Lisa and I live in a 2 family home. The owner lives upstairs with her daughter. Over the past few years, they've become family to us. Earlier today, while tackling some desk work between the dry times for paint, I heard banging. Lots of it. Normally, loud noises irritate me when I'm trying to work on blog columns, but this time around, I was sporting a smile from ear to ear. I knew what was happening.
Late last week, the renovations of several rooms upstairs began. In order for the work to be done, the walls have to to be stripped. This house is old. We're talking horse-hair-plaster old. For those who have had to rip down walls made with this stuff, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
The contractor hired to do the job is someone we know. He gave the green light to assist with taking down the walls if anyone got bored over the weekend.
The contractor doesn't work on the weekends.
When I heard the banging upstairs, I knew. I sent a text. A few seconds later, I received a reply. About 15 minutes later, I went upstairs to check it out.
There may have been adult beverages involved.
When Lisa returned home from running errands, she joined me upstairs. When K's break was over, we returned back downstairs to put groceries away. Lisa ate a late lunch, changed her clothes, and went upstairs to help out.
I slathered more paint on the DIY Dog Mom Projects I was working on. I had one more sign to coat when Lisa sent a text.
"You should come upstairs to visit."
I told her I would after I painted the last sign. I had a few minutes to spare while the paint dried.
Once upstairs, I observed Lisa and K ripping off small pieces of the horsehair plaster. I remembered a bit of advice from someone who taught me an easier way to get it off.
I grabbed a hammer and started banging. Lisa used a crowbar to loosen and take the pieces off. By this time, large pieces were coming off fairly easy.
I put the hammer down. Lisa turned around.
"Where you going?"
That was all I needed.
I grabbed the hammer. For the next couple of hours, we ripped down walls, lugged buckets and barrels of broken horsehair plaster down the stairs to the dumpster, and managed to finish an entire room.
By the time we were done, we were sweaty, stinky, and sore. But, you know what? It felt incredible. Throughout the duration, I didn't think about work or the DIY Dog Mom Projects sitting on the table needing another coat of paint. I didn't think about homemade dog treats or blog columns. I didn't think about my lengthy To-Do Lisa for the upcoming week.
While I showered, Lisa helped K with the cleanup.
I was sore. A couple of my knuckles were raw. I wanted nothing more than to relax on the sofa, but it was time for dinner. I needed to prep and cook.
Lisa picked up a generous amount of shaved steak and 4 fresh grinder rolls at the grocery store earlier in the day.
On a whim, we invited K and A to join us for dinner. I knew K was sore and her kitchen is in complete disarray from the renovations.
I made loaded steak and cheese grinders and homemade herb roasted potato wedges. Dinner was a bit later, but no one cared. We ate with gusto. Sipped a little wine.
While I can't speak for everyone else in entirety, I think we were all standing on common ground during dinner.
That common ground was feeling a little more empowered than we did when we woke up this morning.
Everyone helped out.
We worked together as a team.
There was a deep sense of camaraderie.
Each of us has physical limitations, but none of that mattered. It didn't hinder our progress. Between our Girl Power frame of mind, there was a balance.
So yeah, I didn't wake up this morning with plans to tear down walls. Sweat. Stink. Challenge my physical capabilities. Or for my hair to gather a pound of plaster dust.
But, it happened.
Some of the best moments in life are when stuff just happens. Unplanned.
I needed today.
I think we all did.
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