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Post by CountryGuy on Dec 10, 2022 20:51:04 GMT -6
33
They both took the last swig of their beers and then tossed all the empty food containers back into the brown grocery bag. Matt walked it and the empties around the side of the house where he tossed the bag in Tanya’s trash tote and the bottles into her recycle bin. As he got back to the bath Merv was already back at trying to get the corroded tub drain loose. He said he was definitely having to go under the house to change out the supply line and likely was going to have to cut the drain off while under there to get the drain piece out of the tub. From what he could see the builder had soldered the line to the faucet body rather than having used unions that could easily be undone to change a faucet. Merv figured it would be easiest and fastest to rip out the entire drain and replace it with new. The existing one looked to be some sort of galvanized metal that hadn’t held up too well over the decades. While Matt went ahead and pulled down and disconnected the old light bar from over where the sinks and mirror had been he heard “You still milking that tub?” “Milking indeed. No, just realizing that against all hope I’m going to have to go down under the house to get at the bottom of the tub drain and just cut it out. Also I’m going to have to go back to HD to get the parts for that. Though I’m going to have to go under and see exactly what is going on down there to know what all we need.”
“Well, before you do that, what needs to happen for me to add the new recessed light?” “Well, we’ll need to see where the ceiling joists are and hope one isn’t right where we want to put the can. Depending on where they are, that might decide where the light goes or if we can even fit one in there.” “OK so I’m assuming we go up to the attic next?” “You my friend, you go up to the attic and tell me what you see.” Matt stepped out to the bedroom and grabbed the lights off the bed where he’d laid them. He then scurried up into the attic. He clicked on the head lamp and Larry Light to make sure they worked. “Damn these little things are bright!” he hollered back down.
Matt went to put on the headlamp. “Damn man, you must have a sasquatch mellon as big as you have these headstraps.” “Big brains take up a lot of space, I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” “You wish” “Let me have that headlamp, it might be best for me under the house.” “Sure. Do you want this other one, the yellow and black work light that looks like an E-book reader?” “Click that on for a sec, the button is on the back.” “Shit! This thing is like a mini sun strobing me.” Keep pushing the button.” “Damn it’s even brighter.” “One more is low and then again is off.” “Man that does some serious lighting for being so small. Oh hey this is cool how the handle clicks out to different positions to angle it when you set it down. You could prop it into about any position you need with this handle. Hey you want it with you down under there too?” “Yeah, that might be a good idea. It’s got magnets on the back so you can stick it to anything steel.” “Here, coming down. ” “You don’t think you’ll need it up there?” “Naa I’m all good up here with this little Larry Light thing.”
With that Matt headed, with light in hand, back into the depths of the attic towards the shower. “This little thing is like having the sun up here. I see the lights, a couple old school porcelain bulbs. I just checked, they’re both blown. As I’m looking around up here there isn’t much insulation up here.” He crawled around up there for a few minutes before heading towards the hole to yell down to Merv “I think we might be lucky. From what I see it looks like the joists aren’t in the way but not sure if the one might be on-center of the stall. I just don’t know if we can center it where you want and not catch the edge” “OK, good, scooch over back in there. I’ll tap the ceiling so you can get near where I’m planning.” “OK”
Merv grabbed a smaller diameter Phillips screwdriver with an 8” long shaft. He grabbed his tape and found the center of the stall and debated a sec. He taped the ceiling with the handle end trying to hear the stud. Mumbling to himself “Don’t know why I didn’t think to grab a stud finder” Based on what he heard he moved about 3“ from center towards the faucet head. Thought for another sec and then shoved the tip up through the drywall. “Is that clear of the joists?” Matt jumped a bit as the screwdriver suddenly appeared through the drywall and the thin layer of blown insulation. Merv heard his muffled voice yell “Should be perfect.” “OK, clear any insulation around it back like a foot all around.” Merv could hear Matt moving about doing as asked. And then heard a double tap which he assumed meant he was done. “Keep your hands out of the way,” Merv shouted.
Merv grabbed the drill and the battery off the charger, loaded the 5” hole saw he bought and in 15 seconds added a big hole in the ceiling. He then shouted up through the hole. “There you go, or do you need me to wire it too?” A hand with an extended middle finger came out through the hole. “I’ll take that as a no… I’ll push the light up through the hole and you can get to wiring. Let me know when you get that old vent light disconnected and I can pull it down and fasten the new one up and you can wire it and connect the vent.”
“Oh, do you want me to cut the power?” “Naa, I’m good to do it hot.” “You should probably turn the juice off.” “I’ll be fine Mom…” “Damn Sparkies anyhow… You deserve to get juiced.” Merv said using the disparaging nickname used far and wide for electrical engineers. “You’re just jealous… Oh hey, in one of those bags are some junction boxes, cover plates, wire nuts, electrical tape and that small roll of 12/3; can you hand that up the attic opening?” “Back in a sec.” Merv handed the bag along with hammer and wire strippers and other tools he knew Matt would need.
Merv could hear hammering and other noises going on over him while he worked on cleaning up the toilet flange and cutting and starting to remove the linoleum. He took a quick pick of the bathroom in its destroyed state. “Might use this to get lover boy in hot water later…” With that all pulled out he inspected the sub floor which he was glad to see was in good shape. He started taking measurements for the floor but stopped. When he heard a tap on the ceiling.
Merv went over and stuck his head up through the attic access “What’s up?” “Put that new vent light up and fasten it and I'll connect it up and that should be it. Since I didn’t want to mess with running for another switch the shower light will pull power off this so if it’s on the shower light is on.” “Makes sense. Give me a couple minutes.” “Well hurry up, I’ve sweat off 30 pounds being up here.”
Ten minutes later Matt said “Done!” He came down and grabbed a chair to stand on to get up to the light can he’d put in. The light itself had a small connector he clipped into the mating pigtail connector mounted in the can. With that he popped the light in place to it’s receiver and he was done. “That new fan unit looks a thousand times better than that old, yellowed rock grinder. I was surprised how easy it all went in and that LED light can is slick.” “For sure” said Merv. “OK, time for the reveal. Drum roll please....” Matt flipped the switch for the light and they both came on. Wow, that’s a lot more light and man does it light up that shower. Goodbye bear cave.” “I wonder how much better that new light bar for the sink will be.”
“Now for the fan…” as he flicked the switch there was a very hushed humm. “Man that is night and day.” “Yeah it is.” “Wow you tore up all the flooring!” “Yep” “Are you still messing with that tub?” “Yes, damn it. Well I didn’t go down under yet cause I wanted to stay up here in case you needed anything.” “Oh sure, blame it on me… LOL”
“Whoever put it in originally soldered all the water connections directly to the valve assembly. They didn’t use unions to be able to easily swap out. So that’s something else I have to look at while I’m down under and take a look and see what I need before we run back to HD. I'm thinking it might be best to just cut it all out and replace the entire drain and possibly the supply lines for it and while I’m at it that toilet as that valve is in rough shape. We can replace it with the newer quarter turn style. While I’m down there I’ll look at the hall bath and see if it is the same mess and if so we’ll grab another drain assembly and do the same over there. How did everything under those old sinks look?” “Drain looked OK but like you said, those supply lines had a lot of corrosion on them and one looked bulged and another spot looked like it might be starting to seep. Well and thinking about it, those drains are all the old metal ones and had rust on them.” “OK, we’ll replace all of that, it shouldn’t be more than a hundred or so to get all new in there.”
“While you were in the attic I started a shopping list on my phone so hopefully we don’t forget anything.” “Great idea! I was thinking up in the attic that I need bulbs for up there but I'll also need ones for the mirror light bar in here and the hall bath. But I think I’ll just grab a couple socket adapters to screw in with a 2 prong adapter and get two or three of those cheap 4’ LED shop lights for up there. Those new fan units and the recess light have those bright ass built in LED’s so no bulbs needed there but I was thinking I might pick up a dimmer switch and change those out. That way if she doesn’t want her retinas seared every morning she can turn them down.” “Well the Depot should be open till 10 tonight so let's keep at things here as we might find something else I missed. If so we’ll run over before they close and pick up anything that can’t wait till morning.”
“Hey, where did you put my head lamp?” “I laid it and that work light on the corner of the bed.” “OK, I'm going to head down and crawl under and, as they say, see what I can see” “Guess it’s your ass’s turn to go down into the cobweb pit from hell.” “Yeah, I suppose it is.” “Well if you don't need me, while you go do that I'm going to start on switching out the light/ vent in the other bath and see if there’s room to do another recessed light in there too.” “Yeah sounds good, keep knocking things out. On the recess hole, if you need help on locating it just wait. You can run the wire and everything in the meantime.”
