Constructing Tiers on a Berm: Phase Two...6/30

Unfortunately, due to an exclusive agreement with Kindle, I have been asked to remove the contents of this page. However, all the information you will need to build your retaining wall, can be found in my book. I am very sorry of any inconvenience this may cause.

Sod Removal for Tier Construction

Unfortunately, due to an exclusive agreement with Kindle, I have been asked to remove the contents of this page. However, all the information you will need to build your retaining wall, can be found in my book. I am very sorry of any inconvenience this may cause.

Thank You to My Advertisers: 6/22-6/28

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living

Friday Fotos: 6/26

Once again, Friday is upon us. Here are a few photos to help get you through those last couple of hours, until quitting time. Enjoy your weekend...



Wow, what a sale...

courtesy of... lolhome.com



Alright, this is just strange...

courtesy of... funnyjunk.com





courtesy of... icanhascheezburger

The Tale of the Attic Fan

I will be taking a break from working on the berm, so I can have a barrel of fun installing our new attic fan. Yes, it came today and I went up and started taking measurements. What I discovered did not fill me with happiness. In order to install the shutters, I need to have a minimum of 19 ¾". This will allow the shutter to be installed flush with the front of the house. Now, as you can see from this picture, the distance from the stud on the left to the one in the middle is 15". This means that I will have to move that portion of the stud to the right. Since this is a load-bearing wall, I will have to make sure I support it correctly.

I am no carpenter, nor have I ever claimed to be, but this is not going to be a fun task for me. It is not only the carpentry aspect that has me thinking, but it is the environment that I will be working in. If you take a look at the last picture, that is how I have to travel through this warren of pain (I have to go through 8 of those rafters). I have to walk hunched-over and make sure I stay on the small 2 x 4 that the construction workers were kind enough to leave behind. To add a little more to this fun-fest, the temperature is a good 30° higher in the attic. Today it was only 84° outside, but it was well over 105° in the attic. Too much fun. Anyway, I will need to paint the shutters to match the house and then figure out how I am going to cut the hole in a perfectly good gable.

Once the fan is installed, I will than have to wire it. I was planning on just direct-wiring it (with no switch), but have now decided that I would like to have a little more control, so I will be installing a master on/off switch. In addition, I will also be installing a thermostat override switch. This will allow me to activate the fan during the winter time (I don't have the $90.00 for the humidistat). This, of course, requires running 3 wires and a ground (14/3), instead of just 2 wires and a ground (14/2). Naturally, the Romex I have is 14/2...go figure.



Broan-NuTone 353 1140 Cfm Gable-Mounted Powered Attic Ventilators


This is a picture of the attic fan I purchased (plywood was purchased at Home Depot).

Links Open in New Browser Window or Same

I have a quick question, which came up in a forum I am active in. When you are visiting a site and click on a link, do you prefer to have it open in the same window or in a new window? There seems to be many people, when they are visiting a site, prefer to have the links open in the same window.

Which do you prefer?

If you do prefer the links opening on the same page, could you let me know why?

Thank you.

Thank You to My Advertisers: 6/15-6/21

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living

Koko Participates in International Box Day

I was just going through my feeds and I discovered it was International Box Day. So, in recognition of this most prestigious of days, Koko would like to take this opportunity to put in his two cents. Oh, if you came here for Friday Fotos, please scroll down.


I sniff at International Box Day...





I own this day...





Halt! Who goes there...





Look what came with my shoes...





Too tired to do anymore pictures...

Friday Fotos: 6/19

Yes! It's Friday once again and only one more day till the weekend. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!



courtesy of... shof.msrcsites.co.uk





courtesy of... greatfunnypictures.com




This is so me...

courtesy of... shof.msrcsites.co.uk

Berm Progress Report

Unfortunately, due to an exclusive agreement with Kindle, I have been asked to remove the contents of this page. However, all the information you will need to build your retaining wall, can be found in my book. I am very sorry of any inconvenience this may cause.

