Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Is My Backside Still There?

It’s a legitimate question because I swear I have written my a** off this week! That’s not a bad thing either – except for the blog neglect. Sorry about that.

At one point today I remember feeling pulled in so many directions that it reminded me of being a kid and of a field trip we took to Kaskaskia and Fort Chartres about an hour or so away. I remember going into a shop where two old women were alternately rolling and pulling a bunch of taffy around on a marble tale. Finally, they each took an end and started pulling.

Yep. That was me! And that’s how I felt most of the day: being pulled in five directions and occasionally balled up and smacked down on a marble table.

As my day was wrapping up, one of my colleagues stuck her head in my door. “Got a minute for a house question?” I really didn’t but I nodded anyway, welcoming the distraction from the 100mph merry-go-round this day has been.

“Have you ever renovated a bathroom before?”

Well, yes. I’m currently in the throes of the third remodel of the solitary bath in This D*mn House in our more than 23 years of occupancy. Just talking about it made me grimace, too. Lately, as I’m showering or brushing my teeth or well, just in the room, I can’t help but look around at all of the things that are not done. But I digress.

Apparently, her home is a decade or so older than mine and was built with lathe and plaster walls. Her question was about that. I had to admit ignorance as it’s not anything I’ve ever worked with before. It seems she is taking out tile and wiping out all the wall behind it. Sounds like an ugly, ugly job. Joke though they may be, our walls are drywall so you just cut out whatever section isn’t doing it for you and replace it. It does NOT sound fun.

Speaking of houses, I need to run over and check on Uncle Bill’s. The HVAC guy came yesterday and it was indeed a faulty thermostat that had the house hotter than a sidewalk in July. The mother went to let the guy in and checked everything and dumped the water from the leaking washer hook-up so I didn’t even have to think about it yesterday.

I’m so tired. I don’t even want to get up. But, I know that if I don’t, the odds are not in my favor that I will anytime soon. So … off I go!

4 comments:

Victoria said...

The majority of the walls in our home are lathe and plaster on the inside. Our downstairs bathroom is going to be a nightmare when we tear it out. Its a layer of lathe & plaster- then mesh and mortar, drywall then tile on top. If your friend needs comforting just send her pictures of my bathroom. LOL!

Vicki said...

I'm catching up on my blog reading, seeing how my favorite DIYer is doing. We read about Kaskaskia yesterday! We're learning about Lewis and Clark's expedition and that name stuck out to me because I had a hard time pronouncing it at first. :) Anyway, just catching up :)

Kate R said...

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we really COULD "(fill in blank here) our @sses off"? I'd be on a perpetual treadmill trying my best to run my butt down to nothin'.

NV said...

Victoria -- GREAT idea!

Vicki -- Aw, :-) What a coinky dink!

Kate -- It sure would. About 15 pounds worth, please. :-)