It's May!
Comments (55)
Maggie (Vancouver, BC 8a)
7 years agotrue_blue
7 years agoRelated Discussions
It's May, how is your build coming along?
Comments (53)Bevangel, Thank you so much for posting the gory details about your situation. It is a great service to all who read it, not only because others will now proceed with their "eyes wide open" but also so we can benefit from the solutions you've developed to deal with unscrupulous builders. I would SOOOO like to have found an attorney like you before we started building. I did all kinds of local and internet research, but in the end, I kind of threw up my hands and went about figuring out how to try to protect ourselves by structuring our contract and writing an intensive questionnaire asking many specific questions of the builders we interviewed. I even stated that their answers would become part of the final contract, and I stapled their responses to the signed contract. Ha...lots of good that did! Unfortunately, about 6 wks into our build, we found out that our builder had lied several times on our interview questionnaire in response to such questions as, "have you ever operated under a different business name?" and "have you ever been involved in any legal/mediation issues?" He had been the subject of a huge lawsuit that actually brought about changes in our Contractors State License Board practices/rules - granted, his situation was 10 years ago, and he claimed that it was unfair that he was still haunted by it, and that a "crazy lady was stalking him", etc, etc. Also, all of his recent references raved about his work and reported that they had come in on time and on budget and quality was excellent, etc, etc, but still it was/is shocking and infuriating that his former shady practices had been lied about, and had somehow slipped under our radar before we hired him. We came very close to firing him (and actually did but then rescinded) and now have all kinds of safeguards in place (most importantly, we have about 20% of the cost of our entire contract held until after we get our CO and final punch list resolved). We only have about 2 months to go with him and all has been fine for the past several months, but I still can't help but wonder each time we pay him or interact with him if he's telling the truth. I remember in the beginning before building even started, we had to have the City building inspectors come out to our property to review and make a ruling on something (not a minor issue, but a major thing), and the builder told me he was of the mindset to just do what we wanted to do without asking, bragging that he always "asked for forgiveness, not permission". DING, DING, DING! Warning bells should've gone off in my head, and I should've listened to my instincts. Anyway, I felt really stupid and extra angry about the whole thing because I had been so proud of myself for going through a lot of due diligence, writing my 2-page interview questionnaire and interviewing 4 builders, getting rock solid bids from all, being super specific about all our materials, etc, etc, etc. But, what I could not prevent was someone who has no problem lying, especially when it benefits him. In hindsight, I would have liked to have better legal help at the start, specifically a better contract in place. It is pretty frustrating that government agencies like the state contractor boards go around helping consumers get out of messes with contractors but don't really help prevent them in the first place. I looked high and low for a good boilerplate contract but couldn't find one...instead, we ended up agreeing to his contract with some major revisions, and now I see how vulnerable it left us. I believe this is an area where someone like you could both provide a great service and probably fill a potentially lucrative unfilled niche...writing contracts or providing good boilerplate language to help protect homeowners would be awesome. You could even probably sell these boilerplate contracts over the internet for the thousands of people who do not want to hire an attorney (and probably feel that nothing bad will happen to them anyway!) but want some protection. We feel especially vulnerable because we don't have a bank looking over our shoulder at each draw...we are funding this build with 100% of our own money. Yikes. Anyway, at this point (knock on wood) things appear to be on track. We are incredibly vigilant about getting lien releases at each draw, not only from every sub and supplier but also a blanket one from the GC, but who are we to know if he's just lying as happened in your case? This whole process is so fraught with opportunities for bad contractors to swindle innocent and helpless homeowners...it's pathetic! Anyway, thanks again for sharing your painful (but very useful to others) story. I wish you all the best and will eagerly look forward to seeing the progress of your home in future postings. Susan...See MoreIt's May! How is your build progressing?
Comments (88)Sorry, I've been AWOL for a while. Builder wanted us to be in SC next week for the MEP walkthrough, but the cabinetmaker hasn't gotten close enough to what I want in the kitchen, so we are delaying a week. Frustration on everyone's part, but we've spent so much time planning this house, I'm not going to be rushed into approving something for the kitchen that I am going to regret for years to come. Good news is that we have windows & doors. Our neighbor sent us a picture taken this morning: It really does seem strange to see it mirrored. I'm sure I'm going to get lost, because I've spent so much time mentally walking through it in the other orientation. Jo Ann...See MoreIt's May 2014, how is your build - Part II?
