Time is relative.
If you look at a calendar, it was one week ago that our remodel began inauspiciously with a warped storage pod. Now, it is two months later, by our internal clocks, and we are halfway there. We are managing to live upstairs, in the studio, and on the patio. Thank God for the good weather.
Now the floor people have started. The carpet is out and the echo in the empty house is amazing. We had Truly Nolen come in to spray for termites on the advice of someone (we can't remember who) who discovered large cracks in their floor when carpet was removed. The problem, according to the termite guy, is when the crack is large and extends to the outside edge of the house. So he drilled 38 holes and poured 12 gallons of chemicals into them. The holes were "shoelaced" along the crack. That is alternating from side to side.
The colors on the walls are perfect. Peggie's color sense, no surprise, was accurate. We love the new textured ceiling.
This week, which will last another two months, we are living like true rednecks. The appliances are on the porch (patio), and the yard is littered with tools and equipment that look like "yard art" in Appalachia.
But the workmen continue to be reliable. They always arrive within an hour of when they say they will. The workmanship is adequate, once we point out where it needs to be redone. Our fingers are cramping from being continously crossed, hoping the final product will be worth the time and money.
Money. Did you know that those innocuous plastic outlet and light switch covers look dingy after you repaint? Did you know that doorknobs aren't invisible? Once you put new paint on doors and walls, these things suddenly look old. Nickels and dimes add up to dollars very quickly.
We already mentioned the new window coverings and the stair carpet.
Oh, and of course, the wood railings on the stairs, which have always been fine, are now all scratched and need to be sanded and refinished. Remember when Percy (the cat) was young, and liked to walk on them? Cat claws are hard on wood.
Painters don't seem to notice that when they wash out brushes and rollers on the rocks, that the rocks change color.
Peggie missed yoga this morning. But our mantra remains....
Life is good.
Life is good.
Life is good.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
The colors are bold and it's like a new house.
New pictures added to the remodel folder.
Color Color Everywhere and we love it! We're really having a good time watching the changes occur. At one point today we really wondered if two walls that were to be the same color were two different colors. Later, with the changing light and artificial lighting it was clear they were the same. The wall by the front door and the hallway are lighter than the rest but they looked the same...for a while. Tomorrow the last of the colors will go on the walls and then everything will be draped and the ceilings will be primed and painted--swiss coffee which really looks like white. Then fine tuning will occur as they touch up spots that don't look so great.
Monday morning the floor guys will start by taking out the carpet and the vinyl flooring. The termite guy will come by in the afternoon in case there are cracks in the concrete that need treatment.
Bill has been busy supervising and drawing floorplans rearranging furniture and artwork. I've been painting the cabinet we got in Jerome a few years ago that will house our shoes. The cabinet will have a base color of a periwinkle purple but it gets crazier from there. I'm adding decoupaged fabric to the doors and then painting folk art designs everywhere else. I'll post pictures when finished. Trust me, it's going to be great but it's not for the faint of heart. Good thing I'm married to a strong of heart although he did have some reservations at first.
Estimates for new window coverings came in and we took the plunge. We'll have faux wood blinds in most of the windows and a track system of stacking panels on the patio door. Bill chose the fabric and it really ties the red and the ginger together.
A little bit of gin and tonic and we'll be ready for another day!
Color Color Everywhere and we love it! We're really having a good time watching the changes occur. At one point today we really wondered if two walls that were to be the same color were two different colors. Later, with the changing light and artificial lighting it was clear they were the same. The wall by the front door and the hallway are lighter than the rest but they looked the same...for a while. Tomorrow the last of the colors will go on the walls and then everything will be draped and the ceilings will be primed and painted--swiss coffee which really looks like white. Then fine tuning will occur as they touch up spots that don't look so great.
Monday morning the floor guys will start by taking out the carpet and the vinyl flooring. The termite guy will come by in the afternoon in case there are cracks in the concrete that need treatment.
Bill has been busy supervising and drawing floorplans rearranging furniture and artwork. I've been painting the cabinet we got in Jerome a few years ago that will house our shoes. The cabinet will have a base color of a periwinkle purple but it gets crazier from there. I'm adding decoupaged fabric to the doors and then painting folk art designs everywhere else. I'll post pictures when finished. Trust me, it's going to be great but it's not for the faint of heart. Good thing I'm married to a strong of heart although he did have some reservations at first.
Estimates for new window coverings came in and we took the plunge. We'll have faux wood blinds in most of the windows and a track system of stacking panels on the patio door. Bill chose the fabric and it really ties the red and the ginger together.
A little bit of gin and tonic and we'll be ready for another day!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
I Know Why We Didn't Do This Before!
