All work and no play makes Dave pretty much who he is. Until he isn’t and he takes a break on the Gulf Coast.
Christie, the better half, and I spent a couple days basking in the warm sun for a change. It was good to get away from the cold and snow for a bit. St. Petersburg is warm, humid and the sun shines bright and hot, as opposed to Marquette, where the sun shines but it’s cold and everything is brown with melt. I’m guessing that within the next six to eight weeks spring will arrive in the Great Lakes. Patience is a virtue and the cold tests my virtues.
We saw birds in Florida. Roseate spoonbill! New life-list bird. The life-list is getting pretty long. Christie’s file card box is packed full, but she’s been at it longer. Also seen: Carolina wren, Black skimmers, Willets (another life-lister!), and dozens of others. Still on the search for a Painted bunting. We’ve made two trips to Florida without seeing one.
Back to the old grind…
Floors going in today. The purchased flooring has its benefits: it’s much easier to maneuver than individual pieces. The seams aren’t easy, though. Filling and sanding are still required. I had thought about trying to do the floors piece by tiny little piece but couldn’t cut the raw material accurately enough. As I continue to research, I’m hoping to find someone who manufactures flooring that can be done better. Carpets will hide quite a few ills in this project, so I’m thankful for that. These are big rooms and I think they’d be difficult no matter what I was flooring them with. The sanding went well and the stain and poly will go on well. Much like a full-sized job, it will be a little hurtful to put carpet over them.
I poured over websites for furniture today and placed an order. There are still some pieces that no one is making. Why, oh, why, does nobody make 60’s furniture in 1:12? Possibly because it’s ugly and no one really wants it. Just seems a waste, with all of us baby boomers and gen X’ers getting older…seems like someone would make something that appeals to our formative years. Orange shag carpet and bathrooms in avocado. I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.
Walls are almost ready for final paint, too. Outside corners proved to be a bit of work. Glued butt-joints need a fair amount of treatment to not look like plywood. Drywall mud and sanding eases the corners, smoothing things out and giving the appropriate profile.
The deadline for the finished project was moved up a few months so there will likely be a whole lot more progress in the next few weeks. Does anyone have a source for custom made dolls? I’ve got victims to model.
A Little Weird 