Lulu Is At The Palma Maria - Right Now

Lulu loves to take pictures of food - this time to tease me.

Lulu was down state on business. She cannot go through Casselberry FL without visiting The Palma Maria. She is dining with cousins - Georgeann - Cathy - and Ruthann. They are all Pennsylvanians - and they all ate at The Palma Maria when it was in Tamaqua PA - 33 years ago. 

The Palma is still operated by the 4 kids - I guess they are all over 55 now. They said they were disappointed that I was not along. I just love their food - especially the bread and pies. Do not visit Orlando and Disneyworld without making the trek to their place. Tell them you are coal crackers and they will not let you go.

Anna - Parma - Maryann - Pete Rosinola

House Day 58 - Blueboard and Veneer Plaster

Our house is attracting attention. Here the Goodyear Blimp stopped to inspect our roof. I am not kidding - they stopped - waved - and gave me thumbs up.

Thursday - I was surprised when they started drywalling with this dark blue/gray material. It has a rough texture - and it seemed harder and heavier than regular drywall. I also wondered what the 80 bags of plaster on the back porch were for. I found out today - our house has been blueboarded instead of drywalled.

Bedroom 3 is in the SW corner of the house. 

Tony Williams Drywall and Plastering 

8573 Raquel Lane

Tallahassee, FL 32312 

Phone: (850) 727-3195

Blueboard is a product that is replacing drywall in many cases. Mainly it costs less for labor to apply it. There are fewer steps and no sanding is required. With blueboard - you hang the sheets on the wall with the blue side out. Then you tape and plaster the joint lines. Lastly -right away you can put the final coat of veneer plaster on the wall. It does not need to be sanded - it is ready for paint. Some people mix the paint right into the plaster to eliminated another step. You could also just leave the white plastered walls exposed. This takes the process down to 1 or 2 days instead of 4.

Sunrise at Cocoa Beach - 7:45 AM Today

Lulu just sent this from her lanai.

Day 57 - Siding and Drywall Started

Gary Wayne and Josh started applying the Nichiboard siding on the front porch. This product is made of concrete - it is as tough as nails to cut. We use many new blades and face masks to cut it. It comes in 12 foot planks that are 8 inches wide - they overlap each other by an inch. In Florida - it is not a good idea to use wood siding - our present home has wood siding. 

The drywall hangers started today. They completed about 80% of the main floor. Tomorrow they will be doing the attic. It is a shame to cover up this HVAC system. It is a work of art. Tomorrow it will be hidden behind a 60 x 10 foot wall. There will be a small service door.

This is the drywall ceiling above the master bedroom. The drywall hangers are using 4 x 12 foot sheets. The panels are attached with drywall screws. This area will be hidden tomorrow by a 10 x 60 foot attic wall. Tomorrow I will do a full video of the hung drywall - before the tape and mud are applied. 

The roof is covered by open cell foam. We used SucraSeal - a product made in Sugerland TX. Yes it is a derivative of sugar. It uses water not poison gasses to produce the bubbles. It reminds me of an igloo. It is up to 12 inches thick on the roof - with an R5 value for each inch. This will all be hidden tomorrow by a 20 by 60 foot drywall ceiling. I was sitting up in the attic today in silence - getting melancholy for my insulation  :-)  As a science teacher - I always promoted insulation as an energy saver. It is super quiet up there. It would make an excellent sound recording studio.

The Housewives of Cocoa Beach - With Crowns

Queens in their own minds.

Quick House Tour - October 29th - Completely Closed In

The house is closed in now - locks are on the doors. The pace of construction has quickened. Tomorrow the drywall team enters.

Day 56 - Insulation Done - Doors On - Porch Ceiling Stained and Varnished - House Locked Up

It was a busy day. The insulation crew was busy spraying the attic. We had contracted for 6 inches of open cell foam insulation - but in many of the places - the foam is about one foot thick. It reminds me of a meat locker. This is the most energy efficient insulation on the market. Two added features are that it is very quiet and very clean. 

The painters were busy staining and varnishing the porch ceilings. 

The doors were hung and temporary locks were installed. Door exterior trim was also installed. 

The tile man came and was doing measurements. 

