Use It or Lose It

Once upon a time, I cleared out and repainted the upstairs storage closet (also known around here as 'The Storage Closet of Doom' for good reason).

It was all organized and pretty. I could walk in and out without fear I'd be buried in crap treasures:



Sadly, it doesn't look like that anymore. No, now it's even worse than it was before I re-painted it in 2010. The level of stuff is waist-deep on me (I'm only 5'0", so yes, it's not SUPER deep, but it's deep enough, thanks).

See?

Now, this has been bothering me for a couple of months, but I rationalized it by saying, "Eh, either the space that I want to put (insert item name here) in isn't ready for it, or I can't paint it yet. No big deal. It can wait."

Well, that was super great...until I actually needed something out of the closet. The BACK of the closet. And to get to it, I had to make a path. As I was taking yet another armload of treasures out, I realized 1) How much stuff was actually IN that closet, and 2) What a great job I'd done getting it all to fit. (Or something like that. Work with me here.)

In January, one of my favorite blogs, Young House Love had a post talking about the same issue: A Strange Self-Imposed Challenge. They said the same thing I said: Stop hoarding things, start using them (I'm paraphrasing here). They're doing a "Dude, Get On That Already" series with their treasures. It inspired me to get cracking on my hoard
treasures too.

It's time to go through the piles and make a decision on each thing. If I wait for the perfect place/time to use these things, well, that's never going to get here. A home is always a work in progress...well, at least for me. Steve is a trooper for putting up with my always changing things, and I know he's secretly relieved when Home Improvement Season is done for the year.

So, with that, it's Use It or Lose It time.

Let the Games begin.

365 Photos Day 361

361/365

Well, I can now cross "attend Ladies' Night at the Knights of Columbus meeting" off my Bucket List.

If it had even been there to start with, which I highly doubt, especially seeing as how I don't even HAVE a Bucket List.

I went because my friend Kim was going, and she wanted to have safety in numbers. In her words, "Maybe we'll get to see the secret Water Buffalo Dance."

Well, no. That we didn't see.

However, I *did* hear, from other KC wives, older ones at that, among other things:

• It's perfectly acceptable to have Southern Comfort for breakfast if you didn't finish it the night before. You know, when it's watered down with the ice cubes that've melted. (This begs the very pertinent questions of "Who the heck has any left over?" and "Who drinks that stuff straight?")
• Everyone knows only the really bad wines give a person hangovers. (Well, sure, but then so does Southern Comfort...especially for breakfast)
• When someone says, "Oh! I have a story just like that!"...they so don't. Not even close. Not even close like not even in the same stratosphere not kind of close.
• Normally there aren't as many wives at these things. (I can't, for the life of me, understand why that would be...)

I was rather nonplussed by the whole thing. Good thing a couple of my friends were there too, and that we can all communicate with just a look. Looks that say, "Oh-my-freaking-goodness-do-you-owe-me-BIG-TIME-for-this" and "We-look-sooooooo-normal-compared-to-her" and "If-you-laugh-so-help-me-God-I-will-come-across-this-table-and-strangle-you". You know, the useful looks.

Anyway, we all got to throw our names into a basket and if a person's name was drawn, she got to pick a prize!!!!! I was the second person drawn, and since there wasn't any Southern Comfort in the prize pile, I went with hamburger. Can't lose with hamburger, and I don't believe I've ever gotten a hangover from it either.

So, like Charlie Sheen said, "Winning!"

365 Photos Day 360

360/365

Sometimes Santa forgets she's already purchased something, and so buys it again. And then has to go brave the stores on the day after Christmas to return that something. Good thing I know enough to go later in the evening. That way I can do some grocery shopping too.

Yep. Santa had it all planned out.

Mostly.

365 Photos Day 219

219/365

I've been (rather badly) trying to fend off an anxiety attack for most of the day today. I haven't a clue as to what the actual trigger is/was/might be, which doesn't help. I'm certain that forgetting to get a refill for the anti-anxiety medicine that I take didn't help either.

All I can do at the moment is remember to breathe and try and stay OK, which is quite enough to do.

And to put a post-it note on the door to remind me to not pass Go, not collect my $200, but to go directly to the pharmacy and have them fill 'er up.

