It's been over a year since I suffered a Type 3 Tear of the Medial Meniscus, and months (sorry, don't know how many) since discovering that I was also the proud possessor of an old partial tear of the ACL that had not healed well. I am pleased to report that, most days, the knee feels so good that I hardly ever think about it.
I hardly ever think about the pain, that is. The knee, I think about. I have to, so I won't do anything stupid and screw it up again. I guess it's a good sign that I don't think about it. I mean, lack of pian is awesome, right? In all honesty, I feel pretty normal most of the time.
There is, however, one caveat to the lack of constant pain. Who would've thought I'd be saying a thing like that? Strange as it may seem, it's true. Without that niggling little pain (or, you know, that overwhelming humongous pain), I forget important things. Things like my PT exercises. I am still at the point where missing a day of PT sets me back by a week, but I feel so good some days that I forget to do my exercises. Of course, I remember the next day, but then I'm fighting to get back to where I already was, which is frustrating. Things like the fact that I just am not a runner anymore. One recent morning, I awoke to a glorious, bright, golden sunrise, and immediately thought, "What a great day for a run!" I was all ready to lace up my shoes and go when I realized, "Oh, crud. I'm not supposed to run."
I can't help but wonder how this will be as more time passes. My original injury (the torn ACL, which was misdiagnosed and mistreated, as it turns out) reared it's ugly head when I was in college. I did some PT, and, for a few years, I was pretty good about keeping up with my exercises and taking care of my knee. Then, eventually, it felt so good ~ so normal ~ that I just stopped thinking about it. When I stopped thinking about it, I stopped taking care of it. I am told that is probably what brought me to last Summer's festival of fun (a.k.a. torn meniscus, which, by the way, is not fun).
I guess I am going to have to devise some plan to remind myself not to get over-confident and think I can go back to all my old tricks. I'm very forgetful, so I need a plan. It's important to admit to myself, too, that I am not merely forgetful. The truth is, I want to run. I'm like a junkie. I wake up in the morning craving a run. I catch myself researching running shoes and local runs, before I remind myself that those are off the table for good. What's the runner's equivalent to methadone? Is there some sort of program for this?
I'm trying bicycling. I think that's my methadone. I tried walking, but it was about as effective as, say, a band-aid on major head trauma. Like when somebody tells a smoker to just chew gum, instead. I spent mornings walking around all jittery and out of sorts, thinking, "Are you freaking kidding me?!?!!" Biking is good. I get the knee (and the ankle, which we're not talking about, because I am still pissed off at it) moving, and I feel the wind in my face and watch the scenery whip by at a rate similar to that of running. I never ran very fast or very far, so I don't have to bike very fast or very far, either. so far, I think it's working. In fact, now that I am talking about it, I want to go get out the bike and go for a quick ride.
So. That's where I am right now with all of this. I WANT to run. I want to move furniture, turn cartwheels, goof off with the kids and do my old cheerleading moves, just to make them giggle. But I NEED to be able to walk when I'm old. I need to be able to do my day-to-day activities, like walking to and from the laundry room, grocery shopping... Woo-hoo. It's a party. I need to avoid making things worse and ending up needing surgery that we can't afford, and that will leave me exactly where I am right now. I need to be responsible. But I still want to run.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Wooden Crate Table - Almost Done!
Well, since the girls are back in school, they have not yet begun work on the details we were planning to have them do on the table. That, coupled with the fact that I was nervous about leaving it out in the elements for a long time unfinished, prompted us to move the table indoors.
The vinegar/penny thing is not working out at all. So far, all we have is what looks like a jar of dingy water with a pile of pennies on the bottom. I have been looking at alternatives, but I have to say, now that we have the table inside, I am kind of liking the natural look (though we would need to give it a light stain and seal it, to protect the wood). Honestly, I am wondering if we need to do much else to it at all.
Once it was inside, we realized this presented an interesting dilemma. We live in a very small house. There really isn't room for more than one coffee table, so having our old IKEA coffee table near the sofa and the new table sitting upside down on the floor in front of the entertainment center was kind of not working for us. We decided, since we might not be able to work on it for a couple weeks, we might as well use it (very carefully, since it is still unfinished) in the meantime. Tonight, we attached the wheeled casters and set it up. We know we will have to take them off to finish it, and then reattach them when it is done, but that's okay with us.
