October 14, 2025 - October 27, 2025 - Quarter Round Down - New Garbage Disposal Installed - Truck - Air Nailer - Deadbolt Installed - Basement Outlet Work - Porch Light Refurbished

My Blog Reflection

You only live once, but if you work it right, once is enough.

Joe E. Lewis

October 14, 2025:

We went to Alexa's house to reinstall the quarter round which had been taken up to sand and refinish the floors. We laid out the pieces we had and it was clear that there was a lot missing. Alexa texted the floor refinisher and was told that some was put in the attic and some in the basement. We quickly located the pieces placed in the attic but we could find none in the basement. All of the quarter round for the front bedroom was missing. We looked and looked and found no more quarter round anywhere. Assuming we would not find the missing pieces, Alexa purchased replacement quarter round at Ace Hardware. Interestingly, they did not have it at the lumber yard but did at Ace Hardware. How weird is that? We were all still quite puzzled that these large pieces of quarter round were missing.

When Alexa purchased the quarter round she also purchased a new garbage disposal. While I got the old run to run, I couldn't get the cutters to move in and out as they should. This caused the disposal to vibrate considerably and make a lot of noise. We decided to install it, purchasing one which was the same brand and model as the old one to simplify installation. Installation went well until we tried to attach the drain. The new disposal, although the same brand and model as the old one, was a little smaller and the drain just would not match up. With a trip to the hardware store we were able to get another piece to make the connection work.

In the evening Alexa called and said that the quarter round mystery was solved. In looking at earlier pictures she had taken of the rooms she noticed that there had been no quarter round in the front bedroom. When it was carpeted by the previous owners they did not reinstall the quarter round, as they did in the back bedroom when carpet was installed in there. Strange.

This is a picture of the newly purchased pine quarter round. 

This is some of the old quarter round I brought home to spruce up with a little stain and new polyurethane.

I have to make the new quarter round look like the ninety year old quarter round in the above picture. By mixing two stains that I had on hand we were able to come up with a good match.

October 17, 2025:

This morning Kelly and I got our flu shots and Covid shots. Kelly scheduled it for a Friday because last year we both felt ill for two days after. This year was no different. We were both achy for the weekend. I also had a bad headache and chills. 

October 19, 2025:

A picture of the new quarter round stained and polyurethaned and ready for installation. It will be a close match.

Inherited Ducks:

I inherited ten beautifully carved ducks from my friend Ron in 2010. I really don't have a lot of interest in them and over the years have attempted to sell them. I gave one to the local Catholic School for an auction item one year. Recently Kelly got a hit on the ducks when she posted about them. It was a lady who was the daughter of the lady who had carved the ducks about twenty years ago. She stating that she and her family would be interested in buying them. We settled on a price and she will be here this Saturday to pick them up. We are glad they are going back to the family. Here is a picture of the nine left. They are all beautiful.

October 20, 2025:

I headed to St. Louis early in the morning with the truck and trailer. Alexa hired two guys to carry all of her furniture from her second floor apartment and put it in my truck and trailer or in the garage for setting out at a later date for bulk trash pickup. Money well spent. Both the truck and trailer were full. Once back in Perryville Alexa and Aaron unloaded everything. In the late afternoon Alexa and Aaron made another trip with the truck to St. Louis for another load of boxes. (They have lots of "stuff".)

October 21, 2025:

This morning Alexa and Aaron jumped in the truck and went to the apartment for another load to be brought to Perryville. Lots of miles on the truck lately. LOL 

The bottom basement stair tread was broken so today Kelly and I went over and removed it, glued it, and clamped it. It will be ready for a re-install tomorrow. Alexa wants to paint these stair treads so I wanted to get it repaired first.

Tomorrow and John and I will be adding another circuit for outlets in the basement and deciding what conduit is necessary for an electric line to the garage. It will be a full day.

October 23, 2025:

Alexa and I reinstalled the quarter round using my air nailer. We immediately had an issue. On the top there is plastic cap that is an air diverter. You can swivel it around so that the air does not hit you in the face when you pull the trigger. I was using it when that cap popped off. Of course it is plastic. (Did I mention I hate plastic?) I tried to glue the broken part of the cap but it didn't work. I ordered a new one off e-Bay. Here is the nailer without the cap. We continued to use it without the cap so we could get the job finished.

Alexa has been making multiple trips in the truck from St. Louis to Perryville to move her stuff. She has probably now driven it almost as many miles as I have. I noticed this on the odometer as I was driving today. Lots of miles on this truck but he runs like a top.

October 24, 2025:

Alexa painted the bedroom and living room walls. The living room gray came out nice. The bedroom color is way to "pink". It looked like Pepto Bismol to me.  She will be repainting it. 

The only lock on the back door was the old skeleton key from the 1930s and it didn't work. 

Here is a picture of the new deadbolt I installed.

I also shaved the bathroom closet door and adjusted the lock plate so that it would stay closed as well.

October 25, 2025:

We measured for window shades today and Alexa picked out a new paint color for the bedroom. 

On the way to purchase the bedroom paint we spotted this line of cars getting coffee at Scooters here in town. I had never seen the line all the way out onto the highway. I'm sure the reason is that there is a soccer tournament starting soon at the soccer park.

Alexa re-painted the walls a much better color. It has a pink cast to it, which is hard to see with the overwhelming prior color.

This is what the back porch light looked like. The cover was not on because of the electric outlet added.

We found the cover, which was the old brass look so it needed updating. I spray painted it black and reinstalled it. Much nicer.

October 26, 2025:

I worked on the basement outlets for a few hours. No more all-day projects for me anymore. John and I still need to staple up the wire, connect one outlet to the electric, and put lights in the two "rooms" in the basement. We hope to get all this completed on Wednesday afternoon.

October 27, 2025:

It was treatment day. It started with a blood draw, my last visit with my oncologist, who is retiring, a hormone shot in the buttocks, a bone protection shot in the stomach, all at the Siteman Cancer Center in South County. We then had a trip to downtown BJC for a IV for the Radium 223 shot. A full day with treatments at two different BJC facilities. After all we stopped at Alexa's apartment where she packed her clothes in Kelly's car. We then made a quick stop at Costco for a few items before coming home. 

Nothing scheduled for tomorrow because I never know how I'll feel after a treatment. That being said, I do have to get another blood draw for my GP visit on Thursday. I feel like a pin cushion.