Well now, it's almost downright embarrassing to admit that it's been almost a MONTH since I last wrote! Not sure what exactly happened there, but honestly, I take it as a good sign since it must mean that the house wasn't always one my mind 24/7.
Just to make life more interesting, I took a misstep off a sidewalk in Raleigh, NC - where I was headed last time I wrote. We were going to dinner and it was dark and there was a cut out I didn't see. Pop goes the ankle! Long story short, had it x-rayed the following Monday and it wasn't broken but have to admit this is one of the worst sprained ankles I may have ever had. It's been four weeks and honestly, it still hurts, is still a tiny bit swollen and I haven't been able to run for 4 weeks. When I put on the wrong shoe, it reminds just exactly where it still is tender on that outside edge. Enough already! I hobbled around for a good week, took 9 days to be able to have the swelling go down enough to fit it in a shoe, but now it's pretty much business as usual.
Since that weekend in Raleigh, the Bulldogs have had two games back in Indy and an actual bye last weekend so we got to stay home! It was great! We leave tomorrow for Jeff's last home game of his career at the Butler Bowl........ Senior Day, where the seniors get recognized and Brad and I get to walk out through the tunnel and onto the field with him. It truly will be bittersweet. It's been an amazing ride and I am so proud of him. And to make it even more special, my other son, Matt is going to join us as well so we will ALL get to be there! Should be a great weekend. The two remaining games after that are in Jacksonville, FL (it will be tough, but I will go!) and Morehead, Kentucky for the grand finale and Jeff's last college football game ever. I am thinking it might be a good idea to put a pack of Kleenex in that camera bag about now!
As for the house, we're definitely getting there. I feel like life has actually calmed down enough that I am actually able to start doing the little things that really make you feel settled and like it's your own. Still working on things like hanging pictures but I make more progress each day. It has been beautiful fall weather so I have tried to do some things outdoors as well, before winter comes for keeps. (It did get to 32 degrees last night so it's not too far away!). I have finally been able to make head way on clearing things out of the greenhouse that just got thrown in there to be stored when we moved in - figured I have to make room for things I have to put inside soon like patio furniture!
My electricians have been here three times and we are mostly done, though still waiting on a down rod for a ceiling fan they are going to install. I haven't gotten the bill yet, but I keep telling myself it will be worth it in the end. We figured out a few of those mystery switches, gave up on a few more but they tested them and reassured me that they were dead and not using any power. I had them disconnect a few things I want to get rid of and they added some things like can lights in the office and another box for an extra fixture in a couple of hallways (I hooked the new lights up myself today!). All in all no horrible surprises or startling discoveries, which is fine by me. There are a few things I am going to submit to the Home Warranty company (they left them unfixed) and see if they will cover.
Then today we decided it was time to shut down the pond pump for the winter. Just for kicks, I went to the Westar meter and timed a complete revolution, Then I went and shut down the pump and went back and time the revolution of the wheel again. OH .... MY..... GOSH!!!!! I think I may have found a source of major energy usage and I am thinking a new pond pump might be in order in the spring! I kid you not, the single revolution of that wheel was three times faster when it was running. I think over the course of a 24 hour period that is MAJOR energy usage!!! Now granted we are having to fire up the furnace in the house occasionally in the mornings now, but I almost can't wait for the next electric bill!!
So there is hope! And we are getting ready for winter. I must admit that I have been pleasantly surprised so far and the house actually seems to be fairly well insulated. I have typically only had to run the heaters for a few hours on really cool mornings (Brad thinks I am nuts but 55 degrees inside my house is just a bit nippy when I wake up - though I LOVE sleeping when it's cold). I still have a bunch of sealing up to do - caulking around windows where it's come out over the years, patch a few holes. I got the chimneys swept to make sure we wouldn't die if we had a fire. We've also decided that we're pretty sure we are going to convert them to gas logs since it's just so much cleaner and easier and we would use it more. Luckily they are already plumbed with gas starters, so I hope to go tomorrow and order the logs sets since I have spent this week shopping around.
Next week I have a guy coming to do some repairs on my very old doors and windows that are having some issues, but I think after that, that I don't have too many more contractors scheduled that I can think of! Hooray - maybe I can get even ,more of my things done! Which is good since we are hosting Thanksgiving at our house for all of Brad's family. Both boys and their girlfriends are coming and we will have somewhere in the neighborhood of 20-25 people here for the meal! I don't have to do all of the cooking but needless to say, there are things I really need to get in order before that day! Nothing like a looming deadline to light a fire under you, huh?!
In the course of a month so much happens, but I don't want to bore you! I got to spend a few days with my Mom during bye week from football, so that was nice. She's doing well. I also decided to take a class at an art gallery in Old Town so for the last four Wednesdays I have spent a few hours each afternoon learning how to make glass tile! It's a class on fusing glass and I have had a ball. So much so that I just signed up for four more weeks! I'll try to take some pictures and post them soon.
So on that note, I will sign off and hope that I haven't put you to sleep without tales of hidden crawlspaces and strange discoveries. It was probably a lot more fun to read my blog when I had my finger in the dike each day, huh?!
It's hard to believe that a year ago I was on my big road trip - seems like a lifetime ago. Actually, one year ago today I was in Pittsburg at my Mom's and went out to dinner with several old high school friends! From that day to this has been an incredibly journey with lots of ups and downs, but I just continue to hold on for for the ride Decided to post a song tonight that just sort of sums up life sometimes. It's called "That's The Way That The World Goes Round" by John Prine. Hope you all have a great weekend and I'll try to write again before another month goes by!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
..... Goin' to Carolina .....
Well, the world keeps spinning and I keep blogging. The furious pace of autumn when you have a son who plays college football is upon us but as tired as I am, I couldn't be happier. The Bulldogs are off to a 3-2 start and had a great win last weekend - an upset over the Dayton Flyers capped off with an interception and a field goal to win the game! Doesn't get much better than that! Jeff had another great game, so forgive me if my pride is showing heartily this week. This weekend Brad and I are off to North Carolina in search of watching win number four! Go Dawgs!
I know a few of you have asked what's up with the electrical situation at the house and sorry it's taken me so long to let you know. There is hope!!! I know last I wrote, I spoke of being apprehensive about the electrician, but after meeting him I feel much better. He is simply a rather laid back guy and perhaps that works well with me in this situation since it's the one I tend to get the most uptight about. Perhaps he is the yin to my yang on this situation. Once he got to the house and we talked a bit, he basically told me he wanted to start with my meter and my breaker boxes. Checked out the meter and it all looked fine to him (that's kind of what I figured too). Then we moved inside and he took the covers of the two breaker panels that I have. To me it looked pretty much like chaos with wires everywhere, but he said it didn't look too bad to him. He was really good at explaining to me what he was doing as he went along (sometimes I wonder if they can all tell that I want to know or if they just think of me as the crazy hovering homeowner!). He basically checked all of the connections ..... where all of the "hot wires" came into each circuit breaker and also where each neutral wire connected. Seems like all of the hot wires were in pretty good shape, BUT tons of the neutral wires were very loose!! He tightened everything up and told me that that alone might help me quite a bit.
In easy-to-understand terms, the way I understand it is that when the connection is loose, it creates heat, which uses more energy. Over time, that becomes a huge fire hazard as with the heat also comes the risk of an electrical arc which can cause the wire to short or burn out. If you were to look in your own circuit breaker panel and see a lot of white wires that have become dark, that is not a good thing. If anyone out there reading this has a better way of explaining this to me, please do so - or correct me if I am wrong! Overall, my wires looked okay at this point, but I am hoping that perhaps the tightening up he did will be one more step in helping to make this house at least a bit more energy efficient. And safer. Peace of mind is definitely worth it!
He and I walked through the house discussing all of the issues I had written down ( imagine a full sheet of lined notebook paper!) ..... switches that didn't seem to turn anything on, a couple of lights I can't seem to be able to turn on, fireplace blowers that don't blow, and of course, my crazy, crazy back yard. Complete with way too many junction boxes in really weird places, GFCI outlets that don't work, yard lights that hang down in shame and who knows what else. We both agreed this would be a very good place to start looking for issues as we are both sure there are many!
