Author Archives: tbavendam

When I got to Tools yesterday morning, I heard that my wood working mentor Harry had fallen and broken his pelvis and was in a Skilled Nursing Facility. Harry must be 93 now so I was quite concerned. I had brought in a loaf of banana bread for him as he usually comes in forContinue reading “I want to be like Harry when I grow up”

Every few months, the Tools crew has a lunch – pizza or sandwiches which is a nice time to socialize rather than just work. Yesterday it provided an opportunity for Craig to deliver the metal washing machine that he built. It was so fun to watch him demonstrate his creation to the group. There isContinue reading “Here’s another challenge for Craig”

I was not able to weigh in last week because the scale at the condo needed a battery. When I weighted on Saturday, I had lost 3.5 pounds over 2 weeks. My appetite is definitely diminished. I am eating less and being pretty active so this rate of weight loss seems quite slow. Next weekContinue reading “Wegovy Week 7”

This is the dead hedge we built 2 weeks ago. It is a V-shape and extends in both directions beyond the picture. In the bottom right corner of the picture, there is a bit of red clay dirt that can be seen with a stick at the bottom edge. This is the bottom of theContinue reading “Can we outsmart Mother Nature?”

While I was in Nashville Thursday Craig was repairing the driveway by moving gravel from the bottom of the hill and spreading it across the parts that were washed out. The driveway was ready for compacting. Friday, he had to make an unexpected trip to Nashville VA because one of his hearing aids broke. IContinue reading ““Did you turn the switch on?””

We were up early and drove the 30 minutes north to Franklin KY where we get massages. We each got an hour massage and then headed to Nashville. We drove to James and Natalie’s so Natalie could drop us off at West End Avenue. The event was scheduled for 12-2 PM and was adjacent toContinue reading “Sidewalk Protest in Nashville”

Last Wednesday we started helping James and Natalie renovate their deck. We knew it had solid support underneath but the floor, railing and stairs needed work. Initial thought was that it might just need to all be replaced but after a good power washing it was clear that much of the wood of the deckContinue reading “A busy week”

I had not been to Tools for 3 weeks because of the AZ trip and recovery from it. When I got there today I found this container on my work area. I take zucchini bread in for the guys most weeks and I guess they missed it. I enjoy making it but don’t really wantContinue reading “More please!!!”

The last storm on Saturday occurred during the daylight so we were able to walk around and identify the highest priority areas that messes up our driveway. The terrace/retaining wall we built last year helped tremendously on the west side. Even the stick barrier I created a few weeks ago made a difference. The mainContinue reading “Water management Day 1”

A week after I started the second dose of Wegovy (.5mg) I lost an additional .5 pounds (a half pound). A very slow start indeed. It is a bit embarrassing to admit that until just this minute I had not actually looked up what the dosing schedule is. From what my doctor said, I thoughtContinue reading “Wegovy Week 5”