The Value of the Mentor

I can't express adequately how lucky I feel to have a friend like GL, and wonder what I did to be worthy of his friendship. Even in lieu of my current failures to assist him with flying balloons, he's still always ready to come to our assistance. He really is like a true father figure, and he says he loves to be a problem solver. His confidence is incredibly comforting, especially for a loser like myself. I'm still in awe of how he takes over a situation. Wow.

Anyway, the clapboard drama continues, and it's the limbo effect that gets to me the most. The repair just sits there until I can get the stuff I need, which I partially accomplished. PD recommended using something called Cuprinol on the frame, then using Fire and Ice on the plywood that covers it, not that I have any clue what they are. All I know is they are to protect from water. I found the F&I at Foggs, where I got to see my buddy Rhett and we talked about our blackberry harvest. I love that guy. They were sold out of the Cup, however, so I only accomplished half my goal and can't finish the boards. Plus, it's supposed to rain today, total bummer, so I'm hoping to at least get the stuff at Britton's, where hopefully I'll see my other patriarch, Harry (Rhett's the other) and get some advice. I love this home improvement stuff, if only it didn't take so much time.

I was disappointed in the guy at the Britton's, however. He blew me off and didn't cut my wood like he said he would, so PD ended up bringing me a whole 4X8 slap of plywood. How the hell am I supposed to rip this? I know, everyone thinks it's no big deal, but he said he'd do it and probably was just giving me lip service. Such is the life of a Flatlander living in paradise.

For today, I'd like to keep it simple but I always get bogged down with too many things to do. I'd like to mow the lawn, as well. The kids have indicated that it is now allowable to mow the backyard, so I'm going to begin the process of manicuring the grounds to make them presentable. I yanked out a bunch of goldenrod the other day and it's just sitting there rotting on the grass.

Then I'd like to tackle the clapboards. I'm embarrassed by this, but I didn't know I could do bevel cuts on my miter saw. That thing kicks butt, I'm so impressed with it. PD asked me what kind I got, and when I told him a Craftsman, his scorn was palpable, but of course he was nice about it. Either way, I'm sure true contractors would not touch a Craftsman, but I love that saw. It does everything I need, and more. Either way, I needed bevel cuts for the corner boards, and wasn't sure how to pull it off. I tried doing bevel cuts on the picnic table using a rotary saw and it was a complete disaster. If only I'd known, or better yet, at least tried. Stupid me.

It's raining right now, bummer, but again, I can't let it stop me. I'll need to go to the dump, as well. We've got tons of recycling, and then I have to get my damn Cuprinol. I'm thinking I can apply it if it's only drizzling, then by tomorrow morning I'll begin replacing the clapboards. Did I mention the cedar claps cost an arm and a leg? MG said they used cedar, but she's full of shit, they are spruce, much cheaper. I bought cedar and will stick with it. I'm thinking they'll be more durable on the lower levels, exposed to all that water, but the cost is painful, and to make it worse, I can't apply them evenly for aesthetic reasons. A complete pain in the arse. So I have to cut and stagger them for appearances. Wow, being a homeowner ain't easy.

The bookshelf is still languishing on the floor. Staining and finishing is in its future.

Until then, thanks for reading.