For a change of pace, we went to an ocean site. You would be surprised how few and far between the undeveloped ocean recreation sites are! But we did our research and found a site a couple hours (plus) North of our town on the Discovery Passage. Instead of posting tonnes of pictures (it was a beautiful place) I will post the permalink to my new shutter fly book that I just made up for it!
Here it is!
The days were lovely and warm enough in the sun, the evenings were breezy and cool (keeping the trailer fresh even with 4 unwashed bodies in there). We enjoyed a waterfront spot all private and clean. The water was sparkling (though much too cold for me) and the sea life was really active with sockeye jumping right out in front of us (no fishing gear though!) and even a pod of orcas within sight.
We were way out there. Long, treacherous road up and down to get to the site. The bush was closed to logging because of the dryness, so there was NO traffic with the logging trucks not running, that made it very quiet on land. On the water, it's a busy shipping lane with boats of every shape and size going by all day and night. Tugs, log booms, cargo ships, cruise ships (HUGE), pleasure craft, many kinds of fish boats, sailing, military, and wickedly fast whale watchers.
The water was silky smooth so kayaking was marvellous. Even more interesting sights to see out on the water than on shore. And there was no shortage of interesting beach combing!
The only downside was there was so much interesting stuff that I got barely any reading done LOL.
Have a look at the link, the photos say so much.
Showing posts with label house and home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label house and home. Show all posts
9.08.2014
7.05.2014
Time heals all wounds
The pain is less, now that some time is past.
Night is the most painful. I miss her mewing as she sneaks into Cameron's room as I read the bedtime story, which her leaping on the bed to knead and purr at us until she has enough and jumps away (with or with our a hiss and nip). She would always come back in the night and try to climb under his covers or sit on his chest and lick his nose or paw at his cheek (with an occasional claw to wake him up for a pet-session).
But every night gets slightly less expectant and sad, and every day gets slightly dulled to absence of her beautiful feline presence.
=======================
Despite her loss, my garden grows and each day holds something good. I am thankful.
Night is the most painful. I miss her mewing as she sneaks into Cameron's room as I read the bedtime story, which her leaping on the bed to knead and purr at us until she has enough and jumps away (with or with our a hiss and nip). She would always come back in the night and try to climb under his covers or sit on his chest and lick his nose or paw at his cheek (with an occasional claw to wake him up for a pet-session).
But every night gets slightly less expectant and sad, and every day gets slightly dulled to absence of her beautiful feline presence.
=======================
Despite her loss, my garden grows and each day holds something good. I am thankful.
I go out into the garden and tend my plants, pick the kale and zucchini, and fresh pea-pods and strawberries and raspberries and watch the bean vines reach for the sky and the sunflowers follow the sun and wait for the tomatoes to show their fruit. I collect the eggs from my happy hens and walk the dog and play with the kids (when they let me - teens) and spend as much time with my husband as he has available. All these things are the best things.
12.31.2013
bye bye 2013
I shocked that 2013 is over, it flew by so fast that I wonder what it all meant.
Time to re-visit my resolutions from last year, time to do the last invoices for my business and see how our household finances compare to year's past…. I feel good about it actually.
2013 Resolutions Report Card:
MORE;
reading, C- (not as much as I was hoping)
writing, C+ (definitely MORE but not lots)
billable hours, B+ (very good effort!)
time teaching my kids, D (I didn't apply my energy!)
learning, C (learning software upgrades)
vegetables, B+ (yay!)
whole foods, B+ (good improvement)
housecleaning, C+ (some improvement, a ways to go)
walks, A (rain or shine and dragging anyone that will go)
yoga, F (I think I went once all year)
time for friends, B- (more phone calls, more lunches)
kindness, B (the kids are seeing a less judgmental me)
time outside, A (gardening, walking, chickens, dog!)
patience, B (it seems to go with the kinder me)
LESS;
dairy, A+ (almost done with it except aged cheeses)
fructose, B+ (it sneaks in rarely)
excuses, B+ (good improvement!)
processed foods, A- (I read ingredients)
shopping, C+ (slightly better than last year)
criticism, B (more kindness)
procrastination, D (still prone to leaving unpleasant things to the last second)
TV, F (time-sucking box of doom)
food hoarding, C+ (good effort up to about a month ago)
chaos C+ (there is less, but still room to improve)
As far as resolutions go I think I made progress in a decent amount of areas! I'm so glad to have done this and I will certainly continue.
2014 Resolutions:
MORE: time outside, wholesome food, gardening, billable hours, kindness, learning, housecleaning, patience, quiet time, time for loved ones, creating art, respecting my health
LESS: chaos, processed foods, useless stuff, procrastinating, consumption, pushing my opinion, TV
What I want to accomplish for the year: A comfortable, safe environment to live and work for myself and my dear family through good nutrition, clean home, loving attitude, calm listening and healthy habits.
Time to re-visit my resolutions from last year, time to do the last invoices for my business and see how our household finances compare to year's past…. I feel good about it actually.
2013 Resolutions Report Card:
MORE;
reading, C- (not as much as I was hoping)
writing, C+ (definitely MORE but not lots)
billable hours, B+ (very good effort!)
time teaching my kids, D (I didn't apply my energy!)
learning, C (learning software upgrades)
vegetables, B+ (yay!)
whole foods, B+ (good improvement)
housecleaning, C+ (some improvement, a ways to go)
walks, A (rain or shine and dragging anyone that will go)
yoga, F (I think I went once all year)
time for friends, B- (more phone calls, more lunches)
kindness, B (the kids are seeing a less judgmental me)
time outside, A (gardening, walking, chickens, dog!)
patience, B (it seems to go with the kinder me)
LESS;
dairy, A+ (almost done with it except aged cheeses)
fructose, B+ (it sneaks in rarely)
excuses, B+ (good improvement!)
processed foods, A- (I read ingredients)
shopping, C+ (slightly better than last year)
criticism, B (more kindness)
procrastination, D (still prone to leaving unpleasant things to the last second)
TV, F (time-sucking box of doom)
food hoarding, C+ (good effort up to about a month ago)
chaos C+ (there is less, but still room to improve)
As far as resolutions go I think I made progress in a decent amount of areas! I'm so glad to have done this and I will certainly continue.
