HIATUS: THE PUB SIGN RAISING

A couple of months worth of hard work later and the pub sign was ready to go up! When all was said and done, the 6' by 8' sign easily weighed over 300 lbs. It didn't help that the location of the brackets on the side of the building are a good 8' off the ground. A scruffy bunch of us met early on a Saturday in the hopes that we could all figure out a way to raise this monster.



Though is seemed nearly impossible at the time, five men, four ladders, and a rope was all it took. A few curse words later and the signs was up.

The lifting crew: Tom, John (Corina's dad), Chuck, Rich, and myself.

An exciting moment for me. Partially because of the finished product and partially because the product was finished. I was ready to get back to may cigar work. I had been ready. I couldn't of thought of a better way to spend and finish off my hiatus.

HIATUS: PUB ARCHWAY

One more little project came up at the pub that I signed up for. Tom had built a wooden facade to soften the metal window frames and make it more old style. It consisted of pillars on either side with an archway above. It looked great, but was missing something on the arch. Many (and I mean many) brainstorming sessions later, I finally got a feel for what they wanted and told them I'd take care of it.


After thinking long and hard I came up with a design that pulled in the interior materials (dark wood and copper), as well as the overall idea of the pub (one that open to both those of Northern Ireland and those of the Republic of Ireland).

The design is a Celtic style knot containing the flag of Ireland as well as the Ulster Banner, representing Northern Ireland. The two flags were centered with a shamrock, which amazingly to this point had not yes appeared in any of the pub's designs or decorations.

I am hoping that the copper will eventually give the arch a little more green as it ages so it will contrast the wood more than it does now.

HIATUS: MORE PUB WORK

Things can easily get stressful in life, and it's too easy to forget about the great things inside us, around us and ahead of us. Helping out with the pub was an interesting experience. Working long hours at my job and then working at the pub on nights and weekends created some stress in itself. I wasn't getting paid for my work there, but all the while I was working hard and making sacrifices. It was hard to get past that in my mind, so it was a great lesson in learning to fully enjoy what you do simply because you have chosen to do it.
Myself, Chuck and Tom in yet another brainstorming session.
I was just flipping through a magazine and came across a quote that hit me: WHATEVER YOUR 100% LOOKS LIKE, GIVE IT. Great words of wisdom. I'll admit I got caught up in the stress at times, but all the same, I gave it my 100% and now get to enjoy seeing the end result every time I visit the pub for a pint.
I love this one...Corina, the woman behind the men.