Home Renovations 2008

What's done is done

2009-09-15T21:35:00.002-04:00

We bought this house 11 years ago. It has been a good house. I could go on for hours about how much happiness this house has brought, how it has seen us through good and bad, how it has allowed so much... and it is all true. This is a good little house. But when 'we' moved in, 'we' were two adults and a cat. Now 'we' are four people, two of whom are growing at a rapid pace, and a cat and a dog.

This year-long remodeling project brought into clear focus how impossible it would be to remodel the main house, how long it would take, how much strain it would put on the family. And, yes, it helped us realize how much things cost when you are paying for the paint and the caulk and the dumpster and the people to drive out and then NOT be able to work because of rain... and all those little things.

We bought a bigger house. Yes, we did.

We done did it

2009-08-17T14:46:00.000-04:00

final inspection. today. it's over!

Bye Bye Rocket Fan!

2009-07-11T09:39:00.003-04:00

I sold the Rocket Fan on Craigslist for $60... not bad! The people who bought it were so nice, and not at all bothered by the fact that it was NOT going to light up their boys' bedroom (which they had just decorated all in rocket-themed stuff!)

Fifth of July

2009-07-05T16:27:00.002-04:00

It's been a long productive day. Jimmy did some painting yesterday a.m., then cleaned out the bandroom and shop-vac'd it this a.m. I cleaned the outer windows, except the one with the wasp nest. Joe (and Sammie) came over and we began the flooring project. It is almost done! Photos to come.

Third of July

2009-07-05T16:23:00.004-04:00

We got a lot of painting and cleaning done on the 3rd of July. Jimmy worked on the details and trim, I cleaned windows. Nicest part was that we were in the air conditioning!!! The kids came out for photo time. Don't think for a moment that they actually helped!

Whooooo's There?

2009-07-05T16:22:00.002-04:00

Last night I took out the trash at dusk and heard LOUD screech owl sounds coming from the tree across the street. I went over and listened for a minute, then came back to the house to get Jimmy & the kids. We went out to the tree and heard nothing... then, TWO owls came swooping out of our neighbor's oak, over to our pine, then into another neighbor's oaks.... WOW!!!

The Miracle of Air Conditioning!

2009-07-03T14:41:00.003-04:00

Today Matt came by to finish the electrical outlets and install the switches. He also installed the AC unit and the ceiling fan! Woo hoo!!!

Jimmy took out the rocket fan from Julian's bedroom and replaced it with a boring old white fan, and we are all happy. Just posted an ad on Craigslist for the rocket fan. Good riddance!

Levee

2009-06-30T17:35:00.000-04:00

If it keeps on raining... the levee's going to break.

Julian's Post

2009-06-23T21:13:00.003-04:00

julian jimme tina maddie rice licu brayr

Stink-O-Rama

2009-06-23T21:08:00.002-04:00

Stinky. When an animal crawls under your house and dies... it's stinky.... and there are a lot of flies coming out of the tiny crawlspace... and NO! I'm not going down there, on my belly, to drag out the carcass!!!

Termite Doomsday

2009-06-23T20:56:00.005-04:00

Thursday, June 11 — It had been on the calendar for months... the week when everything would be perfect and we could tent the house. My folks took the kids for a long weekend (which included a trip to Alexander Springs); the animals were boarded; the medicines, food, and toiletries stowed in gas proof bags; and finally, Jimmy and I moved in with my grandparents.

It was hard to take poor Laika to be boarded, just days after she lost her brother and litter-mate, whom she had never been apart from for more than a few hours.

Saturday a.m. they called and told us we could come back in, so I had a day all to myself, to clean and clear my kitchen... special thanks to Graham Parsons and Paul Westerburg for some excellent tunes to clean by. I threw out a canister of 19-year-old cocoa!!! Whoa!!! Also threw out about a million expired vitamins and medicines....

Rookie Rice

2009-06-09T00:08:00.003-04:00

RIP Rookie Rice

Jan 20, 1999 - June 8, 2009

You were a good, loving, gentle boy.
You will be missed.

Trimming the Pecan

2009-06-04T19:31:00.003-04:00

A crew came out and trimmed the Pecan tree yesterday. They have been all through the neighborhood this month, trimming everything.

Some little pecans are starting to be seen....

