something to blog about: Treading Wood

Instead of treading water for an hour tonight to burn off all of the Thanksgiving and Black Friday calories I consumed over the past 32 hours, I decided to put some treads on my wood steps instead. Although I didn't burn near the calories I would have treading water, I did break a minor sweat. Measuring and taping in a steep stairway can take a lot out of you--especially after a long tiring day at the mall.
Anyway, back to the treads.
When I moved in in June of '09, the steps leading up to my bedroom looked like this:

I know. Between the smell and the pattern, the carpet was pretty raunchy. I am not sure what my ~~friend~~ realtor is pointing at in this picture, but this was at a final walk through and she was probably telling me that the carpet was a health hazard and needed to come out asap! Needless to say, it did later that summer and I was left with this:

Not perfect, but better than above. You can see where they had their old treads before they decided to cover it with the turquoise/brown spotted cow look carpeting---why they covered up these decent steps with that hideous carpet is beyond me. But anyway, after the carpet was up and the staples were out, in my opinion they good to go. I wasn't about to worry about the minor fading and the scratches you don't see until you get close. Who they weren't good enough for though, is these guys:

Yes, I know it's pathetic, but I caved to my four-legged brother and niece who are frequent visitors and sometimes live-in roommates. Those steps are pretty steep and I don't blame them for freaking out that their little paws and claws are going to slip and they are going to go tumbling down, which they both have actually done in the past. So, since one is afraid to go down but not up the steps, and the other is afraid to go up but not down, I am always stuck carrying one of them up or down and although it's good exercise, it's getting old making two trips. Plus, it's sad when you are up putting laundry away and a certain someone wants to be right by your side, but he can't get up the steps so he stands at the bottom and cries until you come and get him!

So after over a year of putting it off and about 100 extra trips up/down the steps to get a dog or two, I finally bought some treads. They aren't the most fancy things in the West, but they will do. The door to go up is usually closed anyway and the people (dogs) who care most about them are just happy they are there so they now have some traction and won't need to be ~~carried~~ humiliated anymore.