Author: peterb51

24th June 2021

The weather has deteriorated into a thunder storm that rattled the windows and the rain falls in a torrent. I was hold up in the garage working on three pieces at a time. The output this month has been abysmal, but I doubt that any of the things I’m working on will go in this months numbers.

Kelli was not feeling very good today, there seems to be a pattern of a good day followed by a bad one.

It still messes with my head, as I always see the pattern in most things, when I get a cold there is the two days coming, two/three days with it, and two days to go. That makes it bearable, where you see it laid out. When I had my bout of flu, I knew the pattern in that, I just had to let my body take control, and follow the healing process.

But what Kelli has does not follow a pattern, just when I think I see progress, it goes backwards. She has put her faith in her new kinesiologist, but my patience is running thin, and I know I’m not the best at keeping up a pretence, but I am being supportive to her.

Without some idea of the time it takes to climb back into normality, I know it’s eating into my life as well.

23rd June 2021

I had to collect a dresser that Kelli had bought on Marketplace, but first I had to sort out my paving slabs. I had been thinking about the problem most of the night, I had a solution, but I had to see there were some that they had left.

I needed nine slabs to continue the path up to the area where the pool would be, I could then a different slab to cover that.

I explained my idea to the guy at the landscape supply, he got on the phone to another person at the yard.

He then told me that they could scrimp together those nine paving slabs.

I agreed to drive to the main yard to collect those and to view an alternative sample that I could use everywhere else.

That was promising, I would still have to wait for them but at least I could finish the path.

I got to the house to collect the dresser, and it was bloody heavy, all of the furniture I have had to handle myself have all been like this. Fortunately the lad selling the piece was able to help get it into the truck, driving back was the easy part.

I had to get it out straight away so that I could transport the slabs.

Kelli was in no fit state to help me move the dresser out of the truck.

I pulled it out about half way which enabled me to remove half the drawers, I then pull it out further to remove the rest. The next challenge was to move the dresser into the garage. I laid a large flattened cardboard box on the ground and lowered the dresser on to it.

I was then able to drag it into the garage without doing any damage to my body.

I drove up to the yard which was about a thirty minute journey, and found the site office.

I explained what I had come for, and he showed me what they had left.

On the pallet were eleven paving slabs, one was chipped the other was a bit uneven in the centre, but he said I could take them.

He also showed me a slightly darker grey sample which I could live with, so as I grunted away loading the slabs he went back to the office to a my amend the order.

I had forgotten just how heavy the stones were, but I loaded all the slabs into the truck.

The back wheels sank under the weight, and the drive back was uneventful, I couldn’t wait to carry the buggers into the back garden, yes, it’s sarcasm.

22nd June 2021

I went to chase up my order for slabs, for once I was ahead in the preparation of the foundation, and I wanted to finish the paving.

We cannot get the pool out of hibernation until that is completed.

The news was not good, deliveries were still expected, but I could not get a firm date.

“Maybe the end of the month” was his stock response. “ Or two weeks” he added.

“That’s more like it” I thought, the universal building trade reply.

That was a drag, it could have been worse, he could have said that they discontinued the colour, but he didn’t, I have to be thankful for that.

However that all changed when a voice message was left on Kelli’s phone advising that the company who supplied the slabs would not manufacture that colour again until next year. Disaster! They suggested that I get in touch with them to see if there was an alternative slab colour I could use, you bet I’ll be over there tomorrow.

Kelli had a decent night’s sleep, meaning I’m hopeful that she can do the task of planting the annuals we got yesterday.

I needed some materials which meant going to my convenient man’s excuse for a bit of quality time. I needed paint, I took my colour card to the assistant who asked me if I had a preference of manufacturer.

“Pittsburgh” I said confidently.

“Coloured or white can?” Shot back the assistant.

“What’s the difference?” I asked, expecting a technical answer.

“White is cheaper”

This fooled me as I was getting the premium quality mix, so the colour of the material was irrelevant.

