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September 17, 2025 – For Old Time’s Sake

September 17, 2025 /

I have been waiting to write this one for months. What you are looking at is a sour cream pie made from a recipe that was provided by the Pittock Mansion in Portland Oregon. I will admit that the crust was purchased. I haven’t attempted it a ton of times but the ones that I have have not come out very well and I just didn’t leave myself room for error on this one.

One of the stops on our mid-June summer tour was a day in Portland. We had to do all the usual tourist things like visit the Japanese Garden and the Pittock Mansion (which are all adjacent to each other). At the mansion, you get to tour the house and one of the stops was the kitchen. I picked up this recipe card base on an old family story as something to try.

With the links provided, you can read all the history better than I can summarize in one paragraph. But, just for context I will say that the Pittock mansion was built by the successful owner/promoter of “The Oregonian” (Portland OR) newspaper. He wasn’t the founder but the second owner that made it successful. In the period of the 1880’s Pittock became wildly successful on the domination of the newspaper. As a result, he built his family a home reflective of his success. There is a lot more to the story but this at least sets the stage for why and how so much is known like this recipe and why it is so interesting to see this home.

We have an annual family reunion that follows my paternal, great grandmother’s line. About ten years ago, I heard a story from my great-uncle (grandfather’s brother). He said that one time my great grandmother, his mother had made a sour cream pie and set it on the porch to cool. She was a fabulous pie maker having worked in restaurants making pies for years. This is why I get embarrassed to make pie crusts because I cannot compete. But, what is worse, a crappy crust or one that is purchased?

While the pie was cooling my grandfather was out, probably working. By the time he got home my grandmother and great-aunt had eaten the entire pie. When my grandfather found out, he was mad. The story goes that every time the story came up he got mad. This was all news to me but I remember listening to the story and my great uncle just laughing and laughing. I thought that it would be fun to attempt a sour cream pie for this year’s family reunion as an homage to my grandfather who has been dead over thirty years now.

It turns out that there is more to this story. When the old timers were around at the family reunion, sour cream pie was something somebody always made. I had only heard about the pie and not the tradition, so it must have pre-dated me (fifty-ish years). My aunt asked me if I had put raisins or not. I said raisins and she said that was the best version and had not had it in years.

On the recipe card, there were three different versions of the pie. I happened to get lucky and pick the one that had raisins. The meringue is also optional. Because the pie itself uses egg yolks only, it seems like a no brainer to use the whites in meringue. So, that is why my pie got it as well.

I also want to said that I don’t think that the recipe card is really intended to be used as such. It is really an ingredient card. I had to do some research about how to put the ingredients together and what temperature to bake and so on. This is not to mention that I think the card were provided as momentos and focused on the historical record rather than the practical tradition. Nevertheless, I think it was still pretty cool.

End Your Programming Routine: When my dad was a child, his family used to live close and spend time with many of these people. I on the other hand saw them once a year if they felt like attending the event. I don’t have any sort of real relationship or even name/face recognition. All that being said, it makes me happy to make a link between today and the origins with a recipe. I did enjoy the pie but more because of the story.

September 16, 2025 – What My Bookshelf Says About Me

September 16, 2025 /

In the picture below, you see all the books that are on my to be read list. One month ago, I was laying in bed and looking at the titles when I had a thought. What if an alien came to earth and entered my room and looked at what was on that shelf? What kind of conclusion about the kind of person that I am and what I am all about would they make?

In case you cannot read everything I will give you a quick run-down. On the top shelf, there are two items. I actually will talk about the recipe card tomorrow so hold on for that. The book below it I have also read. It is called “Where the Wild Dads Went”. A father’s day gift and it is a fifteen minute read so that is an unofficial entry. It is really what is on the second shelf that is on my to be read.

Going from top left to bottom right, the first book is “Atlas of the Heart” by Brene Brown. I have not read that because my wife forbid me from reading it without her. I tried to read some when she was in the hospital last year but it was not the time or place. At some point, I will probably read it anyway because at this rate we will never get through it.

