death, death DOOM

Haven't been getting much sleep. They're tearing down a house adjacent to our property (well, pretty much next to our bedroom window), so we get the roar, the crash, the fumes, the squeals and the bumcrack,. Lovely. Not only that, the fucking retaining bolts on the excavator are too small, so the fucking bucket claw shudders with a noise like a dying moose EVERY. DAMNED. TIME. THE FUCKING MACHINE MOVES.

They've been at it since Monday. Apparently it takes four 12 hour days and counting to tear down a house, 7am - 4/7pm. (Note: this house is already gutted, all they have to do is knock it down and clear the shit. that is all) My sleeping patterns, as once could expect, are completely fucked, and the rats are freaking in a combination of "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT NOISE" and screwed up routines. ("Why isn't mummy sleeping? What's wrong? ZOMG FREAK FREAK")

But yesterday was the cruellest of all.

I thought they'd finished yesterday. I really had. No noise. Trucks driving off. No big yellow beast on yon horizon. My heart quickened a beat. Could it be? Could it really be? It appeared to be so!

...and just in time for the council workers to start up fucking impact grinders on the footpath outside my house. -_-

Still. no matter, I thought, no matter. 'tis but a simple job, and it is out the front, where most of the house can block it, not the back, where our bedroom is, I can grab a shower with the rats, wash my hair and by the time I'm done they'd have moved down the street far enough to be less noisy.

So into the bathroom I paddle, four-footed maniacs in tow.

And lo, when I emerged, dripping haired and clean-ratted, they had moved down the street and blurred into an absent, easily ignored hum of background noise. I gave the rats their meds, snuggled them down with pasta screws to chew and slipped into bed with a sigh of relief.

JUST IN TIME FOR THE FARKING BULLDOZER TO START UP AGAIN

Since sleep's been off the agenda, I've been wandering about making other uses of daylight hours. Such as making fifteen fuckin' rat hammocks and foofterubes in varying colours for various rats and people (Now with action shot!), foiling the inside of the hanging braziers, cutting airholes in said braziers and....

...putting the dough casing on the tombstones. This is a mix of salt, flour and baking soda - so yeah, basically homemade cheap moulding clay slathered on over the papier-mache skeleton. Why did I bother mache'ing then? Well it gives it more stability in holding its shape, and also provides better surface for the dough to stick to. It also not only provides a visual and tactile stone effect on the tombstone, it also supplies a significant amount of weight and stability to the forms, as well as hiding flaws that papier mache faithfully duplicates.

( Tombstones roasting by an open fiiii~iiire... )

This one I'm most decidedly pleased with. It will have an inset inscription when completed, and has a fuckin' cornices

( Fear my cornices, bitch! )

Still not sure if I'll do all the tombstones in this manner - it's a pain in the arse and takes ages to dry. Grr. May see if there's a cheap 'n nasty spray on equivalent next time I go to bunnings.....

( What the hell is that foil wrapped thing? )

death, death DOOM

Haven't been getting much sleep. They're tearing down a house adjacent to our property (well, pretty much next to our bedroom window), so we get the roar, the crash, the fumes, the squeals and the bumcrack,. Lovely. Not only that, the fucking retaining bolts on the excavator are too small, so the fucking bucket claw shudders with a noise like a dying moose EVERY. DAMNED. TIME. THE FUCKING MACHINE MOVES.

They've been at it since Monday. Apparently it takes four 12 hour days and counting to tear down a house, 7am - 4/7pm. (Note: this house is already gutted, all they have to do is knock it down and clear the shit. that is all) My sleeping patterns, as once could expect, are completely fucked, and the rats are freaking in a combination of "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT NOISE" and screwed up routines. ("Why isn't mummy sleeping? What's wrong? ZOMG FREAK FREAK")

But yesterday was the cruellest of all.

I thought they'd finished yesterday. I really had. No noise. Trucks driving off. No big yellow beast on yon horizon. My heart quickened a beat. Could it be? Could it really be? It appeared to be so!

...and just in time for the council workers to start up fucking impact grinders on the footpath outside my house. -_-

Still. no matter, I thought, no matter. 'tis but a simple job, and it is out the front, where most of the house can block it, not the back, where our bedroom is, I can grab a shower with the rats, wash my hair and by the time I'm done they'd have moved down the street far enough to be less noisy.

So into the bathroom I paddle, four-footed maniacs in tow.

And lo, when I emerged, dripping haired and clean-ratted, they had moved down the street and blurred into an absent, easily ignored hum of background noise. I gave the rats their meds, snuggled them down with pasta screws to chew and slipped into bed with a sigh of relief.

JUST IN TIME FOR THE FARKING BULLDOZER TO START UP AGAIN

Since sleep's been off the agenda, I've been wandering about making other uses of daylight hours. Such as making fifteen fuckin' rat hammocks and foofterubes in varying colours for various rats and people (Now with action shot!), foiling the inside of the hanging braziers, cutting airholes in said braziers and....

...putting the dough casing on the tombstones. This is a mix of salt, flour and baking soda - so yeah, basically homemade cheap moulding clay slathered on over the papier-mache skeleton. Why did I bother mache'ing then? Well it gives it more stability in holding its shape, and also provides better surface for the dough to stick to. It also not only provides a visual and tactile stone effect on the tombstone, it also supplies a significant amount of weight and stability to the forms, as well as hiding flaws that papier mache faithfully duplicates.

( Tombstones roasting by an open fiiii~iiire... )

This one I'm most decidedly pleased with. It will have an inset inscription when completed, and has a fuckin' cornices

( Fear my cornices, bitch! )

Still not sure if I'll do all the tombstones in this manner - it's a pain in the arse and takes ages to dry. Grr. May see if there's a cheap 'n nasty spray on equivalent next time I go to bunnings.....

( What the hell is that foil wrapped thing? )

!

Can’t believe I forgot to mention it - madscot, your package came! :D

being the greedy, impatient snot that I am, I opened it early. Can tell you wrapped it - it was rather akin to pass the parcel as opposed to mummification by packing tape :P Thank you so, so much - how did you know I needed a new purse? :D (Although I do have to explain to torasin why there was already a coin inside it. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who keeps up that old way :) ) I’m also planning a crazed genetics experiment whereupon I shall breed yon sheep with coo and take over the world with my charging mutton and document it in my dalek book. Or something along those lines. It may involve copious amounts of alcohol - those sheep don’t give it up easily.

*tackleglomp hugs madly* thank you! ^_^ Made my day in a much needed manner after the past week :)

!

Can’t believe I forgot to mention it - madscot, your package came! :D

being the greedy, impatient snot that I am, I opened it early. Can tell you wrapped it - it was rather akin to pass the parcel as opposed to mummification by packing tape :P Thank you so, so much - how did you know I needed a new purse? :D (Although I do have to explain to torasin why there was already a coin inside it. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who keeps up that old way :) ) I’m also planning a crazed genetics experiment whereupon I shall breed yon sheep with coo and take over the world with my charging mutton and document it in my dalek book. Or something along those lines. It may involve copious amounts of alcohol - those sheep don’t give it up easily.

*tackleglomp hugs madly* thank you! ^_^ Made my day in a much needed manner after the past week :)