What I liked about Tom - the electrician - is that he made suggestions and gave me options. Never a "you've got to do this" but rather "we could do this or that". He's a busy guy and I am an impatient woman, but I think we'll get this worked out. The plan for now is that I will make a priority list and next week he will come and start on a few things. Then from there, we will keep attacking the list until maybe, just maybe, we feel like we have resolution.
But I must admit to feeling better. I feel like there is hope and that it's maybe not as bad as I had feared. (Then again, he hasn't actually been in my attic yet!)
So since I was feeling pretty good about all of that, I decided to have a window and glass guy come to the house. I have several windows that are foggy and obviously the seal between the panes of glass has been broken. A few windows in need of repair - non-functioning hardware and in other cases, a few BB holes! - and a few sliding glass doors that require Herculean effort to slide open and closed. Didn't necessarily like what he had to say as he felt like a lot of them might need to be replaced but on the plus side, he is going to see if he can get someone from Pella to come out and look at them since they have had a history of having problems with some of these and he had another customer who got hers fixed for free! I like free, so once again, I will test my patience and sit politely and wait to hear back from him.
Let's see...... what else ..... I finally got the fence stained yesterday. Decided to go ahead and buy an airless sprayer as the plan is to paint my own house exterior next spring (can you say masochist?!?!) and it definitely helped speed up the process and was a great way to practice my technique! And that nasty old neglected pole next to the driveway that had one held a basketball hoop? Well, it's now officially a shiny metal flag pole that is currently waving a Butler Bulldog flag! When life gives you lemon, make lemonade!
Of course the antics with the dogs just keep on coming. George has decided that it's pretty fun to actually go out into the middle of the pool - on top of the mesh pool cover!! I have these horrible visions of him falling through, but so far it's good to know that it's held his weight. We started up with a new vet this week and apparently George has been packing on a few! He's gained some weight! Time to cut the food back a bit. A friend brought her son over tonight to play with the dogs and get his dog fix. It was great from my perspective since he threw the ball for an hour. The only downside was later when we came in: Madison decided she was really thirsty so drank and drank and drank from the water bowl (visual image: Madison now always lays down to drink, with the bowl between her outstretched front paws). It was all good until about a half hour later when most of that water and a few other tidbits came up while she was laying at my feet as I watched TV. Good times!
So that's my life this week. All in all pretty good in the scheme of things. Whenever I get overwhelmed thinking of everything there is to do here at the house, I try to step back and realize that I have really only been here 4 months and realistically, things are better already. I have always been my own worst enemy and my own worst critic, so I will try to keep the doubter quiet. Baby steps ......
The song I picked for today is "Going to Carolina" by James Taylor. Always a good song and it seemed fitting seeing as Friday morning, I will indeed be going to Carolina! Have a great week!
I know a few of you have asked what's up with the electrical situation at the house and sorry it's taken me so long to let you know. There is hope!!! I know last I wrote, I spoke of being apprehensive about the electrician, but after meeting him I feel much better. He is simply a rather laid back guy and perhaps that works well with me in this situation since it's the one I tend to get the most uptight about. Perhaps he is the yin to my yang on this situation. Once he got to the house and we talked a bit, he basically told me he wanted to start with my meter and my breaker boxes. Checked out the meter and it all looked fine to him (that's kind of what I figured too). Then we moved inside and he took the covers of the two breaker panels that I have. To me it looked pretty much like chaos with wires everywhere, but he said it didn't look too bad to him. He was really good at explaining to me what he was doing as he went along (sometimes I wonder if they can all tell that I want to know or if they just think of me as the crazy hovering homeowner!). He basically checked all of the connections ..... where all of the "hot wires" came into each circuit breaker and also where each neutral wire connected. Seems like all of the hot wires were in pretty good shape, BUT tons of the neutral wires were very loose!! He tightened everything up and told me that that alone might help me quite a bit.
In easy-to-understand terms, the way I understand it is that when the connection is loose, it creates heat, which uses more energy. Over time, that becomes a huge fire hazard as with the heat also comes the risk of an electrical arc which can cause the wire to short or burn out. If you were to look in your own circuit breaker panel and see a lot of white wires that have become dark, that is not a good thing. If anyone out there reading this has a better way of explaining this to me, please do so - or correct me if I am wrong! Overall, my wires looked okay at this point, but I am hoping that perhaps the tightening up he did will be one more step in helping to make this house at least a bit more energy efficient. And safer. Peace of mind is definitely worth it!
He and I walked through the house discussing all of the issues I had written down ( imagine a full sheet of lined notebook paper!) ..... switches that didn't seem to turn anything on, a couple of lights I can't seem to be able to turn on, fireplace blowers that don't blow, and of course, my crazy, crazy back yard. Complete with way too many junction boxes in really weird places, GFCI outlets that don't work, yard lights that hang down in shame and who knows what else. We both agreed this would be a very good place to start looking for issues as we are both sure there are many!
What I liked about Tom - the electrician - is that he made suggestions and gave me options. Never a "you've got to do this" but rather "we could do this or that". He's a busy guy and I am an impatient woman, but I think we'll get this worked out. The plan for now is that I will make a priority list and next week he will come and start on a few things. Then from there, we will keep attacking the list until maybe, just maybe, we feel like we have resolution.
But I must admit to feeling better. I feel like there is hope and that it's maybe not as bad as I had feared. (Then again, he hasn't actually been in my attic yet!)
So since I was feeling pretty good about all of that, I decided to have a window and glass guy come to the house. I have several windows that are foggy and obviously the seal between the panes of glass has been broken. A few windows in need of repair - non-functioning hardware and in other cases, a few BB holes! - and a few sliding glass doors that require Herculean effort to slide open and closed. Didn't necessarily like what he had to say as he felt like a lot of them might need to be replaced but on the plus side, he is going to see if he can get someone from Pella to come out and look at them since they have had a history of having problems with some of these and he had another customer who got hers fixed for free! I like free, so once again, I will test my patience and sit politely and wait to hear back from him.
Let's see...... what else ..... I finally got the fence stained yesterday. Decided to go ahead and buy an airless sprayer as the plan is to paint my own house exterior next spring (can you say masochist?!?!) and it definitely helped speed up the process and was a great way to practice my technique! And that nasty old neglected pole next to the driveway that had one held a basketball hoop? Well, it's now officially a shiny metal flag pole that is currently waving a Butler Bulldog flag! When life gives you lemon, make lemonade!
Of course the antics with the dogs just keep on coming. George has decided that it's pretty fun to actually go out into the middle of the pool - on top of the mesh pool cover!! I have these horrible visions of him falling through, but so far it's good to know that it's held his weight. We started up with a new vet this week and apparently George has been packing on a few! He's gained some weight! Time to cut the food back a bit. A friend brought her son over tonight to play with the dogs and get his dog fix. It was great from my perspective since he threw the ball for an hour. The only downside was later when we came in: Madison decided she was really thirsty so drank and drank and drank from the water bowl (visual image: Madison now always lays down to drink, with the bowl between her outstretched front paws). It was all good until about a half hour later when most of that water and a few other tidbits came up while she was laying at my feet as I watched TV. Good times!
So that's my life this week. All in all pretty good in the scheme of things. Whenever I get overwhelmed thinking of everything there is to do here at the house, I try to step back and realize that I have really only been here 4 months and realistically, things are better already. I have always been my own worst enemy and my own worst critic, so I will try to keep the doubter quiet. Baby steps ......
The song I picked for today is "Going to Carolina" by James Taylor. Always a good song and it seemed fitting seeing as Friday morning, I will indeed be going to Carolina! Have a great week!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
.....These Days ......
I guess if I were to sum up the last week and a half, I would have to say it's been relatively calm! Relative is always the key word in my life these days, but I will settle for days where the house or the world doesn't feel like it's falling in around me!
Today Brad and I officially got our Kansas drivers licenses. And man was it painful! Not so much the fact that I had to tell them my actual weight, but the wait to get up to the counter just to share that awful secret took almost three and a half hours! I never thought anyone could make the California DMV look efficient! I love you Kansas, but man oh man, you need to make some changes to your licensing process! Very inept and horrible use of employee time and manpower. But it's done! So I now officially have KU alumni tags on my truck (sporting a Jayhawk as I drive down the road!) and a Kansas drivers license. Guess there is no denying I am back now!