Break

2009-06-04T19:23:00.006-04:00

The rain started maybe the afternoon that the stucco work was finished, and it continued up until this week. A slight break in the weather pattern brought us a few sunny days for painting /priming, both inside and out.

No, it's not done.

Yes, it is raining.

The Tacoma

2009-05-20T23:40:00.004-04:00

Jimmy's hot new wheels. We both got choked up when Kenny drove the GMC one out of our driveway.... :-(

Stucco Complete

2009-05-20T23:22:00.002-04:00

The stucco is done. Now we are having a monsoon.

California Influence

2009-05-20T22:42:00.008-04:00

Last month we were in San Diego for a few days. Saw these interesting doors on the side of the mission at San Juan Capistrano. I'd like to recreate these for our garage. I like the waves.

A lot has happened. While we were gone, the stucco guys finished the outside of the bandroom. We came back and finished the insulation (or rather, Joe did), passed inspection, had the drywall installed and textured. Bought a new truck and sold the old one to our drywall man, Kenny.

The Pecan Tree in Spring

2009-04-21T20:13:00.004-04:00

February

Early March

Late March

Bluest House on the Street

2009-04-21T20:10:00.002-04:00

Our house is blue.

The Blue Grotto.

New Blue, Goodbye Beige

2009-03-17T13:39:00.005-04:00

Today we started painting the house. Got a little rain, which slowed the process.

Jimmy raked and tore out the overgrown. Julian helped mulch the front planter, nearly unloading the truck single-handedly!

Wheeeeee!

2009-03-16T22:13:00.001-04:00

Passed electrical inspection with flying colors. Thanks, Matt!

Have narrowed the paint choices down to 2 or 3. Tomorrow we say goodbye to the yellow/beige of the last 11 years.

Finishing the Front Door

2009-03-15T16:59:00.004-04:00

Today we urethaned the outside of the front door with a marine varnish. Shiny, to say the least. Used a polyurethane on the inside. Nice, dried fast. Also installed the new door handle and deadbolt.

Inspections & Door Framing

2009-03-15T16:48:00.005-04:00

We've done two inspections for electrical and about three for construction. Our next electrical inspection is tomorrow and hopefully we will be clear for insulation and drywall.

At this point we are cleared to stucco the outside of the building, pending the door being framed out and finished. Joe worked on that today though I'm not sure if the framing is completely done.

The Amaryllis Show

2009-03-15T16:44:00.002-04:00

Photo by Julian.

Yard Work

2009-03-15T16:35:00.004-04:00

Also hired a guy named Gil to do some trimming on the pine tree. It looks better but man is it dropping the sap! Don't stand still or you'll be combing it out of your hair!

He also helped us hang the staghorn which had been on the ground and had gotten the worst of the January freezes. Here's a little friend we found in there.

Matt the Electrician

2009-03-15T16:28:00.004-04:00

We hired an electrician through a friend's referral and have really been pleased. Matt has worked his rear end off in the Florida heat, digging and cutting through concrete and doing whatever the inspector asks. Here he is cutting through the patio.

Digging the trench between house and bandroom.

Has to be 18 inches from surface!!

Windows

2009-03-15T16:23:00.004-04:00

We are very pleased with the work that Bella Glass did last week
on the 9 fixed-pane windows.

Here's our little orphan window. Joe was hesitant to remove the old wood,
so we'll just fill it with putty and stucco it in.

the Main House

2009-03-15T16:18:00.003-04:00

We have also hired another handyman, David G., to do some work on the main house. His first task was to finish the windows Jimmy and Lou replaced over the years. Trim them out and caulk it all nice. He did this on Monday the 9th, then spent the 10th through 12th pressure washing and caulking and patching and fixing some of the unfinished work that our crappy soffit guy left us with. Next week he will start painting!

The Return of Joe

2009-03-15T16:10:00.004-04:00

I've been negligent in my records-keeping on this project. More "doing" than "writing about" these days ... but here I have a lull on a Sunday so I'm filling in the blanks.

Last Saturday Joe returned, and he brought Kevin. The two of them finished the furring strips, including the horizontal piece between each; they finished framing out the front windows; they drilled ventilation holes in all the crossbeams; they loaded up all the tools no longer needed; they swept the bandroom clean and neat and took all the trash either to the curb or the back of their truck. Nice!!!

