from the basement up

Monday, December 28, 2009


a harbour view of brown and ice and cold

Although ... today is lovely and mild. The ice in the harbour has retreated and melted.

Oh and those sparks ! they sure did fly. Yesterday was day 2 of les large basement clean out. I'm in love with a crazy man. A crazed man with a tool for every thing and every potential project and gumption like all get out. Sigh, swoon and sigh again. My basement over the years has been a repository for every failed piece of equipment large or small. Seems every handy man (?), contractor type or service person has left behind all of their debris, packaging, nuts and bolts, and too many pressure release valves for us to count. Not to mention the cast iron - 2 ton previous hot water boiler, 2 hot water heating tanks, 3 water pumps and an old steel fire place insert. A simple shrug of the shoulders, that casual pppffffft sound (the no big deal sound) and a handsome man with a tall moustache weilding a steel cutting hand held saw. Holy shit Batman !!

I held giant sections of old two ton cast iron water boiler with leather work gloves as the cowboy cut each big piece into smaller pieces so that he and I could remove (lift) these pieces from the basement. We're removing the giant old 2 ton boiler first. Sparks !! (you betcha) It's craziness !! Such good, wonderful, perfect craziness !! Yikes !! When he says we're cleaning out the basement and fixing things up - he means business. He's already figured out the boiler issues. Expansion tanks and resetting of the water temperature and suddenly there's an explanation for the too-numerous-to-count failed pressure release valves strewn all over the constantly wet concrete basement floor. More swooning. He's so freakin' smart he blows my mind.

Later in the day we enjoyed a long walk in the frozen hayfield with the zooming sisters followed by tea and a beer by the fire at his old farm house then back to Black Street for dinner of rice vermicelli and spring rolls (a fast favourite of ours) and our evening movie avec surround sound.

We're building our life together ... from the basement up.

15 comments:

  1. You sound so good in love Susan!
    I'm so happy for you!! xoxo

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  2. A man who knows his way around tools is quite valuable. Lucky you, to have one!

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  3. I just wish we had a basement! You are way too lucky....
    Tail Wags,
    Moose

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  4. If I read tomorrow that he smelted the scrap iron into potholders, I will then know he's a fiction of your incredible imagination...

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  5. hey B. Shamy ! I know, I know ... now you understand why I keep asking myself - what did I do to deserve ALL of this ??? My fairy godmother obviously had been listening to every single little detail of my wants, needs and desires. Merci !!!
    I swear it's all my past earwig love.

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  6. I think you Fairy Godmother was waiting, waiting, waiting to POUNCE on just the right guy. I also think she thinks the earwig thing is kinda crazy but since they were relocated out of her house, she's down with that.

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  7. I agree with Big Shamu. I believe the Cowboy is a figment of your imagination. Open your eyes really wide. Is he still there? Pinch yourself. Is he still there? Cutting up boilers and hotwater heaters? Impossible. I thought all that was hopeless. Next you will say he is selling all the scrap metal for incredible amounts of money.

    The walks, the meals, the movies? All part of the dream. All these things are not supposed to go together.

    Buy him every tool he ever wants! I always say, if a man wants a tool, get it at any price!

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  8. hahahahhahah .... welcome to my world !! the wonderful world of renovations.....

    yep....get good gloves and pair of steel toed boots... you're gonna need 'em.

    Upon hearing this... Greg is thinking he needs to run right out and buy the one thing we don't have...metal cutting tools.... not that we need them... after many years ...we are almost finished with our mania.... then we will have tools and saws for sale...

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  9. I posted a video of my cottage. I think you'll find the scenery is similar!
    Have you seen rocks covered in ice? It's beautiful, like the tops of crystal balls peeking out from the ripples of the frozen waves.

    Good luck with your potentially new man ;)

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  10. Goodness! What a man... what a man.. what a mighty fine man!! Does he have a brother? hahaha... and if so can I get his number?((giggles))
    So glad you have found your happiness.
    xxoo

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  11. LOL @ Shamu. :D

    Rice vermicelli and spring rolls sure sounds good. Good place to start building....from the bottom up. So happy for you.

    Much love to you and the furry gang. xo

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  12. I love him and I want you to rent him out for projects. I have a couple in mind...

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  13. Nice ending. Ahhh...nver mind, I got an aswer to my earlier question. How wonderful to get that stuff removed. Sigh indeed.

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