2014 Resolutions:
MORE: time outside, wholesome food, gardening, billable hours, kindness, learning, housecleaning, patience, quiet time, time for loved ones, creating art, respecting my health
LESS: chaos, processed foods, useless stuff, procrastinating, consumption, pushing my opinion, TV
What I want to accomplish for the year: A comfortable, safe environment to live and work for myself and my dear family through good nutrition, clean home, loving attitude, calm listening and healthy habits.
10.17.2013
Wildlife
We have a bear.
Not that I mind (actually it's pretty cool to think I share my territory with a big animal like that)
BUT this particular bear has been a bit destructive in it's hunt for fall food. Other than ripping limbs from my apple tree, (and massive poops) it took out 6 fence panels of my neighbour's backyard and left more poop and other debris right up on her sundeck!
Miraculously it has ignored the chicken coop even though it is directly adjacent to the apples trees.
The neighbour is worried about what it will do next. Or worse, what her husband will do next. So she called the conservation officer... And THATS how a live bear trap got taken through my driveway. It's about 10 ft from my garage right now.
Last night the bear came back but was more interested in mauling my green bin than climbing into the trap for the big bag of stinky cat food. Smarter than your average bear? Or just a vegetarian? So the trap is still vacant... for now.
6.13.2013
Dig Diggity
Heavy duty yard renovations! T's brother came down from up North and borrowed a friend's little excavator and dump truck. He dug stuff out, put in better drainage, sculpted the new path, moved some big rocks and laid several tonnes of driveway chip until it all looked pretty spiffy.
Come Fall we will plant some new grass where it was all dug up, and it will look very pro I think.
We now officially have a horseshoe driveway and less front yard to mow.
I have always wanted a round about driveway...
4.29.2013
Rendering myself Obsolete
My goal as a parent is to put myself pretty much out of a job within the next 10 years.
That's right. They can continue to love me (and I sure hope they do!) but I am counting on them not needing me to cook, clean, schedule or buy things for them in the next decade.
My 16 year old can now do his own laundry
My 11 year old can fry his own eggs (even crack them into the pan - I'm so proud)
Both of them are slowly acquiring the skills for proper nutrition and home care - It's part of the big picture as a parent.
For the first 12 months the primary task is to keep them alive and hopefully thriving.
The next couple years are all about socializing and communication skills (and hygiene!)
School years are about refining skills with other people, education, safety, health, emotional growth, building character, humour, love and play... big stuff!
Teens are back to the basics of respect, survival, safety, money - with the added edge of sexual stuff
And HOPEFULLY by the time they are age of majority we hope they are able and willing to leave the nest to begin productive, happy, law abiding lives of their own.
My boys may not be excelling in academics, but they will have been taught skills to shop properly, feed themselves and keep their living space clean enough.... (oh ya and be able to forrage edible wilds, mow and weedwhack the lawn, drive stick, ride motorcycles and know proper firearm handling as a bonus).
That's right. They can continue to love me (and I sure hope they do!) but I am counting on them not needing me to cook, clean, schedule or buy things for them in the next decade.
My 16 year old can now do his own laundry
My 11 year old can fry his own eggs (even crack them into the pan - I'm so proud)
Both of them are slowly acquiring the skills for proper nutrition and home care - It's part of the big picture as a parent.
For the first 12 months the primary task is to keep them alive and hopefully thriving.
The next couple years are all about socializing and communication skills (and hygiene!)
School years are about refining skills with other people, education, safety, health, emotional growth, building character, humour, love and play... big stuff!
Teens are back to the basics of respect, survival, safety, money - with the added edge of sexual stuff
And HOPEFULLY by the time they are age of majority we hope they are able and willing to leave the nest to begin productive, happy, law abiding lives of their own.
My boys may not be excelling in academics, but they will have been taught skills to shop properly, feed themselves and keep their living space clean enough.... (oh ya and be able to forrage edible wilds, mow and weedwhack the lawn, drive stick, ride motorcycles and know proper firearm handling as a bonus).
4.26.2013
No place like home
I'm happy to say that I love my house again. The winter was long and dark which made me have doubts, but now that the sun is reaching the yard again, I love it once more.
The floorplan is great in any season and the gardens are looking spiffier after every weekend of effort. The kids and dog spend more time outside here than they did at the other place and generally even though they do more outside stuff I see more of them too (because my office is in the main part of the house perhaps?). Its worth mentioning that I have burned less meals here too... also because of the office's proximity to the main part of the house.
I've been walking almost every day to school with Cam -even though it's no closer than the other house, the walk is nicer. And the drive is much worse, so walking is simply the more appealling choice in the morning!
So we renovated the floors, paint and K I T C H E N last year.
This year we are:
- working on the front yard (already quite a way into that with sicky plants removed, a fresh terraced rock wall and cedars coming next week)
- improving the food garden area... (my step-dad gave us his old green house. This weekend he's coming over to help re-assemble it.)
- repairing and improving the driveways (T's bro is bringing an excavator over next month!)
- painting the exterior of the house
- wiring and winterizing the garage (T's tools suffered surface rust over this last winter!)
- painting the baseboard molding, trim and interior doors
- installing more lighting for the kitchen and dining area (dreary and impractical at the moment over the eating areas)
- installing an exhaust fan in the main bathroom (how a house can be 30 years old and not have ever had one is strange to me)
That is the wish list that I REALLY hope to get done before the dark season comes back, we put some money aside after our other house sold, so hopefully it will all come together in time. (We won't get a loan for any of it... if we can't pay for it now, then it can wait). Between my energy, the boys' young backs and T's handyman skills it shouldn't require much hiring out.... just sweat equity and materials.
*** today I shoveled a whole yard of soil by myself and flung it up into the terraced rocks in the front yard. I think my back may hate me in the morning.
The floorplan is great in any season and the gardens are looking spiffier after every weekend of effort. The kids and dog spend more time outside here than they did at the other place and generally even though they do more outside stuff I see more of them too (because my office is in the main part of the house perhaps?). Its worth mentioning that I have burned less meals here too... also because of the office's proximity to the main part of the house.
I've been walking almost every day to school with Cam -even though it's no closer than the other house, the walk is nicer. And the drive is much worse, so walking is simply the more appealling choice in the morning!
