Another Lifetime to go

7th September 2024 

The GPS was working at full stretch leading us in circles, apparently leading us to three places we had to collect some furniture from. I’m sure the aim of that technology is to consume as much fuel as possible, because most of the routes are not logical. 

Kelli had been busy trying to find things that we could renovate and refinish. Most were in the Zeeland area, some hidden in thick wooded areas that no one would think  a house was built there.

We ended up with three chairs, a dresser and a small bench with rather three tatty baskets in a rack in the base. The dresser was a traditional style but painted rather badly, the chairs were a style we’ve had before and sold easily, the bench, well we will see how that goes.

I had to get supplies at Menards on the way back and a plan to finish the side table tops.

Kelli had other plans, she had found two free dressers back in Zeeland, so we packed everything away and headed out.

The directions were vague, but once we sorted that out we saw the pieces on the roadside.

They weren’t the best examples, but what should we expect for free. The best of the two, I thought could be made interesting, until I lifted it up and the bottom fell out. It was a good brand, so we thought we should take it; I’m sure with some epoxy and a pair of clamps it could be made good. The other is a bit of a dog, this will take the wand of a wizard to make this into something saleable.

These may have to be stored at Kelli’s mums garage, but she had a problem with bats, and we are concerned that the furniture will get covered in bat crap, not a good thing to have.

6th September 2024

Bang! flash, and smoke. That about sums up my day. I successfully managed to feed 110 volts AC though a 12 volt power module. 

Kelli rushed into the room and described it like a scene from a Mr Bean sketch. The smoke was circling around my head, I had an expression of “ what happened there then”.

I Knew exactly what I did, I wired it up wrong, what a plonker.

I’ve been trying to get this cassette deck to work, and decided to give the motor a new 12 volt feed via a separate module.

I was really happy with my soldering, it has improved a lot since I’ve been messing around with this deck. Maybe I got a bit cocky, I don’t know why I got the wires mixed up, but I now know the result. The capacitors exploded and the whole board is a charred wreck.

It was much colder, the temperature dropped twenty degrees, and I felt it.

I had plenty to do, sealing the tops for the side tables and starting to shape the entrance piece for Elaine. 

We still have a dresser that hasn’t sold, and we don’t know why. It’s not like we haven’t had people inquiring about it, some have almost committed to buy it, but then drop out with some feeble excuse.

We really thought it was sold today, we were planning to deliver it to Hudsonville tomorrow, but a later message said that she would pass on it and buy one from Amazon.

I’m sure that will fall apart.

On the local news, Larry finally got rid of a red car that had been parked outside his barn. One of his cronies had it towed there a couple of years ago hoping that it could be fixed. That was about the time that his health took a nosedive and he stopped working on them. Ever since it’s rested and rusted sadly, but it’s gone to the big scrapyard in the sky. Funny, it was the same transporter guy who collected it who deposited it there in the first place, I guess it’s the circle of life complete.

5th September 2024

I am sick and tired of all the election stuff, the adverts, all the podcasts, and all the media bullshit. I would like just one day with nothing but peace and quiet.

There is an intense feeling that good must triumph over evil, but depending on what camp you’re in, who is one over the other.

Trump certainly has a powerhouse of people behind him, he promised the Elon Musk will streamline the government machine, getting rid of waste, that is all the civil servants that add no value. I bet they will be shitting their pants, that cushy job with no accountability, will disappear.

Musk’s record of cost savings with Space X are outstanding, he took the rocket motor design and took out complexity,  and saved money.

I had a number of tops to make for the two sets of side tables, and Kelli was in charge of the painting, but we did get a chance to float in the pool.

I missed the clanking of the refuse removal this morning, because Monday was a holiday, it all slips by a day.

I am also getting fed up with moving the six foot sideboard in and out, it’s a good job it’s on a cart.

4th September 2024

The beer tasting was back on. I checked with Lloyd if it was indeed today or tomorrow.

Wednesday is the best day because nothing really gets done because of our need to do shopping. 

I got to the Curragh a few minutes early, and ordered our two glasses of ale and waited.

Five minutes later Lloyd entered the bar, last week was a dry time, but with the sale of his old place and the purchase of his new, he was more relaxed.

Our conversation flow like a small mountain stream meandering through a maze of rocks, as we build our conversation so the water flows faster and the stream gets wider, by the time our glasses are empty we’ve reached the sea. Lloyd is interested in history, and he helps me to understand what makes America ticks. I know his politics, but we do not share the importance of the Covid vaccine. Despite all that we know about the effectiveness, or non-effectiveness of it he is proud that he and his wife Nancy are ready to take the next batch.

“It works” he said, “ I’ve not had Covid or the flu at all”. I backed off digging, people have to travel their own paths, but I urged him to do the research, it’s not the first cigarette that will kill you, but if you have enough of them, one will.

3rd September 2024

A restless night, but a long oversleep meant a late breakfast, leading to not starting jobs until after mid day. Not ideal, but I had my list to push me forward. 

The first job on the list had to be abandoned because the contact adhesive had thickened and was therefore useless, so no edge banding.

I got the saw out and cut boards for a side table top and rough cut Elaine’s door decoration.

My mind wasn’t really into work today, it might be my man period time, everything annoyed me, I dropped things, and generally bad mouthed everything I could.

