Lemonade

I know it is hard to understand, but Flood Monner was a blessing for me (and my family). It is hard to find blessings in tapping a 401K to rebuild a perfectly good (before flood) basement. Elaine will just work a few more years before she retires, She doesn’t enjoy fishing anyway.

This is a story about ”if God gives you lemons, make lemonade”. The truth is I never liked the way the basement was laid out. After finishing the basement MYSELF, I was standing and admiring the finished product, I announced to Elaine,

Me: I should have switched the family room and the computer room. (Both very small) Elaine: I know, I wish we didn’t put that closet there. (I built a closet for things we didn’t need or use) Me: I agree Elaine: Well, it will work. It’s not that bad. Me: Nah, I’m going to start over! Elaine: You’re crazy! We just had the carpet installed. Me: You’re right, but I hate it. Elaine: You should have listened to Ivy.

Flood Monner gave me the opportunity to move the computer station into what was the family room and move the family room into the old computer room. That useless closet went to the landfill, with the contents going to a thrift store. I’m not only making lemonade, I’m making strawberry-lemonade.

Girl Twin has wanted to change paint colors in her room. After the drywall repair is complete, she can change her paint color. Lemonade! Elaine is painting the walls in the computer room and the family room. We’re making more lemonade!

Another unintentional blessing that is a result of Flood Monner, is I “get” to do a construction project with NO “construction language”. Why? My (most of the time) helper is eleven years old. Boy Twin!

Do you have any idea how hard it is to hang sheetrock without using “construction language”? (Construction language) near impossible!

Boy Twin and I tried to nail an eight foot sheet of sheetrock on what is going to be his bedroom ceiling. As great as helper as he is, the sheet rocking didn’t go all that well.

Me: OK, I’m going to lift this sheetrock up (yep, I can still lift a sheet of sheetrock), when I get it in place, you stick this board under it so it can’t fall down. Got it? Boy Twin: OK, I think I need to stand on this stool. Me: I do also. If this doesn’t work we will need to go to Orange Depot and get stuff to do something other than sheetrock. You ready?

I lifted the sheetrock. Boy Twin was just too small to actually help me. I tried to get the sheetrock into place and it just wasn’t happening. I was not using “construction language”, but I was thinking it, (the really bad kind).

Me: Can you get the board under the sheetrock? Boy Twin: I’m not tall enough! Me: Try again, move it to the left! Boy Twin: Monner, maybe we better go to Orange Depot. Me: I’m think you might be right!

I spent the day with working with Boy Twin. Lemonade!

Our Crazy Lives!

monner