Another Lifetime to go

2nd December 2022

I now know that I am not a very good thrifter.

My wife on the other hand, and she will be the first to remind me, is the best.

On two occasions today my skills were tested and I failed dismally.

The first example concerned two metal stools that were offered free, in the description it mentioned that they had been used outside.

“ Oh you don’t want those, they will be covered in rust” I said, without seeing the pictures.

When we arrived at the address they were standing by the garage, and they looked in good condition.

They were a classic design that I have seen in furniture design books, and although not originals they should sell easily.

We stopped off at Menards to get some spray paint for the stools, and on the way back, there was the next example where I crashed and burned.

On the way back home we traveled through a part of town that had its trash collection today.

“Watch out for furniture set out by the bins”

Kelli said, I groaned, as I usually do, and no sooner as the groan ended we passed a cane chair with a tatty cushion on it.

“I could sell that”,she said.

“ looked a bit crap, I bet it was broken” was my feeble excuse.

We traveled a bit further along the road, with Kelli going on about how popular the cane style is, and how much we could get for it.

Then I spoke the fatal words “ well if you think you could do something with it, go and get it”

Within five feet of me telling her this, she had turned the truck around and was heading back.

She pulled into the driveway and I tried to make room in the back for it.

Kelli went up to the chair and removed the seat and threw that on the ground as I grabbed the now cushionless chair and pushed it into the back of our vehicle.

We sped back with our spoils, Kelli wanted to get started as soon as she could.

And she did, the cane chair was cleaned and posted on Marketplace before it dried.

The stools took a little longer. A quick repaint and some pictures and those two were posted.

Now we wait for the activity to start.

We finally finished the sofa table, these usually fly out the stores, time will tell if the same applies to garages.

I got my social security card today, now I’m another step closer to being incorporated into the American machine, not sure how I feel about that.

1st December 2022

It was a day of two halves, crap and just over crap.

We did have a lady collect the two repainted side tables, she thrust money into Kelli’s hand and loaded them into her spankingly clean truck.

The other side tables were to be viewed by someone else, but when she turned up she was fussing around then announced that the colour wouldn’t go with her room, so she passed on them.

I made a start on the dining chairs trying to make some masks out of Aldi paper bags. I carefully measured the rods and cut out small circles but each time they didn’t fit properly, I ended up using lots of small strips of masking tape.

There was also a lot of stripping of the mid century dressers and I finally re-assembled the drawer that was bowed.

30th November 2022

It was a busy day, first we had an appointment with our interior designer to look at corian samples for the work surfaces for our kitchen remodel. I had already gone through this before when I re-did the kitchen in my cottage, but it was something different for Kelli.

We left with a number of samples to check out.

Then it was back to her mothers to off load a furniture piece we had been driving around in the back of the truck for several days. Then off to Hamilton to collect another dresser taking it back to mothers to then exchange for a mid century piece we’ve had there for a few weeks.

We needed to collect it because there was a buyer waiting to snap it up. They were coming to look over the two pieces we now had in the garage.

I went through the options we could offer them, dependent on what they wanted to spend. As it happened, they wanted the full Monty of stripping tops and drawer fronts, re-staining and finishing, to be done by Christmas if possible.

Kelli painted the sofa table frame and I washed of the oxalic acid from the top, the black circle had disappeared, great result.

It was also the end of my sad attempt to grow a beard. I shaved my last one off in 1985, and this time I kept it going for three weeks.

The growth on my chin was white, not grey, it made me look like a hillbilly, or a mountain goat, anyway it was removed, and I’m back to being a refined Englishman.

29th November 2022

Kelli decided that she was going to repaint the black side tables. There was no interest in them as they were, and even the local goth community had not awakened to them yet.

I had just finished another pair of side tables, so we are stacked out with them at the moment.

We pulled the sofa table out of the car, and removed all the stickers from it, then we could see the condition of it.

I set about scraping the top, it was oak, and looked in good condition. I was getting excited until I saw the reason why it was painted in the first place, a large black water ring.

I finished sanding and mixed up a strong solution of oxalic acid, applying it with a crusty old brush. You can see the stain lighten as the acid does it’s job.

We took pictures of the two pairs of side tables outside, and Kelli posted both on Marketplace, and blow me down, the ones she repainted, sold straight away.

28th November 2022

A quick trip down to the post office to send off some gifts for the family, I’m not sure why we do it as it cost three times the value of the contents.

We dragged the dogs around the lagoon, it was a while since we did it last. Poor Dharma is struggling, but we had a support that loops under her tummy and I carry her weight.

Just after midday the couple arrived with the six dining chairs. There is a lot of preparation ahead, but it will be a good little earner.

The ply piece I bonded into the side panel worked a treat, I was then able to cut in a piece of veneer to finish it off.

There was another job that I had put off for a year, checking the outside Christmas lights.

They have stayed in the cupboard for twelve months. I attempted to use them last year but they did not illuminate. At the time I couldn’t be bothered to find out which lamps were faulty.