We picked up the hardwood for the floor at Lumber Liquidators. It took two pick up trucks and a trailer to bring it home. We stored the hardwood in our metal garage. 

Tomorrow the drywall crew comes to do the walls. 

The front of the house is ready for siding. 

The painters worked in tandem to put on the ceiling varnish.

We used a new open cell foam called SucraSeal. It is energy efficient - it uses water to created the foam not harmful gases. Yes - it is a by product of sugar - very green.

Reading for the siding. 

Cousins - Identical Cousins

The Housewives of Cocoa Beach.

David Midas - and His Father David Midas Were Both My Students - Dead

Giving a cat mouth to mouth.

David Midas - my Panther Valley Student - son of two of my students.

What went wrong?

Friday afternoon, Dave Midas was having fun playing with his young son Gunnar at his Weatherly home. Gunnar was one of two sons Midas had. The other son, Hodge, is reportedly just a baby.

According to reports, Midas, 33, then told his wife he was going to work.

The sheriff's chief deputy and part-time police officer also worked for a funeral home. Carbon County Sheriff Dwight Nothstein said it was assumed Midas had funeral business to take care of.

Instead, something terrible happened.

Cocoa Cuties - Beach Bunnies - Had Supper at Coconut's on Cocoa Beach

Ruth Ann - Georgeann - Lulu

For the next 5 days - I am cooking - not by choice - by necessity. Lulu took the Prius at 10AM - drove to Sanford - met the cousin's plane at the airport - drove the 4 of them to Cocoa Beach. Our friends - Michelle - John - and Krystine - graciously offered their beach front condo - and they did not have to dangle the keys too long. Lulu has some work to do - but they say laptops work in the sand.

It is about 300 miles one way.

Day 55 - Gary's 58th Birthday - Staining The Porch Ceilings - Foaming the Roof - Keystones for the Windows

It is Garry's 58th birthday - Lulu made some brownies and Gary blew out the candle. All of a sudden there were 12 workmen to finish off the brownies and cookie. 

Monday - Happy Birthday to Gary. He is 58 today. After 20 years of using the same truck - he got a brand new white Ford F150. Pictures later. 

It was a bustling day today. It started out with Josh and Gary Wayne doing the outside window treatment. The window frames are mainly a Hardiboard  - a cornice - and a big Pennsylvania Keystone above each of the 28 windows.  While that was going on - Joe and Gary were boxing in the beams on the front and back porch. As you can see - we were able to re-cycle the ends of the porch's 10 foot ceiling beach boards. We turned them over - bead board side hidden - and nailed them up.

Raleigh Newspaper Said This About the Noles/Wolfpack Game

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — There was no letdown or looking ahead for Florida State and there was no looking back for N.C. State.

The Wolfpack derailed Florida State’s national title hopes a year ago in Raleigh. The third-ranked Seminoles squashed any notion of another surprise loss early and often Saturday in a 49-17 home win over N.C. State.

The Noles scored the first five times they touched the ball and led 42-0 at the half. It was more of a statement about this year’s FSU team rather than retribution for last year’s 17-16 loss in Raleigh.

Bobby Bowden Day - Coach Planted The Spear - Noles Clobbed NC State 52-17

I do not save old tickets - I would have way too many. I think I will save this one though. 

Bobby plants the spear in the turf at Bobby Bowden Field. Notice that Bobby did not turn and face the alumni before he planted the spear.

The Ballad of Bobby Bowden - They Played This At Last Night's Party

Watch Them Spray Foam On Insulation Day - Day 54 - The House is 50% Done

Friday - I have been looking forward to insulation day since the day we started the project. Today they did the walls of the house - Monday they will do the roof. 

They started the insulation in the master bedroom.

I love this product - Icynene - Open Cell Foam Insulation.

They spray the liquid polystyrene. The other chemical foams it up to fill in all the cavities. Then they slice off the excess. This stuff is water proof. The drywall goes directly over it to make a nice tight "ice cream sandwich."

We Just Got Home From Bobby Bowden Night At FSU

Bobby made a locker room speech to the crowd tonight as the Civic Center. 

