Not So Random Remarks
2005-03-21, 9:20 a.m.

YAY!!! Andrew got it fixed!!!

Day 211 - Not so Random Remarks

Quite the melt down diaryland had over the weekend. Glad I'm not a high maintenance user. I'm sure Andrew doesn't need even only one more email about 'when will my diary be back?'. So I'm going to write this up a little ahead and get in when D'land is back up.

Never realized how many of the diaries I read from time to time (like daily) are based on D'land. Like Grouse, Steph at Pine Barrens, Amy at Human Oddities (new read for me, but entertaining all the same), Mysteria at Mysteria. I'm sure there's more, but I'm trying to leave a D'land based diary right now and it's hosed up my browser (again)

So - where did I leave off?? Bowling Thursday night - didn't do too bad. Personally bested my average by ~30 pins. Nice, but not going to move the average much this time of year. Team wise, we split the points, so likely no change position wise for us. Means we end up in 6th (of 20). It's not a prize money intense league, so no biggie cash wise where we end up really. Now we're down to the singles tournament this week and that's it. Banquet to follow and that wraps it up for the season.

Got in a lovely workout Friday morning. Last morning of the incline walking I think. Banged away at the weight machines again. Still racking up those fit points. Did not finish striping wall paper. As it was, left for Fredonia to pick up E a few minutes late, then decided to get gas before getting on the thruway. Good thing too - only paid $2.08 at Hess - thruway stations were all $2.13+, in spite of the "new lower prices" in effect.

Doubled up on workouts Saturday. Did a 5K run at low slope (0.5 - 1.0), trying to keep my speed up. Same amount of time, roughly, same calorie burn, but covered 1/4 mile more. Hmmmmm. After my jog, hit the weight units. Went home, finally finished off the wall paper and started the whole wall smoothing process.

More workouts Sunday. Did all 12 weight machines after another 5k run. Actually ran 36 seconds faster than Saturday. Don't think those kinds of improvements will last too long.

About those walls - the previous owners had originally painted the stairwell & upstairs hallway. At some point, they decided wallpaper was the way to go. The walls apparently needed some smoothing work done. They managed to start that. Spackling compound was spread around pretty generously. And left. They papered right over it. No sanding, no washing down with a wet sponge, no priming even - just wall paper. When we moved in, we thought the wall paper had to go. We ripped it down and immediately put up new wall paper. Without noticing the conditions of the walls too terribly much. After all, wallpaper can hide a multitude of sins.

Now, we have decided that with the kids gone, maybe we could do without wallpaper (it can tolerate a pretty good beating and is more washable than paint) and convert back to paint. I wish I had taken care of the walls the first time. I wish the previous owners had taken care of them when THEY should have 20 some years ago. It looks like in places, there was actually a primer paint applied over older wallpaper paste (that was never removed). This has left a permanent gritty texture in SOME areas of the walls - as opposed to the non-gritty texture in other areas of the wall. This is necessitating a whole lot of smoothing with joint compound and touching up with sanding. Making a really nasty, dusty mess. I think I may be down to my last sanding, then I can get everything upstairs primed. Then the real progress starts, and maybe the wif won't be such a friggin grump.

Monday (today) an off day from workouts. My arms demanded it. Triceps are complaining about getting (ab)used. Poor little puppies better just shut up and take it. Right hamstring is kind of twitchy too - like it's been pulled a bit. No pain, but it feels tight, like it never really relaxes fully. This in spite of my warming up and cooling down with stretches. I can actually put my knuckles on the floor with my knees not quite locked out. Pretty limber for a geezer like me. No, I can't quite bend over far enough to kiss my ass goodbye - but thanks for asking.

Wif has her appointment at the Y to get set up on the weight machines, that will hopefully get her a little more interested in working out more frequently.

211 days down. 1 stinking hallway left to paint.

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