More on the Renovations...

Before demolition started...

Like I said, this is a SMALL room...

Thursday, March 26, 2009 and Friday, March 27, 2009
Oh my, what a day. I was a nervous wreck because I had NO idea what to expect. Greg and Ron arrived about 10 a.m. and the demolition began. We did not know what they would find in this 50-year old structure. I was very afraid of wet rotten wood and having to replace the entire structure or even worse having to tear down the house. I am sure that is the result of watching too much of “Extreme Make Over Home Edition.”

The dumpster which was delivered at 2 on Thursday afternoon and was placed on a concrete slab in our back yard (have I mentioned that we have an unbelievable amount of concrete in that back yard?). The demolition trash was moved to the dumpster.

While gutting the bathroom Ron found some wiring that really NEEDED to be replaced. So electrician estimator, Waldo, arrived at 11:30 a.m. on Friday and his company will do the required work on Monday. Since there are all sorts of new codes in place, we now have to add a light sensor (motion detector) to turn the lights on when someone walks in the room. OMG… this is a 12’x5’ room with a 3’x1.5’ window in it – a night light works just fine. We also must put in an exhaust fan.

Greg and Ron were back on Friday morning with the new bathtub in tow. They finished stripping and cleaning the shell of a room and then went to put the tub in… oops – that’s not going to happen. The guy gave Greg a 5’2” tub and we only have a 5’ space. Thank you, Lord, that can easily be fixed. The correct tub was delivered and in place by 3 p.m. Now nothing more can be done until the electrical work is complete.

Isn't all this fun??

Monday, March 30, 2009
Today is my dear Jonathan’s 13th birthday. His family is going through such a difficult time. I wish I could be there with him.

Today we met Mario the Electrician. He was so nice. Put in all new wiring for the bathroom very quickly. We now have a fan over la toilette and a sensor switch (motion detector) to turn the lights on and off.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The boys (Greg and Ron) were back today. The new tub is set in place; there is insulation in the walls; and the grab bars are temporarily in place. Wednesday we have the electrical inspection and then all the BIG stuff starts and I head out to a motel for a few nights. I will have the laptop (free wifi with me but won’t have access to some of my files. Tonight we are washing enough clothes to get us through the next week. Tomorrow they will take my laundry apart and pull out the old pipes and put in the new. Then Greg will put in a new some-kind-of box and hook everything back up. Then they move on to replacing all the hot and cold water pipes in the house. They plan on turning the water off on Thursday morning and hope to have it back on by Friday afternoon. Chris will stay at the house with Ramona (who has been pretty darn good through all this confusion). He will run a hose from our neighbor’s house so he can flush la old toilette (in the old bathroom)… and for other water needs.

And this is what it looks like tonight...

Thanks for stopping by. Like I said, I will be spending a few days away from this mess. At least we have rewards points to use for the nights at the motel. R likes it that there is a free breakfast. I'll have the laptop with me for company and I may even get in some reading. There is a pool, but I don't think it has warm enough to try that yet.

Only the Good Friday (#1)

My purpose on my first "Only The Good Friday" is to put a smile on your face -- and maybe a little chuckle in your throat.

This week I received 2 GOOD emails which I share with you to achieve my "Only The Good Friday" purpose.

NOW... that is MY idea of a good exercise regime!!

However, if that didn't work... how about the one titled "How Twins Are Made"

Here's hoping your Friday is beyond GOOD and your weekend is even better. And, yes, the demolition goes on... and on... and on...

the work has begun

First of all, as much as I love that red enamel claw-foot tub that I pictured here a few days ago, it is not the tub going into my new bathroom. The room is much too small for the elegance of that tub; PLUS I would never be able to get out of it -- if I could get into it.

The guys are here now. The old 60's bathroom is almost history. Can you see how horribly dark and dingy the room is/was? I think I have everything in place. I am nervously excited about all this. Oh... here are the guys actually starting the work. I will take more pictures later.

