It Could Always Be Worse

Early Sunday morning I looked out into the back yard and saw a group of raccoons on my neighbours garage roof. I grabbed the camera to photograph this scene. If you look closely, you will see a large, furry creature (raccoonis giganticus) weighing about 2 stone, attempt to dislodge a roof shingle to gain access to the attic of this house in order to nest. It is a relief to know that I am not the only one who has incursions by wildlife recently. The photos below show the effort put in by AAA-Wildlife Services in order to keep skunks from re-invading the area under my front steps. The wire mesh extends about 6 inches out from the concrete steps, hence the filled in trench.

On a lighter note, my surviving roses; American Pillar. Left unattended they would take over the world, much like something out of a science fiction film.

Porsche 964 Temporary Cooling System Fix

You may not know the other side of me yet, but in case you are curious, I pride myself as a bit of an engineer. I actually went to school for that as you will remember. Problem: Porsche 964 Oil Cooler Fan not engaging. Fix, after 6 steps of diagnosis (1 year): replace Controler Unit. These CCU's cost $1000.00 Candian to replace, if you can find one. The current solution is to 'watch' eBay, and hope. Here is my ad hoc solution, which I stole from an internet post. I intend to actually refine this and advance this proposal. I will post it, if successful for all of the Porsche 964 and 993 owners out there.

Basically the theory is simple. The CCU puts out some sub volt current when it thinks your oil cooling fan should switch on. If you have a defective CCU, (BMW, Mercedes and Porsche owners), that signal never actually reaches the component it needs to. An intelligent chap had a hypothesis back in 2005 about delivering the neccessary voltage to the 'relay' that engages the fan motor. His math was seriously off, as he used 12 volts as a base voltage for his charging system. Due to my nautical and automotive background, I have corrected his error and modified his theory a little. All you have to do is put together a fused (1 amp) resistor circuit with a 6 ohm resistance value and apply it across pin 6 in your Porsche fuse box, Relay 4. It's so easy. I spent $5.00 on this. I will apply myslelf this weekend to a more sustainable fix, in that I will encorporte a switch and a two speed fan option using existing unused Porsche factory wiring.

G is expected at the end of August. I want everything in order when she get here!

The Burrow

G and I have had some recent problems with interesting creatures. Upon my return to Vancouver from G's, I found the following clue under the stairs in my front yard.

Each day, the burrow grows deeper. Some creature is very busy building a new home. The problem is that in Vancouver, the quantity of species that burrows is limited to only one. The skunk.

I have not actually sighted the creature yet, but I suspect I should keep my eyes open (and nose closed) for something that looks like this.

Weekend Round Up

As your computer is out of comission, I am giving you a blog weekend round up!



First of all though, here are the new summer work shoes (to wear with trousers) - which are so damned ugly, they are almost cool. (But not quite.) They are not very executive but once they are broken in, they should be very comfortable and the most important thing is that I can walk to/from work in them without being crippled.

Now I almost photographed these wearing my red socks but I didn't want you to fall backwards off your chair and leave the room screaming - your colleagues might think that I am subjecting you to cruel and unusual punishment!


Otherwise, here are my individual match results for you to scrutinise and the full match results are in their usual place over on my Captain's blog. (It is almost up to date.) I think that you can click to enlarge them:

Then, of course, the fateful BBQ at K & I's where a few glasses of wine mixed explosively with something I ate yesterday that violently disagreed with me and caused me to spend a fair amount of the night plus some of this morning locked in a toilet cubicle in the ablution block on my campsite, just feeling like I wanted to die. A feeling made worse by my hangover.

Here I think that I is using the BBQ charcoal bag as a heat indicator i.e. when the bag goes up in flames, the BBQ is ready to cook on:

Like I said earlier, when I went to the supermarket, there was not even a bag of salad left. Anything that could be cooked on a BBQ, or served on the side, had gone. It was still 25 degrees at 7pm and trust me, the whole of the South of Britain was consumed with our Summer obsession of burning food badly over charcoal - I suspect that the hole in the ozone layer increased significantly last night.

So today has not been very productive. I am missing you too, so I have been feeling very sorry for myself. This is why I made chilli cornbread this afternoon, for the first time ever. It tasted right (albeit not as good as yours) and the 4 chillis (2 green and 2 red) that I chopped into it are helping me to prove to myself that I have the consitution of an ox - at least, my tummy is holding up so far. Does it look okay to you?

Happy Birthday!

