Author: peterb51

5th November 2017
So the clock went back. Gaining another hour, meant nothing as we needed to restock in both places.

I had great expectations to have several pieces for Kelli to paint.

I fell at the first hurdle when I tried to fit the drawers in the semi-detached dresser. As all the parts had been loose, and I meticulously assembled everything back together, I did think it would be a walk in the park. As I aligned the bottom drawer and pushed it, the bloody thing jammed about two inches in. I had no success either when I tried it in the other two positions. Suddenly a walk in the park was a much more attractive alternative. I was no more successful with the other drawers, which led me to get the big guns out and sand the buggers to fit.

Eventually I managed to get them to slide, but this took most of the daylight hours.

I did some work on some other units that we bought yesterday, but I kept on stepping on bits of wood and tools littering the floor. This made me angry, I was shouting, calling myself every name I could think of, and if anyone had been passing they would have thought I had escaped from a mental institution, but I decided that tomorrow I need to tidy the garage. This was one of those days when I should have stayed in bed.

4th November 2017
Wow! Where did that day go?

Okay, so I got up late, it was wet and miserable.

Kelli made fantastic apple breakfast nachos with sliced apple, almond butter,homemade chocolate sauce, and crushed almonds.

A text came through from Farmgirl that we sold the big bastard, what a great start to the day.

Then we went to check out the sale event at Lakeshore. A couple of pieces had already sold, which was really encouraging, so we celebrated by going to Goodwill and buying two new pieces to work on.

There will be a intensive effort over the weekend to finish new pieces to fill the gaps in both places.

In the evening Kelli, Greer and myself went to the Saugatuck Brewing Company for dinner and to watch our friend Chris Slone perform his music. Over the years I have helped him record his songs by using my portable equipment then working on them back in the UK. It was fun, because I knew most of the songs.

3rd November 2017
This morning we moved completely different things from one place to the other. I had oiled my biceps to move the big beast, instead only several smaller pieces were chosen, Hurray!

It was a wonderful autumnal day with the sun shining on the avenues of maple trees, this meant that I could work outside. I began by loosely assembling the “Fifteen bucks project” for the first time. Dimensionally it was good, so I need to make something to disguise the join. 

I also started the semi-detached dresser repair.

The returned bookcase has now been completed,and ready for painting.

The “creative studio” has now been moved inside the house, as it is a bit too cold for her to work in the garage, this is just for me and a couple of penguins.
Something that has been bugging me for a while is the number of glue sticks I have been using. It is the only reason I have coffee in Starbucks is to grab the stirring sticks.

I start a job, glue something up, turn around and do something else, then go to use the adhesive again, and, no glue stick. Sometimes I find it on the floor covered in crap, but other times it’s easier to use another stick.

However the adhesive was difficult to pour, I thought I was running out of the stuff, and made a mental note to buy some tomorrow. As I was probing the dregs in the bottle, I noticed about six glue sticks inside, that’s where they go!

2nd November 2017

Things have settled a bit, although I still have a lot of projects in progress.

The Fifteen bucks is moving along, although I do not have the space to build it yet. Space is another issue, I seem to block myself in to a corner by the end of the day. As each surface is created it becomes a new work bench, so I go deeper into the corner.

I started to work on the semi-detached dresser, I picked up a drawer, and that fell into five pieces, the auto destruction continues.

As October was a disappointing month for sales, Kelli had been planning to move some of the big pieces from Farmgirl to Lakeshore to take advantage of a special sales event at the weekend. This means my muscles will be required to move some heavy things. I was thinking that my continued yoga practice would help me, but I can’t think that my downward facing dog will help at all.

1st November 2017 

Plenty of things to get on with today, so I wasn’t impressed when Kelli announced that she had seen a Antique four drawer dresser for sale. “Shouldn’t we just sell something we already have?” I cautiously responded. “But it’s really cool” this is Kelliese for “I have told them I’ll buy it”. So I got in the truck and we set off to collect this “cool” piece.

The GPS took to an industrial unit on the South side. We stopped outside a Veterinarian Surgery, and Kelli went in to see if it’s the right place. A few minutes she came to get me.

The dresser was an old oak piece, with a lot of interesting detail. The owner told us a bit of the history, which is always interesting. I could see the wood was a good. The drawers were already out, and I could see the work needed. As we lifted the carcass, and moved towards the door, things started to fall apart. First the bottom panel dropped off, then the parts of the back panels dropped on to the grass, as we got close to the truck one of the side panels started to separate, but we loaded it before anything else fell off.