Because--mess, mess, mess, mess. Yikes, what a mess!!
Check out the Remodel Album on Peggie's Photo Gallery.
As Bill posted, on Day 1, Monday, we got the pod loaded with furniture and went to a movie. What a relaxing afternoon.
On Day 2, Tuesday, while the guys were removing the popcorn ceiling (plastic, water, and ceiling goop everywhere) another guy began painting the laundry room and bathroom. Bill supervised by sitting on the patio reading and I went to yoga and coffee and then spent the afternoon in my studio. All good. Daytime temps were great while record lows were forecast for Wednesday morning. We had to re-cover the plants so they wouldn't freeze. Of course we didn't think about that until 10 p.m. while we were soaking in the hot tub!!
Our two main colors are Ginger Palm and Prennial Gold (What is prennial? Is it a misspelling of perennial or something entirely different?) The idea is that the lighter color will go in the darker hallway and laundry room and the darker color will go on the other walls and with all of our light and angles they will appear to be the same color at times and different colors at other times. Boy, the bathroom (the darker) is semi-gloss and sure looks like butterscotch! Did I choose the right color?????? I think so....I hope so....it sure is going to be on a lot of walls (in eggshell, not semi-gloss) so I think it will be okay. I hope it will be okay because walls that go up 24 feet are not in my re-painting ability.
On Day 3, the ceilings were re-textured with hock and trowel finish and the second coat of paint was applied to the bathroom. I like the color but I'm not crazy about the semi-gloss but I guess it's necessary for a bathroom. Painter boss comes over and we decide to do baseboards, doorframes and doors in eggshell instead of semi-gloss. By the end of the day I really wasn't happy with the clean-up job in the bathroom and the paint that was left splattered on the vanity, fixtures and mirror. A few other things made Bill and I decide we needed to be supervising more closely.
Day 4, today-Thursday, painter guys are painting the hallway and closet (lighter color) and the office--formerly known as Greg's room (darker color). Bill and I removed all the mini-blinds and set up cleaning and drying stations outside with frequent breaks to check on things and ask questions. We agreed we couldn't have asked for better weather--very little breeze and temps hit 80 degrees. While I'm getting estimates on new blinds the reality is that we'll probably re-hang our VERY VERY CLEAN blinds even though they are the wrong color. The texture guys finished the hock and trowel work and patched all holes and cracks throughout. Bill asked one of the guys to come put some of the darker color on the wall by the stairs so he could be reassured that it was the color we wanted. Whew! It is. Bill turned to me and said, "You're so good with colors!" Whew! Maybe I'll sleep better tonight and not dream of big butterscotch blobs. It definitely has less butterscotch and more tan appearance in the eggshell finish and in the light.
The Plan tomorrow is to move the Ginger Palm color into the family room and begin painting the accent wall in the office and the accent walls in the family room the deep rust terra cotta color. They may begin the green in the kitchen. More pictures to follow.
Ah...hot tub is on the agenda tonight.
Check out the Remodel Album on Peggie's Photo Gallery.
As Bill posted, on Day 1, Monday, we got the pod loaded with furniture and went to a movie. What a relaxing afternoon.
On Day 2, Tuesday, while the guys were removing the popcorn ceiling (plastic, water, and ceiling goop everywhere) another guy began painting the laundry room and bathroom. Bill supervised by sitting on the patio reading and I went to yoga and coffee and then spent the afternoon in my studio. All good. Daytime temps were great while record lows were forecast for Wednesday morning. We had to re-cover the plants so they wouldn't freeze. Of course we didn't think about that until 10 p.m. while we were soaking in the hot tub!!
Our two main colors are Ginger Palm and Prennial Gold (What is prennial? Is it a misspelling of perennial or something entirely different?) The idea is that the lighter color will go in the darker hallway and laundry room and the darker color will go on the other walls and with all of our light and angles they will appear to be the same color at times and different colors at other times. Boy, the bathroom (the darker) is semi-gloss and sure looks like butterscotch! Did I choose the right color?????? I think so....I hope so....it sure is going to be on a lot of walls (in eggshell, not semi-gloss) so I think it will be okay. I hope it will be okay because walls that go up 24 feet are not in my re-painting ability.
On Day 3, the ceilings were re-textured with hock and trowel finish and the second coat of paint was applied to the bathroom. I like the color but I'm not crazy about the semi-gloss but I guess it's necessary for a bathroom. Painter boss comes over and we decide to do baseboards, doorframes and doors in eggshell instead of semi-gloss. By the end of the day I really wasn't happy with the clean-up job in the bathroom and the paint that was left splattered on the vanity, fixtures and mirror. A few other things made Bill and I decide we needed to be supervising more closely.
