It’s mildly embarrassing when the siding contractor comes out to do an estimate on your home and says, “Hey, you guys will be the ultimate before-and-after pictures.” It’s a lot…
It’s mildly embarrassing when the siding contractor comes out to do an estimate on your home and says, “Hey, you guys will be the ultimate before-and-after pictures.”
It’s a lot more embarrassing when you can’t disagree with him …
Busy, busy, busy weekend … Friday after work, Jackie came over and we all headed off to the Denver Botanic Gardens for their spring plant sale. As usual, it was…
Busy, busy, busy weekend …
Friday after work, Jackie came over and we all headed off to the Denver Botanic Gardens for their spring plant sale. As usual, it was like being a kid in a crack shop for me, or something like that, and we bought way too many far more a lot more plants than a reasonable person might think.
Friday evening was Sorcerer over at Doyce’s. It’s odd playing a not-very-nice character in a fairly realistic setting. Ken’s nothing like me, nor do I want him (or me) to be, but it’s interesting how easily some of his selfishness and goal orientation drips off my tongue.
Saturday I was up as Margie took Kitten to dance class, hurling myself into plant planting. There was the load from the Botanic Gardens, a half-dozen gallon pots from Home Depot the previous weekend, and the booty from the church plant sale (which Margie went and picked up). I started about 9:15, ended at 4 or so, with occasional stops to drink some ice water. A goodly chunk of the (call it) six hours was digging out some additional flower bed along the sidewalk, in a patch grass will not grow on. Got that planted, as well as filling in some sport in the eventually-to-be-terraced area by the driveway.
I need to get more active back out in the yard — zapping lawn weeds and stray junk in the flower beds. Didn’t do much of that last year, nor this year so far, and it shows.
I’m still sore, this morning, in my hands and thighs from all the digging and planting. But I’m pleased, too. With luck, the plants should be established enough by the time it gets too persistently hot that the two-day-a-week watering schedule will be okay for them.
Saturday night was supposed to be Chrysalis, but we ended up just gabbing and playing Greed Quest (several times).
Mother’s Day dawned on Sunday too early, though Kitten was still asleep when I went in to wake her up. We brought Mommy her present — a marigold in a flower pot, itself nestled in a little wicker carriage — as made in pre-school, then hustled off to church. We were meeting at a conference room at the library, since the church sanctuary is being recarpeted and repainted this week. That worked out okay — and no protesters, I’m pleased to say — and we ran off to do some shopping, thence home. I made Mother’s Day pancakes, while Margie …
Well, for Mother’s Day, Margie kicked off her Voyage into Discovery campaign. Randy, Jackie, Stan and I were there for the premiere, which (speaking just for myself) was a lot of fun. Margie did a great job establishing the mood (room decor, food, music), getting us into the characters (interesting cover character sheets, Q&A sessions), etc. It’s a little frustrating playing 1st level newbies, but certainly a lot simpler. And I enjoyed playing Amir, and the interpersonal byplay between the cousins (and employee), and all that.
That ran pretty late, and by the time everyone left, we simply hit the sack.
Busy week ahead, as usual. Better get at it.
UPDATE: AAAAAGGGHHHHH!!! I DIDN’T CALL MY MOM!!!! AAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!! (Crap.)
It’s been hot this week, and getting hotter. Temps may hit up around 90 today, which — given that we had snow over last weekend — is typically Colorado. Though…
It’s been hot this week, and getting hotter. Temps may hit up around 90 today, which — given that we had snow over last weekend — is typically Colorado. Though the fast melt-off of the snow pack may spell trouble with a capital troub this summer.
Laid out a corner of the front lawn to further cut away, bwah-ha-ha. It’s been pretty pathetic for a couple of years, and we might as well just plant plants there than shilly-shally about with reinstalling grass. As far as I’m concerned, we could do away with the entire front lawn. But that’s next year …
Plant sale at the Denver Botanic Gardens this Friday/Saturday. What a coincidence. Saturday, I think, is planting day — plant sale plants, church plant sale plants (arriving Saturday), and plants bought at Home Depot last weekend.
And, to keep things karmically balanced, when I get home today I am spraying the snot out of the Evil, Out of Control Weeds in the lawn and beds. Yeesh.
But what brought summer to mind was going to Katherine’s school last evening to get the skinny on summer school. She’ll be going two days a week, full time (8-4:30). It will be a transition for her, but I think it will do her good.
