These Pretzels Are Making Me Thirsty

In an ill-advised move, yesterday I started peeling back the buckling paint upstairs at the wall where the chimney is. I knew what I'd find, and boy, did I.



YUCK!

It was ill advised because I had no means to remediate the mold which I essentially let loose. I tried to tape a plastic garbage bag over it, but let me tell ya: packing tape does not stick to walls! I didn't have anything else. First thing this AM I headed out to get a bottle of bleach. Not my favorite item, hence me not having any on hand... It works, though.

I have left message for two more roofing contractors. So far, still tumbleweed and crickets in response. I don't want to use Kilz and repaint before I know the issue is resolved - not sure if the drywall should be replaced. I imagine if it's molding on the inside, the back side is even worse. Gosh, I hope I have enough of that orange paint or I'm going to have to re-do that whole room. Not in love with the color, but also not in love with painting. Hee.

Home ownership, whee! This is actually why I think I'll have a pro look at my tub to re-grout and caulk. I worry there might be something lurking back there that I wouldn't know to look for. Gotta save up a bit for that, though.

On the way downtown for the bleach run, I walked by Pita's new house. She was outside and her new male guardian A. was kind enough to let me have a few minutes with her. He said he'd actually hoped I'd stop by. She's doing so well. He agreed with me - she's just about the most perfect dog, gets along with their 6 YO and pet bird just fine and likes to snuggle. He also said that once when she was new there she busted out of her leash and took off pell mell after a cat across the street. Ran right into traffic. So, while I think I could have gotten her to ignore my monsters after a lot of work, the cat-chasing thing was just in her blood. Apparently she had the same reaction with deer. It was so good to see her, and I know for sure now I made the right call for her. She looked very happy and healthy and A. said I could always stop and say hi if she's out with any of them. ♥

Oh man, painting stairs is the WORST. I mean it. All the taping. And the crouching. This was them before:



I found a simple technique online to do a woodgrain effect, thought I'd give it a go. ( See below the cut for the results )

Frankly, I am proud of myself - it doesn't look pro-done, but for a rookie doing a new technique? I think they look awesome. I have some touch-ups to do. Effing painter's tape! A couple of my beautiful faux woodgrain planks got wrecked when I pulled it up, and I was very careful not to really press it down hard. :( Was all of the labor worth it? Yes, I believe it was. Do I ever want to do it again? NOT ANYTIME SOON, but I know I will probably have to, given the amount of traffic on the stairs. I run up them between 4K a week, plus the kittenses with their razor-sharp claws.

Speaking of kitties, took The Pick in today for annual shots. I should really have known she'd be a pee-er. Put her in the front seat, in a soft carrier. Pee everywhere! Like, I never knew she could contain so much liquid. Ugh. She was surprisingly docile with the vet, though she's not real fond of me right now. Oh, and she weighs 7.5 lbs! Bigger than I thought she was...and the vet said I have to keep an eye on her teeth. At just over a year old, she's already got inflamed gums. Brushing will help. I love that vets think most cats will be totally chill with you sticking your finger in their mouths.

Freshly mowed lawn. Fresh poop on freshly mowed lawn. [insert expletive] dog owners!!

Ordered a new lawnmower - battery this time, I am so resistant to gas - and do you think FedEx driver reasoned "hey, this is a heavy piece of equipment that's probably going to end up in the garage" and put it by the garage door? NO. It was schlepped up ten steps and left on my front stoop, meaning since I didn't have time to instantly put it together, I had to drag the blasted thing (very heavy) down those same steps and around to the garage. After I cleaned up my neighbor's dog's shit off my lawn.


I need to re-grout my shower. The existing grout is not holding up, and the caulk is also getting a little discolored. The smart thing to do would be to just patch it up, but I've got it in my head to do the white tile/dark grout thing. I think it would look good. However, since I don't have another bathroom/shower I can use and I know this is a multiple day project (have to remove old grout first)...

Called for a quote on a tree removal. I have a window barely cracked on the north side of the house and the tree is blooming - the smell is giving me a headache. It will every year for about a month. I have to suck it up and get it gone. :( Also having them quote to finish the retaining wall back there. Doubt I can do that yet, but it'll be good to know what I'd have to pay a pro to do it so I can determine if I can find cheap labor elsewhere.

But now to the pet store. I ran out of dry food for the cats on Thursday. They'd like it to be 100% gushy food and truthfully, that keeps Roy occupied longer so he doesn't bump everyone else away from their bowls before they're done (funnily, no one tries to eat his food, freaking food bully!). But it's a smidge cheaper going the half wet/half dry route.

I almost adopted a one year old min-pin chihuahua mix, but then he got kennel cough and I got cold feet.

This episode in This Day of Home Improvement Projects is now over.

For the last 15 years or so, I've been very good about avoiding excess sun exposure. Hats, sunblock, "anti UVA/B" attire. Today was a hot one at 85F (I can hear people chortling, but trust me - for here, that is scorching and since we don't see it that often, few have A/C. It's about 95F in my bedroom. Gross.), and when I went out to hack at weeds around the yard I chose a tank top and sunblock instead of a loose-fitting sunblock shirt.

For the first time in 15 years or so, I've got a sunburn. There are parts of my back I couldn't quite reach. On the plus side, sunblock totally works - I can see where it did. On the minus side, it doesn't work where it isn't applied.

I'd forgotten how uncomfortable sunburn is. I didn't really miss it!


I did manage to finally yank out all the weeds in the driveway cracks - I parked my car on the street last night, because I'd hoped to get my kitchen door installed. Alas, the hardware I ordered has a few screws missing. Grrr. I'm actually being more productive this year with the home maintenance. Now if I could get a blasted roofer to come make sure my chimney doesn't have a leak...