And for those of you who made comments about it... these guys are really great -- but not not for me. I have enough trouble taking care of the one I caught. Speaking of R, right now he is at the dermatologist having a skin problem checked out. His cancer doctor found some basal cell carcinoma during the last exam and now R has a dermatologist (adding that to his primary care physician, his oncologist, his knee doctor, his podiatrist -- have I missed anyone? Oh yes, the bone specialist that he may need some day). I think it's nap time... LOL

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

Tuesday afternoon R and I took a little trip to a Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

With all our planning for our bathroom renovation, we have been looking ways to save a bit of money.

This past Saturday, R read an article in the paper about a Habitat for Humanity ReStore that opened in an industrial park (former military base) on the southeast side of Sacramento.

Although this is not the first one in the Sacramento area, it is HUGE.
We had to enter through the old military gate and have our license plate registered.
Then we got directions to the building.
It was very easy to find.
I had R check out the territory for items that we need. Specifically, we were looking for a white vanity, a large mirror to go over the vanity, grab bars and replacement doors. Although there was a lot of bathroom ‘stuff’, one of the volunteer workers told R that you have to be here right when the ReStore opens to get the best stuff. Alas, we didn’t find anything we could use; but we did find another source where we can search out our building needs.

The following is information found on the Sacramento Habitat for Humanity Website:

Sacramento Habitat for Humanity's retail recycling facility, the ReStore, will sell donated, quality building materials at greatly discounted rates to all members of the general public. This project should allow low-income homeowners, in particular, the opportunity to save their homes from disrepair. The materials collected and funds raised will increase Habitat's home-building capacity.

ReStore? What's a ReStore?

The ReStore will serve as a much-needed, creative addition to the Sacramento Valley. Incredible amounts of building material are going unused and, unfortunately, end up primarily in area landfills. In 2006 the ReStore supported the environment by diverting over 15 million pounds of materials away from local landfills, by reselling useable home improvement products. This program encourages the reuse and recycling of these and other quality products. The discounted rate will provide low-income homeowners with a cost- effective alternative when they repair or renovate their homes, thus helping preserve the Valley's supply of low-income housing.

Any materials that can be applied to the construction of a Habitat home will be utilized. These products will thereby decrease the affiliate's cost of construction. In addition, funds raised are applied back into Habitat home construction providing the affiliate with key building materials thus benefiting our organization’s mission of eliminating substandard housing. Both applications will vastly increase our home-building capacity.

In addition to benefiting Sacramento Habitat for Humanity, affiliates in Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer counties will also be able to take advantage of this opportunity. Revenues are allocated to each affiliate based on donations made on their behalf to the ReStore. We fully expect customers from all four counties to take advantage of the wonderful deals available.

The Habitat ReStore idea has been introduced at multiple other affiliates over the past decade.

While the ReStore is a novel approach for the Sacramento Valley region, it is a successful and replicable model that has been established in over 70 communities throughout the United States. The Sacramento ReStore is one of the largest covering 50,000 square feet under one roof dedicated to providing a wide array of building materials for home repair at highly discount prices.

Blogger Version ~ Family Feud

I copied this from Linda at Are We There Yet? If you want to play along, copy and paste the questions to a new post, erase my answers (I left Linda’s answers in), and fill in your answers. Just remember, you can't use any of the answers I've already given (OR any of Linda’s answers either – just making it a bit more challenging) or you'll hear a loud annoying buzzer go off in your head!

1. Name something you use in the shower. (Shampoo) WATER

2. Name a product for men. (Barbasol Shaving Cream) TOJAN CONDOMS

3. Name something people hate to find on their windshields. (Bug guts) PARKING TICKET

4. Name something a man might buy before a date. [Earplugs (ok, ok, I haven't dated in a very, very long time obviously, it's all I could think of!)] CONDOMS – yes, I am depraved