Crikey, 14 today! So here is something suitably daft from You Tube to mark the occasion:



Actually, I really wanted to post this:



oh and this:



But then, maybe my sense of humour is just very British?!

I hope that you are having a fantastic day and that you enjoy your present (when it arrives)!

Scrabble Turntable

B, I know that you were far too busy packing to photograph this and blog it.

However, in my view, the world's ardent Scrabble players (particularly if they happen to be handy with wood) should not miss out on the impromptu design that you and Leo came up with for a Scrabble turntable because we didn't like the look of the one that is commercially available.

As we were purchasing Super Scrabble, the challenge was to come up with a design that was stable, would support a board that folds into 4 and could be packed away easily when not in use.

Above: wiew from top, unfolded and ready for use

Above: view from side, folded and ready to be put away

Above: the bottom of the folded turntable showing its supports and swivelling base

It was a divison of labour - I sourced the scrabble set, dictionary and timer while you made the turntable! Excellent work, lovely!

Garden Garden Garden

Oy, oy, oy. It's been twinging in my head since before Easter. As you know very well, Good Friday is the traditional GORK day to sort out the garden, after Winter, during Spring and before the big push of Summer when both of us are far too busy with our sport to do outdoor housework.



And what did we do instead? Oh...opps, mustn't grumble:

• You got Gabrielle and Son on the London Eye. This is something that she has waited to go on for over 8 years - yes, I was at the Millenium fireworks (they were amazing, even if the river of fire was a damp squib and the Concorde fly-over was impossible to see due to low cloud cover)


• We ate lovely pizza on the South Bank
  
• We got hailed on and took cover under a overhang of the National Theatre (arrived home about 6 hours later and my feet were still soaking wet, yet did I complain....? :-) No I barely did, so knowing how much I hate having wet feet, that should surely count as meriting a GOLD STAR in the GORK Code of Conduct?!)
  


• We watched 10,000BC at Leicester Square, which was a great venue but a diabolical film that made me want to pull out my own toenails with a bathroom pair of tweezers (sorry).

So no grumbles but while we did the above, the garden l-a-n-g-u-i-s-h-e-d, the winter seed heads and their stalks fell over, the ivy grew and I was ashamed (yes ashamed) of the photos that Son took, that I knew would be seen by a horticultural expert.

So ack! The disorganisation of the garden has been burning a hole in my head. The good news for you is that it has been dealt with. So images like taken by Son, can be replaced by images taken by me:

Phew, phew, phew. Broadcast the news!

From London with G to this!

In spite of a great weather prediction for the weekend so I can get some projects started, I come home to this!

Colaboration

It's a treat to have G in your life. We had a quick midnight chat tonight about projects. I think the fact that I am ready to actually even visit the shop and pick up a tool is a good sign. I have been recovering from a little knee problem, and today I just had my first ever root canal. The dentist said that I was grinding my teeth and actually loosened a filling. I remember when I did it. It was during a particularly difficult time working through sport admin back in January. I am a big baby at heart, but I do heal quickly compared to most, and am no stranger to pain. The fact that I even want to get back to work is a clue. Accountant tomorrow morning, which will be nothing compared to the root canal. Then bank. Then I can start having fun again, and get on with a very interesting and wonderful life.

G floated the idea of incorporating some of my latest 'quest for drawer' urges into the list of existing Camp Projects. She is really good. Immediately after our midnight chat, I headed straight for the shop and did an inventory of what I had on the floor. I have a little maple. I have 9 cherry table legs, and some finished cherry shorts. I suppose I should be building a proper computer desk and a small knitting table out of my cherry inventory before it warps.

Here was G's suggestion. Why don't I complete the matching bedside table (One is done), and incorporate some of my drawer ideas into the piece? It must be nice to be right handed once in a while. You see, her idea was very, very practical. My first table, made during my first cabinet making course, uses hand cut dovetails for the joinery. I remember my teacher laughing at me. He called me the 'Dovetail Man'. That little bedside table is a two or three lifetime piece (300 years). It's put together like a puzzle. The pieces actually hold themselves together. The forces balance very nicely. Every day, the piece gets a little stronger. It has one simple drawer. I will build a similar piece, and use a 'mass production' drawer technique to test some of my recently acquired knowledge. Time to buy a little maple and a little maple ply. With G's idea, I can explore many techniques I will require for Graham's Bookcases, and home storage while filling a Camp need.