101 in 1001 July Sparkler Edition

Well, after not doing much in June, I went after the list again with a little (OK, a lot) more purpose. As soon as the humidity noticeably decreases, I can put in some time on the outdoor things, but my focus this month is to get the laundry room finished, and repainting my home office.
For whatever reason, August always seems to be a action-packed month, and this August will be no different.

Finished: 33
In Process: 16
Percent finished: 32.68%
Left to go: 67.32%


Finances/Giving (2/12)
1. Get Emergency Fund up to $1000 [Done 15 March 2011]
2. Pay off and close Chase Visa
3. Pay off and close Target Visa
4. Get Emergency Fund up to 3 months (~12,000)
5. Get a used truck
6. Put a $50 bill in the second collection basket
7. Put a $100 bill in the second collection basket
8. Donate to the Food Shelf 10 times ($25 or equivalent) (8/10)
9. Leave a 100% tip 5 times (3/5)
10. Choose 2 kids from the Jesse Tree during Christmas & get them presents
11. Give to a family in need during the holidays
12. Buy a scratch-off lottery ticket & donate 25% of the winnings to charity [Done 18 September 2010]

House Inside (6/12)
13. Hang up 5 pictures (5/5) [Done 17 November 2010]
14. Frame Tree picture [Done 9 September 2010]
15. Paint back room and closet [Done 13 October 2010]
16. Paint hall storage closet & set up shelves [Done 17 August 2010]
17. Spruce up front door area (outside: welcome mat, flower pots/ inside: bench, mirror, lamp)
18. Finish basement
19. Back door/entryway re-do
20. Repaint & redo my office
21. Hang curtains or blinds in master bedroom & the Kid’s room [Done 18 October 2010]
22. Get dining room chairs
23. Repaint Laundry Room
24. Repaint/redo master bathroom/closet [Done 5 October 2010]

House Outside (2/12)
25. Plant 5 trees in yard (4/5) [4 Blue Spruce planted 7 August 2010]
26. Put in back flower bed
27. Paint Storage Shed same color as house
28. Back entryway outside re-do (transition between steps and red rock)
29. Build garage
30. Put in front flower bed
31. Put in front tower flower bed
32. Put in side flower bed
33. Level out north side of house & put down the decorative rock
34. Get covers for grill & fireplace
35. Get rid of stumps in back yard [Done 28 August 2010]
36. Get a flag for front porch (and install said flag) [Done 3 July 2011]

To Do/Watch/Read (2/12)
37. Watch 101 movies (32/101)
July 2011
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

38. Read 101 books (124/101) [ The 101 was done 2 May 2011]
July 2011 (13)
• Ratking by Michael Dibdin
• Wading Home by Rosalyn M Story
• Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich
• Vendetta by Michael Dibdin
• Mad, Bad & Blonde by Cathie Linz
• Cabal by Michael Dibdin
• The King’s Question: Poems by Brian Culhane
• Agents of Light and Darkness by Simon R Green
• The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C Hines
• Photo Finished by Laura Childs
• Non-fiction: William & Catherine: Their Story by Andrew Morton
• Audio: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• Audio: Vespers Rising (39 Clues)


39. Go to a Cowboys-Vikings game
40. See 5 Minnesota Tourist Attractions (0/5)
41. Visit 5 art galleries in Minnesota (1/5)
42. Watch all seasons of “24” (0/8)
43. Watch all seasons of “MI-5” (3/9)
44. Complete a crossword puzzle book
45. Watch 5 documentaries (5/5) [done 10 February 2011]
46. Read 5 Non-fiction books (2/5)
47. Donate 100, 000 grains of rice on FreeRice.com (50,000/100,000)
48. Do 5 things from the “365 Things to do in the Twin Cities” (3/5)

Health (2/12)
49. Walk to work 30 times (30/30) [Done 14 March 2011]
50. Bike around the lake
51. 175
52. 165
53. 155
54. 145
55. 135
56. Get eyes checked
57. Get new glasses or contacts
58. Get annual physical [Done 16 September 2010]
59. Do the 200 sit-ups challenge
60. Track my progress with Wii Fit for 28 consecutive days.

