Monday, March 22, 2021

Something is always breaking around here

 In what I call the Parlor, which is really just the backend of our long living room, we have this full-length mirror covering one wall.  It's obvious that at one time a window was here, looking out on our neighbors' gangway.  I'm sure there was a practical reason for covering it up with a mirror inside and siding on the outside.




Last Sunday it broke.  We don't know how or why.  That is to say, we cannot pin it to anything.  Just one moment it was fine and the next we noticed a crack.  We did have Katness' kids over, as well as our neighbor's girls, but they all appear as shocked as we were and at their respective ages, lying isn't quite a thing yet.  



I don't think anyone was the explicit cause.  Maybe a large vehicle drove by and caused some vibrations?  or maybe it was just the mirrors time.

The irony is that when we first bought this house, I said I was gonna see what was behind that mirror and even get rid of it.  Instead, we put a bookcase in front of it, and then later my secretary desk and called it a day.  As we got rid of furniture and as the kids grew, it was nice having the open space.


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Sunday, March 21, 2021

A touch of Spring

Over the years we have had some makeshift furniture.  We started out with a patio set I got on clearance from Bed, Bath and Beyond when we still lived in the condo.  I was proud that I had waited until just before July 4th to nab these because they were discounted by $100 and with the 20% coupon, it was such a deal.  



After those bit the dust, we made do with various chairs and lounges and whatnot.  Mostly because every summer might have been our last here.  And it wasn't always the best outdoor space.  But since getting the railings fixed and finding a more permanent pergola solution, our outdoor space is cozier than ever.  Also, now that our kids are older and play with the girls down the street almost every day, that deck is gonna get a lot of use.



Last year, I watched for sales on patio furniture.  I missed the window and everything decent was sold out.  This year I decided to act sooner.  I thought it would be a hard sell to Nightingale since I'm still unemployed and we don't know how much longer we will truly live here.  But then we realized that we are gonna use that space every nice day possible from Spring until late fall and even beyond.  And while it will not increase the value of the house, it will stage the home nicely to show that there is a cool deck that everyone can enjoy.



I showed Nightingale a few links and she picked one before I could refill my coffee.  It arrived last week and it took the better part of an afternoon to put together.  It isn't high end but it isn't cheap stuff either.  I'd say it's just below the middle of that spectrum.  We should get at least two seasons out of it, but I'm counting on more.  

I also bought a sunblock shield from Walmart and replaced the canopy that came with the Aldi's pergola.  I didn't take them out of their packaging until Saturday but was pleasantly surprised to see that they match.  I still need to figure out a good way to tie everything down for windy days so that nothing gets destroyed.  And we probably should get an outdoor rug just to make it look pretty and keep little feet from getting burned on the composite deck.


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Monday, March 15, 2021

Attic Stairs painting project

I've wanted to paint the stairs that lead up to the attic for some time.  So I finally knocked that project out last week.  Previously, they were painted white but the paint was fading and the stairs looked dingy and dirty.




I used a grey-colored paint called Cyberspace (SW7076) from the Sherwin Williams shop a half-mile away.  Shop local.  Even with my 30% discount coupon, it still cost $30 for a gallon, of which I used maybe two inches from the top worth of paint.  On the plus side, I did not need a second coat.  




I didn't think it would take quite as long as it did.  In fact, I probably could have knocked it out in an afternoon if I really pushed myself.  But the window of opportunity requires kids to be at school and no other distractions or errands.  After doing the top stairs and the landing, I called it a day that first Monday.  



The second day I got a few more stairs done but was tired.  I skipped the next day and then finished up on Thursday.  If I had prepped better, the painting might have gone smoother, but sanding in that tight space isn't really an option because cleanup would be difficult.  And again, it's just an attic access.  Other than my Facebook friends, no one is gonna judge.



I thought about doing nice, neat lines of caulk where the grey meets the leftover white meets the purple walls but I'm not a nice, neat person.  

NoteI had typed up this post when my computer crashed before I could hit save.  This post is a shell of what that post covered.  

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