tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67707455322935283992024-02-21T13:35:12.443-05:00Premeditated Money PitAnd on to the next one...Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.comBlogger224125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-47209585247176313932012-05-12T15:47:00.000-04:002012-05-12T15:47:14.753-04:00Some Things Actually Are Bigger Here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is what a dandelion grows to be in Texas. Shortly after this, it fell over under its own weight.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3NaFvcEGDTSfMRhrBukNwgl2CXYsomTRa773_J0zSKpdfQBUnJO-y48GDuXK5y82TJSfN3VP9orhovYJ7-chVYCD7ZkRAnHw1fckPpanncOhjtnqm3z7FugSydjw3yhEWj64CaNs458/s1600/Texas-Weeds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3NaFvcEGDTSfMRhrBukNwgl2CXYsomTRa773_J0zSKpdfQBUnJO-y48GDuXK5y82TJSfN3VP9orhovYJ7-chVYCD7ZkRAnHw1fckPpanncOhjtnqm3z7FugSydjw3yhEWj64CaNs458/s640/Texas-Weeds.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-71113038543993882092012-05-10T16:49:00.000-04:002012-05-10T16:51:54.659-04:00I Won the Name DrawingWhen I last wrote, it was about a kitchen and adding some base cabinets. A lot has happened since then, both in and out of our kitchen. Most notably:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWVLf8gYjdoyqafQs0j9E-CuuOT5t6en0CSPa2uEMzmnlO_2_v2d3wCaoFScsiFXT512ukDhxwxwV4EvHHzo9Lu8ivRq-XC9ho7-RJ6-3xZ7pTPGFJH0l4VY2r8Bj4SZx-0bshD-8G7w/s1600/Birthday-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWVLf8gYjdoyqafQs0j9E-CuuOT5t6en0CSPa2uEMzmnlO_2_v2d3wCaoFScsiFXT512ukDhxwxwV4EvHHzo9Lu8ivRq-XC9ho7-RJ6-3xZ7pTPGFJH0l4VY2r8Bj4SZx-0bshD-8G7w/s640/Birthday-07.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There was a drawing on April 20th. Four names were written on pieces of paper, put into a bowl and one was drawn by a person that I had met only hours earlier. The four names were Calvin, Carlie, Henry and Finley. Calvin was chosen. My number one choice and Amanda's number four choice.<br />
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This is what the drawing was for:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJh6dl7ZKAaDEsVQMf9g91lRpmJPmfGl-s9WjqMBBmnkeMluOToEvo4yukU88rNpPRughQsRieJOjhTuCP6BDNk3fSnSr5-nIvVh9zeUdjJALaeafDXqpEub7b0NZJWkBFoVlOi-zKIQ/s1600/Birthday-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJh6dl7ZKAaDEsVQMf9g91lRpmJPmfGl-s9WjqMBBmnkeMluOToEvo4yukU88rNpPRughQsRieJOjhTuCP6BDNk3fSnSr5-nIvVh9zeUdjJALaeafDXqpEub7b0NZJWkBFoVlOi-zKIQ/s640/Birthday-10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Minutes earlier, that thing came sliding slowly out of Amanda.<br />
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A mid-wife selected our child's name out of a green bowl.Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-20456692161688328762012-04-12T14:57:00.001-04:002012-04-12T15:03:45.472-04:00The Kitchen is Blowed Up.When you last saw our kitchen (in Texas), it was described in one of a series of posts detailing what we planned on doing in each room in our house. You can see the Kitchen (and hallway) post <a href="http://ftflip.blogspot.com/2011/07/where-cooks-be-at-where-cooks-be-at.html"><span style="color: lime;">here</span>.</a> After months of saving (or more like paying off an interest free deposit from a credit card that paid for the floors/trim/miscellanea), and months of paying a birthing center to teach Amanda about eating her placenta (gross), we have the money to get cracking on the kitchen remodeling.<br />
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That process started with Ikea. What else is new. That place is awesome. The kitchen in particular, started with Ikea's web based <a href="http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/rooms_ideas/kitchen_howto/NA/plan_your_kitchen_in_3d.html#lnk-2-5"><span style="color: lime;">CAD software</span></a>. After designing the kitchen, we headed over to the local store, pulled up the design, asked some questions and eventually ordered the cabinetry. Since they were having a sale on kitchens, we decided to include ordering the countertops from Ikea also, as the total price would have been about the same as if we had gone with similar counters from Home Depot. Easier to make the one trip and deal with the one company, rather than two different stores. 4,500 dollars later, we had a kitchen with our name on it set to be delivered the next day.<br />
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The next day came, and with it, multiple weird projects. The first project was to get rid of the current cabinets and countertop. Days earlier, I had posted an ad on craigslist, stating essentially that if you wanted some free cabinets, come to my house and take them down with me, then drive away with them. I had a million calls in about 12 minutes thereafter. That was easy.<br />
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The evening before we began kitchen work, in earnest, Amanda basically moved all of our kitchen stuff out into the Dining Room, essentially giving us a crappy kitchen in there:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMaaHHeRfR_rg9qTceR5SuoDAHxmYGlMY40vN3O6VggTRK4BN5stGBbkIJffyTsxsUeZG7_AtVLYl0mjep4H7oXmECVA5vq8w6_-RKPxQOi2nDUJUWFd8FWuFuwDEJUayfa0wRdQlEyQ8/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMaaHHeRfR_rg9qTceR5SuoDAHxmYGlMY40vN3O6VggTRK4BN5stGBbkIJffyTsxsUeZG7_AtVLYl0mjep4H7oXmECVA5vq8w6_-RKPxQOi2nDUJUWFd8FWuFuwDEJUayfa0wRdQlEyQ8/s640/Kitchen-Redo-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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She had also created a CDC-style dust containment system in hopes of corralling a bit of the particulates sure to be strewn about during the work:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzDyDOXuZ0av-7S6GyMFw1LGyS3TEjYen6v9YqSrWbz51tPpYTQHHnikkI5_phlc79qD5qcJ-IjnJFjTZuo3MzVxvxxI3tyqEhiKj7o4dzrY9_P8ngCDmNgjoilkUIHrsi8ZihLguZvg/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzDyDOXuZ0av-7S6GyMFw1LGyS3TEjYen6v9YqSrWbz51tPpYTQHHnikkI5_phlc79qD5qcJ-IjnJFjTZuo3MzVxvxxI3tyqEhiKj7o4dzrY9_P8ngCDmNgjoilkUIHrsi8ZihLguZvg/s640/Kitchen-Redo-014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sweet. It didn't work that well, as the place was a dust cloud for a day, but whatever, it looks cool.<br />
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The next day, and about an hour or so before the folks taking the cabinets were due to arrive, I started working on a few things needed to get rid of the current kitchen. The first task was to disassemble and remove the humongous garbage disposal, seen here:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehGgrQ3SmA2JQHAivqnGoyUjBo0B56I9dg1pMb2RrLLxrufggtoOPJX4xujC6Q_Lzg9kqVcRIqaQw76euK0H0sodAecyCHRvQNEQX5oXVuAfl8nRXTRuNBCS6W0x-oK8g-kX2N8q7MqI/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehGgrQ3SmA2JQHAivqnGoyUjBo0B56I9dg1pMb2RrLLxrufggtoOPJX4xujC6Q_Lzg9kqVcRIqaQw76euK0H0sodAecyCHRvQNEQX5oXVuAfl8nRXTRuNBCS6W0x-oK8g-kX2N8q7MqI/s640/Kitchen-Redo-003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's even bigger than it looks in that picture. I think it could probably dispose of one of the fetal pigs used in high school science classes without any problem. It's really very big.<br />
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Removing a disposal usually isn't all that hard, and this one wasn't hard either, but the previous plumbing work from the previous owner, made it a bit more difficult than it should have been.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYb9Fn7jzMConEjU2vc9fvb-KUzB4qMooeWN2Smc1xr3YFu0SHv6bWcj7nMkDu6NQTEvGmQAqbOJdlRt9nUtjlbdpG9SnPiQHmqOHu9jsYU03rqZjzfDW8txNAv-ZOjwYZiTDFOqCnARo/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYb9Fn7jzMConEjU2vc9fvb-KUzB4qMooeWN2Smc1xr3YFu0SHv6bWcj7nMkDu6NQTEvGmQAqbOJdlRt9nUtjlbdpG9SnPiQHmqOHu9jsYU03rqZjzfDW8txNAv-ZOjwYZiTDFOqCnARo/s640/Kitchen-Redo-004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The above is a photo of the pipe that connects to the discharge of the disposal. Instead of using the threaded pipe to seal the plumbing, the previous owner used plumbing cement (that brown stuff) to fuse the joint together. The threaded pipe is a very tight seal, so there is generally no need for that cement, but since they used cement, I had to hack the pipe off in order to get the disposal removed. not a huge deal by any means, and a little fun, but still...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0oLd_B6-kFkPV0W2jBFvQ50QS_cPj5fsQbwGpbSSze_N_6JmLSDmf3w8I_iKK_Qy-AnCNIisKZsi0J3B6MADJF-d16Zne3NUX3hVF4DeBG7lbJE75d8CdtqL3JaEXwg4pFG74O7q6GE/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ0oLd_B6-kFkPV0W2jBFvQ50QS_cPj5fsQbwGpbSSze_N_6JmLSDmf3w8I_iKK_Qy-AnCNIisKZsi0J3B6MADJF-d16Zne3NUX3hVF4DeBG7lbJE75d8CdtqL3JaEXwg4pFG74O7q6GE/s640/Kitchen-Redo-005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Success. Look how big that damn thing is. Yeesh.<br />
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After that was successfully off of the old sink, it was time to move on to the dishwasher. Removing a dishwasher is embarrassingly easy. Usually.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjAzdL9mArWRumjHIfvav5Z1dysjoH-_2BI9I5VBULgmIvlnMM80QgH55Jw05lOEacWurfJlXEUkflz9mP2MO-J0uaa99zOhgdlpYGqt1V_tZ34p_8_WwHR2ovMGJ-ev7ZiByoeEfQ3c/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjAzdL9mArWRumjHIfvav5Z1dysjoH-_2BI9I5VBULgmIvlnMM80QgH55Jw05lOEacWurfJlXEUkflz9mP2MO-J0uaa99zOhgdlpYGqt1V_tZ34p_8_WwHR2ovMGJ-ev7ZiByoeEfQ3c/s640/Kitchen-Redo-006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This one was less easy. Dishwashers are usually just slid into place after connecting the water, discharge hose and electricity. Once in place, there are two flimsy brackets on the top of the washer that screw into the countertop. Reversing those things will usually get you a freshly removed dishwasher. Unfortunately for us, the previous owner added another step to the installation process:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyO1gqPGWYWxv87Qc5m83ia-x1Z1UdNSvLMzwWVg0vJU5acqVYrZsT5ViNhbiSdN_JJxolu5LTxq52_hO_DhsqQsk7iOYb62YWh8c6o6amhz1f1bwxZFerzzoU5nexdI-uED4T6mAj0k/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyO1gqPGWYWxv87Qc5m83ia-x1Z1UdNSvLMzwWVg0vJU5acqVYrZsT5ViNhbiSdN_JJxolu5LTxq52_hO_DhsqQsk7iOYb62YWh8c6o6amhz1f1bwxZFerzzoU5nexdI-uED4T6mAj0k/s640/Kitchen-Redo-007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you look closely (it's tough to tell from this image), you may notice that the bottom of this dishwasher is actually below the tile of the floor. This thing was essentially tiled into its spot. This might explain why the other appliances in the kitchen are much newer than this thing, since it's really hard to get out of its little cubby hole.<br />
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What this basically meant was that in order to remove the dishwasher, we actually had to remove the countertop first. Not a big deal when you're already planning on removing the countertop, but would have been a real pain in the ass if we were merely replacing the appliance.<br />
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No matter. After a bit of fighting with the dishwasher and flooring, the fellows who were going to take the cabinets showed up and we got to work. <br />
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I couldn't get a good picture of them, as it's a little rude to just snap photos of people, but I did manage to find them on facebook and snagged this profile picture (weird that they share the same account):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiRTe60tmZKtpa57Ms4G4fCgGtyQrCy6CcmzzLWc5J4o6FJmxQ_4uBYLHTJ1o1zR1CK6UpOeA8ciISmLjmwqtY5BlNQSnussWRozaFz04Qc2p7DieBbebjvF3rJJ7vGQ5xX_P60OGyNk/s1600/McCrary+Twins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiRTe60tmZKtpa57Ms4G4fCgGtyQrCy6CcmzzLWc5J4o6FJmxQ_4uBYLHTJ1o1zR1CK6UpOeA8ciISmLjmwqtY5BlNQSnussWRozaFz04Qc2p7DieBbebjvF3rJJ7vGQ5xX_P60OGyNk/s1600/McCrary+Twins.jpg" /></a></div>
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Just kidding. That's not really them. But they looked similar. Very, very obese.<br />
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Luckily, they were helpful and knew how to remove cabinets and countertops. It;s not very hard at all, but it does take a bit of finesse if you don't want to smash everything to bits. Making things a bit harder:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OnXO0uj62Tyvj0xofzNDYAWMXVQly282INDsscdcu8Hw77C-AeXS9Pk_gce9iQ7CWoApMy__rQW8TpoUVbkTt6StCXN7L_Y02qCMstA8jyu403CWXQ_Bm7Gbu2QLqxdzoAS8jSHwo_M/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OnXO0uj62Tyvj0xofzNDYAWMXVQly282INDsscdcu8Hw77C-AeXS9Pk_gce9iQ7CWoApMy__rQW8TpoUVbkTt6StCXN7L_Y02qCMstA8jyu403CWXQ_Bm7Gbu2QLqxdzoAS8jSHwo_M/s640/Kitchen-Redo-008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's a hex headed screw. What? Who the hell installed these things? Those were all over the place (along with other random screw types and even a few nails). The 80s were an awful time for home building.<br />
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With the right drill bit and a few hours of sweaty work with fatsos, the cabinets were removed and it was on to the next task. But before that, here's the mostly empty kitchen:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8uWCJ576ZBF0xWqlYx-ydvNBxFJwG1TAlDnNfvs1jdmCa4Cts5NXKZ9qdXcKLWWZiRL2kg-TQfpuy-E5qTYmwyjMzQIlXGvsHfzaNBBa5ZbHVy-yLLZYekStJ9_KGacxLhzPJ6n3d8Q/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8uWCJ576ZBF0xWqlYx-ydvNBxFJwG1TAlDnNfvs1jdmCa4Cts5NXKZ9qdXcKLWWZiRL2kg-TQfpuy-E5qTYmwyjMzQIlXGvsHfzaNBBa5ZbHVy-yLLZYekStJ9_KGacxLhzPJ6n3d8Q/s640/Kitchen-Redo-009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here's the rats nest of terrible DIY plumbing:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DeGkn1CiUCvxddSDDCj5DeCSAra0L1HRnOJblQjCsrgrSa2K3swaN98RAkQbN_U_SDyopA0tLuGzmBAiaePhMMaDRakTZ7EBNelctjuwmkG3VTN2L0YqIu1iqlmvqh3xmjVMaYCt934/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DeGkn1CiUCvxddSDDCj5DeCSAra0L1HRnOJblQjCsrgrSa2K3swaN98RAkQbN_U_SDyopA0tLuGzmBAiaePhMMaDRakTZ7EBNelctjuwmkG3VTN2L0YqIu1iqlmvqh3xmjVMaYCt934/s640/Kitchen-Redo-010.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Shortly after the demo work was completed, the friendly Ikea delivery fellows showed up and dropped off our new kitchen. Here it is:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWuRMnotAiNwGCrFndcZmZBaCRbP_3VCPzplOVPBwXPClUgUerpVPe8oftqqn1oLT4pvOTp4sP_PIqAGPcr3UwAkb7IWqNI3IRjlNV_t99bZA94Rm23kV7pkn0JUwsz-LLzyldX9eZ4c/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWuRMnotAiNwGCrFndcZmZBaCRbP_3VCPzplOVPBwXPClUgUerpVPe8oftqqn1oLT4pvOTp4sP_PIqAGPcr3UwAkb7IWqNI3IRjlNV_t99bZA94Rm23kV7pkn0JUwsz-LLzyldX9eZ4c/s640/Kitchen-Redo-011.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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In theory, those boxes will somehow transform into a working set of cabinets, drawers and a sink. Kind of crazy.<br />
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Fun aside: While I was helping to lug boxes into our living room, one of the delivery fellows revealed that his wife or girlfriend had just had a baby. I asked when, and he said 2am that same morning. I was dumbfounded. What the hell was he doing at work?<br />
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Next up was trying not to get the house dusty during all of the work.<br />
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Since the flooring in this room was essentially the color of an slightly embarrassed albino's face (when aren't they embarrassed?), it had to go. We had picked up some new tile the night before and I was ready to get down to the business of floor remodeling. The first step, clearly, is removing the old flooring. I got to work, and after 25 minutes with a hammer and a prybar, this is how much demolition I had actually accomplished:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32JWoccQ6fCHgYzFIrJRRaDPGb-uNIkM72N5DQWEoX4fPvJ-HPUy7MUHQPDVdhBvlzDul6cgRNelnxNOvE3zkAt0ZTtVbeehBVPsYs2P6s7rrtM8w4wrAh1nGkerZpPfbRPKrTyyvh9w/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32JWoccQ6fCHgYzFIrJRRaDPGb-uNIkM72N5DQWEoX4fPvJ-HPUy7MUHQPDVdhBvlzDul6cgRNelnxNOvE3zkAt0ZTtVbeehBVPsYs2P6s7rrtM8w4wrAh1nGkerZpPfbRPKrTyyvh9w/s640/Kitchen-Redo-012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This was going to take forever.<br />
