Two House Tours - One Week Apart

Friday - Today we scheduled a 4 day vacation for our crew to recharge their batteries. I am sure they stayed up to watch Stanford beat Oregon opening the way for the Seminole to be in the national championship game.

While everyone was away it gave me a chance to clean up the work site a bit.

We have got a lot done in the least week. Here are two tours - one done on October 29th - and one done today. Lulu calls me "one take Harry" because I seldom go back to clean up a video - you get the unvarnished story just the way I see it.

Try to start these two videos at the same time - you will be able to see the one week of progress.




October 29th.



Nov 8th.

We Just Scored Some FSU Basketball Season Tickets

Lulu is always scanning the Craigslist page for deals. Many of the deals she finds are too good to be true. But this time she hit pay dirt.

This season FSU has some pretty good teams coming here to play. There are 14 games here in all. Duke does not come here - they try to stay out of Tallahassee any time they can. But North Carolina comes to town. Then add two new former Big East schools - Syracuse - Notre Dame. Round it off with Virginia - Maryland - Clemson - Virginia Tech - Miami - Georgia - and a few weak sisters.

I can't tell you how much I paid - or I would have to kill you - but it is 14 games times 4 tickets per game or 56 tickets. Face value varies from $16 to $40. Carolina - Notre Dame - and Syracuse have $40 face value. 

Who knows if we will use them all - but good ol' Lulu was in a frenzy after Oregon lost to Stanford last night - opening the way for FSU to play in the national championship football game. Of course FSU must beat - Wake Forest - Syracuse - Idaho - ACC inter-champ  - and beat Alabama in Pasadena. It is still a bit of a gauntlet - but now they do not have to depend on others to fail.

Tamaqua Rap Video Moved To Here

This video is filmed in Tamaqua. You can see local landmarks in the background.

Classic Patch Town

I found this picture on the net. It is a classic patch town. The title of the picture was Cranberry Coal Breaker - 1940. Coal companies built patch towns so that workers could live within walking distance of the job. Workers walked down the street with their metal lunch cans - miners could not afford cars. If the mine worker quit or died - the family was thrown out of the house. In some cases - they were not paid in cash - but only got credit in the company store.

In the Tamaqua Area - there were plenty of patches. My Mom lived in "The Vulcan" by Mahanoy City. Reevesdale was west of Tamaqua. Seek was part of Coaldale. Andrewsville was east of Lansford. How many patch downs can you name?

In my Dad's case - they lived in Seek. When my grandfather Roy Everhart left the mines - the company administrators came to the front door. They told my grandmother she would have to leave and take her 4 little ones with her. After much anguish - the company left them stay in the house. In return - my Dad would work in the Number 8 along route 209 in Coaldale PA. He was 7. After he finished school he worked for Old Company's Lehigh from 1934 to 1959. Then the mine closed leaving him will 25 years of coal dust in his lungs at age 43. For the rest of his life he worked in a factory about 80 miles away down by Philly. He died at age 66 living on Social Security and a Black Lung pension. 

Mercedes Releases A Cheaper Sedan - $30,000

The new CLA looks like a lot of other cars - but has that big Mercedes star in the grill. 

Yesterday - on the way home from Lowes and Home Depot - I stopped at the Mercedes dealer to see the all new Mercedes CLA. It is a new model with a sticker price of $29,900. 

It has a 4 cylinder dual overhead cam turbo-aspired engine that produces 208 horsepower. This power reaches the road through an automatic 7 speed transmission. 

I took a few pictures of a dark gray one in the  showroom. With shipping and a few options the list price was $34,500.  Lulu always wanted a Mercedes - she had one if you count the 20 year old white diesel I bought a few years ago to run on cooking oil. 

The interior was a very light gray leather. Notice no shifter.

This panoramic sunroof added $1400 to the sticker.

This view shows how sleek the car is. It has the lowest co-efficient of drag - even lower than our Prius. 

It has those skinny tires on big wheels - it is a fashion I just do not get. 

It has a huge trunk - with a ⅓-⅔  split rear seat.  One could sleep in there if they had to. Surprise - surprise - no spare tire. The tires are supposed to run flat.

Look at those giant AC vents. There is a paddle shifter on the steering wheel.

The sticker boasts 38 miles per gallon on the highway. The price includes free 24 hour road service.

