The house is near to being officially done. I pulled up the paper in the second bedroom and we got both bedrooms unpacked today. Ellen painted the wood floor trim, but it will need a second coat. I got the file cabinet modified so that it will take modern hanging folders. There's probably a couple of more days of painting and unpacking to do before we can call everything done. I don't think we'll hang the pictures for awhile.
I moved most of the painting stuff to the apartment. That way it's all there if we decide to get ambitious and start painting it.
We put the pool up for sale on Craig's list. It's too early to see if there will be any interest.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Day 165
There was a lot of driving today. We made two trips north of Austin. The first was to Cedar Park to buy a dresser for the guest bedroom. The second was even farther north, to Round Rock. It was for a sewing table that we ended up not buying because Ellen's sewing machine wouldn't fit in it. All in all we drove almost 200 miles today.
Ellen did manage to finish painting. I still have some cleanup to do and we need to put the bedrooms together. We spent too much time on the road to do it today.
I figured out a way to make the file cabinet take hanging files. I had to go to Home Depot to get the things I needed. I managed to get one of the drawers almost done. Unfortunately the cabinet is missing one of the slides for one of the drawers. I'll have to see if I can get one made.
Ellen sent off the last of the paperwork to the accountant. At least she thinks that's all of it.
Ellen did manage to finish painting. I still have some cleanup to do and we need to put the bedrooms together. We spent too much time on the road to do it today.
I figured out a way to make the file cabinet take hanging files. I had to go to Home Depot to get the things I needed. I managed to get one of the drawers almost done. Unfortunately the cabinet is missing one of the slides for one of the drawers. I'll have to see if I can get one made.
Ellen sent off the last of the paperwork to the accountant. At least she thinks that's all of it.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Day 164
Ellen got almost all of the painting done today. That will be a big milestone.
I got the TV hung on the wall. It was a time consuming task because there was a fair amount of careful measuring and assembly that needed to be done. Also there was some in the wall wire stringing to do. I also collected a whole lot of garbage to put out tomorrow. I also moved some stuff out to the garage that didn't need to be in the house. Then I took a nap. For some reason I wasn't feeling well.
Tomorrow Ellen will finish the painting and we'll get the bedrooms squared away. That's basically all that "has" to be done to the house this spring. It's time to do a few things like alarm license, post office box, put the swimming pool up for sale, and get a loan. If we get a chance I'd like to do a little painting in the apartment.
The house better be close to being squared away. Today is the 23rd straight day that I've worked on the house.
In the evening we went to the Nutty Brown Cafe to eat. The food was pretty good and reasonably priced. Apparently they have live music there every night. The band was outside though, so we didn't get to listen to them. We wanted to eat inside even though it was 70 degrees outside.
We stopped a Home Depot and bought some stuff that I think I can use to modify the file cabinet. We'll see tomorrow.
I got the TV hung on the wall. It was a time consuming task because there was a fair amount of careful measuring and assembly that needed to be done. Also there was some in the wall wire stringing to do. I also collected a whole lot of garbage to put out tomorrow. I also moved some stuff out to the garage that didn't need to be in the house. Then I took a nap. For some reason I wasn't feeling well.
Tomorrow Ellen will finish the painting and we'll get the bedrooms squared away. That's basically all that "has" to be done to the house this spring. It's time to do a few things like alarm license, post office box, put the swimming pool up for sale, and get a loan. If we get a chance I'd like to do a little painting in the apartment.
The house better be close to being squared away. Today is the 23rd straight day that I've worked on the house.
In the evening we went to the Nutty Brown Cafe to eat. The food was pretty good and reasonably priced. Apparently they have live music there every night. The band was outside though, so we didn't get to listen to them. We wanted to eat inside even though it was 70 degrees outside.
We stopped a Home Depot and bought some stuff that I think I can use to modify the file cabinet. We'll see tomorrow.
Day 163
Ellen did more painting. She finished the last wall of the small bedroom and the trim in the master bedroom. With two doors and a large window there was a lot of it. This was in spite of taking a big part of the day off.
I got a hold of the guy selling the file cabinet. We went over and looked at it. It's a nice, old, heavy, piece of furniture. It's in great shape so we bought it. It won't hold modern hanging folders until I figure out a way to modify it. After we bought the file cabinet we stopped at Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and a sub shop for lunch. We got a Blade Runner blu-ray and some rugs for the front and back entries.
I did a lot of miscellaneous things. I put up a closet rod in the apartment laundry area so we could hang up the clothes when they come out of the wash. I installed the blinds. I spent half an hour trying to puzzle out the instructions for the TV mount. It looks like a bit of work, so I left it for tomorrow. I also unpacked part of a box of files. I threw a lot of it away, and left some for Ellen to sort out.
I got a hold of the guy selling the file cabinet. We went over and looked at it. It's a nice, old, heavy, piece of furniture. It's in great shape so we bought it. It won't hold modern hanging folders until I figure out a way to modify it. After we bought the file cabinet we stopped at Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and a sub shop for lunch. We got a Blade Runner blu-ray and some rugs for the front and back entries.
I did a lot of miscellaneous things. I put up a closet rod in the apartment laundry area so we could hang up the clothes when they come out of the wash. I installed the blinds. I spent half an hour trying to puzzle out the instructions for the TV mount. It looks like a bit of work, so I left it for tomorrow. I also unpacked part of a box of files. I threw a lot of it away, and left some for Ellen to sort out.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Day 162
We only worked for half a day, but we made a lot of painting progress. I finished the second coat on the master bedroom. Ellen finished the last wall of the second bedroom and did a second coat on the other three. I also managed to get all of the boxes put away in the garage.
After that we went to Fry's. I picked up a $200 flat panel TV wall mount kit for $44. We also got a combination printer for $70. It's wireless and has a scanner function.
We went to a Craig's list seller and picked up a dresser for the master bath. It looks pretty good. We can't put it in the bedroom until the painting is done. We tried to buy a file cabinet, but we couldn't make connections with the seller.
We also stopped by Home Depot to get the blinds that we bought cut. While we were there we picked up a new kitchen light at a very reasonable price. When we got home we installed it. It makes a huge difference in how lighted the place is when it's dark out.
After that we went to Fry's. I picked up a $200 flat panel TV wall mount kit for $44. We also got a combination printer for $70. It's wireless and has a scanner function.
We went to a Craig's list seller and picked up a dresser for the master bath. It looks pretty good. We can't put it in the bedroom until the painting is done. We tried to buy a file cabinet, but we couldn't make connections with the seller.
We also stopped by Home Depot to get the blinds that we bought cut. While we were there we picked up a new kitchen light at a very reasonable price. When we got home we installed it. It makes a huge difference in how lighted the place is when it's dark out.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Day 161
We have a new roof. They brought in a crew of five workers, a crew leader, and a foreman (the foreman didn't do any work). They had it all done in about 6 to 7 hours including a break for lunch. The new roof looks great. The ridge vents look a little dorky, but that's OK.
Ellen worked really hard today. She got all of the touchup done in the cat room and kitchen. Plus she got the first coat of paint on all but one wall of the second bedroom. That included the closet, which was a bear. The cheap green paint that we bought looks really good. I think we'll use what's left on the apartment.
I spent the morning removing foliage from the entrance. This is the stuff that ripped off the TV antenna and cost us $100. Some of those tree limbs were difficult to cut. They must be some kind of hard wood. Getting out of here should be a whole lot easier than getting in was.
After pruning I set the goal of getting the remaining boxes out of the living room and kitchen. I unpacked everything including the TV (with Ellen's help). We now have a fully unpacked living room and kitchen. I also unpacked the last box of my clothes. The only boxes left to be unpacked can't be unpacked until we have some furniture to put the stuff in.
Since I'm going to have to move a whole lot of boxes upstairs in the garage, I decided to set up the stereo in the apartment. That way I only have to move boxes once. I'll have to take over the ladder and move all the boxes tomorrow.
I tried to install the new blinds, but they are too wide. I'll have to take them back and get them cut.
I think that we'll only paint until noon tomorrow. Then we'll go shopping, go to Fry's, and maybe hit a couple of Craig's list sellers.
Ellen worked really hard today. She got all of the touchup done in the cat room and kitchen. Plus she got the first coat of paint on all but one wall of the second bedroom. That included the closet, which was a bear. The cheap green paint that we bought looks really good. I think we'll use what's left on the apartment.
I spent the morning removing foliage from the entrance. This is the stuff that ripped off the TV antenna and cost us $100. Some of those tree limbs were difficult to cut. They must be some kind of hard wood. Getting out of here should be a whole lot easier than getting in was.
After pruning I set the goal of getting the remaining boxes out of the living room and kitchen. I unpacked everything including the TV (with Ellen's help). We now have a fully unpacked living room and kitchen. I also unpacked the last box of my clothes. The only boxes left to be unpacked can't be unpacked until we have some furniture to put the stuff in.
Since I'm going to have to move a whole lot of boxes upstairs in the garage, I decided to set up the stereo in the apartment. That way I only have to move boxes once. I'll have to take over the ladder and move all the boxes tomorrow.
I tried to install the new blinds, but they are too wide. I'll have to take them back and get them cut.
I think that we'll only paint until noon tomorrow. Then we'll go shopping, go to Fry's, and maybe hit a couple of Craig's list sellers.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Day 160
The roofers decided it was too wet from yesterday to do the roof. So they'll do it tomorrow.
Ellen had a good day. She got the first coat of paint on the whole master bedroom. That was in spite of having to help me with the speaker wiring (more on that later).
I started the day by fixing the one surround sound speaker that hadn't been attached to the wall quite right. Then I decided to finish the wiring. I got lucky, there's a space behind the wall that I needed to mount the connection to. Only that meant that the fish tape that I had bought for the job wouldn't do.
I went out to meet a guy that was selling a toilet tank top. I'd told him the measurements I needed. He didn't have the right size, but for some reason he wanted to show me what he had anyway. Go figure. It wasn't a complete bust because I stopped and got some twine. When I got back, the twine with a bolt on the end made fishing the speaker wire easy. Then I soldered up the connectios and attached the plate to the wall.
From there things went down hill. I unpacked the stereo and started to put it in the cabinet. The amp wouldn't fit. I had to reposition all of the shelves (they are screwed down). Then I had to cut out portions of the back of the cabinet so that I could fit in the amp. It took most of the rest of the afternoon, partially because the drill ran out of charge.
