Another Lifetime to go

19th June 2021

There were more storms this morning, the grass has had enough water to last it the month, which is great, and avoids me getting the hose hooked up. The grass grows so fast you can almost see it happening, but so do the weeds.

Kelli was not having a good day event though she got sleep, it was not enough.

We had planned to both go to a garden centre to get potted plants for the front of the house, but we had to delay that.

I messed around in the garage keeping a few jobs going with no real enthusiasm.

It’s the same problem I’m afflicted with when there is more than one piece to work on, I go into panic mode, like the story of the man in a barrel being told to piss in the corner, he spins around aimlessly.

18th June 2021

There was a dramatic thunderstorm early this morning with some serious rainfall.

I knew it would be a serious storm because I spied the guy up the road refitting the doors to his Jeep. He normally a person who removes most things from his vehicle all through the summer.

I had seen the forecast on my phone, and like many others I check the weather several time a day.

The storm was ferocious, it sounded like it was right on top of us, and the lightening was arcing everywhere. By breakfast time it had cleared and the sun emerged. The amount of water that fell filled up the barrels to overflowing, so I won’t be needing to water the plants for a while.

I got on with jobs in the garage, I definitely lack enthusiasm at this moment. I brushed oxalic acid over the oak veneered top I stripped yesterday, and stained the two side table tops.

I made a start stripping the carcass of paint on the dresser I picked up a few days ago, but it’s a hard slog. I was disturbed by someone driving into our driveway that I didn’t recognise, they then reversed back out and drove back down the road. That seems to be the thing here, your driveway is there for everyone’s convenience to use as a turning place. That makes me angry, I would like to install flamethrowers and spikes that rise up from the concrete, or I’ll install a tollbooth and charge a fee.

17th June 2021

Another journey out to collect a piece of furniture. It was a tall rustic dresser that wouldn’t have look out of place on the set of Game of Thrones.

Thank goodness it was easy to find. There are a number of these new estates springing up around Holland, and I mean springing up.

These are pre-fabricated and delivered on flat bed trucks and bolted together on site. These are a new take on the mobile homes. When completed with added siding, they look like conventional houses albeit identical to the next to it. The place resembles a POW site without watchtower.

Some have garages, like the house I went to. It was full of stuff that the couple have been selling on behalf of their mother for three years. It’s interesting meeting different people hearing their stories, this pair were no exception. They were telling me that the mother was a hoarder, she just bought stuff all the time for no other reason than to collect things.

I remembered going through all my mother’s possessions after she died, a very sad reminder of things that meant something to her, but of no value(other than sentimental) to anyone else.

I loaded the piece into the truck, using a bungee to keep the hatch closed, then off to Menards for some ladder brackets.

This was outside my comfort zone, trying to find stuff in a different area of this vast store without asking for assistance. This was a challenge and a half. I must have spent over fifteen minutes going up and down the isles reading all the signs without success. I even went outside into the garden area, but they were not there.

In the end I did admit defeat and had to ask a young chap for help. He sent me to the only area I hadn’t been, and there was the bracket section. It was full with every bracket known to man, brackets that could support every item that could be supported. My farty ladder brackets were puny compared with the ones where you could hang a truck. I stood there thinking of any other things I could use, but in the end I stuck with just my ladder brackets.

On my return Kelli informed me that she had found a free dresser in Fennville, so would I be up for collecting that one?

I threw down a quick cup of tea then headed off. It was a twenty minute journey, and I found the place easily. The lady had started clearing out her shed, and was desperately trying to get rid of as much stuff as she could. The dresser looked a bit distressed, the doors were stored in the top drawer and there was a large hole in the base, but apart from that it could be a good restore.

Once I got back I unloaded it but left it outside the garage.

The sun was quite warm and I noticed the paint on the top had started to lift, I was able to peel a strip of finish off easily.

Of course once I did that I wanted to see what the top was like stripped.