Though it’s going to screw up swimming lessons. We may have to do some of that ourselves. But they have a great summer school program — visiting art teacher funded by the SCFD, field trips, water activities one day a week (wading pools and water tables and stuff like that). The school is under construction over the summer (my company, coincidentally, is the project manager), so there will be a bit of disruption. But not too much. Should work out well for her, add some socialization, keep her talking. No special ed over the summer, but keeping her talking seems to be an important thing in helping her learn to talk better.
And in the fall, she’ll be going to four days a week, in the afternoons. That’ll be interesting for us, but that’s how it goes.
Five lovely hours of outside goodness. I probably did more in the yard today than I did for most months last season. Completely clean out, sort, rake, sweep, organize, and…
Five lovely hours of outside goodness. I probably did more in the yard today than I did for most months last season.
Slow, but steady, progress on the Big Projects. A/C Got a pretty expensive (~$7K) estimate from one guy a month-plus ago for replacing the 20-yr-old furnace with a new furnace…
Slow, but steady, progress on the Big Projects.
A/C
Got a pretty expensive (~$7K) estimate from one guy a month-plus ago for replacing the 20-yr-old furnace with a new furnace and a/c. Margie has an officemate who was raving about the job that someone else did for her, so we had him come over, and expect to seen an estimate from him Real Soon Now.
Siding
Two folks finally made it by yesterday, no estimates yet. If we can get rid of the cedar and go to some other material, that’s probably best in the long-run, but we’re going to a supply place tonight to get a feel for material costs. One oddity — though I’m pretty certain that we’re one of the few cedar siding folks in the neighborhood, and most folks around us are masonite or something like that. However, one of the contractors who came by yesterday mentioned that our neighbors have vinyl siding, which I thought was verboten around here. More to follow …
Actually, given the number of class action suits regarding masonite/hardboard siding, that may not be surprising. That said, I need to make a follow-up call to the Paint Police HOA architectural review rep to confirm whether vinyl is off-limits. It would have the distinct advantage of being cheaper overall than other options as it’s installed atop the existing siding, and removing the existing siding isn’t cheap …
Paint
Pending the siding issue, natch.
Drywall in the Dining Room
Got someone in last week who was recommended as a drywaller by a friend. He indicated his schedule was pretty booked, but referenced another person he swaps work with, who should get back to us today (?).
Steps up from the sidewalk
Probably not this year, between money and yard-watering/landscaping issues.
So we have cedar siding. And it needs replacement. But I can’t find anyone who actually installs cedar siding. Vinyl siding, no problem. But no cedar siding. Who does one…
So we have cedar siding. And it needs replacement.
But I can’t find anyone who actually installs cedar siding. Vinyl siding, no problem. But no cedar siding.
Who does one call about such things?
FRIDAY Long Friday for me, saving up hours for Good Friday next weekend. Still, got home in time for Margie to head over to sundry doctors’ offices to be told,…
FRIDAY
Long Friday for me, saving up hours for Good Friday next weekend. Still, got home in time for Margie to head over to sundry doctors’ offices to be told, among other things, that her arm is looking great. Which it is.
She beat me to the punch, by the way, by going out and trimming the grasses in the pots, so that I didn’t have to. She rocks. Still have some ground-planted ones that need trimming, but the weather (and schedule) did not permit.
Margie was off to D&D in the evening. Kitten and I went downtown to an art gallery near the bit REI HQ. An old college friend of mine, Keith Howard, was having an opening there, and it had been a few years since we’d gotten together with him. He’s currently still doing much house painting, but clearly selling enough of the “real” art to have shows and such. Lots of big, pretty abstract oil paintings, bright primary colors, etc.
Keith was seriously jazzed to meet Katherine, and the two of them got into a laughing contest, which I wish I’d had a video camera to record.
That got us home pretty late — especially since the heavens opened up with rain, which is not the best of conditions to drive the ever-under-construction I-25 in. Not that I was complaining — we are heartily in need of precipitation. It was probably 9:30 or so before Kitten got to bed, and she went down pretty quickly, and I …
… well, I finished sorting stuff on the breakfast table. It’s not clean yet, but it’s a lot more clear, and better organized. Now I need to do something about it.
Not the most footloose and fancy-free of bachelor evenings, but better than some, certainly.
SATURDAY
Up earlyish to deal with Kitten needs and haul her off to dance class. Good fun, watching flocking behavior by little girls in dance outfits, running about the dance instructor like larks on the wing.
The afternoon was a playtest of a new Pulp module. Good fun around the table. Due to the Very Occasional actual play of Pulp, I’ve never really gotten into my character, Burt Richards, but not a bad way to spend the afternoon.