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Making things more fun, just like the dishwasher, the baseboard had actually been tiled in by the previous owner:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipyFdbhDBzQVi48HiLtfSFvtJLrrfC-5U2hpFg8hRIA7SqLeF44fNXLFiadNIK6pNyv43bRTTq23f6dtyT_DfPHdEyOqxfKoHKOWE3HSHYDSwhMR2XvWDlpoa3dndRfxQsSayK3SQpONk/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipyFdbhDBzQVi48HiLtfSFvtJLrrfC-5U2hpFg8hRIA7SqLeF44fNXLFiadNIK6pNyv43bRTTq23f6dtyT_DfPHdEyOqxfKoHKOWE3HSHYDSwhMR2XvWDlpoa3dndRfxQsSayK3SQpONk/s640/Kitchen-Redo-013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Crap.<br />
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Amanda, while at The Home Depot, had inquired about some rental equipment, and since it wasn't crazy expensive, I took a quick trip down there, singed some papers, and came home with this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JmIFCjpCgsOoxG4RLPmusE4R3BBeT6RBJ_RMldA5shJBNoUXnjDGKNQ3ZcNJ1t0k_PYpIIFeI4aClVLWcZcsRMaXLyWjL0Giagbo8ua0fJ7TdMZPY6xTQfz7W2mIEHFThlV6_6La6x0/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JmIFCjpCgsOoxG4RLPmusE4R3BBeT6RBJ_RMldA5shJBNoUXnjDGKNQ3ZcNJ1t0k_PYpIIFeI4aClVLWcZcsRMaXLyWjL0Giagbo8ua0fJ7TdMZPY6xTQfz7W2mIEHFThlV6_6La6x0/s640/Kitchen-Redo-015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnsmzr8MqDZBmGegUyqv80TplqtFErDo5axtmafxCBoDTRDSAqHYW3uetLeKg_GPitL5gD9149-f0PL1NnIwKf05xA8petXZS_oG8MlxjfervsW9VlcGfMKHcNolcrVg85iCXdMkSSX4/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnsmzr8MqDZBmGegUyqv80TplqtFErDo5axtmafxCBoDTRDSAqHYW3uetLeKg_GPitL5gD9149-f0PL1NnIwKf05xA8petXZS_oG8MlxjfervsW9VlcGfMKHcNolcrVg85iCXdMkSSX4/s640/Kitchen-Redo-016.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Inside the box? This:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHUy8yOYp1qS25xMFdInbpjVxk_kzbqymuTo1Fpp75VSExiOprdcXFpEyyC6kCB2c0rbrmKGeJwJkdlgRhMHT08N_2gL9pnyb7Rf0VYp12_sYBNhLwoXqmZRKrxb6kZXmCGWhw6JzmKI/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHUy8yOYp1qS25xMFdInbpjVxk_kzbqymuTo1Fpp75VSExiOprdcXFpEyyC6kCB2c0rbrmKGeJwJkdlgRhMHT08N_2gL9pnyb7Rf0VYp12_sYBNhLwoXqmZRKrxb6kZXmCGWhw6JzmKI/s640/Kitchen-Redo-017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When you shove that giant blade bit into that giant tool, you basically have a 30 pound hand held jackhammer that can pry tile up. It was really a lot of fun. Physically taxing, but when you're in tip-top physical form lie I am, it was easy. I kid of course. I am still sore from using this thing.<br />
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*Aside* - If anyone at Hasbro, my former company, is reading this blog still, please mention that something like this would be great to addition to a Transformer. A jackhammer with a blade on the end of it could easily be stuck on the arm of some boring Transformer and instantly make it thirteen to twenty-seven times more devastating and fun.<br />
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Speaking of, were there carpenter-bots on the Transformers' old planet? Did they have any finish work-bots? I assume that since they were made of metal and stuff, that they didn't really need all that much shelter, but if so, who did that work? All of the Transformers seem to lack any soft of soft touch or grace, so I can only assume that all of their home planet structures were finished off really poorly and haphazardly. Jason? Any insight?<br />
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*Aside over*<br />
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Anyways, after a few tens of minutes jackhammering, I had cleared out the entire hallway without much effort (aside from lugging the hammer drill around):<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xjwvPYQMgWuArgpW4w6ecQELSe2JtQPrdhMdnYGTLiXiGS_ckC1bcj3fG7RW3Xj58L7ayfGTP4U4JISE36G8G9w_IINVO_JqLvuBP2Sbh1JcjKnWWUuovkcMIZlV5n1WwY0uZok5aeI/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xjwvPYQMgWuArgpW4w6ecQELSe2JtQPrdhMdnYGTLiXiGS_ckC1bcj3fG7RW3Xj58L7ayfGTP4U4JISE36G8G9w_IINVO_JqLvuBP2Sbh1JcjKnWWUuovkcMIZlV5n1WwY0uZok5aeI/s640/Kitchen-Redo-018.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Semi-unexpected side-effect of jackhammering tile? The unfathomable amounts of dust created. This pile (below) was swept up from an area of about 30 square feet:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIeoxf_6TxKdCrRooKJM8n0sGWEOJ1XtJ10NagvzDBtIRBXTyD9jdH2QfX3KPtrb459FSv-FpN8I6v0rMyNqRlls-HUgORaT8za_EYWtKWJy8ZxCOB6b3vbLtnRgWDaVTYcW2Doxqt_eI/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIeoxf_6TxKdCrRooKJM8n0sGWEOJ1XtJ10NagvzDBtIRBXTyD9jdH2QfX3KPtrb459FSv-FpN8I6v0rMyNqRlls-HUgORaT8za_EYWtKWJy8ZxCOB6b3vbLtnRgWDaVTYcW2Doxqt_eI/s640/Kitchen-Redo-020.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The tile covered 250 square feet. That's a lot of dust. The tiles themselves came up almost always intact, so all of that dust was from the mortar.<br />
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After about 6 hours of work and an hour or so of cleanup the next day, here are the pink-tile-free floors:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpxH6w7Nsw59QUE_kelBVFGPswhswuNDQTsFRtVtuCApLv_3WgtCuXwhr0PaEQnCM3EOukg39DrGiry0IQnsljHpX3_PmuOxVPv7Wtdq7sh1jEKqxSuVmffDJ_Eiue-ies1LS8eFJKeQ/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrpxH6w7Nsw59QUE_kelBVFGPswhswuNDQTsFRtVtuCApLv_3WgtCuXwhr0PaEQnCM3EOukg39DrGiry0IQnsljHpX3_PmuOxVPv7Wtdq7sh1jEKqxSuVmffDJ_Eiue-ies1LS8eFJKeQ/s640/Kitchen-Redo-021.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBCu2jMHsQ8qAgAVQGLym-NVw2uVC_0mKuxY3Yq49sb8sUSxKq_is2J5wd58SamW4UPL9neNTMOY2zafUiGEARqkc1xts7tbz1BsQcyixWilyf_uJC2Q38t-IlISsQwBpeUcRGx_iqhM/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBCu2jMHsQ8qAgAVQGLym-NVw2uVC_0mKuxY3Yq49sb8sUSxKq_is2J5wd58SamW4UPL9neNTMOY2zafUiGEARqkc1xts7tbz1BsQcyixWilyf_uJC2Q38t-IlISsQwBpeUcRGx_iqhM/s640/Kitchen-Redo-022.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The next day was a bit easier, as it was merely building and installing the base cabinet frames. Amanda and I set up a little workspace on the floor and got cracking:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWb4impBwIkXgusT1u4x6kqp_wgOjklcNFp-SkTUz9gjwuIbBl0LUmwPclT3WIfJ3qClIDomYVj3PaPxn_afjMyDRzySgFhe4HJQ4682bvOM6Xguhr7lDoffdkKJyWO9UuEnraw4e2-Ic/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWb4impBwIkXgusT1u4x6kqp_wgOjklcNFp-SkTUz9gjwuIbBl0LUmwPclT3WIfJ3qClIDomYVj3PaPxn_afjMyDRzySgFhe4HJQ4682bvOM6Xguhr7lDoffdkKJyWO9UuEnraw4e2-Ic/s640/Kitchen-Redo-023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was surprisingly easy and didn't take much time at all. Before long, we were finished building them and they were installed (attached to the walls behind them):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolpOGT1RidaDwfQQ57EDb9ujCzbJy-MRv1n8Znb-5GuQD3zg0KCyZZD4bKjV0kuJ4nLBH3A2sDUF1dMLPJWQdkkRwCOZdkCG4W1wluV4GYSCSj5ccE_0LGGz6yx8Tb4s5F08aMuLUBEg/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgolpOGT1RidaDwfQQ57EDb9ujCzbJy-MRv1n8Znb-5GuQD3zg0KCyZZD4bKjV0kuJ4nLBH3A2sDUF1dMLPJWQdkkRwCOZdkCG4W1wluV4GYSCSj5ccE_0LGGz6yx8Tb4s5F08aMuLUBEg/s640/Kitchen-Redo-024.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQx_EHb0rIubhoKIVAq_fjHpNW-6i6GAB-zPdEJE-ue2lZwb4U7nsQGdlGja-bqnRUsr5As9GCXyXlojY8RdEiUiRUDz-jvl7vxAsAfDyPPuGWzfJ-nyY7vjgVj89NsHRgKKdIRRQNArc/s1600/Kitchen-Redo-025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQx_EHb0rIubhoKIVAq_fjHpNW-6i6GAB-zPdEJE-ue2lZwb4U7nsQGdlGja-bqnRUsr5As9GCXyXlojY8RdEiUiRUDz-jvl7vxAsAfDyPPuGWzfJ-nyY7vjgVj89NsHRgKKdIRRQNArc/s640/Kitchen-Redo-025.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Next up? I will be tiling the floor until the proverbial cows come home. I will likely spend all weekend on it. It's easy, but will take a lot of time. Also, painting. After that, the rest of the kitchen will be assembled and installed, followed by the countertops being delivered and installed, and finally installing the sink and faucet. After that, it's tiling the backsplash, adding the hardware and installing new lighting. Oh, and installing new baseboards and eventually getting new appliances.<br />
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Did I mention that Amanda is due to pop out a miniature human literally any day now? Great timing, no?Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-35386355223160922492012-04-03T14:47:00.002-04:002012-04-11T11:42:32.249-04:00Part 3 - An Extended Weekend of Hard Work...<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">..Just not at Any Properties That I Own.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">When I last left off, all those weeks ago, I had finished a bathroom floor. After that? The kitchen floor:</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBmSAQvro_m7Pg1SiQS4wGATAAsJtcEf_aoA8_oT0jNRH3M1VlBOjsiqW-u_OCJVjo1Ngn1SzNUWRaAzUQvR8DZaZt_D72Jy6N9DyzH5NnEA62XZSaQ7OGczPQ0mNGzvNdifwEfUXHUM/s1600/IMG_0349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBmSAQvro_m7Pg1SiQS4wGATAAsJtcEf_aoA8_oT0jNRH3M1VlBOjsiqW-u_OCJVjo1Ngn1SzNUWRaAzUQvR8DZaZt_D72Jy6N9DyzH5NnEA62XZSaQ7OGczPQ0mNGzvNdifwEfUXHUM/s640/IMG_0349.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">This floor, much like the bathroom floor, was in rough shape and needed replacing. For this project, which took forever, my brother-in-law helped out.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Now it's finished:</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6PMNA0-hi83kkb-Tbu07wCB_VXdL455E3mH4L6qv6uogMIpnF7beSRV_rj0v0iXUfCfsiONedOubNK8s6x5XGtKUKAnNZMe2H1ShXZO2O7vRQlbM-7ckTKxO8jZCrqzxg4kMWEpvY4g/s1600/IMG_0352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6PMNA0-hi83kkb-Tbu07wCB_VXdL455E3mH4L6qv6uogMIpnF7beSRV_rj0v0iXUfCfsiONedOubNK8s6x5XGtKUKAnNZMe2H1ShXZO2O7vRQlbM-7ckTKxO8jZCrqzxg4kMWEpvY4g/s640/IMG_0352.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Hooray.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">Pretty soon, I'll have some work at the house I own in Austin to write about. Legitimate hooray1</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-67856436201950688342012-03-15T18:22:00.001-04:002012-04-11T11:40:52.175-04:00Part 2 - An Extended Weekend of Hard Work...<span style="background-color: white; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; ">...Just not at Any Properties That I Own.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; "><br /></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; ">The project immediately postceding (probably not a word) the horrible ceiling work from the preceding post was some not as horrible, but still kind of terrible floor work. The bathroom laminate was curling up around the shower and was in generally rough shape:</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; "><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="font-size: 100%; clear: both; text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKSfXnXNZn-UoDs2t6Pj_NSgsgENNXNds5zy8STgay2hY5p3u4ME1ujNapXOxXQ8DM9pegyd7DrG8xUc3hyphenhyphenk6JMdidmDHgnpbvL2o1a0KlftwEZuLB-wabG5a5prHZvJe3FmbHITGJL8/s1600/IMG_0334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKSfXnXNZn-UoDs2t6Pj_NSgsgENNXNds5zy8STgay2hY5p3u4ME1ujNapXOxXQ8DM9pegyd7DrG8xUc3hyphenhyphenk6JMdidmDHgnpbvL2o1a0KlftwEZuLB-wabG5a5prHZvJe3FmbHITGJL8/s640/IMG_0334.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="font-size: 100%; clear: both; text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5IyoxNsmFAJ4FvHGl41nFFrhMnxJUxozuREIOpBbgww_8f48FA1ch1bmG5hhb0M24sRQhOzeSCIAhKxdlqDO2i_YLc6kW74pwKzDuspgiFYO44Ma8pacP_EhPyjf0jLqIfMkKUqz_EI/s1600/IMG_0335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5IyoxNsmFAJ4FvHGl41nFFrhMnxJUxozuREIOpBbgww_8f48FA1ch1bmG5hhb0M24sRQhOzeSCIAhKxdlqDO2i_YLc6kW74pwKzDuspgiFYO44Ma8pacP_EhPyjf0jLqIfMkKUqz_EI/s640/IMG_0335.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 100%; text-align: left; "><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="line-height: 20px; ">Note the weird stains on it.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="line-height: 20px;">Some quick work with a utility knife, and the offending curled up laminate was history:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXTe35zEClo3mpuinfroy7oO_0OawRHJ4po2qfSoKxYPfw9y5gzUp00NsLyTqbU2WIJynNxOKNZcqCMBh7Fwqxl_hdFwsIhq55ruR-H4oAL5wTbq_nmJRLAGLr44hfo7uLdRiiDKrrCw/s1600/IMG_0336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXTe35zEClo3mpuinfroy7oO_0OawRHJ4po2qfSoKxYPfw9y5gzUp00NsLyTqbU2WIJynNxOKNZcqCMBh7Fwqxl_hdFwsIhq55ruR-H4oAL5wTbq_nmJRLAGLr44hfo7uLdRiiDKrrCw/s640/IMG_0336.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="line-height: 20px;">A few days earlier, I had advised my parents on what they would need to purchase in order for me to help them out. That list included the stick tile vinyl flooring for this very room. I lugged it from the back of a car and got to work:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKvRLmFM1tJq77YXuruf_MR1kCV-UTB7Dg0GIFjG6xz3I0kzL20zrydO5NvfaSMc9IMp-6ltDPZZMbtT-R8UPzc8EzLR29eQMs1lXra38UGUidx9zuOSwnLs6v5ppGQ_b9uC_ZzVJLus/s1600/IMG_0347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKvRLmFM1tJq77YXuruf_MR1kCV-UTB7Dg0GIFjG6xz3I0kzL20zrydO5NvfaSMc9IMp-6ltDPZZMbtT-R8UPzc8EzLR29eQMs1lXra38UGUidx9zuOSwnLs6v5ppGQ_b9uC_ZzVJLus/s640/IMG_0347.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="line-height: 20px;">After waaaay too much time spent (cutting vinyl tiles to fit around a toilet is really difficult and time consuming), the floor was finished up:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; "></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCX9LA59WXApQqE4Og1xCWc-hoDTZNbm7yP9sYRzgny8Z_W0E_9LmHjYldBST-0-qSzXqNqn4R9tkz77YUw3lRE_JXhxFixd8Yc2VPj_Yo95gz-A5qp-Cmybjh5uA5Si3hUvJf6-F-7M/s1600/IMG_0348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCX9LA59WXApQqE4Og1xCWc-hoDTZNbm7yP9sYRzgny8Z_W0E_9LmHjYldBST-0-qSzXqNqn4R9tkz77YUw3lRE_JXhxFixd8Yc2VPj_Yo95gz-A5qp-Cmybjh5uA5Si3hUvJf6-F-7M/s640/IMG_0348.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="line-height: 20px;">Much better.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="line-height: 20px;">All that was left was to run a bead of caulking around the entire room the next day:</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnj23VMliN_RyKLGsvPMbpL8irIR2DoboLoVs7Et3U-YAGtsNJSadf6lp4UE9uzBOROYzjyzLL43ec07OIUJwe0fitJeYZjv6Z4uQIaUPBc6xC8UaN_G43ixM-0wr7z1oy_bTgMu_uWNU/s1600/IMG_0350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnj23VMliN_RyKLGsvPMbpL8irIR2DoboLoVs7Et3U-YAGtsNJSadf6lp4UE9uzBOROYzjyzLL43ec07OIUJwe0fitJeYZjv6Z4uQIaUPBc6xC8UaN_G43ixM-0wr7z1oy_bTgMu_uWNU/s640/IMG_0350.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left; "><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><span style="line-height: 20px; ">In the Exciting Conclusion of An Extended Week of Hard Work Just not at Any Properties That I Own: more of the same, just in a different room.</span></span></div>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-4901102018339950302012-03-13T12:37:00.000-04:002012-03-13T12:37:16.856-04:00Part 1 - An Extended Weekend of Hard Work......Just not at Any Properties That I Own.<br />
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In a pretty incredible turn of events, my parents, who have lived within a drivable-in-one-hour radius since their births, are moving to Nashville, Tennessee. In other words, they pretty much haven't left New Hampshire/Southern Maine, ever. Now they will be packing up and moving to the South. Holy mackerel. <br />
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In order to do this, they need to sell their house. In order to sell their house, they need to bring it back to "desirable for someone else" level. It hasn't been at that level for some time.<br />
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Because of their needs, I flew up to Manchester, NH, then was driven to New Durham, NH on Wednesday night, prepared to do a bunch of work. Here is said work:<br />
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Second Floor Bathroom<br />
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About a year and a half ago or so, my mom saw a chip in the paint in the ceiling. Instead of patching that chip, then repainting over that patch, she decided to broaden the chip by attempting to remove everything on that ceiling, down to the Sheetrock. Seriously. <br />
