Moving Forward-ish

I feel like I've reached a milestone as of late. I am finally moving one step forward and only one step back, instead of the normal two steps back.

This, dear friends, is a good thing.

Other than some dry spots in the yard caused by the sudden INSANE temperature increase the last two weeks the lawn looks great. The garden is coming along and within a couple of weeks I'll be moving door to door begging neighbors to take vegetables and trying to convince children that if they shove a stick into a banana squash and put it into the freezer that it will, in fact taste like a banana popsicle. Even the marigolds and sunflowers are finally going to bloom. However, the Chinese lanterns and English daisys are MIA. They may have started and been pulled by Wifey or myself during a weeding frenzy.

Smarty Pant's bedroom is nearly completed after 3 coats and 2 colors of paint. Only chair rail remains and for that I have my trusty miter saw that makes an incompetent assclown like me look like I know what I'm doing. That said, I should have used it the other night when I put the ceiling fan in Smarty's room.

Naturally, the light outlet in the ceiling was not reinforced for a fan which left me with 2 options: buy an expandable support that installs through the hole in the ceiling; or go into the attic and install a 2x4 between the ceiling joists. Now, I've gone both routes and much prefer climbing into the 150-degree hell of the blown insulation of the attic then try and put in one of those godforsaken supports. So I put on a mask (safety first!) and into the attic I go. And it. Is. Frigging. HOT! I dig through the insulation and find the spot, measure 22" between the joists and head down to cut the 2x4. Measure twice, cut once, and back into the attic.

And the board that I just cut and measured at 22" will not fit. The board is 1/4" too long. Yet both the board and the space measure 22".

?

Back down the ladder and out to the garage, cut the board to 21-7/8". Back into the attic, drop the board in and it is now 1/8" too narrow.

?

These are how my attempts at carpentry go.

Anyhoo, I tow the board in with three screws and the fourth hangs up and bends. I fight to get it back out and head back to get another. And let me tell you, it is hot and I am sweating and just frigging miserable at this point. I start carefully lowering myself down through the attic entry and I touch my knee on the edge. The part of my knee where I have a large scab from last week's low side on the bike. And off comes the scab. And out comes the blood. And the expletives.

That, my friends, hurt and bled more than the original injury.

But I got a ceiling fan put up. And Smarty's room is much cooler now, and one step closer to being finished so I can move to the next project.

But I'm one step back again. I need to let the scab heal a little before heading to the pool. But not to go for a ride tonight in near 100-degree heat. I hope I don't dry up like the lawn.