Tuesday, June 06, 2006

The Great Hammock Project

I finally found a place in DC that both claimed to have hammocks AND carried hammocks. It was on the very edge of how far I might make it with my Segway and return and that's if I wanted to try to manage a hammock box of unknown size and drive. The alternative was to go to the nearest Metro stop and hike just over a mile of unknown territory and then back. What would be worse? Making the trip and walking back empty handed or making the trip and walking back lugging a box? I figure, eh, one way or the other it'll made a story to tell.
I hike in, get a nice cotton rope hammock and hike back out. Get home, and my drill is still at work. Go to work monday, bring back the drill, go to buy a drill bit and find the hardware store around the corner decided to close an hour early. I don't blame them it's not like anyone goes there. I'm sure they're a front for something else.
Hike clear down to the P st hardware store and get the drill. (And visit the place in the previous entry.) I get home, drill the hole in the wall, and the screw goes in with no problem. There. One half of a hammock.
Now, the bedroom is 10ft x 12ft. Not big enough to run the hammock in either direction. It has to go diagonally. Only the one wall has studs. The other are sheetrock over brick. So I have to built half of a hammock rack.
My initial design was brilliant. It broke down easy for storage over the winter. Too bad it didn't stay together. Sure, once I sunk in a few extra nails it did, but does that really count? So, with a few extra nails it works great as long as you don't put any weight on it. So I get another board, and use it as a prop. One end goes against the ceiling and the other on the heel of the stand. Except it's already late and the board is exactly the right length to go floor to ceiling. So to make it work the stand has to be a foot or so from the corner. It sags enough to rest me back on the bed. So still no benefit.
I just now took enough off the bottom of the bracing board to get the stand back in the corner. The hammock hangs a bit higher but my butt still hits the bed. And when I get on and off it creaks and groans as the board rub together.
I may redesign the stand again. But I don't think I'll get much better unless I go ahead and rib out the ceiling and carpet and build the brace into the house. Or, you know, finally get a drill for the brick.

Once I get the deck and stairs to the roof I'll get a proper frame and move the hammock up there. Mosquitos don't go up there so I should be able to sleep at least until sunrise.

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