My wife has made it clear after a trip down into Missouri’s Marvel Cave this year that she has very little desire to go into any more caves, ever again. This might become a boys-only trip for the 3 of us. I guess we can handle that, if need be.
When we do make this trip, I intend to make an evening side-trip to Lexington to see a live performance/broadcast of The WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour.
I would like for this trip to be in late spring/early summer (after school is done for the year) of 2011.
“Every time I went to the grocery store (actually at least 75% of the time) I picked up a little box of 1 dozen lids.”
How I did it: Every time I went to the grocery store (actually at least 75% of the time) I picked up a little box of 1 dozen lids. Over the course of a year I didn’t notice the expense because a dozen lids costs less than $2.00. I now have one year’s worth of lids (about 24 dozen) stocked away. Now if there is a single-year shortage of canning lids for any reason, I can feel impervious to the shortage.
Lessons & tips: There is only ONE FACTORY in the USA making canning lids. Am I the only one worried about this?
It took me 1 year.
It made me comfortable 
“I built my son a full size bed loft with a desk underneath”
How I did it: I built the whole thing out of lumber from a local store using a circular saw, a drill and a socket wrench. I made my own plans and measurements based on a picture I found online that I liked and the exact size of my son’s mattress.
Lessons & tips: Buy a few extra pieces of wood and more screws. You’ll need them.
Resources: Sorry about the blurry camera phone picture(s). It’s what I have available at the moment.
It took me 2 days.
It made me like an amateur 
Other pictures:
Henry sanding his loft bed for me:
Bed Loft In Progress, otherwise known as BLIP. I got a lot cut and put together yesterday between about 1:00 and 8:00 p.m. The loft is basically complete up in his room, but it still needs a few shelves, a ladder, several support diagonals and the whole things needs to be sanded. I’m not looking forward to cleaning up a carpeted room after sanding, but it has to be done. Pictures when I’m able to call it done.
The lumber is in a pile in my garage. I have been making, checking, triple checking measurements and plans for a couple hours now. I’m about to change my saw blade and make the first cuts. I haven’t ever notched boards before, especially without a router. Wish me luck.
I have been promising to build my son a loft for his bed for over a year now. He is having trouble doing his homework in the common areas of the house where we’re bustling around trying to cook the evening meal, so he needs a desk in his room. A good place for a desk is under his bed loft.
I’ll start this project in the morning! I have the whole day off work Friday, so I might even get it done in one day.
I’m custom-building this myself from nice lumber. Should I put the loft completely together in the garage, to check it for fit, then take it apart again and reassemble it in his room, or should I just cut most of my pieces and put it together ONCE, in place?