Day 63 - Siding on the 4th Side

Nichiboard is a fantastic siding product.  Make of concrete - when you cut it with a saw - it gives off a lot of dust. The workers must wear masks when working around the saw. Today the crew did the south and final side of the house. All that is left is a little siding up in the eaves. On Tuesday we will have the cherry picker to complete the eaves and the soffits.

Jim and Leigh Got Engaged At Our House

Leigh and Jim return to the site of their first date - on the day they were engaged. 

We met Jim through Lulu's brother Jack. He loves the Seminoles and visited us this weekend to attend the Miami/FSU game. 

Jim was invited to watch the game from the President's Box. He brought along his girlfriend Leigh. 

Since Jim was given a parking pass to park in the President's Guest Parking Lot - we loaded up our camper with goodies and people and headed to the stadium. First - we dropped off Jim and Leigh at the president's home for a party. Then with George - Joel - Curt - Joan - we set up camp right next to the stadium. FSU completely demolished Miami. Usually we get into the game for $10 or $20 - but this game cost us $100 each. We got great seats on the 40 yard line.

75% of Siding Done - Day 62

The North Side

The West Side - note the pine bead board porch ceiling. 

The East Side front porch facing the street

Today they completed the west wall siding. We are using Nichiboard - a product which is made of concrete. It is impervious to rot and insects. Water and sunshine do not affect it. The boards are 8 inches wide - with a 1 inch overlap. The boards are 12 feet long and prime red gray. It is applied over a plastic moisture barrier and the nails are driven into the ¾ inch thick plywood walls on 2 x 6 studs on 16 inch centers. The walls and roof are insulated with SucraSeal - an open cell foam product that is applied in a liquid spray from. 

The trim that looks yellow in the pictures is HardiBoard - another concrete product. All of the trim pieces are 5/4th inches thick - yes - they say 5/4th. The little keystones above each window and door are made of hardboard.

All of the trim and columns will be painted white. Right now - we think we are painting the siding dark khaki. 

The porch walking surface will be finished in a tile with a rough surface to prevent slipping. The foundation and steps will be covered with brown brick. 

All doors and windows are 36 inches wide. Thresholds will be flat for handicap access.

Tamaqua's Poncho Habel Died

Roy Edgar "Poncho" Habel, 64, of North Main Street, Mary D, Pennsylvania and formerly Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, died on Thursday, October 31, 2013 in Mary D. He was the husband of Bonnie Lynn (nee Croll) Habel to whom he was married 43 years. Born in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania on May 30, 1949, Roy was a son of Roy D. and Doris B. (nee Malick) Habel of Hometown, PA. Having served in the Army during the Vietnam War, he had been employed as a truck driver. Roy was a member of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Tamaqua; the West Penn Rod and Gun Club; and the Flying Aces Motorcycle Club, Weatherly, PA. Surviving him are his wife, Bonnie; parents, Roy and Doris; sons, Roy Habel of Tuscarora, PA and Marc Habel of Fort Drum, NY; grandchildren, McKenzie Habel, Evaan Habel, and Damanich Habel; sister, Doris V. Hosier and her husband, Bernard of New Ringgold, PA; brother, Jospeh R. Habel and his wife, Lori of Hometown; and nieces and nephews. Services will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, November 5, 2013 at the Zizelmann-Roche Funeral Home, 500 East Broad Street, Tamaqua with The Rev. Phyllis Wolford officiating. Interment in St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery, Willing Street, Tamaqua will follow. Calling hours will be 6-8 PM on Monday, November 4 and 9-11 AM on Tuesday, November 5 at the funeral home. Memorials in his name may be made to the Zizelmann-Roche Funeral Home, 500 East Broad Street, Tamaqua, PA 18252.

Penn State Was going to Name This Guy President Last Friday

SUNY investigating extra pay for Upstate Medical president

David R. Smith, SUNY Upstate Medical University president. (SUNY)

The president of the State University of New York’s upstate medical campus ruined his chance to become the 18th president of Pennsylvania State University, and is in trouble with SUNY leaders after they learned he has been padding his state pay without authorization, two state officials familiar with the matter said.

According to a letter obtained by the Times Union on Tuesday, SUNY headquarters is reviewing all sources of compensation for SUNY Upstate Medical University President David R. Smith and is threatening more severe measures. Smith, who is based in Syracuse, was placed on paid leave Tuesday.

