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Tuesday, July 10, 2007

here's how it went down


Painting the frigging house.

Just a little side note on the weather. We had expected 80 (or less) degree weather for our project but what we got was a furnace. You know the kind of heat I am talking
about, right? You walk out in it and it takes your breath away. You work out in it and your whole body is swollen and starts throbbing in a few minutes. Even after nightfall you open the front door to a humid outdoors.

Let me give you a little time line so that you can understand what was going on:

Saturday June 30th
----Edgard leaves for the airport at 4:00am and my mom and I get started painting the back of the house when we awakened. My sister Mary, 13 years old, babysat the children. The plan was to avoid the hot sun at all cost, like
vampires. The back was also less scary place to start, away from the stares (or glares) of the neighbors. We got a full day in and nearly finished the entire back of the house. The plan at that point was to do the front and trim in one day (Monday) after finishing the sides that Sunday. Sounds great, right?

Keep reading.

Sunday July 1st
----We continue to finish up painting the back (my sister still babysitting) and then start on
the sides. I was basically painting stripes over the entire house as far up as I could reach. That way when my mom came with the roller she wouldn't have to stop to brush in any corners. Well after a long time of all this painting fun (said Rachel, her voice oozing with sarcasm) Susie my bestest friend in all world called. Her husband had thought that it would be great if he grilled hamburgers for our dinner. Susie convinced him that it would be even better to bring the whole thing over here after they were grilled. So Chris and Susie and their two boys came over laden with grilled burgers in a Tupperware, a tray full of every condiment that we might possibly need and even a side salad. Now do you see why she is the bestest? My mom had laid down to rest when they arrived saying that she was feeling extra fatigued. I figured that she needed a rest from the physical activity and especially the hot sun. I then called her for dinner but she wanted to continue resting so I waited until Chris and Susie wanted to pack up and go home before I said "Mom if you want a hamburger now is the time because they are packing up the food" She got about of bed that point and ate a hamburger. Now I may get a little evasive at this point, so please forgive me. I just am going to say that after a failed attempt at trying to paint again, a little off and on resting in the bed....the hamburger came back...not alone...he came armed with backup in the form of a lunchtime fruit salad. Now as I am getting a little sick myself I will switch the topic to what I was doing at that time.
I was outside,
painting away,
freaking out.
I literally realized what a huge job we had undertaken....I also grimly realized that my mom,who was undeniably sick, would be out of commission for at least 3 days. Edgard was coming home in 6 days AAAAAAaaaaahhhhhh

Monday July 2nd---- I went out that day to start painting (my sister was still helping to babysit, thankfully) and my mom joined me for a little while but had to go in constantly to rest. One of the times that she came in I followed her and said "do you know anyone that would be insane enough to help us?" She did have a person in mind but everyone was at work and then she brightened up when she remembered that the person she had thought of, had Monday off.

Thomas the tank...

He came over (on his day off, I want to repeat) and thankfully he was not afraid of heights. That man painted until daylight was just an assumption and no longer a fact. Did I mention how hot it was outside? What a trooper and all for someone he did
n't even know. After that he followed my sick mom home. She wanted to go home for the comfortable familiarity of her own bed while she was sick. Well that is what she said anyway. I maintain that she left because she couldn't stand the hunted, haunted, trapped rat look in my eyes every time I would drag my sweaty paint covered body in the house to check on her. I also want to mention that another friend of my mom's came over to help a few hours before she had to work and was a very fast painter. Thanks so much to Thomas and Mara for helping a crazy lady that you didn't even know.

Tuesday July 3rd----my darkest day. I had no babysitter. I had no help.
I called my mom to see how she was and she said that the would try to come
ever after work on Thursday. I was freaking out big time then. I could work and get everything that I could do, done, but unless I had a genie or a magic wand, the top part of the house wasn't going to do itself. My part alone was still a ton of work anyway. I called my friend Michelle to whine and complain and I just have to say...do you know those types of "friends" who say that they will be there in times of crisis and when it happens they are the first to cut and run and leave you hanging? Well, I don't. Even before my mouth had a chance to form the word h-e-l-p, Michelle took charge. She called her husband and arranged with him to come over after work to help me paint while she would be inside with the kids and cook us dinner. At 5:15 p.m. they showed up.

