not as exciting

this week isn't nearly as exciting as last week. climbing at the gym last night was not nearly as much fun as climbing on granite. body tension was no longer an issue. it was all about how manky the holds were. 90+ degrees during the day equals manky holds at the gym, for those who weren't sure.

[definition. manky: moist conditions that impair one's ability to hold onto rocks or plastic that you would ordinarily be able to hold were the conditions drier, warmer, colder, prettier, sharper, softer, more sandstone-like, sexier, smarter, etc.]

so in the interest of keeping you posted on what's going on around here, here's a tutorial on how to fix a big hole in the wall, because that's what i did yesterday.

step 1: using drywall hole saw, cut big hole in wall. yes, i know that if i didn't make the hole, i wouldn't have to fix it. stay with me--i'm bored.

step 2: using drill, put one screw in wood backing to use as a handle. this is to prevent an "oops moment" when you drop the piece of wood through the hole and have to steal another scrap from a dumpster. carefully slide wood into wall, positioning it to block as much of your hole as possible. screw it in place through the wall on top and bottom, or right and left depending on your hole.

step 3: cut drywall too big for the hole. curse. realize you wanted to do this. but why? carefully cut the back of the too-big drywall and peel the board away from the front paper so that what's left will fit in the hole. huh? look carefully at that picture. yes, i know what i'm doing.

step 4: measure once, cut twice. yes, that's backwards. with drywall, be ready to curse some more. it never fits the first time, unless it's a full sheet and it's the first sheet on the wall. even then...oh yeah, so make it fit in your hole in the wall. the paper will overlap the crack, negating the need for fiberglass tape to seal the cracks. huh? trust me, i'm a pro. screw the board into the wood you put behind the wall.

step 5: gob some joint compound under that overlapping paper. i used pink play-doh for visual clarity. add joint compound to fill the screw holes and try to feather out the transition between the patch and the existing wall. when you fail, sandpaper is your friend. watch it dry, sand it down, try again. just don't sand through the paper. that'll mess up your paint job. you want this to look good, right?

crack open a beer, and admire your handiwork. keep drinking until you feel proud of your work.