Cat Tree

Robert had been project-less for some time when a perfect opportunity presented itself: a cat tree for Linguini. Robert got the idea almost as soon as we brought Linguini home and was chomping at the bit to get started for days. So, he hopped on the Web to do some research before charting out a plan.

Linguini was keen to help.

This was the first draft, if you will, and Linguini was quick to check it out.

He seemed to like it pretty well.

But he liked the improved version even more.

The cat tree turned out to be an excellent way to use our leftover carpet pieces. Unfortunately for my nose, however, Robert also used oodles of sisal rope. I understand that it's necessary for the claws and the scratching and blah blah blah but it smells like burning tires and my nose is a most unhappy protuberance. Robert didn't (and still doesn't - he's a robot!) notice the smell but he still wasn't a fan of working with it.

"I hate this rooooooooope!!!!"

This was the first time Gweenz climbed up to the top by himself and Robert was tickled pink.

He seemed to find the rest of it to his liking, too. :o)

It took longer to complete than Robert would have liked but since he was only ever really able to work on it on weekends, I think he did it pretty quickly. He is his own harshest critic.

Here is the finished product. Gorgeous!!!

I think Robert should whip some more up and sell'em. He's quite the craftsman!

Robert's Puppy Project

Seeing as we have only a concrete patio and we don't want Garfunkel to, ahem, eliminate himself in our house, Robert set off to build a little sod box for Garf to use. Of course, Robert being Robert, he read up about similar products - PetaPotty, Doggie Bidet - on the Web first and then set to work. He actually built the thing in only one weekend, too! That the fastest turnaround time yet for a McCauley original.

First, the outer frame. Robert had some redwood from my dad's old deck lying around so he decided to build the box out of that. The underside of this box eventually got fitted with a piece of pine covered in waterproof peel-and-stick tiles.


Next, the interior box. This box sits inside the base and its bottom is made up of overlapped wire. The dirt is poured on top of the wire and the sod laid on top of that.


The inner box in its base. Kitty litter is spread out on top of the tile in the box base - this absorbs all of Garfunkel's, ahem, eliminations. Then, the inner box of soil and sod is placed on top.


(Here you can see the base bottom of tile a little more clearly.)


And here is the inner box all done. The handles are there so that we can lift it out when we need to change the kitty litter. However, since it's redwood and full of dirt, it's not a lightweight! Robert can maneuver it by himself but I wish he'd wait for me to take one side. I do not need the man getting a hernia, thank you!

Unfortunately for us, Garfunkel was fostered by a woman who runs a kennel, so he's never done his business on grass before. He'll use it for #1 (most times, anyway) but really prefers the patio itself for #2 much to Robert's dismay. But I'm sure Garfunkel will get it eventually... I just hope it's before Robert throws himself over the railing in frustration and despair.

Robert's Latest Projects

As a belated quasi-Valentine's gift, Robert finally installed the shelf/hook I ask for back at the dawn of time. ;o) It started out as a shelf-and-hook combo but when it didn't really work size-wise in our allotted space, I had him chop it in half and install them separately. (Which is what took 948 years... ) But!!! They are up now and they're fantastic! Look at all my extra counter space!!! (I used to store both my lunch bag and the radio on the counter... hey, we have no counter space, people! It was either there or on the dryer!) Robert even made a little slat in the shelf to hide the cord (as if we'd notice amongst all the other clutter - like the stupid phone cord - but still a sweet gesture). Now I just have to find a new home for the calendar...

Robert's New Toy

Robert got a miter saw for his birthday (a bit belatedly a couple weeks back) and this weekend was the first chance he had to try it out. He had no project to work on (yet, though I'm told that will soon be rectified) so he just went out and cut up a bunch of wood. The man was positively giddy - I kept hearing little outbursts of "Hee hee!! I love it!!" while he was out there. It must be nice to be so easily amused. :o)




(What the heck is he going to do with that little sliver of wood? "Nothing. But see how straight it is?!!" Yes, dear. It's very straight.)

Oy... Robert and His Projects.

Robert is driving me NUTS. The man just finished up a project he'd been working on for a month or so and has been desperately searching for something new to work on all weekend. I really want to punch him in the nose! Ack.