I think the assistant may have come to that conclusion, or she lost patience, but she went to the rack and picked a silver can.?,

21st June 2021

It was too cold for shorts and t-shirts today dropping to 67 degrees.

Following Kelli’s venture out yesterday, she accompanied me to collect a pine cabinet that she had bought. We didn’t really need or had the space for one, but she got it anyway.

It was a short drive to a new housing estate south of the city. The guy was not ready when we arrived but the two large dogs were ready to take my arms off. We manhandled it up the stairs from the basement and into the truck.

The next stop was to Yonkers a garden centre in Holland. We needed some blooms to brighten up the front of the house and some to plant in the boxes we have fixed to the rear fence.

The place was filled with a group of old people (maybe the same age, or older than me) they were having a tour of the nursery. You could definitely spend a fortune at this place, and I nearly did, but they brighten the place, and lord knows we need it.

I continued on my paint stripping marathon getting the old red cabinet ready for priming.

Someone previously had cut a large hole in the floor, and it looked like chicken wire had been stapled over it. I spent nearly an hour digging them out. The hole, I had to cover as I didn’t want to replace the base. I decided to encase it with two thin pieces of plywood that I had in my scrap pile

20th June 2021

Kelli was feeling good enough to take a drive to the cemetery to put flowers on Dave’s grave. This is a big step for her, we didn’t stay too long because we didn’t want to tempt fate.

As it was she did a few house things that even a few months ago would have been impossible.

I believe it’s all about setting goals that can be achieved, then throwing one in that forces you to do even more.

I dabbled around in the garage for a bit just stripping paint and repairing some of the “dogs”, we have bought, and boy we have a whole kennel of those.

One of the cabinets needed new drawer guides as one set was missing. That is one of the hardest things to replace because they cannot be bought anywhere. I have to fabricate something that will do the job out of bits of scrap and offcuts.

At the end of my day things looked pretty bad in the garage with parts of furniture all over the place.

19th June 2021

There were more storms this morning, the grass has had enough water to last it the month, which is great, and avoids me getting the hose hooked up. The grass grows so fast you can almost see it happening, but so do the weeds.

Kelli was not having a good day event though she got sleep, it was not enough.

We had planned to both go to a garden centre to get potted plants for the front of the house, but we had to delay that.

I messed around in the garage keeping a few jobs going with no real enthusiasm.

It’s the same problem I’m afflicted with when there is more than one piece to work on, I go into panic mode, like the story of the man in a barrel being told to piss in the corner, he spins around aimlessly.

18th June 2021

There was a dramatic thunderstorm early this morning with some serious rainfall.

I knew it would be a serious storm because I spied the guy up the road refitting the doors to his Jeep. He normally a person who removes most things from his vehicle all through the summer.

I had seen the forecast on my phone, and like many others I check the weather several time a day.

The storm was ferocious, it sounded like it was right on top of us, and the lightening was arcing everywhere. By breakfast time it had cleared and the sun emerged. The amount of water that fell filled up the barrels to overflowing, so I won’t be needing to water the plants for a while.

I got on with jobs in the garage, I definitely lack enthusiasm at this moment. I brushed oxalic acid over the oak veneered top I stripped yesterday, and stained the two side table tops.

I made a start stripping the carcass of paint on the dresser I picked up a few days ago, but it’s a hard slog. I was disturbed by someone driving into our driveway that I didn’t recognise, they then reversed back out and drove back down the road. That seems to be the thing here, your driveway is there for everyone’s convenience to use as a turning place. That makes me angry, I would like to install flamethrowers and spikes that rise up from the concrete, or I’ll install a tollbooth and charge a fee.

17th June 2021

Another journey out to collect a piece of furniture. It was a tall rustic dresser that wouldn’t have look out of place on the set of Game of Thrones.

Thank goodness it was easy to find. There are a number of these new estates springing up around Holland, and I mean springing up.

