very quiet here

[Paul LeBlanc]

 Hmm...
 very quiet here for a while... guess everyone is just as busy as me Just posting to say howdy and see who's still around. I apologize for my own lack of posting content, should change once Sept. rolls around... quite busy with some projects, as well as working at getting some books ready to show to publishers, and the kiddos...
 Hope everyone is doing well.

 Also wonder if anyone has heard anything about Sproggy? I'd love to know how he's doing.

[Jaws]

I was wondering the same about Sawer. Haven't seen him around for quite a long time. Hope everythings OK, same for Sproggy too, though I did notice him at that other forum a couple of weeks ago.

Cheers

[Dragonbite]

It *is* summer (in the Northern Hemisphere) so maybe a lot of people are on vacation or unplugging (gathering reference) or working around the house?

Hope it does pick up some... I've been diverting people with graphical questions and projects this way 

I'll probably be starting to work on something once my beer starts bubbling.  I try and come up with some label that reflects the flavor (Apple Ale, Christmas Ale, etc.). 

I'm planning on this next one being a blueberry (freshly picked) beer and then I need to go into production because the fall and winter are my busy (giving out) months and the more time it is in the bottle the better it is when it's not

My wife is the artist so usually she draws something for the image (or I take one of her art pieces)  and in Inkscape I put it together. This year, though, I want to try and do the layout in Scribus (usually use MS Publisher) or OpenOffice if necessary (unless anybody else knows a good layout app).

[Paul LeBlanc]

 Yes Jaws... it has been strange to not see sawer around.... hm

 Dragonbite, yup I figured it was just the summertime bug.... ABout the blueberry beer. FUnny you mention it as just a week ago I was saying to my sister and brother-in-law... that I have never heard of anyone making blueberry beer... everything else but blueberry... But, they both assured me that there are some who indeed do.... It makes me wonder what it tastes like?
 I'm actually not a beer drinker, never was much of a beer person... the thing I liked was the malt's like Colt 45.... But, I'd be willing to taste some blueberry beer just out of curiosity
 It will be nice to see your ads when they are done

[ruel24]

Well, for me, I went back to work and have other side things going on, so I have less time to draw. I have unfinished projects to do, too. I have about 1-1/2 months left on the bathroom remodel, so hopefully I'll get more time.

[Paul LeBlanc]

 wow... that's a looooong time to "hold it"

[ruel24]

Thank goodness there's 3 other bathrooms in the house...

[Paul LeBlanc]

 3 bathrooms  ??!!
 My Lord man.... how big is your leech field?? 

 BTW... milk jugs do not count as a bathroom 

[ruel24]

It's an old house, built in 1904, and it's pretty big. Every floor, including the basement, has a bathroom (a total of 4 of them), but the one in the basement's shower has been converted to hook up the washer, so it's really just a toilet down there and a shower head that never gets used. After I get finished with this bathroom, there's another waiting for me on the next floor up, not to mention a new furnace I need to put in, getting the wood floors refinished...lots of work!

[Paul LeBlanc]

 Ahhh, but all so worth it.. There's just something about old houses and putting your own blood & sweat (mostly blood) into their character that feels so great. Who ever built your house was either an architectural genius.... or just had a weak bladder
 Sounds to me like... if you search hard enough.. there may just also be one on the attic too How cool would that be??!!

 "Aye.... thars a johhny in the loft too lassy"

[Dragonbite]

Hey, I'll gladly take one of those bathrooms!

We have 1 bathroom for the 5 of us (not including the cats since their kitty litter is in there too)!

We know we need 3 things in this ranch... another bathroom, another bedroom and a playroom.  Unfortunately that means we need 3 other things... enough money, enough time and enough knowledge to keep from getting taken!

[Paul LeBlanc]

 Take a loan out against the house (equity loan) and add a second floor.... turn it into a cape
 Just really take your time and do your research. As far as contracting... that's where things often get very tricky.

[Dragonbite]

We're looking at that, but still it's no trivial aspect to take a loan out of this size, our mortgage is not too bad right now.

We have thought about making the ranch into 2 stories (whether over the whole thing, or the majority is uncertain so far), and my wife's father (a mason) thought about building out on one side a split level addition with a playroom 1/2 a flight of stairs down (with it's own bathroom) and the master bedroom 1/2 flight up (with it's own bathroom) and then each kid gets their own bathroom (unless we get pregnant again, but that's another story).

As for putting blood and sweat into the house, the blood part is easy; I'm a klutz!

[ladybug]

The more square feet a rancher has, the more roofing & foundation material it has.

You can double your space with a two story and still have the same size roof and foundation you started out with.

Build up = less roof, less foundation.

Probably easier installing the plumbing and electric.  Maybe less matierals needed.  Just guessing here.

I do love my rancher though.

[ruel24]

Well, there is one in the attic. The "attic" is actually setup as an apartment with a sleeping room, kitchen, and bathroom. Only the second floor bathroom is original to the house. The others were added later. The second floor bathroom still has all its original tile and fixtures, too, including an original Douglas toilet that has the flusher on the bottom of the tank that you pull up like a parking brake lever when you're finished. It also uses 7 gallons per flush... Yikes!!! Too bad the tank cover is broken in two and would be like finding a needle in a haystack to find a replacement on such antique stuff. Also, the shower has horizontal shower heads, much like today's jetted showers. You can't possibly find parts to fix it, either, and the seats in the valves are pretty much shot. I guess 104 years of service is enough for that old stuff... As soon as the first floor bathroom gets finished, I'm shutting it off to start demolition on it. The work never ceases around here...