Beneath that, there is a couple of magazines. They are not actually periodicals but the hunting and fishing synopsis published by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. They contain things like law changes for the new year, unit boundaries, season start dates and bag limits. I pick these up at the end of each year and reference them periodically throughout the year. One is for big game hunting, one is for fishing and the third is game birds.

Beneath that is a book that I actually purchased for my wife. It is a idea book for home dates that include recipes to make for dinner. I imagined that we would start at the beginning and work our way through. I think that she thought it was better for me to take the initiative on that front since I tend to be the cook and have zero romance naturally.

The last book is called “Steak”. It was a Christmas present that I will eventually get around to. You see how thick it is, who knew that there was that much to actually write about steak? I have thumbed through it and there are some recipes so that takes up some space. A lot of it is about the cuts and the handling etc. I will likely read this maybe this winter and like many cookbooks, I will probably not read it cover to cover.

The middle stack is mine. I will definitely read “Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand. I wanted to put some space in-between this book and “Anthem” since what I know about it so far is that it is going to be a very similar tone as her other work. The next book was recommended by a former co-worker. I think it is going to be a short read and up my alley in personal business development. The last one on that stack is “Deadly Force” by Massad Ayoob. This is an update to “In the Gravest Extreme” that I went through earlier this year.

The stack on the right is a little bit deceiving. The top book is “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis. I am currently reading this book and I am about half way through it. This will be my next book review in series after I finish “Boundaries” this week so I won’t say too much more on that.

The book below that is my weekly journal. In it I sort of summarize the previous week and look forward to the things I need to do in the next week. I use this book as an organizational tool to plan on what things I need/want to do as well as track progress. It also captures a few personal things usually as they pertain to social activities and how they effect my time and attitude. I have been writing in it on Sunday Nights since probably 2012.

Finally, there is the Bible. This is the same one that I received at my Baptism in second grade. To be honest, I will probably never read it completely but I do keep going back to it. It is the translation that I read Revelations earlier this year as an example. I do really prefer the NIV translation because it is so much easier to understand but this one is not too bad, it is much more modern than King James.

And so I ask again, what does my bookshelf say about me?

End Your Programming Routine: While possibly not perfect, I think that my bookshelf represents me exactly. It is complicated and diverse: Christianity, libertarianism, self defense, personal and relational development as well as food. It is mostly non-fiction but not completely. They are all my interests and so they are me.

September 15, 2025 – The Purple Phase

September 15, 2025 /

I almost disappeared off the face of the earth. I said almost. Today, I talk about what has been going on and the prognosis for the future. The title, my lack of content and all that will be in today’s podcast. Hopefully you will find that it is not just an explanation of nuts and bolts but also an emotional story into a parents journey into a new phase of life for everyone involved.

August 22, 2025 – Boundaries, Chapters 15-16

August 22, 2025 /

I am on the ragged edge, I finished reading this week’s reading with one day to spare last week. I technically had time to complete this entry but I was too busy to be able to write. It is funny that three weeks ago my mind was occupied with organizing my sporting goods and backpacking area and planning my hunting season to the only thing I can think about is this bathroom refresh. It has caused me to be thinking, scheming and working all of my waking hours. Because my mind was consumed, I had to do a heavy refresh on the content.

In theory, we have made it through identifying what boundary issues look like and what those issues are. This week we have moved on to doing something about it. Of course, before you can do something about it then you have to understand why you would not. Chapter fifteen is all about why you would not or struggle to set boundaries.

I haven’t been in this exact situation so I am using speculative language. But imagine that your partner is an abusive alcoholic. What might be preventing you from putting up boundaries is fear of repercussions. What if they hurt me? What if they hurt themselves? It is a pretty compelling excuse not to push boundaries.

The book breaks these resistance reasons into categories of external and internal. External resistances are things that others do as a result of us wanting to set boundaries. Those would be things such as anger, guilt, consequences and physical resistance. Internal resistance would be things like human need, guilt and fear of the unknown.