So we renovated the floors, paint and K I T C H E N last year.
This year we are:
- working on the front yard (already quite a way into that with sicky plants removed, a fresh terraced rock wall and cedars coming next week)
- improving the food garden area... (my step-dad gave us his old green house. This weekend he's coming over to help re-assemble it.)
- repairing and improving the driveways (T's bro is bringing an excavator over next month!)
- painting the exterior of the house
- wiring and winterizing the garage (T's tools suffered surface rust over this last winter!)
- painting the baseboard molding, trim and interior doors
- installing more lighting for the kitchen and dining area (dreary and impractical at the moment over the eating areas)
- installing an exhaust fan in the main bathroom (how a house can be 30 years old and not have ever had one is strange to me)
That is the wish list that I REALLY hope to get done before the dark season comes back, we put some money aside after our other house sold, so hopefully it will all come together in time. (We won't get a loan for any of it... if we can't pay for it now, then it can wait). Between my energy, the boys' young backs and T's handyman skills it shouldn't require much hiring out.... just sweat equity and materials.
*** today I shoveled a whole yard of soil by myself and flung it up into the terraced rocks in the front yard. I think my back may hate me in the morning.
1.15.2013
Health
Everything seems to be trucking along in my life.
That nasty flu has been avoided (so far) and the weather (though not wonderful) has been good enough to walk Cam to school almost every day. In fact I am starting to wonder why we even have a second car, the new house location is within walking distance to my bank, pharmacy, grocery store and even a Thrift Shop, Timmy's and take out sushi place! Of course, it's not a FUN walk on a busy street, but I have done it. The only tough auto-situations are when I have a meeting or other chores farther afield than my local strip mall.
I took it upon myself to re-learn how to knit! I got some needles and a few balls of yarn at the thrift shop and watched a couple you-tube videos until I got the hang of it. It was fun! I played with it until I ran out of yarn. The result is a 24" striped square of softness. Not sure what I am doing with it, but it was fun with very little expense.
However..... my chronic mild wrist strain from my daily keyboarding posture erupted into full blown carpal tunnel syndrome this weekend... it HURTS.
I didn't bother a doctor, I did that test that the doctor would do (elbows out with backs of hands together for a minute) and checked off all the symptoms on-line, there is no doubt what the pain is from. I phoned around yesterday looking for a wrist splint to sleep in and found the most comfortable thing ever! It cost more than I'd like but not much more than a big pack of name brand, muscle relaxing, pain relievers. I slept with it on last night and am completely stunned how much BETTER I slept! (Apparently my wrist has been bugging me in my sleep for quite some time?) And my hand felt better this morning too. Not perfect, but certainly not nearly as painful as yesterday by a long shot. I will be sleeping with my comfy new wrist splint as long as it works!
Don't you love it when something works as advertised?
That nasty flu has been avoided (so far) and the weather (though not wonderful) has been good enough to walk Cam to school almost every day. In fact I am starting to wonder why we even have a second car, the new house location is within walking distance to my bank, pharmacy, grocery store and even a Thrift Shop, Timmy's and take out sushi place! Of course, it's not a FUN walk on a busy street, but I have done it. The only tough auto-situations are when I have a meeting or other chores farther afield than my local strip mall.
I took it upon myself to re-learn how to knit! I got some needles and a few balls of yarn at the thrift shop and watched a couple you-tube videos until I got the hang of it. It was fun! I played with it until I ran out of yarn. The result is a 24" striped square of softness. Not sure what I am doing with it, but it was fun with very little expense.
However..... my chronic mild wrist strain from my daily keyboarding posture erupted into full blown carpal tunnel syndrome this weekend... it HURTS.
I didn't bother a doctor, I did that test that the doctor would do (elbows out with backs of hands together for a minute) and checked off all the symptoms on-line, there is no doubt what the pain is from. I phoned around yesterday looking for a wrist splint to sleep in and found the most comfortable thing ever! It cost more than I'd like but not much more than a big pack of name brand, muscle relaxing, pain relievers. I slept with it on last night and am completely stunned how much BETTER I slept! (Apparently my wrist has been bugging me in my sleep for quite some time?) And my hand felt better this morning too. Not perfect, but certainly not nearly as painful as yesterday by a long shot. I will be sleeping with my comfy new wrist splint as long as it works!
Don't you love it when something works as advertised?
12.17.2012
SNOW!
Well, I didn't see that coming! The weather man has been saying that snow was unlikely anytime in the foreseable future, then BAAAM there it is in slushy, fat flakes last night after dinner. If that wasn't shocking enough, it actually stuck around! We woke up this morning to the power going out (and staying out for over an hour) and on the ground was the snow: crunchy frozen on top and slushy on the bottom, it's an evil brew for walking in... and even worse for scraping off the sidewalk. Heavy, awkward, messy. I'm glad it doesn't happen often in this part of Canada.
12.16.2012
New house - New Christmas Experience
Amazing! This is the first house we have ever lived in that has CHOICES for Christmas tree placement! I didn't even have to rearrange furniture to set it up. AND we didn't have to drag our freshly harvested tree through the kitchen (a Norway spruce)... the slider off the livingroom made it oh so tidy and convenient.
The shopping is done and the big meal is planned. No baking done yet (not sure if I even will this year). I toned down the Christmas chaos by A LOT this year. Not so many gifts for the boys and not so many people on the list. I hope nobody minds. It's just gotten so out of hand, bigger and fancier every year. It's supposed to be a gesture of caring, not a chance to go in debt right?
All in all, the house is awesome, and the kids love it, but no place is PERFECT.
A new house means new challenges and opportunities for the holiday decorations. I enjoyed it and also enjoyed getting rid of 3 boxes of things I didn't need or want in the way of Christmas decor for this house. And the house came "pre-strung" with the big outdoor lights on the gutters. I love the glow those big, old lights give off even if they are power-suckers. A flick of the switch and we look festive! Which is great because T doesn't like hanging lights (LOL).
(how is he not bald?)
