tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72030862240146607072012-02-02T14:13:06.069-05:00My middle name is Athanasius. I'm named after my maternal grandfather. The title is a play on the name.... Not sure Grandpa would approve.......Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.comBlogger2411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-60903516016118989472010-10-30T22:18:00.000-04:002010-10-30T22:18:43.264-04:00

Just a short post to let you all know that I've migrated my blog to d-dsouza.blogspot.com. I felt that I held on to the Whathanasius moniker long enough. Do visit my new home sometimes.........

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-60186124254886475592010-10-11T09:03:00.001-04:002010-10-11T09:05:35.844-04:00

A month or so ago, I started work on the Main Floor Living area as Lynda wishes to have it double up as a gallery of sorts for her 'Art Open Houses'. The Living Room had a pelmet or valance on three walls that hid fluorescent lighting that were fairly old and for the best part, did not work. I pulled those out with minimal damage to the ceiling and discovered that the popcorn (or acoustic)

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-62072937387917129082010-10-11T08:27:00.001-04:002010-10-11T08:27:40.220-04:00

So here are the shelves finally done and mounted on the walls in the girls rooms. I was lucky that the placement of the girls' beds allowed the shelves to be mounted directly to studs. I painted the shelves using my small touch up sprayer with some leftover paint that I had sitting in the crawlspace. I should get myself one of those HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) as they tend to be more

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-42126979214457145382010-10-03T21:26:00.001-04:002010-10-11T08:15:20.481-04:00

We all dream of unearthing some sort of hidden treasure in an older house. Who knows if previous owners buried gold below their basement floors or maybe even used their unaccounted wads of cash to insulate their exterior walls... Anyways - I've dug enough in my basement and ripped out more walls in my house to know that  I'm not going to find anything here! However - the other day while scouting

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-78444555837566974252010-10-03T21:06:00.002-04:002010-10-11T08:28:13.924-04:00

We finally got Aaliyah & Layla to clean out their rooms and purge a lot of their older toys and books. The rooms look more streamlined now, but I did note that they tended to drop their books and DSi's in the floor near their beds when it was 'lights-out'. We thought about getting them bedside tables, but decided against that as it would make their already small rooms look more cluttered. So it

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-80143334935154232912010-09-08T22:43:00.003-04:002010-09-08T22:44:30.777-04:00

Sugru - derived from the Irish language "sugradh" for "play" is a multi purpose non-slumping version of Silicone that resembles modeling clay or Plasticene. Sugru was developed by Irish sculptor Jane Ni Dhulchaointig resulting from her need to hack stuff to make them function better. Sugru can be modeled just like clay, applied to the surface, shaped and then left to cure for 24 hours. On

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-52786606821527641942010-09-08T08:47:00.000-04:002010-09-08T08:47:00.712-04:00

Forgive me readers for I have not blogged!!!It's been 2 months since my last post. Wow Summer really took us by storm this year. And yet I feel that we managed to accomplish a fair amount. The girls did an entire season of soccer just missing a game apiece, upped two levels in swimming and maintained their piano schedule without missing a heartbeat. Thanks to Karl and Elva, we went from camping

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-1211157468636105872010-06-28T22:46:00.001-04:002010-06-28T22:49:30.197-04:00

I've wanted to change our house numbers ever since we purchased our place, but the offerings in the local hardware stores did not meet my approval and size requirements. I knew what I wanted and that was numbers that were over 10" high digits in a sans serif font. Ordering the fonts were an option, but with estimates of USD 260 ++ for the set, the house numbers did not seem that important. Last

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-11621782710717375812010-05-08T20:52:00.002-04:002010-05-08T20:53:55.778-04:00

I just finished getting the laundry plumbed in courtesy of my plumber of choice and Brampton historian Mike Billings. I had Mike over initially and detailed to him exactly what I wanted. To which he replied - there's an easy way and there's a difficult way, and what you want does not fall into either of those categories. But I got what I wanted anyways. Since I was closing off access to the main

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-12993100413419781982010-03-28T15:33:00.000-04:002010-03-28T15:34:46.505-04:00

11 months ago I did my last post on the build diary for the washroom and took a hiatus while I worked on outdoor projects in the summer. During that time I looked around for a Sheet Metal Worker (AKA Tin Knockers) to modify the HVAC ducting under the stairs to allow for more headroom. Most of the companies that I found in the yellow pages only worked on new projects and most did not want to go

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-61561267031809535802010-03-21T22:42:00.001-04:002010-03-21T22:59:39.596-04:00

Lynda plans to do some art workshops this summer and to do so, she would either have to carry her large easel into the field along with paints and sundry or she could get herself a 'Pochade Box'. A Pochade box (Pochade being French for 'quick sketch') is a small box that mounts directly onto a tripod and acts as an easel as well as storage for a wet palette and paints. En Plein Air or Plein Air

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-62502662427602205792010-03-21T13:54:00.001-04:002010-10-12T18:30:57.690-04:00

Strictly a North American topic this, as we're plagued by the the inevitable 'qualified' cable and phone man who drills holes all around the house seeking the easiest means of ingress for their cable and phone services. My home was not spared and I had no less than 5 holes drilled around the house. More that the holes, was the amount of cable that snaked itself around the perimeter of the house. 

