Welcome to As Ashtabula Turns Out, a dia-blog series brought to you by Babka’s Polski Kielbasa. Cmaaaaar says, “Nie mogę w to uwierzyć!" and Cmaaaar is never wrong!
As we click to our story, Mary E. has arrived to help paint and Babka is showing her the utility room, while Pop carries things in and down the hall to the end bedroom. Let's listen.... er... read in on their conversation.....
Babka: Well, Mary, what do you think of what we have done with this room?
Mary E.: I don’t know. It is brighter in here. Why did you paper?
Babka: Pop hates to paint. He said that he, "...did not want to sand this dark plywood wall, prime it once or twice, then paint it."
POP: (entering) That paper was the worst I’ve EVER used!
Mary E.: Hi Popie! (They hug)
Pop: What do you think of the paper?
Mary E.: I’m not sure. I think I like it.
Pop: Oh. (Sigh) I’ll be getting ready to put up the paper in the end bed room. (Exits)
Mary E.: Weren’t the walls varnished?
Babka: Yeah, he sanded them down, washed them off and put a coat of sizing on the walls?
~~ With What? (Pop goes through for an second load)
~~ Mixed stuff in a bucket and put it on with a paint brush.
~~ Oh
~~ It took us all day to paper these two walls and the little corner over there. Then Mike called us that evening to tell us about a bunch of bad spots. (Pop goes by thinking, "paint showing through and all. Bobka is the sloppiest.")
~~ So kind of Mike. What bad spots? I don’t see any.
~~ I wanted to smack him, but then, that would have meant getting up off the couch. We were tired. Sure enough, when we checked the next day, some nails had rusted right through, plus the ceiling paint I slopped and some gunk on the wall were bleeding through. (heavy sigh)
Pop: (from the other room) She is the messiest Painter!
Mary E.: (yelling down the hall) Yeah, well, you haven’t seen my work. (to B.) How did you fix it?
~~ We painted over it all.
~~ Let's see, you sanded, washed, sized, papered and painted, so you would not have to sand, prime and paint.
~~ You got it.
~~ You are your father’s daughter.
~~ Yeah, Longie Lives on!
That’s all for today friend. Click in next time when Pop and Babka try to paper a whole room together with out fighting, while Mary E., (wisely out of the way) paints the middle room from pink to neutral beige.
Or Not!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
As Ash. Turns (a dia-blog series)
As we last “clicked into” the old fart and fart-et they were discussing the paper and switches in the “utility room”…
Pop: Quit’n time! I’m tired.
Babka: Me too. The papering that should have taken a few hours took all day. Let’s go eat.
~~~OK.
After a shower and supper the NSD duo (Not-so-dynamic-duo) are relaxing in front of the TV watching one of their favorite shows, Holmes on Homes when the phone rings…
Babka: Helloooo
Mike: Hi, I’m thinking that we need to take one of the chairs out of the living room. You two seen to be relaxing too much.
~~We were just trying to make the place a bit homey for your weeks up here. You going South this week end?
~~I’ll be real tired, but I’ll make the effort. The warehouse is all cleaned up and back to normal. Everything is back in place. I got hit with a bunch of trucks just as I finished up, so the lawn is not mowed yet but the tractor is by the door. I’m keeping all the papers for Mom so don’t use the good pages for painting.
~~ That’s good. How do you like the wallpaper?
~~What paper?
~~ In the utility room!
~~Oh! I didn’t even notice. Just walked right through. Well you can see all the seams, there is a spot up in the corner where the paint is showing through, I can see where all the nails are, ….
~~ (making faces at the phone) Other than that, how do you like it? (sarcastic) Don’t hold back. Just say what you think. (grrrr)
~~I’m not kidding. I can see where all the nails are, and there is a big dirty spot right here by the light switch, by the kitchen, and another one by the door frame.
~~(call waiting beeps) Mike I have a call coming in.
~~ I’ll wait
~~ Oh goody. (Switch to other call) Hello? Hello Carmen. I have been wondering how your chemo has been going. Just a minute I have a call on the other line. (Switch) Mike I have to take this other call…
~~ As I was saying I got the warehouse all cleaned up and I’m going to see Mom this weekend. You don’t need this phonebook do you?
