Author: peterb51

21st June 2024

We had to drive to Hudsonville to collect a piece that we will convert into a coffee station. We had been asked a while ago but our new friends Lloyd and Nancy to look for one.

That had bought a lot of furniture from us because they were moving from Florida back to Holland and we’re starting from scratch.

So when this piece appeared on Marketplace Kelli jumped at it. It had a hinged down top section and three drawers beneath, just perfect for a coffee station.

It was another hot day, humid and cloudy, it was a pleasant drive to Hudsonville and the item was waiting outside. It was heavy because it was a melamine chipboard which is not our favourite, but with good primers we get good results. The drawer fronts and hinged flap were wood which make it easier and a bit more durable.

When we got back we jumped straight into the pool, but the sun which was shining, went behind a thick cloud bank, and we didn’t see it again for several hours.

I had some timber to cut up and size for a future project, nothing was done on any furniture.

Instead it was time for a bike ride, we ended up at Kollen Park watching the boat people do their pointless pottering up and down the lake. It’s like me cycling up and down the driveway, they are going nowhere, so it’s a big waste of time.

20th June 2024

We delivered the pair of matching side tables that we had for ages. These usually fly off the shelves, but not these.

Finally they were sold last night with the offer of free delivery, a ploy that had worked.

We also had acceptance of the estimate for the repair to the window sills, I will do that next week.

I had another go at the CD player, taking it apart once again. There seemed no logical reason why it doesn’t work, this is a mechanical problem, but there is a micro switch that is attached to a circuit board on the front face panel. I will put new drive belts on it to eliminate that problem, but if it’s the switch that is faulty I’m. Not sure what I will do.

I met up with Lloyd for another chat and a beer, this is a fortnightly event now, and I look forward to it.

19th June 2024

We went to see Stacy our interior designer to look for window blinds. We have been without window dressings since we moved in, so now we thought we should get a quote for some.

I measured the internal frames, and asked for various options including electrical operation.

This might be a trifle elaborate, but you got to ask.

We then did our usual shopping expedition. There were no issues at Natures Market this week, so straight on to Aldi.

Today was a little different because we saw Kelli’s former sister-in-law with whom she used to be good friends. However with Kim’s strange attitude and lack of tact, they hadn’t talked for a long while. I was busy getting something from a shelf, when I heard a “Hi Pete” turning round I saw Kim. There was no stopping to chat, she just went on her way, which was a little out of character. I dashed round to where Kelli was to warn her, but she had a “Hi Kelli” moment herself. It seemed a little awkward, so we purposely slowed down, but down every isle we saw her, she was zigzagging her way throughout the store with no pattern. We had no way of knowing where she would appear next. Eventually she got through the checkout and we breathed a sigh of relief, now we could finish our shopping.

Returning home we jumped straight into the pool, after inflating a new float that I needed.

It was nice just to drift about, not thinking about doing any thing.

There had been a nagging thought that kept chipping away at my brain. Last year I bought a five disc CD player on eBay, when it arrived it was damaged, so I complained and got my money back. I knew what the problem was, and found a spare part, again on eBay.

I replaced the damaged part and the unit switched on and the display lit up, but the carousel would not open. By this time I was fed up with it, so I stored it away, but I was determined to find out the problem.

I brought the machine out of storage, plugged it in, switched it on, and it worked!!

It certainly did work, until I put the top cover on, then it didn’t. I could not see why? There were no obvious interference, I was scratching my head.

I spent the evening watching YouTube videos of people fixing the same model, but of course they never found the problem I had.

I decided that was enough for the day, I will find the problem if it’s the last thing I do.

18th June 2024

The heatwave continues, although Kelli is not a fan.

Awaking at five thirty was not very popular, and that was an understatement.

I was asleep, content in my dreamy bliss, but all that came to an end.

Whether it was her hormones, or the heat, she was pissed.

Her MO is to storm off in the car, draining the last precious drops of fuel in he rapid acceleration.

