2/6/19:
Building Summary: Today I performed quite a variety of pipe related tasks. I finished gluing the cold/hot water lines all the way to the valves at the end (also glued past the solar hot water valve all the way to where it juts down into the container’s drain hole), fastened in a 1×6 board beneath the valve section so the pipes wouldn’t keep falling into the floor slats, zip-tied the hot/cold water lines together (applied some extra hose padding to the hot water line while I was at it), and I tightened the U-clamps that hold everything in place.
Commentary: I’ll admit, my glue job was not the neatest in some places, but every joint in Jacobhouse now displays the telltale ‘orange’ of pipes well-joined. That brings me to my highlight. The best highlight I have for today was my realization that I had finished with at least half of the pipe work in Jacobhouse. I have yet to plumb in the toilet, shower, washer/dryer, fridge, and sinks, but the foundation is there, waiting and ready.
I think tomorrow I’ll be slipping the S40 conduit (for the internet line) into place and gluing it together with clear PVC glue. After that? I suppose it will be time for some planning. Electrical wiring is the next big step, as is bringing in the actual water line from the pump.
Additional Commentary: When I first sat down this evening, I was not at my happiest, and as such I didn’t write the most inspiring of commentary. I didn’t want to turn potential readers away, so I took it out. On rereading, though, I decided it wasn’t actually that bad of a piece of literature. Act 2 of the hero’s journey is supposed to include tests and turmoil, after all.
“To be honest, on some days it is hard to find a highlight to post. I don’t mean that there’s mornings that are lacking in highlights; I mean that there are days that last so long and are so frustrating that it is hard to remember back the many hours into the morning and appreciate what I experienced then. Today is one of those days. I sit here in front of Microsoft Word, staring at the bloody black blinker, and I wonder to myself… When in the hell will I find Walden?”
Final note: As you can see from the topmost commentary, I did still manage to find a highlight. It was difficult for a little while, but when I finally gave myself a moment to reflect upon the day – especially my morning – it became much easier to appreciate all that I did. That, I believe, is a part of what finding Walden is about:
Giving one’s self time to reflect.
Sometimes one has to fight to find the meaning as the fluffy detritus of circumstance tries it’s damnedest to camouflage what’s truly important. Keep looking it’s always there.