Friday, November 9, 2007

Wanna see what I did today

So this project started out innocently enough (Oh shut up).

It started out with me wanting to re caulk around my bathtub because frankly, that shits been nasty since we moved here, and it's only gotten worse.

So I started out with these tools:
Can you see that caulk... EWWW people... but that's after I ripped off all I could. That's my sons knife and the only screwdriver my husband doesn't steal. Take note of the water damage that's been there since we bought the house too, it causes problems later.
So there I am, ripping out the old caulk and thinking "Self, that water damage drives you nuts, you should fix it."
So I talk to hubby dearest. You should know my hubby is not a repair type person. He'd just rather wait till it fell on him in disrepair than make an effort to FIX anything. He says, those faucets won't come out, you have to shut off the water.... at this point I'm tuning him out and plotting me revenge on the water damage.
I look up on the internet how to remove a bathtub faucet, because really, it wasn't as self explanatory as it should have been. 100 layers of paint/caulk/and glue didn't help matters.
Soon I had this:The water faucets.
And this:
Oh look! Tools I stole from the sons room, the water spout, and you can see a corner of the nasty strip I ripped out.

And here the big whole around the faucets in the wall. You can see the water damage.
At this point I am sure I'm going to go look for new sheeting stuff for around the tub. I have to at least replace this piece, because well, it's gross.
I start tearing out all the bars and soap holders and extra screws and almost got stopped by this:
That screw you can't see.....I have nothing to remove it with. So I went to the lumber yard to find a screwdriver and well, bought myself a new tool set. Ha. I'm putting a big padlock on it too. I did not find any sheeting stuff, well I did, but it made me choke on the price. While I was choking I realized I was hungry. I left and got lunch then headed to a bigger lumber yard.

Where they pretty much told me I was screwed. You see, my bathroom has no backer boards, no drywall, no plywood. Wanna see a man cringe? Say the words, "Ok, sure, but can I attach that right to the studs?" Turns out, tile wouldn't work, the tub liner sheet stuff was all U-G-L-Y, so I was back to square one. But I am nothing if not ingenious. Armed with an idea I made a call to hubby for a measurement. What I wanted to do would work. It's not ideal people and I don't recommend it, but most of you won't be dealing with a house built in the teens by men as mill workers homes. It didn't even have indoor plumbing originally.
So once I was armed with something to over up my mess once I tore it all apart, I came home and started the deconstruction process. What? All that I did before, that was just a little lite displacement of fixtures.
This:
This is what happens when Mama gets her hammer back.
That slat wall is the back of my sons closet.
The bottom board you can barely see is a redwood fence board. No kidding. The studs in the wall are true cut redwood which means a 2x4 is really a 2x4 and probably clear heart redwood too. An environmentalist just died somewhere.

I did tease my husband a little. I walked out of the bathroom as he was hauling off the mess and said:
"Okay, I'm done."

The next time we visit the bathroom we will see bead board walls surrounding the tub.
As I was sending off a package yesterday with the mystery gift I was reminded of a funny story from last year.

I participated in a secret santa gift exchange with people from forum that I belong to. I was SS for the NYCWD. He's probably wishing someone cool had gotten him like T or Avitable or KG. Preferably anyone who's taste wasn't all in their mouth and even that doesn't work so well.

But no, he got me instead. First off, buying gifts for ANYONE just about gives me the hives. Let alone someone I hardly know and then only from what I know of their "online" self. I want gifts to be meaningful or at least not some random crap that your all "Great Thanks" on the outside and all "Holy fuck what do I do with this shit" on the inside.

Ohhhh come on, you've been there , you know it!!


So I did a little research. I prodded his friends. I got a fairly decent idea of something easy and within our spending limit. The man loves chocolate or so his friends told me. GREAT! We have a great local confectionery shop and I'd bet a Moo Moo would be something he'd like to try. So with Moo Moo bars as an added gift to the box of treasures I sent off my package to the land far far away, New York, and I wait.

And I wait.

And I wait.

People who know me well know I do EVERYTHING early. Other people are getting their packages and Dawg isn't saying anything. I'm getting nervous.