I know that I have been guilty of both internal and external resistance. The first and most significant hurdle for me is always internal. I do a lot of thinking before acting and that has a habit of building up in my head. I also tend to be way more passive then most others and I rationalize that I will ‘put up’ for a certain amount of time. What I don’t really realize is that action of ‘put up’ also tends to build up. It also feels like after I have put up for a certain amount of time that it then seems insignificant or too late to bring up boundaries. What a mess.

It is all well and good to have a bunch of new information and potential skills, but how do we know that we are making progress in our new boundary filled lives? This is what chapter sixteen is all about. I would simplify the chapter by saying that there is a progression of life becoming happier and more fulfilled. To be a slight more succinct, you find yourself gravitating away from the boundary violators and more toward like minded people. While boundaries are becoming solidified you start moving towards more personal freedom and satisfaction.

I often wonder why I have a tendency to live and let live. In contrast, there are others in my life that insists on intervention and confrontation. Both have their virtues for sure, but I am probably way too laissez-faire. On the other hand, I find this other person way to contentious. But, when the two are effectively combined, probably the right outcome. The way that I rectify my attitude is that my boundaries with others are well established. And what I mean by that is that I am content with where I am at.

This is not to say that I have a good grasp on all boundaries. Because I am hands off and this other person is confrontational, it often leads to conflict. While I have previously seen it as borderline bullying, I have come to understand that I have not setup good boundaries with this person. The confrontation doesn’t come from a bad place but a place that is comfortable and normal. Effectively communicating better ways to address issues is really on me. As you can see, I put up with it until the situation is over and then we move on again, not solving anything.

There is an old folk saying that I will paraphrase. Never measure with a micrometer that is marked with chalk to be cut by an ax. Setting boundaries is one thing but seeing them in motion and feeling better takes time. Many times we are often so busy fighting the battle that we don’t even realize that we have made progress. We have to use the right tools and perspective for the situation. That also requires some grace.

End Your Programming Routine: Now that we are 2/3 of the way through Developing Healthy Boundaries (section 3), I feel like this section is a bit of a misnomer. Chapter fifteen was all the reasons that we struggle with boundaries and I feel like a lot of this was covered earlier. Chapter sixteen was a mythical outcome of successful boundaries. I am no expert but I suspect that the path can take many forms and still be successful. Next week we will finish Boundaries and the following week we will be starting Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.

August 21, 2025 – Would You Do This?

August 21, 2025 /

Another reason that I got behind last week was something completely spontaneous. My wife learned from friends that there was couple walking across America and looking for an over night host in out town. I really didn’t give it two thoughts and considering we were later down the line then others, but it turns out that we were selected to host them overnight. Their names are Torin and Paige Rouse.

I didn’t know anything about them really until I started to look for some video to add to this post. Then, I found their website which had a lot more about motives and past. I am not sure that what they wrote really translates well so I will probably add a little based on the conversation that we had. Don’t be surprised if we end up on their social media as well (In fact, we already did).

Talk about a boon for the aspiring PCT hiker that I am. I got a chance to ask them gear questions from people that have literally spent two years walking in the last five. I asked about travel distance and pack weight as well; it was very informational to me. Plus, Torin has already completed some long (200 miles) hikes on the Colorado Trail. So, it is not just America’s sidewalks that they can discuss even though they are very closely related.

They arrived at our home approximately 5 PM on Sunday. They had come from the neighboring town about 11 miles away. When discussed, they said that was a pretty typical distance for them. They claim that walking longer than ten miles a day not only increased fatigue but also the risk of repetitive motion injury which they have suffered through the journey. Given that they are half my age, it doesn’t bode too well for my goal of being able to do 20 miles a day.

We talked about footwear and they didn’t seem to be too keen on anything in particular. That is the bravado of youth I guess. But they also said that they have not found any shoe that they liked or would recommend. That makes me feel a little better about my struggles to find the right shoe.

I also found it both refreshing and disturbing that they have not gotten completely comfortable with the forty plus pound packs. To me, that means I have done nothing wrong, but I also know that this will be a grin and bear it expedition. They also informed me that anything inflatable like my Nemo sleeping pad is bound to develop holes and recommended foam pads instead. It was their claim that thorns find their way everywhere. I am not doubting that but maybe because I am not going out for weeks at a time, I might not have the same experience.

