Another Lifetime to go

22nd August 2020

We had a customer arrive to collect the two dressers we had been working on for her. She is a regular customer, the ones we like. She originally wanted us to paint a dresser but ended up buying two from us as well.

It was good to move these on, I’m sure if she had more cash on her she would have bought more.

This meant that we had space in the garage that needed filling. Kelli had done her homework and found two dresser, one in Grandville and the other in Grand Rapids.

We arrived at the address in Grandville to find an oak split dresser. Originally offered for twenty bucks, the seller found that a drawer front had become detached, so she gave it to us for nothing.

It was a large piece, and once loaded didn’t leave much space for anything else.

Then it was off to Grand Rapids, through the dodgy parts where even the GPS voice told us to keep the doors locked.

We pulled up at the given address to find a tall eight drawer dresser waiting for us.

We looked at the piece we already got and tried to work out how we could fit the new piece in.

There was no way it would fit on top, so luckily it slid through the back doors, and by lowering the windows we could shut the doors.

We bungeed the hatch back door closed and headed off back home.

Kelli wanted to stop off at Target, a store I don’t usually wish to be seen dead in, to get some Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. We had been sent some vouchers after Kelli found a fruit stone in her peanut dessert. They were quick to respond, so now we have four tubs to gorge ourselves with.

Getting back to the house we had to figure how to get the furniture out of the truck as it had shaken itself into a new position

The split dresser did indeed split when we were getting it out. As the back panel fell off I saw more broken and split wood pieces, so I was glad it didn’t cost us anything.

The other piece was a more trickier, it was like a Chinese puzzle, a twist and a tip, plus a push and it was out.

It was also one hundred weeks since we got married, not that I’m counting.

We want to have a safe celebration, but not sure what form that will take, will need to sleep on it.

21st August 2020

Well the food delivery didn’t happen, Kelli was pissed, she was straight on the phone to complain. The customer service person tried to pacify her with the same excuses she has heard a hundred times, but no more, she closed the account.

It was a shame, as avoiding food waste was something that we felt strongly about, and ironically Imperfect Food had just celebrated five years in business, so they obviously didn’t learn much in that time.

Kelli looked for other companies doing a similar thing, but they didn’t do deliveries in Michigan.

This did accelerate our own plan to grow more thing for us to eat. We had bought some potato growing bags, along with a bag of seed potatoes to experiment with.

We set about setting those up as per the instructions, hopefully we can grow enough for at least one meal.

We were encouraged to try because of a possible potato shortage next year. This is due to growers not having a market this year because of the pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of tons of spuds were left to rot, hence our attempt to support our needs.

I have visions of everything potato will be snapped up and stored next to what remains of people’s bog roll stash.

20th August 2020

It is quite noticeable how the summer is coming to an end. The sun in the morning does not scorch a path through our bedroom window onto the wall opposite, and the evenings are not so long.

It is still warm enough for my working uniform of shorts and tee shirts, but that didn’t stop Kelli from buying me a pair of flannel lined work trousers. “You’ll need these soon” she smiled.

Our delivery from Imperfect Foods didn’t turn up, well the truck did. The driver got out, went to the back of his van, then announced that there no boxes for us. That didn’t make any sense, he drove from Grand Rapids with nothing for us. He contacted his dispatcher who told him that our boxes will be delivered tomorrow.

The service had dropped away since they have done their own deliveries, and for ages we have never had a full consignment, there was always something missing.

Larry was busy fixing a truck that was towed to his yard. Every now and then I would hear him trying to start it. It would turn over like it had a huge boulder on its back. It’s the sound you hear on a cold morning when you know you needed a new battery but couldn’t be arsed to get one when it was warmer.

Eventually there was success, clouds of smoke billowing skywards, more smoke than Larry’s cigarette intake for the day. I can imagine him standing with his hand on hips, breathing in.

19th August 2020

It’s stein night, and I’ve been looking forward to it all day. It’s not just the though of tackling the mass of liquid, more it’s an opportunity to have something normal to do each week.