Day 4, today-Thursday, painter guys are painting the hallway and closet (lighter color) and the office--formerly known as Greg's room (darker color). Bill and I removed all the mini-blinds and set up cleaning and drying stations outside with frequent breaks to check on things and ask questions. We agreed we couldn't have asked for better weather--very little breeze and temps hit 80 degrees. While I'm getting estimates on new blinds the reality is that we'll probably re-hang our VERY VERY CLEAN blinds even though they are the wrong color. The texture guys finished the hock and trowel work and patched all holes and cracks throughout. Bill asked one of the guys to come put some of the darker color on the wall by the stairs so he could be reassured that it was the color we wanted. Whew! It is. Bill turned to me and said, "You're so good with colors!" Whew! Maybe I'll sleep better tonight and not dream of big butterscotch blobs. It definitely has less butterscotch and more tan appearance in the eggshell finish and in the light.
The Plan tomorrow is to move the Ginger Palm color into the family room and begin painting the accent wall in the office and the accent walls in the family room the deep rust terra cotta color. They may begin the green in the kitchen. More pictures to follow.
Ah...hot tub is on the agenda tonight.
Monday, November 29, 2010
And so it starts...
Our remodel is actually underway!
Weeks of sorting. Weeks of cleaning. Weeks of selecting. Weeks of packing. Weeks of anticipation.
The pod was due today at 7:00 so I set the alarm clock for 6:30. It got here at about 7:20. The driver was very conscientious. He pointed out that there was a chance of damaging our big tree if we put it where I wanted it. So we moved it over a few feet. We got it on the ground, and I was worried the door wouldn't open all the way because of the curb. So he opened the door.....almost. One of the hinges seemed to be bound up. Several minutes of working it, back and forth, and it will neither open nor close! So we tried the other door. Nope. It is bound up, too. We can see no obvious cause, but the box must have been torqued or something. Two phone calls later, and we are getting a new one delivered.
However, ( I sense the "adventure" beginning) it is by now almost 8:00 and the moving crew is due at 8:00. It will take about an hour and a half to exchange the pod. But that is not a problem, the movers only cost $104 per hour. (DEEP SIGH)
We decide that the movers can begin by disassembling the Off The Wall Bed, and otherwise staging the furniture to be moved. They wrap everything in large rolls of Saran Wrap. Take stuff apart and move things to the driveway. Just when that is done, the new pod arrives. This one has (working) doors at both ends to facilitate the loading. And the company, Mobile Mini, has decided to comp us with really good locks for both doors. So, in spite of an inauspicious start, the move is complete, on time. The house is empty for the first time in 23 years.years.ears.rs.
That last bit is the echo.cho.co.
So we head off to do some errands, and see a movie. Burlesque, starring Cher and Christina Aguilera is a very entertaining show. A little bit of story and lots of burlesque singing and dancing. And we qualify for senior discount pricing.....without even asking. Do we look old?
Now we are in the bedroom, where we had the TV moved, and wishing we had kept some comfortable chairs.
Tomorrow, the ceiling crew starts removing the old popcorn, and the paint crew starts in the laundry and bathroom, where the ceiling doesn't need to be removed.
More coming soon.
Weeks of sorting. Weeks of cleaning. Weeks of selecting. Weeks of packing. Weeks of anticipation.
The pod was due today at 7:00 so I set the alarm clock for 6:30. It got here at about 7:20. The driver was very conscientious. He pointed out that there was a chance of damaging our big tree if we put it where I wanted it. So we moved it over a few feet. We got it on the ground, and I was worried the door wouldn't open all the way because of the curb. So he opened the door.....almost. One of the hinges seemed to be bound up. Several minutes of working it, back and forth, and it will neither open nor close! So we tried the other door. Nope. It is bound up, too. We can see no obvious cause, but the box must have been torqued or something. Two phone calls later, and we are getting a new one delivered.
However, ( I sense the "adventure" beginning) it is by now almost 8:00 and the moving crew is due at 8:00. It will take about an hour and a half to exchange the pod. But that is not a problem, the movers only cost $104 per hour. (DEEP SIGH)
We decide that the movers can begin by disassembling the Off The Wall Bed, and otherwise staging the furniture to be moved. They wrap everything in large rolls of Saran Wrap. Take stuff apart and move things to the driveway. Just when that is done, the new pod arrives. This one has (working) doors at both ends to facilitate the loading. And the company, Mobile Mini, has decided to comp us with really good locks for both doors. So, in spite of an inauspicious start, the move is complete, on time. The house is empty for the first time in 23 years.years.ears.rs.
