Dubuque, Iowa - the big project begins

The reason for the dearth of posts since July: our hopes and plans to move from Fort Greene in Brooklyn, New York to Downtown Dubuque, Iowa. A long story, to be told over time, but we wanted a change, an adventure. Dubuque has presented that and more, including the project to end all of Scott's projects. Just getting to Dubuque has taken so much of our minds and energy that I've not been able to write about some of Scott's greatest Brooklyn projects, but I plan to write about those over time as I also write about what's ahead as we work on our very raw space.

Driving through the snowstorm, Day 1

The inside of the truck - it's mostly Scott's stuff, no surprise

The U-Haul with auto transport and our favorite road tripper, Jennifer!! 

Scott clearing ice from the U-Haul's windshield

Arrived safe and sound in Dubuque, and unloading

Almost done, thanks to Scott's realization that he could lay the ramp on the loading dock!

A quick break at the bay

So it begins

The entrance to our project

The rest of our project. Thank goodness it's one step at a time.

The Big Sweep

Clean enough and the dust has settled 

Xmas Shopping at Menard's

That's me with the chop box

Our first wall - this will be Scott's shop.

Our second wall and we got our own electricity!!!

Just need to share this.
Scott was the first to use the brand new can opener .
I keep telling him he is hard on objects.
We've since another can opener which Scott described as
the "Cadillac of Can Openers" and it better not break ever!

Me and the drill

Inside Scott's shop, sheetrock up as is Scott's bamboo bike 

Since we have no heat or hot water at our place at this moment, we are spending
our first month in the wonderful Hotel Canfield a few blocks away. We love the Canfield!!!

What else needs to be said?

Halloween Hijinks

Last Halloween, Scott wanted a jack-o'-lantern, but, as usual, his desire was articulated at the last minute, just as the trick-or-treaters came out. I did not want a mess in the kitchen or a rotting pumpkin on the stoop. He always says he will clean up, but experience shows that I clean up after he cleans up. I was unmovable and Scott was undeterred, so a little thought from Scott yielded a pretty mess-free and very creative re-purposing solution that will last forever.

Scott disappeared for a good while into the basement and emerged about an hour later with the Paint-Can-O'-Lantern. An old paint-can, some trial and error, a little leftover orange paint on the inside, a candle, all resulted in the achievement of mutual happiness. I believe he used the first rotary tool for this project, a tool I bought him as a present. Scott is currently on his second rotary tool, which I also bought for him as a combined Father's Day and birthday present. The first rotary tool basically blew up in his hand a few months ago when he used it in the exact manner the label ON THE TOOL ITSELF states to NEVER, EVER do (quick thinking=uninjured Scott).

I love Scott and his Paint-Can-O'-Lantern!

Scott and his Paintcan-O'-Lantern on a very Happy Halloween

Busman's Holiday

We're on a nomadic vacation in the Midwest,  now visiting wonderful old friends in Scott's hometown. Of course, we realize early on that there is plasterwork happening on the second floor of their home. Scott offers pointers on the job, but I urge him to help out for real. How can he resist? Scott has a project to work on.Too good to be true! 

For other reasons at this point, I would say that we have upended the lives of these lovely people. Last night as we fell asleep, I told Scott, "We are the worst houseguests ever." We have high hopes that everyone will recover fully and soon.

Scott in his element

Andreas on the job

A little plastering lesson

I so wish I'd gotten Andreas gouging out the cracks with an enormous nail Scott brought from Brooklyn (Scott comes prepared for almost anything). Truly, how many times in one's life does a woman tell her 4-year-old child to attack a wall with a 6-inch nail?

Actually, I did get a photo of Andreas gouging cracks with the nail.

Great pleasures from little things

Found this series of photos on an old hard drive. Gives an idea of just how excited this man gets about next-to-nothing. And he's wearing his favorite outfit for projects around the house. A typical day in our home, but this time I got out the camera. It does not get better than this, my friends.

Here is the day that saw our home become blessed with the four-way chuck key which Scott bought for the drill press his friend picked up for him at an auction (thanks, pal). This chuck key not only adjusts that drill press, but "it fits every drill in the house! I love that girl [at the local hardware store who told him to get the four-way chuck key since he was not certain of what size chuck key he needed offhand], but not as much as you, Susan!"

Scott showing off this inexpensive purchase. He claims it cost $2, but he underestimates everything, so maybe he spent $8 on it.

Scott's earnest monologue about the wonders of the four-way chuck key. He's really serious.

Who needs an animated gif when they've got this guy?

