Bob's List

Bob never ceases to amaze me! He told me the other day that he had concocted a list... a list of some of the things that he'd been planning to do to the house. This was a marvel as we've made so many lists and done so many things, but so many more remain to be done. And as was discussed in an earlier blog posting, so many projects revolve around so many other things being done first. You know the complications; it's a home owners version of that old song about "the knee bones connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bones connected to the hip bone" and on and on. In this case, the starting point has to be my closet at the top of the stairs...
So this is what occurred on Sunday in really hot weather. We went to Home Depot and purchased lumber and plywood and metal tracks for closet doors. This will start the construction ball rolling as once the closet is complete, I can move my clothing from downstairs in my studio annex. That will enable a move of art supplies and a cabinet out of the living room and into the studio annex. The moving of the cabinet will free up the actual front door. Yes, we have one of those! So...
We came home and I volunteered to be the demolition crew. Bob gets to do all the building but I love a good mess. So I donned protective gloves, face mask, safety goggle and full body armor and went to work tearing out that nasty old sheet rock and decaying insulation and wood from where it was hiding behind a plastic sheet and a large painting of mine. The wonders and many uses of modern art!
What lie beneath was really pretty bad. I think I featured a horrid picture several years back when I attacked this area with bleach and attempted to stabilize a disaster created by the previous owners failing to deal with a big leak in the corner of the upstairs dormer. I carted away several contractor's bags of moldy sheet rock and pieces of stud that dissolved as I touched them. No kidding: we barely had a wall at all and there was day light showing through and yellow jackets coming in. Such fun when it's 90 degrees and stunningly humid!

But Bob got to have all the fun the next day when he suited up and repaired and replaced all that punky wood with fresh new 2 x 4's and pieces of plywood to shore up the wall. This corner had needed attention since we moved in so it was  good to just dive in and do it. Poor Bob worked all day reinforcing the wall. But it looks sound now.
The next step is to install new insulation and replacement sheet rock. Then Bob can frame out for the actual closet. There will be a shelf space up above to store blankets and bedding.

Here's his list. Lousy shot, but good things will come of it. Progress is being made.