Searching for

This is my ex Kyoko and our daughter Hanano.

Project Man Cave Update

So its been a week. This is what it looked like when I started;

As you can see, pretty bare and stark. Doorway in the middle of one wall and a large gap in the corner of the other. It took me a couple of nights to strip off all the plasterboard off one wall, remove the shelves I had on the other side of the wall and rehouse everything temporarily. With all that done it looked like this

I then pulled that framing apart and redid everything so it looks much tidier. Added a door gap to one corner, reset the nogs to hold up the shelves and even thought to add a waste pipe and hose pipe so later I can have a sink and tap in the bar. In between builds I managed to head off to work, and even shot through to Tauranga for a couple of days to put together a fence for my wife's mate.
Now I have a couple days off the plan is to strip down the second (longer) wall, pull it apart and redo it so the stud and nogs patterns match the first wall, and cover in that doorway gap to make it seamless. If there is enough time (doubtful) I'll look at putting together the door framework as well.

Project Man Cave

The Man Cave is really a cave within a cave. Out the back of our property I have my workshop, a 9m x 6m tin shed, fully insulated, that the previous owner used as a fish breeding room. After we moved in I bought some cheap paint from the dump shop and repainted it. It had blue walls and ceiling. There were also about 500 hoseclips in the walls and roof. Now it holds my wood working tools, lumber racks and a couple of work benches. About a year and a half ago I got tired of not being able to play xbox inside. I framed off a 3mx3m section in one corner, lined it with gib and set up a TV, my games consoles and a couch in there. It was okay for a while. Then my mum moved up. I gave her the TV, swapped out the couch for a bigger one, got unhappy with the room size, pulled it apart and made it 3mx3.5m, but never reframed the gap or lined it. Basically it became a junk storage room. Now I want to get back to it. The brief is to make it a sort of Victorian era gentlemans explorers club room slash library. The sort of place where you might find a retired Alain Quartermain or Professors Challenger or Aronnax, but with a fantastical feel to it. The walls will all be panelled. One end will be dominated by a wal to wall, floor to ceiling bookcases and display cases which will also cover around a third of the long walls.A coffee table and an over stuffed couch in the center and a bar leaner at the other end of the room. Indirect lighting, a large wooden fan turning lazily in the ceiling. Carpets strewn with rugs. Maps and hunting photos on the walls, along with weapons. The maps will be unfamiliar. The Wheel of Time, Middle Earth, The Belgariad, Westeros, The Drenai Saga lands. The hunting photos reveal smiling hunters in front of their game, Dragons, Unicorns, Sphinxes and other mythological creatures. The weapons are swords and spears, guns would be steampunk looking or ultra sci fi. When the door to the workshop is closed it looks just like the wall panels, a secret door. With the door closed you can open the secret catches on the book case to reveal the entertainment center. Flip the coffee table lid to access keyboard and controllers. Open a section of the bar top and modern appliances rise in to view.

Thats my vision for it. At the moment the main barriers are my girls, who demand all my attention and get jealous if I have to much shed time. But I've slowly been working out my plans, and I start tomorrow by emptying out the room and stripping the gib from the walls. Then I'll reframe them to close the gaps and reposition the doorway, and add extra nogging to support shelves and Tvs and the like. Then run some cables and reline the walls with 7mm plywood sheets to start creating that panelled look. The goal is to have all that done by the end of next week.

Projects

Its been a while since I turned to blogging for an outlet, but I thought I might give it another go. Specifically I want to use this blog to help me with some projects I have on the go;

Project R2D2. I found a picture on he web of a little girl riding in an R2D2 costume. Now as a Star Wars fan and the proud father of two little girls, I though it might be fun to try and make my own cos play R2D2

Project Man Cave. I have a serviceable workshop out the back that I haphazardly clean every now and then. I sectioned off a 3m x 3.5m area to be a man cave, but now I want to expand upon it. I have in mind a romanticized victorian era gentleman explorers club/library with wall to wall, ceiling to floor bookcases that open to reveal a modern entertainment unit, a bar leaner with liquor cabinet and possibly a gaming table

Project Backyard Makeover: The area behind my workshop is neglected, over run and full of potential. I thought I would try and do it up a bit. Move the kids pool and put a deck around it, plant a basic fruit orchard, put in a swinging love seat, a firepit and possibly a pizza oven or more likely a charcoal BBQ.

Project Front Deck: Nicky wants a deck in the front of the house with indoor/outdoor flow from the lounge. I have some plans for a wide entertainers area with cushioned sofa and arm chairs, builting planter boxes, and a gas BBQ area tucked away to one side. The brief is also that she wants bifolding french doors, which will require professional installation

Project Doll House: I want to make Emily a nice doll house for her birthday, about as tall as she currently is (88cm). Maybe 3 storys, walk in garage and balcony. Research shall be required

Project Game World. My always ongoing project is developing my own fictional world of Marous for use in D&D games and for creative writing. This is my go to project when I can't leave the house.

As you can see, I have a lot to do. Over the next few days I will try and detail where I am with these various projects and my next steps.

Sunrise In The Forest

Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees. Sometimes you need to take a step back, take a deep breath, and re-prioritize. Take stock of where you are, where you are heading, where you want to be. If they all line up great! If not then something needs to change. Yesterday was a bad day fr my Nickernoo. We are getting maried in April, on her sisters birthday as it happens. Now said sister has gone toxic, feeling that we are stealing her special day from her. She is older than I am, but not acting it. I thought woman were supposed to be the mature ones. Even if we wanted to, it is to late to cancel. Money has changed hands, invites have been sent.
My own sister has also gone toxic. its a long story that I may cover later, but suffice to say she is planning to avoid my wedding like the plague. Sigh.

Cold Light Update

Took the plunge. I have ordered Hanano's birth certificate and gotten the email address for the Japanese embassy. Fingers crossed

Cold light of Day

Having slept on it I am resolved this morning to try and find Hanano. I know it is a hard task. Research on the web shows that it is next to impossible to find someone in Japan, especially if you are looking from outside the country, but I am determined to try.