Grown-up/Family stuff (3/12)
61. Change life insurance beneficiaries
62. Write wills
63. Write living wills
64. Get family picture taken
65. Send out Christmas cards with aforementioned family picture on it
66. Host Brother/Sister Christmas party [Done 18 December 2010]
67. Have a family board/card game night 5 times (2/5)
68. Buy a new “grown-up” outfit (shirt/pants) [Done 23 July 2011]
69. Take a family vacation
70. Make a picture family tree
71. Get first aid certified
72. Get the Kid a car safety kit for her car [Done 28 December 2010]

Spiritual/Church (4/12)
73. Learn the Rosary Prayers
74. Go to a Latin Mass
75. Go to daily Mass for a week
76. Donate time, talent, or treasure for the CCW Bazaar [Done 1 October 2010]
77. Read the Tao te Ching [Done 18 September 2010]
78. Get a new St Christopher Medal
79. Do the Advent readings and wreath one year [Done 7 January 2011]
80. Do the Lenten readings one year
81. Do the Rice Bowl project one year [Done 17 April 2011]
82. Light an intention candle 10 times (5/10)
83. Attend Mass in the Basilica
84. Attend 2 Lenten dinners

Food (10/11)
85. Make a cake & icing (or cupcakes) from scratch [Done 24 July 2010]
86. Try 3 new restaurants (3/3) [Done 17 June 2011]
87. Do one week of meal planning [Done 31 December 2010]
88. Do one month of meal planning [Done 3 July 2011]
89. Eat 1 serving of fruit a day for a week (7/7) [Done 12 July 2010]
90. Try a new recipe [Done 1 October 2010]
91. Make cookies from scratch [Done 23 September 2010]
92. Try a different flavor ice cream (no vanilla/chocolate) [Done 12 August 2010]
93. Limit Diet Coke to 2 servings per day for 1 consecutive week (0/7 days)
94. No fast food for a month [Done 9 April 2011]
95. Try 5 different kinds of apples (5/5) [Done July 2010]

Just Because (2/6)
96. Donate hair to Locks of Love one more time
97. Take part in a pub quiz [Done 16 January 2011]
98. Complete a 500+ piece puzzle
99. Fly first class
100. Start a Tumblr [Done 8 July 2010]: http://daughteroftime.tumblr.com
101. Do a 365 day photo challenge

365 Photos Day 200

200/365

I took this, as you can see, at 10:06pm. It should not still be 85.1° at 10pm. It should not feel like 95° at 10pm.

Ah, but a new record was set, according to a local meteorologist.

Most Humid Day On Record In The Twin Cities. It's official: the dew point hit an astounding 84 at 3:21 and 3:27 pm, to set an all-time record for the most water ever observed in the skies over MSP. We'll have to see if the 84 number stands (it took place between hours), on the hour the dew point was 82. The MN Climate Office will have to verify, as early as Wednesday, whether the new record is 82 or 84. We've had 3 days/row with dew points at or above 80. Some meteorologists theorize that standing water on the Missouri (and "sweaty corn) over southern Minnesota) may be injecting more water into the air. Dew point values are 10 degrees higher at MSP than along the Gulf Coast! Take a bow, you are living through historic heat (and humidity). Wednesday may bring a high of 100 degrees in the Twin Cities. Factor in a dew point of 76-80 and it could easily feel like 115. Mercifully a cooler front knocks the dew point to near 60 by Thursday, meaning HALF as much water in the air as today. Relief is about 36 hours away.

All I know is that it's hot. And I'm really really really thankful for our air-conditioner, and that we haven't lost power like some of our friends and relatives.

365 Photos Day 146

146/365

Someday this pile of metal will become the framework for our new storage shelving unit in the basement.

Today is not that day.

I haven't been so frustrated with a project since...um...probably last year during Home Improvement 2010 Season.

I followed the instructions. Exactly. I even got one of Steve's big hammers out to help tap down the braces/brackets/stupid metal thingys.

After about 45 minutes of not even being able to get the bottom part of the frame to hold in place, I decided that it was better to give it up for tonight rather than to give into my temper and throw those pieces all over the basement.

On the plus side, I did get most all the priming done for the spots where I have to re-touch paint from when the drywall guys came and fixed some holes. So at least I have that going for me today.

365 Photos Day 139

139/365

This is what we (sort of) affectionately call our "Back Room of DOOOOOOOM" (say it in an announcer's voice...it works better).

I spent the vast majority of the afternoon at the library getting ready for the booksale that'll be happening this upcoming weekend. I brought all the books that I'd stored in the back room out, plus weeded 544 (all but 75 today, yes. It was fun. In an odd sort of way.) more.

