Okay, maybe not roar but definitely growl! The back deck steps need to be replaced or someone is going to take a header.

I’ve been putting off this repair since I knew it would be one of those activities that grows exponentially. Something like this: remove piece of rotted wood off bottom step, notice second piece is rotted and remove that piece, notice the support beams are rotted and scream. What makes the necessity of the stair repair so amazing is the little fact that the previous owner received a large amount of money from her insurance company to replace the deck stairs. Yes, I did know the stairs were in need of repair when I had the home inspected. However, I didn’t know about the $8000 payment to have them replaced. Hmmmmm, perhaps she forgot to call the contractor.

Anyway, a dear friend drove me to Lowe’s, my favorite place on the planet. Seriously, if they had a build-your-own-sundae bar I would never leave. But, they don’t so we did. $200 later we arrived back at the house with all my repair essentials, including a few new plants for the hummingbird garden. (What!)  It might be worth mentioning my mini-pity party at the store. When my friend started talking about torque wrenches and three inch bolts, I felt like the world was caving in on me. “I’m just a little old woman! How can I be expected to do this stuff?” It went something like this scene from Baby Boomer.

Fast forward to the unloading of the truck and my friend waving goodbye. Standing amidst the wood and bolts, I called it a day and invited two more friends over for a visit – Ben and Jerry. We did the Chunky Monkey and I was starting to feel better. Add a blue candle for serenity, and this morning my desire to sell the house and move to Tuscany was a faint memory. Bring on the steps!.

I started at 10:00 am and by 2:00 four steps were completed. If I hadn’t run out of wood I would have kept on going but, since I was walking like Quasimodo after finishing the fourth step, it’s a good thing I had to stop.

Four down. Only six more to go!

So, another trip to Lowe’s looms in my future. I wonder if they added that sundae bar?

Blessed be :}