Too Good To Be True

Cleaning the shower has proven to be the toughest task. It takes strong chemicals to get it partially clean. That's been my approach for years. I have heard of the white vinegar/Dawn blend for the do-it-yourself approach. It sounds too simple. It can't work well. I kept up with the harsh chemicals until one day when we ran out. Then I remembered the white vinegar/Dawn. A quick Google search yielded a recipe. I mixed some up last weekend and tried it.

The smell is a bit weird. Not harsh like chemical but not like perfume. It squirts out thick and it takes some work. I left it for 30 minutes. Then, with a little elbow grease, the softened scum cleans right off! I wouldn't have believed it. The glass doors clean up great, and a water-resistant residue is left behind to keep it clean longer. Note: I had to touch it up with a Windex-type cleaner to clean a little soap residue off.

I read about heating the vinegar after I used the first batch. Maybe the second batch I'll try it. The two ingredients seem to react and pressurize the squirt bottle. It leaks out some. Maybe this stuff is best mixed as you need it and not kept around. I'll know in time. This stuff will be my go-to for the tough scum.

A Cold One

The middle of the continent has been cold today, and for another couple days to come. Nothing like what the east coast has had lately, but cold, nonetheless. I haven't managed to keep the woodpile restocked. So, it was time tonight to restock. That takes the wheelbarrow and a lot of cloths.

Last winter I was finally tired of getting cold while shoveling the driveway, so I bought my first pair of insulated bib overalls. I've always wanted a pair, but I'd look and the high price and just keep walking. After the past few cold snow shoveling workouts I had my justification.

 Tonight was the first time to use them, and they performed marvelously! The outside temperature was 5 degrees F and with a 17 mph wind the wind chill was -14 degrees. With my biking balaclava and a hood pullover, heavy expedition-style gloves and heavy coat, I was comfy. I always like the challenge of getting the layers right for the temperature at hand. No need for a base layer since I'd be working and could just go inside if I get cold.

I love the cold, as long as you can dress for it. I took a 4 mile hike on the Landon Trail this past weekend, right after the snow hit. Trudged through 4" of snow to get to the Wakarusa River bridge. 20 degrees F. It was a nice time to be hiking.

Electrical Work

I don't like ALL handy-work but I do like electrical work. I like the tools, and the process, and the finished result. Part of the appeal is that it makes me more that a typical office worker. More than a pencil pusher. I can actually DO something useful. Over the years the list of electrical projects has grown and with each one I learn a little more. If speed was needed we should just hire an electrician but if time is available I'll take them on.

In Wilma's sewing room she needed another outlet and to have a cable TV outlet extended. I thought about how to do it for a while. For way too long. The TV cable was easy, but the 115V outlet took some time to figure out. I thought I could install one in the middle of an existing run but it proved impractical. Then I noticed an outlet close that I could tap into. Once I had a plan, it went fine. The back of the wall is open studs so I didn't have to fish it in. I HATE to fish in through studs. With that in mind, I guess I should say that I like electrical projects as long as they aren't too difficult.

So, this project is done. When I saw the tools all laying around, I knew I had to sketch them. It's late at night now, and I was sketching. When Wilma figured what I was losing sleep to do, she gave me 'that look'. That's OK.  I got the itch . . . I need to scratch it!

January Sketch Crawl

Time to try a sketch crawl with Urban Sketchers Kansas City. I've heard of them but with Lawrence being closer and having their own chapter, I've been going on their outings. They've been quiet since November, though, and I'm getting the itch to get out and sketch.

The outing was centered at The Link, which is the elevated walkway joining Union Station with Crown Center and a couple motels. It's a fun area, so we drove to KC for the crawl. Wilma hit the shops as I sketched. Seems like a fine group. Their membership is over 220 now and they were organized, with maybe 20 in attendance.

Outside temperature was a windy 20F. The walkway was warmer than freezing but still cold. It was a nice sketch time. Plenty of young families because the main traveling display at Union Station is Legos, so the kids love it. We walked through the Union Station lobby to absorb the sunlight coming in. It's a spacious lobby that still has the old feel. The active restaurant and the coffee shop and Science Center and traveling display keep it active.

I used my Lamy Joy with the new Fine nib upgrade. Liz Steel likes this combination and I can see why. The extra 'give' make for a very pleasant sketching experience. Great ink flow. I like the variable width of line. Not extreme like a flex nib, but still it's better than a stiff nib or a fiber point pen. I'll probably rotate between my Pilot Nikoma Falcon and this Lamy.

Holidays 2017

I've had a quiet spell as far as sketching goes. I finally took the time to sketch a black walnut shell that I've been keeping since Thanksgiving. This will represent the holidays for me. I was the favorite uncle for this holiday visit and took my great niece and nephew to the park a few times to play and walk around. We collected some black walnuts we found and I showed them how to take the husk off and break them open and pick out the nut meat. They had now idea you could eat something you found on the ground. We spend time coloring, too. We don't get to see them more that once a year, so at their young age every meeting is a big new experience. That broken nut shell represents a lot of family time.

This sketch also represents the holiday because of our families traditions of having walnuts around with the nut cracker and picks. Wilma and I both had this in our youth and still have it around in our home during the Winter. I was raised with home-grown black walnuts that mom and dad would spend HOURS processing so that mom could add them to banana bread, cookies and cakes.

From an artistic standpoint that nut shell jumped out at me. There isn't one straight line in the whole structure. The shading expands quite a range of values and textures. It just had to be sketched. I've been keeping it around and finally took some time on New Year's Day to finally memorialize it. This was my first sketch with the upgraded fine nib in my Lamy Joy. Much better feel!