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-50363741522157236142010-03-21T12:04:00.000-04:002010-03-21T12:09:47.120-04:00

If you've ever seen photos from Selective Focus Lenses, you'd know what I'm talking about. Pictures where parts of the image even though in the same plane are completely blown out of focus. Sure you could go out and buy yourself a production lens. Lensbaby makes a range that start at USD 100+ for plastic optics and USD 300+ for glass optics. Canon and Nikon make Perspective control or Tilt-Shift

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-1392016873129483872010-02-17T23:31:00.001-05:002010-02-17T23:33:47.283-05:00

This evening my Aunt asked me to prepare a '25' sign for a cake that she is decorating for a weekend celebration. The last time I made a '50' for her from cardboard. Since I wanted this one to be more durable, I decided to cut the '25' from MDF. You could say that I decided to up the ante for my aunty!!!! Probably the most difficult part of the entire process lay in the transferring of the

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-76125865207933714022010-02-15T22:47:00.000-05:002010-02-15T22:47:19.238-05:00

This month Lynda and her team decided to run a campaign to coincide with the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. As with all of her campaigns, she needed the right decor to set the mood for the Call Centre. The initial decision was to reprint some of the Vancouver 2010 posters, but this posed a challenge as the beams in the Call Centre are fairly narrow. I threw an idea into the mix of having skis done

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-5545548193608352152010-02-11T20:30:00.000-05:002010-02-11T21:37:15.511-05:00

It's become tradition in our house for the girls to give Valentine Day cards to all of their classmates. Last year and the year before that, the girls made the card of foam sheets and cutouts from the dollar store.  This year we decided to up the ante by printing custom cards for the girls. I involved them in the process and they were willing participants even if it meant just moving the cards

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-42373405220174723392010-02-11T12:50:00.001-05:002010-02-11T12:52:14.043-05:00

He's taken over the airwaves. Our little Wunderkind from Stratford, Ontario. Justin Bieber, famous for busking outside the Avon Theater in Stratford has gained a fan following from my daughters who know most of his songs to the letter. I too am not ashamed to admit that I crank up the volume in the car and sing along when he's on. My question here is not whether I like the new song 'Baby' by

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-40809130513971191332010-02-08T23:49:00.000-05:002010-02-08T23:49:57.171-05:00

Meanwhile back in the shed....... This evening I drilled the holes for the tweeter and the binding plate with a 2 ⅛" hole saw and cut out the holes for the woofers with the jigsaw. I then glued and screwed the entire box together before attaching all of the components to the box. Okay, so I'll be the first to admit that it looks like crap, but it's an in-wall speaker that will be hidden in

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-45427951104235828222010-02-07T22:27:00.000-05:002010-02-08T23:50:42.713-05:00

First off.... why the hell won't the Yanks realize that it's actually spelled 'centre' and 'realise' Anyhoo..... So I realized that my Center Channel speaker has nowhere to sit in my current setup. But I need it set up so that we can watch American Idol in glorious Dolby Digital!!! With only the Left and Right speakers on, all I get is music minus the vocals. That won't fly.... So I decided to

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-27650967575544753582010-02-07T21:36:00.000-05:002010-02-08T23:51:42.901-05:00

The other day Lynda sent me a link to a website that showed a Panel Holder that was built by the husband of an artist that she follows. It was a practical fix to a problem encountered by most artists who paint on smaller panels or canvasses. It was not an expensive item, but having the same shipped over to Canada from the States would've increased the price considerably. So I decided to have a go

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-40562343398119698242010-02-04T22:47:00.000-05:002010-02-08T23:51:42.902-05:00

Back in the Eighties, fresh out of high school, I was offered a job by one of my father's customers. I was to drill 0.77mm holes at a 1mm offset from the circumference. This was to facilitate the insertion of an eye ring through which was passed a ribbon. The end product was a sports medal and I was paid 10 paise per hole. During the normal sports season in Bombay, I drilled more than 5000 holes

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-66932818373214233162010-02-04T21:34:00.001-05:002010-03-28T09:26:13.242-04:00

Just this morning Lynda launched her Etsy shop to sell her paintings. It's an undertaking that has been quiet a few weeks in the making. We simultaneously launched a blog where it would be possible to showcase her work in a higher resolution than what would be possible on Etsy. We also sent out a newsletter to announce this to our family and friends with the request that it be forwarded to all

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-52544403689140390052010-01-04T16:30:00.000-05:002010-02-08T23:52:14.965-05:00

On Saturday Lynda took the girls to the library to exchange some books and get some new ones. I sat in the car with Coach and watched the beginning of Public Enemies. Layla, being Layla, probably went to one of the PCs reserved for searching the Library Catalogue. Being quite different from her laptop, I imagine that she wrote her frustration down on one of the small note papers hoping to take

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-17024105839050101292010-01-03T17:35:00.002-05:002010-02-08T23:52:26.927-05:00

So I spoke with brother this morning and he was off to kill rabbits somewhere in Malad.He could just go here to get his fix.......http://www.flonga.com/play/kill-the-wabbits.htm

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-32767341614268261592010-01-03T15:37:00.004-05:002010-02-08T23:52:26.928-05:00

On the 8th of December 09 I had a regularly scheduled inspection of my furnace. I normally get this done every year prior to Winter to ensure that the furnace will not fail me when I need it the most.This time however, I was informed that the heat exchanger was cracked. Heat Exchangers are generally warrantied for the life of the unit, so getting a new one would not be a problem. The issue was

