Tink! Tink! Tink! OW!!! Dammit! ^%$#%^^ OW OW OW!! FML! A hammer is NOT compatible with any part of my anatomy.
I now know why the make chisels with guards these days. After yet another trip to Home Depot, I now OWN said chisel with guard. And another 240# of concrete mix. And another 25# of hydraulic cement. And three tubes of Sika Construction something or other...
At least it's a gorgeous day, and I should be able to knock out the remainder of the driveway adjustments. Failing that, I'll go play in my garden. Dirt is ever so much more forgiving than concrete.
Showing posts with label Home Depot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home Depot. Show all posts
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
The Driveway Saga, Part Three
It's done! The first concrete driveway repair is done! Well, at least Le Canyon Petite is full of concrete and is curing. The center seam is still being chiseled out, but that's cake compared to what I've just completed. I find that a chisel and hammer are effective tools for both meditation and processing anger. Nothing quite like visualizing an enemy's face while busting up the concrete...
Anyone who knows me understands that I'm not exactly Math Girl. I have to say, though, my calculations for concrete quantity needed based on just eye-balled dimensions were 95% accurate... However, 95% isn't 100:% - thus the 3rd trip to Home Depot. I was only off by about 3 cups, dammit! The under cuts took more of the grey, stony stuff than my eyeballs saw to calculate.
It took two 80# bags (plus a smidge of a 3rd bag) of Quikcrete Commercial Grade Concrete to fill the crevasse properly. I was freaking out, worried that I wouldn't have enough time to get more before what I'd already done had dried. To be completely honest, there was also a good dose of bottled up road rage verging on going postal about having to race back to Home Depot again. It's not like I could just go next door to D's house and ask her, "Hey, could I borrow a cup of concrete?" She'd laugh her head off. It's not like she wouldn't loan it to me, of course, but we're talking about reality here. Borrowing peanut butter for a mousetrap, OTOH, is another story for another time. I don't eat the stuff, but apparently it's the bait of choice for the little buggers. Thank heaven for my good neighbor.
Anyone who knows me understands that I'm not exactly Math Girl. I have to say, though, my calculations for concrete quantity needed based on just eye-balled dimensions were 95% accurate... However, 95% isn't 100:% - thus the 3rd trip to Home Depot. I was only off by about 3 cups, dammit! The under cuts took more of the grey, stony stuff than my eyeballs saw to calculate.
It took two 80# bags (plus a smidge of a 3rd bag) of Quikcrete Commercial Grade Concrete to fill the crevasse properly. I was freaking out, worried that I wouldn't have enough time to get more before what I'd already done had dried. To be completely honest, there was also a good dose of bottled up road rage verging on going postal about having to race back to Home Depot again. It's not like I could just go next door to D's house and ask her, "Hey, could I borrow a cup of concrete?" She'd laugh her head off. It's not like she wouldn't loan it to me, of course, but we're talking about reality here. Borrowing peanut butter for a mousetrap, OTOH, is another story for another time. I don't eat the stuff, but apparently it's the bait of choice for the little buggers. Thank heaven for my good neighbor.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Home Depot
Must. Get. Supplies.
Did I mention that Home Depot is like a ToysRUs for grown-ups? At least for this grown-up.
To be fair, I went in with a list. I stuck mostly to the list, and kept within my supplies budget for GSD. Then? Then I saw all a multitude of beautiful doormats on display and, well, got sucked in. The old doormat was, well, OLD. And SHEDDING. and UGLY. And cats had peed on it (I made it up.. jsut a little fib). And no one would leave a baby on my doorstep if they saw that doormat (does anyone ever do that anymore?). And honestly, the Big Bad Wolf would smirk, point and laugh at it and walk away without even TRYING to blow down my house. (Get a grip!). At this juncture, I realized that I'd gone right round the bend and just bought the damn thing. The cool, stripey doormat that matches the terracotta brick wall and aubergine trim on my house jumped into my shopping cart. Sue me.
I bought some more odds and sods including 2 tubes of driveway goo for the expansion joints, a tube of 3m marine sealant, 2 tubes of silicone latex caulk, a bucket of hydraulic cement, a bucket of joint compound, which promptly fell over in the back of my car and opened (GRR ooey gooey messy GRR), 2 different masonry trowels, work lights, a can of Great Stuff foam, a bit of door trim for floors between the kitchen and the living room, and a very manly yellow and black rubber Stanley utility knife, named Fat Max. Heretofore we will be known as Fat Bastard.
