Glenn's Underground Cabin Update

[glenn kangiser]

This was a similar early floor I did with concrete mix, Andrew.  It was in fact one of the first two I did... about an inch of concrete over the compacted soil without reinforcement.  The jute reinforced floors are doing great.  This one was going to be covered with slate....but I never did quite get that far... [ouch]

The slate floor was going to be a bit too rough to be easily cleaned.  The jute reinforced floor troweled smooth to a nice finish would have been suitable for a bathroom floor and cleanable, no problem....even without tile on it.

With it being a bit low for the slate I went ahead and put the tile on it so now it is at a grade level with the other floor.

Old Chinese Proverb... "The man who finishes his house dies"..... wish some of my Chinese friends could verify this... So far the only one I have heard it quoted from is me..... I know I heard it somewhere though....

[Abbey]

I like your "prime directive" which proves resistance to the collective is not futile.

Years ago I saw a documentary on a famous painter, I cannot remember who, and he said something similar..."When a painting is complete, it's dead." It might have been Picasso.

[glenn kangiser]

Thanks, Abbey... "It is a difficult job but somebody has to do it".....


Quoted from a Mexican associate who was trying to romance half of the girls in Los Angeles....

[glenn kangiser]

I got the driveway completed and my customer gave me a nice big tree they had fallen to make lumber out of....

It was a job and an half getting it out of the place it was in on the hill above their house without it rolling down the hill at freefall speed and wiping out everything on the way to the house... over 30 inches across at the base, I had to pull it out in a 43 foot length to keep a tree between it and the house for safety.  [ouch]

In order to have a place to put it in on my storage at the mill I had to move all of the giant firewood logs down near the woodshed at the Underground complex.. no room there either.....but shoved them around so I could get to the entryway /laundry room to begin putting a floor in it.



Whitlock and little Whitlock have been helping me to get the grading done in there to put the CBRI floor in there.  As you may recall it will be a bit over 1/2 inch thick and reinforced with jute landscape erosion control netting.  Due to our wonderful economy, work is nearly non-existent in the mountain area... a bit if you are in the right place at the right time, but not great, so they have time to help.

I am spending more time helping the International Students so I have a group of them coming down on a trip of their own to stay at the Underground Complex.  I want to be sure I have enough sleeping and restroom areas for them so will pick up a futon couch later today to put in that room.  Also I plan to finish the 3rd bathroom down there....great dreams of success on that, eh? 

I think Spike and Princess were bitten by a rattlesnake the other day.... both recovered but Spike was in major pain for a few days and lost the hair in the entire area... it was a bleeding weeping mass for a while... I put some horse wound spray on it and it seems to have helped.



Always something going on at the Underground Complex, eh?  I should say eh, mate!  My Aussie buddy has seen me with the students on FB a few times and said he is going to send me a Genuine Roo skin hat soon... I'll be so dashing, eh mate? ...

[glenn kangiser]

So with the help of Whitlock and little Whitlock we got the first layer of the CBRI light duty concrete floor into place... second layer and color coat is going to have to wait until Monday??? or Tuesday.... Not sure...




Going to go to an Asian Festival in Old Sacramento with my friends tomorrow....

http://www.pacificrimstreetfest.com/index.html

...at least that is my current intention...

Note the gratuitous cat foot prints in the lower right... no problem... one coat to go...

[ben2go]

Floor looks good.You know,we gonna need some pics of the festivities. 

[glenn kangiser]

No problem, Ben....  One of the group leaders of the trips to Yosemite asked for more association from our Mariposa Group with their students.  Theo and Denise are dedicated to helping and guiding these students... it is their life.  I couldn't speak for anyone else but I could speak for myself and said I would be happy to participate more with their events. 

That started a few weeks ago and since has been nothing but enjoyable for me.  Wally, another leader their also started inviting me to events he organizes for the students.  Just a bunch of caring people trying to make a home and extended family for students who are on the opposite side of the world from their homes..... and the students show their appreciation for the ones who help them too....hey... it's a family!

I picked up two of my adopted grand-kids that needed a ride and we headed off to the Festival  to meet the others.



Both were a bit late getting ready so I picked up Alex first then went to get Cagie next..... why would they be late you ask.... how about cramming for finals....  Because she went to enjoy the day at the festival with me and friends, Cagie had to stay up all night cramming for the finals then go to take the tests.......