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-30437528130749957322010-01-02T22:49:00.002-05:002010-02-08T23:52:14.966-05:00

Jan 02 TwentyTen.We've just rolled over into a new decade. We celebrated the end of the last decade in Dubai. Layla was not yet born. It was the holy month of Ramadan and as commercial parties or festivities of any kind were banned, we decided to host the 'Millennium' party at our place. It was a party to remember. The highlights of which were Dubai's mounted Police looking over our gate and

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-28630006960083866262009-12-26T22:58:00.003-05:002010-02-08T23:52:34.759-05:00

Lynda and I try to push the envelope with every occasion and this Christmas was no different. We had planned the gift wrapping a year ago and collected old road maps, opened them out and flattened them for this Christmas. It's interesting to note that with the advent of Mapquest, Google Maps and GPS units for cars, paper maps have become all but obsolete.I did the wrapping and Lynda did the

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-16872493159961246602009-12-26T22:09:00.006-05:002009-12-26T22:42:16.551-05:00

A while ago, while still in Dubai, I had recognized the need for proper storage for our Christmas decor. Lynda and I were habituated to getting ornaments from 'The One' at the post Christmas sales and we wanted to store them nicely as opposed to being thrown in a bag and stuffed away somewhere only to be be pulled out the next year, damaged.With little or no budget, I decided to utilize the boxes

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-2869124952470115802009-12-26T21:46:00.008-05:002009-12-26T22:08:26.455-05:00

Wow. It's been over a month and a half since my last post. So much has happened since then. We got a dog... finally. He is 3/4 Pug and 1/4 Jack Russel. Essentially his mother is a pure Pug and his father is half Pug and half Jack Russel. We named him Coach, a name that we had decided on much before we decided on getting the dog itself. We got him from London Ontario on a grey foggy morning just

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-74020839989687694602009-11-15T21:29:00.005-05:002009-11-16T10:11:08.964-05:00

It's so amazing to have the shed all wired up. I can now work in it and confine my mess to one place instead of it being all over the house. I have music and heat. What more could one want.It was now time to get all of my tools in place so that they have a specific position within the shed as well as being within easy reach. The space between 2 studs now holds dedicated shelves that were drilled

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-15470725198745826782009-11-14T08:22:00.010-05:002010-02-08T23:52:51.701-05:00

Time Magazine just released a list of 50 inventions that they state are the best of 2009. Here is what I think (thought) of them when they first made the news. And even though I scour the daily tech blogs as part of a daily ritual, I'll be the first to admit that there were some of those that I had not heard of until now.1. NASA's Ares Rockets - I'm not that interested in the Space Race. Just

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-75134695754902723952009-11-13T21:15:00.007-05:002010-03-28T09:26:38.380-04:00

I finally got the shed in some sort of order and ready for the season ahead. A small electric heater should ensure that my finger tips don't freeze and drop off while working and a radio provides distraction with the local news or some rapper comparing women to the neighborhood ho's.It's quite a tight squeeze but once I get my tools on those pegboards, it should free up some space taken by the

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-82892903982962523152009-11-13T15:35:00.007-05:002009-11-13T19:11:48.822-05:00

In my previous post I blogged about getting a briefcase to hold the components of the Car Vac Kit. The briefcase was exactly what I wanted, but I knew (deep down in my heart) that it lacked that certain 'je ne sais quoi'A few (like 1) seconds of soul searching and voila (pardon my French) there lay the answer. I needed a place to hold everything in place regardless of the orientation of the

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-44315980641539461832009-11-12T22:21:00.005-05:002009-11-13T19:11:22.807-05:00

A short while ago I posted on cleaning the inside of our van. I had spent most of my morning doing it and saved my self some cash that I would have had to pay for professional cleaning. I used my Shop Vac which made fast work of the cleaning, but manipulating the large 2 1/2" hose through the car was a pain.For future cleaning, I picked up a Craftsman Car Cleaning Kit which consists of a 1 1/4"

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-40156607392185198312009-11-12T20:32:00.015-05:002009-11-12T22:15:45.593-05:00

In my build diary part 15, I mentioned that the shed was 100% complete. I was wrong. Well - sort of. The construction phase was done - I just did not have any electricity for the lights and power tools.I wanted to avoid hard wiring the shed into the house circuit as this would necessitate a permit from City Hall and I really did not want to go down this route. To circumvent this, I decided to

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-78039085596805757532009-11-08T00:25:00.004-05:002009-11-08T15:23:07.240-05:00

I spent the best part of Saturday morning cleaning out the van. It had remnants of Spring, Summer & Fall blended into sticky messes in the cup holders and that was grating on my nerves. I managed to get the car really clean and found a whole load of hidden gems in the cracks and crevices. Among other things, a reading lamp, a jenga block, a paint stirrer from the Home Depot, a fuse block for a

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-39019525982995579272009-10-23T22:09:00.007-04:002009-11-08T19:26:04.598-05:00

It's an absolute bitch being enamored with European comics in Canada. It takes a long time if ever for titles to make it across the Atlantic. So I was quite thrilled to score these titles at our local Indigo this week.Artemis Fowl - The Arctic Incident - Graphic Novel. Arty teams up with Butler, Captain Holly Short and Commander Root in saving Haven and rescuing Fowl Sr. Nice graphics. I've read

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-61971080780790617952009-10-22T13:57:00.004-04:002009-11-08T19:27:33.893-05:00

Following up to my earlier posts (MRR RSM RRR-1 RRR-1.5) I had promised a video of the unit in action. I finally managed to upload the same. Enjoy!! Most people think that it just sits there and does nothing - then I fire it up!!!!!

