Another Lifetime to go

13th June 2020

Where do the weeks go?

This year has stumbled through a lot of challenges. We have survived without toilet paper for months, only now are we able to get some as part of our weekly deliveries. However the grade is the lightweight type, the kind that if they were air dropped they would never reach the ground.

But it’s bog roll so I shouldn’t complain.

I had some news that there were a few redundancies at Herman Miller in Melksham.

This is a sad time for the many effected having gone though the quarantine, and uncertainty only to be rewarded by this, really sucks. All the talent that was hired, has been wasted, lives have been disrupted, and people’s future uncertain. Businesses have to survive, the shareholders demand it, but many are using this as an excuse for major restructuring.

The office furniture market in the UK has been struggling for years, but the pandemic, and workers being forced to work from home, has created opportunities to design products to cater for the office at home. I have seen some products, rapidly developed and marketed for this new sector.

Both Kelli and I have been surprised by the amount of product we have shifted during the lockdown. Our sales are up on last year, meaning that people have money to spend. We haven’t been to Goodwill in months, and we still have been able to find stuff to renovate.

I am moving on with the dining table. The top has had four coats of polyurethane, so a couple more and then the polishing begins. I was a bit apprehensive about starting the legs, because they are so ornate I wasn’t sure how the stain would take, but I was pleasantly surprised how well the first one came out.

12th June 2020

A late start to the day, but a fantastic breakfast made by my wife got my energy level up.

A quick trip to Menards to collect bags of mulch then back to start the jobs.

On our arrival, Dan from next door rushed round to tell us that the tree fellas (actually there were six) were going to turn up to clear the mess.

Within fifteen minutes they were setting up the equipment and five minutes later all the branches that I had stacked on the front lawn were reduced to chips. These machines are amazing bits of kit, they take anything.

So with straps attached anchoring the vulnerable boughs, they systematically cut away at the remnants of the tree.

The buzzing chainsaws making it look easy. The guys obviously were experienced, moving around removing chunks in different places, to maintain the balance. The final piece was the large section still attached, as it was cut it swung down just clipping the top of the fence.

The pine trees that had taken the full weight of the fallen branches were suddenly released and flicked back to grab a share of the sunlight that had been denied them.

The young lads did a great job of clearing up all the leaves, leaving the garden looking as good as new.

For five hundred bucks it was a good, quick job, and as value for money goes it seemed reasonable.

There was time for a bike ride before dinner. We explored some side roads that we usually pass but seldom take, so this time we did.

The newly built houses, all pristine with beautiful manicured lawns are part of the exploding housing that has effected Holland in recent years, and there is no sign of that changing.

11th June 2020

We had to drag a new dresser into the house to take pictures. Fortunately we didn’t have to do much to it. I made a decorative up-stand to hide a cruddy part of the top.

We had someone on it straight away, due for collection at three in the afternoon.

I dragged all the branches that I’d cut off the tree round to the front garden. I heaped it all over a bald spot in the grass, for once everything looked green.

Dan, the next door neighbour came round to survey the damage, having been away when it all happened. He had arranged for someone to look it over and agree when it could be removed.

I had plenty of things to do on the dining table, the start of many coats of finish lovingly applied by hand.

There are some days that are ordinary and others that are unpredictable, today was the latter.

The weather forecast was for stormy and high winds, which meant a day in the garage, and no distractions.

I was busy sanding another leg of the dining table when I heard an unusual noise. Normally I’m responsible for dislodging most things causing them to fall, but this was slightly different. For some reason I went to the doorway at the back of the garage, looking up towards the top end of the garden. What I saw was just a clump of green leaves. There was no flower bed to be seen. That was when I realised that part of the next door neighbours tree had fallen into our garden.

I rushed back into the house shouting for Kelli, who was in the bathroom at the time. She rushed out and I explained what I had seen. We both went into the sunroom where we could see the full extent of what had happened. The tree had split halfway up the trunk, but was still attached. The fence had not been damaged, but all the branches had covered our new flower bed.

