has a hard time admitting it but I out shingled him almost 2 to 1.

making progress

As the siding started going up it became evident that we didn't have enough.  It is special order and the boxes only contained half the square footage that the order desk said was in them..  I didn't want to tell anybody that it was probably my fault because I'm a Griswold.

So about 4:30 we had the roof done and all the siding on that was available.  The tempurature was in the upper 90s and I was beat.

a work of art

Then Dean and Canyon asked if I wanted to go golfing.   

I know, right?

I told them they were nuts.  It was almost 100 degrees, and I just got done working my behind off.

That's when they played their ace.  They threw the Father's Day thing in my face.  "Won't you play golf with your son on father's day?"

I agreed but only if they could get a tee time this late, and I needed to take a shower first.   I knew that would never happen...

Happy father's day

I will tell you that golfing was much more relaxing than roofing.  And I beat them both.   I let Dean know that I am twice his age, twice his weight, nailed down twice as many shingles (using a hammer) and kicked his butt on the links.  

We finished up just as the sun was setting.

Canyon puts one in there tight.

Monday morning came way to fast.  I was sore and sunburnt.  But we had a massive install to do so I had to be at the shop by 6 A.M.

rise and shine.. well, rise at least

We got the carts loaded into the trailers and started out toward Paton Iowa.  About half way we stopped at a convience store for some eats.  When Chris checked the load he was horrified to find this...

crushing through the floor boards

The weight of the pieces loaded on the carts was too much for the trailer.  The floor boards were giving way.  I know your thinking the Griswold factor here.  Luckily, we had some steel ramps that we slid under the tires and spanned the holes in the floor.

The scale of this patio is unbelievable.  Just for starters, they have a stream running through it, but that's not all.  The stream lights on fire!

a cool feature

The first thing we did was get the pond wall caps installed.  The wall is more than 30 feet long and I had some difficulty getting the pieces to line up.  My arch wasn't quite right and the seams were looking strange, it wasn't perfect, but we moved forward.

just a little off..

There was a little struggle with the bar pieces, but a bit of fanaggeling brought it all together.

some commercial bars aren't this big

This whole project is phenominal.  They have been building the house for 3 years and doing the landscaping for 2 1/2 years.  This back yard could easily be in a park or a zoo.  Here are some pics to check out...

origionally a corn field

the big pond out back is 40 feet deep

The temp was over 100.  We were there all day.  On the long drive home the AC never really got cold enough, but I was glad to have that job done.

Tuesday morning we poured the waterfall cap.  By that afternoon we recieved a phone call from the client in Paton.  They did not like the pond caps.  The pieces didn't fit right and lined up funny.  My heart sank.  I knew the day before that it didn't look right.  If they couldn't be adjusted to fit better, the fault would fall squarely on me.  This could turn out to be very expensive mistake.  

My boss would make a trip up there in the next day or so.  I felt horrible.  I templated and formed the job, and I don't know what I did wrong.  I feared I may lose my job.

I was thinking about the possibility of being fired for the rest of the day.  As I drove home I told myself that I would stop out on the dirt road that I take and get out and pray.  When I stopped and got out it started to sprinkle.  People driving by must have thought I was crazy.  I stood in the rain and prayed.  I asked God if He would show me what I was to do if I lost my job.  I realized that I wasn't necessarily sad about that possibility but more upset that I could have cost the company a great deal of money.

I knew that God didn't promise that there wouldn't be trouble in my life.  I also know that loosing my job wouldn't be the end of it all.  As a matter of fact, maybe it would be the push I need to start my own business.  I prayed that God would ease my heavy heart and help me put my best foot forward.

into every life some rain will fall

Wednesday morning I awoke not feeling much lighter.  I usually get pretty down on myself when I screw up.  I went into work with the feeling of letting everybody down.  But I continued with my job.

We had to install the covered patio job.  This one went together with relative ease.

this one looks good

At small group that night we studied the story of Daniel.  If I thought I had trouble in my life it was nothing compared to Daniel's.  When he was threatened with loosing his life for not following the orders of the King, he didn't wallow in self pity.  He put his faith in God, and God delivered him from the lions.

That helped to ease my burden, because I should, and would, put my faith in God and He will provide.

I have been feeling a call to do something worthwhile to further the kingdom of God.  Maybe this was not a mistake, but part of His plan.  Maybe now I could step out and do what it was that He was calling me to do.  

But what is it?

I would continue to ask Him to reveal it to me.

Thursday at work I was working on the Iowa Shelter job when my boss came back from Paton.  

I drew a deep breath.

He said that I had to rebuild the caps.  He brought me new templates and said that although he was disappointed he knew that these things can happen.  His only request was that I make them a priority.

Although the threat of loosing my job was no longer of any concern, I still feel upset with myself.

The devotional that day offered me some advice.  It says, "What has God called and equiped you to do?  Step out and do it, and He will empower you."  Hmmm...

I called Robyn and told her I was thinking of getting out of this line of work and doing something else. I offered a couple of ideas and told her to read the devotional.  She called back and informed me that it also says, 'Plan, prepare and save."   She told me not to quit my job just yet.  

