First of all, a big thank you to Brian Berryessa for the use of a saber saw and some technical muscle. After removing the trim around our basement door, I knew I was in this way over my head. The old sill had rotted to the point it was breeding worms that would crawl straight through and into the house every night. I end up vacuuming desiccated worms and trails each morning. YUCH!

Brian came to the rescue with the saw. Rather than remove the whole door assembly, we cut the existing threshold in half to remove it. Now the exposed sill could be worried out. It was made of about four pieces of cedar.

The exposed foundation had a half inch concrete lip running parallel to the door. I was able to chisel it out clearing the way for a single 2x10 to fit in place.

I cut the 2x10 in half so it slipped under the existing jambs. After a dry fit, the foundation got a healthy dose of caulk. I calked the joint where I cut the 2x10 and hammered them into place. The second piece got a temporary 2x4 screwed onto it so I could hammer it in. Tight fit but I got it done.

This job tested the limits of my home repair abilities. I still need to hammer the trim back on and hit it with a coat of paint. So far, so good.

A second thank you to Étienne.

Rexterton 2000 kept watch during my work.

Ballard High School had their BNAAN on June 8th. (Beaver Nation Athletic Awards Night). It was a lot of fun and we all got to dress up.

At the event, My cross country team was presented a banner for making it to state. This is the first time Ballard Girls Cross Country has made it to state EVER.

I was nominated for the Female rookie of the year award. I did not win however it was great to be recognized.

Fellow track and Cross country runner Owen Buck did win male rookie of the year. This year he broke the school record in the 400 meter 5 times! Also he was presented his award by the previous record holder.

All in all this was a great night where everyone got to recognize other teams achievements this year and I got to see a lot of friends. We all dressed up and had dessert!

Last week I broke down a whole copper river salmon. I grilled one fillet for dinner. The other is curing in salt, sugar, and dill to become Gravlax for our cocktail party.

Each year I get a little better breaking down the salmon. At $9/pound it is hard to pass up. These are fresh caught and treated with TLC on the way to market.