Day #1,246 - Hanging

Today Doc went off to a Men’s Retreat and I went off to the Penny Palace.  I had visions of getting the spindles on the staircase painted, cleaning floors, getting the pantry cleaned out, etc.  Then tomorrow I planned to do lots of packing and maybe Sunday I could take an hour and get a facial or something relaxing.  Tonight I got a facial and partial bath - with Mineral Spirits!  Don’t think dermatologists would recommend that product for healthy skin.

On the way to the Penny Palace I stopped at Home Depot.  Two pennies there.  Good to get that item of business out of the way.  At 1 p.m. I met with HVAC Jim at the Penny Palace.  He just replaced the furnace at the cabin.  (The existing one quit and was estimated at being at least 25-35 years old).  I expected a 5-minute interface, but Jim had heard about the Penny Palace and wanted a tour.  If the Angels have given it to me as a “tool”, then I must share it.

After Jim left I did a few other jobs (actually procrastinating ‘cause I did not want to paint those stair spindles).  By 2:30 I had to get started because I wanted to leave at 4 p.m. to take the damaged kitchen drawer to the cabinet shop.

I was using my 6 ft. light-weight ladder because Doc’s 8 ft. ladder is too heavy for me to move easily.  I had the container of paint in my left hand and paint brush in the right hand.  A combination of a rickety ladder and stretching just a little too far resulted in the ladder going over!  I grabbed two spindles and hung on for dear life.  If you ever watched “I Love Lucy” shows on TV, this would have looked like one of those episodes.  I was not laughing at that moment.

I was dangling from the spindles and wondering what to do.  I could not just drop my hold because the toppled ladder was directly beneath me and my legs or ankles could be twisted with the aluminum frame.  I couldn’t keep hanging on.  (My upper body strength has never been that great).  I did not want to release the container of paint or drop the paint brush because the oil-based paint does not wash off!  Did not want that on the walls, stairs or floor.  So I pleaded (out loud) with the Angels to please come help.

In what now seems like the blink of the eye, I tried to toss the paint container and brush onto some cardboard to minimize the clean up.  Then I released my panic grip to slip a few inches further down the spindles. That allowed me to dangle over the ladder and drag it with my feet to at least get it out of the way.  Then I asked the Angels to please make it a soft landing as I let go …

I lay on the floor trembling for a while.  Then the phone rang.  It was the Bank Appraiser.  She wanted to come by in a few minutes to take final photos.

Off-Balance Ladder

I needed to clean up the paint mess before it dried.  Mineral Spirits smells terrible.  I cleaned up the mess on the treads and a bit off me, but I needed to get the drips and splatter on those spindles.  That meant back on the ladder ….My legs were still shaky as I got out the taller ladder and stood higher than I had been before the fall.  Not good.  As I was standing there, Doc called. He needed to report the penny he found at McDonalds.  By this time I had put my phone in my pocket in case the Appraiser called again.  Doc said, “You are sounding funny”.  I said, “Oh, I’m just up here on your ladder doing a little painting of the spindles.”  He replied, “Well you be extra careful working out there on your own.”  Yes Sir!  You bet!

Appraiser Brenda arrived 30 minutes sooner than expected.  She had not seen the project since the time it was paper plans and a bare lot.  She was surprised and pleased with the finished product.  She said she felt very welcome and comfortable. The Penny Palace is definitely not sterile (think flies in the toilet).    I forgot to get a photo of Brenda.  Rats!

***************

On the way home from the Penny Palace, my cell phone went goodbye - like to phone heaven. It has been acting up for a year and it finally died.  Then as I was attempting to get cash, the ATM machine would not read my card. 

So in summary, Doc has left me high (on a ladder) and dry (no phone or cash) as he went off for the weekend!  LOL

Total:   3 Pennies