Now, our original plan involved some decorative details by the girls (script, in their handwriting, to be woodburned in by Justice), a coat of stain (blue/green) and a glass top. Initially, I hoped to cover just the center hole with glass, but, the more I thought about it, the more I thought it would be a good idea to put a glass top right over the whole thing, giving us a nice, smooth, sturdy, easy-to-write-on, worry-free surface. I like the idea of filling the center area with different seasonal decorative items. For instance, we might fill the space with glass ornaments and ribbons for Christmas, seashells in Summer, pinecones in Fall... Think of the fun we can have with holiday decor ~ red, white and blue bunting & stars, colourful plastic eggs and Easter grass... We're going to have a ball playing with this. In our tiny house, where we won't have room for a lot of seasonal decor, this will be a nice focal point.
Plans notwithstanding, I can't help but notice that it looks pretty good just as it is. On the other hand, I would love for it to have a personal touch from my girls. Honestly, I think it looks best without the glass top, but I think, from a practical standpoint, we might need it.
So, I am wondering ~ what do you all think? Blue/green stain, or light, natural wood stain? Words woodburned into the side panels, or not? Glass over the whole top, or just the center? I kind of know where I am leaning with all of this, but would appreciate hearing what you have to say.
This is how it looks at the moment:
Bear in mind, as cool as the money tree looks in the center, it cannot stay there. We can't see the television over it. I wish that didn't matter, but what's the point in having a television if you can't see it?For now, anyway, it looks awfully cool there.
The vinegar/penny thing is not working out at all. So far, all we have is what looks like a jar of dingy water with a pile of pennies on the bottom. I have been looking at alternatives, but I have to say, now that we have the table inside, I am kind of liking the natural look (though we would need to give it a light stain and seal it, to protect the wood). Honestly, I am wondering if we need to do much else to it at all.
Once it was inside, we realized this presented an interesting dilemma. We live in a very small house. There really isn't room for more than one coffee table, so having our old IKEA coffee table near the sofa and the new table sitting upside down on the floor in front of the entertainment center was kind of not working for us. We decided, since we might not be able to work on it for a couple weeks, we might as well use it (very carefully, since it is still unfinished) in the meantime. Tonight, we attached the wheeled casters and set it up. We know we will have to take them off to finish it, and then reattach them when it is done, but that's okay with us.
Now, our original plan involved some decorative details by the girls (script, in their handwriting, to be woodburned in by Justice), a coat of stain (blue/green) and a glass top. Initially, I hoped to cover just the center hole with glass, but, the more I thought about it, the more I thought it would be a good idea to put a glass top right over the whole thing, giving us a nice, smooth, sturdy, easy-to-write-on, worry-free surface. I like the idea of filling the center area with different seasonal decorative items. For instance, we might fill the space with glass ornaments and ribbons for Christmas, seashells in Summer, pinecones in Fall... Think of the fun we can have with holiday decor ~ red, white and blue bunting & stars, colourful plastic eggs and Easter grass... We're going to have a ball playing with this. In our tiny house, where we won't have room for a lot of seasonal decor, this will be a nice focal point.
Plans notwithstanding, I can't help but notice that it looks pretty good just as it is. On the other hand, I would love for it to have a personal touch from my girls. Honestly, I think it looks best without the glass top, but I think, from a practical standpoint, we might need it.
So, I am wondering ~ what do you all think? Blue/green stain, or light, natural wood stain? Words woodburned into the side panels, or not? Glass over the whole top, or just the center? I kind of know where I am leaning with all of this, but would appreciate hearing what you have to say.