I'm starting to do all of those things you do when you move: found a dentist that I actually really like, found a hairdresser that I love the way she cuts my hair and so today I decided it was time to call and make a doctors appointment with a woman that came highly recommended. She must be good - I can't get in until December!! Geez! Guess I had better try to stay healthy until then! So what does that leave ..... a mechanic (will get my truck serviced next week)....guess I could really use a massage, so will look around for that! Oh, and my cleaning lady starts tomorrow! Woo hoo!!! Is it possible that perhaps my house might actually smell like something other than DOG for a few days at least!
On the home front, I had my second visit from Westar Energy and I must say that as much as I hate feeling like I am funding every dependent of an employee to get a college education, I have been very happy with the folks they have sent out. Dan the Man came out last week and basically replaced the meter that was on there with a new one and said they had to take it in for testing because they couldn't really do that in the field. I am supposed to be informed of what they find.... nothing yet.... but judging from the speed with which my little dial still spins, I am guessing that any issues are on my end and not theirs. Either way, it will be good to know.
Tomorrow afternoon I have an electrician coming. Talked to him on the phone and he says he can trouble shoot the house. I am having guarded optimism though, since the first time he was supposed to call me back he didn't so I called him and then he called me back yesterday to say he had all of the information except the time we had agreed to meet! I have another option in my back pocket in case I am not impressed with this guy! It's time to get this electrical party started! (sorry for the horrible humor but I couldn't resist!)
For now, I have put the pots and pans back over what appears the opening to the Underground Railroad in my kitchen. Figured there is not much I can do at the moment and it might be good to wait and see what happens in the winter - figure out whether it's just a source for an Arctic blast or if it is part of the HVAC air return system. Sprayed about half a gallon of degreaser, added some shelf paper and I am at least buying myself some time.
The pool is closed for the season! Never thought I would be so happy to say that! We came home from Milwaukee and the pool company had actually gotten to it early! AND it turns out our realtor swears that the pool is supposed to be covered on the Home Warranty, so she is looking into it, since - come on, we all know it - there will be problems when we start it up next spring/summer!
Butler football is in full swing. The Bulldogs are off to a 2-2 start, but mostly this season, I approach every game with my own prayer of "please don't let Jeff get hurt!". He has been so lucky to this point that I just want him to get through this season unscathed. He had a great game on Saturday with 6 tackles - one for a 5 yard loss - and a fumble recovery! Such fun to see him out there!!
This last weekend Brad and I turned the game into a road trip adventure and drove. We stayed Friday night in Evansville, Indiana and went to an Allison Krauss concert. She has been my favorite artist for a very long time and this concert did nothing to change that standing. She is amazing and so her band! Then woke up Saturday morning and drove to Indy for the game, left Indy about 4 p.m. and spent the night in the St. Louis area before getting home to Wichita about 2 p.m. Not bad, but not something we want to do every weekend! It's always nice to have Brad captive in the car and to myself from time to time!
So due to the crazy Fall schedule, there is less going on at the house and things are more along the lines of "getting by". I am always determined to organize and clean - and yet I find myself outside finishing the demo of the old hot tub, moving wood chips from my huge pile into some flower beds, cleaning the pond and pulling weeds. I am beginning to think the only way I am going to ever get to the "inside the house" list is when the weather turns. Oh well. Not like anything is going anywhere!
But I will leave you with two great stories...... One I have been meaning to share for some time but there has been too much else to write about, so I forget or figure you have all stopped reading by now. For those of you that have hung on, you're going to like this!
The joy of moving and having to change your cell phone number is that, like the house, it seems to have it's own history. Mine is not that exciting - seems like most of the inadvertent calls and texts I get relate to some catering company that specializes in fried chicken and catfish! But Brad's number has been a source of great amusement for us! He started getting computer generated calls within the first few weeks we had our new numbers - all of them from some high school! We knew something was up when he was told to report for football practice! As he himself said, any high school football team that needs him is in for a very long season! He got several calls about football and while we kept saying that he needed to call and try to get the number taken off the list, we wondered if he kept it going if maybe we would find out that he was elected Homecoming King or something!!! He got calls for Band practice, for Booster club meetings, for registration..... apparently he is a very vital part of this high school! If only we knew where it was! But alas, I think he did finally call them and ask them to take his number off of their automatic dial, so that's over. Sigh ...........
And story number two does relate to the house. While I haven't found any more bowling balls or trap doors or anything like that, I did learn a little history about the owners who had the house before the folks we bought it from. A neighbor I just met informed me that he was a dentist .... who apparently grew pot in the greenhouse!!! He was out of town at some point and had someone that was staying here. Apparently they were not privy to the information of the crop in the greenhouse and came home one evening to find a door was ajar so they called the police! Ooops! Surprise!! As this neighbor so politely put it ......." he had to move"! One of my friends made the comment when I found the little space below the kitchen that maybe that is where they hid the drugs. I think she may be on to something!
So once again, I do so wish that these walls could talk! What a book they could write! It also explains to me perhaps why the house has taken so long to feel settled. It's had a pretty tumultuous past! I am nursing it back to health but it's quite obvious that I am going to have to be patient. Maybe another blessing is in order!
The song I am posting today is an Allison Krauss song from her new album Paper Airplanes, called "These Days". It just is one that really resonates with me - she sings about a road less traveled and about not being able to be something you're not, or knowing where you belong, which is what I have felt a lot this summer. It's getting easier and better, but I'm not going to lie ----- it obviously hasn't been easy. But at least these days I feel like I am waking up with hope for a good day ahead! That's enough for me for now.
Today Brad and I officially got our Kansas drivers licenses. And man was it painful! Not so much the fact that I had to tell them my actual weight, but the wait to get up to the counter just to share that awful secret took almost three and a half hours! I never thought anyone could make the California DMV look efficient! I love you Kansas, but man oh man, you need to make some changes to your licensing process! Very inept and horrible use of employee time and manpower. But it's done! So I now officially have KU alumni tags on my truck (sporting a Jayhawk as I drive down the road!) and a Kansas drivers license. Guess there is no denying I am back now!
I'm starting to do all of those things you do when you move: found a dentist that I actually really like, found a hairdresser that I love the way she cuts my hair and so today I decided it was time to call and make a doctors appointment with a woman that came highly recommended. She must be good - I can't get in until December!! Geez! Guess I had better try to stay healthy until then! So what does that leave ..... a mechanic (will get my truck serviced next week)....guess I could really use a massage, so will look around for that! Oh, and my cleaning lady starts tomorrow! Woo hoo!!! Is it possible that perhaps my house might actually smell like something other than DOG for a few days at least!
On the home front, I had my second visit from Westar Energy and I must say that as much as I hate feeling like I am funding every dependent of an employee to get a college education, I have been very happy with the folks they have sent out. Dan the Man came out last week and basically replaced the meter that was on there with a new one and said they had to take it in for testing because they couldn't really do that in the field. I am supposed to be informed of what they find.... nothing yet.... but judging from the speed with which my little dial still spins, I am guessing that any issues are on my end and not theirs. Either way, it will be good to know.
Tomorrow afternoon I have an electrician coming. Talked to him on the phone and he says he can trouble shoot the house. I am having guarded optimism though, since the first time he was supposed to call me back he didn't so I called him and then he called me back yesterday to say he had all of the information except the time we had agreed to meet! I have another option in my back pocket in case I am not impressed with this guy! It's time to get this electrical party started! (sorry for the horrible humor but I couldn't resist!)
For now, I have put the pots and pans back over what appears the opening to the Underground Railroad in my kitchen. Figured there is not much I can do at the moment and it might be good to wait and see what happens in the winter - figure out whether it's just a source for an Arctic blast or if it is part of the HVAC air return system. Sprayed about half a gallon of degreaser, added some shelf paper and I am at least buying myself some time.
The pool is closed for the season! Never thought I would be so happy to say that! We came home from Milwaukee and the pool company had actually gotten to it early! AND it turns out our realtor swears that the pool is supposed to be covered on the Home Warranty, so she is looking into it, since - come on, we all know it - there will be problems when we start it up next spring/summer!
Butler football is in full swing. The Bulldogs are off to a 2-2 start, but mostly this season, I approach every game with my own prayer of "please don't let Jeff get hurt!". He has been so lucky to this point that I just want him to get through this season unscathed. He had a great game on Saturday with 6 tackles - one for a 5 yard loss - and a fumble recovery! Such fun to see him out there!!