Comments (150)Autumn, we have a similar ladder that we bought at Menards when I painted parts of our home last year before putting it on the market. I love having the handle at the top to hold on to since I don't particularly like ladders. :-) By the way, I really like how your pendants look in the kitchen. Everything came out so nice! Good luck on the inspection! JDez, whew, about the check! Thanks for the reminder. We have to pay our trim carpenter this week and then get money back from the bank on our next draw. I need to transfer some money from savings to checking. Today our glass shower door is being delivered and the carpenters are going to start working on our closets. Oh, and last weekend we bought this for my catch-all desk right inside the doors. Craig's List find. Plenty of room for mail, purse drop off, keys, charging station, land-line, etc. Needs a little clean up in the grooves but in excellent shape. It's extremely heavy....See MoreAnd it's May!
Comments (20)"Catching up on laundry, hanging curtains, and reviving a bed skirt are very valid goals. Be proud of yourself." thx caroline! haven't hung the curtains yet but have done 2 or 3 more loads of the 'old' laundry. I need Jed to put up the rod brackets (to keep me off of a step stool) and his wife has been in/out of the hospital so much lately. he's been too busy with regular work, taking care of her and the kids lately. So I just keep doing up laundry... the last load I did I just folded up and put in a clean box and will keep adding to it - when all old stuff is done up, i'll sort it out and take to GW. I also sorted out the shelves in my closet - about half of what was on them was stuff that needed a new waist band or hemmed. I put them in another box along with some that are too small (to go to my friend in IL). that made room on the shelves for more of my regular things. stuff was getting too crowded and confusing... also took out winter things - I won't need long sleeves or flannel long pants again til next Nov. just having the stuff clean so I can touch it is awesome. it was all so filthy that I put it all thru a pre-rinse before washing. I thought a few things were 'starched' with desert dirt and could have possibly walked away on their own... "There are days, especially this last winter, where getting up, brushing my teeth, feeding the dogs, making the bed, and fixing dinner were all I could possibly get done. " that sounds much like me. I gave up yrs back on 'making the bed'. I'm in /out of it all thru-out the day. it doesn't take much these days to do in my back. Arm movement will do it - like putting clothes on the line, taking them down and folding, raking, bending over to pull up weeds, even doing dishes. or even the getting in and out of the car a number of times when I go out to do errands will do it. I guess the arm movement of driving doesn't help either. I usually bring in and put away anything that needs refrigerated then lie down for about a half an hour, then I get up and take doggie out - and bring in something else from the car on that trip back in. Not making any great progress here - just bit by bit. I did finally put the ink cartridges put in my printer - but it still won't print. it isn't telling me any thing else is wrong either. I was hoping to print out some pages of info for my son. i'll check with Staples this week I guess. love seeing everyone's yards and plants. your planting area with the rocks around it is great - and the bird 'condo' too! shades- love your beautified concrete blocks!...See MoreMaggie (Vancouver, BC 8a)
7 years agotrue_blue
7 years ago
jasminegal
7 years agoOsmanthus fudingzhu still blooming! I think I found a perfect spot for it :) The wafting perfume is so heavenly.
Mini penny hydrangea
My first bud on Chinese perfume plant or that's what I think it is :) My trachelospermum mandaianum is also blooming again..hopefully blooms this time.