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Post by CountryGuy on Dec 11, 2022 13:30:56 GMT -6
34
They were ticking things off, at least partially, from the list they’d made which was laying out on the breakfast bar in the kitchen. “Well once we have the plumbing stuff it should only take an hour or two to get that all buttoned back up. Where we're getting to is that we have to get that floor down before we can set the cabinets or the toilets in the Master. We could set the cabinet and floor around it but at this point it’ll be faster and easier to run the entire floor. They recommend waiting 24 hours to acclimate the flooring but we don't have the time. I don't think it'll be a big issue right now, not like if it went from a really hot, humid area to a hot and dry one or deep cold to a warm, heated house.” “Yeah I agree, and it being vinyl it's not going to shrink or expand as much in this weather.” “Yep, and being it floats there is a small chance it'll buckle.”
“So you finish up the lighting in the hall bath and the light bars in here and there where we laid them out. If you have to make a hole try to keep them small and cleanly cut the edges as that will make it easier to patch. I’m headed under the house, keep your phone handy in case I need your help up here. And if you get the lights and things done before I’m back, sweep out the entire floor so it’s clean as the next thing we knock out will be the floor.
It was about 45 minutes later till Merv reappeared. He walked in as Matt had a shop vac going over the floor in the hall bath. Merv flipped it off and Matt spun to see what was wrong. “Oh hey. Just about finished in here. I finished the lights all up and cleaned the master floor and then came in here. I was able to get the sink top off and out myself and was able to wrestle the base cabinet out too and added them to the junk pile. With them out I went ahead and pulled the baseboard trim and peeled the linoleum up. I wasn’t sure on what to do with pulling the toilet so I just cut the linoleum around it.” “That’s awesome, great work! I got everything torn apart underneath on both baths. Only thing I didn’t mess with is the sewer lines for the toilets. I did cut out everything for the sinks and tubs as it was a mess. Looked like at some point someone tried ‘fixing’ something and it’s a cobbled together mess.” “Well you think that might be why she has always had issues with everything draining slow?” “Likely from what I saw. Way to many restrictions and they didn’t have things properly sloped. On the water supply, I’m going have to splice in some pieces of PEX and leave some of the old stuff I can’t get to in the walls but all the stuff for the shower, tubs, sinks and toilet supply line are ready to go back in as soon as we get them.”
“So before we start the floors, How about I show you how to swap the water heater elements and you can wire it all back up along with the new thermostats. Once we get the water back on we can power it back up so that by the time she gets home she'll at least be able to grab a hot shower. Assuming we get our asses in gear and reconnect the drains and plumbing lines.” “Yeah you're the one who’s gonna receive the wrath of Tanya if she cant take a shower or have a place to pee when she gets home.”
“OK so keep both valves on the tank closed. We’re going to take advantage of the internal vacuum, sort of like putting your finger over a straw and holding the drink in it. You hold this and have it ready and as soon as I thread the old one out I’m going to jerk it out and you stick that one in and thread it in. OK?” “Got it.” “Good then we’ll do the bottom one. We might lose a little water but this is better and faster than having to drain out 50 gallons.” Within 5 minutes they had the elements swapped. “Yeah look at that bottom one, it was totally shot. And not much of the top left. We’ll be sure to dial the temp back to where they are safe. Some one had that cranked up trying to compensate for the bad element. That’s a good way to scald someone.” Another 10 minutes and the old totally dissolved anode was replaced with the new one, the new thermostats were in, checked with a meter and dialed in to 125F. “Well what do you say before we get into the next big thing, we take a quick break and run now and get what we need at Home Depot? It’s already 8PM and they close in an hour.” “Yeah, sounds good.”
While they drove they discussed what to knock out when they were back. “I'll show you how to layout the floor and help get you started. It's pretty easy if you take your time. It clicks right together, just take your time and don’t force it. We have a little extra but we can’t have a bunch of mistakes and waste pieces. I'll show you a couple tricks for measuring it and cutting it. The joints on the end of the piece can be tricky but again, go easy and it’ll work out.” “Gottcha…” “When you get to the toilet cove you’ll probably need my help to cut around the toilet drain flange and supply. Barring a big surprise there is a decent chance we'll have 90% of the floor done by time she gets home.” “Well that would be awesome. I mean I know she’s excited but she was also very hesitant on if this was to much to take on for a weekend and lets face it, what she thought we were doing is only a fraction of the carnage we currently have.” “Once you're off and going I’ll get back under the house and get the plumbing back together, the new supply lines for the tubs, toilets and vanities ran. You’ll see, things will start to come together pretty quickly.”
Merv could see the look on Matt’s face didn’t show the confidence his words said. “I promise man, things will start to click. I mean everything, other than the hall toilet is done as far as tearout. From here everything is putting in new. I mean you already have the lights all done and you see the change that made.’ “True. I guess I’m just nervous since I’ve never done anything like this and the last thing I want to do is upset Tanya or have her think we’re destroying her house.” “I promise dude, if I have to work all night to have a working bathroom I will. If I don’t have it back together tonight I’ll pay for a hotel room for her tonight.” “Really, you’d get a room for us?” “No, I said her, my assistant will be here with me till it’s done. Only she gets to relax.” “Wow, some bud you are.” They both laughed as they pulled into the lot.
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Post by feralferret on Dec 11, 2022 17:18:25 GMT -6
CountryGuy,
I'm glad to see the new chapter. Thank you. I hope your life stays a bit more settled now.
You weren't the only one that had to do a quick review. At some point I will likely go back and read the story straight through since I'm sure I've forgotten many of the detail so far. Then again, sometimes I forget what I had for breakfast or for supper the previous night. I guess I shouldn't have spent 10 years from age 17 to 27 trying to see how much pot I could smoke. Now that I'm 68 I could use those missing brain cells.
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Post by freebirde on Dec 11, 2022 22:32:30 GMT -6
With those corroded elements, they definitely need to get a garden hose and flush out the hot water tank. Depending on your water, that should be done between twice a year and once every two years. A little Show & Tell: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aToY-8H3tcQFor the sake of the next ones to do plumbing work, install extra shut-off valves. If you have to access wall plumbing and it does not have to be watertight, think about covering the hole with an air return grill. Easier access later and easier to tell if it is leaking there. Look in HVAC supplies.
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Post by CountryGuy on Dec 13, 2022 18:33:55 GMT -6
35
They were back from their run by 8:40 and unloaded everything into the garage. Things went pretty much as planned when they got back. Merv had opted for the shark bite fittings rather than getting a torch and messing with sweating joints in the crawl space. With those SharkBite fittings and a few sticks of PEX pipe, it was like a snap together kids model. The drain lines took a little more work but soon there were new PVC lines with proper slope run and proper P traps. While Merv was working in the crawl space, Matt had went back to the attic.
While they were at the Depot, Matt hadf grabbed two 4' led shop lights to put up in the attic rather than just getting light bulbs. To make it easy he got the adapter that screws into the light socket and has an outlet plug. After a few minutes of crawling around the rafters he’d gotten the lights hung and routed their cords and had them plugged in. When he flipped the switch it was like the sun exploded in there. It was crazy how bright they were. “Dang, maybe I only needed one. Well mayb I’ll move that one one of these times to light up more of the attic.” in the near daylight he could now also see that in many places the attic floor had little or no insulation. He’d have to put insulation on the list. No wonder Tanya talked about her utility bills for heating and cooling.
When Merv got back from the crawl space Matt was just coming in from taking out the second toilet. It was really simple after Merv had explained what to do on the ride back from the store. He told Matt to give him a few minutes to finish the tub drain and faucet install and then he'd show him what to do on the flooring. He told him that in the meantime, take two boxes of flooring out to the garage and to open up and set up the compound miter saw also so they’d be ready to run with the flooring. He said when he was done with that to come back in but to bring the flooring tools he’d left in the garage that he’d bought earlier in the day.
Matt had just finished setting up saw horses with some planks on when Merv walked into the garage. “You have your phone on you?” “Yeah, why?” “I have everything run and terminated in valves down under and the tub faucet is in. I want to go turn the water on and test for leaks. I’d like you to watch up here while I check down under.” “Yeah sure no problem. Where do you want to start?” “Let’s do the hall bath first as it’s a little harder to get in and out of that part of the crawlspace. Oh, hey open the valves on the hot water tank and check it as it fills and open the faucets on the utility sink. We need to wait to be sure the elements are totally covered before we flip it back on. Did you drain any water out of the bottom like I mentioned?” “Yeah when I first came out. You should have seen the first bucket of crude, black and white junk like rocks, the water looked all white and cloudy and some orange streaks. It took until the fifth time until I got it coming out totally clean.” “Didn’t I tell you there’d be a load of crud in there.” With that Merv was off.