It was still raining hard, but we donned our rain gear and went out to try to save our plants.

I got the loppers from the shed and started to cut the branches away. Gradually we cleared the flower beds and fortunately only a few were broken, others just sprung back.

It was exhausting work, I was wetter on the inside of my North Face coat than the outside from the rain, so I was cursing them for making a useless garment rather than the tree.

Kelli went to see if the neighbour was in, but they weren’t, so we cleared the garden as best as we could, and went back inside to change clothes.

Later the lady from next door came round to assess the damage, and agreed to get the bough removed as quickly as possible.

The two pine trees in our garden had taken the brunt of the weight when the bough fell, and one looked in a sorry state, we would not know the full extent until the tree was removed.

Apart from a hot shower, the rest of the day went back to normal, with me continuing to sand the leg I had started earlier.

9th June 2020

The table people came early to agree on the colour they wanted. It was all agreed in a few minutes and as happens they chose the only stain I only had the dregs left, so I had to go out a buy the right stain.

Whilst we were out we delivered a dresser to a buyer to put in their “cottage”.

She didn’t really notice it as we carried it into the garage, it could have any old thing.

8th June 2020

I have never re-strung a washing line before, and it is not something I would want to add to my resume of life.

I watched a few YouTube videos but only one was the same design as ours, and that was rubbish.

This meant I had to work it out for myself.

Trying to knot, loop and feed one hundred feet of line through the rotary frame was difficult in the heat. Kelli was running about pulling the line in all directions working up quite a sweat.

Next it was a trip to Menards to purchase tins of wood stain so that the table people can decide what colour to finish their table.

When we got back we unloaded the dresser that Kelli had bought on Sunday. It was a neat piece that needed the minimum of work in order to re-sale.

7th June 2020

With the relaxing of the quarantine restrictions many places have started to open for business, although the wearing of masks are still encouraged.

There have been the usual spate of lake accidents including a girl who got her leg chewed up by a boat propeller, and two drownings, and its only a few days into June.

The lake looks so inviting on hot days, and it draws the weak to do stupid shit, and die.

Kelli was having a day out with Greer in Grand Rapids leaving me to do a few small jobs that I have been meaning to do for ages.

I did a bit of finishing to the large dresser before dragging it into the house to take some pictures.

The main task I wanted to do was erect a rotary washing line. This thing had laid on the hard standing since we move in, so armed with a spade and a bag of ready-mix concrete I started digging.

The ground around the lake is so sandy, it’s a wonder anything grows on it.

Luckily I had enough to finish the job, but the sun had taken its toll on my white skin, it was time to get out of the heat and into the air-conditioned luxury of the house.

Later when Kelli returned we had a family turn up to collect a bookcase that we had for sale.

After that we took a cycle down to the lake, the holiday rentals are now starting to fill up meaning the area has a few more frying bodies laid out on the sand.

I was shocked at the amount of erosion that has occurred, rows of trees have been undermined and lay dying on the beach. The water level has stayed high since last year, meaning many of the million dollar homes have parts of their garden submerged with the rising water, sucks to be them.

Pete and Kelli’s social distance day 80

6th June 2020

We both were up early as we had volunteered ourselves to help with the restoration of her mother’s front garden.

The local members of her church were going to do a “Make-over” and we had the honour of doing the main piece on the front lawn.

When we arrived God’s team were already well into it. Out went old unwanted trees and shrubs, Eden was being transformed.

I surveyed the site, we had to construct an oval shaped centre piece incorporating a large boulder.

With the aid of a piece of rope, I scratched out two arcs and eye-balled the rest. The hardest part was cutting the steel edging, with a hacksaw blunt as a badger’s arse.

Bathed in sweat I managed to make the cuts and fit the edging. Finally a bit of mulching, and some re-planting, and it was finished.

We bagged the leftover mulch and headed back home.

Just for a change we mulched our own flower beds.

It was so nice to have a shower afterwards, I looked forward to a quiet peaceful evening to nurse my sunburn.

