And so it begins.

Just about ready to lay my buzzing/throbbing head down,  but figured I’d put up a couple pics that I took today.

We’ve started on “Operation Beautification”. 

I just made that up.  There’s no real name for it,  although “sweat your ass off in the humidity” would be a good one.

Because,  it was a hot day.  A muggy day.  An “Oh please let the wind blow”,  kind of day.

 

 

I had a set of scaffolding delivered this morning, and it’s up.  So much easier to work from a scaffold if need be.  It did take us a little while to figure out exactly how we were going to go about the whole thing,  and we did get a pretty good chunk of work done.

There are a couple other little issues that have bugged me from the first time I laid eyes on this house some time back in the 80s,  and that was how the structural members on either side of the opening didn’t quite line up.  So while Carpenter Dude was busy futzing about,  I removed the metal plates that held the one side in place,  and we sorted that out.   I did have to use a two ton jack to take a strain on the cross member, since it didn’t want to budge otherwise. 

I’m talking about that shiny plate there.  Not only did I remove it and move it,  but I also routed out an inlay to make it flush with the surface of the wood.  It’s ultimately going to be covered completely,  but I didn’t want to get too far along without fixing this vexing issue. 

I don’t know what they were thinking. 

Honestly,  I wish I had taken a “before” picture,  because the way it was not lined up was pitiful.   I’ll be sure and take a picture of the other side tomorrow..

(it’s just as bad!)

We packed it in around five,  and I sent Carpenter Dude on his way.  That just left me with the task of putting the windows back in temporarily,  which ALSO meant having to trim off some bits, due to the crazy ass swelling of the wood due to the humidity.   Did I mention how drippingly humid it was today?   It was brutal.

Best part of the day?

 

Daughter Number Two and hubby brought dinner.

 

Two different kinds of steak,  along with salad and a bunch of other stuff.  The one on the right is some marinated thing that I wasn’t really too sure I liked.  Daughter Number Two couldn’t remember how it was fixed up,  but her boss had prepared it a certain way.   Whatever.

The one on the left, (I think it was porterhouse?  Gah,  can’t remember)  I marinated myself for about an hour or so.  ‘Twas very good.  Let me tell ya.

 

We’ll be back at it again tomorrow,  even though it’s Canada Day.  I need to get this done.  I’ll take pictures.

It’s going to be a bit of a rough couple weeks.  Hoping it won’t take that long.  Might need to refill my bottle of Ibuprofen.

 

 

Keep it between the ditches.

 

Thanks for looking.