It's Curtains For Me... and I'm Quite Pleased About It

This is a story about one living room window.  Last year, when we totally re-did the living room, (fixing the drywall and re-painting, securing the floor, installing the hardwood) we re-installed two out of three window curtain sets. Two brackets per window, two rods per window, two curtains per window.

*And don't make that rookie mistake of installing your curtains right tight to the window frame. That is incorrect. Install at least 4" away from the window frame in each direction. That means 4" above and 4" aside from your frame. This will make your windows look so much bigger and more professional.

However, our third window just would not have it. One bracket installed on the left just perfectly, as normal. But the one on the right found nothing to hold on to. No stud - all mud. A drywall screw couldn't hold it. The molly bolts we had in stock couldn't hold it.

And so, that poor little window sat there sans curtains, sans rods, and sans uno bracket for near to a year. NEAR TO A YEAR! But just this past Saturday, Mike brought home a molly bolt that worked! (For the outrageous price of just a few short cents mind you...) And we were finally able to put up the last set of rods and curtains.

What a difference and what a relief to have something so stoopid finally taken care of. And now those pictures in the center of those two windows look un-centered. I decided at the time not to worry about it. Maybe I'll re-center them next year....

And speaking of stuff that's been hanging over our heads for a year or so... Dodge #2 is GONE! The guy and his posse came back on Sunday as promised, tow truck in tow, and carted it away. We can breath another sigh of relief. That, plus another load of yard fodder gone to the dump... kinda makes me think there's hope in the world after all.

But that's it.

I had wild dreams of starting some new and exciting project this Sunday... or at least making progress on an oldy-moldy project this Sunday. No such luck. I'm having renovation withdrawal and I don't like it.

Breakfast Discussion = Nooooo

First thing Sunday morning, Dodge Dude showed up - truck and trailer at the ready. But with the 60 or so total inches of snow we've had this winter, plus the less then 48hrs dig-out notice, Mike hadn't yet had the opportunity to dig his way to the backyard.

Remember, Dodge #2 has no brakes. It can't just be driven outta there... well, it shouldn't anyway. So we have to move 1 giant snow bank and 1 camper to even gain access to the dang thing. Lucky us, we've got a skid steere.

The DD decided to go to breakfast with his GF while Mike worked feverishly on the snow bank. Or, I should say, the ice bank, because that thing had a solid, impenetrable core. Meanwhile, I dug out the title confidently. I shouldn't have been so bold.

DD returned as Mike was still desperately trying to clear snow from the front of the camper. And all of a sudden he was having second thoughts. He wanted a Dodge. He knew this was a good deal. He had his trailer and, undoubtedly, a pocket-fulla cash. No one shows up at a place with all this and goes home empty handed. (Although this is the second time it's happened with this particular truck... strange.) Not only that, he knew Mike was working his butt off to get the thing out for him.

I imagine that the breakfast discussion with the GF just didn't go so well. I bet she told him it looked like a piece and it wasn't worth that kind of money and she didn't like it and so on and so forth.

He's going to think about it.

I suppose it would be worse. Mike could have completely dug out the camper, moved it, dragged the truck into the driveway.... I don't want to even think about it.

Bottom line - Dodge still for sale and it's going back on Craigslist. Like tonight or tomorrow.

But I do have good news! The new garage door arrived today! So exciting! As to when and how we're going to get it installed... your guess is as good as mine.

Wonderland? N. O.

The snow is once again upon us, undoubtedly translating into another missed Sunday out on the porch. Meanwhile, winter is ticking away and all those "winter" projects haven't even been started yet. I'm about ready to throw my own No-New-Projects mantra out the window until New England thaws out a little. I mean, how can you possibly install railings when there's a solid couple of inches of ice on the porch?! How can you pour concrete in subzero temps?

It's just silly. The porch cannot be finished in these kind of conditions.

At least we can rest assured in the fact that the kitchen window wall is coming together. Richard came over just a couple nights ago and taped/mudded all our hodge podge seams. Of course, with all the cold weather, we're going to give it a good week to really dry up before we invite him back for sanding.

 And can you believe the new fridge is set to be delivered on 2/5?! Seems like just yesterday when I purchased it and complained about the two month + backorder.

