Another Lifetime to go

30th January 2021

We decided to hit all the thrift shops this morning so Kelli can re-stock her “stuff” side of Bristol Cottage. On the way we stopped off at Aldi to pick up some essentials. Ignoring the trolleys we walked around loading our shopping bag. It was soon very obvious that the bag was not adequate as the weight inside reached the limit of my arm strength.

Whilst Kelli loaded the items on the conveyor I scooted off to look for a box. I had to remove some items from one that was nearly empty, much to her disgust. I was pleased with myself as I carried it up to the register, it was only then that I realised how big it was.

Once we loaded the box, everything started to slip to one end when I picked it up making it difficult to carry. I staggered out to the truck like I was carrying a sofa, whilst Kelli carried some nectarines in our shopping bag, as she didn’t want to be seen carrying an empty bag.

Visiting the Goodwill on the north side I spotted two Herman Miller half upholstered fibreglass stacking side chairs for $5 each. There were a few marks on the fabric but nothing a upholstery cleaner couldn’t handle, so we snapped them up. Finding these types of furniture are rare, and at such a price even rarer, we should be able to get a few bucks a piece for these even as they are.

We got back to the house in time for the customer to collect the dresser bought a couple of days ago.

29th January 2021

The snow is still thick on the ground, that makes it easy to spot the dog poop, which is always the highlight of the day.

We did venture out scouting for stuff that Kelli could sell. This has been really successful, we believe, because many have got their $600 stimulus cheques, although Kelli is still waiting for hers. There is eager anticipation every time the postman is due, only to be disappointed.

The new administration is seeking to release another $1200, but she would be happy with the first one for now.

I started on the long laborious job of repairing the drawer sides, there are four drawers, so eight sides to do plus eight runners in the cabinet that have worn down also, so not a five minute job.

We treated ourselves to a take away, Kelli with sushi, and I had a black bean burger.

I swear that with all the different bean based meals I am eating I must be a danger to the environment, Kelli already says I am, but if as many people eat the way I do, and all vent the same, no wonder there’s a hole in the ozone layer.

28th January 2021

We finished the dresser that we collected from Grand Rapids in July. I had made a new top and Kelli had done a new paint job. It was not a masterpiece, so would not expect a high price but it will give a a good return.

We carried it into the house to take pictures. Kelli posted it on Marketplace, within an hour we had an offer, we agreed a slight reduction on the price we posted (which we expected to do) but it was a sale and took us to a unexpectedly high monthly total.

There was another dresser to start. I had already stripped the top of it, but needed to remove it so I could finish it. The screws were buried deep into the frame and difficult to remove especially the rear ones.

I wanted to repair the drawer fronts, but I was not sure I could match the veneer. Instead I did a bit of repair work to the carcass. The sides of the drawer boxes showed the signs of wear, as did the runners inside the cabinet.

The sides wear down unequally making it difficult to opening them smoothly. Each one has to be cut down and a new piece bonded in.

27th January 2021

The replacement router I ordered on EBay turned up today. I was able to buy the exact same model that I had fitted in the table I got from Dave’s workshop. Although old it looked in great condition and was easy to fit and ready to roll in about fifteen minutes. I still want to find out what was wrong with the old one, but now I can strip it down at my Leisure.

I continued work on the large entertainment centre. Having loverly repaired and strengthened the base, I directed my attention to the top. There were a number of bits of wood nailed to the inside which I eased off. Removing the exposed brad nails I was a little surprised when the top fell off. This meant extensive repairs need to be done. Each time Kelli came out into the garage the piece was in a worse state. I assured that I had everything under control, of which I didn’t, but with some extra work I could make it good again.

Kelli continued selling the small stuff, it really is a great second string to the business, and a good way to use up all the boxes and packaging that we continue to get delivered every day, we have this recycling thing down to an art.

Earlier this morning I had a shock when I opened up Facebook. It is the first thing I do in the day to see what is happening.

As the pages opened, and I scrolled down it stopped on a Friends request from Michael Elliott. The sadness of his death came back to me, and like his Facebook account it will last forever.

26th January 2021

Between three and four inches of snow fell last night, certainly not enough to warrant starting up Big Bertha, the snow blower. Just as well really because I didn’t have any petrol in it, and I keep forgetting to put the can in the truck when we need to get fuel.

Between you and me I think it was the wrong decision to get it, so maybe it will get sold soon.

We drove to a couple of places to search for things to sell. First Goodwill and another called Ditto on the other side of town. In both there wasn’t much that caught my eye, but Kelli’s expert eye spotted a few things.

I wandered over to the books and CD area, which is my default place of refuge. I found a couple of Max DuPree’s books that I thought might make a bit of money, and as they were only one dollar each they were a bargain. I certainly paid a lot more on Amazon when I bought them in the UK.

