Author: peterb51

13th May 2019

House renovation Day 15

We are both geared up for the final push this week to get the major work completed. I finished the flooring in the closets leaving just the bathroom to complete tomorrow.

Kelli was running round picking up things that she had bought on Marketplace, including a cool contemporary light for the dining space, and a cabinet to house the stereo.

We had fun putting the light up, both of us nervous handling the glass shade, we just need a funky bulb to show it off properly.

I did a bit more of the sun room ceiling as the highlight of the day, setting me up for a restful evening.

12th May 2019

House renovation day 14

We were excited to start work on the house today. We had decided to stick the mural on the big wall, so with ladders in place I started marking the position on the surface. We did a dry run to make sure we were in sync with each other. Then came the mixing of the adhesive and the application on to the wall.

The mural was in two sections, six feet wide and four feet high, so we started on the top section.

Once we were at the point of no return it was a little stressful, but eventually both sections were up, and we were exhausted.

Whilst I was painting some of the skirting, Kelli was changing out light fittings in the bathroom and laundry room. There were the inevitably calls for help, mainly supporting the weight of the fittings, but great progress was made.

I continued to work on the bathroom floor until I made a bad cut, then I threw my hands in the air signalling the end of the work day.

It had been two weeks since we started, and we can’t believe we have achieved so much in a short time.

11th May 2018

House renovation day 13

Back to Menards, this time to get some fencing to keep the hounds in the back garden. Then we had to drive to Hudsonville to clear out the rest of the booth. This was a numbing moment because we still don’t know the real reason for it closing, but you can’t dwell on it for ever.

Getting back, I fitted the fence, but this then cut off my usual exit, so I had to walk through the house instead. Inbetween me walking through it, and walking back, Kelli had closed the glass sliding door so I smacked into it. I let it be known that I wasn’t very happy.

I spent a couple of hours painting a ceiling. This was cedar boarded and quite rough. I had to use a brush to get the coverage, and it took ages to paint. In the time it took me to cover a third of the area, Kelli had painted all the walls. I finished with my neck locked in the upward position.

10th May 2019

House renovation day 12

I started fitting the skirting boards in the living space, I used adhesive to stick them in place.

I finished the closet floor in the second bedroom and moved on to the last room in the house, the bathroom, however, first Kelli had to paint the room.

She is amazing, she will be doing one thing and thinking about ten others at the same time. In between that she was making a list of things we needed for the next phase.

When buying the flooring we over estimated the quantity, and either by cunning utilisation or good fortune I had eight boxes left over, so by returning them we could get $500 to spend on something else. So that is where Kelli’s list came in. It was written on a piece of cardboard, resembling the Dead Sea scrolls.

We arrived at Menards ready for a frantic shopping spree. First on the list was switch and outlet covers, a bloody lot of them, then on to the carpet section.

We decided that the sun lounge should have a hard wearing covering, so we chose one, and the lad prepared it for us whilst we went on to get the quarry tiles. We needed a hundred and seventy two, and the boxes came in packs of twenty eight. I asked Kelli how many boxes I would need, so she tapped the numbers into her phone “Six point one four boxes she replied.

I stifled my laugh, “ Okay I will handle the six boxes, you get the point one four pack”

By the time we worked out we needed four loose tiles, the carpet was ready for us to collect. Thoughtfully the lad had placed the carpet on a special carpet trolley, or as the Americans would say it, a “flooring transportation vehicle”.

We both set off for the checkout, me with the fully laden shopping cart and Kelli with the cruise missile. She immediately caused chaos by trying to turn into an isle blocking it, and dislodging a display of neck cushions. Eventually we managed to navigate through the network of narrow isles and reached the checkout.

On the way out and into the car park, the camber made the cart I was pushing a little difficult to handle, also I was over-egging the effect the camber was having. As I was trying to swing the front of the cart round, the front wheels hit a rut and the whole cart toppled over sending me crashing to the ground. Of course there were many people in the area, and not the occasion for me to declare “It’s okay I meant to do that”.

It served me right for messing around, but a big guy helped me to right the cart and reload the spilt boxes. When Kelli stopped laughing, she explained to the guy that I was English and couldn’t drive American shopping carts, he laughed, it should give the people checking the CCTV footage a good laugh as well.

9th May 2019

House renovation day 11

I finished the second bedroom floor, just the closet and bathroom to go. I am looking forward to giving my knees a rest. My hands get so dry that my fingers crack, making work so painful. I can’t use cream as it will get all over the flooring.

Kelli finally pulled off the last piece of paper in the bathroom, a task that is not enjoyable.

We both felt that our progress had slowed the past couple of day, but I was reminded that we have been working on the house for less than two weeks transforming every room, which didn’t so bad after all.

8th May 2019

House renovation day 10

I felt decidedly knackered today, I guess the floor work has drained me. I spent all day working on the closet floor in the main bed and hallway. Normally I would look at them and estimate a few hours each, so I was quite a bit out on those.

