Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Improvements Abound

My horoscope for today:
"Using flattery in order to get what you want in life is a completely legitimate tactic, there is no doubt about it. But if you use it too often, it will lose its value -- so consider yourself warned! Today, use flattery only as a last resort. The people you're with have become nearly immune to your flowery words and smiley eyes, so it will take every flattery arrow in your arsenal to get them to acquiesce. Why not try a simple 'please'? It might work better."

Last night I was going off about how wonderful my backyard is taking shape, how fantastic my daughter's boyfriend is, what fantastic progress he is making and how he has done it all without me even asking for all the energy he has put into the property here. I don't even have any suspicions about his motives. I believe that he is simply showing his appreciation for letting him stay here like he said. My middle daughter told me she thinks it's my karma. I have taken in a few young men that needed a place to stay and asked that in lieu of rent, could they please keep up the work in the backyard? Then when they leave, I am left with a bigger mess than before. At one point I shelled out $750 to clean up after some particularly messy young men moved out. I quit trying to help out, lost faith and said, never again. Only family members could occupy that cute little house in the back.

So now I read my horoscope. (don't worry, I only read them, not live by them) This one in particular made me nervous and I don't want to jinx my good fortune. Since the boyfriend knows how I am feeling about his work from my words yesterday, I am going to flatter him here, so I don't over-do the flattery, and deflate the meaning of it. Not that I have to ask him to do anything. He is taking the matter in his own hands. All the garbage that has piled up and then grown over with ivy has been separated from the plant growth and stacked where we can just load it on a truck and haul it off. It's stuff like old chairs and tables that my wonderful daughters found unusable and set outside to be hauled off. Then we never did that. That was either due to weather, time or money constraints, and it got out of hand. Some, my lazy middle daughter, just put stuff outside her door, and expected someone else (the maid perhaps) would just come pick it up. And some is my lack of ability to do yard work because of my back and hip problems. At any rate, it is looking so wonderful out there! I just might have to keep this kid around.

On the new crafty room front, I started pulling up the rug in there. UGH! I understand having rugs, but having rugs and animals is not the greatest combination. I pulled the rugs from most of the house after we had been here for a few years. I always have a bevy of critters around. Two of the bedrooms had been left alone. My youngest daughter had many animals of many types and the rug is a scrapbook of her critters! I am so glad to be able to finally take that out. Except that taking it out is going to take some time. I removed a five by three foot section. Now I need to get the pad up and the tack strips out. This part of the floor met with some water damage and the wood needs to be replaced. Since it's going to be a craft room, I would really rather just put in linoleum squares and have it easier to clean up. That way if I spill paint or glue, I can just wipe it up, and if I drop pins and needles I can just get out the magnet. A simple sweeping at the end of the day will clean up all materials and threads that may find their way down there. Once I get the rug up, I will pull out the warped section and replace it with plywood and then paint the walls and ceiling. After I do that I can put the linoleum down. I need to keep my eye on the prize and make myself take this in steps. I usually get excited about the end result and give up on all improvements and just dive into the purpose of rooms. This one I am GOING TO FINISH!

3 comments:

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

You go girl!! Sounds like you are on your way. Are you doing all this work yourself? I am way impressed! :-)

Hallie

kim-d said...

Man, Claudia--the more you get done, the less I get done! Have I told you lately how much I admire all of the things that you not only CAN do, but that you ACTUALLY do? I really am! As you already know, I'm much better at stuff like telling you that I disagree about the too much flattery stuff. Hooey. There is no such thing as too much positive reinforcement, as long as it's sincere and heartfelt. If you feel it, and if you feel like saying it, then I say, "let 'er rip." You don't have to go on and on, but I don't know of anyone-well, I maybe know one person but she's the exception to almost every rule I know of--who gets too many compliments and too much positive reinforcement. I think it is so great that the arrangement seems to be working out so well for everyone. I'd love to know more about your oldest daughter. She sounds like a really nice person, and obviously has good taste in friends! Hey, whatever happened with the middle daughter and the animal-abusing friend--I just thought of that and started wondering! I just can't wait for you to keep us up on your project progress! I think being home and hermit-like has made me a little befuddled; even my blog post for today was kind of blah--so if you've made it to the end of this comment, you are a true blue bud! :)!!!!

(((BIG HUG FROM BORED-AND BORING-ME)))

LUVYAEVERSOMUCH-er...

stitcherw said...

I'm glad that things are moving along so well, it really sounds like everything is coming together around your house. I can totally relate to the rugs. That is something I need to address too. After quite a few years, quite a few animals, and quite a few teens (my DD and her many friends) what lies beneath is not what I want to contemplate to long on. I'm leaning toward wood or linolium and then some pretty scatter rugs, much easier as you said to clean up.
Sue