We still watch what we do, where we go, and who we interact with, that is something that will be with us for a very long time.

It wasn’t warm enough for pool time, Kelli likes the water at a certain temperature before she ventures into the water, something between molten iron and volcanic lava.

Instead we both worked in the garage, finishing two items that will go out by the end of the week.

Last time we were in Menards we bought a fly trap, because there are always so many flying around irritating both of us. Unfortunately what we got was a bag that contained a foul smelling liquid that kept wafting about. It was like something dead hanging from the garage ceiling, well we couldn’t take that anymore, and the fact it didn’t seem to attract any flies was another reason to consign it to the rubbish bin.

Our evening at New Holland was great, we sat outside, the stein awaiting delivery into my tummy, a fitting end to a good day.

18th August 2020

The flowers in the garden are beginning to disappear, this marks the time when summer has turned the corner. Last year I was in the UK having found the problem with my ESTA.

This is a painful memory, but thankfully placed in the box marked “do not open again”.

I missed the last part of the summer in Michigan, but I had plenty of things to do at the cottage which occupied my mind.

I have plenty of thing to do here, pieces that I want to get out by the end of the week,

We had an inquiry from someone who asked if we could make a 42” diameter top to fit an Eames base. It was not clear if they wanted veneered chipboard with a vinyl edge. This is not something I would want to do. I suggested making a solid wood top, but even that would be a challenge.

We checked with some friends in the trade about getting a solid wood top made by someone who had machines to handle, but the costs would be too high with a limited mark-up, so in the end we declined the job.

17th August 2020

We got up late, then had to rush around as the lady was coming to collect the project piece.

I had to move a load of crap off the top, as most vertical surfaces in the garage becomes a work bench, luckily there was a cloth covering it.

I was adding a finish to drawer fronts from another dresser that was nearing completion. The lady arrived and was happy with what I had done. She also lamented on the dresser she passed on, but as quick as a flash Kelli showed her the one we picked up on Sunday, which was still in the truck. The lady was interested and asked to be kept informed as we worked on it.

We also sold our latest creation a dresser the was bright aqua green. Kelli always wants to stretch the colour limits of people. Usually the safe colours of white, off-white and fifty shades of grey are what sells the quickest.

This was an attempt to change that. I had stripped the top and drawer fronts but the wood was still coloured from the stain used in manufacturing.

We decided to just put a clear finish all the wood items to make them a bit different than what we usually do, and I guess it paid off.

We delivered it to an address in Zeeland, deep into the new God’s country. The housing estate was immaculate, perfect grass, unblemished concrete driveways and the correct amount of scrubs around the porch.

It feels like we are invading a film set, expecting someone to shout “cut!” as we unloaded.

16th August 2020

A drive down to Fennville to pick up a dresser that caught Kelli’s eye on Marketplace.

Fennville is the vineyard of west Michigan, we passed many teaming with people not necessarily adhering to any social distancing themselves and a major reason why we won’t be going to them until all this virus stuff had gone away.

The dresser was an interesting piece, all curvy and quite old but it needs a lot of love to bring it up to scratch.

The Presidential election campaigns start next week and the networks are full of it.

Trump has a lot of airtime where he makes shit up, nearly everything that comes out of his mouth is rubbish and makes no sense.

It is doing my head in to think that America can be led but this crazy individual. The nearest I can remember is sitting in a meeting at HM just before the Christmas break where a certain individual spoke (who’s initials were BW) about the importance of just getting the red gift tag, no gift, no voucher, just a label with your name on it. He went on about heritage and tradition, and the tag was a symbol of belonging.

That must go down in history as a speech about being grateful for getting nothing.

15th August 2020

We had a lot of vouchers to spend at the garden centre, these were earned by buying a shed load of grasses for the front of our house. We wanted to finish the area around where we planted the bamboo.

We got to Jonkers garden centre along with most of the oldies from Holland.

