Another Lifetime to go

28th August 2024

My first task of the day was to put a call in to my credit card company. I was looking at my monthly statement last night and noticed two transactions that I did not recognise.

The first was a modest amount of a few pounds, the second was about ten times larger, I can only imagine what other amounts would have occurred if I hadn’t checked.

The phone call was short and ended with my card being cancelled which was a bummer as soon I was planning to book my flight back to the UK. Now I have to wait for the replacement card to be sent to my cottage in Bradford on Avon and for Ryan and Louise to send it out to me.

I don’t know how these things happen, the only time I let the card out of my site was at a recent restaurant, I can’t believe it could have happened there as I’ve been there many times without a problem.

So with my money returned and my card useless we had to go shopping.

I was in a particularly dozy mood as we didn’t get much sleep, people were annoying me. ladies standing in front of the chiller doors stopping me collecting the items we needed.

I’m glad we survived and got out quickly, otherwise I might have bitten someone’s head off.

Late afternoon I had to drive to the shooting range to meet up with James our ammunition pimp, he had purchased a thousand rounds for us through “ his contacts”

I didn’t realise how heavy they were until he handed me the box, my hands and head dropped towards the ground, it was only my hidden strength stopped me looking like a complete burke.

27th August 2024,

I was intending to take things a bit easier today, I had two tops for side tables to finish, that would be enough.

But things didn’t work out that simple. I got side tracked into modifying the old bench to fit into the new greenhouse. 

Kelli had to paint wash a top and drawer fronts, but it wasn’t going well. The heat of the day didn’t help, we needed a plan B.

We didn’t have a plan B and the pressure was building up as we promised these two dressers would be finished mid week.

The finish we were going for was to match a piece they had already bought, but some of the timber was not the same so the colour wouldn’t match anyway.

Kelli eventually contacted the buyer and got a concession which was a bit of a relief.

I managed to get the bench finished and installed, and as we expect rain tonight it was important to get all the stuff back inside the new enclosure.

A dip in the pool was a welcomed escape from the craziness.

26th August 2024

“ It’ll take me an hour and a half tops to build that greenhouse “ I announced confidently.

In reality it took over five, and I thought I was going to die, it was so hot and humid, I must have lost all my fluids.

Kelli alway rushes out with cold water because she knows I don’t think about such things until I pass out.

What was confusing was in installation instructions, some parts were bloody obvious others downright confusing.

My biggest gripe with it is the height of the doorway. At five foot six it is ideal for someone from China but for me, a few inches taller, I hit my head too many times to keep count.

I needed a float around in the pool to take rest, before adding the final touches.

It is not the best product, but for the money it was cheaper than buying a new cover for the other structure. Hopefully it will last a bit longer as well.

25th August 2024

It was not the perfect day to erect a new greenhouse, the humidity was high and the slightest exertion was a sweaty experience.

The good news was someone wanted our old greenhouse, we laid out the framework and cover on the driveway ready for collection.

When the truck arrived a Dad and his son climbed out of the cab. The lad was using crutches, as he had broken his leg. The greenhouse was for him to build up his flower growing side hustle. We were happy that it was going to be used for some benefit.

Once they had left, I had to start on the new build.

The footprint was slightly different meaning I had to rebuild the foundation pads to fit the new wooden frame that the greenhouse will sit on.

It was hot work, the clothes I was wearing were soaking wet, very unpleasant.

As soon as everything was level and square, it was pool time.

Was that refreshing? I could have remained there for the rest of the day, but I wanted to set the greenhouse floor frame out before stopping for the day, with yet another set of wet clothes.

24th August 2024

I did something today that I never thought I would do,  put on red MAGA hat.

Now you might think that I’d lost my mind, and I would agree with you, but over time I’ve had a different train of thought.

This all happened because the was a Trump boat parade on lake Macatowa, and we had been invited to take part by a couple of elderly girls who we often see down on the lagoon when we walk the dogs. I say elderly, in fact they were my age, but we don’t talk about that.

We knew they were Trumpers since 2016 but they were nice people, so we were excited to sail on the lake again.

When we arrived,  they were preparing the boat complete with Trump flags and hats. 

We were joined by two more ladies, making me the token male, as long as I didn’t have to do anything heroic, I was alright with that.

I was obliged to wear the hat even though it burnt my skull putting it on.

We travelled through the lagoon and joined the main lake, there were many crafts of various sizes all heading towards Lake Michigan.

Suddenly I was overwhelmed by the feeling of community and comradely, this was joining a flotilla of solidarity.

I was quite moved by it all; watching the excitement by the girls, who seemed to know a lot of people.

The lake got choppy as the large vessels cruised by,  there were pontoons small motor boats right up to mega monsters.

Kelli enjoyed herself waving and whooping at passing crafts, although the many spiders on the boat kept her busy.

It was also a great opportunity to see the lake side houses that we cannot see from the road.

As we moved through the narrow channel towards Lake Michigan we then turned around and returned back the way we came.

It was over an hour before we returned to dry land, throughly exhausted and hungry.

The girls gave us the hats and flags, so we walked back to our house, it then crossed my mind “ I hope Mike and Lesley don’t see us” and seconds later they drove passed us.

No doubt tutting at the spectacle of me in a Trump hat, which I will never live down.

23rd August 2024

Today I felt like I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about doing anything. It was not that we had a bad night, it wasn’t brilliant, but I didn’t have much interest in things. 

I did a bit of scraping, and a bit of wood cutting, but that was the extent of it.

Of course the day was taken up by the announcement that Robert Kennedy Jr was suspending his presidency run and joining Trump.

