There is nothing like a healthy storm to help you get to know the sounds of a new house. A nor’easter has been hovering over the area since last night. I kept hearing the winds while I was sleeping and in my half-awake state, I kept thinking it was Wes. :( I am not sure that this is the best weather for me to adjust to his absence. The pounding rain on the tin chimney cap just reminds me that I am alone. Then Max gives me puppydog eyes and Willow head butts me and for a moment its not too bad.
Wes left on Tuesday night for the horn of Africa to chase pirates. It’s amazing how quickly a person shifts into the grown up responsible role. Now I am the one checking that the doors are locked and if the dog is fed. It is good to be reminded of these roles sometimes so that I don’t become too dependent or unappreciative of my partner in life. That said, I think a week would be enough for these lessons.
To keep my mind off of things, I have a to do list and it is pretty long. I have only managed to cross two whole items off of my list in two days. The front hall has now been painted. I still don’t have a completely tiled kitchen floor though. We are now a week and a half behind schedule. I was going to have an adventure with a rototiller and till the front flower beds so that I could start planting some bulbs and flowers. I held off because of the impending storm and now I am glad that I didn’t start. All of the puddles gathering in the future flowers beds have convinced me that I need to have a raised bed so that there will be better drainage.
I find that I am very disconnected from the world right now in my “little Susie home maker” role as Dan calls it. I am used to having places to be and people to see, but now I don’t have anything to do. I am adrift in a honey-do list and microwave dinners.
There is a commercial on for the new Nano in all the colors. I want one but I couldn’t pick a color. I would have to have one of each so that I could pick one for the mood of the day! Today would be a bright yellow or crispy orange day to help counteract the gloom of the day and the house.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Link to House Pictures
Hi all.
I have been busy here obviously. Still painting and organizing. I was going to wait to put up the "after" pictures until all our stuff was put away, but Wes put some up on his pages so I didn't think the curious here should be denied. To see pics, go to:
http://wbdowntown.wordpress.com/
I have been busy here obviously. Still painting and organizing. I was going to wait to put up the "after" pictures until all our stuff was put away, but Wes put some up on his pages so I didn't think the curious here should be denied. To see pics, go to:
http://wbdowntown.wordpress.com/
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The New Life Chronicles
Friday September 5, 2008
We signed on the house, bought a new kitchen and lots of paint and spent the weekend painting.
Saturday September 6, 2008
Fix all the light bulbs! Paint! Look for Hurricane Hannah! Paint! Still looking for Hurrcane Hannah! Paint!
Sunday September 7, 2008
Paint some more! We have doors!!! I can use the bathroom without worrying about someone walking by in the hall.
Monday September 8, 2008
Wes had gone back to Rhode Island and the appliances were supposed to be delivered. However, not only did the appliances come, but the household goods and the guys to rip out the carpet also came. It made for a busy day. The moving guys couldn’t get the truck down the driveway and so had to park at the end and cart everything all the way to house. Every time someone wanted to come to the house they had to move the truck. It took all day to get the stuff to the house. Ironically the only thing that was broken was the same TV that was broken the last time we moved. After the last move it still worked; everything was justly off colored. This time they tried to push the TV stand with the TV on it. It’s a 300 lb TV and the stand wasn’t really meant to be a cart. The stand is now a pile of kindling and the TV has a huge black star in the center and has fallen backward inside the casing. I guess that TV was just not meant to be used anymore. They were not able to hook up the stove so cooking was not option. Oh well! They were able to hook up the fridge. I warned them not to open the old fridge. The old fridge had been used as a target practice with food and then shut up like that for a year. The delivery guys mentioned that it made the top of their “worst fridge ever” list and that it would be playing a central role in a prank back at the warehouse. Its good to know that it went on to a better life. All in all, it was a crazy and exhausting day.
Wednesday September 10, 2008
After many days of painting I was ready to get out of the house. Fortunately or unfortunately, I had an interview. Weeee!!!! The challenge of the day was to get out of the house in my interview suit without getting paint, plaster or do slobber on me. Mission accomplished. The interview was about 2 hours long. Easily the longest one I have ever had. I thought it went pretty well, but the company didn’t really give me any indication if they liked me or not.
Thursday September 11, 2008
Paint! Yell at Max not to lay against the wet walls. Paint some more.
Friday September 12, 2008
Still painting!!! Learning to paint trim free hand. First room looks like those pictures that dolphins and elephants paint, but the rest looks all right. Most of the holes have been repaired and you can no longer see from the master bedroom through the wall, down to the first floor.
The company I was interviewed with was supposed to make a decision, but put it off until Monday.
