I've come a long way, Baby!

Brandon and I are pretty excited 

about making concrete counter-tops

for the island.

We've got Tyler on board, too

though he wants to get all fancy and order moldings and such.

We've decided to go with cast-in-place,

because I am scared of severed fingers 

when setting the top on the cabinets

if we make the mold kind,

even though I think those'd look a smidge nicer.

Since we needed to make a pad for the HVAC units,

we figured we'd get a little practice in.

(but yes - we know it's not exactly the same)

Brandon picked up 18 80#bags of concrete mix

which we thought was probably 6 too many,

but we didn't want to risk running out.

We ran out.

While Tyler ran to buy a few more bags,

Brandon and Lexi made a float tool,

becasue Lex' wanted to help too,

and I moved around the concrete on the pad

and tamped it some.

It's really quite cool.

You dump this thick rocky stuff in,

and sorta jiggle it a bit with a trowel or hoe,

and suddenly,

you have a smoothish milk-shakey surface.

Anyways.

When Tyler got back with the concrete,

Brandon was finishing up Lex's tool.

Tyler was feeling quite awful with upper respiratory crud,

and since the bags he'd bought were only 60#,

I figured I could just dump it in the mixer,

so he wouldn't have to.

60 pounds is no problem for me.

Only,

I forgot to account for the fact 

that my left elbow has been bugging me

and if I hold my arm out from my body,

I have zero strength.

Like - I can't even pick up my water glass.

So I was trying to pour a 60 # bag of concrete mix 

into the mouth of the mixer

which is mixing

and it wasn't coming out very fast

when the piercing pain shot through my elbow,

so I was left holding the bag one handed,

and I dropped it

- bag and all -

into the mixer!

Once upon a time,

that would have really set me off!

Instead I just laughed

and let the kids take pictures of their stupid mom.

The week before

(the night of the painkillers)

our waitress was really not very good.

We had to ask for everything twice.

In my previous life,

I was a waitress,

and a darn good one,

so my standards are a wee bit high.

I've been known to get more than a little miffed

with bad service.

But I was patient with her,

and just reminded her (again)

with a smile

when we needed something.

About the 5th time

of asking for something
for the second time,

Tyler said,

"She's lucky you are so laid back."

And he was being serious!

That's probably not something
anybody 

ever

expected to say to me.

And I realized ~ I really have chilled out!!