STEP TWO

Perhaps it's a dramatic move, but I made a big decision tonight: I poured out a handle of vodka and 9 cans of beer. I immediately regretted it, but on reflection, felt better. I'm trying y'all. I'm TRYING.

IT WILL NEVER BE DONE

After I got off work on Monday I had the following conversation with the check out girl at the liquor store (whom I have a platonic crush on) and some random guy in line behind me:

Cute Girl: "How was your weekend?"
Me: "OK, busy, I got a lot of work done on my place"
Cute Girl: "Oh, so are you done now?"
Me: "I fucking wish..."
Guy Behind Me In Line: (in a raspy 3 pack a day for 30+ years voice) "HAHA - I've been there...IT WILL NEVER BE DONE!"

Sadly, I think the Guy Behind Me In Line might be right. I embarked on this mini-renovation of my place about 3 weeks ago, and just when I think one task has been completed, something else crops up and robs me of yet more precious time.

Not that I mind; I enjoy working with my hands and could easily see myself as a "handy-man" of sorts. Not that I'm good at such things, but I enjoy the trial and error of such processes. Example #1 is my medicine cabinet.

The intent was to clean the accumulated crud off the glass shelves in said medicine cabinet. But then I decided I was disgusted by the rust particles that clinged to the bottom of various containers.

Soon after, I discovered a can of rust primer/sealant and a spray paint can of flat black paint. So I taped it up, and went to town. The fumes left me light headed, but I like the end result. That bitch is "murdered out"!

After I painted my Back Room/Dining Room I decided that my tiny kitchen needed some love. Red/Orange paint would have looked nice, but after the first application it looked like fucking shit. I don't know when the last time this space was painted, but I suspect it was during the Ford administration.

Needless to say, the paint would not adhere in a uniform fashion. The next day I decided to paint everything with "high hiding white" paint but you could still see the red/orange paint. UGH. To make matters worse I smoked a huge bowl of hydro and dripped paint all over the tile walls. Stupid me.

It could countless hours of scraping and much exposure to paint thinner to correct this mistake, not to mention another layer of the "high hiding white" paint, which has a texture similar to that of molasses. Whatever, it's done. Note my signed picture of 2 time PBR Champ Mike Lee on the wall (it reads "Justin - God loves you - Mike Lee").

Thankfully the yellow room is pretty much complete, save hanging more art work and actually hanging up some clothes, but really, I use this table as my general dumping ground for anything in my pockets and/or what take off after I get home.

Ahhh, my sanctuary...the Green Room/Front Room. I scrubbed this space within an inch of it's life and yet I am compelled to do more. When it's day light out it looks even more green, thanks to the huge elms blooming outside the window. Also, I just got that new rug and I love, love, love the colors in it.

My To Do List includes varnishing the old oak doors and the window sills, replacing those blinds (they are really dirt and gross up close) touching up the walls, hanging more art work, painting my TV stand and perhaps commissioning a friend to paint a mural on a wall. It's a work in process, but it's also a labor of love. This place just turned 81 years young!

HOW DID I SPEND THIS MUCH MONEY?

My big goal for today was to retrieve a bunch of kitchen shit from my Father's storage unit. See, Roomie owns all the pots, pans, dishes, forks and such and we planned on moving that stuff out today, and my Father's surplus kitchen stuff in.

Once I got to the storage locker, I quickly realized why my brother had not been returning my calls. It seems he got there before I did, and took all the kitchen shit for his new place. Damn. I then went to Target thinking I would only drop around $50 on new kitchen shit.

That was not the case...

Fuck! When I was in line I realized I would break the $100 barrier, but I didn't think I would get so close to the $200 barrier. Damn you Target! I bought some non-essential things, but still!

At the least, the new shower head is going to be awesome. And I finally have matching plates and glasses.

And the Cubs won today! WOOT!

50 THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I DIE

In light of my 50th post I thought it would be fun to come up with a list of things I want to do before I die.

1. Finish my Gus Greenbaum screenplay

2. Attend Skip Barber racing school

3. Visit James Dean’s grave site

4. Vote for the passage of same sex marriage legislation

5. Drink Jack Daniels with the Drive By Truckers

6. Take batting practice at Wrigley Field

7. Fly an airplane

8. Watch the sunset over the pyramids in Egypt

9. Buy my Dad a really nice watch

10. See my friend's kids graduate from college

11. Go swimming in "The Baths" at Virgin Gorda

12. Play Stud Poker at the Casino de Monte Carlo

13. See Buddy Guy perform at Buddy Guy's Legends

14. Go camping in Madagascar

15. Be the Best Man at my Brother’s wedding

16. Take the stairs to the top of the Sears Tower

17. Drink absinthe in Paris

18. Kiss the boy I had a huge crush on in high school

19. Stop pissing away money paying rent

20. Challenge Mike Sigel to a game of 8 ball

21. Learn to speak fluent Spanish

22. Have my palms read

23. Crash a wedding (and not because of that lame movie)

24. See the Northern Lights (again)

25. Learn how to sew a button (not likely with my thick fingers)

26. Learn how to tie a double Windsor knot

27. Say “thank you” to my first grade teacher

28. Take an entire year off work to read and take pictures

29. Live in Vancouver

30. Learn how to play my guitar

31. Build a dark room (digital is nice but it will never look better than 35mm film)

32. Overcome my fear of motorcycles

33. Get a Bachelor of Architecture degree

34. Run for a political office (local)

35. Be able to see without contacts or glasses (and no, I’m not getting Lasik)

36. Finally get my Louis Sullivan tattoo

37. Go to the real Oktoberfest in Munich

38. Take a train ride through Mexico’s Copper Canyon

39. Get fitted for a suit on Savile Row

40. Go to the Venice Film Festival

41. See Eddie Izzard perform live

42. Take my Step Dad to a Red Wings game

43. Buy my Mom a cabin in the White Mountains of New Mexico

44. Be a contestant on the Price is Right (I will rock Plinko)

45. Go kayaking on the north branch of the Chicago River (the nice part of the river without the floating bodies in it)

46. Rent the “Kingpin Suite” at the Palms Hotel in Vegas and throw a party for all my friends

47. Order the 64oz Porterhouse Steak at the Chicago Chop House

48. 2 words: Demolition Derby

49. 3 words: Cubs World Series

50. Win the lottery to pay for all the things on this list (or find a sugardaddy, haha)