Feed me

Ever seen a mad kitty cat?  Here is what one looks like:

Where have you been?
Do you know what time it is?
Do you know my bowl is empty?

She really does look mad in this photo.

It's been one of those days.  *sigh*

Pepper and her brood are not the only ones yet to be feed.  We just got home after a good day of getting the washer and dryer hooked up and a bad day of plumbing issues and 6 trips to the hardware store.  Let's just say that right now you need boots in the basement of House #2.  Plumbing and sewage problems are not what we had planned for today, but that's how the day turned out.

We have had enough for the day.  Our original plan was to get the washer and dryer hooked up at House #2 and had back over to House #1 to do more demo.

But it's ok.  Tomorrow is another day.  Yes, we will be laboring on Labor Day, but we will be laboring for ourselves. 

Walt Kowalski is out making a fire.  I'm making ravioli and garlic bread, the cure for a bad day of plumbing in case you didn't know. The day may not have gone as planned, but the evening will bring some enjoyment.

Happy Labor Day.

Long weekend

It's too nice to be at work today.  There are so many things I would rather be doing. This includes, but is not limited to:

 

• trimming trees (Cat ranch)
• moving things in the garden  and working in the yard (Cat ranch)
• cleaning out the closet room (Cat ranch)
• cleaning out storage (Cat ranch)
• taking down walls and ceilings (House #1)
• filling a dumpster (House #1)
• repairing a wall (House #2)
• paint a basement wall (House #2)
• building a laundry room (House #2)

Do you see dealing with annoying co-workers, students and their parents on this list?  No, no it's not.  Yet, that's what is on today's agenda on this beautiful sunny day.  *sigh*

You realize right, that when it's raining or snowing or cloudy or foggy I say the same thing?

The only thing making this day progress any faster is the egg sandwich Walt Kowalski brought me.  Delicious.  Thank you, Walt Kowalski.

There is a holiday this weekend.  Make that a LONG holiday weekend. An extra day of no co-workers, no students, and no parents on the phone.  Ahhhhhhh.  It's not the beach, but it will have to do for now. 

 

Last night, on our way home from ceiling removal at House #1, I noticed everybody had their lights on.  It was getting dark out.  It was only 8:20.  It's getting darker earlier.  It was hot and humid last evening, so most houses had their front doors or windows open and I could see inside.  It's like peeking into a slice of another person's life. You can see their decorations, the curtains, and the photos on the walls.  You can see who is watching the football game or doing the dishes from dinner.  You can also see the shoes piled in the corner of the front hall or the clutter of papers on the kitchen table.  You can see into garages and sheds, too. I'm glad I'm not the only one with clutter.

The only lights in the upstairs of House #1 are a the hallway light and an attic light.  The house was wired so the light switches worked outlets.  That's fine for a bedroom reading lamp, but not so fine to work. We have wire and lights ready for installation so we'll be able to work later than dark.   Before we can do that, we need to get the ceilings and walls taken down...it's a circle.

Right now, dark is a good time to quit working at House #1 for the day.  Especially after spending 7 1/2 hours at work, an hour at the gym, it's 85 degrees outside and over 95 inside when you're wearing a dust mask, and there are starving cats at home.  But losing a few minutes of daylight every day will mean losing a few minutes of work.  The time change is looming on the horizon. 

 

But there is a three day weekend ahead.  Walt Kowalski and I have a list of things planned at all three houses.
 

 

 

Here's our new ladder.  32' Did you just hear a tree shiver?  We'll also need it to take the chimney down on at House #1. See, we've already found another use for it.

Come on quittin' time.

Reminder

Just a quick post this morning.  I hope to post again today.

We need a little boost today.  It's been a long week.  If you hold your ear up to the screen you can hear the seagulls.

Current Progress

Chain Saw Johnny called last night.  He's not going to be able to make it over to work on tree felling this Saturday.  He had three reasons.  They were good reasons.

1. It's a holiday weekend. 
2. They have a party to go to on Saturday.
3. He's got the poison.

Poison ivy that is. 

All three good reasons.  As a person who gets the poison ivy easily, I understand.  Walt Kowalski and I always *try* to take good precautions to prevent the accidental outbreak.  Working in 80 degree weather in long sleeves, long pants, gloves, a hat, and boots is never fun. 

But neither is the two weeks of itching and oozing of the poison. 

I take extra precautions.  After I tie my work boots, I wash my hands.  After I touch the tools we used the previous week, I wash my hands.  After see poison in the yard, I wash my hands. 

The last time I got the poison I was very lucky.  I had it in two spots on both of my hips.  It took me a day to realize how after wearing long sleeves and long pants I got it on a place that was covered. 

Darn bathroom breaks.  The oils must have been on my sleeves.  ARGH!!! Would someone please work to create a product you can spray on your clothes to see if you have poison ivy oils on you. Thank you.  And looking back, I'm very lucky I only got it on my hips.  Now I'm even more extra-er careful. 