I have to stop buying caulk. I have enough. MORE than enough. K understands this malady, but she's also got eleventy-billion tubes of the stuff for much the same reason! Even with all the Caulk of Insanity (The Princess Bride lovers will even hear the voice that goes with my bad pun) ... I had to get another caulk gun. I was like, are you kidding me??!! Not because I didn't have one. In fact, I have two. However, the tubes of expansion joint goo are HUGE and will not fit into a standard caulk gun. It's a racket, I'm quite certain. Modest caulk on steroids and gone mad, I tell you! I give you Big Blue. Quite certain these things are made by men that are over-compensating, but I digress. However, I'm going to have to wait a few days to use the thing... my hands still haven't recovered from the first attempt at sealing the joint properly.
Oh well. I'll always have spackling! Frankly? I'd rather have Paris.
Did I mention that Home Depot is like a ToysRUs for grown-ups? At least for this grown-up.
To be fair, I went in with a list. I stuck mostly to the list, and kept within my supplies budget for GSD. Then? Then I saw all a multitude of beautiful doormats on display and, well, got sucked in. The old doormat was, well, OLD. And SHEDDING. and UGLY. And cats had peed on it (I made it up.. jsut a little fib). And no one would leave a baby on my doorstep if they saw that doormat (does anyone ever do that anymore?). And honestly, the Big Bad Wolf would smirk, point and laugh at it and walk away without even TRYING to blow down my house. (Get a grip!). At this juncture, I realized that I'd gone right round the bend and just bought the damn thing. The cool, stripey doormat that matches the terracotta brick wall and aubergine trim on my house jumped into my shopping cart. Sue me.
I bought some more odds and sods including 2 tubes of driveway goo for the expansion joints, a tube of 3m marine sealant, 2 tubes of silicone latex caulk, a bucket of hydraulic cement, a bucket of joint compound, which promptly fell over in the back of my car and opened (GRR ooey gooey messy GRR), 2 different masonry trowels, work lights, a can of Great Stuff foam, a bit of door trim for floors between the kitchen and the living room, and a very manly yellow and black rubber Stanley utility knife, named Fat Max. Heretofore we will be known as Fat Bastard.
I have to stop buying caulk. I have enough. MORE than enough. K understands this malady, but she's also got eleventy-billion tubes of the stuff for much the same reason! Even with all the Caulk of Insanity (The Princess Bride lovers will even hear the voice that goes with my bad pun) ... I had to get another caulk gun. I was like, are you kidding me??!! Not because I didn't have one. In fact, I have two. However, the tubes of expansion joint goo are HUGE and will not fit into a standard caulk gun. It's a racket, I'm quite certain. Modest caulk on steroids and gone mad, I tell you! I give you Big Blue. Quite certain these things are made by men that are over-compensating, but I digress. However, I'm going to have to wait a few days to use the thing... my hands still haven't recovered from the first attempt at sealing the joint properly.
Oh well. I'll always have spackling! Frankly? I'd rather have Paris.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Saturday - Garage seal, Home Depot and Plans
My Get Shit Done list is huge - seriously. I keep it on an Excel Spreadsheet, tasks separated room by room. Each room or area has a sub-list. Lest anyone think I'm Miss Organization? I'm SO NOT. I have ADHD.... I wish!
At any rate, I do have periods of hyperfocus. When that happens, I used it to the fullest extent possible, whether it's weeding or beading or making lists. In one of these periods, I created my GSD list.
Yesterday I started or completed several things. I painted the spare room door to match all the others.
Materials used:
Wash rag
Small bucket
TSP to clean/prep it
An old towel for a drop cloth
A paint roller
A Purdy brush to paint around the door knob
A paint tray
Paint
Saran wrap for the roller and paint brush in between coats
A Stanley phillips head screwdriver to loosen and the reattach the door knob
Job took a total of 1 hour. This has been irritating me for >> 4 years<<! What a lesson in Just Do It.