Lulu said it best - Just got back from the Bobby Bowden tribute at the Civic Center. All I can say is that man made FSU what it is today. It was a bittersweet program - showing all the highlights of his career and player after player talking about what he has meant to them as a man and a mentor. But in the back of my mind was how poorly he was treated at the end of his career. Bobby ended the program doing something he always wanted to do - conducting the Marching Chiefs playing the FSU Fight Song. Oh, to be that graceful.

Gary Wayne Got A New Truck

Gary Wayne - the son - got a new truck. It is a Ford with a diesel engine.  It has four wheel drive and Michelin tires. It has the towing package - and leather seats. 

Day 53 - Back Porch Ceiling

Thursday - Gary Wayne and Josh - completed the porch ceilings with bead board. All that is left to close the house in are the fascias and soffits. The doors are ready for installation. 

Lulu wanted a different fireplace. The one we had was a Heatilator with glass on both sides. It was designed for primary heating. The main thing that bugged Lulu is that it had glass on both sides. It wasn't like looking thru a real fire - she said. So today we pulled out the Heatilator and put in this unit. It is basically a metal box to prevent a house fire - The gas logs will be in the middle - and a small person could crawl through it. It does have mesh screens that can be opened or closed. I agree with her - this will be much better.

The siding has arrived and is called Nichiboard. It is made of concrete - like Hardiboard - but it has a deep cedar pattern in it. It has more of a 3D effect. The planks are 8 inches high and 12 feet long. They will be installed in a lap joint pattern. This stuff is fireproof and reduces your insurance costs. In Florida - with its sun - humidity - bugs - fungi - algae - is a terrible place to use exposed wood on the outside of the house. The only exposed wood we will have is the bead board on the porch ceilings. The sun and rain won't get it there.

Our present home is made of T-111 plywood. The climate here kills it. Water is drawn up through the bottom grain like a straw. It is 30 years old and the bottoms have been replaced a few times. We have something called dry rot here - and our present home will have to have several sheet replaced because of it. Stay away from T-111 plywood sheeting.

The 8 foot tall back door arrived. Both doors are fiberglass.

This Mission Style 8 foot front door arrived. Both doors will have Schlage Digital Locks on them. The doors will open by pressing in a 4 digit code. The door automatically locks - so no worry about leaving the home open when you go on a trip. If someone tries too many times to hack it - the locks shut down for a while. 

Doris Hollenbach Meneses Wrote This Story About Visiting Tamaqua - Doris Lives in Homestead FL But Graduated With Lulu From THS

Adventures in the Air

Just imagine a two year old, a one year old, two bulky car seats, three suitcases, one carry-on and four personal items with a mother and a grandmother. Oh wait, lets throw into that mix, a plane delay of almost two hours. Do you know what happens when a plane is delayed and you had already planned the little ones snacks and naptimes by the time the plane was leaving? Well Ill tell you - complete meltdown!
Yes, this is how my adventure began this past Monday. All of the above boarding a plane at the Tampa airport bound for Allentown, Pa. My daughter, her two children and I were traveling to see family in Pennsylvania. My mother hasnt been in the best of health and we wanted to go home and surprise her. Little did we know just what an adventure we faced.

FSU Seminoles Made The New York Times Today

Amid Rising Discord Over Indian Images, F.S.U. Has Harmony

Before every kickoff at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla., a Florida State student in facial war paint and an American Indian costume steers a spotted Appaloosa to midfield. As the horse rises on its hind legs, the rider, who is not an Indian, thrusts a flaming spear into the turf to the crazed accompaniment of the crowd’s droning chant and an arm gesture called the tomahawk chop.

Saturday will be different, though, but not because a nationwide debate is swirling around the Washington Redskins’ nickname or because some universities have re-examined their depiction of Native American culture.

Bead Boarding Porch Ceilings - Day 52

Wednesday - Our new home has two long porches - each 10 feet wide and 60 feet long. Each porch roof is supported by six 10 inch by 10 inch fiberglass and steel columns. The large ceiling is an excellent place for Shiver Construction to add some of their signature finish work. To do this we chose 1 inch by 6 inch pine bead board planks. Each plank was 10 feet long so that there would be no joints. 

