A gorilla fixed my belt

Well, Gorilla Glue fixed my belt. This is a belt I got second hand more than a decade ago. It is very solid leather. It is one of those things you have that looks a bit worn, but the same as it did ten years ago after constant use. I stitched that join up once before many years ago but this time, after breaking two needles, I decided to try out the glue I had bought for a different project (it didn't work for that project, btw). Wet one side, glued the other, used my high tech clamps, and three hours later it seems to have worked. We'll see how long it lasts.

Cycling Psychology

I took a new bike route to work last week, cycled it MWF. I varied my route home but had the same new route in all three days. It was noticeably easier the third day I did it. I am pretty sure I did not get myself in better shape in one week, so I think this is all psychological. When you know the route and what is coming ahead, it is just easier to face it I think. Possibly it was just that I paced myself differently on the route knowing what was coming up, but my total time was about the same all three days.

Not all oranges...

Not all oranges are created equal. My wife picks these Cara oranges up somewhere on Commercial Drive: Donald's Market, the East End Food Co-op, or Santa Barbara Market - all excellent places to shop for food, so you won't regret hunting for oranges in these places. Slightly pinkish flesh, but not tasting of grapefruit or blood orange, these are juicy and excellent!

Garden Improvements

I have fallen behind with my blogs, but a few weeks ago my friend, Trent, and I undertook the major Summer gardening task of removing the last section of cedar hedge in the yard. They used to be all around the back yard, taking out about 5 feet on all sides of yard space. Cedar hedges are not trivial to maintain and these had been neglected, by the previous owners as well as us. The yard feels a lot bigger with them finally gone.  

Nothing left but the stumps to remove. My aim is to do one a week and they'll be cleared out by Spring. 

This back garden used to be a fenced in dog area, with cedar hedges all around. I found those ancient roses back there and on the right is now our herb garden (chives, oregano, sage, lemon thyme, and mint) as well as some of the hardy irises that spread like crazy that we have from the place we rented 20 years ago. 

On the East side, which was also taken up by cedar hedge removed a few years ago, we have some vegetable beds. This year it is garlic, blueberries (but you won's survive on the number of these we get), tomatoes, yellow squash and beans. The small one on the right was put in by my son and his girlfriend. 

Scrap material coffee table

I wanted to make a coffee table from the scrap material I have piled in the garage. I looked online through images of coffee tables and saw some really excellent ones. The one below I thought was really interesting, and it wasn't that expensive (listed at $200). To be clear, I didn't make this one!

Below is the one I did make, out of 1by2s and two panels from an old computer desk. I like the contrast between the metal and the wood. It turned out more or less as I had hoped. The joints are not square and there are visible screws, but that just adds to the rustic character!