2 minutes later Matt’s phone rang ”OK, I’m turning the main supply back on. Other than the hot water tank, any leaks at this point should be down here. Moment of truth!” “I hear the water topping off the tank oh and there, air is spitting from the sink faucet. I don’t see any leaks.” “Good, turn that utility sink off then. Go ahead and turn the breakers back on and see if your wiring job on the tank worked.” About 20 seconds after he flipped the breakers Matt could hear a sort of fizzing sound telling him the new elements were working. “OK, they’re on and I can hear them heating up. Check the water heater rebuild off the list.” “Great. If you want to head for the hall bath, give me a sec to crawl over there.” “Great. Now head to the Master and I’ll open the new valves down here. I added a few extra to sort of zone the house and to have shut offs close here to the entrance to the crawl space.” “OK, heading that way and that was good thinking.”
As Matt came in the room he could see the new red and blue plastic pipe sticking up thru the floor where the cabinet would go and he could see a new shiny valve and wall escutcheon for the toilet supply sticking up from the floor. “OK, turning on the water now.” Matt looked around, the stub ups for the sinks were dry as was the one for the toilet. Everything for the tub and shower was dry. Matt really liked the looks of the new faucets and clean uncorroded drains on the tub and the shower. “Everything looks good, I don’t see any leaks.” “Great. Open both faucets, it’ll spit air for a bit and you might need to switch between hot and cold a few times.” “OK air is out up here and things are looking good.” “Great, everything is dry here too so it looks like I put the drains together right… head to the hall bath.”
Ten minutes later and a slightly tighter turn on a P trap and Merv was satisfied that all the new water connections and drains were watertight. Merv surfaced again looking dusty. “One more trip down there to check all the drains after all the sink fixtures and toilets are in and we should be done in the crawl space. If nothing else, we should at least be able to take showers tonight. It’s already. What time is it anyway?” “9:45 so we need to get moving on that floor. She said she’ll probably get home a little after 11.” “It’ll be close.”
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Post by gipsy on Dec 13, 2022 19:51:18 GMT -6
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Post by feralferret on Dec 13, 2022 20:56:32 GMT -6
I concur with gipsy.
Thanks for the chapter.
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Post by freebirde on Dec 13, 2022 21:24:44 GMT -6
Another thing, do not buy a plastic skeleton and put it under the house with an old wrench in its hand. No matter how tempting it is.
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ydderf2
Member
"I'm from the government and here to help" hahahaha
Posts: 321
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Post by ydderf2 on Dec 14, 2022 9:39:51 GMT -6
Thanks Remember close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades.
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Post by CountryGuy on Dec 14, 2022 21:30:49 GMT -6
36
As Tanya pulled into the drive she saw the door was up and Matt and Merv were knelled down with some sort of saw cutting something. She then saw the cabinet sitting beside the house and started to get upset. 'Oh God, what did they do. If they tore my house up... I thought they knew what they were doing.' She shut the jeep off and grabbed her bag off the passenger seat as she hopped out. Merv had some sort of flashlight on his head as she walked up. Matt could see Tanya looked pissed as she came walking up the driveway quickly, her hand gesturing at the torn out cabinet. “Mathew, what the f*** are you guys doing. I thought you knew what you were doing, you said you'd fix the faucet, not tear it up worse.” “Calm down baby.” “Don't Baby me, you're destroying my house.” Matt looked to Merv “I told you she's a firecracker.” Merv gave him a look with raised eyebrows thinking boy don't poke the bear.
“Baby, calm down. Now how about a kiss hello?” Matt was met with a stare. “Or you can hold off to combine it with an I’m sorry kiss too, good idea… just give me a minute.” “Calm down?!?” “Yes, close your eyes. I want to show you something.” “Close my eyes? I swear if you tore things up and don't know how to put it back together I'll... I'll … I don't know what but you’re not going to like it.” “I promise, it’s nothing like you’re thinking. Now, give me your bag and your hand and close your eyes. No peeking till I say you can open them.” Matt led her through the house and to her bedroom and stopped her in the doorway to the bathroom. “OK, now before I let you open your eyes, understand that what you’re going to see isn’t totally done yet. OK?” “Yes, OK” Then, open them… ..what do you think?” “Oh my...” she spun around and hugged his neck. “I love it baby... I'm sorry I was being a bitch to you. Oh my God, you guys did all this just this afternoon.” “We did thanks to Merv.” “Thank you Merv.” She spun and gave Merv a hug too, though minus the tongue kiss ending Matt got. “You're very welcome but we're not done yet.”
Merv continued “As you can see, we have almost all the floor down. We’ll need to add the transition strips, the last few cut pieces by the toilet area and then the base molding. The cabinet and top is for show right now but the cabinet honestly could be screwed in where it sits. If you want we can give you the tour of what’s left. Oh so you know, the tub and shower work and so does the toilet. As for the sink… there is always the kitchen.” “Oh my God, the shower has a light and they fan is different too…” “Oh yeah baby, turn on the fan…” “I can’t hardly hear it. Oh that is so awesome sweety!” “Babe, I have to ask, do you like the floor? I wasn’t sure if I picked the right color.” “OH Yes, it’s exactly th color. Though now I’m really not liking the wall color.” Merv just grinned knowing a painting project was in Matt’s not so distant future.
Matt stepped over to the master closet. “Come here… these are the faucets and the medicine cabinets that will go under the lights.” “I love the color of the floor and it compliments the color of the vanity so nicely, I can’t wait to see the faucets. Ohhh... you were messing with me this afternoon when you were messaging me.” “No, not messing, just trying to get you to confirm your color choices without telling you what we were up to. Oh and listen...” Matt flipped the fan on and Only a low humm was heard. “Oh wow, it doesn't sound like rocks in a blender anymore.” Matt laughed loudly… “I know.” “Oh my Lord you put in another light!” Matt just smiled and nodded “I was wondering why it seemed so much brighter in here. I totally missed it at first.” “I told Merv how dark it was in the shower and he suggested this. It's totally safe, it's waterproof and tied in on the GFI circuit with the fan and light.”
“I'm just stunned guys. I can't believe how it looks and how much you got done in an afternoon. Oh my God, new handles in the shower and tub!” “No, complete new faucets and drains thanks to Merv. You probably owe him a few dinners and beers for all the time he had to spend down in that crawl space.” Merv got a second hug. “This is just so amazing you guys. Other than the ugly wall color, I can't believe it's the same bathroom.” Merv was happy to see his friends both so happy. “We'll I'm glad you like it and this boyfriend of yours managed to be a half decent laborer but we still have a lot of stuff to finish before we call it done and you have some decisions to make. Also we still have to do the hall bath.” She looked at Matt. “Yep we're going to get them both knocked out and looking like new.”
“So we're going to keep pushing on for a little longer tonight and then we can talk and you can give us some guidance. We have a couple more pieces of flooring calling our names. And a couple small things to wrap up for tonight. In the meantime your hall bathtub and shower and toilet works so if you want to get a shower or whatever you can still do that.” A little later he heard Tanya shout from the bathroom “Y'all a light in here too... it's so nice and bright in here!” Merv smiled and looked at Matt “I think your girl is happy. Guess you get and ‘A’ on today’s homework assignment.”
When they finally knocked off for the night it was about midnight. The floor in the Master was done and only needed two more pieces of baseboard cut to finish but it was too late to keep the neighborhood up. Merv had the base cabinet secured and the bottom portion of the drains assembled and plugged with rags for the night. He had the counter top tipped up and had installed the new faucets first as it was a lot easier out here than it was to be contorted upside down inside a cabinet.
They decided to only use the hall bath tonight and took turns getting showered and out of the cobweb coated clothes. While Merv had been taking his shower Matt had shown Tanya some of the finer points of what was done and had also remembered to show her the new addition in the attic for when she needed up there for various season decorations. When Merv came out Matt was sitting on one end of the couch with Tanya curled up in his lap. Matt was sipping a drink as he looked up. Matt pointed to the overstuffed chair on the other side of the small living room. “There’s a Crown and Coke over there for you.” “Ahh Man you’re alright, I don’t care what Tanya says about you.” “See this is why I never do anything nice for you.” Tanya giggled as the bantered.