The evening, in turn, was taken up going to see Hellboy. Which I probably need to do again.
SUNDAY
We were extra-diligent the night before to set our bedside clocks ahead an hour. Which was about the cleverest thing that we did.
Palm Sunday, and time for the annual Passion-reading-as-script rendition. Margie got tapped as the narrator, which meant she had the most lines by far, much to her delight (not). She did quite well.
I got to do Jesus, who always has the oddest selection of written part. There’s always pressure in that particular role, as one might imagine. Inflection becomes critical. You don’t want to be melodramatic, but you don’t want to drone the lines out, either. Plus you can imagine everyone in the congregation hanging on the particular performance, ready to critique a particular way you say things. Well, I can, at least.
The church expansion continues apace. We had paved parking lot, but no parking in it (that will be for next Sunday, weather permitting).The walled areas around the parish hall and narthex are finally taking shape. Things are progressing well.
After church, it was off to brunch, thence to errands. As we headed over to Costco, we saw signs for the Lord & Taylor at Park Meadows closing, everything 40% off, so we took a side jaunt there.
Well, at 40% off, it’s still a not-unpricey store, but I found a couple of good deals — some short-sleeved dress shirts, a tie bar or two — and Margie found some stuff, and a couple of cute outfits for Kitten, and a Mothers Day gift from her for Mommy. Then over to Costco …
… where we got a call from Jackie on my cell. Margie took it, and it sounded like a query about the timing for my Spycraft game that afternoon. Ah, I thought. Someone thought it was at 1 again, but it’s clearly on the Game Calendar as 2. And at the moment, it’s just 1:20 …
Well, um, no. See, we’d done a decent job of changing most of the clocks in the house … except my wristwatch. Clever. So it was really 2:20, and everyone was at the house, except us.
Which made the rest of the trip — and the unpacking, and pre-game prep — a bit more hectic than usual.
As it was, the module finished unfolding, the players manage to converge when and where they needed to, and if the boat chase took place later than planned, and with our not being familiar yet with the chase rules, that was compensated for by a well-placed auto-fire salvo that sunk the fleeing Zodiac.
By the time folks had left, though, and Kitten was down, it was going on 9:30. And we needed some unwinding time, so it was about 11:30 by the time we were lights out.
Which is probably not the way to wrap a hectic week ahead — the wrap-up of 40 Days tonight (thank heavens), another meeting for me Wednesday night, our anniversary on Thursday (huzzah!), and the whole Easter Weekend after that. But at least it’s dark again when I’m driving into the office.
And we get home and find … daffodils! And muscari, and forsythia, and leafing apple trees, and flowing maples. But mostly daffodils. I was going to go out and do…
And we get home and find … daffodils! And muscari, and forsythia, and leafing apple trees, and flowing maples. But mostly daffodils.
I was going to go out and do some watering. And then it started snowing. Not much, just enough to serve as a nice spring rain.
This ushers in a whole new season of Work on the House. Among projects that need to be tackled:
I have a strong suspicion that not all those things will get done. Unfortunately, all of them are of large importance, for various reasons. But, likely, #1-3 (and maybe some temporary #6) will be the extent of it.
Okay, I can certainly support folks being more water-wise with their gardens, particularly here in the West, and particularly with ornamental lawns. But fake lawns? Give me a break. First…
Okay, I can certainly support folks being more water-wise with their gardens, particularly here in the West, and particularly with ornamental lawns.
But fake lawns? Give me a break.
First off, I don’t believe it looks “as good.” I don’t believe it won’t fade. I do believe that it has a limited lifespan, but I don’t believe it’s even 15 years.
I do believe it’s expensive … $6-7/sq. ft.
Um … guys … have you considered … well … um … plants? I mean, drought-worthy (if not xeriscape) plants. A lot prettier, and they grow on their own, and installation is a snap.
Some folks need play areas for kids, I suppose — though, I suspect, less than most lawns provide. This might be a good (if expensive) option for them. But, frankly, most front yards I’ve seen could use a lot less lawn than they have, particularly in our neck of the woods.
(via Les)
When we got home Saturday, we noticed a little pink flag with a bag and a piece of paper out by the big tree in front. When I checked it…
When we got home Saturday, we noticed a little pink flag with a bag and a piece of paper out by the big tree in front. When I checked it out, it was a utility map sketch of the neighbors, showing various things criss-crossing their back yard.