I spent the next half an hour doing just that exposing an oak veneer top that was complete but it had stains on it. I decided to call it a day, there would be plenty to do tomorrow.

16th June 2021

Kelli had her second appointment with her new doctor, as a popular guy, she was lucky to take advantage of a cancellation he had.

He is certainly more focus on the areas that will help with her hypersensitivity or acute stress response thats all linked to her adrenal failure.

I still sit there as usual a sceptic, but she seems to be improving. For example we went to the new Plato’s closet in Holland to take six bags of clothes that she didn’t wear anymore and wanted to sell. A month ago the thought of going anywhere would have been out of the question. So whether it’s quackery or not, if it helps her get back to normal, I’m all for it.

There was no news about the delivery of paving slabs, not a big deal as I have other jobs to occupy myself, but as it was a bit cooler this week it would have been convenient. I expect they will arrive when it’s stonkingly hot, and I would be able to fry an egg on the stones.

I gave my shopvac it’s annual service. It made a change from tripping over it, because it always gets in the way. And anything thing, who thought it was a good idea to only fit a three foot hose?it is worst than useless.

I started out by washing out the filters and replacing the ones that couldn’t be cleaned. Now it actually sucks in more than it blows out, a good feature for a vacuum cleaner, even the shit one I have.

15th June 2021

Took my package back to the post office for another attempt to get it to travel more than two miles.

I relayed my expectations that the package should have been heading for the UK in my best humour tinged with a hint of sarcasm, but it was lost on the man.

Being a loyal Trump supporter he was still mourning the loss of his hero, the black band he wore was slipping down his arm. He’s the kind of guy that thinks the insurrection is an man’s ability to get it up.

Now, his job is to issue stamps and take in parcels, enter them into the system and take the money. I’m not sure he understands the “ To” and “From” concept, so I explained that to him.

His only excuse was “The address was in the wrong place” but he reimbursed the postage then hit me with the cost to get it over the pond at a staggering $28.

14th June 2021

Another thing happened today that questioned whether America is a bright as it’s always said it was.

Last Thursday I went along to the post office to send a birthday present to my son Damian.

I had purchased an original print of Porsche 718 spyder from California. When I ordered it, I requested it sent direct to my son, just to save all the messing about. Well that didn’t happen, so it turned up here, hence my need to go to the post office.

I carefully relabelled it with my son’s name and address in bold at the top, and my address at the bottom.

I handed it over to the post man, he stamped it, then I went on my merry way.

Over the weekend I thought that it must be wending it’s way across the Atlantic.

What a surprise I had when the postman delivered it back to me.

It had taken three days to travel two bloody miles for the cost of three gallons of bloody petrol!

I showed it to Kelli, and the first thing she said was” Oh you got the order of the address wrong, you should have put who it was from at the top, and who it goes to at the bottom “

“So the fact that I had “TO” and “FROM” meant nothing” I answered sarcastically.

So now I have to go back to postman Pat and straighten the whole thing out.

13th June 2021

I finished tamping down the base using up most of the hardcore, not sure what to do with the rest, probably bag it up and find another project to use it up on.

It was again too warm to do much in the garage, and if I’m honest I haven’t got a lot of enthusiasm. Kelli didn’t get much sleep last night, which does effect the rest of the day.

Apparently she was disturbed but a firework display that occurred quite late. Normally displays have to be approved by the city if they are not part of a national holiday. Reading a local resident website the display was to celebrate someone’s eightieth birthday. With all that noise, and duration, I wonder if they survived?

Normally this is the time of the month for NeoCon, most of the big boys are scrambling to get new products ready for the show, but this year it has moved to October. HM has moved out of the Merchandise Mart into its own showroom, from the pictures I’ve seen it all looks amazing as you would expect.

12th June 2021

I was outside working before 10.00am, it was perfect temperature for moving hardcore by the bucket.

The Americans don’t use the term “hardcore” they call it “crushed concrete”. The first time I asked I asked for “hardcore” the man behind the counter said, “ Sir, we don’t have that, try Blockbuster next door”.

