I really CAN scream like a little girl!

  I hope this guy just found his way in through the door, because I found a nest. A BIG nest that looks like it's abandoned but might not be. I will post the pic of the HUGE nest I found  later. I was a tad too scared after this bugger to actually take a picture.

I worked so hard and made no progress?

   Well, I busted %*@ today and I didn't make any progress. At least that's how it feels. We had loaned our ladder out to a friend, so I couldn't get on the roof. Today, instead of working on the seals, I pulled up linoleum. I had finished the bedroom last night. Here is where I started today:

That is the hallway in front of the bathroom and closet, and the kitchen/living room. I got about 90% done with the floors today.

  When I "gave up" today I had pulled up all that linoleum you see. I had also drilled out all the rivets for the panel where I need to work. Here it is:

   This panel leads to the other side of the dent outside. There is a HUGE dent that I suspect might be the cause of the leak. Once I pound it out from the inside, I expect it should solve the problem:

   This would be ok, if I did not find something that looks like another leak in the front of the airstream. I looks like they just screwed another piece of wood on top of the rot up front to cover it up. UGH! Why? But I didn't see it until I pulled up the linoleum under the couch. I am a bit worried about that one. I won't know how bad it is until I get all the linoleum up from the front. Sigh.....I can do this. I know I can, but with every new problem I just think, "1 more week added till this is finished." But, really, I got this, YO! Sorry, I've been watching a lot of Breaking Bad". No!!! I won't apologize for watching "Breaking Bad" EVER!

In the beginning...

I started working on the Airstream yesterday. Everything was taken out of the bedroom. EVERYTHING. It is completely empty in there. All the linoleum is gone from the bedroom, and I'm trying to get to the rest of the linoleum out of the rest of the place.

   I need to get the stuff I cleaned out of the bedroom completely out of the airstream, as it is currently stored in the living room. My friend Mickey's husband came over and helped me with a lot of things. First, he explained to me how to  repair that rotted wood in the back right corner near the electrical box. But...the bad news. The leak has to be fixed first. He gave me some ideas where it might be. It isn't the window in the back. We don't think, at least. Since it appears to be on the right half of the window and over to the right under the second window.
  There is a dent over on that side of the airstream on the outside. I'm going to rip out that panel on the inside and pound it back out. Get up on the roof and seal up any seams that might be leaking up there. Finally, I'm going to reseal that window which might leak be leaking. Won't hurt to reseal it even if it isn't leaking. All of this after what feels like a long derby practice this morning. It wasn't that long, but I had a migraine this morning and it feels like I got hit by a truck after one of those.
  Oh, also....I apparently have dirt daubers nests in my AC "squirrel cage" and maybe my furnace. But now I know how to clean it. I might could finish that this weekend. I do often tend to over extend myself. There is a lot of work to be done.

Cleaned bearings, finished helmet, possible start on the Airstream

I never posted my finished helmet. Her she is. Ain't she shiny?

I'm pretty happy that Jayne Snobb is ALIVE! Now I just need to get better gear. I'm skating on some Ridel R3's but I'm starting to save up for new skates, harder wheels and some bearings. I did clean my Bones Redz the other day, and that made them roll a tad better. I just can't shell out for $50 bearing right now. Here is what I did. First, I used a TON of Tri Flow. This cleaned all the dirt gunk out. It wasn't ideal, but it worked. After getting the oil and junk off the outside of the bearing I put speed cream in them. I put the red covers back on them, and put them back in the wheels. Voila!

I am basically hoping this will get me one more month with them. I bought these back in September. It is now November, but I skate on them 5 times a week, so maybe that is why they aren't working so well.

I mentioned wanting new wheels. I actually have some GREAT wheels. I'm using the reckless envy 62 mm. These don't have a lip, and I wish they did. I also want to use them with some hard wheels.

I do like them though. I'm taking suggestions for hard wheels to add to these on my skates. As for skates. I'm thinking Antiks, but I need to do a ton of research about them. Since they cost so much money, I'm going to take my time on them. I mostly want plates that have that screw to keep my toe stop from coming unscrewed. I'm so sick of those toe stops coming undone.

AIRSTREAM...
I mean you may have come here for that. Maybe I'm wrong. I am hoping to rip a hole in the floor this week. Sounds funny, huh? "Gee, I can't wait to rip a hole in my vintage travel trailer." Anyhow. I can't wait to start. I'm just busy and broke.

I am going to try to rip the beds out of the bedroom tonight or Friday?

SAM (the mustang)...
He needs a new clutch. I can smell it burning. NOT a good thing. Really. That smell is not a good thing.

OK, I will keep you posted.

Derby Helmet

This is that post that about derby I mentioned might be talked about. My derby name was approved last week. I am now "Jayne Snobb," after Jayne Cobb from" Firefly" and "Serenity".

 

Well, This means I needed to have that stocking hat for my helmet, RIGHT? Right. I knew you would agree. Here is how we did it. Firstly, I used 400 grit sand paper to scuff up the outside of the green helmet.