Resuming Progress

2009-03-04T09:31:00.006-05:00

There has been a slow trickle of progress so far this year. We completed the hurricane-strapping part of the process. This morning we passed (building) inspection.

Our zoning hearing was cancelled and the case closed (thank you thank you thank you).

The electrical is underway.

We hired Bella Glass to do the fixed-pane windows. They framed everything in Monday. Monday night Jimmy and I primed all the wood & trim. Tuesday they cut and installed the glass in the 8 fixed-pane windows. It looks great.

Red Cap Plumbing took care of three dripping faucets and capped the pipes that used to run into the side of the bandroom, then pulled all the nasty rusting pipes off the wall (except in one spot that we will have to break and patch).

We hired a carpenter to finish framing in the door. Once that is done, we can stucco the outside and paint.

Got a little more to do on the furring strips.

Things are getting done.

Thinning the Palms

2009-01-28T17:01:00.002-05:00

I know I've said that Ricehouse runs on Starbucks, but sometimes Ricehouse gets a lot done by channelling the power of PMS! I tore the crap out of the palm trees, ferns, etc. the other day, revealing a green wall in desperate need of pressure washin'!

Semi Complete

2009-01-28T16:57:00.004-05:00

Okay, the front door is looking semi complete.
I forgot to mention the new light fixture.
Check out the cool Gasparilla flag we found Saturday!

Now we need to urethane the door and paint the whole house!

Feline non Gratis

2009-01-28T16:54:00.002-05:00

Bre'r is not happy that the dogs have been spending so much time inside.
He has "expressed" his feelings in a totally disgusting way.
Now, he will spend some time outside....

Parkesdale Farms

2009-01-28T16:50:00.002-05:00

Get those strawberries while they're ripe!

GCP rides again!

2009-01-28T16:49:00.003-05:00

Gasparilla Childrens' Parade!!!

Week End

2009-01-24T09:09:00.005-05:00

Can you see the frost on the handrail?

It's been a good cold week. Freezing temps at night, flannel sheets on the bed. The dogs turned 10, or 70 in dog years. We have some ideas about bettering our house that shouldn't be too expensive or work-intensive to achieve. Encouraged.

I've been having flashbacks to 1977 — me in second grade, doing a mock election, watching the Carter innauguration on tv at school, some folks being really happy, others being really depressed, frost and snow on the ground. My kids are reliving the winter of 77.

Painting the Porch

2009-01-19T11:59:00.004-05:00

Jimmy's painting the porch today with a little help from rent-a-kid.

Front Door

2009-01-19T11:56:00.003-05:00

Joe put the door in Saturday & trimmed it out on Sunday.

Inspection

2009-01-13T08:57:00.003-05:00

Not as painful as imagined.
We can resume work.
The modifications are minor.
Whew!

Front Porch Update

2009-01-13T08:52:00.001-05:00

Jimmy finished the front porch on Sunday.

Happy and tired.

Starbucks

2009-01-08T13:01:00.001-05:00

RiceHouse runs on Starbucks.

Gel Stain

2009-01-08T12:47:00.006-05:00

Painting with gel stain is like painting with cold gravy.

The good news is that the 2nd coat goes on much easier than the first. I am staining a fiberglass/composite door and ya know, it's kind of like plastic. So the first coat didn't have much to stick to. The second coat does.

A nice guy at Tanner Paint told me that it's a good idea to wipe the door first with vinegar. He, and all the folks at Tanner, are really nice and helpful. They tell you what you need whether or not they actually carry the brand they are recommending. They care. And it shows, because they've been around for 75 years and have a loyal following. It's nice to just chat with those folks, pet the beagle, etc. I'm glad to do business with them.

Contrast this with Tampa Door, also a family owned company. It had been recommended to us a few times. We chose a door on Sept. 18, paid them in full on Sept. 19, and waited the 4 weeks they told us it would take for our door to be ordered, sized, pre-hung, etc. We called at 4 weeks. We called at 6 weeks. We called at 8 weeks. ETCETERA. At no time did Kieth or Antoine call US to tell us of the delay or explain the holdup.

Eventually, I lost it with Antoine over the phone. He finally delivered it to us on Dec. 6 -- that's ELEVEN weeks after we ordered it. At the time he dropped off the door, Antoine told me he would get the staining instructions to me right away. He'd drop them off on his way home from work. He'd come by on Monday. I called a couple of times. No, he doesn't want to simply fax them to me. He'll drop them off, he'll bring us some cut pieces from other fiberglass doors so we can test our stain first. He'll be right over..... and here it is, Jan. 8, and he's still a no-show.

