Yes. I know. I’ve been a slacker. I haven’t kept up with my posts. I’ve totally neglected you all. But really, did you want to keep reading about my painting projects week after week? Ok maybe. You might have gotten other random thoughts as well.
So the last few weeks have been interesting. I have finished my painting projects. I’m sharing some pictures and a bit more about that in a moment. I took some time off from Taekwondo for a few weeks. I’ll fill you in on that too. There are probably a few other things as well.
The painting. I finished painting the living room. It’s opposite the dining room so I painted the wall that is opposite the same color of blue as the bottom half of the dining room. It looks great. I did a little rearranging when I put some of the stuff back in place and it opens up the room and makes it feel less crowded. As I progressed with the painting I figured I’d probably want to repaint the entry hall. It was originally the tan color that I’ve been trying to eliminate. Then a few years ago I painted it one of the teal type colors that I have in my music room. Well, with the off-white color the teal didn’t really work. So the entry hall got repainted. It looks pretty cool too.
I have other rooms that need painting or repainting. The bathrooms need repainting. I still have to figure out the color for those rooms. The bedroom needs to be painted, it’s still that tan color, ugh. I have chosen the color for the bedroom so in theory I could start on that. I think I’ll wait though. Maybe after my trip. The kitchen needs to be painted, it’s not as dark as the dining room was before I painted it, but it’s close. And there are no windows in that room, it’s like a little cave. I will not be painting it though. The two things that I will probably hire to be painted are the ceilings and the kitchen.
In between all the painting, I finally made some progress on a project that I have had since I moved into my condo. When I moved, the cabinet for the sewing machine got damaged and needed repairing. I repaired it. And then, because I didn’t have the components to match the finish that I had done for it, I decided I would completely strip it (sand it all down) and maybe finish it just in the wood and not paint it. Except that turned out to be a lot of work and not quite so easy. After years of it sitting in the garage I finally got to working on it so that it can be handed off to my sister. It’s not a piece of furniture that I find fits within my home and while having a sewing machine, I think, is important, I don’t have to have this one. So my sister is going to take it. But it’s cabinet was in pieces. So I got busy getting some of the sanding touched up and a coat or two of paint on it. It’s just about ready to be put back together so the next time my sister is in the area she can pick it up and take it home. And yes, I do still have a sewing machine. It’s a small thing that my mother picked up and gave to me. I don’t do a lot of sewing but I know how and since it can be a really useful skill so I figure I should be able to make use of it should I need it.
Time off. Yes. I took time off from Taekwondo. That was a big deal. A big decision. And a neccessary one. I made it through my black belt test and the next week went to class. It was probably the hardest week of Taekwondo I’ve done. I wanted to be there, I was excited for making my new belt level except every class was a struggle. It was a struggle because of the pain from the injury I had been fighting through to get through the test. And that pain made it a struggle to enjoy class and having that new belt. I was in so much pain when I got home from class that I was miserable every time. I had a couple of people point out that taking some time off did not make me a wuss. And that sometimes you just need to take a break. And really, I did need it. Even when I’m on vacation from the day job, unless I am out of town, I don’t usually take time off from Taekwondo. I go about attending class as usual. What I’ve learned is that maybe I need to take vacation from it too.
I took three weeks off. I went back for one class last week and survived. I’ll continue starting this week. I may try a lighter schedule through the summer and up to my September trip. After that, I’ll see how I feel and probably then pick it back up. I have to admit, I think I was a little surprised to find myself at second Dan in Taekwondo. Not because I didn’t think I could do it. When I started Taekwondo, my goal was black belt, first Dan. Then before I got there, I watched one of our instructors test for his Master level, fourth Dan, and I sort off-handed said to one of my classmates, ‘you know, Master Susan is starting to sound pretty cool’. I don’t think I took that completely seriously, or more, I don’t think I realized I took it that seriously. So finding myself having moved past first degree black belt with a single stripe on my belt to second degree with two stripes, it took a little time to sink in. I’m at least seven years from reaching Master in Taekwondo. I have a lot of time and practice to go. And hopefully, with what I’ve learned about taking some time off, I’ll be able to enjoy the journey and the training even more. I may be there before I know it.
There have been a few other changes as well. I have a new ceiling fan in the living room. It looks and works so much better. Thank you to my friend for swapping that out. I’ve got new lights for the kitchen, entry hall, and dining room that I hope to get changed out soon. I have succumbed to the lure of smart home technology. My parents have the Amazon stuff in their home and my mother’s demo of it got me to thinking about how nice it would be to not have to get out of bed to turn off the light. That was the original draw. After that was a success I decided there was one more area that it would be fun to have it setup. I set it up in my music room so that I can tell Alexa to turn on my pedal board and my amp. I’ve got it setup so that she turns them on in the right order and it works really well. I can also tell her to turn them off.
There was a blues jam in there. I had a good time. I did not take video. I confess with all the painting, and the Women’s World Cup going on, I have not been practicing much guitar. I also had a minor, looked like major, computer breakdown. That appears to be resolved though it’s not all put back together. There is more to come even before my big trip in September. I still have the test I’ve been studying for that I need to take. I think I’m getting there. And I need to get my Art room, where the computer is, set back up, cleaned back up, and organized. And the trip in September, to Australia, is all paid for. I’ve just got the ETA (visa) to get and I’ll be set. Oh. I may need to do something about luggage. I’ll figure that one out soon.
I know this is a bit long. Hopefully it’s enough to fill you in and bring you up to date and your coffee cup is only just empty so it’s not too long. Enjoy some pictures of the painting projects.