The painting project began today. I was up the ladder and on to the scaffolding at nine thirty. I didn't come down until four fifteen for a well-deserved break and then I was up again at five o'clock until seven thirty. It was a lovely day for it. In the morning, I lathered my face and arms with Factor 30 sun cream put my Malta sun hat on and got to work.
I began with the front of the house. Up there I was aware of occasional passing vehicles and pedestrians. I had three or four conversations but soon got back to my rolling and dabbing.
And as I rolled and dabbed, random thoughts crossed my mind. I thought a lot about Ms Moon in Lloyd , Florida and her comments on "Pervert" - a blogpost I published two days ago. While up on the scaffolding and in the light of what she said, I decided to slightly amend that blogpost.
When Shirley called me down for my tea at seven thirty I had almost completed painting the pebble dash rendering on the front of our house. Another hour tomorrow morning and it will be done before I start on the side of the house. I hope that I will be able to finish that tomorrow too but if I get close I will be happy enough.
I had never been on scaffolding before but as I imagined, it's a hell of a lot easier than working up a ladder.
When our lovely son Ian in London heard I was doing this, he was quite perturbed and asked me why I wasn't getting somebody in to do the job. But there's a lot to be said for doing things yourself. Though my career was in secondary school teaching, I have turned my hand to many other things such as laying paths, laying carpets, building walls, wallpapering, cultivating an allotment, writing poems and songs and managing a blog called "Yorkshire Pudding".
Tonight, after visiting our Lidl supermarket once more, I treated myself to a saunter down to "The Itchy Pig" micropub for two pints of Abbeydale Heathen beer - brewed here in Sheffield. I felt that I had earned them. And so to Sunday...
I thought your tub of paint was margarine.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly earned those pints.
Thank you. I appreciate your willingness to make changes according to one reader's comments. That means a lot.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way- I agree with Ian. Just because you CAN do something doesn't necessarily mean you should. I say this as the wife of a man who has a hard time accepting this sort of advice.
Good on you for doing this paint job. I like to do these things myself as the job is much better. Now I don't tell the next generation that I'm up a ladder as I get far too much unwanted advice like stay off ladders.
ReplyDeleteWow! I couldn't do that, Neil. Spend the whole day on scaffolding in the sun painting on the house?! I would be so stiff and sore that I wouldn't be able to move. You must be feeling very proud to have accomplished so much. Hope you pamper yourself a bit and get some rest, Neil!
ReplyDeleteWell done on the painting and I'm glad to hear of the sunscreen application. I have never painted a house, inside or out, but hubby and older daughter poainted the interior of the first home we built here in Adelaide. They did a great job too. When the kids were little I would give them each a four inch brush and a bucket of water to "paint" the house and fence on hot summer days. I tend to paint things like furniture and garden ornaments.
ReplyDeleteYour approach at doing things yourself if you can do them yourself is commendable. I am usually either too lazy or simply not capable to do many of the jobs that can be necessary around a house. When I changed two of the rooms in my flat around back in 2016, or had my bathroom done in 2018, I had (semi)professionals do the work for me, knowing full well that I had neither the knowledge nor the time to do it myself, let alone the physical ability to lug bathroom equipment etc. about.
ReplyDeleteFair play to YP for having the get up and go and carrying out your DIY tasks. That microbrewery pub sounds like Heaven.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing very well YP., more power to your paint roller! I hope you'll show us a photo when you've finished.
ReplyDeleteI hope I am still able to do such things safely at your age.
ReplyDeleteI hope the rest of the painting goes well. I always enjoyed painting, you can look back at the end of the day, and see what you have accomplished. Unlike most of my work, where you look back at the end of the day, and wonder if anyone can tell the difference.
ReplyDeleteSpending the entire day, and into early evening, up on a scaffold surely means you allowed a pint or two! I can't wait to see the finished product.
ReplyDeleteWhen you are finished, could you pop over here and paint our bell tower? It would be good if you could bring your own scaffolding too, to save us a few bob.
ReplyDeleteI'd say you certainly had earned them! Be careful on that ladder. If I were responsible for painting the exterior of this house (which I am not -- fortunately that falls to the landlord) I think I'd hire someone.
ReplyDeleteI imagine your son was not happy to have his elderly (I'm sure that's how they see us) father up on scaffolding and yet, I'm sure that when he's your age, he will do the same sort of thing. The other day at work, a patient's family member told me I was too old to do something. WTF!
ReplyDeleteYou are a fit man, who walks miles everyday and I'm guessing you're very safety conscious. I like getting a job done too. Both my husband and I were up on a ladder, cleaning gutters, yesterday.
I read what Mary had to say about pedophiles, well said.
You definitely earned those two pints. I have just finished assembling a cheesy souffle, ala Jacques Pepin's mother. It is waiting for awhile before I bake it. We'll see how it turns out. Good luck tomorrow on the rest of your painting.
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