I replaced the kitchen light, but I couldn't test it. Somehow the $33 dollars of light bulbs that we bought for it last night didn't make it home. We went back to Home Depot, told them the story, and they refunded the money. Amazing.
It was another long night. Stop work at 7:00 PM. Go to Home Depot, Lowes, and HEB. Get home at 9:00 and eat dinner.
Tomorrow we get up early to meet the roofers. Ellen will paint. I need to prune all of the trees at the entrance so that we don't damage the trailer again.
Ellen had a good day. She got the first coat of paint on the whole master bedroom. That was in spite of having to help me with the speaker wiring (more on that later).
I started the day by fixing the one surround sound speaker that hadn't been attached to the wall quite right. Then I decided to finish the wiring. I got lucky, there's a space behind the wall that I needed to mount the connection to. Only that meant that the fish tape that I had bought for the job wouldn't do.
I went out to meet a guy that was selling a toilet tank top. I'd told him the measurements I needed. He didn't have the right size, but for some reason he wanted to show me what he had anyway. Go figure. It wasn't a complete bust because I stopped and got some twine. When I got back, the twine with a bolt on the end made fishing the speaker wire easy. Then I soldered up the connectios and attached the plate to the wall.
From there things went down hill. I unpacked the stereo and started to put it in the cabinet. The amp wouldn't fit. I had to reposition all of the shelves (they are screwed down). Then I had to cut out portions of the back of the cabinet so that I could fit in the amp. It took most of the rest of the afternoon, partially because the drill ran out of charge.
I replaced the kitchen light, but I couldn't test it. Somehow the $33 dollars of light bulbs that we bought for it last night didn't make it home. We went back to Home Depot, told them the story, and they refunded the money. Amazing.
It was another long night. Stop work at 7:00 PM. Go to Home Depot, Lowes, and HEB. Get home at 9:00 and eat dinner.
Tomorrow we get up early to meet the roofers. Ellen will paint. I need to prune all of the trees at the entrance so that we don't damage the trailer again.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Day 159
The burglar alarm was installed today. It's a pretty neat, wired system. It's not complete protection for the house, but it's close.
Ellen spent the day painting trim. She finished all of it. That means that four rooms are complete. We decided to paint both bedrooms. So I spent the day masking the rooms and then sanding the trim. We were both tired by 4:00.
We drove over to SE Austin to look at a dresser. It was a nice design, but it was too beat up to put in the master bedroom like we wanted to. There's a couple of other dressers on Craig's list that I'll inquire about once the roof is complete.
One the way back from the dresser place we went on a marathon shopping trip. We bought cat food a Petco. We bought some accessories for the house at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. We bought paint for the bedrooms at Home Depot. Finally we bought a lamp shade at Lowe's.
After eating at a fast food place we drove home in a heavy thunderstorm. The lightning was fantastic. It lit up the whole area even though there was heavy cloud cover and rain. Of course the Texans were all driving 20 miles an hour because there was water on the road.
They delivered the shingles for the roof today. Tomorrow is supposed to be clear. If it is they'll do the roof.
Ellen spent the day painting trim. She finished all of it. That means that four rooms are complete. We decided to paint both bedrooms. So I spent the day masking the rooms and then sanding the trim. We were both tired by 4:00.
We drove over to SE Austin to look at a dresser. It was a nice design, but it was too beat up to put in the master bedroom like we wanted to. There's a couple of other dressers on Craig's list that I'll inquire about once the roof is complete.
One the way back from the dresser place we went on a marathon shopping trip. We bought cat food a Petco. We bought some accessories for the house at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. We bought paint for the bedrooms at Home Depot. Finally we bought a lamp shade at Lowe's.
After eating at a fast food place we drove home in a heavy thunderstorm. The lightning was fantastic. It lit up the whole area even though there was heavy cloud cover and rain. Of course the Texans were all driving 20 miles an hour because there was water on the road.
They delivered the shingles for the roof today. Tomorrow is supposed to be clear. If it is they'll do the roof.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Day 158
I got up fairly early because I wanted to shovel gravel while it was cool. After starting the wash I loaded the back of the truck with gravel from a pile the sellers had left. I used it to fill in a pothole in the road that exposed a drain pipe. Then I did another load for a pothole near the gate. I used the rest of the pile to partially fill in a low spot at the curve of the road. That and finishing the wash at the same time took until noon. By then it was too hot to do anymore anyway.
At noon I went to a seller's house and picked up a set of bathroom lights. They are very similar to the ones that we had in our Beaverton house. When I got back I installed them. The cover plate matched the existing one exactly, so there isn't any unpainted areas around the new lights.
By the time I was finished installing the lights it was time to meet with the roofing guy and sign the contract. It seems that we should have a new roof by the end of the week.
I didn't get dinner because by the time the roofing guy left it was almost time to go pick up Ellen at the airport. The damn airport doesn't have a cell phone lot. So I ended up parking at a gas station near the airport until she called.
It will be an early morning tomorrow because the alarm people are supposed to show up at o dark thirty. They are supposed to call first, so I'll use the phone as an alarm.
At noon I went to a seller's house and picked up a set of bathroom lights. They are very similar to the ones that we had in our Beaverton house. When I got back I installed them. The cover plate matched the existing one exactly, so there isn't any unpainted areas around the new lights.
By the time I was finished installing the lights it was time to meet with the roofing guy and sign the contract. It seems that we should have a new roof by the end of the week.
I didn't get dinner because by the time the roofing guy left it was almost time to go pick up Ellen at the airport. The damn airport doesn't have a cell phone lot. So I ended up parking at a gas station near the airport until she called.
It will be an early morning tomorrow because the alarm people are supposed to show up at o dark thirty. They are supposed to call first, so I'll use the phone as an alarm.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Day 157
It was a pretty productive day. I started out with phone calls. First to the survey people to ask why we haven't received a copy. The lady said she'd send it out today (that's what she said two weeks ago). Then to find an antenna for the trailer. There was a place in Buda that had one. They wanted $23 more than camping world, but they are half the distance away.
The third call was to one of the roofing contractors. He answered a bunch of questions for me in a satisfactory manner, so I decided to go with him. Right now the plan is to have the roof done Thursday or Friday depending on the weather.
I installed the second surround sound speaker (more attic crawling). Then I drove to Buda to pick up the antenna, came home, and installed it. Between these two activities I got in my ladder time. I also picked up a new sprayer to replace the one that froze and broke last winter.
I cleaned up the desk and chair using Murphy's oil soap. They look pretty good. I knocked off a little early to go to the city council meeting. Luckily I figured out that I had missed it by a week before I drove over there.
After doing the obligatory Craig's list search, I was feeling ambitious so I went back over to the house and did some unpacking. I unpacked some of the boxes from the study and put the stuff in the desk. I also unpacked a couple of boxes of my clothes. The closet is almost full and I've still got another very big box of clothes to unpack. Sigh.
Tomorrow is going to be another busy day. Washing, shoveling gravel, taping the bedroom, and more unpacking.
The third call was to one of the roofing contractors. He answered a bunch of questions for me in a satisfactory manner, so I decided to go with him. Right now the plan is to have the roof done Thursday or Friday depending on the weather.
I installed the second surround sound speaker (more attic crawling). Then I drove to Buda to pick up the antenna, came home, and installed it. Between these two activities I got in my ladder time. I also picked up a new sprayer to replace the one that froze and broke last winter.
I cleaned up the desk and chair using Murphy's oil soap. They look pretty good. I knocked off a little early to go to the city council meeting. Luckily I figured out that I had missed it by a week before I drove over there.
After doing the obligatory Craig's list search, I was feeling ambitious so I went back over to the house and did some unpacking. I unpacked some of the boxes from the study and put the stuff in the desk. I also unpacked a couple of boxes of my clothes. The closet is almost full and I've still got another very big box of clothes to unpack. Sigh.
Tomorrow is going to be another busy day. Washing, shoveling gravel, taping the bedroom, and more unpacking.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Day 156
I wired one of the surround sound speakers today. It involved quite a bit of crawling around in the attic stringing wire. Twenty years ago I enjoyed doing that. It's not near as much fun now. I wonder what changed?
Today was a textbook case of the good and the bad of buying things on Craig's list.
First I inquired about an ad for two wood filing cabinets that were for sale for $100. The picture on the website was dark, but they looked OK. The ad said they were in South Austin. When the people called, it turned out they were in Kyle, 25 miles away. I went anyway. The cabinets were junk. They looked like they had been beaten with a bat. Apparently the tops had been ruined because the seller had replaced them with construction plywood that was painted sort of the same color. The tops weren't even attached to the cabinets. I was polite, but I wanted to read the lady the riot act. She was trying to sell crap that Goodwill wouldn't take. That wasted a couple of hours and $8 worth of fuel.
In the afternoon I went to pick up the desk. It's very heavy, even when disassembled and the drawers have been removed. The seller knew that I didn't have anyone to help me, so he offered to come home with me to help unload the desk and reassemble it. He even carried some of the pieces over in his van. I couldn't have got it out of the truck without his help. We now have a nice roll top desk in the study. Now all I have to do is unpack all the stuff that goes in it.
After the desk and the attic crawling I was too tired to do anything else so I just went back to the trailer and fixed dinner.
Today was a textbook case of the good and the bad of buying things on Craig's list.
First I inquired about an ad for two wood filing cabinets that were for sale for $100. The picture on the website was dark, but they looked OK. The ad said they were in South Austin. When the people called, it turned out they were in Kyle, 25 miles away. I went anyway. The cabinets were junk. They looked like they had been beaten with a bat. Apparently the tops had been ruined because the seller had replaced them with construction plywood that was painted sort of the same color. The tops weren't even attached to the cabinets. I was polite, but I wanted to read the lady the riot act. She was trying to sell crap that Goodwill wouldn't take. That wasted a couple of hours and $8 worth of fuel.
In the afternoon I went to pick up the desk. It's very heavy, even when disassembled and the drawers have been removed. The seller knew that I didn't have anyone to help me, so he offered to come home with me to help unload the desk and reassemble it. He even carried some of the pieces over in his van. I couldn't have got it out of the truck without his help. We now have a nice roll top desk in the study. Now all I have to do is unpack all the stuff that goes in it.
After the desk and the attic crawling I was too tired to do anything else so I just went back to the trailer and fixed dinner.
