New Beginnings...

So last week started a new chapter in my life...I returned to school. Not just to continue my degree, but I switched from Biology (physical science) to Anthropology (Social Science). I know the word science is in both of them, but they are very, very different.

A few things I learned or was reminded of (not in order of importance):

1. Mental work is exhausting! I started on Monday and am carrying a full load (in fact, an overload). All week I was tired when I got in my car to come home - just exhausted. I thought that it was the walking around, the getting up early, the physical part of participating in class. But on Friday, I went for a meeting at NIU, got up early and was packing for a weekend away BUT I was not nearly as tired! I realized how hard I was thinking in class made me exhausted!

2. Why was I thinking so hard? Well, I have no background in anthropology! The names of the "fathers of anthropology" and the individuals that contributed over the last couple hundred years are complete strangers to me - but not to everyone else in the class! If feel like I am 3 steps behind. And I'm a grad student who will be graded as if I do know them.

3. There are 4 subcategories of anthropology and the correct answer to "What are you studying?" is answered with one of those subcategories. Those categories are Primateologoy, Archeology, Cultural, and Linguistic. For the record, I am cultural.

4. oh "and Southeast Asian Studies"

5. Anthropology majors and grads are "social" because we study society.

6. I'm not completely stupid.

7.  Yes, I am. I will never get all this information synthesized!

8. There is no way I will be speaking Burmese in a few months.

9. I might have to travel to Burma in the summer.

10. I'm supposed to be done with this in a couple of years. Theoretically, this time next year, I am thinking about and closing in on graduation! I know time flies, but that goal seems impossible to me based on what I know (or don't know!)

Alma challenged me to start a journal about my journey (her words). I didn't tell her that today that is called a blog. My desire is that one of these days I can look back at this and smile at how lost I am today!

I really need to reformat a bunch of stuff, but really just wanted to write this now. I'm tired.

PS - Scott's surprise birthday trip to Bruce and Nancy's cottage in Michigan was fantastic. Explored St Joseph and South Haven. Definitely dreamed of having a house there someday!

drywall...started Saturday, June 5

Just a few pics of the drywall since they didn't all upload right. This is going to be a bench seat with storage on each side. We are making it up as we go!

Getting the drywall done...

...and Scott loving it! Coke and a remote and a couch are his perfect ingredients for drywalling!!

stairs to the left looking at where the tv used to be

They made this part look a lot better!

my lens is yucky...I cleaned it after this. looking at the work out area and bathroom.

Insulation...done

Scott craping the insulation mess off of the floor. The green on the walls is very, very hard. It was amazing the difference in the sound when we went down. It was so quiet it almost "pops" your ears! And the basement is very cool down there now, because the AC air is on.

More walls.

You can see how messy the whole thing loods. It really looks worse than it is. The drywall will cover all if and you won't even know.

The ceiling...it looks really messy! The ceiling stuff is much softer.

We sound insulated the bathroom.

just looks messy!!

Daryn helping clean. We got a discount because we said we would clean up. It took us awhile, but it was not difficult at all. And it is not heavy.

Insulation Today...Wednesday, June 2, 2010

from the back of the room looking toward the front where the tv and wall unit used to be

craft area

bathroom - shower isn't poured yet

at the bottom of the stairs looking into the workout area and the bathroom

in the workout area looking toward the front of the stairs...it looks like nothing here, but there is a closet to the left and an indent in the basement wall that we eventually put a countertop in...we think.

From Memorial Day...covering the beams.

Today's project: covering the beams getting them ready for drywall.

Before...

Darby "helping". Uh, yeah, not so much...

But here is  her masterpiece!!!

Daryn cleaning up...MDF boards measured, cut and ready to put in place.

Scott showing Darby how to apply carpenters glue...

And she does a FINE job with it.

Scott and Dylan hanging the first one, making sure it fit. Darby will then put a bead of glue down the edge that will be next to the beam. Scott and Dylan lift it up and Dylan will use the brad nailer and nail the top edge into the 2 by's that are above the beam. After the other side is put up as well, we will take the piece that Darby put a bunch of glue on and hold up, the glue being on the bottom of the beam. Daryn and I had to hold them up and squish the side boards together so that Dylan could use the brad nailer to hold it all together. All this so that we could make those beams as little as possible.

Dylan doing his thing. Daryn and I doing our thing!

We did this all across the basement beam. It is ready to be drywalled. Maybe sooner than later!

Almost caught up...May 28, 2010...closing up the plumbing

I do not know why they are not in the order that I want them. So you get to see the finished product before the process.


Scott finishing the cement with Darby "overseeing".

Pouring the cement mix in for the mixer dude.

Dylan putting the bag in the wheelbarrow so the "rip open" girl could do her job and so the "water" girl could do hers. He was the carrier and the mixer. Basically if is heavy, Dylan "the beast" Findley gets to do it!

Dylan carrying the heavy bag over to the mixing station. See...this is crazy! The process in reverse.

Dumping the first load of cement into the hole. We soon discovered that we were going to need more than the bags of cement that we had. So, of course, I had to run to Ace. ALWAYS running to the hardware store!

Mother's Day

Everybody wanted to know what I wanted to do for Mother's Day. I really want that basement done so I was fine with a "hurry home from church, eat a sandwich, and start working" kinda day.


As you can see, the mess just keeps getting bigger instead of smaller! Tearing out the last of the drywall in the old bathroom. Darby helping again.

Yuck! Yuck! You can see some can lights so the electrician has done some work. Finally some light down there!

More work.

The underground plumbing is complete. Just a big hole in the floor. We have to wait for the plumbing inspector to come look at it and approve it before we can close it up.

A mess...a mess! But it's coming along.