Ta Daa!

Well, it's not an "extreme makeover" like A and L's master bedroom, but it was a large project for me, and that is completing the installation of a woodburning stove in my shop (or as it is sometimes referred to as, THE MAN ROOM). It turned into a bigger job than I expected. Before I could really go ahead with the chimney installation, I had to bring the room up to fire code, which meant hanging 5/8's sheetrock to cover the ceiling. Now, I had never hung rock before, much less from the ceiling, but I saw it being done on "Ask This Old House", so I was confident I could handle the job. It was easily the toughest part of the project, as 5x8's sheet rock is not light. My cordless drill got pounded hard as it fell from the top of my stepladder twice, but it was nothing that some industrial strength duct tape couldn't repair. Other than that, there were no major casualties, although I was feeling it the next day - I must be getting old.

The inspector came by yesterday and gave me the OK that I was looking for, so when I got home from the end of the work week, I went in and stoked up a nice fire. It brought the shop up to a comfy 72 F degrees, and so I snapped a picture and thought I would post it for all to see. The photo was taken with my phone, so the quality is not all that good, but you get the idea.

To top it all off, we got our first real snowstorm of the season, and there is 4 inches of the white stuff at our house. I have such fond memories of walking home from school in the winter to sit around the woodstove and thaw out. Tonight, the boy and I are going to go out there to play some cribbage and listen to the Prairie Home Companion.

Good luck to all you hunters out there gearing up for opening day, which is only a week away - God Bless, be sure of your target and shoot a bug-'un!