Shade

Check out our back porch. The window you're seeing is where our dining table lives. During the hottest parts of the day, the sun is blasting that window, which usually means we sweat while we eat.

On the plus side, our dinners don't go cold very quickly

We decided to try and do something about it. My parents recommended these roll-up shades.

"1/4 In. Oval Vinyl Rollup Shade

I decided to hang them myself. Jeff + Power Tools... what could go wrong?

But first I must measure twice. With the harsh sun directly in my eyes, naturally. I devised a way of hanging my hat from the tape measure to keep the sun out of my eyes while I marked spots.

I am SWEET BLITHERING GENIUS

After drilling pilot holes (I still have all my fingers!), it was time to knock the finish off these hooks with my pliers.

Stupid shine. Scratches rule!

Then we put the over-sized hooks into the tiny little ringlets...

I've fallen off the ladder 4 times by now

Finally, it was time to stand back and admire my work. Naturally, the sun had pretty much set by the time I was done, so we couldn't tell right away how much sun we blocked.

Later, I'll install a shower behind that curtain

So there you have it. I managed to hang a shade on the back porch without burying myself in the yard. Frankly, I was concerned. I had my wife on stand-by with a shovel in case I needed rescuing.