When you move into your own house for the frist time, you want neighbors like us somewhere close by. People who know how to do things are the people in your neighborhood you want to pull into your orbit. (If it helps, we are the sort of people who help you move too. Or at least we did before we got old and broken. We still do what we can.) For months, our neighbor has been talking about the things he wants to do to remodel his back bedroom into an office. I invited myself to play along. Of course, I expected my participation to be focused on things like painting, but I was prepared to do whatever I was called on to tackle. When we talked about the project with our neighbor who is a total novice at remodeling, he suggested immediately jumping in with finishing the floor. I'm sure it makes me the pushy neighbor too, but I, um, reorganized his priorities. I told him to think of it like washing your car--you don't start with the tires, for good reason. He took my advice to heart.Today, he showed up at our door, saying he had just purchased a ceiling fan, the ceiling brace I warned him to get to go with it, and some paint chips. The floor sander will wait until later in the week.
His first attempt at installing the brace was aborted, when he thought that it wouldn't adjust at all. He had left it up in the attic and we went to the store to get a different one. By the time we were back, and he was willing to go to the attic again, he discovered that the brace actually would have adjusted if he had disassembled it. Mr S-P has installed so many ceiling fans in his day that he can practically do it in his sleep. He talked our neighbor through the process. I did the things I would have done regardless of who was up on the ladder (or in this case, chair), like assembling the fan blades. The whole task was done in a flash.
It's kind of fun getting to meddle in other people's renos, possibly primarily because I don't have to pay for the supplies, and if I get tired I can go home before the entire thing is complete. The downside is that I have only the honor of expressing an opinion on colors or models. Although I did peg the two paint colors that made it through to the sample round. I have the eye. Once the basics are done, I get to help design and construct a work surface for the office. I think carpentry is quickly becoming an area of expertise. I'm not sure I could have imagined, back when I was 13 and begging my parents to let me help paint rooms in our house and getting denied for lack of experience, that I'd develop such a strong knack for home maintenance and design. Over the years, we've done so many projects, I can barely remember what it's like to be a novice, installing my first ceiling fan.
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