Nov 16 - more posts

I finished up, sort of, the deck area left and center.  I don't intend to do the right deck area at this time but who knows.  It might happen.  When I'd pulled up all the boards in the center section, I found that there were a couple or three posts that were rotting away -- these were rectangular pressure treated lumber, rather than proper dock posts.  That's what had happened to the far side of the dock and I had those fixed last year.  Before I finish screwing down the deck boards, I should probably get some more posts sunk.  Otherwise, this year or next, I'll have a sagging deck again, just in a different place.  It never ends. 

So ... all the 16' and 10' boards are down and I used some of the remaining 12' as well.  I think that I've got 5 or 6 left.  The 10' boards are only screwed down at both ends, not in the middle.  My two Dewalt batteries are on their last legs, one dating from 2010 and the other earlier.  I guess that's no surprise.  I just ordered another pair from Amazon.  I'm really giving the little impact driver a workout.  The screws are what Home Depot calls "star drive" and what I'd call Torx, I guess, but perhaps there's some minor difference.  These are very easy to use; a very positive drive system, much more so that Philips or Robertson (square).

Today I'm off to see the gastro guy.  I had been thinking that appointment was Thursday but it's today.  I hope to be back in time for a bike ride; no work on the dock/deck today.

The garbage men very nicely took away a large pile of the old deck boards with nails sticking out everywhere.  I've got another pile to move out for Thursday's pickup and no doubt will have a few more piles in the future as I tackle the walkway and maybe the right-hand deck.  It's amazing that they'll take this crap away.  I went out and talked to them, telling them to be careful of the nails.

In the mail yesterday, I received a traffic ticket -- photo radar -- from Spain.  It was in French, because the car rental was from France, I guess.  131km in a 120 zone ... should I plead my case that I was having huge stomach cramps and needed to get to my destination ?  It's the truth !  The fine was 100 Euros or 50, if paid within 20 days of receipt.  Well, I went ahead and paid it.

The paperwork included a chart for fines.  At 121 in a 120, theoretically, the fine starts at 100 Euros.  That holds until 150.  At 151 the fine goes to 300; 171 = 400; 181 = 500; 191 = 600.  There must be some grace area but of course that's not listed.  It's the first speeding ticket that I've gotten in a long, long time.  This was the day that we left Portugal and traveled back into Spain, overnighted in Spain and then traveled to France, St. Emilion.

That's it ... time to get Cassie up.  Onward !