For those of you about to paint

I rented a big storage locker today and will be driving the van into it later this week, where the painting will begin! I can't wait and hope I can manage to get it all done before I leave. Otherwise it will be a work in progress as I head out. If I can get some recruits to help me tape it up, it will go a lot quicker, as that is an onerous task in itself, as I'll be taping off the design too, to paint the background first for some of the larger items.


Of course, renting the storage locker was not a simple matter. At least, not this time around. This time I had Karma with me, because I needed to see if she would fit in the storage locker. The first storage place I went to was closed.  The second one didn't have enough clearance.  And at the final one, while checking out another storage locker without enough clearance, the van stalled while I was backing up out of where the locker was. I couldn't go forward because it was too tight a squeeze around the corner. It can probably be done but I was not confident it would be me who could. And then I couldn't get the van started again, and after several tries, the battery gave up. Shit.


Then I remembered having put my Dad's battery chargery in the back. However it hadn't been charged yet, and had drained sitting in the trunk of his car up until a few weeks ago.  Luckily our trusty storage dude (who had hopped in with me while we drove up to the lot where the lockers were) offered to go grab a truck and come back up and boost me. That was a bit tricky, lining up our vehicles, as my battery is in the back seat, behind the passenger seat. My sliding door was facing the guardrail that was all that was between me and a 50 foot drop. We soldiered on, got it going easily with a boost, and I backed the whole way out, which was pretty impressive for ME. I have gotten stuck in the snow several times due to my poor ability to drive in reverse. I did it though, big ole van, cliff and all, with trusty storage dude waving me along.  Some things are just SO much easier with two people.


Of course, it didn't end there. After we finally picked out a suitable locker, we drove back to the office to finish the paperwork. I left the van running, knowing it would be a short while for the bit of paperwork to be done, which it was. Then I got back into the van and threw it into reverse, but forgot the parking break was on, took that off but stalled the engine. And then couldn't get that rotten bitch to start again, the battery had not had enough time to charge for more than a couple of starts.  So out came trusty storage dude who gave me another boost, and I was off to the races. I was going to stop off at Sobeys before heading home, but then didn't want the van to not start for me and I'd require a 3rd boost today.  2 were bad enough. So we must get that little issue looked into. Either I'm doing something wrong, or the battery needs replacing, both of which are quite possible.


 Let the painting begin...