We have chosen to waterproof the outside wall of our foundation with a product called Tuff-n-Dri. It is applied with a spray gun and has a tar-like consistency. I spent three hours in the “pit” removing all of the concrete that spilled over the top and onto the footing. Doing so allowed the Tuff-n-Dri to create a continuous barrier over the top of the footing with no pockets for water to pool at the joint. While the family is in Turkey, drainage tiles will be installed around the outside and inside of the foundation walls. The inside of the foundation will be filled with 7 inches of gravel followed by 20 inches of Glavel which will be compacted to 16 inches. The garage footings and foundation walls should also be well underway.

I spent a good portion of the day working on the River House. Tomorrow, a waterproofing product called Tuff-n-Dri will be sprayed onto the outside of the foundation walls. While it is still wet, an insulating water drainage layer called Warm-n-Dri will be set into the tar-like coating. In preparation for this work, I needed to mark out the finish grade elevation around the entire perimeter of the house. This was easier said than done. I used a laser level on a tripod to project a finished grade line onto the foundation. I then climbed down a ladder into the excavated trenches and then up a ladder to mark the level on the wall. I did this for both ends of each of the eight walls and in cases with a diagonal profile, I snapped a chalk line and then created a stair-stepped pattern to simplify the installation process. All in all, I think I must have climbed up and down a 10 foot ladder a hundred times over the course of a few hours. Once the levels were all marked out, I had to drill a screw into the foundation at each location since the waterproof coating will cover all of the marks once applied. Another hundred trips up and down the ladder. Despite the strenuous exercise, I found the work very satisfying and had several frogs to keep me company.

My sister, Alissa, spotted this photo in the Schenectady Gazette newspaper this morning. It was taken 50 years ago in front of the George McGovern campaign headquarters. My father is second from the right and my mother is on the far left. In addition to their passion for ballroom dancing, they were avid folk dancers. I can remember joining them on many Friday night outings to dance with their local group. I still get goosebumps when I hear a slow Hasapiko.

We have decided to use swivel chairs in our new living room in lieu of a traditional sofa. This will allow family and guests to enjoy the views in all directions. While out with Jeanine this afternoon shopping for various new house items (flooring, plumbing fixtures, blinds, stonework) we stopped in to look at a few furniture stores. At one, we found what I consider to be the perfect swivel chair. Having sat in several dozen over the last few months, I can say with some certainty that this will be the chair we finally settle on (likely with a different covering).

Nico shared this photo of himself with his brother-from-a-different -mother, Jovan. The two have been training like mad men for the Amputee Soccer World Cup which begins in two weeks.

Inspired, perhaps, by Maya’s recent spice organization project or possibly my constant displeasure with the state of chaos in our Road House garage, I spent a part of the day organizing things. I long ago gave up on fancy purpose-designed garage organizers which invariably could not handle all of the items or which fell apart over time. Now I just affix a 2×4 to the wall (anchoring on studs) and screw in the appropriate hook for each tool. Much less expensive and infinitely more versatile and reconfigurable.

The concrete pour for the foundation walls was successfully completed last night. No other aspect of our new home project has made me more nervous. It is the only aspect of construction for which there is no way to correct a mistake. We needed five concrete mixer trucks to show up at 30-minute intervals. One breaks down or arrives late and we are screwed. If the pump truck gets clogged midway through the pour we are screwed. If the concrete vibrators malfunction we are screwed. If the ICFs blow out we are screwed. If the walls are not straight and plumb we are screwed. I think you get the idea. A lot of things can go wrong and once the concrete sets, you are stuck with it. I am happy to report that no such calamities occurred and the work appears to have gone perfectly to plan. See the video below.

Thirty-two huge bags of Glavel were delivered this morning. Glavel is a thermally insulating, load-bearing bulk aggregate made entirely from recycled glass. It has an R-value of 1.7 per compacted inch and compressive strength of 116psi. We will use 16 inches of it below the concrete floor in the basement.