Day 155
The day started out with a bang. About 6:30 AM a big thunder storm moved in. Heavy rain, high wind, and lots of thunder and lightning. It wasn't possible to sleep, so I got up and enjoyed the show. The cats and dog didn't. The whole day was cloudy, cold, and windy.
Some people selling a roll top desk replied to a query I sent them. I drove over there. I liked the desk very much. It's an old desk, so it shows some wear and tear. It's got character though. I'll probably buy it tomorrow after I confirm that the back of the desk looks good.
Today is our birthday. I didn't realize it until I happened to drive by a store with a day/date sign. I decided not to work very much in honor of the day.
The local Hollywood Video stores are going out of business. They are selling their inventory at steep discounts. I stopped by one and spent a couple of hours looking through the stock. I left with a couple of blu-ray discs and half a dozen DVD's, all for under $50.
When I got back I felt guilty enough that I put in some time on the house. I knocked off early though. The dog is happy that the furniture is put together. Now she can lay on the couch while she watches me work.
Some people selling a roll top desk replied to a query I sent them. I drove over there. I liked the desk very much. It's an old desk, so it shows some wear and tear. It's got character though. I'll probably buy it tomorrow after I confirm that the back of the desk looks good.
Today is our birthday. I didn't realize it until I happened to drive by a store with a day/date sign. I decided not to work very much in honor of the day.
The local Hollywood Video stores are going out of business. They are selling their inventory at steep discounts. I stopped by one and spent a couple of hours looking through the stock. I left with a couple of blu-ray discs and half a dozen DVD's, all for under $50.
When I got back I felt guilty enough that I put in some time on the house. I knocked off early though. The dog is happy that the furniture is put together. Now she can lay on the couch while she watches me work.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Day 154
Much activity, but not much unpacking today.
The third roofing guy came by this morning. He was the one recommended by the inspector. I received his bid late in the day. It's $600 higher than the others.
I was going to unpack the living room today, but I couldn't find the pegs for the futon. I looked in four previously unopened boxes and struck out. Instead I unpacked the subwoofer and then took the empty equipment boxes to the garage. I decided to put the bed frame I bought yesterday together. I also installed some towel racks in the apartment bathroom.
I went out to buy a paper and pick up some stuff at Home Depot. I got slats for the bed, some tools, and some casters for the pinball machines. I also got a dowel to cut pins for the futon. I really like the Friday Austin paper. It has 8 pages of porn. The Portland paper only had 4. Unfortunately, Fry's is 25 miles away on the other side of Austin.
When I got home I cut the slats for the bed and made pins out of the dowel. I had to move the futon to put in the dowels. That's when I discovered the pins in the bag with the futon. I also discovered that we had put the frame together wrong. So I took it apart and put it together the right way. Then I stacked the remaining boxes out of the way and arranged all of the furniture. The result almost looks like a living room.
The sellers definitely didn't pick up their cat before they left. I put out some food for it this evening. When it saw me it came out of the bushes and started meowing. I couldn't get it to come within 40 feet of me. I'm not sure if I should try to capture it and take it to the pound or just hope it makes out when we leave.
The third roofing guy came by this morning. He was the one recommended by the inspector. I received his bid late in the day. It's $600 higher than the others.
I was going to unpack the living room today, but I couldn't find the pegs for the futon. I looked in four previously unopened boxes and struck out. Instead I unpacked the subwoofer and then took the empty equipment boxes to the garage. I decided to put the bed frame I bought yesterday together. I also installed some towel racks in the apartment bathroom.
I went out to buy a paper and pick up some stuff at Home Depot. I got slats for the bed, some tools, and some casters for the pinball machines. I also got a dowel to cut pins for the futon. I really like the Friday Austin paper. It has 8 pages of porn. The Portland paper only had 4. Unfortunately, Fry's is 25 miles away on the other side of Austin.
When I got home I cut the slats for the bed and made pins out of the dowel. I had to move the futon to put in the dowels. That's when I discovered the pins in the bag with the futon. I also discovered that we had put the frame together wrong. So I took it apart and put it together the right way. Then I stacked the remaining boxes out of the way and arranged all of the furniture. The result almost looks like a living room.
The sellers definitely didn't pick up their cat before they left. I put out some food for it this evening. When it saw me it came out of the bushes and started meowing. I couldn't get it to come within 40 feet of me. I'm not sure if I should try to capture it and take it to the pound or just hope it makes out when we leave.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Day 153
Up at 5:00 AM to take Ellen to the airport. It's a relatively easy trip, no more difficult than getting to the San Antonio airport from the RV park. After-wards I tried to find a place for breakfast. There doesn't seem to be any except for a Denny's right by the airport. My search did show up a HEB we didn't know about that is closer than the one we've been going to.
When we got home I hit Craig's list. I made calls on some blinds and a double bed frame. The blinds turned out to be too long. I ended up buying the bed frame for the apartment. The seller drove it from North Austin down here. I gave him $10 for gas.
I started work in the morning by cleaning up the four poster bed frame we bought awhile back. It cleaned up nice except for a chip out of one post and some paint splotches. I also cut bed slats for it using my new jigsaw. That thing is slick. It has a laser to show the cut line, a light that illuminates the saw blade, and a trick quick-change system for the blade.
I took the frame over to the house and set up the guest bed. I also unpacked some other things for that room. I can't finish until we have a dresser and maybe a sewing table. I also had to wire in a cover plate for the TV and phone connections in the room.
Then I tackled the two bathrooms. I got both of them completely unpacked. Unpacking the master bath included some boxes that had clothes as well as other things in them. One box had several heavy coats and parkas. Hopefully I'll never have to wear them again.
The drill I'm using was stuck in reverse. This was bad because I wanted to install the last door stop. I took it apart and found that a mounting tab had broken off the housing. I super-glued the tab back on and put the thing back together. It worked at least long enough to drill the hole for the doorstop.
Some other things of note. The second bid for the roofing came in. It was about $100 more than the first bid. Also, while I was eating lunch I saw two road runners walk across the entry road and into our yard. Finally, I got a call from Joe Jones. He's started his own business. I think he was drumming up customers. I told him I'd bring in the truck in May when we get back.
I spent the evening vegging out on the internet and reading the newspapers that have been piling up. I've been buying them occasionally and only getting them half read before I'm tired enough that I'd rather go to sleep.
When we got home I hit Craig's list. I made calls on some blinds and a double bed frame. The blinds turned out to be too long. I ended up buying the bed frame for the apartment. The seller drove it from North Austin down here. I gave him $10 for gas.
I started work in the morning by cleaning up the four poster bed frame we bought awhile back. It cleaned up nice except for a chip out of one post and some paint splotches. I also cut bed slats for it using my new jigsaw. That thing is slick. It has a laser to show the cut line, a light that illuminates the saw blade, and a trick quick-change system for the blade.
I took the frame over to the house and set up the guest bed. I also unpacked some other things for that room. I can't finish until we have a dresser and maybe a sewing table. I also had to wire in a cover plate for the TV and phone connections in the room.
Then I tackled the two bathrooms. I got both of them completely unpacked. Unpacking the master bath included some boxes that had clothes as well as other things in them. One box had several heavy coats and parkas. Hopefully I'll never have to wear them again.
The drill I'm using was stuck in reverse. This was bad because I wanted to install the last door stop. I took it apart and found that a mounting tab had broken off the housing. I super-glued the tab back on and put the thing back together. It worked at least long enough to drill the hole for the doorstop.
Some other things of note. The second bid for the roofing came in. It was about $100 more than the first bid. Also, while I was eating lunch I saw two road runners walk across the entry road and into our yard. Finally, I got a call from Joe Jones. He's started his own business. I think he was drumming up customers. I told him I'd bring in the truck in May when we get back.
I spent the evening vegging out on the internet and reading the newspapers that have been piling up. I've been buying them occasionally and only getting them half read before I'm tired enough that I'd rather go to sleep.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Day 152
We didn't work very hard today. Instead we went shopping.
In the morning I called a couple of people with ads on Craig's list. One was for a blu-ray player and the other was for a kitchen table and four chairs. We ended up buying both things. I'm thinking of hooking up the player, but I'll have to unpack the TV to do it. The kitchen set was a little beat up, but it fits perfectly in the apartment's kitchen.
I really need to get a file cabinet, dresser, and roll top desk. There just haven't been any good leads on Craig's list for these things lately.
Ellen did finish painting the cat room. It looks great. I finished unpacking the master bedroom. I got ambitious and cleaned all of the furniture with Murphy's oil soap. The headboard really needed it. I also finished hooking up the bedroom stereo so that we have something better than a boombox to listen to. I even got the grandfather clock unpacked and set up.
Another guy came by to do an estimate on the roof. He said he'd email it to me today, but it hasn't shown up.
In the morning I called a couple of people with ads on Craig's list. One was for a blu-ray player and the other was for a kitchen table and four chairs. We ended up buying both things. I'm thinking of hooking up the player, but I'll have to unpack the TV to do it. The kitchen set was a little beat up, but it fits perfectly in the apartment's kitchen.
I really need to get a file cabinet, dresser, and roll top desk. There just haven't been any good leads on Craig's list for these things lately.
Ellen did finish painting the cat room. It looks great. I finished unpacking the master bedroom. I got ambitious and cleaned all of the furniture with Murphy's oil soap. The headboard really needed it. I also finished hooking up the bedroom stereo so that we have something better than a boombox to listen to. I even got the grandfather clock unpacked and set up.
Another guy came by to do an estimate on the roof. He said he'd email it to me today, but it hasn't shown up.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Day 151
No rum today.
We slept in late again. When we finally got started Ellen began painting the cat room. I continued to unpack the kitchen stuff. We both made good progress. Ellen almost got the whole cut in painting done. The room isn't very big, but it has two doors, a window, and a stand for the water heater. It also has the washer/dryer connections. That's a lot of stuff to cut in.
I finished unpacking the kitchen stuff. The kitchen cabinets are just stupid. They have fixed shelves set at relatively low levels so high things don't fit in them. They also have a bar down the middle of each cabinet that makes it impossible to put in a standard plate without tilting it sideways. After that I started in on the master bedroom. I got the bed frame put together and the box springs unpacked and placed on it. I also unpacked the stereo system and got it partially hooked up.
