Adventures in Remuddling

It’s been so hot, I don’t want to do anything, not even use the computer.

So here’s a short recap of the past week/weekend:

The linoleum (marmoleum) was not installed Friday. There was a delay in the shipment. The dealer got the product in yesterday so the floor is scheduled for installation today.

Because of the kitchen delay, work on the 2nd floor bathroom resumed. Insulation, sound board, and the cement board around the tub surround got put up thanks to my parents. A lot more electrical work was finished. Electrical work seems to be never ending.

We’ve been thinking about this picture for a long time. It’s a tribute to Grant Wood and all things American.

Continue reading “Remuddling Gothic” »

I like to classify Tig’s home renovation work style into two periods: the Dark Ages (Before Bucket) and the Golden Age (After Bucket).

Continue reading “The Dark Ages - Before bucket” »

That’s right, I have soft hands. And I’d like them to stay that way. My hands are not built for contractor work. That’s why I use gloves, pretty much all the time. Over the past 3 months, I almost exclusively wear these “Perfect Fit” glove. The name of the company is “Perfect Fit Glove Company“. And they make really awesome gloves, except that they’re hard to find, and I have currently only found 1 reliable supplier (thanks Dad).

I definitely needed a new pair recently, as you can tell the difference between the old and new gloves. Woohoo! I can still have soft hands.

Ever since we moved in, our lives have been thrown into a maelstrom of constantly working on the house. There’s still one bathroom that needs to be tiled and finished, but the rental unit is down to punch list items and some paint in many of the rooms.

So yesterday, I actually had some time to make dinner. Our diets have gone to the wayside, eating out a lot more, eating microwave meals, and eating lots of processed junk foods (chips and cookies). We were never ones to eat TV dinners and junk food, but we just don’t have much time anymore. But yesterday I finally cooked a real meal in our kitchen (ramen does not constitute a real cooked meal). Pork chops. I’m no gourmet, but I do like to cook. And getting back into the kitchen made me miss it. And who does not enjoy a home cooked meal. I know the misses enjoyed it.

And now it’s back to working on the bathroom.

Serena and I just could not take my hair anymore. Just too much. So I cheated a bit and got it cut.

Let me elaborate on the story.

Continue reading “The End of Hair” »

It’s been officially 4 months since closing on this house.

And it’s been a looooong 4 months.

We knew from the onset, we were going to renovate both bathrooms and the 1st floor kitchen. During the month before we closed, I figured it would take 1-2 months. During the first week, I made a gentleman’s wager with a contractor, saying:

No problem, the renovations will be done in 3 months

Ha! Well, 4 months later, a bathroom and kitchen is done (mostly), and I finished putting on the grout in the other bathroom.

The living room was cleared of stuff recently. There’s no more mattress pads or desk or computer there. The office is now in the den/study room.

Remodel work has obviously slowed down. Mostly because there’s not as much to do and we’ve lost steam.

This weekend, we even carved a pumpkin because Halloween is right around the corner.

Continue reading “Halloween Around the Corner” »

The good thing about contractor garbage bags…. they’re thick and sturdy. They could probably be used as a vapor barrier if you’re in a pinch. I’ve seen people use them as makeshift rain ponchos.

But it’s Thanksgiving. And I bought a BIG turkey from the local farmer’s market. 19+ pounds. And any good chef knows a bird needs to be brined before roasting. Suffice to say, a 19 lb turkey just won’t fit into a 1-gallon ziploc bag you buy at the grocery store. Especially when there’s 2 gallons of brine for the bird. But it could probably fit into a 30 gallon garbage bag. But ordinary trash bags just won’t do. I needed 3 millimeters of thick, dark contractor grade plastic. mmm….

Continue reading “Multiple Uses for Contractor Garbage Bags” »

It’s official, we’ve completely lost our minds.  Explanation will be forthcoming tomorrow.