July 24, 2012

• The Grumpies

  Is it the heat? Is it the (meno) pause (I should do a fund raiser “Cause for Pause” – I would raise booze money for us hormonally challenged ladies)? Is it working so much? Out and about so much?

  

  I am grumpy this last while. No fun for any one at my house. 

  

  Only I am not this adorable and drop the F bomb quite a bit…

  Miss Grumpy Pants stomping around bitching and moaning.

  Boo on that, right?

  Poor family.

  Today I get a quiet day at home. I have chores to attend to. Fortunately or unfortunately, techinical difficulties keep me from a project I am excited about.

  We bought a beautiful antique bed and dresser off of craigslist. Every problem you can think of interfered with us getting the furniture home (mercury is retrograde but I want this damn bed!). First, the bed was in Willow Glen, near San Jose. One hundred and forty four miles away one way.The woman I bought it from is from North Carolina. She has the genuine accent. She told me the bed has been in her family for years. She has two small boys and figures they would never want this set so she is selling it. Lucky me!

  

  Antique bed from North Carolina

  Second – the head board is too big for my Volvo. I could not believe it. Nearly six feet tall and too wide to slide in and just bungie the hatch down. Third, I was only interested in the bed BUT I arrived at their place and saw the dresser, it was too amazing and such a great price (as was the bed) – I HAD to get it. It matched the bed. The room would have been lonely without it.

  

  Once I saw it in person I HAD to have it (those are marble tops and it is all dove tail construction)

  So, the bed and dresser are so grogeous I am over driving to San Jose twice, right? Trying to get rent/borrow a vehicle or apparatas to bring the furniture home was one snafu after another. Friend with a truck had vehicle issues. We had to order special custom items for the electrical on my Volvo to tow a trailer (a week out to get). There was a fire in the area and the rental pick up trucks were unavailable. The cost of a rental van was astronomical with the milage (.69 cents a mile and it is 144 miles each each way), rental and gas. ACK!

  So, we bought tie downs and strapped the damn thing to the roof rack on the Volvo. Loaded the dresser in the car.

  

  Wait, there is more. It took hours to tie the damn thing down but we made it home with out mishap. (A couple of stops to check the tie downs)

  This was Thursday night. We have not had a chance to check it out til Saturday. This is our one full day together. Our plan is to put together the bed (store the old bed) and clean and re-arrange the bedroom (we are adding that dresser too).

  We need to do some minor repair on the headboard. It is old and has been stored in their garage for awhile. Just minor glue and clamping to resecure the dove tailing of the joints. The bed is really well made and obviously well taken care of. David does that while I am wood cleaning and oiling the rest of the wood pieces.

  We put it together and attempt to put int the box spring. Not happening. We try different angles. No go. We measure the bed and the box spring. About an inch difference. What in the heck? 

  

  We check out box spring and mattresses on line to check the size of a full or double bed. The typical size is 75 inches. Our bed is 73 and just about a quarter. Our box spring is 74 inches.

  NO WAY!

  But it is true. No way is this box spring going to fit in  this bed.

  So, we try to mattress. The mattress does fit. I had my mattress and box spring in a 1920′s metal hospital bed before. I thought for sure it would fit fine. Note to everyone: when buying antique – MEASURE to be sure.

  

  This came up in the search: Figuring Stuff Out – BINGO!

  So my brain is percolating. I think of a couple of plans to get over this deal.

  First things first – some slats and plywood for the bed to hold the mattress securely with out sagging or shuffling in the frame until we figure out the box spring sitch.

  

  So today, after we slept on the floor next to the beautiful bed, Lo and I went to Ace and picked up those items. The guy in the Mill area works without a fan! What is that? AND no cold beer. Time to get another job, right? He was very helpful, though.

  

  GOT WOOD? At Ace with my able pawed assistant, Lola

  Home. Time to unload stuff and make the bed sleepable…

   

  Old Blue can be so annoying at times...

  The rear hatch won’t open on the car. It is one hundred and three degrees out. Too dang hot to argue with my car. The hatch can be persnickety at times. I gave it five minutes but now I am inside with cold beer. Maybe David can help me with that tonight when he gets off work…

  Comedy of errors? I am not laughing

  I have a long range plan for the bed. But it may be pricey so it may take time…

  

  In other news – my bird buddy Mr. Bill passed away either Friday night or Saturday morning. He will be missed.

     

  Both of my rag-a-muffin pets are getting groomed on Monday. I have the most wonderful mobile groomer who takes care of my spastic neurotic pets. I will post pictures of their after make overs.

  AND next week (Thursday July 26) is my birfday!

   

  Shazam!

  And just like that I will be fifty one.

  David is taking me to B. Bryan Preserve in Point Arena. It is a breeding and preserve for endangered African animals. We will stay in a cottage on the grounds, tour the animals (they have about one hundred acres with different breeds of zebras, antelopes – hoofstock). The town is on the coast and near Fort Bragg and I get to bring Lola.

  It will be a wonderful birthday. I will take loads of pictures. Of course.

   

  Ok. That covers it.

  Addio!

  ps: got the plywood out of the car. Mattress is placed. Phase one of operation antique bed of unique sizing is under way.

  • 9:39 pm
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