This is the week of the "honey-do" list and getting ready for Paris. There were two main things on my list to do, build a Catio and pressure wash the driveway and walkways.
First, what is a Catio? It is an enclosed cat pen so they can enjoy the outside but not get eaten by the coyotes that roam our area. This was Ben's and my project and we started by assembling a shelf unit from Ikea. After an hour and many words I will not repeat, we put the shelves together and only ended up with a few left over screws. No inspector in their right mind would have approved this so we decided to add more wood, nails, screw, and glue to ensure that it could withstand a Cat5 hurricane.
Next we built a door and more floor supports, we do have one cat that needs to go on the Keto diet as she waddles a bit when she runs (or walks fast). We of course used enough wood glue to fill a bathtub so we assume this will never come apart.
We then used two large boxes of staples to attach the chicken wire to keep the cats in. I think Ben had more fun shooting the electric stapler than actually attaching anything. We are waiting for one more shelf from Ikea (we realized the distance between levels was too high for the larger of the two cats) so we can complete this and try it out.
Pressure washer - I went to start it up and of course it refused. I had a quick thought of hitting it with a hammer and telling Rebecca it was broken but decided that would be a waste. Instead, my plan was to fix it. I consider myself somewhat handy. I can do minor electrical and plumbing and have done some work on cars in the past but very limited. I am not sure Rebecca liked the idea of me taking the pressure washer apart as I sometimes take short cuts or make the problem worse. I have a tendency to swap electrical outlets and lights without turning off the power, and yes, I did get shocked once and it made me slide across the kitchen floor with a numb arm.
So, after watching a You Tube video, I changed the spark plug and took apart the carburetor to clean it out. Don't worry, I did drain the gas before I did this and used a flashlight not a lighter to see what I was doing. After I reassembled the washer, making sure I didn't have any left over pieces, I held my breath and pulled the starter cord - boom! No, not an explosion, that was me saying boom as it started up without a hitch. Of course, I then realized I had to actually pressure wash and I got sad and retreated to my hammock.
What I learned today: Trying something new and scary can be fun (I consider taking apart an engine scary as I have a tendency to also overtighten bolts which leads to a whole host of problems). I did enjoy learning about carburetors and methodically going step-by-step to complete the work.
What I appreciated about the day: Ben and I played tennis and he kicked my butt. Usually I can overpower him but not today. His serves we awesome and his backhands got past me every time. It is enjoyable, and humbling, to see your child better than you at something.
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