G tried to talk me out of the 'Dressing Table' concept for the bedroom. Anyone that knows her will agree that she has a very 'pink' side to her that compliments her professional side quite nicely. This is a design issue that I am sure the two of us will discuss further. If I created the 'Dressing Ledge', or 'Dressing Perch', I may be assured success. At least my insight still works.

Where am I going to put my clothes?

Since G's last visit to Vancouver, I have been pondering the bedroom storage problem. Image, a bachelor having to deal with the possibility that he may become part of a couple. The issue of bedroom storage dynamics has been on my mind of late. Even after culling 60% of my wardrobe, I still have items stored on my Ikea bench. This has lead me to research clothing storage and chests of drawers. As G would remind me, look at the building, not the hinges on the door.

I have already been looking into drawer design, jointing details, materials, and diving into the minute details of creating custom furniture. This is me. I like to master the details first, then encorporate them into a larger design picture. I really want to build something to test some theories, but at the same time, the real problem I want to solve is to create a comfortable environment for my girlfriend when she moves in. Being Brian, I need to compromise on what I want to do and what I must do.

The bigger picture dicates that I do a floor plan for the bedroom, that includes storage, an area so G can get ready for work or school or a night on the town. She is right handed, so I have to bear that in mind. At the same time, I need to decide how to accomplish this. I need to decide whether we will be satisfied with offshore built, mass produced, disposable furniture or be happier with custom built, hand crafted, durable (100 year) stuff that we love. There are cost and time factors that go into this equation. I like Maple furniture in the bedroom. Ikea only supplies birch at best. (gag me with a spoon) I have had 500 board feet of birch stacked in the basement for the last 10 years. I use it to lean up against the basement door to prevent break-ins. Other than that, I can't see a use for it.

For the last few weeks, I have had the urge to re-configure the shop to work with sheet goods. My brother Graham has asked me to make a small run of bookshelves that he can re-sell. Everything is pointing to 'Brian get some furniture on the go!'. I have spent the last few hours looking at joints for ply. Sliding Dovetails. Drawer back joints. Materials for drawer sides. Taig Frid warns that 'particle board has no grain strengh, therefore....' Most of Ikea drawers are made of particle board. No wonder. It's problematic from the get go.

Stay posted for ideas and thoughts. I have reference material on order from Taughntons. I intend to come up with an affordable, durable, craftsman-like furntiure solution for the bedroom. I just want G to be comfortable when she is getting ready.

70th Birthday Gathering

Last weekend, as you know, I packed myself off to Hereford for my stepfather's 70th Birthday gathering.

It was actually quite a small gathering of 12 consisting of my parents, brothers and sisters (full, halves and steps), some of whom brought their partners, plus one cousin and my nephew.

You know, it went well, as family events go - I am not sure whether this can be attributed to the fact that we are all grown up now or the fact that my mother phoned everyone ahead of time and promised to dispatch us forcibly to the moon (via the end of her foot) if there was any bad behaviour.

We almost all managed it too. Phew.








So here is my stepfather - a portrait of the artist on his 70th birthday - as he is the oldest student of his local art college where he is doing an Art Foundation course.

Interestingly, he has some of his new work up around the house and they are very different to the style of work that he used to produce - I think that the course he is doing has really given him the chance to explore new things.

He is holding the watch that we all clubbed together to give him. It is an English case, swiss action, half hunter, key wound pocket watch and the case is hall marked Birmingham 1886 - he loves it. Phew.

I will edit this to post the link to the photos when I have finished uploading them all to Flickr. Some faces you will recognise, others you have yet to meet (no doubt you will in due course)!

Valentine's Week at Camp

We have established a new camp tradition! There are clues on the table...

Valentine's Week!

Campers decided that romance should be given higher priority. After all, doesn't the thought of Valentine's Day remind one of trying to eat a single kernel of popcorn?

We didn't manage to use all of the firewood, but gave it a good try. However, we did consume all of the Prosecco, Champagne, and all but polished off the Chardonnay.

G brought sunshine to Vancouver! We could actually see the water and mountains at the same time during the drive back from Whistler. We could walk on the beach.

Together, we diligently foraged the surrounds for food and managed to come up with a nice Halibut recipe, and 'Oysters Gabrielle', which will we would be delighted to serve if you want to visit camp. It wasn't just a holiday you know. G noted a few 50% off signs here and there and did a little shopping. We picked up a few things to make camp cozier, and yes, there was yarn too... We spent time with friends. G even heard a good bear sighting story. Scrabble can be a bloodsport.