Thanks Tanner! You've got my business.

No thanks Tampa Door. Never again.

Front Porch, day 2

2009-01-05T09:48:00.002-05:00

shaping up!

Front Porch

2009-01-05T09:41:00.004-05:00

Fixed the wobbly step on Saturday and started building the handrail.

Jimmy rocks!

The Registered Letter

2009-01-05T09:40:00.002-05:00

Happy New Years eve to us: We've been summoned to a hearing. In February.

Finished and Painted

2008-12-23T12:41:00.002-05:00

OOoh la la

Trim Work

2008-12-23T12:34:00.002-05:00

Lookin' good!

Jimmy does the finishing

2008-12-21T18:21:00.003-05:00

Jimmy created a window ledge for the kitchen today.

Tomorrow, the moulding...

Joe put in the lights!

2008-12-21T18:19:00.001-05:00

Just in time for Grandma's visit. Thanks Joe!!

The Pecan Tree

2008-12-21T18:08:00.003-05:00

September October

November
December

Merry Christmas 2008!

I don't know what to say.

2008-12-09T10:12:00.001-05:00

Our plans are approved.
Our fines are paid.
I think we are ready to proceed.

I feel like I'm floating in anti-gravity...

The Door Arrives!

2008-12-08T18:06:00.001-05:00

Antoine dropped off our door on Saturday. We ordered it on Sept 19th. It was supposed to take "a few weeks" for delivery. I had called repeatedly, every 10-20 days... finally lost it with Antoine last week. He delivered it himself...

Now we need to stain it...

Zoning Hurdle Over (?)

2008-12-05T11:10:00.001-05:00

We got some kind of certification from zoning. This is a breakthrough, although I fear we are very far from the "finish line."

Jimmy's phone call with the lady from zoning nearly put him in cardiac arrest. Apparently we had awoken her with our phone call, or perhaps she is on a large dosage of blood pressure meds, and she stumbled and bumbled through a few other people's files before she found ours (regardless of the fact that he repeated the address numerous times).

At one point she told us that we had missed our hearing... that we'd have to wait until February to have another hearing... that we needed to post a zoning hearing sign on the front yard and send notices via certified mail to all neighbors within 250 feet of the construction zone....

Two months and counting

2008-12-01T09:38:00.001-05:00

Today, fingers crossed, we will find out if Zoning will allow us to have this bandroom, the bandroom that has stood here for close to 60 years, so close to our house.

Somewhere along the line, someone came up with a 5 foot rule. That is, if a structure is on fire, and another structure is more than 5 feet from it (eve to eve), the second structure will not catch fire.

We wait.

53 days and counting

2008-11-23T20:24:00.002-05:00

53 days since we had to cease and desist. We've spent over a grand on plans and fines and we are still not clear to proceed. This sucks.

Farewell Olive Owl

2008-11-10T14:11:00.001-05:00

We haven't seen Olive in weeks. We dreamed/imagined that Olive found a mate. Illustration by Julian.

Pink Elephant

2008-11-07T09:44:00.001-05:00

Well the pink elephant in the room for the last month has been this citation from the City of Tampa. Yeah, we did all that work in September without the benefit of sharing our plans with the city. We got a citation on October 1st telling us to cease and decist, and to file appropriate plans with the city. After weeks of no progress we are finally starting to move again. The plans have been drawn up and submitted, and we've even met with an inspector. He wasn't a bad guy at all!

Come what may, we are moving forward....

Confucius also say

2008-11-03T15:18:00.000-05:00

In passing by the side of Mount Thai, Confucius came on a woman who was weeping bitterly by a grave. The Master pressed forward and drove quickly to her; then he sent Tze-lu to question her. "Your wailing," said he, "is that of one who has suffered sorrow on sorrow." She replied, "That is so. Once my husband's father was killed here by a tiger. My husband was also killed, and now my son has died in the same way." The Master said, "Why do you not leave the place?" The answer was, "There is no oppressive government here." The master then said, "Remember this, my children; oppressive government is more terrible than tigers."

