Author: peterb51

11th July 2022

“We have to collect a free dresser from the North side” said Kelli.

“Oh yippee “ I thought, “something else to squeeze into the garage”

So off we went.

The dresser was an old piece with a bit of veneer damage on the drawer fronts, nothing that a bit of hard graft can’t put right.

Now the lady wanted space in her garage so she persuaded Kelli to take another dresser.

It is rare to have the opportunity to get two free dressers in good shape, most are train wrecks, which means I conceded. I did make the provision that we sort the garage out as soon as we got back.

With the truck now full we headed to Menards to get timber for a three bay composter that I wanted to build.

Now the truck was well loaded, the timber on the roof rack and dressers inside.

We did stop off at Goodwill to see if there were any metal tables that we could put next to the pool. We couldn’t find any which was a relief, because it would have to be strapped to the back, how white trash is that?

We had some lunch at our favourite cafe then went home to start the big clear out.

First thing to tackle was the storage room, that was full of packaging materials that Kelli uses for her Marketplace sales. Once that was moved out the rest of the stuff was restocked giving us room to store our finished pieces.

We moved the tall dresser that still hadn’t sold (what’s wrong with people), and then it was time for the coffee table. I wasn’t sure it would fit because it was long, but with millimetres to spare we got it in.

“Just like budder” Kelli exclaimed in her deep southern accent, whilst my excitement was a little more graphic.

“Lick my nipples!” I shouted just as the Amazon driver handed Kelli a package.

He claimed he didn’t hear anything, but I bet it was the subject of a story back at the depot.

Now with the storage room sorted, I started on the garage, moving out large cardboard boxes that our bed and headboard came in.

Then re-arranging the furniture, and managing to fit in the two new pieces we were done.

All the cardboard boxes had been flattened ready for the recycling, but not this week, the bin is already full.

Then what always seems to happen when we have moved pieces into the storage room, someone wants to buy it.

Now we had to move the coffee table to get to the dresser and get that out ready.

Just time to give it a dust over before the lady arrived. She loved the piece, but needed help to unload it at her house, so I followed her.

Moving it into her house was easy, she showed me a piece that she wanted painted, it was full of bourbon bottles, it appeared that CJ (her name) was a bit of a expert, I was glad she didn’t offer me a drink as I don’t need a lot to fall over.

There were also a large number of stains and paints that were left in the house, we agreed that she would box them up, and I would knock off a bit from the repainting project.

I was eager to get back home for dinner, I was starving.

During the clear out we found a bag full of tennis and squash racquets, Kelli had no idea where they came from, so she posted them on Marketplace and lo and behold a young chap came round to collect them, boy it was a busy day.

10th July 2022

Off on another ride around the neighbourhood, finding new places I haven’t been before. It gives us a good opportunity to see what other people have planted in their gardens. I never thought I would get to this, I could never imagine being interested in plants and gardens. However I am discovering that garden design is harder than I thought.

Whilst having breakfast outside on the deck, I looked across at the elderberry bush that I planted in May 2020. This year it has gone mad with flowers the size of dinner plates, I can see some elderberry wine being made soon.

We finished and posted a large coffee table with liftable lid and a small side table that got snapped up straight away.

9th July 2022

We cycled out on the old Saugatuck road to find the house belonging to a friend of Kelli’s that I had never met. Like many of the older residents they spend the winter in Florida, so meeting up time is limited.

After four miles we arrived at large black gates and beyond was an impressive house and an even more impressive motor home standing in front of an impressive barn, all in all the place looked impressive.

Kelli spotted Elaine wandering in the garden, and called out, she finally recognised us and beckoned us in.

There had been some discussion about some work she wanted me to do, but I had no idea what that would be. After introductions she said that she had hired a carpenter, but wanted to show us what she wanted doing.

She opened the door to this forty foot long motor home, it was decked out luxuriously with white leather seating.

The ceiling was covered in hand painted images of sky and clouds.