Valentine's week was very successful. The only downside to it was that it prompted many tears at the airport. We didn't need cleaning staff to assist, but dehydration was a concern. Could we try a Valentine's Year?

The Black Art of Furniture Toning

Or - how do you turn a Birch Ikea Chair into a Cherry Ikea Chair?

I remember when late night television used to be interesting. One of the shows I watched was 'Furniture on the Mend'. Two wacky New York second hand furniture dealers revealed the dark secrets of their trade. They would buy new pine furniture, assemble it, beat it with rusty chains, rub 'special' dirt on it, then show how it could possibly be passed off as an original antique. Their favourite tool was an old piece of iron pipe. They knew every trick. They even put saw and burn marks in some of their pieces.

One secret of the trade was 'toning'. This technique could be used to hide repairs in valuable furniture. A couple of trips to Mohawk in Vancouver eventually yielded Cherry Toner in an aerosol can. Two cans are needed to 'treat' six Ikea Chairs. Professionals of multiple hues to spray on many colours at once to match an existing finish. Hold the can far, far away from the piece as you spay, and let the mist 'fall' on the wood. Use multiple thin coats. Toner is acetone based so drying time is about a minute and a half. I don't know about long term durability, but hey, I can always apply a bit more.

Please note the scarf G. knitted for me. I keep it close by at all times. That way, I don't miss her quite as badly.

The List - Time to Admit Defeat (For Now)

Sport Admin

• Create entry form for Easter meeting, have it proofed by commitee
• Complete committee edits, and send off to Karen for printing.

Most Urgent Knitting Projects

Hat

• proof pattern again
  
  However, I have found that I need to unpick top of crown just to check that I have the last 5-6 rows documented correctly. This has stalled progress as work has thrown extra, unscheduled things at me this week and I have been working late.
  
  So the above and everything below will have to be done when I get back from Canada. It is Thursday night, I am packing and it is time to admit defeat on this list.
  
• take pictures of the finishing technique I used (not sure how to do that on my own!)
• send all to R with other general photos, for proofing, editing and publishing.

Wrap

• complete wrap template
• work nothing else, except wrap
• finalise pattern (good grief, writing it down, makes it sound so easy)
• package and send to R.

Cozy Bedroom

The blinds were delivered from the factory today! I could not wait to install them in the bedroom so I left the office early under the cover of heavy snowfall. I explained to my department that they should leave early because I did not want to take responsibility for what would happen to them on their commute in a heavy Vancouver snowfall.

The blinds are up! The temperature in the room went up 2 dregrees as soon as the last one was hung. Two weeks ago, G & I had a quick discussion via SMS, 8 time zones apart, on the different alternatives for this window. In the end we decided on a combination of blinds, and fabric drapes.

I had the option of purchasing vinyl and saving $150 or so. I opted for the real wood, and G went with me on it. The basis of my decision was that for the extra few dollars, I could eliminate some plastic in my life, and add real warmth to the room. If we get a few extra hours of sleep I think it's worth the money.

G, please note the copy of 'History of the Anglo-Saxons'. If you can't sleep, I would recommend thumbing through this book. I defy any human to read more than 6 consecutive pages without passing out. On a more practical note, we have a 1/2 cord of dry firewood set to be delivered on Friday morning. If the weather in Vancouver remains in it's current state, we will use every sliver.

So which is it to be?!

Jacket A: ancient, blue man's jacket - size Large. My first ever ski jacket, bought in a sale, marked down as inner padding was missing. Columbia Sport Company jacket, made in Bangladesh. Has been used as a range jacket for years now as it is proven to be waterproof during complete deluges. Therefore a bit smelly? But hey, we are only skiing for 3 days!

Jacket B: also bought in a sale, my second ever ski jacket. Lightly padded. 5 Seasons jacket. It looks like it is more reputable but unfortunately, it is not waterproof as I discovered to my utter dismay the last time I went skiing and it rained on the pistes (yup)! That's skiing in Europe for you.

I got soaked to the skin, froze and was off the mountain before I died of cold. I had to wear a granny rain mac over the top of it for the rest of the week. Despite trying to wash it in that re-waterproofing stuff. Not sexy. It is clean though - I must have washed it before I stored it away.

Neither are perfect, eh? I will try to get my sister's from her sometime this week...ho hum.

03/02/08 - The London List Update

This is where I am on what I need to do before I head towards camp. Just don't ask me anything about washing, packing or ski kit. My head will implode.