This last weekend Brad and I turned the game into a road trip adventure and drove. We stayed Friday night in Evansville, Indiana and went to an Allison Krauss concert. She has been my favorite artist for a very long time and this concert did nothing to change that standing. She is amazing and so her band! Then woke up Saturday morning and drove to Indy for the game, left Indy about 4 p.m. and spent the night in the St. Louis area before getting home to Wichita about 2 p.m. Not bad, but not something we want to do every weekend! It's always nice to have Brad captive in the car and to myself from time to time!
So due to the crazy Fall schedule, there is less going on at the house and things are more along the lines of "getting by". I am always determined to organize and clean - and yet I find myself outside finishing the demo of the old hot tub, moving wood chips from my huge pile into some flower beds, cleaning the pond and pulling weeds. I am beginning to think the only way I am going to ever get to the "inside the house" list is when the weather turns. Oh well. Not like anything is going anywhere!
But I will leave you with two great stories...... One I have been meaning to share for some time but there has been too much else to write about, so I forget or figure you have all stopped reading by now. For those of you that have hung on, you're going to like this!
The joy of moving and having to change your cell phone number is that, like the house, it seems to have it's own history. Mine is not that exciting - seems like most of the inadvertent calls and texts I get relate to some catering company that specializes in fried chicken and catfish! But Brad's number has been a source of great amusement for us! He started getting computer generated calls within the first few weeks we had our new numbers - all of them from some high school! We knew something was up when he was told to report for football practice! As he himself said, any high school football team that needs him is in for a very long season! He got several calls about football and while we kept saying that he needed to call and try to get the number taken off the list, we wondered if he kept it going if maybe we would find out that he was elected Homecoming King or something!!! He got calls for Band practice, for Booster club meetings, for registration..... apparently he is a very vital part of this high school! If only we knew where it was! But alas, I think he did finally call them and ask them to take his number off of their automatic dial, so that's over. Sigh ...........
And story number two does relate to the house. While I haven't found any more bowling balls or trap doors or anything like that, I did learn a little history about the owners who had the house before the folks we bought it from. A neighbor I just met informed me that he was a dentist .... who apparently grew pot in the greenhouse!!! He was out of town at some point and had someone that was staying here. Apparently they were not privy to the information of the crop in the greenhouse and came home one evening to find a door was ajar so they called the police! Ooops! Surprise!! As this neighbor so politely put it ......." he had to move"! One of my friends made the comment when I found the little space below the kitchen that maybe that is where they hid the drugs. I think she may be on to something!
So once again, I do so wish that these walls could talk! What a book they could write! It also explains to me perhaps why the house has taken so long to feel settled. It's had a pretty tumultuous past! I am nursing it back to health but it's quite obvious that I am going to have to be patient. Maybe another blessing is in order!
The song I am posting today is an Allison Krauss song from her new album Paper Airplanes, called "These Days". It just is one that really resonates with me - she sings about a road less traveled and about not being able to be something you're not, or knowing where you belong, which is what I have felt a lot this summer. It's getting easier and better, but I'm not going to lie ----- it obviously hasn't been easy. But at least these days I feel like I am waking up with hope for a good day ahead! That's enough for me for now.
Friday, September 16, 2011
.... on the road again
Just like old times - I am blogging from the road! I am in Milwaukee, Wisconsin right now, tagging along while Brad works and I get to play! He is a visiting professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin and was chosen to give the Al McGuire Memorial Lecture at the Children's Hospital. Mr Big Pants! It was well deserved and I know he is knocking them dead! Mostly my job on this trip seems to be sleeping in, playing during the daytime and getting to go to dinner with everyone each night! THIS I could get used to!
Meanwhile, back at the house .........
It's nice to have the weather cool off and the windows open. The electric meter is still spinning wildly but we are working on it. Westar came out on Tuesday - even though they were hesitant and told me that they had no record of a second meter on my house and it probably wasn't theirs! Guess what? It was!! Sure threw them for a loop! A very nice young lady was the one who came to the house and we did some sleuthing (okay, mostly it was sleuthing I had already done, but I will let her share some credit since she did make a lot of phone calls to the bosses while she was there). Turns out that 30-40 years ago sometimes people had a meter installed just to follow consumption of one particular thing. In this case, it is my irrigation well! It only turns when the sprinklers are running. At first she told me she was going to have to put a new meter on it and register it so all I could think of was "Well S!@%#! Now my bill will be even HIGHER!" So she did but before she left she got a call back and apparently it already shows on the bill so they told her to put the old one back on. She was not qualified to work on my "big ass" meter as it was larger than she is certified for, so we had to set up an appointment for a different service person to come for that. I wanted to be there, so that is scheduled for Monday. According to her, they should be able to check everything from the meter all the way back to the transformer, so MAYBE we can either find the trouble or rule some things out! Progress!
And oddly enough, we did get the 3rd electric bill and I never thought in my life I would be happy to see that amount on on a bill, but it was actually a fair amount lower than the last one and it was hot all of August! I guess my energy Nazi ways made a difference! Now I just need to get to the point where I feel like I can turn on any light I want in my own house!
The pool is getting closed for the season next week supposedly. Hooray! It has had so many issues right now that it will be a welcome relief. Right now it's just an energy sucking, poorly functioning leaf catcher! We will deal with it in the spring .............
My nephew sent me the bill for the dumpster that sat in my driveway and carted off all of the old planter box and dirt and rock....... once again we are recording setting and filled it with a weight that I didn't think was possible! One more very large check to write! If I had known it was going to cost that much, I might have figured out a place to use it in the yard somehow! Live and learn!
And in between the chaos that is the house, I try to have a life. Went to my first Medical Alliance meeting, which is basically the wives of area docs from Wichita. HATE these things but the Dean's wife invited me as her guest, so what do you do? It was a fashion show to boot! Oh yeah, you heard me right! Yours truly went to a fashion show!! I survived and made nice and met some nice ladies, but definitely not my cup of tea!
I gave up and decided that if I waited until the house was settled to hire a cleaning lady that it would never happen so have a gal that is doing to start coming every two weeks. I think this will be a good thing but I just hope she is prepared for the mountains of dog hair!!
So now, it's time to shower and get ready to hang out with my oldest sister, who lives about a half hour from Milwaukee, Wren. She is driving up and we are going to spend the day hanging out. Should be fun. No song for today as I can't really think of the best one to do so you are on your own for music this morning!
Meanwhile, back at the house .........
It's nice to have the weather cool off and the windows open. The electric meter is still spinning wildly but we are working on it. Westar came out on Tuesday - even though they were hesitant and told me that they had no record of a second meter on my house and it probably wasn't theirs! Guess what? It was!! Sure threw them for a loop! A very nice young lady was the one who came to the house and we did some sleuthing (okay, mostly it was sleuthing I had already done, but I will let her share some credit since she did make a lot of phone calls to the bosses while she was there). Turns out that 30-40 years ago sometimes people had a meter installed just to follow consumption of one particular thing. In this case, it is my irrigation well! It only turns when the sprinklers are running. At first she told me she was going to have to put a new meter on it and register it so all I could think of was "Well S!@%#! Now my bill will be even HIGHER!" So she did but before she left she got a call back and apparently it already shows on the bill so they told her to put the old one back on. She was not qualified to work on my "big ass" meter as it was larger than she is certified for, so we had to set up an appointment for a different service person to come for that. I wanted to be there, so that is scheduled for Monday. According to her, they should be able to check everything from the meter all the way back to the transformer, so MAYBE we can either find the trouble or rule some things out! Progress!
And oddly enough, we did get the 3rd electric bill and I never thought in my life I would be happy to see that amount on on a bill, but it was actually a fair amount lower than the last one and it was hot all of August! I guess my energy Nazi ways made a difference! Now I just need to get to the point where I feel like I can turn on any light I want in my own house!
The pool is getting closed for the season next week supposedly. Hooray! It has had so many issues right now that it will be a welcome relief. Right now it's just an energy sucking, poorly functioning leaf catcher! We will deal with it in the spring .............
My nephew sent me the bill for the dumpster that sat in my driveway and carted off all of the old planter box and dirt and rock....... once again we are recording setting and filled it with a weight that I didn't think was possible! One more very large check to write! If I had known it was going to cost that much, I might have figured out a place to use it in the yard somehow! Live and learn!
