Week 22: And it finally rains...

9 years ago

Yup.
All night. Still.
I haven't received more than 2 soaking rains since last spring. I documented the rain this year, because no one believes me when I insist it seldom rains at my house. Yes, my house. "Atmospheric Trough" and all. Yup.

Unfortunately, I have to go to a wedding. It involves an hour drive, hours with family (which is only 1/2 bad) a reception where I have to talk to people I don't know, and an hour home. What this means is I can't get anything done around the house. Luckily, it's raining and I love that, so my day has started better than I thought it would!

The other whine complaint I have is it's formal and not only do I live in yoga clothes, garden- or paint-dirty jeans and a t-shirt or bar/waitress uniforms, I've gotten too fat for any of the remaining clothing I might have that would be appropriate. Still, in a few minutes, I'm pulling out boxes and seeing what might be Ok after, oh, say, 10 years of informality?

Which brings me to the question. Holidays are creeping upon us. What are you going to do? Is your kitchen ready (enough for you to be happy) to host the walking dead family and friends this year? Or are you leaving that ... pleasure ... to someone else?

Is it a beautiful morning where you are?

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Comments (68)

CEFreeman
Original Author
9 years ago
Oldbat2b, that's absolutely beautiful. What a peaceful, shoulder relaxing moment. :)

You're all so busy!

I made it to the wedding. It was fun. I actually like my family, so it's never that bad. Still not so hip to getting stuck making small talk with strangers, but it didn't happen much.

My sister dressed me and my 16 year old niece put make-up on me. I only wear liner and mascara, so color was ... shocking. I took shoes and panty hose. I had 3 pair of 3 different shades. The 1st two I put on had holes in them. Wearing the 3rd, about an hour into it I realized it had no elastic in the waist. So guess where my panty hose were most of the night. No, not in the garbage, but 1/2 way down to my knees. Adjusting one's bra is subtle, compared to trying to hike up your hose without pulling your skirt up around your waist.

Picked up some pavers before the wedding, so had a loaded truck. :) I stayed out in Gaithersburg (MD) because I had way too much wine. It was nice wine. Oh, my.

Today I have no idea what I'm doing, but it's a beautiful day so hopefully I'll accomplish something outside.

cal_quail, looking great!
Teri, keep cooking. You're a legend in my mind.
MGMum, just have a little dinner with your own family? If veggies showed up unannounced, they can eat rolls and like it. What would they expect? Have you finished your mind reading lessons yet? I sure haven't.
Cooking a turkey is a breeze, even if you're not deep frying it.

Enjoy, all!
schicksal
9 years ago
Just popping in... A router was totally the way to go. One window is done, two more to go.
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The dogs will start barking like mad and I'll know there's wild turkeys in the front yard. They stroll right down the driveway from out west behind the barn, which is the area they always come from and return to, walk down the middle of the driveway a couple hundred feet to the front garden and then either slip off into the woodland adjacent to the garden or turn around and walk back up the driveway like they own the place. I put out cracked corn and a little hen scratch for them west of the barn each morning and they have become quite spoiled. Often, when I walk out the back door, the wild turkeys are waiting for me at their feeding spot. They take off into the back pasture as soon as they see me, but they don't go far. They just stand in the tall grass watching me, and come back to eat as soon as I had back towards the house. We've never had as many wild turkeys before as we've had this year. I see them in flocks of as many as 7 or 8 at one time. Some come from our woodland, and undoubtedly are living in it or the nearby pasture or both, and others come from our neighbors' pasture and woodland area. I hear them all day long, so I know they are around even when I'm not seeing them. Our neighbor who used to hunt them passed away a couple of months ago and I didn't hear his kids or grandkids back there hunting during the spring turkey season---undoubtedly they were occupied with other things. So, maybe we're just seeing more because they feel like they're in a safer spot with that property behind us currently unoccupied. Patti, I just cut them any old time. Like you, I hate cutting them down while the bees are visiting them so much, so I usually wait until they get so big that they are flopping over on the ground, which is happening now. I haven't cut mine yet, but will do so soon. You can cut them back pretty much any time you want, and you can cut them back as hard as you want. I have cut them back almost to the ground some years. They regrow like crazy and are big again in the blink of an eye. Often, I cut back half of them, leaving the other half for the bees. Then, when the ones I cut are about ready to bloom again, I'll cut back the other half. It doesn't matter though. You can cut them all at one time. When I've done that, the bees just switch to other flowering plants until the comfrey comes back into bloom. I worked in the garden longer on Friday than I have in a long time...from around 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. I weeded, weeded, weeded seemingly all day long, but also was able to get quite a lot of herbs and flowers tucked into little places here and there in the beds. I finally feel like I made a lot of progress with the weeds---not nearly enough, but enough that it gives me hope that I'll have weed-free beds in another week or two. Not that they will stay weed-free, but they do look a lot better now with all those sprouting weeds pulled out. It takes me so long to weed such a large garden though that if I start at the highest raised bed at the south end of the garden, then by the time I work my way down through the rest of the garden, from south to north, and eventually get back to the first bed, it has new weeds sprouting and the whole weeding cycle starts over again. I need to do some more mulching in the trouble spots. With all this rain, the whole garden seems to be a weedy trouble spot and I don't have enough mulch for the whole thing. With potentially heavy rain in the forecast for Sunday, I'm going to skip grocery shopping and running errands today if I can and spend as much time as possible in the garden again today, or at least until it gets too hot to stay out there. I probably stayed out in the heat too long yesterday and I know I didn't drink enough fluids, but I really tried to stay hydrated. I can grocery shop and run errands on a rainy day. I need to spend the sunny day in the garden. I was amazed at how many small armyworms I found and killed. I've been killing them for weeks, and more just keep coming. Their name suits them. I wasn't even looking for them....just killing them as I came across them. Often they were on small weeds that I was pulling, or on plants near the weeds....a reminder that we try to keep our gardens weed-free for just this reason....to give the pests fewer places to hide. I don't mind looking at weeds in the garden that much, but I don't like knowing the weeds are providing a home for pests that I don't want in the garden in the first place. Speaking of pests, I've been finding and killing a lot of green stink bugs lately, and I'm finding them in about the 4th instar stage. I don't know why I don't find them younger than that. Perhaps they're hatching and growing outside the garden and don't move into it until they're at the 4th instar. I never see their eggs either, or the newly hatched nymphs. Regardless, so far I'm seeing a lot more green stink bugs than brown stink bugs. I've hardly seen any squash bugs at all and when I do see them, they are sitting on non-squash plants looking confused, perhaps because the squash plants are under micromesh netting and they cannot get to them. So far I think I have been successful at killing every squash bug I've found. One advantage to not having many cucurbit crops this Spring is that the squash bugs cannot find anything to eat. Yay! I found a leaf-footed bug inside my garden shed and killed it. I haven't seen many of them yet, and I am glad, as they are quick to fly away when you spot them. I mostly just watch for them on the tomato plants. Right now it is likely they're feeding more on tree fruit. Speaking of tree fruit, the first sand plums are beginning to ripen now and I need to start picking them so I can make some jelly. I'm really sort of surprised we have any at all because we had multiple late freezes after they bloomed that I figured would have killed all the fruit. The freezes killed a lot of the fruit, but apparently not all of it. Have a great day everyone, and Happy June! The heat is arriving right on schedule, unfortunately. Dawn
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a2gemini
9 years ago
Schick:-)
Old bat - jealous but the colors were spectacular on our bike ride!
brightm
9 years ago
Beautiful view OB2B. And door Schicksal. (someday we'll get ours...did I mention they haven't started finishing it yet...and I gave them colors and they dry fit the new door in July)