Now Margie notes that there are a plenitude of little paint marks and such all over the back garden beds, along the perimeter of the property. Some extend out into the lawn. Upon closer examination, they’re mapping both phone and electrical lines.
So … what gives, we wonder. Some upcoming utility work? Some of the perimeter (but not all of it by any means) of our back yard is a utility easement, so I hope that doesn’t imply there’s digging in our future. But that wouldn’t explain the marks where there isn’t an easement.
The neighbors did get a new phone line in last year some time, and we noted that it was (as Qwest has done with us in the past) lying open on the ground along our side of the fence. But that area’s not easement, either, and if that line’s going to be buried, it should be buried on their side of the fence (which is mostly grass) not our side (which is all plantings).
Stay tuned …
UPDATE: Margie contacted the electric co., which, after digging around, determined it’s the cable co. Question remains, after we determine the easement, what’s the sitch?
Though the day started off with Kitten getting up too early, and with a phone call that my Spycraft game on Sunday had to be postponed because of Justin’s football…
Though the day started off with Kitten getting up too early, and with a phone call that my Spycraft game on Sunday had to be postponed because of Justin’s football season-ender dinner thang (Go, Moose!), there were plenty of little successes in it. Two in particular:
1. I think this is the quickest I have returned the garage into two-car-edness after a visit from Jim and Ginger. The remains of the project have sat there for multiple months at a time (usually, but not always, because there’s more project for me to do).
What made this time faster than previous was that (a) I didn’t want my new car sitting out on the driveway, and (b) Margie seriously didn’t want to be getting in and out of the van on the driveway.
2. When hit up by Katherine for a story for our trip to Home Depot, I hit upon the perfect story: “The Story of Shishiko, the Little Cat Girl, and How She Met Prince Menho.” This is the “origin tale” of my Oriental Adventures character, and it was just perfect, as was the sequel, “The Story of Shishiko and the Mean Guard.” I’m actually thinking of writing them up as real bed-time books for her, maybe even with illustrations.
Hey, didn’t Tolkien get started that way?
Sprinkler Blowing Guy came a day early, so we’re set with that. He said the system didn’t seem to be frozen up — the only one he’d done today that…
Sprinkler Blowing Guy came a day early, so we’re set with that. He said the system didn’t seem to be frozen up — the only one he’d done today that wasn’t. I suspect we’ll still end up with a number of bits and pieces needing replacement come the spring, but hopefully nothing too bad.
I’m not sure why I ended up ordering the sprinkler blow so late this year (delayed a week because of the ice storm last Friday), but form a watering standpoint, we’ve gone from warm weather with sprinklers to very cold and rather damp weather that doesn’t need any, which is, from that perspective, the ideal.
Except for the prospective broken pipes and such.
We’ll see, come the spring.
Looks like I picked a great day to get the sprinklers blown for the season. (Actually, the timing has turned out to be perfect.)…
Looks like I picked a great day to get the sprinklers blown for the season.
(Actually, the timing has turned out to be perfect.)
The dining room project is much bigger, but going much faster, than expected. Cabinetry, power outlets, down lights, drywall, ultimately tile surfacing that will match ultimate tile floor … amazing….
The dining room project is much bigger, but going much faster, than expected. Cabinetry, power outlets, down lights, drywall, ultimately tile surfacing that will match ultimate tile floor … amazing.
We “lost” an hour this morning by forgetting that the clocks needed to be set back. Fortunately, since we’ve been going to bed around 8:30, it wasn’t that big a deal.
The laundry chute is right out, given the presence of heater ductwork in the wall that it was going to go through. Ah, well. So, instead, cabinetry/buffet in the dining…
The laundry chute is right out, given the presence of heater ductwork in the wall that it was going to go through. Ah, well.
So, instead, cabinetry/buffet in the dining room, at least Phase 1 thereof. Details to follow …
Margie’s folks are out later in the week for the normal four-day Food, Fun, and Home Improvement Extravaganza that their visits usually are. I joke about it a lot, largely…
Margie’s folks are out later in the week for the normal four-day Food, Fun, and Home Improvement Extravaganza that their visits usually are. I joke about it a lot, largely because it’s sometimes a bit daunting, but it’s also always enjoyable and the house is always, well, improved after they leave. Maybe it’s bookshelves, or an entertainment unit or storage space in the basement or a new closet or …
This time out, the apparent project is putting in a laundry chute from the upstairs (my closet, almost certainly) to the washer/dryer closet, via the garage. As long as we can avoid with Kitten a repeat of Margie’s Childhood Unfortunate Laundry Chute Incident, it should be great.