Confucius say

2008-11-03T15:15:00.000-05:00

The extension of knowledge is by the investigation of things.
Things being investigated, the knowledge of them became complete.
Knowledge being complete, the thoughts were sincere.
The thoughts being sincere, the hearts were made upright.
The hearts being upright, the person was cultivated.
The person being cultivated, families were regulated.
Families being regulated, the States were rightly governed.
The States being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy.

Then again...

2008-10-28T11:32:00.001-04:00

Okay, yesterday I was not my typical self. Actually, there has been a little progress here and there. I decided to paint the kitchen the very same color it has been for 10 years. I just couldn't 'see' it any other color, you know? Plus, I already had a half-gallon of the stuff and only needed to cover over a few swatch spots of the colors we tried plus the drywall work. So there, I finished the kitchen last weekend in a few hours with very little expenses (one tube of spackle, plus a pizza). Done deal.

Also worked more on painting the dining room. Impressed myself by moving the piano with one arm while balancing a cup of paint in the other and breaking up my kids 99th argument of the day.

Thinking about putting some bull-nosed tiles on the windowsill. Or maybe casing the window completely.

Bought some plantation shutters and two lined curtains, mostly for free using two gift certificates to Lowe's. Now I need to paint my curtain rod.

We made another decision with the kitchen. We are just going to use wood, or maybe an inexpensive tile, to finish the bar area. We just don't have the money for granite now that we have these permits & fines to pay.

Also picked up the last cased window from Home Depot. It looks ridiculous. I'll have to post a photo.

No Progress

2008-10-27T18:00:00.001-04:00

For three full weeks now. It's so depressing. The bandroom looks like a prisoner with it's black hood.

Get the Stink Out!

2008-10-24T08:55:00.001-04:00

Have been aerating the soil, raking up the dead grass. It smells less like elephant dung each day. Last night I sprinkled the ground with baking soda. Not just a little freezer box, but three large boxes full. It rained all night and is still sprinkling this a.m.

Auntie M's Feet

2008-10-15T12:57:00.002-04:00

Auntie M + Jake

Auntie G's Feet

2008-10-15T10:44:00.002-04:00

Auntie G on her way to the job fair.

The Pool

2008-10-15T09:11:00.002-04:00

We had an above-ground pool this summer. It was nice at first, offering relief from summer heat and boredom. It was fun! It was nice and cool! We didn't spend 3 months and 30K! Here are some photos from July:

Time passed. The tiny little filter didn't do such a great job at cleaning the water. We moved along the learning curve with the various chemicals and cleaning processes. But lately, the pool has been either 1. too dirty to swim in or 2. too full of chemicals to swim in.

Monday I put a couple hoses in it to siphon out the water. Quick & easy. Yesterday I attempted to clean the last 4 inches of water out of the pool by turning it over (very, very heavy and very, very slimy). And in doing so I have unleashed some smells that are so foul there are no words to describe them. You could use the phrase "elephant enema" and that would put you in the ballpark. Let's just say that the next time someone says "worst case scenario" I will have a palette of smells to draw from.

Maddie was a big help. Julian found a few tiny frogs and then went off on his own. The dogs generally got in the way and disgusted me by ROLLING in the bog of eternal stench. And EATING some of the grub worms they found just below the surface. No inside time for them....

Tonight I'll get Jimmy to help me get all this stuff out for the trash. I'm sorry, I know I'm a wimpy and wasteful American...

work stoppage issues

2008-10-06T23:57:00.002-04:00

Things have slowed down here. We are all taking a breather while Joe is on vacation. Time to paint, clean, organize and de-dust (like Amelia Bedelia, I really don't agree that the verb meaning "to get rid of dust" should actually BE "dust").

Our beautiful orchid bloomed. This is the first time!

Shing-a-ling-a-ling

2008-10-03T15:45:00.001-04:00

Kevin is finishing up the shingling today.

Stimulating the Economy

2008-09-30T11:12:00.001-04:00

As the stock market plunged, we stimulated the economy by buying click flooring and an air conditioner for the bandroom and some tasteful accent lighting for the kitchen.

Awning Windows In

2008-09-29T23:32:00.001-04:00

The windows are in!

And the soffit and fascia is done!

I'm happy!

Kitchen Drywall

2008-09-29T23:30:00.001-04:00

Kenny the drywall guy smoothed things out in our kitchen on Saturday.
Smooth!