Of course nothing goes to plan. We had just finished eating when a friend dropped round to tell Kelli that there was a free dresser on the side of the road.

That was like the sirens went off, we were off, shoes on, truck started, the search was on.

We drove off so fast we missed it the first time as we were told it was a couple of blocks down the road, when in fact it was a lot closer.

The dresser was a little ropy, obviously it had come from a damp garage, but that is what we do, take crap, and make it beautiful again.

Pete and Kelli’s social distance day 79

5th June 2020

I had a letter from the USCIS informing me that I had to provide some additional information yet again. This is so draining, it takes the wind out of my sails, and ruins a perfectly good day.

On top of that the printer ran out of black ink, so we could even print out the new forms, I think the universe has it in for me.

It was time for a break from furniture, and as Kelli was off doing stuff, I took a ride on my bike.

I went to visit Dave.

I remembered where his plot was because there isn’t a stone yet, they like to leave it a while for the ground to settle. The grass that had been sowed was a little patchy and long.

He would not have been pleased about that, and I’m sure he would have complained to someone.

There is always a sense of calm at this place, particularly today, it is warm and there is an abundance of red flowers in the pots dotted around. There is a slight buzz from the traffic and even the birds tweet with reverence.

I found a stone bench and sat contemplating the events of the day.

I had removed stain from drawer fronts and a top because there were swirl marks from the sander, that only become evident once the stain was applied.

That had gone well so I was happy with that.

The large dining table is now fully stripped, so the day has not been wasted.

My thoughts went back to Dave’s plot and what kind of stone he should have.

There is a uniform style that all must conform to, but he wouldn’t like that. He would like a monument that says something about who he was, therefore something large. It would have to be solid, to match his temperament, and shaped like a Maytag washing machine to match his humour.

I called him the king of washing machines because he would search all over the ads for these fifty year old devices, and then sell them to the Amish.

I miss him.

He would chuckle at my funny stories, and often would re-tell many of his own, I would always laugh, mainly because I knew what came next.

There isn’t anything to fill the space he left, but I guess like the plot, it has to settle.

As I was leaving, I smiled at the thought of him having to deal with the Bob Evans restaurant only able to serve take outs, for him that would have been the last straw.

Pete and Kelli’s social distance day 78

4th June 2020

It was sanding the bloody big dining table top day, and boy was it a dirty job.

I equipped myself with goggles, face mask and ear defenders and set about the task.

It was three hours of pure hell as the area around got covered in a thin film of dust. I regularly changed the sand paper hoping that it would cut through the thick layer of polyurethane. Gradually I wore through it until the raw wood emerged. As the final strips of raw timber appeared there was a feeling of triumph, the table top was exposed.

Sweeping the dust from the floor into piles, then collecting it into a dust pan, was the final act of victory. I didn’t even look at myself in the mirror fearing for the worst, confirmed by Kelli.

I needed a haircut, and fresh from pruning the larch, but not using the same equipment, it was decided that tonight was the night.

As tuffs of grey hair fell on the floor, I reminded myself that I should cut the grass tomorrow.

A lot of business will start to open. Bars and restaurants begin Monday with limited numbers, but hairdressers remain closed.

Distraction, that is the name of the game. Two weeks ago Covid 19 was the headlines, a day to day review of the death toll kept the mind focus on what was out there. The media kept everyone on tenderhooks as the total neared one hundred thousand. The bells and whistles went off when the number was hit, but then the next news hit.

Suddenly all the attention shifted to the death of George Floyd.

The aftermath of which highlighted another American virus, racism.

The anger that the majority of Americans have for the systemic virus has obscured the deadly pandemic one.

The government here are incapable of leadership, they are already distracting attention away, trying to get the country back to work and grow the economy, at what cost to the people, especially the black and Latino?

The social contract, the American dream faded years ago, it is now a nightmare.

At least the British government have kept their eyes open and imposed the quarantine period on everyone entering the UK. That may be difficult for some, but at least is a rule, over here there is nothing laid out.

Fhew! That was a bit deep, maybe losing a bit of hair disturbed my equilibrium.