Author: peterb51

28th October 2020

We had an early reservation at New Holland.

6.15pm is usually when the old farts have their dinner, rush home to take their medication and then go to bed.

This meant getting ready much earlier than normal. I was so out of whack that I got into the shower still in my underwear, only discovering it after I washed my hair.

I had done a variety of things from laying up timber for a new top for a dresser to digging four holes to sink the wooden piles for the decking. So my day was not as formal as it normally is, and that might have been the reason.

Selecting our dinner from the limited menu is often more of a problem than if we had the full selection to choose from. I’m fairly easy, it’s either a black bean burger or a pizza. Kelli is much harder, she doesn’t want bread or cheese, leaving just a glass of water or a salad as a choice. However, her famous line to the server is “I have a question” at this point I roll my eyes and wait for it to reveal itself.

It usually entails taking one thing from one dish and adding it to another, often this is possible, other times even the server rolls their eyes, if we could see them.

She finally made her choice, but when it arrived it had bacon included, which she failed to request to have it removed. She summoned the server back and explained her gaff. What followed was an agreement between Kelli and the server that he would take her food, with the bacon for himself, and order another without bacon for her. With that finally sorted out we got on with our meal.

My beer was slipping down well, all my hard digging earlier, had built up my wrist muscles so I was able to handle the heavy glass easily.

At different times I had imagined a design of a stein lifting device using sprockets and chains, but it never got past the concept stage, or in reality I sobered up and forgot about the whole thing.

When we left, and hit the cool air I had the urge to use the bathroom.

I told Kelli to get back home as quickly as possible, just as her phone rang.

It was Cameron, her son, we drove about ten feet and there he was on the pavement.

Kelli told him to get in, and we would drive him home , which was on our way.

I was beginning to turn critical by the time we got to his apartment.

He suggested that I go in his back garden, next to his Kayak, which I thankfully did.

“I’ve never pissed in a kayak before” I said getting back into the truck.

“Oh you didn’t did you?” He said before realising I was joking.

27th October 2020

Today was DDD at Goodwill, in other words, Duffers discount day, where twenty percent off of everything applies. Kelli wheels me out to take full advantage, and sadly the staff all know me now, so there is no getting away from it.

Unfortunately there wasn’t much that appealed to us, we only left with a few small items.

We stopped off at Habitat for Humanity, a thrift like store that has building materials.

We were looking for drawer handles for a piece we were finishing. I spotted some bags of concrete that would be ideal for holding the piles for the deck frame. It seemed a good deal so I bought the lot.

Next on the agenda was the stone merchant to get my refund, I got the equivalent of three cubic yards back, for which I can soon find something to spend that on.

Once that was done we headed home. It was a cold day with sleet showers making it really wintery.

26th October 2020

We were alerted by the beeping noise coming from outside. I looked out of the window to see a tipper truck trying to squeeze between our truck and a tree that wasn’t going to happen.

I donned on my shoes grabbing the car keys as I went out the front door.

The guy had come to collect the remains of the hardcore that had dominated the driveway for days.

Once I moved the truck he was able to reverse in without destroying our tree.

He climbed out of the cab and looked at the pile with his hands on planted on his hips.

He opened up the back doors of the tipper and removed a long handled shovel.

As I walked past to go back into the house I had a pang of guilt, it had started to rain, so I grabbed my shovel and started to move the mountain of stone back into the lorry.

I’m sure I did two loads to his one, but we had a good laugh as we did the task. I did expect bulging biceps at the end of it, instead I hardly had the strength to lift a cup, but it was all gone.

There was plenty of time to work on furniture. Kelli was busy on the painting but I was restricted on things to do, which is surprising, but we also had to deliver the drawerless dresser.

This was larger than we thought, getting it into the truck presented us with a few issues, but with some careful positioning it went into place.

It was sad to see it go, but I hope the new owners get good use from it.

25th October 2020

I had a flash of inspiration last night, it doesn’t happen often, but when it does, you can clean your teeth with it.

When I start the construction of the decking, I will need to sink wooden piles at least twenty-four inches deep into the soil because that is the depth of the frost line. I had intended to use four by four treated timber and concrete them into the hole, this will give a firm attachment for the deck frame.

I had a number of lengths of four by two that we got from a place in Saugatuck earlier this year that I was intending to use on this project.

But I decided to make the piles from this material and screw pieces together to support the frame. This will save me a bit of money that will no doubt be spent on something else.

That was my project of the day, cutting and screwing pieces together to make the piles.

We moved a few of the new free dressers into the garage, including the “ surprise one from yesterday.

