Archive for the ‘home improvements’ Category

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just like legos!

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

traditional sectionalThe husband and I have been thinking about replacing the basement furniture for months, but we just hadn’t gotten around to doing the research.  (You know, dragging the husband into furniture stores.)

So this weekend, I was doing a little sofa research on my laptop, whilst sitting on our decrepit sofa, and I ran across the coolest. couch. ever.  And even though it was 8 pm on a Friday night, I told the husband that we were going to Havertys.  Immediately!

me: LOOK at this couch!  You can turn it into anything you want! <Me shoving my laptop in his face while he’s trying to play wow.>

the husband: Wait … just a … I’m fighting off 8 …. ok, now what am I looking at?

me:  it’s a sectional!  but you can turn it into whatever you want!

the husband: Um, it says it’s 6 pieces … isn’t that a little bit much?

me: no, each piece is just like one chair, so that’s only 6 seats.  Or less, depending on how you put it all together.

the husband: hmm.  I see.

me: So let’s go!  I want to see it!

the husband: But … we’re watching a movie …

me: You’re playing wow and I’m surfing the internet.  Tivo the movie!  We can ‘finish’ it when we get back.  It’s not like it’s that good …

the husband: Can’t we go tomorrow?  It’ll still be there tomorrow …

me: But did you SEE it?  I want to go sit on it!!

the husband: <sigh> Ok, let me finish killing this guy, then we can go.

And so we screeched into the furniture store shortly before closing time, and we sat on the modular sectional.  And we chatted with Reba, who took measurements for us, showed us their other sectionals, and didn’t rush us.

Saturday morning, we looked at some sectionals at Macy’s and at the Lazy Boy store, and the husband conceded that the first sofa was the best option.  So we went back to see our friend Reba, and we made the purchase.

It’ll be here in just a couple of days; and then just look at all the fun we can have!

a giant bed-couch!couch2couch4traditional sofa and loveseat couch5

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allergies, shmallergies

Friday, April 24th, 2009

So the husband and I went in for our allergy testing this morning.  While he is no doubt more allergic than I, I do experience some spring-time misery.  I spend minimal time outside in the spring to avoid the crushing sinus headache that always hits once I’ve hit my limit;  in bad tree-pollen years, such as we had a few years back, just walking to and from the car is enough to do the damage.

Turns out, after 52 scratch tests and 7 injection tests, that I am allergic to nothing.  nada.  There was no swelling or itching, just cute little pink dots at each of the test sites.

On the other hand, after 52 scratch tests and 3 injections tests, the husband is allergic to EVERYTHING.  Trees, grass, weeds, mold, dust mites, and cats.  Yeah, cats - like the two little darlings that sleep in the room with us every night, and who are unlikely to be banished anytime soon due to the husband’s general, um, pushover nature when it comes to the cats.

So the husband will soon be starting his allergy shot regimen, going in weekly for the next 6 months, to hopefully be desensitized to all of the ‘poisons’ that are currently plaguing him.  After 6 months, he has 4 and a half years of monthly visits to look forward to.  After a year, though, he should see a significant reduction in his allergies, and should be able to tone down the meds he needs to take.

I, on the other hand, suffer from a malady known as ‘non-allergic rhinitis.’  Which basically means I have all the same symptoms - runny nose, itchy throat, congestion, sinus headache - but not for the same reason.  My nose is extra-sensitive, and anything sets it off.  Like, say, huge amounts of tree pollen floating through the air.  Or the dust in my office - my coworkers have given up on the ‘bless-yous’, seeing as I’m just a fit of sneezes all day long.

My treatment involves a lifetime of nasal sprays and neti-pots.  There is no way to train my nose to give it up already.  [sigh]  Though, at least now I know I can give up the anti-histamines, seeing as I don’t seem to be having a histamine response.  [achoo!]  Excuse me.

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happy, happy day!

Monday, September 8th, 2008

I came home from work this evening to behold a most wondrous sight:

No paper taped to the living room floor.  No plastic up the stairs!  Or the hall or master bedroom!  As I rounded the corner into the bathroom, I held my breath and hoped against all hope that I would see something that would make me a very happy woman.

And there it was!!  My brand new shower finally has a glassed-in enclosure.  As I looked inside the shower and saw a razor-blade (the flat kind, like what you’d use to get stuff off of glass), a drill-bit and a step stool, I almost opened the door to clear it all out so I could enjoy my first shower.  But then I noticed the note on the door:  do not open until 9/10.

So, it looks like it’ll be another 2 days before I can fully test out my bathroom.  I suppose it’s just as well; I do need to get some new towels.  The old ones just won’t do.

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strippin’ in the backyard

Saturday, August 9th, 2008

A few weeks back, I picked up some stripping gloves.  At home depot.  A lovely orange pair, one size fits all.

I finally got around to trying them out today, in the backyard.  With all my basement painting, I decided I didn’t want to continue the trend of painting the breaker box cover the same as the walls.  Because, well, flat paint isn’t the best thing to use for something that people put their hands on.  And also, there were several chips in the paint, making the overall effect look haphazard and lazy.

And so I removed all that paint, with a little help from some pretty serious paint stripper.  And my stripping gloves.  (That just never gets old!)  And an old paint brush.  And a kitchen scrubby.  And some rags.

Once all the layers of paint were gone, I sprayed the cover with some metal-colored enamel spray paint.  Because I don’t mind if metal looks like metal.  

So yeah, I spent my afternoon strippin’ in the backyard.  And the husband is in vegas and missed the whole thing … 

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pleeeeeease, can I dry my hair in the baaaaaathrooooooom?

