GC Musings ...

I don't know if I have kept readers apprised of what's happening with the hardwood floors. I am just NOT happy at all with the way they feel in the entryway even after Guido and his team tried to fix them (they're very bumpy and are clearly not level in any sense of the word, which is kind of ironic for a girl who has the very word LEVEL in her name, but I digress ...).

The installation manager for the flooring company came to look at them this week and agreed that they were not cool (or he could have just said that to keep a picky, and clearly insane, homeowner from going loo-loo right in front of him). Nevertheless, he's going to have Guido come back with his family of installers (literally, they're his family: two sons and a nephew) and take up that part of the flooring.

With the hindsight of a true General Contractor, I wish we had just taken out all the sub-par sub-flooring, put in plywood and installed real hardwoods. But what can I do now? This so-called floating floor is way too expensive to replace -- at this stage, anyway. So we'll be living in a bouncy house for quite the while, lottery winnings notwithstanding.

On a more positive note, I thought of a solution to our off-center island (see previous post). I'm going to ask Mr. Honest to build a separate cabinet on casters with a hinged top that will hold our recycling. It'll balance out the space well; plus, we'll be able to move it out of the way or even wheel it to the garage when needed. Pretty good idea.  See, I didn't earn the General Contractor Rookie of the Year award for nothing -- although when the judges feel our floating floor, they may strip me of my title, sash and crown).

So today it's all about stripping wallpaper. I'd love to get the whole master bedroom done by the end of the day, but that might be a little ambitious, so I'll just get as far as I can.

Tomorrow we're going to actually move things into the kitchen. We'll put plywood on top of the island, put the microwave in place, move some staples to the refrigerator -- basically pretend that we have a working kitchen. Who needs a sink anyway? They're totally overrated, IMHO. And I may be able to make up environmentally for all the plastic we're throwing away by having huge water savings ...

Where's My Lithium??

Could I be manic-depressive? I'm beginning to wonder.

How could a day that started out so well have become so crappy by mid-afternoon?

Smoke and Mirrors, my electrician buddies, were at the house at 7:10 a.m., a little early for my taste, but I'd rather have them crowing with the roosters than not at all. So I invited them in with open arms and a mini-bathrobe. Nothing like seeing a 40+ year-old woman scantily clad to short out an electrician's connections for the day.

Despite my blinding morning appearance, they were working their little hearts out, making me smile as each light came to life after being dead for so long. Then came the pendants for over the island (pictures of my beautiful island below). Turns out the pendant kit I purchased was not going to work for three individual lights, so it was off to Lowe's to see if I could find something else that would suffice. I have dreamed of this kitchen for years, but now I'm picking out major lighting on the fly.

I was able to find individual kits using the same globes I originally purchased; and due to the lack of police coverage early morning, I made the trip to and fro in record time. I love a problem easily solved.

By the time I returned, the plumber had arrived to install our new bathroom vanity. Well, at least that was his intention. Turns out the sinks are under-mount, and TJ the plumber likes those kinds of vessels about as much as a kid likes a vegetable buffet.

He said the under-mounting always occurs on other jobs before he arrives and that he'd be glad to get them hooked up once they're ready. Plus, Mr. Hubby and I could not find the instructions and clamps for holding said sinks for the life of us. So TJ did as much work as he could, then waved goodbye, clearly knowing that his availability during July's holiday week will be limited.

So now we're without a kitchen AND a bathroom sink/faucets. Fabulous.

But the day just kept getting better in a sarcastic and facetious way. Got a call from the scheduling girl at the countertop place. Turns out our quartz is ''in port''', which I'm surmising means that they have no idea where it is and when it's going to arrive for fabrication. She insinuated that it may not be here in time for our installation next Wednesday, which means we'll have to go even longer without a kitchen since the sink is under-mount, and goodness knows, TJ will be MIA, so we will have to wait on the quartz people.

And she also told me that the guy fabricating the butcher block for the island takes much longer than her countertop people, a detail the salesperson failed to mention. So that top will take at least two weeks from order until installation.