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Over many days of scraping, here's where the ceiling had "progressed" to by the time I was home to help out:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNHiuz0ViG_Ko441CDqJ0oGeuPsZDTaU6jtwMu2uTfeBee9iMDjksDCgE0pnKfm1re5vWlkZMv7N1TmctdBjTRo0QOlEIIOOQWfODkYD_wXCnK7dOChjc3FKoFs1f7ulkT863UP7zyKw/s1600/IMG_0328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNHiuz0ViG_Ko441CDqJ0oGeuPsZDTaU6jtwMu2uTfeBee9iMDjksDCgE0pnKfm1re5vWlkZMv7N1TmctdBjTRo0QOlEIIOOQWfODkYD_wXCnK7dOChjc3FKoFs1f7ulkT863UP7zyKw/s640/IMG_0328.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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And a closeup of the stubborn, unchippable ceiling coverings:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGV_M-JMDAHsoyCx1Y496rDoD-Co2ETkpK0qgqGih8yQunkA8FJMS2LRXmxRT8HNTr0H7bv2zahpb0YX61V6GYmTHOKBOJ2KyFPfYd9bqqYDhbxsEovc96H1F4eRZIAlTBZRoG47FdJrg/s1600/IMG_0329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGV_M-JMDAHsoyCx1Y496rDoD-Co2ETkpK0qgqGih8yQunkA8FJMS2LRXmxRT8HNTr0H7bv2zahpb0YX61V6GYmTHOKBOJ2KyFPfYd9bqqYDhbxsEovc96H1F4eRZIAlTBZRoG47FdJrg/s640/IMG_0329.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The only real solution to this horrible ceiling problem was to take a bucket or two of joint compound, and "skim coat" the ceiling in its entirety. In other words, cover the ceiling in a thin layer of joint compound in order to match the 'depth' of the remaining ceiling covering.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77M6lbDckX-jCUGoUiyFuzDNMQIlgtFgkJvFrObY7q-k9UTVO2EvekTtsHKC8YzIUVzQamgXuEQL60TiNaJDx0hm5hjlykQ3I3qw0PCPXkP86aY5ngBSXtMJlojZsOMSyTR_wMpVD3yU/s1600/IMG_0330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77M6lbDckX-jCUGoUiyFuzDNMQIlgtFgkJvFrObY7q-k9UTVO2EvekTtsHKC8YzIUVzQamgXuEQL60TiNaJDx0hm5hjlykQ3I3qw0PCPXkP86aY5ngBSXtMJlojZsOMSyTR_wMpVD3yU/s640/IMG_0330.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Note: The compound goes on pink, and dries white. It's very helpful.</div>
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Once dry, time for a second coat in some spots:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFbN3UY4jwYOElQ8U85sWyiHSSzDuGin_mnGM8A_3d7Jp7xCdWECr-iRPpTrl1pF_o-JxBHO7QK0M_SHI22lnAFQy-XIhjiYr50oHc9VD_8rnh-wWljSU13yJxlkYIzKEtUM27Uhdouo/s1600/IMG_0338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFbN3UY4jwYOElQ8U85sWyiHSSzDuGin_mnGM8A_3d7Jp7xCdWECr-iRPpTrl1pF_o-JxBHO7QK0M_SHI22lnAFQy-XIhjiYr50oHc9VD_8rnh-wWljSU13yJxlkYIzKEtUM27Uhdouo/s640/IMG_0338.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once the entire ceiling was coated, imperfections were patched with a second coat, and everything was dry, it was time to sand. Ugh.</div>
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Sanding a ceiling is terrible work. Human arms are generally not engineered to be above the head over long periods of time. Making things worse is the constant pushing and moving on said arm. On top of that, there is a constant rain of joint compound particulate matter covering everything in sight. To combat the rain, and make cleanup (not of the particulate, but from the messy gunshot wound from the attempted suicide mid-project) a bit easier:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaNwMgtN7JG6QW9pybn4EnJXCUnFfFpS83HE03FauLMUzCSPEgUY0NYK1jsWXGcYPwhqzcP-DBeBU0meUKZsNvPmhSOBTsh2uKkA6VYEf9tFIhWc3pY61KzYp1oAoFQRjekio8tnAzG0/s1600/IMG_0339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaNwMgtN7JG6QW9pybn4EnJXCUnFfFpS83HE03FauLMUzCSPEgUY0NYK1jsWXGcYPwhqzcP-DBeBU0meUKZsNvPmhSOBTsh2uKkA6VYEf9tFIhWc3pY61KzYp1oAoFQRjekio8tnAzG0/s640/IMG_0339.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After sanding (and expert gunshot wound repair):</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQA5O96LWkzBkqdhpdW4w45m7X8YQRT7GDqD7Ut9AEM-kW0WfKkWeuX_EVqTCJ7QHwliSozy3eUs7joOcXggP49WiwG6f48Y_rXltr7EcbJoOzM9e8JUVBm_DS2IefIA1kVqZYAhXD7Q/s1600/IMG_0342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQA5O96LWkzBkqdhpdW4w45m7X8YQRT7GDqD7Ut9AEM-kW0WfKkWeuX_EVqTCJ7QHwliSozy3eUs7joOcXggP49WiwG6f48Y_rXltr7EcbJoOzM9e8JUVBm_DS2IefIA1kVqZYAhXD7Q/s640/IMG_0342.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I have no idea what's on the TV behind me in that image, but it looks just impossible to watch.</div>
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Once everything was sanded, the project end was nearing. Time to paint, and use painter's tape:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXVIOGVjuldsXkpDH5JV2CqG-wBGxj8ZeuHwoJUOgBtMZG5iixcIAnKJxOXKljw0WyVelpQzQvEXbMbhTJdxm-RuTRO5oEyCTMHpXMrROw6gBoxpTD3GGJxX8M2LaVXYNWoZhxhP3Hbk/s1600/IMG_0345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXVIOGVjuldsXkpDH5JV2CqG-wBGxj8ZeuHwoJUOgBtMZG5iixcIAnKJxOXKljw0WyVelpQzQvEXbMbhTJdxm-RuTRO5oEyCTMHpXMrROw6gBoxpTD3GGJxX8M2LaVXYNWoZhxhP3Hbk/s640/IMG_0345.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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All finished:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtPl2G7yvA8h2CKsP6LCNtmLceV6xU5RpPOJPL6HCNoVn5F6NFF34h0hlragN-fWTmqyqMtQIU7ShyphenhyphenJF6W3u9FTGKwJIkm_6v-Oldm9KkGKcyoVHymUSlV50FGQHLc9rqcoSOPnPlmBw/s1600/IMG_0346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtPl2G7yvA8h2CKsP6LCNtmLceV6xU5RpPOJPL6HCNoVn5F6NFF34h0hlragN-fWTmqyqMtQIU7ShyphenhyphenJF6W3u9FTGKwJIkm_6v-Oldm9KkGKcyoVHymUSlV50FGQHLc9rqcoSOPnPlmBw/s640/IMG_0346.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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not to self-horn-toot, but it looks way better then when I began, seventy three hours prior to this being taken. Just kidding. But it did take a long time.</div>
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Next time? The floor in that very same room was replaced. STAY TUNED!</div>
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<br />Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-90493411588370218222012-02-23T12:35:00.006-05:002012-02-23T12:36:55.297-05:00That Other Wall<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">So, as usual, it's been awhile since I've written. You should be used to this by now. I've been super busy at work, readying the small website I work on for a living, for a significant financial event. My work has been completed for said event, and I now have some time on my hands, as I will not being doing much work until next Monday. Hooray.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Sadly, with all this free time, I will not be able to fill it with rambling blog-posts a plenty. I haven't really done much to the house aside from painting another potentially-baby-terrifying skeleton on a wall. This is that skeleton:</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BsSonwU_PChOntvCdlcnBf-KopzXIAZ6y11wQvbPZawb1LdnXjPwwt-sKBq_Jl8XCM0OAdaHWVq5ZeWMC321d3x55CITzGPEZpR95NGGndK_9aLYdpqRKcqw-wGaUbwylKFdixJARnU/s1600/Tyran-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4BsSonwU_PChOntvCdlcnBf-KopzXIAZ6y11wQvbPZawb1LdnXjPwwt-sKBq_Jl8XCM0OAdaHWVq5ZeWMC321d3x55CITzGPEZpR95NGGndK_9aLYdpqRKcqw-wGaUbwylKFdixJARnU/s640/Tyran-01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-30267805209055220712012-01-30T13:02:00.001-05:002012-01-30T13:02:20.789-05:00Finally, some work.<p>It’s been about 14 years since I last wrote.  I’ve had nothing really to write about, as work on the house has slowed to a super crawl.  We’re saving up money for a kitchen.  These things take time.</p> <p>Since my last post, however, life has changed a bit for us.  Not in any major way (yet), but slightly.  Our house renovation priorities have shifted a bit, as we’re going to have a tiny, mucous slinging, pants pooping, scream production plant moving in with us.</p> <p>In April, Amanda will probably give birth to a miniature male human Topham.  Big mistake.</p> <p>In light of this development, we’ve started to make some alterations to our guest room to become our permanent crying guest room.  Getting some furniture (thanks parents) and repainting the room has already happened (lighter blue three walls, flat grey/blue one wall).  You will likely see the proverbial fruits of that labor shortly.  Over this last weekend, however, we got cracking making it into an actual kid’s room.</p> <p>Please keep in mind when reading the rest of this, and looking at the images, that we’d like our offspring to be a man of science, rather than a man of cutesy boring stuff.  The following is a decent head start, but will likely do almost nothing in slowing the cutesy boring stuff train post-birth.</p> <p>Instead of buying pictures and stuff like that, we decided to paint a big stencil on the wall(s).  Since we both like dorky science stuff, we thought dinosaurs would be appropriate for a boys room, as they are generally awesome.  in attempting to find some images to steal and edit, we didn’t really find anything that we liked.  On Friday evening, knowing that we were going to start working on the stencils this the next day, we continued our image search hoping to find something usable.  </p> <p>We didn’t find anything that we really liked, only a few things that we found acceptable, when I had the epiphany of using dinosaur skeletons instead of fleshed and skinned cartoon or rendered dinosaurs.  It was a great idea. </p> <p>We found some cool skeletons to use, I edited them a little bit in Photoshop and we get them printed out.  Here is the first example, expertly printed by our friends over at Office Max (I don’t own a printer):</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yGhlwg_v9nY/TybbEGcIFeI/AAAAAAAACS4/3NMNoy8NFB8/s1600-h/Bronto-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Bronto-01" border="0" alt="Bronto-01" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2hsefXWlv_U/TybbEWBCU1I/AAAAAAAACTA/AFJlSX6XGPU/Bronto-01_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Stepping back a bit, the way that I usually stencil things is to print out a giant image (usually on many pieces of paper), cut out the stencil from said paper, tape it to whatever it is that I want to paint it on, and paint.  Since our walls are textured (because the house was built in the 80s, which were terrible), my usual way of painting would prove impossible, as I wouldn’t be able to get a crisp line, since the stencil would be off of the wall in some spots, allowing paint to seep behind it.</p> <p>Amanda had the semi-genius idea to procure a small projector from her workplace.  She got said projector:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fGcT1vxwezY/TybbE3fYwrI/AAAAAAAACTI/PQXTUK19Z4s/s1600-h/Bronto-02%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Bronto-02" border="0" alt="Bronto-02" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FsKeo5qnc9A/TybbFcjQkvI/AAAAAAAACTQ/SfEMFjedL6I/Bronto-02_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>We put the printout (regular letter size) under the project, darkened the room, and displayed the image on the wall.  We lined it all up and Amanda got to tracing:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MfezaLI7_uY/TybbG0VtATI/AAAAAAAACTY/EZiwWAyf9RI/s1600-h/Bronto-03%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Bronto-03" border="0" alt="Bronto-03" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KFMLJnbfcTg/TybbHYLPePI/AAAAAAAACTg/L1-jhtMoO5M/Bronto-03_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>The fun part about the tracing was how small the projector was.  It only showed some of the picture, not all of it.  Amanda had the pleasure of attempting to line up everything she had traced after moving the projector to accommodate the larger than its input printout.  I’m sure it was a joyous chore.</p> <p>She persevered, and once penciled, it was up to me to fill in this with paint:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ci1_w4mcuF0/TybbI4req-I/AAAAAAAACTo/wsW9WDZiVvI/s1600-h/Bronto-04%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Bronto-04" border="0" alt="Bronto-04" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-INm0wFwMDQc/TybbJNDNBpI/AAAAAAAACTw/5trduZWa_7g/Bronto-04_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>To say the the process was painstaking would be pretty accurate.  I had three different sized paint brushes to use and had to trace out and fill in all kinds of weird shapes.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3bKeTjn_bw8/TybbJmhndlI/AAAAAAAACT4/2Mxa3GdX83Q/s1600-h/Bronto-05%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Bronto-05" border="0" alt="Bronto-05" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-opYLmTbjVHU/TybbJ1RFdJI/AAAAAAAACUA/gDnGM2m2yV0/Bronto-05_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>The above took me probably two and a half hours to do.  As you can clearly see, it wasn’t all that close to being finished.  After another two and a half hours of painting, the brontosaurus skeleton that will surely scare our offspring at some point on a stormy night was completed:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-BugaPTgypPE/TybbKF7KynI/AAAAAAAACUI/ZclwLKML2MU/s1600-h/Bronto-06%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Bronto-06" border="0" alt="Bronto-06" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-HOLTZkKYCwM/TybbKqc7FjI/AAAAAAAACUU/EHfaKcX9XP0/Bronto-06_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Amanda also traced out a Tyrannosaur skeleton on a different wall, but I will pain that one a little later on, when I have five hours of free time.</p> <p>Admittedly, a stencil of a dinosaur’s bones on a kid’s wall might be a terrible idea.  It could conceivably terrify the child every night.  Amanda and I are banking on the fact that since a baby has no prior experience with anything at all (aside from complete darkness, cramped spaces inside a uterus and muffled noises), he will have no frame of reference for what is and is not scary.  Once the kid is old enough to have developed that frame of reference, we likely won’t live in this house any longer and the stencil would have long bee painted over.</p> <p>At any rate, I think it looks super awesome, so that little imp can stuff it.</p> Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-12130597506614711422011-11-09T16:33:00.002-05:002011-11-09T16:36:24.508-05:00He’s Back. And Probably Gone Again.<p>So a little while ago, I got a phone call from a number that I didn’t recognize, aside from the area code. It was from Rhode Island. Since I never answer my phone if I don’t know who’s calling, I let it ring and hoped that the caller would leave me a voicemail.</p> <p>Boy did they.</p> <p>I called my mailbox and was greeted by the automated voicemail woman letting me know that I had one new voicemail. No duh. The message finally began. It was, ahem, Crazy. Jeff. Doors.</p> <p>I was elated. </p> <p>He started off the message by saying, “Hey Ryan, this is Jeff. You know, the guy who you think burned down your house.” I cracked up. It turns out that he was calling to let me know that there is a building “as big as an entire block” for sale in Providence for 60 grand. He thought that I should buy it. He also asked if I had any work for him. He said that in a much less concise way, but no matter.</p> <p>Amanda looked at me funny, I relayed the message, and more importantly who it was from, and got to texting. below is out exchange, verbatim:</p> <p><strong>Ryan:</strong> Hey Jeff. Thanks for the heads up. We don’t think you burned anything; that’s crazy. We moved out of RI, so unless you want to drive to Texas, I probably don’t have any work for you.</p> <p><strong>Jeff’s Reply:</strong> TEXAS. ALL THERE IS IS STEERS N QUEERS AN I DON’T SEE ANY HORNS ON U BOY.</p> <p>Awesome. That’s the Jeff I know and have a hard time dealing with.</p> <p><strong>Jeff’s Second, Unsolicited Reply:</strong> I’m glad you guys are Happy. God Bless. Im doing well. My case just settled in Federal. Have to wait until Feb to receive CAPITOL THEN this Slave State will find a way to suck it all back. but my quality of life will be much better. ROSIE DIED 4 13 11. She was very sick. Im good n on my own n my SAVIOR LOOKS OUT FOR ME. AS ALWAYS. PEACE.</p> <p>Holy moly. So much unwanted information in a <em>text message</em>. The best part of it all is the fact that I had, and still have, no idea what he is talking about in most of it. Rosie, who is dead, was the giant woman who would sit in the car while he worked at my house(s). The rest of it? No idea. The random capitalization? What case? Should I know what he’s talking about? I don’t care. I loved it.</p> <p>I sent back an ‘I’m sorry to hear that’ text and that was that.</p> <p>Jeff is awesome. I really hope that he calls me again someday.</p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-45537913246582908622011-10-12T15:04:00.002-04:002011-10-13T10:45:41.198-04:00My Job Is Crazy Right Now<p>I work all of the time. It stinks. This will be short.</p> <p>Over the last few weeks, I’ve torn out some carpeting, laid some more laminate floor covering, painted some things, put up some lights, installed some ceiling fans and entertained a visitor. And worked a lot.