Dread

Have you ever had one of those projects that you absolutely dreaded? You put it off for days, weeks, months, as long as you possibly could? You obsess over everything that could possibly go wrong? You consider paying someone else to do it? You fret and complain and procrastinate - and then finally your wife loses it, lays down the law, and tells you to get it done!?

I'm the wife in that scene. We bought a door for the upstairs months and months ago. Jeremy knew it needed to be cut down to fit but he was a bit reluctant to do the deed. So for months this heavy monstrosity has been leaning against one wall or another in the upstairs. The thing was always in the way.



All this time I thought he had a plan about when he was going to get around to that door, but recently I realized it was all avoidance! Slowly, over the past couple weeks, we've made plans and acquired equipment for the trimming.

Finally, yesterday, I informed Jeremy of my plans for his life: "Today, you will cut down that door!"

We went upstairs and got the door laid down and started measuring.



Then we had to find the exacto blades (since we were making a score line to stop excessive chipping). There was a search for the long ruler, which we never did find. There was the search for the new, special saw blade and then installing it. Then finding the ear protection. Then the safety goggles - but these are scratched! Oh, my glasses are dirty, I have to go wash them. And so on - and this just for the practice cut! Then Jeremy decided maybe it was a good day to start learning the accordion.

One good long glare from me (and a laugh) and we were back on track. The test cut was very informative. But then - we had to go eat lunch. I considered washing the dishes after lunch, but I knew I couldn't abandon Jeremy in the final moments. We went upstairs, made final measurements, scores, laid down some tape, and attached felt footies to the saw so it wouldn't scratch the door as it slid over the top. Then Jeremy did the deed. And it went quite well.

A light sanding, some poly, and some hardware attached, and voila! Our new sliding door:





If you ask Jeremy how the door went he might say it was no big deal and he never worried about it - but don't believe him! In his defense though, it was a pretty expensive door and if he made a mistake there was no going back. And also, I am frequently victim to worrying obsessively over some sewing project which usually turns out perfectly fine in the end. I guess it's human nature.

You may have noticed the paneling is progressing since my last paneling post. The east and south walls are done in the study...



...and work is progressing in the bedroom.





It's getting to the point where we have to move stacks of wood around each time we move to a new wall. But we're very close to finishing the outer walls and then we turn our attention to the basswood closet - and then finally the floors! The trim around the windows and floor may need to wait, for a long time. The mushroom logs are arriving in two weeks and when they come, Jeremy will be working on that full time - no more time for the upstairs! So I hope, I hope, I hope we get it done so we can move in!