It is also the harvest time for the elderberries.

I sit in the evening stripping the berries from the stalks with a fork. Many hours of this ahead I expect.

We did some work on the dresser that still hadn’t sold, we thought it was the lock detail that was missing as the reason. Kelli ordered some escutcheons, and I fitted them, now I hope it will go.

2nd September 2024

Labour Day was here, and part of the celebration was to drive over to the north side to collect a free credenza, that we hope to convert into a buffet.

It sure was a heavy piece, even with the drawers out it weighed a ton. The back panel was three quarter inch plywood, so it is not surprising.

It stayed in the truck, I decided to wait until tomorrow to unload, maybe then I will have the strength.

We prepared for our family gathering, the Dyson vacuum went though the wringer as usual, Kelli’s relationship with it will never improve. I intervened to avoid it being thrown outside. 

We had decided to have sandwiches instead of a grill, I did not want a repeat of the forth of July debacle.

It went well, everyone brought a different filling and there was plenty for everyone. I had some wine to numb the experience, but needed a strong coffee to remain coherent.

The weather was perfect, and everyone enjoyed themselves even though Matt and Brenda didn’t stay very long.

I was able to wash up everything quickly allowing us to take the dogs for a walk, then settled down for a rest, boy, entertaining is so exhausting.

1st September 2024

We were busy this morning tidying up the back garden because we have Kelli’s family around for a Labour Day party.

This marks the end of summer, a time of sadness, I hadn’t achieved much that I had hoped, it was more keeping afloat. Plants grow, and look great, my priorities were placed elsewhere, there’s alway next year to do stuff.

Then we cycled up to Kelli’s mums to help Matt mount his TV on the wall upstairs.

Luckily he had a stud finder, making the mounting relatively easy. The thing itself was 72” wide, a monstrous beast. Once the position he wanted it was agreed, it didn’t take that long to get everything fixed to the wall and the screen mounted.

I’m not sure I would want a screen that large, the static alone would make my eyebrows stand out.

Next was trying to locate the water stopcock.

No one knew where that was, an important bit of information because the next job was to change the siphon in the downstairs toilet.

We ventured downstairs into the basement, the floor space above was riddled with copper pipes and taps going in all directions; victim of years of additions and alterations. I found the pipe leading to the outside tap, it was a larger diameter than the others, that was high pressure, I walked into the other part of the basement, the place where Dave had his workshop and there was the meter and the main’s stopcock.

I then got roped in to helping/ doing the change of siphon. The original problem was the water was not flowing fast enough to clear the toilet. I was not convinced that the siphon was the problem, but changed it anyway.

Sure enough it made no difference to the flushing force.

I suggested that there might be a restriction in the U-bend, I certainly was not going to get more involved in that part.

I had  done my good deed, and was adequately rewarded with a bowl of ice cream, with that I can put up with any thing, including two annoying puppies running about nipping at my legs. 

I did have a thought about sticking a pole up the little pup’s arse and shove that round the bend, but I didn’t,  that would not add to family harmony.

31st August 2024

It is very noticeable how the sun is moving into its autumnal position in the sky. The deck and seating now get shade during the afternoon, and a reminder that the year is sliding away.

It was time to plan the autumn jobs, of which there are many. The first one is to join the end of the berm with a flower circle set into the front lawn. Each is edged with stone blocks that we will have to add to. This is not easy; these blocks must be over forty years old, so getting ones to match will be difficult, even if we can find the exact ones today.

Kelli had an idea to advertise on the local free site, sometimes this could work, it would be wonderful if it does.

Kelli took her first bike ride since the accident, just a short route around the area, I kept my distance and she did okay, her wound has healed up well, and even she is happy with it.

30th August 2024

We made an early visit to the shooting range, well early for us, it was 11.00am. The place was busy, we had to wait till all the bullets ran out.

We had to use the hundred yard range, for our six yard targets.

After distributing about a hundred casings into the grass, we had to walk round to collect them.

We both suffered from good groupings, but bias towards our non dominant hand. So mine went to the right and Kelli’s to the left. With that established, and bit of aiming tweaks brought them more central.

I had promised Lloyd that I would help him unload his truck full of all their furniture.

I got there right on time and was introduced to a few more of his mates. Most of them looked older, it made me feel like the youngster.

It was savage work, especially in the heat, but after an hour and a half all the contents were transferred from the truck to a storage lock up. All the old guys were bathed in sweat, but no one died, most looked closer to it, but we all did our good deed.

It made me realise what crap we move around, most is sentimental rubbish that we know we have, that has no value, but we can’t bare to be without it. 

Lloyd was happy, but it will all have to be moved out again in a month when they secure their new home.

29th August 2024

It was all hands on deck to get the two dressers ready for collection.

The humidity was hampering the drying of the top of the tall dresser, alway a cause for anxiety.

It was all done, I was ready to start on the bedside tables for the same couple.

I had to forego my beer tasting session. Lloyd was bringing furniture from their sold home in Florida back to Holland where they have just secured a condominium.

It was quiet for the rest of the day, we had to have another pool time, these will become less frequent as we slip into September.

Our frog has been hiding from us for several days, that is our first port of call every morning, it might be too warm for it.