Double Does

I officially started setting tile today. I couldn’t come with any more excuses to postpone it, so I had to start. I got kind of a late start so I was only able to get about 60% of the base tile in. Tomorrow I’ll finish up the base tile and start on the field.

I was going to use Keith’s String Theory to space the tiles a 16th of an inch, but I didn’t want to spend time at the store measuring string to find the right size. Maybe the spools are marked, I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. Instead, I’m using toothpicks. I had a box of toothpicks in the cupboard and they are exactly a 16th of an inch thick, so that should do.

I also broke down and ordered more tile today. I think I know what I did wrong. When I measured the area for tile I broke down the room in to a series of squares and rectangles. I measured those and then added them up. It’s a pretty basic way to measure an area. I looked back at my original notes and one of the numbers is 21 sq ft. However, the sheet is dirty and wrinkled - this bathroom is a construction zone, after all - and if you look at it a certain way it looks like 2.1 sq ft. There is no area that even comes close to being as small as 2.1 sq ft but my numbers are off by a little under 20 sq ft. So, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. If I run out of tile again, I’ll just make my own out of joint compound, ‘cause I ain’t ordering no more!

In other news, Mort is doing much, much better. A good indication of his health is how much he attacks me. He can be very aggressive. I wrote last week that he’s only drawn blood on me a few times in the past week or so, and that was no exaggeration. He’s not 100% yet, but he’s definitely getting there.

We have a thing we do on a regular basis. There is a window at the end of the hall that I like to look of and survey the neighborhood. Mort is usually under foot anyway so it’s not uncommon for me to scoop him up and let him take in the view. There are a pair of Huskies across the street and he likes to keep his good eye on them. He usually attacks me when I put him down and he hasn’t done that in weeks. I thought I’d try and catch it on tape, and here’s what I got.



Making up for lost time.