Monday, August 19, 2013

Over cooked

As Jimmy Buffett says, 'And I must confess, I could use some rest.  I can't run at this pace very long.'

Walt Kowalski and I agree, we go to work on Mondays to rest. Why did we do so much this weekend? Then I look at the rain outside of my office window this morning and I'm glad we pushed hard this weekend. We have been so fortunate with the weather this summer.  We've had sun when we needed sun and rain when we needed rain.  There have been days we've worked through one when we were really hoping for the other, but overall we have been fortunate.

We got an early start Saturday morning.  Walt Kowalski and I weeded the front bank and put down new mulch around the azaleas. 

Don't give us too much credit just yet.  We have been driving around the pile of mulch in the driveway for a month now, so don't be giving us too much praise.  Chain Saw Johnny and his lovely wife came over in the afternoon.  The plan was to take down 1 big cherry tree, 1 clump of 5 smaller cherry trees, and a big oak up by the new shed. The first big cherry tree they took down was not as rotted inside as we expected.  It produced some quality firewood.  

At also took us three times as long to clean it up.  The big oak will stand another week. 

Every time Walk Kowalski goes outside, you hear trees shiver in fear and whisper to each other 'Look short, so he won't take us next.' The pines out front need the bottom branches removed.  That is on the agenda for this fall, too.

We got the new electrical box installed at House #2 early in the week.  The old box, although still functioning was not insurable.  blah blah blah we've already gone over that. As it turns out, worse than uninsurable, water was leaking into the old box. Not just a little water and not just recently.  It looks like it was leaking for years.  Water and electricity.  Now there is a good mix. 
 
 
 
Now the new breaker box is upstairs, away from water, and insured. 

Sunday we were planning to go to House #2 but after they spent a drama filled night spent in the ER (all is good now) the family wasn't in the mood for company working in their laundry room.  That's fine, they will just have to visit the Laundromat for another week or so.

Change in plans and over to House #1 we go.  Tra la tra la. An empty dumpster arrived on Thursday afternoon.  WG (the future homeowner of House #1) is doing a great job of taking down the walls and ceilings.  The dumpster was already 1/4 full by the time we got there on Sunday.  Walt Kowalski gives him a few instructions, points him in the right direction, and away he goes. 

WG and Walt Kowalski worked upstairs taking down more walls, lath, and ceiling.  I worked downstairs cleaning up lots of bits and pieces left over from wall removal and carpet removal.  The broom will only get so much.  I picked a lot of the big stuff out of the corners by hand and then ran the shop vac.  

I'm sure you're thinking, 'Really?  You're running the sweeper? Why are you running the sweeper now?'

I thought the same thing several times because it seemed like it wasn't doing anything, but looking back, it did help.  It picked up the smaller pieces of plaster, lots of the dirt and dust, and I could empty the shop vac into the dumpster. 

Things I learned this weekend:
1. There's tired, more tired, and really tired. I had all three of those this weekend. 
2. Tripping over roots in the dark not once, but twice, hurts and is stupid.
3. Don't overfill your shop vac or you won't be able to lift it up to dump into the dumpster.
4.  Sometimes two showers are necessary when you're really dirty. 

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