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-30609459681102340472009-10-18T20:43:00.004-04:002009-10-18T21:17:33.570-04:00

Aaliyah recently ripped her favorite jeans at the knee. An unfortunate consequence of youth, playgrounds and a generous dose of crazy. What with the onset of Fall and lower than average temperatures around the 'Golden Horseshoe', I would be billed as a bad parent for sending her to school with ripped jeans.Borrowing from an idea that I saw at Anthropologie, I set about to repair her jeans while

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-51224174977429788602009-10-17T21:15:00.002-04:002009-10-17T21:24:49.283-04:00

After over two years of being in storage, I finally bit the bullet and got my Rotels converted to 110V. Sure I could've run them through a step up transformer - Not!!The local agents are Brack Electronics in Toronto and they did an amazing job of the conversion. Thank You Mr. Claudio Landucci!!!I spent an hour connecting everything together and spent the next few listening to music the way I

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-7322551932575219212009-10-13T19:59:00.006-04:002010-08-27T12:31:05.757-04:00

With Lynda's jewelery overrunning her small closet, I had decided a long time ago to solve her problem. OK, I know the drill, we're supposed to listen and do nothing - but I thought that just this once..... So I decided to go all out on this one and got her a Gerstner International GI-530 Red Oak Tool Chest. These chests were made to store precision hand tools and are felt lined to protect those

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-49294960566438236982009-10-10T00:36:00.006-04:002009-10-13T08:10:21.161-04:00

I just discovered, while strip mining the web, this unique instrument called the Tenori-On. It's made by Yamaha and is quite something else. It consists of a 16 x 16 matrix of LED switches that allow the musician to create a range of sounds on different levels and BPM.Search Tenori-On on YouTube and see what it can do.The downside???It costs $999. That's puts in the hands of only very serious

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-13692544577467732582009-10-09T20:35:00.004-04:002009-10-09T21:03:13.346-04:00

Tiramisu - Literally meaning "Pick me Up" probably in direct reference to the Sugar and Espresso content. Sort of like a sugar high!!!!Lynda and I first discovered this amazing 'comfort food' somewhere in the 90's when DHL moved their office to the Al Maskan building in Karama. Located in the East corner of the building, the cafe, whose name escapes me, was our favorite go-to place for a cup of

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-76025741789616975382009-10-08T20:15:00.004-04:002009-10-13T08:09:31.043-04:00

The ubiquitous BILLY bookcase, the most versatile of IKEA bookcases, is turning 30 years old this month! Over 41 million BILLYs have been sold worldwide since its introduction in 1979 - enough to circle the globe twice. Now, THAT’s a lot of bookcases!To celebrate, IKEA has introduced limited editions of the BILLY bookcase, BILLY BJÄSTA and BILLY JÄDER.But the real action is over

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-72228658611751464772009-10-08T18:28:00.005-04:002009-10-13T08:09:11.824-04:00

I just caught this song on the radio a couple of days ago. It's no. 6 on my playlist at the bottom. You can scroll down and play it if it is not already doing so.Quite amazing as Owl City is a one man project. Turn the lights off or close your eyes. Free yourself from any distractions and listen to this haunting track.More about Owl City here.

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-50002524074903695192009-10-08T17:45:00.005-04:002009-10-13T08:09:47.364-04:00

Wednesday, the 7th of October, saw Google Street View being rolled out in select cities in Canada. I was fortunate to recognize the cars as they passed by our neighborhood earlier in the year. I did not catch the car as it zoomed past our house, but later as we took the girls out cycling to Clark Park, we saw the car again as it imaged Balmoral Drive.Me: "Hey Lynda, Girls - The Google Maps Car

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-7113780148048314892009-10-01T11:49:00.005-04:002009-10-07T15:49:45.630-04:00

ND usually stands for Non Destructive and is usually followed by the word 'Testing' when used to describe material analysis without destroying the material in question.In my case it stands for hooks that will affix to the walls of Lynda's cabin without the need to affix a fastener.The walls of Lynda's cabin at work are sheet metal partitions covered with fabric. Lynda had been issued strict

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-15875602893337909422009-09-19T23:01:00.005-04:002009-09-19T23:20:30.677-04:00

I just scored me a pair of Vintage Radios on CL TO.One is a 1940's GE AM/SW Tube Radio that works and the other is a 1930's Spartan Farm Radio.And I got this for the most amazing price of ..................Not Telling!!!!! Would rock the world economy!!!!Not sure what I'm going to do with these..1940 AM/SW Tube Radio Model G-711930 Spartan AM/SW Farm Radio Model 637-6

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-65760010879884374032009-09-19T20:21:00.008-04:002009-09-19T22:49:16.769-04:00

No. No.No fruit trees were involved this time.My cuz Avi dropped off a carton of hard drives that were culled from servers at his place of work.Now you may or may not know this - but all hard drives contain either one or a pair of rare-earth magnets which comprise part of the actuator arm that propels the read/write heads across the platter. The magnets can be either neodymium or samarium-cobalt

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-62942602489159417652009-09-16T16:13:00.005-04:002009-09-16T16:28:04.107-04:00

