Monday, March 9, 2020

endless spring chores and the never ending remodel


I guess it's just as well that Rocky didn't show up last week except for the half hour or so it took him to spray texture on the sheetrock repair from having to move the plumbing over 4 more inches so it would line up with the sink in the vanity. I say that because it gave me time, once again, to change my mind about the molding around the closet door. I've decided I want it stained too, not painted after all. So this past week I stained the one piece of molding that hadn't been and I need to take back the two primed composite shit whatever it is they make this stuff out of and still call it wood 'product' or maybe that's 'wood' product and get one more stainable piece which I'll do Monday. Or maybe Tuesday. That might be better. The two small doors of the water heater/clothes hamper closet and the inside side of the door to the bathroom, all three of which are just wood that had been sealed or maybe stained and sealed a long time ago, needed to be sanded down so they can be painted. I have a little sander so I did that. 


I cut a new piece of sheetrock and fitted it to the space in the water heater closet that allows access to the plumbing to the shower to replace the one that got trashed during demolition. If Rocky isn't going to show up and work then I'll do the things I can which frees him up to do the things I can't (and maybe speeds this up a little). I'm not upset he wasn't here last week. I know he had a big problem to deal with first thing and because I've been self-employed for long enough to understand, I do understand. I imagine he's been putting out fires all week.

And now, I've discovered that the light fixture is too wide. Rocky dropped off the refurbished cabinets and for some reason a bell went off and I checked all my measurements, the ones I made when I initially drew up the elevations of that bathroom which I have been referring back to this whole time so we would know where things like the plumbing needed to be and where the light fixture had to be moved to, and realized that I didn't consider the shades when I bought the four-light fixture. As it turns out the bottoms of the shades are 16” from the ceiling while the tops of the cabinets are 14” and the bottom edge of the shade is 12” from the wall while the cabinet inside edge is 12 1/2” from the wall. If I lowered the cabinets 2”, the shades would rest on the top of the cabinets. So I'm going to have Rocky take it down and I'm going to try and return it (no longer have the box but I do have the receipt) and get the 3 light version which will fit just fine.

In between all this remodeling stuff and the three appointments, I have dug up sow thistle, pulled up hay grass and cleaver (still, the stuff just reappears overnight), tore away the weeds and clover that were smothering the few bluebonnets in the front isolating each plant, 


hauled three heaped up garden cart loads of weeds and hay grass to the burn pile, took all the plants in the house back outside and also emptied the garage of its winter occupants and digging holes to sink the plumeria pots in because they are so top heavy the wind blows them over, pruned back a few things, and raised the buddha up once again.




10 comments:

  1. Good Lord, Ellen! And tell us- what did you do in your vast amount of free time?
    I'm humbled. And in awe.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm glad Buddha came out to preside over the ongoing saga. And the bluebonnets now have a bit of room to breathe. Never a dull moment chez Ellen

    ReplyDelete
  3. I used to consider myself good at math, but somewhere in the middle (or let's be honest, the beginning) of the light fixture paragraph my eyes glazed over and I lost the ability to reason. I need to perk back up there - I don't want to this clueless heading into my 60s!

    ReplyDelete
  4. It seems you have marvelous energy. Head up this way...I will cook!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've completely lost my grip on this. Fortunately I have the broad outline: Remodel. Spring cleaning. Rocky. See, it all comes together to make a lovely weekly vignette.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This cracked me up. My last post was about my math anxiety, and the ghastly "story problems" that they threw at us in school. Your tale of the cabinet and light fixture was a classic story problem -- but I almost was able to wrap my mind around it. Yea, me -- but yea, you, for figuring it out and getting a fix on a solution!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was wondering as I wrote that segment if anyone would be able to follow it. I probably could have just gone with the summation. and yeah, word or 'story' problems. hated them. school is so different now. do you think they still do those? they've gotten rid of cursive and sentence diagramming (which I excelled at btw).

      Delete
  7. I read this, once, and then twice, I am exhausted...What do you eat for breakfast? Lightening and fire ants? Energy woman!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Where on earth do you find the energy to do all that? Are you wonder woman?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Whew!

    We need a garden Buddha. I love that.

    ReplyDelete

I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.