I prepped and began fixing the concrete seal between my driveway slab and the lip of the garage. A few days ago I chiseled out some of the cracked patch cement, pulled away the old, gooey seal and then filled what I could with reach Great Stuff foam. http://greatstuff.dow.com/ I really hate how that stuff is almost uncontrollable and sticks to every damn thing, BUT it's aces for filling gaps and cracks. Yesterday I trimmed the excess away with a utility knife, loaded my caulk gun with Quicrete concrete repair went to it. Suffice to say that hard to squeeze that stuff out is an understatement! I'm not a wimp, but I finally gave up and used the edge of a step to push the caulk gun handle and spread the concrete seal stuff with a putty knife. It's ... okay, but it wasn't enough to really do the job well. I needed something that would be flexible, easier to work with, and would fill larger gaps.
Time for a trip to Home Depot!!
At any rate, I do have periods of hyperfocus. When that happens, I used it to the fullest extent possible, whether it's weeding or beading or making lists. In one of these periods, I created my GSD list.
Yesterday I started or completed several things. I painted the spare room door to match all the others.
Materials used:
Wash rag
Small bucket
TSP to clean/prep it
An old towel for a drop cloth
A paint roller
A Purdy brush to paint around the door knob
A paint tray
Paint
Saran wrap for the roller and paint brush in between coats
A Stanley phillips head screwdriver to loosen and the reattach the door knob
Job took a total of 1 hour. This has been irritating me for >> 4 years<<! What a lesson in Just Do It.
I prepped and began fixing the concrete seal between my driveway slab and the lip of the garage. A few days ago I chiseled out some of the cracked patch cement, pulled away the old, gooey seal and then filled what I could with reach Great Stuff foam. http://greatstuff.dow.com/ I really hate how that stuff is almost uncontrollable and sticks to every damn thing, BUT it's aces for filling gaps and cracks. Yesterday I trimmed the excess away with a utility knife, loaded my caulk gun with Quicrete concrete repair went to it. Suffice to say that hard to squeeze that stuff out is an understatement! I'm not a wimp, but I finally gave up and used the edge of a step to push the caulk gun handle and spread the concrete seal stuff with a putty knife. It's ... okay, but it wasn't enough to really do the job well. I needed something that would be flexible, easier to work with, and would fill larger gaps.
Time for a trip to Home Depot!!
Eat. Pray. Love. --- Yeah, right.
Eat. Pray. Love. The multi-gazillion copies of the book printed, translated into 40 languages, made into a motion picture starring the fabulous Julia Roberts about one woman's year long journey to Italy, India and Bali to find herself after a horrible divorce. The already wildly successful woman who thought she was an old maid at 36. The Home Shopping Network is pimping EPL merchandise to coincide with the movie's premier - candles that smell like Italy, India and Bali, dream journals, tacky rhine-stone encrusted bracelets. The Daily Show even did a send up in one of their "news reports" last week. Now THAT was funny... thanks, dude!.
Yeah, I read it. Parts of it were touching, funny, poignant and frankly all too familiar, especially right now as I go through my own horrible divorce. Face it... who wouldn't want to go globe trotting for a year to such fabulous places, without a care in the world other than well, eating, praying and/or loving? Wouldn't that be grand? Ah well, maybe I'll just buy the candle set to remind myself that yes, I'm worth it. I deserve it. I matter. Oh please. Come back to real life, people. Lessee, would the candles smell like fascism, raw sewage and genocide?
Truth be told? I'm jealous. I'll admit it. There have been a couple of times in my life where I would have LOVED to piss off for a year. Frankly, I'm quite sure that anyone reading this would most likely agree. D. after she lost her daughter to cancer 2 years ago. My friend S who lost his little boy. For me? Lessee. When were those times.... After I survived cancer? Yup. After my boss/mentor/friend died after her 4 year struggle with cancer? Yup. After the love of my life just walked out? Yup. After being violently ill for 4 months with a recurrance of Lyme disease that nearly killed me? Yup. After the one person in my family that I loved more than life itself died in less than a week? Yup. Let me tell you, there isn't ANY candle or dream journal that's going to replace a year off in paradise after a year of hell on earth. But the fact of the matter?
I can't. My friend K. who's experiencing her own private hell, orders of magnitude larger than my own, can't. Why? Because we have to work. We have responsibilities. No work = no money = no food, clothing or shelter. Because even though we're struggling through our own hellish divorces, and crises of faith, we are not privileged, wealthy, or have publishers willing to give us an advance for a book we'll write after our year of eating, praying and loving because we're already successful. We have to carry on with our lives because any savings we had are now gone, spent in large parts supporting our husbands and trying to build lives with them. Hers because he was an "artist." Mine because he lost his job, so I cashed out my retirement fund. I was banking on his potential. Partnerships and lives that we thought we were helping to build, create, live... until the boys (and I'm not going to call them men) decided, for one reason or another, to leave.