The roofing guy was back today with an estimate. It seems reasonable to me. There are other guys coming tomorrow and Friday. We'll see how they compare.
In the evening we drove 50 miles to New Braunfels to have dinner with 30 people from the RV park. It was a fun time talking with people our age with our interests. They all wanted to know about the house. I'm going to miss them. It may be a transitory community, but it's a fun one.
Tomorrow is Ellen's last day. I'd like to get the TV dish set up, an ad for the pool in Craig's list, and the cat room painting done. We'll see.
We slept in late again. When we finally got started Ellen began painting the cat room. I continued to unpack the kitchen stuff. We both made good progress. Ellen almost got the whole cut in painting done. The room isn't very big, but it has two doors, a window, and a stand for the water heater. It also has the washer/dryer connections. That's a lot of stuff to cut in.
I finished unpacking the kitchen stuff. The kitchen cabinets are just stupid. They have fixed shelves set at relatively low levels so high things don't fit in them. They also have a bar down the middle of each cabinet that makes it impossible to put in a standard plate without tilting it sideways. After that I started in on the master bedroom. I got the bed frame put together and the box springs unpacked and placed on it. I also unpacked the stereo system and got it partially hooked up.
The roofing guy was back today with an estimate. It seems reasonable to me. There are other guys coming tomorrow and Friday. We'll see how they compare.
In the evening we drove 50 miles to New Braunfels to have dinner with 30 people from the RV park. It was a fun time talking with people our age with our interests. They all wanted to know about the house. I'm going to miss them. It may be a transitory community, but it's a fun one.
Tomorrow is Ellen's last day. I'd like to get the TV dish set up, an ad for the pool in Craig's list, and the cat room painting done. We'll see.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Day 150
We didn't get up very early today. It was nice to sleep in a little.
I called several places to get estimates for roofing. One place called back immediately and sent out a person today to do an estimate. The others didn't respond. The Pods people came by to pick up the empty pod. I'm glat to be rid of that company.
I left messages and e-mails for several Craig's list sellers. None responded. I guess everyone has the Monday blahs.
Even with a late start we got a lot accomplished. Ellen got the rest of the trim painted. I got the cat room prepped for painting so we can start that tomorrow. I also made some headway on the unpacking. I put the shelves in the china cabinet and unpacked the things that go in it. It was slow work unwrapping all that fragile stuff.
Then I started on the kitchen. We have 26 boxes of kitchen stuff. I managed to unpack 9. They were mainly dishes and glasses with one box of cookware. I'm also beginning to break down the empty boxes. I'll store them in the storage shed until the next time we need to move.
The good weather we've had for about a week is over. It just started raining pretty hard and it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow.
I called several places to get estimates for roofing. One place called back immediately and sent out a person today to do an estimate. The others didn't respond. The Pods people came by to pick up the empty pod. I'm glat to be rid of that company.
I left messages and e-mails for several Craig's list sellers. None responded. I guess everyone has the Monday blahs.
Even with a late start we got a lot accomplished. Ellen got the rest of the trim painted. I got the cat room prepped for painting so we can start that tomorrow. I also made some headway on the unpacking. I put the shelves in the china cabinet and unpacked the things that go in it. It was slow work unwrapping all that fragile stuff.
Then I started on the kitchen. We have 26 boxes of kitchen stuff. I managed to unpack 9. They were mainly dishes and glasses with one box of cookware. I'm also beginning to break down the empty boxes. I'll store them in the storage shed until the next time we need to move.
The good weather we've had for about a week is over. It just started raining pretty hard and it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Day 149
Now that everything's out of the pods, it's time to unpack. Before starting we moved the dressers we bought yesterday out of the truck and into the master closets. The small dresser (mine) required some repair work first. I had to fix a broken drawer support and the partitions between the drawers. All in all the dressers weren't worth the $75 we paid for them. They aren't high quality and they were both damaged significantly. However, we wanted to give the kids that sold them to us the money as they are moving back to Kentucky.
Of course Ellen is still painting, so it's up to me to unpack. She made good progress today, finishing off the living room. That leaves a portion of the kitchen and the entry to do.
After I saw how much cleaning the kitchen cabinets needed yesterday I decided to look at the closet shelves and bathroom cabinets today. At least some effort had been put into cleaning the kitchen cabinets. The rest of the cabinets and shelves in the house hadn't been cleaned at all. They ranged from dirty to filthy. I ended up spending half the day cleaning both bathrooms, the bedroom closets, the pantry, and the hall closet. I used up the bottle of cleaning solution that we had. At least now we can put things away.
After lunch I took a nap. When I got up I put the shelves in the study bookcase. I decided to wipe everything down with Murphy's oil soap as I put it together. Then I started unpacking the books. After the books I unpacked the wine rack and our wine collection (all 9 bottles). Most of the bottles date from the mid 90's. All total I managed to empty a whole 8 boxes. That leaves many to go.
I called two people who advertised things I was interested in on Craig's list. Neither returned the call. Strange.
Of course Ellen is still painting, so it's up to me to unpack. She made good progress today, finishing off the living room. That leaves a portion of the kitchen and the entry to do.
After I saw how much cleaning the kitchen cabinets needed yesterday I decided to look at the closet shelves and bathroom cabinets today. At least some effort had been put into cleaning the kitchen cabinets. The rest of the cabinets and shelves in the house hadn't been cleaned at all. They ranged from dirty to filthy. I ended up spending half the day cleaning both bathrooms, the bedroom closets, the pantry, and the hall closet. I used up the bottle of cleaning solution that we had. At least now we can put things away.
After lunch I took a nap. When I got up I put the shelves in the study bookcase. I decided to wipe everything down with Murphy's oil soap as I put it together. Then I started unpacking the books. After the books I unpacked the wine rack and our wine collection (all 9 bottles). Most of the bottles date from the mid 90's. All total I managed to empty a whole 8 boxes. That leaves many to go.
I called two people who advertised things I was interested in on Craig's list. Neither returned the call. Strange.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Day 148
The rest of the furniture and other stuff is in the house. We even got three pieces of furniture (hutch, bookcase, and secretary's desk) placed in their final positions. There's a lot of boxes and other furniture in the middle of all the rooms.
Ellen got to spend most of the day painting, so she made good progress. She finished most of the kitchen and the living room. I managed to get all of the kitchen cabinets cleaned inside and out.
The sellers had left them pretty dirty, especially the outside. That means that we can start unpacking the 15 or so boxes of kitchen stuff.
I'll have to clean out the closets and pantry before we can start putting things in there.
Yesterday evening I scheduled a trip to see a dresser that was advertised on Craig's list. Unfortunately, the guy sold it before I called at 9:00 AM. I found a pair of dressers for $75, so we drove up to Round Rock (north of Austin) to get them. They weren't in as good a shape as their description, but we bought them anyway. After all, they are going into a closet.
Going up there was the first time I've been to Austin. The traffic is nuts and the drivers are nuttier. Southbound I35 through town was a miles long traffic jam at 5:30 PM on a Saturday. Luckily we were going north. I won't be spending much time in Austin. I'm a little worried about getting Ellen to/from the airport. Hopefully staying south of Austin will be OK.
I'm damn tired tonight. I don't think that I'll be working too hard tomorrow. The thing is, there's lots more stuff to do.
Ellen got to spend most of the day painting, so she made good progress. She finished most of the kitchen and the living room. I managed to get all of the kitchen cabinets cleaned inside and out.
The sellers had left them pretty dirty, especially the outside. That means that we can start unpacking the 15 or so boxes of kitchen stuff.
I'll have to clean out the closets and pantry before we can start putting things in there.
Yesterday evening I scheduled a trip to see a dresser that was advertised on Craig's list. Unfortunately, the guy sold it before I called at 9:00 AM. I found a pair of dressers for $75, so we drove up to Round Rock (north of Austin) to get them. They weren't in as good a shape as their description, but we bought them anyway. After all, they are going into a closet.
Going up there was the first time I've been to Austin. The traffic is nuts and the drivers are nuttier. Southbound I35 through town was a miles long traffic jam at 5:30 PM on a Saturday. Luckily we were going north. I won't be spending much time in Austin. I'm a little worried about getting Ellen to/from the airport. Hopefully staying south of Austin will be OK.
I'm damn tired tonight. I don't think that I'll be working too hard tomorrow. The thing is, there's lots more stuff to do.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Day 147
We decided that after 6 straight days of working long hours, we'd sleep in today. We didn't get up until 9:00. We had a leisurely breakfast and then started in on the second pod. It's the one that had most of the furniture in it.
Ellen didn't get much painting in because she had to help me with the heavy items like the headboard and box springs. The nastiest two items to move in were the china cabinet and one of the pinball machines. They were both very heavy and we could only make limited use of the moving equipment. Much of the time it was just using brute force. All total we got the pod a little over half emptied today.
Stuck in around the furniture were a lot of boxes. I moved those myself while Ellen managed to get some painting done. She got some of the living room done and some of the kitchen. She also had to go find a bank so that she could get a government form notarized. Apparently the state of Michigan won't allow a parent's cremation unless the siblings sign a paper acknowledging that the body is going to be burned.
The idiot pod people are coming by tomorrow at 7:15 AM to pick up the first pod. Assholes. At least that will give us an early start on the rest of the second pod. There's one more pinball machine to move. The only other item that might be a hassle is a large bookcase.
Ellen didn't get much painting in because she had to help me with the heavy items like the headboard and box springs. The nastiest two items to move in were the china cabinet and one of the pinball machines. They were both very heavy and we could only make limited use of the moving equipment. Much of the time it was just using brute force. All total we got the pod a little over half emptied today.
Stuck in around the furniture were a lot of boxes. I moved those myself while Ellen managed to get some painting done. She got some of the living room done and some of the kitchen. She also had to go find a bank so that she could get a government form notarized. Apparently the state of Michigan won't allow a parent's cremation unless the siblings sign a paper acknowledging that the body is going to be burned.
The idiot pod people are coming by tomorrow at 7:15 AM to pick up the first pod. Assholes. At least that will give us an early start on the rest of the second pod. There's one more pinball machine to move. The only other item that might be a hassle is a large bookcase.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Day 146
It wasn't a good day. Ellen's father died. Like with my father it wasn't unexpected, but that doesn't make it any easier. Fortunately for her sister making the arrangements will be much easier than they were with my father. Pre-planning is a very good thing.
