my kind of housework

friday i was sick all day, and could barely breathe by the time closing came about.  after signing my life away yet another 20 times, we chatted a bit with the seller [i had only had contact with her son in prior dealings] and she proved to be a sweet feisty little old thing.  she and her late husband had purchased the house in the 50's with the intention of moving after several years.  5 kids later, they were still there.  there was some reminiscing, and when she left, presumably to go get a glass of whiskey somewhere, this wizened little old lady gave me a hug and said "this house has seen 56 years of love.  take good care of it for me".  then eyes brimming with tears, she tottered out the door. 

that was followed by my first wheezy congested trip to home depot, and an early bedtime.  saturday i got up at 7, called home depot's rental department to find the one truck [thats right.  singular] had already been rented.  i went and bought a step ladder which proved to be more than sufficient, 3 ridiculously expensive gallons of paint, trim paint, and ceiling paint, and returned home to stare at the walls some more. 

not pictured: me snurffling around home depot like the most disgusting ball of sickness you have ever witnessed.  i think everyone who had to help me was a little worried i wouldnt ever make it out of the store.
found on pinterest and hilariously apropos

Source: 24.media.tumblr.com viaTransient Expression on Pinterest

now im not saying i want to go into government or anything.  but this home repair stuff is totally my kind of housework.  not dusting tschotskes, making dinner for my husband, picking up toys from little mouthbreathers, donning my frilly apron and midi-length skirt and taking orders.

the paper tape in both full-length corners of my future bedroom was peeling.  prior to painting [which i still have not begun] i removed all nails/screws/hanging kits and wall plates.  since the house was built in 1927, the walls are plaster-lath, which has since seen atleast 3 different wallpapers, another layer of mud, and lots of paint.  unfortunately, the previous owners also thought to put scotch tape down before nailing things in.  presumably to reduce the risk of cracking the fragile sedimentary layers... but the tape mostly forced me to hack out great chunks and then fill in again with plaster/mud. 

the corners were cracked beneath the wallboard tape, and after some careful hacking away with a screw driver, it was apparent the plaster had cracked off all the way down to the lath.  i filled it in with mud, figured out my new fun toy, and filled those gaping cracks right in.  two corners of my room needed this treatment, and by the second, i had the actual paper taping step down pat.  the far right pic looks pretty decent, considering it doesnt even have the tape layer down.  that is just obsessively squared-off mud. 

the living and dining rooms proved to be the same as the bedroom.  cracking plaster layer, 25+ wall hangers with tape underneath, and a huge mess to sweep and vacuum by the time i was done.  i still have yet to even wipe down the walls, a step which i belatedly realized should have been done before i put hole-filler back in.  but i can do things out of order..right?  as long as its all dry by the time i paint.. which at this rate will be sometime next year.