~~No I don’t. Take it with you. Have a good rest tonight…
~~ I’m not kidding. You can put your finger on each of the nails. I can feel them trying to make their way out…
~~Mike! I have to take this call!
Will Babka get to talk to Carmen? Will she smack mike next time she sees him? Is she wishing that Popo had left the switch plates off? Do you give a *@^^ ^? Click in next time and find out….
~~~Or Not…
Pop: Quit’n time! I’m tired.
Babka: Me too. The papering that should have taken a few hours took all day. Let’s go eat.
~~~OK.
After a shower and supper the NSD duo (Not-so-dynamic-duo) are relaxing in front of the TV watching one of their favorite shows, Holmes on Homes when the phone rings…
Babka: Helloooo
Mike: Hi, I’m thinking that we need to take one of the chairs out of the living room. You two seen to be relaxing too much.
~~We were just trying to make the place a bit homey for your weeks up here. You going South this week end?
~~I’ll be real tired, but I’ll make the effort. The warehouse is all cleaned up and back to normal. Everything is back in place. I got hit with a bunch of trucks just as I finished up, so the lawn is not mowed yet but the tractor is by the door. I’m keeping all the papers for Mom so don’t use the good pages for painting.
~~ That’s good. How do you like the wallpaper?
~~What paper?
~~ In the utility room!
~~Oh! I didn’t even notice. Just walked right through. Well you can see all the seams, there is a spot up in the corner where the paint is showing through, I can see where all the nails are, ….
~~ (making faces at the phone) Other than that, how do you like it? (sarcastic) Don’t hold back. Just say what you think. (grrrr)
~~I’m not kidding. I can see where all the nails are, and there is a big dirty spot right here by the light switch, by the kitchen, and another one by the door frame.
~~(call waiting beeps) Mike I have a call coming in.
~~ I’ll wait
~~ Oh goody. (Switch to other call) Hello? Hello Carmen. I have been wondering how your chemo has been going. Just a minute I have a call on the other line. (Switch) Mike I have to take this other call…
~~ As I was saying I got the warehouse all cleaned up and I’m going to see Mom this weekend. You don’t need this phonebook do you?
~~No I don’t. Take it with you. Have a good rest tonight…
~~ I’m not kidding. You can put your finger on each of the nails. I can feel them trying to make their way out…
~~Mike! I have to take this call!
Will Babka get to talk to Carmen? Will she smack mike next time she sees him? Is she wishing that Popo had left the switch plates off? Do you give a *@^^ ^? Click in next time and find out….
~~~Or Not…
Thursday, July 26, 2007
As Ashtabula Turns (A dia-blog series)
This is the continuing story of two old people making their way in a world of limited income, aches, pains and home improvement.
When last we read about our less-than-dynamic-duo, Step-mom Clare had, with the help of family, loaded most all the possessions from the Zima-House in to vehicles and moved to Sycamore Valley to set up house keeping near her children.
Since that time:
~~We replaced the floors in the kitchen and utility room.
~~THEN we painted the ceilings. (clever)
~~The ceiling is painted in the Dad’s room.
~~The electrician is coming Monday to take care of anything illegal or dangerous in the wiring.
~~Pop has vented the Kitchen Sink, and cleaned the screen and drain.
~~Pop has shaved down the doors so that the move more easily. We find that the front door is too short to replace easily. A new wooden door would have to be ordered and then we would have to try to figure out how to install it right against the block.
~~ The front and basement doors will be painted.
To brighten up the “utility-room”, our duo put up paper on the plain walls. It was the worst paper to work with. There was much inaudible as well as audible swearing. (Expletives deleted) Finally, the paper is up. Let’s see how it’s going….
Babka: What’s that in the corner?
Pop: What corner?
~~Above the window.
~~Damn! It’s not sticking…yes it is… Oh Shit! The paint from the ceiling that got on the walls is showing through. (Thinks) She's the sloppest painter I know!
~~Maybe it will go away after the paper dries.
~~I hope so! This paper was the worst stuff I have ever used! (23.69th time that was said) (Pop looks a bank of 4 switches)
Pop: Hey! I know why Dad built this out so far. The electrical boxes don’t fit in the wall and this is block right here. The walls are right up against the block, no insulation or anything!
