House Still painting the house. The parts we could reach from the ground and from the small ladder went quickly. Now I'm up on the big ladder and it is a grind. I am weirded out being up on a 30 ft ladder. And having to climb down to move the ladder a few feet then climb back up is not much fun. The worst is actually trying to move the ladder without losing control of it or bashing the siding or a window. But the house needs the paint; the old paint has flaked and peeled away in spots, faded to almost nothing in others. Plus, I really didn't like the light grey we painted it last time. Now it is more of a dark blue and I find it appealing. It looks so much better which is keeping me motivated. Family Our middle child surprised us with a visit over the weekend. She and her husband (and our grandson) came up midday Saturday (getting me off the bleeping ladder) and stayed until Sunday evening. She looked good and was the most stable I have seen her in years. Conversations flowed and there was no arguing. The big news (but not really a surprise) is that they are pregnant! From what she told us the first couple of months have been rough on her, which explains the spastic text conversation she has had with my wife, but things have eased. Their move date has been pushed to the end of the month, so I am sure that stress is not making it easier on her. We're going to have to start saving up for plane tickets to be there after she has the baby to help out. I have a few weeks of vacation saved and will have a couple more by then, so I might be able to help for a month. Not sure if my wife will be able to stay that long. Work I wish I had known back in the spring I was going to be working from home this long. I would have invested in a better chair and desk. We still don't expect to be back before the end of the year, but I can't justify the expense for just a couple more months. I'm half tempted to run to the office one day and grab my chair and desk from there. Overall, still making forward progress, family remains healthy, and a new baby on the way. Life is good.
House painting, gutter work, and siding fixes became MUCH EASIER when I bought one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CBILQ Ladder stability. Confidence. Comfort. Accessibility. Fewer times moving the ladder, etc. Ladder stand-offs are amazing tools that anyone with a ladder should have.
I actually have one of those, but with my 50 year old aluminum ladder, it is not of much help. My brother-in-law who was a general contractor for 20 years stopped by yesterday. He asked "That ladder is scary as shit isn't it?" He has been on it and knows just how wobbly it is. Then a miracle happened, he offered to let me use his ladder that is only a few years old. I would have asked him at the outset if he wasn't normally a colossal turd. If I had asked him to borrow it, he would have given me endless crap about how I shouldn't paint the house myself, that I should just hire someone to do it. If I could afford to hire someone, i would have! But yeah, it helps make sure the ladder isn't going to go sideways, but it still bounces and wobbles with every move. I fear at some point the thing just might bend and collapse. Every time I climb it, I get that much closer to justifying the $500 for new one. But really, when do I plan to use a 32 foot extension ladder again? 20 years from now? Never? And where to store it? The one I have now lives outside on the ground against the foundation and has for its entire life. Not to mention that the $500 is going to supplies to rebuild the front porch that rotted off the house 20 years ago. Won't need the ladder for that!