With some assistance I was able to take down the hanging shelve that hung over my main work bench.  It had an off-shoot shelve next to it that hold the network switch, router and single board computers.  That shelve has nothing else supporting that side.  To work around this, I ran twine from the ceiling to hold it up.  There isn't a lot of weight on the shelve and twine was easier than cutting a temporary board.
   Now I have complete access to the north wall.  The first order of business was to remove the remains of some kind of shelving unit and outlets.  When I moved in, one of the standard NEMA 5-15 outlets had been wired for 240 VAC.  It was labelled as such on the outlet, but I have no idea why it was wired that way.  They make outlets specifically for 240 such as the NEMA 6-15 and I might add one myself.  In addition to the outlet being wired to double the normal voltage, it was also fed from two independent breakers.  In such a setup, if one leg tripped, the 240 VAC wouldn't turn off--it would simply lose the neutral and still have 120 VAC to ground.  So that setup had to go.
   My area is now completely run from my own sub-panel.  I had to disconnect the lights from the switch when I rotated the main bench.  So I put a temporary plug on the wires for the lights and just unplug them at the end of the day.  I used one of the boxes I took down as a temporary power box.
   With the wall exposed I can move onto the next step of getting it ready for insulation.  But that will have to wait until next year.

   A lot of work done today moving items.  All my collectibles moved from the shelve above my sleeping quarters/main workbench.  I washed or dusted every item as I moved them.  Once the area was clear I had to disconnect my main bench from the off-shoot that holds my computer.  This would allow me to move the main bench away from the wall.  I also had to disconnect the keyboard tray, the light switch, blower assembly and move a lot of power cords. 
   With the main bench free I tried to move it.  I succeeded in making it move about an inch by anchoring myself against a wall and pushing with my legs.  Clearly I required some assistance and it took 3 people.  We rotated the main bench 90 degrees which provides just under 4 feet of access to the north wall.  I still need to move the shelve, but that will be tomorrow.

   Closet is now finished.  I had to touch up some wall paint as the shelves were initially too tight and scuffed the wall.  Putting this together is no longer trivial.  I wanted to not put screw holes in forward facing items which means more complex mounting. 
   With this shelve finished, I can start moving items into the finished area and work on the clearing off the sleeping quarters and the shelve about it.  There are a lot of items to move, but I need this area cleared off so I can gain access to the north wall.

   Elmwood Park.

   The holiday weekend has given me time to work on the basement.  I have the west wall bench and shelves up now.  Next I will work on the closet section.  It is moving slowly as I need to sand, paint and poly all the items.  It is taking longer than expected but progress is being made.

   Biscuits.

   Xiphos made a roast today and we feasted like kings this evening.  Well done Xiphos.

   When I was selecting the colour for my room I wanted it checked against linseed oiled black walnut.  The goal is to trim the room in black walnut or a stained wood similar in colour.  That is sometime out however.  For now, I just need to get the setup finished.

   David Blowie made quick work of our sidewalks even with the heavy 8" of snow we received.

   The winter solstices today, and unlike the past couple of years we actually have snow.  The weather has been quite warm but the snow is hanging in there.