A short time ago I wrote that I needed a hobby. I was tired of relaxing every evening after dinner with nothing much to do. I enjoy reading and binge watching as much as any gal but I really wanted something MORE to do most evenings. I tried yoga but that doesn’t take up too much time — at least not the way I do it. That would be poorly and with very little commitment.
Two and a half weeks ago, GirlWonder and her husband moved into their new-to-them-but-also-very-old house. Now I no longer wonder how I will fill my time. I will fill it — blissfully — at their home working on All The Things. Simultaneously. Big and small, we do it all.
As part of the move, we went back and cleaned their entire rental top to bottom until it gleamed. She scrubbed carpets, I washed walls and cabinets.They left that sweet little rental place sparkling, as the adult child of former landlords is prone to do.
Meanwhile, back at the “new” place, we have filled a dump trailer to the brim. I don’t think you could fit so much as a paint stick in there at this point. Plywood, floor tiles, old ceiling tiles, metal and more “pecan-like” paneling than you can shake a stick at. There is a large attic storage area that is slated to become the primary closet. There are many ancient artifacts that need to come out before insulation and drywall can go in. GirlWonder and I headed off to scrub down their rental while Mr. Wonderful stayed behind to get started on that closet.
Lock
We were gone for a few hours when Mr. Wonderful telephoned to say we needed to return and LET HIM OUT OF THE CLOSET. Somehow this sweet little antique door that doesn’t even HAVE a knob on the inside was inexplicably closed tight. Thank goodness he had his phone and could call us to drive back from the trailer and let him out. To this day we have no idea how a door that is actually difficult to latch shut from the outside managed to shut so firmly from the inside without a knob or any known presence to make it do so. We side eye it and just say “We come in peace, and bearing fresh plywood!”
As if to embody the phrase “poop happens” we also went on a side quest with the septic system and drains. Late one Monday night Mr. Wonderful earned “father of the year for LIFE” when he bravely opened a sewer pipe in the basement and unleashed an actual you-know-what storm. I just know that we are totally going to get the GOOD nursing home someday. I plan to ride his coattails.
Thinking proactively he also elected to locate the septic system, dig it up and have it snaked and serviced just to be safe. He found it with a tool he fabricated himself that very morning, as one does. He and GirlWonder dug down by hand to unearth it. It was awesome. For me watching from the side anyway. I’m not sure how much THEY enjoyed it. I can imagine GirlWonder has days of recalling fondly when such things as the mechanics of heat, hot water and indoor plumbing were none of her childhood business.
As an aside, GirlWonder had her first trial as an attorney, and her septic system pronounced to be in fantastic working order, all in the same week. I daresay the newly minted home owner found those things equally exciting. Adulthood means being impressed by the can-do attitude of your septic tank.
She enjoyed about 10 minutes of pure relief before I had to break the bad news that the water keeps slowing to a trickle if you run the washer and the kitchen sink simultaneously. I also think the snakes in her basement need cute names. Fred and Ethel? Buzz and Woody? That will make them more … approachable. Then again maybe not.
In just two weeks with my new side hustle as a construction laborer, we have raised ceilings, refinished about an acre and a half of flooring, removed old railings and generally made a fine mess. During this time I have gained some new skills, some new muscles and lost nearly three pounds. Not too shabby for a hobby I suppose. Sure my hobby is not super relaxing yet. It’s mostly lifting and ladders. Also lots of squats. I think I’m building new muscle.
My hobby is now a side hustle in construction. I do love a project so I’m truly having a ball. That pep in my step? That’s plantar fasciitis. The shine in my hair? That’s probably polyurethane. That smile on my face? It’s the joy of watching our baby settle in.
