But I have to admit: the man can carpenter pretty damn good.
This weekend we started from where Brent and I left off; windows in place but no further. In the space of two days we Tyvek wrapped the exterior, cut and nailed up the siding, caulked all seams and nailholes, sprayfoamed the larger gaps, and put up the insulation inside.
I'm pretty overjoyed with that.
We - okay, Mojo and I - called it "Hail the Patriarchy" weekend. The Guys did all the Guy Stuff (measuring, sawing, nailing, grunting and arguing) while the Gals did all the Prairie Muffin Girly Stuff (cooking, shopping, child-herding). The children, well, what do you think they did?
So all the exterior work that's left at this point is trim and paint. Sweet!
Interior? Ugh. Not so good. Drywall, wood floor, panel ceiling, trim, electric finish and paint. And I hate fucking drywall. Do you hear me, drywall. Yes.
So there it is: the outside of Missy's bedroom in all its' glory. Our little garden saint and the pot-bellied Garden God lurking in the vinca seemed to nod approvingly and the last of the siding went up and the room was sealed from the weather. Thanks, Dad-in-law. You get a pass on your next fatuous remark. And take ten dollars out of petty cash.
8 comments:
Give Dad a break. You probably drive him nuts too. Here he could be out on the river fishing or on a golfcourse playing 18, but he has to play nursemaid to his brainiac son-in-law.
I hope you have Z-flashing at the top of those windows.
Watch that horseshit drywalling, man. You're good, but you'd better be damned good, or it'll eat you alive.
And, yeah, give the old boy a break. Just remember he has to put up with you, too. And he's probably certain his daughter could have done better. Never been a father-in-law who felt differently. Other than mine, that is.
Oooh! Snap! Okay, I'll cut the Papi some slack, though, I have to be honest - and I'm talking man-to-man honest, not son-in-law honest, here - and say that the man could pester for the U.S. national pestering team. He's just that kind of guy, the kind that will let you struggle with a ginormous piece of siding at the top of a ladder, wait until you get the first nail in, and then say diffidently "So...how are you going to deal with that split in the other end of that board?"
I love ya, Dad. But...
And, yeah, that's the reason I hate drywall. It hates me back and will bite me if it can. I'd sooner get a root canal. Ugh.
"So...how are you going to deal with that split in the other end of that board?"
Serves you right Chief. Pop-Pop sounds like my kind of guy. He shouldn't have to spend his weekend teaching an ingrate which end of the hammer to hit the nail with.
Besides if he is as good as you say, you might need his help with the drywall.
If he is not available then just slap the drywall up however, and cover all your oh-shits with grass-cloth wallpaper. It covers all sins, is easier to hang than regular wallpaper, is paintable, and comes in many different textures.
Wallpaper? Mike, how could you? I won't bore you with the details, but more than 35 years ago, as a fairly newly wed guy, I had my go-round with that damned stuff when my bride "thought it would look nice." We almost split up. Suffice to say, I don't do wallpaper.
And now she's talking about it again, redoing some stuff in the kitchen. I gave her the look and said, "I'll be busy when you do it." She started to ask, "Since I haven't decided when to do it, how do you know you'll be busy then." But then she caught the look.
Paint, baby. Always paint.
KUDOS on the windows, Chief. Well done. Very well done.
*robust applause*
Mike: I'll go with you on getting Papi to help with the drywall.
And I really do like the guy. We are just VERY different people. I know I drive him crazy, too. We'll always be that way, and we've pretty much had to agree to get along like two cats sharing the same food bowl. We walk very carefully and never approach each other too directly.
Publius: Word, bro. I made the mistake of papering a bathroom early in my first marriage. Not saying it contributed to the divorce, but it sure made for some ugly scenes!
C: Thank you!
CHIEF,
hope you wear your eye and ear protection. Your work looks good.
I just built a house and 50% of my downstairs walls are windows. at our age we need more light to counteract our old fading eyes.keep up the good work and I'll hire you to update my workshop ;)
jim
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