Getting Things Done

The bathroom came together quite nice. The mirror we chose was a little big, but we will get one soon to hang in there and the project is done. The sink and toilet are in perfect working order with no leaking at all. I really like the color and I can not tell you how much I enjoy looking up at the wall around the tub and seeing a clean, uncracked and unmoldy seam between the tub and wall. The ceiling fan is doing a great job of keeping the overall climate of the bathroom dry. Next up, a new color for the downstairs hallway leading up the stairs and into the upstairs hall. Before I do that I am going to tackle the stairs as well as the banisters and rises. Hopefully I can get that project done within the week.

I am up to 8 miles for my long run and my during the week runs are now 5 miles, 3 miles and 5 miles. 21 miles a week? You have go to be kidding me. My goal the weekend before the half marathon is to run the entire length of the bike path which is 10.6 miles. Another thing I have noticed lately is that my normal easy pace has increased. After doing the 8 miles last weekend I added up my time and I did it in just over 78 minutes. Last time I checked my time for a 3 mile run I was just a bit over a 9 minute mile pace. I am really happy with that considering speed is rarely my goal. My goal is distance and not stopping. So far, so good.

Or so I thought

Well after putting in the toilet I noticed it is leaking a little from the bottom. Long story short, after searching high and low for a flange that would fit around my existing PVC pipe I found a replacement that would fit into it and still allow me to drill the flange into the floor. No leaks between last night and this morning so it is looking good. The other problem I had was that when installing the vanity I needed to take out the top drawer in order to fit the plumbing. Christine and I both decided to just leave the top drawer as a false door. I managed to break off a screw in the door and make it look really crappy. Decided to bite the bullet and order another door front from the company and they are sending me one for free!! Not quite sure I can figure that one out, but who am I to argue that.

Couple small things on my list today. Put up the mirror, paint the patch on the ceiling I made and the small baseboard that I fixed yesterday. If I have time I will attempt to get the sink running. I have a feeling that might be problematic. Through trial and error I am pretty sure I can get that one done though.

The End is Near

I am so close I can taste it. I added the grout which came out great. I also patched some holes plus a part around the new ceiling fan/light where some of the cutout was showing. Yesterday I put in base boards. This was my first time doing this and I look forward to a second chance sometime because I messed up a little, but thankfully it will be blocked by the toilet and the vanity. The corners were my issue, but I know my mistake. Today after school I am going to sand the walls and caulk around the tub. When the caulk is dry and the dust is settled I am going to paint the base boards and then the walls. I should be able to come pretty close by the end of tonight I think. Tomorrow I will install the vanity and the toilet and put up some fixtures and the job will be done except for the new door. Going to have to wait on that.

Working on the Bathroom

Tried to give it a shot at being a handy man over winter break. It is tough. Our upstairs bathroom has been an eye sore for quite some time and finally I got the nerve up to give it a shot. First problem, the wood was peeling back from over the tub from years of moisture getting in. I had to rip out the wood, put up some blueboard and joint compound the pieces together. So far so good, but a little more time consuming then I had hoped. I was able to paint the window and heater and they both look nice. Next, the ceiling. The ceiling was covered with popcorn plaster. I scraped it all off and in most places got down to bare wood. Before going any further I bleached the entire bathroom to get rid of the mold. Then I put a layer of joint compound all over the entire ceiling, smoothed it out and sanded it. Filled in any holes with a second coat, sanded it again and painted it. Looks nice and most people would never know there is no plaster up there I think. Then I ripped out the vanity and filled in the wall behind it and prepped it to be painted. I took out the toilet too. Then came the hard stuff and luckily I had help. Paul and Brian came down yesterday and helped me tile the floor and rewire a ceiling light / fan combo that could be switched on individually. I am glad that I did not try the electrical part by myself, I never would have been able to do it. Brian did the tiling and I did some cutting, the tiles look great.

