Cake Pops...or not

Hey Folks,

It's a Bake Sale day and one the items on my menu was to be cake pops. Maybe you've seen those cute little cakes on a stick that can be dipped into melted candy chips and decorated in all kinds of adorable ways. Really! That's what the box containing the fancy schmancy cake pop baking machine said when I bought the darn thing. Yeeesss...I bought one (head hung in shame). Well, let me tell you after numerous hours of monkeying with the cake batter and the machine (heating it up & cooling it down) and my kitchen looking like a flour bomb went off in it, I finally had to call it...FAIL! They came out looking like little pods from some alien movie. I was afraid if I stared at them long enough some screeching, slimy little creature would come bursting out and chase me around until it could attach itself to my spine and control my mind. I would then be forced to take over the world and make my fellow humans do stuff like eat nothing but pizza for every meal 7 days a week for like...forever! And though my cousin David would happily submit to that, I'm sure the rest of you would tire of it in no time.

Anyway, digressive diversion aside...needless to say there were not cake pops for sale today. Several hours past my bedtime & in the midst of the disaster zone that was my kitchen, I found myself making cookies. Somehow my subconscious mind had taken over when I was shopping the week before and had bought extra ingredients for a Plan B I was unaware of. I'm beginning to think my subconscious mind knows me a whole lot better than the conscious one seems to. Hmmmm...

As for the candy melts I was suppose to dip them in and they'd come out looking all perfect? Did not perform as advertised, 'nuff said.

Despite my silly exploits in the kitchen, and because of my wonderful co-workers, it was another amazingly successful fundraising event! My awesome celebrity co-baker Cindy E made a rave worthy Oatmeal, Spiced Cake with Cream Cheese frosting. Many thanks to her!! My contribution was of course, not cake pops, but Oatmeal Cranberry Raisin cookies and two kinds of Five Layer bars, one with chocolate chips and the other with butterscotch chips. My generous co-workers made donations totaling $84.01!!!!! I'm so grateful! Thanks as well to Mollie from Willamette West Habitat, who stopped in for a tour of our building and got a few treats to bring back to the office with her. You may remember from my first post, she's the one who got me into all of this. Wait!?! I'm thanking her? ;) Yes, thank you Mollie. :)

Don't faint...I actually remembered to take a picture of the table before the start of the sale. The plates were notably empty at the end of my day. Many, many thanks to all!

Nanette

Safety first...

Hey Folks,

This week we continued our focus on houses 5 & 6 as well as house 7. It was another mixed day weather wise. Some sun and the 'r' word, without the hail this time. Got pretty soaked in a couple of downpours but that's the nature of the work. And for some weird reason, I don't seem to mind.

If you remember from last week, we ended Saturday having worked on some first floor interior walls and had begun the stairs. As you can see from this first photo, the rest of the interior walls were framed and most of the TJIs were set for the second floor in both houses. The stairs were also completed. TJI (or sometimes called TGI because it rolls of the tongue easier) is short for Truss Joist I-beam the main support of the subfloor along with one or more strategically placed beams. 

Since we're nearly ready to begin the decking on the second floor, it was time to put safety measures in place to keep someone from taking an unfortunate step off the second floor and end up with a very expensive ride to the hospital. Plus there would be the trying to live it down part, which could be worse than the broken arm or leg gotten from the fall. :P In this photo, one of our future homeowners is working with one of our AmeriCorps volunteers to get the rails secured. I'm in the blue hardhat working with Cliff, a long time WWHH volunteer and site supervisor, getting the last few TJIs set in house 6. Exact placement is very important not only for the strength and stability of the floor but to be able to predict where you will need to align the decking sheet seams so they can be nailed into the TJIs.

While some of us were outside, we had some returning volunteers from Tualitan HS work on cleaning up house 7 after our mud & tape folks completed their work. They did a great job getting everything ready for priming the walls.

By the time we broke for lunch, our rails around the second floor were in and all TJIs in place. As you can see we even got a bit of a break from the downpours with the sun popping out for a bit. 

Lunch was in our new Habi-Hut which will be in house 2 for a while. 

Our old hut will be used for storing insulation until it's taken apart and moved. As you can see our new spot is much larger and will soon have indoor plumbing. Yeah!

We even have a ham in the kitchen wearing an orange cap (Kevin, one of our AmeriCorps crew leaders :P) along with the second shift of volunteers from Tualitan HS and Ri Len who is giving them an orientation.

Bill even has a real office now. :)

After lunch nailers needed to be installed along the front and back of the houses running horizontal to the TJIs. Nailers are strips of wood we cut from leftover decking (we try to find a use for everything so as not to be wasteful) and are set above outside wall top plates and interior walls that also run horizontal to the TJIs. These strips are meant to overhang the top plates by about and inch to an inch & a half, giving the folks who will be installing the first floor ceiling drywall, something to screw into. They use the TJIs for the rest of it. Once more the distance between the TJIs comes into play for the most efficient use of materials with the ceiling drywall. Job complete by end of day.

