Notice the lack of grass in the flat areas and overabundance on the slopes. There are actually about six trees in that mess.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Yard woes
Let's face it: our yard stinks. It stinks so badly that Brad almost passed on the house because of the dirt yard.
Numerous advisers tell us to wait until fall to do major yardwork because of the harsh Southern summers. That's well and good, but who can have a housewarming cookout on a red clay surface?
Yikes!
Brad's grandmother was kind enough to help us get a lawn mower, so at least what little grass we have is under control. In fact, the clippings make the yard look a little more green than dirt.
His grandmother is a gardener at heart, and also offered to help us with our unruly embankments. She is bringing her friend and "yard man" to take down the overgrown weeds on the back slope.
On the side and back of our yard are steep slopes that head to each neighbor's yard (remember how I said the entire community looks like a slash-and-build?). Well, grading is out because it would cause erosion problems. You can't mow it because it's so steep.
The slope begins in our front yard and gets up to about 4 feet in the corner, then the back slope is about 5-6 feet high across the entire back perimeter. During that downpour last week I studied where the water goes. It's set up well now, so I don't want to tamper much.
We are juggling a few options, including a retaining wall for at least part of the slope, a water feature, tiered flower beds and/or junipers or cypresses.
I'll upload photos soon so you can see the "before" Brad's grandmother and "after" her.
Numerous advisers tell us to wait until fall to do major yardwork because of the harsh Southern summers. That's well and good, but who can have a housewarming cookout on a red clay surface?
Yikes!
Brad's grandmother was kind enough to help us get a lawn mower, so at least what little grass we have is under control. In fact, the clippings make the yard look a little more green than dirt.
His grandmother is a gardener at heart, and also offered to help us with our unruly embankments. She is bringing her friend and "yard man" to take down the overgrown weeds on the back slope.
On the side and back of our yard are steep slopes that head to each neighbor's yard (remember how I said the entire community looks like a slash-and-build?). Well, grading is out because it would cause erosion problems. You can't mow it because it's so steep.
The slope begins in our front yard and gets up to about 4 feet in the corner, then the back slope is about 5-6 feet high across the entire back perimeter. During that downpour last week I studied where the water goes. It's set up well now, so I don't want to tamper much.
We are juggling a few options, including a retaining wall for at least part of the slope, a water feature, tiered flower beds and/or junipers or cypresses.
I'll upload photos soon so you can see the "before" Brad's grandmother and "after" her.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Buyer's remorse?
Today I came home and cried.
Is something wrong with the house? No.
My tears are out of fear.
Having worked in Statesville long before we moved here, I knew the city wasn't perfect. Like every other city in America, this one has violence. But never has it struck so close to home.
The brutal (and fatal) beating of Terry Turner on the corner of Front and Center streets was two blocks away from our office. A group of thugs attacked him around 11 p.m. last Thursday night.
My husband was at work ... two blocks away from a senseless murder.
For as long as I've worked at the R&L I've been told to have an escort when I leave the building, especially at night. As if a dimly-lit parking lot weren't scary enough, two blocks away on a street corner a man was attacked by a large group of thugs.
I read the follow-up stories hoping the investigation found some sort of motivation behind the attack. I'm hoping Turner somehow provoked the group. Anything that would exclude Brad from dangers like that.
I also read several archived stories on the murders of James and Delet Powell and Don and Sue Barker as part of an online special section. Their friends kept saying what wonderful, kind people they were.
I can't say that about myself, but I know for sure I can say it about Brad.
So as I drove home I thought about it all. How he walks out to his car late each night in what I now consider a dangerous neighborhood; I imagined him being attacked for no reason; I imagined my life completely falling apart; and I imagined the outrage of his friends and family that such a wonderful man died for no reason.
We've lived in Statesville for less than a month and already I do not feel safe.
Feeling completely helpless, I did the only thing I could do: I cried.
Is something wrong with the house? No.
My tears are out of fear.
Having worked in Statesville long before we moved here, I knew the city wasn't perfect. Like every other city in America, this one has violence. But never has it struck so close to home.
The brutal (and fatal) beating of Terry Turner on the corner of Front and Center streets was two blocks away from our office. A group of thugs attacked him around 11 p.m. last Thursday night.
My husband was at work ... two blocks away from a senseless murder.
For as long as I've worked at the R&L I've been told to have an escort when I leave the building, especially at night. As if a dimly-lit parking lot weren't scary enough, two blocks away on a street corner a man was attacked by a large group of thugs.
I read the follow-up stories hoping the investigation found some sort of motivation behind the attack. I'm hoping Turner somehow provoked the group. Anything that would exclude Brad from dangers like that.
I also read several archived stories on the murders of James and Delet Powell and Don and Sue Barker as part of an online special section. Their friends kept saying what wonderful, kind people they were.
