It sure has been a busy time at the Koehn Bungalo these past few months. It seems that one project comes after another. Will we EVER be finished with projects!?!?

The first project to frustrate us was the hardwood floors. It turns out that we had active termites in our floors. The exterminator sprayed and finally eradicated them. During Christmas weekend, when family came down, Ron, Howell, Bobby and I worked on the floors and were able to get in the new boards prior to lunch! I am very pleased. I still have yet to sand them down and redo the whole floor so it all matches... but we have a floor!

The next project was more of a want than a necessity. Though I could argue that a good, solid work bench is necessary, having a floor does take precedence. I decided to make this thing very substantial. I used regular pine for the framing and pressure treated 4x4s for the legs with solid 2x10s for the top. I am quite pleased with it. It offers a great work area and also a way to organize all my junk. Well... most of it. It is 8 feet long and I have argued that should we ever have to shelter refugees, this could also double as a bunk bed for 2 adults, or 1 adult and 2 children or 4 children... ANYWAY. It is the first project for making my shop. All I need now is MORE TOOLS!

The most recent (and current can of worms) is replacing the floor of our fireplace. It all started with the harth being uneven... so being the investigatory craftsman that I am, I survey the underlying cause... the verdict, lowsy fix-menship. It is half-collapsed under the house and I remove most of it by hand. I procede to knock the rest out with a sledge hammer and now have a giant HOLE in my floor... this time it goes ALL THE WAY to the dirt!

I plan on pouring a slab of concrete, letting it set-up a bit, ancor the cinder-blocks in it, mortar the blocks, fill at least 75% of the space with "57-stone" and top it off with concrete leaving a lip so I can put granite in the harth.

THE PROBLEM, however, is that two floor joists are so eaten by termites that I removed most of it with my hand! So, now the fireplace project is on hold until I can get my hands on a reciprocating saw to cut out the bad boards, then I need to insert NEW boards (pressure treated). Once I get those secured, I need to jack up my floor and put supports under the new boards... Once this is accomplished... THEN I can begin my fireplace project. Until then we have another hole in our floor...

WHEN WILL IT END?!?!

Well, it has been THREE years of wedded bliss! It is hard to fathom that three years has passed, already. Onna and I went up to Hendersonville, NC (near Asheville) where we honeymooned three years ago at The Kilarney House (a bed and breakfast). We had a lovely time together and were able to enjoy downtown Asheville and go to our favorite pub/pizzaria, Barley's Taproom.

While we were in Asheville, Onna and I had talked about the strong possibility of moving up to Asheville after Onna finishes her Midwife Apprenticeship and I finish Paramedic school. My school start date, however, has been delayed yet again. It was originally scheduled to start 4 Dec 06 and was bumped to 8 Jan 07 (tomorrow). Now, they do not know WHEN it will start, but estimate some time in March. The problem lies, I believe, in the paperwork needed to go through at Midlands Technical College. We are the first Paramedic class, here, taught by Midlands EMS but also receive college credit at Midlands Technical College. Though I would love nothing more than to start Paramedic school, I will more appreciate having 36 credits paid for, and applicable toward a degree.

Though we know we cannot make a move until we are finished with our schooling, Onna and I are looking at land on which we can build our hay-bail house. We are thrilled at the possibility of owning a few acres in the mountains, but are intimidated at the reality of finances, etc. We will go where the Lord leads, but we will plan on the possibility of moving to Asheville within the next few years.