Gary did most of the saw work while Josh Wells and Gary Wayne did the fitting and nailing. The pine bead boards will be stained a medium oak color - to match the front and rear doors. The ceilings will then be clear-coated. The 5 recessed LED lights will finish off the entry area. There are only 2 doors on this home - they will be unlocked by digital keypads. They can be set to automatically lock after an interval of time. That way the doors are always locked. The doors can also be opened with a master key. 

They ran the front porch today and after a 60 foot run of 6 wide inch boards - the last board was as perfectly on square as the first one. The boards are from Scotch Gulf Lumber

In the attic there will be access to the top of the porch ceiling. The top is almost as pretty as the exposed bottom. 

A few years ago - there was a big scandal with drywall from China. In China - they are allowed to use fillers that would be considered cancerous here. All of our drywall was made by National Gypsum on 9/23/13. It is one month old today.

Lulu met with Kevin Rodgers today. His cabinet shop is down on Woodville Highway - just south of town. Kevin will make all of Lulu's cabinets from scratch. The bathrooms - kitchen - and laundry cabinets will be Everhart Originals. Kevin makes all of the cabinets in Shiver Homes.

The attic drywall is ready and waiting for the foam spray insulation to be installed Monday. They had to bring the 12 foot drywall sheets in through the window because they would never make the turns in the steps. "They came in thru the attic window."

Study in London for 3 Weeks - Earn 6 Graduate Credits at Florida State University

London's Tower Bridge During the Olympics

Study in London this summer!

An exciting opportunity to earn six graduate LIS credits while living in central London is being offered by the Florida State University School of Library and Information Studies. Two courses, focused on digital and social media, taught by Dr. Nancy Everhart from July 8 to July 29, 2014 at the FSU London Centre, will use this dynamic city and the surrounding areas as a backdrop for creating projects such as podcasts, social networking sites, blogs, short films, and digital photography. No prior experience with these media is required. All classes will be field trip based. There are online requirements before and after the time in London.

We Just Got Home From The Buddy Holly Show

The Buddy Holly Show at the Civic Center in Tallahassee - Tuesday Night - from our seats.

One of the nice things about living in a little city is that it is small enough to get around - but big enough to have plenty of places to eat and things to do. Tallahassee has 186,000 people. With 3 colleges here and the Capitol - this regional city can support some pretty neat things.

While Lulu was away last week - I bought tickets to see the Buddy Holly Story. We saw it in England  - but I figured what the heck - it is only going to be 2 miles from our door. The tickets were not cheap - $60 each - for good seats. Usually I do not do "surprises" because in one breath Lulu says surprise me - and then when I do - she usually does not like my taste. 

Tamaqua Bike Race Starts At Bungalow

Riders took to the mountains and hills surrounding Tamaqua as part of the annual Coal Cracker Classic held Saturday. The event, which started at the Tamaqua Bungalow Park, was open to all ages, and involved three classes ranging from a seven-mile beginner race to a 21-mile expert lap course. Times News

This bike race started less than 100 yards from our old chalet home in Tamaqua.

Day 51 - Rain Day and Drywall Delivery

One man delivered 60 sheets of plywood to the attic all by himself. We wanted that drywall delivered before the final window was installed.

Tuesday - We just got the shingles on yesterday - today mother nature delivered some rain to test the roof. A steady much needed rain fell all day.

The rain did not stop the drywall delivery. One fellow delivered 60 sheets of 4 feet by 12 feet drywall. They were too long to go up the steps - but we had planned to take them in through the attic window anyway. We made sure the drywall was American made - not of that tainted China stuff.

FSU Seminoles Couple Wins Bethlehem Half Marathon

On Sunday, Bethlehem was invaded by Florida State University Seminoles.

Roger Schmidt and Kayleigh Tyerman were crowned champs of the festival's featured event. Both are 22-year-old students at Florida State who flew to Pennsylvania for Sunday's race.
The half-marathon, which wound through the streets of Bethlehem and finished at SteelStacks near the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, capped a weekend of races and seminars for running enthusiasts. There were kids' runs on Friday, 5K and 10K races on Saturday, and even the dogs had their day with a one-mile canine trot.

Caterham Releasing A Back To Basics 7

About $23,000 in component form - 

Back to the future: Caterham launches Seven 160 and 165

Caterham Cars has opened the order book for the Seven 160 and 165 – its new entry-level variants of the iconic sportscar, powered by a super-compact, turbocharged Suzuki engine.