The trustees of Penn State were close to announcing that Smith would be the next president at the home of the Nittany Lions, according to the people familiar with the search. Instead, the public announcement planned for last Friday was canceled after questions about Smith’s compensation in New York arose.

Amish Paradise

House Day 61 - We Took A Field Trip Today To Inspect Bellevue - The Catherine Murat Plantation House

Josh Wells - Gary Wayne Shiver - Joe Shiver - Gary Shiver. You remember Josh from the day he drove a nail into his leg bone. 

My builders have been doing an outstanding job working on our new home. So today we went out to lunch and then took a field trip. 

All morning they were working putting the Nichiboard Concrete siding on. At 11:30 - it was lunch time. We piled into our motorhome and headed to Hot Dog Et Al on South Monroe Street. I eat there often - they make fantastic hot dogs with about 20 different fresh condiments.

After we ate - it was back into the camper to the Tallahassee Museum. They used to call it the Junior Museum - many still only recognize it by that name. It is half Florida animal zoo and half historic Florida buildings. 

Day 60 - More Siding - Cleanup Inside From Plaster Job

Monday - I have been very busy. While my 4 builder were putting siding on the house - I was inside cleaning up.

Plastering is very messy. We had rolled felt paper out in the attic to protect the plywood floor. We plan to sand it and put a clear coat on as a final finish up there. Still - there was a lot of plaster particle and dust. I started by rolling up the 60 foot long sheets of felt paper. that picked up most of the debris.  then I vacuumed the floor with my Sears shop vacuum. Vacuuming a 20 x 60 floor is quite a task -especially when it was this dirty. After a much needed rest - I wet mopped up the dust. It will probably need one more mop job.

Next I will lightly sand the plywood getting ready for the final clear coat.

Downstairs was even messier because they did not put down felt paper. Gary swept up most of it before I got there. Then I vacuumed two bedrooms - the electrical boxes - and the window sills. What a mess. I ran out of gas there - and decided it could wait another day.

All that time - they were siding the north side of the house.

Hillary

My dream is to be an Oreo cooked with Hillary and Michelle Obama.

Florida State Seminoles Clobber Miami - We Paid Way Too Much For Tickets

We just got home at 1 AM.  It took one hour to go 3 miles. 

Traffic was terrible -  they announced the biggest crowd ever 84,500 - and everyone stayed until the end to party.

The parking place we had was great to tailgate - no one else parties there because they are going to the president's box.

Tickets were hard - I did not see any tickets being held up - two nice people came and offered to us - $100 each - $230 for another pair. Ironically they were in the same section 32 on the 40 yard line. We were in row 50. Every seat was full this time - first I remember that.

Joel and Joan decided to take a cab home - we could not get anymore tickets. 

Someone offered me $800 for my 4 tickets that I paid $400 for. I should have taken the money and came back to the camper and say I could not find any tickets. :-)

Seminoles controlled the game  - had 5 - 70 yard drive. They had over 500 yards - won by about 30 points. Mob said 22 was the spread. Noles covered.

Weather was perfect - 60's until near end it hit 50s. No rain in sight which was good because yesterday we had a down pour. 

The camper was perfect. Lots of room. We had chairs and a table outside. 

There were quite a few empty parking spaces int he president's guests lot. There are 225 spaces there. 

Winston was nearly perfect expect for 2 picks. 

Our guest had fun at the president's house and in the president's box. They took a cab home.

Noles had a good win against a number 6 team - and always a rival.  

Off to bed. Pictures tomorrow.

House Building Day 59 - Plastering and Siding

Plastering the attic is the final touch there. The attic is 20 x 60 x 10 feet. It is completely contained in the roof area. Like our chalet in Tamaqua and our guest house down here - we made full use of the space in the attic. 

Today - a crew of about 12 men from Tony's Drywall and Plaster were very busy plastering the entire house. We used Blueboard for the walls. Think of Blueboard as a water resistant drywall with a rough coating on it. The tough coating allows the veneer plaster  to stick to it. The entire surface of the board is plastered. Every single wall and ceiling gets a hard coat of veneer plaster.

Miami / Florida State Rivalry

No rivalry in college football has featured more instant classics than Florida State and Miami.

Twelve times between 1987 and 2004, the Seminoles and Hurricanes met as top-10 teams — including an incredible seven consecutive meetings.

While Miami was largely the reason FSU hasn’t won more crystal trophies, the programs combined to win six national titles in that time span and played for six others.