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| Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. |
I thank all that's sacred every day for that man. He keeps me sane, even on days like today. Today's one of those dates that is a marker, a reminder of family trauma and dysfunction and much more, the sort of anniversary that leads around an endless feedback loop of memory — of what it's like to live without love, but with someone else's unreasoning hatred. And today, as bad as that was and as bad as my physical pain is these days, he kept me not only sane but upbeat, able to push the pain down and climb on a stepladder and do what I needed to do, and that was an extraordinary gift.
It also allowed me to finish painting the spare room. He's leaning against the corner of the north and east walls, and it was the north wall (and the edging) that remained to be done.
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| Photo copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. |
I was also able to get the first color coat on each of the samples above. The question is which I'll use as the base and which as the final, but I'm reasonably sure that the first coat will be the lighter shade the left. Next will come a sponged-on mix of metallic silver and pearlescent white; last will be the other blue, rolled on and sponged off. They have turned out to be exactly the blues I want for my office (the open area at the head of the stairs), far better even than either the paint chips or the online color guides indicated.
But it has been an expensive week, and next week will be worse. We're still waiting on the truck, which concerns me; our mechanic is one of those scrupulously honest mechanics just like my father was, and he literally specs jobs down to the penny, but it's taking longer than anticipated, which makes me think there might be a bigger problem lurking than just the $1,425 we already know about. We had to order about $1,100 worth of materials this week, plus labor for the week and for the plasterwork by Sherm's crew this weekend. And the scratch coat for the exterior is going to set us back $4K.
So unfortunately, I'm not feeling especially confident right now with regard to any extraneous expenditures. We had hoped to give out of Monday's sale to a couple of folks in really dire need, but I think that's going to have to wait until we know what the deal is with the truck, at a minimum.
I have more work yet tonight, and a very long and busy day ahead of me tomorrow, so I'm just cutting and pasting the rest of this again. As I said last night, there's one caveat WRT to the Lowe's cards: They can be purchased in any denomination, I believe (I think the site said $10 to $2,000). I had to select denominations, though, for the wish list, which is why they're what they are, but people can always change it to a lesser amount. It all goes toward the interior work. Anyway, links are here (for us, and for the two other folks who need donations far more desperately right now):
But it has been an expensive week, and next week will be worse. We're still waiting on the truck, which concerns me; our mechanic is one of those scrupulously honest mechanics just like my father was, and he literally specs jobs down to the penny, but it's taking longer than anticipated, which makes me think there might be a bigger problem lurking than just the $1,425 we already know about. We had to order about $1,100 worth of materials this week, plus labor for the week and for the plasterwork by Sherm's crew this weekend. And the scratch coat for the exterior is going to set us back $4K.
So unfortunately, I'm not feeling especially confident right now with regard to any extraneous expenditures. We had hoped to give out of Monday's sale to a couple of folks in really dire need, but I think that's going to have to wait until we know what the deal is with the truck, at a minimum.
I have more work yet tonight, and a very long and busy day ahead of me tomorrow, so I'm just cutting and pasting the rest of this again. As I said last night, there's one caveat WRT to the Lowe's cards: They can be purchased in any denomination, I believe (I think the site said $10 to $2,000). I had to select denominations, though, for the wish list, which is why they're what they are, but people can always change it to a lesser amount. It all goes toward the interior work. Anyway, links are here (for us, and for the two other folks who need donations far more desperately right now):
We're okay at the moment on [the cash] front (although how long that will last is anybody's guess, given that we're in the final and by far the most expensive stages). So as I said last night, right now, the best ways to help are as follows: by sharing the link to Wings's site (preferably with a testimonial, if you have some of his work), because sales are gonna keep this thing rolling; and sharing the link to our wishlist (which badly needs updating), with an emphasis on the Lowe's gift cards, because those are what will help us pay for all the stuff that will make this place liveable, like a water heater and flooring and so forth.
As I also said, as far as folks in need of immediate help with donations. Lauralee needs help badly right now. So does Karen. Please share their links, and kick in if you can. They're both on much tighter timetables, and there are health and safety concerns at issue for both of them. That latter link goes to the newest diary on her behalf, which bfitz posted earlier today at the GOS; there's a $1,000 match on offer for her, and I think she's about halfway there.
For now, i have to get back to work (and back to juggling everything with regard to the house). Many thanks and much love to everyone. I did manage to get a distance shot of a bald eagle today, flying in front of Pueblo Peak, and I took that as a sign of what I keep saying: It's time to fight.
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Aji, 2017; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.
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