Some things really are not possible...

I have learned that I have absolutely no skill when it comes to miter cuts.  None.  Zilch.  Nada.  I have also learned the following:

• You cannot use a hand-held circular saw to miter cut glass bead trim.
• You should wear protective eye glasses if you attempt to use a hand-held circular saw to miter cut glass bead trim.
• You cannot use a hand-held Kobalt small saw to miter cut glass bead trim if you want straight cuts.
• You cannot make 45 degree miter cuts for a window frame that is not also cut at 45 degree angles.
• You must need years of training in order to calculate the proper angles needed for a window opening whose left and right measurements do not match, nor do the top and bottom measurements.
• It is VITAL that you account for the width of the saw blade as you measure and make your cuts.
• Is it VITAL that you hold the glass bead in the same direction as you attempt miter cuts so that you do not end up trying to match the flat edge down to round edge down at the corner.
• It is VITAL that you wear gloves when picking up and setting in place a raw cut piece of glass.
• The screw-on capped silicone tubes are really worth the extra price because the remaining silicone will still be soft and usable eons later.
• Puppy dogs are absolutely no help when it comes to measuring, making miter cuts, setting in glass, calking, setting in the trim, and nailing the trim to the frame.  They are actually rather unhelpful.  

Here is the current progress of the garage entrance door.  At the moment, I am actually glad that I shake so much because I simply could not get a clear photo of the trim.  That means, you cannot actually see the gaps in the corners where my mitered cuts are joined (and I am using the word "joined" rather loosely).  I am hoping that my wood-filler skills are far, far, far better than my miter cut skills.  I do give myself HIGH PRAISE for installing the window and the trim without actually breaking the new pane of glass.

I need a man.  I need a man and a hammer drill.  Period.

If I want to snug up the new inside trim boards, I need a man with muscles and a hammer drill with far more power than my own regular cordless drill.  Period.  Otherwise, there is no possible way for me to close the gap on the left side.  I gave it my best shot (three times with fresh batteries and brass self-drilling screws) and failed.

I want so badly to find a man with a hammer drill before I prime and paint the door.  However, I need closure on this project.  Its incompletedness is beginning to taunt me each time I sit on the back steps waiting on Amos to conquer his fear of grass.

Being rather lazy, I did not scrape the thick layers of ancient paint from the outside edges of the frame and from the hinge edge of the door itself.  Taking a look at them today, I came to the conclusion that I really do need to finish those bits before slapping on the primer.  So, I will fill in the holes in the door above the deadbolt from a previous latch, try to fill in and sculpt the mitered corners of the window trim, make one more attempt at trying to remove the screws of the handle that is in the middle of the door, and scrape the missed edges.  If I have not found a man and a hammer drill by the time these last tasks are finished, I will go ahead and fill in the long vertical crack on the left side of the door frame, prime, and paint.

If you have any old paint to scrape/remove, I very, very highly recommend that you buy a heat gun.  The paint bubbles up, and then you just scoop it away.  Lovely not to have to spend all your energy and then some chiseling and picking and flipping and twisting and hacking at the paint.

On another note, whilst I am aching to find some sort of bit of nature near by to which I could drive, haul myself in a bit, and lay down on the ground to take some pictures, I checked out the Zeikos polarizing filter that I bought for $5.95.  I have always wanted one and never got one for any of my cameras.  My favorite digital camera has the lens size written right on top, so I knew what to buy.  While I couldn't remember where I aimed and thus did not take the exact same shot, you might see why it is that I wanted the filter.

No filter:

Filter:

As I said, Amos was pretty much no help to me at all.  In fact, he fretted something awful the entire time that I was working.  When he is worried, Amos will pace back and forth across the lower step, rather than lying atop it waiting for me to finish.  When he is frantic, he will stand in the doorway—always on this side—and softly whimper/whine/moan.  As you can see, Amos needs a hair cut.  And a bath.  And a nail trim.  He is also in need of calm down techniques of his own.  Were he able to read, he could ponder my latest post on the sexual abuse blog about navigating emotions.  Of course, were he able to read, we would be rich because of his miraculous skill and would be able to hire someone to properly tend to the garage entrance door and thus he would not be fretting and would not be in need of calm down techniques.  And where he able to read, Amos would tell me that he does have calm down techniques.  They consist of the following:

• Climbing atop my shoulders (he can get there without my help at times)
• Asking me to pick him up (he leaps completely off the ground repeatedly until you grab him)
• Climbing on my lap
• Surrounding himself with as many of his Babies as possible

Of course, given that I am comforted by most of his calm down techniques, I would not mind his upsettedness so much except for the fact that I wish his life could be rich and full and peaceful.  SIGH.

I am Yours, Lord.  Save me!