</p> <p>Here’s a short photo essay of the floor project. Before, for reminding:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGajTJkLzgqmL6quYLIQbWyTi2Scjlfm6Rlpq-gIvwU5xjdxLyfCEs5RCjk2wWP-1eHdwatklIcpkM6RwF-yVwBhvQpIPs58LP_fam9ycLIu2A0Z7bw-3vC5HUE3S5ah_aEDqQgWYFcvI/s1600-h/Master-Floor-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Floor-01" alt="Master-Floor-01" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Kvvb1g_L9cQ/TpXkj3AlDdI/AAAAAAAACMc/W3XXzO87SQc/Master-Floor-01_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" border="0" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-kxAaXlkc8Fg/TpXkkXVD_xI/AAAAAAAACMk/JlYjtFdiylk/s1600-h/Master-Floor-02%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Floor-02" alt="Master-Floor-02" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7LRMm0dksyahyphenhyphen3ZGlv2ZjIdHkZmlEbXXDG3p8cjE2s0bdUT-YTNiajfDpQ05XXriwdCLWNqzILngUKvsoovhPwdhHZacBghyE-LeBWCduBTP28AyXro2kj_MZlHxd8ferJ530QWMrKsI/?imgmax=800" width="1028" border="0" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Mid carpet removal (with fun dog stains):</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1GLLK0ZXeT8/TpXklRDvRGI/AAAAAAAACM0/GXoKnmMJB1s/s1600-h/Master-Floor-03%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Floor-03" alt="Master-Floor-03" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-xdoWeNyWgMw/TpXklwNNtcI/AAAAAAAACM8/COZI3hAgEDA/Master-Floor-03_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" border="0" height="772" /></a></p> <p>This is how much the previous owners’ dogs liked to dig:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-pR2337Yhevs/TpXkmKwWbZI/AAAAAAAACNE/7Ki_wte7epI/s1600-h/Master-Floor-04%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Floor-04" alt="Master-Floor-04" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Ijfh2zq9aJ4/TpXkml4cqlI/AAAAAAAACNM/Sn3u7eoc_jM/Master-Floor-04_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" border="0" height="772" /></a></p> <p>Once the chewed up padding was gone, trim and carpet tack removal began (and ended with a pile of trim):</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-bvDbQgnhNDA/TpXkm1sDJdI/AAAAAAAACNU/6zJi9D0y8s0/s1600-h/Master-Floor-05%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Floor-05" alt="Master-Floor-05" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-MbILTemhr-4/TpXknfhW8MI/AAAAAAAACNc/jgAplYyfXCs/Master-Floor-05_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" border="0" height="772" /></a></p> <p>Aside - The fun part about this project was just throwing everything out of the window onto the ground. Carpets and padding crushed the crappy and dead bushes in the front of the house, and the trim/wood/nails went into the garbage can I dragged under the window. It’s really oddly satisfying to throw things out of a window. I recommend it. – Aside over.</p> <p>After cleaning up, I discovered this. A terrible thing to read on something that you walk on all of the time (it says “Replace”):</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-IZ-1dgPT9rY/TpXkn951x3I/AAAAAAAACNk/YaV4Kt5tkwg/s1600-h/Master-Floor-06%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Floor-06" alt="Master-Floor-06" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-L4yop7j8AC8/TpXkogLOJ6I/AAAAAAAACNs/KoGFDce-m7k/Master-Floor-06_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" border="0" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Undeterred, I moved onto the next step. Since the floor in the bedroom is really, super extra uneven, I had to improvise a shim system made from paint stir sticks pilfered from Home Depot:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-HqYuhZTOLo8/TpXkpEktX7I/AAAAAAAACN0/1JXMZtM8baY/s1600-h/Master-Floor-07%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Floor-07" alt="Master-Floor-07" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ddZ_bevQKSE/TpXkpfbFBjI/AAAAAAAACN8/3nNgCb_YDJg/Master-Floor-07_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" border="0" height="772" /></a></p> <p>Not too bad. Once properly shimmed and semi-level, it was underlayment time:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-P1T_HyC3V94/TpXkpxLIh3I/AAAAAAAACOE/EiYcrovX5VM/s1600-h/Master-Floor-08%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Floor-08" alt="Master-Floor-08" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsn2RzzVJ-pMLtnpormoZlsri6edBXpzRBejYeOHr2xigsu6n_Tszyqtyzsp_OsQ-g13vcMLUArHyukIbi51Ux5WhC2dTHUYmC-zf19rcDSdsoxrJ_x4RyWptCtKYGU3f5HP6WHTyHCA/?imgmax=800" width="1028" border="0" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Underlayment down, I spent the next several hours interlocking engineers fake wood boards:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Ci4bAEANa20/TpXkqhnXLUI/AAAAAAAACOU/GYkmOxzTY9A/s1600-h/Master-Floor-09%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Floor-09" alt="Master-Floor-09" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dvwf-WqAuDU/TpXkrFkF13I/AAAAAAAACOc/IIerthAUJPo/Master-Floor-09_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" border="0" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Luckily, I wasn’t able to finish, as I ran out of boards. I needed maybe five more to be finished. Crap:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-XewiaM2lt64/TpXkrjdRsuI/AAAAAAAACOk/bKrqCXUWxrs/s1600-h/Master-Floor-10%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Floor-10" alt="Master-Floor-10" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_2KeASUYPIg/TpXksOaHXZI/AAAAAAAACOs/50afGaM0-G8/Master-Floor-10_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" border="0" height="687" /></a></p> <p>The floor still looks like that, weeks later. I have purchased one more box of flooring, since I purchased it, I’ve been to a wedding one weekend and it’s rained the other weekend, not to mention that I work all of the time now. I hope to finish up this weekend, along with baseboard trim, but who knows?</p> <p>Another weekend, my father-in-law came to visit us. Here’s what his room looked like when he came:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Ig8WJF53w2w/TpXksVLYKeI/AAAAAAAACO0/ANgzooFVz3U/s1600-h/Mr-Stotzer-Bedroom-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Mr-Stotzer-Bedroom-01" alt="Mr-Stotzer-Bedroom-01" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dt1sfH96Oz0/TpXks4GYLjI/AAAAAAAACO8/YAlb0m4IzYE/Mr-Stotzer-Bedroom-01_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" border="0" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ZsOujfuBLUY/TpXktcFtmlI/AAAAAAAACPE/a8lTQ82vKWE/s1600-h/Mr-Stotzer-Bedroom-02%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Mr-Stotzer-Bedroom-02" alt="Mr-Stotzer-Bedroom-02" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-joegdK9PoLo/TpXktpKv-YI/AAAAAAAACPM/ecjgWAqBeMU/Mr-Stotzer-Bedroom-02_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" border="0" height="687" /></a></p> <p>It’s not quite all the way finished, but it was livable and is almost all the way finished.</p> <p>More fun to come someday, but don’t count on it, as I’m working a lot. It should die down a bit after Monday, so I may be able to write more often, but again, no promises. The next big project is the kitchen remodel, but that might be a month or so away, as kitchens are expensive as all heck.</p>Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-39118588731719871382011-09-26T12:19:00.001-04:002011-09-26T12:19:14.330-04:00My Wrist Is Different<p>In that it is getting worse, rather than has been surgically repaired.</p> <p>So at about 4:45pm on the Thursday before my scheduled wrist surgery (which you can read about a few posts ago), I got a phone call from the folks who would be doing the surgery.  They told me that my insurance wouldn’t cover it until July of 2012.</p> <p>Sweet.</p> <p>I asked why my insurance wouldn’t cover it and they replied that since I injured my wrist months ago, before I was insured by Blue Cross of Central Texas, they considered it a pre-existing condition, which isn’t covered in my apparently terrible health plan.  Not to worry though, as the folks who would be doing the surgery assured me that they would still love for me to come in at the scheduled time to get the surgery anyways.</p> <p>This tickled me a bit.</p> <p>Expecting hilarity, I asked them how much this would cost me, were I to still have the surgery.</p> <p>The woman on the phone assured me that they gave heavy discounts for certain types of payment.  She went on to explain that if I chose to pay by credit card or personal check (what?), they would extend a whopping 65% discount.</p> <p>I immediately asked what the price would be.</p> <p>She again explained that the discount is significant and refused to actually quote the price after the discount.</p> <p>I asked once again what the out of pocket cost for crazy wrist surgery is.</p> <p>She explained the discount again and finally divulged the after-discount price:</p> <p>Just over $8,800.</p> <p>I laughed at her and told her that there was no way that I would pay that amount of money the next day.</p> <p>She assured me that there was an even better discount if I chose to pay in another way.  I cut her off there and said something like, “is it going to be under a thousand dollars with this next incredible discount?”</p> <p>She laughed at me and replied, “no.”</p> <p>I thanked her for her time and terrible news and let her know that unless it was under $1,000, there was absolutely no chance of me showing up on time for my scheduled surgery.  I regret not having listened to the next incredible discount, but whatever, I didn’t want to waste anymore time.</p> <p>In summation, I can’t get surgery until next July.  I have called multiple times to find out if there is anything I can do, but apparently once you get rejected by your insurance company, your surgeon refuses to call you back to discuss things.</p> <p>Update tomorrow coming.  I haven’t done too much to the house since I last wrote, as we had a visitor over one of the two weekends, but I took a few pictures and will share them.</p> Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-2925238089096745572011-09-08T13:59:00.001-04:002011-09-08T13:59:11.615-04:00Labor Weekend Weekend Part II<p>So, when I last wrote, I had removed all of the carpets from the second floor.  What happens to all of these carpets and carpet pads once they’ve been removed?  They get thrown away to rot in a landfill for the next seventeen hundred years.  Go Earth!</p> <p>The reason that I tore out the carpets over the weekend was because the City of Austin was starting curbside pickup of bulk items.  I had spent the week before trying to find out if 750 square feet of carpet would be too bulky to be considered for bulk pick-up, and found out that the City of Austin would be happy to swing by and dispose of all of that garbage.  Awesome.</p> <p>Not awesome?  Dragging it all to the curb.  Here’s the pile of garbage that came out of this fun project (and the living room project):</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-DaLMBg698Z8/TmkCY1OpNHI/AAAAAAAACLs/FqHYPkYEyEg/s1600-h/Floor-Trim-10%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Floor-Trim-10" border="0" alt="Floor-Trim-10" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tKgjhriMpWo/TmkCZEbr7eI/AAAAAAAACLw/-IZ7_TwosDg/Floor-Trim-10_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a></p> <p>I sweat a lot.  A fun thing I learned?  When lugging hundreds of pounds of awkward tubes of carpet  thirty feet to the curb, it’s a good idea to wear long sleeves.  I was in short sleeves.  Here’s what one of my arms looked like afterwards:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-W2BZ7TAOq1g/TmkCZRoy-KI/AAAAAAAACL0/awJr99iQk9c/s1600-h/Floor-Trim-11%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Floor-Trim-11" border="0" alt="Floor-Trim-11" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-RgUJCEKQTRQ/TmkCZpOqghI/AAAAAAAACL4/En7JdevyG5Y/Floor-Trim-11_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a></p> <p>That’s either from rough, scratchy undersides of carpeting or some flesh eating thing.  I still have forearm skin, so it’s probably a few tens of scratches from the undersides of discarded carpeting.</p> <p>I have since healed.</p> <p>Also done during the weekend, with the help of Amanda and her super brain:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0hckS0VCIrY/TmkCZ93lM-I/AAAAAAAACL8/HWCyO96AQDU/s1600-h/New-Carpet-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="New-Carpet-01" border="0" alt="New-Carpet-01" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mjLORXR125E/TmkCaM-D6NI/AAAAAAAACMA/WLMaWRrHxsE/New-Carpet-01_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>There is not one good looking ceiling fan in the entire world.  Why is that?</p> <p>Fun fact from the dismantling of an old and mantling of a new ceiling fan: I had to modify the mounting bracket because it was too big for the electrical box.  This thing will come crashing down at some point.  how is that not universal?  Was it universal when the house was built and they have since changed the universe?</p> <p>Sigh.</p> <p>Another fun fact: It took a long time to put up (since I had to modify the mounting bracket and kind of ghetto rig it thereafter) the fan.  Once Amanda and I had put it up, I flipped the breakers back on and turned on the fan.  Nothing happened.  I swore many times over and over.  I was preparing to re-wire it when Amanda said, “did you turn the fan itself on?”  I had not.  I turned it one and miraculously, the fan began to spin.</p> <p>I gave Amanda a wet smooch.  She is a genius.</p> <p>To wrap it up, yesterday, we got carpets installed.  For four hours yesterday afternoon, horrifying ranchero style music of Mexico was echoing throughout the house.  My blood pressure rose.  I put up with it though, as the folks who were installing the carpet were listening to it.  Here are some of the results:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YVoc8ESJkXw/TmkCakzDWiI/AAAAAAAACME/wdPj0Ovxp7E/s1600-h/New-Carpet-02%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="New-Carpet-02" border="0" alt="New-Carpet-02" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-V7jO1DGVzns/TmkCa3QptQI/AAAAAAAACMI/S4pMz4S8Fy4/New-Carpet-02_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DGsoTa8BV9A/TmkCbd2RquI/AAAAAAAACMM/f7PdZyBx41A/s1600-h/New-Carpet-03%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="New-Carpet-03" border="0" alt="New-Carpet-03" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-heMjqqmg1f4/TmkCbpZpYEI/AAAAAAAACMQ/2h2BGV6o7ws/New-Carpet-03_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a></p> <p>It was also put in the office and Mr. Stotzer’s Bedroom.  I hope he enjoys it.</p> <p>For the observant among you, you may notice the nice paint-less bald spot on the wall in the upper right of that last picture.  You can clearly see the outer limits of my reach with a paint roller.  It will eventually be painted, I promise.</p> <p>This might be the last post for a little while, as I am having my ruined right wrist surgically repaired.  Or at least worked on.</p> Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-65769121372489535322011-09-06T16:02:00.001-04:002011-09-06T16:02:39.062-04:00Labor Weekend Weekend<p>I labored all weekend, instead of just one of the days of the long weekend.</p> <p>In this post, I will go over hours and hours of work and make it seem like it didn’t take hours and hours.</p> <p>Two weekends ago, I started in on the process of putting some baseboard trim up in the living room.  Since I had destroyed it all when I took out the old flooring, the trim was in real need of replacement.  I measured the room and realized that I needed over 80 feet of trim to do the job.  Holy moly.</p> <p>I bought what I needed, including some paint, and then, painted:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uhU7zY--nEs/TmZ8TtUPzPI/AAAAAAAACKw/U6yoeaQ8-gw/s1600-h/Floor-Trim-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Floor-Trim-01" border="0" alt="Floor-Trim-01" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vFvNLUy-hUc/TmZ8UMGhzgI/AAAAAAAACK0/6NoESGhghF8/Floor-Trim-01_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>That’s a lot of trim.  Also, the giant deck we purchased along with the house makes a great workshop.</p> <p>once the trim had two coats of paint and had dried, I got to measuring, cutting and gluing the trim to the bottom of the wall.  Kind of tedious, but overall pretty easy.  Not bad looking when it was finished either:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-udEzJqLgJNI/TmZ8UJYiG0I/AAAAAAAACK4/LlG89SF3NfA/s1600-h/Floor-Trim-02%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Floor-Trim-02" border="0" alt="Floor-Trim-02" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PwmClOElcYk/TmZ8USfDKsI/AAAAAAAACK8/8pHCxUjvqgM/Floor-Trim-02_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Admittedly, I kind of slacked two weekends ago.  