This is how it looks at the moment:
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Wooden Crate Table Update
Just in case you are wondering, the table project will be completed over a period of weeks, most likely. The girls are going to help me with some detail work (I am so excited about it!), and then, once that is done, I will still have to stain and seal it. Our homemade wood stain is not making much progress, but I have read that it can take a couple of weeks to develop colour, so I am still hopeful. I have been shopping around for eco-friendly stains in colours that might be similar to what I am hoping to get from our penny/vinegar concoction, just in case it doesn't work the way it's supposed to. Also shopping around for a tempered glass top for the whole thing, which I know will make it look a bit less rustic, but I think we need a) the added strength and b) a smooth surface for writing, drawing, etc. We are a writing and drawing kind of family.
Pretty sure we are going to bring it in tomorrow, to protect it from the elements, and we will take it back outside when we need to work on it again.
I'll keep you posted on our progress as we go along.
Pretty sure we are going to bring it in tomorrow, to protect it from the elements, and we will take it back outside when we need to work on it again.
I'll keep you posted on our progress as we go along.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Wooden Crate Table, Day 3, Part II
8/16/12 (cont'd)
I will open this entry with an apology. I forgot to take pictures of the two sides of the table being put together. Actually, I didn't forget so much as I decided not to. I figured, since I was doing the work, I couldn't take a picture of myself doing it very easily, and, if I just took a picture after I screwed them together, they would look just like the pictures from yesterday. So I didn't take any. You will notice, as we go through this entry, that Justice got feeling a bit better. She came out and took a pic or two, then Shane came out and took a pic or two, also, so there are some pictures of me working, just in case you don't believe I'm really doing this :)
Okay. So, we had gotten through measuring in the last entry, and now we are ready to cut.
BTW, these are the tools I am using:
They are awesome, and I love them. However, I would have started work on my table sooner had they not been inside my garage with dozens of crickets. I don't know why I am scared of crickets, but there you have it. Shane rescued the tools for me, and I was able to build.
See? You could not possibly look goofier than I do. Get over it and put on your goggles. Also, tie back your hair if it is long enough to get in your way.
And yes, I am building in a dress. It was hot, and I hate wearing pants when it's hot. Ideally, I think my work surface is supposed to be higher, but I managed to make this work.
I will open this entry with an apology. I forgot to take pictures of the two sides of the table being put together. Actually, I didn't forget so much as I decided not to. I figured, since I was doing the work, I couldn't take a picture of myself doing it very easily, and, if I just took a picture after I screwed them together, they would look just like the pictures from yesterday. So I didn't take any. You will notice, as we go through this entry, that Justice got feeling a bit better. She came out and took a pic or two, then Shane came out and took a pic or two, also, so there are some pictures of me working, just in case you don't believe I'm really doing this :)
Okay. So, we had gotten through measuring in the last entry, and now we are ready to cut.
BTW, these are the tools I am using:
When you are sawing wood, it is important to protect your eyes. This means you must wear safety goggles. Yes, they look ridiculous. A hunk of wood (or even just sawdust) in your eye is worse than silly-looking goggles. You'll just have to trust me on this. Just in case you are still reticent to wear them, I will post a picture of me in my safety goggles.
Cutting is simple. Just line up the blade of your saw with that nice, straight line you drew and go. Nice and steady. Keep the blade right on the line. If I can do this, anyone can.
It's also important to hold the wood still while you cut. I am thinking clamps would have been a good idea, but I chose this winning method, instead:
Justice (who took the previous picture) was feeling well enough to come outside and get some fresh air by this time, so I put her to work sanding. That's just the kind of mom I am. "You're feeling better? Oh, good! Here, do some work."
With Justice's help, I attached the first four beams to the bottom on the table, using wood glue and screws (and clamps, which, by the way, are really handy for holding things in place).
Then, I attached the two crossbeams, coming in from the edge just about the same distance as the width of one of the slats on the crates. We think this will give us a good position for our wheeled casters. I am still on the fence about whether or not to add a crossbeam right across the center. Shane and Justice don't think I need one, and they are probably right. I am not going to put anything very heavy there.
So, that's what it looks like at the moment.
The girls are all working together on some of the detail work, which needs to be done before we can finish the table and attach the casters. When the glue is good and dry, we will sand the whole thing and get to work adding those cryptic details to which I have continued to allude. Then, all will be revealed :) I will update as soon as we have more work done.
So, that's what it looks like at the moment.