That last bit is the echo.cho.co.
So we head off to do some errands, and see a movie. Burlesque, starring Cher and Christina Aguilera is a very entertaining show. A little bit of story and lots of burlesque singing and dancing. And we qualify for senior discount pricing.....without even asking. Do we look old?
Now we are in the bedroom, where we had the TV moved, and wishing we had kept some comfortable chairs.
Tomorrow, the ceiling crew starts removing the old popcorn, and the paint crew starts in the laundry and bathroom, where the ceiling doesn't need to be removed.
More coming soon.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Keepin' Up
It is Saturday......but who cares? The days are all the same. Sunshine, 78, same as yesterday, same as tomorrow....but wait. Ten percent chance of rain (whatever that is) tomorrow.
We went to Glendale for the SYTYCD show. That's what the T-shirts say - SYTYCD.
Those kids don't just think; they really can dance. It was the last show on the tour, and two of the participants are from Phoenix, so that made it special. Lots of tearful bows and such.
Our current "adventure" concerns the jeep. The locking differential doesn't lock. So I took it to the dealer. Sat around half the day. The bad news first. The required part is in L.A. It is a $95 solenoid switch in the differential. Which requires 5.4 hours of repair time. Then the bad, bad news. Electrical parts aren't covered by the "lifetime powertrain limited warranty." Of course they aren't. You know whose life this is, right?
So they gave me a ride home because the part won't be in until tomorrow. Tomorrow comes, I sit around waiting for them to call me to come get my repaired vehicle. I could say that I wasted two days on this now, but, really, what would I have been doing otherwise? Then midafternoon the phone rings. This time, good news and bad news. Uh-huh
The bad news, the accuator is also damaged, so now the price of repairs more than doubles. The good news? The accuator is a "mechanical" part. It is covered by warranty. And since the labor to replace it is the same as for the switch, all I have to pay for is the switch. Yay!
They can have it by next week. Tuesday at the latest. Oh man, I was planning to drive the trail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon this weekend. I was going to disguise the jeep as a mule.
Oh, and the dealership was having a promo. Bring in the mailer and get a free turkey. The free turkey turned out to be a $10 prepaid Visa card. I only had to see a salesman to get it. Of course the salesman had to show me how much they have improved the 2011 Wranglers, just in case I am ready to trade in. No. The changes are superficial and cosmetic. I will keep my lifetime warranty, thank you very much just the same.
We went to Glendale for the SYTYCD show. That's what the T-shirts say - SYTYCD.
Those kids don't just think; they really can dance. It was the last show on the tour, and two of the participants are from Phoenix, so that made it special. Lots of tearful bows and such.
Our current "adventure" concerns the jeep. The locking differential doesn't lock. So I took it to the dealer. Sat around half the day. The bad news first. The required part is in L.A. It is a $95 solenoid switch in the differential. Which requires 5.4 hours of repair time. Then the bad, bad news. Electrical parts aren't covered by the "lifetime powertrain limited warranty." Of course they aren't. You know whose life this is, right?
So they gave me a ride home because the part won't be in until tomorrow. Tomorrow comes, I sit around waiting for them to call me to come get my repaired vehicle. I could say that I wasted two days on this now, but, really, what would I have been doing otherwise? Then midafternoon the phone rings. This time, good news and bad news. Uh-huh
The bad news, the accuator is also damaged, so now the price of repairs more than doubles. The good news? The accuator is a "mechanical" part. It is covered by warranty. And since the labor to replace it is the same as for the switch, all I have to pay for is the switch. Yay!
They can have it by next week. Tuesday at the latest. Oh man, I was planning to drive the trail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon this weekend. I was going to disguise the jeep as a mule.
Oh, and the dealership was having a promo. Bring in the mailer and get a free turkey. The free turkey turned out to be a $10 prepaid Visa card. I only had to see a salesman to get it. Of course the salesman had to show me how much they have improved the 2011 Wranglers, just in case I am ready to trade in. No. The changes are superficial and cosmetic. I will keep my lifetime warranty, thank you very much just the same.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Missing couple found safe after weekend search
Apparently we failed to inform our NY family of our weekend plans. When we didn't answer our phone, they began a nationwide search. That is, they called Casey in Tempe. Casey called us last night just to be sure we were okay.
