Wash and wear...

Well, wash and live in.  We designed this little house in the Tropical Tip to be as maintenance free as possible.  Yeah, we know: nothing is maintenance, especially if it is near, or on, the water.  But, with vinyl-clad siding and hurricane shutters, usually all the house needs when we've been gone for a while is a bath.  Today was "bath day."

Joan was armed with a bucket of soapy water and a soft bristled brush, I manned the hose.  (Insert your favorite "hoser" joke here.)  We worked together as a team, going around the house, section by section.  It reminds me somewhat of waxing a boat or an RV: it doesn't seem that big when you're in it, but it sure takes time to clean up the exterior.

Fortunately, it was a beautiful day to do this: mid-70s and partly cloudy.  I was working in my swimsuit;  Joan decided a t-shirt was in order (Insert your favorite wet t-shirt contest joke here.)

I have to say, the house looks mighty fine again.  We were both wet.

The next task was more work... well, more heavy lifting.  The TV that was in our living room went to the thrift store where proceeds go to pay expenses for the local animal shelter (yes, the place where we found Izzy).  Ideally, that old TV could have been moved with 5 strong men and a mule... we had a couple old folks and a skinny cat... and, honestly, the cat really isn't into heavy lifting.  A bunch of grunting, some swearing, and two hernias later, we got the TV in the truck.  Joan brought a 2-wheel truck along to move the TV from the truck into the thrift store... and, we needed that.  The lady in the thrift store oooohhed and aaaaahhed over the TV: "That will sell right away!"

Then, to our local home supply place to get what we needed to put a shelf in the entertainment center.  Quite a difference: old TV out, minus 300 pounds; new TV in, a scant 12 pounds.  We measured twice, cut a couple times and drilled a few more - the new shelf looks good and helps balance out the space.

Two tasks in one day... I may need a day off. ;-)