The girls are all working together on some of the detail work, which needs to be done before we can finish the table and attach the casters. When the glue is good and dry, we will sand the whole thing and get to work adding those cryptic details to which I have continued to allude. Then, all will be revealed :) I will update as soon as we have more work done.
Wooden Crate Table - Day 3, Part I
8/16/12
Today, I decided to start actually building the table.
Forgot to mention in my previous post that, a couple of days ago, the kids and I plunked a big handful of pennies into a jar of white vinegar, in hopes it will turn a sort of turquoise colour, and we can use it to finish our table. (Click here for more info about this) So far, it still looks clear, but the pennies appear to be getting pretty grubby-looking. I hear the process takes about a week or so, and, considering the other work we need to do on the table before we finish it, I think this will be just fine. If, for some reason, the vinegar thing doesn't work, I will find a nice blueish or greenish (or blue-greenish) stain and use that, but I hope it works. It would be cheap. And neat. And al sciencey and stuff :)
Wait...what was I saying? Oh, right. Building a table.
Justice stayed home with a fever (yeah, on the third day of school. How much does that suck?). I mention this because, later in the day, she rallied and was able to help me a little.
Now. Here's what I did.
Remember how I had laid out the crates? Well, when I did that, I made sure to look them over and find the best sides of each and decide which parts to feature on the top or side of the table, and which to relegate to the bottom. I found, when I started to screw together my crates, that they didn't all match up perfectly. We're going for a rustic look, so it doesn't have to be perfect, but I wanted the top to sit pretty nicely. I did the best I could, but you will notice some inconsistencies.
I started out by standing up two crates at a time and screwing them together on the inside. Like this:
I used a power driver and 1 1/4 inch construction screws.
I used the construction screws because they said they could be used to attach wood to wood without drilling any lead holes, and I am kind of lazy. I also used wood glue, smearing it between the crates, where they made contact before putting in the screws. I didn't think to do this right from the start, so hopefully those parts will be okay. If not, I'll fix it someday. I probably could have saved money by buying a bigger package, but the hardware store I went to didn't carry this size of this type of screw in a larger package, and I didn't want to run all over the Valley just for a few screws.
I tried to take a picture to show where I placed the screws. Hopefully, you can see them (in the 4 corners).
I found that, in the back, I had to go in kind of at an angle. Probably should have used 1" screws there, but I didn't have any. One barely poked through on the inside of one of the crates, but I decided that wasn't too big a problem. I also learned, through trial and error, to try to go in to the thickest piece of wood, whenever possible. Those little slats are really a bit flimsy.
Now, I almost screwed the two sides together at this point, in which case, the main body of the table would be built. However, while they were standing up like this, I was suddenly struck by the fact that, if I left them that way for a few minutes, I could use them as sawhorses while I cut my lumber. This was excellent, because I do not own sawhorses, and was wondering how I was going to handle that. Look how well it works:
At this point, I was ready to start measuring. To determine the length of the planks for the support structure of my table, I lay out the crates on the tarp, just as they would be when the table was finished (remember the pics from yesterday?), and measured each side. As best I can tell, it looks like my table will be about 27 1/2" x 27 1/2" when it is finished, so that's the length I wanted to make my planks.
Using my tape measure and pencil, I measured and marked, then measured and marked again. (Isn't that what they say? "Measure twice, cut once.") I marked three dots, then, using a ruler, joined them to form a straight line. See, Daddy? I DID listen to some of the things you taught me. By the way ~ shout out to my dad, who taught me how to use tools and build things. Hopefully, I'm doing okay here. It would be better with your help, I'm sure, but at least you're my dad, so I have all of that important stuff you taught me at my disposal. Hopefully, I remembered enough to pull this off :)
Today, I decided to start actually building the table.
Forgot to mention in my previous post that, a couple of days ago, the kids and I plunked a big handful of pennies into a jar of white vinegar, in hopes it will turn a sort of turquoise colour, and we can use it to finish our table. (Click here for more info about this) So far, it still looks clear, but the pennies appear to be getting pretty grubby-looking. I hear the process takes about a week or so, and, considering the other work we need to do on the table before we finish it, I think this will be just fine. If, for some reason, the vinegar thing doesn't work, I will find a nice blueish or greenish (or blue-greenish) stain and use that, but I hope it works. It would be cheap. And neat. And al sciencey and stuff :)
Wait...what was I saying? Oh, right. Building a table.