Very interesting trip to HD today. I took back the extra moldings, fillers, etc. (happy I could get 8ft r's into my wagon). I asked the KD to see the labor detail part of our bill, which I have at home, but I wanted to look at it with her. There are two main parts in contention at this point.

1) Our faucet is still not full force. The GC wrote in their email to HD that they are not responsible. I told HD I was having another plumber out this week and I will expect a credit for whatever it costs to fix. I don't know why they think it's not their issue. MIL was here when they installed initially and they KNEW and ADMITTED it wasn't right, and that they didn't know how to fix it. ::shrug:: Hope the local plumber can get my KWC faucet to work appropriately. I hope the other plumber didn't break something.

2) We were charged $1000 for permits. I assumed there were a few things that should be permitted. I questioned the amount before we agreed to have them do the labor and they said since it's multiple it's for the permits and time to be there for inspections, etc.

So far, they have only filed for one permit. They filed 8/12. It's just for recessed lights. Value of work, $1000 they said. Then why am I being charged $1000 for just the permits? I had questioned why it was so high initially but thought since it was such a big job, multiple permits, and I was paying a premium to get things done fast. Ha!

But, today I saw confirmation that these guys are total sleeze...they forged my signature on 8/1 for the Installer's Waiver and Lien Release. Yep, I saw it. I took a pic of it when the KD was talking to other people.

Question for folks here:

* What should I have to have had permitted? I looked at our city's site. I don't understand when electrical or plumbing should be permitted. I assumed adding a gas appliance would require permitting, but reading the site, it doesn't seem so.

* Do I do anything about them having forged our signature? We watch enough people's court that I don't think we've really got any damages (other than our kitchen being dragged out over months and months and having to take sick days off work to get things done.) But this is not f'n right.

*Since I didn't keep a great calendar, how do I search the site to see what was happening when. I can use these week threads. :D Please help me with how to search for various weeks' threads.

We made the punch list with them of the large list of items that needed to be done on 8/9. I know that and I have texts from them as they were on our way to our house and stuck in traffic. Also emails for when their worker was supposed to have come on 8/21.
schicksal
9 years ago
oldbat2be - cool pictures!

CEFreeman - glad to hear that the wedding was fun. People know how to throw them around here, and the last 4 or 5 had an open bar so sometimes they were extra fun.

Cal quail - that's crazy - outside of report cards and sick notes I've never seen someone try and forge something before! To find the old week threads search google for "week xx" site:ths.gardenweb.com/
Change xx to whatever week you want to pull up and keeping it in quotes will make it search better. The site: stuff at the end tells google to only search this site.

I'm finally done with the first side of the door. Buying a good router made all the difference. Tomorrow I'll flip it over and finish it up. I couldn't cut all the way through the door from this side because it's too risky. The vener would probably chip out. I can measure for windows though and order those on order on my way home from work. A lockset and deadbolt would also be helpful here. The finish code for the plate around the doorknob is satin brass but Schlage discontinued it years ago. There was plenty of old hardware on ebay last time I checked at least. In the mean time I can use the pieces from the window to try different finishes on.
rmtdoug
9 years ago
cal_q - Each state is different, but where I live you need a general building permit for the whole project and the price of the permit would be based on the estimated cost of the work on the permit. Within the general building permit there are inspections for foundations, framing, plumbing, drywall, and final inspection. Electrical is handled at the state level and is a separate permit and includes rough-in wiring and final inspection. I would be pretty sure your state has similar if not more strict requirements.

Depending on the scope of your work, you may or may not need all the inspections on the permit. That will be determined by the plans and description of work you initially submit to the building permit office and they will decide which inspections are required.

For instance, on my own house, by the time I'm done with the whole house remodel, I will pull maybe 10 separate permits, both building and electrical, depending on how many years it takes.

schicksal - Glad you are making progress on your doors. I have confidence in you. One piece of advice for cutting the other side: Beware of any bevel on the swing edge of the door (the latch side). Any bevel will throw your measurements off on the other side. Even better, instead of measuring, make a story stick to lay out the other side. Much easier than trying to keep track of a bunch of numbers, just don't reference from any beveled edged on the door.

I had fun Saturday. Went over to Seattle and bought a tile saw. I went cheap and bought one at Harbor Freight as I could not find any bad reviews on it, anywhere. Pretty amazing, really, given what it cost. Blade was extra, though. By Saturday night I was making test cuts on it. My first cuts in tile ever! I learned early on that a slow steady hand is necessary. The saw is nice. Seems well built. Runs smooth and cuts straight after some minor adjustments.