Merv sat down with an audible sigh… “Man this thing is comfy or I’m really beat.” “Both” Matt quipped.” “Well not a bad afternoon's bit of work if I do say so. And I do.” “I'm still blown away with what you guys got done today. Oh and whatever you did to the hot water, I love it, it gets hot now and doesn’t stop after 5 minutes.” “You're welcome and you can thank your boy toy there for wiring that back up. To be honest, if that tub drain and faucet hadn't been such a problem we would have gotten even further. But then I’m glad it was an issue as once I saw the mess they had of the drains, no wonder you’ve had all sorts of issues with slow and clogged drains.” “You're right, I just realized I didn’t have water up to my ankles when I showered tonight.”
“Well Tanya, I have a question for you, and you can sleep on it for tonight, but in the master bath we have two options for you. You saw the medicine cabinets in the closet. We can go with those or I told Matt we can try taking the old mirror and cut it down into two smaller mirrors and then make frames for them out of trim and crown molding and stain or paint it to match or compliment the base cabinet or light bars.” “Which is easier?” “Which do you prefer?” “They both sound great but I think cabinets and the way they add depth to the wall and add storage.” “Is that your final answer?” Merv began humming the theme to Jeopardy. “Yes.” “Done deal and that is the much easier route… so thank you.”
“Ok, so in the morning I'll caulk the floor and tub seam and Matt, when you finish the trim up you can hop over to the hall bath and finish the rest of the floor. The we’ll install the cabinet and you can do the trim. Then I’ll caulk that tub edge, we’ll set and finish up that top and pretty much so have it all buttoned up other than to hang the medicine cabinets. “Ummm...” “Umm what?” Matt asked. “You guys will probably hate me, but, how hard would it be to paint them both?” Matt went a bit slack jawed but listened as she continued. “Everything looks so nice in there now but that buttercream or whatever it is, I hate it and the paint doesn't look great in several spots and you see the wall behind the toilet now. They didn’t paint the part behind the tank now and it looks like before buttercream it was egg plant. It's something I've wanted to change since I moved in but never had the time to, or rather I didn't make time to do it.” Merv spoke “Yeah I don’t like how that looks either, the different style tank definitely shows off more of the wall.”
“Have either of you painted before?” Merv asked. “Yes, actually quite a bit. I helped my Mom paint several rooms in her house and when my sister bought her house we both helped her paint all of her rooms.” “What about you Romeo?” “Only thing I've ever painted was with spray paint.” “Well Tanya, if I give you my unskilled laborer here, do you think the two of you could tackle it between tomorrow and Sunday morning?” “I think so, yes. And even if we don't, if we get most of it done I can finish it up over a day or two either before or after work.” “I’ll pitch in if I can but I might want to share him with you.” “Hello I’m sitting here” “Shush you… the bosses are talking”
“I think we’ll have the last of the things in the bathrooms knocked out in a couple hours in the morning. Another job I think we can fit in this weekend, and I don’t know if it’s on the list but it should be, is to pressure wash your house. The weather is going to be really nice tomorrow and all the bigger your house is, we can easily knock it out in a day.” Matt said, “What do we need for that?” “We’ll rent or buy a pressure washer, get some house wash and other cleaner, a couple garden sprayers and maybe a hose or two. That step ladder in the garage is enough to reach the couple higher spots but we could always get an extension ladder.”
“Well hell, why not add one other massive job to the weekend before the first one is even done.” Matt chided. “That’s the spirit. Well, I know it’s late but how about we plan to be out of here in the morning by 7:30 so we can go hit the stores to get the paint and supplies and get the stuff for the wash job.” “Awww… but Dad, it’s Saturday, can’t we sleep in…” “No Junior.” They all laughed. Merv tipped his glass up and finished the last of his drink. “That should be about the perfect amount of sleeping agent so I’m heading to bed and I’ll see you kids in the morning. Now don’t you two stay up late doing whatever you wild youngsters do these days.”
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Post by feralferret on Dec 15, 2022 0:56:26 GMT -6
Thanks for the fine chapter!
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ydderf2
Member
"I'm from the government and here to help" hahahaha
Posts: 321
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Post by ydderf2 on Dec 15, 2022 6:49:35 GMT -6
Thanks
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Post by CountryGuy on Dec 15, 2022 14:34:31 GMT -6
37
Even though it was going on 1 AM when they all headed to bed, Merv's internal clock had him up at 5:15. Once he was up, it was a rarity for him to be able to go back to sleep. As he swung his legs out and stood up, he could feel his muscles stiff and sore from yesterday's work. Most likely all the crawling around under the house and working overhead on his back. He slipped on shorts and a tee shirt before digging in his bag and pulling a bottle of ibuprofen out of his shave kit. He shook a few into his hand, picked up his running shoes and quietly slipped out of the guest room and made his way to the kitchen. Once there he grabbed a bottle of water and swallowed down the pills.
He took advantage of the quiet and the open living room floor and did some of the stretches and other things he’d first learned during his physical therapy rehab after the attack. Once he felt limbered up some he quietly slipped out the front door, quietly closing it behind him. He sat on the stoop of the one step porch, slipping on his sneakers and tying them up. A few more stretches for his legs and then he walked down the sidewalk and driveway and made a left down the street. He headed out to the main loop then ran through the larger neighborhood at large which Tanya had told him would come back around after about a mile long serpentine route.
Five loops later he headed back to the house and quietly slipped back in the front door. When he walked in he was greeted with the smell of coffee and headed for the kitchen. There he found Tanya scurrying around and he sort of surprised her. “Oh were you already out for your run, I thought you were still in bed.” “Habits. My internal alarm had me up at 5:15 so I figured I might as well take advantage. It’s a beautiful morning out there, slightly cool and the humidity is down. So what’s a guy gotta do to get a cup of coffee around here?” “Well I suppose since you remodeled my bathrooms I could scrounge you up a cup. *giggling* Actually just a few more minutes and it’ll be done brewing. I was thinking, for breakfast this is this great little diner we could hit on the way to Home Depot.” “Yes please! That sounds great and no clean up.”
Tanya poured two cups of coffee, added some cream to one and slid it across the breakfast bar to Merv. As he reached out for it she put her hands on his and looked at him “Merv, thank you for everything you did yesterday and for everything you’re doing to help me. I also know there is no way what I gave Matt is enough to cover everything you guys have put in. You tell me what I owe you and I’ll get you paid. It might take me a while.” “Nonsense. First, Matt is filling in the balance of the cost, all i really bought were the tools and that’s because to me they’re an investment and I’ll have them for years. We’ll also now have them when we start on the projects for Edna and any others that come along.” “We’ll either way, thank you and I owe you.” “You don’t owe me anything sweetie. I owe you a debt I’ll never be able to repay. You saw me, Matt and Jimbo through what I hope is the darkest part of our lives and without you and your coworkers I might not be on the right side of the dirt today.”
Their day zipped along. After a breakfast at the CountyLine Diner Matt and Tanya headed to HD in her jeep to start deciding on paint colors and Merv headed to a local lawn and garden shop he’d found online. He planned to buy a pressure washer but he knew he wanted a Hustler brand with a Honda motor. The local dealer had a couple different models so he headed there. He ended up going with the HH4035 model which would have plenty of power for the things he needed to clean in his near future. He also got another 50’ length of high pressure hose and some spare tips and a couple other accessories they had. It was a snug fit but they were able to lift it, and while still partially disassembled, fit it into the trunk of the Beast. He was in and out of there in 30 minutes and on his way to meet up with the other two at Home Depot.
When he arrived he pinged Matt who told him they were in the paint section looking over swatches. When he walked up Tanya looked at him and smiled. “Which of these 3 do you like?” she held up 3 shades of light grays. “Oh no, not going to blame me…” “It’s not like that.” “Which ones do you both like?” “Oh no, I’m not telling you and taint your opinion.” Matt chuckled “Well then I like the one on the left, it seems to me to have a touch of blue in it.” “Ahh huh, told ya.” Tanya exclaimed as she hung on Matt’s arm. “Thanks Buddy.” Merv just smiled and said “You might want to think about a color for the exterior of the house too.” “What, you don’t like my blueberry?” “Well it is eye catching but I thought you might prefer something a little more modern.”
Matt looked at him “You’re not thinking we can paint her house this weekend?!?” “Well why not?? No! you jag-off, I mean like next weekend… If we get it washed today and assuming the weather is nice and it’s dry this week. We could maybe take off Friday and get down here Thursday night. That would give us all day Friday to prep and do any repairs and caulking and to pick up the paint and equipment.” “What sort of equipment?” “We’d rent a professional paint sprayer and spray it all. It will go faster than doing it by brush and roller and we’ll use less paint as it goes on thinner and more uniform.”
