Author: peterb51

20th May 2022

It was all change at 593 Central Bay because the new bed was due.

We had bought a mid century style bed frame last year it was far more stylish than the previous one. It was a long job to assemble and once the mattress was installed it was a bit low. So the first modification was to increase the height by a couple of inches. This was a great improvement, but the main disadvantage was the shelf that ran around the perimeter. This was something that we always banged our legs on, Kelli more than I.

Therefore it was decreed that it would have to go. There was then an intensive research period, well actually it was an evening scanning the internet. Kelli found a more modern design, and ordered it.

So it was delivered, a relatively slim box with a bit of weight to it. The FedEx man stumbled up the driveway and laid it down.

I had to stop what I was doing and assemble it outside, then once assembled I had to disassemble the old bed and swap it over.

The first problem was moving the mattress, this is a king size that was heavy and the rigidity of a half inflated barrage balloon. It was so difficult, it didn’t want to go in the direction we wanted, it had a mind of its own, it decided to fall flat on the floor just outside the bedroom

I commenced the disassembly, removing screws, slats and frame elements and handing them to Kelli over the floor laying mattress. A good vacuum and a clean and we were ready for the new frame, but first we had to move the mattress.

With all of our combined strength we managed to lift it from one edge and rest it against the wall, but Kelli had to support it to stop it collapsing. This meant I had to carry the frame by myself carefully avoiding the light fitting above the dining table and the doorway.

With the frame in place we were ready, so I thought to fit the mattress. Kelli reminded me that the slats had to be fitted first. That could have been embarrassing watching the mattress fall through the frame.

I started fitting the slats, some had double sided tape on them, presumably to stop the mattress from slipping, well I’m sure that was wishful thinking on behalf of the manufacturer because once the mattress was on top of the frame, just the weight made it impossible to move.

After a bit of a struggle, we managed to position it properly, after all that effort I felt like I needed to lay on top of it for a while.

19th May 2022

I was ready to sit down at lunchtime to enjoy a cup of tea and a couple of mini muffins, a treat I allow myself twice a day. It would probably be many more times, but I have to do some work to pull my weight.

I placed my treats on the coffee table and walked over to the kitchen to collect my brewed tea. When I returned there were no sign of the cakes, I looked around to make sure I didn’t put them somewhere else, I even looked under a book, why I don’t know, I was desperate. The muffins were particularly attractive because some of the blueberries were visible on top, whereas others are buried inside, so I was looking forward to stuffing those down my neck.

I noticed Dhama, the old dog was looking a bit sheepish, I therefore deduced that this animal had helped herself to my treat, paper case and all. This was not something she has done before, I have often left food on the table, which was obviously not tempting enough.

I did think of eating her food before she got to it, but decided it was foul, and better left to the dogs.

18th May 2022

I eventually got round to doing a job I should have done a couple of years ago. In the bathroom the cistern was a bit dodgy, and every so often it kept running, which was annoying, and a waste of water. So armed with a replacement kit that I already had bought, I set about the task.

I’ve replaced cisterns before in England, but the was the first American bog that I had worked on.

Turning the water supply off was easy, there is always a tap at the entry point. Things went south from there. With most plastic fittings they are hand tightened, but the lock nut holding the float column in place was rock solid. I tried every type of adjustable spanner to loosen it to no avail. I had to resort to drastic measures, the hacksaw. It was difficult to cut because of restricted space, but finally I used a chisel and a hammer to crack it.

I followed the instructions carefully, and slowly each old part was removed and replaced with a brand new one.

After about an hour the job was finished, the careful adjustments to the input flow and the flush were made and all that was left was the inaugural turn of the handle to check there were no leaks.

A good job done.

Kelli had a doctors appointment this morning, but before that we had to go shopping for a new DVD player an Best Buy. We pulled into the car park and the place was deserted, we checked the opening time, it was 11.00am.

What stores open at that time? We now had to kill three quarters of an hour. First stop was Goodwill, usually a good place to start time wasting, but there was nothing worth spending our money on there.

Returning to Best Buy we selected a new player and headed back for her appointment.

It had been a rainy day which put paid to any paint spraying so I worked in the bathroom instead.

17th May 2022

We needed to get back to the furniture business, the turf laying was a distraction but there was a garage full of pieces that needed working on.

I had been scratching around on a dresser removing the paint, but it was a sunny day so we decided to get the spray gun out and blitz a couple of dressers.

We started on the drawers, Kelli mixed the paint, I taped up the sides to avoid the overspray. Everything was connected up, the trigger was pressed, but no paint came out, plenty of air but no liquid.

I took the gun apart and cleaned it again just in case there was any clag left in it, but it appeared okay. Tried it again, still no paint.

Now it was resorting to YouTube to see what we were missing. Getting on to the manufacturer’s videos we finally found the possible answer to the problem. A tiny air hole was blocked, this stopped the jug from being pressurised. Once that was cleaned out it was like a new sprayer.