These are pre-fabricated and delivered on flat bed trucks and bolted together on site. These are a new take on the mobile homes. When completed with added siding, they look like conventional houses albeit identical to the next to it. The place resembles a POW site without watchtower.

Some have garages, like the house I went to. It was full of stuff that the couple have been selling on behalf of their mother for three years. It’s interesting meeting different people hearing their stories, this pair were no exception. They were telling me that the mother was a hoarder, she just bought stuff all the time for no other reason than to collect things.

I remembered going through all my mother’s possessions after she died, a very sad reminder of things that meant something to her, but of no value(other than sentimental) to anyone else.

I loaded the piece into the truck, using a bungee to keep the hatch closed, then off to Menards for some ladder brackets.

This was outside my comfort zone, trying to find stuff in a different area of this vast store without asking for assistance. This was a challenge and a half. I must have spent over fifteen minutes going up and down the isles reading all the signs without success. I even went outside into the garden area, but they were not there.

In the end I did admit defeat and had to ask a young chap for help. He sent me to the only area I hadn’t been, and there was the bracket section. It was full with every bracket known to man, brackets that could support every item that could be supported. My farty ladder brackets were puny compared with the ones where you could hang a truck. I stood there thinking of any other things I could use, but in the end I stuck with just my ladder brackets.

On my return Kelli informed me that she had found a free dresser in Fennville, so would I be up for collecting that one?

I threw down a quick cup of tea then headed off. It was a twenty minute journey, and I found the place easily. The lady had started clearing out her shed, and was desperately trying to get rid of as much stuff as she could. The dresser looked a bit distressed, the doors were stored in the top drawer and there was a large hole in the base, but apart from that it could be a good restore.

Once I got back I unloaded it but left it outside the garage.

The sun was quite warm and I noticed the paint on the top had started to lift, I was able to peel a strip of finish off easily.

Of course once I did that I wanted to see what the top was like stripped.

I spent the next half an hour doing just that exposing an oak veneer top that was complete but it had stains on it. I decided to call it a day, there would be plenty to do tomorrow.

16th June 2021

Kelli had her second appointment with her new doctor, as a popular guy, she was lucky to take advantage of a cancellation he had.

He is certainly more focus on the areas that will help with her hypersensitivity or acute stress response thats all linked to her adrenal failure.

I still sit there as usual a sceptic, but she seems to be improving. For example we went to the new Plato’s closet in Holland to take six bags of clothes that she didn’t wear anymore and wanted to sell. A month ago the thought of going anywhere would have been out of the question. So whether it’s quackery or not, if it helps her get back to normal, I’m all for it.

There was no news about the delivery of paving slabs, not a big deal as I have other jobs to occupy myself, but as it was a bit cooler this week it would have been convenient. I expect they will arrive when it’s stonkingly hot, and I would be able to fry an egg on the stones.

I gave my shopvac it’s annual service. It made a change from tripping over it, because it always gets in the way. And anything thing, who thought it was a good idea to only fit a three foot hose?it is worst than useless.

I started out by washing out the filters and replacing the ones that couldn’t be cleaned. Now it actually sucks in more than it blows out, a good feature for a vacuum cleaner, even the shit one I have.

15th June 2021

Took my package back to the post office for another attempt to get it to travel more than two miles.

I relayed my expectations that the package should have been heading for the UK in my best humour tinged with a hint of sarcasm, but it was lost on the man.

Being a loyal Trump supporter he was still mourning the loss of his hero, the black band he wore was slipping down his arm. He’s the kind of guy that thinks the insurrection is an man’s ability to get it up.

Now, his job is to issue stamps and take in parcels, enter them into the system and take the money. I’m not sure he understands the “ To” and “From” concept, so I explained that to him.

His only excuse was “The address was in the wrong place” but he reimbursed the postage then hit me with the cost to get it over the pond at a staggering $28.