Finally, I listened to Mr. Hubby and ignored my gut regarding the final resting place of the island. I thought it should be more in the center of the kitchen; the Hubster was convinced that I wouldn't like having the post (holding up our perpendicular load-bearing walls) alone in the middle of the space. He was wrong. So now the island is awkwardly off-center and looks weird. I'll have to think hard for a solution to this problem. Word of advice: never let a guy who has no background or interest in design make your decisions. Just sayin' ...

But, back on the happy side of my split personality, the recessed lighting, pendants and under-cabinet LED illumination all look fabulous.

So I guess home renovation is the same as life: you take the good with the bad, the yin with the yang, the crazy with the sane. So in a few minutes I'll be taking the Corona with the lime -- might as well end the day on a good note. There will be plenty of time for the inevitable bad tomorrow.

My beautiful kitchen island with pendants!! Also here's the vanity without sinks.

I'm Really White Trash

Not too much happening in the reno world today -- but had the pure joy of SHOPPING yesterday: for Mr. Hubby's birthday gifts and for bathroom vanity faucets. And I did go to a thrift store boutique just for me!! I haven't done that in months, but luckily I didn't forget how to maneuver my way through a great shop and have three cute shirts to prove it.

I felt a little guilty about the self-absorption purchases, but it's nothing compared to the guilt I've experienced these past two weeks since our move. It's a secret I'm not proud of, and I don't feel comfortable sharing it. But I also know that confession is good for the soul, so I will trust that you don't think less of me after reading this (well, less than you already do).

Since losing our kitchen in the old house, I have become an .... environmental criminal. I've put more holes in the ozone than gophers on a golf course. Plastic plates, cups, forks, bowls -- you name it, I've purchased the single-use variety.

Before the move, our recycling bins easily outweighed our regular trash by leaps and pounds. Now, there's nothing there but the cardboard containers from all our frozen dinners. And our regular trash looks like its own mini-landfill.

I'm not proud of this by any stretch. Having a carbon footprint the size of Cinderella's stepsisters is not something to brag about. All I can do is promise that within two weeks' time, we should have a working kitchen. And I'll do everything I can to make up for all the environmental damage I've wreaked on our planet.

But for now, don't judge me. As the Bible almost said:  Let he who is without sin cast the first Solo cup ...

Is Anyone Still There??

I'm sure all blog readers have stopped checking in on the LevelHead saga by now -- I've gone six days without a post. I haven't given up on the blog, gentle readers; I've just given up on mooching free internet about town.

Trapped in the house by AT&T technicians who promised internet each day but failed to deliver left me feeling down and miffed by evening -- not in the mood to schlep my laptop to Starbucks yet again.

But today things brightened tremendously in the LevelHead world -- our internet was actually connected and is working! Technician Bill, my new hero, is the reason for the smile on my face and the bounce to my step (or maybe that's due to the hardwoods ...). Regardless, I feel like I'm back in the world of the living and not having to check email on my phone, knowing I'm using up precious data plan minutes.

More good things also happened today. The countertop dude measured for the quartz, and Sears delivered the refrigerator. Right now, it looks so sharp sitting in the future kitchen. It's going to be even more appealing when it's actually connected to electricity, which should happen on Thursday. Yes, Smoke & Mirrors will be here to finish off the receptacles (fancy language for ''outlets''), install pendant lights and get the under-counter lighting hooked up -- something that the owner of the electrical shop said I HAD to have.

Sad news on a different front, though. Cabinet maker Mr. Honest's elderly mother passed away over the weekend, so he's been busy with funeral arrangements. But he thinks he can install the island Wednesday, weather permitting -- he doesn't have a top on his truck so can only deliver when the sun shines. Hey, it's a small price to pay for the deal we're getting.

