In Which Maya Plays With Toxic Substances, and Her Mother Freaks Out

[debka_notion]

Translation: I started waterproofing my new boots. They just need one more coat, and they'll be all set and waterproof. But well, I ended up applying the -toxic smelling, as it contains petroleum products- waterproofing guck in the basement, using a paper towel to hold the applicator so that I wouldn't get that smell in the kitchen, and come in as little contact as possible with the waterproofing stuff, which did indeed smell like petroleum (although Mom at first insisted that she could smell it before it was opened, which Dad proved wrong: it was a funny interaction). And as they were off to pick my sister up from the airport, they called down to me not to be around the stuff for long.

Mom's original idea was to have me do this in the unheated back hall (makes getting to the downstairs bathroom a Cold phenomenon in the winter: the bathroom is heated, but it's off the unheated back hall) so that I'd get it done as quickly as humanly possible... Brr...

But it's mostly done. Quite quickly, actually, once Dad helped me get the applicator out- it was sort of stuck.

On the lighter side of toxic chemicals, buying it was the excuse to go to the local hardware shop which is a tight-packed delight of an old-fashioned hardware store, rather than Home Depot or other such horrid place. There's also a cobbler there. And it Smells like a hardware store- but you can get pots and pans there too, and cookie cutters. (I remember buying cookie cutters there when we were little as a special reward for being good, at some point. I was awfully excited.)

Comments

[tirerim.livejournal.com]

I feel exactly the same way about hardware stores. My local one is also cheaper than the Home Depot, which is yet another advantage.

As for toxic chemicals, my dad gave me a breath mask over Thanksgiving, which should make me much more comfortable the next time I decide to refinish a piece of furniture.

[bobtheslinky.livejournal.com]

what's this waterproofing stuff?

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

some sort of silicon-petroleum product, I don't know... It gets absorbed into the leather somehow, I don't know how. That's for you science-y people to understand and be to shamelessly just use.

[theshrewd.livejournal.com]

We have a Home Depot in my town, but I like the older hardware store better. It covers pretty much anything you need, except cookie cutters.