Weekend Shots

2008-09-29T23:25:00.001-04:00

Johnny!
Joe!
Rob and Johnny on the ladder; Joe, Jimmy & Nellie.

Windows

2008-09-27T15:20:00.002-04:00

Picked up the windows Monday evening.

Sunday Dry In

2008-09-22T08:48:00.002-04:00

Hey Mimi!

More Foot Shots

2008-09-20T16:04:00.002-04:00

Julian's feet at a birthday party.

Julian's foot at an angle.
The Ultra-close-up.

Hey, those are Jimmy's feet!
And those are Maddie's!

My family seeks fame through foot portraiture...

Saturday Afternoon

2008-09-20T15:54:00.001-04:00

Saturday Morning: Framing the Bandroom Roof

2008-09-20T15:50:00.002-04:00

A lot happened today. Here's what the bandroom looked like around 10 a.m.

Door Shopping

2008-09-20T14:49:00.002-04:00

We went to Tampa Door on Friday and "choiced" a new front door. Here's a photo from the catalog. Ours will have 6 little panes of glass, not the beveled work seen here. It's fiberglass but it looks like wood.

Nani's 82nd

2008-09-20T14:48:00.002-04:00

Nani turned 82 on Thursday and we had a nice dinner with her and Nano. Aunt Gabi and Aunt Marie came by also. Nani wore the tiara and opened gifts of pretty rocks and seashells from the kids. It was a really nice night.

Here she is with her great-granddaughter and a new pink Dyson!

Wednesday & Thursday

2008-09-20T14:14:00.001-04:00

Scott and Jimmy (not Rice) worked on the soffit & fascia project. They replaced most of it, leaving Olive's corner as it has always been. She guarded her perch for the week and did remarkably well considering the nail gun/compressor noises.

Rocket Fan update

2008-09-20T14:09:00.001-04:00

We heard back from Harbor Breeze this week and it turns out they are NOT the manufacturer of the Rocket Fan. They were very helpful and told us to call the Lowe's 1-800 service line.

The Lowe's folks were really helpful and gave our info to the Waters Ave. store, where we bought the fan. Someone from the store called within an hour and told us that, while there is no replacement kit for that model, we can bring our fan back (without the box) and they will exchange it for a different fan.

Now it's up to us. What do we want to do?

Some-One's Callin' You....

2008-09-16T18:19:00.002-04:00

Joe's a popular guy. Here he is taking a call on the treehouse phone.

The Front Door

2008-09-16T18:15:00.003-04:00

I know, it's a beautiful door. Why are we replacing it? Well, it swells and shrinks. It's not square (more of a parallelogram). We have a diagonal reinforcement that we have to fidget with all the time to get the deadbolt to line up. The door jam is falling apart, due to termites and our cat, who thinks that it is his scratching post. It looks like hell.
And yeah, I feel guilty for replacing it.

Hot day, Scott?

Phase 4: New Soffit, Fascia & Molding

2008-09-16T18:10:00.001-04:00

Today we started another project: replacing the rotten soffit and fascia wood around the house, as a prelude to gutters.... Scott on mitre saw.
Opening up the can of worms...

Jimmy (not Rice) on trim and paint.
Beadboard drying in the sun.

Bandroom Walls are UP!

2008-09-14T20:10:00.001-04:00

Sunday morning ....

Joe and Kevin

Saturday Bandroom Progress

2008-09-14T20:07:00.002-04:00

Joe & Kevin built the walls this week.

Front wall under construction.

Rocket Fan

2008-09-11T19:22:00.001-04:00

Over the summer I issued a challenge to the kids involving math. Each was offered certain incentives to finish a level of math work. Julian's prize was to be the coveted 44" Brushed Nickel Rocket Fan.

Julian threw himself into the work and finished it before summer ended. We bought the fan at Lowe's and installed it with much pomp and circumstance. It was so exciting and beautiful, with it's upper light projecting stars and moons on the walls of the room, with it's rocket lights flashing blue, red, green, with it's tiny astronaut and earth pull chains, with it's clear lucite fan blades.

But some time has gone by now and we are sick of NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING in Julian's room after dark. We've brought a few lamps into the room, sure. Some of them get super hot and scare me. Some of them get manhandled and yanked around the room. Some of them don't put off much light anyway. And then there's the camping lantern...