5. What is another word for blemish. (Zit) PIMPLE

6. Something you cook in the microwave. (Hot Pockets) JIMMY DEAN BREAKFAST CROISSANTS

7. Name a piece of furniture people need help moving. (Piano) SOFA BED

8 Name a reason a younger man might like an older woman. (We aren't quite as needy!) CURIOSITY

9. Name something a dog does that embarrasses its owner. (Shakes slobber over visitors) INAPPROPRIATE SNIFFING

10.. Name a kind of test you cannot study for. (Eye test) URINE TEST

11. Name something a boy scout gets a badge for. (Woodworking) TYING KNOTS

12 Name a phrase with the word home in it. ("Home is where the heart is.") HOME ON THE RANGE

13. Name a sport where players lose teeth. (Hockey) BOXING

14. Name something a teacher can do to ruin a student's day. (Give too much homework.) DETENTION

15. What is a way you can tell someone has been crying. (Red, puffy eyes.) TEARS STREAMING DOWN THE FACE

16. Name a bird you wouldn't want to eat. (A vulture) PARAKEET

17. Name something someone would wear with a hole in it. (Jeans) SKI MASK

18. Name something that gets smaller the more you use it. (Sandpaper) SOAP

If you want to pass the game along, tag 5 of your friends and don't forget to send it back to me. Remember, you can't use the same answer as the person who sent it to you. I’m not tagging anyone; HOWEVER to make it more challenging, you can’t use any of the answers that already appear here.

Leave me a comment to let me know if you have played along. Have fun!

This and that from the last 10 days...

Oh yes... I am still hanging in there. It has been such a busy week for us with all the plumber stuff going on around here (we are replacing all our hot and cold water pipes and renovating the main bathroom). And Ramona and R going to obedience classes at the SPCA (I am the designated driver). So I have been keeping a sort of diary about what has happened around here.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Met with plumber, Greg. Went over things that would be done. I am in a fog about plumbing things. I DO know how to flush a toilet (and plunge it when it won’t flush). I know how to take off the tank top and wiggle that little do-giggy so the water will flow in again. And I can dial the plumber’s cell phone when there is a clog. YAY!!

Friday, March 13, 2009
Plumber, Greg, and his business partner, Ron, scope out the back yard. We call the City Water offices and request that someone come out and locate and expose the place in the water line where our pipes meet the city pipes. Believe it or not, the guy is here before sunset. YAY!! Believe it or not, that valve is underneath a concrete slab in our back yard.
Let me explain that concrete thing. Before R bought this house (which has a very nice roomy back yard for California), the previous owner must have had stock in a concrete company. There was a 12 foot wide slab that ran the length of our house (across the back) and in the middle of the back yard there was a slab with the middle cut out in a 15 foot circle. It looks like a surround for what was an above-ground pool.
So this valve that we need to shut off is in the southeast corner of the concrete monster. Then we go over and sign the contract with Plumber Greg for the work he is going to do for us.

Monday, March 16, 2009
Plumber Greg and Partner Ron arrive at 9 a.m. sharp. We show them where the valve is. They back in the truck and pull out all their excavation tools – including jackhammer. By noon we have a lovely trench dug from our back yard water spigot to what was the southeast corner of the concrete (about 32 feet). They did a marvelous job!! HOWEVER, we must call the City Water Office again because they can’t loosen the connection between our pipe and the City pipe, and WE don’t want to be responsible for anything that breaks. The City Water guy arrives before sunset (YAY!!) and promptly breaks OUR side of the pipe (which is going to be replaced later this week anyway – no biggie). Now we have to run a hose to the neighbor’s outside faucet so we can have running water in our house – Plumber Greg will be back Tuesday afternoon.
Did I mention that I have laundry piling up now? Of course I didn’t think a head on this one.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 & Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Raul the Lawn Guy shows up to mow the lawn. I have 2 capable males living in the house but we pay a guy to do the lawn (that all started when R had to have his rotator cuff operated on some 3 years ago). He laughs at the sight in the back yard and does what he can.
These 2 days are certainly a sign of old age… I can’t remember what happened when…
Plumber Greg and Partner Ron arrive and replace the pipes. We call City Water offices again to come out and replace the little thing that call a nipple that connects the city pipe with our pipe. City Water guy arrives before Greg and Ron leave. Everything is fixed and we have our own water again on Wednesday afternoon. Greg calls the City to get the new work inspected.
We sit and discuss what we have to do to prepare the bathroom for renovation. Partner Ron is a general contractor and lays everything out for us. In the end, R decides that it is too much of a job for just him and #1 son to do. They will do some of the work, but basically Partner Ron will get things set up right for the renovation and then he will rebuild the bathroom. We will pick out and buy the lighting, flooring and tile.
I am so relieved that we are doing it this way. Seven or eight years ago, R and his daughter decided to do the kitchen – there are still parts that are unfinished.

