Friday

Weather on Friday was same old-same old (well, maybe a little hotter) and still no rain in sight.

I called all around and then went to a Janitorial Supply company at lunch. The makers of self-stick tile will tell you don’t need it (and some even recommend against it) but in all commercial applications, they put a sealer on top of it.

One of the reasons I even started this tile replacement project was the dirt that had gotten in between the tiles as they spread apart over the years. You just could not get it out when you washed the floor. So, this time, I am sealing it to prevent dirt from ever getting into any cracks.

Because its new tile, it already has a finish on it to prevent the tiles from sticking together, and that has to be stripped off before you can apply the sealer. So, it’s a two-step process. I bought a gallon of the floor stripper, a gallon of floor sealer-finisher and two mop heads (they need to be lint free).

Then I went back to work. So much for lunch...

I called Tammy in Facilities and asked if they still had the Velcro strips with the adhesive on the back. I figured I could probably get it at Michael’s or JoAnne Fabrics, but I’d have to buy a whole roll and I only need about four inches. They did have some scraps of it left, so I walked over and met her in the lobby.

I wanted to try something, you see. The remote that operates my bed is hard-wired (I was too cheap to get the wireless remote). So, when I adjust the bed up, I have to set it on the floor (and risk stepping on it by mistake), because I can’t reach the nightstand when the bed is in that position.

I tried several junk cell phone holders (I even cut the tabs off one with a hacksaw that looked like it might work) but the remote is too long. So, I thought I could Velcro it to the mattress bottom where I could reach it anytime.

When I took my afternoon walk (remember, I’m not supposed to stay sitting more than one or two hours in a row), it was noticeably hotter outside.

Finally, it was time to go home! When I got home, I treated the cats, changed clothes, made a cup of coffee and worked on the computer for a bit, balancing my check register, figuring out this weekend’s ToDo and grocery lists, etc. I played John Stewart’s album while I worked.

Jeremy called from his car and we talked until he got home. Joe’s doing good, Riese did great in school and looking forward to spending summer with her Grandmother and Jeremy finished getting his Bachelor’s degree.

After we hung up, I put my brace back on and went back to work on the kitchen. What I thought would be a quick, “push the dishwasher in and screw it to the counter top” took forever. Once I had the water hooked back up, the unit plugged in and the drain hose installed, I couldn’t get it all the way back in.

No matter what I tried and I tried everything, it would not go in! I finally figured out it was hanging up on a piece of tile inside the opening. I heated the tile up, took it off and cut out a track for the dishwasher. I reinstalled the tile and then (and only then) the dishwasher went back in. I screwed it to the counter top and checked the time. It was 8:15 PM! I was already very annoyed and tired so rather than start the next series of tiles, I quit for the night.

I made a sandwich for dinner after I washed up. I watched TV until almost 11:00 and then went to sleep.