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What the fuck kind of books are you guys reading that require study guides and devoting years of your lives to? I am reading Russka by Edward Rutherford and I have not had to hire a support staff to get me through it.

Missed connecting with Ken while he was local but meanwhile Lance fenced the number one male fencer in the world and the number five female fencer. Unfortunately he lost to both of them, more work to be done. ? I don't think any of the campers realize how lucky they are to be on the same strip fencing against the worlds best, a once in a lifetime experience.

I'm working my way through Gravity's Rainbow as well. I am also using the guide and this: Full immersion baby! I am only about 10% in but I totally agree: challenging and brilliant. I can actually feel Pynchon rewiring my neurons as I read...

Finally finished this monster after struggling to get through it for nearly two years. It is the most challenging book I've ever read. I went though it with a plot guide and character map and still got lost all the time. That all being said, I think its the best work of fiction I've ever read by an American author. It is stunningly brilliant. Time and time again I was left in utter awe of Pynchon's writing ability. IMO he is without equal in his mastery of prose, humor, depravity, and esoteric postmodern deep-dives. It is a slog to get through but it rewards those who invest the time and mental energy and accept the challenge.

So Tice removed a deck at his job site, which is Armistead Maupin's former home. In his genius he recognized it to be Brazilian Ipe that was only screwed down from one side. The new owner eventually agreed to give the boards to the contractor and Steve's bosses gave them to him. Claire has been asking for an outdoor chaise lounge so Steve donated the Ipe and his skills to the project. Here is what the boards look like without any work and then a progression from weathered (as received) to planed to sanded and then to oiled with Tried & True linseed oil with beeswax. We chose a design from Restoration Hardware as the basis for Claire's chaise and essentially winged it from there. Here is the original and the final product with a side table, finished just before our vacation but built to last for many years. There is no stain or pigment in the oil so the finished look truly blew us both away. Thanks Steve for supplying the wood *snicker* and the knowledge and know how to make this come together.

The Single Power ES-1 for $23,000 USD cracked me up.?

Damn Jim, you sound like you and Wayne LaPierre are best buds

Our house meets the highest residential hurricane standards in Florida so all the load ratings are HC class. Therefore, not worried about any structural damage from the safe. Now, if the insurance company gives us trouble, I suppose I will just have to open up the safe and go from there.

I know. Just using it as a way to announce my disdain for the NRA as an organization.

Oh I totally understand the challenge of books like this. I'm definitely going to buy it.

Never liked, nor been a member of, the NRA, even before they went off the deep end. However, I am adamant that if you own a firearm you need to keep it safely locked away when not in use. There is lots of other stuff locked up in there also.

I assume you were able to enlighten them as to the applicable local statutes?

There is no replacement for gods. I refer you to the wielder of Mjölnir.

The ironic part is that the first board I pulled to see how it came out of my planer was the one and only board so far that had a buried piece of a screw in it. The metal nub chewed a couple of divets in the planer blades before I noticed. Using Steve's planer outside the following weekend caused multiple noise complaints and three neighbors and a police officer to come to my house. After I got my planer/jointer blades sharpened, all has been well and the planer and jointer have worked well.

I find that hiring someone to maintain the wood is always best...

Yep, a few more parts and more $. But usable for just about anything.

I went ahead and bought a Vivoactive 3 from Amazon today. Will report back on how it is.

Uhm, thanks for all the praise, however it's aimed at the wrong person. While I was able to procure the wood, and played a part in making an actual plan from a picture, it was Al who did most of the woodworking on this project. He is a natural at this! His attention to detail and his ability to soak up knowledge surpass all expectations I had. Our little Lawyer man is growing up so fast! And I knew there were bound to be jokes about me and Armistead's wood. Glad to see G-Man is at the top of his game!

So you're saying Steve worked on and oiled Armistead Maupin's wood to create an exceptional finish? The man is an artist. Nice Chaise.

Well "Hotspurs" sounds like a strip club to me, just sayin'

^ Yes. It is more hard sci-fi than it is fantasy sci-fi. Crichton fan here as well.