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Medical Madness, Cat Guts and Dog Butts
It's amazing what us humans will endure to forestall death. In just the last month, for instance, I've had a physical therapy (PT) session for a bad back, gotten a pap smear and today, the beloved mammogram and an eye test for glaucoma.
And I'm not even 50.
It just happens that I have two older sisters who are nurses. Every time someone in the family ( Read more... ) -
So Long, Margie, and Thanks for All the Fish **
If our house remodel was a movie, we hit the climax late March with the Tour of Remodeled Homes and just two weeks later, the formal party for family and friends.
But the real action was just before the Tour, when a crew of Hispanic women put in more than 20 combined cleaning hours. They cleaned EVERYTHING they touched. Our fireplace was dust free ( Read more... ) -
Life Interferes
Bless me. I have sinned: It's been nearly a month since my last entry. But for good reason.
House stuff has been going great. Pretty much all is done except the final painting of trim and some walls--very tedious but do-able stuff.
It's life in general that's distracting. Our little Pomeranian Celine suddenly went blind three weeks ago, an apparent ( Read more... ) -
Inspector No. 387
It happened Monday. Shortly after noon HE arrived. It was final inspection time. I'm probably exaggerating with the 387 reference, but there certainly has been a lot of reviews. Just last week we had the return visit of the plumbing-mechanical-electrical inspector.
Luckily our general contractor Margie was here for the final and gave him the luxury ( Read more... ) -
The Stepford Lawn, a Great Wind and Dealing with the Devil
After five months and four days, we have grass! And I'm not talking ganja (Jamaican lingo), Marijane or even medical marijuana. I'm talking REAL grass. As in we'll have to mow it eventually.
It's so very perfect I call it the Stepford Lawn. Nary a blade is out of place. I haven't even let our pom Celine do her duty on it yet.
Earlier I'd thought it ( Read more... ) -
My Near Wardrobe Malfunction, Lori's Breakdown and Gentrification
Oh what a difference 90 seconds can make.
I was headed for my morning shower Thursday when I paused to chat with Ian the electrician about the difference between a receptacle and a plug. (It's sort of the electricians' version of the birds and the bees.) After that momentary delay I hit the bathroom and was starting to disrobe when I saw Mike from ( Read more... ) -
Contractor Wars, Return of the Plumbers and A New Hope
Which came first? The eternal question.
We have the answer. It's whoever is pouring the cement.
With our contractors all delayed by our recent record-breaking snow storm and cold snap, Lori and I awoke recently to find about six cement pourers, four hardwood subs, two framers and an insulation guy hovering around the front of our new garage. It ( Read more... ) -
Miracle on 72nd Street (OK, Avenue)
We have sink, again!
Life is good.
After a couple of days of leaving the sink slightly on, I saw a drip the other day. Excitedly I ran to the faucet and indeed our kitchen sink had thawed, just in time for Christmas.
There was more good news, too. Our Comcast Internet service had gone awry, likely due to power outages. We'd scheduled a Comcast service ( Read more... ) -
Water Torture
We lost sink! After only one full day.
Malmedal plumbers had braved the freezing rain Friday, traveling here from Banks to hook up our kitchen water and more--only to have the new pipes freeze Saturday night. The new bathrooms still work, but we're back to the water-free kitchen that we've had for the last month.
Talk about a tease.
Luckily Lori made ( Read more... ) -
Men in Small Spaces and the Rush to Flush
We got sink!
After about a month without an operable kitchen, we now can wash our dishes in the kitchen instead of the bathtub. We can fill up pots, toss out gray water and even access tap water that isn't within 12 inches of a toilet. (There's something about drinking bathroom water that just seems wrong; I don't know why.)
And after 15 years of ( Read more... )