In addition, Mr. Hubby is working on LevelHead Jr.'s bedroom by painting a rainbow on the wall, per LHJ's request. He's done with four colors, and as we all remember from earth science, a rainbow has seven colors. Remember ROY G BIV?? Our rainbow has pastel hues (agreed to after much negotiation with LHJ -- she can be very tough since I told her we'd decorate her room any way she wanted (a little moving motivation that might be coming back to bite me in the booty). Will post a pic when it's finished.

So that's where we are. Feeling much more positive than I did this weekend ... part of that may have been due to LevelHead Canine possibly being HBC (that's animal shelter language for Hit By a Car). She ran away and was picked up by animal control officers on Saturday. She seems to be doing much better today, although she's still got a little limp sometimes and a sore nose and paw.

I actually get to do some shopping tomorrow and look for master bedroom vanity faucets. After being on house arrest courtesy of AT&T this past week, Lowe's is going to feel like a real social outing ...

Our new LG fridge ... it's a beauty, isn't it??

Someone, Set Me Free!!

I tried to be positive, I really did. If you read my last post, you know that I was going to try the Pollyanna approach -- expect good things and those good, if not great, things will happen.

So when I was texted by AT&T Sunday night to follow up on the unsuccessful internet installation attempt on Saturday, I imagined the message telling me that a technician would be onsite bright and early Monday morning to finish the job.

Fat chance. The message told me that a technician would not be arriving until Friday -- FRIDAY -- for my ''rescheduled'' appointment. Oh no, I felt the transformation coming -- from mild-mannered homeowner to Quick Bitch, a name affectionately coined by Mr. Hubby. The second part of the name is pretty obvious, but the speedy part comes from how quickly, 0-60, I can make a transition to the dark side And boy, did AT&T deserve all QB could give.

So I spent the next 58 minutes on the phone trying desperately to convince the monopolistic bureaucrats that ours was not a "rescheduled'' job, but a continuation of one started and dropped on Saturday. You would think it would be pretty simple, but no, it took conversations with a customer service representative, her supervisor and his manager before sanity was restored.

Problem solved. Not quite. The technician -- who really is a nice guy, don't get me wrong -- has been at the house for 13 hours and counting between yesterday and today. I wish I was exaggerating, but alas, it's true. Our house was built in 1978 but the surrounding neighborhood's infrastructure apparently predates The Iron Age.

I was stuck at the house yesterday and today, patiently waiting for the tech to knock on my door to celebrate success. Not happening. So when Mr. Hubby arrived early from work, I pounced on him like a stay-at-home mom of five, desperate for freedom.

So here I am at Starbucks (more free internet) enjoying a strawberry smoothie and contemplating a desperate call to the cable company to see how quickly they could install service. I'm sure it will be another two weeks. What will come faster: the countertops or internet? Let the betting begin. At this point, I think the countertops may have better odds.

I'll try to get Pollyanna back, I really will. But life sure makes it hard to be positive, doesn't it?

Negative Nellie

I have to admit it. After all the misadventures we've had along this renovation journey, I've become so negative. And that's really saying something because I was one of the most pessimistic people you'd ever met BEFORE we bought this house.

Turns out the countertop people will not be able to measure until June 24th and won't be able to install until July 3rd. And I had promised Mr. Hubby a beautiful kitchen before his birthday at the end of the month. Part of me thinks I'm the worst General Contractor ever to hold a measuring tape, while the other part of me realizes that I am a victim of circumstances.

I couldn't have the quartz countertops measured for until that portion of the cabinets was installed (the island will have a butcher block top). And with all the health problems of Mr. Honest, I couldn't rely on a specific installation date. In hindsight, I should have made a countertop measurement appointment a while back and then cancelled it if I had to -- but who knew they'd be busy? Aren't we in hard economic times? Not according to the countertop world. Everybody's renovating and building to beat the band.

But now I'm wondering if my negative thoughts are inviting into my life the exact outcome I'm trying to avoid. Like this morning, for instance.