Pleased as punch

Up in the air

Not too many years ago, Scott built this treehouse in the woods on his son's mother's lovely property. It's actually roomy and sturdy enough for a small party of maybe six people hanging out, drinking beer and playing music (of course!). He installed a sink and small water cooler so he could have "running" water. He put in a wood stove to compensate for the Vermont winters, and the stove has two cook surfaces so he can have plenty of macaroni and cheese with tunafish. It has a small deck so one can sit in a chair and admire the forest. One also can lay out on the roof to look at the treetops (we won't cry). I won't get into the gruesome details of the build, the maintenance, or how much of his time this particular project has taken. I don't love every detail, but it did get one of his futons out of our home and even I must admit Scott's treehouse is a masterpiece.

Laboring in small spaces

Having fun in the tiny outdoors

An important finishing touch to Scott's new man-cave was to clean out and repair the basement's window wells in the backyard. Thankfully, he is a rescue paramedic and so is trained in "small space rescue." Glad to say he did not need rescuing on this project.

Who knows when these window wells were last addressed or even cleaned out. Perhaps in the 1850s when the house was built. The flooding which buckled the brick walls ended many years ago, but it was still nasty. This project was incredibly filthy and took more days than anticipated, as all of Scott's projects do. It also took a lot of concrete, wire mesh, and all of the antique bricks that have been piled in the backyard for most of my life.

Smiling about the endless trails of dirt
soon to be tracked all over the house?
It's like living with PigPen from Peanuts!

One of my favorite moments in this project occurred as Scott was using a good hammer on the many masonry nails that now attach the wire mesh to the brick so that he could spread the concrete, more of which was always needed for this job so he was constantly going back to the hardware store for another 80-pound bag.

Me, shouting from the 3rd floor down to Scott in the backyard: How's it going down there? Would a hammer drill have helped?

Scott: I'm alright. Yeah, a hammer drill would have been perfect for this.

Me: Not like I didn't offer to get you one. You turned me down that time, don't forget.

Scott: I had really hoped to never again have a need for a hammerdrill. Oh, well. I'm doing it!

The man-cave will be covered in a future post. It's a scream.

Happiness is a warm nailgun

A lot of life around here is about the tools. Scott has many. I've even bought some of them for him, thus further feeding his madness.

Some of his favorites are power tools, of course, but others include just regular old tools.

Like the spokeshave and the contour tool. What are these things? Sadly, I do know what they are because I got an unbelievably animated explanation immediately after their purchase. Lines from his special monologue that day included:

Said with oodles of dramatic emphasis as he showed off the amazingness of a contour tool (it basically does one thing, but does it well): "Ever wonder what the molding on the door looks like? THERE IT IS !!!"

Or how about this line said with such great sincerity it might melt another woman's heart: "These items purchased today are going to be so important, and they are going to help us and make our lives better for years and years...."

Oh, I'm certain they will, honey. I've never seen them since, but they're proudly lying in his "shop" in the basement for sure.

Ingenuity: just one characteristic of my madman

My husband is wonderful. I would not change him at all. But he is completely mad. I've been with Scott for 16 years and married him seven years ago. I knew what I was getting into. There's a method to this man's madness. This blog is about what I've been up against for the duration, what I often encourage, and what I know will come for the rest of our happy lives together.

One day last fall, I was minding my own business, working at my real desk on my real work for my real employer. Scott had the day off so it was a "project day" for him. Understand that every day he's not at work is a project day for Scott. He never just lies around and watches television. My man has to be doing something "productive" all the time. So on this fall day, he barges in and interrupts me once again - this is a regular occurrence when we're both home and I'm trying to work. We had this exchange: 

"Susan, the dresser on the top floor, umm, is it an antique or important in some way?" 

"What are you asking me, Scott?" 

"Well, I've got an idea and I'd like to use that dresser, but I'd need to drill holes in it."

"Please don't drill holes in any of the furniture in the house."

Shut down momentarily, but undeterred. Three hours later, he'd re-purposed a wooden pallet and some loose IKEA bed slats to make a small table with a slide-out shelf that he would be able to use for his equipment in just the way he'd hoped. The unimportant antique dresser was unharmed. 

I like a man who can do things like this, believe me. I had a first husband who could not put a simple metal bed frame together, so I sent that husband out to the store while the 19 year-old me, who had never before seen a metal bed frame, assembled the entire queen bed solo, a sign of things to come in that marriage. 

I do count my blessings with Scott. It's just these moments happens with such regularity.