Another Lifetime to go

20th February 2023

After another grim night, the only glimmer of interest was Kelli’s doctors appointment and a drive to Zeeland.

On the way I spotted a white dresser by the side of the road. That usually means someone was getting rid of it, or it could have been just delivered, and not carried into the house yet. We decided to risk it, Kelli turned the truck around and we pulled up next to it. There was a “Free” sign taped to the front. It wasn’t in bad condition, all the drawers had roller slides which was a plus. Struggling down a snow bank we got it loaded into the truck, then it was off to the docs for an hour of body balancing.

After filling up with petrol we headed home to unload.

We then headed off to Hamilton to pick up another free dresser.

I say Hamilton, it was so far out in the wilderness that I aged considerably. We drove around in a circle following the damn GPS that struggles to find anything in this country.

Eventually, and quite by chance, we found the place. On the porch was a dark coloured dresser that was bloody heavy.

After straining most of our muscles, we retraced our steps and miraculously got back.

We took it to Kelli’s mum’s garage, better out of sight, out of mind as we had enough to get on with.

19th February 2023

Last night we decided that the dresser that we bought would take too much effort to redo, and because of the quality we wouldn’t get much for it.

So Kelli posted it on Marketplace for twice what we paid for it, and we damn well sold it.

These things always amaze me, but I’m glad we got rid of it.

Now Kelli can use the money to buy something better and easier to refinish.

We finally finished the repurposed dresser.

It was carried inside to take pictures, I was pleased with the transformation, and the price we put on it, so now waiting for a nice, non Dutch person to buy it.

I started on the side tables, we decided to reduce it’s depth by about four inches, so with my skill saw in hand I set about making sawdust. I thought I would start on one, mainly to see how long it would take to modify it.

It then appeared that the drawers stuck out the back, oops! So now I have to shorten the drawers as well, I just haven’t told Kelli yet.

I will quietly do them in secret, and she will be none the wiser.

18th February 2023

An early morning wake up was not welcomed, at least it wasn’t as bad as yesterday.

Kelli announced that we had to drive to Zeeland to collect a dresser and a bench.

The dresser is not the best quality, but I guess we will improve it, but getting a good price for it is doubtful.

I fitted the top and doors to the repurposed dresser, I hate fitting doors, even though the doors are square often the apertures are not, then you spend ages trying to get the best fit possible.

Then I tried to thickness some timber, but there was a strange noise and the smell of burning rubber. I quickly turned everything off and removed the cutter cover, and there jammed between the blades was a knot. It must have dislodged during the last job.

I then turned it on but the blades were not turning, then I saw the reason, the rubber belt had broken.

I quickly went on to Amazon to search for a replacement.

I found one, but $30 seemed a bit steep, but a lot cheaper than a new model.

The tall dresser with the wood top was picked up, and we sold the two tone dresser as well.

So a good end to a Saturday.

17th February 2023

Another restless night, this is getting too regular for my liking. This might be linked to her period, which she hopes will stop soon, but there on signs of that happening.

We were hoping that her hormone balancing would help, but not yet.

There were two pieces that needed to be completed this weekend.

Kelli finished painting the large dresser that became two tone, not a look we usually do, but the design seemed to lend itself to that approach.

I finished off the doors for the repurposed dresser. I had cut two mesh panels to fit inside the frames. I bought mesh that was already painted black, that saved me the horrible job of spraying them.

I cut up and machined some strips of wood to hold the mesh in place.

This should’ve ready for tomorrow.

I took a trip up to Kelli’s mum to pick up the two desk pedestals that will be converted into two side tables.

These were remarkably heavy being made out of three quarter inch thick plywood, and once I got them back I needed to think of what I have to do to them to make them cool,………I’m still thinking.

16th February 2023

Artic conditions are back. I must have jinxed the weather when I stored the snowblower away.

I didn’t think we would get much as I drove to Menards for more supplies.

There was a few flakes falling, but once I got back it started to come down hard.

I had gone to the store early to get some chrome hinges for the television stand. For some unknown reason I had bought brass when there was steel decorative details on the top.

We had a customer coming to look at it later, but I needed to make the change.

The snow brought the cold again, so where we can, we huddle around the heater in between painting.

The lady turned up to view the television stand, she seemed interested, but I couldn’t read her. My instinct told me she would walk away, but she decided to take it but walked back to her truck to get her money.

A short time later she announced that she didn’t have enough, and would come back later to collect it.

That was it, I was convinced that we would never see or hear from her again. I covered it up with sheet and got on with other work.

I was really surprised when Kelli had a message to say she was coming back to collect the piece.

Spurred on with this good news I decided to scrape the driveway.

Twenty minutes later, with my nose dripping, I finished the task, then right on cue the lady arrived.

She was very talkative and at the end we knew she had houses in Texas, Virginia and Holland.

She was interested in a pair of side tables, which by chance we had in storage, now this might be the next project I pick up.

15th February 2023

I thought it was about time to start drawing up the kitchen cabinets mainly to get sizes for the doors.

The biggest unknown was the size for the new oven. I found the specification sheet that had dimensions for the oven and cabinet.

I began to print them out, not knowing that there were fifty two pages, and as paper and ink was in short supplied I decided that I only needed the English translation and no other. The printer started to spew out pages , but they were in Spanish. I didn’t realise that it printed the last pages first. I got to where all the diagrams were, and stopped the print. All I now have to learn the language to understand what it all means.

I got my pencils out and started laying out all the cabinets.

In between that, I had doors, drawers and tops to stain.

Kelli had two pieces to prime and the repainted television cabinet to take pictures of.

We also manage to sell the tall narrow dresser. That was a relief, it was getting close to repaint time, although it was done in a safe white, I expect she would have done something to the colour of the knobs.