“Tanya, why don’t you look over the chips and I’ll take your bot friend to go start getting the stuff to paint today.” “OK, let me grab some swatches of some colors I’ve thought about. I’ll join you boys in a minute.” Merv and Matt were grabbing things like a paint tray, good roller frame and some covers along with painters tape, a Box-O-Rags, a couple cheap drop clothes and as Tanya arrived she picked out the style of brush she liked for doing the cutting in. and grabbed a couple other things like a thing to help cut in the edges. Tanya looked at them both. “So is that it?” “Yep I think so.” Matt said. Matt quipped, “don’t ask me, I’m just the help.” “Quiet peon..” Merv fired back with a grin… Tanya leaned into Matt clutching his arm and looked at Merv “Aww… now you better be nice to my sugar bear…” “Yeah be nice to her sugar bear..” Matt said, and they all chuckled and headed towards check out.
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Post by CountryGuy on Dec 16, 2022 18:12:02 GMT -6
38
When they got back from the outing things went into pretty quick speed. Tanya and Matt started in the Master, she doing the cutting in and he rolling the main portions after she’d shown him how. While they did that, Merv went to the Hall bath and finished installing the sink with the faucet assembly and then did the last few pieces of baseboard and then caulked the seam between the floor and tub. The only thing left to do in there would be paint and then install the medicine cabinet and switch and outlet cover plates. From there he headed down to the crawlspace for the last check on the drains and plumbing. Everything checked out perfectly so he took a couple pictures with his phone before heading out and closing up the crawlspace.
Back upstairs in the garage he cleaned up from the cutting they’d done, bagged up the trash and put away most of the tools. He went ahead and got out the hoses and then decided to walk around the house and see if and where there were any outside faucets. He found one not far from the front door and then another on the back of the house. He went and hooked up a hose to the front bib and sprayed down Tanya’s bushes and flowers and they unfolded a tarp and put over them. He checked the cleaners directions and it said to wet the walls down first and then apply the chemical and let it sit for ten to fifteen minutes but try to not let it dry. Before he did that he decided to go get Matt to help him get the pressure washer out of the car.
Merv walked in just as Matt was putting the roller in the pan, having just finished the first coat. “Hey that looks good, I really like how it goes with the floor and cabinet.” “Thanks! I know, I love it. A second coat will have it perfect.” “Matt can I steal you to use those big muscles and small brain of yours, I need to get that pressure washer out of the Beast.” “Your menial task is my pleasure.” “You can go help him Babe, I’ll go do the hall bath. Besides it’s a little too small to have two people in there working.” “OK, if you’re sure?” “I am, when I’m ready to do the second coat in here I’ll get you.?
Matt and Merv wrestled the unit out of the trunk and finished up the little bit of assembly and then Merv added the oil and checked it along with the pump oil. “So we need to wet the siding first, then spray it with the cleaner and give it about 10 minutes before we wash it. You need to apply the cleaner from the bottom up and then when we pressure wash, clean from the top down. Oh and try not to let it dry out, come back and mist if we have to. I figure we’d start out front here since it’s still in the shade and won’t dry off so fast.” “OK. I see you have the hose already hooked up. I’ll mix up a sprayer of cleaner and then take the hose and spray from the front door to the far corner and then while I spray the cleaner you can hook the hose to the pressure washer. Now I see why the quick connects on the garden hose and the ball valve. Easy on, easy off.”
It only took them about 2 hours to wash the front and both ends of the house. All that was left was the back and the deck area and then Merv suggested they also wash the sidewalk and driveway to really make it sparkle. “Hey if you want to move the hoses and things around to the back I’ll go check with Tanya and see if she’s ready for my help back in the bathroom.” “OK, sounds like a plan.” Matt first walked out to the curb and looked back at the house. He was really impressed with how much better just the pressure wash made it look. “Wow, it looks like night and day once the dirt and algae is off.” “Oh yeah, for sure. I tell you, I’m happy that the siding seems in good shape for the age and so far at least, I haven’t saw anywhere we’ll even need to do any repairs beyond maybe some scraping and sanding here and there.”
Matt snuck in thru the house quietly and poked his head around the corner to see Tanya round back side sticking in the air as she was bent over stirring a can of paint. “Grrr, I’d like to sink my teeth into that.” Tanya looked back between her legs, smiled and said “now now, behave yourself and maybe tonight if your not all tuckered out you can..” Matt walked in and playfully slapped her butt “well worth staying awake for. I wanted to see if you need my help in here yet.We have the front and both ends done and we’re getting ready to move our setup and go to the back.” “What time is it Baby?” “About twenty after eleven.” “Well I just finished the first coat in the hall bath and was debating on starting the second coat in here or if I should stop and make lunch. I think I’ll make lunch. I’d got stuff to make sandwiches and soup.” “That sounds perfect. It’s beautiful to sit out on the deck. We’ll start on this corner and work that way but won’t start the deck so it won’t be wet to eat on.” “That sounds perfect, shouldn’t take more than about thirty minutes till I finish cleaning up and get things made.” “OK, I’ll let Merv know. Then after lunch I can come back in and help you.
They had a nice lunch on the deck and each enjoyed a beer before going back to work. Matt did end up going in to help Tanya with the second coat in the Master while Merv knocked out the deck and that side of the house before moving around back out front. He grabbed one of the accessories out of the car, it was a small round surface cleaner that you pushed along that had a bunch of nozzles on a swirling arm. He wet down the walk, sprayed it with some of the house wash and then got busy. In about 45 minutes he had the walk and small drive done. He’d moved the Beast and Tanya’s jeep out on the street while he knocked it out. Merv was pretty impressed with the pressure washer and cleaner today. As he looked at the house and driveway he thought it looked like it took at least 20 years off the age. The drive was now all bright, not a dingy brown with green and black streaks running down it.
Merv unhooked the washer, drained out all the hoses and parked everything just inside the garage. He was impressed that running the washer most of the day, he’d used maybe two gallons of gas. He dried his hands off and looked at his phone. It was a little before four. He kicked his wet shoes off before walking into the house and heading towards the bathrooms. He peaked in the hall bath and startled Tanya for a sec. “I’m just finishing up in here. Matt’s in the Master cleaning up the brushes.” Merv nodded and moved on. Matt was finishing up cleaning the roller frame. “Oh hey, you down washing?” “Yep, cleaned everything up and drained out the hoses and everything is away. This all looks great in here.” “Yeah it does. The colors she picked make it all so modern looking and relaxing. I can’t get over the change and in such a fast time. Thank you man, I couldn’t have done this.” “Maybe you couldn’t have done it by yourself YET but don’t discount yourself, you did a great job and you hung in there and learned and did a lot.” “Thanks man.” “Hey, grab Tanya and bring her outside to see what it looks like since it was cleaned.” Merv was standing out at the end of the driveway with three beers. He held two out to the couple and then held out his bottle to make a toast. “Here is to good friends, great weekends and remodeling.“ They all chuckled, clinked bottles and took a pull. “So Ms Jansen, take a look at your blueberry and tell us what you think.” As Tanya turned around they heard her say “Dang… That made a huge difference. It’s not as ugly as it was. Oh WOW, and look at how great the driveway, sidewalk and porch look. I didn’t even notice the drive when you were walking me out here. It almost looks like new concrete.” “I’m telling both of you, we got a ton done this weekend. Honestly a lot more than I planned or that I thought we could do. “
“The only things left to finish up tomorrow will be to mount the three medicine cabinets and the wall plates for the electrical. Having over night to let the paint cure more will make it a little harder so it won’t scratch or mar as easy. But we’ll still have to be careful. And the cabinets should be a snap since we’d already dry fit them and put the anchors in when you were working on the lights. It’ll be a snap, maybe take 10 minutes and we’ll double check them for plumb and level. Heck we might even get a few hours to sit down and relax and visit before we have to leave to drive back.
They walked Tanya around the house so she could see the entire thing. Afterwards they all went and got showered and cleaned up and then Matt and Tanya got dinner together, Matt grilling the steaks Tanya had gotten for the weekend. The enjoyed the evening, having a few more drinks, visiting, laughing and talking about the potentials and things to do at Edna’s. They all turned in fairly early, Matt and Tanya thankful for some private time behind closed doors.
Merv was up, though a little later on Sunday morning and getting ready to go for his run. Tanya was already up and out in the kitchen in her robe when he came out. “Morning Sunshine. I just started the coffee pot so it’ll be done when you get back. Like we told you last night, we’re going to go to church this morning and you’re welcome to join us.” “Thanks but I’ll take a pass today.” “Well OK, but know you are always invited.” Merv just smiled back and nodded his head in understanding. “Well OK then, I’m going to go grab my shower and start to get ready.”