I stayed late and got all the caps reformed.

here we go again

I had been noticing all through the week that I had several itchy bumps on my arm.  I thought I may have stuck it in some kind of mosquito nest in Paton.   By Friday Robyn had the same bumps.   We suspected the dog or cat must have brought in some kind of bug.   Robyn called Sarah and found out she had bumps too.  It was poison ivy.  By Friday night mine were starting to blister.  No one else at the garage work site was afflicted.  I would like to personally welcome Sarah to the Griswold clan.

ewwww!

Saturday morning my self pity was beginning to wain, but I still have a strong desire to serve God in a bigger way.  Maybe this whole thing has been a test, to see if I can handle being humbled and deal with trials and tribulation.  Sometimes He turns up the heat just to refine us a little more.

 

I went and got us some coffee.  We sat and enjoyed that, then I went out to pluck the huge thistles that have sprung up seemingly over night in our flower garden.

I think He is testing me again, to see how I handle weeding my garden.

I wonder if this whole week has just been a giant weed in my life.

I can be so dramatic at times, don't you think?

this test I can pass

Peace

Dan

DOOR KNOBS AND GLUE STICKS

You may find it hard to believe, but it takes a couple of hours to put one of these blogs together.  But I find it somewhat relaxing and rewarding to do it.  I love to write.  My prayer is to one day do it full time, for a living.  Not just the blog but books and movies.  Here's a pic Robyn took of me writing last weeks blog.  If you compare this to the work I do at my job, you can see how this is relaxing.

maybe it's the wine that relaxes me

Monday, at my real job, I finished up the forms for the Iowa State University job.  When these bench seats are done they will match the trophy display case bases we installed a while ago.  We had the color to pour four of them, the rest of the color is being delivered.  

Held together with little more than hot glue

I was still a little tired from the camp out week end.  So I was kind of dragging at work.

a LITTLE tired?

Tuesday, after a night of rest, we demolded the four bench seats and Chris started processing them.  In the mean time I was asked to fabricate some plexiglass light covers.  I can offer you no more explanation than that but trust me, it was something I hadn't done before.  The covers were needed at a patio job another crew was prepping.  I was told to take the covers to the job site.  

working hard,..  no, seriously

I had to tend bar Tuesday night, and we were supposed to be able to see the transit of Venus.  That's when the planet Venus passes between Earth and the sun.  A once in a lifetime event.  So without looking directly at the sun I snapped this pic.  I couldn't see anything in the picture, maybe you can..

must have been rapid transit

Wednesday I was called over to the patio job to bring Jeremy some tools.  In this photo, Jeremy is staining the picture frame edge.

My boss doing all the work

When I got back to the shop, Chris had one of the benches done with the first polish.  They are slurried and polished three times. 

looking pretty

I spent the rest of the day getting the 12 piece bar job ready to pour.  They had finally settled on a color and we wanted to get it poured before they changed their minds, again.

I smelled something burning and went outside to find one of the guys trying to get his mixer clean by burning off the built up material.

S'mores anyone?

Thursday I went out a templated a new job.  It's a large covered out door patio bar.  Some of the pieces will be tough to install but we always make it happen.  The client is doing a remodel of her house and is in the final stages which include her patio.  The general contractor told me they need the bar in 10 days. I didn't tell him that wasn't going to happen.

going for a rustic look

When I got back to the shop Chris and I poured the dirty dozen.  That's what I was calling the 12 piece job when I had to clean the molds.  It is a large project and took a while to get it done.

Chris pours the hearth

the upper bar poured and capped

The lower bar, this is the biggest piece

Friday we spent the entire day getting all the pieces of the "12" demolded.  It is a long drawn out process.  We have to grind the backs or bottoms of the aprons while they are still on the form, then remove caps, braces, edge molding and debris from the pour.  They must then be broken free from the board they are poured on and flipped onto waiting carts with pre-cut supports.  Some of the pieces take more time than others.  Here are some pics of pieces fresh out of the molds...

Wine bar with temporary wine holder post

Lower bar with intregal drain board

Saturday was a day of door knobs.  I went to my sister Debbie's early in the morning.  I wanted to avoid the heat of the afternoon.  Debbie needed a new entry door on her garage.  The previous owner had put an interior door in and it was rotting away.  It should be an easy removal and replacement, but things never go that easy for me. (it's ok, I'm used to it)   I had to cut away some of her garage to make the door fit because the opening wasn't a standard size.   I also replaced the lock sets on both her house doors.  I had some difficulty there too, but only because of my lack of patience.

She gets real excited about new doors

Then I was asked to replace the lock sets on our shop and our warehouse.  I was going to build some forms for the covered patio job I just templated but the heat was making me a bit weary so I called it a day and went home.

Sunday the service was about the final days of the nation of Israel.  The story can be applied to us today.  The nation of Israel wouldn't listen to the warnings of the prophets when they said turn back to God or suffer the consequencies.  And they suffered.  Their country was attacked and taken over.  They were all taken prisioner and removed from their land.  They remained in exile for several hundred years.   Sometimes I look at the USA and wonder what we are thinking.  We didn't become this strong, wonderful country by our own hands, we have been very blessed by God.  Now we are trying to remove Him from everything, turning away and ignoring any warnings.   My prayers are that we turn back to God and asked for his continued blessings, as individules and as a nation.  