Still can't find the hinges I need, locally, in Seattle, or online, at least any for under $40 per hinge, which I think is ridiculous. I think tomorrow I will just go to the hardware store and try and make standard hinges work. I have nothing to lose in trying.

This post was edited by rmtdoug on Mon, Oct 13, 14 at 0:17
schicksal
9 years ago
You'll find all sorts of things that need tile after getting a wet saw...

The plan to find where to cut on the other side is to use a smaller drill bit and drill each corner in the window. Then it's time to connect the dots! (la la la la!). If I'm lucky it'll give me a small ledge I can use to rest the windows against.
CEFreeman
Original Author
9 years ago
cal_quail. I could not let someone, a BUSINESS at that, get away with forging my signature. They didn't start this out of the blue. IMHO, they've done it before and gotten away with it, or they wouldn't have tried it now. I'd contact the BBB and if you can, your state's licensing board. That HD mgr you can't reach, should be aware of the potential and probable prosecution of this GC.

Really. What's the difference between them doing that, and taking your money, or them just taking a credit card and forging your signature and stealing that amount of money off your card? You'd call the cc company immediately, right?

Please don't just let this go. I know you have a ton of other things to do, but my indignation alone I hope will fuel your sense of "Oh, HELL NO!"

MTdoug, I have a tile saw I've never used. 2 nice friends borrowed it twice, and said, "Christine, it needs a new blade." I suggested they get their butts to the store and buy one.

However, now I am trying to figure out how to cut my pavers. I have a masonry blade for my circular saw, but haven't heard or read any better way. I think the tile saw is too small and maybe too delicate for 3" thick concrete. Any suggestions there, guys?

Shicksal, what is to be said? Things just continue to look great! Each little thing adds up to so much finished perfectly, doesn't it?

Ok. That's all. I'm making an insect hotel today out of old planter boxes and stuff I have around. I've fallen in love with the funky, collage-y, sculpturesque look of them in the garden. Just another project I shouldn't have started, but am.

Oh - my JMs are starting to turn. I'll dig out another old phone that takes pictures and try to get some of the color up here.

Enjoy your day!
(OH! I just realized it's raining!)
schicksal
9 years ago
Thanks!

You absolutely need a masonry saw. 3" thick pavers will destroy an ordinary wet saw. They are pretty easy to find at rental places.
rmtdoug
9 years ago
You'll find all sorts of things that need tile after getting a wet saw...

Yeah, I'm not immune to that syndrome. I hope to keep it under control. The saw is a 10" and I hope to put it to good use outside when I start landscaping and redoing my sidewalks and paths and parking and ponds and...well, someday. I'm really looking forward to that. Good luck on your doors.

oldbat2be - I like your photos. Thanks for posting them.

CEF - Circular saw will work but expect the dust to eventually ruin the saw's bearings.
Terri_PacNW
9 years ago
Doug, do tell which saw..We will need one since I am planning on tiling at least one wall if not two in the kitchen. Then a shower remodel in the Master Bath in the future.

Pouring rain..and windy..big branch came down off one of the damn fir's, missed my neighbors car by a foot!
Just yesterday hubby and I were discussing calling the tree folks to take it and the 3 at my front walk way down.
I want the chips and I have friends who would love the wood. I'm hoping I can just have them downed, chipped and left. Call friends, say bring chainsaw and trailer. :)
4 very large, very tall Douglas Firs should make some good firewood.
brightm
9 years ago
Met with the guy designing/making the canopy/plank/frame for our pendants. I'm pretty excited. He's gotten burned quoting times, but he's thinking 'a couple/few weeks'. I hope it's up before I go to Costa Rica (less than a month!)

He also took the drawer from under the speed oven to take 3/16" off the bottom. I was going to send the door that goes next to it with him too, but I realized I have an extra one they sent (because one of them had a ding and then we flipped it over and don't really need a new one). Tomorrow when the Innermost rep is here, we'll play with the 5 doors we have and see how they best fit in the two butt cabinets that are that size. Maybe we can find one that's a smidge smaller.

Tomorrow is floor (fix around end panel and a couple other spots), plumber (hopefully get a reasonable amount of water to come out of the faucet...local guy, not installer), non-HD GC for corbels and some yard stuff, and Innermost rep (a few missing pieces, some newer drawer glides that adjust both up and down and side to side and other odds and ends).
Texas_Gem
9 years ago
Hubby finally finished removing the old grout from the utility/mudroom (I had to rely on him to do it, vibrating power tools make my hands hurt HORRIBLY, please tell me I'm not alone!!!) and tonight we started grouting the floor but, of course, we ran out of grout. So tomorrow I will pick up another bag so we can finish tomorrow night.

Nothing else going on except horrid and unexpected dental work which is not only painful, but expensive and eats into the money I was saving for cabinets. (That's my bad news bleh from last week BTW)

Oh well, such is life.....
CEFreeman
Original Author
9 years ago
So Sorrry about the Bleh! But, it's your smile, so you've gotta take care of it. I wear a mouth guard at night because I clench. Clenching (not grinding) has caused my teeth to shift frequently. This thing is supposed to prevent that and damage from changing occlusion. So far, I've bitten through 3 of them.

Teri, where I'm from, you can't use pine or fir for firewood for a few years. The sap runs so thick it makes tar inside your chimney that can easily catch fire. Do your neighbors have a place to let it age? I have had a tree chopping summer. Things sure look different/better! I know how you feel about some things just needing to be gone. I'm glad no one was standing next to your neighbor's car!

I'm building my raised bed today. I've had 6x6s for 3 years ready to make it. However, I don't seem to be able to handle the drill to get through the wood. It's not the drill that turns, it's me, spinning around and around with the drill stuck in the wood. So...

I have a TON of 2x10, 2x12, and 2x6 boards from my reuse center collection days. I've already got that laid out in the front yard and today I'm going to trim a couple, chop the 2x4s for their support pieces. I'll have to dig some to make it level, but that's nothing. I don't like loud noises, so the circular saw is challenging, but it's gotta be done. I'm used to (kinda) my compound mitre saw being loud.

Anyway, that's my goal today. Then work.
First? Espresso and Reese's cups on the porch. It's a beeeeeeuuuuuuutiful morning out there. A bit nippy, but it's going to be great.

