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.