OTHER COOL THINGS is the blog page where I go off topic. In other words, this is a page where I ramble about a wide variety of subjects which have nothing to do with the Cross House restoration or Emporia.
OTHER COOL THINGS is where I might suggest a great new restaurant. Or a movie I enjoyed, or book. Or a favored blog.
OTHER COOL THINGS may — fasten your seat belt — open discussions about dangerous subjects such politics or religion.
OTHER COOL THINGS will, in short, be a page where I ramble about anything which captures my special attention. Like, perhaps, a nice moment I had with my favorite cat Gilda.
I love comments, so please do not hesitate to toss your two cents in, even if you disagree with me.
My blog posts are below. Enjoy!
Gilda. My favorite ever cat.
Cody Discovers!
Cody also discovered…drum roll, please…that the hardware is by Yale and Towne, their Lydian Pattern. Yale and Towne, of course, did all the hardware for the Cross House. So, it is an extraordinary coincidence that door hardware gifted to the carriage house in 2022 would be from the same manufacturer as the Cross…
Continue ReadingAnd So…It Begins.
After purchasing the Cross properties in 2014, I began work on the carriage house. It soon became evident though that there was a serious problem with the second-floor bathroom. It entirely rested on 20-foot 2×12 joists. This is bad. 2×12 joists should never be so long. And then to add the weight of a bathroom?…
Continue ReadingA Remarkable Story
It was a dark and stormy evening. It proved a terrifying evening. Aaron and Breanna were on their front porch with their children. The sky was a color they had never seen before. As Aaron watched the sky, he realized…to his horror…that he was also watching debris flying horizontally. He suddenly shouted: “WE NEED TO…
Continue ReadingMadonna Kitty
What are you looking at? Strike a pose Strike a poseVogue (vogue, vogue)Vogue (vogue, vogue)
Continue ReadingKenny Scores. Again.
Obviously, Kenny deserves a round of applause. Make sure to clap hard so he can hear it.
Continue ReadingTa-Da!
Normally, I would have called Justin, and we would have had it back up within days. But, he’s been totally unavailable. I managed to get a lot of it rebuilt. But I only finished today. I feel very manly. It helped that it was in the 60s today. This will plummet to 16 on Thursday. So,…
Continue ReadingAlchemy Wins
I know what y’all are thinking. WHAT is going on with the wall? In the pantry I did a mud finish that I learned decades ago in Florida. The finish is common there. Rather than do a smooth mud coat (which is a ton or work), one applies a ‘dragged’ coat. Once the…
Continue ReadingWatching Democracy Be Destroyed…LIVE.
On a daily basis, I am watching…with absolute horror…as my country is being destroyed by the Republican party. Just over a year ago the whole world also watch in horror as Republican terrorists stormed the US Capitol intent on overthrowing an election and murdering people in Congress. Since then, we have all now learned of…
Continue ReadingRoss? Ross, who?
Hello everybody! Remember me, Ross? I am still very much here. My blogging though has drastically reduced and this is due, in part, to my lighting business taking up a LOT of my time. You can see here the many fabulous vintage lights I have been listing. In addition, the work I am doing at…
Continue ReadingA Plastering Update. With Sigh.
I don’t have the final coat on yet. But…so far…all seems OK. And did I enjoy the process? Oh, hell no. Even though the area is very small, it was awful. The plaster kept falling on my head and body and onto the floor. It was a mess to work with. I am…
Continue ReadingA Flooring Update. A Food Upgrade.
Of course, this means that Cody will not have a kitchen for a week. Or more. To compensate, I told Cody to upgrade his food purchases. “Rather than getting take-out hamburger, order steak! I’ll reimburse you! Order salmon dinners! Buy some wine! Make sure you have Granada chocolates for dessert! And invoice…
Continue ReadingI’m certain…
…that Betty White and Sidney Poitier are knocking down drinks in Heaven and sharing stories. Laughing.
Continue Reading