It's the Dogs Turn

Scully has pneumonia. Seriously. I was really worried Saturday (almost in tears at the vet). But by Sunday afternoon she was much more herself. Took 3 days of antibiotics and a day on st.er.oids and a bronchodilator for her to perk up. Saturday was KT's high school graduation. Long, tedious ceremony. But great to see her graduate! Now to get her into college, since her mom nixed the Navy. I'll have her enrolled by end of summer. Just wait. It snowed Saturday. Yes indeed. Snow on June 6th. Heavy wet stuff. At least the ground was too warm for it to stick or turn icy. Yesterday was clear but cloudy, and a balmy 52*F. Warm enough to open the bedroom window and paint. And dry enough to deal with the waist high grass around the garage & in the "extra" parking space out back. Also managed to edge the front & back yards. All morning today it snowed. Very heavily. Big wet, wet, wet flakes. And the temp dropped to 32*F, windchill around 30*F. Cold enough I ran home at 11 to turn on the heat. My lime tree was already in shock at being repotted. I think this might just do it in...And who knows what'll happen to the veggie garden out at Shanni's. Things were just starting to show. Big Plan is to move the bedroom stuff back in tonight. If the paint smell has dissipated, the bed goes back in too. How lovely it will be to have my living room cleared out!

Out of the Chaos, pt 2

Turns out that upstairs was more modern addition. Behind the paneling, the walls are cement board (or whatever it’s called). Only they didn’t tape & mud. Instead, they put some kind of wallpaper up and then painted over that. In pink. (sob) So they can’t just tape, mud & finish. But (didn’t see that one, eh?), maybe if we left the paneling up, the taper can just put mesh over it, and then finish it. Like the stuff they do to put up those rock surrounds on fireplaces and pilasters. This was his idea, FYI, not mine. Still waiting on the taper to come out with him and take a look. And then I found out the flooring in the living room & hallway isn’t an in-store item and only available special order. With no guarantee it will be available for long. They actually had to call and find out if Pergo still carried it. So I went ahead and had that installed in the master bedroom downstairs. Unfortunately, because of damage incurred during shipping, they had to reorder two cases. So the install got pushed back. When I called to reschedule, it was wait 2 months or do it in 2 days. I opted for 2 days. Which meant the room had to be emptied over 2 evenings. (When did I get so much stuff?) And since the bedroom is empty, the paneling is a dark brown, and the new floor is a darkish wood, I should really paint. So over the weekend, with some help, the paneling was sanded and two coats of primer applied. But did I ever mention the @#%!& F.O.s used half inch diamter rope for the ceiling and corner wall trip? Taking the lazy man route, we tried painting it. Didn't work well. So last night I spent an hour or so pulling that out. Boy, were they fond of lots of really long nails. (Another reminder from Reno. #1). But (of course) there's now a half inch gap between the paneling on all walls. What to do, what to do. Buy trim (and find someone to cut it down for me) or use spackling compound/wall repair stuff to fill the gaps. It's a balancing act between less money/work and best look/resell value. I think I know which one wins. In the meantime, everything from the two upstairs rooms is downstairs in the laundry/sun room. The bedroom is now in the living room, the dining room is in the kitchen, I leave for vacation in less than two weeks, and I’ve decided maybe I should just look at getting the siding replaced instead of doing the upstairs. I’d get new floors for up there, but just paint the paneling for now. Because the siding really needs some help. Some of the wind storms we’ve had this winter & spring really beat some of the boards up. Sigh. Quick, I’m a butterfly. Someone pin me to a board, please. ‘Cause at this rate I’ll owe more on repairs than mortgage!

Out of the Chaos, pt 1

Sitrep: home renovation is my exercise this week.

There’s just more chaos? It sure seems that way. I’ve embarked on home renovation project 2, and apparently haven’t learned as much as I thought from renovation project 1. And really, it’s more like projects 2 and 3. See, it all started with my New Year’s resolution. I made two: 1) Stop chewing fingernails 2) Finish one already started house project The first went well until early April. Then it was a free for all. No more pretty nails. Now that I’m on the CPAP, I have energy enough to focus on the house. About two months ago I decided to get the flooring upstairs done. Might not have mentioned it here before, but when I moved in (three years ago!) I pulled up the ugly, dirty red carpet from upstairs room 1 only to find the carpet pad has cemented to the soft pine floor. It has to be scrapped. Well, after three years of minimal bursts of work in that room, there’s about a 1/4" inch of gunk still there. And the wood has been plenty gouged. Did I mention it sags in spot? This is upstairs… So I got quotes some flooring installation quotes. But I need a new subfloor. And nobody wants to put anything other than carpet on the stairs. Not sure what part of “I have allergies…no carpeting” they don’t understand. Then there’s the fact I hate house cleaning and vacuuming stairs just does not happen in my world. (Sorry Mom – just pretend you didn’t read that!) So. A friends dad has a construction company; someone I feel I can trust. He’s taken a look and says the new subfloor will be easy enough. They won’t have to rip out what’s there and work on the support beams. (Yay!) So for about a grand less than I thought, I can have finished floors upstairs. And 2 useable rooms. But (you were ready for that, weren’t you?) he asked what I was planning to do about the walls. They are truly a masterpiece in “Why You Should Hire A Professional” . Otherwise known as “%^&$*#@! former owners!!!”. Two different styles and coloring of paneling. Yep. One rough textured. One not. Seams don’t go in same directions, either. Anyway. He thought my plan to paint it was a bad idea. But I learned during Reno. #1 pulling paneling off walls is a Bad Idea.