Kelli was working in the bathroom, peeling wallpaper that refused to peel. I could hear her moaning at the progress.

We went out to eat, and were both so tired, we nearly fell asleep at the table.

7th May 2019

House renovation day 9

I settled down to lay the floor in the main bedroom whilst Kelli shot off to paint, paint and more paint. The second bedroom, the bathroom cabinets, and living space skirtings all got done as I was bashing flooring strips into position.

We had the wind taken out of our sails with the news that Painted Farmgirl was closing at the end of the month. There was no explanation, just some dates when things should be removed. This place has formed the backbone to our monthly income, although Facebook Market has take over as our main selling vehicle. There have been a few signs of instability over the past months, but as the place has been in business for ten years this has been shrugged off as general market conditions. However not to be discouraged, Kelli was straight on the phone checking for spaces in other places.

Damian sent me a picture of the Jag with it’s new number plate after being sold. I had a twinge of sadness, but now somebody else will have fun with it.

6th May 2019

House renovation day 8

I knew something felt different. I was having my breakfast in my usual chair, watching the news on my phone, but I had an odd feeling. I decided to ignore it, as the news of the new Royal baby came through, I continued to munch away. Kelli wanted to get the paint for the bedroom early, so as the last of my coffee were slurped down, we got into the truck and set off for the paint store.

There it was again, that strange feeling, it was like I was growing a third buttock. I was getting a little concerned. I moved around in my seat, the lump was there, but there was no feeling.

I mentioned it to Kelli, and of course she was concerned. I continued to try to find the lump, suddenly it dawned on me what it was. I shoved my hand down the back of my jeans and pulled out a pair of yesterday’s underpants. They must have got trapped when I was rushing to get dressed. We both burst into hysterical laughter

Whilst at the store reviewing paint samples an older guy (a bit older than even me) inquired if anyone had some jump leads. Kelli left the paint samples for a while to check if she had any in the truck, she came back triumphantly waving the cables.

We tried desperately to get his vehicle started, but although the engine turned it didn’t fire. We took him to a petrol station to get fuel as an empty tank was the initial problem. Unable to help further we continued on our main task of the day.

The colour chosen for the bedroom is vibrant in the morning sun, and warming in the evening. As I continued laying the floor in the dining area the bedroom was transformed.

We both sat in the garden and let the dogs go wild, it is great to see them running free without the worry of traffic, this house will be perfect for all of us.

5th May 2019

House renovation day 7

It was kitchen floor day, by far the most fiddly of all the spaces.

Kelli had things to collect, so I made as much progress as I could before she returned.

It went better then I could have expected, there was no blood, no mistakes, and Kelli returned just in time to help move the cooker and fridge back into position.

Whilst I finished a challenging flooring issue going into the laundry room, Kelli completed painting the cabinet doors and drawers, and once fitted they looked great.

4th May 2019

House renovation day 6

More wood flooring today, this time it was the hallway, a lot of linear feet.

I have watched a lot of YouTube videos on various subjects. Some are really slick whilst others are bloody awful. I have often thought of doing one myself, and if I did it might go something like this.

“ Hi I’m English Pete, as opposed to Mexican Pete, therefore you will understand everything I say.

Today I want to show you how to lay engineered flooring into a doorway.

First you need to cut the bottom of the architrave to allow the flooring to pass under it. For this I use a Japanese back-cut saw. These are really useful and very sharp, ouch!

(Muffled sound of the backing being peeled off a plaster)

Here is a useful tip for removing blood from engineered flooring, don’t get any on it in the first place.

It’s important to mark the flooring so that when it is cut, and slid under the frame there are no visible gaps.

As you can see I have cut the piece out of the flooring, and it’s ready to slide under the frame.

Sometimes it’s a bit tight,and it will need some gentle persuasion.

I give a sharp tap with a hammer, and, oh shit!

Well that didn’t work as it should.

Kelli could you get me another strip from the pile over there? no not that one, the one over there, next to the picture of Justin Hayward, oh, and can you please turn the music down, you’ve been playing the Moody Blues all day and I’m a bit fed up with it. That’s the reason I messed up that piece in the first place.

Anyway the blood is seeping though the plaster so I better go to hospital to get it looked at, I will finish this video tomorrow.”

Getting back to the plot, Kelli finished painting the wall cupboard and primed and painted the doors and drawers. She also spent a bit of time looking through the skylight taking pictures of the sky, very useful if you are topping up your tan.

I have learnt that when Kelli says “ I have an idea” it usually means more work for me, but if it is followed by “ no, forget it, that won’t work” I have feelings of pure pleasure.

We went for dinner at the Saugatuck Brewing Company, and having to wait for thirty minutes were told that they had sold out of veggie burgers, and, they were dropping them from the menus. I saw the grey mist descend in Kelli’s eyes, the waitress cowed in fear, it was the end of the world, things would never be the same again.