To kill more time I sat by the piles of CD’s and made a separate stack of artists that I had heard of. This was a very small compared with the masses of God music performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Even by my standards the selection I had compiled was dull and not worth purchasing.

We stopped off on the way back for sushi that we both devoured as soon as we got home.

Now fully refreshed I set about rebuilding the entertainment centre.

The day started traumatically with a haircut, one of Kelli’s specials. The shears came out the battery trimmer was ready. The cut hair was building up on the floor. I didn’t want much off the top, but she found plenty to remove. Finally she tackled the fuzz on my neck. It was like a carpet, the trimmer was having a hard time, I could hear the power draining away causing me to clinch awaiting the cutters grabbing at the hair, a sure sign the the batteries are dead.

Eventually it was done, hair had transferred from my head to the floor, and I would be cursed with my hair looking like a pineapple every morning.

25th January 2021

The thrift stores continue to have slim pickings both in furniture and the small stuff Kelli has been successful selling.

Every morning though it seems there are notifications of more sales, great to wake up to.

So far this month they make up over 24% of our total sales this month, within a hair of what we planned for. This really takes pressure of the furniture, and at the moment that is a relief.

The large entertainment centre that we bought a couple of weeks ago is certainly a challenge.

Since I removed all the embellishments I found that it had been cobbled together from different pieces of furniture. A lot of the panels were held together with brad nails, bloody hundreds of them, so in the process of pulling them out, things started to move. The base was part of some other piece that wasn’t connected to the top half. I found that out when I tried to move it.

Today I started to rebuild it, strengthening it with new timber and gluing together all the loose bits.

I know it will look good when it is completed.

24th January 2021

I don’t care if I come third in our family trans Atlantic quiz with a humiliating score. It’s not that important, what is, is maintaining a connection to the people really special to me.

I miss not being able to hug them each time we meet, and although I’m not the best in keeping in touch, I value these new Zoom session as a way of making up for lost time.

I need to find a way to even up the odds here, for my own satisfaction, and to show that I’m not a mindless old git.

I think my questions were too easy, and theirs were bloody hard, so goodbye mister nice guy, the gloves are off.

23rd January 2021

If there is one thing that pisses me off more it is petty mindedness. Today was a prime example of it. We decided to take the dogs down to the beach at Point West, like we have done often. We parked the truck down by the dock, everything is closed, the boats are all stored away, the place is deserted. We walk down to the lake, the biting wind finding the gaps in our coats, but it was a bright day and the dogs looked nice and warm in their wooden coats. Feeling rejuvenated we walked back to the truck only to find a note on the windscreen stating that it was private property and if we did it again we would be towed away.

I was seething as I removed the notice, visibly screwing it up and tossing it into the truck.

Some old scrote must have battled the cold to place the printed note on the windscreen.

There is little evidence of any tolerance in this country, I guess they could have been Trump supporters angry at the world and taking it out on us.

The day started well, we delivered a dresser to an address in Zeeland, and Kelli made $180 selling her small stuff. Her sales so far made up a third of our monthly total which was really amazing as there is little or no effort required other than a keen nose for good stuff.

22nd January 2021

I really didn’t feel like doing much today. Kelli had done well selling the small stuff, it took the pressure off the furniture side a bit.

I routed an edge on a work surface and applied a stain and that was about it.

There was a bit more filling on the enamel top getting it closer to the application of the enamel paint.

I took the router apart to try and find the reason for its failure. The brushes appeared fine and the wiring looked okay.

The machine is quite old, I looked up anything on YouTube to help sort the problem, but there was nothing I hadn’t already done.

It must have been produced before they added thermal cutouts, so I guess it’s done for. Trying to get it repaired would cost more than buying a new one.

21st January 2021

Today I had to go for my biometric examination, which is to have my picture and fingerprints taken, another step in the residency process.

The centre was in Grand Rapids so not far to travel. The sun was shining like it was a spring day, oh how we look forward to that.

There was strict hygiene protocol when I arrived, hand sanitisers at every turn.

Not many people were there, I was given a ticket with a number on it , but as there was only one lady before me it really wasn’t necessary.

The process was over in a few minutes, just as well Kelli didn’t drive off to one of her favourite shopping places of I would have frozen to death waiting for her return.

The guy at the door was friendly, but the guy at the front desk was a bit strict, I guess he was a Trump supporter taking out his frustration on everybody.

He stamped my papers and pointed to seating where I had to wait for the next step.

I watched him dealing with a couple of black guys who followed me. Once they handed him their paperwork he gestured them to move six foot back before he would even look at the papers.

But it’s a government building run along strict guidelines, but he could been a bit more pleasant about it.

The lady doing the pictures was more friendly , giving me instruction on where to look, but for the fingerprints she had to move an acrylic screen between us with a slot in it to put my hands through. Then it was the scanning of the fingers, first as a whole then one at a time, so now I am in the American sausage machine.