I put the coffee on, I’ve seen it all before, I needed the stimulus, I found something to do in the garage.

There was a customer due at eleven to collect the two dressers, I went through them cleaning out the drawers and putting wax on the runners, it was good to see them go.

We had been contacted by a customer asking if we could repair/ restore five window sills that had been damaged by rain.

Always looking for any challenges that could supplement the furniture, I drove over to have a look.

The house was a duplex on a modern estate bordering a golf course.

The windows trim was a coated MDF that was flaking off the sill.

The main challenge was to stabilise the exposed material and seal it with a shellac based primer.

With several coats of this primer it will be sanded to blend into the remaining finished trim, then it will be painted with colour matched paint.

Well this is the plan, if she accepts the estimate.

17th June 2024

It was even hotter today, opening the front door hit me like an oven, it was going to be a day when I perspire without effort.

I cycled down the road to collect some eggs. Kelli was informed that two dozen were in the box at the side of the road. Scraping together the money, I went on my way.

I knew it was going to be a hot one because there was no breeze as I tore down the road.

I took out all the empty egg cartons that I had in my saddle bags, and loaded in the two full cartons, then shot back.

We had our breakfast, the cool watermelon was a treat, we were ready for the day.

Our mission was to complete the dresser that was part of a pair that we had sold. This was the one I drove to Muskegon to get.

Kelli has to paint the carcass and drawers, I had to fit the top and other fine tunings so that it could be collected tomorrow

We did manage two pool dips, it was glorious, I could have floated all day.

16th June 2024

It was another hot day, although the clouds covered the sun most of the day, but we attempted a dip in the pool anyway.

I did some stripping of paint on a drawer front, but the humidity slowed me down a bit.

It was Father’s Day over here, and I had messages for Cameron and Greer over here and Ryan from the old country. It was a shame I didn’t get a greeting from Damian, I guess he has a lot going on. It’s funny that a made up holiday can have such meaning. Being a parent it nothing you train for, when it happens, you learn on the job. Getting acknowledgment feels good, it means you’ve done something right.

We drove up to Kelli’s mums for Sunday ice cream, and to lay some mulch on the small flower bed at the front of her property

15th June 2024

Another glorious day in America. Kelli had some returns to do at UPS and I had to buy some modelling clay to make a mould of a lock escutcheon to add to other drawers where they were missing.

We also had to pick up a couple of furniture pieces from our storage facility.

I got my clay from Hobby Lobby, a vast emporium of reproduction farmhouse furniture and every sort of craft materials you can shake a stick at, and even the stick itself.

On display were stocks of autumnal paraphernalia, and it’s not even summer yet.

These sorts of stores leave me cold, there is no soul. I enjoyed the small arts supply shops that draws you in and you can’t leave until you have bought something. I have numerous drawing pads, crayons and pastels that have yet to be used.

Fortunately there is a stationers in the town, where I used to buy the primacolour coloured pencils that I used to take back for my friend Martin.

Yesterday Kelli got some gossip from a neighbour about the noisy vehicle that has suddenly appeared across the road. Apparently it belongs to the lodger that lives there, so it won’t go away any time soon.

This brings the total number of cars over there to five, it’s like a bloody car park. Kelli will be monitoring the noise level from this vehicle, so City Hall, get ready.

14th June 2024

What a glorious day, definitely shorts weather, now this is what I like.

We even had our inaugural float in the pool. Kelli launched her new flotation device and I searched in the shed for one that didn’t have a puncture.

There wasn’t much of an appetite to do much furniture today, I potted about on the one dresser we have left to do, scraping around some fine details getting it ready for Kelli to prime.

The lake was buzzing with boats guzzling precious fuel going nowhere and looking quite pleased about it.

We sold the blanket/toy box at last, things are really slow, I’m not sure if people are putting food ahead of buying furniture, I wish they would get their priorities right.

