Just ♫ PIcture a Penthouse ♪ 'Way Up in the Sky ♫

Hello, I'm back.  Here are a few photos from my "vacation".  After many many years, our favorite tenant bought a house, and vacated the Atrium apartment.  The Atrium is a cozy yet large apartment nestled between two other sections of our bank building.  It's very private, and very beautiful, and was very much in need of painting.  Of all the apartment rehabs my wife and I have done, this is, in my opinion, our finest.  A  wood-beam cathedral ceiling peaking at about 20 feet, a stairway leading to a rooftop deck, has lots of closet space, etc.

But this time around, we have a monumental paint job, it's September 28th and the new tenant is moving in on October 1st.  And after having to lift the ladders up the outside of the building and drop them to the floor from above, I still knew that my tallest stepladder was not tall enough to reach the highest walls. So, that's why rollers have poles on them.  

I only work with Sherwin Williams Pro Mar 200 Semi-Gloss in our apartments, because it covers in one coat, and is very durable and washable. And a Purdy three-inch brush. Advice to the novice:  Don't skimp on cheap paint and cheap brushes.  When Home Depot says "More Doing..." they are referring to your having to do it again in a few years because the cheap paint has faded or deteriorated.

Well, around my house, rollers aren't the only things that have poles.  I happen to have married one.  And my Pole, in admiring my paint job happened to mention,  "As long as you're all set up, wouldn't it look nice if we rubbed some stain on the ceiling? Just 'pschhtt pschhtt' with a rag.  It would look so much nicer"

So, "pschhtt pschhtt" it would be - those damn Poles and their consonents!  Did I mention, the ceiling is pretty high up there?  Much higher than the ladders I had. 'Way up there de the middle of de air', as Harry Belafonte used to sing.

So, very carefully, I found a way to caress each beam with stain.  A few could be reached by ladder, For one I had to stand on top of the bathroom shower.  And some I could reach from the walkway by reaching out, and letting my center of gravity go over the edge, catching myself with one hand on the beam, applying stain with the other hand.  That's fine until you look down, and then you wonder "What if I can't bounce myself back to the walkway? Maybe I could fly! Wheeeee!  I'm the Stain Fairy!  'pschhtt pschhtt' "

And, of course I finished on time.  The new tenant loved it, but she wants to bring in her own stove and refrigerator - more Adventures in Moving & Storage for me!

Finished the job with two gallons of paint less than I'd planned - another advantage of Pro-Mar 200. I should charge Sherwin Williams for the free advertising  ka-ching! And the smell of a newly-stained ceiling - heavenly!

So, as the new tenant settles in to the new apartment, I settle into a 2-day coma.  Good night.

Thanks for listening and contributing. I'd love to hear from you.