Projects Update

Even though I may not be exercising this week, I am still keeping active. I am currently in the process of removing all of the grass/weeds from our berm. This will allow me to be able to actually SEE what I am working with. I have also, after pricing the stones, have had to amend our project to only forty feet this year. I really wanted to be able to complete the entire project this year, but there is no way we can afford it.

Since I am only working on the berm for a couple of hours a day, I should be finished by the end of this week. Now, why am I only working a few hours a day? Well, besides being lazy, I do have other obligations that I have to attend to throughout the day. So, I figure if I can work two to three hours a day on this project, I am doing alright.

Next, I ordered the attic fan and it shipped today, so if it arrives by the weekend, I will be installing that and hopefully keeping the house a little cooler. Since this is the first attic fan I will have installed, I will be boring you with all the installation details. Actually, the installation is not what is really bothering me, it is trying to move around in the attic that will be the problem. All I have to say is that I am glad I lost so much weight; otherwise, there is no way I could probably be able to move around.

Well, I guess I have bored you enough, so I hope you all have a good week. Yes, that is Koko sitting on our washing machine and giving us the ole laser eyes.

Once Again in the Weight Loss Plateau

Well, as I sit here writing this, I am once again in the throes of a weight loss plateau. I have been at the same weight for roughly two months now, so I feel it is time to mix things up a bit. Since the end of January, I have been exercising 5 days a week without fail. During the previous three weeks, I have increased my workouts to seven days a week; four days of strength training and three days of the dreaded Nordic Track.

Since I am still at 216 pounds, I feel that the only way to break this plateau, is to take a break from exercising. I bet it sounds really strange to say, that if I stop exercising for a week, I will begin to lose weight again? But, it does seem to work. You see, as you tally-forth on your exercise and diet regime, your body does not know what to expect, so it will expend the maximum amount of calories to make sure you have the energy you need. As you continue with the exercises, your body will begin to remember how many calories to expend in order to get you through the routine. You will eventually reach a point where, if you do not alter your exercises, your body will know exactly how many calories to burn. When this occurs, you will not be burning any additional calories and your weight will remain the same.

What you need to do, is to "trick" your body. You see, right now my body is expecting me to workout on my Total Gym or Nordic Track and it knows exactly how many calories to expend, to get me through my exercises. So, I need to break my routine and to do that, I'm not going to be exercising this week. I have got to say that it feels really strange not exercising. It is such an ingrained routine that it is going to be difficult not to do it.

If you read back what I just said, it may help to illustrate my point..."it is such an ingrained routine," with the keyword being: routine. In my mind, I am expecting to exercise today; if my mind expects me to exercise, what do you think my body is expecting?

You may be asking yourself, if this really works or not. Well, I have been at this for just shy of two years and I run into these things just about every six to eight weeks. When I take that well-deserved break and resume the following week, I begin to see the weight beginning to come off, once again. So yes, it does work. I have added a few things you might want to try to break your plateau...

• Take a week off


• Come up with new exercises or a different way of doing the old ones


• Change-up the routine. Don't do it the same way each day


• Do both strength training and cardio

Good Luck and let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Thank You to My Advertisers: 6/8-6/14

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living

Retaining Wall Supply List

Unfortunately, due to an exclusive relationship with Kindle, I have had to remove the content from this page. However, all the information you need to build your retaining wall can be found in my book. I'm very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Friday Fotos: 6/12

It is Friday once again, which means it's almost time for the weekend. Here are a few photos I found to help you make it through the day. Have a great weekend, everyone!



Now, that's roughing it...

courtesy of... greatfunnypictures.com




This is SO Koko...

courtesy of...toons.gotblah.com

courtesy of... icanhascheezburger.com

Pre-Construction Photos of Our Berm

Unfortunately, due to an exclusive agreement with Kindle, I have been asked to remove the contents of this page. However, all the information you will need to build your retaining wall, can be found in my book. I am very sorry of any inconvenience this may cause.

Planning Your Tiered Retaining Wall

This is the first in a long series of articles that will take you step-by-step through the phases of installing tiers in your existing berm.