The AT&T guy was supposed to install internet service. I just KNEW it wasn't going to happen -- and it didn't. Turns out our telephone wiring outside the house is circa 18th century. Plus the squirrels in the neighborhood have been hosting buffets on our lines. So it all has to be upgraded and repaired before the technician can even begin the inside work.

So I ask you: did I bring on the negative outcome because I was thinking negative thoughts? The Deepak Chopras of the world say you attract what you think. Maybe this whole renovation might have gone smoothly if I had been Pollyanna since the start. Who knows?

And it turns out that Mr. Honest, trusty cabinet maker, will not be working on the remaining cabinets for a while because his mother had a stroke. Did I bring this on to his family just by hiring him? First he's in intensive care and now his mother?

I just don't know what to think.

So I'm sitting here in my friend's house, cat sitting, taking advantage of her wireless router and contemplating the power of positive thinking. Maybe I need a good Norman Vincent Peale kick in the bootie. Maybe if I believe things will happen quickly and efficiently, they will.

It's worth a try 'cause this groveling in negativity stinks. So I'd like to introduce my new Patty LaBelle self, who's adopting A New Attitude!!

Love the Bounce!

I'm currently coming at you from LevelHead Jr's piano lesson. While she's learning the difference between staccato and legato, I will send a quick update via the academy's free wifi.

The floor guys were at the house this morning trying to repair our bouncy carnival game hardwoods. They would stick some de-bouncer under the floor and then call me over to walk on it. Time after time, I would point out a new area that needed attention, IMHO. LHJ kept telling me I was being too picky -- probably so, but we spent a boatload on these floors. Shouldn't I be allowed satisfaction with my purchase?

At the end, the guys said they had them as good as they could get. They're not perfect by any stretch, but they're better. During this time, I was musing that we should have replaced all the subflooring and avoided these problems, but when the installer told me that would have cost around $4500, I decided it  wasn't such a big deal. I mean, who doesn't like a little bounce in their step? And it should really make it easy on the knees during cooking (when we eventually get a kitchen).

Speaking of which, Mr. Honest and Son installed part of the cabinets yesterday, and they're beautiful. I can't wait to see the finished product. He's still working on the island and pantry. And they're not orange-peely at all. I can't remember if I mentioned this previously, but Honest Man had called me over the weekend to tell me that the paint wasn't adhering to the wood and looked like the skin of a citrus fruit. Fabulous. But he sanded them and tried a new paint, and they look great.

Now we're ready for the countertops so they can install the sink, which we desperately need. But it may be over a week before they can even MEASURE; and they won't even measure until they get their $$. We're taking cash to the vendor tomorrow for a 3% discount, and I told Mr. Hubby he has to look his cutest so we can get moved up in their schedule. Does anyone know if you can get six-pack abs overnight?

Will report the results of the Hubster's seduction tomorrow.

Here are my beautiful cabinets, at least what we have so far ...

Bouncy, Wouncy

We're in the house -- barely. Of course, there's the usual -- boxes everywhere, expletives flying while looking for things that just happen to be temporarily stored on the opposite floor from where you are.

But it's the lack of kitchen that's the real bear. We have a makeshift café in the laundry room. There's nothing like watching your Cheerios and Tide become next-door neighbors. I keep dreading the meal where I take a chug of bleach instead of milk.

I find myself sneaking out to buy meals for LevelHead Jr. and myself when Mr. Hubby's not around. He's all about lectures re blowing the already precarious budget with unnecessary fast food purchases. I'm all about not having to search 10 minutes for the peanut butter, only to find I don't have a knife to cut the crust off the bread for LHJ.

But even more than the non-existent kitchen is the lack of internet. It's amazing how much we rely on that technology, and when it's not working, it makes for irritable roommates. Do you know what it's like to live with an eight-year-old who can't watch Taylor Swift videos on YouTube ad naseum? And I'm missing Facebook more than I ever thought I would.

Sure, I can use my phone, but the idea of using up my data plan to see the vacations my FB friends are taking is more than my cheapskate self can handle.

