Another Lifetime to go

15th April 2022

So it’s Good Friday, not that anyone over here ever mentions it. I miss the Easter holidays, and hot cross buns

I thought I would have a good sleep because all the pressure of the interview had gone, I should have slept soundly, but I was still restless.

We did more spraying to old “Frostbite” ready for the top coat. We have spent way over what was realistic in terms of hours, although the piece was free, and we haven’t put any money into it, I’m hoping we get a good price for it.

I did some yard work, digging a patch to become part of our vegetable garden.

We read up on the proper way to plant asparagus and it was not the way we had planted them, so part of the new patch will be dedicated to them.

14th April 2022

The day I had been waiting for had finally arrived, all that stood before me and a green card was a drive to Detroit, and the interview.

We set off at 7.30am, climbed into the big Nissan and started rumbling down South Shore Drive. It was a long and tiring one hundred and eighty eight miles. When we eventually arrived, there was a car park, at a government building?. I slid the Huge beast into a parking slot breathing a sigh of relief having got here unscathed.

The appointment was set for 11.15am and we were about half an hour early. By this time poor Kelli needed the bathroom, she had managed to hold off for all of the three hours journey time, but first we had to go through the security. That complete, she rushed off to the ladies, and you could hear the big sigh of relief echo though the hallways.

We were called through to a large waiting area, and once checked in we waited our turn.

The officer came out to meet us, he called out “ Peter Bute”, Kelli jumped up and dragged me along. “ Did I pronounce it wrong” he said, “Yep!” She replied, putting him right

He led us into a small room, warning us that there would be another person in the room. He explained that he was a trainee and the other person was a trainer . So basically he was an apprentice, so it could horribly wrong. For one, he could be strict, trying to impress his trainer, or, be a complete beginner by which it could be a doddle.

Fortunately the atmosphere was light and friendly, and the questions were easy to respond to. The main theme was about us as a married couple, and we had to tell them how we met. I began to feel a little better and not so nervous, although we were told at the start to turn off our phones, which was a blow as we had lots of pictures and documents stored on them. But we didn’t need them as Kelli had brought her scrapbook with lots of dates and photos which seemed to satisfied them.

There were two minor hiccups, Kelli got my birthday date confused with her dad’s which was two days later than mine, and I got my mother’s names mixed up, but we rescued those pretty quick.

Secretly I was concerned that I didn’t have my original birth certificate. I took it back to the UK on my last return trip. I feared that if they asked to see it again it would be curtains for me and my chances of a green card would vaporise.

Imagine my relief that the subject didn’t come up. The knot in my stomach untied itself, it was like having the world’s greatest dump.

The interview lasted about an hour, which was quite long, but as we were led out by the trainer lady she hinted that there shouldn’t be a problem getting the card.

Now it was the long drive back, the sun was out, a wind was blowing and we were smiling and high fiveing each other.

One we got back to Holland I had to fill the beast with fuel, $72 later I dropped it back to the rental office, once home again I just wanted to sleep, there was a huge weight off my shoulders.

My rest was cut short because we had people coming to collect a dresser, a welcomed sale at the end of an epic day.

13th April 2022

We picked up the vehicle for our epic journey to Detroit tomorrow. It was a Nissan “Gigantic” a huge beast of a machine with really wide seats to cater for large American booties.

We were originally signed up for a Toyota RAV4 but another person got to it first, this would have been ideal, but hey ho, shit happens.

Up to now I’ve been very cool about the whole residency process, I knew it would happen eventually, I thought it would be a simple case, but tonight my stomach has been knotted. I hate these things, it’s been such a long time to wait, at times I had forgotten about it, but the harsh reality of all those forms that we’ve fill in and the money I’ve spent all comes down to a short interview.

We did a bit of work in the garage, working on old ‘Frostbite’.

It had turned cold again, so the garage door was only open long enough to allow us to spray the carcass and drawer fronts.

12th April 2022

Another warm start greeted us, overnight we had interest in the dresser, so we removed it from the storage room to spruce up.

But first we drove to Enterprise car rental to organise a vehicle for our trip to Detroit on Thursday. I felt that to make a trip of that distance might be expecting a bit much of the old Toyota, although there is nothing wrong with it, the last thing I want to worry about is it breaking down.

With that arranged for pick up tomorrow afternoon, we set off to get some dirt to fill the raised bed.

There are a few signs of life in some of the seed trays, you have to look really closely but there are tiny traces of green amongst the mass of brown.

Another job I wanted to do was modify a bit of fencing and turn it into a gate so that I can bring through heavy stuff without trudging it through the garage or the small gate at the other end of the garden.

We also had a FaceTime session with my son Ryan because it was his birthday.

We then waited for the people interested in the dresser.

Well they never showed up, so another time waster. Kelli was mad, so she sent them a message, and then blocked them from ever seeing our posts again.

11th April 2022

Just when we thought we would have to sell the dogs into slavery, we managed to sell the mid century dresser. It had been heavily reduced, but it’s gone to a new home.

All the loving care that went into re-veneering the top and drawer fronts only to be put in a kid’s room and abused, oh well.

We dragged the newly finished dresser and bookcase into the house to take pictures, who knows how these will go?

I cut the top for the jewellery drawer unit, it had to be square and dimensionally accurate.

I had bought a three foot by two foot pine panel which wasn’t square in the first place.

