GIRLS AND BEER.

I am very ambivalent about birthdays. I don’t celebrate my own, nor others, normally. Other people remember mine. I often don’t. But, Margo on the right, was also not celebrating her birthday, but here we are having a birthday get together for Margo. Basically just an excuse to have a girls night out. Amanda, on the left, is new in town and works at Quyle pottery. A new Brewery in town, we decided to try their beers. But, check out the glasses, Amanda’s glass is tall, Margo has a mug.


Pam and I each have a heavy “brandy” style glass?  Beats me. We ordered a taster and my favorite beer is Black Butte Porter. This brewing company doesn’t make a porter, but their stout was excellent and the rest of their beers were too. Glad we went, but, just a pass on the food. So, go for the beer.

Pam Quyle runs a pottery in Murphys that started with her parents 61 years ago. We’ve been long time friends and Pam decided we will have dinner at my house in February. She is the organizer so, now I know what kind of beer everyone likes. February it is. Maybe we’ll  not celebrate another birthday if we can find a friend born in February? I gave Margo the best card. We’re all single. On the front it reads, “I was trying to find a man for you.” On the inside it read, “But, why get something so useless.”

I know, its bad. I was the fourth recipient of that card. I scratched my name out and put in Margo’s. It’s a girl thing. It went well with the beer.

A TRUE "GREEN" HOUSE.

The world is full of junk keepers, yours truly,-guilty! For weeks I've been hunting a storage container. To pay to store things, at least for any long term, is just not cost affective. Smarter to buy a container and store items until you decide what to do with them, right? Storage containers have become very popular and they can be pricey. I went back and forth with several outfits, one guy tried to sell me a container full of rust. An Oakland outfit had beautiful containers, well maintained, but by the time we added in a regular door, a window for some light, paint, vent etc. it became too expensive. During the sales speech he made it clear that if it is 100* outside, it will be 120* inside. Do I really want to fry anything worth storing? i realized, a shipping container is NOT the answer for me.

My neighbors have a marvelous building made of styrofoam.  This is the door to their wine cellar. Made of styrofoam blocks. You can see the door is about 12 inches thick.


This is their garage. The same thick walls. The garage is under the house. Styrofoam? Holding up a house you might ask? Well, the blocks are hollow. They have re-enforcing rod in them. They are erected as a kit and go together like legos.  Then the four walls are poured full of concrete in one day. Six inches of concrete, six inches of styrofoam. Instant insulation. It maintains an even temperature summer and winter. One small portable electric heater, heats the entire house on extra chilly days.


This is a doorway to the house. They mounted an air conditioning unit that they rarely use, because they didn't know how cool the house would stay. It is a true,  "green" house. The studs are steel.


The indoor walls are made of foam panels that can be sheet rocked or paneled just like conventional walls.


The outside can be wood or plastic, siding. This house has an off-center roof, to hold enough solar panels to power their original stick house and this new one. The house has a conventional wood truss roof, with shingles.  The kit for the house was $7200 seventeen years ago. The wood floor to mount it on, the roof, the concrete pour, electrical and plumbing, extra. Still, an economical way to build. This couple, he, a chef, her an airline agent, had no building experience. They put kit walls up themselves, in two days. A friend helped by making sure the metal rail that holds the steel studs, was perfectly straight.

Now I have to start all over again, to find a supplier for a cool green storage building. The downside is, I was hoping to have storage before my family reunion over July 4th weekend. Since I've  been on the road with Jim, my place gets pretty neglected. A lot of work ahead during this extended home-stay.

I love building. And I love learning something new. Now, I'm excited.