I can't say that about myself, but I know for sure I can say it about Brad.
So as I drove home I thought about it all. How he walks out to his car late each night in what I now consider a dangerous neighborhood; I imagined him being attacked for no reason; I imagined my life completely falling apart; and I imagined the outrage of his friends and family that such a wonderful man died for no reason.
We've lived in Statesville for less than a month and already I do not feel safe.
Feeling completely helpless, I did the only thing I could do: I cried.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Before & After Photos
KITCHEN
Before: vinyl flooring and offwhite walls. Lots of grime, especially on base moulding.
After: laminate flooring, "Belgian Waffle" walls and lots of scrubbing.
DINING ROOM
Before: same as kitchen; vinyl floors and offwhite walls.
After: the "Belgian Waffle" really warms it up.
LIVING ROOM
Before: same offwhite walls, but nothing but concrete slab for floors. The same vinyl from the kitchen is at the foyer.
After: "Classic taupe" warms up the walls, laminate in the foyer, fresh paint on the door and berber carpet. I am definintely not a fan of the futon as a sofa. Once we can afford a real piece of furniture that bad boy is going in the office so it can double as a "mother-in-law's suite."
BRAD'S ROOM (Sports den)
Before: lots of dirty walls and only subflooring.
After: "Morning Breeze" covers the wear and tear. Same berber carpet as downstairs. (That corner is the reason I don't see my husband much).
The "wall art," well what can I say. He loves sports.
OFFICE (My scrapbooking room)
Before: The walls were in bad shape and once again, no flooring.
"Morning Breeze" and berber carpet. (The first person to tell me "Morning Breeze" looks like Carolina blue will be disowned).
MASTER BEDROOM (no after photo - still working on it)
Before: Blah walls and no carpet.
Before: vinyl flooring and offwhite walls. Lots of grime, especially on base moulding.
After: laminate flooring, "Belgian Waffle" walls and lots of scrubbing.
DINING ROOM
Before: same as kitchen; vinyl floors and offwhite walls.
After: the "Belgian Waffle" really warms it up.
LIVING ROOM
Before: same offwhite walls, but nothing but concrete slab for floors. The same vinyl from the kitchen is at the foyer.
After: "Classic taupe" warms up the walls, laminate in the foyer, fresh paint on the door and berber carpet. I am definintely not a fan of the futon as a sofa. Once we can afford a real piece of furniture that bad boy is going in the office so it can double as a "mother-in-law's suite."
BRAD'S ROOM (Sports den)
Before: lots of dirty walls and only subflooring.
After: "Morning Breeze" covers the wear and tear. Same berber carpet as downstairs. (That corner is the reason I don't see my husband much).
The "wall art," well what can I say. He loves sports.
OFFICE (My scrapbooking room)
Before: The walls were in bad shape and once again, no flooring.
"Morning Breeze" and berber carpet. (The first person to tell me "Morning Breeze" looks like Carolina blue will be disowned).
MASTER BEDROOM (no after photo - still working on it)
Before: Blah walls and no carpet.
Friday, July 13, 2007
To-dos and wishlists
I haven't officially made a to-do list, but I have two lists running in my head so I thought I would share.
There are only two things we need to do to the house: fix where the ex-dog chewed the door frame to pieces going to the garage and finish putting up wood blinds in the bedrooms. I figure a plywood replacement would do nicely for the door frame, and even though I abhor a certain discount store, it does have the best selection of blinds. I'm waiting on my dad and his handy tools to take care of the door, and just haven't mustered up the mental strength to go to that store I hate so much.
Then there is the wishlist. My home improvement store's Web site has a wishlist feature that lets you save the things you'd like, but can't buy.
I was doodling last night and added: a push lawn mower, a brush cutter, glass tile mosaics (for the bathrooms, that are now the only rooms with vinyl), retaining wall blocks (for the grand scheme in the back yard), and a beautiful new bathroom vanity/sink/mirror combo.
On a separate note, it's really fun to see Brad get so excited about home improvements. He watches the flipping shows on TV with me and likes to talk about what we'll do. Here I thought it would be a hobby of mine while he did, I don't know, something with sports. It's a nice surprise.
There are only two things we need to do to the house: fix where the ex-dog chewed the door frame to pieces going to the garage and finish putting up wood blinds in the bedrooms. I figure a plywood replacement would do nicely for the door frame, and even though I abhor a certain discount store, it does have the best selection of blinds. I'm waiting on my dad and his handy tools to take care of the door, and just haven't mustered up the mental strength to go to that store I hate so much.
Then there is the wishlist. My home improvement store's Web site has a wishlist feature that lets you save the things you'd like, but can't buy.
I was doodling last night and added: a push lawn mower, a brush cutter, glass tile mosaics (for the bathrooms, that are now the only rooms with vinyl), retaining wall blocks (for the grand scheme in the back yard), and a beautiful new bathroom vanity/sink/mirror combo.
