You Should Take a Break....

When Tessie says something like that, I know she has something in mind that doesn't include sitting down and doing nothing...

"You sit right here and I will go fetch things for you...".  When she says something like that, I know I'm in trouble...

Then she followed that with, "You worked so hard yesterday, helping me move, that you shouldn't have to work on the Tudor houses today."

Somebody pass the aspirin and a cold pack to put on the back of my neck...

I sat down. Big mistake.

Tessie disappeared.

I heard a lot of rattling and banging in the garage.  In she came, dragging this.

Then came the explanation.  She has heard me often say that I thought of something in the early morning hours and can't get back to sleep.

Copy cat. "I remembered this frame that you had in the garage.  It would make an excellent fortuneteller's booth.  It could have curtains, a colorful backdrop and lots of good stuff.  I could use it to earn big bucks.  I can see where we are going to need extra if I am ever going to get my Spiderwort Manor finished..."  This all came out in a rush.  I think that she was trying to slip some of it past me... Now I am wondering what new ideas she has for that one...I am not going to ask...

I was out of the mood to work on the Tudors anyway.  I need a break.  So I got out a couple of pair of pliers, some wire cutters, a hammer and a saw.  I have been through this before, so I knew what it takes to get one of these apart.  Lots of tools.  A few less fingernails and a lot of hair tearing.

It took about an hour to get all of the unwanted pieces out. The wires go through from the top to bottom.  That means pulling them out of the top and bottom wood and pulling them through the center beam.

All of that stuff down front is what I took out.  I sawed the center beam and half of the two top side beams out for an open front.

After getting those out, I patched all of the holes with spackling compound. 

Then I gave it another coat of black paint.

It is now ready for the fun part...

However, I am going to have to stop.  April and Amare are coming over.

Tomorrow Seth gets back from Africa.  Thank goodness he is not in the part with all of the trouble, but we will still breath a lot easier when he is home safe.

It looks like this is going to give me a few days vacation from the Tudors. 

Luckily, I saved the foam core pieces that I had cut for the back and floor panels the last time this thing was in use.  I have patterns for new panels.  For once I did something right.

Even the floor of the cage is wire.  Once I finish, all of the wire will be covered.  It makes for a pretty quick room box.  This is definitely more fun to play with than what I was doing. 

Hey!  I'm a grownup....I can do it if I want to!  And besides, I have a good excuse.  Tessie made me do it!

See you tomorrow.