Another Lifetime to go

7th October 2021

Kelli had another appointment with the vestibular therapist. She had not dared to test out if her last visit had been successful, trusting that this visit would reveal the answer.

The therapist wanted to repeat the Epley manoeuvre, but as he laid Kelli’s head back he noticed that her eyes were flickering side to side which meant that the crystals were in a different canal. Therefore he needed to perform a different manoeuvre to move them back to where they belonged.

There were more extreme movements that appeared to produce an improved result.

She will wait until the next appointment to see if it worked, although she could do the necessary head positions herself, but she didn’t feel ready to do that.

I have got rid of the snowblower that I bought from Larry last year. I only used it once, and as we are trying to stop using petrol driven garden machines it made sense to sell it. It was also a good opportunity to gain a bit more space to store things.

Kelli put it on Marketplace and very quickly someone came round to look at it.

I tried to get it started before he arrived, but I was not quick enough, and the fricken thing didn’t want to start. The chap was friendly and also tried to start it, bringing his own petrol.

Still no luck, I was thinking that he would walk away, and I’d be stuck with it for another year.

He offered me ten dollars less to take it as it was. Inside I was cheering, he handed me the cash and I helped him load it into his truck, and off he went.

6th October 2021

Every morning, and I mean every morning the dogs gather at my feet as I am eating my toast. They look up with those big dark pleading eyes that say “feed me I’m starving”.

It’s like they know my habits, I pour my coffee, get a plate from the shelf, pop the bread into the toaster, and the spread on to the toast. They are around as soon as the toaster pops up.

I usually end up giving them the crusts which they inhale.

I have made it a mission to eat my toast without disturbing the dogs.

I nearly made it this morning. Both dogs were in the sunroom no doubt trying to scrounge some morsels from Kelli.

I almost got to the table, and was just about to take a bite when there they were, looking up pitifully. I think they must be “in tune” with the bread.

I will beat them in the end, and I will do it again tomorrow.

We put the finishing touches to the dresser that we have already sold, I screwed down the top, and Kelli added the knobs.

We have another beauty well on the way to completion if only the stained top will dry.

I managed to complete the second chair two days early, I hope my fingers will hold out for the remaining two.

On a down note, we arranged for an engineer to visit and service the furnace.

She arrived promptly and set about taking the covers off. The first thing she noticed was the motor driving the exhaust was noisy and drawing a high current, meaning it was ready to pack up. There was also a leak on the AC side in the floor space. I knew the AC unit outside was also old and limping along. Both the furnace and the AC were installed when the house was built in 1982 so they’ve been going for thirty nine years.

I heard a lot of banging and clanking, which was either the engineer pretending to work on something, or there was a problem.

She then announced that the exhaust motor had stopped working meaning the furnace would not fire up. Bummer!

I had planned to replace the system in a couple of years, but it looks like it needs to be done much sooner than that.

5th October 2021

Today was Kelli’s appointment with the vestibular therapist to treat her vertigo.

The building, which is part of Holland hospital looks like a normal building that has been flattened, so it appears squat, like a grey pancake. The inside continued the uninspired architecture with the treatment room finished in a dull grey.

The therapist had twenty years experience, so he should know what he’s talking about. He spent a lot of time explaining the condition and the treatment. Then it was down to the action.

First up was the Epley manoeuvre done by the professionals. We had done this so many times we we thinking of changing our names to Mr and Mrs Epley Manoeuvre.

It confirmed that she still had vertigo, meaning what we had done several weeks ago hadn’t worked.

The procedure was almost the same as we had practiced, we allowed a good minute between the different stages, so we were disappointed that we hadn’t got it right.

After an unpleasant re-run of the manoeuvre, Kelli had to repeat the careful head movement restrictions for another day.

She got five further appointments allocated, meaning if at first you don’t succeed, you have to go through it all again.

4th October 2021

I have noticed how loud the crows are around here, I can barely hear myself think.

Added to that the hundreds of sparrows that inhabit the holly bush next to the sunroom that have a daily chirping festival.

To say we are at one with nature is quite an understatement.

On a good day there is Larry grinding away in his workshop, the crows circling above squawking both competing to make my life hell.

We made another sale today.

It was getting near the point of wondering if it would ever sell. Kelli had re-posted it as a weekend sale, but nobody rushed to nab the bargain, so she reposted it at the pre sale price.

Someone made us an offer that was much too low, we countered with the sale price and the deal was struck.

The chap came over to collect a couple of hours later.

Kelli was keen to get started on the new dresser we got on Saturday. I unloaded it from the truck onto a trolly and wheeled it towards the garage, she almost started on it before I got there.

I continued stripping the second chair, having done the legs, I started on the spindles. I’m pretty sure the enthusiasm will have evaporated by the time I get to the forth.

3rd October 2021

It was going to be a gardening day, but torrential thunderstorms put paid to that. Instead I decided to repair a wood top that had cracked into three sections. That was my first mistake, I managed to bond the wrong pieces together, and I didn’t realise until I took the clamps off. As I laid the third strip ready to glue, the mistake became obvious. I set about trying to split it along the fresh glue line using a heat gun. What a plonker! Instead of finishing the job, I wasted the whole day.

In between I stripped the finish off the legs of chair two, I can’t have too much of a good thing.