And in between the chaos that is the house, I try to have a life. Went to my first Medical Alliance meeting, which is basically the wives of area docs from Wichita. HATE these things but the Dean's wife invited me as her guest, so what do you do? It was a fashion show to boot! Oh yeah, you heard me right! Yours truly went to a fashion show!! I survived and made nice and met some nice ladies, but definitely not my cup of tea!
I gave up and decided that if I waited until the house was settled to hire a cleaning lady that it would never happen so have a gal that is doing to start coming every two weeks. I think this will be a good thing but I just hope she is prepared for the mountains of dog hair!!
So now, it's time to shower and get ready to hang out with my oldest sister, who lives about a half hour from Milwaukee, Wren. She is driving up and we are going to spend the day hanging out. Should be fun. No song for today as I can't really think of the best one to do so you are on your own for music this morning!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
I know it gets redundant, but it always amazes me when I see how long I go between posts on here. For a woman who is a self professed chatter box, it amazes me that I am not writing more often. But then again, when the end of the day comes and I am tired, all I want to do is head to bed.
So let's see .... what's new since I last wrote..... It's September! And the weather seems to have finally broken from the ungodly heat. We actually set a record in Wichita this summer - 53 days over 100 degrees, which is the most since the Dust Bowl in 1936! Not exactly how I wanted to be welcomed to my new locale, but what do you do? Mostly this summer, I seem to have sweated, cried and worried. It's been kind of a crazy three months here and it's just now that I am beginning to realize just how hard they were. I was overwhelmed - plain and simple. No other words for it and no other way around it. And I'm pretty sure from a clinical perspective, I was depressed. Nothing new to me, but sort of had to "tough it out" since the health care coverage didn't kick in until this month and it's one of those things that - like so many times before in my life - I just felt like I had to muddle through. I missed my mountains and my fresh air and my routine. Felt like I had traded it in for a money pit on the surface of the sun. Suck it up and keep moving...... But now that the temperature has dropped, the A/C can be turned off and the windows can be opened, it's amazing what it has done for me! I am totally fresh air and sunlight dependent!
The house is ..... the house! There have been no major miracles in the last week and a half, no interventions by HGTV to totally rebuild my house (dear God in heaven - if there is anyone out there reading this with HGTV connections, PLEASE give them my name and number!!!!), but it's okay. For whatever reason, this is a good week! It feels like there is hope. And for today, that is enough.
Got the second electric bill - worse than the first! There are some serious issues going on here. To that end, I have called the energy company - Westar Energy - and asked them to come to the house and explain a few things to me about my meter. I have requested that they do it when I am here and little do they know that my plan is to ask them to check every connection from the transformer to the house! That will be Monday. If they do that and it all checks out, I have decided to hire an electrical company and have them troubleshoot the house. It may cost me a lot, but quite honestly, it will be worth it to figure this out and it should pay for itself in short order. So I guess that at least I feel like there is a plan! And I have come to realize that I am glad that I am a bit of a pit bull when it comes to my house and my well being! If I don't stand up and fight for myself, who will?!
Brad seems to be adjusting into his new job, which has helped me adapt to my new environment as well. You hate to admit that you are so totally dependent on someone else for your well being, but quite honestly, he is my rock and when he seems to struggle, I struggle. It's getting better day by day.
As for the house...... I got my new cook top put in! It wasn't necessarily what I wanted, but the home warranty covered most of the cost and for now, it's good enough. Not sure I will ever adjust to electric versus gas, but for now, it will do. Hence the song of the day: I have come to realize that as much as I complain and a bitch and moan, I am provided for. I may not always get what I want - but I get what I need!
The pool is limping along until we can get it closed up for the season - sometime in the last week of September. It needs a new filter and maybe a new pump. I pray it just keeps working until then! The pond is doing well but same thing - needs a new pump. The lawn is mostly green but now I have to figure out how the heck you shut down a well for the winter in the coming months. Now that it's nice weather and time to open the windows, I had to order a couple of screen doors and a few screens. No small task when they are Pella doors and windows. Or I guess I should say no small financial task. Pella knew what they were doing making their doors so specialized that you can only get their product. You don't EVEN want to know what I had to pay to have two sliding patio screen doors made! All I can say is that they had better slide like butter and last for a million years! But the fresh air invigorates me, so I pay.........
And then there is football! Jeff's senior season started last weekend! Brad and I have continued our commitment to get to every game we can. The last four seasons (re-shirt freshman through junior year), we were lucky enough to mostly have direct flights, but here, everything is a connection. But we go. And we go with a true appreciation of how lucky our son is to have this experience. He is blessed - as are we. I will try to truly enjoy each and every minute he is on the field in his last season - all the while holding my breath with my real hope being that he just gets through each game unscathed. It was a wonderful distraction from all of the chaos of my life last weekend, and I will try to look at each weekend as my own little getaway!
As for now ......I've actually given myself permission to take a day off here and there! I haven't really done that for the first three months and it's time. There is so much to do, but I have learned that I have to do that as well. Whatever is waiting for me to get done will be there tomorrow. I am trying to be the tortoise rather than the hare! And while there are so many times I feel like what I have done is not enough - there are other times when I realize we have done a lot.
I am going to add some pictures for you ... finally! I have a few more "afters" that I need to take, but you can see at least some of the things that I have been talking about.
But I can't leave you without telling you about today's wacky discovery. In order for the new cook top to be put in, I cleared out all of the cabinets below it. This morning I figured it was time to put it all back, so as I opened up the cabinet doors, I looked inside and realized that there was something odd about the floor of the cabinet below the cook top. It seemed like there was a piece that had been "cut out" and then put back in. Recognizing it as a door to a space below, I pried it up. Imagine my surprise when I saw - about two feet below - dirt! It appears that at least half of the kitchen has this odd crawl space under it. Totally uninsulated, dirt floor, empty space! My guess is that it's going to be awfully cold in that area come winter unless I do something!! I have no idea what the rationale for this is!!!! I am not sure I will ever completely understand this house!!!
So it's off to bed for me. Catching a flight to Indianapolis tomorrow for another game - go Bulldogs!!! Today is also my oldest son, Matt's, birthday. 26 years ago I became a mom. It truly is the best thing that ever happened to me and in the midst of all of the chaos that is my life right now, those are the things that I try to remember.
So it's like the song says ........ you can't always get what you want..........but if you try sometimes .... you might find ..... you get what you need.....
So let's see .... what's new since I last wrote..... It's September! And the weather seems to have finally broken from the ungodly heat. We actually set a record in Wichita this summer - 53 days over 100 degrees, which is the most since the Dust Bowl in 1936! Not exactly how I wanted to be welcomed to my new locale, but what do you do? Mostly this summer, I seem to have sweated, cried and worried. It's been kind of a crazy three months here and it's just now that I am beginning to realize just how hard they were. I was overwhelmed - plain and simple. No other words for it and no other way around it. And I'm pretty sure from a clinical perspective, I was depressed. Nothing new to me, but sort of had to "tough it out" since the health care coverage didn't kick in until this month and it's one of those things that - like so many times before in my life - I just felt like I had to muddle through. I missed my mountains and my fresh air and my routine. Felt like I had traded it in for a money pit on the surface of the sun. Suck it up and keep moving...... But now that the temperature has dropped, the A/C can be turned off and the windows can be opened, it's amazing what it has done for me! I am totally fresh air and sunlight dependent!
The house is ..... the house! There have been no major miracles in the last week and a half, no interventions by HGTV to totally rebuild my house (dear God in heaven - if there is anyone out there reading this with HGTV connections, PLEASE give them my name and number!!!!), but it's okay. For whatever reason, this is a good week! It feels like there is hope. And for today, that is enough.
Got the second electric bill - worse than the first! There are some serious issues going on here. To that end, I have called the energy company - Westar Energy - and asked them to come to the house and explain a few things to me about my meter. I have requested that they do it when I am here and little do they know that my plan is to ask them to check every connection from the transformer to the house! That will be Monday. If they do that and it all checks out, I have decided to hire an electrical company and have them troubleshoot the house. It may cost me a lot, but quite honestly, it will be worth it to figure this out and it should pay for itself in short order. So I guess that at least I feel like there is a plan! And I have come to realize that I am glad that I am a bit of a pit bull when it comes to my house and my well being! If I don't stand up and fight for myself, who will?!
