Up And Down, In And Out

Carmen is in Carlsbad this weekend. I have a Gospel of Rand McNally entry entitled "Holes In The West" that includes our second stop on the way to the Grand Canyon. I was disappointed when I saw that in order to go down 600 feet into Carlsbad Caverns, you have to drive up and up and up a 600 foot high hill. Why can't we just walk in at ground level? But that's neither here nor there. And speaking of there, Carmen is there this weekend, putting in a live ministerial appearance, instead of the satellite Carlsbad congregation's usual viewing of a DVD of Christine in Albuquerque.

So Friday I went to the theatre to use the shop tools (that don't cut square in either direction) to mill up the pieces I needed for a small (14" X 20" X 5" tall) platform for use by people shorter than Christine Robinson, senior minister at the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque. That includes nearly everybody else in the congregation, including Carmen. Of course, when the discussions at the church came around to the need for a functional yet decorative platform, whose name do you think came up as someone who could build such a thing? Let's see... someone who knows how to build functional yet decorative platforms... someone with time on his hands... someone who is married to someone who could greatly benefit from this technology...

The shop was filled with baseboard and crown molding for Plaza Suite, which opened Friday night. As a courtesy, I asked Colby if he needed any help. He put me to work on baseboard, all around the set. It took me about three hours to measure, cut and install it all. That is when I became acutely aware of just how out-of-true the tools in the shop are.

By the time I was done with baseboard and with cutting pieces for the platform, the crown molding was still in my way, and sloppy wet with paint. I took the platform pieces home, grabbing a Dion's Special pizza on the way. MMMMMM good pizza!

Yesterday I began assembly in the garage. Problem: the framing pieces were so out of square that they were unusable. The good news: they were all just a little long. I utilized my square, a board and a top-bearing router, squared everything, and assembled the frame. The beautiful outer sides covering the frame and the crappy edge of the plywood were much closer to the right size, but still not very square. The mitred corners needed a lot of sanding to fit together halfway decent. One piece is an eighth of an inch too long. I have never before wished so hard for a sliding compound mitre saw as I have since yesterday afternoon. It has not yet appeared.

So I guess I'm going back to the theatre to cut this last board. Luckily, Rudy's Bar B Que is directly on the way back!

Two hours later....

I'm back! Good Q! Board fits. Platform done. House vacuumed and mopped. Laundry done. Sheets changed. Carmen comes home late tonight. Life is good.