Last Saturday, Lynda, the girls and I undertook the task of harvesting all the apples from the tree and then pruning it down. It took the entire afternoon and the better part of our effort went towards keeping the girls focused on the task at hand.I'll let the pictures speak WRT the quantity of apples that we harvested. We got some really good ones and the ones that were touched get pickled or

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-38627459920805294782009-09-16T15:50:00.006-04:002009-09-16T16:28:35.833-04:00

Well, the garden shed is more or less complete. I could go on and on tweaking it but I had to call it a day somewhere. I'm not personally happy with the way the doors turned out. They looked too featureless and slab-like. I will address that next year.As far as functionality goes, I could not have asked for anything more. It holds everything garden and lawn related and that is exactly what I had

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-90089035972179183682009-09-15T21:01:00.004-04:002009-09-15T21:11:04.279-04:00

I did not do this post in the right sequence as I just could not locate the photos that I knew that I had taken..Anyhooo... I found them!!!This was one of the last things that Dad and I did prior to his departure to Bombay.We isolated what would become the chassis of the trailer and discarded the remainder of the frame. We used some of the rubber caps from other parts of the frame to seal off any

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-74203057685699642832009-09-15T16:53:00.005-04:002009-09-15T17:19:44.061-04:00

I sat down today and prepared some conceptual drawing of what I would like the trailer to look like. The drawings are more or less for me to decide construction details as well as proportions of the trailer. In my earlier post I mentioned that I wanted to base the unit on the iconic Radio Flyer Wagons. I think that I more or less got the unit to look like the Radio Flyers, and I even christened

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-60180126924747252132009-09-08T12:32:00.005-04:002009-09-08T12:43:18.335-04:00

Just heard this on the radio and had to give props to Luke Boyd AKA Classified from Nova Scotia. This is a damn good song and says it all.Oh! Canada! We stand on guard for thee!!!!errr.... What are we guarding????

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-73937656880277434452009-08-18T11:42:00.008-04:002009-08-18T14:20:12.024-04:00

The shed is almost done with most of the interior fittings in place. The doors have been readied and Dad has painted both sides with the weatherproofing paint. I've been having trouble getting a matching set of hinges to the pair that I have in possession. I'll have to work something out....Full frontal shot. My lawnmower will be happy to spend Winter indoors. It told me so!!!!From the

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-12330774609712073342009-08-17T23:02:00.008-04:002009-08-18T14:19:41.761-04:00

I'm not sure at what point I had decided that I needed a trailer to tow behind my bike. Maybe it was when Layla finally graduated to a real cycle that enabled us to start cycling to progressively greater distances. Anyways what I need (want), I cannot normally afford, so I gravitate towards making stuff. However with the very little time that I have being divided between taking the girls cycling

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-28348941585264719022009-08-11T08:20:00.004-04:002009-08-18T14:21:13.412-04:00

This summer I decided to build a smaller auxiliary shed for my Lawn Mower and garden tools. It would be a lean-to against the shed that I had built last summer. Dad and I poured the concrete pad a couple of weeks ago and while the concrete was wet, we set a small garden plaque into the pour for a touch of whimsy.We chose to 'Grow Giggles' as we will get a lot of Free Laughs when people see the

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-76292989490830469892009-08-11T08:12:00.004-04:002009-08-11T08:20:51.686-04:00

Not much progress really, but what does not seem like a lot, actually took three whole days to complete. I wanted the front porch to be free of any visible fastening system and this is what took all of the time. I used Simpson Strong-Tie Deck Board Tie (DBT1Z) to hold the boards in place. The system took a longer time that the traditional method of fastening the boards from the surface down. The

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-62326003949108442792009-07-29T16:04:00.008-04:002009-07-29T16:31:34.741-04:00

I remember first reading Lucky Luke at my neighbour Mr. Robert Dango's house. Incidentally, U. Bobby is from where I get my moniker - Bob!!!Lucky Luke, penned by Morris (real name Maurice de Bevere) saw it's best books during the time that it was written by Rene Goscinny. Since Goscinny passed away, Morris collaborated with various other writer and kept the series alive. The series are being

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-9100236100294617822009-07-29T15:54:00.004-04:002009-07-29T23:25:43.523-04:00

After an agonizing period of trial and error in getting the levels of the framework, we finally drove over to Rona and got the deck boards. Rona had a 10% off deal on PT lumber till the 28th and we got this done in time. We've only thrown the planks on to determine what needs to be cut and to give the planks some time to dry a bit prior to screwing them in place.Dad and Mum have gone over to A.

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-38704350411903312552009-07-18T18:04:00.004-04:002009-07-18T18:39:42.444-04:00

I finally got work started on the Front Porch. Dad and I pounded in the two support spikes for the pillars that will hold up the trellis over the main door. We then got started on the base. I was forced to use 2x4s as opposed to the preferred 2x6s due to the existing concrete pad. This 'retrofitting' has opened up a brand new set of problems that I have to work around.We started by making two

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-43297370457412558572009-07-18T17:55:00.005-04:002009-07-18T20:09:56.076-04:00

I photographed this image this morning while passing through Queenston on the way from Niagara Falls to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Methinks it came out well.Specifications as belowCamera: Canon EOS 10DLens: Canon 50 mm fixed focal lengthShutter Speed: 1/90 secAperture: F2.8Flash: NoZoom in for a better look!! Feel free to download and use it as your wallpaper or what not!!!