Busy, Busy, Busy

So I just realized I haven't posted in about two and a half months...yikes. Time didn't just fly past, it gave me whiplash as well! Here are the "high"lights: The last few weeks of March continued w/Rock Climbing and gym time. Work hit one of our busy patches; dedicated evenings to reading. Boy, have I been reading! More on that later. April was the time killer. Shanni went to her first rock climbing competition. She got a "competitor" ribbon. Which means she completed five climbs. It was insane and so much fun. Her mom, stepdad, dad, sister & I were there. She was so stoked her Dad came. Especially since it was out of town. (Day trip). And boy was he proud of her. Was really into it. At last she's doing something he can sort of relate too. Not too academic (she intimidates all of us with her school stuff!) and not too girly. So that was great for her. The team in and of itself did fabulous. Lots of ribbons, 2nds and 1sts, etc. After the comp we hit Barnes & Noble. I was sick but didn't know it. Although the fact that I had a $20 gift card from my birthday and didn't feel like looking for anything should have been clue #1. By Monday I was at the doctor. One side of my nose was swollen, and hurt. Bizarre. Turns out I had a lovely sinus infection. First in a long time. 2 weeks of antibiotics. Yipee. Not. (Pretty sure it was from the CPAP & head cold I got. Note to self: don't wear when sick. Then Shanni's mom had a much needed surgery (not for anything life-threatening). The girls were to stay with me that night and the next until she came home. Only she had a bad reaction to the anasthesia - as in almost dying - and had to be intubated for several hours. That was Thursday of the week I was sick. Saturday the girls and I had Global Youth Service Day. Only KT forgot her event started earlier than ours, the Humane Society had to drop out because of some infection or other, and we all ended up staining a playground. Only I ended up sitting in the car because the smell of the stain was inducing a migraine...Their mom got released that day, and they were all in their own home by nightfall. Including the dogs. Did I mention all 3 dogs were at my house? Scully did not like it. Especially because the littlest one kept challenging her for Alpha. Sunday afternoon saw S's mom in the ER. After hours waiting, she was admitted and the girls went home with me. Which meant another trip out into the valley to get their stuff. And the 3 dogs. Anway. To make this long story even longer, M was diagnosed with pneumonia and was hospitalized 5 days. The first 2 in ICU, something we didn't tell the girls until it was over. But Shanni is too smart - darn those advanced classes at school - and was telling me all about pneumonia, etc. She knew it can be deadly... Anyway. That was the final two weeks of April. Not sure what happened to May. I think that was all about recovery. I even managed to forget to call my mother on her birthday. First time ever, I think. Except for the 2 years in Peace Corps. For which I am absolved because I didn't have a phone! It was also KT's prom night and somehow she ended up getting dressed at my house...It was a masquerade and the friend supposedly lending her the mask didn't so I left my nice, calm, peaceful house where KT and Shanni were in a good mood (rare) for maybe 30 minutes to run get stuff to make a mask. Everyone was at war when I returned! Ended up with me telling their Mom to be quiet, it was KT's prom; and telling Shanni if it had been up to me I wouldn't have let her go to a dance the same night as her sister's prom if it had been up to me and to be quiet for Pete's Sake - she'd make it to her dance on time!!!! Their stepdad left the house for a long walk, which made their mom mad. But really. I wanted to take a walk too. Only was too afraid the house would be blown apart if I left...Then I ended up driving KT to the prom because her step-sister left without her...and they'd driven their truck into town. WTF were they thinking???? Well. Is it any wonder by the time I got home all I could do was collapse into bed??? If there'd been alcohol in the house, I'dve had a drink! Memorial weekend was fabulous. We put in the garden out at Shanni's. We ran out of space, so it's now been extended for the pumpkins and potatoes. It was a beautiful day, the girls kept quiet (because I told M I was leaving; I wasn't wasting my Saturday with a bunch of squabbling girls. Apparently whatever she said to them after that did the trick.) I actually planned ahead and brought sunblock with me so I didn't burn!!!! And oh, the garden is lovely! We planned out the rows and marked and labeled them. There's walking space between rows, and stepdad S put in a sprinkler system so we don't have to drag the hoses around. :) Now it's June 1st, and over this past weekend I got a new bedroom floor and painted the paneling. Well, with primer. Still struggling with the final color choice. Keep your fingers crossed I don't end up spending more on paint samples than the final choice!