We got a lot accomplished on the house. Ellen finished painting the study. She'll start on the living room tomorrow. I finished masking the living room, kitchen, and entry. Then I emptied one of the pods. It was the one that was half full of house stuff and half full of garage stuff. That meant that I had to move a lot of it to either the metal building or the far storage building. I think we're going to be doing some Craig's list selling after we've unpacked.
The other pod has the furniture in it. It's going to be a lot more difficult for one person to unload. I suspect that Ellen might not get a whole lot of painting done tomorrow.
After putting in a 12 hour day on the house, we decided to do a grocery shopping/exploring/dinner trip. We decided to buy a whole lot of frozen food because it doesn't look like Ellen will have much time to cook. The traffic around here is bad. It was crowded at 7:30 at night. We noticed a lot of college age shoppers at the grocery store. There must be a school around here. We had dinner at a pretentious place called the Galaxy Cafe. It was quite good. The waitress was a prototypical valley girl. I didn't know they had them in Texas.
We got a lot accomplished on the house. Ellen finished painting the study. She'll start on the living room tomorrow. I finished masking the living room, kitchen, and entry. Then I emptied one of the pods. It was the one that was half full of house stuff and half full of garage stuff. That meant that I had to move a lot of it to either the metal building or the far storage building. I think we're going to be doing some Craig's list selling after we've unpacked.
The other pod has the furniture in it. It's going to be a lot more difficult for one person to unload. I suspect that Ellen might not get a whole lot of painting done tomorrow.
After putting in a 12 hour day on the house, we decided to do a grocery shopping/exploring/dinner trip. We decided to buy a whole lot of frozen food because it doesn't look like Ellen will have much time to cook. The traffic around here is bad. It was crowded at 7:30 at night. We noticed a lot of college age shoppers at the grocery store. There must be a school around here. We had dinner at a pretentious place called the Galaxy Cafe. It was quite good. The waitress was a prototypical valley girl. I didn't know they had them in Texas.
Day 145
I won 1 and a half pots at Bingo tonight. That was the only pleasant thing about today.
We started the day doing the wash and preparing the trailer for the move. Lots of things needed disconnecting and stowing. Both tanks needed draining and then the hose needed to be cleaned and put away. That's one of my favorite jobs. All of this took the whole morning.
Then we went out to do some shopping. We stopped by a local pet store and bought Lucy some buffalo bones. She loves them. Then on to the grocery store so that we won't have to worry about food for the next few days.
When we got back I tried to get the garbage service started. ATT wouldn't cooperate. It kept dropping the call. When the call finally went through the person at the other end could barely hear me. It didn't matter, ATT dropped the call before I could complete the signup. I was pissed and gave up.
We had some carrots that we bought for Charlie the donkey. We went to the back of the park to see him, but he wasn't in sight. We called for awhile and he showed up. Lucy was jealous, so she got one of the carrots, too.
The PODS people called about 5:30 to tell us that they would deliver the furniture at 7:15 AM tomorrow. We couldn't get then to change the time, so after bingo we hooked up and drove to the house. There were some trees that were too close to the entrance. I had to cut one 4 inch branch off with a hacksaw. Even then we damaged the TV antenna coming in. In the dark it took about an hour to park the trailer in the place we wanted it. All told, it was 1:00 AM before we got to bed.
We started the day doing the wash and preparing the trailer for the move. Lots of things needed disconnecting and stowing. Both tanks needed draining and then the hose needed to be cleaned and put away. That's one of my favorite jobs. All of this took the whole morning.
Then we went out to do some shopping. We stopped by a local pet store and bought Lucy some buffalo bones. She loves them. Then on to the grocery store so that we won't have to worry about food for the next few days.
When we got back I tried to get the garbage service started. ATT wouldn't cooperate. It kept dropping the call. When the call finally went through the person at the other end could barely hear me. It didn't matter, ATT dropped the call before I could complete the signup. I was pissed and gave up.
We had some carrots that we bought for Charlie the donkey. We went to the back of the park to see him, but he wasn't in sight. We called for awhile and he showed up. Lucy was jealous, so she got one of the carrots, too.
The PODS people called about 5:30 to tell us that they would deliver the furniture at 7:15 AM tomorrow. We couldn't get then to change the time, so after bingo we hooked up and drove to the house. There were some trees that were too close to the entrance. I had to cut one 4 inch branch off with a hacksaw. Even then we damaged the TV antenna coming in. In the dark it took about an hour to park the trailer in the place we wanted it. All told, it was 1:00 AM before we got to bed.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Day 144
Another day spent painting. In spite of all the care we took, there were still areas in the kitchen that needed touch up. We also needed to put a second coat of paint on the living room. Doing that took a large part of the day. The end result looks pretty good. It's a vast improvement over how the sellers left it.
With the walls finally finished it was time to start on the trim. I put down the masking and sanded the woodwork while Ellen did the painting. We managed to get the study mostly complete. That's maybe 1/3 of the total trim. The rest will have to be done concurrently with the move in. We've run out of time. I don't expect to be done with the trim and doors until sometime next week.
When we got home the water didn't work. The pump ran, but nothing came out of the faucet. The output pipe had fallen off the pump. The water had been flowing into the space below the sink. After using half a roll of paper towels to mop up the mess I reconnected the pipe. Everything looks OK now, but I'll have to keep an eye on it.
We're staying at the park tomorrow, preparing to leave. The next time we go up there it will be for good.
With the walls finally finished it was time to start on the trim. I put down the masking and sanded the woodwork while Ellen did the painting. We managed to get the study mostly complete. That's maybe 1/3 of the total trim. The rest will have to be done concurrently with the move in. We've run out of time. I don't expect to be done with the trim and doors until sometime next week.
When we got home the water didn't work. The pump ran, but nothing came out of the faucet. The output pipe had fallen off the pump. The water had been flowing into the space below the sink. After using half a roll of paper towels to mop up the mess I reconnected the pipe. Everything looks OK now, but I'll have to keep an eye on it.
We're staying at the park tomorrow, preparing to leave. The next time we go up there it will be for good.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Day 143
We spent the day house painting. We decided to paint the kitchen a different color, so we stopped at Home Depot to get paint. Then it was off to the house. We spent the whole day on the kitchen. It got two coats, so it should be completely finished. The family room and entry will need a second coat, but we're going to wait until tomorrow when the sun is shining to do it. Today it rained cats and dogs for most of the day.
We won't get all of the painting that we have to do done before the containers show up on Thursday. We should be able to get enough done so that there is a place to put things where they won't need to be moved to finish the painting.
Nothing else interesting happened except that the dog got a bone that someone at a pet store gave us. It kept her busy for half the day. Only half though. When she was finished with the bone she stood at the doorway looking forlorn.
We won't get all of the painting that we have to do done before the containers show up on Thursday. We should be able to get enough done so that there is a place to put things where they won't need to be moved to finish the painting.
Nothing else interesting happened except that the dog got a bone that someone at a pet store gave us. It kept her busy for half the day. Only half though. When she was finished with the bone she stood at the doorway looking forlorn.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Day 142
We were off fairly early to the house to paint. When we got there we had some bad news. As Ellen's sister had advised, we have to paint the walls twice to get full coverage. Now it's really good that we started yesterday.
I took off twice today to get things I saw on Craig's list. The first was a "princess lamp" by Disney. It has four rotating princess figures. It also plays music and the princesses "talk" if you press a button on the base. The niece is going to love it.
Later on I went out to pick up the bed frame that we purchased about a month ago. It's a little rattier than I remember it. I should have offered less than they were asking for it. Also they didn't have the bed slats.
In spite of having to paint the first room over again, we made good progress. The first room is done, and the living room and entry have their first coats. We should be able to finish those two rooms and give the kitchen it's first coat tomorrow.
I think we'll run out of time before we get the trim done. Oh well. We'll have to figure out a way to timeshare painting with unpacking.
The poor dog spent another whole day tied to the back porch looking in at us working. I think she's developing a complex. At least she's on a longer lead than she was yesterday.
I took off twice today to get things I saw on Craig's list. The first was a "princess lamp" by Disney. It has four rotating princess figures. It also plays music and the princesses "talk" if you press a button on the base. The niece is going to love it.
Later on I went out to pick up the bed frame that we purchased about a month ago. It's a little rattier than I remember it. I should have offered less than they were asking for it. Also they didn't have the bed slats.
In spite of having to paint the first room over again, we made good progress. The first room is done, and the living room and entry have their first coats. We should be able to finish those two rooms and give the kitchen it's first coat tomorrow.
I think we'll run out of time before we get the trim done. Oh well. We'll have to figure out a way to timeshare painting with unpacking.
The poor dog spent another whole day tied to the back porch looking in at us working. I think she's developing a complex. At least she's on a longer lead than she was yesterday.
Day 141
The day started out with a disappointment. The plan was to go to the Wimberley Market Days. This is a once a month open air market where there's a lot of arts and crafts. We got there and the parking lot attendant warned us that we couldn't take the dog with us. So we blew that off and drove over to the Dripping Springs Home Depot to get painting supplies.
$300 later we had 4 gallons of paint, a ladder, masking tape, masking paper, and an assortment of rollers and brushes. We got to the house about noon and started painting. Actually Ellen painted while I did prep work.
We stopped a little after 7:00 PM. We only got the office done. However it's the room with the most surface area to paint. It's probably good that we got started on the painting today. On the way home we stopped at Home Depot again and got some stuff that we'll need for tomorrow.
The poor dog spent the whole day tied to the back porch looking in at us working. I think she's wondering what she did wrong. We made it up to her by stopping at Sonic for dinner and buying her a hamburger.
$300 later we had 4 gallons of paint, a ladder, masking tape, masking paper, and an assortment of rollers and brushes. We got to the house about noon and started painting. Actually Ellen painted while I did prep work.
We stopped a little after 7:00 PM. We only got the office done. However it's the room with the most surface area to paint. It's probably good that we got started on the painting today. On the way home we stopped at Home Depot again and got some stuff that we'll need for tomorrow.
The poor dog spent the whole day tied to the back porch looking in at us working. I think she's wondering what she did wrong. We made it up to her by stopping at Sonic for dinner and buying her a hamburger.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Day 140
We bought the house today. The mortgage broker didn't come through with the loan (surprise, surprise) so we paid cash. We did the walkthrough in the morning. Everything looked OK, except the paint in the great room/kitchen area was in much worse shape than we thought. We'll have to repaint it before we move in.
