Gratz Industries HQ: Up, Up, and Away

So we started work with our new toy - the scissor lift. There are a LOT of warnings and alarming graphics plastered all over this thing. Here are just a few - really - there are a LOT more.






And here I am, working at the full extension of the lift. It has a sickening tendency to sway back and forth, especially when it's fully extended.
Most of the time it was Alan and I together up there, which was a little scary. Actually a lot scary. It was like being in a very tippy boat with another person - both of us overcompensating for every move.

One of the hardest things we did was cover the overhanging eaves. At the full extension of the lift I could just reach the underside of the eaves - if I stood on my tiptoes.


So here's how we put these up. . .

1. Alan squirts some glue on the underside of the roof supports.
2. Alan lifts the siding into place.
3. I stand on my tiptoes to hold the siding in place.
4. Alan hammers one nail in place.
5. I start to whimper because I'm in lousy shape and my calves are now on fire and my hands are going numb. I close my eyes and try to imaging I'm doing yoga - focus on my breathing and work on staying BALANCED. I am so pathetic.
   
6. Alan drives in another nail.
7. I lower my arms and grip a window frame to try to keep our swaying ship steady while Alan drives in the rest of the nails. Did I mention that he's turned around with his back to the wall, arched back over the rail so he can see, driving in nails right over his face? Little bits of crap keep falling in his eyes but the goggles steam up when he has them on so he can't use them.
8. I know it sounds like I'm doing practically nothing. That's mostly true - but besides my death grip on the window frame, I am also on wasp/bee patrol. Oh yeah. Bees. Big, fat, noisy bumblebees. And wasps.
   

I'm not normally a big bug spray user. I found a can under the sink so I must have used it at some point, but usually I'm more of a live and let live kind of person. But not when stinging things are dive-bombing us. I get that they were protecting their nests, but they were building their nests in OUR nest.

Here's where we stand so far - halfway done with the work we have to do this week. Those last few panels in the top corner are actually up now, but it was pitch dark when I finished the painting, so no pictures until tomorrow. And now it's supposed to rain every day for the rest of the week. Lovely.

Jo went up in the lift once but then she decided not to go up any more. Gee, I wonder why? Maybe it was my repeated warnings not to play right next to it? To which she replied, "You mean right where it would fall on me if it tipped over?" Yes Jo - that's exactly what I meant, but I was trying not to terrify you.

So most of the time she collected ladybugs.

This is actually not all we've gotten done so far this week, but I'll save some pictures for tomorrow. . .