This is the day we, in this nation, have set aside to celebrate our independence from Great Britain.
And more generally, independence from the oppression of people by the abuse of the power of government.
That carefully considered move, took mankind another evolutionary step toward the better way for people to organize themselves.
The basic premise was that government was the creature of the common people, not the other way around.
The people in the thirteen American colonies had learned that it was not the people who needed to be controlled as much as the government.
Thus, they wrote a foundation document "in order to form a more perfect union."
The basis of that document was an even more fundamental set of concepts.
A declaration of independence.
It stated that certain fundamental concepts were "self evident".
That "all men" were "endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights".
That "among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".
And that "governments are instituted to secure these rights."
And that these "governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed."
And if a government begins to destroy these rights, "it is the RIGHT of the people to alter or abolish it."
And I wonder, as I look at the moral, social and political landscape today, how much longer will we have this nation as we have known it.
I could go on (and might) but not now.
I fear for our future.
THE WALK
I was wrong about the dogs on Fairacres Road.
The boxer is still there.
And so are the dog houses.
But the dog houses have been moved up against the house behind some bushes.
That must by why I did not see them last week.
Anyway, he greeted me this morning as I padded by.
It is Friday and Friday is a walk day, holiday or not.
THE INSULATION PROJECT...
is coming along.
Even after doing the two exterior walls in my gym and the outside wall in my *newly remodeled* bathroom (you do not know how hard it was for me to drill holes in my nice recently painted walls), I still had a little juice left in the tanks.
So I went into the kitchen.
I debated whether to next do the wall in my bedroom or the kitchen.
Beginning to insulate the bedroom (where I am now as I type) would entail moving my nice, snuggly Royal bed, two night stands, moving clothes out of the closet, covering the carpet, covering my big desk with drop cloth to protect the computer and books from the dust, etc.
Plus, I knew that I did not have enough foam the do the whole wall at this time, so if I started on the bedroom now, I would have to stop when I ran out of stuff, clean everything up, and move everything back in place, only to have to move everything out of the way again and cover everything up again, when the next shipment of foam arrived.
Can you say, "big project?"
The exterior wall in the kitchen, on the other hand, has only the refrigerator and a couple of mops and brooms in the way.
And no carpet.
Simple pimple.
So I went to the kitchen.
Even though I knew that I did not have enough juice to finish filling all of the stud spaces in the kitchen wall, I drilled all the holes, kuz that is the messiest part of the process.
(Sheetrock dust flies everywhere and sticks to every surface - vertical or horizontal. If the foam falls out of the holes, it just falls to the ground, and after about five minutes, you can pick it up with your hands. It is about the weight and consistency of a fun noodle and does not stick to plastic. It can be removed from painted walls with just a gentle scrape of a sheet rock knife, or even a brush of your hand.)
Then I brought in the tanks, opened the valves, stuck the gun nozzle in the first lower hole and pulled the trigger.
WHOOSH!
Off we go again.
I had enough to fill three stud spaces halfway up and part of a fourth.
And I did not waste any. (I am learning how this stuff works.)
The next tanks have been ordered.
They should be enough to finish my house.
Or nearly so.
The conclusion of the whole matter will have to wait until after Newark campmeeting.
Here is my gym with the holes drilled ready for the foam.
Here is a view of the excess foamage.
While it was coming out of the holes it looked like my wall was pooping. (sorry)
But it was white poop. (and it didn't smell.)
Once the excess is shaved off the holes, it looks pretty smooth.
Like I said last time, this was my learning room and as you can see, there was much to learn.
The good news is I cut up these big blobs of foam with a knife and stuck them in the holes in the bathroom before I put in fresh foam, so I was able to reuse virtually all of the "waste" from my gym.
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