I am feeling the Christmas spirit of love and giving though. It's been easier to make donations and share the joy through random acts of kindness (loading parking meters for example) .... I guess I feel less frazzled this year. BUT the chores don't end, and the mountain of dog hair accumulates as fast as ever... can't let my guard down on that front or the obnoxious tumbleweeds will get into the decorations along with all the normal spots.
I still love the flow and function of this house's floorplan. T says the kitchen is harder to clean than the old one... pretty sure that's because it's bigger. The only thing lacking (that I can tell) is bathroom exhaust fans. It's a bit humid in here after we've all had a shower, that's for sure. So we crack a window open (letting the heat out) until the mirror clears. Brrr. Good thing we live in a temperate part of Canada!
The chickens are content out in their yard clucking away, though they have completely stopped laying (hopefully just for the season). What fun pets they are. Fluffy and entertaining and full of character. Totally worth the small cost of feed and time that they require.
We walk to school every day. The dog just loves that! It's a good walk: out our back gate, across a park field, down a quiet, tidy suburb street and up the back field of the school. Max can be off-leash for most of it. By going out the back we miss all the traffic that is on our street. And if I feel like going for a woodland walk afterwards, the wilderness trails are next to that park field on the way home.... it's a good life here.
A drawback is with all the big trees around (the ones that keep us so comfortable in the Summer) we get almost no sunshine in the yard with the low angle of the Winter sun. I can SEE it shining through the trees and across the street, but it doesn't quite get high enough to clear the trees and touch the ground here. (At the other place the sun hit our house any time of year with it's southern exposure and placement on the high side of the street - brutal in the Summer, but cheery the rest of the time). If we could talk the people that own the strip of trees behind our house to top them or thin them, we would get the Eastern light. Not sure how well that would go, but before next winter I will try to talk to them.
All in all, the house is awesome, and the kids love it, but no place is PERFECT.
7.31.2012
Something to walk on
Still NO floors in the living areas!
Our first option was a nice, bamboo strand clic down. Rated very high for durability and environmental renewability. Not the cheapest but not overly expensive, and the installatino was going to be quite reasonable.
I had the delivery timed quite a while before moving out of our old place so we could have it in before we got there. When it arrived, we hauled the 2 pallets of boxes into the house. We even had the installer lined up. BUT when he went to start installing it the proper Monday he found the "clic" part wasn't clicking and the milling was sloppy. AKA he couldn't put it in. There's a week of wasted time and half day's labour for squat.
It had to be returned. All loaded (by hand) back outside so they could pick it up.
We looked at replacements. Nothing in that product looked reliably consistant (I wanted to cry). We looked at laminate, but nothing held a candle to the real thing - not even the high end stuff. The engineered hardwood is not an option because of the dog, he'd ruin it in short time. So the only thing left to consider is the same stuff we have in the other house - maple/birch. Okay with me because its beautifully warm, but much pricier to install.
Meanwhile we have moved into the back yard with the furniture stacked up in one room, and a million boxes under the house waiting for floors. I thought we would just be waiting for kitchen cupboards... how naive of me.
We took our bamboo refund and applied it to the maple.
We found some cork at a different store for the bedrooms, we picked it up and had it installed 2 days later. Not bad, now we have bedroom floors! And they are looking good, 3 rooms that we don't need to wear shoes in!
They delivered the maple 3 days later... BUT they delivered 2 different kinds of flooring. Same hardwood, different manufacturer. Very sad. Ready to blow my top. The one I picked out at the store was fine, but only enough to do one of the rooms! The other manufacturer is not fine. Not at all.
They had delivered it at 4:30 on a Friday. Because the delivery guy had gone home for the whole weekend and we couldn't leave it outside over the weekend, our choice was to haul it all into the house and out again on Monday, OR we had to load it up box by box into our truck to take it back to the store. What a waste of time! T chose to drag it back to the store himself. The only positive part of that is that it was a good upper-body work out.
I was fed up, and I told my woahs to the store manager. He apologized and did the best he could to make it right. We got replacement (a slight upgrade) for a cheaper price and another delivery came Monday. It looks fine. FINALLY.
While this whole floor drama has gone on, the installer had been busy with the cork and setting some vinyl in the bathrooms. I'm sad to say, I could have done just as well with the vinyl. It's slightly crooked and not cut with precision enough for what I would call a "professional installation". This shakes my confidence in his abilities to install the hardwood.
He called this very morning to say he couldn't come in to start on the maple because of babysitter problems. He's a nice young man and loves to work... single dad with a toddler... not positive he has the skills is all that I'm worried about.
With that early orning call, I think the universe is telling me to look elsewhere. I called a reputable high-end hardwood seller and asked for a list of installers. I called 3 and one agreed to come out to look right away. He did! An older man with more than 20 years experience with hardwood floors and a thick eastern european accent. He recognized the dips and humps on the substrate before I even pointed them out (something the first guy didn't do) and had a plan with how to deal with them. A bit of surgery on the structure of the house, but he said it should only take him 3/4 of a day to fix it. I got a good solid quote from him, and we shook on it.
It will be 75 cents MORE per square foot than our original installer qoted, but experience can be expensive. I called my carpenter to tell him we were going with a different installer, and he said he understood.
That is the drama of looking for something to walk on.
I will let you know how it goes...
Our first option was a nice, bamboo strand clic down. Rated very high for durability and environmental renewability. Not the cheapest but not overly expensive, and the installatino was going to be quite reasonable.
I had the delivery timed quite a while before moving out of our old place so we could have it in before we got there. When it arrived, we hauled the 2 pallets of boxes into the house. We even had the installer lined up. BUT when he went to start installing it the proper Monday he found the "clic" part wasn't clicking and the milling was sloppy. AKA he couldn't put it in. There's a week of wasted time and half day's labour for squat.
It had to be returned. All loaded (by hand) back outside so they could pick it up.
We looked at replacements. Nothing in that product looked reliably consistant (I wanted to cry). We looked at laminate, but nothing held a candle to the real thing - not even the high end stuff. The engineered hardwood is not an option because of the dog, he'd ruin it in short time. So the only thing left to consider is the same stuff we have in the other house - maple/birch. Okay with me because its beautifully warm, but much pricier to install.
Meanwhile we have moved into the back yard with the furniture stacked up in one room, and a million boxes under the house waiting for floors. I thought we would just be waiting for kitchen cupboards... how naive of me.