Justice stayed home with a fever (yeah, on the third day of school. How much does that suck?). I mention this because, later in the day, she rallied and was able to help me a little.
Now. Here's what I did.
Remember how I had laid out the crates? Well, when I did that, I made sure to look them over and find the best sides of each and decide which parts to feature on the top or side of the table, and which to relegate to the bottom. I found, when I started to screw together my crates, that they didn't all match up perfectly. We're going for a rustic look, so it doesn't have to be perfect, but I wanted the top to sit pretty nicely. I did the best I could, but you will notice some inconsistencies.
I started out by standing up two crates at a time and screwing them together on the inside. Like this:
I used a power driver and 1 1/4 inch construction screws.
I used the construction screws because they said they could be used to attach wood to wood without drilling any lead holes, and I am kind of lazy. I also used wood glue, smearing it between the crates, where they made contact before putting in the screws. I didn't think to do this right from the start, so hopefully those parts will be okay. If not, I'll fix it someday. I probably could have saved money by buying a bigger package, but the hardware store I went to didn't carry this size of this type of screw in a larger package, and I didn't want to run all over the Valley just for a few screws.
I tried to take a picture to show where I placed the screws. Hopefully, you can see them (in the 4 corners).
I found that, in the back, I had to go in kind of at an angle. Probably should have used 1" screws there, but I didn't have any. One barely poked through on the inside of one of the crates, but I decided that wasn't too big a problem. I also learned, through trial and error, to try to go in to the thickest piece of wood, whenever possible. Those little slats are really a bit flimsy.
Now, I almost screwed the two sides together at this point, in which case, the main body of the table would be built. However, while they were standing up like this, I was suddenly struck by the fact that, if I left them that way for a few minutes, I could use them as sawhorses while I cut my lumber. This was excellent, because I do not own sawhorses, and was wondering how I was going to handle that. Look how well it works:
At this point, I was ready to start measuring. To determine the length of the planks for the support structure of my table, I lay out the crates on the tarp, just as they would be when the table was finished (remember the pics from yesterday?), and measured each side. As best I can tell, it looks like my table will be about 27 1/2" x 27 1/2" when it is finished, so that's the length I wanted to make my planks.
Using my tape measure and pencil, I measured and marked, then measured and marked again. (Isn't that what they say? "Measure twice, cut once.") I marked three dots, then, using a ruler, joined them to form a straight line. See, Daddy? I DID listen to some of the things you taught me. By the way ~ shout out to my dad, who taught me how to use tools and build things. Hopefully, I'm doing okay here. It would be better with your help, I'm sure, but at least you're my dad, so I have all of that important stuff you taught me at my disposal. Hopefully, I remembered enough to pull this off :)
I cut 6 (just shy of) 27 1/2" planks. I realize this is different than what the tutorial says. I thought a lot about how to build this part of the table, and I decided that, since we have a different plan for the center of the table than the original plan ~ and since I my building skills are kind of remedial AND since I stub my toes a lot ~ that I would, instead, place four planks across the bottom of the table in one direction (two toward the center to help close the bottom of that hole and provide the support we will need there), and two in the other direction to help distribute the weight and provide a position for the casters that will be slightly in and under the table, so I won't stub my toe on them. I am really just hoping this will work, but Shane seems to think it will. If not, I will fix it, but I am gonna give it a go.
Okay. I feel like this post is very pic heavy already, and I still have a number of pictures to go for Day 3, so I am going to make it a 2 parter. Ending this here. Next up: assembling the table!
Wooden Crate Coffee Table - Day 2
8/15/12
I don't know about you, but, when I go to the hardware store, I like to drive around with lumber in my car for at least a day before I unload it. I like the smell of wood, and...um...