The last job of the day was sweeping the freshly fallen leaves that had landed on the lawn. A lot of new grass has come through although there are still thin patches, I’m hoping that new grass will come through in the spring, as the cold temperatures will reduce the growing process.

24th October 2020

My plan was to lay the paving slabs to create an apron for the raised deck in the back garden. The weather was forecasted to be dry, so I was excited to make a start.

However it didn’t quite start off very well, there was a fine drizzle which delayed things a bit.

Once that stopped I mixed up the mortar and got stuck in to the job.

It is never as easy as the YouTube videos make out, there is always the odd bit of Leveling that I have to go back on, but eventually I got everything down the best I could.

The temperature was down in the forties, which meant dressing up well, I can’t expect any warmer weather for the next week when I start on the wood structure.

That is what I’m looking forward to working on, nothing I will like better than hitting nails into timber.

Kelli had to meet up with a customer who was buying a small stool that she re-upholstered.

Whilst out, she spotted a free dresser at the side of the road, that she quickly loaded in the truck. My words “Don’t get anymore bloody dressers” were ringing in her head as she drove back. She smiled to herself as she saw me in the back garden finishing the paving.

She excitedly told me of her find. I have come to expect these “surprises” and I know we have to take advantage of these pieces when they present themselves.

I’m sure we will find a small space for it somewhere, but, “ no more bloody dressers.

After a day in the garage it is so nice to walk into a warm house with the smell of new baking wafting around.

It was bread and muffin making day, all for my benefit, I just melt, smelling all those aromas.

I walked along to the corner shop to get some things for dinner. I had my list from Kelli, but I was seduced by the wine section, adding a bottle of red to my basket.

At the checkout, I requested some stamps.

“What was that” the girl said.

“Stamps” I repeated

“Sorry” she lent closer to the gap in the plexiglass screen.

“Stamps, STAMPS” I thought emphasising the letters might help, but it didn’t.

I was prepared to mime licking my finger and placing it on an imaginary envelope, but thought that might get misconstrued, and likely to get me arrested for lewd behaviour.

Eventually she got it, “You mean STYA-AMPS!”

“Yes, stya-amps”

For God sake can we have a common language please?

23rd October 2020

The weather was crap, so I couldn’t do anything outside, but there was plenty to do in the garage.

I was a bit surprised that we haven’t had much interest in our latest posting, I thought there would be a rush of offers.

I started work on a commission piece that we got at the beginning of the week. I have to strip the top and stain it black. It will be the same colour combination of a piece we sold a couple of weeks ago.

The garage is full of furniture all of a sudden, there is now three dressers that we got for nothing, and one that we picked up at Goodwill a few days ago.

We noticed the top was a little curved, probably kept in a damp place for a while, I will break out the heavy clamps for that one.

There is alway plenty of things to sand when I get bored.

In the evening there was Matt’s birthday cake fest. He is Kelli’s brother, we got him a pad of linen paper for his watercolours and a blending brush.

He has developed quite a technique and produced some beautiful paintings.

The cake was incredibly sweet, meaning that I only managed two slices.

22nd October 2020

I looked out the window, the rock pile was still there, it hadn’t shrunk during the night.

I had to get the drawerless dresser finished so the it could be posted. This had been a labour of love, and it had taken me a year to complete it, it will be sad to see it go.

This time of year means leaves, plenty of them. I spent time raking them off my new grass, no sooner had I done it more came down.

I need to learn how to use the blower, I’ve watched experts do the most amazing things with them. They can manipulate leaves like a sheep dog herding sheep. The first time I used it I was blowing them everywhere but where I wanted them to go, it was a little embarrassing.

I need to practice at night.

Kelli found another posted free dresser, not far away, and despite my feeble objections we went anyway.

The person had intended it as a project but never got round to finishing it, it requires a bit of imagination because a couple of drawers are missing, so well within our capabilities.

I started laying some of the new paving on my newly laid hardcore, but it was starting to get dark, and I didn’t want to rush it, so I abandoned it for the day.

Later in the evening we watched the last presidential debate, subjecting ourselves to ninety minutes of excruciating Trump talking absolute tripe.

The man has no plan for the pandemic, healthcare, the environment, the list goes on.

It is frustrating for me, and I can’t even vote!

21st October 2020

A phone call to the stone supplier established that the delivery would happen today, they could not find a reason why it didn’t happen yesterday.

The tarpaulin was still anchored to the drive as we left to do a bit of shopping.

As we had sold the storage box we needed a lid support, the one that came with the box was broken, and fortunately Menards had a replacement.

I needed some ready-mix cement to lay the slabs, these came in sixty pound bags, which was quite a challenge getting those into the trolley.

By the time we got back home the delivery had happened, and it was quite a shock.