That was big news everywhere.

I like RFK Jr, I’ve read his books, and I share his concerns regarding bad food and the Covid vaccine poison. I dislike Trump, but I recognise the common things they agree on.

What is interesting is what position he will hold in Trump’s new administration, if he wins.

Whatever that will be, the establishment will be shaking in their boots, it could be that big changes will be coming, and for America that can’t happen soon enough.

Finally the truth about the JFK and RFK assassinations will be exposed, it will, what many have believed, will show the involvement of the CIA, and how the FBI have covered it up.

It was interesting that the announcement was made after the Democratic convention finished.

I’m sure it’s an “Oh shit” moment for most of them, now the fun begins.

22nd August 2024

The night was not good, Kelli struggled to get to sleep for several hours. She thinks that some of the food she had eaten may have caused her digestion issues. Anything deep fried could have been the reason, so the mozzarella sticks that nearly killed me were probably hers.

I was not going to let a disturbed night hinder what I wanted to do.

Kelli had some food to make in the kitchen leaving me time to cut some wood.

By the time she was available to do some painting I had mostly finished.

We made good progress on the two pieces that we already sold, and I moved the two side tables along.

I suggested to Kelli that we ask the couple who bought the two dressers if they wanted a pair of side tables; she duly contacted them, and they did, however not the ones I was working on.

We had a pair that we bought a couple of days ago from a dodgy apartment. They require a bit of work to get them in a decent condition, and purge the smell of weed from them.

So despite the bad start, we made good progress, but I was looking forward to a better night ahead.

It looked like Larry is having another last ditch attempt at a yard sale. There were a lot of new things laid out on his tables, I’m hoping that he has a good response to it over the weekend.

I think this is his last chance to clear his basement and workshop, he did mention to me that he wanted to get rid of everything his daughter would have to do, after he was “gone”

21st August 2024 

Shopping day has come around again; the fridge  was empty and the breakfast was modest. After a couple of hours it was bursting with goodies again.

I was due to meet up with Lloyd for more beer tasting, but he called and suggested I bring Kelli along to join him, and his wife Nancy for dinner.

After arranging a time we got on with a bit of work in the garage. We were keen on getting the two dressers that we’ve already sold. 

It was necessary to get some paint mixed because Kelli had mixed the colour herself for the piece they had already bought. The nearest paint matching specialist was on the way to the shops, an excellent time management example.

We stopped on the way back, but it had not been done. The place didn’t look at all busy, they certainly had the time, that put paid to the painting session.

We sat outside at the Carragh, the evening was warm, and there was live music, Kelli and I ordered a starter of Mozzarella sticks. When they came I dived in not realising what they were. I learned very quickly that they had to be cut into small pieces otherwise the soft cheese feels like you’re swallowing a snake. The first piece started to slide, I panicked, and I thought I was going to choke to death. I kept my cool, as no one has ever died at the Carragh, and I wasn’t going to be the first.

If it wasn’t for the Old Speckled Hen I don’t think I would have survived. 

My main course was Bangers and Mash, that is what I call a meal. With a pound of sausages stuffed into a mountain of mash potatoes, doused the rich gravy it was formidable.

It was wonderful, I often dreamt about it ( which was a sad thing to admit) this was my Everest, I was going to conquer.

I restricted myself to one beer (I didn’t want to make a pig of myself) which was enough.

I couldnt manage all the mash, I felt good about, not devouring it all, showed my self control.

20th August 2024

It felt cold this morning as I rode to the corner shop, “ I should have had sleeves” I said to myself, as my teeth chattered.

We were making an early start, mainly because Kelli awoke at seven and let everyone, including the dogs, that she wasn’t happy about it.

I wanted to make some progress on two pieces that we had just sold.

The couple who bought the TV cabinet wanted more dressers, so contacted us. 

It just so happened that we had a tall four drawer and a long six drawer. With a deposit in the bank it was full speed ahead.

I was darting by about doing things to both pieces, filling holes, sanding, repairing drawers, I was on a roll. If I had roller skates I could have done more.

I even had time to cut the grass in the back garden.

Four the last month I have been giving the dogs a supplement known as “Dog Rocks” these are supposed to reduce the nitrogen in their wee. The trouble is I don’t know if it’s working. The only way I could see if any new patches appeared in the grass was to remove the dead patches dotted around the back lawn. If any new burnt areas appeared, I would know the answer.

19th August 2024

I thought it was time for me to take an outdoor shower, yes it was time to pressure wash the north side of the house.

There is no method I have found to avoid getting soaked.

There is a certain satisfaction in washing off the green stuff and revealing the clean siding underneath.

I started early, even before breakfast, and whilst Kelli was washing her hair, I was also getting mine wet.

It is also an opportunity to use my three stage extending ladder that I alway wrestle with. It has these safety clips that have a mind of their own.

The answer is to get it the right way up, then it works perfectly.

I remembered how to connect the pressure washer, the hose that connects to the nozzle it’s quite stiff and difficult to handle, but I persevered and got everything clean.

The activity in the garage got off to a slow start, there are a number of pieces awaiting our attention, so a masterclass of drawer front stripping went into top gear.

I also needed to repair damaged drawer fronts from the two side tables.

Late afternoon I drove down to Elaine’s to do a final check of the template for the ornamentation above her front porch.

Thank goodness it fitted, and all the other details agreed.

Then we spent time going through the masses of timber she had stored around her property. Her late husband was a bit of a collector/ border, and had amassed timber of all kinds. Selecting some pine planks I loaded them into the truck and headed home, tired and hungry.