Cat House

When we lived in the little house on the prairie, Miss Kitty had her own mansion. The Cat House. A storage shed she called her own and a place she allowed us to store miscellaneous crap. She loved her Cat House. Every night we would call her and she would come running. We would give her a little scoop of food, a kiss and a pat and lock her up at night to protect her from the big bad creatures that lurk at night on the prairie.

Since moving to the new house and bringing Miss Kitty from Grandma's, she has had to spend her evenings in the barn, in a chain-link cage house in one of the stalls. Miss Kitty tolerates a lot. Unfortunately, Miss Kitty hated her wire house. Miss Kitty would complain that it got a little too drafty at night, smelled like horse hay and poop, she would get nightly visitors like wild skunks trying to steal her kitty food. She hated the barn.

Every evening I would call Miss Kitty on my way out to the barn to feed horses. I would call her and call her and call her.  Every night I would have to search for Miss Kitty, walk all the way back up to the house and find her lying there on the deck, watching me call her and refusing to follow me. I am sure I have made a great first impression with the neighbors as I screeched, "Here Kitty-kitty-kitty! HERE Kitty-kitty-kitty," over and over with no answer. She would toy with me and pretend to follow me to the barn for just a few steps. Then she would stop, lay down again and refuse to walk or even look at me. Eventually, I would, on cue, retrace my steps, scoop Miss Kitty in my arms and carry her all the way out to the barn scratching her behind the ears and telling her what a bad kitty she was. Every night.

This same old routine was getting old fast. More so, the skunks were putting a damper in my day. 

Miss Kitty needed a new Cat House.

Oh Handy Man!! 

And so construction began on the NEW Cat House and tractor bay. That Handy Man does good work! Give the guy some 2x4's and a nail gun and BAM!

In a little over a weekend, Handy Man had the new shed built.

Yes, I fully realize that the entire tractor does NOT fit completely inside of the shed. I asked "Why" many times and still do not understand the answer. Actually, I am not sure I ever got a real answer. I know he knows how to work a tape measure. Obviously he is handy and can build anything. I can not always explain why he does what he does. He is a man. I can not think about why he made the tractor bay too small anymore. I just can't. Some things will drive you crazy if you try to ask why too many times. There is just not an explanation. He is a man....

Handy man does the building in our family. Remind me to supervise more on our next project. 

I am the painter in the family. 

Therefore, after the shed was built, I was in charge of the prepping and paint committee.

I hate caulking. But it is a necessary process. I have to make sure that Miss Kitty is well protected in her new Cat House. 

After weeks of sample paint chip selection, we agreed on a color and when the caulking was all done I started edging and trimming out the shed. Tedious brush strokes. Tentatively getting in to every crevice, every nook, every cranny. A whole day of just edging the shed. Hours of edging.

Then, Handy Man (who does NOT paint) came out to tell me he hated the color. The very color we went ahead and bought three gallons of paint for because we were SURE that it was the perfect color and we were even planning to paint the house in the spring the SAME color. 

Just to be sure, I painted some of the trim color so he could see the finished product. 

Nope, he hated it. Said it was too light. Not his 'vision' for the color he was thinking about. Right...

I mean, what is a days worth of work and a hundred bucks these days? All I got is time and money my friend. You bet I would be happy to re-paint the whole thing again. Contorting my neck to paint that soffit. You bet!

So, back to the store I went the next day. I spent over an hour comparing paint chips. I told Handy Man before I left that this time I was going to get samples and bring them home and let him decide before I spent any more time or money on this little project. After an hour, I found a color I really liked that was darker. The thought of getting other samples, testing them, and then having to drive back to the store festered like a splinter. 

So, I bought three more gallons of a beautiful color called Wild Turkey. I got home, changed clothes, and started to trim out the shed - again...

Out comes Handy Man, and do you know what he said?!?!?!

I don't like it.

Ahhhhhhahahahahaha

And with my best, "You-better-be-joking-and-if-you-are-not-pretend-you-are-or-run" face, I told him I really didn't care what he thought about the color at this point, I was NOT painting this (curse word) shed again. He asked for darker, he got darker. I like it. It is what it is unless he would like to take the brush or call and pay for the painter himself.

Painting resumed. 

A few hours later, Handy Man came out to help me paint. He never touches a brush, but has been known to run a roller time and again. 

I do love when he offers to help me. Unfortunately, I tend to be a perfectionist painter. Painting is the one area that I can get super controling and when someone comes in to help I often battle extreme levels of anxiety - because no one can do it as good as I can, the way I like it, and I just know I will end up having to secretly go back and touch up the area. Especially when Handy Man helps paint. He is a "Big Picture" kind of guy when it comes to painting. Not detailed oriented at all. And that, drives me crazy. 

I know you are thinking FREAK! Control Freak! 

Exhibit A

I edged the long panel to the right. Handy Man "finished" the doors... and then I had to go back, and touch it all up behind him. And re-roll it again because he didn't use enough paint and it was blotchy.

Handy Man, XO. X. O.

I did choose samples for the trim and waited until Handy Man got home from Alaska to help choose. We agreed on a color and I am so pleased I got the shed finished this weekend.

Miss Kitty, how do you like your new Cat House?

The sun was very bright... you can hardly tell the color of trim in these two pictures.

This is a little better. 

Did I mention that after the shed was all framed, I made Handy Man cut and re-frame a place for e little window. So Miss Kitty had some natural light in the winter and fresh air in the summer. 

XO Handy Man, XO!

It also allowed us to choose a trim color that went well with our windows.

Speaking of trim, one more cute story and then we can archive this Cat House post for today.

While I was painting the trim yesterday, I was trying to remember Handy Man's specific instructions about painting the roof flashing. I knew they were simple instructions for the long side of the shed. Just paint.

 

But I was given specific instructions for the peak sides.

I made a wet brush stroke and then hesitated and said out loud, "Oh Shoot!" I couldn't remember exactly what he said and I was doubting myself.

My Brown Eyed Girl was near and asked, "Mommy, what's wrong?"

I answered her, "Nothing honey. Mommy just can't remember what Daddy said to paint and what not to paint up here and I am worried I might have messed it up."

She looked up, scanned my work and said in a cool and confident tone, "Don't worry Mommy. Just don't show Daddy. And if Daddy sees that the wrong part is painted, just tell him the worker guys did it."

Perfect plan my little grasshopper. Perfect plan!

I don't know if I should be worried that A) she is so smart and quick on her feet, at four, B) that she is becoming a master liar, at four, or C) she knows some apparent "worker guys" that I have never seen before...