Fall, wonderful fall!

Doing bits and parts!

I was trying to make a crock pot of chili, but that needs beans and canned tomatoes and lots on CANNED things!  I was partly compete with tossing all the ingredients into the crock pot, browned the beef, etc-BUT ALAS, no can opener!   I searched thru 5 ( FIVE)  big dish packs --- NO can opener and missing quite a few other kitchen basic tools, so I KNOW there is another kit box unpacked somewhere!

My mom saved the day and brought over her can opener!  But,  finally this morning we went to the container (still have one of the Pack Rat 16 ft containers on the lot) and found 3 more LARGE dish packs of kitchen stuff!

Yeah!
But that just means I have to find
 places for all this stuff!  

sink upstairs, drywall and plaster to fix the 

hole in the wall for the plumbing.

J added a receptacle in wall specific for USB charging

this is the new mailbox! 

I'm having the DAV truck stop by next week to collect a lot of stuff that did not sell at the yard sale, plus more stuff we JUST DONT need.  

Electric modification from above ground to underground will be about $350 per electric company. Is scheduled now to mid october! 

I can't type that without the song from the childhood PBS show playing in my head: "ELECTRIC COMAPNEEEEEYYYYYY!"

Now that the rain has stopped, I can get back to painting!  I need to paint the trim around the door upstairs, all the calking is dry now.  I'm also considering paining the bathroom, I know it would be silly since it will get torn out, but it will be awhile and it is so gross in there! 

J is doing the extensions on the electric receptacles now, so I can finish the back splash this week, hopefully. 

He plans on doing the pantry next, but this will be a major project. 

I'm still on unpack and cull duty for the kitchen. 

I sorta took off this weekend and watched the ENTIRE season one and TWO of SCANDAL on netflix, it was pretty addicting! 

Mid September

The hectic pace of reno has slowed a bit.
Two reasons, a lot of the major stuff to make it passably livable is done.
And secondly, we need more money.

We did get the electric meter changed $450, now we wait for the city to add a transformer to a pole and run the line underground. I was told three weeks about 2 weeks ago.
We will see.

Yesterday I finished the first part of the back splash.
I tried to follow a youtube video about making your own grout and how easy it is vs. premixed grout.

LIE LIE LIE LIE!

I started off with too much water and had to use the entire bag just to get to a slightly p-nut butter consistency.
So I HAD A LOT OF GROUT.   I ended up tossing 75% of it.

So when I continue, I am buying the premixed stuff!

This is the door I worked on and stained over Labor day.  J hung it and installed the door knob.  I got it at a great deal, brand new, for $4 (door knob and receptor piece) as it was the last one. 

here are the before and after of the back splash 

we needed to get an extension box to make the outlet flush with the new marble backsplash, but I like the results.

the name of the granite is Fantasy Brown.

Now I have to keep working on the kitchen. It is hard to fit in dishes and stuff from a 4000 sq foot home into a 1200 sq ft home.  I even left major things in the old house for the renters.  I left a set of dishes, pots, pants, glasses, toaster.

I am working with a kitchen cabinet guy. We used them before to do my Mom's kitchen and another time for a less old home. They do nice work. But our size limitations are causing some design snafus.
So now we have to plan on moving the microwave to a different location.  I'm just glad I didn't buy all those appliances at the Labor Day sale.  That would have been a disaster had they not fit.

Labor day, indeed!

Today was supposed to be a day off, right?   Well not for us, J is flying,  JFK to FLL and FLL back.  Then home.  I'm here supervising (ha) the fella doing the drywall repair in the kitchen.

Very nice fella, has been here since 830 this morning.   Works alone.  I can appreciate that!  He says no A/c because the mud will not adhere if it dries too fast w AC. So I have the windows open even though it is 93 degrees, it is "cloudy" which only helps a bit.


I have been taking turns staining the new door and painting kitchen cabinets.  Nothing sexy about either of theses jobs. Lots of sanding and sanding and MORE sanding.

The new door is interior, base of the stairs, I got it at a discount import store, not a big box store. $130. It's actually very nice, with beveled glass in each of the 12 panes.  I'm using a combo product of stain and poly in one can.  Each of the 12 panes have a very detailed step-down groove that you have to be very precise or risk getting stain on the glass itself.  This I am trying to avoid.  My index finger has had cramps from the detail staining.  I need a hand massage!

The cats are lounging, not much different here.

I'm sorta feeling sorry for myself…not being a traditional family that has holidays off.  But we have NEVER had holidays off!
But it would be nice, once, to have a traditional holiday with the requisite outdoor BBQ with friends.  But most of our friends have traditional work schedules.  And now they live several states away.

So I started planning out next cruise as I was hiding in my office while the crafts guy worked on my kitchen.
Basically we can vacation in Jan or Feb and possibly SEPT OCT.

I found a transatlantic repositioning cruise.  We use Silversea line for cruises, having worked our way up from Carnival back in 2001. Silversea is MORE expensive, but worth every penny.   I would rather go one one silversea cruise ever 2 yrs vs another cruise line once a year.

We went to Antarctica in Jan Feb this year---it was amazing!  It seems like such a long time ago but it was only 7 months ago, less than a pregnancy.