I have developed a fondness for the water bladder. It allows me to drink without having to take my pack off. They had never used one but they said they had one that already had a hole in it. I am still going to use one, as you might remember I was planning on carrying a second one so that those one mile walks off the trail to a water source would only happen once.

It seems to me that their reasoning for the walk is more etherical and personal than the story that they tell online. The official line is to spread kindness throughout the United States. But, it was my personal conversation that opened more insight. It was Torin’s initial hike on the Colorado trail that cleared his mind from the world and he sought that as inspiration for life. It doesn’t hurt that their ethics orient toward a less material living.

There were other hints at motives for the trip. They told me that they lived in a van for a couple of years. Because they were living in a van, they felt it was the next logical step to get rid of that as well. Part of me envies the freedom and I wish that this hadn’t been so spur of the moment because I would have loved to interview them on my podcast. Unfortunately I really didn’t think about it until I was writing this.

End Your Programming Routines: This is not something that I would have ever done. In fact, I didn’t have much to do with it other than saying OK but I am glad that I did. I also am glad that I didn’t know anything about them until they left because I feel like my experience would have been more guarded and biased. While I appreciate their neutral vibe at an intellectual level, I think in their position it is the best and safest policy relying totally on strangers.

August 20, 2025 – Introducing My Mistress

August 20, 2025 /

I know, I just kind of dropped off of the face of the earth. Most outages are planned and I try to make some kind of announcement. But, I just got overwhelmed and hyper-focused with what I had to do. My wife has set my deadline at August 31 which I should comfortably make. But, you would be surprised at how many steps go into this seemingly simple process.

I should also mention that in the middle of last weekend, I also had to redo the front brakes of my Lincoln Navigator. I needed the Navigator to go get sheetrock so that I could continue making progress on this project. I was forbidden to drive it unless I fixed the brakes. Add that to the list of reasons why I was not able to write.

I know that I have already written about this once and will possibly show the finished product in a week or so. When I casually said, I can do that, I had no idea what that really meant. It has also been really helpful that the finished vanity is right behind me so I can take measurements. For instance, because I did a mock-up, I realized that the backsplash was going to hit the switch plate cover. Rather than trying to modify the cover, I decided to move the electrical box up so that it would clear the backsplash.

I was already doing electrical work to add the new light fixture. While I would have preferred to eliminate the round junction boxes for the old lights, the wiring was just too complicated to fix without ripping out the ceiling and re-wiring the bathroom fan as well.

Speaking of old electrical work, those junction boxes turned out to be antiquated. They are 3 1/2″ round which is a size that is not made anymore, at least I didn’t run across it. By proxy, I was not able to find paintable covers, except for one. I tried all of the local hardware stores and both box stores. Ordering was the only way to get something that would work.

I had a dream of insetting the medicine cabinets into the wall. That is just a better look to me, but it meant that I needed to take a critical look at the framing given that was a structural wall. I took a good chunk of drywall out to do the wiring and see what I could see with the framing. No dice there, the vent stack ran right where I wanted to inset the medicine cabinet and I was not about to re-plumb all of the drain pipes to make it work. I would have been possible but not without a lot more time, money and effort.

When I committed to the project, I didn’t give any thought to the plumbing. Well, only a little. I figured plumbing was there so it should work. I thought that I would tee off of the existing shut-off valves to each fixture. That was before I learned that each fixture should have a shut-off. Since I had to modify the rough plumbing, I might as well make it so that I had to modify the cabinet as little as possible.

I also learned the copper flux can go bad. After hours wondering why I couldn’t get the solder to work, I finally decided to change the only variable that I hadn’t changed which was the flux. Pretty soon I had one joint completed in five minutes instead of 15 minutes on the torch and $20 of solder on the bench top. That stuff has gotten crazy expensive at $41 for a half pound roll.

All that was child’s play when it came up against the drain plumbing. I thought that I was going to add a p-trap to each sink and then out the drain until I was wondering if the pipes needed some pitch. It turns out that I needed a whole new setup. I was scratching my head with a whole bucket full of pieces wondering if I got the right stuff. I am still not sure until I get to the point of doing the work.