Maggie (Vancouver, BC 8a)
7 years agoBrought in one of the Gertrude Jekylls. Gosh, the fragrance is very strong. Wonderful
Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
7 years agoBrugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi'
Philadelphus 'Innocence'
Epiphyllum 'Fruhlingsgold'
Rosa 'Zephirine Drouhin'
Maggie (Vancouver, BC 8a)
7 years ago
Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
7 years agoMaggie (Vancouver, BC 8a)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agofenius
7 years ago
Finally, after 4 years almost!! Just discovered my ammocharis coranica blooming in secret at the end of the balcony, I should have waited until tomorrow for daylight photos but I was overexcited to share it!!true_blue
7 years agojasminegal
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoSpring has vanished for us too..I am in Virginia,it's may and we had a patchy frost yesterday with almost 15-20 days of rain...last year we were in 80-90's this time. I am not even wishing for a jasmine bloom but only my plants to survive this year. Because of the constant rains lost my arabian nights and a grand duke jasmine this year :( Meanwhile my daisy gardenia is with blooms. Some consolation atleast.
true_blue
7 years agoMaggie (Vancouver, BC 8a)
7 years agoHere's hoping spring is just around the corner for you!
I've been busy so a bit of catching up. I forgot to mention that I've revised my previous opinion about 'Miss Kim.' After a few days I caught a lovely sweet smell and it was her! The fragrance definitely improved as the flowers matured.
'Mme Hardy' is wonderful. Such delicate petals & cute little eye
Full blown 'Fragrant Cloud'. What a perfume powerhouse
'Evelyn' - delicious peachy fragrance. Really love this one
Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
7 years agoPhiladelphus mexicanus 'Flore Plena' has been blooming. Haven't made up my mind on its scent. Sorta medicinal cold cream like undertones.
Jasminum officinale. Cut some blooms and brought it to friend who flipped out and absolutely loved it. I like it as well just wish it bloomed longer.
Lonicera periclymenum 'Scentsation' has been blooming, unfortunately the Innocence mock orange and tons of lilies are blocking my path to sniff them. :(
Poor planning on my part.
true_blue
7 years agojasminegal
7 years agoChilian Jasmine (cestrum parqui) blooming.. I don't know if it was my nose but the fragrance was not so good as cestrum nocturnum. I didn't really like it. The flowers are beautiful.
true_blue
7 years ago
fragrant2008
7 years agoLooks like we are finally out of the cold! i think we just skipped spring and went from winter to summer :P A few things in bloom think its going to be a matter of playing catch up!
OLD fav apple blossom lovely fragrance on this one
Brassia mild fragrance
coelogyne nitida cool growing and a nice fragrance
Encyclia baculus a really strong fragrance
hoya parasitica variegata this thing will fill a room in the evening
one of my new hoyas Hoya Gracilis has a really wonderful fragrance of caramel
and of course last but not least for true_blue clematis Oberon now in full flower! And this is my first ever clematis, i do have one other but its not in flower! so i have nothing to compare it to! but boy is it fragrant!!! You can smell it a good few feet away :) And not to rub it in but as i was throwing the local news paper away i saw it for sale in there as well :P
true_blue thanked fragrant2008true_blue
7 years ago
myermike_1micha
7 years agofenius
7 years agohey guys!!
This is the year of forgotten bulbs!! Another bulb my bf got me 3 or 4 years ago for my nameday finally bloomed and the scent is exquisite!! Crinum 'Improved Peachblow' - I believe erubescens x album
..and this year I have the Iwanagara appleblossom too, Brian!
fragrant2008
7 years agofenius
7 years agoI'm so jealous!!!! There are no orchid shows in greece and I'm looking forward to rome's show each year...and every time hoping my bf doesn't tell me to stick it next year because he's bored reading his books on a bench gazing at rome while I am running around monte porzio catone like a maniac.. I might have to come up with another trip next year..maybe London's rhs show so I can visit my sister too, or Prague? Do any of you guys have a favourite show in europe??
We did love villa d'este near by though...
blutayle
7 years agoRobert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
7 years agoLoving all the photos!
Mike, thanks for the Edgeworthia update.
Brian, hope you like the epi's scent! It's a light refreshing scent that's best sniffed outside on a warm sunny afternoon.
Fenius, I just ordered a small bulb of Crinum 'Improved Peachblow' off of ebay thanks to your scent description. I'll have to wait years to sniff it. We're a bunch of enablers on this forum. Laugh.
My Brugmansia 'Rosalla' finally bloomed. Got it off Etsy I believe. Anyway it's not what it's supposed to be. I'm thinking I have another Charles Grimaldi on my hands. Oh, well. The price you pay for buying from individuals online.
