He-Shed - Life Lessons

The mechanically DEclined one conquered a project this week with the construction of a "He-Shed" in my back yard, albeit with a few aches and bruises. The building of the shed wasn't that difficult, however, prepping the foundation was a bitch. Similar to painting, if you don't prep (which also sucks), the final product will pay. My foundation consisted of 16 concrete blocks, 2 feet x 2 feet per block weighing about 85 pounds per. Queue the wambulance but that is 16 times lifting the 85 pound blocks from the pile in the store onto a cart. From the cart to the back of my truck. From the back of my truck to my back yard (via wheelbarrow). And one last lift from my back yard to the foundation. Good thing I have a strong back.... (insert sarcasm). The back is hanging in there I'm happy to report, however, during the 64 times of lifting the blocks, one slipped out of my hands and caught my left leg pretty well. So well it left the attached bruise. I guess that is why you never see Bob Vila wearing shorts, eh? Yet another lesson learned but one would think I would have learned my lesson roughly 10 years ago when I used a chainsaw with shorts on and ended up getting worse than a bruise that day. But no. 

Trail Head 

MSU '89 Gathering

In celebration of 30 years since finishing their further education (barely), a pack of '89 MSU grads took to East Lansing yesterday to raise a glass to the past, compare physical therapy stories (most everyone had one) and watch some offensively challenged football by our alma mater. The latter portion being about four hours when you include TV timeouts. A grueling spectacle to watch in person even on such a beautiful blue sky day.

Sparty on '89.

Trail Head

All-in-One Down

The all-in-one store, small town America's answer to one stop shopping. And we're not talking about the corporate big box store with people shopping in their overstretched, crusty pajamas. We are talking about the corner store, the ONLY store in the town of one blinking light where you can get that paint for the spare bedroom, fishing bait for tomorrow's outing, ammo for the upcoming turkey hunt, steaks for dinner and a refill to your daughter's allergy medication. These stores usually have one niche item to bring people off the beaten path to their oasis in the middle of the woods. One such store in northwest Michigan met it's demise over the weekend via a fire. The store's niche being some damn good beef/turkey jerky; while also supplying paint for the spare bedroom, fishing bait for tomorrow's outing, ammo for the upcoming turkey hunt, steaks for dinner and a refill to your daughter's allergy medication. It had it all and there is literally one blinking light in town. The store was the place to be. Rebuild I'm sure they will as my local party store with the best chicken anywhere burned down four years ago this week (looked it up) and were rebuilt in about a year. Here is hoping the same for Dublin.

Trail Head

store had it all