I was just looking up an Aggie local club as I was feeling a bit homesick.  There is one, of course.
Odd how we only lived there 6 years but I feel that that was home!
Lots happened there!

ok  well back to 1950's reno,   Happy Labor day to all!

More floor work!

Yesterday was busy!
I had the HVAC guys come back.  They had to wrap some line to pass inspection.   They also ripped out the old floor gas furnace.  That left a gaping hole in the floor.  It was at least 3 ft x 3 ft!  Clear down into the sandy crawl space.

Also the kitchen cabinet designer came back.  He will work on the redesign so we don't have to modify the current good cabinets and granite.  I shopped for wall ovens and dishwashers.   I think I'm getting a dishwasher drawer to save space.

Them another window guy came to estimate .  I just said yes because the last guy never called me back w a quote despite the fact I called him 2 times to see if he had that quote.   I guess he's got enough business and didn't need mine.  Jerk!

I spent the rest of the day unpacking kitchen stuff, got thru 5 boxes.   So no more plastic utensils!

I also asked the city to rearrange the electric from a large unsightly wire attached to the peak of the house , to an underground option.   And they said YES!   I just have to have an
Electrician  change the base meter!  I called and I think he will schedule for next week!


Love the bedroom upstairs!   Now I can  actually organize my officer  in the former bedroom downstairs.   Also with the mini split and the ceiling fan, the temp is more controlled upstairs!   Much more comfortable sleeping!
Did I mention we had the sink installed upstairs, too. It looks great and I just had the mirror arrive today.  Got it from pottery barn teen.  But it's just what I wanted and fits the space with the eve angle perfectly!

Tomorrow I will stain the new floor patch and the new door.  J will hang it and add the door nob!    Then we can go get the boys!   They have been at grandmas for 2 months!  Can't believe it's been that long.  I miss them!

Gardening day

Wow, back breaking work!   I was up before 6 and eventually got started outside.   There was such overgrowth from the vines et al. That it was almost impossible to walk along the side walk In front of out house.   So I spent the morning with a few 50 ft extension cords and several power tools:  hedge trimmer, weed wacker, blower, hand clippers, and a rake.   Filled up two large boxes full of debris.  It looks a bit more clean now.
After that I finally tackled the remaining flower bed.   I had dug up the first bed several weeks ago and planted all herbs:   Thyme, parsley, both curly and Italian, cilantro, chives, oregano mint, basil, and rosemary!!
They are doing well.  BUT each day I have to keep up with weed pulling.

The second bed has been overgrown with weeds, a sickly looking  rose bush, some native prickly spiny plants and more weeds.   It took all morning till about noon to get all that crap out.  I filled up my garden cart to overflowing with all that mess.  
Initially, I tried to save some and replant, but it was just too difficult to get it out of the ground.

So I dumped it all.  As I dug, I found some seashells that someone else had collected, so I cleaned them up and showcased them in the new bed.
I have a frost resistant Gardenia. I can't wait for the fragrant blooms.  She is at the far end, so as you walk to the porch from the parking area, it will be a nice scent! Then three orange reddish lantana. Butterflies love these. Hopefully, these will fill in like ours did at our last house. Now that was zone 8b and this is 7b.  So significant growing differences.   I just looked the first freeze is a month sooner, too. Will have to remember this and make pesto earlier, too.


Oh and the local garden place was having a sale on day lilies.  They can be expensive, but I got 11 for about $5 apiece.    I love the showy flowers and I'm pretty sure they are perennials.  

It was a great day to do garden work except that it was WINDY.  We have a wind sock up on a dune and it was at about 15 knots all day.  Probably gusting  higher.

6 weeks in

Wow.   We are finally getting some things DONE!
 Upstairs is almost all done.
Framing $475
Insulation $3900 with spray foam and batting
Drywall and plaster $1800
Mini split a/c and heat up and down $7000
Electric!   Ceiling fan in and works well.  Light fixture.  A neat black chandler I bought at a garage sale for $40. Love it! Outside electric socket.  Outside light on balcony!!  $1500

Pending
Plumbing for sink....waiting for sink to arrive
Floor refinishing
Painting.  All me....priming done, painting 2/3 done
window replacement.  Just one window.  Quote was $650 to $1500.   Shock a locka!!  

Now on to kitchen.
Tried to get away cheaply w a piece of marble on Craig's list for$400.  But found out no one would fabricate it because it was 2 cm not 3 cm thick.   Fortunately I was able to get my money back

Now kit counters will run $2200. For fantasy brown granite. Which has very little brown and is mostly black and white.
I bought unfinished cabinets from Home Depot and I'm in the process of sanding priming sanding paint sanding painting. I like drawers much better than doors. Only one side!

Busy friday

The framer and his assistant finished the upstairs today. $475  The electrician also did more work.  He will not finish until the drywall is up.  The exterminator came, just in time to remove a dead and very old mouse from inside the stairwell.  Paid him for the year. $280

The insulation guy came only to tell me he will have to revise the quote, it will be more. r38 is the standard of insulation now.

I have an inspection scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.

Still have not heard from the drywall husband and wife team for a quote. But I have another guy lined up for quote on Monday.


No luck on anyone willing to work with marble slab for kitchen countertop. Damn!

Would like to finish cabinets this weekend but I have to take acls class all day sat and Sunday to start my part time job.  So I can pay more contractors!!
Nice thing is, my new pt job pays for the class!