All winter long, when we get donated books, I sort through them, keep the ones out I want to add to the collection and then box up the ones that'll be booksale fodder. I stack as many boxes as I can under that countertop, as well as against the wall that is just behind the door that would be at the far left of the picture if I'dve left the picture uncropped. Suffice it to say, the boxes this year were over my head, and it's a good thing they didn't fall on anyone going through here to get to the restroom.

The boxes that are currently under there are empty. I don't think we've had quite this many books on the booksale in a few years, but that's OK. Book sale proceeds go toward funding the Summer Reading program and to other projects the Library Board is working on (which is nothing right now, but that's OK too).

My boss walked back there and said, and I quote, "HOLY SHIT THIS IS CLEANED OUT BACK HERE I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME IT WAS LIKE THIS!!!!! YOU SHOULD TAKE A PICTURE!!!!" If I'dve been thinking, I'dve asked for a raise. But alas, I was probably toting yet another load of boxes out to the tables.

365 Photos Day 39

39/365

Oh, you know, just sketching out possible projects for this upcoming Home Project season...when it's approximately 80 degrees warmer than it is right now (including windchill) so that I can open windows to let the paint fumes out.

Yep. Just me, my purple pen, notebook, and trusty tape measure. Dreaming of warmer weather and trips to Home Depot.

365 Photos Day 35

35/365

The other day I was having a conversation at work with a co-worker about who does the bill-paying in the family (in our family, I do), and what happens if something happens to said person--basically, would another person be able to figure out what gets paid when, or would everything be a big mess?

My husband had come in, and so we asked him. He said he'd probably be able to figure it out, especially since I have a binder that I use to keep track of everything household related.

Um, yeah. About that...

So, that's what I've been doing tonight. I've been updating everything, printing off relevant things, and making so that yes, if needed, he (or whomever) COULD figure it all out with some semblance of order.

I know. The excitement, it just never ends.

365 Photos Day 17

17/365

I call this photo "Martin Luther King Jr Day, 1993 in front of the the state capital in Denver, Colorado, or How I Inadvertently Attended a KKK Rally".

Yes indeed. If I'd had "attend a KKK rally on my life list" (which I did/do not), I surely could've crossed it off as done.

What? So how did I come to be there? Well...

In the summer/fall/early winter of 1992 I worked an insane amount of overtime for my primary job, plus had a seasonal retail job. At the end of the year, instead of paying off some of my bills, I decided to take a trip somewhere...anywhere...because I'd never been out of the Pacific Northwest (northern California didn't count. Not really).

We had a 3-day weekend over Martin Luther King Jr weekend in January 1993, and a guy who I worked with invited me down (nothing romantic) to spend the weekend and see the sights. We went to the symphony, to museums, on a gambling trip, and explored the city. It was really fun. Cold, but fun.

On my last day there, we were down by the state capital looking at some memorial sculptures (or something), and I heard some bagpipe music, and saw the crowd. Not knowing any better, I said something like, "Hey! That's cool music. Let's go see what's going on!" The closer we got, the louder the shouting was. Finally we were close enough to see what was going on. I was shocked. Well, not shocked, exactly...it was more like a "Holy Sh*t!" moment in my life.

Standing on the steps of the capital was a whole group of white men dressed in full KKK regalia--we're talking complete with the hoods. Some were in white, some were in red, some in green. I remember thinking, "Holy Sh*t! They're wearing sheets. They *do* exist. Damn." Then I became more aware of where we were standing--right in the middle of a group of EXTREMELY pissed off African-Americans who were shouting back at the speaker, who was spewing lots of hate and whatever else they believe.

At this point, the guy I was visiting was making noises about "Oh my goodness, we need to leave now before it gets ugly", but I managed to convince him to stay for a little longer.

As I was looking around, I noticed the SWAT team members who were interspersed throughout the crowd. They weren't keeping anyone in or out, just watching. It dawned on me that this was a visual and auditory example of the country's First Amendment in action. Not only that, at least for this moment, the KKK speaker could say what he wanted, but that the protestors could say what THEY wanted without fear of reprisal.

I thought about getting pictures of the KKK people, but to me, they weren't the interesting thing going on. For me, it was the crowd. This was the shot I did take (I was almost out of film at this point).

It's taken me 18 years to notice the tall African-American guy at the far right of the picture who's flipping the KKK off. Good for him.