The sun was bright and warm as we walked off site. A lovely way to end our productive day. :)

Until next time, live your best life, however big or small it may be!

Nanette

A thought for today

We're framing a future

Hey Folks,

This week was a framing frenzy. And we kept on working in the sun, hail & of course the 'r' word because Mother Nature was making darn sure we were going to have some balance to the lovely, spring like day in the 60's we experienced the day before. Just like her. :P

Walking on site I could see they made some good progress on Tues & Weds on houses 5 & 6. All the outer walls for the first floor were up & sheathed with a few of the inner walls framed. Our job was to continue work on the interior wall framing. Women Build crew leader RiLen and myself worked with some bright and enthusiastic young women from Pacific University on constructing several walls and tying them together with others already in place. I hadn't taken a drawing and built a wall since October so I'll admit, it took me a bit to get all the synapses firing in 'read and build' mode. It finally all clicked and we were off! This process of course, seems to always include going to Bill, the fellow that designs our houses, and asking some questions. Better to ask than having to redo.

The young women from Pac U caught on quickly, were tenacious and did a great job. Our 2X4 & 2X6 boards were precut for us beforehand to save us time during the framing process. We did learn though, to double check the measurements in case something was off a bit. I've learned the hard way it never hurts to measure again. It's a royal pain to get 16 penny nails out of a 2X4 board. Seriously, no fun. :(

Once our walls were built we followed the measurements of where they should stand in relation to the other walls already in place. Then we checked them for level and made sure they were square before securing them to the subfloor and tying them to the existing walls with our tie plates on the top of the wall. By lunch we'd completed our task and bid farewell to the super volunteer group from Pac U.

After our break, framing continued in house 6 with two of our future homeowners (on the right) putting in some their sweat equity hours (500 total) along with more young volunteers from Tualitan HS and some of our crew leaders.

In house 5 we worked on putting in stairs. My first time. Our stringers (I guess I would call them the outline cutouts of our stairs) were precut for us though I've cut them myself once and learned you have to be very precise for safety reasons. The stairs need to be the correct depth for feet to step on and also need to be level so there isn't an unsafe tilt to them. Two 2X4s are measured to the length of the two outer stingers and cut on the ends to match the angled cuts on each end of the stringers. One is then attached to the angled wall going up the stairs and the other against the wall that divides the two homes. Next the stringers are set into placed and nailed to the landing, 2X4s and the subfloor, with a third going in the center. Time for the risers, which are set into place before the stair treads. Once more we are careful to make sure everything is flush and level to prevent problems with tilt on a stair. While cutting the risers I was able to learn to use a new tool which happened to be a new table saw we've acquired. It was lovely. :)

All in all it was a very good day despite all the weird weather changes and we were, as always, grateful for the wonderful volunteers who hung in there to help out.

Till next time, live your best life, however big or small it may be!

Nanette

They gave from their hearts...

And blew me away once more with their generosity! Even with tomorrow's promise of more treats as part of their Valentine's celebrations, folks participated enthusiastically to support our Women Build home. Unbelievably too, even with the darn camera in my front pocket, I still forgot to get a pic before I made the all page that the bake sale had started. Got back to my cube and drat! So this shot is about 5 or so minutes into the sale.

Many, many thanks to this week's celebrity co-baker, Heather, not only for her famous jalapeño rolls, but also for her heart shaped chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodle cookies. Which, by the way, she had never made before. Snickerdoodles that is (another fun word to say). I had one (ok two), and she hit it out of the park on her first try.

This time I tried two things I'd never made before. Red velvet cupcakes with almond cream cheese frosting and parmesan cheese scones. Both from scratch. My mom would've be proud. Our sale brought in an amazing $79.66 for Women Build! In the world of fundraising, never, never, ever, pooh-pooh a bake sale. Especially at Vernier Software & Technology. :)

The next bake sale will be in two weeks, where I'll have the pleasure of being joined by celebrity co-baker Cindy E!

Raising Walls

Hey Folks,

This week I worked off site on another project so one of our crew leaders RiLen, who will be lead for our Women Build home, took pictures and filled me in on what happened while I was away.

3.5" framing nail

The focus again this week was on the lot for houses 5 and 6. With the subfloor decking complete, it's time to start building and raising the first floor outer walls. These walls are built in several sections, then are nailed to long bottom plates of 2x4s, as well as to each other. There's a center firewall between the two homes that's well insulated to reduce sound. The remaining three outer walls have windows, doors or both. I've learned the hard way, these sections need to be assembled in specific steps so there is access to all the points that need to be nailed. It's pretty much a royal pain to try to drive a 16 penny framing nail in when you only have a few inches of swing room with your hammer.