Enjoy your day!
rmtdoug
9 years ago
Terri - It was from Harbor Fright and is the Chicago Electric 10" wet tile saw with sliding table. On sale, it was $219 + tax and blade (it does not come with a blade. Good thing because everyone says HF blades are junk). I bought a good blade for it and it cuts just fine.

Normally, the only thing I would buy from Harbor Freight is their incredibly cheap woodworking clamps that work very well. For this saw, I must have read 1,000 reviews on it going back to the early 2000s. Probably 90 percent were favorable. It will not stand up to everyday use but for a DIY homeowner it's one of those rare tools that is cheap and seems to be well designed and built. It does require some tweaking out of the box, though. I had to adjust the guide rails and the bearings to ride smoothly and cut square. The stops on the saw head needed adjusting, too.

Agree that fir trees should not be anywhere near a house. Not so much the limbs but the needles. They destroy roofs and gutters and anything else they land on.

Not much wind here last night, just rain. I think I may have to turn the heat on. House was 66 this morning and the humidity is rising. It's supposed to only reach the 50's by Wednesday, so it looks like the end of cheap living for this year :)
brightm
9 years ago
Local contractor/handyman came first: corbels installed, 2 more floating shelves installed, sprinkler line extended, fixed a tweaked outlet and installed a new light switch

Gas Company worker came and installed the radio meter. No more 'we couldn't read your meter so we estimated your bill'. I hope. I knew they were doing it 'Sept-Nov' in our area. Slim odds that I'd have been home when they came. Score!

Local plumber came out. Said he knew the problem when office gal described it, knew the type of faucet I'd have. He guessed Hansgrohe, so only close with KWC. But evidently both have an internal filter that gets gunked up. Water so strong now, I'm thinking of turning down the knobs under the sink. He also installed my Dornbracht air switch. I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money on it so it wasn't here on time for the install. He just charged a service call so it didn't cost me anything to install it. And I better get a credit from HD. I've emailed.

Tile guy came. He was told he didn't have to cut tile, just install. He was told wrong. So he's gone off with my tile to cut it, hoping to just cut it on another job site and come back. He's been gone quite a while...

Innermost rep is here adjusting things in the kitchen. Besides the fancy drawer hardware (that allows side to side adjustments, as well as up and down) he was supposed to bring two things (in my recollection). The initial filler applique for the blind corner came in maple (rather than cherry) and damaged. He ordered a new one, but it too came in damaged. I asked if he could use the starter molding that I took back to the store. He said yes. So we'll see what happens there. He was also, I thought, supposed to bring the last roll out shelf. This was short on the original order and I've asked and asked since mid July. He says the store was supposed to order it. I. do. not. want. to. wait. another. month. for. my. freakin'. roll. out. shelf. He said he'll get one locally within a couple days. We'll see when/how he plans to come back with that.

Productive day. I'm not happy with the heads they installed on the two new sprinklers. I'm going to take off the other ones on that line and see about getting more of those type. They put on side-side spray, which is what I asked, but the existing ones (that the sprinkler guy put on) also shoot a little forward, so they're great in the border. The new ones are just shooting side-side and the plants in the front of the border still aren't getting hit.

I even managed to sneak in a little work for job#2 today.
a2gemini
9 years ago
Garden set- check
Windows washed- check
New brass bed set up - check (was Parents so technically not new)
8 bags to re-use center and habitat coming on Monday to pick up excess furniture- check
Turkey ordered - check
Knives sharpened- check
Carpets being cleaned right now

Bring on the holidays! We are having the troops for American thanksgiving

MGMum- how did your Canadian thanksgiving go?

This post was edited by a2gemini on Tue, Oct 14, 14 at 16:51
schicksal
9 years ago
I'm done cutting holes for the windows now. This evening I'll experiment with the pieces I cut out to figure out what color to stain the thing. I also need to order the hardware already. More to come if I'm lucky...
a2gemini
9 years ago
Way to go Schlick!
schicksal
9 years ago
Thanks! I was able to paint more of the baseboards this evening. Tomorrow I can pull a lot of tape up where they are done. Not all of it though.

I am also halfway through making the finish test areas. They are only stained - they still need to be finished. Two of them are the same because I wiped one area too early and didn't know if that would make the color too light.
Aamich
9 years ago
We got the second coat of satin on most of the exterior siding. Just a few more places up high that are not as exposed to the rain. DH got the drain pipe and rubber matting for building a drainage trench across the back of the house since we won't have gutters. Just looking at the huge pile of gravel we have to move to fill the trench makes me tired! This may be a long term project, hopefully finished before the snow flies.

We have moved on to sanding and staining all of the oak trim so the carpenter can install the window sills and trim around all of the windows and base boards. DH is working on it as I type, how is that for planning right? I did a lot of it on Sunday so he can't complain!

Flooring guys came back and redid the linoleum floor yesterday and today. They were supposed to do it last week, but it was too cold in the house since the heat wasn't on. We couldn't get the boiler pilot light lit, so were waiting for the HVAC guys to come. They managed to jerry rig a temporary solution to get it lit but also gave us the unwelcome news that we will have to replace our boiler! Argh! We did not expect that expense on top of the ever increasing costs of the project. But we can't get the remaining registers installed until the boiler is replaced so we are between the Titanic and the iceberg on this.! DH wasn't convinced and researched it, turns out our boiler is about 49 years old! So maybe replacing it is a good idea after all.

But the linoleum looks great! It is nice to have the kitchen floor look smooth and not telegraph all of the board edges and nail holes. Too bad they didn't do it right the first time. We would have had the kitchen cabinets here by now. But they are being brought on site on Thursday. Yippee!

We are going up north for Thanksgiving. I don't think our addition will be done by then and frankly, I'll be glad not to deal with family. They will all becoming for Christmas anyway --I have informed our builder that we WILL be done and moved back in before Christmas. I'm so over this construction which is now in month 13. I have been without a kitchen since last thanksgiving. Sure hope I remember how to cook.......!
rmtdoug
9 years ago
My post disappeared, so I will summarize it.

