In which Skellington dreams of becoming a member of the Landed Gentry

[shadesofmauve]

My work situation is iffy. Freelancing has dried up in the last few months. Not a time to be contemplating major purchases, unless...unless, perhaps, that purchase is a house, who's market value is tanking and interest rates are low.

Yes, my dear friends and compatriots, I aspire to raise myself to the Landed Class.

I'm intensely interested in two places on Tumwater hill, and vaguely intrigued by a smaller one downtown. I would have to have the bother of taking tenants, of course (madalchemist and notyourroommate, you'd be up for that, right?), whom I might in my generosity allow to sharecrop my land and raise their small amounts of livestock. And by livestock, I mean Islington, Michelle's rabbit.

Yes, I seek a spot among the landed gentry.

After all, with that and a penis, I could vote in 1800.

Comments

[pyoor_excuse]

And penises aren't that hard to come by... ;)

g'luck with the house; then you can spend days going 'ugh, I hate oil based paint' and screwing up your nose, trying to breathe too... :)

[shadesofmauve]

Fenmere and I were discussing penis-acquisition in the comments. I decided I'm happy with the one I store on my sweetheart. Though, if I had a time machine, I would totally want to walk into Ye Olde Polling Place in 1810, slap a dismembered member on the table, and assert that I fulfilled their requirements.

As to paint, I actually like the smell of paint thinner. Sure, I'll get a headache eventually and keel over just like anyone else, but I'll be happy leading up to it.

[pyoor_excuse]

I'd like to watch that, if you do get a time machine ;)

It's not the nice turpentine type paint thinner, this is white spirit. Which is a bit vicious on my delicate nose ;)

And the B&Q (like home depot) Value White Gloss, that stuff *reaks!*

[shadesofmauve]

I had to look it up, but white spirit is indeed what I was thinking of (We usually call it mineral spirits), and I am bizarrely attached to the odor. I use Odorless Mineral Spririts, which aren't, as my solvent when oil painting. The OMS has the same odor, but it's weaker and less harmful. I don't know what the price comparison is, but I get it in the same giant tins you'd get the regular stuff in.

As far as my nose/brain is concerned, White spirit odor = Happy Fun Paint Time. My skin disagrees, but keeping me from bleeding onto the floor is what nitrile gloves are for!

[pyoor_excuse]

Oh ah, I don't object so much to the white spirit, it's not pleasant but it's not unutterably awful; but the paint we've got is horrendous. It's like painting in a solvent factory (and not a nice old-style marker pen solvent factory, oh no).

The paint, actually doesn't smell *that* bad until it's drying.

My skin just goes a bit dry with white spirit; I was brought up to believe that which doesn't immediately remove your skin or burn you horribly is perfectly viable for washing your hands in, so I've cleaned my hands in white spirit and acetone before :)

Not that I'd recommend it...

[shadesofmauve]

Ahh, icky paint! That changes so much from paint to paint. I'm sorry you got a bad one.

I particularly remember the afternoon Dad and I painted up under the eaves of the house, and had paint on our hair, faces, shoulders, etc. We stood in the yard with a jar of white spirit each, grooming each other. It wasn't quite a shower in it, but it was fairly extreme.

My skin can be a bit sensitive. It gets very, very dry. Through repeated exposure (like you get if working on an oil painting every day and having the solvent drip down the brush), it gets dry and cracks. Then you get solvent IN the cracks, which burns. Then you get blood dripping on the floor. Then you learn about the Glory of Gloves.

It's never hit me that bad while doing DIY stuff because you usually aren't exposed to solvent for hours, just at clean-up time.