We took our bamboo refund and applied it to the maple.
We found some cork at a different store for the bedrooms, we picked it up and had it installed 2 days later. Not bad, now we have bedroom floors! And they are looking good, 3 rooms that we don't need to wear shoes in!
They delivered the maple 3 days later... BUT they delivered 2 different kinds of flooring. Same hardwood, different manufacturer. Very sad. Ready to blow my top. The one I picked out at the store was fine, but only enough to do one of the rooms! The other manufacturer is not fine. Not at all.
They had delivered it at 4:30 on a Friday. Because the delivery guy had gone home for the whole weekend and we couldn't leave it outside over the weekend, our choice was to haul it all into the house and out again on Monday, OR we had to load it up box by box into our truck to take it back to the store. What a waste of time! T chose to drag it back to the store himself. The only positive part of that is that it was a good upper-body work out.
I was fed up, and I told my woahs to the store manager. He apologized and did the best he could to make it right. We got replacement (a slight upgrade) for a cheaper price and another delivery came Monday. It looks fine. FINALLY.
While this whole floor drama has gone on, the installer had been busy with the cork and setting some vinyl in the bathrooms. I'm sad to say, I could have done just as well with the vinyl. It's slightly crooked and not cut with precision enough for what I would call a "professional installation". This shakes my confidence in his abilities to install the hardwood.
He called this very morning to say he couldn't come in to start on the maple because of babysitter problems. He's a nice young man and loves to work... single dad with a toddler... not positive he has the skills is all that I'm worried about.
With that early orning call, I think the universe is telling me to look elsewhere. I called a reputable high-end hardwood seller and asked for a list of installers. I called 3 and one agreed to come out to look right away. He did! An older man with more than 20 years experience with hardwood floors and a thick eastern european accent. He recognized the dips and humps on the substrate before I even pointed them out (something the first guy didn't do) and had a plan with how to deal with them. A bit of surgery on the structure of the house, but he said it should only take him 3/4 of a day to fix it. I got a good solid quote from him, and we shook on it.
It will be 75 cents MORE per square foot than our original installer qoted, but experience can be expensive. I called my carpenter to tell him we were going with a different installer, and he said he understood.
That is the drama of looking for something to walk on.
I will let you know how it goes...
The journey
Moving is a big deal. I don't know when it became a big deal, but it really is now. As a kid we moved on average every 6 months to a year.... sometimes my mom would move, sometimes my dad would move. We lived in a boat for a while, we lived in a trailer for a bit too. Apartment, townhouse, basement suite and some very nice houses over the years. Sometimes my room was small, or I had to share or it smelled damp. But it is what it is when you are a kid... sometimes it felt like a downgrade, not that that mattered because it was always temporary. The hardest part was leaving the friends.... especially when a change of schools was required.
As a grown-up I have also had my fair share of addresses... the standard issue college years apartments, basement suite, etc. One thing though, I have never had a place on my own. And I am actually fine with that, because I want to be with my husband for as long as we both shall live (corny but true).
Since having kids moving has taken a whole new perpective.
Before: Moving = Change = Exciting
Now: Moving = Upheaval = Stress
It doesn't help that the ADHD that has found it's way from my husband to children is a condition that has a very hard time with a change in routine. There are tears, temper tantrums and long moments of quiet moping.
Adding renovating to this major upheaval and I am surrounded by 3 people that are experiencing regret for ever agreeing to this.
Mostly I don't agree.
Mostly I still think it's still a great idea. Even when the floor is returned. Even when the hotwater tank started leaking. Even while I'm digging through box after box looking for indredients and tools to make dinner out in the back yard.
When I do agree to have some regrets is when I try to open the screen door and it sticks and warps and refuses to budge when I have an armload to clothes to bring in off the line. I also feel some regret when I go to open the front door and catch a wiff of stale cigarette smoke in the woodwork even after scrubbing the thick brown sludge off repeatedly.
Mostly I feel like maybe I bit off more than I could chew when I add up the costs of getting rid of the nicotine... we could not have lived here without dealing with it. Honestly it was toxic. Painting, sealing, flooring, cupboards, heaters, even light fixtures switches and plug recepticals all had to be replaced. Not just ugly, they were not cleanable, brown and sticky. That part was a mistake... thinking the house just needed a good cleaning.... live and learn.
It's a good thing I still love the yard and floorplan. I can still see it's potential and feel a tingle of excitement of how it's going to be when it's done.
Bottom line is we are going to be spending waaaaay more on this house than we did on the last one. BUT I think this home has excellent bones and will serve us into old age -- once we get it done.
Oh ya.
I haven't done a lick of work since the 24th because my computer is not set up... because my desk is not set up... because I have no floors yet.
As a grown-up I have also had my fair share of addresses... the standard issue college years apartments, basement suite, etc. One thing though, I have never had a place on my own. And I am actually fine with that, because I want to be with my husband for as long as we both shall live (corny but true).
Since having kids moving has taken a whole new perpective.
Before: Moving = Change = Exciting
Now: Moving = Upheaval = Stress
It doesn't help that the ADHD that has found it's way from my husband to children is a condition that has a very hard time with a change in routine. There are tears, temper tantrums and long moments of quiet moping.
Adding renovating to this major upheaval and I am surrounded by 3 people that are experiencing regret for ever agreeing to this.
Mostly I don't agree.
Mostly I still think it's still a great idea. Even when the floor is returned. Even when the hotwater tank started leaking. Even while I'm digging through box after box looking for indredients and tools to make dinner out in the back yard.
When I do agree to have some regrets is when I try to open the screen door and it sticks and warps and refuses to budge when I have an armload to clothes to bring in off the line. I also feel some regret when I go to open the front door and catch a wiff of stale cigarette smoke in the woodwork even after scrubbing the thick brown sludge off repeatedly.
Mostly I feel like maybe I bit off more than I could chew when I add up the costs of getting rid of the nicotine... we could not have lived here without dealing with it. Honestly it was toxic. Painting, sealing, flooring, cupboards, heaters, even light fixtures switches and plug recepticals all had to be replaced. Not just ugly, they were not cleanable, brown and sticky. That part was a mistake... thinking the house just needed a good cleaning.... live and learn.