God bless America

Peace

Dan

CAMP SLEEPY EYE

Soo...  My plans to get some stuff done on Memorial Day kinda fell through. (go figure)  I'm not saying I was being lazy, I mean Nick and I did get the lawn mowed and the tree in the front yard trimmed.  The reason for not completing more was because  Robyn and I were invited to the home of our small group leader for a holiday cook out.  Mark made home-made ice cream for the occasion

The ice cream man

On Tuesday it was back to the coal mine.  

I have been posting about a small wine bar we are making and told you about the wine holder post that would be on the bar.  Well, I found an old one at the shop and set up a little sample to show you what I have been talking about.  (where I got the wine at work shall remain my little secret)

now everybody will want one

Wednesday I laid out the p-gravel for the waterfall cap job.  We are still waiting for some material to be delivered to completew this project.  I took a very artistic photo of the gravel to share with you.  You can see the incredible variety of colors we get in Iowa p-gravel and it looks even prettier when polished.  This isn't the case in many places.

leave no stone unturned

Thursday we had to pour a overlay floor on the wine bar job.  Once it sets up we will stain it with multiple colors.  In this pic the guys are troweling out the product.

smooth

Friday we had to go back and repour that floor.  

About 15 minutes after we left, the client's sister walked in the patio slider and right through our wet floor.  And you thought those things only happened in the cartoons.  It isn't a huge deal but it pushes back the staining until next week.

After work, I ran home and packed a bag.  Canyon and I had been asked to go on a father/son camping trip with my nephew's church group.  They were already at the camp ground waiting for me.

Nephew Deano, Canyon, brother Steve and me

We got the tent set up, (Yes, I was going to sleep in a tent) and then had some hot dogs.  There was a group of about 10 fathers with more sons than you can fit in a tree.  I will explain that later.  As night rolled around we sat around the fire and talked.  The church group leader read from the book of 1st Samuel.  

It talks about how Samuel is first spoken to by God when he was just a boy.  He already lived with Eli the priest, in the Tabernacle (the place of the Ark of the Covenant).  He assisted Eli in the ministry at an early age.  When He was called by God he obeyed.  He went on to be a prophet.  

The group leader asked all the boys at the camp fire to also keep their ears open for the voice of God and follow faithfully when He called.

After a couple of hours of fire side chat I had to go home.  The camp site was only an hour from my house.  Robyn had asked if I would help her set up for a garage sale in the morning.  I put the sale signs up at 1am.  Then went to bed.

6:30am we started getting things set up then I went to get coffee and some ice for her cooler.  People began showing up by 7am

here come the bargin hunters

I took a shower and headed back up to the campsite.  Just as I was hitting the edge of Waukee I got a call from Nick.  He is house sitting for a good friend of his who is on vacation.  Nick asked if I could stop by because the disposal wasn't working.  It happened to be on my way so I swung by.  After a few minutes I was able to get it working but I noticed a leak.  Nick was concerned that he had broken it.  I assured him that it was just an older unit and he wasn't at fault, told him not to use that side of the sink and went on my way.

cool view from the mile long bridge

I found the group playing baseball.  It was an offensive juggernaut, for both teams.  Or a mighty big defensive struggle, for both teams.  The final score was 25 - 23.

Steve gets ready to drive in a run

Back at the camp site they had all the kids climb up in a single tree for a really cool photo.  There were so many kids, several had to just stand by the trunk of the tree.  It reminded me of the tree party in the Dr. Seuss classic 'Go Dog, Go'.

a bike gang

In the afternoon we went down to the lake to do some fishing.  I never got a bite but I heard some fish stories about the one that got away.  Then I witnessed a miracle, and I got it on film.....

a common sight when fishing with a church group

Canyon had the catch of the day.  It was so big it snapped his rod in half.

"I think it was Nessie."

The sun was starting to beat down so we started back to camp.  We had barely sat down when a bunch of the fellas decided to play some voley ball.  I honestly don't know where they get all the energy.

I'm exhausted from taking all these pics

Afterwards we settled down for some dinner, devotional time and some card games, (finally a sport I can play).  Canyon, Steve, Deano and I continued our card games in the tent until 2am.  I woke canyon up at 6am to go home and shower.  We had to be to church by 9.  

The truck has a full tank.   Canyon not so much.

We decided to go to Deano's church to see what it was like.  I think I will stick with my church, the 2 and a half hour service was just too much for me.  But we had a blast fellowshipping with the guys.

After church, I ran home to help Robyn paint the office.

This is the last room to paint upstairs

With my lack of sleep, my already limited painting skills were causing more harm than good.

I was afraid Robyn would paint right over me because I was moving so slow.  I think I did do a good job of holding the floor down though.

armed and dangerous

We finished up the painting, ordered a pizza and uncorked a bottle of wine.  A perfect ending to a very long, holiday shortened week.

Now I gotta get some shut eye.

Peace

Dan