2008 Easter Meeting:

         do cost model for Easter meeting: competitions, prizes, hospitality, etc. and send off for review and approval by Committee

         confirm that Club's IT programme will cope with Easter programme and ask person who created it if they would run the Easter meeting stats - answer is yes it can and yes he will

         confirm that Club has a correctly qualified person to run competitions over Easter weekend

         create entry form for Easter meeting, have it proofed by commitee  (in progress)

• Complete committee edits, and send off to Karen for printing (must be done before Canada)
  
  

2008 Start of Season Match & Availability Administration:

         chase all opposition captains to finalise dates for fixtures when match space is available

         book match space with relevant authority

         confirm finalised dates, match details, including hospitality back to opposition captains

         book appropriate hospitality at the Club to support fixtures – booked in draft, with promise of follow up , once opposition captains have confirmed

         create 2008 fixture list availability form, plus Captain's letter with match administration and eligibility details, send off for proofing, on return, edit and send off for print and issue to all Club Members.  Also to Club Secretary for issue to members via email.

         Set up docs needed to receive and proces all availability returns.

        update Club Blog with last year's match results, this year's fixture list etc

set up documents needed for the administration of each match fixture - I have decided to leave this until I am back from Canada, the Club has had its pound of flesh for now?        

Most Urgent Knitting Projects - highlighted in yellow, what I need to do before Canada trip:

Hat

         proof pattern again

         take pictures of the finishing technique I used (not sure how to do that on my own!)

         send all to R with other general photos, for proofing, editing and publishing.

Wrap:

         complete wrap template

         start wrap

This will have to be done during/after my trip:

         in February - work nothing else, except wrap

         finalise pattern (good grief, writing it down, makes it sound so easy)

         package and send to R.

Hello Campers...

It's time to open the curtain of silence around the most recent Camp Project. G has successfully coached me through the bedroom 'enlightenment' phase of Camp transformation. Managing a project 8 time zones away is not for the feint at heart. Not everyone can do it. Say goodbye to your sleep paterns. You also have to be one of those rare people that can play chess blindfolded, because everything purely abstract due to it's distance. You can't just look something. You have to imagine it.

We discovered that there is a paint manufacturers use a seasonal marketing theme, and run their programs differently across multiple global markets. For instance, the first thing G & I discovered was that in Canada, 'Wedding White' is marketed in the UK not as a white at all. It's a grey! With overtones of the Moores. Much less virginal. This became problematic for us. Canadian paint distributors not cross-reference to UK colours as they lacked the information and the interest to do so. There were technical issues as well. No two computer monitors render the same colour the same way. Even the same brand and model will render colours differently when different drivers are used in different computers. Then there is the seasonal aspect to the marketing program. I returned to the same Paint Retailer attempting to obtain a colour that I applied successfully in October, only to find it did not exist any longer.
Before

This is the bedroom before 'enlightenment'. This photo was taken with flash, and enhanced.

This is the bedroom after 'enlightenment'. The photo was taken at the same time of day with the same camera settings, except with no after the fact enhancement.
After

Colours by General Paint (Canada)

Walls and ceiling: 1042W Mistaya
Trim: 1041W Mosquito Pass

Ceiling & ceiling cove!: General Ceiling Dead Flat

Walls: Eggshell Trim: Semi-Gloss

Quite the transformation. This project got 'bumped' on the priority list. I suffer a bit from S.A.D. and G was worried about me. We both agreed that this project needed to be completed straight away.

Special thanks to G for her everlasting and enduring patience through this one.

Next Project in the Pipeline

This is a preview of the next Camp Project. Leo has requested that an insect screen be installed on the bathroom window. I know its January, and there are no insects around, except the ones frozen to the ground, but the purpose of this project is to build campers moral, and re-inforce the concept that a camper can actually request a change in camp and see it eventually accomplished. Besides, why wait till May when you can do it in January.

I measured up the window, and of course it's not a standard measurement, and yes, it was not designed to take a screen, but you know what? I took a couple of years of Engineering at UBC at great personal expence, and now it's time to get my moneys worth out of my education. The builder in me just wants to tear out the existing window and replace it with a modern one with a screen and an electric ventilation fan. Outside, it's 2 degrees below zero, and we have light snow falling, so instead I have decided to build a simple screen out of raw components that will fit the window frame. I have devised a hinge mechanism that will allow easy access to 'pop' the screen and open or close the window with just two fingers. I can easily attach the screen to the hinge using pop rivets (take less room than screws and I am working with aluminum here campers). The weather stripping is going to be used to make up the clearance for the Burglar Alarm wires I have to work with as a constraint in this project.