That's why LHJ and I are at the library right now, taking advantage of our tax-provided free internet. The connection's not very strong, so this musing might actually get posted next week.

But I digress from house happenings. Our hardwood floors have been installed! They look beautiful, but the floating floor aspect is a little disconcerting. We couldn't have nailed-down hardwoods without replacing all the subflooring, and the budget just wouldn't allow for that. So we opted for a floating, engineered floor.

The installer said people walking on it wouldn't be able to tell the difference; that may be true if they've never been in a bouncy house before. Like when the dog runs by in pursuit of a deer outside the window, I find myself bobbing up and down like an ocean buoy.

And the part of the floor near the entrance is downright unlevel. Even Mr. Hubby notices it, so it's just not my lazy perfectionist self.

So the installation manager is going to stop by with the installer this afternoon to check it out. I hate to be the demanding consumer, but we paid a lot for these floors, and I want them to be as perfect as possible.

I'll let you know how it goes. Not looking forward to that conversation, but I guess it's part of the game...

We're also getting part of our cabinets today -- SO excited about that.

Here are a couple of pictures of our floors, beautiful but bouncy. 

 

Straw, Camel, Linen Closet

I thought yesterday would be easier -- we had moved most of our junk the day before. It started out pleasant enough -- LevelHead Jr. seems to be making a smooth adjustment to the new place, and 80% of our stuff had been moved the day before.

Yet, when I did a quick survey of the remaining junk at the old house, I was completely disheartened. There was $^*^ is every room -- not one godforsaken area was completely clear. But I gave myself a quick lecture about how it would all be over in two more days and to basically shut up and get to work.

I was getting tired but staying pretty positive until I opened ........ the linen closet. It was the straw that broke this camel's already sore back. It hadn't been touched. Not one bloomin' thing had been moved yet. There were ratty towels, medicine bottles from our college days, sheets that didn't fit any bed in our current possession ... for some reason, I had completely missed this dang closet when I was going through stuff for the garage sale. And Mr. Hubby had missed it too, apparently.

It was at that moment that I completely and utterly lost it. Poor LevelHead Jr. was the recipient of my pseudo-cussing tirade -- you know, lots of ''freaking this'' and ''dang it all to Hades'' that. Bouncing my frustration off of her wasn't satisfying enough, so I called Mr. Hubby. He didn't answer his cell phone, he NEVER answers his cell phone, which just honked me off even more. So I went back to venting to LevelHead Jr. until Mr. Hubby called.

Poor guy, I let him have it -- and then some. Mostly, I focused on why we didn't just have movers do all the hard stuff and why we had to pretend we were still 20. I don't know why I took out all my frustrations on him; I guess I needed to vent, and he was handy. He took it pretty well, although he ventured beyond the pseudo-cussing world to the real thing. About two minutes into the conversation, I realized how mean I was being to my best friend in the whole world, so then the tears came and the "I'm so sorry'' apologies.

I felt much better after the explosion; but I'm not sure about the Hubster. He's still talking to me, so I'll take that as a good sign.

Today the floor guys should be finishing, the washer and dryer are coming and, of course, more moving and cleaning.

It has to end tomorrow; we're handing over the keys at 3:30, ready or not ...







 

I Have To Move Again Today??

Yesterday has to be one of the most exhausting days I've ever had in my whole pathetic life.

The movers arrived at 8:00 a.m. and immediately began loading their truck -- they didn't talk very much, but they worked furiously and had all the furniture loaded by about 9:00. Then it was off to the new house to meet the full truck and act as triage for the incoming stuff.

Mr. Hubby had already met the Direct TV guy around 7:30 at the new house (if you read my last post, you know we weren't too happy with our local satellite service, but this technician was friendly. hard-working and actually arrived early!). There was a moment of tension when he worried aloud if all the trees would make reception impossible (we can communicate with men on the moon, but a tall tree can zap satellite reception??). He eventually found a spot that worked, thank goodness, so all is right with our excessive television viewing habits.