I forgot to photograph the B4 Helmet. So sand paper is all you get. After I sanded it down, we washed the helmet and let it dry. I put on rubber gloves to keep the oils from my fingers from ruining the paint when it goes on the helmet. We did a base coat of the yellow, but I we realized there was a lip where the "tripple eight" logo on the back was. To fix this we used lighter fluid to remove the logo.

I wish we I had thought about this before we started painting it. Use a light coat of paint. EVERY TIME. A thick coat and you get runs. The paint we used was valspar paint for plastic. It was great. Use this. I liked the satin finish, but they had glossy.

We did 3 coats of yellow base coat.

Then, after 8-10 hours I taped off the area that I wanted to remain yellow with paper and painters tape and we gave the orange 2-3 coats of orange.

After 8-10 hours I began painting the knitting stitches with the acrylic gauche that you saw in the photo of paints above.

After about 6 hours I finally finished the stitches.

We then used the high heat top coat as seen in the photo earlier and put 4 coats of clear coat.

I'm going to take that sand paper and wet it. Then hit the helmet again. This will get the ridges from the guache out of it. Then, respray the top coat once or twice. That should be it. Hope this helps with anyone who wants to paint their helmet.

The HOLE!

Grrr....This might be very bad.

   I found this in the bedroom at the back of the airstream. It is not going to be easy to fix, but I have some ideas. The biggest issue is that electrical box. I'm hoping that we can puzzle piece it in and under the the walls between the frame. We got it under control. It's just...moneys are hard to come by right now. I need a new clutch on the Mustang, Sam. That will cost about $300 in parts and I have a guy who is going to do it for $200 on labor. I might could help him too. Which makes me happy. I like doing the work on my car. He likes when I do the work, too.

   Any how, I might could start taking the beds out of the bedroom this weekend. I just have a lot of homework, and I want to get it done before I begin the manual labor. Since I have to fix the floor, I might as well put in a full bed in place of those twins, yeah? I thought so too. See?  I like how we think alike.

Anyhow, I made soup this weekend too. I am quite happy with how it turned out.

Just wanted to brag. It was tasty.

And....It has begun.

   So, we got this in the mail:

  We think maybe someone called in the airstream as a "violation." Which it isn't (we checked before I bought it. THANK YOU, DARCY). So, they did what they could.

  Apparently I can't keep an AC cover outside. We cleaned it up. There is no fine, but we think we know who called the city on us. We will let them off on this round, as the woman is nuts. Like completely INSANE! I will fill in this weekend. I found a hole, and it could be bad.

Progress

Colors.
I want to put down hardwood floors. That crappy linoleum has got to go. So....Here goes. That couch that was tragically ripped out must be rebuilt with the following upholstery:

  But it is $40 a YARD. Totally insane. The curtains are even worse. I wanted to use this:

  But this stuff is $60 a yard. I'm not really sure how anyone could afford this. I liked the orange print below....

  But it's also $40 a yard. I already started making throw pillows out of this polka dot print. They are really cute.

  Any ideas where to find cheaper material? Because $40 - $60 a yard is going to bankrupt me.

   I wanted to post the "Before" pictures. This should be fun. First up, the bedroom. There are two twin beds and a night stand. There is a ton of storage space under the beds. Also, there are overhead storage bins.

   Also...3 Windows in the bedroom, plus a port window on the left side.

    The bathroom is tiny, but here is the toilet. Above which is a mirror with a medicine cabinet in. A tiny airline sized cabinet to the left of that. If I was sitting on the pot, there is a storage cabinet to the right. Thats where the toilet paper lives. HAPPILY. Trust me. The toilet paper lives there happily.

 This is a better photo of the mirror above the toilet, and the tiny little airplane cabinet. There is a mirror above the sink too.

 There is the sink. Tiny, but I once lived in an apartment that had no sink. Also, a window in the bathroom? cool.

   The shower, which needs work, you can see the terrible wallpaper.

   The shower has a little seat in it. I can sit and shower. That might be AMAZING. You know, for...when I'm too tired to stand up? I am actually really excited.

 Across from the bathroom is a HUGE closet with overhead storage and 2 drawers underneath.

   This is a portion of the kitchen. Fridge, microwave (hidden) and storage.

 There is a double sink, overhead storage, a spice rack (really), stove, and storage. There is a big window above the sink. I pulled the curtain to get better light.

  There are 3 port windows in the living room. A TON of regular window all over. Storage as well (are you seeing a pattern?).

   We have to replace the couch. I want an original style couch. They also spray painted the whole place. FYI, never spry paint an airstream. It is just wrong.

   This is a photo of the whole place.

 There is really an 8 track machine BUILT IN!

  I have already picked out the curtains, but...next time I will tell you why they won't work.

   We picked up the airstream yesterday. I am so excited to get to work. With all my classwork and the work on my 65' mustang, this restoration should take a while. Most of you looking are family, so you probably know all this stuff, but here are the pics of us bringing it home.

  It was a ton of fun. My dad did a ton of work, and I owe my brother a huge "thank you" for allowing us to use the truck. I can't wait to start all the work, but I could use all the help I can get. If you have any ideas on decorating, let me know!