rtstarr

Tuesday:

pics: Day 18 Photos

Goals: Anchor new/moved cabinets, finish patching kitchen light ceiling hole, continue to prep for appliances (a.k.a. make a path), paint if we have time.

Well, we are feeling swamped today. The appliances come tomorrow so we are kind of in a holding pattern until we see exactly if everything is going to fit. I stop by the 1950's TruValue hardware on the way to the new place after work. I left semi-early because I have to meet the locksmith at 6. One side note that I haven't mentioned is the fact that we haven't had a mailbox key to the new place since we moved in. The previous owner failed to give us it, kept saying he was sending it, never did and finally we gave up. So the locksmith comes and wants to charge me 95 or 110 dollars for either of two locks he can put in our mailbox. I tell him that they told me 30 bucks on the phone (which a different company did). 95 dollars for a 20 dollar lock? What a friggin rip-off. I get it for my price and send the guy on his way. Let me just tell you how full this mailbox was. There was all of our mortgage info, our refund check from escrow, my new bank account checks, about 10,000 offers for security systems, life insurance and satellite systems. Plus a number of holiday cards for Sherman Jordan.

Speaking of ole' SJ, this is the previous owner's name. Yes, Mr. 1947 Alarm System, Mr. Hollywood Gas Stove, Mr. uses a size 34 men’s belt to hold up the dryer vent, Mr. The only wall I will paint in this whole place is the entry area and I will do it PURPLE.....has a name. This is where I come up with all the crafty and nonsensical nicknames for the new townhouse. Of course in my mind, Sherman Jordan is Sherman Hemsley (George Jefferson), so it’s not that far of a stretch for me to call the house "Weezie". Of course, Rena is probably the only person in the world who understands how my idiot brain works, so she gets these "jokes" and promptly ignores them. Everyone else probably just thinks I've been eating paint chips. So I can't recall what names I have used in the blog for the townhouse, but I have been alternating between "Sherman Williams", "The Sherman Hemsley Home"(a kind of double Chuck Norris kick to the face reference to George Jefferson and the Henry Horner Homes in Chicago. Another side note: the HH Homes were a notorious high rise project on the west side of Chicago. I'm not sure why I associate our new place with that neighborhood; it might be the semi-ghettoness of it or just that I like the alliteration).

Either way, it has been difficult to come up with a name for our new place. Maybe after we finish something and move in it will strike us.

So Tuesday finds me hanging the light near the front door, sanding the light hole above the kitchen. Eventually we are going to throw some can lights up there, lowering the hole about 6 inches and drywalling it over. I want to reuse the fluorescent lights in the garage so I will be transferring those down there at some point. I've become quite the spackling pro over the last couple of weeks, and enjoy doing it. Unfortunately it just takes so long. I finish up anchoring, measuring and spackling and decide to help Rena who has begun painting the dining room and putting a second coat on the living room. I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but the Dining room is the same color as the living room, just two shades lighter. I really liked the dining room color after we got it up, so we are pleased. The downstairs is really starting to come together. Of course we don't have any of the trim or crown molding yet, so our painting looks a little spastic.

We hit the downstairs hard, and are able to get the entire living room second coated, the dining room 1 1/2 coated, and all the mess cleaned up for the appliance delivery.

We also need to bring some new music to the new place. We originally brought a box of soundtracks and a box of various, and they are starting to wear a little thin. You would think that a couple with as much music as us wouldn’t have to listen to “Everybody Dance Now” 4579 times in 3 weeks.

Mood: Better than yesterday. As Rena said, "at least painting gives you some immediate gratification:

Tomorrow: Receive appliances, shop for tile and countertop.