werk sux, construction and SRP might be going away!

Work...what shall I say...it's no fun....

Well, it is fun, but only in some ways. In some ways, it's not all that great. For instance: I'm not moving to Seattle. Which means that I'll have to wait longer for another opportunity to do that. However, in lots of ways, it's good that I'm not leaving. I want more time to use my boat on the local lakes, get use to it and such before I take it out to a bigger place (not doing that again without a gas motor!). I also want to spend more time hunting in the area out there. I've got some new strategies that I want to try and some new spots I want to try...I've got an apple tree that I'm going to watch as food gets scarce later in the season!

Also, if I moved to Seattle, I wouldn't get odd things happening to me at work, like being called on to help move logs to help in my boss's renovation! We had to move logs into the house the other day. Three logs. They've been assembled, and are now part of an entrance into the kitchen. Today, we helped stand it up so that it could actually be in place. It was quite the change! They actually have a step up, and are getting a floor! A REAL floor, instead of painted subfloor.

It's funny, because our office is finished, but the rest of the house isn't, and is just now being finished.



So, speaking on construction, I'm spending some time actually putting the pieces of the headboard together. I have every piece I need, foam, fabric, wood, and hardware, and I just need to put them together. I spent time today collecting the parts, so I didn't get much construction done, but I already had the main piece of OSB cut, and the uprights I'm using. So, today, I measured the exact width, clamped the uprights on the back piece.

Ok, here's where it gets kinda hard to describe. Basically, the headboard will be 2 upright 2x4's holding up a 3'x6.5' piece of OSB, covered with foam, and then a cheap fabric, then a nice fabric over that. The 2x4's get bolted to the bed frame to hold it all as one piece.

Ok, but in order to attach the OSB to the uprights, I need to attach them before I put the fabric on. But, if I do that, then the fabric has weirdness where it comes in contact with the 2x4's. This prevents a nice clean look, so that idea went to the scrap heap.

Instead, I thought, I'll just screw the OSB onto the uprights after I put the fabric on....Either I go through the fabric, or there's just not enough holding the whole thing to the uprights or it pokes through....that won't work either.

So, after a bit of thinking......I decided that the uprights wouldn't attach to the OSB at all. Instead, I would get a chunk of 2x2, 16" long, on each side, just inside the uprights. If I screw into the 2x2's while the OSB has nothing on it, I can then wrap the fabric around the whole board, with no weirdness on the edges AND I can attach the uprights to the 2x2's using lag bolts, and it will be plenty strong. The nice thing about this design is that I'll have 3 bolts on each side on the bottom of the thing to unhook it from the bed and then 2 lag screws on the back to detach the uprights from the main piece for transport if/when we move next.

Yes, it's brilliant! I'm sure I stole it from someone, so go ahead and steal it from me!



Now, about SRP. Spokane Raceway Park is in Receivership, which means that it's basically bankrupt, and in the hands of the investors. This is bad news. It could very easily get shut down. The forum (http://www.pnwriders.com) has been trying to make a difference, and be heard (http://www.pnwriders.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49153). There is a form letter you can use to send to the county commissioners, which I'm posting below, along with their email addresses if anyone feels strongly about it, SEND! Even if you don't feel strongly, but kinda feel! More voices is more help! I don't know why, but I'm doing what I can to be involved in this. I've never run on the track, but I really want to. Strangely, activism feels good! REALLY GOOD. I recommend it!

The email addresses of the council members are:
Todd Mielke: TMielke@spokanecounty.org
Mark Richard: MRichard@spokanecounty.org
Bonnie Mager: BMager@spokanecounty.org

-----------------THE LETTER-------------------------------
(YOUR NAME HERE)
(YOUR ADDRESS HERE)
(YOUR ADDRESS HERE)

Commissioner Todd Mielke
Commissioner Mark Richard
Commissioner Bonnie Mager
Spokane County Courthouse
1116 West Broadway Ave.
Spokane WA 99260

Dear Commissioners Mielke, Richard and Mager,

While I am not citizen of Spokane County, I am a motorcyclist, and I have followed the developments surrounding the troubles with Spokane Raceway Park closely. The loss of this motor sports venue would significantly impact the local and regional community. Track events bring money in from the surrounding areas to support fuel stations, restaurants and hotels near the track. Spokane Raceway Park is the closest track to us in North Idaho, and I would like the continued opportunity to enjoy events there. I would like to add my support to the plan proposed by James Sloane and others that would have the property purchased by the County and operated as a self sustaining, for-profit entity similar to the way in which Portland International Raceway operates now. With continued investment and improvement the facility could draw more events, more spectators, and more tax revenue to the County.

Sincerely,
(YOUR NAME HERE)