So with all my thrashing around, and crying and struggling for the last 12 months... actually the last 4 years, and frankly letting things fall apart? Projects half done. Minor. Major. Everything in between. I looked around and made a list. My GSD list.
Get. Shit. Done.
Then one night last week, while on the phone with K, I spackled a small area in my kitchen that's bugged me for YEARS. Took less than 5 minutes. Didn't think such a small thing could be a really a big deal until I saw it the next morning when I was brewing up a pot of tea. I looked at that spot and ... !!! I didn't feel resentful, frustrated, ashamed, angry at myself, or my ex for leaving yet another thing half done/undone. Instead, I felt HAPPY and PROUD OF MYSELF. Such a small thing that turned out to be and AHA! moment. *I* did that. *I* fixed it. No one helped me. In that moment, I decided that I want to feel like that every day by attending to the needful here at home. Instead of looking around in despair, I want to look around and feel proud. Hand tools! Power tools! Learning! AWESOME!
For the next 12 months, I'm going blog my progress as meditation while I move through the divorce. I can meditate or I can spackle. How about I meditate WHILE I spackle? Yeah!
Home Depot, here I come!
Yeah, I read it. Parts of it were touching, funny, poignant and frankly all too familiar, especially right now as I go through my own horrible divorce. Face it... who wouldn't want to go globe trotting for a year to such fabulous places, without a care in the world other than well, eating, praying and/or loving? Wouldn't that be grand? Ah well, maybe I'll just buy the candle set to remind myself that yes, I'm worth it. I deserve it. I matter. Oh please. Come back to real life, people. Lessee, would the candles smell like fascism, raw sewage and genocide?
Truth be told? I'm jealous. I'll admit it. There have been a couple of times in my life where I would have LOVED to piss off for a year. Frankly, I'm quite sure that anyone reading this would most likely agree. D. after she lost her daughter to cancer 2 years ago. My friend S who lost his little boy. For me? Lessee. When were those times.... After I survived cancer? Yup. After my boss/mentor/friend died after her 4 year struggle with cancer? Yup. After the love of my life just walked out? Yup. After being violently ill for 4 months with a recurrance of Lyme disease that nearly killed me? Yup. After the one person in my family that I loved more than life itself died in less than a week? Yup. Let me tell you, there isn't ANY candle or dream journal that's going to replace a year off in paradise after a year of hell on earth. But the fact of the matter?
I can't. My friend K. who's experiencing her own private hell, orders of magnitude larger than my own, can't. Why? Because we have to work. We have responsibilities. No work = no money = no food, clothing or shelter. Because even though we're struggling through our own hellish divorces, and crises of faith, we are not privileged, wealthy, or have publishers willing to give us an advance for a book we'll write after our year of eating, praying and loving because we're already successful. We have to carry on with our lives because any savings we had are now gone, spent in large parts supporting our husbands and trying to build lives with them. Hers because he was an "artist." Mine because he lost his job, so I cashed out my retirement fund. I was banking on his potential. Partnerships and lives that we thought we were helping to build, create, live... until the boys (and I'm not going to call them men) decided, for one reason or another, to leave.
So with all my thrashing around, and crying and struggling for the last 12 months... actually the last 4 years, and frankly letting things fall apart? Projects half done. Minor. Major. Everything in between. I looked around and made a list. My GSD list.
Get. Shit. Done.
Then one night last week, while on the phone with K, I spackled a small area in my kitchen that's bugged me for YEARS. Took less than 5 minutes. Didn't think such a small thing could be a really a big deal until I saw it the next morning when I was brewing up a pot of tea. I looked at that spot and ... !!! I didn't feel resentful, frustrated, ashamed, angry at myself, or my ex for leaving yet another thing half done/undone. Instead, I felt HAPPY and PROUD OF MYSELF. Such a small thing that turned out to be and AHA! moment. *I* did that. *I* fixed it. No one helped me. In that moment, I decided that I want to feel like that every day by attending to the needful here at home. Instead of looking around in despair, I want to look around and feel proud. Hand tools! Power tools! Learning! AWESOME!
For the next 12 months, I'm going blog my progress as meditation while I move through the divorce. I can meditate or I can spackle. How about I meditate WHILE I spackle? Yeah!
Home Depot, here I come!
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