Schicksal - Really nice job on the door. Are you going to use colored or textured glass for the windows? That would be very appropriate for that period...I think :)

My hinge idea did not work. No way will it work and not look like a hack job. I'm moving on after wasting two weeks. I have an idea to close the opening with bookshelves but get into that later. By this weekend, I should have the bedroom trimmed out and be ready for the tile work.
Texas_Gem
9 years ago
Finished grouting the floor tonight. Need to wait a few days before I can apply the grout sealer and move the washer and dryer back into place. I will probably spend all weekend trying to catch up on laundry. :(

I go to see the dentist on Thursday after 3 rounds of heavy duty antibiotics over the past 2 weeks to figure out what we will do about the giant hole in my jaw (sadly, I'm not exaggerating). What fun.....

Schick- the door looks good and really matches the age of the home. Can't wait to see it finished.

Doug- sorry to hear about the setback with the hinges. Have fun playing with the tile saw. Lol, your comment about Harbor Freight reminds me of a joke ad I saw a few months ago for them. I linked it below. Suffice to say my family now refers to Harbor Freight as "Hazard Frought"

Here is a link that might be useful:
a2gemini
9 years ago
Aamich
Wow -can't believe you aren't finished yet.
Now that I am back in town, we should have you over for dinner.
Where is up north for you?
We go to Grayling, TC and SSM ON most of the time.

For non Michiganders- a common expression is "going up north" but no one says where so it sounds like a city - you can even buy a tshirt that says "where in the heck is Up North Michigan"

Mtdoug- bummer on the hinges

Texas- bummer on the jaw - sounds terrible. Be careful eating hard stuff so you don't crack your jaw. That happened to a colleague.
brightm
9 years ago
TG that sounds brutal. Hoping they get things resolved soon.

a2g thanks for the Michigan speak lesson.

schicksal - The pattern in your door wood is so pretty. I'm feeling kind of bad that ours will be painted. Yours looks great already and will look amazing when finished.

aamichz5 - I don't know your story. Large project by choice? That's a crazy-long time to be so displaced.

I stepped on the tile with the wet grout! It was in the fridge nook. I was between classes (job 2, online) and as he left he said be sure not to step on it. I said how could I? Why would I step back in there? But after he left I realized I didn't check the width of the fridge area with the spacers they left. I went to grab one and stepped where I shouldn't have. The grout pushed up and out like frosting out between graham crackers.

I was able to smooth it out, mostly. There's a little hole. It'll be in front of the fridge, so when we get the new kitchen door, we'll likely have to do some tile tweaking and we'll have them throw a little grout into there. Or maybe I'll get adventurous and try it. They left the grout here. The tile is also only mostly flat/even. It wouldn't be great if it was anywhere else. But the fridge has levelers, so it'll be okay.

Fridge (re)install today after work. That should have been everything for a while. But the cabinet rep is set to come out next Tuesday after work with the missing (since day 1) roll out, the starter molding that he will have made or will make into a filler applique for my blind upper corner, and one door that he took to trim 1/6" off the bottom. (it was extra because one came with a ding, so we're not doorless.

The extra shelves HD ordered for us should be in around the 23rd and the extra scribe around the 29th.
CEFreeman
Original Author
9 years ago
LOl!
We had a place in Charlevoix on the lake for years, often dining at the Weathervane. (Those who know "Up North" know these places!) Imagine learning to spell that at 6 years old. A few years ago, I called Murdick's fudge and had it sent to my family for Christmas. There is absolutely nothing like it.

We also had a place near the Perry Hotel in TC. They had an English muffin thing, topped with chopped, fresh veggies, topped and browned with thick cheese sauce on top. We loved it. Now it's one of those things that lives on, bigger and better in memory, because they stopped serving it years ago.

Then my parents picked up a condominium at Higgins Lake (near Roscommon) and had that until we al left home. It was beautiful, but absolutely nuttin' to do for a teenager -- or adult, for that matter. I remember lots of pot lucks with a lot of tipsy parents wandering home late, and being sent to retrieve dishes (all washed now, of course) from the neighbors. As did the other kids!

Stay warm up there, guys. They say it's gonna be a hard winter!

Oh, aamich, congrats on the floor. Don't worry. Once step at a time, right?
schicksal
9 years ago
@doug - Yes, I'm going with double paned, reeded glass. There will also be a matching sidelight, but that won't be done by the end of this month. I'm going to keep the existing one as-is and expand the hole to its final size after the Halloween party because it will probably have a plywood window between then and when the new glass arrives 1-2 weeks later.

@aamichz5 - I am confused about going up north because there isn't a lot of north left when you're in MI unless you plan on crossing the border?

@ Texas_Gem - HOLE?????
CEFreeman
Original Author
9 years ago
Shicksal, the Upper Peninsula is a whole 'nother "up north."
It's name is UP, prounounced "The YouPee."
"Up North" is in the mitten. The YouPee is the rabbit.

There isn't much in the UP except moose, NMU, and Indian reservations, now gambling resorts.
It's colder than a well digger's butt.

However, they've been pulling sunken lumber out of Lake Superior. It's the coldest lake in the world, which froze the lumber. They're pulling extinct to almost extinct hardwoods out of it, in their entirety as long, huge logs. Talk about reclaimed wood. So that cold does serve a purpose! Hmmm. Some good Pastie making up there, too.
Texas_Gem
9 years ago
Thanks for the tip A2, I certainly don't want it to be any worse.

Schick- yes, hole. Apparently I had an asymptomatic tooth abscess, not from decay (I'm guessing that's why I've had no symptoms) that spread to my soft tissues under my tongue, that was the only symptom I had and it started a few weeks ago. Its the reason I went in and then an xray showed this.

That big dark spot is a hole going all the way through my jaw bone.

Cal- I know it has taken longer than you were wanting it to, (doesn't it always) but at least its getting there!

CEF- I had no idea they were pulling lumber out of the lake, that's fascinating. Are they using it to study extinct species?
rmtdoug
9 years ago
Texas - Too funny re fake ad. I don't make a habit of shopping at Harbor Freight but a few things are okay. I sure hope you get your mouth fixed soon. It hurts to even look at that x-ray.

