Hell = Ed3(Homework+Quizzes)(+100Degree heat+Humidity)

I'm into the last week or so of the summer semester, and I am in agony.  I've managed to do quite well on the first 3 modules of the Algebra class I'm taking.  Most of it was a review.  I  worked pretty hard to get ahead so I could have more time to deal with the tougher parts that I knew would be coming.  The tougher stuff has arrived.  I picked up the easier factoring problems well enough, but now I'm running into this other stuff to which I just can't seem to relate.  I am eventually making it through the homework, but I can't say that it is embedding itself into my memory.  I'm slowly getting there, though.  I have roughly one week of classes left for this summer. 
"The square root of Chuck Norris is Pain.  If you Square Chuck Norris, the result is Death."

It has been awfully hot, lately.  Kind of like the summers in Florida that I remember.  I'd mow the lawn, and that would be all I could do for the day.  I have been outside for the last hour spraying weed killer on the driveway and sidewalk, then in the garage to work a little.  Speaking of which...

I HAVE REACHED A MAJOR MILESTONE!!!!!!!!

Back in 2005 I bought myself a Ryobi benchtop bandsaw.  Unfortunately, Hurricane season was starting.  Since the previous two years had seen a number of hurricanes take aim at (yet mercifully miss) St. Petersburg, I didn't bother to unpack the saw.  I also, as in previous years, sealed up all of my benchtop tools and placed them under the workbenches in the hope that, if the roof blew off of the garage, the tools might survive.  Most of these tools never got unpacked again.  Once we hit 2006 we were looking to escape Florida, so I didn't bother to unpack most of them.  We have been here in Virginia now for a little over three years.  Today I finally unpacked the bandsaw!  It was kindof like getting a new toy, since it was still sealed in the box and in the original foam and plastic packaging.  Just like brand new which, I guess it is.  It's all assembled, now.  I'll have to find some time, probably tonight after the sun goes down, to try it out. I have a lot of projects that need a bandsaw, so I'm looking forward to doing a little fun work on it. 

The rat problem appears to have been resolved, finally.  As much as I hated to, I resorted to poisoned rat bait, and ended up removing several corpses from the garage.  I haven't seen any rats since, and the remaining bait on the shelf has not been touched.  I can only conclude that, 1) The rats residing in the garage were all killed off and there are no more rats, or 2) the deceased rats with their dying squeaks warned the others not to eat the green cookies.
(The green....coo...kies....stay...away!...Poison!...Save...your...selves!!!Ungh!)

Today is hot, and is expected to get hotter.  The shade is tolerable, but out in the sun is pretty miserable.  I'm not sure I will be able to accomplish anything outside until this evening.

Fahrenheit 101

I had a pretty  productive holiday weekend.  We had such nice weather on Thursday and Friday of last week.  I spent Friday and Saturday cleaning out the garage.  Took a whole load of junk to the dump.  I have stuff in the garage that I have salvaged from different jobs, and I saved it thinking I'd put it to use one day, but never have.  I finally had to let it a bunch of it go.  The good thing is that I can walk through the garage, again.  The hard part will be to keep it from getting that way again. 

This morning I finally fixed the back wall of the house.  I've been putting that off for other projects.  I got some siding from Dad a few months back (about the same time I got the gravel), and it was almost enough to cover the back of the new laundry room.  I had to pull off some more of the old sheathing because it was rotted out at the bottom.  I ran new wiring for the back light and installed the new light.  Hung new sheathing, applied the builder's felt, sealed up the window, installed the Harditrim, and started installing the siding.  I need to get one more piece to finish, but it's mostly done.  I will still need to caulk it and then prime and paint it.  Then I can re-install the gutter downspout.  Here's a few shots:

I will finally have this mess finished this week.  At least the back of the house no longer looks like a shack, and I have finally gotten rid of that pile of siding that has been sitting in the back yard. 

It has been pretty darned hot, today.  I started the day with the work area in the shade, then in the sun, and then finally back in the shade.  It was at least 101 degrees, according to the radio.  The rest of the week is supposed to be in the 100s, as well, but there is supposed to be a cold front moving in by the weekend.  I guess that means the temps will only be in the 90s.