Today was the day: taking Zari's bedroom door off and stripping the paint and original wrought-iron hinges. I did it on the street outside our apartment because the paint stripper is far too smelly to use indoors.
I can't believe how many people stopped to see what I was doing, give me advice, ask for my advice, and even lend a hand! I learned a recipe for homemade paint stripper (mix wallpaper paste with white spirit aka paint thinner until it makes a thick paste and let sit overnight). Haven't ever tried or heard that one before. Another man advised me to thermal stripping instead (which I have done, but I don't own a blowtorch or heat gun over here, so chemical stripper it is). Another man asked me for advice on stripping a piece of varnished furniture. Another man asked here I got the stripper (Leroy Merlin).
One old couple walking by, right as the same time as I was chatting with Eric's friend, stopped to give congratulations to "the women doing all the work!" The man left us by saying, "I hope for the day when women are in charge of the world."
The best was a man--from Lyon, but I think he sounded Italian in origin?--who was here in Nice on vacation. He's a professional building facade painter. He was hanging out at the barber shop next door (I think he is friends or family with someone who works there). He just couldn't help himself from giving me tips...giving me more tips...supervising the progress...telling me when it was time to start taking off the layers of paint...advising me to put the door a certain way. Finally he took my putty knife and started doing it himself! I finally had to tell him, "Thanks, but I've got this!" He still came over several more times and even started helping several more times.
I worked straight through until mid-afternoon. I didn't want to leave it unsupervised. Eventually Eric's friend walked by and brought me some water and fruit, which was much appreciated. I got everything cleaned up, cardboard "drop cloth" in the trash, the street swept of any stray pieces of paint, and the door inside our hallway. Sanding and painting tomorrow.
The sun popped out towards the end of this project, and then...it started raining not long after! What weird weather.
Inga got back from her sleepover up in the mountains and had to leave straightaway for a soccer game. She came back unexpectedly because Eric misread the message and he sent her to Cavigal but the game was somewhere else! He hurried off to bring her to the right place.
She had tons of fun; they slept on the trampoline, something I did often growing up. They waded in the river but it was too cold for swimming.
Once she and Eric came home, Eric and I went out for a long walk with his friend, all the way to La Reserve and back.
Zari is writing the final sentences for her second big presentation, the one about Banksy. She should have it totally finished by tonight or tomorrow morning.
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