I had received a call from Wally, the friend who invited me saying they were going to be a little later, so we went for a bit of breakfast at the start of the festivities.... not too early for them to overcook the chicken though... [ouch]






Of course no breakfast is complete without Ice Cream....




Cagie and Alex wanted to take a tour of the Candy Store so we did that and I managed to find Chick-o-Sticks... been looking for them for years....



A trip to the river rewarded us with a close up view of a couple of sea lions basking in the sun.





They were sleeping but move a little on the side and one eye would pop open then close quickly...... never could catch it open long enough to get a shot at it though.





We headed down to meet the others and watch a few more of the Asian Heritage Cultural Dances...





There were all kinds of dances and music from many of the Pacific Rim countries.... here was an interesting one going near where we met the rest of our group....





We met up with our extended family friends and continued enjoying walking around enjoying the event.  Wally had shown us a way to make a quick trip to the mall food court across the street so we saved a bit of money there.

I managed to snag one of the dancers and get one of the grand-kids to snap a picture of me posing with her...




When Soda and her brother, Dom arrived with Wally we of course had to have another round of Ice Cream since she is also an Ice Cream lover...

A couple weeks ago she made a special desert for me and the others... a Cambodian Pumpkin pie, cooked inside a squash with a special coconut filling... took her three hours. 



She warned me she was an new Cambodian chef so she wasn't sure how her cooking would turn out... I told her I was a new Cambodian food eater so I wouldn't know the difference.  She, her brother and friend, Hai from Vietnam were the first to adopt me as Grandpa.... now I seem to be gaining more grand-kids every week or two.

Soda's  (Sodanin) picture of the afternoon Ice Creams was better than mine so I just plain  ripped it off to post here...

 

Later Cagie bought me a Juice Bar but I forgot to get a picture of that...

We all wandered around the event for a while then went in a bit early so the kids could get on with their studies, but not before they sent me home with Cookies and Tea. 

On a bit of a sad note, Cagie is going back to Hong Kong.... but all is not lost .... she will return in fall and we will all figure out some other adventure where we can all get together. 

I have to say these kids are always so polite and pleasant to be around... always a good experience when we care enough to invest a bit of our time with them.  It is an honor to me that they call or message me to hang out with them when they and I have time. 

They said they wanted to learn things from me... and likewise.. I want to learn from them.  I have had some of the greatest discussions on the way the world operates ... politics.. economy etc. with them and my friend, Bora Borra also from Cambodia. 

Bora Borra sitting next to me at dinner a few weeks ago.... where we got started discussing world events.  So refreshing to talk to someone who can see the world from the other side ... and find out that the way I see it is the way he sees it. 



We gain more than we ever invest. 

So much more I want to say about them but this should be enough to bore you for a while. 

[ben2go]

  Great fun was had by all.

[glenn kangiser]

It was a super enjoyable day, Ben.  Poor Cagie had to stay up all night again last night studying for another final.  I don't know how they do it as most of the students have similar study loads....

Maybe I could have handled it when I was as young as them... but I don't think I would make it now.  [ouch]

[Antonio Carlos Machado]

That group of Burmese workers were amazing, Tony.  In the US I would likely have been kicked off of the site and expected it there, but no.... these people were so gracious and accommodating though they did not speak English.  They simply waved me into their site to see the way they worked together. 

I was told by my friend, Myat that even women and children work even on the high rise buildings taking the concrete materials up to the top and pouring by hand. 

Dangerous for the kids but still, they will not be in protective custody of the authorities and never learn a trade before they get out of High School as here in the US....... unless your parents are outlaws and actually teach you a trade on the side illegally, eh?   

This is a very lot of graciousness I might add.... a year or two ago cameras were not allowed and people allowing filming would have to answer to the government or be at great personal risk.  People taking video would possibly risk jail time and confiscation of equipment ... or even disappear....

Hopefully reforms will continue and the current Buddhist Muslim ... or Majority/minority civil unrest will come to be under control. 

I had no problems whatsoever and never once noticed a tail on me.... A year ago that would not have been the case.  Even now the locals are not totally sure everything is OK and there were a few who requested no pix... likely out of bad past experiences.

I was watching a video last night about Myanmar that I had seen once before and recognized the same little salesgirl (Postcards - fans etc.)  I met on the first day of my trip with Myat.  No mistake ... I'm sure it was her and even her story of how she learned English was the same.  [ouch]

I have video of her - don't think I put it on the net yet...she was a sweetheart. 

