Embracing the Suck

It's a window!

My buddy Brent came over this past weekend and held my hand and led me through the process of putting a new window in an old wall.

So - now Missy's future bedroom has...no, not insulation, drywall, a ceiling, lights or electrical outlets...a window!

What's good is that it opens the house up: you can see from the front room all the way to the plum tree in the back yard. Light can flood (or trickle, as happens this drizzly week) in from the south. Nice.

The really trick thing is that it's weathertight and...ummm...fairly plumb. We did manage to bend more than a few nails. And I know that things have changed since the 1980's, but, still; a 2 x 6 is still a fricking 2 x 6. So how the hell come a 2 x 6 installed by The Former People is about 5.75 inches wide and a 2 x 6 purchased at the Janzen Beach Home Depot in 2008 is about 5.95 inches wide? Hunh?

Wussup wit dat?

But the good news is that the first window is in. Now we just need Mojo to settle on the windows for her little bank of windows in the corner and we'll be ready to start on the finishing; drywall, fixtures...

Missy may be sleeping in her bed for as long as a month before it's time to leave for her freshman year in college.

We christened the new aperture with "He'Brew", the Chosen Beer. All the tchochkes aside, the mensches from San Francisco make some pretty good suds. And appropriate, for work consisting mostly of carpentry, after all.

'Cause for a newly hired civil engineer my pal Brent is a pretty nifty carpenter.Meanwhile, Little Missy and Mommy and the Peeper watched TV, played and made Artwork.

Clearly they didn't know that Daddy had declared the static visual arts dead. Missy just wanted to scribble...While Mojo was making a Treat Board for the Peeper, to try and corral the Boy's raging lust for all things sweet.

We're working on that.

Sunday was a lazy sort of day until the afternoon, when we got ready to go visit our friends Millicent and Floyd and newly-two Nola!

As always, a big part of the journey is to arrive well dressed.

Missy, on the other had, believes that the best way to cycle around the house is "sky-clad".

Except for the mittens. Wouldn't want to chafe anything sensitive...

So - we went over to Aasgard, home of the God of Thunder who, despite her mom's publicly expressed fears of the effect of Processed Sugar On The Daughter, was a delightful hostess, played happily and smiled at everyone.

The cupcakes were good. And the little hand-held foam rubber rockets were a hoot.

But the "French 75s"? Mmmm...

Let's say that there was some darn good beer.

So - here's just some random images of the Birthday Girl having fun in the backyard.Nola had a lovely little dress on when we arrived (and played quite demurely in it for a bit) but changed into her rough clothes for some outdoor fun later on. I'm sorry I didn't get a shot of the dress - it, and she, were adorable.

I had come across a kiddie ride-on "loader" at the toy store earlier in the week and decided it would make a good Nola-toy. She seemed to enjoy scooting around on it in the fitful afternoon sunshine. Her dad sure liked the hard hat.

The Peep desperately wanted to play with it.

Missy wasn't sure, but it seemed oddly fascinating. So she hung around the job site. This may be a "nature" thing, being a girl from a rough, tough harbor town.


There was more than just digging!

Peeper had his fire truck. And there were stairs to climb, and dark doorways to explore. And gardens to run in (and over, sorry...).

There was also a tiny jungle gym/playset, that Missy, being the Queen of the Slide, had to try.

And there was a hose for spraying.Peepers, that is. And mommy's roller blades to wear on ones' hands.Anyway - this may be the last post for this week. I have a 24/7 gawdawful-hours job in Lincoln City. Playing the Dirt Nanny, too, in the rain, which is always entertaining. Ugh.

But we used to say in the Army that when things get really sucky you have to just let go and embrace the suck. So - for the record - I'm hugging as hard as I can. And it's up a 4 tomorrow to get back to the jobsite...so...

...goodnight.