Sometimes it’s the simplest things.

Do I have to say it’s still hot here?  Getting tired of that,  and I’m sure you’re getting tired of hearing it.

Travelling Companion said it rained like crazy in Perth yesterday,  but we got barely a drop here.

Actually,  now that I think of it,  I was coming back from Hamilton at one point along the Beach Strip,  and there were a few sprinkles.  That was it.

Oh, and by the way,  that’s Perth Ontario, not Perth, Australia.  You’re welcome to do a Google Maps search if you’re unsure.  I’m sure you care.

So why was I coming back from Hamilton?  Why on earth would I ever go to Hamilton?  OK,  maybe Hamilton’s not that bad,  let’s not be dissing Hamilton,  I do know folks who live and work there.  Bless their hearts.

Got a call yesterday morning that a chair that we had ordered was in, and could I come and pick it up?   Now see,  we still don’t have a second vehicle.  I’m still flip flopping on the whole idea of having a second vehicle,  since I’ve been able to make do up until now.  Emphasis on “make do”.  There are times when a pick-up truck would be peachy keen,  especially when it comes to picking up sheet goods or a few bags of really stinky manure.   But hey,  the seats fold down in the Merc,  and just yesterday morning I took a trip up to Turkstra Lumber to fetch a couple pieces of Number Two Cedar.   I was able to put in two eight footers with little difficulty. I came up a little short in the cedar department for the trim I need to manufacture for the windows,  and Turkstra is one of the few places that have decent cedar.  I’ve given up long ago trying to get lumber from Home Despot,  since most of their stuff is crap.  Sad to say.  I suppose the average young wanna be “do it yourselfer” doesn’t actually know what decent lumber should look like?  Not sure.  But I either go to Tamarac Lumber, or Turkstra.  

Anyway,  rather than try and work out the logistics of borrowing my nephew’s pick-up (this would be the ‘03 Toyota Tundra that I sold to him in 2008) I just figured I’d go to Budget and rent something.  Worked out to slightly over fifty bucks for a van and fuel,  which is still a heck of a sight cheaper than one month’s insurance on a second vehicle.  It’s a nuisance to go and do all the signing and walking around and sh*t,  but hey,  it went forward when I put it in drive,  and the air conditioning worked.  That’s all I needed.

Of course,  I originally figured I’d just plank the chair in the garage until I could get some help getting it in the front door,  but when I went to take it off the back of the truck, I realised that I could more or less manage it,  so I just figured I’d get it up the steps and in the front door right then and there.

Now see,  that’s probably not something any sane person would do when it’s so freakin’ hot and humid out,  but I did it.  It’s in the living room,  it’s unwrapped,  and has been sat in.   I didn’t actually sit in it until after I had taken the truck back (and come home and showered),  because by then I was a sweaty mess.  It’s leather,  and I didn’t want to be sweating all over the thing.

I kinda like it.

It’s from a company called American Leather,  and it’s pretty sweet. 

We’ve had “furniture” from the chain store types of places,  and that stuff usually looks OK, but just don’t look underneath,  or sit down.   This thing is really well made.  

Anyway, that was one little job yesterday.

 

Today I thought I’d tackle an inside job that’s been nagging at me for a while now,  and that is the installation of our chandelier that T.C. bought in Vienna. 

Of course,  it has to go where there is no other light fixture?  Oh boy!

 

Right there in the middle of the dining room,  where I’ve slapped on some fresh paint.  I’ll do the rest later,  I promise.

But before that,  I have to get at the wiring.

 

 

However,  just taking the ‘can’ out,  isn’t going to help.

I guess I forgot just how I installed these two centre ones,  since the dining room actually used to be two rooms,  and I nailed these things onto the ceiling joists.  Fun…wow.

 

Oh, *that* kind!

 

Because,  you know,  I thought I was “done”.   Didn’t count on buying a chandelier.  Had no plans of ever taking those fixtures out, ever again.

 

 

At this point,  I’m just a big sweaty mess (again) so I figure I may as well go out and cut the grass,  which is something I’ve been dreading in this heat.

Oh, and no,  there’s no “after” picture.  I ain’t done!  Hell no.  I just gave up for today.  I’ll root around up there some more a little later on.  Maybe.

I think though that I might put down a couple old curtains,  rather than have the mess go straight onto the floor? 

 

And that was just the beginning.

 

Especially since,  after having swept up the most of it,  I discovered that the hose to the central vac didn’t work.  Gah!  Are you kidding me?

Wasn’t the outlet,  wasn’t the hose.  Had to be the switch.

But wait,  the switch works, it just didn’t want to work when it was in the hose.  I had to use the little alligator clamp there,  since I didn’t have a third hand.  Because I mean,  we have to take pictures of this crap.

So, a little six hundred grit wet and dry paper,  and now it works again. 

  

Again,  I suppose anyone else would have figured that was it, and just taken it to some vacuum cleaner Dude and paid the money. 

I mean, it’s not like I actually *know* anything.  I only have enough synaptic activity in my pea brain to barely keep my head above water.

 

And this is how you never get ANYTHING done.  Makes it tough when Travelling Companion asks,  “So what did you do today, dear?”   The answer is usually,  “Um, I don’t know…”,  because by that point in the day,  it’s all a jumble.

Dazed and confused.

 

 

Keep the water flowing.

 

Thanks for lookin’.

 

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