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-87100589702610191642009-07-01T13:33:00.006-04:002009-11-12T20:31:37.894-05:00

Tis was not the old month of May. Nay tis was somewhere between June & July and our voices were joyful but definitely not gay!!!Dad and I finally finished the shingling of the shed. This was to be done last year, but I was not willing to pay CAD 25.00 per pack when I could've got the same from the ReStore at CAD 10.00. All I needed was patience. This paid off in January when I got 4 packets of

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-43521562196100289262009-06-14T19:51:00.005-04:002009-07-15T08:51:10.688-04:00

As part of the R&R (Rewards & Recognition not Rest & Recreation) program at Lynda's place of work, the winner of the CS First Campaign will be given a special chair to use for a month. Lynda wanted to dress up the chair a bit to highlight the importance of the winner. There were plans to print out CS First on Self Adhesive paper which would then be affixed to the back of the chair!!!!! Sorry. Not

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-72229211200681665442009-06-13T09:26:00.004-04:002009-07-15T08:51:43.302-04:00

I was passing by the Goodwill store yesterday and decided to pop in for a look-see. I normally shy away from the Goodwill stores as they tend to be quite disorganised, but I was on the lookout for No. 9 in the series of Magic Tree House for Aaliyah to complete her collection. I did find it (talk about luck) but I also found out that there was a 50% sale on everything in the store across all the

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-23859618725144032152009-06-04T09:59:00.009-04:002009-07-15T08:52:12.652-04:00

2009 Fall is a time to look forward to - as far as books are concerned..... For me at least.....Indiana Jones Adventures - Volume 2 - Release Date - September 30th 2009This book is really aimed at kids... but it's Indiana Jones... So who cares!!!!The Cartoon History of the Modern World - Part 2 - Volume 2 - Release Date - October 6th 2009I'm really waiting for this one. Larry Gonick is a great

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-26529599555702582092009-05-29T09:05:00.004-04:002009-07-18T18:17:11.391-04:00

So - Lynda and I were finally fed up of the way the Blue Spruce has managed to kill off all the grass from beneath it. This is on account of the falling needles turning the soil acidic. My initial solution for this space was to widen the circle and then cover the area with mulch.However last Sunday while browsing through some old scans of our once favourite Domino, we happened upon a layout that

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-8939254250571992772009-05-17T15:53:00.009-04:002009-07-15T08:53:27.987-04:00

The following week is Finale week. 24 - which we follow religiously has a two hour finale on Monday (will Jack survive the effects of the biological weapon??? Will Kim Bauer be killed once and for all - already????!!!!!) Then on Tuesday, the final two will perform for the last time before Judges and Jury followed by a two hour finale of American Idol on Wednesday. This year we are not as rabid as

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-22224202888812379682009-05-09T09:45:00.005-04:002009-07-15T08:53:57.775-04:00

We woke up this morning to dark skies and distant thunderclaps followed instantly by rain and hail. As soon as the 'storm' subsided, I headed out to the back as the creek looked like it was going to overflow it's banks. It was quite amazing to see the sheer force of the water rushing by.Ground level picture showing the water level with the roadI like this picPoor tree taking a beatingView from

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-48934553332508722102009-05-06T21:32:00.005-04:002009-07-15T08:54:38.041-04:00

Lynda's call centre had recently completed one year at the new place just across the road. To celebrate the day, we (I) cut 15" high "1" from 1/8 hardboard, sanded the cut edges and painted them a metallic red. These were then placed on every pillar in the Call Centre and they looked good!!!!

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-30817408556565371922009-05-06T21:11:00.005-04:002009-07-15T08:55:02.785-04:00

On the way back, we took Charleston Sideroad West and then Heart Lake Road South. A few minutes after the turn off we came upon a ranch with a Mare and her Foal. It was just the most amazing sight. What was more amazing was how Layla tried to sneak up to the Foal....The Mare with her FoalLayla sneaking up to the FoalAlmost there!!!Methinks that the Foal was curious about Layla as well

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-35758667068499430712009-05-06T20:58:00.004-04:002009-07-15T08:55:36.656-04:00

Last Saturday saw us resuming our trips into the Country. Thankfully 'the country' is a mere 10 minutes drive North. Lynda wanted to sketch some barns, so we set out in search of stereotypical barns on Airport Road north of Mayfield road. We did find a few which I photographed and the ladies attempted to sketch. We got some strange looks from the Farmhands as we attempted to capture the scene in

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-60159806642887185532009-04-23T18:44:00.007-04:002009-07-15T08:55:58.507-04:00

The May 09 issue of Popular Mechanics has as one of it's cover stories, the 50 tools that every man needs and how to use them like a pro. I decided to run through the list and see if I was indeed MAN (according to Popular Mechanics) and this is how I fared.1. Sledgehammer - No. Strangely enough I have never needed one and when I did, Mike lent me his...2. Centre Punch - Yes. A requisite for

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-86463336018173946172009-04-20T20:20:00.004-04:002009-07-15T09:18:05.506-04:00

Last Saturday with the temperature hovering around the 18 mark and with a nice cloud cover to block out the sun, we decided to tackle the painting of the side gate and the fence.Dad had wanted to do this last September prior to his departure, but the nature of Pressure Treated Wood requires the wood to weather an entire season prior to staining.We chose a color called "Pinto White" from Behr.The

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-27271129409313090292009-04-14T15:27:00.008-04:002010-03-28T12:24:56.067-04:00