Our Xena brug has been blooming but you have to reach up and pull a branch down to sniff the blooms. :)
fragrant2008
7 years agoRobert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
7 years agojasminegal
7 years ago
macranthos
7 years agoTrachelospermum wall is going.
And the carpentaria is somewhat fragrant.
The antirhinum hispanicum smells of lonicera.
A stray peony found its way into my yard. Quite fragrant although I wouldn't consistently describe the smell as pleasant; pungent, perhaps.
The cardiocrinum is about to open so more pictures will be forthcoming.
Maggie (Vancouver, BC 8a)
7 years agomacranthos
7 years agoMaggie, it should easily be Hardy to 8a. Give it another go. Ours was old when we moved in 7 years ago so I had a head start... I did have to move it from the front yard to the back tho. Cistus nursery on sauvie island usually has quite a variety of interesting cultivars. I think they do mail order.
The cardiocrinum opened! This is my third one: the others were just not in the right places.
jasminegal
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoTrachelospermum asiaticum mandaianum bloomed today! Dar I loved the trachelospermum from peppers more than this one. I don't if it's my plant but the flower is smaller than from peppers. The fragrance smells similar to me so definitely both of them are related but different cultivar.
ordphien
7 years agoordphien
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoTurns out I have a few things.
Angel Face after a quick shower. Lovely citrusy smell that I adore.
And it's a surprisingly good cut flower.
Julia Child. Smells amazing to me. Like sweet black licorice tea, my favourite tea as a child. It's medicinal to my boyfriend though.
Stainless steel is more mauve than lavender this bloom. A little less fragrant in this weather. It seems to like heat.
Dauben looking and smelling beautiful in my container pond.
On the subject of lilies. I got a night blooming variety. Texas Shell Pink. My pond is technically too small and shady for it but I'm trying anyways. Dauben does well enough.
Not a very original combination of water lilies I know, Dauben and Texas Shell Pink. But I'm still excited.
After a month of adjusting, mainly making smaller pads due to lower light, it's finally sending up a bud.
Sorry for the terrible photo quality.
And that reminds me if my final fragrant thing.
I tried starting a few lotus seeds I found on the floor near a floral arrangement and one sprouted!
Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
7 years agoHooray for water lilies! Please let us know your thoughts on the scent for Texas Shell Pink. I picked up Nymphaea 'Panama Pacific' at a local nursery and am trying it in a large pot. No flower buds yet but it is producing new leaves. It's supposed to be sweetly fragrant.
Came home from being gone a few days and got my first bloom of the year of Passiflora x bellotii. Love its scent.
Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
7 years agoIt's been stormy here and the humidity has been high so of course the scents have been amazing in the garden especially at night. Yesterday evening we only had a few blooms open on the Cestrum nocturnum but could easily smell it several feet away. I've also been inhaling the intoxicating fragrance of Lonicera periclymenum 'Peaches and Cream'. Last night it smelled amazing. I've got this one by the back gate so it's easy to sniff but the other honeysuckles are too hard to reach to compare the scents.
ordphien
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoMaggie (Vancouver, BC 8a)
7 years agoA bit of catching up to do. The garden is loving the warm weather.
Pittosporum heterophylum has heavy bloom & a very nice mock orange scent
And this smells like, well, mock orange:). Nothing beats the real thing. 'Virginal' is awesome.
I think 'Eden' is one of the most beautiful roses.
Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
7 years agoWhile wandering around the garden this morning I noticed our poor neglected and dying Jude the Obscure rose managed to produce a single bloom. We can't get enough of its fruity fragrance. It's a shame I'm no good with roses and don't give them the sun and space they need.
ordphien
7 years agoRobert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
7 years agoHaha. True.
The sambac jasmines (Belle of India and Mysore Mulli) are starting to bloom. Just plucked some blossoms to enjoy their scent inside on this rainy day.
jasminegal
7 years agoYay! Jasmines finally :) My nitidum started blooming today!
Yellow crossandra.
Had to share this little guy :)
trachelospermum mandaianum
Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)