Merv was just coming back up the street when he saw Tanya’s jeep back out and start coming down the street towards him. Matt was driving and slowed to a stop as he lowered the window. “Hey, we left the back door on the deck unlocked for you. We’ll see you when we get back.” “OK, sounds good, you guys have a good morning.” Merv walked that last bit to the house as part of his cool down. He went inside, filled up his mug with coffee, added a splash of cream from the fridge and then headed back out to the deck to enjoy the cool gorgeous morning and to just think.
When he finished his cup he got up and went in and got a refill. He headed to the Master bath where he sat down his cup. He grabbed his drill driver and torpedo level from the walk-in closet and some screws and headed to the hall bath. It took about forty five minutes but he had all three cabinets mounted and all of the electrical plates on and he also installed the towel bars, toilet paper holders and robe hooks. He stepped back and it all looked really good. He imagined after Tanya put her touches on the room it would be next level. Merv took a few more pics and video and then headed to get his shower.
Merv was showered, dressed and had his stuff packed and in the car. He was sitting on the deck with another cup of coffee when he heard the jeep pull in. He had the deck door open to let the beautiful breeze in the house. As Tanya walked in the door she saw him sitting there. “We stopped at Bojangles after church and got some of their yummy breakfast biscuits. I’ll throw on another pot of coffee and we can eat.” “No need to, that pot just finished brewing like 5 minutes ago. I hadn’t even gotten up to go get a warm up.” “Matt, babe, can you grab the rest of the stuff from the Jeep.” The two joined Merv on the deck, they still dressed in their nice Sunday church clothes and Matt was in khaki shorts and a well worn concert tee.
As they all had finished eating and Matt and Tanya we’re done telling their stories about who and what they saw at Church Matt pushed his chair back and paused. “Well I suppose I should go change clothes and then we can finish things up.” “Nope, don’t need to.” “What do you mean?” “Well I mean I finished it while you all were gone this morning.” “Finished what exactly.” “All of it, go take a look.” Tanya nearly ran down the hall to the guest bath. She flicked the light on. “Oh it looks so nice with the mirror up. Oh you got the towel holder and TP holders up too.” “Yep, like I said, it’s all done. Go check the Master.” More of the same sounds of excitement and pleasure went on for several more minutes.
“I can’t believe you pulled all of this off in one weekend.” Tanya exclaimed to Merv. “I didn’t, WE did. To be honest we got lucky. I mean we had a few little hiccups like the tub drains but no major problems. And what about you there Ms Pro Painter? I mean you knocked out painting two rooms like a total boss. And Matt, you were a huge help and plus the wiring and stuff, you know I don’t mess with that side of things. Oh I wanted to tell you guys, I took pics and some video of the 'befores', during and after and I thought I’d share those with Edna when I talk to her next about my proposal to trade work and for rent money.” “Oh yeah, that was smart” Matt said. “ I was hoping it’ll show her what sort of change can be had and the sort of work we do. I’ll also tally all the receipts together so she can understand the costs involved.”
“So what do you think for next weekend?” asked Matt, too Tanya. “Well baby, this coming weekend will be my work weekend.” “Merv?” “Well like we talked about yesterday, I’m game to take Friday off and drive down her Thursday evening. That would give us t solid days to prep and paint and part of the day Sunday if we absolutely need it.” “Well, if you guys let me know what you need I can get it during the week and have it here ready to go for you Thursday night.”
“I have to ask you both, how far over my budget was all of this.” Matt chimed in “only a dollar or two.” She smacked his arm, “I know better than that. I know what the paint stuff alone cost yesterday and the toilets and I saw what those medicine cabinets were and there are three of them. I only saw the price of the sink faucets and again, there are three of them plus the tub and shower sets and then the cabinets and sinks. You had to blow by my budget before you guys started. I love what you all did but you’re gonna have to know it's gonna take me a minute to pay you guys back.” “Who said anything about you owing anyone anything? Well other than your boyfriend there saying something about bedroom favors.” Merv laughed. Tanya slapped Merv on the shoulder for that one. “Baby, we didn’t ask you for anything. I think you’re worth the investment and just look at it as I paid tuition to learn some DIY stuff via OJT through the school of Merv.”
Tanya shook her head “Seriously guys, this is serious money, I can't just let you spend that, you need to tell me what I owe you so we can set up a way to pay you all back.” Merv spoke “Like I said, you owe me nothing. In fact I didn't add too much money. But yes, I shouldn't pick, it was a chunk of money but do you like it?” “Yes” “So if you were walking into this house for the first time looking to rent or buy, would you rather have the bathrooms you had 72 hours ago or what you have now?” “Well these ones of course.” “Well then we did what we set out to do.” Then it was Matt’s turn “And babe, I look at it as an investment, in us. I didn't want you having to deal with all those gross faucets, the leaks, the broken fan/ rock crusher. I mean you deserve the best. And as for the money, I had it sitting in my savings losing money everyday due to the crazy inflation going on. Here it’s not losing now” Merv said “Well and I look at this as a test drive of my crew for fixing up Edna's place. I think you passed the test but the jury is still out on your deadbeat Boyfriend.” “Ouch, man I’m standing right here!” Merv laughed… “Naa picking, like I said, I think we rocked this and I don’t see why next weekend won’t be the same. Now, now matter what you want to do with this house you will get all the money you put into and likely more.”
“If you want to know, and I don't know what you had in the paint stuff, and I'm not including the cost of the saws and tools I bought as those are mine and I'll use them time and again, and no doubt they were needed. I figure all in we’re about $3,800 worth of stuff.” “That is so much. It'll take me months till I can pay you back.” “You know Matt, you might be right, she is pretty but she sure doesn't listen nor catch on real fast. Yep, I'm thinking you’re right, she's a bit slow on the uptake.” That got Matt a pinch on the arm and a scowl. “Ow damn it, shut your mouth Merv. You say shit and I get pinched. I never said that Baby” Merv laughed. “Again, you're not repaying us. When you get moved up you'll be paying us back in sweat equity.” Merv was quiet for a moment and looked at his two friends. “Hey, since we weren’t planning to leave till later this afternoon and we now have the day free, how about a little R&R?”
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Post by feralferret on Dec 16, 2022 21:44:49 GMT -6
Thanks for the chapter.
I only have one comment. Speaking from experience, in the real world everything would have likely taken 2 to 3 times as long as in the story. And the store would have been out of some of the items they needed. Murphy would have never ignored that big of a project.
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Post by techsar on Dec 16, 2022 21:48:37 GMT -6
"Murphy would have never ignored that big of a project" Perhaps attribute it to beginner's luck? Liking how the storyline is getting fleshed out.
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ydderf2
Member
"I'm from the government and here to help" hahahaha
Posts: 321
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Post by ydderf2 on Dec 19, 2022 23:32:18 GMT -6
Thanks
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Post by CountryGuy on Dec 26, 2022 18:56:18 GMT -6
39
Tanya asked “What did you have in mind?” Merv said “Well… I saw there are a couple indoor gun ranges nearby, you guys want to go shooting? Maybe I should first ask, have either of you ever shot?” Tanya shocked both of them with her reply. “That sounds like a great idea, I haven't gone shooting in a few months.”
She realized the guys were both quiet. Merv had a bit of a grin but Matt spoke first “You have, or I mean you carry a gun?” He asked it in a tone that sounded both surprised and confused. “Well yes, I mean I'm a single female that works late and I don't plan on being a victim. I… uhhh… you're not anti gun are you?”
Matt stammered out “No, I’m not anti-gun. Ahh yeah… that makes sense. I guess… well… I just… in the months of dating it never came up.” Merv interjected, “So Matt, what about you, have you ever gone shooting?”
“No, well I mean I shot BB guns and Airsofts as a kid but not a real gun and definitely not a handgun.” Before Merv could speak up he was happy to hear Tanya add in “Well, there are specific safety rules you absolutely must know before handling any gun. They'll go over that during the safety brief you have to sit through. Oh which reminds me, there is only one of the ranges worth going to. Tell you what, let me grab my pistol and range bag and then we can go. I think I only have my carry ammo so we’ll have to pick up some target ammo when we get there.” Tanya was back in a few minutes and they all headed out and crawled into her jeep.”
As she pulled out of the neighborhood she continued on. “Merv, I know this was your idea, but I’m still going to ask, have you shot before and do you know the safety rules?”
Merv nodded “Yes, I’ve been shooting since I was a kid. My Grandpa made me memorize all the safety rules along with learning how to operate and clean a weapon before he’d ever even let me handle one for the first time.” Matt had a quizzical look on his face as he spoke to Merv “So then you know these rules that Tanya is talking about?” “Indeed. Like I said, until I could recite them from memory Grandpa didn't allow me to touch any gun, be it a long gun or a pistol. The rules are as crucial for keeping others safe as they are for keeping yourself safe. I’ll let your lady here delve into teaching you the fine points but the Cliff Notes version is pretty much so this… One - assume any and all guns are loaded. Two - keep your booger picker off the bang switch until you're ready to shoot whatever is in your sights. Three - always know what is behind and beyond your target. And Four - never point a weapon at anything you are not willing to destroy or kill.”