Walt Kowalski got it in a similar fashion.  After a day of work, I went inside to shower and he stayed to tend the fire.  It was hot and he took off his long sleeve shirt, sat down, and had a drink.  In the process, he rested his naked elbow on the knees of his work jeans. Those same work jeans that had just been through the poison.  ARGH!   

Sounds like Chain Saw Johnny did the same thing. *sigh*

Anyways, here's some photos from House #1. 

The walls are really coming down. This is in the back bedroom looking through to the front bedroom.

Walt Kowalski took that blue ceiling down last night.  I worked on the pale green walls.  The ceilings are the worst.  Coal dust.  Black extra dirty dirt.

 

This is the view from the "new" bathroom, through the closet into the master bedroom.

 

That's the burn pile for this weekend's bonfire in the master bedroom.

 

We were up late last night.  Late for us on a "school night" is 11:30pm.  We were waiting on the washing machine.  I know that sounds silly, but I wanted the clothes in the dryer before we went to bed.

 

We have our favorites that we wear to do this dirty work.  I shouldn't call them our favorites, I should call them the dirties.  They are the clothes we don't mind getting dirty and sweaty. 

 

Boy do they get dirty. 

 

So dirty that I won't wash anything else in the load with them.  AND I use the super dirty cycle (actually called stain wash) that takes 2 hours 45 minutes. 

 

But they come out clean.  Every time.  Even the white towel we use to wipe our hands and face comes out clean.

 

Now if only I could get the dirty out of my nose and ears so easily. 

Round the world

 

 

The Cat Ranch is point A.

House #1 is point C.

House #2 is point B.

Some days take us in this path:

 

 

Some days take us in this path:

 

 

And some days are this:

 

 

No matter which path we take, things are progressing.  Walt Kowalski is working on the laundry room at House #2.  I did some small things like tighten the chairs at the kitchen table and put a new handle on the front door. 

 

Everyday more and more plaster ends up in the dumpster at House #1.  The walls are coming down.  The dirty work will end soon.

 

 

 

Perspective

Walt Kowalski's kids are coming over this afternoon.  It's Grilled food day.

Veggies
Chicken
Silver Queen
Zucchini
Brownies

I'm also making a casserole of parmesan squash and sauce for later this week.  We had hot peppers stuffed with Italian sausage last week.  I love meals that I have already cooked.  So easy when we work a double shift. 

What we call a double is not what other people call a double.  Our double is working 7 1/2 hours at the University, making a quick stop home to change into work clothes, and heading over to work at House #1 or House #2 until dark (or later).  That's our double.

Walt Kowalski and I commute together, work in different buildings (but see each other at times during the day), sometimes lunch together, commute home together, and work on the houses together.  For some, this might be too much togetherness.  I'm certain there are times we drive each other crazy.  I call it love. 

The Chain Saw Johnny and the Mayor were over yesterday helping to taking down trees on the front hill.  They got all but one that was too entwined in the wires.  They did a great job. 

But talking to the Mayor after the tree cutting made me realize how fortunate Walt Kowalski and I are. 

The Mayor's significant other was working a 16 hour shift followed by a 12 hour shift today and another 12 hour shift tomorrow.  When she gets home she's exhausted and is exhausted for her entire "day off" the next day.

They see each other only one or two evenings a week. 

Maybe that schedule is what works for them.  Maybe they are happy with their individual alone time.  I don't know.  I shouldn't judge.  All I know is that schedule wouldn't work for us and we are very fortunate our schedules are so similar. 

Either way, the Mayor was a big help with his quad and trailer.  We got the cut trees up to the burn pile much easier with his help and we entertained him for the day.  It was a win-win situation.

Out at the club

It's Friday.  It was a busy week at work.  International students moved in Sunday.  Freshman moved in on Thursday. Broken dishwashers.  Computers that don't work. General chaos.  Welcome back to school.  (Is it Thanksgiving Break yet?)

Enough of work.  Quitting time.  It's Friday night.

Time to go to the club.  Sign the book. Shake hands. Do the meet and greet. Have drinks and dinner. 

We have an exclusive club.  Only two members.  Six if you count the cats, but they don't pay dues.

We went to our club.  We finished work at four and headed to the Y for a workout.  (We made it there three times this week!) Signed the book (scanned our membership cards) Got cleaned up.  Shook hands and did the meet and greets.  (Hello to the regulars the Preacher, Park, Old Biddy, Regis and purple lady) Came home and had dinner (salad and pizza) and drinks (pumpkin beers and Yuengling Oktoberfest).  Pie for dessert. Pie. (Thank you Grammy) 

This is our kinda club.  Our exclusive club. 

Walt Kowalski made and excellent fire.  Burning here is the lath from the second floor of House #1.  We worked on it Tuesday and Thursday nights.  So dirty, but so much accomplished.  My boogers are still black. 

We don't need a club.  We don't need to be social with the wannabes and sign the book.  (We work with the wannabes, but that's another post.)

It is a beautiful night.  The typewriter bugs are humming.  The stars are out.  The Eagles are playing on the radio.  Walt Kowalski is playing along.  Hooty the owl will be around soon.  (That's a whole different post, too!)

Life is good.  LG.