On a separate note, it's really fun to see Brad get so excited about home improvements. He watches the flipping shows on TV with me and likes to talk about what we'll do. Here I thought it would be a hobby of mine while he did, I don't know, something with sports. It's a nice surprise.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Caution: Wet Cat
I learned a valuable lesson last night when finishing up the last of the trim paint: cats are curious and like to rub things.
One of our cats, Smalls, wanted to see what I was doing so he emerged from under the bedspread in Brad's room and sniffed my brush, the paint can and the trim. It seemed pretty harmless so I kept working.
It couldn't have been more than 2 minutes when I look over and he's licking his side furiously. That fool's entire side, from his shoulder to his big, fat belly, were painted white. Where he rubbed I will never know.
He received the second bath of his lifetime. (The first was a few days ago when he decided to jump up on a freshly-painted ledge).
So my lesson? Paint + cats = more work.
One of our cats, Smalls, wanted to see what I was doing so he emerged from under the bedspread in Brad's room and sniffed my brush, the paint can and the trim. It seemed pretty harmless so I kept working.
It couldn't have been more than 2 minutes when I look over and he's licking his side furiously. That fool's entire side, from his shoulder to his big, fat belly, were painted white. Where he rubbed I will never know.
He received the second bath of his lifetime. (The first was a few days ago when he decided to jump up on a freshly-painted ledge).
So my lesson? Paint + cats = more work.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Hot water: time for a bath
I got over my initial hesitation over touching the water heater after some helpful advice from friends and family.
First I checked the breaker box. No problems there. Then I found the reset button inside the heater. No results.
My last self-service option was to replace potentially busted heating elements. Brad and I drained the tank (and turned off the power). That was it! The top element had burned out.
I'm glad we never arranged for a plumber. I would have groaned over paying a pro to do what I could.
And on a separate note, I think the previous dog tenant left another bad surprise: fleas.
I had just sprayed the exterior of the house with a pest spray recommended by our Realtor, so a small pest on the floor caught my eye. It wasn't an ant, and when I tried to kill it the little thing jumped. The only thing I could think was it's a flea. That would explain why our cat Rocky is licking himself a lot more than usual.
So I guess Brad and I will enjoy our warm showers, and our cat babies will have to endure a flea treatment.
First I checked the breaker box. No problems there. Then I found the reset button inside the heater. No results.
My last self-service option was to replace potentially busted heating elements. Brad and I drained the tank (and turned off the power). That was it! The top element had burned out.
I'm glad we never arranged for a plumber. I would have groaned over paying a pro to do what I could.
And on a separate note, I think the previous dog tenant left another bad surprise: fleas.
I had just sprayed the exterior of the house with a pest spray recommended by our Realtor, so a small pest on the floor caught my eye. It wasn't an ant, and when I tried to kill it the little thing jumped. The only thing I could think was it's a flea. That would explain why our cat Rocky is licking himself a lot more than usual.
So I guess Brad and I will enjoy our warm showers, and our cat babies will have to endure a flea treatment.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Cold showers?
I promise it worked. For the first few days in our house, the water DID get hot.
Now, not at all.
What happened? I think this is beyond the realm of Google searches and do-it-yourselfing. I called a local plumber to investigate.
On a separate note, Brad's parents came up with lawn equipment yesterday so we were finally able to tame at least part of our yard. Steep banks are covered in overgrown grasses and weeds, and the "yard" has sparse grass and mostly hard clay that looks like a dry river bed.
Once fall rolls around we plan to get my dad up here with his grading equipment and till it up then smooth it out.
I guess it has to get ugly before it can be pretty, and ugly is here to stay for at least a couple months.
Now, not at all.
What happened? I think this is beyond the realm of Google searches and do-it-yourselfing. I called a local plumber to investigate.
On a separate note, Brad's parents came up with lawn equipment yesterday so we were finally able to tame at least part of our yard. Steep banks are covered in overgrown grasses and weeds, and the "yard" has sparse grass and mostly hard clay that looks like a dry river bed.
Once fall rolls around we plan to get my dad up here with his grading equipment and till it up then smooth it out.
I guess it has to get ugly before it can be pretty, and ugly is here to stay for at least a couple months.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Just call me Handyman
There is something fulfilling about fixing things without the help of a father, a husband or some other man willing to give time and advice to solve household problems. When I want to get things done, I Google.
That's right. When I couldn't figure out why our garage door button had to be pushed constantly until the door was fully closed, I Googled it. The answer? The safety mechanism near the floor was knocked loose and the system was merely being safe and not killing small children it thought may be in the way.
When I needed to get the foul odor out of our cement garage floor, I Googled that, too. It took three applications, but it finally worked.