How it was explained to me is to start on the inside part of the section and work your way out. Or in the case of a window or door frame, to start with the inside box and wrap the rest of the wood around it.

After the sections are attached to the bottom plates, the sheathing is nailed to the frame while it's still lying flat. It makes the wall heavier to lift but it's significantly easier to attach the sheathing.

 

Time to raise the wall! As you can see it takes a few hands to make this happen. Braces are then put in place to hold it in place.

Sometimes a wall needs a bit of adjustment. That's where a sledgehammer comes in handy. A sledge is also referred to as The Convincer. :)

By end of day one of the outer walls on both 5 and 6 were up. Other wall framing and raising be continued by more volunteers on Tuesday.

House 8 also got some work done on it with a crew putting in insulation. Volunteers make sure wear masks to protect their lungs from airborne insulation fibers. 

Our homes are Energy Star rated to help our families reduce their energy bills, keep warm in the chilly Northwest months and cooler during the summer.

Some of the folks I work with:

Meet Mike our Construction Manager. He keeps all the wheels turning at our Habitat and materials flowing so the site has what it needs when it needs it, keeping the build rolling along. His long list of responsibilities takes him from input on site selection and bids to the final walk through with the families that will live in the homes we build. As well, his work involves not only scheduling materials, but subcontractors and inspectors. Mike must balance the safety and quality of our homes along with keeping up environmental standards while keeping costs in check. These things are just the tip of the iceberg. I have a feeling it's never a dull day for this guy. :)

About WWHH:

What makes Willamette West Habitat different from other housing organizations?
Willamette West Habitat does not build homes for people, but with them in partnership. Homeowners must invest 500 hours of “sweat equity” into the building of their homes, make a down payment, and pre-pay their mortgage insurance and property taxes. The homes are then sold at no profit, through a no-interest loan. Each homeowner’s monthly mortgage payments go into a revolving fund that is used to build more Habitat homes.

Well, that's all the excitement for this week! Until next time, live your best life, however big or small it may be!

Nanette

What's that bright light in the sky?

Hey Folks,

What a beautiful day it was on site! I can't decide if Mother Nature is blessing or taunting us with days like this. Started a bit chilly, but the sky was clear, with a lovely blue ceiling. By noon it was temperate out, with the sun's glow warming us. Days like this are a blessing as they give us a break from the cold, gray days that dominate many of the months here in the Northwest. It can be a bit of a taunt too however, as we know the rainy days will return until the unofficial start of summer in PDX on July 5th. :P Though I'm sure people in many places feel they appreciate the radiance of our glowing orb in the sky, I believe no one can possibly appreciate it more than those of us who live under predominantly ashen skies. Give us a sunny afternoon and we'll empty every structure that protects us from the elements, filling the streets & parks to take in the day. On days like this, I'll see smiles on the faces of the people at my local park that has a man made lake to walk around. There'll be families hanging out at the play structure and picnic tables, older couples strolling along the path holding hands and dogs bouncing about in the grass. That's what it felt like yesterday afternoon. It was great to be working outside.

Right now this is a place to store extra materials and whatnot, but it looks like in just a matter of about three weeks the hole will be dug in this spot for our 2013 Women Build home. So looking forward to getting started!

Most of the focus was on getting the decking on for houses 5 & 6, along with completing the drywall installation in house seven. My first task was to finish up the radon piping in the crawl space bringing it above the subfloor. First I needed to drill a 3 1/2” hole through a 1 1/2 “ wooden cross brace (I believe that's the correct term, still learning) to run the piping through. I've used a saw hole bit before but only through subfloor decking which isn't as thick. 

It was some work to keep the darn drill from kicking back on me but the real fun began when I discover the bit wasn't deep enough and I ended up on my back in muddy water to drill through the bottom of the brace, getting a face full of sawdust for my efforts. Now that's a good time! In the end, the pipes were where they belonged and I only ended up with a swollen thumb and a snoot full a sawdust. Believe me, it could've been worse. :P

While we were waiting on our delivery, the last of the drywall and metal corner beading were installed on house 7, bringing it another step closer for the mudding and taping to happen. At this point there're always some tricky little spots to fit unusually shaped pieces of drywall into. Reminds me of the variety of shapes you'll often see if you've taken geometry.

We had a great group to tackle the decking job once all was ready, which included some hard working & enthusiastic teens from Tualatin HS. Care is taken that everything measures out correctly, including making sure the beam centers are 24 inches apart so the seams on the decking run down the middle. Pieces of decking are cut so they are laid out in a staggered manner, creating a stronger floor. Holes are drilled though some sheets to accommodate the bolts around the top of the stem wall and pipes coming up from the crawl space and into the houses. Next week wall framing will begin.

This last picture in a peaceful shot of the site at end of day when the work is done and the volunteers have headed home after giving us their best. We're grateful they're willing to share their time and hard work. 

Until next time, live your best life, however big or small it may be!

Nanette