It's been a while since I have written a long blog, but I've been sick off and on for a while. But today, I must tell the story of the Rube Goldberg effort. Necessity is the mother of invention!!
First, I want to thank the great people at my local Home Depot – Ashley, Brad, and Kim for all their help (especially Ashley). Without their help, I would not have gotten this renovation job done.
A couple years ago, the tiles on the back wall of my bathtub area started to come loose. As time wore on, to prevent them from falling off, I put duct tape on them. One year later, more duct tape. When the tiles started tilting forward, I finally decided that something had to be done.
With Ashley and Brad's help, I priced the materials to replace the back wall of tiles and the proper method to do so. It seemed like hard, complicated work.
On another day, I priced the fiberglass insert (3/5 piece walls) – my other option. The insert and adhesive were about the same price as replacing just one wall. After talking to the experts (mentioned) at Home Depot, I decided to go with the fiberglass wall insert method. Kim, in the Home Appliance department, helped me pick out the Allura style insert, which the inventory list said was available. However, it could not be found while I was there. It was a Friday, and more stock was due in on Monday, according to Kim. I said I'd wait.
The next morning about 8 am, I got a call from Brad at Home Depot. He found the Allura box in the overflow stock area overhead and it was available for me to come pick it up. That to me is dedication to the job. I had spoken to Brad when I was pricing the tile replacement job. Kim related to Brad that I was looking for the item that was suppose to be in the store, and he took it upon himself to find it for me. Saturday, I went to Home Depot and purchased the tub insert and the greenboard drywall.
Sunday afternoon, the guy who was going to do the job showed up with his helper. The helper turned out to be the contractor, and the one who agreed to do the job was the helper, after the job started. A tarp was put in the tub and I pulled the duct tape off the wall and all the tiles fell into the tub. There was nothing behind the tiles in that section. The plaster had desintigrated and fell behind the tub wall under the house. As the workers removed the rest of the tiles on the wall, there was only a small bit of deteriating plaster between the rear studs.
The top of the back wall was in tact and usable; the right side wall was totally in tact; and half the left side wall was useable. Therefore, only three-quarters of the back wall had to have drywall attached, and half of the front side.
The next day, the insert was installed with the tubes of adhesive I had purchased. The glue residue from the tiles was still on some of the wall area. It was sanded down and drywall mud was applied to cover that area.
Tuesday the guys came back to apply a second coat of drywall mud to the wall area. After it dries, it can be sanded and a primer coat of paint applied to protect the wall from moisture. In order to assist in the drying process, I put my small space heater in the bathroom overnight to keep the room warm. It worked, because it was all dry by noon the next day.
They were coming back to sand and primer on Wednesday. I contacted the “helper” but got no response. I contacted the “guy” but got no response. So now my handyman said he will finish the job. I bought the paint and primer.
After being without a proper shower area from Sunday to Wednesday, I took it upon myself to “make-do.” Rube Goldberg was always an inspiration to me, because my father would speak of him often. I used old-faithful duct tape to attach both my shower curtain and liner to the wall around the shower. The walls had not been caulked yet. It worked! I got an 'almost real' shower.
Needless to say, the contractors never came back after they got paid. I won't be recommending them any time soon! But they did get the job done those three days. My handyman came to sand and primer the wall areas on Thursday. Saturday he came back to paint the entire room after I stripped the walls of decorations.
On Sunday morning, I opened the paint can and touched up a few areas that needed attention and began to put the room back together. The wall decorations went up, the floor (and everything else) was cleaned, and the shower curtains went back up on the rod. When I was finished at 3pm, the room looked like a normal - newly decorated – bathroom. Success!
The finishing touch was to add the border around the tub wall that matches the ceiling border. After 3 pm, I got my first REAL SHOWER in my newly decorated area and it was GOOD. One week without a proper shower area is too long; sponge baths get old fast.
If it were not for the help I got at Home Depot, this job would not have been done in a financially responsible manner. I also want to thank my best girlfriend for her assistance in getting this mission accomplished. She is a TRUE friend!
I usually don't talk politics on my blog, but I will be so glad when the November elections are over. It probably won't change much in the Ohio State House or in Washington D.C., but I won't have to wear out my mute button on the remote to stop the lying ads on TV.
The dirty money in politics has overrun the airwaves with ads that are downright lies, because politicians are trying to BUY this election. The Republicans are the worst. I am so sick of listening to the lies and twisting of the truth, it is outrageous.
So everyone - please get out to vote on November 4th, because by then I will probably have worn out the remote button to stop hearing the lies. There is no law against lying in television ads, and the Republicans are sure taking advantage of every inch they can crawl under our skin.
