Rookie Rice

RIP Rookie Rice

Jan 20, 1999 - June 8, 2009

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

Yard Work

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

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!!

the Main House

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

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!!!

Parkesdale Farms

Get those strawberries while they're ripe!

GCP rides again!

Gasparilla Childrens' Parade!!!

Week End

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.

Gel Stain

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.

Nani's 82nd

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!

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

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

The Dogs...

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.

Homecoming

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...

Julian's Feet

Whenever I review the photos on my camera,
I always find a few shots by Julian.

Lately he's been focusing on his feet.