Zog the warrior and the kitchen wench.
Zach ended up painting all the, visible from the street, turquoise so that when Edgard got home it would look as done as possible. He did most, practically all, of the first coat of the up high stuff. Meanwhile, back at the ranch Michelle was busy watching my two kids and her girl Maddy while being stomach-burstingly pregnant. Not only that but she put away the dishes in my dishwasher and tidied up my house, all while cooking a dinner she brought. Don't I have the greatest friends.

Wednesday July 4th----you can read more about that day in a previous post.

After Zach helped and got so much done the day before, I really woke up that morning with a good feeling for the first time since my mom got sick. I felt hopeful. After I returned home from home depot I put the kids to bed and was able to get the entire first coat done and get quite a bit through the second coat. I felt like whistling. If I had enough oxygen I might have done it too. My mom then came over and watched the kids while I got some much needed groceries and more paint (yes, more stinking paint). After I returned she cleaned the outside of the gutters and told me that she was planning to spend a full day helping me the next day. Chris and Susie took Anthony to the fireworks so that he wouldn't have to miss them just
because his mom was a nutter. At that point I was working until 10:00 p.m. every night and then about a half hour on cleanup and then I would go inside to spend a couple of hours cleaning my house (I didn't want that to get out of hand during all of the other chaos).

Thursday July 5th----I took the kids over to Susie's house and came back home and got down to business My mom was there painting away. I then had to go pick up the kids.
Chris and Susie---The bestest friends!

After Chris got off of work he and Susie came over and both of them painted while I stayed in the house and watched all four of the kids. I would have thought I would have been more relaxed with my mom and my best friend and her husband all working on the house....but I felt trapped. I had been working practically night and day to get this done. And now I was inside the house doing nothing. I had completed the 1st and 2nd coat on 3/4th of the house and all that was left was the up high stuff that I couldn't do. But it was frustrating all the same. This was crunch time. I was leaving the next day to go surprise Edgard. At the end of the evening they had covered all remaining turquoise and had gotten a second coat on the front and one side of the house. Chris put the first coat on the most prominent trim. It wasn't done but it was enough to knock the socks (or huaraches) off of Edgard.
Later that night I installed the new doorknobs, house numbers, doorbell and
thoroughly cleaned the house inside.
Friday July 6th---- With Edgard coming home the next day I left for the Hotel for Edgard's other surprise.

To be continued...


7 comments:

  1. Yes, you are a nutter. And yes, us friends had to come to your rescue for Edgard's sanity, so he didn't come home to the wife who went nuts, and a half turquoise house. You forgot to mention how all of us tried to convince you to just rent a sprayer in the first place....or...
    well, I dunno, don't do it at all!!! Ahhhh, gotta love blind ambition! Eds better have had a worthwhile reaction!!! I want to see pictures of his shocked and wowed and appreciative face for your commitment to this undertaking!!!

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  2. well would you settle for a horror filled, offended and angry face that you dared call him Ed??? I mean ED??
    c'mon think about that for a second.

    p.s. house pictures tomorrow and yes he was quite surprised!!!

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  3. Wow, very interesting to read about your week. Had no idea things were so crazy. Too bad your mom got sick, huh? Would've loved to watch your kiddos for ya. Call me next time! Glad you got through it & hope you're relaxing this week...

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  4. You painting guru! I am inspired!

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  5. I am glad that I inspired someone...I may never paint again so it is good that you can carry on my legacy....well after I paint the front door...then I am really done!

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  6. Hey, I used "EDS" not, Ed- If it so offends I shall take the time to spell it out completely and not take shortcuts in order not to bring up names and faces of others! :)

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  7. thanks...I would like you to call him Ricardo Edgard from now on...but you can call me Rachel Sarah Elizabeth for short....You know that I am messing with you, right Michelle Christine Graybeard?

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from the peanut gallery