Second Job

April 1, Friday: We are back at Too. We will try to finish the loft floor tomorrow. It will be up early and to the lumber yard to get the 2X6's we need. Since our last visit two weeks ago, we have discussed, researched, negotiated, compromised and arm wrestled the stairway. Himself finally dreamed the solution. No, not really, he saw it on HGTV. On DIY TV or maybe it was Ask this Old House. At our age we don't remember every detail . . . but he saw it on TV and by golly, this evening we stood in the new cabin and craned our necks staring up at the loft and placed a ladder here and there and maybe we have the solution! We do not yet, of course, know how to accomplish that stairway to the loft but just knowing where is half the battle!

April 2, Saturday: up we got and off to town with the trailer bouncing after. We soon had the 2X6 8s and the 2X6 12s loaded and secured and hauled back to Too. We spent the rest of the day climbing up the ladder, measuring, cutting, laying and nailing 2X6 boards. Then we climbed down the ladder to retrieve fallen objects, climbed up. Climbed down the ladder to get one more thing we needed. Climbed up. Climbed down the ladder for one more board. Climbed up. We bent and stooped and stretched and in Himself's case, piroutted and pranced in his high wire act. We worked hard for a couple of mature citizens and it was fun and healthy and rewarding. Okay, not to sugar coat, we might have have a couple of tense, non-compromising moments too . . . . but we have learned not to leave, not to give up, not to blow it off. We toe the mark, square off, talk it through and reach a mutually acceptable conclusion. Usually . . .

By late afternoon, there was one lady in the house that was having a little trouble straightening up after bending over, handling the air nailer. There was one lady a little slower at the toting and fetching. One lady who's experienced legs were making those trips up and down the ladder a little more slowly. Okay, my tail was dragging!

So we called it quits for the day and Herself got the broom and the shop vac and begged Himself to go grill that ribeye and bake those tators. Herself had worked up an appetite!

April 3, Sunday: up pretty early because we had crashed pretty early. Climbed up that ladder one more time with a goal to finish that loft room floor. We just had about 2' left and we could see the end in sight. We did have some problems to solve, some decisions to make and some mistakes to cover up (you mean you hadn't guessed?) but after a couple of hours we gotter done and went to eat. That eating, that's our reward for all the hard work -- well, and to restore our energy! Eggs and bacon and hashbrowns smothered in onions and green peppers. Now that's breakfast!

Our belly's full, we are brought up short! We are staring it straight in the face. The big . . . BAD . . . STAIRWAY! Are we going to be able to draw out those stairs and cut those stringers? Are we going to be able to find the run and rise and the number of treads and the number of risers? And when we are done, are the treads going to be level and the rise plum and will the last step come out just right and meet the top of the finished second floor?

Oh.  Well.  Hhmmm.  Please stay tuned.

This story is still to be written. You don't know the answer to those questions because Himself and I don't know either! There's another whole chapter to this tale!