First of all, Robert never takes any time off. He has over 30 days accrued (because he's never sick and I alway am and so never have any time accrued - ergo, we never take a "vacation") and so decided to take a day on Friday because he'd had a long week, what with his 16-hour day on Tuesday and whatnot. Then he figured, since he's in a use-it-or-lose-it situation, he'd take Monday off, too. And that's great... only Robert isn't a sit-around-the-house kind of guy and inevitably he will touch my stuff and screw up my piling filing system and I will be forced to hurt him. :o) It's true. And he did. But I digress.

Robert has been working on a jewelry box for me for about a month now, as I mentioned. It wouldn't have taken so long except he doesn't have an actual work bench or anything, so he has to work on our BBQ table and old microwave stand. Oh, and the old spa. So, he's sort of limited in what he can do, even though he has all the right tools and everything. I had seen an earring box in a magazine - basically a square wooden frame around some fabric for you to stick your earrings through - and told Robert I would like something like it. He then got all atwitter and set out to make me something for my earrings. I say 'something' because after it took more than, like, two weeks, I said something to him about it and he said he didn't remember seeing the item I'd pointed out in the catalog. He was going off his "own design." Oh goody.

Needless to say, I had some reservations that Robert's design would encompass what I wanted. "But you only wanted a cloth hanger for earrings - how hard can that be?!" you ask. True. But when I said "earrings" Robert heard "jewelry" and, well, wanted to make something a bit more elaborate than I wanted. I already have a jewelry box, as I pointed out to him, and really just wanted a bunch of holes in something from which I could hang my earrings but he assured me he was taking care of it. Okey dokey. Here is his work in progress and final result:

Before the final waxing

Mounted in its new home

So, you know - it looks good. It does a little more than I asked and it's not exactly what I had in mind but it does have lots of holes for my earrings!! And Robert was so cute - he actually organized all my jewelry on it for me so it was ready and waiting for me when I got home from work. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the best of moods coming home from work on Friday and, as such, I don't think I was as enthused as Robert would have liked... whoops. I know - I suck. But I do like it very much and am very impressed at Robert's woodworking abilities. They've really improved from when he made the TV tray that didn't fold in high school... ;o) In all seriousness, it was a very sweet gesture and I am impressed at Robert's creativity and skill - he really is a sweetheart.

And while I'm posting about Robert's woodwork-ery, here are a few photos of his first project: Gigantor.




As you can see, Gigantor is a DVD rack. A HUGE DVD rack... hence the name Gigantor. :o) (Yes, I really do call it that at home, too.) It is also Robert's own design and he actually finished the whole thing without a router (he has a fine set of routers now but at the time he was without), so his even and symmetric rounded corners are awesome. You can't really tell in the picture but he also mounted it to the wall in such a way that the mounts are hidden, so it's sort of like a floating... Gigantor. :o)

Anyhoo - back to Robert's projects. So, Robert finished up the jewelry box on Friday and started itching to start something new. I got him to do some cleaning on yesterday to occupy his time, then he dragged me down to Expo to look at blinds. Ugh. It did effectively suck up the rest of the day, though, so I guess it was good. Then first thing this morning, Robert starts harassing me about what things he can start working on. First he tells me he wants to paint our bedroom(!); after I told him he'd have to do the baseboards, too, he went off that idea pretty quickly. Then he wants to paint the crown molding in our spare bedroom or paint the master bathroom... he is driving me bananas!!!!!! I finally got him working on something in the guest bathroom - moving our light fixture so it's more centered over the mirror and the sink. (I'm anal - it's been driving me nuts since we moved in!). He jumped right on it and is working on it as I write:

"Don't you love your industrious man?"

He has to do touch-up painting after he re-attaches the light, so I hope that'll keep him busy for a while. I think he's moving on to adjusting our spare bedroom blinds after the bathroom - apparently, they're mounted outside the window and he wants them mounted inside. Whatever. Just stay away from me, my stuff and my TV and we'll get along fine, McCauley!!! Yeesh. I don't know what else there is to do - he has already done the dishes twice, dusted the fan blades and vacuumed - but if I don't get him out of my hair, he's not going to last the weekend.