Rats, no pictures

I just couldn't find anything photographic that pertained to goings on so I've been slacking. Short work week for me - worked on some mechanical specification things and prior approvals with Ryan. We are trying the new solvent welded CPVC chemical resistant drainage piping that is marketed by Spears Manufacturing on a high school project in Wisconsin. While in the past we have used CPVC alone, the solvent welded joints and piping is the past did not have specific chemical resistance approvals. Now there is a NSF rating for the system along with IAMPO approvals. The solvent is a bit different, but is a yellow color so that inspectors know it's been used. I expect the joints will be more fool proof that the commonly used retained gland/olive assemblies without the cost of the electrofusion systems (which still make sense on some projects).

I also had a meeting with one of the local mechanical firms regarding a LEED-NC certified project they are working on as a design builder. Cost is a big issue as they have already budgeted this project out, so we are splitting the work out so that I have major involvement only on the Energy Performance Credits EAp2 and EAc1 and will advise them on other issues as needed. Of course there is that conflict between the "Green" phlosophy of sharing knowledge and the business interests of using that knowledge based edge in the market place to either get more work or otherwise economically benefit from it. Especially hard is the issue of the project being delivered architecturally by a competitor and not necessarily wishing to make that any easier for them while still wanting to assure that my (now) client and the final user of the building (also a client of me, just not on this project) achieve the performance goals needed to get to LEED certified. (The building owner/developer is not a current client of mine although I have worked for him in the past(an not likely to be one in the future!)).

Aliceon and I had Thanksgiving dinner at Ledge Rock yesterday with my folks, and now are getting ready for another turkey dinner at the Compound with my daughter, her husband, and our friend Jeff. I made the stuffing yesterday, the gravy is half done along with the turkey. Aliceon cooked up three pumpkin (actually butternut squash) pies this morning.

We all have a lot to be thankful for, our friends and those dear to us are healthy and seem to be doing well. We are able to enjoy our life, the outdoors, travel our pets and the like to an extent that many others are not able to due to any number of reasons - we consider ourselves some of the luckiest people around.

P.S. shopped online and not in the store wow is that nice away from the stinky masses.