Hello Glenn, beautiful video here you could not so much kindness and naturalness were suspicious of some oversight, agency work, engineering advice (CREA) which oversees the work and children would not have federal laws against child labor are very severe. And the foreman will send it out on time.
Must be a remarkable experience to know those places where people have to fight all for their livelihood no longer expect much help from the government.

[Antonio Carlos Machado]

 
I enjoyed the beautiful ride.
I hope one day to go visit and learn.
But I would hardly of much good supply of food!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[Barry Broome]

The last month I was in San Diego and it turns out my co-worker had spent a year in Cambodia doing construction work. Anywho he took me to a Vietnamese restaurant for some Pho. He said he ate if every day for breakfast. A simple and wonderful meal! We ate there twice a week! Good stuff.

[glenn kangiser]

Glad you enjoyed the videos and information, Antonio.  The people over there are wonderful.  The children learn to work at a very young age as I did when I was young, at least more than most in the US do now.  I can do nearly anything thanks to that.  I wish the children of today at least had the opportunity to learn real trades even in their childhood... they could be so much more productive throughout their lives.

I love the food of my International friends and hope to eat more of their food with them, Barry.  We plan to do several activities this summer.

I think I will eventually get to eat some more Cambodian food.

[Antonio Carlos Machado]

 
I also was raised that way since kid always helped my father and mother. I I attended technical school for mechanical fitter and turner! But at 18, my father asked me to join her in the socio floriculture, where I stayed for over twenty years and out.
I opened a flower shop with my wife Janet is eight years in Jaragua do Sul
I myself have a dream to build my log home!
The country plans got excelent information!
This week built a ramp to access the store and gazebo for a vine.

I mounted the ramp into two parts to fix the floor, my wife did not understand and he doubted if it would work.

[Antonio Carlos Machado]

Glenn, yesterday I took my printer for repair she did not care,
I gave the budget value $ 75.00 to replace the power board.
Gave up a new printer repair costs $ 100.00.
I took it home and see if the problem solution was easy (I had nothing to lose) the input power was poorly welded and loosened up giving bad contact.

It was just incredible welding!! Good job it was!

[glenn kangiser]

Beautiful ramp, Tony and it looks like it worked out just fine to me.  I took a couple years of wood shop and also 2 years of electronics in High School.

I worked with my parents delivering milk and bread before I was 18 but I also ran a Trout Hatchery part time as well as a U-Catch-Em pond for a neighbor from the time I was about 13 to 16 years old.....by myself many times.

Yes... many times electronics printed circuit board problems can be fixed by just some good checking on the mechanical connections and re-soldering the ones that fail.  Often it will be where a flexible part such as a cord connects to the board or where a component was not soldered well to begin with.

Best regards to you and your family in Brazil...

[glenn kangiser]

Last night Sassy and I had a barbecue... coming up to the end of the premium steaks from Mr Beefsteak...




....it was great and also left me enough for several breakfast burritos..

After dinner, Sassy made us some strawberry sundaes and I put the whip cream on them. [ouch]




I haven't seen much of the cows lately which happens commonly during the spring, but Bossy and Cherry were near the road yesterday.  Cherry is filling out nicely turning into a full grown Dexter (mostly) cow now.

[ben2go]

 

[glenn kangiser]

Wait a minute, Ben... she's a little Heifer....



....but she has got an uncle and a little brother..... [ouch]

[glenn kangiser]

Mr Beefsteak joined Sassy and I for a barbecue again last night for dinner...


A couple of wonderful chuck roasts cooked my favorite way....






I hate to cook enough for just one meal and since Sassy is working in the valley now, I made enough for her to take some with her too.


Smoke cooked in the smoker.... yummy...   


There you go Ben...

[ben2go]

Now   

[glenn kangiser]

Sorry 'bout that, Ben...

[ben2go]

Nothing better than lean beef that's grass feed.I do hate to see a cow go to slaughter tho.Currently,I can't have much red meat unless it really lean and small portion.I am trying to loose weight and animal fat doesn't digest to well in me.

[glenn kangiser]

Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar could help with that, Ben.  Not sure but it helps me. 

[ben2go]

Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar could help with that, Ben.  Not sure but it helps me. 

I need to try some since I have a steady income.How do you use it?I hear it's good to cook with.