davidd's A DOLL A DAY 2023

[Alliecat]

Yay, progress.
They'll look good. Will you keep the pink cushions or do something else?

[davidd]

 Will you keep the pink cushions or do something else?

Probably something else, something less bright.

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25 October - A Doll A Day 2023:

Maybe she'll sigh. Maybe she'll cry. Maybe she'll find somebody else...

[Alliecat]

She looks sad. Come on, girl – ukulele music s’posed to make you happy

[davidd]

She looks sad. 

Naaah... she's just trying to look sultry!

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26 October - A Doll A Day 2023:

TBLeague S41 Action Figure

[Alliecat]

Another new arrival? Or an eBay photo?

[davidd]

Another new arrival? Or an eBay photo?

New arrival. Impulse buy. I had a $20 credit on file with the  online retailer I needed to use.

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27 October - A Doll A Day 2023:

It's time for Janie and Triv to pack away the tipi tent for the winter:


"Take it down? What do you mean, take it down? Didn't we just put it up?"

"That was six months ago already. Winter is almost here! Time to put things away!"

"Winter? What do you mean, winter? Summer just started!"

"That was six months ago, too."

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"First we need to untie all the liners!"

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"You can reach it!"

"No, I can't!"

"Do it anyway!"

"I knew you'd say that!"

"'Cuz I know you can reach it!"

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"So, uhmm... Janie? D'ya think maybe we could finish this up tomorrow?"

[fishy]

Cool tipi!

Have you had fun on your journey?

[Alliecat]

Haha, these are fun!  I love the third one.  And the last one is neat too.
Geez, I feel you, girls.  "Didn't we just...?"  I am trying to get my brain around the fact that a whole week ago already I was packing up to leave Texas.  I feel like someone really stomped on a temporal accelerator this week 

[davidd]

I feel like someone really stomped on a temporal accelerator this week

This entire summer.  

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28 October - A Doll A Day 2023:

Triv and Janie finish taking down the canvas tipi. There were quite a few steps involved. If you care to see more you can find additional photos on Flickr. Here are the major points of the process:

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Rolling up the canvas cover, working from front to back

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Lowering the lifting pole with the canvas cover attached

[Alliecat]

Looks like a lot of work. Did you have tourists in it all summer?

[dargosmydaddy]

What a cool view! I don't know how you got her to balance like that (and it looks like she'd fall directly on you, boot to the face, if she fell, too... though I guess the physics of falling don't actually work that way).

[davidd]

Looks like a lot of work.  Did you have tourists in it all summer?

The visitor occupancy this season was not consistent, but the tipis are worthwhile nonetheless. They'll be more worthwhile next season if I manage to complete a few upgrades.

What a cool view! I don't know how you got her to balance like that (and it looks like she'd fall directly on you, boot to the face, if she fell, too... though I guess the physics of falling don't actually work that way).

Triv is pretty good at hanging on for dear life!

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29 October - A Doll A Day 2023:
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(g)Nat and Addie pry apart random planks and decaying lumber
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(g)Nat: "How long as this old insulation been sitting under the house?"

Addie: "Oh, maybe eight years or so."

(g)Nat: "Any particular reason?"

Addie: "I think it was one of those 'it might be useful for something someday maybe.' scenarios."
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The first of three loads to the dump to dispose of insulation and fencing material

[Alliecat]

Wow!  Looks like major cleanup going on.
Now that you've discarded "something that might be useful some day"... you'll need it next week 

[davidd]

Wow!  Looks like major cleanup going on.
Now that you've discarded "something that might be useful some day"... you'll need it next week  

Yeah, the girls accomplished a lot over the summer season; but it seems like everywhere I turn, there's more, more, and still more to do to even begin to make things look and function halfway decently. The whole "clean up and fix up" process is feeling pretty hopeless right now.

Dragging junk out from under the house doesn't cost anything, thank goodness, but so many projects require supplies, and the cost of even simple supplies like paint or wood stain is becoming prohibitive. I mean, what's the deal with paint prices approaching a hundred dollars a gallon? 

You know. You had your deck worked on. And you didn't have free labor, either.
(Just think about how many Smart Doll Helpers you could have purchased for what you paid the handyman.)

((Or maybe don't think about it.))

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30 October - A Doll A Day 2023:

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Trivia and Janie pry old, damaged planks out of a wooden deck.

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After measuring the old plank, Triv relays the required dimensions to Addie and (g)Nat, who trim lumber to the required size.

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Addie and (g)Natalie use a power saw to trim new deck planks to the necessary dimensions.

[Alliecat]

Trivia and Janie pry old, damaged planks out of a wooden deck.

Oh boy. You too eh?
OR.... you could just rip the whole top off and start over and then it'll all match!
But that looks in much better shape than mine which had the paint crumbling off it.

I mean, what's the deal with paint prices approaching a hundred dollars a gallon? 

Especially when the hardware store employee pulls a fast one and sells you the more ex$pensive can of paint when you could've made do with that other one, and then makes an excuse when you come in for ANOTHER can because he "thought it had to be kitchen and bath rather than hallway".
Yeah, I just painted the hall and foyer too. Just Throw All The Money At It.

Anyway, it's nice that you can play with the dolls while doing these tasks; I'm sure it makes them much less tedious.