I haven’t done a serious project like this since I remodeled the little house in 2020. I was telling my wife, image if someone didn’t know what they were doing and had to call a plumber, electrician, drywaller and painter. This would would be a serious financial investment. The vanity wasn’t cheap to begin with but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was $20,000 job.

End Your Programming Routine: On the surface, it seems simple, replace one vanity with another. But, boy oh boy going from one sink to two is an exponential dynamic. It’s good though, it flexes some muscles that have atrophied. I know that it is going to be something that I can be proud of because I was careful and did everything right.

August 14, 2025 – Ken Burns: The Vietnam War

August 14, 2025 /

I did it. I Figured out how to watch this without paying $20 per episode ($200 total) to own. I was able use my library’s free streaming service. Granted, it is slightly limiting. You are given 10 credits each month and each movie or episode is 1 – 4 credits. This took me spanning over two months to have enough credits to watch the whole mini-series. But that is OK because I started late in July and so August came quicker than I realized.

I have been a Ken Burns fan for a long time. When I was in middle school, I recorded each episode of his Civil War series. That was so long ago, I don’t really remember that much about it other than I felt pretty satisfied on the subject when it was over. But, it was already a subject I had studied pretty extensively, so most of it was not too revolutionary.

Ken Burns: The Vietnam War was a powerhouse documentary. When I was growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, that war was in the American psyche. Heck, when I was born the US had not even completely and formally evacuated Vietnam. When I was a youngster, most Vietnam Veterans were less than ten years from their service. We are now twice as far away from 9/11 then we were from Vietnam when I was a kid. You betcha it was a sore subject in this country.

I used to believe that the US could have won the war, we just did not fight it in a way that would have. I no longer believe that. It was based on nothing but a sheer belief that Team America had to be the best. Now that I am older and wiser, I can see my naivete was just sheer ignorance. At almost 17 hours, this review probably deserves more than one blog post. I am going to try and get it in one long one.

I have questioned a lot of things about my country in recent years. I am as anti-communist as they come. I believe in personal accountability and yielding the merits of my own work both good and bad. The reason I am against permanent, social safety nets is that I believe that they de-incentivize personal accountability. That being said, I can understand the American desire to contain Communism in the 1940s.

President Truman sent military advisors to Vietnam in 1948. They were to bolster the colonial ruling French and beef up the South Vietnamese efforts aiding the French who were fighting Chinese backed, North Vietnamese Communists. The North Vietnamese wanted two things: to get rid of French rule and to unite the country. A ceasefire in 1953 drew the Vietnamese De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) directly resulting in France’s withdrawal from Vietnam.

In a subversive way, France drew the United States significantly deeper into the conflict by playing on the US weakness for stemming expanding communism. But, they were smarter than us and when France abandoned Vietnam, the left the United States with the bag of supporting South Vietnam as it was now called. Puppet elections and widespread corruption left a completely dependent country on foreign support both militarily and financially.

Clearly, hindsight is 20/20 and the Domino Theory of Communism advancing did not happen. The question that I keep asking myself is ‘why is it that America thinks it is our business to get involved in other nation’s affairs’? Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and finally Nixon all knew that we were not going to win this war and yet the first three kept escalating the war. I strongly believe that Nixon would not have ended it if it were not for his utter fear of total revolution. He had no choice. But it still took seven years for that to happen.

For those of us who did not live it, we may think that of all of these events in sort of one big, grab bag called Vietnam. As an example, there was always protests and civil unrest. It was the Tet Offensive of 1968 that really changed the country’s mind. Due to the US getting completely surprised and most of the South Vietnamese soldiers on Lunar New Year break the illusion was shattered. How could the US be winning the war and yet they needed to double the troop size from a quarter to half a million men? Clearly we were being lied to about what was happening and the country got mad.

