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May 25, 2009
"I Saw Something Nasty in the Woodshed"
When I bought my house eight years ago, the shed was listed "as is." That's because it was starting to rot.
And it's still out back there, rotting away.
Sadly, I have to do something about it, and the something I've decided to do is take it down. The first step, however, is cleaning it out. I don't have much in the shed anymore, partly because I'm afraid to go in there as it has become a bit of a wildlife refuge with a family of birds and a little bitty squirrel and also, I suspect, bugs. These bugs are not cute little ladybugs, either. They are the kinds of bugs that live in dark, dank places that no one wants to go.
Anyway, two of the biggest things in the shed are these two bikes that have just been sitting doing nothing for years now, but I've found someone who would like to take them. I am meeting this person tomorrow, in fact, after assuring her that of course I could fit those bikes in my car.
I was forgetting how many points I lost on the spatial relations portion of my SATs.
So today was moving along and I thought, "Oh, yeah, I have to put the bikes in my car."
The bikes were in the back of the shed. I had to go there not once. But twice. The first time, I had to jump up and down in the open doorway for a while to get ready to RUN, and then once I had the bike back out in the open air, I dropped it and shuddered for a while. I repeated this process for the second bike.
Then I had to try to get the bikes in my car. My Honda Civic. After spending fifteen minutes figuring out how to fold down the back seat, I realized I had a problem. What a smart girl would have done at this point is call Tammy and beg for help in the form of her bringing over her truck, but no. It seems like I have to ask for help with so many things. I decided I was going to figure this out myself. Thus began the forty-five minute adventure of putting two bikes in my car. I got grease all over myself and the car, and I had to take one of the wheels off one of the bikes, but, eventually, they were both in there and I was able to shut all the doors and the trunk. I admired my accomplishment for a bit, and then I went to get a paper towel to wipe off my sticky hands-hands that were sticky, I realized, with blood, on account of the way I somehow managed to scrape all the skin off the side of one knuckle.
Now here I am. I still have some dirt caked under my fingernails and my knuckle is all bandaged up with my favorite Peanuts band-aids. I am one step closer to getting rid of the shed. And I have no idea how I am getting those bikes out of my car tomorrow. I believe I will be begging for help.
Posted by adrienne at May 25, 2009 06:04 PM
Comments
So is there blood in the car too?
I was home and you know I ALWAYS need an escape.
Posted by: tonderdo at May 25, 2009 07:47 PM
There really was a weird amount of blood for the injury I had, so I was worried about this, but I think I must have done it toward the end of my adventure. The cut itself didn't hurt at all, even when I washed it out and bandaged it up, which was weird, as we all know I'm a wimp.
Well, maybe not *such* a wimp, because I didn't call for help, although in retrospect I probably should have. Aside from the fact that it would have been about five million times easier, I'm now going to be on TV storytime with Peanuts bandages on one of the fingers of my right hand. Awesome.
Posted by: adrienne at May 25, 2009 10:58 PM
My Dad always said a good job is not completed until blood is spilled. Which is why I spent so much time helping him apply Band-aids when I was little. This means you did a good job Adrienne. And the wearing of the Peanuts Band-aid is just a bonus!
Posted by: Heidi at May 26, 2009 05:28 AM
I'll remember these words of your father's the next time I cut myself doing something. :) Most of the time, I think I'd say I'd prefer not to get dirty or get a little banged up doing a job like this, but then when I do, it feels like a badge of honor, a little bit of evidence that I have done work.
Posted by: adrienne at May 26, 2009 07:18 AM
Maybe it's because I'm currently reading the very grisly and macabre GRIMM'S GRIMMEST (the bawdy and bloody tales not included in most Grimms' anthologies), but the title of this post sounds like a horror movie of some sort.
I'm so sorry about the spiders. That requires some serious bravery.
Good luck getting those bikes to the recipient.
Posted by: Jules at May 26, 2009 10:09 AM
Those Peanut bandages seem like cold comfort...
Posted by: momster at May 26, 2009 10:18 AM
Blah, blah blood, you seem fine. How is the Civic?
Posted by: chuck at May 26, 2009 11:27 AM
Right.
It's time for the annual watching of Cold Comfort Farm...
Posted by: tanita at May 26, 2009 03:36 PM
Jules, It's from Cold Comfort Farm. Have you ever seen it? I think it would make you LAUGH.
Momster, But they're so cute!
Chuck, I love that car, but this whole incident reminded me that it's time for me to do my spring cleaning on the interior. The rugs want shampooing.
Tanita, It was, at long last, the perfect quote for my subject.
Posted by: adrienne at May 26, 2009 10:07 PM
Yes, and as an update, Jason helped me get the bikes out of the car. He made it look all easy. Bah.
Posted by: adrienne at May 26, 2009 10:08 PM
Hooray for Jason!!
Posted by: jp at May 26, 2009 10:37 PM
I know! That Jason is just so charming and helpful.
Posted by: adrienne at May 27, 2009 09:22 AM
Nope, never read it, but if you recommend it, I wanna.
Posted by: Jules at May 27, 2009 01:38 PM
BTW Adrienne is the smartest,cutist and bravest girl in the whole wideness of our current worldness --and possibly off-worldness too!And so is her sister Tammy!
Posted by: momster at May 27, 2009 03:13 PM
Jules, Tanita likes it, too, so that's like a double-recommendation.
Momster, Aw, thanks! Tammy and I may just test that off-world thing one of these days. You never know. ;)
Posted by: adrienne at May 27, 2009 04:41 PM