14th February 2023

It was Valentine’s Day and Kelli got me a very apt present. We had to drive to an address a few streets across to collect a dresser.

Kelli started the truck and immediately there was something wrong, there was a misfire.

We made our way to pick up the piece sounding like a London taxi.

Once we were back home, we checked with Larry to see if he fit enough to take a look at it.

He was happy to check it over, so I it drove over.

Within minutes the bonnet and spark plug cover was off and the faulty plug identified.

Now in this vehicle each plug has it’s own HT coil module, and one of those had failed.

All I had to do would be to drive to the nearest auto parts store and buy a replacement.

So off I drove, on three cylinders to the closest store.

The lady behind the counter knew what the part was, and after checking the correct unit for the vehicle, I handed over a hundred notes, and I was set.

Next what happened was a nightmare that I had feared ever since I have lived in the US.

I left the store, still on three cylinders I headed to the first set of traffic lights and a major intersection when the engine died.

Panic took over, there was traffic building up behind, I was scared that a frustrated motorist would shoot me for delaying them.

I found the hazard warning switch, so at least I could avoid looking like a real saddo.

I didn’t have my phone so I was on my own.

Then a young chap pulled up behind and offered some help.

I explained what had happened, and the part I had just bought, hoping that it would ‘spark’ an idea. I suggested that I fit the part in a desperate attempt to fix my problem, that is what I did.

I turned the key, my bottom puckered, the engine burst into life, and firing on all cylinders.

I thanked the chap for his moral support and headed home, my bottom unpuckered.

I drove straight to Larry’s to refit the bolts that fix the coil and the plastic cover, that done the job was finished, and I could get back to furniture.

13th February 2023

There were no bites on the dresser last night, maybe everyone was watching the Super Bowl.

But, we had a buyer for the dining table, so not a complete dead loss.

The lady arrived at 3.00pm in a black open bed truck, she was not a small lady.

She had a tattoo on her lower back that looked like it was stretched to infinity.

She eagerly opened the tail gate to expose sacks of salt and assorted crap and rubbish.

Kelli and I carefully carried out the top and carefully laid it on a area of clear space in the back of the truck.

She laid a blanket down on the top and we placed the base on top of it.

The cover was then pulled forward to restrain it.

We were a little horrified at the lack of care that she was taking, but as I placed the two leaves into the back of the extended cab, I knew that care was not this lady’s mo.

I had to move a load of crap from the seats before I could lay the leaves down.

As the truck disappeared down the road, we both were happy to see it go, but wished it had gone to a more appreciable person.

I had been to Menards earlier to get a refund on a pack of brass hinges that I had bought a few days ago.

I had discovered that some low life had slit the plastic covering and one hinge was missing and I hadn’t noticed at the time of purchase. The returns assistant gave me a store credit and I scooted round to where the hinges were displayed. I picked out the required size and made my way to the check out.

I paid for that, and some other items that I needed. As I was walking out I put the new hinges into the front pocket of my bag.

That is when I discovered the missing hinge in the bottom. The original pack must have been split and I didn’t notice, therefore I was the low life the whole time.

12th February 2023

What a night that was, Kelli couldn’t sleep, so nether did I.

It was long and full of frustration, she craves at least seven hours, which is not a lot to ask for, but as the hands on the clock register another lost hour things get desperate and her temper explodes.

Every person has their own way of falling asleep, so my method doesn’t translate to hers and visa versa.

Finally around five in the morning there was some peace, I’m not sure when I got some sleep, but I awoke just before ten with the sun streaming through the window.

We had planned to go up to Kelli’s mother for a family lunch, but that bit the dust.

I spent time working on the dresser that was in a bit of a state. I had made a new drawer because the original was twisted.

I also found the front was twisted also, so although I had drastically reduced it, there was still a slight one after all.

Fortunately this didn’t really effect the way the drawer fitted in the carcass.

Kelli was busy painting the television cabinet that I had painstakingly stripped the dark stain from the top.

It was a day that won’t go down in history as anything to remember, although we did finish the tall dresser and took pictures, it turned out quite well.

11th February 2023

We had the best delivery experience ever today.

We had to deliver the ten drawer dresser to a repeat customer who lived close to Marigold wood off of Waukazoo drive.

Because of the size of the piece we had to make two trips, one to take the carcass and the other the drawers.

We had to take care loading the beast into the truck, there was very little room to play with.

The sun was shining in a cloudless blue sky when we arrived.

We careful unloaded the monster, and set it down on the pathway.

Once the front door was opened, we carried the dresser down in the entrance way.

I did volunteer both of us to get it upstairs, but were told the room wasn’t quite ready.

As we turned to get back into the truck to go home to collect the drawers, the lady handed us a box with the money tucked in the lid.

Inside the box were an assortment of donuts.

Apparently they ran a donut shopping Grand Rapids.

I haven’t had a donut in years, and my mouth was watering at the thought of being so close to so many of them.

We got fifty yards down the road before I had to taste one. This of course was for medical reasons, and was conducted under scrupulous observation. I chose a long one covered in chocolate, inside was a custard like filling.

It was delicious, I could feel the sugar rushing through my body, that was enough, anymore and I would probably fly back home.

We collected the drawers and returned, she still wasn’t sure where it was going, so I gave her instructions on how to refit the drawers.

I warned her that some of them were a bit stubborn, but to give them a hard push.

She seemed pretty confident that her and her husband could handle it, so we said our goodbyes and left with Kelli making a real dog’s breakfast of reversing down their curved driveway.

It had been expected that someone was going to collect the dining table, Kelli had been messaging all the time we were out telling them when we were due back, but the texts were viewed but not answered.

As we sort of expected they didn’t turn up.