A Singaporean In Australia

When my back felt a little better, I tried the unenviable task of part of the slab away. I didn't want to push it too much but eventually I did, straining the back again, though not as bad as the previous state. I had been resting since and back to where I was before I started this job. Hopefully I would be back at 100% soon.

I even had to ask the wife for help when it came to the trial installation of the gate. Cursing and swearing through the strained back, fighting against strong wind that afternoon, involving your wife in it was the best way to get a divorce. Fortunately, we made it through. Hopefully she hasn't been flipping through the directory to look for lawyers since.

Driving self tapping screws into a wobbly 50x50x2mm SHS. Despite planting the post 600mm deep, it wasn't static still. I know that. Even a flag post in our school will wobble slightly on a windy day. It was never going to be as still as being bolted to a wall. Despite that, it should have enough strength to hold the weight of the gate. No problem. The only problem was driving screws into it, wobbly and floppy, and aligning the gate at the same time. Curses. It was then I realised I should have pre-tap the holes before installation, before even planting the damn post into the ground. It wasn't anything I didn't know. It was a typical schoolboy error, probably committed down to complacency.

I wasn't very happy with the level of the gate initially, until the Clerk-of-works Patrick came around and told me it looked pretty fine. He also pointed out I had flipped one of the hinge and that might have caused the visual illusion it wasn't straight. After he left, I flipped the hinges and true enough, it looked good to me. I rechecked the level of the door. Mighty fine.

I reminded myself not to carry on the rest of the job. The slab obstacle was 90% hacked to the required position. When I get well, I'll hack the remaining portion so I can plant the 2nd post and complete the fencing of the tiny part, no more than 1m, left open at the moment.

Instead of leaving the gate close and be featured as an Engineering "Genius" (because anyone could have walked in from the open side), I left the gate open to show WIP. Nah... actually it was because the gate will start flapping. I prefer it weighted to the wall.

After a year on, we are finally improving a little on the security of the place. My wife will be pleased when it's finally done. Almost.... give me a little rest and I'll finish up.