Adding to the madness, I'm still (yes, still) sick. This sinus thing makes me want to rip my throbbing face off and then sing about it in a death metal song. I felt great yesterday.... today I feel as bad as Wednesday if not worse. Am I drinking enough fluids? No. Am I taking my vittamins? No. Am I staying home on the couch with tea and Vicks until the pain goes away? No. So, therefore, I already know what my problems are and why I'm still ill. But sometimes you just can't do the things you'd like to do.

Unlike the dreaded Man Cold - where the dude of the house is incapacitated on the couch for days, watching an ungodly long war-themed show/mini-series/movie and/or the entire Rocky series OnDemand, unable to mutter more then an "eeuuurrr, can you make me some ramen noodles?" Yeah. I've been sick since last Saturday, at work every single day but Wednesday, and generally doing everything I normally do. (Miserably but still doing it.)

That's all I'll say about the Man Cold.

Now, on to some additional pleasant news!
THIS JUST IN.... DODGE #2 (is it #2? Well, it is poopy - so, I'll go with #2.) HAS BEEN SOLD!
For the amazingly low sum of just $2500.

That barely covers what we have into the thing. Don't you just love that? But I nearly had a conniption fit when Mike suggested he sell it for $1500. The dang new transfer case alone was $1000! So I'm pleased. And if all goes swimmingly, it may even be gone this weekend.

And, it's been purchased by the same doode who's putting on my new tires and aligning my truck. (Special vehicle = special alignment doode required.) So, I feel pretty confident he'll give us a little bit of a deal, since he knows this dodge is a steal. He only wants the motor!!!

Just think.... when the snow melts, no more vehicles in the backyard! Just a boat, a trailer, a skid steere, the camper, the snowmobile, and that little jeep go-cart thing. BUT! At least there will be no more VEHICLES!

I'm even laughing at myself and how ghetto that sounds. I should start a new toy-inventory blog that tracks vehicle acquisitions and transfers.

Putt Putt Putt

Before I commence with the home updates, I'd like to take a moment to recognize the vehicle previously known as Dodge #1 - now known as SOLD. You have no idea what a relief it was... watching it drive away last night. (Especially after the 45 minutes or so in which we couldn't find the title. That ordeal took a few years off my life, it was so stressful... what with the buyer in an airplane on his one way ticket here from south butt.)

That leaves the Dodge tally down to uno - Dodge #2. Fixing that up to a reasonable state without any major parts purchases is vehicle goal numero dos. Meanwhile, stress level goes back up through the roof at the end of this week, when Mike will be doing some traveling of his own to pickup a new (used) Dodge 2500.

Vehicles on my mind. Anyway! Forcibly pushing aside those stresses, it was a great weekend. Productivity and optimism were both up something percent.

Saturday, despite battling some crazy sinus thing that I've had forever that decided to come to a head at the end of last week... yeah, despite that - I completed puttying on the porch trim and ceiling. Sunday I even had an opportunity to paint some more of the ceiling! (More, but not all, unfortunately.)

Mike decided Sunday morning he finally wanted to install that cat door we've had new in the box for probably about six months now. (Back when we put in the basement and basement stairs, we left a hole in the hallway/stairway wall for the cats to go in and out of. Since having a baby, and since stuffing a pillow in the hole for cat-control just isn't the best cat-control method, we knew we'd need a proper cat door.)

Installing the thing was actually more of a pain then you might imagine. You see, the small-cat cat door is square shaped. The large-cat cat door is not. It's circular on the bottom. We have large cats... and we made a square shaped hole when we made our hole years ago. (Back when we didn't have the cat-door shape knowledge we have today.) So Mike had to trim the hole and cut a new - half circular - piece of drywall to be able to install the thing.

And I must admit, it looks pretty good. Trouble now is the cats don't know how to use the thing. And no, it's not one of those auto-opening-when-the-collar-gets-close type of door. Those things are mad expensive. But this one does have a magnet at the bottom to keep the door shut tight when not in use. Too tight, I'm afraid. The cats don't know how to (or just don't want to - because let's face it, they are cats) push the durn thing hard enough.

But, bottom line, after 17 months, I'm happy to cross "Cat Door" off of the list-of-stuff-that-should-get-done-but-nobody-cares-about.