I have a rare afternoon off. I'm headed upstairs to work on trim the rest of the day. I may finish tomorrow night!
a2gemini
9 years ago
Texas- that is ugly. I had an abscess in a tooth with a root canal and fortunately the abscess popped out the side. Had it plucked and an implant fixed the problem. Yours will need to heal for quite some time.
brightm
9 years ago
Fridge. is. in.

I was worried. They struggled a bit. But now, it's beautifully flush, as it should be.

There is about a 1.5" gap above fridge. Might have been able to adjust it up some, but not all the way. And when they held a strip of spare cherry up, I think it looks better with a strip across the bottom of the cabinet anyway, so we'll have someone do that.
schicksal
9 years ago
Not only is it flush, that reflects like a mirror! I've been wondering what the place was looking like after reading for a long time, waiting for more pictures to come along. It's a great sneak preview. A total night and day difference from what was there before I'm sure.

This evening I just took care of smaller stuff that needed to get done.
- I installed the last dimmer switch this evening so all that is done and all faceplates are in.
- One big ass fan is on order. Hope it gets here by Halloween... At the last minute we decided to get it with Sense Me instead of a wall switch, so now there is a spare switch location in the 4 gang box by the bedroom. I'll stick a blank in there for now.
- Ecobee #2 is also on order. This wasn't planned, but since we were an existing customer I got a 20% off coupon for the new model. I couldn't pass it up since it includes remote sensors for other rooms I needed to get to help address uneven heating/cooling. It's also a great opportunity to replace thermostat #2 which is annoying and difficult to use and sometimes forgets all of its programming.
- DWR says the light for the breakfast table is on its way here. I need to get a ceiling box installed. That's on this weekend's to do list. Wiring is already in place so maybe I won't have to go climbing around up in the attic.
Terri_PacNW
9 years ago
You have all been so busy!

Christine, I was just sitting in my sitting room freezing..got up to check the heat and the house is 65..(at 6:17 pm). No wonder..I just hit the heat up botton a few times.
Uhhh brrr...

Today was my last day at Elementary...tomorrow 6:45 am ...Middle School!
Been raining a lot here...and windy...

Well all the people I'd offer the downed trees have storage space. :)
Doug, thanks for the saw info.
greenhaven
9 years ago
Just checking, after encouragement to do so on my checking in thread, lol! Love that this series is just rocking on!

CalQuail, was hoping you had gotten finished, by now, but it looks like you are so close! Fridge cabinet now looks awesome, glad you made them fix it.

Schicksal, amazingly cool as always! What an eye for style you have!

Ob2b, lovely, lovely photos. If I were on the pc I would post a couple recent ones. The weather here has been stellar, near perfect for several weeks now.

I made a pretty good list on my other thread of what I have gotten done, so I will only talk about my ommediate project: barn reno.

Like a true psycho I decided to take on a young horse who will be my next trail partner....I hope! The pen and shelter I put up for Tuesday was so haphazard and slapdash, never got it well finished and was not happy with the location anyway. So Boy2 and I are renovating the lean-to side of the barn into two separate spaces for the horses. Not too complicated a job, but it does mean adjusting the fence I juuust installed. Gonna be real good, I think.

Rainy days will be painting days and finish decorating details in the living room. So nice to be clearing out, still!
Aamich
9 years ago
@a2gem, oh you better believe we aren't done. Nothing has gone smoothly. At one point we considered firing our GC, and she considered firing us, but the thought of starting over with new crew was more disheartening than all of the delays, disagreements, and set backs. Things seem to be relatively on track now. The do-over of the kitchen floor is just an example of why we are so far behind. If they had just done it correctly correctly the first time, we would be 2 weeks further along.
Dinner anywhere sounds grand! You have been so busy with all of your travels though. Our mode right now is work, come home, sand, paint, eat, sleep, and start over the next day.

@CEF, we vacation south of Charlevoix, on 6 mile lake near East Jordan and Ellsworth. Lovely fishing lake and small enough that you don't get big boats. But for Thanksgiving, we are going to Traverse City. DH has a best friend who owns at cottage on the bay near Old Mission so we are heading there for an extra long weekend. Plus the great Macaroni and cheese bake off is the Saturday after turkey day and 7 Old Mission Peninsula wineries host and provide sample pairings of wine and Mac & cheese from seven local restaurants. The recipes are really creative. Everyone votes for their favorite and by the end of the day, well, you are stuffed.

Sorry schicksal and cal quail, I tend to forget that not everyone knows michigan-speak. But if you just hold you hand up, (I use my left hand palm side out) you have a good "map" of the state and can point out city locations at will. The places we are referring to are in the top knuckle and nail of your ring finger. Anything in the top third of your hand can be considered "up north"

Cal, we have a major addition going on, basically bumped out the back of the house 12 feet. We have a 1956 split level that was built into a hill. The main living area is up a half flight and the back is at ground level. is at the ground level while the family room and laundry room are downstairs. We starting last sept, with digging a new basement and crawl space then the back wall of the house came out the Monday after Thanksgiving. We are adding a new kitchen, dining room, bathroom and bedroom, a wonderful walk-in closet, passive wine cellar and a ton of storage which this house never had. Of course, we had the worst winter on record for cold and snow. The weather created all kinds of delays, so what should have taken about two months, took more like 5 by the time all of the rough plumbing, mechanicals and carpentry were done. It has only been recently that the finish work has started, and joy of joy, the cabinets are coming tomorrow. I've been lurking in the kitchen forum for some time, but haven't posted too much. I'm pretty numb by now, I just want the whole thing done. The only ones that will be sad to see this project end are the fed ex, UPS, and other delivery truck drivers and runners, all who use the deluxe portajohn that sits in the front yard....
greenhaven
9 years ago
Me too, as a Michigan newbie I appreciate the vocab lesson, lol! We have been Up North, it is beautiful. Went to Grayling to spot Kirtland's Warblers, over to Traverse City for a night then an impromptu drive back to the UP to Whitefish Point. Ate my first pasty at a brewery and restaurant in the (blank) Falls state park. Name is escaping me ATM. But the vinyards of SWMI are not too shabby, either!

TexasGem, forgot to say "Ouch!" On your abscess! Seems crazy it was asymptomatic. That looks painful. Good warning about watching what you eat so as not to crack that.