Open Table held its annual meeting this evening al fresco at the El Huipil restaurant. It was also Jeanine’s last day as Executive Director of the organization. Three months ago she announced her decision to resign. After 9 years at the helm, she is ready for a new challenge, but not before a well-earned hiatus that will take her to Belgium after our two-week trip to Turkey starting next week. She received a standing ovation and was honored by several speakers for her leadership and passion. During her tenure, the organization transitioned from a volunteer-centered to a client-centered mission, secured its first permanent facilities, added a mobile pantry, introduced online ordering, raised $8M, and prepared tens of thousands of meals for clients in 21 communities. Maya and Nico were in attendance to share in the farewell and are seen below administering our traditional “graduation kiss”. Kyle would have been here as well if not for the fact that he is in Mexico this week.

Kyle sent these pictures from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico where he is spending the week with fellow employees. Team building in the age of remote working is on another level. I thought I was doing well to take my leadership team to Maine for whitewater rafting. How the goal posts have moved.

There can be no doubt that Maya is our daughter. She has become a talented chef taking after her mother and a relentless organizer taking after her father. She shared these photos of her latest nesting project and asserted as much.

I put the third and fourth coats of finish on the cork floor I installed in our entryway yesterday. I am very pleased with the result. This now completes the last remaining task on my ToDo list for the Road House.

Jeanine has been on Cape Cod visiting with a friend for the weekend. It is best to do these kinds of projects when she is not around since the smell of the finish as it cures is a bit intense. My soccer team won our match this morning by a margin of 5-1. I had a couple of assists and got a good workout before tweaking my calf in the final minutes.

Nico had an opportunity to play in an exhibition amputee soccer match in Times Square today. I had hoped to make a day trip to watch him play but decided the 8-hour round trip was more than I was up for. Fortunately, Nico was not without family in attendance. My cousins Anita and Jackie who live in the area were on hand for the match. Other than this photo, Nico has shared no details of the experience which I am champing at the bit to hear about. I am hoping someone captured video and will share it so that I may post it here.

Instead of a very long drive, I spent the better part of the day on my hands and knees laying a new cork floor in the entryway of our Road House. The effort was doubled because there is not a single right angle in the room. That combined with the need to trim around 5 doors made it quite an exercise in geometry. Fortunately, I can say the effort was worth it. I am very pleased with the result and owe a debt of gratitude to one of my soccer teammates who gave me the cork for free when his home renovation required less than he ordered. There is still enough left over to do the bathroom in Maya’s tiny house.

Growing up in Schenectady, NY, I was very much the introvert that I am today. I was a good student and good athlete but had few people I would consider real friends. Dan Neville was one of them. We attended Mont Pleasant High School together where we both were in the concert band, marching band, and cross country team. He was a gifted musician who could make a tenor sax sing like no one else. We shared many classes together and he was a brilliant student, the only classmate that I ever looked up to intellectually. He was also a kind and gentle soul.

By our senior year, we were spending less time together. I had dropped out of the band, was all consumed with wrestling, and spent many nights taking evening division engineering courses at Union College (nerd with a capital N). I was also dating my first real girlfriend and spent most of my remaining free time with her. After graduation, I lost track of Dan. Every couple of years since the internet became a thing, I have attempted to locate him with the hopes of reconnecting. This evening, I finally found him. Sadly, I am 13 years too late.

Dan died in 2009 of cancer and it was his obituary that led me to him. He lived in Chandler, Arizona, was a teacher, and is survived by a wife and son. The memories and condolences shared on that website paint a picture of the man I knew he would become. It is odd that I should feel so grief-stricken after so much time has passed. We only knew each other for a few years and yet I have carried the memory of that friendship with me for almost half a century. Dan, I have missed you but will continue to keep you in my heart.

Today, I had the occasion to search YouTube for content that would help with fundraising for the American Amputee Soccer Association. I came across a video I had never seen before of an international friendly with Costa Rica. It is possibly the only international competition I have not attended since Nico started playing amputee soccer. I was thrilled to have a chance to see what I missed. By my count, Nico scores 6 goals in two matches.

I also found a video of two of the best teams in the world, Turkey and England playing at the recent European Finals. I only wish US fans had the same passion for soccer. In any event, it is a great preview of what is in store at the World Cup which starts at the end of this month.