Carol Baskin Death Stairs, Vol. 1
“Carol Baskin”: the tiger carpet, of course
”Death Stairs”: short, shallow treads in a narrow stairwell
When we first looked at this house, the trip (pun intended) upstairs was a little sketchy. The straight part of the stairs is narrow, but what’s worse, is the stairs themselves are shallow and short. For a big-footed, clumsy person like myself, this means tripping hazard central. We coined them the Carol Baskin Death Stairs.
As much as I wanted to keep that carpet until every person I know has experienced the joy of the tiger, we just couldn’t keep it. The smoke smell and pet smell will never go away if we keep soft, odor-absorbing items in the house, so they had to go. While I was in Napa in January, J decided to tackle the Carol Baskin Death Stairs.
Yes, I kept a piece of one of the risers (less ick.) It will be put in a shadow box and hung somewhere in the house. It will be honored and cherished.
I thought all that glorious carpet would have protected the stairs more, but who knows what has been or not been on them for 120+ years. We’ve got chips and stains, worn areas and flaking. Honestly, like a lot in the house, they’re fine for now, but we do wear hard soled shoes or slippers on them. No need to get a massive splinter or a staple in the foot, right? The goal is to repair and refinish them, but the immediate goal was to get the stink out.
Goodbye “Carol Baskin” of the Carol Baskin Death Stairs. You will be sorely missed.