I learned an important lesson that day, but out of spite, and for my own amusement I still ask for it.

Anyway, I worked outside until the perspiration on the front of my tee shirt joined up with patch at the back. I would then change and continue to work in the garage.

Kelli was a lot more cheerful, her smile came back, and I told her so. She takes great delight in showing me her clothes from last year, and how big they were. I guess I will see more on-line purchases turn up at the door a couple of sizes smaller.

By midday it was too hot to do much outside, it was almost too hot to work in the garage. It was difficult to do any painting as it dried on the brush almost before I spread it, so I collected dog poop instead.

11th June 2021

It is true you do get weaker as you get older. There was a time when I could carry two bags of ready mix under each arm, and walking up a hill whistling a happy tune, but now things are different.

I went to Menards to buy bags of ready mix mortar to be used when I lay the slabs.

I had my cart, and found my way to the builders material, there on the floor were the bags I wanted. Each bag was eighty pounds, and I thought “pah! Easy job” and went to lift one, it didn’t move an inch, I checked to see if it was bolted to the floor, it wasn’t, that’s what eighty pounds feels like in 2021.

I managed to slip my fingers under one corner and pulled on the bag with the other, it moved.

The next task was to get it on to the shelf of the cart which was four inches from the floor.

In the old days these bags were made from multi layers of paper that somehow retained its shape, but these were a slippery plastic that morphed into whatever shape it came into contact with.

The only way I could lift this bag was to give myself a running commentary.

It started by saying words of encouragement.

“Come on, you can do this”

“It’s only four inches”

Anyone listening to this must have been slightly intrigued.

“ After three”

“One, …..two…. threeeeeeee”

With superpower strength I humped it onto the shelf.

Now for another bag!

This time I had to lift it eight inches.

With more talking, cussing and brute strength I managed to get the bag loaded, now it was checkout time.

With one hundred and sixty pounds on the cart, it sort of dictated how I was able to steer it.

American carts steer from the front wheels, English ones steer from the back, for which I’m used to, so most of the time I’m forcing the trolly to move sideways by scuffing the wheels against their will. Eventually I made it to the checkout, paid for my purchases, then headed for the truck.

That was when I realised I would now have to lift each bag nearly twenty four inches, my personal best so far was eight, I would have to do something extraordinary to make that happen.

I looked around to see if anyone could help, but typically there wasn’t a bodybuilder when you needed one.

I called on a power deep inside to give me strength, and with a ear shattering grunt, I got one into the truck, I swore in triumph.

The second bag was even harder, but shouting loud that I hated Toyotas worked, and with my gentleman parts still intact I headed home.

10th June 2021

Kelli buys a protein powder that gets made up into a smoothie with fruit, yogurt, and any old stuff that is festering in the fridge. It is often my job to mix this concoction together ready for when she needs it.

This is the stuff where my hand got stuck into the container a week or so ago. When I’m faced with opening a new bottle, the pain and anguish is almost the same.

Getting into the container is like a test on the Krypton Factor, it has a shrunk wrapped seal around the cap and the only way of removing it is by finding the place where the seal in joined. If you try any other method, the seal just stretches without yielding. Then it is down to an axe or a thermal lance to cut through it.

Then there is the cap to unscrew. Something or someone with tremendous strength tightened this bugger, offering another challenge to break through. Finally there is the seal into the bottle itself. Normally there is a small tab that can be gripped and torn off, but no, it is never that easy. It has been sealed to perfection, no excess material to grip, a perfect lesson in high security. This is where a sharp, pointed blade must be used to gain access.

Now I have to find the scoop. I should have kept the old one, but it is around somewhere, I just can’t be bothered to look for it.

I gave the container a good shake, and I was able to see part of the scoop sticking out of the powder.

I stuck my hand inside the container, instant panic attack, calmed myself down, withdrew my hand covered in protein powder, and the scoop, now all I have to do is mix all the ingredients together, that’s the easy part.