It's a good thing I still love the yard and floorplan. I can still see it's potential and feel a tingle of excitement of how it's going to be when it's done.
Bottom line is we are going to be spending waaaaay more on this house than we did on the last one. BUT I think this home has excellent bones and will serve us into old age -- once we get it done.
Oh ya.
I haven't done a lick of work since the 24th because my computer is not set up... because my desk is not set up... because I have no floors yet.
7.13.2012
DEMO DAY #2
And on day 2 the house begins to look more sane.
The rest of the cupboards are out! So is the terrible pink formica backsplash. And the vinyl and underlayment (and about a million super sized staples).
While removing the trim around a sliding glass door, I got quite close to the vertical blinds and nearly barfed from the overwhelming stale nicotine smell.... so immediately I got T to remove those from every window.
No carpet tack strips remain, and the glued down carpet from the front room is a pile of disgusting fibers on the back porch....(instead of a flat expanse of disgusting fibres in the front room)... too much glued foam is still on the subfloor, but I'm sure with more elbow grease it will be done tomorrow.
Sweet sweet generosity brought T's sister over to help, and while her 3 lovely children played with Cammy in the backyard, she washed every wall with TSP!!! Oh man, what a difference!
The home is becoming a clean slate:
The paint colours have been chosen (we had to go very very nearly white because the light is fairly limited). Painters are coming Monday.
The cabinets got ordered too (eek, I can't wait for the house money to finally come). They will take 3 weeks so we are (without a doubt) living in our trailer in the backyard for at least a week between the sale of the house we are in now and the new house having a kitchen.
The bamboo flooring is waiting for us at the warehouse (I need to pay for it by Tuesday). The carpenter is coming starting Thursday to start installing.
Tomorrow the plan is to clean the dickens out of the windows (and frames), get the last of the baseboards off, somehow remove the glued foam from the frontroom floor and remove the itty bitty nails from everywhere in preparation for the painters.
Lots of intense labour and soon it will be ready to start putting back together! (Except the cedar ceiling... we still aren't sure how to get the ugly nicotine off that).
The rest of the cupboards are out! So is the terrible pink formica backsplash. And the vinyl and underlayment (and about a million super sized staples).
While removing the trim around a sliding glass door, I got quite close to the vertical blinds and nearly barfed from the overwhelming stale nicotine smell.... so immediately I got T to remove those from every window.
No carpet tack strips remain, and the glued down carpet from the front room is a pile of disgusting fibers on the back porch....(instead of a flat expanse of disgusting fibres in the front room)... too much glued foam is still on the subfloor, but I'm sure with more elbow grease it will be done tomorrow.
Sweet sweet generosity brought T's sister over to help, and while her 3 lovely children played with Cammy in the backyard, she washed every wall with TSP!!! Oh man, what a difference!
The home is becoming a clean slate:
The paint colours have been chosen (we had to go very very nearly white because the light is fairly limited). Painters are coming Monday.
The cabinets got ordered too (eek, I can't wait for the house money to finally come). They will take 3 weeks so we are (without a doubt) living in our trailer in the backyard for at least a week between the sale of the house we are in now and the new house having a kitchen.
The bamboo flooring is waiting for us at the warehouse (I need to pay for it by Tuesday). The carpenter is coming starting Thursday to start installing.
Tomorrow the plan is to clean the dickens out of the windows (and frames), get the last of the baseboards off, somehow remove the glued foam from the frontroom floor and remove the itty bitty nails from everywhere in preparation for the painters.
Lots of intense labour and soon it will be ready to start putting back together! (Except the cedar ceiling... we still aren't sure how to get the ugly nicotine off that).
7.02.2012
We are really moving
.JPG)
We finally got an offer... much lower than we had hoped for, but the conditions and possession date were PERFECT so we haggled briefly on the price and signed the papers. The inspection was Thursday and the conditions came off Friday!
Sure we took a beating compared to what we thought it was worth, but the truth is even with this dip in the market we sold for more than double what we bought it for 13 years ago. And I still think the other house's potential is worth the hassle.
So who is moving into this pretty home that I have so lovingly put money, time and caring into for 13 years? This house that has my beloved cat resting in the backyard, where uncounted numbers of BBQs happened on the back porch and dozens of big family dinners and where my youngest was born... ? Where most of my neighbours are really my friends and the sounds of the gazzillion field and marsh birds wake me up with the dawn? From what I can tell, they are first time buyers. 22 and 24 years old with a very young child. They must have family in town because the evening of the inspection they had about 6 cars in the driveway! I feel good that this young couple will be getting such a good house for a good price. (My first place was a dump!) And at least 3 of the neighbours are thrilled that there is a young kid moving in.
Now comes the fun part.... several fun parts in fact.
I have lined up the painter (coming July 16th) and carpenter (for the flooring and trim) for the other place. The kitchen cabinets and the majority of the flooring is being ordered on Wednesday. (!) Surprisingly stressful proccess designing a kitchen! There are too many things to get done in the time we have between the possession of the other place and the move-out date for this one!!!!
That's something too!
I have 24 days to purge, pack and move this household... even if we have no floors or kitchen on the 25th!
AND I still need to be able to continue working throughout this whole reno/move thing!
It's going to be hectic (but I still prefer this over the stress of WAITING.... by a lot)
5.11.2012
Tick Tock
The 10 x 5 storage locker is FULL. (We decided to put the 2nd china cabinet in there to make the living room show it's full size) Tick Tock Tick Tock
Our house is as close to a show home as it can be without repainting.
Holy Moly is it easy to clean right now! And the more I clean, the more dirt I see, it's amazing how that works. We have had 3 showings now... tick tock tick tock
Strangely the stress of it all is calming down. I am confident that I am doing all I can do and it is up to the Realtors' to get people through my house now.
T is so stressed out he is inside out with it, a zombie of flustered absentmindedness (slightly dangerous driver that way honestly). Steve (the oldest) is fine with the idea now. Cami is fine during the day but still aprehensive about moving after the sun goes down. I can't blame them, this has been the only place they call home for 12 years! For the boys that's their whole life. Growing up I had already lost count of how many places I called home in the first 12 years.