As of this afternoon, I've completed 90% of the framing. I have to yet frame the one washroom wall, but decided to do all the framing of the outside walls and get the place in some sort of order prior to Layla's First Holy Communion. I spent a whole lot of time deliberating what sort of door I should have, to lead to the Laundry Room and finally decided that I would go with a Bi-Fold closet door

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-69554536274305646902009-03-30T07:37:00.005-04:002009-07-15T09:25:09.303-04:00

Where do you get an egg holder with a 90 egg capacity? Not in your refrigerator for sure!!!This is in response to Lynda's need to display eggs that her staff will be decorating for an Easter competition. As with everything that we do, we decided to stretch the limits on this project and made the biggest egg stand that the shelving cabinets could accommodate.It measures 90 inches long, has three

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-45382254242266425392009-03-25T21:03:00.002-04:002009-03-25T21:12:31.352-04:00

Well it looks like whatever I had last week - has gone. Not sure if it was the Flu - no body ache or fever. I was sneezing a lot especially after demo-ing Lynda's ceiling studio. I really should get myself a mask and that's something I intend to do tomorrow.Lynda claims that it must be exhaustion and I am trying to do less but I do feel the pressure to get the basement in some sense of order. The

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-16005695796704823582009-03-25T20:43:00.005-04:002009-07-15T13:54:31.485-04:00

I constantly scour Craigslist, especially for tools - and I've scored some amazing deals in the past year. Recently, I've got good deals on books for both myself and the girls as well. However, this weekend I scored the most amazing faucet for the main washroom - It's for future use, but I could not resist snapping it up for the price of CAD 339.00. What makes the deal sweeter?? Home Depot's

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-44610354278236777952009-03-18T08:34:00.006-04:002009-03-18T17:14:51.737-04:00

With due respect to Pandora and her box!!!!The Ceiling in Lynda's Studio was of the wood panelling type. I wanted to access the ceiling ever since I found out that the HVAC ducting that let to our rooms outlet had come apart. I also wanted to increase the light in Lynda's area by installing pot lights in the ceiling. Since the ceiling had to be pulled down in strips, I enlisted the help of the

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-6353311678483585502009-03-15T09:51:00.005-04:002009-11-16T19:17:23.978-05:00

We spotted this residence on Highway 27, while driving to a Consignment store in Nobleton. This is/was a railway guard's caboose. I had to stop and snap some pics. It seems that the owners have everything. There is a chimney, so they have heat - the antenna tells us that they have TV. There is no evidence of running water and/or indoor plumbing unless, the run between the caboose and the ground

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-54766268020866996612009-03-15T09:42:00.003-04:002010-03-28T09:25:05.505-04:00

Here are pictures with the concrete poured and done The clean outs and drain came level with the floor after allWater drains into the drain when poured anywhere on the floorThe pipe for the Toilet Flange. The collar around the pipe is merely a spacer (my very own conceptualisation) that Mike said that I needed in order for the Toilet Flange to be glued flush with the floor.

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-25543260001677428642009-03-15T09:21:00.006-04:002009-03-15T09:42:39.498-04:00

I got down to taking apart my 'Gaytone' and decided to try out the existing amplifier. Having removed the turntable, I connected my 'Sansa' directly to the tonearm cable. We got sound, but just a peep. Not good enough, so the amp section goes as well. I took apart the PC speakers and separated the main parts to plan for placement within the box. The length of the amplifier box requires me to

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-59328390296840671792009-03-15T09:07:00.004-04:002010-03-28T09:25:05.506-04:00

Last week Mike came over and completed the balance of the rough-in plumbing. We managed to get everything according to plan and I now have the task of filling in and cementing the entire thing over. I also put in the clean outs and the drain and tried to get them level with the floor. That was an absolute pain, but it turned out OK.The typo 'colset' is unfortunate and difficult to correct!! This

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-31945511069003546282009-03-07T19:37:00.006-05:002009-03-08T00:48:16.218-05:00

This morning saw us driving to Kitchener to collect some parts to repair Layla's Laptop. Derek had initially quoted me CAD 40 for his old Compaq, but on meeting me lowered the price to CAD 20. Hey. I'm not complaining.After spending close to 2 hours at the Waterloo Regional Children's Museum, Lynda and I decided to hit some Thrift Store on the way home.I'm always on the lookout for Vintage tech

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-71082644585276671332009-03-06T22:34:00.002-05:002009-03-06T22:45:09.406-05:00

Last night after American Idol - Yes we are Idolaters!! - Lynda was painting and commented that she did not have anywhere to set her wet brushes down.That set my mind in motion and set about to create something for her brushes that also looked good. A quick trip to the Thrift Store gave me a narrow vase. I used some old pine that I bored, cut and drilled to my specification. I sanded it down and

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-52487870490568937782009-03-05T22:25:00.002-05:002009-03-05T22:30:07.043-05:00

While I sometimes let a lot of my projects take the organic route, building a washroom needs a firm plan. Eveything must be just right. So it helps to have drawing at my finger tips for dimensional reference.And so, here, without further ado is my very own Tactical Command Centre.

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-51358966824752004502009-03-05T19:55:00.002-05:002009-03-05T20:01:01.423-05:00

Sometimes your best tool is also your cheapest one. (That just does not sound good)I had to get some trenches done for the plumbing and this hoe from Dollarama was the best tool that I could find.Cheap Hoe!!!

