My wife is mad at me

[notfarnow]

Well, not mad so much as irked and and bit annoyed. She's been in Botswana for 6 weeks, and gets back on Wednesday. I was supposed to put down baseboard trim through the whole house while she was away, and she was really excited about it.

Anyway, I've talked to her by email every few days and spoken to her once a week by phone. She's been very curious to know how the trim is coming. Last week, I could hear a bit of frustration in her voice. I had done 2 weekends of landscaping, and then did an engine swap in a friend's car, but no trim was up yet.

I assured her that this weekend was the big push, that I was going to get all 240' of trim up in 3 days. She was skeptical.

Then, on thursday I told her the bad news. My neighbor hurt his leg moving a fridge, and needed my help all weekend because he was having windows put in and he couldn't go up a ladder. He has helped me out many times, and I had to return the favor.

My wife understood, but she is let down that the trim won't be done when she gets home from africa in two days... she was REALLY excited about it.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Doesn't she have anything better to do than call to nag you from Africa about "honey-do" crap?

[Super_Dave_D]

You procrastinated and then circumstances bit you in the azz! Thats all she asked you to do and you couldn't find the energy to help her out but yet you found time to help out friends!! You know she was really excited about it and YOU let her down!! Whats wrong with you!!

No this is not my wife using my PC - its what she says to me

[kaisen]

Jake, isn't this your usual M.O. to do major home projects when she is gone? I thought I remembered you posting that once.

[notfarnow]

The amazing thing is that after 6 years, she hasn't caught on yet.

I am full of $chit.

My neighbor's leg is just fine, and the trim is done as of 2am this morning

I just put in one hell of a weekend:




Turned out really, really nice. I am so happy with the results.

[craigster59]

Tell her that you were ready to get it done, but you felt it was a great way to spend time doing a project together since she had been away for so long. That or hire an assisstant and call in sick to work for 2 days.

edited cause Jake sprung the pics in the post while i was still typing. Good job!

[kaisen]

Wow, that looks great! I just put in tile in three rooms and had pulled off the trim/baseboards to do so. I hired a friend of a friend (pro) to put it back on. There's no way I would have had the patience. Good job!

[masraum]

Outstanding. I think mine would still kick my butt for stressing her out and making her annoyed/irked for no reason.

Good one though. Looks great. How'd that go in the old Van Halen song, "you'll get some for sure."

[tabs]

GAWD WHAT A PIG...SHE SHOULD DIVORCE YOU IMMEDIATELY. She should find someone who is senseative to her needs.

Anyway Boss...2 weekends of Landscaping and an Engine swap sounds like you were really enthusiatic about the Trim job. See what procrastination will get U...LOL...On the serious side you knew she was looking forward to having the Trim job done. It was important to her, U knew it, and you didn't Cover her on it after you said you would do it. TSK TSK TSK...I would be pissed off at U to and I'm not even married to U..... I just wondering what year it will be before you get any again...I' wouldn't shake your hand cause I know what you are doin with it..

I just think it was the prospect of not getting any for a LONG time that motivated U...

[notfarnow]

More pics




The sunporch had a 2" gap from the wall, so I put a thin board down flat, then set the trim down on that.



I made a last minute decision to put new floors down in the hallway upstairs. I had some 10" maple planks left over from my kitchen floors, so I used them:

[oldE]

Jake,

I was going to suggest you pick me up at the ferry terminal and I'd give you a hand, but it's obvious your skills with a miter saw exceed my own.

Nice work and good save!

Les

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by Porsche-O-Phile
Doesn't she have anything better to do than call to nag you from Africa about "honey-do" crap?

Actually she's really not the naggy type... I should be careful to present her fairly here. The Full Story is that we had baseboard trim that I pulled up when I refinished the floors, but it was 3" rinky-dink stuff that didn't suit an old house, so I refused to put it back up. That was 3 years ago! She has been pretty patient

Originally posted by kaisen
Jake, isn't this your usual M.O. to do major home projects when she is gone? I thought I remembered you posting that once.

Yep!

Originally posted by masraum
Outstanding. I think mine would still kick my butt for stressing her out and making her annoyed/irked for no reason.

Yeah, I thought about coming clean. I wanted to surprise her, but didn't want her to be annoyed at me on her last few days in africa. She might have given in to the lewd advances of the locals.

But then she came around and said it was great that I was helping my neighbor. She's going to be really surprised.

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by oldE
Jake,

I was going to suggest you pick me up at the ferry terminal and I'd give you a hand, but it's obvious your skills with a miter saw exceed my own.

Nice work and good save!

Les

You're a good man Les!

To clarify, there was no "save"... there was never any question that the trim would be up before she got home. The bull$hit about my neighbor's leg was his idea... he thought I should surprise her.

As for skills with a miter saw, you would have laughed at how many times I cut the miter in the wrong direction. I was learning as I go.

To really complicate things, there is not a straight line in the house, on either the walls or the floors.

[Zeke]

Good job. Nothing like a deadline to get things done. I hope you treated yourself royally last night with a good libation and a half of Vicodin. You deserved it!

Baseboards are one of the hardest carpentry jobs I can think of. I did some in January and I think I'm still sore.

[craigster59]

After the wife being gone for 6 weeks, the only "trim" I'd be laying is when she got home...

[azasadny]

Jake,
Looks great! She'll love it!

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by milt
Good job. Nothing like a deadline to get things done. I hope you treated yourself royally last night with a good libation and a half of Vicodin. You deserved it!

I finished the touch up coat of paint at 2am. I treated myself to sleep

It's a shame I accidently deleted the "before" pictures of the boards that I started with. They were 12' long pine boards that had been used as a subfloor. They had nail holes and gouges, but not a single knot. I used Bondo, then Polyfil to smooth them out. Two coats of primer, two coats of paint.



The top pieces came off the old 3" mouldings. I ripped them, the routered them to fit over a curve cut in the planks.





I also had to make these corner pieces to go under the door casings. I made them thicker & wider than needed, because I am going to build up the casings over the winter.

I made 54 of these; they started out as 4 2x6s

[bigchillcar]

wow...outstanding work.

[notfarnow]

Here's one from the same spot, 3 years ago. The hardwoods had plywood nailed over them:

[trekkor]

Nice use of the materials on hand. Really looks nice!

I have list of "honey-dos" right in front of me now.
I better get crackin'.


KT