What I learned on my summer vacation. . .

Since I retired in 2008, every day is summer vacation but the nice weather does permit multiple, fun outdoor projects. May through September this year were especially lovely, so Sue and I were able to accomplish the following:

1. Sand and refinish 5-eight foot sections of cedar fencing,
2. Replace a broken cedar fence post and rebuild the sections of fence adjacent to the post, and
3. Repaint the house exterior.

Since my dear wife and I spent all summer on this gargantuan task, perhaps some supporting detail is in order. Our house is a three bedroom ranch built in 1964 with recently installed Hardie Plank siding. The Hardie Plank is a piece of cake to paint but under the eaves was a different story. Most of our rafter tails (2”x6”x3’ boards which support the eaves) required sanding (with a random orbital sander), priming, and then two coats of paint.

Although Sue & I are extremely proud of our summer vacation accomplishments, we have not yet finished the painting project. (Four false dormers need to be sanded, primed and painted.) After weeks and weeks of 4-6 hour days spent atop a ladder under the eaves or bent over painting the low spots, my osteoarthritis convinced me to take a lengthy break due to lower back discomfort. I am not happy about this development but I did learn something about my body on my summer vacation.

To stay healthy and capable of doing fun projects, my body needs stretching. I need to include stretching as an integral part of my day when doing projects.

Now that I’m climbing stairs and stretching again, the back is rapidly improving. I just hope the rains hold off long enough that we are able to finish painting. J

Rich Kennedy (Former BTC Patient)           

Questions?  rich.kennedy1945@gmail.com  (or)   503-515-3502