Author: peterb51

4th July 2021

Kelli is hoping that the bulk of the fireworks were let off last night so that she can have an undisturbed sleep.

There is no guarantee of that of course, the locals enjoy making a noise, if not shooting guns or driving their cars with the bass turned up fully. The throb can be felt long before it can be seen.

This is strange, the frequency that is blasted out cannot be healthy, both for the driver and the vehicle.

I decided to make a start on a stand for my thickness planer. I’ve had enough lifting it on to my workmate every time I wanted to use it.

I had some old bits of 4×2 timber, and an old hpl top from a dresser. These would be perfect, and use up material that is littering the garage.

I also grouted the paving I laid yesterday. This stuff goes hard when in contact with water, and binds everything together.

3rd July 2021

Just the day for laying slabs. I had nine to lay on the walkway from the patio to where the pool will be set up.

“ This should be simple” my naivety was mind blowing. Not only were the slabs heavy, but I also had to manhandle the two 80kg bags of mortar, and mix it. My body was not happy.

It took me just over an hour to lay them, and provided me with a glimpse of what is to come once the fifty-four slabs are delivered.

I used up most of the two bags of mortar just doing the walkway, how many will I have to get to finish the job, well it was simple, another six bags.

By the time I’ve finished, I will be bent like a Shepard’s crook, or a question mark.

Kelli had better night, having eight hours was a relief, but that needs to continue so she can start to heal her system.

A lady came to collect the three basket storage pieces.

The largest unit just about fitted into the boot of her car, almost too well, I hope she can get the thing out at her home.

2nd July 2021

Well I never expected to be sitting in the Holland hospital emergency room at two in the morning, but here I am.

Kelli had a bad day and was hoping for a better night, but that didn’t happen.

Instead she got in a bit of a state and finally agreed to go to hospital.

I had suggested it a few times with no success, but Kelli was desperate.

I had been there many times before, far more than I have done in my entire life so far.

First it was Dave, then Georgia, Greer and now Kelli.

We got there about one o clock, it was quiet except for some guy shouting his head off. We were taken straight to a examination room.

Kelli explained her symptoms to a nurse, then repeated them to a doctor, then the administrator.

The doctor wanted to do a blood test, at last!

The vampire nurse then came in dressed in a blood red uniform, quite appropriate. I wasn’t sure if the uniform was really that colour, or the result of a previous patient spillage.

Anyway, with syringes rattling she flew into action, she was so quick I didn’t have time to faint.

We then had to wait for the results. I tried to take a nap, but the seat was so uncomfortable I risked doing damage to my spine.

A couple of hours later the doctor announced that her blood was normal which was a great relief. It was good to hear the word “normal” because so far the year it’s been anything but.

The doctor prescribed medication to calm her down a aid sleep, but that would have to be picked up later from a pharmacy.

She did get a sample pill to try out, but with most of the night taken up, she would only have a short time to see if it worked.

I got to the pharmacy even before breakfast and rushed back with a bottle of green capsules.

Throughout the day she was dozing, something she hadn’t been able to do, So my fingers are crossed that this medicine works for her.

I tried to stay out in the garage so I didn’t make noise that would disturb her.

I managed to finish a cabinet, and even started on another.

1st July 2021

From my vantage point in the garage I can look across to Larry’s workshop where he has been working on this old truck for someone.

It’s been outside for three weeks with Larry welding, and grinding away for hours.

Most of the day there was the crackle of his MIG welder followed by the banging of hammers.

I’m curious because the truck can’t be worth much and even with the steel he is adding back would not make it worth any more.

Larry’s hourly rate is not high, but he’s put in some hours on it so that must amount to something.

Finally this evening the owner and his wife, Mr & Mrs Short and Dumpy arrived to collect it.

Larry was there with his list of things he’s done to it, but I could not hear what was said, hopefully they paid up.

Eventually Mr Short and dumpy got into the driving seat and started the engine. Immediately the whole area was engulfed in smoke from the exhaust. It was billowing out in clouds, fortunately the wind was blowing away from us, but those further up the road must have felt the full effects.

It must have been bad because as soon as the couple had driven off, the man living next door to Larry walked over, possibly to say something. This is the time when I should place a bug in his workshop so I can hear what they’re saying.

30th June 2021

Kelli had a sleep deprived night again which took her down. This alway appears to be the case after a doctors appointment. I cannot put my finger on it, but there was nothing he did that could have triggered her set back.

These are the times when I need to refer to my Boys Own book of American weirdness to try to find an answer.

I went off to Natures market to collect a bottle of CBD for sleep, now we are prepared to try anything.

She took a dose as soon as I got back and settled down to try to sleep whilst I went into the garage to work on my projects.

A couple of hours later I went into the house to check, only to find her wide awake in the sunroom, so much for that stuff.

It’s only to be expected that it would take a bit more time for the body to absorb the new substance.

I had a FaceTime session with Damian and the grandchildren, they were their cheeky selves playing up to the camera, but it was wonderful to see, and it illustrated how much I missed watching them grow up.

29th June 2021

Out and about looking for paint spraying equipment, I think it’s about time that I can improve the finish of our furniture. Most of the pros that I follow on YouTube use different sorts of systems. I don’t want to get a large compressor as I’m not spraying cars, so a compact HVLP (high volume low pressure) kit would be good enough for what we are doing.

I was disappointed with the selection that Menards had, the only one available was a little more than I wanted to pay, so the search goes on.

Kelli usually feels worse after a visit to the doctor, and today was no exception. She was hoping to feel better to celebrate her mother’s and son’s birthday, so it sucks when she can’t join in.

The weather continues to be unsettled with thunderstorms and cloudy skies.

I had my diet of filling holes, sanding and painting to occupy me, and I still have the two dressers in the truck.