Although, the trim took awhile, I could have worked harder.</p> <p>Labor Day Weekend, which ended yesterday, I worked much harder.  The hardest of the hard work, was tearing out the carpets on the stairs, the second floor hallway and the two guest bedrooms.  It was terrible.  To give you an idea of how gross these carpets were, here’s the underside of a carpet that sat within the closet of the guest room.  Please keep in mind while viewing this carpet that it lived in a closet.  A closet.  Please extrapolate after viewing and digesting how gross it was how gross actual higher traffic areas’ carpeting was.  This carpet is in a closet:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pIwoJNIlMnA/TmZ8UiSkQvI/AAAAAAAACLA/rXOtBW6zOtI/s1600-h/Floor-Trim-05%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Floor-Trim-05" border="0" alt="Floor-Trim-05" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3D3-uKg9vdk/TmZ8U-rVwzI/AAAAAAAACLE/0Yp-GzntTXQ/Floor-Trim-05_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a></p> <p>That’s in a closet.</p> <p>!</p> <p>So yea.  These carpets were just disgusting.</p> <p>After tearing out the carpets, I was left with, once again, a better looking carpet pad.  Certainly better looking than the disgusting carpets:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wOvOPNJVEkY/TmZ8VD2cd7I/AAAAAAAACLI/PcOUj0poZgI/s1600-h/Floor-Trim-06%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Floor-Trim-06" border="0" alt="Floor-Trim-06" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_ak7H2xOE7o/TmZ8ViRe_vI/AAAAAAAACLM/_Hd4lV_ZAwE/Floor-Trim-06_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>The easiest part of carpet removal, if the builders were cheap, is removing the padding.  You just roll it up.  Non-cheap builders actually glue the padding to the sub-floor, but luckily, 1984 builders were cheap.</p> <p>Carpet padding rolled up leaves a nice and dirty sub-floor:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiduL2FAVHVZY_8oDUayiiBcL7wRzTFB_7wZZvGkX7J1x13p-ACxqgDSzSTQe3Xi7TBUlb-_8yMhC6JPzxn8N-VFmATquizMjgAWbzDn6xdTmjVXyedKAivakeEbQsk5YTOrtlMvAG2Mlc/s1600-h/Floor-Trim-07%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Floor-Trim-07" border="0" alt="Floor-Trim-07" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-0WcJy88uawY/TmZ8WdcoazI/AAAAAAAACLU/0k_hSk0Hxd0/Floor-Trim-07_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Fun sub-flooring quirk:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WLG_jRrZVH8/TmZ8Wm6_o9I/AAAAAAAACLY/7vVlPvU4yMM/s1600-h/Floor-Trim-08%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Floor-Trim-08" border="0" alt="Floor-Trim-08" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0HU9GfGpPtM/TmZ8WybYGVI/AAAAAAAACLc/-gPXT-_8Z3A/Floor-Trim-08_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>That’s the floor in the office.  Quite the awesome difference in floor levels.  It’s like a step.  Nice work 1984 builders.</p> <p>To illustrate further how super gross these carpets, which are luckily removed now, were, I submit this:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-lMNzonIms8g/TmZ8XEmg-yI/AAAAAAAACLg/Keq1plALMjw/s1600-h/Floor-Trim-09%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Floor-Trim-09" border="0" alt="Floor-Trim-09" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mi4ymLgXc8Y/TmZ8Xj1-U_I/AAAAAAAACLk/xSsWmqCwGLI/Floor-Trim-09_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Take a look at that hard dirt line at the back of that stair.  The light color is the color that the carpeting used to be.  That filthy, darker hue is what the carpet color actually was (is).  So gross.</p> <p>Anyways, once I had removed all of the carpeting, it was time to paint the miles and miles of baseboard and door trim throughout the uncarpeted room and hallways.  Pictures to come… </p> Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-49982702461663321322011-08-26T10:33:00.001-04:002011-08-26T10:33:02.671-04:00Unrelated, but Awesome.<p>So, awhile back, while we were living in Puerto Rico, I wrote about the time I fell of of a motorized scooter and really messed up my wrist.  You can read <a href="http://ftflip.blogspot.com/2011/02/ones-dominant-wrist-has-quite-effect-on.html"><font color="#00ff00">all about it here</font></a>.</p> <p>Since returning to the Continental United States and entering the First World again, I’ve been to two orthopedists about it, as it’s still pretty messed up.  I wanted to share, with images, just how messed up it is.</p> <p>A few weeks ago, I set up an appointment with a local orthopedic surgeon.  He took a look, X-Rayed it and we looked at the results together.  The results were hilarious.  We looked at them and he basically said “since it’s healed up like this, any surgery to fix it would be major and probably not worth it.  He did say, and I saw, that it was super broken and he would have operated on it the day I came in, were he the doctor in Puerto Rico.</p> <p>You may recall wheat the doctor in Puerto Rico said to me, “it’s not broken”.  </p> <p>The fact was, and I guess still is, it was super extra broken.  Really mangled.</p> <p>Resigned to the fact that I would have a slightly off, very inflexible wrist for the rest of my life, the doctor mentioned that he would kindly refer me to a colleague of his, who specializes in hand surgery, for a second opinion.  He mentioned that she may be able to get some more test and get a better idea of what can be done, if anything, as that was her area of expertise.  I thanked him, made the appointment to see the hand specialist and left.</p> <p>I went back the next week to see said specialist and she took a look at the X-Rays, played around with my hand a bit and told me to make an appointment for a CT Scan.</p> <p>I went back once again a few days later for the scan.  They laid me down, I stuck out my arm and placed my hand into the tube.  the scanned it and sent me on my way.  The next step thereafter was to set up a follow-up appointment with the hand specialist, who was on vacation for two weeks.  Sweet.</p> <p>Two and a half weeks later and I headed back into the clinic to talk about my mangled wrist.  She showed me the results of the scan, and here they are:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4esQ9nbMiMzAFJ_2W88HSwdmH5EzvE3c-NBaW011fgsdzGD9Iw46fAXG3FxZk-z-hJC_vtksc4BJS2ydz0907ONWZeYw8Q28bUvpmIyuDm6hIChJWSts8AUttNFSvQmM2fq3a-gqPcY/s1600-h/IMG000103.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG00010" border="0" alt="IMG00010" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-OCj6VtY1rC0/TleulQbaVZI/AAAAAAAACJs/nj6yc-ucofg/IMG00010_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="516" /></a></p> <p>That’s a 3D image of my bones.  How cool is that?  Not very.  It shows how messed up things are.  If you can’t really tell how messed up they are, I will help:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qE2rLomepDU/TleulslkOuI/AAAAAAAACJw/TlbTpZUGKzg/s1600-h/IMG000263.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG00026" border="0" alt="IMG00026" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zFiW4pB5hIo/TleumGB4vfI/AAAAAAAACJ0/htMWAwMVSLg/IMG00026_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="588" /></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-AzrRCHOI6ao/TleumVzfnHI/AAAAAAAACJ4/vGVM-fivLIs/s1600-h/IMG000343.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG00034" border="0" alt="IMG00034" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFsPWWXH9jSfIHgnKnTpekEUv2U3F7H6xXBNZW7Fb0GOUTMmhEiMQg0PXkoVWJ1CYYIWt_8a3ffJzP2SX7-86tplr9YPZcikicAHfe5eTiM2LzNbKrvVYSiXQ2HVy2jkjfHCEBoOx2Vc/?imgmax=800" width="516" height="588" /></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bsVFl-8eeCY/TleunWmShsI/AAAAAAAACKA/GHBqXkaqqPM/s1600-h/IMG000404.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG00040" border="0" alt="IMG00040" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-i3OfzPpgxeM/TleunXYY05I/AAAAAAAACKE/I4TS40yZCyc/IMG00040_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="588" /></a></p> <p>The previous images are a few different shots of my bones.  If you’re not an idiot, you can easily see that something is really very wrong.  The big problem is how wide that weird bone on the bottom has become at the tip.  What apparently happened when I smashed into the ground was the tip of my bone broke off almost completely.  The rest of my hand bones then slid down into the space created  by the smashed bone.</p> <p>Once I got the OK from the ER doctor in Puerto Rico, and thus didn’t anything fixed, my bones then started to “heal”.  This basically means that new bone started to grow into the new space, thus solidifying my fate.  That fate being either a super messed up wrist with extra mega arthritis in a year or so, or the other possible fate of a messed up surgically repaired wrist with extra mega arthritis later than within a year.</p> <p>The hand surgeon, after taking a look at the scan result, wants to operate on it.  She wants to first make a couple of slits in the top of my wrist and stick a camera in there.  This will inform her of what to do in Part Two of Ryan’s Crazy Wrist Surgery.  Part Two of Ryan’s Crazy Wrist Surgery will basically consist of the surgeon flaying open the underside of my wrist/upper-forearm and going to town with some sort of bone saw.  She will cut out all of the new bone, then try to shove the old bone pieces back together, cast it and hope for the best.  I’m told it will be a very painful operation.  And a long one.</p> <p>So yea, that’s the fun conclusion of my failed trip to Puerto Rico, where they hate white people enough to basically lie to them at hospitals about X-rays. </p> <p> The surgery is scheduled for the 9th of September at 7:15am.  They told me to be there two hours in advance.  A 5:15 arrival is not likely to happen.</p> <p>Once the surgery is finished, I’ll be in a cast for four to six weeks, then have super fun/painful physical therapy for awhile.  I’m really looking forward to it.  The best part?  When my useless wrist is immobilized in a giant cast, I won’t be able to do much around the house, so this blog will get really boring once again.</p> <p>The good news is, I will try to get some hilarious cast color.  I’m hoping they have strips of casting material that look like American flags.  I think that would be really funny.</p> Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-26873648746552808072011-08-23T12:56:00.001-04:002011-08-24T10:52:06.112-04:00The First Floor<p>We’re taking a break from the usual here to show you some actual work.  No more hypothetical work on this blog (except for when I decide to write about the out of doors area of the house soon).</p> <p>Last Thursday, we purchased about one-thousand dollars worth of laminate flooring.  That bought us about 500 feet squared of floor boards.  I planned on installing it over the weekend.  This is that story.</p> <p>On Friday afternoon, I got started by tearing up the terrible, dog stained, old carpet in the Living Room and Dining room.  For reference, here’s what it looked like:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-piKJqGZycdU/TlPbc5BMnSI/AAAAAAAACGo/lF6WlLhVkzA/s1600-h/Living-Room-Plans-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Room-Plans-01" border="0" alt="Living-Room-Plans-01" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yQv7rI4TUeY/TlPbdQ1bwWI/AAAAAAAACGs/PXsrIzklTKg/Living-Room-Plans-01_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Beige with spots all over it.  Some spots (like the one under those windows) bigger than others.  It didn’t take me too long to tear up all of the carpet, roll it up and drag it out of doors.  Probably an hour or so, no big deal.  Here’s what I was left with:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-GGj7TBa3Q1Q/TlPbdgZ4JwI/AAAAAAAACGw/sLVgEqLWYa4/s1600-h/Living-Floor-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-01" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-01" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-y6qzM9tSyDk/TlPbdmUzG4I/AAAAAAAACG0/A_cUbpMwrAI/Living-Floor-01_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Strangely, the under-carpet padding (made from recycled shoes, which is awesome) looks better than the old carpet.  Thinking of no good way to persuade Amanda to keep it as-is (as-was?), I sighed, and began the horrible, horrible process of prying up all of the seemingly miles of carpet tack strips laid about the perimeter.  The fun part of all of that was the fact that they were set into concrete, so it was just and awesome time:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rngzIqu_iM4/TlPbd3K3ZRI/AAAAAAAACG4/-hd0pnWLxKc/s1600-h/Living-Floor-02%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-02" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-02" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qrOCL3xSPB8/TlPbeXw965I/AAAAAAAACG8/x0K4Y_xj-U8/Living-Floor-02_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a></p> <p>It was even doubled up in some spots:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-d9savtjFqtY/TlPbepTPqSI/AAAAAAAACHA/1uIm7pG2TRw/s1600-h/Living-Floor-03%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-03" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-03" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ZLJafaMmJdc/TlPbe-RU-fI/AAAAAAAACHE/URg6PduHXbA/Living-Floor-03_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>This process was just terrible.  Each nail was embedded into the concrete and each nail took a surprising amount of leverage to pop out.  Some of them even came shooting out of the floor, launched from my pry bar and flew to the ceiling in an attempt to embed themselves therein.  The process was made even worse by the old wood of the strips themselves.  Instead of coming off in one piece, or at least two or three pieces, they would stubbornly disintegrate, make my job that much more arduous.</p> <p>No matter.  I persevered and after a few hand soreing (not a word) hours on the floor, fighting with each nail, I was finished:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yWkiQXwQjs0/TlPbfXRe6MI/AAAAAAAACHI/_yDuLWQ6LK8/s1600-h/Living-Floor-06%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-06" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-06" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pXjwbdH7Bvs/TlPbfnxLzqI/AAAAAAAACHM/bZtRgONrMfA/Living-Floor-06_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Once each nail was removed from the subfloor, it was time for the baseboard molding to come off.  This process was much easier, as the builder used regular nails into regular sheetrock, so not much struggle was needed to pry the ugly molding off of the wall.  </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-aUh_tTrASFo/TlPbgKj809I/AAAAAAAACHQ/uAFjd4fgCfY/s1600-h/Living-Floor-07%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-07" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-07" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3Cs7Qjv7ZFQ/TlPbg6BA_KI/AAAAAAAACHU/Iaixfacc80I/Living-Floor-07_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Fun fact:  The builders put the molding onto the base of each wall<em> before</em> they created the masonry fireplace<em>.  </em>Just an incredible idea and makes my life much easier.  No it doesn’t.  Here’s what it looks like (still):</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-V_WuWPZfhsk/TlPbhCd8dFI/AAAAAAAACHY/3MHj9wmeUDg/s1600-h/Living-Floor-04%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-04" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-04" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TWE3sUf3wSM/TlPbhiqBAzI/AAAAAAAACHc/pT6TYg8A0uI/Living-Floor-04_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>I have since trimmed it back, but still.  There’s baseboard running behind the fireplace.  Crazy.</p> <p>After that, it was time to pile the debris from the evenings work onto the yet-to-be discarded carpet padding.  There was a lot of debris, which I had to wrangle by hand, but it was finished up and the padding was rolled and out of the hour in an hour or so.  Here’s the fun pile of waste in our side yard:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7KotRiRLyQc/TlPbh7VnlvI/AAAAAAAACHg/fFOizuMPhNk/s1600-h/Living-Floor-21%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-21" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-21" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-cxssUveV0Nc/TlPbiGWNfGI/AAAAAAAACHk/T79VMsRxocE/Living-Floor-21_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a></p> <p>The good news is, that pile will continue to grow, as pretty much every surface of our house has old and smelly carpet on it.