The home rehab continues, step by dirty step

Add the headlamp, and it's like being in a coal mine!

I have had to get up offa that thing and start cleaning the staircase. It has to be cleaned and painted one way or another before the carpet guys come back in a couple of weeks to put down the carpet I chose.

Why did I ever start this project? I am still kind of in awe of myself for having taken this step.

Speaking of steps, I am getting quotes from painters who are going to be doing the risers on the staircase, and the white trim that runs alongside it. I am learning the lingo! What I call “risers,” the one painter called “kickers.” “Because you kick them,” he explained. And he called the trim next to the stairs “stringers.” I got a kick out of that because to me, coming from the newspaper business, stringers are freelance reviewers.

While digesting all this, I thought I could at least scrub the steps.

What a chore!

Howard took the above picture of me while I was toiling with soap and water. Yikes, that is kind of a trompe-l’oeil shot, now that I look at it! It looks as if I am tumbling down the stairs! The picture was taken from above me.

I do not believe I own jeans at the moment so I am always wearing something ridiculous when I do any kind of work around the house, which is not often, as you can likely tell. In this situation I had on Keds and, yes, a dress. I mean, a pretty dress I like to wear going out. Howard admired my initiative in the face of these circumstances and so he set me up with his headlamp. You push a button and the light goes on and you can see what you are doing.

It is as if I am a coal miner!

Here I am with my new gear.

And may I say, the stairs are looking a lot better than they were 10 minutes before this picture was taken. I am feeling encouraged! I have to say that.

Next Howard is going to bring me a thingie that helps take carpet staples out of the floor. Apparently this doodad is well over 100 years old. As is the house at this point, so they should get along together fine.

What an, ahem, adventure! As we used to say at the Niagara Gazette, “You have to be able to do the job, whether or not you are able to do it.”

I have no idea what I am doing.

But I am doing it anyway!