I can't remember how it came down exactly (hey it was a year ago, what do you expect), I think I messaged him and asked about it because weeks had passed. Shortly after that they received a notice from the post office they had a package to pick up.
(The actual conversation is a figment of my imagination, but the basics are all true)
Dawgs Brother (on man I'm sorry) went down to get pick up the package. He was met by the Postal Inspector and asked to come into the back with him. There he was met by uniformed men and a dog named Brutus.
"Do you recognize these names, sir?"
"Umm...." To: Watchdog From: Fogspinner "Umm... Oh wait yeah, that's my brothers website."
"Do you know what is in this package?"
"Are you sure you have no idea what's IN SIDE this package."
"Nope, no clue."
"Our dogs have sniffed it out as possibly carrying drugs, we'll have to open it up sir."
"Uh, OK?"
So they tear into my packaging... *sniff sniff* it was a cute little snowman box... to find their drug sniffing dog had located 2 chocolate bars, 3 vanilla candles and a candle holder. Don't you feel safer in NY now? Personally I think Rover was hoping to score a box of chocolate chip cookies for Christmas. Then, then, they cut into the chocolate bars, because HEY the dog smelled drugs, man they have to be there somewhere, right?
No Postal Inspector dude, your doggie wants a cookie, got it?
Dawg's Brother has refused to pick up packages at the post office since. Can't say as I blame him much.

So as I was packaging up this mystery gift yesterday I was having myself a good chuckle. This one shouldn't get flagged by the drug sniffers. Though I did think about tossing a chocolate bar in there just to see.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

  • Package mailed. Recipient should receive it in a week. But knowing our mail system, it'll be longer.
  • One whole strip of project number 2 finished.
  • Half of a round done on the doily from hell.
  • Doctor paid off from Bill's surgery.
  • Work scheduled for next week.

Still a little woosy. I think I have a touch of what G had all week.
Hey Good morning.

It's nice to be awake. Yeah last night was a little spooky. And after 18 hours with no Advil this morning is rather spooky but for other reasons. No blood this morning. I did have Bill wake me up when he got home from work, you know, just to make sure I would. It was the light headed foggy woosie non- focusing feeling that was rather odd for me and made me the most nervous.

I took some Advil this morning though. I would have liked to go one more day without just in case, but I can't take the pain in my knees. I'd forgotten WHY I take advil like clock work. The intense throbbing and burning actually woke me up. Bleh. Stoopid knees.
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Ok enough with the crappy health news.
My barn is painted!
I have to go back and re-color match the bottom half, because the top does not match...at all. However, it will work as a primer coat and it is protected from this weekends rain in case I don't get it painted today. And we'll see.
That wood was REALLY hard to paint. I had even bought a roller for use on really rough surfaces and it didn't. So we painted it on with a 4" roller for smooth surfaces and that worked.

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I have found during this post I really over use comma's. I've deleted I don't know how many.

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I should get that package in the mail today, assuming I have the persons address. If I don't I guess it won't be a secret anymore. :-(

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

I came very close to escorting myself to the ER tonight.
Poorer sense prevailed.
I know I should have gone.
I just HATE going.
I did scare myself just a little with the amount of pure blood I was coughing up. It didn't keep up for long and I was back to coughing up the blood and nastiness that I'm used to seeing.

No advil tonight as it appears I need to clot up. Which means I won't sleep much. Whaa.... I'll just start crying now.

Yes yes MOTHERS I will call the reg DR tomorrow and go see him. I think it's time to switch off of my beloved Albuterol. *Sniff*

Ok Bionic Woman is on... Night.
God I hate cleaned cat boxes. You know why? They smell WORSE after they've been cleaned. G just got finished cleaning ours and now the whole house smells like cat ass. And why was G cleaning our cat boxes at 10:30 on a Wednesday morning you ask, instead of sitting in an institution of greater learning drawing self portraits and picking his nose? Because he's been sick on and off all week again.
Only this time his stupid sub wouldn't let him go to the bathroom when he asked so he puked in the trash can. Bet she thinks differently about saying no to a green faced kid again. I would have puked on her feet, but I'm a nasty bitch like that.
And why am I making him do slave labor when he's sick. Because I can. No really... he's right here and can puke (from either end) in the can anytime he wants. In between times this is no joy ride "oh lookie I get to be home, eating candy, playing my game boy, while watching tv, and eating everything not nailed down."
He'd be in school with a trash can at his feet if it were up to me, but they don't go for that anymore. I used to have to sit in the office all day with a trash can when I didn't feel good, still do my work, all while under the watchful eye of the office staff, who if they even for a second thought I was lying would call my mother and I wouldn't sit down for a week. Now it seems no one wants to play with the germs. Pussies.
Of course our principle had a wooden paddle in his office too and wasn't afraid to use it. I was still more scared of my moms leather strap than his paddle anyway. He didn't have a very good forehand.
So instead G will be helping me around the house today in between bouts with the porcelain thrown. As soon as the smell of cat ass wanes from the living room I'm going back to packing milk.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Tonight I know why I'm tired. We averaged 115.7 cows an hour where we normally milk approx. 100. I know I ache tonight. It didn't seem fast but the cows just weren't milking as much as usual which means they roll through the barn faster.