Brad seems to be adjusting into his new job, which has helped me adapt to my new environment as well. You hate to admit that you are so totally dependent on someone else for your well being, but quite honestly, he is my rock and when he seems to struggle, I struggle. It's getting better day by day.
As for the house...... I got my new cook top put in! It wasn't necessarily what I wanted, but the home warranty covered most of the cost and for now, it's good enough. Not sure I will ever adjust to electric versus gas, but for now, it will do. Hence the song of the day: I have come to realize that as much as I complain and a bitch and moan, I am provided for. I may not always get what I want - but I get what I need!
The pool is limping along until we can get it closed up for the season - sometime in the last week of September. It needs a new filter and maybe a new pump. I pray it just keeps working until then! The pond is doing well but same thing - needs a new pump. The lawn is mostly green but now I have to figure out how the heck you shut down a well for the winter in the coming months. Now that it's nice weather and time to open the windows, I had to order a couple of screen doors and a few screens. No small task when they are Pella doors and windows. Or I guess I should say no small financial task. Pella knew what they were doing making their doors so specialized that you can only get their product. You don't EVEN want to know what I had to pay to have two sliding patio screen doors made! All I can say is that they had better slide like butter and last for a million years! But the fresh air invigorates me, so I pay.........
And then there is football! Jeff's senior season started last weekend! Brad and I have continued our commitment to get to every game we can. The last four seasons (re-shirt freshman through junior year), we were lucky enough to mostly have direct flights, but here, everything is a connection. But we go. And we go with a true appreciation of how lucky our son is to have this experience. He is blessed - as are we. I will try to truly enjoy each and every minute he is on the field in his last season - all the while holding my breath with my real hope being that he just gets through each game unscathed. It was a wonderful distraction from all of the chaos of my life last weekend, and I will try to look at each weekend as my own little getaway!
As for now ......I've actually given myself permission to take a day off here and there! I haven't really done that for the first three months and it's time. There is so much to do, but I have learned that I have to do that as well. Whatever is waiting for me to get done will be there tomorrow. I am trying to be the tortoise rather than the hare! And while there are so many times I feel like what I have done is not enough - there are other times when I realize we have done a lot.
I am going to add some pictures for you ... finally! I have a few more "afters" that I need to take, but you can see at least some of the things that I have been talking about.
But I can't leave you without telling you about today's wacky discovery. In order for the new cook top to be put in, I cleared out all of the cabinets below it. This morning I figured it was time to put it all back, so as I opened up the cabinet doors, I looked inside and realized that there was something odd about the floor of the cabinet below the cook top. It seemed like there was a piece that had been "cut out" and then put back in. Recognizing it as a door to a space below, I pried it up. Imagine my surprise when I saw - about two feet below - dirt! It appears that at least half of the kitchen has this odd crawl space under it. Totally uninsulated, dirt floor, empty space! My guess is that it's going to be awfully cold in that area come winter unless I do something!! I have no idea what the rationale for this is!!!! I am not sure I will ever completely understand this house!!!
So it's off to bed for me. Catching a flight to Indianapolis tomorrow for another game - go Bulldogs!!! Today is also my oldest son, Matt's, birthday. 26 years ago I became a mom. It truly is the best thing that ever happened to me and in the midst of all of the chaos that is my life right now, those are the things that I try to remember.
So it's like the song says ........ you can't always get what you want..........but if you try sometimes .... you might find ..... you get what you need.....
Monday, August 29, 2011
And then there was music!
Okay, first things first. Many thanks to my son Jeff who has now added a music widget to my blog so that I can pick songs for you guys to listen to if you choose, like I did on my other blog last Fall. I will do the same as I did there and will pick a "current" song but will also accumulate them on another player further down the page. Can't guarantee I will pick a new song each time I write, but then again since I have been writing every week to week and a half, maybe I will! More on the first song choice later ........
So let's see .... on the home front. All things considered, there has been less activity in the "falling apart" department than previous weeks, so I am taking that as a good sign that most of the major surprises have been found. Or at least identified in some vague way that gives me a direction to head. Last we spoke, the hot water dispenser handle had come off in my hand. Well, now there is a brand new one in the kitchen and it didn't cost me a dime! You have to love the internet! Here I went online looking for a part that might be broken, and when I can't really figure it out and call them, they help me discover that it's under warranty!
The horrible, nasty, scary, disgusting non-working trash compactor? Gone! In it's place is a new one provided by the home warranty company! I have never had a trash compactor before and must admit that I'm kind of liking it! Quite literally, Brad and I had one bag of trash for an entire week once it all got smushed down! True to form for the house, when the technician pulled out the old one, inexplicably the wires had been spliced and it looked like a third grader had done it! It was horrible!
AND today, the new cook top got delivered! We opted to go with another electric one, even though I really wanted gas. With the can of worms that this house is, the thought of trying to run a gas line right now was more than I wanted to contemplate. I spent just a little bit out of pocked to go with a solid surface one rather than the coil one they were offering me. So even if we remodel and change to gas down the road, it has only cost me $268 for a brand new 45 inch Jenn Air cook top! I think it will be money well spent!
On the air conditioner front, well, that has been resolved at least for now. After two visits by a nice young man from Budget Heating & Air (who I will always request now when I have HVAC issues for home warranty work!), two new capacitors and a new fan motor, the house is cool once again. According to him, the capacitors were the wrong size and the whole unit wasn't even grounded! AND the fan was rotating the wrong way so it was just blowing warm air and over heating the compressor! $500 worth of parts and all I had to do was write a $60 check!
I am beginning to feel like I should just wear my checkbook on a chain around my neck so it's always handy and have a bunch of pre-printed checks for $60 made up!!
I got the energy audit results back and it was much like I expected. Lots of recommendations of things like adding insulation, perhaps changing out some windows, getting new A/C units and one new heater, but also some things that I didn't know that could perhaps save me money in the short term while I address the other issues that I can't address right now. It is amazing to me the report I got, the time they spent at my house and the details of their evaluation! Quite literally it was a 20 page report, complete with some graphs to show the savings I would have if I made some upgrades and some photos of things in my house that need to be addressed! In a nutshell - I have huge air infiltration issues. By doing something called a blower door test, they determined that 64% of the air in my house is being exchanged with outside air every hour!! That equates to a 25" square opening in a wall, year round!! The national target rate of air exchange is 35%. If it's a measure of how my house is breathing, I think mine is pretty much hyperventilating!!! Do they make house sized paper bags that we can breath into?! The great part was that they addressed the major areas where they thought the leaks were and many of them I can address quickly and on my own. Others .... well, we'll get there.......
What was really nice was how helpful they were during the time they were here and how they seem to be willing to spend some more time with me helping me understand it all. They have created a computer model of my house and if I have work done and send them details, they can map it out as to savings over time. What's really interesting is that the main guy is actually starting a new job with Weststar Energy today in the Energy Efficiency department and he said he is going to keep an eye on my consumption and nominate us to be one of the first in Wichita to have a Smart Meter put in when they get here. So all in all a good experience.
So with things somewhat in hand, I decided it was time for a day off! Last Friday my friend Kathy and I went out to the Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine, KS. It's owned and run by a friend of hers who she used to teach with when they were both teachers at a local school. That woman would be none other than Robin Macy, the woman I went to see in concert a few weeks back at Wichita State University. She was one of the original Dixie Chicks and sort of decided to leave the band at one point before they "went all Hollywood" - or at least that is my understanding. The Arboretum is 18 acres of land and was in total disrepair when Robin bought it 14 years ago. She completely rebuilt the tiny house on the property and has added a few more buildings, but it is all done with such charm and uniqueness that it just draws you in! The trees are amazing (hence "arboretum") and the flower beds and vegetation look great -especially considering we are in the midst of a drought. She has added a stage and has weddings and other events and concerts there and there are plans for a tallgrass prairie soon as well. It just has a good feel to it when you are there. It was really fun to meet Robin and she was gracious enough to invite us into her home and show us pictures and just spend time talking. She just struck me as a really down to earth woman who is doing the work she wants to be doing and does it with conviction. Quite inspirational. Here is a link to her website: http://www.bartlettarboretum.com/
So the song of the day - the first song I am posting on this blog - is one of hers. It's called "Simplify". I really liked it when I heard it at the concert and it just really resonated in me. The message of it is so true - that we all just need to simplify our lives. I get so busy sweating every little detail and get some absorbed/obsessed with the house and all the turmoil around it, that sometimes I forget to step back, take a breath and really look at the simple things that bring me joy and that are easy to overlook in the every day. Things like the people in our lives, the experiences we get to have or just a sunny day.
