Time flies when you're having fun. Have you heard that line? I think it is absolutely true. Especially when I am working with my lovely bride Stacie D (@freedomtowrite). In just a couple of months we will be married for 17 years. We have been together for such a long time, and I can't imagine going through this adventure without her. That very sentiment came up again while we were conquering one of the bigger jobs on the house we are staying in... painting.
She always laughs at me and says that I am not really a detail person. I laugh back at her and remind her that I am a custom knife maker and that I know all about details. She in turn reminds me that knives are art, but painting a house is just painting a house. It turns out that my detail work comes when I am creating, and not so much when I am just working through a mundane job like painting one color on an already set surface. When it comes to my weaknesses, she has the strength.
It was a big job painting the house. We didn't have to do the whole thing, but just the trim. It was a crap brown color and it was in very poor condition. It was peeling and falling off. The condition was very noticeable from any view point. The goal of the paint was to make the house really look nice for some pictures. Since we are prepping the house to be sold, someone was eventually going to see it.
For the most part I was just tearing into it. I am not overly fond of heights, but the job had to get done, and I felt pretty steady. I got the new color all stirred up, it is called chocolate chip, and I climbed on up on the roof. Whenever I do a job, I like to get the hardest or worst part done first and work my way to the easier things.
After hours of painting were done, I found that there were a couple of tricky places that I couldn't quite reach. On two sides of the house there are some very steep roof lines. I actually climbed all the way up to paint them, but just kept sliding down. My oldest son helped me, but I still couldn't hold still enough to paint. No worries though, I have a secret weapon... Stacie D!
We managed to wrestle a ladder up onto the roof where we were working. She isn't too overly fond of heights either, but she has a grit in her that would rival the toughest people in the world. She is willing to do whatever has to be done, and she does it well. When we built our house at the old homestead, she actually climbed up a ladder about 24 shaky feet and painted the house. So that's what we figured out how to do here. How to get her safely up there and get the trim painted.
The idea was simple. Set the ladder, dig it into the shingles, have her on the ladder, have me hold the ladder with my feet and hands. It may see sketchy, but it was like a rock... atleast until the wasps started buzzing around. Anyway, she scurried up the ladder and got the job done. The back of the house was easier because of the breezeway. It made the falling part not seem so bad. The front of the house though, it was steeper, and the sun was starting to get pretty hot.
When we got the high stuff all taken care of, she agreed to stick around and help paint some more. It actually has turned into a whole family project. I love that as the kids get older they are capable of doing more detailed work. Once, someone told us that we were stronger when we were together, and I agree. All of these house projects have gotten crushed because of team work.
What really makes working together the best is the play. I'm sure at some point there is a time to be serious, but that is when safety is involved. The older I get, the more I realize that thinks can be fixed or changed easily, so don't stress it as much. That is what happens when I lure Stacie D in for a mid painting smooch. A sweet kiss for me, and a full cheek chocolate chip ambush for her.
Life never gets boring when you are living it.
Thanks again for joining me for a glimpse into our adventure. Be sure to come join us on the Inner Blocks discord, and learn about the amazing #lifehappening project.
Be well
~The Yeti
Join me on Inner Blocks Discord https://discord.gg/zyqFjJ3
Wow congratulations I can't wait until I find love like that 💯🐒
😃