Things You Will Need...

• Paper and pencil


• Tape measure


• Camera


• Calculator


• An old garden hose


• Spray paint

The first thing to do is to take a picture of your project. This has the benefit of acting as a reference during the construction and also serves as a great showpiece for you.

• Take a tape measure and measure the length of your project and mark it down on your paper


• Measure the width of your berm


• Decide how many tiers you will actually need and how far apart they will be placed


• Decide whether or not you will be putting steps in your berm


• Decide if you are going to be installing sprinklers or some other irrigation system


• If your wall is going to be higher than four feet, you will need to look into a geo-grid system to help strengthen your wall


• Find out if you need a building permit


• Decide if you are going to be installing any landscape lighting

• Sit down and make a list of all the materials you will need. This will include everything from the gravel to the actual retaining wall stones


• Once you have your list of supplies, it is time to actually mark the layout of your wall


• Take an old garden hose and run it along the length of the proposed wall. Place the hose in the shape you want your outer wall to be, ie. straight or with curves


• Once you are satisfied with the placement, take the spray paint and spray along the outer edge of the hose


• This will be your guideline throughout the project


• Next, you will need to calculate the number of retaining wall stones you will need

Be advised, the first layer in each tier will be underground and not visible, which means it will not add to the height of your wall.


I hope this helps you get started in the planning of your project. As always, if you have any questions, please let me know and I will do my best to help you.

Thank You to My Advertisers: 6/1-6/7

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living

Friday Photos: 6/5

Another week has just about passed us by and we are now at the half-way point in 2009. I hope everyone had a good week and I wish you all a great weekend. Now, let's fire-up those bar-b-ques!




Too True...

courtesy of... graphjam.com





courtesy of... fukung.net




Looks okay to me...

courtesy of... funnyjunk.com




I couldn't resist...

courtesy of... icanhascheezburger.com

What to Do With the Summer

As I sit here in front of the computer typing the words you are now reading, I am wondering what I am now going to do with my free time? You see, school is out so I have no more lessons to plan; no more math to learn; nothing to teach. There are several things that need to be done around the house, so I guess that is where my focus should lie.

First on the list is the berm. You see, we have an eight-foot tall berm in our backyard that is currently being supported by only a few railroad ties. Not very aesthetically pleasing and definitely not very functional. Since this berm runs the length of our backyard, around sixty feet, I feel it would be a good idea to construct tiers on it. This way we would be able to transfer our garden and the bird feeders to a better location. I have been delaying this chore for some time, because it is going to be an extremely labor-intensive project. Since I don't have ready access to a back hoe, I will need to dig the foundation by hand (a trench for the stones: roughly 16 inches deep by 14 inches wide running the length of the berm). Also, since I am now prone to allergies, I need to keep some toilet paper handy outside, in case of allergy attacks. Not fun.

The other project, that just got dumped on me last night, is to install an attic fan. With this in mind, I have been searching the Internet for a gable-mounted attic fan. I'm pretty sure that I have found one that will work (a Broan), but I still need to compare prices before I actually make the purchase (also, I don't have to do the actual work, until I make the purchase). Since the model I'm looking at pulls just under 4.0 amps, I need to find a circuit that can handle the load. Luckily, about two years ago, I installed a dedicated circuit for the freezer we have out in the garage, so I can tap into that line. Now, I just need to wait for the hottest day of the year to venture into the attic and install it.

Now, for the million dollar question: why should you care what I do with my summer? Well, in addition to giving you something to read while the other Entrecard sites load, I plan to write a few articles about all this. In these articles, I will take you step-by-step through the processes, so if you plan on tackling any of these projects, you won't have to make the same mistakes that I am sure to make. Well, I think I've bored you enough for today, so I'll finish this and continue searching for that fan.

Thank You to My Top Droppers for May

As of November 2009, I will no longer be with Entrecard, so in order to free-up valuable file space, I have removed the images and contents from this page. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. However, I invite you to stop by my main page and see if there is anything of interest to you...

Everyday Living