It appeared that the work she wanted done was to finish the ceiling above the drivers seat and the bathroom. Thank goodness she got someone else, working on ceilings is not my favourite position, and all those complex curves? No thanks.

The house itself was wonderful, overlooking its own large pond, big enough to float a canoe surrounded by tall pine trees.

Throughout the house were paintings that Elaine had done, reminded me that I should have kept my art going like a lot of my school friends have done, but back to doing the furniture.

We got back home and Kelli finished painting the coffee table.

After that it was pool time interrupted by someone wanting to buy the rug that we had, free money, the best.

8th July 2022

Where we live allows us to see some wild animals that live in the woods nearby.

Often we will watch the wild turkeys walking down the road, sometimes finding seeds on our front lawn. When they bring their chicks it’s especially wonderful.

Recently a young Doe has graced us by nibbling the berries in Larry’s yard. Normally they only come out in the evening, so it’s rare to be so close to one.

Whilst out on our bikes, on south shore drive we saw a young Buck and Doe in a large area of grass just off the road. They seemed just as interested in us as we were in them, it was fantastic, I can’t believe people go out and hunt them.

Yes we are fortunate to be in an area that has trees, water and wildlife so close.

Today was the day to take some crap from the garage to the city dump. Armed with our voucher, we drove to the weighbridge, saw the man behind the desk, and deposited our crap into the skips full of other people’s. Then back on to the scales, then off to Fennville to collect a free dresser.

Fennville is a small town that is a dump on one side and very affluent on the other, we hit the middle ground.

The piece we collected was in reasonable condition, no major repairs for me to work on, so perfect, I have plenty to work on already.

We had another “no show” on the rug we picked up on the side of the road, so that pissed us off.

7th July 2022

There is a distinct smell down by the Heinz pickle factory, and it definitely isn’t pickles.

There is the smell of the water from lake Macatowa, along with the stench of rotting fish. The worst aroma is sewerage. Why it is wafting around the pickle factory? I have not found out.

We wanted to get a bike ride in before a potential customer arrived to view the two side tables.

The new white Nissan turned into the driveway, and two ladies got out. The one that was buying it asked all sorts of questions about it. What was it made from? Are the knobs wood? Would the paint wear off? Why is the middle drawer so stiff?

“I will rub some wax on the runner, that should free it up better” I said jumping into action, I wasn’t going to let the sale flush down the toilet. I carried the side table deep inside the garage to “add some wax to the runner” but in fact I just prized the central drawer guide off.

“There you go, it runs smooth now” I announced as I carried it back into the light.

I helped to load the tables into the back of their vehicle and off they went.

Then it was back to work in the humid heat.

Earlier we had to collect a large coffee table with an opening top. It was larger and heavier than it looked, and difficult to load. We had got it from the same place as the small table we picked up yesterday, maybe we should ask if they have anything else, to save us coming back again.

The pool was really refreshing, I decided to try to get some colour to my chest, I was envious of Kelli with her dark tan, but all I was successful in achieving was beetroot, I guess I have to start somewhere.

6th July 2022

We carried the latest dresser into the house to take pictures, we were then planning to return to the same address in Zeeland to pick up another one that was available.

We also had to deliver a long dresser to a repeat customer and collect a small side table from the north side. There was also a doctors appointment and a sushi lunch to cram in, so it was all go.

There had been someone interested in the two matching side tables, so we gave them a time in the afternoon, that was after our daily bike ride.

I had a second side table to strip, and worked on an idea for a dresser that we had for ages.

This happens when there is a lack of enthusiasm for a piece. When we got it, there were plastic mouldings nailed to the fronts. These had to go, but what was left was just a piece of wood with a machined portion where the finger grip was. I decided to give it a shaker look by applying a frame to each front that would hide the recess. I had some good pine pieces that I split and thicknessed ready to work on tomorrow.