I wrestled with one of the strings checking each bulb with a magnifying glass, removing the dead ones. With a pile of twenty duds, I then went through the other two strings selecting bulbs to replace them. Finally with everyone replaced I plugged it in, absolutely nothing, I cursed. That was it, I threw it back on the floor and called it a day.

27th November 2022

Today has a lot of meaning for Kelli’s family, it’s the third anniversary of Dave’s passing.

There isn’t a day goes by without Kelli repeating one of his sayings, it constantly keeps his memory alive. We watch a lot of building restoration programs on the TV relating to ancient barns, which he loved.

Kelli has a good way of describing his passing as moving into non physical, meaning his sprit remains around us.

Her mother struggles with his loss, but for her, grief hangs around her neck like a pendant.

Kelli picked up a couple of side tables that will need a lot of love to make them saleable.

I was met with a disaster. The side panel that I attempted to stick back the loose veneer had buckled, it was a mess.

The problem was the side panel was thin plywood, so when I tried to clamp a flat panel down on top of the veneer it just flexed. I should have known that might happen.

I had no option but to cut all the wrinkled veneer out, and bond a new piece of thin ply into the large area I had removed. This time I cut a back board and clamping board and screwed through. It didn’t mater that it was peppered with screw holes as there will be a piece of veneer that will fit on top of the new ply. That is the plan, let’s see if it works.

26th November 2022

We needed to get back to selling our furniture.

Taking a couple of days off changes the dynamic that we are used to. Not that we are slaves to any clock, we work everyday.

I have three projects that I’m working on, the first is the drawer front that needed flattening, the second is the re-veneer of a small table top. The third is the repair of loose veneer on the side of a mid century dresser.

The adding of the oak stiffeners to the back of the drawer front has worked well and the drastically reduce the bow, now it was just the backer to be re-bonded to the back.

This is a lot of work to go through just for a drawer front, and honestly it should have been replaced or just sanded flat and painted, but it would have ruined the look of this mid century piece. Anyway it has taught me something along the way, mainly, I don’t want to do it again.

I worked on the other two projects, edgebanding the table top, and sticking back the loose veneer on the mid century dresser side panel.

This is another tricky task, as not only the top veneer is loose but also the layers under it.

This might need drastic action.

Kelli had fun finishing the low entertainment unit, and painted two fold away lap tables for Greer and Dylan.

25th November 2022

Well I missed the rubbish collection, totally forgot that it was a day late, and decided to stay in bed instead.

The sound of the big collecting truck grabbing the next door neighbour’s bin brought reality back with a crunch, but hey ho there’s always next week.

There is a new saga to follow, that is our Christmas tree. Last year I bought a large example from a charity shop, it was big, it filled the area in the living space like a small forest, cutting out the light and generally getting in the way. So it was decided to change it.

Luckily Greer wanted to buy it, so we took it up to Allendale the last time we drove there.

That left us treeless, but Kelli was on the case and bought one from Amazon. When it arrived it was in pieces, a build it yourself tree.

It was tall and thin, just what she wanted. Apparently sometime in the past she lost, or got rid of the one she had for years, it would be be the ideal replacement.

However after assembling, and fluffing out the branches she didn’t like it, so it was taken apart and put back in the box from whence it came. Now the search was on for a replacement.

We spent the morning visiting most of the charity stores trying to find a tall thin tree.

We short listed a few, but found one at The Humane Society store. It was tall, and a real wood post. It looked a bit sad, the branches were pushed flat and needed some attention once we got it home.

Now the search is on for the lights, they are in the house somewhere.

We had a return customer collect a mid century dresser, so another one out of the shop.

24th November 2022

Well the glorious day has dawned, Thanksgiving is here and we’re are prepared for it.

More surprisingly I didn’t drink the whole bottle of wine myself.

Kelli prepared a fabulous spread of vegan/ vegetarian food, of which there is plenty of left overs to hove over the next few days.

The dogs were very active, I think they wore themselves out barking and wining at everyone that arrived.

My birthday cake was cut and distributed to everyone who had space left for a slice.

It was a large creation, even with a slice cut for everyone there is still plenty left over, so more for me over the next week.

Once it was over, a calm descended up the house, it was all about putting things back in their respective places and experiencing the peace and quiet. Even the dogs rested for the evening, rearing their heads only at the slight chance of some morsel of food to fall their way.

23rd November 2022

A friend of Kelli came round to discuss our kitchen remodel. I have wanted to update it since we bought the place. It has served us well but now it’s time to plan the future.

I had my own ideas, and Stacy, Kelli’s friend and interior designer was trying to sell hers.

We had to reign her in a bit and to focus on the worktop, base units and appliances.

It was an interesting session and I await to see her proposals.

Then we had to go and collect my birthday cake. I went for a carrot cake with a cheesecake icing, probably a bit wasted on the family being low in sugar and therefore a bit more healthier than some of the super sweet shit they usually eat.

It was a beautiful creation, it was big, so big it needed planning permission, it just needed Kevin McCloud to make an appearance then it would have been perfect.

Then it was off to the Social Security building to finally get a number so that Kelli can post her tax returns on line. This has caused long delays in the past, but more importantly I can now set up a bank account over here.