Last year I dug up a bunch of plants I didn't want in my landscaping. I thought I got all of the root, but lo! There's that hosta, back and leafier than ever. At least it looks healthy this year. Last year, slugs kinda had free reign. I also cut back this other thing. I don't know what this thing even is, but it's big and sprawling and looks very unhealthy. I cut back the worst of it and... no surprise, it's back and bigger than ever. *bleepity bleep*

Just spend the afternoon digging out 80% of the landscaping in the front, replanting some and hopefully destroying The Thing once and for all. I'm not holding my breath. Digging out roots is hard work, and then trying to remove a honking, sprawling plant and its root system ... my back is killing me. Tomorrow, I'm having rock delivered. I'm sure my back feels amazing compared to how it's going to feel after I spread 1200 lbs of rock. I took the week off of work. People asked if I was going to do anything fun. I'd like to, but I suspect it's going to be more like this: heavy labor tomorrow, heavy recovery the rest of the week. I would do it piecemeal, but it's supposed to rain starting Tuesday. *sigh*

To think I was considering laying a paver patio by myself. No. No way can I dig up all the grass (read: moss) and then dig another 6 inches down on a 10x10 area and not murder my lower back. I will get there. Maybe not this year but I will. The ultimate goal there is to reduce the amount of lawn to deal with.

I'm so disappointed in myself, though. I had to resort to chemicals for weed killing. I have tried various means of abatement, nothing works. The grass and weeds laugh at the newspaper/cardboard barrier idea. "Natural" weed killers do work, temporarily. It's all temporary, really. The weeds that really make me angry are the driveway crack weeds. Mothereffers. I didn't realize how cracked my driveway was.

That's all. I feel I earned the onion rings I'm having for dinner. I am so tired.

GAH. When I put the rug down in the upstairs bedroom, I had to move the bed. To move the bed, I had to tip it up and, due to some misjudgement, I scraped the slanted ceiling and scuffed off some of the paint. No problem, I thought, I'll just touch it up with the paint the former owners left downstairs...

Except the house is varying shades of tan and none of the cans are marked with which room they coincide.

I started out with too-dark and sightly orangey. Now I'm too light and slightly yellowy. I am starting to actively resent the former owners for not labeling their paint and do solemnly swear that if/when I sell this place, I will mark all paint remnants so I don't eff the new people up, should they choose to keep my colors. Which will also not be varying shades of tan.

Finding the right sheets for the pillowtop upstairs with a four inch memory foam topper is proving to be an exercise in frustration. Either the sheets are too small or they're too big. Too small and they're liable to come up at the corners. Too big and they're loosey goosey and am I the only one who can't stand it when the bottom sheet isn't nice and tucked tightly?

I have such problems, don't I? Hah.


Also, have had a fierce craving for German chocolate cake today. The grocery store used to have them (horribly overpriced and not great anyway). Not today, so I made a mini chocolate cake and whipped up the frosting - sans pecans, which I did not have on hand. The problem with this is that I'm very aware of all the bad stuff that is in this cake, because I put it there. Pictures may follow after it's assembled, because I cannot resist a photo of baked goods.



Oooooh, I am going to have a hard time not eating the whole thing in one sitting! Don't like coconut? MORE FOR ME.

I discovered that, yes, caulking is a good thing when it comes to my basement windows. We had lots and lots of rain and wind last Saturday/Sunday and I had some leaks. The chimney is also an issue, hopefully just the flashing, but I haven't called on that yet because funds are a wee scarce.

Anyway, it's been mostly dry all week, so I figured I'd caulk today and seal things up nice and dry again.

It's pouring down rain. So much for diddling with my caulk today. Oh well, I have a headache anyway.



Forgive the sophomoric humor. I cannot seem to help myself!


I was also going to walk to this appt I have about 2.5 miles away, as it's good exercise, but I really have no desire to get that wet. Ah, Pacific Northwest living... when it's nice, it's gorgeous and when it isn't it isn't.

I did spot one of these while out, though:


Sadly, something had chewed holes in it.

I have distinct memories of telling the sales guy that the main goal of this conversion was to get rid of the oil tank and him nodding and agreeing when I asked if it would be removed in this process. Guess what is not going to be removed?

Yep.

I am not pleased. <-- Understatement.

Guy doing work was potentially going to take care of it on the side for me, but apparently he'll only do it if there is 100 gallons in the tank. There isn't. It's pretty near empty. This means I'm going to have to shell out MORE money I don't have to have the tank removed. *sad face*


On the plus side, I seem to possess more motivation to do stuff when I've taken a day off than I ever do on weekends. Today, I grocery shopped, lay weed barrier and rock in a small section of landscaping, broke shovel (thereby foiling my plans for another section of landscaping), said hi to my honey sweetie I-shoulda-adopted-him dog Hook who lives two doors down, pruned the weeping birch and dead headed one hydrangea, walked downtown to purchase my awesome door (glass cloudy a bit in some of the panes, but that might look cool), prepped front railings for a needed re-paint, which I will do tomorrow. Weekends, I am lucky if I sweep, vacuum, mop and do laundry. LOL.

Contractor: Gas company will flag, then you get your guy to dig.
Me: Okay, great.
...
...
Me: Gas company, when are you going to flag so I can get this ditch dug?
Gas company: Never, we talked to contractor, he knows where to dig and told his guy where to dig, we're confused why you're asking this.

Fracking effing frell, I deserve a discount for emotional turmoil at this point.


Also, I realized on the way home from work that I'd left my tuna wrap in the fridge this morning. It didn't occur to me at ALL at lunchtime.


Thirdly, I have a new niece! She was born on the tenth, I don't know her name or any vital statistics, just that she's in San Antonio and sis, BIL and boys will be heading down this weekend to meet her.