Saturday September 13, 2008
Guess what we are doing! That’s right…painting!
Sunday September 16, 2008
Paint! Wash the paint off the side of the dog. Guess it was a good thing that the green walls were already dry. Vacuum the floors even though I am convinced that I have picked up most of the plaster dust on my clothes while scooting along the floor painting trim.
For dinner, we went to ASAHI for dinner in Norfolk with Mike and 7 new people. The food and company was great. If you like Korean and sushi, you should definitely give it a try. It is on the corner of Independence and Pleasure House rd (for the out-of-towners, that IS the name of the road).
Back home and paint until about midnight. Giving up for now.
Monday September 15, 2008
I relaxed in the yard envisioning my future jungle… errr garden while the carpet was installed. The handyman’s henchmen was busting up the tile in the kitchen, so the house was very noisy. Willow sat outside with me, but did not like outside because there was nowhere to hide. She eventually wedged herself under the step. Later Max came in with his nose all dirty. I think he was trying to sniff the kitty and she had nowhere to go.
The company I interviewed with put off their decision again, because Hurricane Ike trapped some of their regional managers in other parts of the country.
That night we wandered around the house enjoying the new carpet and laying on the nice floor. So nice and currently fur free.
Tuesday September 16, 2008
The handyman and henchmen showed up early for the first time since they started. They usually show up around noon, but this time they caught me in my PJs. I spent the day hauling all the stuff from the garage in a laundry basket to pile it in approximately the right place in the house. Wes hauled the heavy things like boxes of books into the house and cursed at all the pretty light fixtures I picked out. The handyman’s henchmen started tearing out cabinets because he was tired of banging and scraping mortar off the floor. He was going to throw them out, but I told him for the 10th time that we were going to keep them for storage in the garage and laundry room. The new tile arrived and fortunately I was there when they started to unload it so I could tell them that it was the wrong color. It was some sort of red-brown and we wanted a creamy tan. So it will be another week for tile now. We are using the moving boxes as kitchen flooring for now. Fortunately they have not ripped out the sink yet so I still have running water.
The cable guy came by, looked at the mess of wires and left. Apparently it was not that simple.
Wednesday September 17, 2008
I decided that it was time to by hardware and mirrors for the master bathroom. Most of the old ones had been ripped off the wall. I also bought a bird feeder to hang in the tree for Max and a plant to hang out front for me since I have not yet had time to start my flower beds. Then I started looking at the hardware with plans of going over to Target to price shop for the best bargain. Unfortunately I got the call about the job while I was doing this. I didn’t get it :( They liked me enough to ask if I wanted to apply for another job they were developing, but its still disappointing. Back to the drawing board. I didn’t feel much like shopping after this so I just got some stuff and headed home. Fortunately my bad mood was a little dispelled by a nice box of house warming presents waiting from my mother-in-law. Yay, for cute fall stuff!!! Then I wanted to put up all my new bathroom stuff, but the electrician was using the drill. I also wanted to put away my clothes but with the electrician, handyman and the cable guy trooping through the bedroom every five minutes I am sure they all got a look at my undies. I really didn’t get much accomplished today. The cable guy had to rewire the whole house. It took him forever, but here I am blogging and watching TV.
Tomorrow I will search the job boards and paint the laundry room because I haven’t had enough painting yet.
We signed on the house, bought a new kitchen and lots of paint and spent the weekend painting.
Saturday September 6, 2008
Fix all the light bulbs! Paint! Look for Hurricane Hannah! Paint! Still looking for Hurrcane Hannah! Paint!
Sunday September 7, 2008
Paint some more! We have doors!!! I can use the bathroom without worrying about someone walking by in the hall.
Monday September 8, 2008
Wes had gone back to Rhode Island and the appliances were supposed to be delivered. However, not only did the appliances come, but the household goods and the guys to rip out the carpet also came. It made for a busy day. The moving guys couldn’t get the truck down the driveway and so had to park at the end and cart everything all the way to house. Every time someone wanted to come to the house they had to move the truck. It took all day to get the stuff to the house. Ironically the only thing that was broken was the same TV that was broken the last time we moved. After the last move it still worked; everything was justly off colored. This time they tried to push the TV stand with the TV on it. It’s a 300 lb TV and the stand wasn’t really meant to be a cart. The stand is now a pile of kindling and the TV has a huge black star in the center and has fallen backward inside the casing. I guess that TV was just not meant to be used anymore. They were not able to hook up the stove so cooking was not option. Oh well! They were able to hook up the fridge. I warned them not to open the old fridge. The old fridge had been used as a target practice with food and then shut up like that for a year. The delivery guys mentioned that it made the top of their “worst fridge ever” list and that it would be playing a central role in a prank back at the warehouse. Its good to know that it went on to a better life. All in all, it was a crazy and exhausting day.