 The Seven 160 is priced from £14,995 in component form, the car’s live-axle rear suspension, compact engine and low weight embody the pioneering spirit of early Sevens and represent a new entry-point to the Seven range.

A New Roof In 4 Hours - House Day 50

Monday - Robert Nelson Roofing was the subcontractor that installed the roof shingles. We chose anthracite rustic black 30-year Tamko fiberglass architectural shingles. Each shingle strip required 5 nails in it as per code. All morning long it sounded like a machine gun with 5 shot bursts. 

The two main features of this home are - the two sided fireplace between the living and dining room - and the perfect roof lines with no vents or valleys. The roof has a 2 foot overhang in all directions. There are no rain gutters. 

The shingles were delivered to the ridge of the roof. The titanium underlayment was already installed by Shiver Builders. Note that the installers used foam seat cushions for kneeling on the roof. It prevented damage to the shingles and also protected the workers' knees.

Lulu in First Class. I am in Steerage. On the Way Home from Richmond

It was a great trip to Richmond to get together with the whole family. We are about to liftoff from Richmond. They called lulu's name and gave her a first class seat pass. Row 1. Seat 1. I must shut down now.

Harry's iPhone

Everhart 8 Meet in Richmond - Watch the Seminoles Pound Clemson in Death Valley on TV

It is a weekend Lulu has been planning a long time. She flew to Washington last week to visit come interns. Then Friday she drove to Richmond to pick him up at the airport. Keith and Liz drove down from DC - and well - Drew and his family live here.

Recently the Seminole have not had good luck traveling up north at night on national TV. This time it was different. FSU started out hot - getting a fumble on the first series - then scoring a touchdown second later.

All night the announcer were praising FSU's freshman quarterback Jameis Winston. He did not disappoint - throwing for 444 yards - 3 passing touchdowns - and running one in himself.

Harry's Flight Number 2

Row 1 seat 1. Atlanta. Then Richmond. Then Everhart 8.

House Day 49 - Installing the Attic Windows - Harry Had Two Flights Today

She packed my bags last night, pre-flight 
Zero hour, nine a.m. 
And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then 

I miss the Earth so much, I miss my wife 
It's lonely out in space 
On such a timeless flight 

Today I am flying to Richmond to watch the FSU/Clemson game with the Everhart 8. My flight leaves here at noon and arrives there at 4. Lulu will pick me up at the Dixie Airport. 

But before I left - I had to have one other flight. Gary Wayne and Josh were putting the windows in the attic. We rented a cherry picker for doing the high work. I had to hop in it before they returned it to Home Depot. 

The cherry picker is all electric. You plug it into a regular house outlet. Just like a computer game - you have a joy stick. You can go up and down - left and right - even extend it farther out. The peak of our roof is 27 feet above the ground. At 30 feet - I was high enough.

Josh decided it would make a great video - so here I am - 

"Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone."

House Day 48 - Gables Are Done - City Installs Gas Line

The cherry picker is a wonderful tool. With the flip of a switch you can be lifted 40 feet into the air - safely. It also can lift heavy building materials. Before we take that back to Home Depot - I want to go for a ride. It cost $50,000 for a new one. $250 a day or $750 a week rental.

Except for 2 doors and the 2 porch ceilings - our new home is completely closed in. We finished the gables today - they are gigantic. The gables are big triangles 64 feet wide and 15 feet tall. Carrying 3/4 inch plywood sheets up that high was really hard. We got a cherry picker to help with the heavy lifting. 

Around noon the city arrived with a crew of 8 - 3 trucks - a trailer - a bull dozer - and a Ditchwitch. It took them 5 hours to install the natural gas line from the street to the house. When they dug up the main line to tap onto it - they discovered a gash in the main gas line. It was not leaking but they decided to replace about 10 feet of of the main line. That is why so many VIP's were there to make sure we did not have an explosion.

House Day 47 - Using A Cherry Picker To Build The Gables

Gary Wayne did most of the nailing.

Joe Shiver did most of the cutting. 

Josh handled most of the materials.