Matt turned to Merv who was in the back seat “What about you Merv, do you have a pistol?” “Well… yes… and no”
“Yes and no, what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well no, I don't have one at home or anything, especially with all the ass backwards laws in DC. Having one there would make me a felon if I did. But yes, I have guns and pistols, they are just other places. I have a few I bought when I was in college and ones I inherited from my Grandpa but they've all been in storage for years. My parents, well Mom, and Karen were near mental when it comes to guns, so I kept them out of sight. Sadly I suppressed something I greatly enjoyed and value just to keep them all happy. No more.”
“What about you, how come you've never shot a gun?” said Merv.
“Well sort of the same as with you, my parents are very much against people having guns.” Matt said.
Merv asked “Well where are your thoughts and feelings on the matter?”
Matt replied “I guess I don't really know. My parents always made it sound like only lunatics and crazies had guns. You know, like white supremacist, racist types and rednecks with all their hunting and killing stuff or militia crazies.” As att said it and heard the words, he suddenly felt a bit sheepish.
“Yeah I've heard some of those same things, not so much from my parents but from some of their friends when they'd all be having political talk during a neighborhood barbecue or other get togethers. Well let me ask you this, do I look or act like any of those things? Does your lovely girlfriend fall into any of those categories?” As Merv said that Tanya laughed.
Matt squirmed a bit more as he continued “Well obviously no.”
“What, you don't think your lovely mocha skinned girlfriend is a white supremacist at heart? What, that isn’t why she packs a gun?”
Tanya howled laughing “You caught me. When we get home I'll show you my robe and hood.”
Matt blushed “Well no I get it that it's a political stereotype, just like other causes use, it isn’t just the anti-gun lobby.”
Merv said “So Tanya, why do you like the shop we’re going to over the others?”
“Well for one reason, they have a great facility. It's well maintained and has a lot of new things like a state of the art range and filter system and the people are very professional and great to deal with. They have all sorts of classes, some are women only which I really like. The staff there are great and unassuming. The few other gun shops and ranges around here seemed to assume when a woman walks in we're all dumb or need a man. In several cases I realized I knew more, which wasn't much mind you, just a little on-line research, than the guys behind the counter did.”
“The one place, well they definitely made my skin color a topic. It was the very first place I went to see about buying a pistol and the two guys started in on me about why was I looking to buy one? Was it cash? Well yes. Why? Am I buying it for a boyfriend or something? Am I in a gang, is my boyfriend a gang banger? Do I know what a strawman purchase is? Do I know I'm committing a felony if I’m buying it for someone else. They all seemed to assume I was up to no good. I was so upset and mad. I yelled at them that No I wasn’t in a gang, I was a nurse. No, I didn’t have a boyfriend and if I did he sure as hell wouldn’t be in a gang. I knew I was getting all the questions due to my lovely, permanent, deep tan. Apparently in their minds, my skin color automatically tied me to gangs. I turned around and stormed out and went to the next place on my list.”
“That’s horrible baby. So then maybe there are some truths to what they say, you know about gun nuts being racist?” Matt said.
“No baby, those guys are just assholes.” Tanya said.
“But, I was so pissed and felt so deflated that I almost didn't go any further. I pulled down the street and into a parking lot and sat there for like 5 minutes shaking and mad as hell and also wanting to bawl like a little kid. But I refused to let those guys make me cry or take away from me what I wanted. So I took another chance and thank GOD I did. The next shop was completely different; total night and day difference.”
“My second stop was the shop we’re headed to. I initially spoke to a guy at the counter and after I told him I was looking to buy my first pistol he said he wanted to have me speak with one of their female staff members as he felt she could better serve me. Initially I thought I was getting passed off being a woman or maybe again because of my skin color. He said she would be better able to serve me and drill in on my needs for my first purchase. I was hesitant but once Jennifer introduced herself we talked a long while. She even took me into a lounge area and we sat and talked over coffee as she got to know me and honestly she was all about me.”
Tanya continued on “We talked about all sorts of things. She asked questions that I doubt a man would ever have thought to ask or would have been shy to ask. Like did I just want a gun for home or for carry? If I wanted to carry, had I thought about where on my body and how I’d carry? That spun into a discussion of all the different places I could carry on my body and how and where I could conceal. She then told me how that could change depending on the size of the pistol, what season it was or how I was dressed. Was I wearing my work scrubs, leggings, a gym outfit, or a dress or skirt. She asked what sort of outfits I normally wear, I mean things that a woman would think of but how many men would think of or ask something like if I might consider a thigh holster.”
“When we were done talking she took me out to the gun counter and even though the place was busy she walked through dozens of pistols. She’d have me hold them, see how they fit in my hand, how the weight felt, explaining how it would get heavier when it was loaded. She'd have me cycle the slide to see how well I could operate it or on the couple of the revolvers, see if I could easily open the cylinder. How well did my fingers reach the controls like the safety, slide release, de-cocker, cylinder release. Which sort of sites did I like or not like. As I’d say that I liked or didn’t like things, she listened, made notes and would get out a different one for me to feel.”
“After about thirty minutes we had four pistols laid out that I initially liked. She pulled those aside and had me compare them side by side. Then I was down to three. Out of those, they had 2 of those models, or very near identical ones, available in their range rental guns. She grabbed up those two and a third, which was a revolver, along with some ammo and safety gear. She told me I needed to watch their required range safety video and she took me into another meeting room. She told me when I was done to come find her and then we’d head to the range. There were five other people in the room, including a Dad and his two tween daughters. We watched about twelve or fifteen minutes of safety videos including safe gun handling, range safety and range rules.”
“When it was over I got up and headed out to the range rental counter. When the one guy saw me he said he’d page Jennifer. In like five minutes she was there, had me sign the range waiver and told me there would be a $50 dollar charge for the range and ammo but that if I bought a gun there in the next 30 days that fee would be refunded. I said I understood and agreed to the terms. She asked for my credit card, I signed the waiver and then she was picking up the tote from behind the counter with the guns and safety gear. We stopped and put on our eyes and ears and then entered the Range Masters office and then he told us which lane to go to.”
“I was so nervous and I felt so odd wearing the glasses and muffs. Until we walked in and I could hear and feel the muffled booms of the other people already in there shooting. She showed me how to operate the lane controls and how to hang up a target. She ran the first target out to 7 yards and said that would be a good distance to start at.”
From there she had me first shoot a .38 special revolver and then two different semi-autos, one in .40S&W and the last in 9mm. She had me load and unload all of them while I was shooting them and walked me through each of their safety’s. Well, at least on the one that had a safety lever. I got to shoot about 12 rounds through each gun which let me get a decent feel and to also reload a few times since she’d have me only load three rounds at a time.
When I was done she pulled my target and walked me through packing up and cleaning up my lane. Then we walked back out to the rental counter and turned everything in and then went and sat down in her office to talk some more. She asked which of the three I liked and if there was any I didn’t like. I told her I thought I was going to like the one in .40 as initially at the gun counter it felt good in my hands but that after actually shooting it, it was a bit hard to control the recoil and that I found the mag release hard to manipulate. She showed me how my rounds proved that I was right that I didn’t control it very well. She explained how she could see I’d been anticipating the shot and jerking the gun.
We then went on to discuss the other two. Which one did I think that I best controlled and that felt good in my hand? I told her I thought I shot both the 9mm and .38 spl well but that I didn’t really like the feel of the revolver as much as the 9mm. She told me that the .40 I shot was a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield and that it was also made in 9mm which they could order as they didn’t have any in stock right then. I told her again that I didn’t like the slide or mag releases on that one as much as I did those on the Springfield Hellcat. I told her that even though I knew it was more expensive I liked the included optic on the Hellcat. I told her that it felt really good in my hand, the sight made it very easy to aim and I felt I shot it best. She agreed and said that for being the first time I ever shot a pistol I’d been able to put all twelve rounds in about a four inch circle.”
“So babe, you’d never shot before that day?” Matt asked.
“Nope. Then when I’d decided what I wanted, she grabbed a selection of holsters for me to try. Everything from IWB to a concealed carry purse and more. She helped walk me into which one would best fit my needs and that would be totally comfortable to wear for hours. She also said likely I’ll end up with other holsters or wear clothing that includes concealed pockets.