Other projects may or may not include cleaning out and reorganizing the coat closet, and putting down tile in the dining room. Heh. Just kidding. Maybe.
One nice thing about this visit is that I don’t expect to have to do Massive Cleaning Efforts. Between various partying that occured at the house this past weekend and the one before, and our new Weekly Cleaning Schedule, the place is actually in pretty good shape. All except my closet, of course, which I’ve been dredging desperately (“Hey, I wondered what happened to that puka-shell necklace!”), since that’s where we’ll be, of course, working.
They’re not coming out just to do home improvement stuff. It’s Margie’s birthday this weekend, too, so festivities will abound related to that. I’ve been collecting little gifts for some months, and will have the opportunity to spring them on her at some point in time. The biggest gift will be the smallest, the costliest will be the cheapest, and — well, you get the idea. Lots of mystery awaits, bwah-ha-hah, most of it in the form of puzzled looks on (hopefully just) Margie’s parents’ faces as Margie unwraps presents.
Should be fun.
So after watching Justin’s team whoop their opposition, we headed across town to Tagawa Nursery, where fresh-roasted chilis were to be had. Of course, visiting a nursery, even with the…
So after watching Justin’s team whoop their opposition, we headed across town to Tagawa Nursery, where fresh-roasted chilis were to be had.
Of course, visiting a nursery, even with the express intention of buying something other than plants, is like dropping by your local crack dealer to ask if you can borrow a cup of flour.
So, a dozen or two plants (and a big bag of roasted chilis) later, we headed home … and spent the rest of the afternoon planting fall perennials — which should make them a lot hardier next spring.
Most of the plants went behind the new fence, where most of the spring plantings died a horrible, arid death, with both sprinkler problems and watering limitations and blistering heat doing them in. Here’s hoping we end up with something that can last through next summer.
One of our Home Improvement goals for the summer was to get the house painted. Margie handled finding a painter. I handled contacting the HOA. Everything was all set. They…
One of our Home Improvement goals for the summer was to get the house painted.
Margie handled finding a painter. I handled contacting the HOA.
Everything was all set. They would arrive 2 September — and not a moment too soon, as a cursory exam of the flaking paint on our house would demonstrate.
But …
Friday afternoon, I spotted an envelope from the painters tucked in front door.
Inside …
After performing your estimate, I was not comfortable with the condition of the house siding; therefore, I requested to have an independent analysis made on your house siding. Please see attached document.
Urg.
I was worried about this. Our cedar siding is not in good shape, to be honest. Lots of cracks, lots of caulk. Last paint job, about five years ago (!), the painter said, “This will probably be the last time before you have to have the siding redone.”
I’d been waiting for that other shoe to drop when painters came out to give us estimates. It hadn’t, so I’d relaxed.
Thud
So … now I get an estimate of re-siding the house. Along with the debate of whether to continue with cedar — which I prefer, aesthetically, but which is prone to, well, weathering (granted that this siding appears to have lasted the 25 years the house has existed), or go for something like Masonite siding, which is what most of the houses in the neighborhood have.
And what’s the cost delta?
And what’s the cost in the first place?
And will the HOA approve a siding change?
And when can it be done?
And can we get the house painted after that?
And … well, at that point, what color will we want to do the house? The same? Or use a wood stain, if we stick with cedar? Or …?
Rrg.
Given that our carpet has the capability of permanently retaining indentations from any furniture put down on it for more than five minutes, I’m going to have to try this….
Given that our carpet has the capability of permanently retaining indentations from any furniture put down on it for more than five minutes, I’m going to have to try this.
Apparently, to fix those bits of carpet that have been flattened by your furniture, just place an ice-cube on the spot, wait for it to melt and then dry, and hey-presto, your carpet is as good as new.
The pictures certainly look good.
I finally, after several false starts, began work on the back deck, replacing a number of the loose nails — especially where the main boards butt up together on joists…
I finally, after several false starts, began work on the back deck, replacing a number of the loose nails — especially where the main boards butt up together on joists — with honest-to-God deck screws.
The good new?
The bad news?
When we get the house painted (by and by), we’ll be replacing a number of the 2x6x10s that make up the deck. Particularly the ones that are in “step your foot through to the underside” mode.
Ultimately, of course, the deck gets replaced, with something wider, more tiered, with better access to the ground, and plastic/composite.
Until then, I’m glad I bought a jumbo box of 3.5″ deck screws.