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

We’re coming up on the 3-year house anniversary.  And it’s been 3 years of drying my hair in the hallway.  Because the bathroom outlets don’t work.

They managed to pass inspection just fine - but somewhere between the inspection and my first attempt at drying my hair, they stopped working.  Granted, I blow dry my hair about once every 2 months, so who knows how long it was after we moved in that I discovered it.  Who knows what may have happened.  Malicious sellers?  Careless cable or direct tv installers?  Or maybe my 1875-watt monster of a hair dry made the wires asplode.

So as part of the bathroom remodel, we negotiated in that they would fix the outlet and put in a GFI.  Because it had no such protections.

The electrician is here now, and informed me that the … wire? … is only for 15 amps, not 20 amps as is standard these days for bathrooms.  

He has discovered that our GFI is in the basement utility room.  When it is not tripped, the utility room, porch outlet, and two bathrooms work.  The backyard outlet (never even knew we had one …) and the upstairs bathrooms never work ….

The electrician is going to steal power from the upstairs hall, feed it to the guest bath, and use that to power the master bath.  (With GFI protections, of course.)  He can’t upgrade the wire without tearing up all the walls through the entire house, so I’ll be stuck with a wimpy 15 amps.  That probably won’t power my one-true-love of a hair dryer.  But - at least the husband will be able to shave in the bathroom …

Posted in general complaints, home improvements | 5 Comments »

the biggest shower known to man!

Saturday, August 2nd, 2008

So they’ve finished tiling the shower, and it is AWESOME!  We have an 8′x10′ bathroom.  And now a 5′x5′ shower.

I imagine it’ll take some time to warm up the nice big shower in the cold winter months.  I think that’s when I’ll start making the husband get up first in the morning …

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party time: day 17

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

Alas, tis the last day of my vacation.  It’s a good thing, too, because I am EXHAUSTED.  Between walking all over DC and Baltimore, and painting my basement (NOT as easy as it sounds), my body is sore and quite ready for a nice, relaxing desk job.

Got up early today to attend the baptism (and worship services) of one of the neighbors.  We sat right up front, so the husband got the honors of video taping the little guy’s baptism.  At just 6 months old, he was rather composed and calm for the proceedings.  (The baby, not the husband.  Though the husband was also quite composed and calm.)

Put together my Sunday school lesson (complete with a match game!), then headed off for another 3 hours of church.  And only 2 of my kids showed up, so all my efforts couldn’t be fully appreciated.  Should have gone with hangman, no preparation needed there …

Decided the trim doesn’t need a second coat and put the basement back together, as much as it can be.  Need to buy some bookcases, vertical blinds for the sliding door, a skinnier printer cart, and a couple of comfy fireplace chairs.  After I, um, start getting paid again.

All in all, it’s been a great 17 days - even if my delicate programmer hands are now calloused and scratched up.  A few days at the new job should fix that right up.

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party time: day 16

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

Up early to go see the new batman flick!  The theater was surprisingly full at 9:30 in the morning.  And they do make popcorn and pizza at that hour.  Most people had the good sense to leave their under-12-ers home, but there were a few young ones in the crowd.  A man in front of us brought his 8 and 10 year old boys - and I have a feeling his wife may be less than pleased when she’s dealing with nightmares for the rest of the week.

But, back to the movie:  it is nothing short of awesome.  And a half.  While Iron Man is my favorite movie of the summer, The Dark Knight is probably the best movie I have seen this summer.  And I have seen A LOT of movies. 

Heath Ledger is brilliantly demented.  The story is full of unexpectedly sick turns, that by movie’s end, had me starting to descend into the crazy, anarchic world that the Joker lived in.  And it’s not a nice place.  There were a few cringe-inducing moments that had me not wanting to look at the screen, but I have a weak stomach when it comes that sort of thing.

So go see it!  But leave the kids at home.

Did some more painting - surprise, surprise.  I think I’ll be able to finish up next weekend …

I am currently enjoying a bowl of apple slices, strawberries and frozen grapes.  And a bowl of cool whip.  And a bowl of caramel.  I love fruit, it’s the perfect thing for dipping in sugar!

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party time: day 15

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

Laid in bed till after 9 because my feet said so.  Any time I thought about getting up, my feet convinced me otherwise.  Turns out, squatting for 6 hours is tuff on the balls of your feet.  Most especially when you do it barefoot …

Finally got up, put on clean, pretty clothes and headed to AC Moore for some little paint brushes.  For painting in tiny little spaces.  That my fireplace is full of.

Made a 10:45 am stop at McDonalds to pick up a burger, fries and fruit parfait to get my day started off right.

Painted a banister, trim, and fireplace.  Did not finish the trim.

The mail man brought me my new internets!  Oh, happy day.

The bathroom tile man stopped by to see what he was dealing with.  What he is dealing with is a room with no subflooring.  Or shower drain.  Oy.  I gave him a key so he could get started on Monday. 

Papa Johns brought dinner, and I called it an early night.  Didn’t finish the trim or any doors, but 8 hours of painting is plenty.

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party time: day 14

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

Painted from 7:45 am to 11:15 pm.  (Two bathroom breaks, two cheezit/tuna salad/frozen grape breaks.)  The basement is much larger than it looks.  But I got two paints of the purple/gray on, and it looks great.  I painted over an unsanded patch, but I didn’t much care, seeing as it’ll be behind my new bookcases.  Whenever I get a job and make some money to buy new said bookcases.

Fell asleep dreaming of the pattern that paint rollers make when they put paint on the walls.  Seriously.  Because that’s what painting for 16 hours will do to ya.

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