The customer for the side tables failed to arrive, Kelli had messaged several times but although it was read, wasn’t replied to. There are a lot of rude people here, if they changed their minds, just tell us.

5th July 2022

The fireworks are now over for another year, or until some other pointless holiday happens.

People with alway find money to buy fireworks yet complain about the high price for petrol.

We cycled down to city hall to deliver our business registration form, not that we need to have a proper certificate because it’s only a small operation, but at least if we have one, no nosy bastard can report us again.

The other reason for going was to get a voucher to allow us to take stuff to the city dump. There is a lot of junk we need to clear from the garage that it will be a relief to get some space back.

It was humid today after a night of storm, the garden needed that. There was twenty gallons of water trapped in the pool cover, so all the water barrels are full again.

We finished painting another dresser, and boy do we need it, keeping up with Kelli’s doctor and supplements costs are putting a strain on the business income, but we usually pull through by the end of the month.

4th July 2022

Yet another Independence Day to endure, but with a bottle of Chardonnay I could deal with anything.

We went for a bike ride in the morning and on the way back we saw a carpet folded up by the rubbish bin. Kelli was excited, but there was no way I was going to drape it over my bike, so we planned to return later with the truck to collect, which is exactly what we did.

I had the misfortune to be the one to load it into the truck. It was heavy, it was the type of rug that you would wrap your dead pet in, when you returned from the vet.

Unfortunately, or fortunately there was no evil stains on it, now it needs a good clean.

A couple of houses down was a tall book case leaning against the bins, but on closer inspection it was made from chipboard, so fortunately I didn’t have to embarrass myself on that one.

The rest of day was dedicated to a family party. We had some food and I had the rest of the wine, can’t remember much, but I didn’t make any controversial comments, that was a good thing.

2nd July 2022

What does every garden need? You got it, a Buddhist temple. It just so happened that Matt, Kelli’s brother, had one in his garden. He was kind enough give it to us to display near the pond area. Now it was not a full size Buddhist temple, it was a concrete ornamental one, although a real one might have been lighter.

We drove down to Matt’s home to collect it. Fortunately it came in three sections, heavy, bloody heavy and gentleman’s area destroyingly heavy.

With the aid of a sack truck we did get it down to the car and it took all three of us to lift it into the back. The truck sank on its springs, however with some of the loads we’ve carried in the past, it coped well.

I built a base for it out of paving slabs that were left over, levelling it the best I could, then came the difficult bit, lifting out the bottom section of the temple.

We had borrowed the sack truck, so we knew that it could handle the weight.

This time there were just the two of us.

With adrenaline backed strength we lowered it on to the sack truck, then I wheeled it towards the installation site.

The path that I had made was just right for the width of the wheels, but it narrowed down too much to pull it all the way. There was nothing left but to manhandle it the last four feet.

I’m not sure how we managed it, and I’m sure our bodies with remind us, but we placed it on the base, then added to other two pieces to complete the build.

Now we have a temple at the bottom of the garden, we are expecting a stream of saffron clad Tibetan monks kneeling on my new lawn.

1st July 2022

It was a bad night again, and I didn’t handle it very well.

I had to get up in the night which woke Kelli up, and then she couldn’t get back to sleep. Her flight or fight kicked in and that was that.

There was no point in trying to sleep as that aggravated the situation even more.

I got up and sat on the sofa watching the world decent into crisis.

I felt bad about starting this train wreck, but I could not turn the clock back, nature is nature.

There was no point in trying to calm her down, I was the bad guy, and I didn’t know what I should do.

I sat getting angrier and angrier, but I kept a lid on it as it would not have helped the situation.

My anger spilled out into the day, and although Kelli had calmed down enough to take a bike ride I was not the best company.

We worked in the garage, I was stripping paint from a pair of side tables whilst Kelli was sanding a dresser, the atmosphere was strained.

By the end of the day I wanted it to be erased, these are not the greatest times, but we’ll get over it and life will resume as normal.