Moving Right Along...

Well, Friends & Readers, the floor is in and my back is out!

My Dad is A-mazing and that's pretty much all there is to it. I also learned how to use a nail gun this weekend (the general public should provably flee and be terrified!)

(Dad lining up the first sheet of plywood for the floor.)

 As you can see in the pictures above, we packed insulation in the floor joists I'm hoping this is going to help with the heat and cold. We put the sub floor, and main floor on the deck with very little trouble. (It was just time consuming to make sure everything was fairly straight and plumb.

Meanwhile inside, Patricia and Cora were busy baking...

("It's not in the shape of an armadillo", but it is Red velvet!)

In celebration of having the floor finished, we deiced to have the "first" dinner in the dining room. I sat up the car table and we even ate off the good 'I Love Lucy' Franciscan dishes. For dinner we were joined by friend Russ and we spent the rest of the evening enjoying the weather and casually talking about the next steps in building.

(Russ, Patricia, & Cora B.)

It was a busy weekend, but worth it. I'm sore, REALLY sore haha but it is all very exciting. I would also like to say thank you to friends Brandon and Jennifer for  coming out and making lunch/dinner and for helping weather proof the floor. (it will be a few more weeks before Larry my contractor comes back and we really get on the project.)  All in all a highly productive weekend.

-Mick-


P.S. People keep driving by and teasing me it "it looks like a dance floor" haha and that's alright by me, it makes me think of this scene in "Oklahoma" where the folk throw a dance on the foundation of the new school to raise money...



Patricia and I watched The University of North Carolina School of Arts restored version of "Oklahoma" Thursday last week (its was marvelous!)  Hmmm we might just have to have a fundraising hoe-down before its over!

Progress & Our Puppy, Cora B.!

(Our new dog, Cora Belle!)

Ohhhhh Readers, what a week it's been!

Patricia and I rescued Cora B. from the pound, she is mostly Corgi with a little twist. It was a somewhat tedious process of paper work, going to two different locations, but she has found a home with us and has fit right in with the Casablanca crew. 

Bright and early Saturday morning Dad and I started on the floor beams of the addition. It has now been four days since Saturday and my hands STILL cramp and my ham strings are still sore, but I am glad we've gotten things started. My Dad is amazing, I firmly believe there isn't anything he cant do or figure out and I hope to be lucky enough to learn/inherit just a fraction of what he can do! THANKS DAD!
I must admit its rather neat to see the progression...

Boy I wish I could just "montage" through all this construction to the end, but on the up and up my contractor is supposed to be coming back from Louisiana in just a few weeks and then this project is first priority!  This next weekend Dad and I are going to insulate the floor, and add the deck, we'll also be installing a PVC pipe drain in the back of the house to divert water around the side of the house, ya know- should it ever rain again...

*Sigh* piece by piece- it'll be nice someday!

-Mick-

Sore, But Worth It!

My lower back is killing me, and I can barely move around but Ta-da! A HUGE thanks to my Dad, he really is the best.

More on this Wednesday,

-Mick-

Flea Market Finds!

Well here I am up to my ears in "Tech Week" of "Annie Get Your Gun" Patricia, Jennifer, and I made a trip down to Bowie to see what treasures we could find for the show and for our selfs!

Picked up these really cool somewhat "Deco" hardware back plates for $6.00 for the pair. These will provably end up being used in the new room at the Casablanca.

Patricia found this "Miss America" Sheet music for $1.00 It's from 1956, and is the "Here she is! Miss America" anthem they play after the coronation each year. Hmmm I think we might change a few of the words and use it for our "Miss Casablanca" contest.

Another Set of hardware, also $6.00 I think they will clean up nicely!

The girls made fun of my for this purchase! Its a small and broken plastic "topiary" I think its from the 50's it looks like it should be, I don't have any definite plans for it but at $1.00 why not!?

The catch of the day was this 12 piece green Pyrex set for... $4.00! Two dinner plates, four salad plates, three cups and three saucers. I'm ashamed to say I took this away from friend Jenn, I pointed them out to her and then decided that I could use them! Haha  Sorry Jenn!

Well that's it for now! Back to work, slaving away on the stage...

See ya!

-Mick-

American Graffiti

(A little handiwork & graffiti)

Wowee Readers!

Labor day weekend was a whirlwind of work and fun. Friends dropped in from all over, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma everyone was just flocking to the Casablanca! Just as things were getting into motion on the dining room, my contractor gets called away to Louisianan for Hurricane Ivan. So my Dad has stepped in and hopefully he and I will get the floor built while Larry is away.

(Patricia poses with the newly posted posts!)

Bright and early Saturday morning Dad and I started setting posts, I mixed 23 bags on concrete in a wheel barrow two bags at a time. Then finally when the last hole was filled we had a penny ceremony!

(The 1943 steel pennies & The 2012 pennies.)

(Thanks again MomWald!)

Not long after the posts were set, Patricia and I were joined by friends Joe, Wes and Alex for a weekend stay!

(Patricia, Wes, Alex & Joe ready for a meatloaf dinner!)

The hard work being done, we all just relaxed and had a good time, played a few games...

After dinner friend Alex, took on a baking project from pintrest- making "cake in a jar" so we broke out the primary mixing bowls and the 1946 mixer and got to work!

(Different colors of cake batter in contrasting bowls!)

("Do I look cute? Yes, yes I do...")

The end result was not so "picture" or  pintrest perfect (through no fault of the baker) but it was tasty! After a few more rounds of cards and chatting the night away we finally went to bed!

("But I'm not Sleeeeeepy!")

The Sunday morning was met with coffee and omelets-

 (Was there ever any doubt that it wouldn't be in Pyrex?)

Around noon Wes and Alex had to say good bye to head back home, and off to college once more. However there's never a dull moment around the C.H.&R. (Casablanca Hotel & Resort)... checking in!

(Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na- NA- BOAT RIDE! -Friend Brandon in his Batman shirt.)

Sunday afternoon Dad took all of us for a boat ride and entertainments on the beach!

(Dad, Jennifer & Patricia in the 1956 Lone Star)

We packed a cooler, the cabana umbrella and made camp on the beach!

After having fun in the sun, we headed back to the house to meet friend Jenny and get dinner started. Another sumptuous meal and more board games and cards.

(Brandon, Jenny, Patricia, & Jennifer!)

 All in all it was a fun and Fantasist weekend! Thanks to everyone who came out, Jeff and Donneta from Kansas, and a huge thanks to my Dad and Larry!

-Mick-