Project HAVE-YOU-LOST-YOUR-MIND?!
September 25, 2007 – 5:08 amThis week we took on a teeny tiny project in which we RE-SIDE our entire house.
No, not RESIDE in our house… RE - SIDE. As in, rip all the existing siding off, and put up NEW siding. As in Hello! What were we THINKING?!
The original plan was to hire someone but when the bids came in $50-$60,000 over budget, we thought, What the heck! It can’t be THAT hard… LET’S DO IT OURSELVES!
(every nightmare project starts with those words…)
Currently half our house is stripped down to the bare wood and tar sheets. When I drove into the driveway with CJ this afternoon, he said in surprise… “They’re painting the house BLACK AND BROWN!”
I had to assure him that no, we’re not that avante garde.
Jay’s older brother is here, along with my father-in-law, and they’re working HARD. I try to keep them happy with massive amounts of donuts, Doritos, and lasagna.
This morning, as they ripped off siding with crowbars, precariously perched on makeshift scaffolding high above the ground, Jay had a momentary flash of brilliance… Or maybe just reason.
“Hey! If we fell from way up here… it could hurt!”
Which led to the NEXT quantum leap of master deduction…
“We should TIE ourselves to something!”
And then the BIG brains came out with…
“LET’S USE CHAINS!”
(I am not making this up)
And so my darling husband and his older brother fashioned themselves harnesses made from metal chains, which they proceeded to fasten between their legs, around their waists, and to the wall. I watched from below, for once completely speechless.
I’m still not convinced it wouldn’t be better to just hit the ground.
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Carla, Sara, ReesePie, Becky, Sherry, this is for YOU. Proof. Evidence. Oh, the horror!
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By Kimberly on Sep 24, 2007 | Reply
Oh my. Quite the fashion statement.
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By bellevelma on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Well, hey… once they finish this project they’ll have not only siding experience, but also scaffolding and chain experience. Which should look good on a resume if they ever want to become professional window washers. Oh wait… I saw THOSE guys outside my office last week. They were using ropes, not chains. Never mind.
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By Summer on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Really? They chained themselves to the house?
LOL!
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By Karen (Pediascribe) on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Oh my gosh! That sounds like a horrible project. My dh wouldn’t even think twice…..we’d hire it out.
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By Midwest Mommy on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Oh my gosh! Metal chains between the legs! OUCH! I hope your hubby doesn’t fall for your sake. Never chain the family jewels!
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By Mrs. Schmitty on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
They must look absolutly hilarious. If I were your neighbor, I must say I’d be laughing my butt off!
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By Sunshine on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
We have to re-side our house in the very near future as well. $20,000 I’d rather spend on practically anything else. Wish there were handy family members I could pay with Doritoes and watch them dangle from the 2nd story by chains…FUN!!
My hubby and his brothers would probably think of something chain-ish as well.
Boys.
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By canape on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
omg.
I hearby solemnly promise not to bitch about anymore of our never ending remodeling projects.
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By Nap Warden on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
First off, I hope no one falls! Second my mother (yes mother) redid her roof alone (yes alone). She actually parked her tractor with the front bucket up to the roof to catch her in case of fall. She didn’t fall, thank God! Good luck!
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By Amy on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
How could you stand to watch? My hubs on occasion thinks “I can just do that”. ALWAYS a HUGE mistake. We had a wooden privacy fence at our last house that had no gate. There was no way in or out of the back yard except through the kitchen door. Our fence got a little crookedy- looking over time. I hope your house turns out OK!
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By Mert on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
I’m always amazed at what men (who are supposed to be the more LOGICAL sex) come up with.
My step-dad liked to turn the mower on it’s side to “weed whack” weeds around trees and once said he wanted to used dynamite to remove a stubborn tree stump. This from the man who was a computer programmer for the Air Force for over 20 years.
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By cate on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
wow! now that’s ingenuity at it’s finest!
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By Carla on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Photos please. Or at the very least your head photoshopped on hubby’s chained body.
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By Suburban Oblivion on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
No kidding, where are the pics??????????
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By ReesePie on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
pictures of the chain diapers, please…
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By Not the Queen on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Men definitely have their brilliant moments, don’t they?
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By Becky Woods on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Pictures. We need pictures. This is a must document in photos moment. Men are so funny. I would have loved to see that. Still laughing.
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By Sherry on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Oh my gosh! How funny. I think we need to see this to believe it! Pictures! :o)
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By Gretchen on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Sounds like a fun time is being had by all. When you watch them do you picture Al Bundy and Jefferson Darcy putting things together?
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By Annie on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Yikes!
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By Tuesday Girl on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
That sounds about right.
For men.
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By New Diva on the Blog on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
My first thought on reading this post was, “are they crazy”. Then I continued reading and became completely convinced that they are, in fact, crazy!
The mind of men?!
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By Rachel on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
I am looking forward to the I Told You So post!
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By MommyMommy on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Not really sure what to say to that except wow.
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By Eve on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Are you going to be able to handle us on Friday? Because we’re coming, and we will rock your world! Hey, maybe I can be of help? My dad made me put up siding on our house when I was in 9th grade.
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By Worker Mommy on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Brave…truly brave
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By creative-type dad on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Hey, at least they didn’t use duct tape
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By beta mom on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
If the whole thing works, nobody actually falls and the siding looks nice you could hire them out as a trendy new contracting business - “convict caperters”.
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By Lisa on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Oh lordy. I hope you next post doesn’t mention a trip to the ER! :-)
My hubby would TOTALLY try to do it himself. He would end up buying a bunch of tools, get half way through and then it would be unfinished for a good 6-10 months. And then I’d end up paying someone to finish it after several nasty arguments. Oy! I get hives just thinking about that!
Sounds like your hubby will at least accept help. SO that’s awesome. Hope it all goes wonderfully.
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By Wendy on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
I feel your pain. Mine is replacing allll the windows himself. Alone. Which also means, I have learned, replacing siding around those windows….ugh. He’ll be done about 2012….
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By Lela on Sep 25, 2007 | Reply
Mmmm, man brains….not even adding suger can make that pot any sweeter, lol!
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By Jo Beaufoix on Oct 1, 2007 | Reply
Ouch, there will be chaffing.
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By Raquel on Oct 1, 2007 | Reply
that CAN’T be comfortable.
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By kidshaus on Oct 4, 2007 | Reply
i’ll bet if you had google’d “chain underwear”, you would’ve found something very similar to what J is fashioning :).
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By Sherry on Oct 23, 2007 | Reply
Oh my gosh!! Thanks for posting the picture…. I think. lol
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