Saturday and behind schedule

I woke up at 6:30 AM, started a pot of coffee and posted yesterday's Blog. It is an overcast, gloomy day this morning. Be that as it may, I have things to do and appointments to keep. I stripped the bed and threw the bedding into the washer.

Next, I shave and shower, drink a cup of coffee, get dressed and head out to Lowe's. My plan is to get there between 8:00-8:30 AM. Why? Well, I have a theory (longtime readers know I ALWAYS have a theory, lol!) and my theory is the die-hard enthusiasts and/or contractors get there at 7:00 AM, right when they open. Then the weekend warriors who are not on the clock get up, eat breakfast, have a second cup of coffee and get there between 9:00 and 10:00 AM. So, if you slip in between the two groups, you're golden! And, I was! There were maybe 15 cars and trucks in the parking lot.

I walked right up to the paint counter and got served (try that at lunchtime or after 10:00 AM on weekends, lol!). I had brought a panel of the drapes I bought on Friday and, after much inner debate, decided on a color that I thought matched the drapes the closest. So, I bought one gallon in that color and two gallons that were two shades lighter. I also bought a gallon of my favorite ceiling paint (the one that goes on purple and then dries white? Come on! You remember!). Add in the paint tray covers, rollers, brushes, a couple of drop cloths, etc., etc., etc., and you are starting to be talking some real money! Oh, I also bought a new flag and flagstaff. Last weekend, both Jake and Carla remarked at different times on how frayed my current flag was getting.

When I left, there were probably 50 cars/trucks in the lot and more coming all the time! Damn! I am so clever, (sometimes)!

So, I raced home and dropped off the stuff. I disconnected my cable box (DVD-R) and threw it in the car. Then I headed out to the barber shop to try and make my 10:00 AM appointment. Which, I did.

After that, I went to the cable company store. Apparently, I also need to figure out when these folks ain't busy as I had to get into a line of about 10 people, holding onto my cane in one hand and the cable box in the other. I finally got it exchanged for a new one (I think the hard drive went bad) and, since I was there anyway, I paid my bill. The lady went and got a huge bag to put the DVD-R box into; telling me it was to protect it from the rain. I turned around and looked outside and it was POURING!!!

Well, rain or not, I got things to do. So, next, I hit Kroger's and did my grocery shopping. Thankfully, the rain had stopped by the time I was walking out. I got home and put everything away. I filled in this post and it was 1:30 PM when I was finished. Now its time for breakfast/lunch, so I made a sandwich of salami, Swiss cheese and deli mustard on whole wheat bread, accompanied by a pickle.

Then, I adjourned to the office and took a nap on the daybed. I woke up at 3:00 PM, refreshed and ready to go. I started to disassemble the bedroom. Down came the pictures, and one of the two curtain rods.

Oh, wait a minute! I need to dye the bedspread. Not having that much luck the last time I tried this, this time I really studied the instructions. I knew one box dyed about 1 pound of material and the bedspread was close to 3 pounds, so I had bought three boxes. So, I followed the instruction carefully, warming up 6 cups of water with one cup of salt added. I mixed in the dye and then added one tablespoon of laundry detergent.

I checked the bedspread for loose threads and cut off the ones I found. Then, I put it in the washer, set the water level for medium and the water temperature for hot. Once it was agitating, I slowly added the dye mixture. I set the run time for "super" which is 18 minutes and set the timer on the stove for 15 minutes (It has to be in the dye for a total of 30 minutes, you see). When the timer went off, I ran out and turned it back to 18 minutes more. Now I just have to let it rip until the washer is done, dry the bedspread in the dryer and then try and clean up the washer. Hopefully, the end result will be a bed spread that matches (or at least is close to) the drapes and the accent wall.

Back to deconstructing the bedroom. I took off the other curtain rod and then (gingerly) attempted to take off the big mirror I had mounted to the wall over the dresser. That didn't work so well. The small Phillips screws are all stripped. So, even though I don't like it, I think I will have to just tape it off and paint around it.

I just heard on the radio we are under yet another severe thunderstorm watch until 10:00 PM. But, right now, it's just sunny and HOT! (82 degrees F or 28 C.)

I slid the two nightstands into the office and then attempted to do the same to the small bookcase I had made. Not sure why, but about half way across the floor, something started to scratch the surface! Damn! I got it in there, but now there's just another thing I have to deal with, later. I got out the vacuum cleaner and, with the attachments, got most, if not all, of the cat hair out of the room.

It's almost 7:00 PM, and I am thinking I should stop now. I am bummed because, according to my project plan, I should have the ceiling painted today and all the prep work around the windows (taping) done. But, I'm not even close. Damn taking naps anyway!

Back to the bedspread, the final rinse still was a deep blue (almost purple) so I decided maybe I should wash it in cold water to set the dye (I am making all of this up at this point). So, I did. I also noticed that I have purple crap around three of my fingers and somehow I'm thinking I resemble Boy George (Do you really want to hurt me?). So, I wash my hands in the hottest water I can stand, but, damn, its still there! I will have to come up with a GOOD cover story for Monday and work! (hmmm... I was doing some volunteer work for the Purple Heart this weekend and thought this was a good advertisement?) I dunno...

So, I reluctantly decided to stop for the day. I put the bed spread into the dryer and went about cleaning out the washer. BY the way, WCSX is playing my song: "I'm on the highway to hell!" For you folks who decide to dye something, here's the recommended way to clean the washer: Highest level of water, hot water, detergent and 1-2 cups of liquid bleach and run it through the entire cycle. No word on my fingernails, though... (sigh)

Also, even though I hooked up the new cable box, it's not working. So, I call the Brighthouse repair service. I am on hold... still on hold... still on hold... Two phones calls to them and one to the Webmaster (to make sure the cables are hooked up right) and finally I have a picture and sound. However, I do not have my DVD player or the VHS player attached and working, so it's a temporary fix, at best.

Now to think about dinner. I'm kinda bushed and an elaborate dinner is definitely out. So, I make pasta and a simple sauce. I would have liked using angel hair pasta, but it seems I don't have any, so I go with fettuccine, cooked al dente. The sauce was just 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a saut� pan. When it was warm, I added four garlic cloves, chopped, one shallot, diced fine, and the leaves stripped off of three long stalks of my homegrown oregano (I waved to the neighbors when I went out to pick it). BTW, you just want the garlic to sizzle here, not to brown or burn! I also threw in a big pinch of red pepper flakes for heat. I added the pasta to the sauce and let it get happy and, as an afterthought, I threw in 1/2 of a can of drained, small pitted black olives. I topped my bowl with Parmigiano-Reggiano
plus a little salt and it was GOOD! Note to self: Next time chop the olives! It's not that easy to spear a round, oily olive with a fork!

I watched a little TV (too little for all the fuss it took, lol!) and then went to sleep.