Thursday, March 19, 2009
This I know for sure: the inspection is done and passes with flying colors. Good news for Plumber Greg and Partner Ron. They will be back on Friday to fill in the trench and go over the contract the Partner Ron has written up for the bathroom renovation.

In the meantime, R and Ramona both got D’s in their first obedience class session at the SPCA. R didn’t listen to the instructor which meant Ramona got mixed signals. Ramona is very territorial and didn’t like having other dogs in HER space. OH crap!! My work is certainly cut out for me. So by the time I got to my doctor’s appointment, my blood pressure was a tad bit on the high side. Usually it runs very normal 120/80 range. Yesterday it was 180/100 then 160/90. I am sure stress is involved. On the up side, I have lost 8 pounds since my last appointment at the end of December (YAY!!)

Friday, March 20, 2009
Plumber Greg and Partner Ron are filling in the trench. The bathroom demo starts one week from today. Then on Monday March 30th, we will start replacing the plumbing.

Manic Monday ~ PARTY

Marvelous Morgen has declared today PARTY day. It looks like St Patrick’s Day all over the blogging world. Check out other PARTY posts HERE.

On the other hand, I rarely celebrate the great saint. I don’t drink green beer and am not really fond of a corned beef dinner. That being the case, I shall celebrate my PARTY with a stroll down memory lane…

Art Linkletter's House PARTY or House PARTY was an American daytime TV variety/talk show which aired on CBS Radio from January 15, 1945 to October 13, 1967. It had an equally long run on television--on CBS-TV from September 1, 1952 to September 5, 1969, and on NBC-TV from December 29, 1969 to September 25, 1970. (I don’t remember the radio show, but I do remember my mother making sure we watched it on TV – after Dad finally conceded to buying one).

Hosted by Linkletter, the show featured everything from household hints to hunts for missing heirs. A humorous monolog by Linkletter could be followed by an audience participation quiz to win prizes, musical groups and guest speakers from assorted walks of life. Ideas for the show were devised by producer John Guedel and his father, Walter, but Linkletter never used scripts or rehearsed.

The show's best-remembered segment was "Kids Say the Darndest Things" in which Linkletter interviewed schoolchildren between the ages of five and ten. The popularity of this segment led to a TV series with the same title and a series of Kids Say the Darndest Things books. Two were illustrated by Charles Schulz in a rare non-Peanuts approach. During the 27-year run, Linkletter interviewed more than 23,000 children.

Kids Say the Darndest Things then became an American television series hosted by Bill Cosby and co-hosted by Art Linkletter that aired on CBS from 1998 to 2000. It was based on a popular feature of Art Linkletter's television series, Art Linkletter's House Party, which aired five days a week on CBS for more than 20 years. Cosby also provided some of the humor in the show. The premise of the show is that the host would ask a question to a child (around the age of 3-8) who would usually respond in a "cute" way.

Enjoy the following... hubby, #1 son and I laughed and chuckled throught the following seven minutes...

My Royal Thank You Award

This award has been created to thank those three special people who never gave up on getting me back into the blogging world – for all the time, care and concern you showed me. You have helped to save my sanity and my blog.

(You can probably figure out where I found the inspiration for this award.)

To Empress Bee (of the High Sea) and to Duchess Linda (Are We There Yet?) … Thank you for stopping by yesterday. You made me think back and remember problems I had with 2 postings.

And to a very dear friend Jamie (Duward Discussion) who lent assistance and concern over the amount of hair I was pulling from my head.

The actual problems were in posting some pictures. I was in too much of a hurry to get the postings done to take time to rectify the problem. At least I remembered that there were problems in those 2 posts. Once I deleted the 2 writings, my sidebar was back where it should be. And now, I will be much more patient – yeah, right.

I am so happy that things look normal now.

Can you see me smiling?

Now that the 13th has come & gone...

I still am having issues with this blog layout. I want my sidebar back on my side! I have been thinking and thinking... not a good thing, I dare say. The only solution is to delete this blog and perhaps have more luck with creating a new one.

Other than that...

Ramona continues to thrive. We started obedience classes with her on Thursday. Only R and I went to the first class. Now we have 8 weeks of positive reinforcement training.