As she had me fill out my paperwork for my background check she strongly urged that I take the free new owner class they included with new gun buys. She also suggested I consider taking at least one of their classes on basic gun safety, gun familiarity and basic shooting. They offer 50% off your first class with the purchase of a new gun. She went on to suggest several other offered classes on more advanced shooting techniques; classes just for women; and classes to get my CCP. I did as she suggested, I took the free new owner class, and then the basic safety/ familiarity course and the CCP class over the next month or two.
“At one point she and I were talking during a break in my safety class. I told her about those buffoons at that first shop and how I almost let it turn me away from getting a gun. Now mind you, I didn’t even say the shop's name. She looked at me, said the shop’s name and I nodded. She nodded, told me she understood and that sadly it was a pretty common story from that place. She said they give women in general a bad time, treating them like they are dumb. She said she’s heard black male customers say the same about the people there treating them like they’re criminals for wanting to buy a gun. She said seeing as I was a young black woman she can only imagine the treatment I received.
On the race thing, she did tell me about an issue that a lot of gun shops do face. She said no doubt it’s likely profiling, but it is a big issue and follows certain patterns of people. She told me it wasn’t just Lynchburg or a Virginia problem, but that it is in all states. She said it’s especially problematic around bigger cities across the country. Criminals, typically young black and hispanic gang bangers use women, typically girlfriends or trafficked women to make gun buys for them. She explained that these women are chosen as they don’t have criminal records so they can easily pass the background checks. They can legally go in, buy several guns by lying on the federal forms since they know they were buying them with the full intent to hand it over to felons. The shops know full well what’s going on. The upright ones often refuse to put the sale through, less scrupulous ones would pretend not to see what was in front of them, preferring the green dollars over morals, ethics and keeping the public safe.”
“She told me that action, the legal purchase and then pass off to someone who legally can not possess a firearm is the classic definition of a strawman purchase. She said the gun industry is no different than any other industry, there are good companies and not good ones. In this case, the not good dealers would make the sale. She told me she has no doubt that occasionally legitimate, law abiding women buyers get turned away. But many figure better to air to the side of caution than potentially put a gun onto the streets in the hands of a criminal”
“But she said she wouldn’t say the guys from the first shop were totally coming from a noble, law-abiding position. Obviously had they not jumped to conclusions and if they’d have asked a few questions and had a conversation first, along with the fact I was there by myself and asking questions, they would clearly have seen I was nowhere close to fitting the typical profile. Jennifer said sadly though it was no doubt in part from a position of them being racist assholes. She said she’d gone to high school with the owner and that when they were kids he was no doubt racist. She explained to me the younger guys that work in there are his halfwit kids and cousins who had all been brought up just as ignorant as he was.”
Here we are, this is it. So like I said, this place is complete night and day from my experience at that other shop. And now, after having been in a couple other shops since, I think these guys are still the best. I was so lucky to find a unicorn like Jennifer.”
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Post by feralferret on Dec 26, 2022 22:00:03 GMT -6
Excellent chapter! Very good dialog relating to guns and gun ranges. Thanks!
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Post by iamnobody on Dec 27, 2022 9:28:18 GMT -6
Great chapter
Using your "booger picker" will make the trigger all icky, you need to clean the finger 1st
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Post by CountryGuy on Dec 27, 2022 23:26:53 GMT -6
40
The friends had a great time that afternoon shooting. Matt got to shoot his first pistols and a rifle that day. Merv had rented a Sig 220, S&W M&P AR15 and a Glock 17 for his friends to all shoot. When they were done and got back to Tanya’s, Merv took the opportunity to have Matt field strip Tanya’s Hellcat and to then have him learn how to clean it. Tanya sat in as he gave pointers to both. When they were done with that and everything was cleaned up, Merv mentioned that it was soon time for he and Matt to hit the road. Merv said he’d take their stuff out to the car and give them a few minutes to say goodbye.
About 10 minutes later the couple walked out thru the garage door and out to the curb where Merv was standing by the Beast. “See, I told you if we sat those cabinet bases, toilets and mirrors out at the curb they’d be gone in no time.” Tanya said “Ohh WOW, I totally missed that all that stuff is gone!” Merv said “One Man’s junk… So you ready to hit the road lover boy?” “I suppose if I have to.”
“Well, you don’t have to but the Boss-man will probably ask where you are tomorrow since it’s our office day.” Tanya stepped over and gave Merv a big hug. “Thank you for everything this weekend. You guys did such a beautiful job and I can’t get over how quick you pulled it all together.” “You’re welcome but we got a huge bit of luck that we didn’t run into any major issues and that things flowed really well. And don’t discount what you pulled off with all the painting. That is something I couldn’t have done. Well I could do it but I don’t like to and I have to go slow and it takes me a long while.” With Matt getting a final kiss from Tanya, Merv pulled a U turn on the street, tooted the horn and they headed out for the 3 hour drive back. One stop to gas up, pee and grab a quick burger, plus heavy traffic from everyone heading back into the city from their weekend getaways, it took just over 4 hours to make it back. The guys pulled into their apartment complex just before 9PM. They grabbed their things and were talking as they headed up to the apartment. “Damn it!” Merv suddenly said. “What??” Matt said with a concerned look on his face. “We forgot to call Jimbo.” “Shit! I’ll text his Mom when we get inside and let her know what was going on with the all the work and traffic and everything.” “OK, let her know if they’re available we can call tomorrow evening after work.” “OK, I will.”
They got in the apartment, unpacked their bags and tossed their clothes from the weekend, straight into their washing machine. “Man those are ripe…” Matt said as he added detergent. “What are you used to the scent of work?” Merv picked. “Hey, in case I didn’t say it, Thanks man.” Matt held out his hand for a shake. “There is now way I could have done a 10th of what we got done this weekend.” As Merv shook Matt’s hand “You’re welcome, but don’t sweat it, that’s what friends are for. Maybe the question now is how much of what we did this weekend would you now attempt to do yourself?”
“Well if I’m being honest, I think I could do the flooring; setting the cabinets; hanging the medicine cabinets; obviously the wiring; I think the plumbing is still a black-hole for me but then I didn’t really get to work with you on that and watch what you were doing exactly.I mean hooking up the new lines and stuff was easy but seeing what you did underneath with the drains and plumbing, I’d be lost still.”
“Well then a good weekend! We got your girls house out of the 80’s, added big time to the value, taught you lots of skills and got you to the range to break your shooting cherri. And after all that, I’m going to grab a shower and turn in a little early. Back to the grindstone tomorrow.” “I’m going to call Tanya quick to let her know we made it in and then yeah, I think after I text Jimbo’s Mom and you're out of the shower, I’ll do the same.”
Their week went quickly. Monday night they called Jimbo to talk and were amazed at the leaps and bounds he was making. Merv also put together some of the before and after photos of Tanya’s place and sent those to Edna to show the improvements to be made along with the abilities of her new renters. Merv explained this was done on a moderate budget, giving her a list of the things done, the total number of man hours to complete it and the cost for all the new items and supplies for informational purposes.
As planned at the end of the week, the guys took a vacation day Friday so they headed for Tanya’s Thursday after work. Another busy weekend saw them paint the exterior of her house with two coats. Merv praised the rented sprayer in how easy it made things once they’d finished the prep and were ready to spray. Matt commented about how much time it took to get ready to paint but how surprised he was with how fast it went once they started spraying. They did more caulking and started on the trim, but only what they could hit with the sprayer. They ran out of time to finish up the detail work and the shutters had required a third coat and weren’t dry enough to reinstall by the time they had to leave Sunday.
Tanya was elated at what they’d gotten done and she loved the mossy green color she’d selected along with the tan trim color. She said she wasn’t worried about the unfinished trim and told them she’d work on that mid-week when she was off. She’d knock that out and also work on painting the front door a dark blue color that she felt, correctly so, complimented the new pallet. It was much more appealing than the bright yellow color it had been.
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Post by feralferret on Dec 28, 2022 1:21:25 GMT -6
I wish I has a fraction of that much energy these days. Of course 45 years ago, I did have that kind of energy.
Thanks for the chapter.
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Post by CountryGuy on Jan 1, 2023 9:42:34 GMT -6
Just want to say Happy New Year to all of you. I'm interested to see where this story goes this year! Thanks to those of you who read, like and comment!
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Post by iamnobody on Jan 1, 2023 10:30:19 GMT -6
Great story and I am looking forward to more.
And finding out how his attackers knew his name and who sent them.
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Post by CountryGuy on Jan 1, 2023 11:31:25 GMT -6
Great story and I am looking forward to more.
And finding out how his attackers knew his name and who sent them. All in good time...
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