Kelli made the first sourdough bread, after feeding the starter for five days. The smell that filled the house of freshly baked bread was wonderful. She has made bread from almond flour, and another using Eincorn flour, but sourdough is better for the digestion, and more suitable for people who are sensitive to conventional flour.

Her first attempt was really good, as she gets more confident she can make other bakery items as well.

She also made her own granola, the non grain stuff you buy in shops are so expensive, and there is so little in the packets, it’s daylight robbery in a bag.

So what she came up with used coconut flakes and various seeds and tastes terrific.

13th June 2024

We had to deliver the long white dresser this morning. It all happened quickly, this is usually the sign that something would go wrong, but they were seduce by the free delivery.

This is when we realised how heavy it was, it was solid, not in a quality material way, because the only real in it was the top, and that was a veneer.

On the way back we picked up some plants that were set by the roadside, Kelli had seen them on the way out to do the delivery, but having a full truck we couldn’t stop.

There were quite a few blackberry lilies, which, if they survive might spread like crazy, but we’ll deal with that, if they overrun, we’ll set them out by the side of the road.

I wanted to work on the cover for the raised bed.

I had some chicken wire, so I found my electric stapler and the staples.

Dealing with the wire is line handling a snake, it has a mind of its own. Eventually I positioned it where I wanted and fired in a staple. Then I stretched it and tried to fire in another staple, but nothing happened.

Was there a jammed staple? I couldn’t see anything, but it wasn’t working.

I thought that taking it apart might be the best solution, so I started to undo the eight screws holding the mouldings together.

I carefully prized the two pieces apart, suddenly all the parts fell out, oh no! Doomed.

Now I was face with the guts of my stapler in my lap, and no idea how it went together. Panic took over, I couldn’t understand how the part was designed like that. I would have expected the components to be assembled so that the top part lifted off exposing all the parts.

With a bit of thought, and trial and error I rebuilt it, refitting the eight screws, I gave it a test. One staple fired, then nothing. Removing the eight screws and lifting off the cover I discovered that the solenoid had interfered with the wires that connect to a micro switch. I noticed one of the wires had been detached from the switch.

I found my soldering iron and reattached the cable.

This time I rerouted the wires to avoid the solenoid, refitted the eight screws, and gave it another test, this time it worked, hurray!

It had only taken me an hour, only fifty eight minutes more than the six year old had taken to assemble it in the first place.

12th June 2024

Two cents?, that is what can change a day from good to bad.

Kelli had a doctors appointment, another round of resistance testing, supplement sampling and frequency adjustment, with a little bit of joint pulling thrown in.

All this went well, one supplement less and another reduced.

Then it was back to Holland to do the weeks shopping. The first one is Nature’s Market, where all the good food is selected at a premium price. All was going well until we got to the checkout. All the goods were in the paper bags and the total was calculated. At no time was this total mentioned, Kelli handed over the notes and the cashier announced that the change was ninety eight cents. Kelli said that she had the two cents, so could she have a dollar note. By this time the drawer was closed.

“Sorry, the drawer is closed, there is nothing I can do about it”

That was it, Kelli, with a face like thunder stormed out of the store leaving me to face the startled cashier.

“Oops” I said, slightly embarrassed by the scale of the confrontation. I also had to struggle with two bags of shopping.

She was angry, there was no reason why the drawer could be re opened and the change altered, but maybe due to inexperience the girl didn’t know what to do.

Anyway that put the mockers on things as we drove to the next place. I tried to make light of the situation, but it fell on deaf ears.

I even said that I would look for something that cost ninety eight cents so she could use up the change, but that was met with a stern look.

After a little while she settled back and without any issues at this checkout we drove home.

We finally sold the small dresser that had three different drawer handles in its short life. We were glad to see the back of it.

We also sold the finished the century dresser that was picked up by the customer that had commissioned us.

So a day of different emotions, “love is a battle field” queue for a song.