Chipping Away...

Tap Water and Dove Soap.

It turns out soap and water actually go a long way.  43 years of dirt and grime came off easily as I started working on the exterior of the cart....wow.  It's the littlest things that make the biggest impact!  Travis and I had a little more time on our hands to work on the cart last week (and minimal rain!) so we were able to get a few things done.  Working after "work" and crunching everything into a few daylight hours is just another obstacle we will have to overcome.  It's worth it when you can see the results instantly...


Here are a couple "before" shots of our floor.  We had to fill the cracks with putty, calk and cement before we got started on the fun stuff.

Before.

One of the interesting things about doing a project like this for the first time is all the important things you have NO IDEA about until a professional steps in to help.  Like whether or not the cart is LEVEL.  Finding the center of the floor and working from the INSIDE, OUT.  Completing the foundation and making sure everything is sealed and water tight...(kind of a big deal in Portland, Oregon it turns out...)  Me being a rookie, I just want to DO everything and make it look NICE, and FINISHED, and PRETTY.

After.

Well....this is a start!!  We love our floors!  (Thank you Rasuli and PREM)  These are simple, adhesive laminate squares that we reinforced with additional spray adhesive to the wood floor.  The transformation was instant!  It's all coming along and improving every day... 


I know we have a long way to go, but I'm glad we're getting closer to "pretty."

A Productive Day...

Wow!  Saturday was a huge step forward for The Grillery... Did I mention this project is 2-fold?  Not only are we building the cart (from SCRATCH), but we are also filming the entire thing.  Our producer, Colin, is a young, aspiring film maker/struggling art student, and he has willingly taken on the task of filming this entire venture.  Not only are Travis and I AMATEUR everything, but we are also silly, ridiculous and sometimes a little crass.  Having a camera in our faces for any duration of time has proven to be, again, silly, ridiculous and somewhat crass.  BUT FUN.

We started the morning off at the PSU Farmer's Market...talking to vendors about their farms, their meat, organic vs. all natural, etc.  If you haven't experienced the outdoor market scene in Portland, I suggest you go.  It hits all of your senses....the sight of fresh fruit and vegetables at every turn, the smell of roasted peppers and pickled asparagus (yes please), the feel of homemade wool and blossoming artichokes (did anyone else know they did that?), the taste of homemade salsa and fresh cheese curds from a creamery in southern Oregon... IT'S ALL HERE.  The market embodies what we are trying to do with The Grillery...Keep everything local.  Everything FRESH.  Everything good.

Our goal for the cart is to get all of our produce locally.  Every week.  Venturing to the market will be a part of our weekly routine..... We need to find farms that will have enough product for us, the best quality and reasonable prices.  It is important that our food reflects what is in season.  For example, we don't want to feature a burger that has avocado in it if avocado is completely out of season.  What we purchase at the market is what we are going to use that week.  Fingers crossed for limited last minute runs to Safeway and Freddy's.

After the market, we ventured down to The Rebuilding Center--cameras rolling.  We were in the market for sturdy, inexpensive cabinets....check and check.  These will add to the inside of our cart both aesthetically and for storage.  So far we have purchased cabinets, windows and sinks from here, and I have a feeling we'll be back for more.  Everything from the RBC has been donated and they have the best prices in town.

After we had been at it for a few hours I was hungry and impatient (it happens), so I may or may not have gotten a little grumpy.  Camera in my face, empty stomach and completely overwhelmed, I was over the RBC.  Not sure how that's going to translate on film, but my guess is real and maybe a little bratty.  Good news is that  sometime during our time sifting through hundreds of doors, Colin had a creative breakthrough.  He said it hit him how this project is going to take shape... (GREAT!  Now time for lunch, please.)

My guess is it's going to take a lot of editing, but he'll get a few laughs along the way.