This house rehab stuff was easier 12 years ago, when I dug into the first one.

After a Friday evening and Saturday morning spent running up and down ladders with a recip saw to cut out stud walls, and tearing out tile with a 26 lb., 60″ long iron wrecking bar over at Christopher Schwarz’s new (old) Lost Arts Press building, I was too tired and achy on Sunday to do much hard physical labor.

I need to get a move on tearing out all the old unused wiring, ductwork and sundry other crap on my basement ceiling, and removing a 70s-era bar from what will be my finish and hardware storage area. Maybe next weekend.

Instead, I took down curtain rods and patched those and various other holes in the living room walls…then sat on the couch for a little while drinking coffee while waiting for the plaster to dry.

But I’ve little time for relaxation. (Also, I suck at relaxing.)

For almost a month, I’ve been staring at electrical wires overhead as I’ve lain in bed at night – even covered in wire nuts and electrical tape, the wires were more attractive than the large (and dusty) brown ceiling fan formerly there. That situation was due not to laziness, but to a backorder on the fixture I bought…which was then damaged in transit, then on backorder again for the replacement.

And because everything on my second floor seems to be on the same circuit (for now), I can work on electric only when the natural light allows. But it is dark when I leave for work in the mornings and dark when I get home at night, so I had no choice but to haul my ass off the couch and haul a ladder up the stairs to install the new fixture while the sun was out (well, not the sun so much as a watery thin light filtered through clouds).

Installing a ceiling fixture by oneself when ones arms are already sore? Ouch. But it was worth the pain. No more bare wires, and I can finally see into the corners of my room at night.

I should have made the bed. Oh well.

By then, the plaster was dry, so I painted the living room, changing the dull and damaged mustard color for a calming dove gray.

That was probably a mistake; it was getting dark outside and the only illumination in that room comes from the chandelier in the hallway, and a 60-watt floor lamp. I likely missed a spot or two (and I probably need to apply a second coat). I’ll find out next weekend when I’m home during the day.

As much as I dislike Daylight Saving Time, I’m thankful for an excuse of “dark” to sit on the couch instead of working in the evenings. If I give them a few days of rest, my arms, shoulders and gluteus might just stop hurting.

Twelve years ago, 26 lbs weighed less.