Immediately Kelli was complimented on what she was wearing, that happens so often it doesn’t surprise me anymore.

We chose more grasses to be planted in between the tubs. We redeemed the vouchers along with a chunk of cash and headed home to finish the job.

Once everything was planted we settled in for a splash in the pool.

We still had the project piece that was sold a week ago where I had to make a back panel for the centre section.

Kelli, in the subtle manner she has, has tried on numerous occasions to nail down a collection date. Finally agreeing next Monday, at the same time wanted to see if that person was still interested in the other dresser we are working on. There was another person waiting in the wings eager to snap it up, so we needed to check.

This applied pressure sometimes works to force a decision, this time she decided not to buy it.

Straight away Kelli contacted the other person and immediately got a hundred dollar deposit.

Since Kelli’s children left home it’s a coincidence that they visit at the same time the have a large amount of laundry to be done. This was the evening when both Cameron and Greer chose to wash their smalls.

I lit a fire to burn up all the scrap wood then we sat around toasting marshmallows and making things with chocolate and crackers with the crickets serenading us.

14th August 2020

It was due to be in the high eighties today, just the day to do absolutely nothing, but there was not a chance of that.

Kelli had arranged for a regular customer to bring a dresser round for me to look at. The drawer fronts had white Formica stuck to them and she wanted it removed. This was not a difficult job as the laminate had started to peel away. We agreed what needed to be done, selecting a paint colour, and stripping the top, when slick Kelli showed off the latest dresser that we had just posted. “If you want something for a child’s room, why don’t you buy this one that’s already finished?” The sales pitch was perfect, I almost reached into my own pocket. The lady was excited, she agreed that it was “Darling” and bought it on the spot.

She was really interested in another dresser that is nearly done, putting me under pressure to finish the top. There was another person already interested, so Kelli needs to do a bit of probing to see if that person still wants it.

Oh the trials and tribulations of the furniture trade.

Getting back to the bamboo situation, we awoke to the sight of one of the plantings laying on the driveway, I guess the weight of it was too much for the sandy soil.

Kelli also had a number of warnings from friends on Facebook about the dangers of rampant bamboo roots, and the damage they can cause.

We had to put plan B into action which meant buying a few metal tubs to re-plant everything into. I didn’t like the thought of the roots undermining the driveway.

So the costs were going up, metal tubs, bags of potting soil, it was no longer the cheap job I thought it to be.

After finishing the re-potting it was pool time.

The new one is certainly much better than the old, with no air adding, and no water top ups.

It was so warm that there was very little noise from Kelli as she slid into her floater.

I can understand how water therapy is so popular, I can so easily fall asleep in this perfect place.

13th August 2020

“Bamboo!” Shouted Kelli

Not the word I have ever heard her utter in all the years I’ve known her.

My first thoughts were “Is this another vegan food idea?”

“Bamboo” she repeated, “I’ve had an idea”

As I have explained before, Kelli’s ideas usually cost me money and often a great deal of work, this was going to be both.

She explained her idea, which was to make a screen of bamboo to hide some of the wild areas of the next door’s back garden where weeds and bushes run wild.

“Not a bad idea” I thought, it was an area we were going to fence off anyway.

She had found someone on Marketplace who was thinning out a clump of bamboo and offering it for sale.

I had to stop what I was doing and go and collect what we wanted.

The address was in Holland Heights an area where Kelli used to live.

The guy met us on his driveway, and led us to his back garden. Running along the back of his property was a hedge of thick clumps of bamboo. He dug out a clump of long thin shoots at least twelve feet high. We agree five of that size would be enough for the space we had.

We wrapped the root ball in a plastic bag and loaded it on to the roof of the truck. All this, and he only wanted ten bucks for it, a real bargain.

We rushed back and planted everything, but it wasn’t enough, so we went back for another load.

It must have looked odd driving back with all this foliage hanging over the back of the truck, a sort of moving bush.

By the end of the day we had wispy, bamboo shoots swaying in the breeze,hopefully bedding themselves in.