We spent the weekend in Cottonwood. It was Cottonwood's 50th birthday. Margie was, naturally, involved in several events related to the celebration. So we came to help take care of Mom while Margie and Dave partied. I got to attend an appearance by Marshall Trimble, who is a humorist/songster and Official Arizona State Historian. He sang songs and told stories about Arizona and Cottonwood history. Margie gave a short introductory talk sprinkled with tidbits of our youth and happenings in Cottonwood. On Saturday, Mom, Peggie and I ate BBQ roasted in a pit at the old Clemenceau school. This is the school we all attended between 1959 and 1965. I have to credit the designer and builder of the school. The building is only half as big as it was fifty years ago, yet still contains the same number of rooms and total square footage on the inside. I think there is magic involved. Margie mentioned the names of several of our school friends she saw at the events. I probably wouldn't have recognized them, since they are all old now.
We stopped in Chandler on our way home, to see the art quilt exhibit at the Center for the Arts. These are not "traditional" quilts. They are hangable art.
Tomorrow, we will be in Glendale for an appearance by last year's cast of So You Think You Can Dance. We bought our seats on-line while in Skagway and we are looking forward to a great show. Also, the Leonid meteor shower is tomorrow night, and we will be up and awake late enough to sit in the hot tub and watch it. It won't be good until the moon sets around midnight.
As an educator, I must pass on lessons from the weekend:
--Let your family know where you are going to be, the FBI has better things to do
--You can go home again, but home will be smaller and older than you remember
--BBQ is goo-ood eatin'
--Family is important, take care of them
--Quilts aren't just for keeping you warm anymore
--Keep up your insurance payments, some A****** might fling a rock at your windshield on
the way home.
We spent the weekend in Cottonwood. It was Cottonwood's 50th birthday. Margie was, naturally, involved in several events related to the celebration. So we came to help take care of Mom while Margie and Dave partied. I got to attend an appearance by Marshall Trimble, who is a humorist/songster and Official Arizona State Historian. He sang songs and told stories about Arizona and Cottonwood history. Margie gave a short introductory talk sprinkled with tidbits of our youth and happenings in Cottonwood. On Saturday, Mom, Peggie and I ate BBQ roasted in a pit at the old Clemenceau school. This is the school we all attended between 1959 and 1965. I have to credit the designer and builder of the school. The building is only half as big as it was fifty years ago, yet still contains the same number of rooms and total square footage on the inside. I think there is magic involved. Margie mentioned the names of several of our school friends she saw at the events. I probably wouldn't have recognized them, since they are all old now.
We stopped in Chandler on our way home, to see the art quilt exhibit at the Center for the Arts. These are not "traditional" quilts. They are hangable art.
Tomorrow, we will be in Glendale for an appearance by last year's cast of So You Think You Can Dance. We bought our seats on-line while in Skagway and we are looking forward to a great show. Also, the Leonid meteor shower is tomorrow night, and we will be up and awake late enough to sit in the hot tub and watch it. It won't be good until the moon sets around midnight.
As an educator, I must pass on lessons from the weekend:
--Let your family know where you are going to be, the FBI has better things to do
--You can go home again, but home will be smaller and older than you remember
--BBQ is goo-ood eatin'
--Family is important, take care of them
--Quilts aren't just for keeping you warm anymore
--Keep up your insurance payments, some A****** might fling a rock at your windshield on
the way home.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Retired Educators Club: Amphitheater Chapter
The Amphitheater Chapter of the Retired Educators Club meets the first Friday of each month at AJ's Fine Foods at Sunrise and Campbell. Meetings are, of course, optional. Meetings begin when a second person shows up, and end when the last two leave. We chose to attend this morning. We have missed meetings all summer, so we had to catch up. What we have in common, obviously, is our past association with Amphitheater Public Schools. But since all members are retired, we don't talk about school!! Instead, we discuss travel, art, family, home decorating, hobbies, etc. Today eight members were in attendance. The meeting lasted about two and a half hours before people started drifting away for other appointments and errands. Peggie and I went to an art exhibition at JCC, a craft fair at Palomino Plaza, lunch at Chad's Steakhouse, and another exhibit of fiber arts downtown, then stopped at Costco, Safeway, and the library on our way home. Whew! That was a full day.
We are making considerable headway on our task of packing things away in anticipation of our redecorating. We have found an amazing supply of trash on shelves, in cabinets, and lurking in drawers. We will have a sidewalk sale sometime, and perhaps put some things on Craig's List. And then we will keep waaay toooo much stuff, anyway.
We also found time for other pursuits. On Wednesday, Peggie went to quilt meetings and I went jeeping. Good times.
We are making considerable headway on our task of packing things away in anticipation of our redecorating. We have found an amazing supply of trash on shelves, in cabinets, and lurking in drawers. We will have a sidewalk sale sometime, and perhaps put some things on Craig's List. And then we will keep waaay toooo much stuff, anyway.
We also found time for other pursuits. On Wednesday, Peggie went to quilt meetings and I went jeeping. Good times.
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