So thanks for taking me Kathy! And thanks for spending time with me Robin! Doubly blessed on one day!
No crazy discoveries to report this time - no more bowling balls or dog bed insulation! And that is just fine by me. I did find a new use for an unlikely tool though! Everyone has a car jack laying around, right? Well, yours truly has actually never had to use one to change a tire, but today I used it to jack up one corner of our bed at a time so that I could add new legs I made for it!!! (That sucker is heavy and I didn't want to wait for Brad to get home and make him help me!) The movers were not too careful and the bun feet that had been it's legs before were unable to be attached back to it. So I created some new legs and after two and a half months in the house, FINALLY our bed is up off the floor! Now I just hope it doesn't come crashing down tonight!
More to share but you are probably all asleep by now! Sorry this got long!
So let's see .... on the home front. All things considered, there has been less activity in the "falling apart" department than previous weeks, so I am taking that as a good sign that most of the major surprises have been found. Or at least identified in some vague way that gives me a direction to head. Last we spoke, the hot water dispenser handle had come off in my hand. Well, now there is a brand new one in the kitchen and it didn't cost me a dime! You have to love the internet! Here I went online looking for a part that might be broken, and when I can't really figure it out and call them, they help me discover that it's under warranty!
The horrible, nasty, scary, disgusting non-working trash compactor? Gone! In it's place is a new one provided by the home warranty company! I have never had a trash compactor before and must admit that I'm kind of liking it! Quite literally, Brad and I had one bag of trash for an entire week once it all got smushed down! True to form for the house, when the technician pulled out the old one, inexplicably the wires had been spliced and it looked like a third grader had done it! It was horrible!
AND today, the new cook top got delivered! We opted to go with another electric one, even though I really wanted gas. With the can of worms that this house is, the thought of trying to run a gas line right now was more than I wanted to contemplate. I spent just a little bit out of pocked to go with a solid surface one rather than the coil one they were offering me. So even if we remodel and change to gas down the road, it has only cost me $268 for a brand new 45 inch Jenn Air cook top! I think it will be money well spent!
On the air conditioner front, well, that has been resolved at least for now. After two visits by a nice young man from Budget Heating & Air (who I will always request now when I have HVAC issues for home warranty work!), two new capacitors and a new fan motor, the house is cool once again. According to him, the capacitors were the wrong size and the whole unit wasn't even grounded! AND the fan was rotating the wrong way so it was just blowing warm air and over heating the compressor! $500 worth of parts and all I had to do was write a $60 check!
I am beginning to feel like I should just wear my checkbook on a chain around my neck so it's always handy and have a bunch of pre-printed checks for $60 made up!!
I got the energy audit results back and it was much like I expected. Lots of recommendations of things like adding insulation, perhaps changing out some windows, getting new A/C units and one new heater, but also some things that I didn't know that could perhaps save me money in the short term while I address the other issues that I can't address right now. It is amazing to me the report I got, the time they spent at my house and the details of their evaluation! Quite literally it was a 20 page report, complete with some graphs to show the savings I would have if I made some upgrades and some photos of things in my house that need to be addressed! In a nutshell - I have huge air infiltration issues. By doing something called a blower door test, they determined that 64% of the air in my house is being exchanged with outside air every hour!! That equates to a 25" square opening in a wall, year round!! The national target rate of air exchange is 35%. If it's a measure of how my house is breathing, I think mine is pretty much hyperventilating!!! Do they make house sized paper bags that we can breath into?! The great part was that they addressed the major areas where they thought the leaks were and many of them I can address quickly and on my own. Others .... well, we'll get there.......
What was really nice was how helpful they were during the time they were here and how they seem to be willing to spend some more time with me helping me understand it all. They have created a computer model of my house and if I have work done and send them details, they can map it out as to savings over time. What's really interesting is that the main guy is actually starting a new job with Weststar Energy today in the Energy Efficiency department and he said he is going to keep an eye on my consumption and nominate us to be one of the first in Wichita to have a Smart Meter put in when they get here. So all in all a good experience.
So with things somewhat in hand, I decided it was time for a day off! Last Friday my friend Kathy and I went out to the Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine, KS. It's owned and run by a friend of hers who she used to teach with when they were both teachers at a local school. That woman would be none other than Robin Macy, the woman I went to see in concert a few weeks back at Wichita State University. She was one of the original Dixie Chicks and sort of decided to leave the band at one point before they "went all Hollywood" - or at least that is my understanding. The Arboretum is 18 acres of land and was in total disrepair when Robin bought it 14 years ago. She completely rebuilt the tiny house on the property and has added a few more buildings, but it is all done with such charm and uniqueness that it just draws you in! The trees are amazing (hence "arboretum") and the flower beds and vegetation look great -especially considering we are in the midst of a drought. She has added a stage and has weddings and other events and concerts there and there are plans for a tallgrass prairie soon as well. It just has a good feel to it when you are there. It was really fun to meet Robin and she was gracious enough to invite us into her home and show us pictures and just spend time talking. She just struck me as a really down to earth woman who is doing the work she wants to be doing and does it with conviction. Quite inspirational. Here is a link to her website: http://www.bartlettarboretum.com/
So the song of the day - the first song I am posting on this blog - is one of hers. It's called "Simplify". I really liked it when I heard it at the concert and it just really resonated in me. The message of it is so true - that we all just need to simplify our lives. I get so busy sweating every little detail and get some absorbed/obsessed with the house and all the turmoil around it, that sometimes I forget to step back, take a breath and really look at the simple things that bring me joy and that are easy to overlook in the every day. Things like the people in our lives, the experiences we get to have or just a sunny day.
So thanks for taking me Kathy! And thanks for spending time with me Robin! Doubly blessed on one day!
No crazy discoveries to report this time - no more bowling balls or dog bed insulation! And that is just fine by me. I did find a new use for an unlikely tool though! Everyone has a car jack laying around, right? Well, yours truly has actually never had to use one to change a tire, but today I used it to jack up one corner of our bed at a time so that I could add new legs I made for it!!! (That sucker is heavy and I didn't want to wait for Brad to get home and make him help me!) The movers were not too careful and the bun feet that had been it's legs before were unable to be attached back to it. So I created some new legs and after two and a half months in the house, FINALLY our bed is up off the floor! Now I just hope it doesn't come crashing down tonight!
More to share but you are probably all asleep by now! Sorry this got long!
Friday, August 19, 2011
How do I score this frame?!
So I know I told you about the Foamy Elmo Soap and the dog bed they used as insulation in the attic at one spot, but I think I can top that now! Anyone feel like bowling?!
There are bushes outside of the kitchen window, between the house and the patio leading up to the pool. They are green, but other than that, they don't really do much for me. Mostly they just grow and are starting to get high enough that I can't see the pool when I am sitting at the counter. So the choice then boils down to trimming them down so I can have smaller, still nondescript bushes, or taking them out. So of course in my "go big or go home" motto, I decide it's time for them to go. There are a million things I can see there next year - an herb garden, a flower garden, maybe even nice, tidy cuter bushes that stay small. But step one is to get them out and I will figure out what to plant next spring.
So armed with an electric hedge trimmer, some pruning shears, a small chain saw, a shovel, a rake and a pair of gloves, I get to work. Decided that if I take them out low and more intact that they will be easier to cart off than if I have a million small pieces. (Had my first trip to the local landfill yesterday!!!) So I am working, working, working....... stop to drink a Gatorade .... work some more, and suddenly, there is an unidentified strange blue object just barely visible next to the base of a bush. In this house I have learned to expect the unexpected but this one is strange. Heck for all I know it's an unexploded bomb! (maybe that wouldn't be so bad and we'll just start over!). So after clearing away around it, I grab the shovel and gently get underneath it. No ticking sound ...... no explosions ...... I get it out only to discover it's a bowling ball! Are you kidding me?! Just how on earth does a bowling ball get into the middle of a huge area of bushes. Oh yeah - they had a whole flock of boys who lived here, that's how! I sent a text to a friend with the comment that I wished these walls could talk, but she answered back that it probably wouldn't be rated G! I told her that my guess is right about now it's actually breathing a sigh of relief!