Looking back over the blog the first entry that mentions looking for a house was Day 20. That means we spent 4 months looking for a house. Actually it was closer to three since we spent almost a month waiting for an answer to our offer on the Merrywood Lane house. We spend at least a month working on the new house. So much for having fun this winter.
We also seem to have inherited a little bit of junk that the sellers left behind. This includes two old computers and a monitor. That's OK. They also left us a table, a refrigerator, and a washer and dryer.
We called the title company before we left the property. Yesterday they told us the closing will be on Tuesday. Today they said it would be at 1:00 today. So we went to the bank, got a check, and headed to the title company office. Everything went fine there. We signed a lot fewer papers than we did for the loan application.
Afterwards we took Rosie to a late lunch in San Marcos. We learned that most eating establishments in downtown San Marcos aren't open until after 4:00. We did find a place that had some wonderful lasagna. Then it was home and saying goodbye to a lady who both helped us and tolerated us in large measures.
In the evening I reviewed all the Craigslist ads that I've been bookmarking. Many of them had expired. I called on a couple of them, but nothing major. I'll need to get cracking on the roof and selling the pool right away.
Tomorrow is the monthly "Wimberley Market day". I suspect that it will be a lot like the Gruene market. We're going to go and then go over to Home Depot or Lowe's and get paint and supplies.
Looking back over the blog the first entry that mentions looking for a house was Day 20. That means we spent 4 months looking for a house. Actually it was closer to three since we spent almost a month waiting for an answer to our offer on the Merrywood Lane house. We spend at least a month working on the new house. So much for having fun this winter.
We also seem to have inherited a little bit of junk that the sellers left behind. This includes two old computers and a monitor. That's OK. They also left us a table, a refrigerator, and a washer and dryer.
We called the title company before we left the property. Yesterday they told us the closing will be on Tuesday. Today they said it would be at 1:00 today. So we went to the bank, got a check, and headed to the title company office. Everything went fine there. We signed a lot fewer papers than we did for the loan application.
Afterwards we took Rosie to a late lunch in San Marcos. We learned that most eating establishments in downtown San Marcos aren't open until after 4:00. We did find a place that had some wonderful lasagna. Then it was home and saying goodbye to a lady who both helped us and tolerated us in large measures.
In the evening I reviewed all the Craigslist ads that I've been bookmarking. Many of them had expired. I called on a couple of them, but nothing major. I'll need to get cracking on the roof and selling the pool right away.
Tomorrow is the monthly "Wimberley Market day". I suspect that it will be a lot like the Gruene market. We're going to go and then go over to Home Depot or Lowe's and get paint and supplies.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Day 139
Today was a travel day. Up at 4:15 to go to the airport. The flight to Denver was fine. The middle seat was empty. The layover at Denver was short. I was on the plane to San Antonio 15 minutes after I landed. That flight was pretty full. I was disappointed when the last person to board the plane took the middle seat beside me.
We stopped by the mortgage broker on the way home. He still hadn't gotten the loan approved and we were supposed to close tomorrow after the walkthrough. I told him we'd probably pay cash if he couldn't get the deal done in time for closing.
After we got home Ellen moved enough money around to pay for the house. We just don't know when the bank in San Antonio will release the funds. We should find out tomorrow. We also found out that the sellers have postponed the closing until Tuesday. That makes the money thing easier, but it meant that we had to delay the delivery of our furniture.
The dog had a good day. After riding to the airport she got to go to the park. She did a reasonable number of retrieves, and then we walked her around the park. She's a tired doggy tonight.
Ellen made her reservations to go back to Oregon to get a driver's license and deal with the taxes. At least the tickets weren't hideously expensive. It will be the first flight out of Austin rather than San Antonio.
We stopped by the mortgage broker on the way home. He still hadn't gotten the loan approved and we were supposed to close tomorrow after the walkthrough. I told him we'd probably pay cash if he couldn't get the deal done in time for closing.
After we got home Ellen moved enough money around to pay for the house. We just don't know when the bank in San Antonio will release the funds. We should find out tomorrow. We also found out that the sellers have postponed the closing until Tuesday. That makes the money thing easier, but it meant that we had to delay the delivery of our furniture.
The dog had a good day. After riding to the airport she got to go to the park. She did a reasonable number of retrieves, and then we walked her around the park. She's a tired doggy tonight.
Ellen made her reservations to go back to Oregon to get a driver's license and deal with the taxes. At least the tickets weren't hideously expensive. It will be the first flight out of Austin rather than San Antonio.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Day 138
We buried Dad today. Actually, we went to the cemetery where the coffin was suspended over the grave.
A deacon from the church performed a short service and there was a military honor guard. Both ceremonies were very nice and somehow comforting. The weather was fitting, too. Cold and raining lightly.
Susan and Teddy were there, along with Cathy's son Bob. Hugh and Anita were also there. They didn't make the funeral due to some miscommunication about the time of the funeral.
In the morning Hooch and Mom went to the courthouse and then to US Bank. They managed to work out everything with the bank. That means most of the financial arrangements have been completed.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing and watching the kids cut up. I'm packed up and ready to leave tomorrow. Boy am I ready.
A deacon from the church performed a short service and there was a military honor guard. Both ceremonies were very nice and somehow comforting. The weather was fitting, too. Cold and raining lightly.
Susan and Teddy were there, along with Cathy's son Bob. Hugh and Anita were also there. They didn't make the funeral due to some miscommunication about the time of the funeral.
In the morning Hooch and Mom went to the courthouse and then to US Bank. They managed to work out everything with the bank. That means most of the financial arrangements have been completed.
The rest of the day was spent relaxing and watching the kids cut up. I'm packed up and ready to leave tomorrow. Boy am I ready.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Day 137
Today was the funeral. We spent the morning cleaning up a few details in the files. Then it was get dressed up and go to the funeral.
The funeral was very well attended. There were a lot of relatives (aunts, cousins, and shirttale relatives) that I hadn't seen in literally decades. The service went off well. I managed to read my eulogy with my voice breaking only at the end.
After the service was a dinner where we got a chance to reconnect with these people that we are related to butt never see. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. We came home with a bunch more food - sandwiches and desserts. We won't have to fix a meal for days.
When we got home we spent the evening decompressing. Dan and I had beers. Mom and Julia played with the kids. Later on Dan and I played with the kids while Mom and Julia read.
I've decided to include a copy of my eulogy here. Not because I think that it's a particularly good one. I'm just doing it because I want to:
I admired my father. He did something I decided I could never do. He supported a wife and three kids thru college on a single income and still managed to retire comfortably. To me, that’s a great accomplishment and a good definition of a successful life. That wasn’t all. He managed to raise three successful sons along the way (I guess Mom would add that she had something to do with that too).
A man takes on a lot of heavy responsibilities when he decides to become a father. Dad met those responsibilities. Besides providing for his family’s food, clothing, and shelter he was always there. Let’s face it. Many times he was there bringing thunder and lightning, but you could tell that it was because he cared.
One example of how he cared that’s always stuck with me is when he turned down moving to Bartlesville due to the pleading of the family. It basically ended his chances at advancement with Phillips Petroleum. I’ve been to Oklahoma and I will be eternally grateful that he agreed not to move us there.
Dad provided his sons with a lot of valuable lessons. He taught us that the only way to accomplish anything meaningful is through hard work. Just as importantly he taught us how to work hard. He taught us that much of life is a competition, and it matters where you place. He taught us the value of a dollar (my wife sometimes says he taught me that one too well).
He also had a very quiet way of showing us what was important to him. For example - every day - regardless of when he needed to be at work, he drove each of us to school. In one swoop he showed us he wanted life to be better for his children than for him- no marathon bus rides as he had into Colfax for his boys - and that an education - going to school - is an important foundation.
Dad wasn’t the most articulate of people when it came to personal subjects. But I think that he wanted all of his sons to succeed and that these lessons were his best attempt to insure that we would. I think he did well.
I’ve pretty much been talking about my experiences of Dad as a father. I want to mention one other thing about him that I think speaks volumes about the kind of man he was. When our country was threatened, he stood up and defended it. That is a rare and special thing.
Dad died of a terrible disease. It’s a disease that takes away the person long before it takes away his presence. So in one sense he hasn’t been with us for some time. I missed him when his mind went away, and I miss him more now.
The funeral was very well attended. There were a lot of relatives (aunts, cousins, and shirttale relatives) that I hadn't seen in literally decades. The service went off well. I managed to read my eulogy with my voice breaking only at the end.
After the service was a dinner where we got a chance to reconnect with these people that we are related to butt never see. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. We came home with a bunch more food - sandwiches and desserts. We won't have to fix a meal for days.
When we got home we spent the evening decompressing. Dan and I had beers. Mom and Julia played with the kids. Later on Dan and I played with the kids while Mom and Julia read.
I've decided to include a copy of my eulogy here. Not because I think that it's a particularly good one. I'm just doing it because I want to:
I admired my father. He did something I decided I could never do. He supported a wife and three kids thru college on a single income and still managed to retire comfortably. To me, that’s a great accomplishment and a good definition of a successful life. That wasn’t all. He managed to raise three successful sons along the way (I guess Mom would add that she had something to do with that too).
A man takes on a lot of heavy responsibilities when he decides to become a father. Dad met those responsibilities. Besides providing for his family’s food, clothing, and shelter he was always there. Let’s face it. Many times he was there bringing thunder and lightning, but you could tell that it was because he cared.
One example of how he cared that’s always stuck with me is when he turned down moving to Bartlesville due to the pleading of the family. It basically ended his chances at advancement with Phillips Petroleum. I’ve been to Oklahoma and I will be eternally grateful that he agreed not to move us there.
Dad provided his sons with a lot of valuable lessons. He taught us that the only way to accomplish anything meaningful is through hard work. Just as importantly he taught us how to work hard. He taught us that much of life is a competition, and it matters where you place. He taught us the value of a dollar (my wife sometimes says he taught me that one too well).
He also had a very quiet way of showing us what was important to him. For example - every day - regardless of when he needed to be at work, he drove each of us to school. In one swoop he showed us he wanted life to be better for his children than for him- no marathon bus rides as he had into Colfax for his boys - and that an education - going to school - is an important foundation.