28th June 2021

Kelli found two dressers on Marketplace for twenty five bucks, so she snapped them up.

We set out to collect them on route to her doctors appointment.

The house was easy to find, it was the worst on the estate. “Beware of the dog” was posted in the window as I approached the front door.

As I pressed the door bell the whole place erupted. The whole house appeared to rock as the beast or beasts attacked the door on the inside. Eventually a lady appeared, and slid through a half open door.

“Sounds like you have a hound of the Baskerville” I said trying to sound interested.

“ I have two Great Danes, and I’m babysitting a third” she replied as she led me to the garage.

It reminded me of the joke, “ Where does your Great Dane sleep?”

“Anywhere it darn well like”

But in this case, considering the compact size of the house, it’s head would be in one room and it’s arse would be in another.

We loaded the two dressers into the truck, they were not anything special, but I’m sure they should turn out okay.

Then we headed off for the doctors appointment.

Doctor Z, as he is affectionately known is a tall , bald young chap with dark stubble, annoyingly handsome if I have to admit it.

Immediately he hit Kelli with the tuning forks positioned strategically in various nerve endings. Apparently it’s all to do with body vibrations. Kelli’s progress in up and down at the moment, it hinges around the lack of quality sleep, for which Doctor Z was concentrating.

He gave her a variety of different tablets to place under her tongue, then tested her muscle resistance until he found the one she responded to in a positive way.

So she left there with another B vitamin to add to her ever expanding collection of bottles on the kitchen worktop.

A lady turned up to collect the two side tables that we posted yesterday, a bit more cash to offset the cost of bloody B vitamins.

27th June 2021

Today is my eldest son’s forty ninth birthday.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that I held him in my arms for the first time. I was twenty, and not experienced in the ways of the world, but there I was, responsible for a new life that was to shape me into the person I am.

He has grown up into a man that I am proud of, he has achieved a lot in his life, and is now a father of two sons.

There was a break in the rain that turned into a sunny but humid day.

We had to pick up a trellis and a set of three storage pieces.

Kelli came a long for the ride, so that was good for her.

The place that had the trellis was a posh area, the houses were large and most were built around a man made lake. Tom, the owner, was having a garage sale, with loads of stuff laid out on his driveway. He pointed to a rusty piece of ironwork that was the trellis.

I just about managed to get it into the truck, it was a good job the truck was an automatic, because there would have been way I could have changed into third or fourth.

We then had to go to Zeeland to pick up the furniture. All three were matching, manufactured by a country famous for making beautiful crafted furniture, Thailand.

They were in quite good condition, a bit of a clean up and we could sell them as they were.

When we got back, I carried the two side tables into the living area to take pictures.

About an hour later Kelli came into the garage to tell me they were sold with a pick up tomorrow, now that’s how it should work.

After cleaning the three pieces, and doing a bit of repair, Kelli posted them and a short time later they were sold, with a pick up next Friday.

It’s funny how things turn out, the side table seemed to take ages to do, but with only the cost of the handles as an outlay, and new tops made from some pallet wood, it showed to me the input Kelli makes to the process.

The tedious sanding, filling, priming, and multiple finish coats are not things I get enjoyment from, but they have to be done.

26th June 2021

The surging rain clouds continue, its humid and it weighs me down.

Kelli had a bad night, although she slept for several hours she awoke early, she but could not go back to sleep.

That is not a problem for me, although I don’t sleep more than five to six hours a night due to the years of getting up early for work. Even in retirement I don’t feel the need to “lie in”, I guess I still have a lot of things to do.

I could see the wild turkeys with their young wandering about, pecking at the ground.

It is a mystery where they go, but they are valuable diversion.

25th June 2021

Another day of rain forecasted, another day trapped in the garage, but today I’m expecting a jointer to arrive.

This is a piece of woodworking equipment from Dave’s workshop that I bought last year.

Why did it arrive today you may ask? There is a little story behind it, so find a comfy seat then I’ll begin.

At the start of 2020 I went into Dave’s workshop and started to sort through his tools separating equipment that I could use for my projects. There were sanders, disc and belt types, a dust extraction unit, a scroll saw and a jointer. I marked all the items with green masking tape and agreed a price with Georgia (Kelli’s mum)

Most of these items were heavy, really heavy, there was no way I could get them up the stairs on my own, so I moved what I could and left the others for another time when I could get help.

Well then Covid struck and everything went on hold for the rest of the year.

I kept thinking how I was going to move the heavy items, because most of the family are not strong enough to help me.

A few weeks ago, Rick, a friend of Georgia volunteered to help clear out, and sell everything that was in Dave’s garage and workshop.

Georgia sent Kelli a message to get me to talk to Rick to let him know what equipment I had already paid for.

When I went into the workshop it was a mess, there were men stripping down Dave’s lathe and rummaging through the hand tools.

I looked around in the area I had moved all my purchases into, and noticed the dust extraction unit was missing. I went to Rick and asked him about it.

He told me that he had sold it to someone a week ago, that pissed me off, and I told him.

He wasn’t told the significance if the green masking tape crosses that I had put over all my equipment. I showed him what was mine, and he assured me they would be safe.

I mentioned it to Georgia, and she was gutted that it had happened, and promised to get it back. I was not that concerned, other than I had paid for it, I said we could “sort something out” but she was adamant that it would be returned.

A few days later I went back, with Kelli’s brother Matt and discovered that the jointer has gone.

Georgia spoke to Rick and he agreed to try to get it back, but he couldn’t promise.

A day later I was told that it would be returned by the end of this week.

This piece was by far the heaviest of the lot, and luckily someone else had carried it up the stairs, so all I had to do was get it out of Rick’s truck, now all I am waiting for is the dust extraction unit to arrive.