So yes, we will add a bowling ball to the list of continuing oddities about the house! It's blue, kind of lightweight and judging from the finger holes, belonged to someone small. There's even an "extra" hole so either the owner had an odd hand, something went horribly wrong or one of the boys grabbed it out of a dumpster. Any of those three are possible! I cleaned it up and I will be keeping the ball. No, not to bowl with but as a conversation piece! I think it should fit nicely on one of those gazing ball stands!
So let's see, ..... what else. I got back from Mom's in time to get a call that they wanted to come over and reconnect my broken duct in the attic! Hooray! So it's hooked back up now and they added a relay switch to the fan that was running 24/7 so that it SHOULD now only run when the heater is on. I am officially done with trying to cool down Wichita singlehandedly! It's not like I was doing a very good job of it anyway. The new compressor got put in the freezer side of the fridge. Hooray! My roofers finally came over and took out the old non-working attic fans and put in two new ones the electrician had left. He comes Monday to hook them up. Hooray! The trash compactor got delivered and I am just waiting for the technician to come take out the old nasty one that scares me in a really horrible way and put the new one in. Hooray!
It was actually nice for several days, so I was able to get out in the yard and do some yard work! It's definitely good for the soul to get dirt under your fingernails! Pulled tons of weeds, cleaned up some flower beds. Hopefully this weekend I can get some mulch added to some of them and the place can at least look a little better! I am not going to plant anything, just perk it up.
So everything is looking up, right?! Well, not so fast! This morning as I am getting some hot water from the instant hot water dispenser, the handle comes off in my hand and I can't shut off the scalding hot water! Luckily there was an easily accessible shut off valve under the sink. After a little detective work on my part and a phone call to the company, turns out the unit is new (Feb. 2011) and still under warranty. They gave me a number to call and no more than an hour later a service man was at the door. Looks like I will add "hot water dispenser" to my list of new stuff!
Still feeling good, I go outside to check the progress of the installation of my new garage doors. I must admit, they are beautiful and it is money well spent on this! Went with a steel door that looks like wood, so you get the look and no maintenance! Love, love, love how it turned out! But wait, what is that awful sound around the side of the house?! Yup ..... it's the air conditioner. It sounds hideous and is so loud that if I were to try to carry on a conversation I am not sure I could! I go inside, it's a bit warmer than I expected in the house but not awful so watch it for a few hours. Sure enough..... it's not cooling well. At 6 p.m. it was 105 degrees outside and 84 inside the house. "Hello?..... Home warranty?......... I need someone to come look at my air conditioner!!! Again!" Hopefully I won't have to wait TOO long.
So I spent today finishing cleaning up the aforementioned bowling ball flower bed. Hey, if it's warm in the house I might as well be warm outside and get something done! All deep roots and minor stumps are gone, years of decaying leaves are bagged and all that awaits is whatever I chose to do to it next spring. It will give me something to plan this winter when I am in the house - probably freezing and dressed in layers because the heater won't work!
And on that note, I will close for tonight. The other major event for the week was an energy audit that I had done on Tuesday. Three super nice young men spent a couple of hours at my house going over the whole place and checking out all kinds of things like insulation, energy usage, outside construction, etc. While I don't have the full report yet, it should be very enlightening. Probably in a very scary sort of way, but enlightening. I will save that for another day to try to explain to you. First I will have to figure it out myself!
So happy weekend everyone! Here's to cooler temperatures, no surprises and time spent with those you love!
There are bushes outside of the kitchen window, between the house and the patio leading up to the pool. They are green, but other than that, they don't really do much for me. Mostly they just grow and are starting to get high enough that I can't see the pool when I am sitting at the counter. So the choice then boils down to trimming them down so I can have smaller, still nondescript bushes, or taking them out. So of course in my "go big or go home" motto, I decide it's time for them to go. There are a million things I can see there next year - an herb garden, a flower garden, maybe even nice, tidy cuter bushes that stay small. But step one is to get them out and I will figure out what to plant next spring.
So armed with an electric hedge trimmer, some pruning shears, a small chain saw, a shovel, a rake and a pair of gloves, I get to work. Decided that if I take them out low and more intact that they will be easier to cart off than if I have a million small pieces. (Had my first trip to the local landfill yesterday!!!) So I am working, working, working....... stop to drink a Gatorade .... work some more, and suddenly, there is an unidentified strange blue object just barely visible next to the base of a bush. In this house I have learned to expect the unexpected but this one is strange. Heck for all I know it's an unexploded bomb! (maybe that wouldn't be so bad and we'll just start over!). So after clearing away around it, I grab the shovel and gently get underneath it. No ticking sound ...... no explosions ...... I get it out only to discover it's a bowling ball! Are you kidding me?! Just how on earth does a bowling ball get into the middle of a huge area of bushes. Oh yeah - they had a whole flock of boys who lived here, that's how! I sent a text to a friend with the comment that I wished these walls could talk, but she answered back that it probably wouldn't be rated G! I told her that my guess is right about now it's actually breathing a sigh of relief!
So yes, we will add a bowling ball to the list of continuing oddities about the house! It's blue, kind of lightweight and judging from the finger holes, belonged to someone small. There's even an "extra" hole so either the owner had an odd hand, something went horribly wrong or one of the boys grabbed it out of a dumpster. Any of those three are possible! I cleaned it up and I will be keeping the ball. No, not to bowl with but as a conversation piece! I think it should fit nicely on one of those gazing ball stands!
So let's see, ..... what else. I got back from Mom's in time to get a call that they wanted to come over and reconnect my broken duct in the attic! Hooray! So it's hooked back up now and they added a relay switch to the fan that was running 24/7 so that it SHOULD now only run when the heater is on. I am officially done with trying to cool down Wichita singlehandedly! It's not like I was doing a very good job of it anyway. The new compressor got put in the freezer side of the fridge. Hooray! My roofers finally came over and took out the old non-working attic fans and put in two new ones the electrician had left. He comes Monday to hook them up. Hooray! The trash compactor got delivered and I am just waiting for the technician to come take out the old nasty one that scares me in a really horrible way and put the new one in. Hooray!
It was actually nice for several days, so I was able to get out in the yard and do some yard work! It's definitely good for the soul to get dirt under your fingernails! Pulled tons of weeds, cleaned up some flower beds. Hopefully this weekend I can get some mulch added to some of them and the place can at least look a little better! I am not going to plant anything, just perk it up.
So everything is looking up, right?! Well, not so fast! This morning as I am getting some hot water from the instant hot water dispenser, the handle comes off in my hand and I can't shut off the scalding hot water! Luckily there was an easily accessible shut off valve under the sink. After a little detective work on my part and a phone call to the company, turns out the unit is new (Feb. 2011) and still under warranty. They gave me a number to call and no more than an hour later a service man was at the door. Looks like I will add "hot water dispenser" to my list of new stuff!
Still feeling good, I go outside to check the progress of the installation of my new garage doors. I must admit, they are beautiful and it is money well spent on this! Went with a steel door that looks like wood, so you get the look and no maintenance! Love, love, love how it turned out! But wait, what is that awful sound around the side of the house?! Yup ..... it's the air conditioner. It sounds hideous and is so loud that if I were to try to carry on a conversation I am not sure I could! I go inside, it's a bit warmer than I expected in the house but not awful so watch it for a few hours. Sure enough..... it's not cooling well. At 6 p.m. it was 105 degrees outside and 84 inside the house. "Hello?..... Home warranty?......... I need someone to come look at my air conditioner!!! Again!" Hopefully I won't have to wait TOO long.
So I spent today finishing cleaning up the aforementioned bowling ball flower bed. Hey, if it's warm in the house I might as well be warm outside and get something done! All deep roots and minor stumps are gone, years of decaying leaves are bagged and all that awaits is whatever I chose to do to it next spring. It will give me something to plan this winter when I am in the house - probably freezing and dressed in layers because the heater won't work!
And on that note, I will close for tonight. The other major event for the week was an energy audit that I had done on Tuesday. Three super nice young men spent a couple of hours at my house going over the whole place and checking out all kinds of things like insulation, energy usage, outside construction, etc. While I don't have the full report yet, it should be very enlightening. Probably in a very scary sort of way, but enlightening. I will save that for another day to try to explain to you. First I will have to figure it out myself!
So happy weekend everyone! Here's to cooler temperatures, no surprises and time spent with those you love!
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