Change can be good. We are going in with eyes wide open and hearts full of hope for the new place.
Still it would be very very nice to sell our place (or at least have a forward moving offer) very very soon... tick tock tick tock
Our house is as close to a show home as it can be without repainting.
Holy Moly is it easy to clean right now! And the more I clean, the more dirt I see, it's amazing how that works. We have had 3 showings now... tick tock tick tock
Strangely the stress of it all is calming down. I am confident that I am doing all I can do and it is up to the Realtors' to get people through my house now.
T is so stressed out he is inside out with it, a zombie of flustered absentmindedness (slightly dangerous driver that way honestly). Steve (the oldest) is fine with the idea now. Cami is fine during the day but still aprehensive about moving after the sun goes down. I can't blame them, this has been the only place they call home for 12 years! For the boys that's their whole life. Growing up I had already lost count of how many places I called home in the first 12 years.
Change can be good. We are going in with eyes wide open and hearts full of hope for the new place.
Still it would be very very nice to sell our place (or at least have a forward moving offer) very very soon... tick tock tick tock
2.13.2012
The magic budget!
I suspected that if I did up my budget I would feel less like I was spiralling out of control -- and it worked!
My finances look clearer... not wonderful, but definitely clearer.
However teeth have taken a "bite" out of my confidence. The dog broke ANOTHER molar over Christmas (thanks to getting a nice meaty pork bone from a well-meaning relative) and it's stinking to high heaven so I guess I HAVE to get that taken care of (the last one he broke cost over $500). And Steve needs braces starting in June... it will be costing $7000 by the time that is done... (unfortunately, unless I want him to suffer the same narrow palate complications as I have, it has to be done while his skull is still young.) My teeth don't LOOK bad, but my bite is terrible and my jaw discomfort is chronic.... my lucky boy has the same mouth structure. I don't want to curse him to lifelong discomfort but I'm not happy about dishing out the $7G either.
The good news (awesome news actually) is that T's job looks secure and full time for the foreseeable future and he has been getting so much side-line mechanical work that I barely see him on weekends. I have told him to slow down because I can see it's burning him out but that's another story. He wants that cash, so I can't stop him -- he'd rather burn out than feel poor, what an amazing sense of responsibility that man has!
More good news, my business has finally picked up again too! Hooray! I have a list of 10 items for design work and 5+ HVAC schematics to do. AND I have an interview for a new bread-and-butter client tomorrow that I feel good about AND a potential part time job opportunity may exist to expand my skill list and reinforce my existing knowledge in a parallel field (but it would officially make me unavailable to my clients 2 days a week, so I have to think very seriously about that)
Call me superstitious, but I think all this good news is because I took the bull by the horns and did my budget. Nothing like seeing written down - exactly what you need - to let the universe know that you are ready to get it!
My finances look clearer... not wonderful, but definitely clearer.
However teeth have taken a "bite" out of my confidence. The dog broke ANOTHER molar over Christmas (thanks to getting a nice meaty pork bone from a well-meaning relative) and it's stinking to high heaven so I guess I HAVE to get that taken care of (the last one he broke cost over $500). And Steve needs braces starting in June... it will be costing $7000 by the time that is done... (unfortunately, unless I want him to suffer the same narrow palate complications as I have, it has to be done while his skull is still young.) My teeth don't LOOK bad, but my bite is terrible and my jaw discomfort is chronic.... my lucky boy has the same mouth structure. I don't want to curse him to lifelong discomfort but I'm not happy about dishing out the $7G either.
The good news (awesome news actually) is that T's job looks secure and full time for the foreseeable future and he has been getting so much side-line mechanical work that I barely see him on weekends. I have told him to slow down because I can see it's burning him out but that's another story. He wants that cash, so I can't stop him -- he'd rather burn out than feel poor, what an amazing sense of responsibility that man has!
More good news, my business has finally picked up again too! Hooray! I have a list of 10 items for design work and 5+ HVAC schematics to do. AND I have an interview for a new bread-and-butter client tomorrow that I feel good about AND a potential part time job opportunity may exist to expand my skill list and reinforce my existing knowledge in a parallel field (but it would officially make me unavailable to my clients 2 days a week, so I have to think very seriously about that)
Call me superstitious, but I think all this good news is because I took the bull by the horns and did my budget. Nothing like seeing written down - exactly what you need - to let the universe know that you are ready to get it!
2.01.2012
Hair, Grit and Dust
ick.
my dog makes too much hair.
my family makes too much grit, grime and dirt
my house is perpetually dusty.
With these above truths in mind... I wonder what I do all day long. I'm a work-at-home mom... doesn't that mean my home should be CLEAN?
It's often tidy... but it doesn't stay CLEAN for long. Whirlwinds of dog hair swirl around on the stairs within minutes of vacuuming. I can't vacuum constantly.
Toothpaste speckles fleck the bathroom sinks and mirrors. Daily cleaning is the only answer to that. That's the only answer for the other bathroom zones too. But WHY do I have to be the one who cleans the toilets (and surrounding areas)? I am not the one spraying and splashing... seriously I hate it. I hate what I know is there, and how the dog and cat hair sticks to it. ICK is not a good enough word for it. I wish I could have convinced T to teach the boys to sit down... yes that would have been better I think.
The kitchen is the only room where I understand the grime. 3 meals per day = 3 clean ups per day. Perfectly logical, and worth the effort: the price of yummy food is a kitchen to clean.
It's the hair, dust and grit that get to me the most. I can't get ahead with it. I can't even catch up! It is my lot in life (while the dog is with us) to chase this mess around.
Good thing he's a good dog, that's all I can say about that!
my dog makes too much hair.
my family makes too much grit, grime and dirt
my house is perpetually dusty.
With these above truths in mind... I wonder what I do all day long. I'm a work-at-home mom... doesn't that mean my home should be CLEAN?
It's often tidy... but it doesn't stay CLEAN for long. Whirlwinds of dog hair swirl around on the stairs within minutes of vacuuming. I can't vacuum constantly.
