Really, there should be a separate Hollywood-saturated night where the elite come to recognize the people who have sacrificed everything — time, money, sanity, etc. — in order to make their home more liveable. I’m not talking about myself, of course. At this point, I haven’t even gotten within 100 miles of the tip of the iceberg. But the internet has a special way of making people feel as if they KNOW stuff — myself included. I read other people’s renovation blogs, and I think, “Gee, that sounds really hard!” And then I start delving into the intricacies of renovation myself, and I feel as I belong to a special club. Continue reading “The Renovation Awards”
Calling all (normal) contractors …
Are there any? At this point, I’m not sure, and I’m really not feeling very hopeful about it all. Since our contractor jumped ship, we’ve been on the hunt for a replacement. The loan money is now sitting in our bank account, interest is building, and I don’t mean the curiosity-related kind. We’ve had two contractors over to date; one was quiet and informative, but wasn’t available for 2 more months. The other … well, let’s just say that the guy exuded a weirdness that I hope to never experience in my home again. His appearance was a big hint … there’s something not normal about having two collared shirts layered over one another, and there’s something even stranger about turning the inside shirt’s collar up. Hellooooo, 1985. Continue reading “Calling all (normal) contractors …”
I suppose I should laugh
… just so I don’t cry!
I called the carpenter to tell him that our closing date was Tuesday, and the money would come through on Thursday so he could go buy supplies. Left him a message.
Two hours ago I get a return call. Oh, he forgot to tell me that he accepted a full-time job somewhere in a neighboring town, so, uh, he wasn’t sure, uh, what to tell me. Continue reading “I suppose I should laugh”
Fun with Google ads
I have the little Google ads on the left side of this site, mainly for pure entertainment value. You see, the ads are conjugated from the content of this site, so one never knows which words will grab one ad or another.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the cicadas in my yard. Now I have this ad popping up: Continue reading “Fun with Google ads”
Chrome: tastes like chicken
Sorry for the weird title. I had mentioned in an earlier post that our renovations were so close that I could almost taste them. This, of course, was my sentiment as I sat down to write this post, with our loan closing coming up on Tuesday. It’s close … I can almost taste that yummy cracked ice chrome table that will eventually be in my dining room. I know, I focus on the table whenever I talk about renovations, but dang, that table is cool. Continue reading “Chrome: tastes like chicken”
The first days of school
These late summer days always hold a feeling of hope for me. There’s nothing like going back to school, seeing my former students, catching up on the latest news, and creating a learning environment. The energy created by starting over with a clean slate and clean notebooks is addicting. Continue reading “The first days of school”
Forging ahead … and waiting
Well, the house was appraised today (a step in a looooong succession of bank steps we’ve been through, it seems), thus clearing one more hurdle. After this it should be smooth sailing. No, really. In a matter of weeks this blog will actually chronicle renovations rather than my rather uninteresting and pathetic life. Continue reading “Forging ahead … and waiting”
Happy Elvis day
Thirty-one years ago today, Elvis died in his bathroom — a fact, unfortunately, that will be the only one recalled by the minds of today’s youth. It kind of depresses me, but I guess that’s the way celebrity deaths go. Continue reading “Happy Elvis day”
Just missed the good part
Last night around 8:15, I had just changed into my jammies, twisted my hair up and under a clip, and washed all the makeup off my face. As I was feeding my boys a bedtime snack, I noticed an orange glow emanating from the window. A storm had been steadily making its way south, but ended up to the west of us, and the sunshine was just beginning to peek out from under the clouds. I looked out the window and noticed that the bats had already make their appearance, and they made quite a show as they flitted around the sky, silhouetted against the orange glow of the sky. Continue reading “Just missed the good part”
Let’s ban this word, OK?
I was watching TV last night — a show that is totally mundane and I shouldn’t have been giving ratings to, but was actually halving it with the Olympics, switching back and forth. I won’t say what the show was, except that it may or may not have starred the daughter of a Hollywood producer — a daughter who used to star in a show about a certain zip code. LAME! I know. I even felt tinges of guilt while I was watching the show, because essentially, it’s a show about nothing. The show makes me smile, though, when this actress, while shopping for a new house, talks about how she can’t afford a certain one. Good one! I’m sure money is a top concern in your life. Continue reading “Let’s ban this word, OK?”