And, no, I still don't know what bagpipe music has to do with the KKK, but I'm OK with that.

101 in 1001 October Edition

This has been a rather productive painting month. It's definitely a race between me & the weather now, considering it'll be November here in a little while. Apparently I'm just going to have to be bothered with the fact we didn't put in one more tree...but it'll build character I'm sure. At least I hung up a couple more pictures, right? I just have to keep reminding myself that I have 1001 days, not 365...and that it's all about "progress, not perfection".

My (mini) goals for November are:

• #6: To put a $50 bill in the second collection basket (no particular reason, just that I have almost saved up enough to do it)


• #8: Give to the food shelf at least one time--with the Thanksgiving holidays coming up, it seems appropriate to give thanks for what we have and that we can help others.


• #13: Hang up ONE MORE PICTURE. For crying out loud, we have enough pictures in the upstairs storage closet that this should not be a problem. Yet, strangely enough, it is.


• #23: Make a run at painting the Laundry Room. I'm also debating whether to do some beadboard wainscoating or board & batten in there, so it may take a bit. But it'll be cool to see how it turns out.


• #34: Get covers for the grill & firepit. Right now Steve is going to cover them with a tarp, but I'm all about not having to repaint them next summer.


• #37/#38: Of COURSE we're going to the Harry Potter movie, so that'll be an easy one. I'd like to read a couple of classics this month. We'll see.


• #47: Finish this one up. I'm going to need to brush up on my World Geography though.


• #64: If we're going to send a family picture as a Christmas card, we'd better get cracking on actually getting a picture taken, yes?


• #86: I hate trying new food stuff. I really hate trying new restaurants. What if they don't have anything I like to eat? (I can hear my Mom sighing)

So, anyway. Here's where I am now:

In Progress: 12
Done: 17

Finances/Giving (1/12)
1. Get Emergency Fund up to $1000
2. Pay off and close Chase Visa
3. Pay off and close Target Visa
4. Get Emergency Fund up to 3 months (~12,000)
5. Get a used truck
6. Put a $50 bill in the second collection basket
7. Put a $100 bill in the second collection basket
8. Donate to the Food Shelf 10 times ($25 or equivalent) (4/10)
9. Leave a 100% tip 5 times (0/5)
10. Choose 2 kids from the Jesse Tree during Christmas & get them presents
11. Give to a family in need during the holidays
12. Buy a scratch-off lottery ticket & donate 25% of the winnings to charity [Done 18 September 2010]

House Inside (5/12)
13. Hang up 5 pictures (4/5)
14. Frame Tree picture [Done 9 September 2010]
15. Paint back room and closet [Done 13 October 2010]
16. Paint hall storage closet & set up shelves [Done 17 August 2010]
17. Spruce up front door area (outside: welcome mat, flower pots/ inside: bench, mirror, lamp)
18. Finish basement
19. Back door/entryway re-do
20. Repaint & redo my office
21. Hang curtains or blinds in master bedroom & the Kid’s room [Done 18 October 2010]
22. Get dining room chairs
23. Repaint Laundry Room
24. Repaint/redo master bathroom/closet [Done 5 October 2010]

House Outside (1/12)
25. Plant 5 trees in yard (4/5) [4 Blue Spruce planted 7 August 2010]
26. Put in back flower bed
27. Paint Storage Shed same color as house
28. Back entryway outside re-do (transition between steps and red rock)
29. Build garage
30. Put in front flower bed
31. Put in front tower flower bed
32. Put in side flower bed
33. Level out north side of house & put down the decorative rock
34. Get covers for grill & fireplace
35. Get rid of stumps in back yard [Done 28 August 2010]
36. Get a flag for front porch (and install said flag)

To Do/Watch/Read (0/12)
37. Watch 101 movies (10/101)

• October 2010
• The 39 Steps
• Dorian Gray


38. Read 101 books (41/101)

• October 2010
• First Shot by Zoe Sharp
• Extracurricular Murder by Kent Conwell
• Road Kill by Zoe Sharp
• The Swamps of Bayou Teche by Kent Conwell
• The Crystal Skull Murders by Kent Conwell
• Second Shot by Zoe Sharp
• Death in the French Quarter by Kent Conwell
• Third Strike by Zoe Sharp
• The Puzzle of Piri Reis by Kent Conwell
• The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl


