04 March 2008

If I had a hammer . . . wait, I do have a hammer . . .

My favorite personal holiday has come and nearly gone for the year—just a quarter of an hour left of March Forth.

What? You don't celebrate March Forth? You don't know what I'm talking about?

Obviously we need to walk together for a moment down memory lane . . . and see what we can find on the sidewalk.

Now, wasn't that educational? Don't you want to join me in Marching Forth? Well, as the smug founder of this great day, I grant you permission to celebrate it on the 5th this year, in case you missed your chance. Can't hold it against you if you simply didn't know, poor thing. In fact, why don't you spend the rest of the week Marching Forth? Just choose something worth marching for, preferably something new, and go for it.

What did I do today? I got in touch with my inner construction worker, and I found that I kind of like her. I am going to be sore tomorrow, but after moving furniture (including a 35-ton antique piano, with Rob's generous help) so the living room floor and also now the dining room floor can be sanded and painted and refinished this week (by yours truly, Queen of the March), and after a somewhat disheartening talk with Rob about construction/budget issues, I took hammer and crowbar in hand and started the next phase of change all by myself. Whack! Smack! Pry-pry-pry-PRY, creeeeeaaak, wham! Crash! Crumble! (Angels singing.) Whirrrr! OW!

I've got the molding and floorboards off now, and all but part of one door frame. I used the shop vac repeatedly to try to keep the fallout under some kind of control, but it's gotten beyond me. Thanks to Rob's careful and clever switch-flipping at the fuse box, I did not electrocute myself. I am now completely worn out. But man, am I marching.

I hope I can move tomorrow. I refuse to let lathe and plaster be the bedriddening of me. Maybe I need to swallow a nurse-dose of ibuprofen right now, just so I'm ready.

Tomorrow, I rent a 150-pound sander and spend the day with it. Please pray it doesn't turn on me.

11 comments:

Am'n2Deep said...

Oooo good luck with that sander!

My March Forth was filled with quite a few March Backs--frustrating I tell you, and I had moments...well we'll just leave it at that! Maybe if I had known that it was March Forth Day, I would have handled it with a little more grace. But in the end, I had myself some good moments too. :)

Katrina said...

Wow, Go Geo! I'm impressed with all your handiwoman skills.

Geo said...

AM'N. It's not too late. Choose your forth and march there! : )

Anyway, I bet you were more graceful than you think.

KATRINA. Actually, I have NONE! I'm making this up as I go along!

b. said...

I became engaged 19 years ago on March forth.

LuckyRedHen said...

I wish *i* could do all that stuff (but my back won't allow it). Ibuprofen is our friend.

Geo said...

B. WOW. That's definitely in the spirit of my holiday.

LUCKY. It's amazing--I woke up not dead this morning, and not one pain-killing tablet has yet passed my lips. The hard hat angels must be watching over me.

Lois said...

Have fun!

Anonymous said...

I know it's hard. And it hurts. but don't you find demolition sort of therapeutic?

Secretly I have this strange desire to someday tear down a wall! My fear is that it would feel so good once I got started I'd just keep on going...

Geo said...

LOIS. A crowbar and an attitude—what could be more fun than that?

C-DUB. You should have seen me smiling when I took those first whacks. It's really good therapy.

Your instinct is right on. It is VERY hard to stop. If I end up taking any walls completely down, I'll have to invite you and your sledgehammer over.

andi said...

I love March Forth. It reminds me of my other favorite holiday -- Christmas Adam which falls December 23 because Adam comes before EVE. Get it?

BTW - I think we are living in parallel universes. Just today I decide to stain my wood floors in my kitchen black and white squares.

Geo said...

ANDI. What do you do to celebrate Christmas Adam? I may put that one on my calendar between Normal Friday and Shut Yer Big Fat Flappin' Mouth Week. I can always use another holiday that won't assault me in grocery stores.