Somewhere in the middle of the movers and satellite guy, the flooring team came to start installation of the hardwood floors. Talk about chaos -- it was raining men, which could have been fun if it weren't so crazy.

Something told me to head back to the old house after LevelHead Jr. and LevelHead Nana returned from dance camp, and I'm so glad I did. LevelHead Jr. was in a state of shock when she saw all the empty rooms in her beloved home. I sat with her while she cried and cried. It was heart-breaking to see this sensitive child deal with all the upheaval in her life. Luckily, a friend had suggested we make a life book of the old house, so she had taken tons of pictures that morning that we'll print and add to the book.

Things got a whole lot easier when we went back to the other house and checked out the new 55'' television Mr. Hubby had desperately wanted. We found a clearance floor model that yours levelheaded got at a discounted price. It's amazing what a 55'' Sponge Bob can do for a sad girl's disposition. We let her watch and watch --  I know, I know, she shouldn't watch too much TV, but come on, this was a special occasion.

We all slept pretty darn well our first night in the new place -- even LevelHead Jr. -- I guess exhaustion will do that for you.

Today it's more moving of the small stuff. Mr. Hubby likes to think of himself as a 20-year-old body builder, so he refused to let the movers handle anything beyond big furniture pieces. And at our age, you can't really ask people to help you move -- everyone's got back problems, sciatica, arthritis -- you get the idea. So it's us lugging carload after carload.

Right now, I'm enjoying a few minutes of peace while I write this, sitting in the old, empty house. But I guess break time is over, so it's back to work. I hope today is easier than yesterday -- is that too much to ask??

Here's are two pics of the new house in all its chaotic glory ...

Direct TV Stinks!

We built our entire day around the schedule of the Direct TV technician, who was scheduled to transfer our service this afternoon. He was SUPPOSED to arrive sometime between 12-4; around 3:30, the scheduler called to see if he had arrived. No, he had not. She then said he was running a little late (if you knew he was behind schedule, why did you ask if he was there??) and would arrive in a ''little bit''.

Well, almost three hours later, still no guy. We were working on other projects, but still ... I was slowly increasing in steam and by about 6:00, I was ready for a phone confrontation. Unfortunately, Direct TV makes a point of not being able to be reached, so I called the number Tom thought would get me a service person. Instead, it was a marketing number for DISH TV -- how is that even possible? The marketer didn't really want to hear my problems; she was more concerned about trying to convert me to DISH.  She said ''Let's find you some savings." I said, "Let's not" and ended the sale pitch.

When it was almost 6:30, we called it a day and headed back to our soon-to-be old house. But before leaving, I posted a ''YOU'RE TOO LATE'!' sign on the door. It was written on a napkin with a wood-filler pen, but I'm sure the technician was shaking in his boots when he saw it.

After a heated phone conversation between Mr. Hubby and the field supervisor back at the old house, a new and improved tech is supposed to arrive bright and early at 8:00 tomorrow. We'll see what time he or she actually shows ...

On a happier note, I got my shower grout changed to white last Friday. The tiler had gotten a haircut after the initial installation and was now sporting a mullet. I have to admit, I've always been a fan -- not the crazy Bill Ray Cyrus kind -- just your average late '80s/early 90's do.

The tiler and his assistant listened to some hard-core country, not your Carrie Underwood/Blake Shelton variety, but the good old boys from back in the day. So we'll call them Merle and George.

They did a great job as they listened to their twangin' guitars. The white grout looks SO much better. Merle said he didn't like the old grout either, so he wasn't surprised that I wanted it changed.

Tomorrow, the movers are coming to the old house, and the Direct TV guy (sure) and the flooring team will be at the new one. Should be an exciting day. Thank goodness LevelHead Nana is spending the week with us and helping with LevelHead Jr., meals and about anything we ask her to do. She's been invaluable.

Looks like I'm gonna need some extra caffeine -- thank you, Diet Sunkist!!

Here are Merle and George, ready to make my grout white.