31st October 2017
Halloween! and the state I’m in I won’t need a costume. I could go successfully dressed as a Mad axe man covered head to toe in wood clippings and sawdust.

I guess from now on it’s downhill to Christmas. I will miss all the bombardment of Slade, Wizard, Wham and Jona Lewie that dominates the airwaves in the U.K.

I have been trying to find out what Christmas music is played in the store here. From what I can understand America reverts back to the fifties, with people like Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, and Connie Francis, so I can expect a world of black and white.

I wanted to start a new tradition over here of having a bonfire party with bangers and mash, but had to settle to booze and nibbles. I think the locals have to be brought in slowly, especially with vegan sausagess, too much change might cause anxiety, or a dose of the trots.

I bought a game called “Cards Against Humanity, and it’s not to be played with your parents, or members of the cloth. It can be a bit raunchy, but you get to know your friends a bit better.

The game, the drink and the smoke from the fire all made for an hilarious evening. 

30th October 2017
I have another furniture piece that has come back from Farmgirl that hasn’t sold. It was a simple bookcase that usually sells, but this one has outstayed its welcome. Kelli decided that I need to try to make it a little more interesting.

I am know to complicate things, and this will be no exception. I am not saying that I make it more saleable, but it will look a little different.

I am also preparing timber for the Fifteen Bucks project, that will be trimmed tomorrow.

The weather changed a bit, for the first time I worked in the garage with the door closed.

Although the clocks have not changed here yet, it is dark by seven.

It was only a few weeks ago that it was bloody hot, and light until nine, the things seem to change so quickly, or I am so busy to notice?

29th October 2017

I did a bit more wood planing, but stopped in case it riled the God police, as it was Sunday. Instead I accompanied Kelli and her daughter Greer, to the mall in Grandville. Normally I would rather have a pointed thing inserted in my bottom than to visit such a place, but as I was chilled, and up for anything I decided to go along.

(It was closing time)

Kelli had been there the day before and bought things that then had to be returned, hence the trip today. I am always baffled by that concept of “renting” things for the night and then returning them the next day, except for tools and cars, and costumes……….well maybe it’s not so strange after all. Anyway the mall is a mall. From Hong Kong, to Bangalore all malls are the same, they are bright and perfumed selling things you don’t really need, but they are a good place to hang out. 

Eyebrow threading, who on earth would want their eyebrows threaded? This is Asian torture disguised as a beauty treatment, it is worse than gaffa tape on your nether regions (so I am told)

If you want your eyes all red and puffy, just pick a fight with a skinhead.

During the drive back there was a wonderful sunset, crazy cloud formations over the lake make for an amazing end of day.

28th October 2017

It’s Saturday, and in keeping with our rule of not working at the weekend, I was in the garage planing timber. I had some tops to lay up so I had to prepare the pallet wood to make them.

Once that was done, I had to take them up to Dave’s to cut them to size.

As I was using his saw, it started making a strange noise. Now to avoid a potential nightmare scenario of the saw blade coming loose and slicing through my chest, I turned everything off and investigated the problem. It turned out to be a mis-alignment of the drive belt pulleys, which once re-positioned worked fine. 

We had dinner at Pereddies, our regular haunt, and a good excuse for a fine red and pasta.

There was sleet in the rain on the way back, I guess the weather is heading for snow, suddenly working in the garage doesn’t look that fun.

27th October 2017

What a bloody interesting day today was.

I spent the morning stripping pallets we scrounged yesterday. I assembled the new base for the “fifteen bucks” project, and repaired some shelf parts. I have got lots of good wood for other jobs awaiting.

It was a bit chilly, so I lit the fire again. Kelli had to volunteer some hours at Lakeshore, so things were a bit quiet, but I went to the Bob Evans restaurant for lunch with Dave (Kelli’s dad) so that broke the day up.

I have a couple of project to help him with, once I get some time spare.

Holland has changed a lot since I first started coming here. It just seems so much busier, “Why aren’t these people working?” Dave commented. I remember always being able to park in the downtown area, but now it is almost impossible. There are also some rude people about. Motorists don’t thank you for letting them in, they beep their horns if you’re a micro second late pulling away from a green light. The place has lost touch with courtesy and good manners, it has become a place for self interest and “eff you buddy”.