Roofing upgrade:
This week the roofers finished with their upgrade on the home addition roof that only lasted 7 years.

The addition (870sq feet) and the surrounding roof to the peak (An additional 1000 square feet) were covered by rolled roofing 7 years ago. Rolled roofing was used because the slope to from the peak of the roof down to the edge had changed dramatically when the additional 18 feet of footprint of the new addition. The slope was too gradual to allow for a shingled 30 year rated comp roof. the rolled roof was originally overlapped and connected by adjoining roll by propane heat along the seams.  As expected it needed to by replaced.  We have now lived with our renovation for 9 years. 

For the last two years this roof has leaked.  It first leaked around the oven hood. That year was a drought year. Last year we had an "average" year for rain. The result was every time it rained in the least, water would  out of all of the lighting sockets.

During the rainy season the roofers will not take your call to even look at the problem. This summer I started off in the middle of the summer contacting the Mennonite roofing contractor that completed the tear off and shingle compostion replacement our roof 20 years ago, Specialty Roofing.  20 years ago we were the first on the block to get a new roof since the birds were grabbing almonds off my tree and "saving" them in the cedar shake shingles.

When the contractor arrived this summer, he got up on the surface and measured the square footage.  In the past  years he would be thinking of the flat roof solution of tar and gravel.  Today the move is away from that and to a polyurethene foam of 3 to 4 inches thick with a titantium coating.  This designed add to the insulation of the roof as well as prolonging its water repellant life. Total for this roof portion was $8,660. My dear wife had to swallow twice when she heard the cost of this repair. It came with an 18 year warranty.

It is tough to figure out how old you will be in 18 years, but it something that it is impossible to consider.  My wife and I will be 84..  Hopefully the house will be viable. It is 36 years old this month.

Last week the two man crew pressure washed the roof, and removed the cap that binds the two roof types together. They brought their big truck with plenty of room to gather the errant rolled roof layers. They also put down a primer coat of spray glue to prepare the surface for the thick coat. Two days later a truck with barrels of roofing foam and a truck mounted compression with the components arrived. The two chemicals were mixed in the air gun and become foam as it is sprayed out on the room. The workers had to wear hazmat suits and breathing masks to install the product.  Half way through they met a snag.  As they were working, one side pumped out beautifully and the other side clogged.  This necessitated taking the air guns apart and cleaning and scraping all the individual parts that comprise the mixer guns.  They were not happy campers but they knew that it had to be done to keep the project going. They explained that the adhesion force for the spray was so sticky that if any of it got on their skin, the only way to get it off was to wear it off with friction.  Despite the 98 degree temperatures in late morning and afternoon they suited up and finished the job. 

Two days later the same group arrived and sprayed from garden sprayers the final coating for this roofing product. Overlapping strokes were the key.  They mentioned that even working up on the roof had become cooler as the roof, a think white/tan blanket was reflecting the heat rather than absorbing.

Three days later, the son of the contractor arrived with the invoice, 8/22/16
Specialty Roofing
Greg Dyck
Donovan

Polyurethane Foam and Premium Coatings:
pressure washed surface and Primed
Installed 4"x4" Foam stop edging around the bottom and sides
applied Polyurthene Foam to entire back of roof
sprayed on Conklin Base Coat and Top Coat (Puma XL)
Installed new ridge cap on top edge

*18 year Warranty           Total $8,660

Top DVDs from Netflex in the Last Two Years

My daughters conspired  a couple of years ago in getting me a gift certificate membership in Netflix DVD division for my birthday.  They pondered long and hard as to whether I would be receptive to a one or a two or even a three at time disc membership. They settled on two at a time.  When I am through watching two DVD movies and have returned them in their spritely red return postage return envelopes, a new set selected from my cue is dispatched from West Sacarmento or San Jose to my mailbox. It has worked out beautifully for me.  Some weeks when all of the stars align, I will get as many as 6 new movies to watch during the week.  The usual is 4 and sometimes as few as two will grace my computer top.  I supplement the group on order with some redbox gems that I may order on my computer and pick up at the grocery store nearby. I try to save these choices for the blockbusters that would require a "short wait" from the netfix cue. This "short wait" could be as long as a month.

Favorites of the Last two Years

Now mind you, this is in no way an Oscar list. This list is a group of movies that I have found interesting to watch over the last couple of years using the method of checkout noted above.  Some are ancient. Some are fairly new.  I offer these as a conversational starting point and an idea of my cinematic interest.  Recognize that that I have some prejudice in that I usually go for some rather sappy emotional romantic comedies, or action shoot them ups with some decent stuntwork rather than just CGI.

The following is meant as a descriptor for these movies and does not give them justice.

The Choice- A Nicholas Sparks Story set in the south with the romance centered around a choice that had to be made to sustain life.

Birdman- A oscar winning story about a actor that thought that he could fly
Boyhood- An amazing movie where the camera and the plot traces that maturity of a small boy into manhood
Bridge of Spies- In cold war times our country relied on a secret private industry "ordinary" salesman to secure the trading of Gary Powers our spy and one other American for one of the Soviet Union's top spy.

Brooklyn- The story of an Irish immigrant girl that leaves her home for a new one in America
Celeste and Jessie forever- Love and life in LA
Concussion-The story of brain injury and the doctor that discovered what was causing many NFL players to retire with strange effects
Flipped- Neighborhood girl from across the street at 7 goes crazy of the boy that moves in across the street. Era 1962
Grandma- Jane Fonda plays the grandparent of Lindsay Loein in Idaho. Lindsay is sent to live with Grandma before heading  off to college

Hector and the Search for Happiness- A psychiatrist flips out in his practice and heads for a around the world research as to what makes people happy in various cultures.

Infinitely Polar Bear- Father tries to become the responsible part despite his clinical state
 Joan Baez 75th Birthday- She sings all of the old ones and does a great job
Joe and the Volcano- Man verses his fate.. The modern allegory movie
Joy- She made it on Qvc despite her family's lack of faith
MI-5-- Mission Impossible 5 Tom Cruise and all
King of California- You will never look at Costco's floors the same. Hidden gold in California
Leap of Faith- Steve Martin squeezing the Oklahoma farmers for their last dime in the drought
Our Brand is Crisis- Joy and competition with American political advisors in the country of Boliva
Point Break- The latest with more than just surfing- infiltration of the off road criminals
The Five Year Engagement- A move to the midwest (Wisconsin) sends this gourmet chef and his fiancee  through issues
The Intern- Robert DeNario as an intern that supports a start up company in the same building as his old business