Hey hubcaps, it's been a while! Just landed a job where I'll be earning 2.5x what I used to make (but I laid myself off in May), which is great but I do expect some culture shock as this will be the very first corporate role I've held. Also, my partner is now wondering what it would be like if we lived in NYC, which would probably be cool as we have lots of friends and family there, but like, even though I just got a big pay bump, I'll basically be back to my old buying power if/when we move, but them's the breaks. Honestly, after living on the West Coast for a bit I really miss the walkability of East Coast cities. Personally, I think my partner also wants to live in a place where she can wear her collection of vintage fur coats she's been amassing FOR NO REASON, but whatever.
Sick! I’ve also just signed a contract for my new job at 2.5x my old salary. I like this theme. Never had this much money before, I’m tempted to sign up to all kinds of evening classes I could not afford before but can’t decide on what to pick. I want to do everything from juijitsu to coding to learning Spanish to ceramics to singing classes… an exiting problem to have!
First real job interview in 3 hours. Health emergency planner for a local health department. Seems like a potentially fun job, but it's limited term meaning it's for a single project and cannot be more than 3 years and that's the longest they'll employ me. But likely less than that. It does come with health benefits and retirement benefits but doesn't provide pension (though will that be around in 40 years anyway?). It'll be an interesting interview for sure. I'm mostly just glad to finally have a real interview and not just rejection emails again and again.
Made an estimated 0.4% gin by distilling ethanol away from the ones I haven't touched since my treatment started. Don't miss drinking, socially or otherwise, miss the taste. Yeah, there are boozeless ones you can buy, but this was cheaper, easier, less wasteful, and proved a fun exercise. Kinda want to get a rotovap now since it'd make it easier/possible to further divide fractions and try blending, but that's a stupid expense any way you look at it. It took fourteen weeks and sifting through a deluge of shitty advice, but I managed to finish a half-marathon. Nothing official, i.e. I didn't pay someone for the 'privilage' of being timed on hot city asphalt, but got there in 2:18 regardless. It was surprisingly fun and fulfilling, but a sub-par replacement to sprinting and other stuff I still can't do because of the foot. The father of a kid I tutored almost a decade ago got in touch, surprised at how things have turned, asking if I'd be available to teach at a school he apparently presides over. A senior academic pawning off his son's education to a random kid found on the internet notwithstanding, there's a long list of pros and cons, though I probably will take it since it's an obvious opportunity. Currently waiting for my department's whoever to respond if it's kosher with them and avoid stink. Pretty good summer, overall.
Tearing down the garden shed this week with my dad to rebuild it next week. The goal is to stemgeheim the structure and give it a green roof. We’re just at the point where we now know how big the task really is. (Quite big…) I’m exhausted but it’ feels good to work hard like this.
I'm toying with the idea of trying woodworking. It started when looking at my crappy hollow core doors from the '80s. Could I build my own doors? I kind of think I could. I also want to replace trim, so that means miter saw anyway. Just need to add a planer and jointer for big tools. It's all expensive but after replacing my roof nothing feels that expensive anymore.
Yeah expansion and warping are concerns. Seems like higher quality wood at least helps that. I've seen comments that people will leave the wood inside for a few weeks since my house temperature and humidity will be different than the lumber store.
The cut of wood matters (which part of the trunk) that changes how the wood moves but ultimately all wood will expand and contract with the seasons. Good designs and practices account for wood moving and provide it space to move without creating ugly gaps.
A guy from back home got really into making doors and today he makes a living on instagram/renting out the tiny homes and cabins he builds (featuring cool doors!). Anyway, my friends from back home that got into woodworking when we were kids are all still at it and having a blast doing it. Give it a whirl, no need to go any deeper than it being fun!
Thanks for the encouragement! I've never tried anything quite like this, but I've tried other things I'd never done that worked out well. I figure an average hand built wood door is better than the decades old generic ones I have.