Today Boy2 and I are digging post holes AGAIN and moving around pea gravel with a rented machine. Then building some divider walls and framing in a doorway for each stall/space. Looks to stay dry today, which helps....obviously.
schicksal
9 years ago
Today's work was mostly virtual. I finished off a lot of the baseboards finally and touched up some caulk that wasn't right the first time. But the hard part was that I spent the last 4 1/2 hours on the computer figuring out all the mind numbing details behind making the door plans I have reality.

It all boils down to dealing with finding things in one finish that's discontinued entirely vs. another that still has some things available in a commercial line and trying to find out all of the other odd bits and details that are needed. I had a bunch of ebay and about a dozen other windows open at the worst. Ugg...

Either way it's done and it's after 9. Tonight will be lefovers night.
a2gemini
9 years ago
Greenhaven- I still need to spot the Kirkland warblers. We usually go in the winter and I think they migrate.

AApeth- I sent you an email about dinner - you so need some good comfort food - I think mac and cheese will be on the menu :-)

A few more Michigan terms

Fudgie- a tourist as they buy fudge to take home (sorry Freeman- hope you are not offended - don't worry, I have brought my share of fudge home)

Big Mac - the suspension bridge connecting the lower peninsula to the UP. The bridge closes in bad weather. Only 2 vehicles have been known to go off the bridge but after the first one went over they tightened up the regs. We got stranded north of the bridge last winter- bridge was open with escort until we arrived and then it was closed. - the bridge guy said - it's closed- get off the road Ã°ÂÂÂ§

UP - upper peninsula- where the "yoopers" live as mentioned above.

Troll - anyone living "under" aka south of the Mackinac bridge

Timmy- anyone who is too afraid to drive over the Big Mac- the bridge patrol will drive your vehicle across the bridge if you ask. (I never asked but saw a segment on I think 60 minutes about this concept)

I am sure other states have some fun facts.
mgmum
9 years ago
Schicksal, the door looks great! In parts of Michigan, the border is SOUTH! Windsor ON, Canada, is south of Detroit MI.

Texas, your poor mouth! I can't even imagine!

Cal_quail, finally, the end is in sight! It looks great, and the little strip at the top of the fridge will match the light rail.

RMtDoug, too bad about the bookshelf hinge not working out.

AAMich, what a long drawn out reno! I hope things move more quickly now.

A2, my Thanksgiving was great! We had a nice quiet time at home. On Sunday my brother's wife had a baby girl! Quite a drama there, but Mom and baby are fine. First girl in the family, my Mom must be losing her mind! LOL 5 boys, 1 girl between my sister, brother and me.

Nothing much going on here!
Texas_Gem
9 years ago
A2- after what you said I had to look up the bridge, thinking it was going to be some scary looking rickety bridge. I'm surprised that people are afraid to drive over that though

Terri- Yay!!! Have fun at the new job!!!

Cal- the fridge looks great, I see the light at the end of the tunnel for you, I'm fairly certain it isn't a train heading your way. ;)

Doug- how did the trim go?

Schick- its work that has to be done (virtual work) but it just doesn't give the same satisfaction as something you can physically look at and say, that's done!!

Greenhaven- how did the construction go today?

As for me, hubby is in there sealing the grout where my washer and dryer sit so I can move them back in and try to catch up on laundry. Saw the dentist today who, as everyone else has, responded with "and you aren't in any pain?!?!?". Believe me, I wish I would have had pain, this probably would have been caught a lot sooner if I had. Instead the infection spread to my entire jaw bone, its called osteomyelitis and is, apparently, difficult to treat so I am starting my FOURTH round of antibiotics, hoping it takes care of it. He also referred me to an endontist for the giant hole.
I see them tomorrow for a consultation but the dentist thinks I will probably require oral surgery, where they go in, cut my gums away to reveal the hole and essentially debride the wound and then pack it and stitch it back.

I'm trying to remain calm but quite honestly, I am extremely freaked out about this and Google isn't my friend. All the research I find about this talks about hospitalization and extensive surgeries, I'm hoping the endontist will quell my fears tomorrow.
a2gemini
9 years ago
MG - congrats on a girl in the family - I feel for her as I had 3 brothers....

The closest country south of Detroit is a good party question. Unless you live in SE MI, most guess Mexico or Cuba...

Texas - Dr. Google always makes things sound worse than they are. I would wait to hear from the endodontist and the plans before freaking out. My DB had an abscess and went through the same issues and his turned out fine. He called me in a panic about Dr. Google - LOL. Fortunately, mine wasn't in the bone but just in the soft tissues.

When I was in school, we would look up things in the Merck manual as this was the Dr. Google of the day. Everything lead to death. A minor scratch went to infection to a systemic infection and then death..... Somethings don't change.

Good luck at the appointment today.
brightm
9 years ago
TG Google is almost never your friend with anything major medical and sometimes not your friend, even for minor. Hoping you like the endontist and that he/she has positive things to say.

My dentist is bound to retire soon. One's already retired on me since moving to this town. This one, I was referred to from a colleague. He makes me feel like I'm 8 years old, but not in a bad way. The gals all do the stuff they do (x-rays, cleanings, reading the gums/calling out numbers) and he comes in and tells me what pretty teeth I have. And I don't. But he makes me feel like I'm in an easter dress and bonnet and he's giving me a lollipop. That being said...I have this weird feeling at the base of one of my lower teeth. I don't know if it's a crown or if only the one in front is a crown (as I run my tongue along them now.) He's said nothing is wrong, everything looks fine. But...TG's situation makes me wonder if I should have someone else check it out.

It feels 'hot' (but not hot). Or as if something is being expelled, but it's not. It's really hard to describe.

I'm going to try to paint today. I'm saying it here in hopes of actually doing it. I WILL paint this weekend. 100% certain. But today would be good. It's a minimum day at school for the homecoming carnival. Kids get out early, we don't. So it should be a time for organization at school, getting caught up and the like. But since I woke up at about 3am and gave up about 3:45 and got up...I'm not sure how much of that type of energy I'll have. I may call out sick and go home early.