Wednesday September 10, 2008
After many days of painting I was ready to get out of the house. Fortunately or unfortunately, I had an interview. Weeee!!!! The challenge of the day was to get out of the house in my interview suit without getting paint, plaster or do slobber on me. Mission accomplished. The interview was about 2 hours long. Easily the longest one I have ever had. I thought it went pretty well, but the company didn’t really give me any indication if they liked me or not.
Thursday September 11, 2008
Paint! Yell at Max not to lay against the wet walls. Paint some more.
Friday September 12, 2008
Still painting!!! Learning to paint trim free hand. First room looks like those pictures that dolphins and elephants paint, but the rest looks all right. Most of the holes have been repaired and you can no longer see from the master bedroom through the wall, down to the first floor.
The company I was interviewed with was supposed to make a decision, but put it off until Monday.
Saturday September 13, 2008
Guess what we are doing! That’s right…painting!
Sunday September 16, 2008
Paint! Wash the paint off the side of the dog. Guess it was a good thing that the green walls were already dry. Vacuum the floors even though I am convinced that I have picked up most of the plaster dust on my clothes while scooting along the floor painting trim.
For dinner, we went to ASAHI for dinner in Norfolk with Mike and 7 new people. The food and company was great. If you like Korean and sushi, you should definitely give it a try. It is on the corner of Independence and Pleasure House rd (for the out-of-towners, that IS the name of the road).
Back home and paint until about midnight. Giving up for now.
Monday September 15, 2008
I relaxed in the yard envisioning my future jungle… errr garden while the carpet was installed. The handyman’s henchmen was busting up the tile in the kitchen, so the house was very noisy. Willow sat outside with me, but did not like outside because there was nowhere to hide. She eventually wedged herself under the step. Later Max came in with his nose all dirty. I think he was trying to sniff the kitty and she had nowhere to go.
The company I interviewed with put off their decision again, because Hurricane Ike trapped some of their regional managers in other parts of the country.
That night we wandered around the house enjoying the new carpet and laying on the nice floor. So nice and currently fur free.
Tuesday September 16, 2008
The handyman and henchmen showed up early for the first time since they started. They usually show up around noon, but this time they caught me in my PJs. I spent the day hauling all the stuff from the garage in a laundry basket to pile it in approximately the right place in the house. Wes hauled the heavy things like boxes of books into the house and cursed at all the pretty light fixtures I picked out. The handyman’s henchmen started tearing out cabinets because he was tired of banging and scraping mortar off the floor. He was going to throw them out, but I told him for the 10th time that we were going to keep them for storage in the garage and laundry room. The new tile arrived and fortunately I was there when they started to unload it so I could tell them that it was the wrong color. It was some sort of red-brown and we wanted a creamy tan. So it will be another week for tile now. We are using the moving boxes as kitchen flooring for now. Fortunately they have not ripped out the sink yet so I still have running water.
The cable guy came by, looked at the mess of wires and left. Apparently it was not that simple.
Wednesday September 17, 2008
I decided that it was time to by hardware and mirrors for the master bathroom. Most of the old ones had been ripped off the wall. I also bought a bird feeder to hang in the tree for Max and a plant to hang out front for me since I have not yet had time to start my flower beds. Then I started looking at the hardware with plans of going over to Target to price shop for the best bargain. Unfortunately I got the call about the job while I was doing this. I didn’t get it :( They liked me enough to ask if I wanted to apply for another job they were developing, but its still disappointing. Back to the drawing board. I didn’t feel much like shopping after this so I just got some stuff and headed home. Fortunately my bad mood was a little dispelled by a nice box of house warming presents waiting from my mother-in-law. Yay, for cute fall stuff!!! Then I wanted to put up all my new bathroom stuff, but the electrician was using the drill. I also wanted to put away my clothes but with the electrician, handyman and the cable guy trooping through the bedroom every five minutes I am sure they all got a look at my undies. I really didn’t get much accomplished today. The cable guy had to rewire the whole house. It took him forever, but here I am blogging and watching TV.
Tomorrow I will search the job boards and paint the laundry room because I haven’t had enough painting yet.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Victory is Mine!
We finally closed on the house yesterday afternoon. YAY!!!! Wes landed and met with the contracter while I was signing all the paper work. Then we went and bought a new kitchen. Ouch!!!
Now if Tropical Storm Hanna doesn't blow the roof off, we should be set. More later....
Now if Tropical Storm Hanna doesn't blow the roof off, we should be set. More later....
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