So tonight I emailed Harbor Breeze, a company that makes fans for Lowe's. (They also go by the name Hampton Bay, but those fans are sold through Home Depot.) I asked if they offer some sort of replacement kit for their enormous nite-lite.

It is kind of interesting to see a four-year-old try so hard for something, and be disappointed, and ask to have his plain white fan re-installed.

He's a bright kid. He needs a bright light.

New Roof Frame

2008-09-10T19:16:00.001-04:00

Joe and Kevin building the "walls" that will top the cinder block walls.

Ike

2008-09-10T08:58:00.003-04:00

As these charts show, Ike is pretty far away. However,
it's windy and overcast and I've been seeing tree limbs
on the ground and on top of cars. Not huge tree limbs,
but enough to scratch the paint or maybe make a little
dent. Last night's progress was shut down by a very intense
squall that lasted about 20 minutes.

Julian's Feet (again)

2008-09-09T14:22:00.001-04:00

Featuring shark pajama bottoms and the camera leash...

Olive Returns

2008-09-09T14:21:00.002-04:00

Olive is back!

Band Room Miscellany

2008-09-09T14:14:00.002-04:00

It's been a quiet couple of days. Joe shopped for some mighty nice 2 x 6 x 16 planks for the framing and delivered them to our house. Monday night he & Kevin started framing.

Jimmy shopped for click laminate flooring. I followed up with some vinyl options -- Congoleum and such. We don't want ceramic tile. We don't want carpet, for fear of (the slim possibility of) flooding. We don't want to spend a lot of cha-ching....

Also, I ordered 4 awning-style windows. They are really nice - PVC framing over aluminum, low E, double paned, etc. They tell me it takes 14 days....

Cha-ching

2008-09-09T14:11:00.001-04:00

I had the kids all excited about recycling our scrap metal. Just about every Sunday night, we see folks coming around in trucks or even trucks with trailers, picking through people's trash for scrap metal... so, as we've worked on this remodel, we've been setting aside the scrap.

We took it way out to East Tampa and stood there in line, in the heat with our scrap metal... all $1.95 worth of it.

The kids were actually pretty psyched to get a dollar each.

Kitchen Miscellany

2008-09-09T14:00:00.001-04:00

Saturday afternoon, I painted one wall of the dining room "Eastern Amber." At first, we all hated it. Then, we started to like it.... funny how that happens. This morning Jimmy said he "likes what that color does" to our floors. ;)

Not sure we are going to keep the kitchen lime green as it has always been. The kids found some really beautiful eggplants at the farmer's market and they (and me, too) want to paint the kitchen a bright purple. Jimmy says NO!

We shopped and purchased two base cabinets for the kitchen, which match the one next to the dishwasher but not the older ones. Oh well, it's close enough...

We are still totally bamboozled by the granite options... May look into poured concrete?

Saturday, 7 pm

2008-09-06T18:36:00.001-04:00

Well it took longer than we thought it would,
and it made a much bigger mess than we thought it would....
but we now have our concrete slab.

The Dogs...

2008-09-06T08:45:00.001-04:00

have been enjoying their increased amount of "inside time"
as things become more and more chaotic in the backyard.

Rookie in the kitchen.

Leica surveys the new scratch we made moving the piano.

Friday Miscellany

2008-09-06T08:41:00.005-04:00

The dumpster went bye-bye! Things are looking a little tidy-er.

Saturday, 7 am

2008-09-06T08:41:00.004-04:00

Today we pour a new layer of floor for the bandroom.
One more way to reduce the chance of flooding.

Homecoming

2008-09-06T08:25:00.001-04:00

Crazy thing happened today. My sister, who's been living in
Las Vegas for a few years, showed up. I was at the corner
of Hillsborough and Armenia, in traffic, when all of a sudden
I hear her honk and yell, "Hey Lady! Learn how to drive!!!"

She moved back to Florida on the sly!!!

Here are all the ladies: Gabi, me, Marie and Maddie...

Thursday Miscellany

2008-09-04T22:06:00.001-04:00

Tonight we went to Acme Granite & Stone and walked through their yard. Wow! What amazing and beautiful things the earth creates. They have granite, marble and onyx. Mon Dieu!

Phase 2: Big Slices of Sky

2008-09-03T20:44:00.001-04:00

The ruins of the bandroom.