MGMum, I thought the same thing about the light rail. :)

greenhaven, I didn't say anything on your other thread, but Tuesday is lovely, as are her (I think) surroundings.

Hoping terri survived middle school.
greenhaven
9 years ago
Hope you have a good appointment today, TexasGem! I am surprised they have not suggested IV antibiotics. If you trust your doctor try to draw some measure of reassurance from him.

Construction went very well, yesterday. We rented a machine that dug the post holes I meeded and also had a bucket so we could move leftover pea gravel into the "stall" area. Got some posts sink and someboards up,and also completely dismantled the shed I built just last May so I could reuse the parts. The machine also pulled all my posts, which was waaaay cool.

I love that we are getting this project done mostly with materials already on hand. I love trying to figure out how best to use what we already have.

Schicksal, the Internet is grand, but I alsohate those days stuck behind a computer. Did you find everything you needed?

A2G, yes, the Kirtland's migrate, for sure. A guided tour is cst-free and ao worth it, they take you to places off limits to the general public, and can almost guarantee a sighting. They have them in both Grayling and Mio at certain times of the year, we went to Grayling. The terms cracked me up! We are officially trolls, but not yet fudgies. :)
schicksal
9 years ago
a2gemini - thanks for the lesson of the confusing land I know only from Robocop and Home Improvement. :p Never been over there before. Before moving to the southeast I normally stayed from Texas to west of the Rockies to that whole north central/northeast US portion of the map is still unexplored.

MGMum - I have some friends from London, ON who mentioned something like that. The whole area sounds really different from parts of BC that I've spent time in.

Texas_Gem - all I can say is that my eyes get as big as saucer plates every time I read something about the tooth problems!

cal_quail - comeon and join the not at work today club! Painting is on the list over here too so I can put things back on the bottom shelf of the pantry.

greenhaven - using up stuff you already have is loads of fun, especially if you're a minimalist. I did find everything I needed eventually. It's like this...

Hardware needed for the front door is a deadbolt, doorknob set, and at least one round thing that goes around the doorknob (escutcheon) that makes it look nice. The escutcheon I already have has a satin brass finish. I also have a nice non-locking doorknob set that I found at Habitat a couple of years ago but it's satin bronze. So I'm starting with 1 out of 3 pieces of two puzzles.

I was able to come up with a way to properly finish both of them. I'll use the satin bronze one for the front door because normally the only thing that takes a key at that location is the deadbolt, not the knob. I already have one of these. Also two escutcheons in that finish were available from ebay and I wanted one for the inside and another for the outside. Deadbolts are easy because Schlage still makes that finish in their commercial/high end residential line.

I'll use the satin brass set for the door to the garage because everywhere I've lived had a patio (locking) doorknob to the garage + a deadbolt. This is the only way you can get satin brass doorknobs for some reason. I have only one escutcheon in this finish, which is ok because it would be pointless to have one inside the garage. The finish has been discontinued but deadbolts are still available.

I'll wait for the satin bronze set to come in first, then use the key number to have the brass one keyed to match it when I place the order. I'll have to do the same with the lock on the knob since those are available only on ebay with whatever cylinder they came with.

All of this lock replacing is a good thing because right now we have three different kinds of locks at home. We only have the key to the front door, and I'll have to replace the door to the garage at some point because some genius decided to cut a dog door in it and they did a really sloppy job. It's also insecure because to get in from the garage all you have to do is reach in from the dog door and turn the knob if it's locked.

This post was edited by schicksal on Fri, Oct 17, 14 at 9:57
greenhaven
9 years ago
I finally had to do something similar, we were handed practically a jailers' ring of keys for this house. Bought a set of knob/deadbolt combos all using the same key. Now one key operates knobs and deadbolts on two doors. It was a relief!
rmtdoug
9 years ago
Thanks everyone for the kind words on my recent loss of two weeks regarding my hinge idea..sniff. :) Seriously, once I made the decision to no longer pursue this design, I felt like a big weight had been lifted. That's always a good sign.

Texas_gem, I sure hope everything comes out fine with your jaw. Keep us posted on your progress.

Trim is going great now, although after two days of up and down on my knees, I'm a little sore. I'm 95% finished. I have a bit of finish to put on the edges and ends of five boards today and they can be nailed in place tomorrow.

Interesting to see all that neat information on Michigan. It's one of four states I have not visited. The other three are Alaska, Vermont, and Florida. Looks like I have quite a journey ahead of me to cross those off my bucket list.

Shopping today. Friday is my busiest day of the week.

This post was edited by rmtdoug on Fri, Oct 17, 14 at 17:36
schicksal
9 years ago
This evening I learned how to remove hair dye from recently finished doors and hardwood floor. It takes vinegar and baking soda which takes away the hair dye. If you used an oil finish on the floor you now have spots that need to be redone because removing the dye also took off the finish.
brightm
9 years ago
I won't be painting today. I can not find my blue tape. I had a roll that was almost out so I bought a new one and took the one with a little left to school. Now, no new roll. DH just took off for the driving range and said he MAY get some on his way home. But it'll be too late for today. Tomorrow he's having poker here, so I won't be painting tomorrow. So hopefully...Sunday.

Though with my new speedbump, I'm not all that enthused anymore. (see thread with hiccup in the title).
mgmum
9 years ago
Terri!! I totally forgot to say congratulations on the new job! I hope the middle schoolers are treating you right!

Schicksal, I can't even tell you the differences between Vancouver Island (where I'm from) and Windsor ON (where I live now)! It's amazing. The horizon is ALL WRONG, the land is so flat, it's flatter than the prairies, and when I first moved here some people didn't have emails, and they use US measurements for everything! People looked at me like I was a lunatic when I ordered 200g of deli meat instead of a 1/4 pound. (Okay that was mostly old ladies and the deli workers but it was very surreal.) People still use fahrenheit which I do not comprehend. I know 32F is 0C but that's about it. LOL And the weather in the summer is very sucky IMO. I hate not being able to sit outside for hours. Here you can barely breathe for the humidity. This summer was perfect for me because even though it was overcast a lot, it was about 24C and perfect!

Enough of my rant! Off to soccer, hockey and more hockey. Have a good weekend!