Out of that grab bag also came Watergate. While my impression was always Nixon was a slimy POS, This film gave me a whole new perspective. When it was apparent that Nixon was going to win the 1968 election, Nixon started negotiating with North Vietnam and the Viet Cong going outside of the official government channels basically signaling that there was going to be a change in US policy focusing on peace with dignity. We know this because Johnson had bugged Nixon’s phone lines. Knowing that was illegal, Johnson never divulged this information nor that it was happening at all.

I tell that anecdote because it was my impression that it was only Nixon who was a crook. But, what it really told me was that corruption was already in place for both sides. Just like they were fighting a war that was already known to be unwinnable, they were playing the public as fools with almost everything they were doing.

What all of this has ultimately crystallized to me from all of this was that this is the true legacy of the GI generation. From a remarkable victory in World War II to a stalemate in Korea to an utter defeat in Vietnam. Granted, I know that this is way more complicated and mixed, but it was the GIs that fought in World War II, advised in Korea and lead in Vietnam.

The best I could say about all of this is ‘travesty’. Americans lost around 58,000 soldiers the North Vietnamese lost 2.5 million people. That is just killed, then there is wounded and invalid and there is nothing to say of the psychological effects. It is true the country was united in government and boundaries but they were as divided as ever. Vietnam struggled to thrive economically under communist policies.

End Your Programing Routine: For what? What was this all for? This war was an homage to arrogance and resulted in futility. I have been to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and stood back and watched in solemnness as the tears flowed while names are traced of friends and loved ones that were killed. It was powerful and humbling to realize that now over almost thirty plus years some people were still struggling to move on. What can you say, possibly it is worth $200 to watch.

August 13, 2025 – I Know That You Love These…

August 13, 2025 /

Look and what do you see? Yes, the ammo can, but what is on it? It is a sticky note of course. I put that note on the can in 1996. And while it is not like I open it every day or even every couple of months, it is still firmly attached almost like the day I did it. I can’t say if a new note would stick as well, but I guess what impresses me is that I do periodically get into the can. I would never have guessed that an impromptu label stuck on an ammo can would still be holding on strong.

The can started off in my life in 1990. Obviously it is surplus. I am thinking that I paid $5 for it at a local farm store. But, it got used as a dry box for rafting. I had multiple trips like a five day Willamette River float and a five day John Day float where it held my wallet, camera, book and playing cards and anything else I didn’t want wet.

As my Boy Scouting days wound down, it found a new use as a place to put my limited shooting and hunting stuff. There were things like lens cleaning cloths, I had an old 22lr scope in there that kept falling off my rifle and a special dowel that was the diameter of a 9mm. I had purchased a 40 S&W and some reloaded ammo that the bullet got stuck on my second shot. Talk about disappointed, I had to hammer that bullet out and it should have been a warning of things to come with that pistol.

1996 was my senior year in college. I had no money and so I stuck that sticky note on the can as a label. It is not like I really needed a label, I only had one ammo can and that was it. But, when I purchased some more ammo cans, the label inspired me. I put other sticky notes on my new cans to denote their contents. They did not last as long, not because they fell off but that I used my thermal label maker to replace the sticky notes when I re-organized the contents.

Originally, I was thinking that I would put an inventory on each note so that I knew what I had in each can. But then, common sense got the better of me and I figured that if I just filled them up, that would be good enough. It was going to be too much hassle trying to keep track each time I took something out and put something in. Then, I reorganized again and changed the purpose of the cans. Good idea that I didn’t invest too much in the sticky notes.

A word on ammo cans if you please. Ammo cans are fantastic pieces of equipment. They are waterproof and nearly indestructible. Accessories are made to organize them for small part storage. The are stackable, in fact they are meant to be stacked and stable. My only knock on ammo cans is that they are heavy, hence nearly indestructible.

The can I am showing in the picture is 30 caliber can making it significantly smaller than the more typical 50 caliber can. If I had no cans and wanted to get in the ammo can storage game, I would opt for the 50 caliber rather than the 30 caliber can. It is much more flexible in what it can hold. This is why I only have one 30 caliber can and why it keeps getting refined in what I put in it. The third most common size is 20mm and these things are big.