I've decided they should make larger mute buttons on every size of remote control. I would like to have one like in the photo, so I could just smash it until November 4.
More than a year ago, I was used and treated badly by a young man the same age as my son. He took advantage of me and hurt me deeply. I had helped him in many ways and gave him unconditional love and support. I want to say - I forgive him.
One sermon at church this year was about forgiveness and the words really hit home with me. I must forgive to let go of the pain and move on in life. He will no longer have any space in my life, but I have released my feelings and have inner peace now.
In August, I had another devastating loss, but one I have learned to deal with and move on. A former friend said something that was not true, because she did not know all the facts of a situation. When I verbalized this, she abruptly turned against me and we are no longer friends. It is hard to deal with a person who thinks they are ALWAYS right, even if they are wrong. When there is no empathy, and the person does not have the will or courage to apologize, I accept the loss and move on. I forgive her for treating me badly, and sometimes using and (self-admittedly) manipulating me. I now have inner peace, because I have released the pain from my life.
Forgiveness is the best way to achieve inner peace, because it releases all the pain and bad feelings from within. It also allows the past to become the past, not ever present on the mind. I feel better because true loyal friends would not treat another person in this way. I am probably better off today than I was a year ago.
One of the first things that happened during my two week (approx) hiatus from blog writing, was the window fail in my truck. It happened during the second half of September and I called my friend, and trusty mechanic, to have him fix it. Being so busy, it was a couple weeks before he could get to it.
The passenger side window would not roll down so I just didn't use it. I don't like to use the air conditioner in the truck except when the temperature is above 85 degrees outside. I like the fresh air.
My mechanic came over and picked up my truck, took it to his garage and took the door panel off to check the motor and track. He called me a little while later and told me that the regulator on the window motor was dead. He called Auto Zone (where he used to work) and got a price and it was in stock. I drove my car to Auto Zone, picked up the part and delivered it to him. Within two hours total, my truck was fixed and he brought it back to me. He is just GOOD at what he does!
I took this picture while dropping off the part, because I had never seen the inside of a door panel on a Chevy truck. The front panel is on the left, hanging on by the electrical wires that are enclosed in the door. The motor is attached to the outer door under the plastic covering. The truck is now fixed and ready for winter.
This week was a birthday I was happy to celebrate. Duke turned six months old and is such a good, smart dog. He is growing rapidly thanks to Mars Pedigree Puppy Food.
Duke is now 24 inches tall at the middle of his back; 22 inches long from the base of his tail to the base of his neck, and weighs 44 pounds - AT SIX MONTHS!
At or about six months, Duke needed his third in the series of DHL/Parvo/etc shots so I took him to the vet. The vet gave him a mild checkup and said his legs were growing (almost) too fast for his age and asked what I was feeding him. After I told him, he said to switch him to regular adult dog food now, instead of waiting the usual next six months for him to turn one year old. He said I could mix the food until he adapted to the adult food. I mixed it for two days and he was ALL IN for the other food. He loves mealtime. No more puppy food for this graduate!
My cat likes to play with Duke sometimes, slightly teasing him. She will sit on his blanket and dare him to join her. One day I found him straddling the cat on his blanket, but not in a captive manner. I discouraged him from doing so with a stern look. I haven't seen him do it since.
I talk to him often and he seems to understand and responds appropriately. We are now working on the STAY command, since he has mastered the other five standards so far. He continually amazes me with his intelligence, love and devotion.
I was on my way home from Home Depot the other day when I saw something that made me stop on the side of the street. When I saw it, the vehicle brought back memories from the late 1960s to late 1970s.
After doing a little research, this model of Volkswagon Bus was made between 1968 and 1978. I did not check the taillight housing for its exact year, because there was a woman in the front seat at the time.
The Volkswagon gave me the impression of travelers on a great journey cross-country or vacation. The bicycles on the back give them transportation in campground areas possibly. The two cargo haulers on top might mean they have all or most all their personal belongings with them.
The vehicle was parked at one of the local laundromats in town. During their travels, they have probably stopped in several cities to wash clothes. I didn't see the rear license plate, but I did notice that the vehicle comes from a state that does not require a front license plate. (Not Ohio)
I remember seeing many of these VW buses while growing up in the 60-70s. What a rare find here in my hometown!
I took some time out to deal with a home renovation which was very necessary this month. I have neglected my blog, but now that the job is finished, I can get back to THINKING again. Tomorrow I will start to share the events of the past few weeks, so please stay with me. Thanks.
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