This morning was warm and sunny and, I thought, a perfect
opportunity to haul the sideboard from the garage and get it rubbed down. It
was a fairly straightforward job and the timber was soon becoming silky, smooth
to the touch. However the problem with sanding is that the object is
scrutinised in detail and I was soon noticing further problems or areas that
would become problems in the future. Basically the sideboard dates from the
1830s and is of a fairly crude construction. After nearly 200 years of use it
is showing its age and it the point where it needs serious restoration* is not
far off.
I probably have the skills required for the restoration but
the issue is the time needed to perform the work. We also regarded this piece
as a stopgap as we would both prefer an oak or mahogany sideboard that featured
fewer drawers and more cupboard space. After a discussion with 30% it was
agreed that we would abandon the restoration as the sideboard was now at a saleable
stage. We will get it advertised over the next few weeks and continue searching
for something more in keeping with the room and table.
With that project abandoned I must admit that I spent the
remainder of the morning kicking my heels. After lunch 30% and I headed in to
town to pick up a few necessities including food, diesel, a toilet flush
handle, a replacement double socket power outlet, two bicycle tyres and a pair
of replacement pedals …
… the more peculiar elements in that list defined much of
the remainder of my day.
TP’s new job at the Handcart & Fortified Structure
requires that he have a reliable form of transport and at present he most
definitely does not. Having knackered the derailleur on his bike he has now
moved on to using 30%’s Mountain Bike. This has seen little use in all of the
years we have been together and was in need of a few replacement parts to
assuage the effects of twenty years of neglect. I therefore spent an hour or so
fitting new tyres and replacing the pedals as corrosion meant that they no
longer spun freely.
I am hoping that this will mean that he will now return from
work without accompanying tales of woe involving failed cycle components or
loss of air from Mr Dunlop’s revolutionary pneumatic tyres. **
Having sorted out TP’s transport problems I headed back
inside and hit the sofa for a snooze before performing a couple more repair
jobs. I’ve already described our peculiar shopping list so you can probably
work out what I was up to.
Dinner followed and then I checked the results of my eBay
auctions. I am pleased to say that both items sold and £150 will soon be nestling in my Paypal
account. More importantly, the sale of the old pine dining table was key to the
next stage of the house refurbishment. Once it has been collected the Hall will
be furniture free. This means that I can relocate the Office in to the Hall
leaving the Study ready to be gutted and re-modelled … before pictures
coming soon.
The rest of the evening was spent watching television and
packing in preparation for the first of next week’s two business trips.
---
* or re-purposing
** because it always falls to me to perform repairs. TP’s
approach is to abandon each bike once it reaches the point of terminal failure
and then move on to the next one!
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