</p> <p>After the rolls were lugged outside, further cleanup began.  This time, vacuuming the floor to get rid of the piles and piles of old dirt.  Some of this dirt hasn’t seen the light of day since 1984.  That’s kind of great to think about:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cu9QK6owHCg/TlPbio0p47I/AAAAAAAACHo/PpilwTu8834/s1600-h/Living-Floor-09%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-09" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-09" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-JvFR7gB2TO4/TlPbi70_cFI/AAAAAAAACHs/K7m4Xs8oKPI/Living-Floor-09_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>The observant among you may notice the message written on the floor.  Here it is, in further detail (avert your children’s eyes, as it contains a curse word):</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-B9phgbm9tLE/TlPbjGYxvtI/AAAAAAAACHw/RR-ntKrX0hs/s1600-h/Living-Floor-08%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-08" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-08" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-PT8CMZvd5T4/TlPbj7-iPEI/AAAAAAAACH0/CohPsFsFNpM/Living-Floor-08_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>I have yet to call this Jeff Reeves fellow, as I am married and have no plans of infidelity, but if I ever get divorced because of some deeply hidden homosexuality, Jeff Reeves is my first call.  I hear he gives a good <font color="#ff0000">effword</font>.  if anyone is looking for something like that, the area code of the greater Austin area is 512.  And in case you need it, I think that the last number, while barely legible, is a 3.</p> <p>Once everything was nicely vacuumed and hopefully prepared for Saturday’s planned festivities, I watched some TV and went to bed.</p> <p>The next day, I gave the floor one more vacuuming for good measure and the various items I had used off of it.  I was left with a semi clear canvas with which to paint a flooring masterpiece.  Just kidding.  It was a flooring paint by number at best.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-dU81wZd4xhE/TlPbkBAaoiI/AAAAAAAACH4/Gvfe3zcBbME/s1600-h/Living-Floor-05%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-05" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-05" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3Bnby50l6jQ/TlPbkUtSfNI/AAAAAAAACH8/ixIxjOf_sfY/Living-Floor-05_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>The first step to a new laminate floor is the all important underlayment.  This keeps moisture from the subfloor from getting into the flooring and also adds a bit of a cushion to the flooring to both quiet it and keep you from dying when you fall on it.  It comes in giant rolls and goes down pretty easily:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6dwapvgMnwg/TlPbkpcBdhI/AAAAAAAACIA/uuAeFw_FlrU/s1600-h/Living-Floor-11%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-11" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-11" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zPl45XQQnjs/TlPbk9TLK3I/AAAAAAAACIE/CpsoLq-EQ8s/Living-Floor-11_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>One edge of the underlayment had an adhesive strip, so I basically rolled it out, squared it as best I could, then stuck it to its neighbor.  This took awhile, but it’s an important part of the job (I was told) so I wanted to make sure to get it right.  I probably did not get it right, but whatever, I tried.</p> <p>The next step I took, which should have probably been the first step of the day, was to cut away a bit of the bottom of the door trim, as to give the flooring some room to go underneath it.  A coping saw and a few minutes later:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPCOmwISik-Shy_gPGzoWZSfa1MdqNk2haOVgsyESav8aruiFW2cSew-I2KscmAdPG63z6B5_YBjkRgSK7nxs8XTnm5FNaXWtgH0wtbvDXsCe0zyBnVQD8bIRMBeI2Vn9hS5fjohjLus/s1600-h/Living-Floor-12%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-12" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-12" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QvtjrMva-OQ/TlPblcTUvwI/AAAAAAAACIM/U0qUU9Cm8yI/Living-Floor-12_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>I am now a carpenter.  Just like your probable Lord and Savior.</p> <p>This picture gives a good look at what the underlayment actually consists of.  I don’t know hat other underlayment is made of, but the cheapest kind that I could track down is Styrofoam balls sandwiched between two sheets of plastic.  I paid 22 cents per square foot of this stuff and it looks like I got gypsied on it.</p> <p>Once the sawing was finished and cleaned up, it was on to the actual floor laying work.  The way to do it (I read) is to lay the first three or four rows of flooring, then put it in place.  I did just that:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_QRE7GjZUQ8/TlPblvb0eMI/AAAAAAAACIQ/KWQEn9GoN-s/s1600-h/Living-Floor-14%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-14" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-14" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TIWQEahezwo/TlPbl0N0nTI/AAAAAAAACIU/8EnLJblmWHY/Living-Floor-14_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>You put the first few rows of flooring together (tongue and groove in this case) to give it some rigidity, then slide it into place along the wall, with some spacers:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-G6AYyaxeTvs/TlPbmPiaKxI/AAAAAAAACIY/H23PjFSF2QY/s1600-h/Living-Floor-15%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-15" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-15" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-GicfJwKlxuE/TlPbmif4MpI/AAAAAAAACIc/h1dQcctn6Zo/Living-Floor-15_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Once those rows are as square as you can possibly get them, you can confidently lay the rest of the flooring knowing that the flooring won’t be off kilter (because those rigid few rows are square, hopefully), nor will it buckle or warp later on (as you left some gap with the spacers to let the floor breath, or expand and contract with the changing temperatures and relative humidity).  Either way, the floor was and is still square and there aren’t any giant frost heaves in it yet, so it might have worked.</p> <p>Another thing to note, in that picture showing the first rows, please note that pretty much every box of that stupid flooring was dragged into the living room and opened.  This is because everyone recommends pulling planks from different boxes each time to lay one, as to make the flooring look ‘natural’ as a whole.  I can understand that with actual natural wood, but this laminate stuff is man made and thus, shouldn’t look all weird one way or the other.  I don’t know.  Get your<font color="#ff0000"> essword</font> together laminate flooring manufacturers.  I should just be able to pull planks from one box until it is empty, then move onto the next box, instead of traipsing all over the living room pulling planks for this box or that.</p> <p>Now’s a good time for some random pictures.  This was where I did all of the fun cutting:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FXtmqzFj-Wg/TlPbmhfrQYI/AAAAAAAACIg/jyueWKcrFM8/s1600-h/Living-Floor-17%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-17" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-17" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RLhI7W68rXzTbW91dLGqFDK9s42iyEAsS1jo7OVekfdfFIu-xcLKoz9JeOCdDlpBo23VfwZ4kXddj3znvo5-R6GIPz9iTcDObKQFW9sxu7JB_mGfnNJv5G4by7O-ohjQSwHZwMBKikY/?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Our porch is still covered in sawdust.  I was hoping that the wind would take care of it, but apparently there is either no wind back there, or the wind is so pathetic that it cannot be bothered to lift the ultra light grains of dust that remain.</p> <p>Amanda brought me some lunch of Wendy’s at noon.  I drank from this cup:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-QoiDL8DtYqc/TlPbnpg57OI/AAAAAAAACIo/ogVG1dM3Ha4/s1600-h/Living-Floor-16%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-16" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-16" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IkXvx4zec6I/TlPboCKkOYI/AAAAAAAACIs/WpI_AwN_W5Q/Living-Floor-16_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Why am I telling you this?  because before that cup, I had probably six full glasses of water.  I had that cup filled with lemonade from Wendy’s, then used this cup for the rest of the day.  I probably had between 15 and 20 full cups of water bringing my day’s total to about 26 adult sized containers of water.  Conservatively, each container full was maybe 16 ounces.  That’s, again conservatively, over 300 ounces of water during the day.  I did not urinate the entire day.  I am not kidding.  I was sweating like a maniac methamphetamine addict and couldn't replace the fluids fast enough.  </p> <p>Wait.  Why did I tell you that?</p> <p>Another fun picture.  This is me during the day:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5qP8kydEM1s/TlPboNVlewI/AAAAAAAACIw/p6iJMp8FvAY/s1600-h/Living-Floor-13%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-13" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-13" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqrwpSFmCFWEVjsFBcVyCUL-u4RRkwr1ox07KvFa8loqxXKqcX1qwPDF9qCo3u4QMT3B-rm0LsqNG4J87VtEFrsPtcCsXE09EeTEQJtPq0txJaUtecGkUwXlm-CC_IO6dQKLxumQ2pkQ/?imgmax=800" width="462" height="772" /></a></p> <p>I felt like Casey Jones from the Ninja Turtles.  Instead of an awesome golf bag filled with various sporting good implements used as weapons, I had super gay kneepads, and rubber mallet with a towel over it (as to not damage the flooring) and glasses.  Like an idiot.</p> <p>Well, fun’s over.  Back to the floor.</p> <p>I started working on the floor at 8:30 on Saturday morning, at 8:15 on Saturday night, I laid the last of the planks and called it an night.  Or so I thought.</p> <p>When I was in bed, I was thinking of those last few planks.  I didn’t measure the gap between them and the wall, so I might have had some more work to do.  in the morning, I measured and whimpered a bit.  The gap was about an inch and a half.  Crap.</p> <p>I got back to work, cutting a bunch of one inch strips of flooring and laid them in:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-iWHo0EC34Bc/TlPbouZQMqI/AAAAAAAACI4/PF7cm3qkIZ0/s1600-h/Living-Floor-20%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-20" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-20" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-oaAprxlL4FQ/TlPboy4AXBI/AAAAAAAACI8/HImnxYoN0Tk/Living-Floor-20_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Stupid things.</p> <p>once that was finished up, it was time to cut away the excess underlayment that was poking it’s way out of the flooring (see previous images for visual evidence).  This wasn't difficult, and was finished in a few minutes, but I did almost involuntary manslaughter this lizard:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-5v_pM5k_RNI/TlPbpN5ApNI/AAAAAAAACJA/cmMVhK-fCS8/s1600-h/Living-Floor-18%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-18" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-18" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6EE0C4TlJpU/TlPbpeZKptI/AAAAAAAACJE/qKTTPs3IP4w/Living-Floor-18_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Luckily, he avoided my utility knife blade and made it out alive.</p> <p>During the process of cutting two sheets of plastic adhered to little balls of Styrofoam, you can imaging that little balls of Styrofoam go everywhere.  Your imagination is correct:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-YmsaoelFpo8/TlPbpkjOibI/AAAAAAAACJI/F-tu6hZ-oZg/s1600-h/Living-Floor-19%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-19" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-19" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-rmXtQEfXP5g/TlPbp7eVpGI/AAAAAAAACJM/Z4ZcgknAR7k/Living-Floor-19_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>I vacuumed them up, along with a bunch of sawdust, and the floor was ready for some mopping, which Amanda kindly took care of:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-aVJ1qseQlSU/TlPbqgHBa1I/AAAAAAAACJQ/cPeL3bdxENg/s1600-h/Living-Floor-22%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-22" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-22" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJGVovg4ktdclHUnaMHs2X0EYSPG9dh2j080r650QfCgYrVz0mvjR677lTgLfJI6j5homKQF21NWTaCxtEbhE9anNI2wqYzDPceCWuVXbp8bVheYle6yLL3VU2EzxvksRuw-jLtw-GMI/?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>After the mopping, it was finally time to bring our giant furniture collection back into the room.  Luckily, we have a giant foyer, or I don’t know where it all would have fit:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-a3eDnin6Wjc/TlPbrIBH_bI/AAAAAAAACJY/bgp-2epXtpA/s1600-h/Living-Floor-10%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-10" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-10" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-boEr6RHXyMA/TlPbrgZGlLI/AAAAAAAACJc/tQ2P-YL4AKY/Living-Floor-10_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Just kidding.  We only have a couch and a TV stand right now.</p> <p>We put the little felt “don’t scratch up that new floor that Ryan spent the last 14 hours on” pads on the legs of our furniture, dragged it into the room and relaxed.  New floor finished.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkG0XcZwZfKNa_aomW0mgfiKbc2VCIQzxSqvZKoFYPVfn4FIbwuuIGTvg24pVOoaTobUvpJ7Bgxbemp9d70sPMrgRfrg75iH1AKxC2eJV2CNvUSnqQGXans8yl_eCWqNwywOLBBkHuu2k/s1600-h/Living-Floor-23%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Floor-23" border="0" alt="Living-Floor-23" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pwVXxQ9V0sY/TlPbsMWx0xI/AAAAAAAACJk/CCieWFFFJ_k/Living-Floor-23_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>The next step in all of this is the floor trim.  I’ll get that, paint it and install it this weekend.  It will likely take less time and will likely make me less sore.</p> Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-19429167340347034712011-08-17T11:14:00.001-04:002011-08-17T11:14:43.320-04:00Mr. Stotzer’s Bathroom<p>This one is going to be super short and will cover things to be done in the second floor guest bathroom.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-sc6wgvkS7GU/TkvayOCAR6I/AAAAAAAACGY/-i8BpF8-_BY/s1600-h/Emily-Bath-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Emily-Bath-01" border="0" alt="Emily-Bath-01" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Q28LRgWEhTw/Tkva3ljMUbI/AAAAAAAACGc/524GmlXbNj4/Emily-Bath-01_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-U0UCGKuD9q4/Tkva3zewmGI/AAAAAAAACGg/z6YEFgnVP5Q/s1600-h/Emily-Bath-02%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Emily-Bath-02" border="0" alt="Emily-Bath-02" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fD3hgDDyBs8/Tkva4N0K08I/AAAAAAAACGk/ZTrdPGV6460/Emily-Bath-02_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a></p> <p>You may or may not be able to notice the shell shaped sink on that giant vanity.  Every bathroom sink in the house is shell shaped.  What?  Why was that ever popular?  Is my entire neighborhood filled with these things?  A new vanity and sink for said vanity can be had for less than $100 bucks.  The sink in said $100 or less vanity is shaped like a sink.  You can’t save up $300 over the course of eleven years to replace all of these sinks?  Terrible.  Another fun quirk?  Those cabinets in picture two are giant kitchen cabinets.  The same thing as the ones in our kitchen.  I guess they had a few extra and just hung them up in the bathroom?  They’re awful.</p> <p>Here’s what’s going down in this room:</p> <p>Paint the walls <br />Replace outlet/switch covers <br />Replace door hardware <br />Paint current vanity <br />Replace horrifying beach sink <br />Add hardware to vanity <br />Cover floor with new, but kind of crappy vinyl tiles <br />Furnish <br />Clean</p> <p>This room will be easy and likely be one of the last things we do.  The shower is almost brand new (bath fitters style) and everything is serviceable for now.  Plus, we never use it, so why bother spending money on it now?  </p> Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-54388304495479697232011-08-15T17:00:00.001-04:002011-08-15T17:00:20.505-04:00Master Lavatory<p>Almost finished up with the “here’s what we’re gonna do” posts.  I promise.  There’s this one, followed by another two more this week.  That’s it.  The good news is, I dragged these out long enough to paint a bunch of rooms, which is lame to write about, and get enough money to buy some flooring.  This coming weekend, I’ll be laying some laminate flooring while my knees swell to incredible proportions.</p> <p>Anywho…  Here is the Master Bathroom:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9_YPuknXgMw/TkmI3Gp6cwI/AAAAAAAACF4/D_TeJ8CCxjM/s1600-h/Master-Bath-Plans-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Bath-Plans-01" border="0" alt="Master-Bath-Plans-01" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-dxUXFIdmyJw/TkmI3QmTqtI/AAAAAAAACF8/fS6pyIw7pVo/Master-Bath-Plans-01_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-R9LpGxOyGAk/TkmI3k2PJzI/AAAAAAAACGA/hm2Ysb9TyOI/s1600-h/Master-Bath-Plans-02%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Bath-Plans-02" border="0" alt="Master-Bath-Plans-02" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-D8KJBj7cDj0/TkmI4I9tPaI/AAAAAAAACGE/Qbtp3Tv0fSw/Master-Bath-Plans-02_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qHKsK-JyG5c/TkmI4Q3zulI/AAAAAAAACGI/7sPPj8TPTVg/s1600-h/Master-Bath-Plans-03%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Bath-Plans-03" border="0" alt="Master-Bath-Plans-03" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-z9NaDmHwA10/TkmI4i4IClI/AAAAAAAACGM/ZV6fJ3jY7g0/Master-Bath-Plans-03_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-01m7Tim4NMQ/TkmI4i-NKnI/AAAAAAAACGQ/0m2UP39g8JY/s1600-h/Master-Bath-Plans-04%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Bath-Plans-04" border="0" alt="Master-Bath-Plans-04" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-aGyHL9QarXw/TkmI4zyA55I/AAAAAAAACGU/NfeS8U_DbC4/Master-Bath-Plans-04_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a></p> <p>Pretty big room with pretty big plans.  The room has two closets, a shower, a giant vanity/sink and a separate toiler room.  I’m glad I’m not claustrophobic, because that toilet room is tiny (see picture 2).  Oh.  Also super fun?  It’s carpeted.  Seriously.  Who carpets a bathroom?  Unreal.</p> <p>Here’s what we’re hoping to do in there:</p> <p>Paint the walls <br />Replace outlet/switch covers <br />Replace door hardware <br />Remove the carpet (ha!) <br />Install tile flooring <br />Furnish <br />Clean</p> <p>Not to mention:</p> <p>Demo the closet to the right of the shower <br />Demo the shower <br />Drop a soaking tub to the right of the shower <br />Replumb <br />Install glass doors in shower <br />Tile shower/tub surround <br /> <br />This room is going to be a doozy.  It will also ensure that Amanda takes a bunch of baths like a baller.  The biggest expense will be plumbing, as plumbers price fix.  I will be laying tile for the floor and the shower and the tub and it will likely take me about seventeen years.  The most fun part will be demoing the shower and closet as demoing is fun.  That will, sadly, likely take me forty-five minutes.</p> Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-63513553045316603832011-08-11T16:14:00.001-04:002011-08-11T16:14:45.604-04:00Sleeping Quarters<p>It’s been a bit since I’ve written.  I’ve been getting bent over at work recently, so I haven’t much felt like writing.  At any rate here’s the Master Bedroom:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6vGWRcNqT8g/TkQ4LPAS6_I/AAAAAAAACFY/9bLNRUgNcvE/s1600-h/Master-Plans-03%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Plans-03" border="0" alt="Master-Plans-03" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-bGK94569NIc/TkQ4LUxwqlI/AAAAAAAACFc/VXprbNGK7BE/Master-Plans-03_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/--0jNXb7WlaY/TkQ4LkOtxhI/AAAAAAAACFg/EOq8FKHOZpo/s1600-h/Master-Plans-02%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Plans-02" border="0" alt="Master-Plans-02" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-sHoWrPo9oR8/TkQ4L_Dm45I/AAAAAAAACFk/zbq7KVdzIus/Master-Plans-02_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qudB7RPtlGM/TkQ4LxTjisI/AAAAAAAACFo/mozDhYYFxjw/s1600-h/Master-Plans-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Plans-01" border="0" alt="Master-Plans-01" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6oGQZmQa4FI/TkQ4MSzLnwI/AAAAAAAACFs/IfE5MJ43a10/Master-Plans-01_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Qis5tHz2OkY/TkQ4MxoADII/AAAAAAAACFw/8TlW-wP7b3M/s1600-h/Master-Plans-04%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Master-Plans-04" border="0" alt="Master-Plans-04" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OmsqJDMZ9uU/TkQ4NXYQRmI/AAAAAAAACF0/BulHcTgG_tE/Master-Plans-04_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>First thing to note is how giant this room is.  It’s huge.  That first picture gives a decent idea of how long the room is and that last picture features the extra space that doesn't need to be there.  There’s like a little study or something attached to an already large bedroom without a wall separating them.  Pretty sweet.</p> <p>Second thing to note is the crazy amount of outlet things in the room.  The people that had this house before us (and the owner before that) much have had three TVs in each room, along with seven phones per room.  These stupid, and ugly, outlets are everywhere.  They are a pain to deal with.</p> <p>That said, here’s what’s happening in here:</p> <p>Paint the walls (done!) <br />Replace the ceiling fan <br />Replace the outlet/switch covers (done!) <br />Replace door hardware <br />Remove the carpet (note the dog-made holes in that third picture) <br />Install hardwood floor <br />New curtains and hardware <br />Furnish <br />Clean <br /> <br />The big job will obviously be the flooring.  Judging by the number of dips and weak spots you can feel walking around (I think Amanda is testing one out in that last picture), it’s going to be a big hassle.  And an expensive one, as the room is huge.</p> <p>Another complaint:  The previous owners painted the walls in the house to get it ready for sale.  That’s fine.  Spending a few hundred bucks on paint to sell a place is something that I recommend.  What I don’t recommend?  Painting over blue walls with yellow paint unless you’re going to give it a few coats.  The previous owners only did one coat and thus, you can see the old blue walls through the yellow paint very clearly even in these crappy pictures.</p> <p>Lazy jerks.</p> Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-49056853984157236472011-08-03T16:35:00.001-04:002011-08-15T17:01:04.912-04:00Mr. Stotzer’s Bedroom<p>One of the yet to be featured rooms on this blog is another of the three bedrooms which will serve as our guest bedroom.  I am tentatively naming it “Mr. Stotzer’s Bedroom”, as Mr. Stotzer, who is Amanda’s dad and thus, my father-in-law, is tentatively slated to be our first visitor.  He will likely be the first person to utilize the guest bedroom in its full capacity and so, he gets the tentative naming rights to the room.</p> <p>That said, here’s the room (and the attached closet):</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkn7tbbScJb51H9tcCncsixehNzMqaKhwHRm7UVeBgnsyCkutp1X-fYbg8gVKbGKKqjx0l3GBPkXdAiw85VI4-pR8SzfRZUOztwad5lcoEKcW2By6ku5-6RhPEgLbC00uA1pOLDGWgUXo/s1600-h/Emily-Plans-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Emily-Plans-01" border="0" alt="Emily-Plans-01" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZrMaQHQbSBw/TjmxDBzQD1I/AAAAAAAACEo/-T3n0IZgans/Emily-Plans-01_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-TzVBJyJ2RWE/TjmxDZncL9I/AAAAAAAACEs/1N4rSdkXrKI/s1600-h/Emily-Plans-03%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Emily-Plans-03" border="0" alt="Emily-Plans-03" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKS24bqZc_ICRmQvgl8qWKogIg8l-Jf4jy9vSmjhlLJVWFsve1JXTFaEQ1SIXSWltgJ1hZmIMg7bqm6jTNG7169tuZkL0Y2VQjYWmLi-BruIzjqzVxMVQ3EORneB9BwambSnXMefC9D4/?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QsWq9MQnK-g/TjmxDxtITjI/AAAAAAAACE0/5YMqL23tChw/s1600-h/Emily-Plans-02%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Emily-Plans-02" border="0" alt="Emily-Plans-02" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4uWA9sU0dFQ/TjmxEK22e8I/AAAAAAAACE4/nPYKdPjNBl0/Emily-Plans-02_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-JhhJfGfIrhI/TjmxESqrg0I/AAAAAAAACE8/IpIqJ9pnc2c/s1600-h/Emily-Plans-04%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Emily-Plans-04" border="0" alt="Emily-Plans-04" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2Z4C2uvqjs4/TjmxEo4S_LI/AAAAAAAACFA/avva31pst98/Emily-Plans-04_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>The room is the smallest of the bedrooms (and probably rooms period), but it’s perfectly suited for guest room work.  There’s room for a bed and some assorted other furniture, so no real space problems.  The attached closet is fairly enormous, especially compared to the size of the room, so that’s a nice bonus.</p> <p>Another nice bonus?  That awesome light switch cover.  That there is a market for such things is just great.  I understand that peoples’ personal styles and aesthetic eyes will differ (my parents’ house has pink interior walls, despite their color denials), but come on.  That bear welcoming a hug is atrocious.</p> <p>Here’s what we’re going to do to the room, after we murder the bear:</p> <p>Paint the walls <br />Replace the unpictured ceiling fan <br />Replace the outlet/switch covers (with whatever the natural enemy of bears is) <br />Replace door hardware <br />Replace the carpet <br />New curtains and hardware <br />Closet organization stuff (shelves, hanger rods, etc) <br />Furnish <br />Clean</p> <p>Not much to do in there.  The biggest expense will likely be the carpet, but that won’t be too pricey.</p> Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-90769156003005731362011-08-01T14:53:00.001-04:002011-08-01T14:53:47.735-04:00I Hope the New Michael Scott Is Decent<p>Next up in the parade of old looking rooms and what we’d like to do to them is one of the three bedrooms.  This bedroom is the second largest one, so instead of making it a nice place for guests (of which we may have zero in our entire time living at the house), we instead are going to make it into an office of sorts.</p> <p>Here’s what we’re working with:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-rNBdAjN8TRU/Tjb2NJfhDOI/AAAAAAAACEM/FwfZKWyrAcs/s1600-h/Office-Plans-03%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Office-Plans-03" border="0" alt="Office-Plans-03" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-b8Hs0vbXUJg/Tjb2NTvnw_I/AAAAAAAACEQ/LEq98QgMxSw/Office-Plans-03_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-PjXIuM3_L5k/Tjb2NkapV2I/AAAAAAAACEU/tzN7tUknLa4/s1600-h/Office-Plans-02%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Office-Plans-02" border="0" alt="Office-Plans-02" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wxbC9NVd_0Y/Tjb2N2W3nuI/AAAAAAAACEY/lJd7adxNyYY/Office-Plans-02_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-1MvX-4abVZM/Tjb2OKIGHLI/AAAAAAAACEc/rB2yZmKnLkE/s1600-h/Office-Plans-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Office-Plans-01" border="0" alt="Office-Plans-01" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-vvbj9YJDnqg/Tjb2OpZyniI/AAAAAAAACEg/KuNAKymsCrM/Office-Plans-01_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>A few fun things to note:  </p> <p>Instead of purchasing closet doors, the previous owners instead have a projector screen installed above the closet molding.  Hilarious.  They did not own a projector, as far as we know.  The opposite wall, where one would place the projector, instead held two bunk beds (for two presumably rowdy and slightly obese boys) along with shelves full of participation trophies.  No projector.  Closet doors are like thirty dollars.</p> <p>Secondly, please note all of the pain touch ups that the previous owners attempted.  The problem with them is that the paint they used is a more than slightly different shade of blue, making these touch up strokes something more like “look at where we patched up a hole” strokes.  Very nice.</p> <p>I appreciate the effort though.  Previous homeowners of previous properties weren’t so<font color="#00ff00"> </font><a href="http://ftflip.blogspot.com/2009/07/hallelujah-its-raining-lead-amen.html"><font color="#00ff00">eager with effort</font></a>.</p> <p>Observations aside, here’s what’s up for the office:</p> <p>Paint the walls (done!) <br />Replace the ceiling fan <br />Replace outlet/switch covers <br />Replace door hardware <br />Install closet doors <br />Replace the carpet <br />New curtains and hardware <br />Hang a television <br />Furnish <br />Clean</p> <p>That’s it.  This is the room that I will go to when Amanda is watching Glee or doesn’t want to watch Braves games with me.</p> <p>Next up is that other bedroom that isn’t the master bedroom.</p> Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-31229640677034354012011-07-27T13:58:00.001-04:002011-07-27T14:01:48.587-04:00The Rest<p>As promised, here’s The Rest of the First Floor Post.  </p> <p>But first…</p> <p>A small update about work on the house":  we started to paint it and priced out some hardwoods.  We picked some colors over breakfast at IHOP on Saturday, picked the paint up thereafter and spent the rest of the weekend painting.  The living room is painted, the master bedroom is mostly painted and the office room thing is primed.  We will finish the painting this coming weekend, but no hurry, as I need another paycheck or two to start thinking about purchasing some hardwoods to install.  I will have some pictures of the results of the painting a little later on, but for now, back to the post.  It’ll be a short one.</p> <p>When one walks into the house through the garage, one is greeted by a terrible little room.  There are laundry hook-ups, some weird shelves, and a powder room.  Here it is:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-PipSUi11AsM/TjBRqoqDMAI/AAAAAAAACDs/ctYS_QKDYD0/s1600-h/Laundry-Plans-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Laundry-Plans-01" border="0" alt="Laundry-Plans-01" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-lcucUQ-48nvb63b8EmvKXK3hwXcvhgbE09SpoxNmwSQNGtbYRMZ10Y_fqGg83zy3PDPYL_0dQagMeErr-T2XjF_wBLYrX1DzsG-HY_nqxNWn_4JqaEMkzdVk3CH0XImigVYpj_STgg/?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-j59Cbb7XIgs/TjBRrFbWlKI/AAAAAAAACD0/B8wfISRMldQ/s1600-h/Laundry-Plans-03%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Laundry-Plans-03" border="0" alt="Laundry-Plans-03" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-FYtXVblN8gA/TjBRrQ2xsCI/AAAAAAAACD4/twSJbQ4kGn8/Laundry-Plans-03_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-iOf6OKqhfTI/TjBRrvu2CuI/AAAAAAAACD8/-4yvsM7jOB4/s1600-h/Laundry-Plans-04%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Laundry-Plans-04" border="0" alt="Laundry-Plans-04" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VPgbcJOO_sM/TjBRr3WgcKI/AAAAAAAACEA/sXeguQ8X0SY/Laundry-Plans-04_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5dPxShx0SpE/TjBRsIlGYeI/AAAAAAAACEE/giiEB7Be9iA/s1600-h/Laundry-Plans-02%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Laundry-Plans-02" border="0" alt="Laundry-Plans-02" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0ecxZ8vr17ickqRdoLwI47nBoxYHYSHv00OaAy7c5tKbn0l_jNK7etvCeO-BqTIXYOpcGT7Uov0w237MRjnnhZ3sTAYrc7ATtjdhGMzdQVGeMq3fSpFfGMtNUFmUIJEsF-TzuEGxWVQ/?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>First note: I am waaaaaay taller than the previous owners’ kids.  Waaay taller.</p> <p>Second note: that color of the bathroom is not done justice in that photo.  Since the paint is semi-gloss, the shine from the lighting ruins the image.  It is a way darker, much worse brown color to human eyes.  I guess it’s better than the previous color (gleaned from the paint marks on the ceiling) of hot pink.</p> <p>That said, this room (collection of two rooms) is pretty terrible and needs some work.  Here’s the work we plan on doing to it:</p> <p>Fill will laundry apparatus (done!) <br />Paint the walls <br />Replace the lighting <br />Replace outlet/switch covers <br />Replace door hardware <br />Replace vanity/mirror <br />Replace sink <br />Replace shelving <br />Replace flooring</p> <p>Exciting.</p> <p>Oh, and a new toilet seat.</p> Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-22445107651443688892011-07-22T14:26:00.001-04:002011-07-22T14:27:48.079-04:00Where Cooks Be At! Where Cooks Be At!<p>Now things are getting expensive.  