I have paid the deposit to the plumber. On Monday he starts digging up our back yard to find where our pipes meet the city pipes. The city water person came out and showed R where that place should be. Next we have to clean out and demo the old bathroom. On April 6th the plumber starts replacing all our water pipes. In a little while, we are going out to pick out flooring, tile and paint. We decided to reuse the vanity that is in there but will sand it down and repaint it then put on a new counter top and install a new sink. The plumber will install the new tub and I am going to have a professional tile the surround. The toilet -- what can you say about the toilet?? It will be new and water efficient -- that is all the required info, right? LOL I really need to take before pictures, no matter how sick they are.

The cable problem is solved. The engineers worked on it last Saturday morning and most of Monday morning. Ramona loved the 2 bucket trucks at the utility pole. She chases birds and butterflies, so you can imagine her joy at chasing a men in buckets. But I am very happy as I got to watch my Red Sox beat the Yankees 8-4 last night. I don't care if it is spring training... WE BEAT THEM!!!

I have started reading Anne of Green Gables and have decided that, even though I read it as a "child" there is much more to it than this child ever found. I have the set of 8 books to read and I shall finish them in time. I am also looking at some of my other childhood books to reread. I am sure I can find value in them.

There is some not so great stuff throwing itself at me. If I'm not around for a while, I would rather not post when I am angry or upset. I am trying to pull myself up by the bootstraps and I will post when I can.

Thanks for stopping by......

if it weren't fer bad luck...

Since I still find my right-hand sidebar at the bottom of my posts, and I have tried without success to get it back where it belongs when I view my blog on my computer. I shall go along as if nothing is wrong. If you need any of my personal or blog info and don't see it to the right of this post, just scroll down (all the way down).

It just goes along with everything that is going whacky around here for the last week. On February 25th, I upgraded our cable package to include stations that would allow me to watch more baseball this spring/summer/fall. So far, the one station that I really, really want to view has chosen stubbornly NOT to come in. Today will make the THIRD time a tech has come out to evaluate our problem and request a line tech to fix the problem. "We" have installed a new box, and run new cable from the pole to the house. And each tech reaches the same conclusion: the problem is at the pole connection and to fix that you need a line technician (and a bucket truck). So far that line tech has been requested twice ~ and have failed to show up. The ONLY way to request his service is through a regular tech. Do ya think they are sick of hearing from me yet? Oh... and I am not paying for this new service until the problems are taken care of. So I can view most of the new channels, but I refuse to pay for it until I can view the WHOLE package. And they KNOW it.

Ramona is doing well. She has her second vet appointment this afternoon. We need to get a poop sample to take with us. She is not cooperating. What next??

On Tuesday morning #1 son bent over to pick up a case of soda. He twisted just right and pulled out his back. For two days he used my just-in-case walker. He is doing better today - walking a little gingerly and still needs to spend time off his feet.

I won't mention that when we went out to dinner on Monday night I caught my right foot in the threshold of the door and pulled a muscle in my groin. I am going to survive this also. I hope... and the luck of the Irish is just around the corner... hurry St. Patrick's Day!!

help, Help... HELP

I have no idea what has happened to my blog. My right-hand sidebar now appears below all my posts. This happened over the weekend after I received some spam comments -- which I immediately deleted.

I have tried everything I can think of to no avail. I am thinking it is in the html settings and I know NOTHING about them. I am pulling my hair out and ready to create a whole new blog. Can anyone out there help me?

Please pass the tissues (this pulling the hair out really hurts).

P.S. Did anyone hear... today is square root day?? 3/3/09

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAMIE (March 2nd)

Jamie, who writes Duward Discussion,

is celebrating a HUGE milestone birthday.
Can you guess which one?

Please stop by her place and wish her a Happy Day.

And, for Jamie,

I wish I could give you…

daily moments of pure joy relaxing

for 65 sunny days on a hill far away
(Glengarry Castle Hotel on Loch Oich)

and 65 of these to get you there and keep you flush...


Alas, the best I can do is to send you HUGE birthday wishes
on the 65th anniversary of the day of your birth.

May you be blessed in all you do… meet many people, influence many more and continue creating the legacy you have started. And let’s throw in a big wish for good health.
I am honored to know you and call you friend.