Happy Halloween

EARTHQUAKE!!!!

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Quakes/nc40204628.php

We felt it, even tho it was centered in San Jose.

Phantom Plumber strikes!

Phantom Plumber showed up sometime between 2:30 pm yesterday and 9am this morning and finished the gas line replacement. He didn't call to say he was coming or that he had been there and finished.

Tile boy says he will be there Sunday am (early) to grout.

Furniture's on order, 3 week estimate.

Contractor made boxes for the new electrical panel and the water heater, protection from the salt air, elements etc, I "painted" them (I slop more than paint)

Tip toeing to the finish line!

LAST PICTURES (for awhile)

Why? Because everything that shows has been done. What is left is the bit o' plumbing, ("If it rains I'll be there FOR SURE!") yeh right. Some touch up painting. Lots of caulking. The front and back doors are in process for new varnish.

In the process of rewiring the heater thermostat, there was a need to put a hole in the bedroom wall. This precipitated the addition of an outlet (there were none on that wall) and the cutting out of a piece of sheetrock with the custom paint we needed to match, to touch up a few spots.

I wish I had a football

SO I COULD SPIKE IT !!!!

Passed final inspection just before noon with only one minor task to complete. (caulking under the new toilet).

Still plenty to do.

Since the last update, the phantom plumber showed up and installed the correct toilet, but did not do the gas line. He said to go ahead and turn on the propane tank and start bleeding the lines even though he will be coming back to finish replacing about 6' of pipe.

So I spent HOURS first getting the stove to work, then the wall furnace so that the pilot would stay lit, but the furnace would not light, so I moved on to the On Demand water heater which has a long dedicated line and took FOREVER to bleed off, and in fact, it turns out it may not yet be fully bled of air (damn). Back to the wall furnace, found a broken thermostat wire, reconnected it and it still didn't work. (Meanwhile the batteries in the thermostats needed to be replaced) In the end it seems there is a break in the thermostat wire IN the wall, so the 3 Amigos will have a return engagement to fix that, install the pendant cable lights over the stove, and three halogen "Can" lights above the sink.

But YAHOO!!!!! anyway.

Oh, and the redone cabinet faces have disappeared, hopefully they went home with the painter to be stained and finished at his house and returned.

whaz hapnin

Not much. The plumber once again promised to finish today, probably this am. When I called at 8:30 he was busy with housework, but renewed the promise. Meanwhile, I pulled the incorrect toilet bowl yesterday and returned it for credit.

The last cabinet face is in and hopefully the painter is working on them as I type.

I ran into a neighbor at a grocery store (where I have never seen him before) and when I mentioned the possibility of final inspection on Monday, he turned white and begged me not to, he's pouring concrete just down the street on Monday. What's another day?

Some cultures think the sighting of wild animals indicates your present or future path. This is what I have been seeing recently.

Then there is the furniture. Well, the footprint of some of it anyway. We looked at Italian "made" (actually China) because they come in smaller sizes, but there is a 4 month wait. Also the cushions are all attached. Macy's had nice sectionals, made in the USA, 6-8 week wait, detached cushions, but much larger. Now we're looking at custom made, and the prices are all comparable.

The cardboard in the corner is a chair and the rectangle sticking off the far edge of the sectional is a sofa table.

Once again named Great Uncle!

My eldest niece has once again made me a GREAT UNCLE by birthing Isabelle Jayne, on Oct 5th about 5:30 am in Lethbridge, Canada. 8lbs 10oz, about 10 hours labor.

Congratulations to me AND the proud parents.

Pictures are promised, but who knows....

If she is as good looking as her mom, watch out.

More progress

I found out that the tile guy who had yet to return my phone calls, would be working next door today, so I called and he came over and did our small patch of tiles (Sans grout, which must wait two weeks until he gets back from a vacation). Also you can see the cool doors on the shower enclosure.

And here are the sconce lights installed by none other than moi.

Just talked to the phantom plumber who promises to be there sometime Tues, after which we can call for a final inspection.

Also spent three hours yesterday getting the stove in correctly. I eventually had to cut off another 1/8inch on each side of the front lip of the granite to accomodate a couple of screws on the stove. And the downdraft vent hose hookup, and the leveling, oh the leveling!

Gettin' Closer

The 3 amigos, (electricians) finished yesterday except for two sconce lights that arrived this afternoon, that I will hopefully install tomorrow.

The replacement toilet bowl arrived today also, so when the phantom plumber makes an appearance, he may finish all that he needs to do, which will put us ready for final inspection next week sometime.

Cabinet shop finished the fridge panels, but didn't do the new face for the dishwasher. Stove is hung up about 1/4" from going all the way in, work on that tomorrow also.

Painter still has work to do, and still have not heard from the tile guy about the small area above the shower enclosure.

Our new light just inside the front door

Our new light just outside the front door.

The kitchen with working sink, cable lights (look carefully) flourescent lights that well.....let's just say they are required for now.

Dishwasher is hooked up, but not installed.