Dad wasn’t the most articulate of people when it came to personal subjects. But I think that he wanted all of his sons to succeed and that these lessons were his best attempt to insure that we would. I think he did well.
I’ve pretty much been talking about my experiences of Dad as a father. I want to mention one other thing about him that I think speaks volumes about the kind of man he was. When our country was threatened, he stood up and defended it. That is a rare and special thing.
Dad died of a terrible disease. It’s a disease that takes away the person long before it takes away his presence. So in one sense he hasn’t been with us for some time. I missed him when his mind went away, and I miss him more now.
Day 136
Lots of calls from relatives that are coming in for the funeral. Also a couple of people brought food by. Hooch read the eulogy I wrote and made some changes. He found a website that gives instructions on how to write eulogies. I told him I didn't care. I'll write what I want the way I want.
Mom and I went over to the funeral home for the visitation. They've done a very good job. It was funny. We spent so much time worrying about how the coffin would look. With the flag and drapings on it, you can barely see it. We only spent about 20 minutes there. I took some pictures and Mom stood by the coffin. We also got the death certificates - an important milestone.
After that we left there we picked up Mom's dress at Nordstroms and my suit at Northtown. We got thank you cards for various people. Two of them cost $3 apiece. I hate Hallmark. While we were at Northtown I drove by the home I grew up in. I took some pictures. Those houses are alot smaller than I remember.
On the way back we drove by Ellen's old home. I just wanted to see it. They've torn down the workshop/garage that my fatherinlaw kept his tools in.
Hooch had a good morning on the financial front. He turned off Dad's health insurance and started the life insurance company investigating his policies. In the afternoon he and Mom went off armed with the death certificates to do battle with the banks. He got the IRA transferred. He didn't have a chance to deal with US Bank.
Julia's parents showed up and and dinner with us. Then we all watched some kids movie.
Mom and I went over to the funeral home for the visitation. They've done a very good job. It was funny. We spent so much time worrying about how the coffin would look. With the flag and drapings on it, you can barely see it. We only spent about 20 minutes there. I took some pictures and Mom stood by the coffin. We also got the death certificates - an important milestone.
After that we left there we picked up Mom's dress at Nordstroms and my suit at Northtown. We got thank you cards for various people. Two of them cost $3 apiece. I hate Hallmark. While we were at Northtown I drove by the home I grew up in. I took some pictures. Those houses are alot smaller than I remember.
On the way back we drove by Ellen's old home. I just wanted to see it. They've torn down the workshop/garage that my fatherinlaw kept his tools in.
Hooch had a good morning on the financial front. He turned off Dad's health insurance and started the life insurance company investigating his policies. In the afternoon he and Mom went off armed with the death certificates to do battle with the banks. He got the IRA transferred. He didn't have a chance to deal with US Bank.
Julia's parents showed up and and dinner with us. Then we all watched some kids movie.
Day 135
The only thing we did today was go to mass. The rest of the day was spent mainly listening to the kids scream. They've been getting more uncontrollable the longer they've been out of their routine. Hooch thinks it's because Sophia is entering the terrible twos and Alicia is imitating her.
Hooch and I did go through some more of Mom's old files. We found a couple of phone numbers that might be useful. We also found some paperwork that explained the way Dad's retirement had been set up. Part of it was a lump sum and part as an annuity.
Hooch read over the eulogy that I wrote and made some changes. I'm going to have to practice it a few times so that I can read it through without getting choked up.
A neighbor brought over some food, which we added to some others brought over yesterday. We're eating off paper plates so that makes dinner pretty easy.
Tomorrow we have to pick up some clothes and go to the visitation. That's the first of the three ceremonies to bury Dad. I'm not looking forward to them.
Hooch and I did go through some more of Mom's old files. We found a couple of phone numbers that might be useful. We also found some paperwork that explained the way Dad's retirement had been set up. Part of it was a lump sum and part as an annuity.
Hooch read over the eulogy that I wrote and made some changes. I'm going to have to practice it a few times so that I can read it through without getting choked up.
A neighbor brought over some food, which we added to some others brought over yesterday. We're eating off paper plates so that makes dinner pretty easy.
Tomorrow we have to pick up some clothes and go to the visitation. That's the first of the three ceremonies to bury Dad. I'm not looking forward to them.
Day 134
It's Saturday, so there is little that we can do on the "wrap up Dad's affairs" front. Instead we spent part of the morning on a leisurely start the day routine. Then we went shopping. Hooch and I needed shoes. Mom and Julia needed black dresses.
The first stop was Nordstroms. Since Mom and I went in a separate car, we got there first. We hadn't even made a complete circuit of the women's department before Mom saw a dress she liked that fit. Julia arrived a few mnutes later. She immediately saw and liked the same dress.
I will say that Nordstrom's must be feeling the recession. I've never seen the store with that little inventory. It wasn't bare, but it was far from full.
Dan and I went downstairs with Sophia. Alicia stayed with her mom. Dan took the opportunity to shop for some additional shirts and shoes. He doesn't get a chance to shop very often. After a few minutes Alicia showed up. I think she walked downstairs and found us on her own. I also found a pair of shoes. It was a bit of work to ride herd on the kids while the two of us were being helped. They wanted to mess with everything and run off in all directions.
Julia couldn't find a dress she liked so she came downstairs to look for shoes. What ensued was another episode with the kids running around grabbing shoes, crying, and generally acting up to try to get her attention. Hooch was there so for the most part Mom and I just watched. I felt sorry for the salesman.
Then it was time for lunch. We went to a sports bar. There was a pawnshop next door, so I went in alone and scored some cheap CD's. After lunch we went to Macy's in search of a dress.
Macy's had a lot more stock than Nordstrom's. Julia spent a couple of hours trying on dresses. Mom and I spent the time chasing the kids or locating candidate dresses. Julia finally made a decision.
We parted ways again. They went home and Mom and I went to the grocery store and in search of dinner. We were going to get stuff at Happy Panda, but the line stretched out the door. We went to a nearby Chinese restaurant and ordered takeout. The food was bad to terrible. The dishes were all vegetables with no meat or shrimp in them. I ordered "almonnd chicken" which turned out to be a few pieces of chicken in a bunch of pudding. The shrimp dish didn't have more than 4 or 5 shrimp in it. The beef dish had maybe three pieces of beef. Usually when you order Chinese takeout you save the leftovers for the next day. We threw the leftovers out. What really sucked was that the food was expensive.
In the evening Dan made some progress finding financial documents. This will make thigs easier when we finally get the death certificates.
The first stop was Nordstroms. Since Mom and I went in a separate car, we got there first. We hadn't even made a complete circuit of the women's department before Mom saw a dress she liked that fit. Julia arrived a few mnutes later. She immediately saw and liked the same dress.
I will say that Nordstrom's must be feeling the recession. I've never seen the store with that little inventory. It wasn't bare, but it was far from full.
Dan and I went downstairs with Sophia. Alicia stayed with her mom. Dan took the opportunity to shop for some additional shirts and shoes. He doesn't get a chance to shop very often. After a few minutes Alicia showed up. I think she walked downstairs and found us on her own. I also found a pair of shoes. It was a bit of work to ride herd on the kids while the two of us were being helped. They wanted to mess with everything and run off in all directions.
Julia couldn't find a dress she liked so she came downstairs to look for shoes. What ensued was another episode with the kids running around grabbing shoes, crying, and generally acting up to try to get her attention. Hooch was there so for the most part Mom and I just watched. I felt sorry for the salesman.
Then it was time for lunch. We went to a sports bar. There was a pawnshop next door, so I went in alone and scored some cheap CD's. After lunch we went to Macy's in search of a dress.
Macy's had a lot more stock than Nordstrom's. Julia spent a couple of hours trying on dresses. Mom and I spent the time chasing the kids or locating candidate dresses. Julia finally made a decision.
We parted ways again. They went home and Mom and I went to the grocery store and in search of dinner. We were going to get stuff at Happy Panda, but the line stretched out the door. We went to a nearby Chinese restaurant and ordered takeout. The food was bad to terrible. The dishes were all vegetables with no meat or shrimp in them. I ordered "almonnd chicken" which turned out to be a few pieces of chicken in a bunch of pudding. The shrimp dish didn't have more than 4 or 5 shrimp in it. The beef dish had maybe three pieces of beef. Usually when you order Chinese takeout you save the leftovers for the next day. We threw the leftovers out. What really sucked was that the food was expensive.
In the evening Dan made some progress finding financial documents. This will make thigs easier when we finally get the death certificates.
Day 133
Today was a lot less intense than the last three days. We did a little calling around concerning some of the investments. We didn't make a lot of progress except to find out that we won't be able to deal with any accounts of Dad's until we get a death certificate and the court certifies mother as executor.
The Greeks and the cemetery are still debating who owns the plot Dad will be buried in. We told them to figure it out and let us know.
Tony went back to Seattle "to do an appraisal". We suspect that he's coming back with his boyfriend. Apparently his boyfriend is black. Tony didn't take his drugs today. This is a little worrisome.
I spent part of the day assembling the slot car set that I bought Hooch. I figured that he would like to play with it. It's a pretty complicated set and it took quite awhile to get it working. We got it done about 11:00 tonight. Hooch seems pretty happy with it. I hope he gets some time to play with it.
We just flat ran out of time in collecting pictures for the funeral multimedia thing. Dan had to rush down to the funeral home to get them and the contract to it before closing time. He literally stopped the guy in the parking lot as he was leaving to go home. If he had missed him, there wouldn't have been a funeral.
We went downtown in the evening to have dinner and then Hooch and Julia went to get their hair cut. That left the kids with Mom and me. We spent the time in the children's section of a book store. It was quite wearing trying to keep them quiet and at the same time making sure they didn't destroy any books. We were moderately successful, but it was 90 minutes I'd rather not have to do again.
The Greeks and the cemetery are still debating who owns the plot Dad will be buried in. We told them to figure it out and let us know.
Tony went back to Seattle "to do an appraisal". We suspect that he's coming back with his boyfriend. Apparently his boyfriend is black. Tony didn't take his drugs today. This is a little worrisome.
I spent part of the day assembling the slot car set that I bought Hooch. I figured that he would like to play with it. It's a pretty complicated set and it took quite awhile to get it working. We got it done about 11:00 tonight. Hooch seems pretty happy with it. I hope he gets some time to play with it.