Therefore that was my first cut. I had large framing square to draw the first line. I clamped my cutting guide and took my first cut. I had checked everything a few times but after the cut, the squareness was a little out, frustrating.

I’m annoyed that I haven’t got a track saw, but rest assured I will get get one soon.

10th April 2022

It was so nice to have the garage door open and it be warm outside. We were able to have things outside to dry, making a huge difference to our productivity. We managed to finish two pieces, a bookcase and a dresser, ready for pictures tomorrow.

I put up a shelf in the greenhouse that Kelli immediately filled with flower pots and other gardening stuff.

I unravelled the hose from its winter hiding place and treated the front lawn with an organic fertiliser. It’s been looking so sad with a lot of moss cover probably due to all the snow that covered it for so long.

I managed to fit the slides to the drawer that I was commissioned to make for a lady to house her jewel collection.

I also managed to clean the back gutters, what a wonderful productive day.

9th April 2022

What a difference a day makes. It’s Kelli’s birthday and after a good nights sleep the smile is back on her face. The celebration party that was at risk yesterday is back on, oh and it’s snowing.

We had a potential buyer for the mid century dresser arriving at 11.00 so a bit of last minute cleaning and polishing was in order.

When they arrived they approached the piece if it was a bomb. The lady was quite old and wizen and tested each drawer in turn many times, I knew from that she was wasting our time, and when she asked if we would go down on the price I thought, “no way”. She went back to the drawers testing them muttering that they felt a bit stiff. She then turned to me and said “would you take a hundred?” Now considering that Kelli had reduced the price a few times trying to make a sale, this was an insult. I explained that I wouldn’t accept her offer, by which she muttered that it didn’t really go with the rest of her furniture.

Which was a dumb thing to say because she could have arrived at that conclusion just looking at the picture in the advert.

I should have closed the garage door at that moment, but I resisted.

It was Kelli’s birthday, so we had a family party at the Way Cup cafe

8th April 2022

It’s hard for men to realise what woman go through when they reach the time of their lives when things change.

I have watched Kelli start her journey, and it’s not calm ride.

She can take all the supplements her doctor recommends, but there are places even those cannot reach.

We also don’t appreciate a good sleep, even then the quality of that changes as you get older, but to not get any can be miserable.

This happened at what we now know was the start.

Most people in a normal situation can shrug off a sleepless night, maybe not easily, a few cups of coffee might help, but then we go about our day and try to make the best of it.

For Kelli this is the worst thing that can happen, this is when the slammed doors, the “nothing is worth living for” attitude and the general disruptions are all too evident.

7th April 2022

Well today was not so adventurous as yesterday, rather it was more traumatic because I had a dental appointment for a deep root procedure.

I’ve had a scale and polish before but this promised to hurt a lot more.

I was there on time, even though it was an early appointment. I was led to a side room and sat on the big chair. The hygienist was friendly, and chatted almost non-stop throughout the operation. The chair was tilted back until my trousers receded down my legs and any loose change i had moved dangerously close to falling out of my pocket.

Then the action started, a combination of ultra sonics and high pressure water attacked the plaque, disintegrating it immediately. I was only given treatment on one side of my mouth with another appointment in a couple of weeks.

The experience lasted an hour, and as I left the place I could feel the cold wind rushing through the gaps of my teeth.

6th April 2022

The day got off to a slow start, my re-assembly of a drawer box ended in disaster when the repaired side panel split along the groove whilst I was trying to fit the floor panel.

Other repairs seem to go the same way, I guess it was not my day.

I searched for some oak timber that will be stronger and a better job all round.

Kelli had a doctors appointment, which is alway amusing for me when the doctor does some manipulation because she has such a low threshold for pain. It usually consists of cracks from the bones and shouts from her mouth.

Next on our list was a visit to Jonkers, a garden centre that we use frequently to fill up our garden with shrubs. We needed a bag of potting compost and one of manure to pot some recent deliveries, that would take their place in the greenhouse.

When we arrived at the place there were chains across the entrance meaning that the garden centre was not yet open to the public.

This meant our only option was to use the small shop next door that house all the indoor plants. Unfortunately there were no parking spaces at the front, due to a load of old saps already filling up the place, so Kelli then started on a different route. There was a narrow lane by the side of the shop leading to a small car park that she ignored, instead we proceeded further down towards a gravel drive close to the where the main greenhouses were. On she drove, the driveway then narrowed to a path, one I remember walking on many times, collecting our plants and grasses on a rattley old trolley, it certainly seemed strange traveling along it in a vehicle, it gave me a different perspective to the place. We passed, narrowly missing large pots and garden decorations as the path meandered slightly, but still she went forward, there was no chance of reversing. Eventually we arrived at the main car park, the one we couldn’t originally enter because of the chain blocking the entrance. The next plan was to drive across the deserted car park towards the shop. That exit was also blocked with a chain, we were imprisoned. In desperation I jumped out of the truck and unhooked it allowing Kelli through.

We went into the shop and were able to buy what we wanted, but we had to drive back though the chained entrance into the empty carpark to collect the bags. Of course I was now experienced in chain removal making it easy. We loaded up with our bags then drove back passed the chain now resting on the floor and finally exited the place.

If there is a surveillance video, I’m sure it will soon appear on YouTube.

There will soon be a time when we are buying more plants at the same garden centre, and whilst we push our trolly along these pathways, we will smile at the thought that not many people would have driven a truck through these paths of a deserted garden centre.