Decked Out

My Wife (the hero) Sweeping the Just Cleared Deck

Deck Following the Cleaning

Deck Last Night

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year by far, with temperatures in the high nineties but at least the humidity was abnormally high.  This of course meant that we had a back breaking job to do in the searing heat.  I use the ”we” in very loose  fashion because my wife was an absolute hero yesterday while I played strictly a supporting role.  Our back deck has been showing some severe wear and she’s wanted to re-finish it for several months.  I was planning on doing it until my back went out a couple of weeks ago.  We both decided to get started earlier in the week in which I chronicled the clearing and cleaning of the deck.  Yesterday she came into the office to deliver something I forgot and declared she was headed to Home Depot to buy a replacement brush and was going to get started on the deck.  I was concerned because of the heat but she declared she was ready and when she gets up a head of steam, there’s usually very little that can derail her.  I left work a little early in order to help.  I was amazed when I pulled up to the house that the deck was about 60% complete.  I went inside and found her sprawled on the couch, obviously exhausted.  She said that she never sweats but that she was soaked through.  I told her that I was changing to help her finish and she immediately became concerned for me – who was sitting in an air conditioned office all day.  I eventually convinced her I was capable of helping and sent her inside to rest while I finished up.  After just fifteen minutes I was a hurting puppy and further amazed that she had been out there in that heat for over three hours (like I said – true hero stuff).  Luckily, in the motivation department, both of our neighbors were out splashing around in their pools.  I finished up and was completely saturated in sweat and a little light headed (more so than usual).  About half way through my effort my wife came back outside to insist I put on sun screen.  This became interesting because I approach painting cleanliness with a semi-laissez faire attitude and my hands were already coated with red stain.  I pointed this out but she was not to be denied and shortly thereafter I was the proud owner of a semi-red tinted skin covering.  As I finished up the deck she came out to declare that in recognition of her efforts she thought she had earned at least two new pair of shoes.  That estimate was up to six pairs by the time we were talking to a friend on the phone a couple of hours later.  She was in bed by 8pm, totally spent, but was up with me this morning and headed out shopping with a friend.  The cost of refinishing the deck is going up as I write this – but she certainly earned it.  Her early bed time allowed me to finish the first season of The Wire.  I really liked the plot and the acting but this is seriously depressing stuff.  Season two is up next.  Yesterday I also finished the next book in the Terry Brooks saga, Elves of Cintra.  This is another in the Void and Word series and will serve as the connection between contemporary times and the world of Shannara.  He does a credible job of moving his characters towards their respective conclusions.  I liked the manner is which he intertwined three different plot lines and his heroes are finally being allowed to kick some butt.  The concluding novel of this trilogy, The Gypsy Morph, is up next and the world gets destroyed – so I got that to look forward to.  This may be getting me ready for another Pahlaniuk adventure.