Kelli finished all the painting really quickly which was just as well because of all the faffing around we did trying to get the system to work. So two dressers and twelve drawers had been primed, ready for the top coats.

We did have someone interested in the off-cuts of the turf, so I stacked them on the drive, but he ducked out, typical, even free stuff is too much for some people.

16th May 2022

We drove to the local garden centre for the annual purchase of flowers, most of which will be dead in five months. They certainly brighten up the back garden and anywhere Kelli can find to plant them. It was a glorious day, warm, but not blistering heat. The garden centre certainly looked different than the last time we were there, driving down the path in the truck.

We chuckled to each other as we walk around the same route.

It was different this year, last year Kelli had to force herself to get there, and she dressed for the occasion. Typically one of the staff said to her “Oh I like your poncho” which floors me every time. Okay, next to me Kelli always dresses fashionably so I should expect her to get the compliments and not I.

Once we we back I did my new daily job of watering the lawn, whilst Kelli planted out the new plants making the deck pleasant and colourful.

15th May 2022

When Kelli has a sleepless night, I do not alway know who I will wake up next to

The bad days seem to be getting closer together. Today there was no apparent reason why she should wake up at five thirty, no dog noises or neighbours starting their vehicles, it was she just woke up automatically.

She rejects all forms of help and support, and engages “I don’t want to be around anyone” mode.

Some days I can take it, others I can’t, however I had plenty of turf laying to keep me out of the way.

I did finish all the laying, and used up most of it. That was exhausting, the small fill-in pieces take the most time, even with a turf cutting knife. I thought that this tool would cut through the turf “ like butter” but that was not the case, it slices through skin easily however, sawing through the grass takes a little more effort, but it’s done now.

14th May 2022

Another day of turf laying, this, I thought would be done by lunchtime, no chance.

Gradually the pile on the pallet reduced as the grass area increased, but shock, horror, probe, the dogs already crapped on the bit of lawn I did yesterday.

Getting that cleaned up, I started the days toil.

It has been a nice change from furniture, Kelli took the day off and did some weeding and set round paving into the lawn leading from the piazza ( that’s what I call it) to the greenhouse.

I gave her the job as she would make the trip more often, so she positioned the stones in the places that matched her stride. It was strange, because she would start with her left foot, and I would naturally go with my right, so with me it looked like I was dancing along.

Kelli sold the small bookcase she had been working on, and we took pictures of the small cabinet with basket, hoping for good things for that.

13th May 2022

The big day arrived, ninety five rolls of turf arrived on two pallets. It was mid afternoon when this huge truck turned up. The driver had a loud booming voice, he must have got used to shouting over the noise made by his lorry. Even when he was unhitched the tethers I could have stood in the back garden and still hear him.

He unhooked the forklift from the back of the trailer and shuttled the pallets as close he could to the gateway. This was the first time I could see what that quantity of grass looked like.

By now the temperature had risen to about eighty eight, not the ideal heat to carry rolls and lay them, but I had the hose hooked up to wet down the dirt.

I started moving the turf even before the truck had departed, this would be the first time I’d laid grass on an industrial scale.

Kelli suffered another bad night, waking up at five thirty because of a neighbour’s dog barking. Who in their great minds would allow that, I know Americans like to start work early, but that was bloody inconsiderate. Needless to say she was not in a good mood, so turf laying was a good way to tune out the anger.

At the end of a hot sweaty day I had covered about half of the area, the hot shower at the end was a tremendous relief.

12th May 2022

It hit eighty eight to ninety degrees F today, not the sort of temperature to work outside in, but we did it anyway. I had dirt to level, and furniture to repair ready for Kelli to paint.

Thank goodness the humidity wasn’t high, that reduces me to a puddle. It was strange not to see the dirt pile in the driveway, that was a long hard job that I don’t want to repeat.

I started staining the side rails for the bed, it dried very quickly, oh thank you God!

This means I can get sealer on and surge ahead on my bed refinish program.

Kelli was working on spraying four baskets that came with one of the recent purchases.

With the sudden hot weather everything has sprung out of the ground. The grass needs cutting again, and the area out the front that we seeded is starting to show signs of life. Kelli might have sowed a bit to much seed in her enthusiasm, but I guess only the strong will survive, which is how I feel most of the time.

11th May 2022

There were two furniture collections, but unfortunately it was us collecting them. One was a couple of miles down the road, the other in Allendale.

The local one was a small dresser that was quite old, because the back is made up of panelled wood, these slot together and can be easy to repair. The one from Allendale was big and heavy, just the kind to move on a hot and humid day. Anyway that is staying in the truck until I regain my strength to remove it.

The pile of dirt has finally gone from the drive, and is now deposited around the back garden. I can’t say I’m sorry to see it gone, but my planning estimate was fairly accurate, tomorrow is the final spreading and levelling.

This activity takes a toll on my clothes, after a few hours of toil I am dripping, and longing for a shower to wash away the filth.