Lifting 75 pound sheets of 3/4 inch thick 4 foot by 8 feet boards into place is a really tough job. Gary smartly decided to spend a little money to rent a cherry picker from Home Depot. They rent for $250 a day - or $750 a week. It really makes the job less a job of brute force and more a labor of finesse. With just the push of a lever - Gary Wayne could go up - down - left - right - in - out. This cheery pickers rides on a small trailer - and a new one costs about $50,000. 

Today they finished the north gable - got it covered with plastic wrap. They also were able to put up the fascia and prepare for the soffits. Tomorrow they will do the south side - and we will be completely closed in except for the two doors. 

Friday the roofer will start the Anthracite Black Fiberglass Architectural Shingles. Since there are no holes in the roof - and no valleys - it should be an easy run. the shingles will be delivered right to the roof top again removing some back breaking work. 

US Government Back in Business And So It FSU Volleyball

The last point of the night.

I stayed home until the last minute to watch the House and Senate vote. Then at 5 minutes to 8 - I hopped on the scooter and headed to Tully gym. Always tough Miami came to town - and tonight was no exception.

The game was switched to 8 PM so that it could be covered by ESPNU on a national feed. FSU won the first game - then the Hurricanes countered. After that the steamroller started to roll. The Noles won 3 games to 1.

I would call it a sellout crowd - but they do not charge admission. The place was full and it was the busiest student section I remember. I sat with George and Joel - Scoot and Mary Sue - our neighbors. Lulu is up in Manassas VA visiting some library interns. We will meet up at Richmond Airport on Friday to spend the weekend with the Everhart 8.

At exactly 10 PM it was all over. I rode my Vespa home alone. Ir was pretty cool out by Florida standards.

Happy John Brown Day - He Lost 3 Sons and His Own Life to the Cause of Defeating Slavery

John Brown - Abolitionist - Zealot

John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave, John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave, But his soul goes marching on. Chorus - Glory, glory, hallelujah, Glory, glory, hallelujah, His soul goes marching on. He's gone to be a soldier in the Army of the Lord, He's gone to be a soldier in the Army of the Lord, His soul goes marching on. Chorus John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back, John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back, His soul goes marching on. Chorus John Brown died that the slaves might be free,John Brown died that the slaves might be free, His soul goes marching on. Chorus The stars above in Heaven now are looking kindly down, The stars above in Heaven now are looking kindly down, His soul goes marching on.

Abolitionist John Brown led a raid on Harpers Ferry - from the  History Channel

Abolitionist John Brown leads a small group on a raid against a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia), in an attempt to start an armed slave revolt and destroy the institution of slavery.

John Brown's Farm and Grave near Lake Placid NY - a great road stop.

Born in Connecticut in 1800 and raised in Ohio, Brown came from a staunchly Calvinist and antislavery family. He spent much of his life failing at a variety of businesses--he declared bankruptcy at age 42 and had more than 20 lawsuits filed against him. In 1837, his life changed irrevocably when he attended an abolition meeting in Cleveland, during which he was so moved that he publicly announced his dedication to destroying the institution of slavery. As early as 1848 he was formulating a plan to incite an insurrection.

New USB Outlets for the Camper

USB outlets for camper travel

When staying at Camp Walmart - it is very convenient to shop because the stores are open 24 hours. 

While traveling often times your iPhone will have a low battery charge. It is good to have a quick place to charge the iPhone without running down your car battery.

I bought two of these little outlets that I wired to the coach battery in my camper. Now instead of plugging our iPhones into the lighter outlet - we can charge our phone in the motorhome and not have to worry about discharging our engine battery and being stranded on the road with a dead battery.

The above outlets have two USB ports and one light outlet. Each of the USB port is rated at 2.1 Amps. that means you can charge your phones more than twice as fast as those little light plug-in adapters. 

Of course Lulu still has to remember to plug her phone in - for it to work  :-)

Keith and Steve Kropp Watching Miami Heat Play the Wizards

Steve and Keith at the Wizards/Heat Game Tonight

Steve Kropp and Keith were teammates at Tamaqua High - way back in 1996. Now Steve is a teacher inVirginia and Keith is an economist in Washington. Tonight they got together to enjoy the game they both love. In 1995 - their team won the local Schuylkill County championship. That was when older brother Drew was also on the team.