Sons gf asks me if I'm available to help her parents do some jobs up at their cabin this last weekend.
Last year they asked me to come up and take a load to the dump (because I have a PU truck) and they payed me $50. It's a hour drive to the cabin and another 40 to the dump from there. So three hours driving and loading old mattresses, couches and yard waste in and out of the truck. Basically it cover my gas, which is fine. They have had me over for Thanksgiving dinner a couple times.
The cabin was originally built in the 1920's or 30's. It's had 4 additions on it. Last one was in the 60's. Nothing was built properly and everything is out of square. Floors are a rollercoaster. So they have decided to sell, rather than tear down and rebuild it. The real estate agent did a walk thru and gave them a list of stuff to fix/repair/replace to make it more saleable.
The list: Remove excess furniture. Lift/remove vinyl flooring, remove orange shag carpeting, lift and level guest cabin, lift and level shed/replace rotten wall on shed, replace rotten floor boards in main cabin, replace wood work around fireplace (ceiling), replace missing window trim(s).
Saturday we strip everything out and take two loads to the dump. Then go buy material to do the other jobs. 7 hrs working, 2hrs driving there and back.
Sunday I get there and no one home. So while I'm waiting, I bash out a old rotten stump and dig it up. Then unload 4 wheelbarrows worth of tools from the truck. Table saw, chop saw, compressor, hoses, extension cord, drills, nailing guns, nails for guns....everything I could think of that I would need. He shows up and we start. Replace ,rotten floor boards in cabin. Cut out, build new bracing for the ends. Trim & fit the old T&G out, replace with pine 1x8 he had laying around under the cabin. Everything you touch just falls apart. Give me a gallon of gas and a match.
Then I start on the ceiling around the wood stove. I estimated 4-5 hours looking at it......it took 6.5 to finish. When they installed the stove they cut thru the ceiling joist to get the stove in just the right spot. Only problem the "Joist" was a 2x4 -24" on center. They run from the top plate of one wall to the top plate of the other wall and span 10'. So over the years the ceiling had drooped and water had gotten in and rotted the pieces of wood around the chimney. Everything had to be torn out cut and reframed. Then the ceiling had to be jacked up so everything would fit back under the 1/4" plywood that was up there before. And of course the place had shifted enough while the plywood was out that it no longer fit and it had to be trimmed crooked to fit......
Over the last two days I drove for 4 hrs, worked for 16, burnt 3/4 a tank of gas and used my nails and screws to patch up their place.
For that I got a cheeseburger with a side of carrot salad and a "Thanks for helping".....Helping? I did all the dam work. He stood around and swept things with his broom.
My kid had better marry his daughter is all I have to say.
