No moss on my...stones

This is not something that has actually taken any time. It's just a blatant appeal for sympathy. I picked this up about two weeks ago at the hardware store parking lot. Don't you just love people that can't drive well enough to back out of a parking space without hitting something? And then not leave a note.
3 out of the last 4 Saturdays have been spent uncovering this 1860's passenger car. It is close to being ready to be moved, probably early May.



The remodel is done except for the shower curtain rod and attaching the handheld shower.

Further remodel progress

So today was the day for new carpet in both bedrooms. Not too exciting to look at. I spent much of the time weed whacking cape weed, and when I took a lunch break I came in to find this scene. My lunch is on the other side of this mountain. Hunger is the mother of innovation and I eventually tunneled under the table into the kitchen and had lunch.

They were finished about 1:30 and I left about three. As soon as I got into cell phone range, I got a message that the granite guys were enroute. Back to the house.
The other progress was made on Tuesday, when the floor went in the bathroom as you can see. Today I noticed the installers grouting skills leave something to be desired. There was grout on the door, grout on the shut off valve for the toilet, holes in the spots where the grout was supposed to go. I'll have to address that tomorrow
But the granite looks nice, and allows the plumber to come tomorrow to finish his work.

More remodel progress

Today was the electrician's day. New vent fan, new cover for light in shower, several new outlets, new light for new cabinet, and a "toe kick" heater/fan.

Meanwhile, I've been replacing towel racks,shelves. New roller shades in the bedroom. A chunk of plaster got knocked out during the installation of the fan, so I filled in the hole. Tomorrow a 2nd coat and primer hopefully for the painter's last day (Saturday?)

Contractor is on jury duty. I may have prejudiced him by quoting Marge Simpson, "Kill 'em all and let God sort them out!"

Progress on a Saturday!

Underlayment down, cabinets (paint grade) in, painter showed up, rec'd instructions and will be working the next several weekends. Monday contact Granite guy for top fabrication.

Remodel Progress

Tiles done. Tomorrow the flooring underlayment goes in and the cabinets get delivered. The new floor is scheduled for 4/6 and new carpets for both bedrooms on 4/8.

Still waiting to hear from the painter.

Ta DAAA!

Finally the chimney cap is DONE!

And only a couple of sliced up fingers! ( Sharp edges on sheet metal, GLOVES? for wusses!)

Storm/contractor update

Back in January we had a pretty good storm which resulted in the loss of our chimney cap. High winds + rusted bits = "What's this laying on the ground?"

So chimney guy is called, yes he can do it, 4-8 weeks for the cap and oh by the way you REALLY need to have the chimney repointed. (replace morter for you non chimney owners). I kind of knew that, but had been ignoring it til now. So masons were contacted, chimney was repointed for a slight phenominal fee, and we waited. and waited....and waited. A call is made to chimney guy, whose response could be summed up with "HUH?"

After about a week of lies, it hasn't come in, it's here someplace, what's your phone number again? It was NEVER ORDERED!

I went on line, found the same cap, ordered it, a week later it's here, installed in 30 minutes. It would have been faster but I was being careful and deliberate.

Ah. but NOTHING is THAT simple.

I ordered it with a 1" mesh sparker arrestor screen. I got a call a day or two after I ordered it and was advised that 1/2" was mandatory for California, but that it was the same price. No Problem!

Except that the cap which arrived Friday, that I installed today (sat) has NO arresting mesh. However, I looked around the neighborhood, and there are several of the same style caps around and NONE of them have spark arrestors! Check UPDATE at end

That was Fri-Sat. Today (mon) UPS dropped off the screens (with installation instructions) Also when I got up ,after typing in the original post, my back went into big time spasms. I have been mostly bedridden until this morning. I think the spasms have ceased and I'm just left with muscles that have been working overtime. Thanks, to a regular local reader/friend who may or may not have loaned me some muscle relaxants. (I slept REALLY well)

Curtains & sofa table

New curtains (open) to further reduce glare (when closed) from the sunset, and additional privacy when the room is lit at night.


Closed


New sofa table (after an exhaustive search)

It's funny (hopefully), but true

What do a remodel and a spanking have in common?


Neither ends until you feel pain and shed a tear.

Merry Window Coverings and Happy Holidays

A definite case of the sum being greater than the total, or vice versa. The new window "treatments" (That means they're expensive) for front and side windows are in. They create a nice ambiance inside and they look great. We still want to see a nice sunset through them. Gone is the morning glare at the kitchen sink (and the excuse of not washing dishes in the am). We're going to use the old rods on these windows for some shear curtains.


And enjoy the holidays!

updated pictures

First, the new barometer. (White faced gauge below black faced anemometer) As I type I'm waiting to resolve a shipping dispute. Saturday I got a bill from Fed Ex for $51.90 for shipping. The damn thing only cost $99 and shipping was supposed to be free.

Next, the new fireplace screen

Lastly, our new door knocker. I almost wish there were two so someone could use the line from "Young Frankenstein"...."Wow! What knockers!"

But most importantly, the on demand hot water heater has not been working right. It wouldn't supply the bathtub faucet when it's supposed to supply two appliances. Also, it took ALL the gas, resulting in the pilot lights going out on the wall furnaces. The gas company came out today and replaced the pressure regulator and now you can have the 4 burners on the stove, two wall furnaces, AND two hot water users all on, and it works. Whew! The options were not pretty if that hadn't worked.

After pics

Still to come, a "sofa table", a new fireplace screen, window treatments and some sort of desk. Oh, and a new barometer

Those with a discerning eye or no life might notice the lack of a light on one picture. This is due to the bulb failing the 8' drop test.

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.

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.

Faltering steps forward

Friday started off on a positive note. The Three Amigos comedy team (aka the electricians) showed up and were kicking it. Light fixture in the 2nd bedroom closet, phone jack hooked up and working on the cable lights. In order to stay out of their way, I took a road trip to return the undersized refridgerator panels to the cabinet maker. Enroute I get a call from Amigo #1, "Hey we're out of cable, we need another 40 feet."

Call cable light provider to see about more cable. We ordered 126' and recieved a spool marked 126'. Rep gets all defensive, "I don't see how this could have happened." yada yada yada. I just want to get some more cable. Oh, TWO WEEKS! Called local lighting company that has given us great service since we found them, and yes, two weeks, but there's a company about 30 miles down the road that probably carries it. I call, they do, I drive and pick up, @$2.60 a foot. I call back to the house for a last chance to remeasure, no answer. I buy an extra 2 feet.

I drive BACK to the house (60 miles) the electricians are gone for the day :(

I walk off the wire that has been hung and come up with 78'. I see no extra laying around. So I call the rep back and tell her we got shorted. She makes some calls and the cable company will credit back for 40'. (I paid for 126 and got about 80) Before we disconnect, she says she hopes we'll continue to shop there for our lighting needs. Yeh right, you bet.

Does anybody care about doing their job anymore?

SHAT SHAT SHAT!!!!!

One step forward, two back

Started putting wood trim on the fridge, the pieces for the two bottom drawers are the wrong size (small of course)

Toilet installed, Lid is biscuit colored, tank is biscuit colored, the box the bowl came in says it's biscuit colored,... BUT IT'S NOT!!! It's freaking white! (but the color blind plumber installed it anyway) The place we ordered it from cheerfully said they would order the right one.

Wood paneled front piece for the dishwasher is not what we wanted, but we accepted it, so we'll probably have to pay for a new piece.

On the bright side, the shower enclosure is installed and has really cool doors. They're two pieces that slide around the inside to open.

Contractor is gone for two weeks, so I have lots of time to screw things up before his return.