Please read Part 1 if you haven’t already. That one sets the next three-day scene!
Matt cleaning up, was truly almost with surgical precision!
Friday, Matt (my son) and I made our plan and how to carry it out. We needed contractor bags, and mapped out where to put everything. Not much in the way of cleaning got done out there Friday besides getting a game plan together. Saturday morning (not any time too early too be decent for a Saturday), Matt and I headed to Rattlesnake to begin cleaning. I would like to be officially recorded as divulging that I am just so thankful that this past weekend’s activities of cleaning are over with. There.
We had to stop and gather materials before we left to go out there. We got contractor bags, a garden rake, my Dad’s bolt cutters (just in case we ran into and issue with any metal), Matt’s dagger “Jimbo from Jimbobway,” my Claudia Van, safety glasses, masks, and heavy duty gloves. We had 16 contractor bags when we began. They were gone in no time at all, and we switched to the smaller bags like normal people use for their everyday trash. We went through several of those as well.
Lunch Break!
This is what the main pile that had to be separated looked like with the ducts gone. Still intimidating.
We stopped and came back to the office for lunch since our food is here (my fridge went out. I probably haven’t shared that yet, but now you know), and mostly I was on bag duty when we got back. My knees, ankles, and back are in pretty bad shape from all of the horse injuries and a bad wreck a few years ago. Matt knew when everything started hurting for me and I started slowing down, and that excellent kid that he is, got me to just sit and hold the bags open. I would do that for a while, catch another wind, and do other things. Of course we were doing a lot with fiberglass, so we were itching like crazy by the end of the day.
Sue Ann stopped by in the afternoon to bring us a shovel since we did not bring one of those, and even she managed to get a piece of fiberglass in her finger. She did not get to stay as long as she wanted to, because I only think I am on the go all of the time. She really is. Bless that lady. Anyway, now armed with a shovel, Claudia watching the driveway, safety equipment, a garden rake, bolt cutters, and Matt’s dagger named “Jimbo from Jimbobway,” the nitty gritty stuff begins!
This pile (besides the door that wouldn’t move for the picture) was only fiberglass insulation, and ducts that needed to be separated. In perspective, I am 5’2″ and could’t see over it.
We worked Saturday until we ran out of daylight. We made great progress! Well, Matt did. I held the chairs down (which was tough with a couple of them that like to run around all willy-nilly). We had four piles going (and a bagging station) at one point which were:
- Stuff to bag (in progress)
- Stuff to burn
- Stuff to save
- Stuff to move
Matt had everything with fiberglass picked up and bagged well before dark. Then we started trying to figure out what to do with the burn pile that was slowly taking over the driveway. For now, it will just have to stay there. As we were getting more room, I called and asked Lee to pull Ryan’s horse trailer that he had loaded down with more debris a couple of weeks ago, to the carport so we could clean it out for him for when he needed it. We had gotten into that for about 10 minutes when Ryan pulled in to pick up his trailer, wondering what he was going to do with everything and seeing we had already started, was relieved. He and Matt cleared the rest out and added more to the bag pile and the burn pile. We lost our daylight right about the time the trailer was cleaned out. But there was a huge dent in what needed to be finished by then. All of the fiberglass stuff was bagged (minus a few stray pieces here and there) and part of the spray foam (glitter) insulation was as well.
Let’s Go Home!
This lonely pile was all that needed bagging Saturday evening. The trash bags you see total over 30 and were full of all of that nasty insulation. Spray foam and the other. It was getting there!
At quitting time, Matt wanted to stay with my Dad, and I wanted to go see a friend who had offered a stiff drink and BBQ. What Texan can resist that after a long work day? So, itchy and scratching, we went our separate ways for the evening when we got back to town.
Most of my itching had stopped by the time we got back. I enjoyed the drink, the food, the time, and the laughs with my friend. Just as I was getting ready to leave it began to rain. As I waited for a break in it, it just got harder and harder, so I just ran for it. Or well sort of not slowly walked as best I could. That was long about the time that all of streets were flooding and the rain got even harder. Of course.
So Claudia and I headed for home which is just a couple of miles, maybe 5 minutes if you catch the red light. We hit one road of pretty high water where my headlights disappeared under a wave, but before I could even reacted, she was on auto pilot, backing out and heading for higher ground. We made it home just in time for the rain to stop. It took about 7 minutes that night with having to turn around and all.
I went straight to the bathroom and started the tub and Calgon working, gathered my night clothes, talked to my kids, then soaked the day away. I climbed out, and went to my comfy bed with Maggie right on top of me all night. I don’t think I moved much. In all of my dreams, I was explaining that my back was hurting which usually means I was in pain through my sleep. I know when I woke up Sunday, I was in bad shape!
Stay tuned for the finale of Rattlesnake Shedding Her Skin Part 3!
Hermann says please like and share!
Pingback: Hermit Haus Redevelopment