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-1239893977874699282009-03-05T19:22:00.005-05:002009-07-15T21:46:38.626-04:00

I seem to have slacked on getting the framing done in time. Anyways - I've completed framing the walls against which the shower cubicle, WC and Sink will go. Horizontal bracing still has to be done, but I will do that tomorrow. The framing was an absolute bitch on account of the sloping basement floor as well as the concrete wall which was quite out of plumb.I got everything plumb on all axes,

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-13011594698569280612009-03-05T07:10:00.003-05:002009-03-05T07:20:03.525-05:00

We did it last year and we'll do it again this year. If you can. Do it. Turn off everything for just one hour. Last year we spent the hour reading books aloud to the girls by candlelight and played some board games.Do it. You know you can. It's for our kids and their kids.

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-4589621153843083882009-03-04T23:03:00.004-05:002009-07-15T21:45:47.276-04:00

Just got down to doing up the round table that I picked up from the ReStore a month ago. The surface was all scratched, so I sanded it down, filled in the low spots, primed it and then painted it a 'Linen White'.White is not so simple a color and it's taken us a fair share of mistakes to hit upon a white that's just right.This is Behr W-F-120 Natural Linen, from the color family of 'Shaded Red'.

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-42620111922442961192009-03-04T22:52:00.004-05:002009-07-15T21:44:59.516-04:00

If you have not as yet heard it through the grapevine - Then you heard it here first.Avi and Eva have gone bought themselves a house. In Woodbridge. It's a lovely Townhouse with a lot of potential. Congrats guys. Mama was right!!!And maybe... just maybe there will be more news in the offing. And if it is so. Can we expect you guys to bust a move like these two??????

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-38929199378699683722009-03-03T20:40:00.007-05:002009-07-15T21:44:25.307-04:00

So I decided to get on the Inkheart / Inkspell / Inkdeath bandwagon. The first book of the series entitled 'Inkheart' was written by Cornelia Funke as 'Tintenherz' in her native German. Wikipedia has this to say about it - "The book is about a 12 year old girl name Meggie Folchart whose life changes dramatically when she realizes that her father, a bookbinder named Mortimer (Mo), has an unusual

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-47373026146167405602009-03-01T23:14:00.005-05:002009-03-02T11:31:27.217-05:00

We drove up to the ReStore in Burlington this Saturday and I scored me a sink.I initially wanted the Ann sink from Ikea and would've eventually got it if Lynda had not spotted this sink lying forlorn on it's side - unloved by it's previous owners. It was the right size and more importantly the right price. We decided to adopt it and give it a room to itself.Pros and Cons.The Ikea Ann looks good.

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-60980081294563534062009-03-01T19:34:00.002-05:002009-03-01T19:43:45.433-05:00

This project took it's time, but it's  done and finally hung on the wall. This morning after mass I went down to Home Depot and bought a 70 cent keyhole hanger and a can of Rustoleum's 'Heirloom White.Not much else to say. It's done and it looks good on the wall facing our bed.Some people would have a TV on that wall, but like I said in previous posts. We are not much of television people. We

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-75866670079349309112009-02-28T18:39:00.004-05:002009-02-28T18:53:24.682-05:00

Not sure when this was made, but this is pure brilliance. Makes me rethink the whole 'Idol Gives Back'!!!

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-5475274117047186432009-02-25T22:55:00.011-05:002009-02-27T06:50:38.431-05:00

I must confess, for the last couple of weeks, that I've been a little bit obsessed with receiving 'Over The Air' Digital TV. I've been reluctant to sign up with either Belll or Roggers for their so called 'Digital Cable' not only because I find the CAD 35+ per month fee oppressive, but the channels that they offer in their 'Basic Digital' package are all free channels that you could receive in

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-63899355107565305222009-02-21T08:51:00.004-05:002009-02-26T07:27:55.377-05:00

This morning Lynda wants to get her hair cut and colored. This leaves me at a loose end with the girls.So. What's a day without a plan.......1. Drop Lynda off to the mall.2. Drop off Aaliyah's completed books to the Brampton Library.3. Drop in to the Flea Market for the latest movies.4. Visit Ikea to have a look at the wall mounted Ann Sink that I plan to have installed in the washroom. (Pay the

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-23065565478287233652009-02-21T08:46:00.002-05:002009-02-21T08:51:39.495-05:00

I spent one whole day looking for Clean outs and Floor Drains. Everything that Home Depot, Lowe's or Rona carries is based on the assumption that these items will always be installed in an area that will be only consigned to utilitarian traffic. Even though the above mentioned will be in the Laundry Room, they will be in the direct path to the washroom and I was hoping to have the area as good

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-12293443649065462702009-02-20T22:40:00.005-05:002010-03-28T09:25:05.507-04:00

Yesterday, we completed all the piping. It was more complicated that previously envisioned. The system had a silt trap that led off from the Weeping Tile from the perimeter of the house which led into another trap that led up to the floor drain. This trap was then connected to the sanitary side of the drain. The system was not done so well in the first place, but I was convinced by Mike that the

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7203086224014660707.post-62159844977061650962009-02-18T19:04:00.004-05:002009-02-18T19:09:18.171-05:00

Shoes!Clothes!!More Clothes!!

Dhiraj D'Souzahttps://profiles.google.com/116192919558815166610noreply@blogger.com5