The rain was good for washing off the oxalic acid off a dresser top that had some bad black stains on it.

At least that was successful.

Kelli was busy priming and finish painting the carcass. There is no better incentive then to have a buyer already in the bag.

2nd October 2021

We had to drive to Zeeland to deliver another dresser to one of our most loyal customers. She has three pieces already, and they look great in their setting.

Once that was done it was off to Hudsonville to collect another piece. The route used to be well worn when we had a booth at Painted Farmgirl, that seems a long time ago.

The dresser needs a bit of loving care, but it was not so bad as some we’ve had recently.

I had done a number of jobs earlier, like cutting a rebate on a panel that I had repaired.

In the US they call it a “Rabbit” which is weird.

I set up my trimming router with a guide and did the job in a couple of minutes.

Managed to stain more drawer fronts, and rebuilt a dresser carcase ready for Kelli to prime.

Larry had a meeting of the rusty van club. Numerous vehicles in different stages of decomposition turned up. The same could be said of the drivers, they milled around his yard like survivors from a zombie apocalypse, with them as the rejects from Michael Jackson’s Thriller video.

1st October 2021

Sold our first piece of the month, a large dresser which was one that we picked up from McDonalds car park. Kelli posted it on Marketplace at lunchtime, and within a few minutes it was sold.

We might also have a buyer for the one we are currently working on, that needs a bit of work to get that one ready.

My old friend Steve Kubica stopped round for a chat, it has been a long time since we saw each other, a great surprise.

I started stripping on the second chair. I am trying different methods to reduce the time it takes to remove the finish. I have my detail scrapers, various blades, chisels and my battery drill with rotary sanding wheel, I’m sure these will help do the job so I won’t be wearing my fingers out.

30th September 2021

The stink bugs are everywhere, this time of the year they emerge from whatever stink hole they live in to annoy the hell out of us.

They fly around with a distinctive sound and usually land on something in front of you, or worse, your head. Kelli would shout out at regular intervals. We had to check the cabinet that was being picked up today just to make sure the little buggers hadn’t got in to it, and sure enough there was one in the drawer.

Kelli had a doctors appointment today, he was happy with her progress, and pleased that her liver was responding. He went through the usual twists and cracking of joints to which she responded with a shout of pain.

We stopped off at Lowes to pick up some detail scrapers that I had ordered on Amazon.

I was disappointed that the delivery was out into the middle of October, then the Penny dropped, they were on the way to my cottage in Bradford on Avon.

I didn’t notice the delivery address had changed back to my UK one, hey ho, check next time dummy.

We sold the small buffet to a family that drove two hours to get to us, that’s dedication for you.

Today is the day I remember Michael Elliott, a man who was troubled by demons, and had no one who could help him.

29th September 2021

There was a lot of smoke in Larry’s front yard. Some came from his sit on mower belching blue plumbs as he mowed his grass. This was only surpassed by the smoke coming from the ciggi burning furiously from his lips. This was being fanned by the breeze caused by his speed. I was waiting for the “Ouch!” As the burning tobacco hit the lips, but that never happened. He quickly lit another from the glowing embers.

We went for lunch at our local vegan cafe, a nice break from the garage, and a continued help to Kelli’s confidence. The next milestone will be an early evening dinner, not quite sure when that will be, that will be down to her.

Progress on the first chair continues, most of the old finish has been removed except for the places that are difficult to get to, I have estimated a week a chair, I should be well inside that.

Kelli is busy stripping the two dressers we picked up on Monday. I have a few drawers to fix, but these are popular, and quick and dirty projects.

We finally sold the black mid century dresser, at a knock down price. Kelli knows that really annoys me, but I bit my tongue and let it go.

The buyer was a nice lady, a widow who’s husband died of Covid in February 2020 before it was deemed a pandemic. We both stood back to maintain distance, mostly out of habit, we’ve got used to keeping away from most people.

It was good to sell that piece, we don’t like keeping finished pieces for too long as they get dirty and there is alway the risk of damaging them.

Somehow it felt like a slow month, although our sales this year topped the same month last year, meaning it was just our imagination, hey! That’s a good line for a song.

28th September 2021

Progress on the first chair is slow, it is not my main job, but I do a bit when I need a change.

The main focus has been repairing drawers. The two dressers we got yesterday both have issues with drawer sides cracking. It is simple when I can knock the drawers apart, but a horrible one when I can’t.

We took a walk with the dogs around the lagoon which is just off lake Macatawa. Recently one house has come up for sale at the mouth where it joins to the lake. At eight hundred thousand dollars it’s a little out of our league.

There has also been one death close by. A guy who lived across south shore drive from us popped his clogs. We had seen an ambulance outside a week ago, so he must have had health issues.

Kelli was busy painting one of yesterday’s dressers, scouring though a box looking for wooden knobs. We had quite a few but not many matched. However we found twelve that were a close match, and put that down as a victory.

James Dyson came under attack from Kelli as a “crap designer”. The main point of her comment was targeted at the latest version of his vacuum cleaner. The dust release lever was accidentally triggered emptying the contents on to the floor, causing her to curse loudly. This is the second Dyson cleaner we’ve had. I had repaired the gearbox and rotating brushes, but it was the old style of uprights that made more noise than performance.

The new one works fine but it’s capacity is limited, coupled with battery life it is not at the top of Kelli’s favourites.