Speaking of that particular list, Mike had the brilliant notion after finishing the cat door that he'd like to complete the siding on the top of the gambrel of the house. He called our carpenter friend TJ, who came over in the afternoon to give him a hand.

TA-DA! Now, we can officially call siding on the front of the house - DONE! We still need some trim up there on the top peak, but that's for another day.

To complete the weekend, Timmy and Richard came over to give us another materials list for this coming weekend. This time, it's time to wrap the posts. And lucky for us, we still have some of the needed materials in stock. Mike ordered the rest today and it should be delivered tomorrow.

Me, I'd like to finish up painting. Soon enough I'll have to paint out all the pre-primed white board - white - and the ceiling again - in its actual blue color. It's all on the list-of-stuff-that-everyone-cares-about. Just as soon as those posts are wrapped up tight.

After that? It's railing time. Mike and I have to make time to go and pick out what we want in that department. Hopefully Morse Lumber is open before 9 on a Monday, because that's the only time we'd have within their business days/hours.

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Playing with Putty

After I returned home late last Thursday night, and after Mike dropped the bomb that he'd be fixing the floor in his Dodge on Sunday, I scrapped any vague hopes of progress over last weekend.

But be that as it may, we still made a couple baby steps forward. On Sunday I began puttying all the nail holes... and managed to fill quite a few before Mikey woke up. (There are still quite a few more to go, but I'm hoping I can finish up this weekend.) Also, a plumber friend of ours came by to impart some of his infinite plumbing wisdom in regards to a basement bathroom. (I'm still trying to reel Mike in on this one - I'm shocked he didn't want to halt work on his floor to begin framing the thing out!)

All in due time, my friends.

And now look at this - it's Wednesday, end of day, and I don't have a clue and half what the next step is or how much it's going to cost or when it can be implemented. This weekend is starting to look left out too...

At least a dude is coming to purchase the Dodge on Sunday morning. Yes, when I wake up, one Dodge will be gone. Mike hopes to schedule some time off so he can rock and roll on Dodge #2. Stick that on the market, make some more money, and buy a 2500. That's the plan. Those 2500 4x4 diesel quad cabs don't come cheap though. 3500 dually's though? Dime a dozen these days. The automotive market is so ackbasswards right now.

We've got a dirt bike on craigslist too... hoping to dump for $300 - 1970 Yamaha DT-250. You know you want it!

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Another Infamous List

The 4th is over! And believe it or not, we had a fabulous time out on the water... despite a last minute blown head gasket discovery. Yes that's right, Mike discovered the problem on Thursday, but managed to fix it in time for our outing on Sunday.

Here we are, waiting for the fireworks to start in the bay. It was a great night with friends and two other boats, and we had a similarly fun time on Monday.

Here are the Mikes cooling off in the tube.

So, despite the great time, I was very happy to get it over with. Now, we can move on to the crazy to-do list that has been just racking up for the last few crazy weeks.

DA LIST
(in order)

1. Mow the lawn (dang, it was at the point of seeding itself on the side and back lawns)

2. Jess muffler & Tailpipe (yes, I lost my tailpipe last week. LAST WEEK)

3. Jess wheel bearings (these have been bad for over a month now)

4. Jess oil change

5. Jess wheel spacer & new wheels (I've been wanting to get this taken care of since I got that flat tire.... oooo, more then two months ago)

6. Remove current 4Runner soft top, package in a box, and put back on ebay to sell.

7. Put on other 4Runner soft top.

8. Purchase parts and fix the old 4Runner #1 - SELL

9. Wire the farmer's porch for lighting, fan, speakers, and outlets. (Speaker wire already on order.)

10. New windshield for Mike's truck

11. Fix up Dodge #1 - SELL

12. Fix Dodge #2 - SELL

Phew - I'm out of breath just thinking about all that. And I know what you're all thinking - what's up with the garage addition and porch?! Well, we got all the remaining materials we needed for the garage addition roof. But then, we got a heat wave... and I honestly don't blame Timmy for not coming by to finish it. I wouldn't want to be up there in that heat. Hopefully, we'll hear from and see him soon. Believe you me, I haven't forgotten. If we don't see him this week, I'll probably have Mike check in on his schedule. Sometimes he gets crazy busy like us.