39. Go to a Cowboys-Vikings game
40. See 5 Minnesota Tourist Attractions (0/5)
41. Visit 5 art galleries in Minnesota (0/5)
42. Watch all seasons of “24” (0/8)
43. Watch all seasons of “MI-5” (0/9)
44. Complete a crossword puzzle book
45. Watch 5 documentaries (3/5)
46. Read 5 Non-fiction books (0/5)
47. Donate 100, 000 grains of rice on FreeRice.com (14,600/100,000)
48. Do 5 things from the “365 Things to do in the Twin Cities” (1/5)

Health (1/12)
49. Walk to work 30 times (13/30)
50. Bike around the lake
51. 175
52. 165
53. 155
54. 145
55. 135
56. Get eyes checked
57. Get new glasses or contacts
58. Get annual physical [Done 16 September 2010]
59. Do the 200 sit-ups challenge
60. Track my progress with Wii Fit for 28 consecutive days.

Grown-up/Family stuff (0/12)
61. Change life insurance beneficiaries
62. Write wills
63. Write living wills
64. Get family picture taken
65. Send out Christmas cards with aforementioned family picture on it
66. Host Brother/Sister Christmas party
67. Have a family board/card game night 5 times (1/5)
68. Buy a new “grown-up” outfit (shirt/pants)
69. Take a family vacation
70. Make a picture family tree
71. Get first aid certified
72. Get the Kid a car safety kit for her car

Spiritual/Church (2/12)
73. Learn the Rosary Prayers
74. Go to a Latin Mass
75. Go to daily Mass for a week
76. Donate time, talent, or treasure for the CCW Bazaar [Done 1 October 2010]
77. Read the Tao te Ching [Done 18 September 2010]
78. Get a new St Christopher Medal
79. Do the Advent readings and wreath one year
80. Do the Lenten readings one year
81. Do the Rice Bowl project one year
82. Light an intention candle 10 times (2/10)
83. Attend Mass in the Basilica
84. Attend 2 Lenten dinners

Food (6/12)
85. Make a cake & icing (or cupcakes) from scratch [Done 24 July 2010]
86. Try 3 new restaurants (0/3)
87. Do one week of meal planning
88. Do one month of meal planning
89. Eat 1 serving of fruit a day for a week (7/7) [Done 12 July 2010]
90. Try a new recipe [Done 1 October 2010]
91. Make cookies from scratch [Done 23 September 2010]
92. Try a different flavor ice cream (no vanilla/chocolate) [Done 12 August 2010]
93. Limit Diet Coke to 2 servings per day for 1 consecutive week (0/7 days)
94. No fast food for a month
95. Try 5 different kinds of apples (5/5) [Done July 2010]

Just Because (1/5)
96. Donate hair to Locks of Love one more time
97. Take part in a pub quiz
98. Complete a 500+ piece puzzle
99. Fly first class
100. Start a Tumblr [Done 8 July 2010]: http://daughteroftime.tumblr.com
101. Do a 365 day photo challenge

The Storage Closet of Doom

Of course I didn't take a before picture. I was too focused on getting everything OUT so I could do what I do best--paint.

But aside from the bed & the chair, here's what all was in it. It was a whole lot, although it doesn't look like it in the picture:





Then it was time to pick paint colors. I thought a cheery blue was in order. Um, NO.



This was too OMG!!!! BLUE!!!!!! and needed toned down. So I mixed a quart of white with the blue and got omg blue!!!! instead:



At this point, I decided a nice off-white would be good. It's actually a light tan (according to the Kid) and blends well with the existing hallway color, which Steve was a little perplexed about.



Then it was time for the bracing. I learned how to use a chop saw and a stud finder. I like the chop saw. I'm not so fond of the stud finder, but that may have more to do with how the drywall was installed. We started off with 2 shelves and then thought, "What the hell. Let's add a 3rd because we can." We had to add the weird smaller pieces so the shelf brackets would be level, because apparently that's important.



Installing the shelf brackets were a pain in my ass. But, they got done using 5/16" x 1 1/2" lag bolts. Those shelves aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Steve cut the shelves for me while I was out and about earlier this week, and I piled stuff back in last night, and marked #16. Paint hall storage closet & set up shelves as DONE.




The next closet is already emptied and ready to be painted. I have a feeling it won't take nearly as long. One hopes...