Deck building 101

Okay - so 30 wasn't that cold. We were outside from 11 until 4 yesterday. I actually took off my gloves a few times when it reached a balmy 35. It's damn hard to pick up deck screws with leather gloves. We got one set of stairs (4 stairs, 8 feet wide) done, as well as putting up a 16 foot railing. No one will fall off the end anymore! One more set of stairs and a few rails and replacing the original deck boards that are remaining. I think even I can do that with some assistance. I know I can tear them down since I did the first ones!

Then the finishing begins.

There will be a bunch of sanding on the edges. Also, we need to find lights for the corners and the rest. They are so stinking expensive. We'll have to run the electric in PVC to keep the squirrels out. It seems that the electric wires run outside have some sort of chemical that the squirrels think that they need in their diet. Sure wouldn't want to eat those squirrels.

So, I got to crash and burn last night. Stayed downstairs until 9:00 - but mostly slept from 7:30 until 9. Sitting down was all that it took. Hauling around lumber is not something I often do, so it just wipes me out!

The kids both had sleep overs last night. One at our house (2 12-year old boys are easy), and our daughter at a friend's house. She will come back cranky (always does), but it was a chance for her to see a friend for the first time in a month or so. Since pulling the kids out of daycare, they miss some of the other kids. Not writting that $200 weekly check is a good thing, no matter how selfish it makes me.