Child's play.

The Honey Please Don't Implode List!

Edited 26/01/08: Updated and reprioritised!

Okay, the immediate list in London can be broken down into three task types:

• Sport Administration (highest urgency)
• Urgent Knitting Projects (next highest urgency)
• House Maintenance/Repairs/Organisation (lowest urgency).

Sport Admin

As you know, it is vital that I get this all sorted as quickly as possible. Actually, it's been my primary personal time focus since you headed home. I've been drowning in it, actually. The immediate tasks break down into two types:

2008 Start of Season Match & Availability Administration:

• chase all opposition captains to finalise dates for fixtures when match space is available
• book match space with relevant authority
• confirm finalised dates back to opposition captains (with exception of 1 Club I cannot get hold of at all) and agree match hospitality
• book appropriate hospitality at the Club to support fixtures
• create 2008 fixture list availability form, plus Captain's letter with match administration and eligibility details, send off for proofing , on return edit and then send off for printing and distribution to all Club Members
• set up documents needed to receive and process all availability returns
• set up documents needed for the administration of each match fixture
• update Club Blog with last year's match results, this year's fixture list etc.

2008 Easter Meeting:

• do cost model for Easter meeting: competitions, prizes, hospitality, etc. and send off for review and approval by Committee
• confirm that Club's IT programme will cope with Easter programme and ask person who created it if they would run the Easter meeting stats (yes it can and yes he will)
• create entry form for Easter meeting, have it proofed by committee and send off for printing
• confirm that Club has approached correctly qualified people to run competitions over Easter weekend

Most Urgent Knitting Projects

Hat:

• proof pattern
• take pictures of the finishing technique I used (not sure how to do that on my own!)
• send both to R with other general photos, for proofing, editing and publishing.

Wrap:

• complete wrap template
• in February - work nothing else, except wrap
• finalise pattern (good grief, writing it down, makes it sound so easy)
• package and send to R.

House Maintenance/Repairs/Organisation

• move chest of drawers and set up desk and PC in spare room
• replace, or at least repair, the front door and its frame
• fix the chest of drawers so that I can use it to store yarn (not kidding!)
• fill holes created by fallen down curtainpole and then put curtain pole back up
• put up my picures?
• garden garden garden (back and front)
• store decs, portable tv etc. in loft?!

Some Context

Before I start on my next project at camp, I would like to supply loyal camp followers with a little background so that they can better understand why the camp upgrade is so important to me and G's role in the process.

I have lived on my own at camp for quite a while. My son Leo stays with me for a couple of weekends every month and on holidays. I work full time, and my sport keeps me quite busy over the spring and summer months. When Leo is here, I try really hard to keep it fun and lively for him. This leaves me with only small windows to affect any physical changes to my home environment, and like G, I really am on my own when the tools come out. In August 2007, I returned tired, from a long road trip, dropped my suitcases in the front hall, looked round, and said 'I can't live like this any more'. At that point I identified a few things that I could do to make my house a little more like a home. I realised that on my own, there was only a finite amount of work that I could accomplish and came up with a plan and set realistic goals that could be attained by the end of 2007.

When the possibility of G coming for a visit arose, I modified my timetable a little so that we could enjoy a little more camp comfort together. Upon arrival, G walked in to tacky walls and quite a bit of dust, but quickly embraced the essence of what I was trying to do and why it had to be done.

G is an amazing woman you know. She has done a remarkable job in renovating her lovely London home, and has obviously learned through practical experience what works in home projects. She is a skilled designer, who understands space, colour, and light. She is an extraordinary cook and therefore understands how a working kitchen should be planned, and how food should be served and enjoyed. As part of her responsibilities at work, G manages what could be described as projects that border on the monolithic scale, so she can basically create a project plan for a home renovation project in her sleep. If you said to her, 'G, I want to go to Mars next year', she would go 'hmmm, let's see. Well, you would need to get organized and you would start by....'.

On my own I can do many things, but with a proper vision and plan, I can accomplish miracles. I have never had the benefit of someone to help me before, and what may look like a 'honey do' list to some, represents a path for me to improve the quality of life for my son, G, and I. With our approach to project documentation on the blog, I feel like G is right there with me whether I am in the shop or on the couch thinking about what I am going to tackle tomorrow.