Just call me Al Borlin

Because you know that he was the only one that ever did anything. Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor just blew things up. Heidi just brought them tools in short shorts and hiking boots. Bob Vila is a big geek. Al Borlin is kinda cool, right? Right?

Anyways,

Today I did a LOT of stuff around the house!

I bought hardware for the hinges to the chain link fence gate. I took all of the old hardware off, and put the new hardware on - I hung the gate all by myself. It even opens! :-)

In the ongoing efforts to Piper-proof the house, I tackled the basement music room door next. It never shut tightly, if you pushed on it, it would open. Here's where I have to admit I don't know ANY door lingo. So, bear with me.... I marked where lock-thingy that comes out of the door knob and goes into the door jam lines up with the door jam. I then opened the door to see that the little metal plate with the hole into the door jam was at least 1/2-3/4" above that mark. So I took the little plate off the door jam and had to hollow out more of a hole. We apparently don't have a chisel (Christmas idea right there folks!!) so I had to use this funky-looking crow bar thing meant for removing screws (which my mom calls a goat's foot or something, which it does somewhat resemble) and a camping multi-tool which had a small axe and knife. I finally make the hole bigger - only to find out it STILL doesn't shut. After playing around with the door some more, I find out that because of the width of the door vs. the width of the door jam, the little lock-thingy isn't even making it into the hole. Now I have to move the hole over a 1/4" or so and hollow it out some more. At least by this point I have gotten it down to a science: place the little axe onto the wood and whack it with the crowbar. Place the crowbar into the groove the axe made and whack that with the back of the axe and pry it out. Use the little knife to get out the little chunks. (don't ask me why I didn't get a hammer to hit things with - I don't know, this was just more fun I guess) So finally....SUCCESS! The door now shuts and stays shut!!

Next, more in the Piper-proofing saga. I had originally bought a baby gate for the top of the basement stairs (since we have no door). I had gotten one of the small wood and plastic ones. It was too short. If we put it on the ground, she could jump over it. If we put it up high enough that she couldn't jump it, she went under it. Lose-lose situation. So I bought a new gate (much more expensive, but hopefully it does the trick) This gate is metal and 3 feet tall. It stays permanently pressure-mounted to the wall and has a gate to walk through in the middle. No more risking life and limb to climb over, or the hassle of taking it down. (honestly, we haven't done either of those in a while since the gate was pointless) Anyways, I had to install little cups on the sides of the doorway, which was a hassle - one side went in very easy, but the other side must be made from a solid wood and I had to drill the holes. I stripped one screw and had to use pliers to get it back out, but I found a new one to replace it with. Then you have to put the gate into place and turn the pressure-mounted ends so that they are all even and the gate lines up. I somewhat ignored the directions in that I let the door be able to open in both directions at the top of a set of stairs - only so that sometime tomorrow I am going to rig it so I can have the door open over the stairs and hook into a hook and eye sort of contraption to stay open when we want it to. Otherwise, if it is opened into the kitchen, it will automatically shut behind you. If it is opened over the stairs it will not latch shut, but will close.

So that is my handiwork for today. Now off to figure out what's for dinner.

Oh yeah, and PS:

The whole reason we have to work extra hard to Piper-proof the house is because she decided to try and eat the boy's trumpet mutes. I had to buy him a replacement, but I think he lucked out in the deal - one mute that works as both straight and cup. (supposedly harmon as well, but I have yet to figure out how)