Dialogue of a WannaBe Woodgeek

I am no longer pondering retirement. I will retire on December 30, 2009. I may continue in a per diem basis with my current employer and then really have some time for some quality home projects. Workshop has been updated with several new tools including a Ridgid oscillating sander and planer, a Grizzly jointer and some others. Also updated the dust collection.

The famous forever wood geek project has actually made a little progress. I have installed the window seat, file, drawer and computer cabinets. The file cabinet had to be updated to full-extension slides (can't believe I forgot to put them on in the first place). Just finished putting together the computer area top. I'm finishing it now. Just not coming out like I wanted, but I will probably install it anyway. Dumb piece of plywood was about $70. Can't see now using it.

My brush with fame. My sister-in-law, Betty Fraser, www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef_2/bios/betty_fraser.shtml, is currently on the Bravo Network reality show, Top Chef. She has experienced real highs and lows. Her Grilled Cheese & Soup dish was a big winner and selected to be featured on the TGIFriday's menu. It is called Tuscan Portobello Melt and Roasted Red Pepper Soup. We are so proud of her.

Had a great Christmas and enjoying a 2 week vacation from work. Especially enjoying time with my great wife and family.

We really did it big on our annual vacation this year. Flew to the Hill Country of Texas, where my wife thinks is the ideal place to retire. Two nights in Austin, 2 nights in a wonderful ranch style bed & breakfast in Fredericksburg and 2 more nights at a hotel on the Riverwalk. We had a great time, saw some great things and ate a bunch of TexMex food. We arrived back home just before the new terrorism regulations went into effect at the airports.

Approximately 9 years ago I won a trip to the San Antonio Riverwalk. We had been dating steadily for about 10 months. She went with me and we had a wonderful time. We took side trips almost every day (did I mention she is better than any travel agent when it comes to planning a trip or outing?) and visited many historic and beautiful places in Hill Country, including Fredericksburg. It sounds corny, but I bought her an inexpensive ring in one of the local crafts stores on main street and asked her to go steady. That trip really put my heart in order. I knew she was the girl for me to spend the rest of my life with. I asked her to marry me a month later.

Still working on the big project. I am still no good when it comes to applying the finish. I have researched, gone to classes and practiced, but it is a hit and miss trial for me each time. The scrapbook cabinet is installed, but I messed up the top. I made another one and messed that one up, too. Guess what. I refinished it and it will be installed, boo boos and all.

Going back to work on Monday. Wah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My great wife let me splurge for Father's Day. I purchased a Grizzly 1 1/2 HP Cyclone Dust Collector. It has great features, including a remote control, and the ability to wall mount. The features, along with much cheaper shipping, convinced me to buy it. It came 2 days ago in 2 large boxes. I will put it together this weekend and post some photos. Just have to set it up with PVC pipe to suck some dust. May need some electrical work also. I sold my Harbor Freight Dust Collector to a friend. I had put it together but never used it. He got a great deal and will put it to good use.

The weather is slowing me down a bit. I drag my saw and other large tools out into the driveway when I'm working. The rainy winter has kept me from working at times. I glued up the raised panel doors together. The rails and stiles did not match up exactly so I tried to sand them smooth with my random orbital sander. Bad Move! I accidently sanded down 2 of the corners of both large doors. Worse yet, it turned out these doors were too big. I sawed them apart, taking out the panel and cut and routed new rails and stiles. Cut down the panels and routed and sanded them again. Started staining them tonight. This project gets more expensive the more good wood I turn into sawdust.