Babka: Yup, looks like Longie work. Bless him. I told you not to take the trim off those switches. Sigh! (Another “I told you so,” she thinks) Shit! I was going to stop that. (Aloud) Let me Prime and paint the new trim before you put it up, please.
Pop: Sigh! I have to get this up today so Mike does not kill himself when he comes home tonight!!!!!
~~~OK! OK!
Does Pop get the switches fixed? Does Babka get her wish on painting the trim? Does Mike get a shocking experience when he comes home?
DO YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT THIS GOVNO?
“Click” in next time to find out what Mary E thinks of the work. Or Not.
When last we read about our less-than-dynamic-duo, Step-mom Clare had, with the help of family, loaded most all the possessions from the Zima-House in to vehicles and moved to Sycamore Valley to set up house keeping near her children.
Since that time:
~~We replaced the floors in the kitchen and utility room.
~~THEN we painted the ceilings. (clever)
~~The ceiling is painted in the Dad’s room.
~~The electrician is coming Monday to take care of anything illegal or dangerous in the wiring.
~~Pop has vented the Kitchen Sink, and cleaned the screen and drain.
~~Pop has shaved down the doors so that the move more easily. We find that the front door is too short to replace easily. A new wooden door would have to be ordered and then we would have to try to figure out how to install it right against the block.
~~ The front and basement doors will be painted.
To brighten up the “utility-room”, our duo put up paper on the plain walls. It was the worst paper to work with. There was much inaudible as well as audible swearing. (Expletives deleted) Finally, the paper is up. Let’s see how it’s going….
Babka: What’s that in the corner?
Pop: What corner?
~~Above the window.
~~Damn! It’s not sticking…yes it is… Oh Shit! The paint from the ceiling that got on the walls is showing through. (Thinks) She's the sloppest painter I know!
~~Maybe it will go away after the paper dries.
~~I hope so! This paper was the worst stuff I have ever used! (23.69th time that was said) (Pop looks a bank of 4 switches)
Pop: Hey! I know why Dad built this out so far. The electrical boxes don’t fit in the wall and this is block right here. The walls are right up against the block, no insulation or anything!
Babka: Yup, looks like Longie work. Bless him. I told you not to take the trim off those switches. Sigh! (Another “I told you so,” she thinks) Shit! I was going to stop that. (Aloud) Let me Prime and paint the new trim before you put it up, please.
Pop: Sigh! I have to get this up today so Mike does not kill himself when he comes home tonight!!!!!
~~~OK! OK!
Does Pop get the switches fixed? Does Babka get her wish on painting the trim? Does Mike get a shocking experience when he comes home?
DO YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT THIS GOVNO?
“Click” in next time to find out what Mary E thinks of the work. Or Not.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Moving Day
Today is a very strange feeling day. Well, it has been a strange feeling month, but today my step-mom moved out of the family home. The step-family, Pop, my sister and I loaded almost everything from the house that my father built into cars, a trailer, 2 trucks, and a van. The cinder block ranch house now stands empty, except for a few small things. It is empty today, the only time since Mom, Dad, my brother, Jan, and family friends put together piles of supplies to make a home and the Zima family with five kids moved in.
We moved in during the month of September. I was three that September. Now, I sit on the floor of the hollow living room hearing, seeing and smelling memories. I remember how I loved it when we all slept on mattresses lined up in the living room because there were no floors or walls in the rest of the house, and Mom hung laundry on a line tied from the telephone poll in the front of the house through the window and fastened to a stud inside the kitchen. I smell fresh pine Christmas trees, nut roll baking, and that gooey stuff we used to clean the walls.
I hear music, singing, fights, laughter, the piano with thumb-tacks on the hammers and the Bing-bong of Grandpa Louie’s clock. Memories of Mom’s Kelly green carpet, Phyllis’s surprising her with a gift of Desert Rose dishes, Jan’s guitar, Tom’s whip, Mary and I singing and dancing to show tunes while we cleaned the house. Thoughts wander to Easter Monday’s water fights, snow on the roof needing to be shoveled off, strawberry picking, Topsy, cats, chickens, rabbits, geese, pigs, a sheep and a heifer, Oh and parakeets. All provided by my dad, Longie.