When our dryer had a three-prong power cord and the outlet required a four-prong cord, I Googled how to connect the new plug. Works like a charm. (I stayed beside the dryer for an entire cycle just to be sure I wouldn't start a fire and burn down our first house within a week of closing.)
What's next on my Google-fest? Perhaps I'll find out how to fix the porch gutter's leak problem, or maybe how to adjust the toilet's ballcock so water isn't constantly draining from the tank.
P.S. "After" photos coming shortly. We're still unboxing everything.
That's right. When I couldn't figure out why our garage door button had to be pushed constantly until the door was fully closed, I Googled it. The answer? The safety mechanism near the floor was knocked loose and the system was merely being safe and not killing small children it thought may be in the way.
When I needed to get the foul odor out of our cement garage floor, I Googled that, too. It took three applications, but it finally worked.
When our dryer had a three-prong power cord and the outlet required a four-prong cord, I Googled how to connect the new plug. Works like a charm. (I stayed beside the dryer for an entire cycle just to be sure I wouldn't start a fire and burn down our first house within a week of closing.)
What's next on my Google-fest? Perhaps I'll find out how to fix the porch gutter's leak problem, or maybe how to adjust the toilet's ballcock so water isn't constantly draining from the tank.
P.S. "After" photos coming shortly. We're still unboxing everything.
So long, sensation
I can hear my keys clicking away as I type this entry, but if only I could feel them.
I spent about 18 hours each day for five days painting. Painting around light fixtures, painting next to trim and popcorn ceilings, painting over patches I didn't seem to paint enough the first time.
The end result is great, but little did I know I would be arthritic and numb afterward.
The home improvement store carried lots of great tools to get the job done. I bought this trim tool (Brad says it looks like a machete) that is basically a straight-edge for painting around trim and ceilings. Then the blue painters tape made quick work of the fixtures.
As excited as I was to finally get to paint walls without forfeiting our security deposit, I have learned my lesson. It is better to take it one room at a time than to try to paint an entire house in less than a week.
I spent about 18 hours each day for five days painting. Painting around light fixtures, painting next to trim and popcorn ceilings, painting over patches I didn't seem to paint enough the first time.
The end result is great, but little did I know I would be arthritic and numb afterward.
The home improvement store carried lots of great tools to get the job done. I bought this trim tool (Brad says it looks like a machete) that is basically a straight-edge for painting around trim and ceilings. Then the blue painters tape made quick work of the fixtures.
As excited as I was to finally get to paint walls without forfeiting our security deposit, I have learned my lesson. It is better to take it one room at a time than to try to paint an entire house in less than a week.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Is this a test?
I think the biggest lesson I've learned this week is that even with multiple contigency plans it is not possible to make plans when outside groups are involved.
The flooring people came in two crews: a laminate crew and a carpet crew. The carpet man (notice I didn't say crew this time - just the head guy showed up) came first with a helpful suggestion to get the dog odor out of the cement slab. As he started laying tack strips and I went to the store for the needed cleaner, the laminate crew showed up at least six men strong.
The laminate guys brought their own radio and I couldn't hear a thing but saws and Latino pop music until that evening. The laminate crew delayed the carpet guy from doing work downstairs since they took up the living room for their extra materials. He explained the situation to me and said he would have to come back the next day.
The next day came and the guy never showed up. I get a call saying he had a stroke! Now that is a good excuse to miss work.
So we expected to be painted by Wednesday morning for the flooring, floored for move-in on Thursday, and moved for apartment cleaning on Friday. Turns out we had to move everything into our garage so the flooring could be finished on Friday. I just finished the painting on Sunday, and we can now tackle the huge pile of wordly possessions cooking in our garage.
On a lighter note, the house is looking better every day. A fresh coat of paint and new flooring really does wonders.
The flooring people came in two crews: a laminate crew and a carpet crew. The carpet man (notice I didn't say crew this time - just the head guy showed up) came first with a helpful suggestion to get the dog odor out of the cement slab. As he started laying tack strips and I went to the store for the needed cleaner, the laminate crew showed up at least six men strong.
The laminate guys brought their own radio and I couldn't hear a thing but saws and Latino pop music until that evening. The laminate crew delayed the carpet guy from doing work downstairs since they took up the living room for their extra materials. He explained the situation to me and said he would have to come back the next day.
The next day came and the guy never showed up. I get a call saying he had a stroke! Now that is a good excuse to miss work.
So we expected to be painted by Wednesday morning for the flooring, floored for move-in on Thursday, and moved for apartment cleaning on Friday. Turns out we had to move everything into our garage so the flooring could be finished on Friday. I just finished the painting on Sunday, and we can now tackle the huge pile of wordly possessions cooking in our garage.
On a lighter note, the house is looking better every day. A fresh coat of paint and new flooring really does wonders.
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