C Note(s)

Entry 5, Day 54 . Monster day of productivity yesterday!! In fact, two victories to close out Phase I - Functional NOW, Pretty LATER. The initial pantry area was plumbed and wired as the laundry room (see previous Entry 3 for details) Here is a picture summary of the preparation of the area to be converted into back into a pantry ... After my self-assessment, and brief discussion with the general contractor that got this place up to financing standards for Washington State, I felt confident in moving forward with my plan to relocate the washer and dryer aka laundry center into the garage. For several reasons 1) reclaim a pantry for dry goods 2) in the unlikely event of equipment failure the water and/or other fluids or whatnot will be contained to the garage, and/or running down the driveway instead of the hardwood floor that's taken a beating anyways. 3) the noise can be mitigated better out in the garage than inside a closet. I talked to the MM Comfort Sy...

Entry 4, Day 44 .  I crept downstairs early this morning so I could indulge in a guilty pleasure of mine... Review the mess that my party was left behind. The kitchen The dining area The living room Plus the Seahawks pop up, Watershed banner, and Mike's table outside. We said goodbye to the final guest much earlier than I wanted but it is what it is. This was always a sign of an epic party! We didn't have everything functional but as I predicted; it didn't matter. They wanted to see the house and more importantly my happiness. I was so grateful for the show of support and participation.  My sincere hope it was a great primer for future parties at B.o.B. I'm confident it was. I learned so much from party prep, and then certain functionality and layout. I'll know what to do better next time. Speaking of which, until next time ... #BastionofBayne #notmoveinready #elbowgrease #sweatequity #homeTLC #keepdigging

Recently, I've been texting and talking with a girl I already know is moving out of state. I consider it a labor of love - the long shot. To protect her name, I'll refer her to as #Nashville (based on the TV show that was canceled by NBC, yet picked up by CMT, the fact she looks like Hayden Panettiere, and the situation is completed unscripted. Not to mention she is by far and large, the hottest girl I've talked to) So when I'm asked about my motivation of even participating in such a long shot , I answer with an Alfred Lord Tennyson quote turned into a question. "Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?" I sit back to listen to all the answers from my friends and family, especially when we're posted up around a table at the local watering hole or the roof deck at the Sideline Bar & Grill (long considered the HQ for the #BrewCrew) I placed their answers into three categories in order to process and appreciate ea...

I looked at the calendar recently. One last week left in August, which signifies the end of Seattle’s summer. Not necessarily the end of summer weather, which has a tendency to carry on into September and October. No. No, what I’m talking about is the active pursuit of trying to cram 9 months worth of outdoor activity and fun into the 3 month span of summer in Seattle. Every Seattlite has the same dilemma, too. They mostly work Monday to Friday jobs, with weekends being the most coveted time of the week. Sometimes they are, including me, are double-booked, triple-booked even for activities that can only be fun in the sun. Then of course you add in marquee events in the area such as beer festivals, 4 th of July celebrations, farmer’s markets, Seafair, birthdays, anniversaries, graduation parties, proms,  family vacations, and there’s a litany more, and you end up with a whirlwind summer in which you don’t realize is all over. I get it. I do. I’ve observed this behavior, as wel...

Another dynamic I’ve discovered while socializing and dating is “hanging out”. You can call me old-fashioned or simply just old, but hanging out to me means to have fun with friends and/or family. Apparently, a new definition has surfaced, which I don’t like because it threatens the integrity of the dating institution. Whenever, I hear let’s hangout, I’d rather date instead. I’ve heard my bro’s use it more often than my girl space friends, but they use it too! I would inquire further with the person that used it. Person X: “Yeah, I hung out with a her a few times.” Me: “What exactly did you do?” Person X: “We had dinner, some drinks, went back to her place and hooked up.” Me: “Isn’t that the classic definition of dating?” Person X: “No, just hanging out.” Clearly, I’ve been out of the game too long. It’s probably because I have no game, and hide behind my self-defensive mechanism of Los Don’t Date (L.D.D.) – there’s even video! Don’t get me wrong, I w...

Entry 3, Day 33 . A productive morning for yours truly! Comcast technician, Austin, killed it by 1) being on time, arriving at the beginning of the 2 hour window 2) a solid install job. The B.o.B. is no longer #Comcastrated About the same time, Adam Wolff of Wolff Plumbing, arrived to assess my plumbing issue by converting the current laundry room into a pantry which I'm confident was a pantry before the previous owners choose differently. Well, I'm choosing to reclaim it, and move the laundry room into the garage. After he assessed with his apprentice, Ben, they were able to quote labor and materials, and I agreed to it. Hopefully it'll be less, but I won't hold my breath. In addition, the estimate job time is 1 day, so we scheduled it right away. Might be done by Open House! BEFORE ...  BEFORE ...  #BastionofBayne #notmoveinready #elbowgrease #sweatequity #homeTLC #keepdigging

Entry 2, Day 30 . Wow. It's been a month, however it seems so much longer. WCP and I totally smashed on the backyard today. While I was hacking away with a weed whacker, she was grinding it out with my #OfferUp purchase of a lawnmower. The battle was won today, but the #WarOnWeeds continues on! A bro (Cory) tried to resolve my crazy electrical problem, but in the end it's this fucked up crib. He stated he wanted to try again. 12 days left to the Open House... #BastionofBayne #notmoveinready #elbowgrease #sweatequity #homeTLC #keepdigging 'los; out

Over the last couple of weeks as I drove up and down the I-5 corridor with a loaded up Sapphire Sled, I would mull over how to purchase an inexpensive pick-up truck. Or figure out a way to transport building materials for the Bastion of Bayne. One afternoon, I looked down at the gear shifter, and was reminded of how I learned how to drive a manual transmission vehicle. The credit doesn’t belong to any of the usual suspects, either! It belongs to a high school girlfriend. If memory serves me well, it went like this … On Sunday afternoon we finished watching a NASCAR race at her apartment while her mom was traveling for business. I quipped, “Boy I wish I knew how to drive stick so I can drive a racecar.” “Wanna learn?” she asked with an impish smile. I shrugged, “Yeah, sure.” She grabbed my hand, and car keys, and lead us outside to her pick-up truck. It was an old Toyota quarter-ton that had been painted all black with white wheels. Say what you will about it, but I l...