A work in progress becomes a job well done.
Over Easter I did a “coals to Newcastle” job for one of our daughters. She and her husband live in Auckland and have been doing a great job of renovating their home. Like many projects, this renovation took too long, hindered by the arrival of two children and increasing work demands. It slowly became obvious us that a big push was necessary to complete the job. They had done 95 per cent of the hard graft; the remaining 5 per cent was proving a big challenge.
We flew north for a three day blitz on the exterior paint job that
started amidst doubts about the long range forecast which indicated rain
clouds were gathering. With everything ready to go we crossed our
fingers and ignored Met Service.
Good Friday dawned fine, the weather gods were on our side and we spent the major part of the day doing prep-work. Orbital sanders were supplemented by the hand-sanding of loose paint and I was soon up on the scaffold working under the soffits.
At the end of day one the prep work was finished (ahead of schedule) so we could knuckle down to the hard slog of slapping on the paint. By this time I was acutely aware of the demands attached to house painting. My physical fitness has slipped below par and with two days to go I had to put everything I had into the work at hand.
Lynnette’s presence freed up another pair of hands – with Nana in the house minding the kids our daughter was able to learn the “art of the brush” too. Being a typical country girl she was soon giving it heaps and the house was undergoing a spectacular metamorphosis.
The next day began with a trip to the hire centre for more scaffolding and reinforcements were called in to ensure the job was done before we went home. The first coat was on by the end of day two.
My body was starting to scream by now; sore shoulders, an aching back, legs and arms in torment, and to complete the symphony of pain, cramping feet from standing on step ladders.
Agony aside, we were ahead of schedule and the team’s tail feathers were up – we were about to start on the last stage of this big job. Day two finished in fine style when the barbecue was fired up and we tucked into a classic Kiwi feed of steak, sausages and some big salads prepared by Lynnette – all washed down with Marlborough wines.
We all limped and staggered off to bed (a result of the hard work rather than the wine) and the next day saw us back on the scaffold nice and early, applying the second coat of paint. We worked until 3pm then knocked the top off some cold beers before heading to the beach for a swim with the grandchildren.
The sea breeze perked us up and that evening we celebrated a job well done. After all the money spent on house renovations the painting was the proverbial icing on the cake. The roughest house in a good street has become one that fits in just fine.
There’s nothing like supporting people in a worthwhile project. Our three days topped off 12 months hard slog for our kids and every little bit of assistance helped. It tends to take 90 per cent of your effort to get that last 10 per cent done and dusted (or painted). I just hope they don’t go and sell the house now it looks absolutely fabulous.
To wrap up I hope everyone takes time today to reflect on the meaning of ANZAC Day. This national day of remembrance honours members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli and indeed all those who have served and died in military operations for our country.
It is a time to consider the many meanings of war and give thanks for the freedom we now enjoy.
Good Friday dawned fine, the weather gods were on our side and we spent the major part of the day doing prep-work. Orbital sanders were supplemented by the hand-sanding of loose paint and I was soon up on the scaffold working under the soffits.
At the end of day one the prep work was finished (ahead of schedule) so we could knuckle down to the hard slog of slapping on the paint. By this time I was acutely aware of the demands attached to house painting. My physical fitness has slipped below par and with two days to go I had to put everything I had into the work at hand.
Lynnette’s presence freed up another pair of hands – with Nana in the house minding the kids our daughter was able to learn the “art of the brush” too. Being a typical country girl she was soon giving it heaps and the house was undergoing a spectacular metamorphosis.
The next day began with a trip to the hire centre for more scaffolding and reinforcements were called in to ensure the job was done before we went home. The first coat was on by the end of day two.
My body was starting to scream by now; sore shoulders, an aching back, legs and arms in torment, and to complete the symphony of pain, cramping feet from standing on step ladders.
Agony aside, we were ahead of schedule and the team’s tail feathers were up – we were about to start on the last stage of this big job. Day two finished in fine style when the barbecue was fired up and we tucked into a classic Kiwi feed of steak, sausages and some big salads prepared by Lynnette – all washed down with Marlborough wines.
We all limped and staggered off to bed (a result of the hard work rather than the wine) and the next day saw us back on the scaffold nice and early, applying the second coat of paint. We worked until 3pm then knocked the top off some cold beers before heading to the beach for a swim with the grandchildren.
The sea breeze perked us up and that evening we celebrated a job well done. After all the money spent on house renovations the painting was the proverbial icing on the cake. The roughest house in a good street has become one that fits in just fine.
There’s nothing like supporting people in a worthwhile project. Our three days topped off 12 months hard slog for our kids and every little bit of assistance helped. It tends to take 90 per cent of your effort to get that last 10 per cent done and dusted (or painted). I just hope they don’t go and sell the house now it looks absolutely fabulous.
To wrap up I hope everyone takes time today to reflect on the meaning of ANZAC Day. This national day of remembrance honours members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli and indeed all those who have served and died in military operations for our country.
It is a time to consider the many meanings of war and give thanks for the freedom we now enjoy.