There was a pile of grey scalping towering above us, that is when I realised what four cubic yards of rocks looks like.

It was obvious that there was far too much for what I needed, so much for relying on experts.

I started carrying it around in a five gallon bucket, five shovelfuls per bucket was my limit.

Kelli was helping me, she also filled her bucket with five shovelfuls, but her shovel was considerably smaller, but every little helps.

Within a short time we had filled the area stomping it down as we went.

The pile on the drive had hardly shrunk at all, in fact it hardly made a dent at all,maybe someone needs a new runway built, if so, I’ve got the rocks.

We had to get a few jobs finished because we had people coming round to collect them.

Also the person who bought the storage box also bought the rug, so Stein night at New Holland was especially welcomed.

20th October 2020

We laid a tarpaulin out on the drive so that the small mountain of crushed rocks due for delivery today, could be dumped without staining the concrete.

The next thing on our agenda was to drive back up to the stone yard to collect the rest of the paving slabs.

The idea was to leave straight after breakfast and get back to work on other things.

However Kelli wanted to wash her hair, and not wanting to be seen in public until it was done.

This is never a quick process, there is a strict protocol that cannot be rushed. Needless to say she was finally ready two hours later.

I was able to do a lot of things to the patio shuttering in anticipation of the hardcore arriving.

We loaded up the remaining slabs, putting the truck under more stress.

Heading back, we did our customary stop-off at Goodwill, I mooched around the furniture area whilst Kelli zeroed in to the clothing racks. Almost immediately she found a good quality rug and snapped that up.

Arriving back there was still no hardcore deliveries.

Kelli wanted to post the storage box we had just finished, and took the opportunity to use the rug as a prop.

The pictures turned out good, and very soon interest was starting to show.

As it started to get dark it was obvious that the delivery was not going to happen, I filled my time adding a fine steel mesh to the back of the door of the drawerless dresser.

19th October 2020

I was eager to press on with the patio, meaning needed to get some ballast for the new apron I had just made.

I went along to the supplier where I bought the paving stones.

I was prepared with my cubic footage, but explaining it to the lady behind the plexiglass screen was another matter.

“That is not how we usually calculate it” she replied apologetically, so rather than get deeper into the depth of my calculations I gave her the sizes which she tapped into her computer.

“ That works out to be four yards” she smiled.

What followed was a discussion about what that quantity meant, was it cubic yards? With that amount it would fill the driveway.

She kept referring to the sizes, and that’s what it worked out to be.

In the end I relented, “Okay! I’ll have four of your yards of the stuff, when can it be delivered?”

“Would tomorrow be okay?”

“Perfect” I replied, worn down by the experience, however the next part of the transaction was to finally make me lose the will to live.

“ I also want some paving stones”

I gave out the range name, the sizes and quantity.

“I need eleven sixteen by twenty-four and four sixteen by eight”

She looked at the screen, with a puzzled expression.

“ It looks like you can only buy these in layers”

My tired brain creaked, “Layers, what are layers?”

This then exploded into the most complex explanation of what Layers meant.

Apparently when the blocks are delivered they are arranged on a pallet in fixed sets.

Each layer consists of two sixteen by twenty-fours, three sixteen by eights and three sixteen by sixteens, so I would have to buy two complete layers, including the sizes I didn’t want, and buy the extra sixteen by twenty- four slabs which are sold separately.

I finally grasped what they were getting at, only to be told that I would have to go the another site where the slabs are stocked.

With the aid of lists and sketches we set off for the next instalment.

The place looked like Fred Flintstone’s back garden, boulders and rocks of all sizes laid out in some order.

We eventually found the office, it was just a little bigger than a portaloo. There was a sign on the door that read “ Only one person at a time in the office” that was apparent anyway, if two tried to get in there they would have to get married.

I now had to go through the same scenario with the new guy.

“ You will have to buy two layers”

“ I know!” The fatigue was showing.

“ just show me where they are stored” my voice now weak and feeble.

He directed us to an area close to the main road.

We drove off to find the stack.

Now these buggers are heavy, and there was no way the poor truck could take them all, so the plan was to take the two layers and come back for the others.

I wanted to make sure I was taking them from the right stack, so this giant of a man came to help.

This man was the result of cross breeding with a forklift, he was a strong guy.

He carried on loading whilst I ran back to the office where I had inadvertently left my bag with all my worldly goods.

When I got back he was loading the last ones.

The truck felt the weight as we drove back, but as the shock absorbers didn’t punch through the floor, we made it unscathed.

By the time we got back there were a couple who had brought over a dresser that they wanted painted to match one they had got from us a couple of weeks ago, this is a good job, no outlay, money up front, one we can concentrate on and get out in the month.