Memories are just traces, wisps of color and light effected by time and emotion; the woods, the lonelinesses, the dreams, the wonders, the fears. OK, no life is perfect, no dream complete. We do our best. We love each other. We hurt one another and learn to forgive. Praise God for inventing that! It’s the love that keeps us going.
Now, the echoes must fade. The house that Dad built will go to another family. And we? We keep on moving, lest we get caught by what was, or what we wish had been. We grab tightly to our dreams, praying for all we are worth that we can be just a bit like the people who built that house.
We moved in during the month of September. I was three that September. Now, I sit on the floor of the hollow living room hearing, seeing and smelling memories. I remember how I loved it when we all slept on mattresses lined up in the living room because there were no floors or walls in the rest of the house, and Mom hung laundry on a line tied from the telephone poll in the front of the house through the window and fastened to a stud inside the kitchen. I smell fresh pine Christmas trees, nut roll baking, and that gooey stuff we used to clean the walls.
I hear music, singing, fights, laughter, the piano with thumb-tacks on the hammers and the Bing-bong of Grandpa Louie’s clock. Memories of Mom’s Kelly green carpet, Phyllis’s surprising her with a gift of Desert Rose dishes, Jan’s guitar, Tom’s whip, Mary and I singing and dancing to show tunes while we cleaned the house. Thoughts wander to Easter Monday’s water fights, snow on the roof needing to be shoveled off, strawberry picking, Topsy, cats, chickens, rabbits, geese, pigs, a sheep and a heifer, Oh and parakeets. All provided by my dad, Longie.
Memories are just traces, wisps of color and light effected by time and emotion; the woods, the lonelinesses, the dreams, the wonders, the fears. OK, no life is perfect, no dream complete. We do our best. We love each other. We hurt one another and learn to forgive. Praise God for inventing that! It’s the love that keeps us going.
Now, the echoes must fade. The house that Dad built will go to another family. And we? We keep on moving, lest we get caught by what was, or what we wish had been. We grab tightly to our dreams, praying for all we are worth that we can be just a bit like the people who built that house.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Nothing Simple part 2
OK, what was I thinking, posting specifics like when we are getting the truck and loading it. Now, they are planning to get the truck, load it and drive to Sycamore Valley on Sunday the 15th. Claire is 80 years old. I think it a bit much to pack a truck drive 5 hours and unpack the frozen stuff all on one Sunday. Good I don't have to do it. Well, I will help load the truck.
Today we moved a ton of gravel. We dug out a walkway from the house to the shop, put in some 
4x4s, put down plastic and filled the hole with a ton of the 20 tons of gravel we ordered. The rest has been put at the base of the steps of our really cool deck. Our deck is too cool. You all need to come and spend some time with us and enjoy the yard and fire pit.
4x4s, put down plastic and filled the hole with a ton of the 20 tons of gravel we ordered. The rest has been put at the base of the steps of our really cool deck. Our deck is too cool. You all need to come and spend some time with us and enjoy the yard and fire pit.
Last week we took out the front sidewalk and put in stepping stones. we also mulched and planted the flower bed out front.
Laura is still in China. Have not heard how she is doing. Please, keep her in your prayers.
Popo is not wanting to move, again. I wish he would make up my mind.
We'll just have to see what happens after we sell my father's house. That is not going to be simple. I have to get "Temporary Power of Attorney" from 5 people and a "Quit-Claim Deed" from Claire. Then spruce up the house, list it, accept a good bid then close. What fun? I might be wrong, but, I'm pretty sure that is why Popo does not want to think about moving ourselves yet. Well, maybe next year.
God Bless You ALL.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Nothing simple
OK, it was silly of me to believe Mike and Ma-Zima about what was going to happen with the move. Lets try again. They are getting the truck Saturday July 14 and drive down Sunday July 15. Mikie is wanting EVERYTHING out of the garage so he can clean it. I don't know why since we are going to mess it up with moving and fixing up the place.
Anyone looking for a nice ranch house in Ashtabula?
Blessings on all who read.
Anyone looking for a nice ranch house in Ashtabula?
Blessings on all who read.
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