Toothpaste speckles fleck the bathroom sinks and mirrors. Daily cleaning is the only answer to that. That's the only answer for the other bathroom zones too. But WHY do I have to be the one who cleans the toilets (and surrounding areas)? I am not the one spraying and splashing... seriously I hate it. I hate what I know is there, and how the dog and cat hair sticks to it. ICK is not a good enough word for it. I wish I could have convinced T to teach the boys to sit down... yes that would have been better I think.
The kitchen is the only room where I understand the grime. 3 meals per day = 3 clean ups per day. Perfectly logical, and worth the effort: the price of yummy food is a kitchen to clean.
It's the hair, dust and grit that get to me the most. I can't get ahead with it. I can't even catch up! It is my lot in life (while the dog is with us) to chase this mess around.
Good thing he's a good dog, that's all I can say about that!
1.18.2012
First Snow
Nothing like waking up to a pristine, sparkling, white landscape to put a new perspective on life!
With a winter wonderland gleaming outside I felt to courage to email past clients to let them know I was thinking of them... how do I let these precious people get out of touch in the first place?!
Now, I will sit cross-legged on the floor and sort my papers to get organized for my year end. Then budget to feel in control!
It's very pretty out there right now, and I am warm and cozy.
With a winter wonderland gleaming outside I felt to courage to email past clients to let them know I was thinking of them... how do I let these precious people get out of touch in the first place?!
Now, I will sit cross-legged on the floor and sort my papers to get organized for my year end. Then budget to feel in control!
It's very pretty out there right now, and I am warm and cozy.
1.17.2012
Something is amiss
I'm not sure what's going on, but I am experiencing a phase of acute distress.
I don't trust my body, I don't trust my income, I worry about my children's future and am sure my pretty little car is going to die any minute...
Is it because Steve is needing almost $7G of braces (we have to get started before the summer or we will miss a growth window)? Or maybe because I have NO work lined up right now?
Or maybe because yesterday during my easy yoga class, my stupid body wouldn't go into plank or downward dog.... my thigh muscles just wouldn't do it (so I dropped into child's and had a quiet cry while the class that had seniors and overweight mid-lifers happily posed without me). And my Achilles tendon screams at me even just walking up to the school (I went to see the doctor and should have the ultrasound results this week)
I have to be proactive and slap myself out of this funk.
First of all...I MUST BUDGET. Math always has a way of cheering me up with it's concrete reality.
What are my fixed expenses?
What are my necessary variable expenses?
What are my variable luxuries?
What is our reliable income?
What do I NEED to make to fill in the gap (if there is one)?
Where can I trim expenses?
What can I liquidate (if I must)?
Next.... I must campaign for work more aggressively. This is tricky because when I am feeling this down, I don't have the confidence to come across professionally nor do I feel like competing for contracts.... vicious circle.
And I must continue decluttering, continuing going to yoga, continuing campaigning for my children's education and most importantly be thankful for the things that I DO HAVE (love, home, family, friends, freedom.... etc etc)
I don't trust my body, I don't trust my income, I worry about my children's future and am sure my pretty little car is going to die any minute...
Is it because Steve is needing almost $7G of braces (we have to get started before the summer or we will miss a growth window)? Or maybe because I have NO work lined up right now?
Or maybe because yesterday during my easy yoga class, my stupid body wouldn't go into plank or downward dog.... my thigh muscles just wouldn't do it (so I dropped into child's and had a quiet cry while the class that had seniors and overweight mid-lifers happily posed without me). And my Achilles tendon screams at me even just walking up to the school (I went to see the doctor and should have the ultrasound results this week)
I have to be proactive and slap myself out of this funk.
First of all...I MUST BUDGET. Math always has a way of cheering me up with it's concrete reality.
What are my fixed expenses?
What are my necessary variable expenses?
What are my variable luxuries?
What is our reliable income?
What do I NEED to make to fill in the gap (if there is one)?
Where can I trim expenses?
What can I liquidate (if I must)?
Next.... I must campaign for work more aggressively. This is tricky because when I am feeling this down, I don't have the confidence to come across professionally nor do I feel like competing for contracts.... vicious circle.
And I must continue decluttering, continuing going to yoga, continuing campaigning for my children's education and most importantly be thankful for the things that I DO HAVE (love, home, family, friends, freedom.... etc etc)
12.02.2011
Full Speed Ahead
Wow, it's here, the LAST MONTH OF 2011!
I am amazed at how fast the years are going these days. I was laying in bed thinking about my boys.... in less than 2 years my first born son will be driving, in less than 4 years he will be allowed to vote and sign legal contracts! Egad, if this time slip thing continues, it will practically be tomorrow that he's leaving home! AAAAAAAHHHHH!
Good news is he seems to be happy accepting more responsibility with things. He doesn't mutter about helping out around the house and even is interested in cooking. His room is still a disaster, that's a normal teen condition. All in all, I think he will be a fine adult, he is right on schedule for maturing (in my opinion).
OF COURSE when g i r l s enter the scene I know all hell will break lose and I'm not looking forward to that. If he takes after his father at all, jealousy will cause all sorts of unpleasant situations. But I'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Before then (and more immediately), there is CHRISTMAS 2011 to deal with: Presents to find and wrap, decorations to put up, parties to attend, baking to do, etc.
I was hoping to get out and finalize a present for my charming Mother In Law, I want to get something nice.
Merry December Everyone. Let the Games Begin!
I am amazed at how fast the years are going these days. I was laying in bed thinking about my boys.... in less than 2 years my first born son will be driving, in less than 4 years he will be allowed to vote and sign legal contracts! Egad, if this time slip thing continues, it will practically be tomorrow that he's leaving home! AAAAAAAHHHHH!
Good news is he seems to be happy accepting more responsibility with things. He doesn't mutter about helping out around the house and even is interested in cooking. His room is still a disaster, that's a normal teen condition. All in all, I think he will be a fine adult, he is right on schedule for maturing (in my opinion).
OF COURSE when g i r l s enter the scene I know all hell will break lose and I'm not looking forward to that. If he takes after his father at all, jealousy will cause all sorts of unpleasant situations. But I'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Before then (and more immediately), there is CHRISTMAS 2011 to deal with: Presents to find and wrap, decorations to put up, parties to attend, baking to do, etc.
I was hoping to get out and finalize a present for my charming Mother In Law, I want to get something nice.
Merry December Everyone. Let the Games Begin!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)