PHASE II AS GOOD AS IT GETS DAY 82

PHASE II A.G.A.I.G. DAY 82

Saturday starts early as there are things to do today. As always Saturday starts with breakfast and the loading of my weekly drugs wallet. That done we go to the garden center to get some food and a couple of log roll edging lengths. Once home I wait for two things, the arrival of my youngest daughter and the foam rods that I need to reseal the bath. In due course both arrive so I set about resealing the bath. Looks easy on the videos but of course my walls are not straight, the gap is not equal and nothing comes away or cleans as easily.

  • The original seal
  • Original seal.
The leaking and mouldy sealant.
  • Sealant being cleared out
  • The old stripped out
Took a long time to get the old sealant out.
  • back rod in place
  • Back rod in and tamped down
Foam back rods in to make the gap fillable
  • Cleaned and taped up
  • Masking tape in place
With the bath filled the surround is mask taped.
  • New seal in and tape off
  • New sealant in and smoothed.
The finished job.

The pictures make this look like a stroll in the park but believe me this job was a pain from start to finish. Fortunately my preparation was good in that I had bought everything I could possibly need from tools to solvents. During the process I get to clean the surfaces with white spirit, upc cleaner, antifungal foam and of course soapy water.Between treatments everything gets dried using the hair dryer. Every stage also got hoovered to ensure no debris got left. So now I have a bath full of water to ensure that gap was at its largest when sealed so that when someone has a bath it does not distort the seal. Due to the depth of the gap that had to be sealed the sealant needs as long as possible to cure, the water will stay in the bath for one to two days to ensure it has the best chance of success. Then will come the acid test. Until then my box of sealing goodies will stay close by. By the end of the week the splash guard that I have ordered for the end of the bath will arrive and be fitted.

At last it is done and I can eat tea, watch a rugby match and write the blog. I find myself tired, disgruntled that I have not trained today and face a weigh in tomorrow that I know I will fail. Although I have finished todays job, I will not know if it works for a couple of days. There is always that moment when you have to face the prospect of failure and the need to start allover again. I need to start to get out again, I’m feeling dissatisfied with too many things, the garden, the work, my weight, my fitness, my COVID institutionalisation but most of all my own lack of motivation.

perhaps tomorrow I might find a new way