Reveal: T2tWRanchita

That's me just below center and to the right--the orangey-red blob.

OK. It’s time to reveal what T2tWRanchita means and why I named my hunk o’land and house with such a “thoroughly modern Milly” moniker. I’m sure many of you would expect me to name it some nice, warm, fuzzy name like Lavender Ladies Land or Old Rugger’s Retirement Roost. Fuggedaboutit! I named it, and modernized the acronym ‘cause it’s totally how I want to live my life from now on. And, it’s also how I think I’ve lived a good part of my life up to date. I just never found a succinct enough phrase until I started thinking about the profundity of actually having a house of my own sitting on terra firma that I hold the deed to. When an event like that happens to a bastard child like me, the adult bastard child has to get creative.

Tits to the Wind Ranchita. That’s what it is. In modern English. I guess I could use Olde English font to give it some sense of it having some historical significance, but…naw. It’s a damn ugly font, for one. It’s also harder than heck to read. I’d also have to get all Shakepearean with it. Ick! Could you hear THAT interpretation? Ye Olde Swinging Mammaries In Ye Olde Aire Estate! Ha!! Or how about: Ye Olde Hag’s Wind Swept Teats Castle and Keep! Modern is the only way to go with this. Truly.

Now that THAT English lesson is done~whew!~ Let’s get on to what’s been going on up here since the German ‘n his Gal and their interns have been here. There’s now 2 more caravans (trailers) on the land and a Vanagon that comes and goes each weekend. I am assured by Sue at the TG Homeowner’s Association that no one is complaining about my new ‘ land venture’. She says she’d shoo ‘em away from their grumpiness if they did call her about it. She’s such a gem; my most grateful thanks, Sue!

Bank Boy in Underoos is still being a petulant child with an overidentification disorder of the Superman images on his tighty whities. So be it. I’ve found a couple of options, and the math the bank gave me shows me in better shape than what they last told me. I’m still over the 80% ‘limit’ in my usage of monies, but, Who the F*** cares? Why put out a number that’s only worth 80% of what’s offered? I still have options, so I’m still fluid. Sweating, still, but fluid.

Crew #4 worked 14 hrs. one day last week to have everything done for the mono-pour of the bond beam on Friday!



I got to learn how to read a transit so now every wall is level—at the top. We won’t go into detail about what’s between the footing and the bottom of the bond beam, ok? I’m trying to stay positive here. Anyway, the bond beam does exactly that—it makes many of the mistakes not be an issue anymore. Or as much. And the roof will lie properly. Or something along those lines. All that matters is that the forms for the pour were diligently done, the pour took 5 hours of non-stop labor on the part of 5 crew members and I put myself on the payroll and did some of the grunt work while they did all the true construction work. But, hey! I got covered with some cement, too! I’m one of the gang now!!

It’s an amazing event, bond beam pouring. This crew didn’t stop to breathe for the entire 5 hours. The guy who brought the pumper truck even helped out, especially when Carolyn had her ladder fall out from under her and was swinging from the forms. She has nice ladder step marks down one leg.


The cement truck guy got a bottle of water from me, along with everyone else, even though all he did was sit the whole time. There’s always one at a construction site, isn’t there? I shoveled up the over-pours before they dried to the block. Yup, tough work, I know. But I broke a good sweat down there on the ground while everyone else was up on ladders or scaffolding where they could catch a breeze. I did some other stuff, too. I just can’t remember what. It wasn’t much, trust me.



OK, so the bond beam cured over the weekend. I got 4 showers a day while it was acting like bacon, tobacco, venal sinners who visit Lourdes (curing…get it?) I took my usual shower as daily hygiene demands in the desert, then three more through the course of each day as I sprayed down the cement with water so as to keep it happier. Or something like that. Cracking, heat reduction, fever blisters, I don’t know. Something. My dad loved to water the lawn and sneak cigarettes while he watered. He was always happy making his escape from the house and getting away with something. I thought about him a lot while I took my soakings. I was pretty happy watering, too. His ghost and I laughed a bunch as we played at making rainbows with the water spray. I had the best ones since I had to shoot the water up high enough to hit the top of the 12 foot clerestory. Water droplets on Transitions lenses make for some interesting viewing, btw.

The crew returned from the various corners of the state that they escape to on weekends (except Carolyn. She stayed behind this time, so we did laundry on Sat. and went to Albuquerque for shopping at Michael’s on Sunday) and Monday saw the forms come down and some other tedious pooh-pooh-ca-ca tasks. I was driving all over hell and back doing more errands so I couldn’t help ‘em. Bummer!

Tuesday saw the top plate (2x4s set atop the cement beam with low grade munitions so the trusses have something to get nailed/screwed into) get partway done, two trusses were temporarily erected over the garage and a third log post and two 6”x12” timbers got cut, notched, placed, and pegged into place. I’m having a hard time getting used to having anything overhead, so I’m ducking as I walk around inside the house now. It’s making me somewhat grumpy, too. Do I REALLY need a roof? I mean REALLY? I like being able to see the stars every night from any room in the house. Shoooooot! I guess I’ll be ok with it; just not yet. It’s just WEIRD!!


The posts and beams look totally kewl, though! Impressive, actually. Guess I’ll quit bitchin’ now, ‘cause I really DO love them.

I worked out a new design for the kiva fireplace. I’ll wait until it’s built to show y’all what it looks like. There’s also going to be little secret compartments built in;) (Hey! A pirate queen has to stash her booty somewhere!)








Carolyn mixed up some tints and adobe clay to do test colors and mixtures. Yes, we’re actually far enough along to have to address the interior plastering. Woo hoo! Sadly, though, I can’t have my pirate themed master bathroom as detailed as I had hoped. Guess I’ll tone it down and go for a higher level of sophistication. Yea, right!

Tomorrow more trusses will be installed. The top plate will be added as we go/complete the different roof sections. The roof (I know, I’ve been saying this since October…) will go on in the next week and a half. Banker Boy says he won’t release any more funds until that is done. Idiot that he is, I planned for that and we’ll have enough money to cover us until the roof is ON! So there!! The guy is SUCH a moron!!

Speaking of morons--Here's a compare/contrast pair of pics for you. The Rex version of a 'finished' viga and the truly finished version of the same damn log, as done by the stellar crew #4. I LOVE THIS CREW!!


On the Mum front—I’ll be there next week. Let’s just say that the ugliness that has always been directed toward me in my relationship with/from my younger brother Paul has been released from the dungeon that I had wrestled it all into over the last 30 years or so. It’s gonna get nothing but uglier as he gets more panicked about maybe actually having to WORK soon. Poor dear! Can you say litigation? Can you say Mum’s being held hostage in her own house? Can you say Paul won’t let me talk to her on the phone anymore? I knew you could….Today’s blog has been brought to you by the letter W (w is for water) and the number 4.

Great sunset pic thanks to the smoke from the obviously-gone-out-of-control controlled burn that’s been burning since Friday on Mount Ladron, 60 or so miles west of me. We’ve seen the burning hot spots from here!
And there’s a bunny picture for you. And a lizard pic, too! Enjoy! Muchos mananas from now.