No. I'm totally lying. I don't like to do this. I'm just lazy about unloading, so, sometimes, I do. That's what I did when I bought the supplies for my latest project, anyway. I think I took out the lumber that evening, but I left the crates in the car until well into the next day. When I did take them out, I decided to lay them out on a tarp on my porch, so I could get an idea of what I was dealing with, and how it would look when I got it put together. I think it's gonna be awesome.
Now, Shane asked me how much this project is costing me, so I tried to sort of estimate, having not bothered to keep my receipts.
The crates were about $12 apiece at Michaels (I should have waited for a coupon! I was too excited), so that's $48.
Now, in the tutorial I posted yesterday, I think she says she used 1x2x6 for the support underneath the table, but, when I looked at it at the hardware store, I thought it looked a little flimsy for us. We are a rough and tumble bunch. I went with 1x4x6, which was (as I recall) $5.81 per plank. I also bought 3, instead of the 2 called for in the tutorial, because I had decided to build the undercarriage (undercarriage?? That's probably the wrong word. You know. The part underneath the crates that holds it all together and supports it.) differently. More about that next time. That's $17.43.
Then, I got 4 casters at $2.95 each ($11.80), and two small boxes of screws at $1.99 a pop ($3.98).
So. Let me do some math here....
I think that comes to $81.21.
Unless I did the math wrong. You can check my numbers if you'd like. (Math is NOT my forte.)
Not an especially cheap project, but I don't think that's a terrible price for a custom table. I probably could have shopped around for better deals, used coupons, etc., but I'm okay with this splurge. It's going to be a very special table.
Brief synopsis:
On Day 2, I unloaded my car, set my crates together to see how they might look as a table, and did some math.
I don't know about you, but, when I go to the hardware store, I like to drive around with lumber in my car for at least a day before I unload it. I like the smell of wood, and...um...
No. I'm totally lying. I don't like to do this. I'm just lazy about unloading, so, sometimes, I do. That's what I did when I bought the supplies for my latest project, anyway. I think I took out the lumber that evening, but I left the crates in the car until well into the next day. When I did take them out, I decided to lay them out on a tarp on my porch, so I could get an idea of what I was dealing with, and how it would look when I got it put together. I think it's gonna be awesome.
Now, Shane asked me how much this project is costing me, so I tried to sort of estimate, having not bothered to keep my receipts.
The crates were about $12 apiece at Michaels (I should have waited for a coupon! I was too excited), so that's $48.
Now, in the tutorial I posted yesterday, I think she says she used 1x2x6 for the support underneath the table, but, when I looked at it at the hardware store, I thought it looked a little flimsy for us. We are a rough and tumble bunch. I went with 1x4x6, which was (as I recall) $5.81 per plank. I also bought 3, instead of the 2 called for in the tutorial, because I had decided to build the undercarriage (undercarriage?? That's probably the wrong word. You know. The part underneath the crates that holds it all together and supports it.) differently. More about that next time. That's $17.43.
Then, I got 4 casters at $2.95 each ($11.80), and two small boxes of screws at $1.99 a pop ($3.98).
So. Let me do some math here....
I think that comes to $81.21.
Unless I did the math wrong. You can check my numbers if you'd like. (Math is NOT my forte.)
Not an especially cheap project, but I don't think that's a terrible price for a custom table. I probably could have shopped around for better deals, used coupons, etc., but I'm okay with this splurge. It's going to be a very special table.
Brief synopsis:
On Day 2, I unloaded my car, set my crates together to see how they might look as a table, and did some math.
Wooden Crate Coffee Table - Day 1
8/14/12:
I figured out what I am going to do while the kids are at school all day. Ignore the mess in my car, and focus on the wooden crates and lumber. ooooooooohhhhhh, pretty!
I figured out what I am going to do while the kids are at school all day. Ignore the mess in my car, and focus on the wooden crates and lumber. ooooooooohhhhhh, pretty!
Also ignore the larger pieces of lumber. They're for a different project. More on that later.
I will be attempting to build THIS. Or something like it, anyway. I am not necessarily going for the "antique" or "wine crate" look. I will be using a different finish and (with the help of my lovely daughters), adding details to personalize it for out family) Trust me, it will be cool...I think. Assuming it turns out vaguely like I hope it will. Wish me luck! I will probably need it!
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