The next installment of “The Stuff We Plan On Doing To That House We Bought” focuses on the kitchen (plus foyer).  Here’s the way things look now:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-W2QYhMk8ddI/TinA4ccICEI/AAAAAAAACDM/ctQC1AGp-Lw/s1600-h/Kitchen-Plans-04%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Kitchen-Plans-04" border="0" alt="Kitchen-Plans-04" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8BZ0bDOIg8o/TinA41PXnfI/AAAAAAAACDQ/8wAa7114u04/Kitchen-Plans-04_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="516" height="772" /></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-9y1FFnaZ1rA/TinA5B7NwrI/AAAAAAAACDU/zO0JBFJszFM/s1600-h/Kitchen-Plans-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Kitchen-Plans-01" border="0" alt="Kitchen-Plans-01" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HR1_u5fyUSk/TinA5cxXT1I/AAAAAAAACDY/JI_XyIawsMI/Kitchen-Plans-01_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Ptxg31o_ng0/TinA5pz1EVI/AAAAAAAACDc/HoglQFTFxkA/s1600-h/Kitchen-Plans-02%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Kitchen-Plans-02" border="0" alt="Kitchen-Plans-02" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-BRmM9anCg8Y/TinA52SGLTI/AAAAAAAACDg/urI1sD4uhnQ/Kitchen-Plans-02_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="614" /></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-yATYFuUcLu8/TinA6BHIlAI/AAAAAAAACDk/xhqVLpl2dSE/s1600-h/Kitchen-Plans-03%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Kitchen-Plans-03" border="0" alt="Kitchen-Plans-03" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-5uwa1m6fSy4/TinA6crfxPI/AAAAAAAACDo/YpNeJBusMaI/Kitchen-Plans-03_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="613" /></a></p> <p>The kitchen is super long and super outdated.  It also have flesh colored flooring.  Not even good flesh color.  More like pinkish Irish skin.  Terrible for skin and terrible for floors.</p> <p>The cabinets are in good shape, but not that great quality-wise (it was built in the 80s), so I will do my best to salvage them, but I’m not optimistic.  Here are the plans:</p> <p>Paint the walls <br />Replace the lighting <br />Replace outlet/switch covers <br />Replace door hardware (front door, closet) <br />New curtains and hardware <br />Remove the flooring (ugh) <br />Lay new tile floor <br />Remove the back wall (where the fridge is now) <br />Create breakfast nook style pass-through to Dining Room <br />Move the fridge next to dishwasher <br />Reconfigure (or replace) cabinetry <br />New Countertops <br />New sink <br />Replace all appliances <br />New organization/shelves in Pantry <br />Clean <br />Furnish</p> <p>I haven’t yet started budgeting for this, but dang, it’s going to cost a crapload.  The worst part for me money-wise is that we will be living in this house for awhile, so I can’t really convince Amanda to get everything that’s super cheap.  I’m going to be crying a lot in the coming months watching all kinds of money flying out of my bank account.</p> <p>Oh well.  </p> <p>Next up is the rest of the first floor.</p> <p>PS – The title of this post is a reference to rap lyrics.  No one that reads this will get it.  Sorry. </p> Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-48554832651591553302011-07-20T11:44:00.001-04:002011-07-20T11:44:55.535-04:00The Living Quarters<p>So, as I said, we’re in.  We moved in on Monday, set up a futon and watch saved TV shows from my laptop on the new television.  The TV was delivered by Best Buy, a washer and dryer, and a giant mattress and box spring set were delivered by Sears.  Sears also forgot to deliver, and will hopefully remedy the mistake today, a gas grill.  We are also waiting on a sweet couch to be delivered.  That’s it for scheduled deliveries.</p> <p>Who cares.</p> <p>You’re here for the pictures and stories of me <a href="http://ftflip.blogspot.com/2009/08/update.html" target="_blank"><font color="#00ff00">arguing with sub-contractors</font></a>.  Maybe just the pictures.  My next few posts will be outlining what our plans are for the house.  I will show you images of what the rooms currently look like, then describe to you what we plan on doing to them to make them look different.  First up: The Living Room (slash dining room):</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pE75SaN4R3Q/Tib36-0lZDI/AAAAAAAACCs/tkPNykUxTqQ/s1600-h/Living-Room-Plans-01%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Room-Plans-01" border="0" alt="Living-Room-Plans-01" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-1XYX8oXrBP4/Tib37KemVVI/AAAAAAAACCw/miNGlYqT4OU/Living-Room-Plans-01_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/--dlbvhrw3nw/Tib37hJIQHI/AAAAAAAACC0/LTLPzF--C8I/s1600-h/Living-Room-Plans-02%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Room-Plans-02" border="0" alt="Living-Room-Plans-02" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-0q7cAKFEjVQ/Tib38DKfVHI/AAAAAAAACC4/O9cU5VIy_U4/Living-Room-Plans-02_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-VgB28f0DrZY/Tib38Xjza8I/AAAAAAAACC8/ZTc082k6j6A/s1600-h/Living-Room-Plans-03%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Room-Plans-03" border="0" alt="Living-Room-Plans-03" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1MNEqGRPS4o/Tib380Gs0dI/AAAAAAAACDA/f30jKxEDasY/Living-Room-Plans-03_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Kf55P4c4nvE/Tib39THjOzI/AAAAAAAACDE/di-M3qHG_k4/s1600-h/Living-Room-Plans-04%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Living-Room-Plans-04" border="0" alt="Living-Room-Plans-04" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yeO73dxPJDw/Tib39nASfPI/AAAAAAAACDI/DjObSopsIJE/Living-Room-Plans-04_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="1028" height="687" /></a></p> <p>Please note:  The stuff in the dining room is pretty much all that we own.  Not including the items we got at Ikea on Sunday (futon, TV stand), we don’t own much more than that stuff right now.</p> <p>Here’s the checklist for updates to our fairly large Parlor:</p> <p>Paint the walls <br />Replace thermostat <br />Replace outlet/switch covers <br />Replace the trim (possibly) <br />Replace the ceiling fan <br />Replace the terrible chandelier thing <br />New curtains and hardware <br />Remove dog stained carpet (they owned three dogs) <br />Lay new hardwood floor <br />Clean <br />Furnish</p> <p> <p>What we’re not going to do that we’d like to do?  Scrape the awful 80s pop-corn covered textured ceiling and replace the Texas-style light colored rock fireplace surround.  We’re not updating the ceiling because we live here and don’t want to cover our stuff in ceiling pop corn.  We’re not replacing the fireplace surround because it would be a huge pain in the bottom and wouldn’t really add much value to the house.</p> <p>This weekend, we will get started.  Step one is painting the walls in as many rooms as we can get to.  The good part of having this dog stained carpet is that we can make it a dog and paint stained carpet without really caring at all.  No more wasting time with a bunch of plastic and painters tape.  Hooray!</p> <p>Next time, I’ll discuss our outdated kitchen.</p></p> Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-32716012896192845772011-07-19T13:26:00.000-04:002011-07-19T13:27:05.168-04:00We're InWe moved into the house yesterday. The tenants are gone, the house is pretty much empty and we live in it now. <br /><br />More to come tomorrow.Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770745532293528399.post-88002987543040455902011-07-01T11:44:00.006-04:002011-07-19T10:21:11.522-04:00So Gather Up Your JacketsI'm a little worried about writing this post, as I know I will forget something or not explain things as clearly as they should be explained. My apologies in advance.<br /><br />As I mentioned in the previous posts, I've been spending a lot of time getting my mortgage company all kinds of documentation to satisfy the ever-picky underwriters. Two days ago, I got yet another email full of requests, this time I had to get the following:<br /><br />Proof that my student loans are deferred for 12 months from closing date<br />Copies of the checks shown in my bank statements (these were already explained)<br />Another letter of explanation for another deposit in my bank statements<br />Amanda's Driver's License (apparently her passport doesn't count. I guess you need to be able to drive to cosign on a house)<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Paystub</span> for the 30<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span><br /><br />Please keep in mind that I had, literally, one day to furnish all of this crap to close on time. I was livid. I fired off a mildly vulgar email attacking the character of underwriters, then got to work.<br /><br />I went to the mortgage office with some of the info and had a quick chat with those folks. I found out that the underwriters not only won't count Amanda's income towards the loan (since she doesn't have two years of W2's, so her money is no good), but they also won't count the $2,100 per month income from the rental property. In order for that income to count, I would need all three leases to be for one year starting on the closing date. That's insane.<br /><br />Because those two real, actual incoming money streams don't count at all in my real actual income my debt ratio was at 56.6%. In order to be approved by the underwriters, my debt ratio needs to be at 54%. For real.<br /><br />I can't even begin to describe how frustrated I was to hear all of this. All incomes (work and rental) considered, Amanda and I pull in over $130k annually (for now). That obviously works out to be over 10 grand a month. The mortgage on this house is going to be, with taxes and insurance, a bit over $1,200 per month. The other mortgage is also around $1,200 per month. Both of those bills chew up a measly 25% of our income. Of course we can't afford this place, and thus, shouldn't be underwritten...<br /><br />Discussing things further, I asked about that first request from them. Why would I have to ask to have my student loans deferred? It turned out that in order to get the debt ratio back to acceptable for the underwriters, they needed to shave $200 from my monthly expenses. In order to do that, the mortgage folks suggested calling my student loan people and telling them that I have had some financial hardship and thus, can't pay my bills.<br /><br />I gave them a call and asked some preliminary questions about what qualifies and what doesn't. I found out that my percentage of income to debt (there's that stupid number again) isn't good enough to qualify for deferment. Besides, it was apparently going to take 7-10 days to get all of that squared away. It seemed that my only option for closing on time would be to lie to my student loan lenders and say that I was jobless and thus, couldn't pay. I would have to fill out a form or two, then write an explanatory letter to them, and sign it.<br /><br />I took this info to the mortgage folks and made everyone sad.<br /><br />They then asked me about my current mortgage in providence and why it was so high. I told them the following story:<br /><br />The house I own in Providence was insured by Travelers on the day of the closing. I made sure to tell them that the property was in need of renovation before we moved in, they said "fine" or something to that effect and underwrote the policy. A short time thereafter, they had, as is customary, an inspector take a look at the property and send a report to the company thereafter.<br /><br />The company got the report and decided that, despite my admission upon purchasing the policy, that the home wasn't livable and thus, they were cancelling my policy. They were nice about it and gave me a few months before cancelling, but were still cancelling.<br /><br />A few months went by and I was busy fixing my burned house, I had repeatedly attempted to get new insurance. I was finally successful shortly after my house was kind of <a style="color: rgb(51, 255, 51);" href="http://ftflip.blogspot.com/2010/07/holy-guacamole.html">broken into</a>, but there had been a short time between coverages. In the time between the policy from Travelers being cancelled and my new policy being paid for, my mortgage company had apparently placed super expensive and ultra useless (only covered the structure) forced insurance upon the property.<br /><br />Because of this, my mortgage payment jumped over one thousand dollars per month higher. Since I had set up automatic payments through my bank, I kept on paying the mortgage as if nothing had happened and kept tearing up the mortgage bills before I even opened them. Plus, when I had secured that second insurance policy on the house, everything should have gone back to normal. I'm not exactly sure why I would have thought that anything about that house would go in any "normal" fashion, but chalk it up to youthful naivete I guess?<br /><br />Back to the high mortgage payment questions from my new mortgage folks. In short, my payment was still showing up on my credit report as gigantic.<br /><br />I called up M&T Bank a few weeks ago to find out why (after I took a look at a mortgage statement). According to M&T, I still had that crappy and expensive forced insurance on the property. I found that odd, since I had paid three and a half grand seven months ago to Progressive to insure the place.<br /><br />I called Progressive and complained to them, then had my insurance info sent back to M&T, including the date of the policy in hopes that this would clear things up (as remember, I needed to clear $200 per month from my debts in order to get this loan underwritten). i then called up M&T to find out how long all of this would take. A few weeks, obviously.<br /><br />I let the mortgage people know this information and they lit up. They told me to force this process along in hopes of getting confirmation that a grand would come off of my mortgage payments and I wouldn't have to lie to student loan giver-outers.<br /><br />I got onto the phone with M&T immediately thereafter to see how I could help myself out. M&T said that I basically couldn't.<br /><br />Farts.<br /><br />They let me know that they were waiting on Progressive to give them the 'refund number'. Basically, how much money that M&T had to give back to me for overpaying. Once they had that, they could figure out what my new <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">mortgage</span> payment would be.<br /><br />I let the mortgage folks know all about this and they didn't say anything until I asked them about it the day before closing. Did I mention that all of this happened the day before the closing was scheduled? It did. I was an anxious/angry mess.<br /><br />They let me know that they were trying to get verbal confirmation that my mortgage payment was going to drop and thus, my credit report could be updated and thus, the underwriters would approve the loan and thus, I could live in a house in Texas.<br /><br />The next morning, I called up the credit bureau and they <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">conferenced</span> in the folks from M&T. Miraculously, they had received that refund number, but still had to wait for the loan service people to get clued in and drop my mortgage payment. I pleaded with both of the women on the line for acceptance of a verbal estimate of the new payment. I reminded them that the closing was scheduled for 11:30am, or two hours from the time of the call, and that this was the only chance of actually getting closed on this house.<br /><br />I finally pried an estimated monthly payment from M&T and whined enough to get the credit gal to accept it.<br /><br />Hooray! The closing is still on!<br /><br />Record scratch sound they play in bad comedies where everyone stops and looks at some awkward interaction!<br /><br />The underwriters needed that information the day before (about 15 hours after they saddled me with more documentation to track down) if they were going to fund the transaction on time. They didn't get that information.<br /><br />Long story concluded: we closed on the house a day later and now I own two rental properties. Once the 15<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">th</span> hits, I will own one rental property and a house to live in.<br /><br />This post is too long and was a chore to write. On the bright side, my writing will once again die down, as there is nothing to write about until we move in. I may write about how much money we spent this weekend, but who knows?Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04654280372229969582noreply@blogger.com0