Speedy / Lazy persons deck prep & stain:
1) Wait for the treated (or untreated, I forget which one I used) wood to cure (1.5 years should work) (Diversion: life).
2) Ridden with guilt and cracked wood, move the task up the priority list.
3) Buy the stain and waterproofing all in one.
4) Forecast has a week of rain; work with that and fool yourself that the rain will do the prep and washing. (Diversion: weather).
5) Seize a sunny moment, cut some corners and stuff all the balcony contents to one end, including dog.
6) Balk at the colour. Think you have made a mistake and then remember you are not that invested in the balcony colour. The quick persons way is to get the "off the shelf" kind, rather then mixing a stain (Diversion: time).
7) Start to slap it on.
7) Stick brush directly in soapy water (as guided by the home depot fellow) and wait for north side to dry so you can move all the stuff over and do the other side.
8) Diverted: Assistant becomes aware, perks up and snatches the brush and wants to help. (Diversion: give her brush and soapy water. Shes happy).
9) After some fun and I notice the brush getting destroyed, divert her inside, lock doors and wait until another moment to do the other side.
A recap: This task was long over due (year and a half curing yikes!) and the cracked wood was beckoning. I finally succumb and buy the stuff and rain comes in for a week. Yesterday the clouds disperse and a few sunny days in forecast.
Decided to try the quick stain and waterproofing in one. (Pros: Good for the speedy deck maintenance kind of person; con: Forgetting that stain is involved and leaving drips & blotches of stain on wood). For the record I do like to stain, with a rag and little distractions, but was a bit thrown off by this all in one product. But the wood looks happy and not so dry.
And the biggest sort of diversion during my partially unemployed-waiting to hear about contract, tending to house was/is a good diversion. Running was/is a good diversion. Spending solid time with my kids, definitely a good diversion. But then my focus waned. I needed another diversion from wondering about my future and waiting to find out how much I would have to exert myself -pack up an entire house and move back to homeland? I have a lot more then the few bags I arrived with 15 years ago. Waiting to see if contract comes through versus packing up and moving back to Canada. So I bought some tickets to Central America and have been thoroughly diverted...
More on that later...
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