Awake: 6:54am Temp 65 sleep 6+47 sunny overnight @ Watertown, WI.
Two local carpenters that Sallie & Larry hired last week are modifying the downstairs bathroom. Ken & his son, Chris, had built the deck in back of their house a few yrs ago so these people know each other fairly well. Chris arrives @ 9:00am, his father Ken, about an hr later. They are still in the tear down stage: knocking out a wall, tearing up old floor tile, removing light fixtures, etc. It’s a good time for Larry & Sallie to be out of town. A small (1) axle flat bed trailer is parked just outside of the garage for the debris. It’s also a good time for Kathy to make some dust; she is using a powered wire brush to clean off some surface rust on the bases of the (2) metal boys before she uses primer & later a color paint. She also used the powered brush to rid the rust from the metal tubing and other metal areas of an old school desk that Sallie asked to have restored.
We both had plans today to finish our chores so we can play tomorrow; that was until I GOOFED. I am guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Earlier this morning, before closing our Murphy bed, I repositioned the long pillow @ the head of our bed because it was beginning to get wedged into the frame nearly every time we closed up the bed. The pillow’s purpose was to prevent the mattress from sliding out of the box frame when the unit was closed up; (2) bungee cords are also used @ the foot of the bed on each corner to further prevent the bed from sliding out of its boxed frame when upright.
Well, in repositioning that pillow, the Tempur-pedic mattress, which is very heavy, simply slid right over that long but slim pillow & off of its box frame & onto the floor when I closed the Murphy bed into the wall; I heard it slide & I knew what I had done. One can’t possibly open the bed more than half way & us (2) seniors can’t possibly have the strength to pull it vertically out. But we can try & for over (3) hrs we really tried.
Finally I called the Newell Coach Company & spoke with (3) different techs; none of them had heard of this happening & had no idea of a fix. Then I asked for John, the VP of the service dept. John was familiar with the slim & long pillow & experienced the pillow getting wedged into the frame when closing the bed. He discouraged us from any more efforts in trying to get the mattress out. “You & Kathy are not tough enough” he says. “Go find a workout gym & a couple of weight lifters to help you out & we’ll pay for it.” Later he told me that a modification has been made & already approved.
Worn out, Kathy had planned on going to the Ace Hardware store today anyway, so I asked her to shop for a couple of weight lifters along the way. She wasn’t gone very long; she picked up her primer paint but no weight lifting muscle men. She did, however, ask the front desk person at the local Fitness Center to leave a notice of our dilemma with our phone # listed.
Meanwhile, not one to give up easily, I continue trying other ideas, which ultimately, didn’t work. Kathy, feeling the need for more oxygen, takes the dogs for an afternoon walk. When she returns, she washes the metal tubing and other metal areas of the old elementary school desk in prep for priming tomorrow.
Later Sallie calls from Los Angeles; she & Kathy discuss the progress that the carpenters are making or not making & how the dogs are doing. Kathy did not make mention of our chores or any pillow talk.
Dinner in our bus: Flat steak, brown rice with gravy & mixed salad + toast.
Later, we watch some Planet Earth on TV with the dogs in Sallie & Larry’s home. Before we leave, we let the dogs out; who, who....who let the dogs out. Remember that song. Anyway, we call them inside after a short spell & then return to our bus.
Even later, Katrina calls from Ogallala, Nebraska. She is camping with friends for the weekend & it sounds like they are having a wonderful time.
We sleep on separate couches for the night.
High temp=81 Lights out:12:04am
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