...veni, vidi, DESTRUCTI

regular readers may remember...
this "before" shot of my bathroom...
taken in late May, "B.C."...
["before contractors" had even been called...]

today, I began my part of the de-construction...



this is the window "lift"...it is rusty, dirty...
painted over and will be "going"...
as will the sash lock which is in "worse" condition...
if that's even possible...


today, I applied a lot of "WD40" to both...
after scraping the paint away from the screws...
and scoring the paint out of the groove...
I was able to loosen the screws in the "lift"...

if you look close, you can see that the screws are loosened...
[something I've always been accused of having anyway...]

the sash lock is "percolating"...
it's screws may be rusted in place...
because they wouldn't budge...

I DO have paint stripper...
and EVEN some "naval jelly"...
if I need to call in the "big guns"...
[heh,heh...]

here you see the mini blind holders,"gone"...
there were 3 screws in each...
I had to stand with one foot on the stepladder...
one foot on the edge of the tub...

and work WAY too hard...



but they are GONE...
and that's all I care about...

so... here it is...take one last look...



I'm about to start in with the pry bar & hammer...
maybe they'll just "pop" off...

[10 minutes later...]


I've managed to remove the ledge...
discovering that it was CEMENT...
with tile stuck to it...
using about a ton of mortar...

not only are tiles NOT "popping off"...
I've hit some wire...
the cement is spread on the chicken wire...
it's like stucco...with tile...

[5 minutes later...]


perhaps if I just give up the chisel idea...
and hit it with the hammer...
because...not only is the tile really strong...
the cement is really thick...
and the chicken wire really holds on to it...

that's better... but it still isn't coming off very fast...

maybe if I just really WHACK it...

AHA ! that's the ticket...

I...[whack] just...[whack] have...[whack] to...[whack] hit...

OWWWWWWWW...



stupid chicken wire GOT me...
sliced me good...
little finger knuckle...
blood running down my hand & arm...
as I try first, to take a picture of the carnage...
[anything... for a post...]
then clean it and apply a bandage...

BTW...have you ever tried to peel open a bandage...
with only 1 thumb ?
WHILE blood is running down your arm...
and dripping ALL over everything...

harder than you might think...
[and messy, too...]


as rusty as the wire is...
it's a GOOD thing...
that I just got that tetanus booster...
[even if it DID cost $140.00...]



here I am... all bandaged...
had to use 2... bled through the first...
[yes...I only have half a right thumb...
you aren't seeing things...]



FINALLY...

[a total of 30 minutes...]


what a mess...

so...after cleaning it up and throwing away the debris...
[thank goodness it's "trash Day" tomorrow...]
I sat down to write this...
gritty, sweaty, battered, still bleeding and sore...
with chunks of debris in my shoes...
but enormously pleased with myself...

I think I deserve some lunch...
and some Excedrin for my aching muscles...

AND for my poor, sliced pinky...
which is really starting to throb...

maybe I'll re bandage it first...
then, lunch...

and a cold Dos Eqquis...

THEN... a NAP !

sounds like a plan...

God is good...

Post Script...

when I went to re bandage my finger...
I discovered a much bigger cut than I had thought...
NOT wanting to spend HOURS and $$$ in an emergency room...
I got a couple of butterfly closures...
and got "Dr" UnklePhil to bandage it...



leaving it "open" to the air...
after applying a layer of Neosporan...
and "splinting" it with the butterflies...
and some tape...




the cut is semi-circular...
from the middle of the knuckle...
around and down the side...
about half an inch long and fairly deep...
NOT just a flap of skin...
a good chunk of flesh...
probably 2 or 3 stitches...
if I was going to "go there"...
hopefully... this will be fine...
if I don't bend my finger...