Still left to do. Next up is putting the grout in the tiles and putting on some sealer. When that is done I need to do a couple patches in the ceiling where the new light does not cover the old hole. Then I will sand the walls down and paint the walls. Then, I will need to install the vanity and the toilet and the bathroom is done. Whole new bathroom other than the tub. Phew! Hoping I can get it all done by Sunday. We'll see.

I am Insane!!

Can't believe I just did this. I just registered to run a half marathon. Crazy!! I must be losing it. It will be on February 28 in my old stomping grounds of Hyannis. I am rooting for an early spring I guess. As long as it is above freezing I will be fine, or maybe just no wind and I will live. I want to have a goal so I do not get fat this winter and maintain the weight loss that I started last January. But, a half marathon? The training alone is going to be a nightmare. I am feeling really comfortable with my 3 miles right now and could do 5 miles if I had to, or if I had the time or daylight to do so. 13 miles!! I am so stupid and possibly just pissed away $50. The $50 is a great motivation for me to get my act together and get ready for this thing though. As a direct descendant of "Mr. Cheapo" I cannot see myself not going to a race that I paid that much to enter. "Tom's Fishing Blog" will most likely turn into "Tom's Training Blog" over the next few months, but that works too. Not like I am going fishing anytime soon.

" I Got You Mother F#$%^& "

Tuesday I called in sick to work in order to get one more shot at the tuna. Word has it that they were still around in Cape Cod Bay and up to Race Point at P-town. Went through the canal and ran into a bird and fish frenzy at the East End of the canal. Most of the action was outside of the range of a boat and by the jetty fishermen. I managed to get a few hits on the bone Double Wide Hogy, but I think the fish were really on the small side. I left the frenzy and headed NE towards the P-town monument. I did not see much in terms of fish, but i did see a lot of cool looking birds that only looked familiar from when I went out on the boat a few Thanksgivings ago. I also saw what I believe are Gannets. As I turned the corner around the tip of P-town I saw a couple of whales and was surprised that they were only about a quarter mile off the beach. I saw some bird action ahead and checked it out. A few different kinds of birds were in the mix, but I did not see fish underneath. However, I knew that when the birds started going crazy it was because something was scaring the bait up to the surface. So, I kept following the birds and bait and sure enough I spotted a few tuna backs surfacing among the birds. It can be frustrating trying to run around and anticipate the action, but I managed a handful of decent shots at the fish. It was sometimes hard to keep my lure away from the birds which would literally walk on water to chase after it. Ended up getting my line wrapped around one of the birds, but it was easily untangled and the bird flew off fine. I came upon a school and this one was immediately different. A lot more fish were in the mix and it stayed up on top for a long time in comparison to the others. I managed 6 or 7 casts into the craziness and on my final cast I hooked up. When I set the hook and felt the fish start to peel line off of my reel I shouted, " I got you mother fucker!!!" I have no idea why that came out and I have chuckled at myself a few times since when thinking about it. After fighting the fish for 10 minutes or so I decided to try and gain a little of my line back that I had lost and put the boat in gear. Not 2 seconds after I did this the fish turned and swam right at me. I reeled as fast as I could and took the boat out of gear with my elbow, but by the time I got the slack out of the line there was no fish. Bummer! Amazing time, simply incredible to be honest. I will land one of these fish someday and it will feel so amazing I am sure that I will be brought nearly to tears. The Double Wide Hogy was awesome. Strong and durable and with the glue that I put on it, it stayed tight to the hook through repeated hard casts.

Fall is Here

There is always a few things in every season that marks the true beginning of it. A couple weeks ago Christine made her chili and the Patriots began their season. If that wasn't enough I went to Parker's and the big bluefish have invaded. Coincidentally, the big blues also mark the beginning of spring. Anyway, only about a month of spotty fishing left. I am sure that the canal will be hot, but I still just can't get into fishing that place on a regular basis. The guys that have success there are borderline psycho. More power to them, I just can't bring myself to rig up a bike and deal with theft and muggings etc. I will stick to Parker's, my bluefish and the occasional bass that show up this fall. If mother nature is so kind as to give me one more nice day I will be pumped to take advantage of it and get out a couple more times to the Elizabeths.