We just flat ran out of time in collecting pictures for the funeral multimedia thing. Dan had to rush down to the funeral home to get them and the contract to it before closing time. He literally stopped the guy in the parking lot as he was leaving to go home. If he had missed him, there wouldn't have been a funeral.
We went downtown in the evening to have dinner and then Hooch and Julia went to get their hair cut. That left the kids with Mom and me. We spent the time in the children's section of a book store. It was quite wearing trying to keep them quiet and at the same time making sure they didn't destroy any books. We were moderately successful, but it was 90 minutes I'd rather not have to do again.
Day 132
The day started off early, but slowly. The kids weren't about to let anyone sleep in. At the same time neither Dan or I really wanted to work on the todo list right away. Instead we played with the kids. We got the train set going and I was put in charge of entertaining them with it for awhile. I was moderately successful. We were actually beginning to do quite well until Dan told us we couldn't play on the stairs.
Once we got started Dan tackled the insurance and I took on Social Security. In order to get a real person at Social Security you have to suffer through this inane voice recognition system that attempts to gain information from you and perhaps answer the question in an automated way. It couldn't seem to understand my answers with the kids screaming in the background. After about a 10 to 15 minute wait on hold a real person came on. As you would expect, they have a smooth running procedure for clients who die. Another 10 minutes on the phone and it was set up. The only possible snag will be if the government sends his next check. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
After that it was off to the cemetery to arrange for the burial. We chose a plot based on what the Greek person told us. It's next to our favorite cousin and about 20 feet from his parents. The cemetary keeps its plot records in a one and a half foot by two foot by four inch thick bound book. It's frayed and really beat up. It's been in use since 1914. Dan's sharp eye kept the cemetary person from entering the wrong plot number. We would have shown up for the burial with the hole in the wrong place. He also got the guy to reduce the price of the vault to match that of the mortuary. At the same time Tony was trying to get final OK on the plot selection. The Greek person said that the Greeks didn't own the plot we chose. The cemetery guy says they do. We'll let the two of them fight it out.
We then made a short stop to drop off a suit for Dad at the mortuary and pick up the papers Mom needs to sign. Then it was off to the Men's Wearhouse to get a suit, tie, and shirt. I got an OK deal on it all, $360. That included buying a suit and tie for Dan. It will be ready on Monday even though normal lead time is two weeks.
Ellen called. The closing will be a week from tomorrow (Friday). I'll fly home on Thursday. The flight leaves at 6:15 AM.
Hugh came for dinner. We had a great conversation. I told him about our adventures in house hunting and some things about the new house. After dinner we used his truck to move a bed and a dresser out of the nursing home. The dresser came home with us. The bed got taken to a person who needed it. We got finished with everything about 10:00 PM. I'm really pissed at the home. They are going to charge us $200 a day for 5 days after the room is vacated. That sucks.
Once we got started Dan tackled the insurance and I took on Social Security. In order to get a real person at Social Security you have to suffer through this inane voice recognition system that attempts to gain information from you and perhaps answer the question in an automated way. It couldn't seem to understand my answers with the kids screaming in the background. After about a 10 to 15 minute wait on hold a real person came on. As you would expect, they have a smooth running procedure for clients who die. Another 10 minutes on the phone and it was set up. The only possible snag will be if the government sends his next check. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
After that it was off to the cemetery to arrange for the burial. We chose a plot based on what the Greek person told us. It's next to our favorite cousin and about 20 feet from his parents. The cemetary keeps its plot records in a one and a half foot by two foot by four inch thick bound book. It's frayed and really beat up. It's been in use since 1914. Dan's sharp eye kept the cemetary person from entering the wrong plot number. We would have shown up for the burial with the hole in the wrong place. He also got the guy to reduce the price of the vault to match that of the mortuary. At the same time Tony was trying to get final OK on the plot selection. The Greek person said that the Greeks didn't own the plot we chose. The cemetery guy says they do. We'll let the two of them fight it out.
We then made a short stop to drop off a suit for Dad at the mortuary and pick up the papers Mom needs to sign. Then it was off to the Men's Wearhouse to get a suit, tie, and shirt. I got an OK deal on it all, $360. That included buying a suit and tie for Dan. It will be ready on Monday even though normal lead time is two weeks.
Ellen called. The closing will be a week from tomorrow (Friday). I'll fly home on Thursday. The flight leaves at 6:15 AM.
Hugh came for dinner. We had a great conversation. I told him about our adventures in house hunting and some things about the new house. After dinner we used his truck to move a bed and a dresser out of the nursing home. The dresser came home with us. The bed got taken to a person who needed it. We got finished with everything about 10:00 PM. I'm really pissed at the home. They are going to charge us $200 a day for 5 days after the room is vacated. That sucks.
Day 131
The day started early. Tony called about 2:20 in the morning to say that the end was near. We got up and dressed as fast as we could and went to the home. We were a little too late. Dad died less than 10 minutes before we got there. We spent about two hours with the body, praying and crying. After that we all went home for a few hours of much needed sleep.
We got up about three hours later. Tony took Mom to Mass and then to breakfast. While they were gone Dan and I tried to figure out what arrangements needed to be made. When they got home we divided up labors. Tony took on arranging the times for the services and determining the gravesite. The gravesite question was complicated because we couldn't get confirmation that Dad would be allowed in the Greek portion of the cemetary.
In the mean time Dan and I work with Mom on locating necessary paperwork and making decisions about the funeral arrangements. After going as far with this as we could we went to the funeral home for a talk. There were a couple of things we needed clarified and there were papers to sign. We spent hours there discussing info for the death certificate, choosing options like the casket and flowers and setting the burial time. This was a big deal because the time has to be approved by the cemetary. Not knowing the burial site made this difficult.
It all worked out in the end. Tony called with firm times for the service and confirmation that Dad could be buried in the Greek section. We left with a whole bunch of to do items including returning tomorrow to finalize the decisions and going to the cemetary to finalize the burial details.
After that we went to White Elephant and bought the kids some toys. I bought them toy shotguns. We returned to a dinner that a neighbor lady had cooked for us. It was delicious. I got stuck with cleaning up.
After dinner Tony went off on a mysterious mission. Something about wiring money to his boyfriend. The rest of us went to Shopko for some retail therapy. The kids each scored several new toys. I bought Dan an early birthday present. It was a slot car set that he really wanted and that Julia would never let him buy.
We got a lot accomplished today. There's more to do tomorrow, but it should be easier. I should be able to get home in time to close on the house.
We got up about three hours later. Tony took Mom to Mass and then to breakfast. While they were gone Dan and I tried to figure out what arrangements needed to be made. When they got home we divided up labors. Tony took on arranging the times for the services and determining the gravesite. The gravesite question was complicated because we couldn't get confirmation that Dad would be allowed in the Greek portion of the cemetary.
In the mean time Dan and I work with Mom on locating necessary paperwork and making decisions about the funeral arrangements. After going as far with this as we could we went to the funeral home for a talk. There were a couple of things we needed clarified and there were papers to sign. We spent hours there discussing info for the death certificate, choosing options like the casket and flowers and setting the burial time. This was a big deal because the time has to be approved by the cemetary. Not knowing the burial site made this difficult.
It all worked out in the end. Tony called with firm times for the service and confirmation that Dad could be buried in the Greek section. We left with a whole bunch of to do items including returning tomorrow to finalize the decisions and going to the cemetary to finalize the burial details.
After that we went to White Elephant and bought the kids some toys. I bought them toy shotguns. We returned to a dinner that a neighbor lady had cooked for us. It was delicious. I got stuck with cleaning up.
After dinner Tony went off on a mysterious mission. Something about wiring money to his boyfriend. The rest of us went to Shopko for some retail therapy. The kids each scored several new toys. I bought Dan an early birthday present. It was a slot car set that he really wanted and that Julia would never let him buy.
We got a lot accomplished today. There's more to do tomorrow, but it should be easier. I should be able to get home in time to close on the house.
Day 130
I hate flying. There's nothing like sitting for hours with nothing between your ass and six miles of thin air except a few millimeters of aluminum. The deluxe seating and the wonderful half oz of peanuts and small glass of orange juice further enhance the experience. The flight to Las Vegas was a little better because the plane was only half full. After three hours sitting in the LV airport I got on a completely full flight to Spokane. It was made even more fun with the addition of 4 screaming rugrats and a barking dog.
Aiport security is a joke. All of these ex-burger flippers standing around hindering people's progress while doing nothing to add to flight security. At the Spokane airport there is a narrow hallway with a sign in it saying "don't turn around, you are leaving a secure area". Now tell me how I enter the hallway "safe" and get magically transformed into a potential terrorist by the time I get to the end of it. Did I mention that there are two burger flippers standing at the "safe" end to insure I don't turn around?
I was met at the airport by one of Mom's friends. She was a very nice lady who drove me directly to the home. Dad was a responsive as he ever got. That meant that his eyes were open and he turned his head slightly when I spoke to him. Over the space of 20 minutes or so his eyes closed and his neck relaxed. I stayed there with Mom for several hours. I talked the whole time so that he could hear my voice.
Then we all left for dinner. When we returned Dad was unchanged - breathing heavily and not responding. The priest was there. He ed us in a prayer and said a whole lot of comforting words. We decided that Tony would take the first watch. I'd relieve him at 5:00 AM. I'm glad he took the first watch, I'm very tired.
Aiport security is a joke. All of these ex-burger flippers standing around hindering people's progress while doing nothing to add to flight security. At the Spokane airport there is a narrow hallway with a sign in it saying "don't turn around, you are leaving a secure area". Now tell me how I enter the hallway "safe" and get magically transformed into a potential terrorist by the time I get to the end of it. Did I mention that there are two burger flippers standing at the "safe" end to insure I don't turn around?
I was met at the airport by one of Mom's friends. She was a very nice lady who drove me directly to the home. Dad was a responsive as he ever got. That meant that his eyes were open and he turned his head slightly when I spoke to him. Over the space of 20 minutes or so his eyes closed and his neck relaxed. I stayed there with Mom for several hours. I talked the whole time so that he could hear my voice.
Then we all left for dinner. When we returned Dad was unchanged - breathing heavily and not responding. The priest was there. He ed us in a prayer and said a whole lot of comforting words. We decided that Tony would take the first watch. I'd relieve him at 5:00 AM. I'm glad he took the first watch, I'm very tired.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)