The aftermarket has figured out that ammo cans are useful as well. Now there is all manner of plastic cans made, particularly by a company called MTM. I use some of their products for different applications, mostly in reloading. But, there is also new, replica ammo cans made theoretically to military specification. I don’t have any but funny enough, they are always cheaper than a surplus can.

I am not the only one that thinks ammo cans are really cool. Check out this GMRS radio that is completely housed in an ammo can. This is the frequency that you pay $25 for a license. This guy makes what appears to be the ultimate tactical speaker out of ammo cans. You can even find instructions on how to make your own blue tooth ammo can speakers.

End Your Programming Routine: I know that this post was all about the label and how impressed I was with the longevity of it. I couldn’t help but throw in on some of the interesting applications of ammo cans. It goes to show that when there is a surplus of something, some people will figure out how to do something useful and possibly enterprising with them. The point is, a sticky note makes a low cost and durable label if you need one in a pinch. I am showing the time tested results.

August 12, 2025 – I Must Be Crazy…

August 12, 2025 /

Well not really, it was kind of a deal with the devil so to speak. I had it all planned out, I was going to buy my wife a really nice gift for her 50th but then she asked me if we could redo the bathroom. This isn’t a surprise, she also asked for it for Christmas. I of course said yes because that is what she wanted.

I call is a deal with the devil because this is supposed to be when my summer started. I was supposed to be enjoying the last days by hiking and planting and all the other stuff. Now, I have this large project that I am embroiled in. The truth is that I am being a little over dramatic. I haven’t done a significant project in quite a while and I don’t think it will take too long.

Here is the plan. I am going to change two light fixtures. The vanity is getting changed from 36 inches to 60 inches and from a single sink to a double sink. The medicine cabinet is getting switched from a single unit to two units. Because of that, I have to reroute the electrical to a new electrical box in the center of the everything.

You can see the mock-up from the picture. The tape represents the two mirrors and the vanity footprint. I already have it in my head that I am going to have to tear into the wall, but the trick with the mirrors is that they need to be centered on the sink location. That needs to fit into the existing space appropriately.

I would dearly like to put the medicine cabinet into the wall cavity, but that wall is a structural wall. It is one side of the house as the bathroom is a shed addition as well as holding up the stair case. I don’t really know how much chaos that would cause to do until I open the wall. That will be a to be determined.

Just like pulling a sweater thread, I cannot cut into the wall until I remove the existing vanity. The new vanity was delivered with a broken top so we are waiting for a replacement. It is my preference to leave the existing vanity in place until I can essentially swap the old and the new and minimize the out of service time. But, I may go ahead regardless in the name of progress.

The only part of the process that concerns me is the plumbing. Technically speaking, each sink needs a supply shut-off. I watched some videos online that this can be done outside of the wall by removing the valve, but if I am going open things up anyway, I might as well put them where they should be.

Then there is the waste plumbing. It is not that I cannot stick things together but that I am hoping I can. Plumbing can be a fickle mistress when it comes to head pressure. There must be enough free flowing air so that a vacuum is not created and effecting the drain action. I am going to try once but I may ultimately call a plumber if it doesn’t work right the first time.

I will be honest, It is not the remodel that I really want to do. I would like to get rid of the tub and move to a dedicated shower. I would love to add a claw foot tub and redo all the tile. The problem is that we got a quote for a shower in a day outfit and it was $40,000. It was a name brand outfit and I am sure it was quality materials but not in the budget.

End Your Programming Routine: Clearly, this is not the worlds biggest project and I have concerns like I think the vanity is too close to the shower. But you know the saying happy wife, happy life. The medicine cabinet is gross and the shelves are sagging and the vanity saw it’s best days in the 1970s. Only having one sink has been a constant limitation for us when I need to shave and she needs to put in contacts. So, I do think it will be a worthwhile refresh.

August 11, 2025 – Is Value Possible?

August 11, 2025 /

The word value in business is thrown around like a dirty pair of socks. It is a huge buzz word in the context of value sells, especially in an uncertain economy. But, does value mean the same to everyone? In fact, I think a lot of the customer fatigue and lack of satisfaction after delivery comes from a mismatch in the understanding of value. I am going to explore the definitions and struggles with the concept of value.