I never thought building a window seat would be so hard. I started it yesterday, and my plan was to use 2x2s for the frame, then I’d cover it with plywood, then cover the front with beadboard paneling and the top with a cushion. I’ve got half of the 2×2 frame built, but I don’t like it–it doesn’t seem sturdy enough. I think I’m going to tear it all out today and start over using 2x4s, and a completely different construction method. I hope I can finish it today, but I seriously thought I’d be done yesterday, and ready to start on the rest of the room.
Traci and I spent an awful lot of time in Lowe’s yesterday, even though we thought we had everything organized well enough to be in and out in a hour or so. Picking out and ordering new blinds took the longest, and loading the trailer with all the materials we bought and securing the load took almost as long. The trailer handled just fine for the entire 180 miles or so of driving, and it didn’t make the Mazda handle any differently–it was as though I wasn’t towing anything at all. It probably looked funny with 12′ baseboard and chair rail sitting on an 8′ trailer, especially since the two feet hanging off each edge bounced and wobbled a lot for every bump I hit.
We spent $425 total, and the only things we haven’t bought are paint and a new ceiling fan (um, and some 2x4s). Since we’d spent so much time in Lowe’s, and each of our mothers was babysitting one of our kids, we decided to buy our paint here in Price some other time. And we’re planning on re-doing our living room sometime this year too, but we want to buy matching ceiling fans for it and the dining room, so we decided to hold off and buy them both when we get around to the living room.
With Traci’s sister’s wedding coming up this weekend, and the trip we’re making to Las Vegas for it on Friday, I don’t think I’ll get much else done in the dining room beyond today. I’ve still got to change the oil in the Mazda, and check all the other fluids to make sure it’s ready for a 1,000-mile trip. Then there’s all the clothes-packing, etc., that needs to be done. I’m still not terribly looking forward to this trip, though if everybody leaves me alone, I think it’ll be ok. I’m hoping that nobody expects me to hang around much, since I’d really rather just wander around Vegas on my own and find something to do, rather than do what everybody else will undoubtedly expect me to do (which will be whatever the “grown ups” decide to do).