And as for the porch - well, we need to wire first. So that's that for that.

Ok - now, I'm happy to report that after only one week on the job, we're well on our way to smacking out each item on the list.

Mike fixed his lawn tractor blades on Wednesday evening and mowed the lawn! Meanwhile, after Mikey was in bed, I trimmed up one of my cherry trees and weeded along the driveway a bit.

Thursday, Mike picked up the muffler and tailpipe and installed them last night. I picked up the oil filter and oil. (Penzoil special at Advance, filter and 5 quarts for just $16.99)

Tonight is wheel bearing time! Tomorrow - soft top time! The only thing I'm missing is the box to pack it in, which Mike hasn't been able to bring home from work since he's been riding the bike. (I nearly wrote, "riding the box.")

The speaker wire for the porch should arrive on Monday too, although next week will most likely be about 4Runner #1. (Which Mike is dreading... but I am so excited to sell it. Whatever it goes for, I will be so happy just to see it gone. And Mike will be happy too, since I've promised to transfer those plates to his '69 Camero.)

As a side note - as the summer has progressed, the state of the bathroom has degressed. Yes, I'm just waiting for the day when the floor gives way. Why? Water is leaking onto it from places unknown. It's totally squishy and wavy. The tiles continue to fall off. The stoopid linoleum is dry and cracking all over the place. The tub is so disgusting, we continue to bathe Mikey in his infant tub. Mold and mildew are everywhere - even cropping up back on the ceiling, which I painted with exterior paint a couple years ago to try and combat the moisture. The window is fulla dead bees. (I suppose I could clean that... but I really don't want to.)

So stay tuned! The coming weeks will be so exciting! And already I can tell, winter will be even more so.

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Truckpdate

It's fixed! Yes, we've finally made it over the big yello hurdle! And if you missed all the drama, let me bring you up to speed...

The Vehicle Fiasco of 2009 began I suppose when I purchased yet another first gen 4Runner and around the same time my husband picked up yet another Dodge diesel and a for-parts-only Dodge to go along with it. This gave us a grand total of 5 trucks, two 4Runners and three Dodges.

The plan was to take Dodge #1 off the road and sell it to pay for repairs to Dodge #2 and the purchase of 4Runner #2. During the Dodge #2 repair downtime, Mike would drive 4Runner #1 and I'd drive 4Runner #2, the cheapest vehicles in terms of insurance. Once Dodge #2 was fixed and on the road, Dodge #3 could be junked and 4Runner #1 could be sold.

Well, problems arose with this plan right off the bat. Mike had no time whatsoever to fix Dodge #2 and Dodge #1 was not selling out on our lawn and craigslist. We were mere days away from just putting it on Ebay when 4Runner #1 began having major issues, rendering it "undrivable" as Mike put it.

Despite my protest, he took off the For Sale sign and put Dodge #1 back on the road. Almost immediately after, 4Runner #2 broke and I was stuck driving 4Runner #1... yes, "undrivable" or not, there I was, driving it every day.

Unfortunately a small issue became a big problem when we couldn't figure out what was causing the issue with 4Runner #2. Mike and our neighbors across the street spent a month of Sundays changing out parts between the two 4Runners until FINALLY just this past Sunday, they discovered it had been a bad distributor the entire time. (Always something stoopid, right?)

So after finally fixing 4Runner #2, Mike returned to working on Dodge #2. At this point he's pretty much ready to do the Dodge #2 and 3 cab switch. He painted Dodge #2's frame on Monday. Hopefully we'll have some good weather so he can finally complete this project. Then plan now is to fix Dodge #2, get Dodge #3 outta here, sell Dodge #1, and then fix and sell 4Runner #1.

Time is of the essence. We're both eager to get to work on that living room floor, the wood for which has been hanging out in our hallway since last year. And speaking of which, apparently, Mike just picked up a new wood entertainment center today... and when I say "new" I mean someone came into his work with the thing in the back of their truck on the way to the dump with it and he nabbed it.

So we'll see what kind of thing comes home. I hope someday to have a nice flat screen over a nice fireplace in the living room....

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