XII. Countertops & Screens - But Then Some Sadness...

January 1, 2017

Happy New Year!! 

But you already knew that... So sorry! I'm SO late with getting this out. You'll see why shortly. And apologies - not my best post but here we are playing catch-up.

January 5, 2017

Today we had Molly Maids come to help with the floors. They are all done but oh so dirty with all the workers who have been in and out.

Best $175 we ever spent!

Tomorrow we not only have our kitchen window coming - but all our stuff from our old house.

I'm tired just thinking about it.

January 6, 2017 

FINALLY! The kitchen window arrived. Here is our installer Danny setting it in. He had to build up the wall by 9 inches. Which means the outside stucco will need a patch job when he's done.

And - today the movers arrived - with two thirds of our stuff. Seems they forgot a storage bin back on the east coast... Sigh...

January 11, 2017

Ok, got the rest of our stuff. All but our hand truck - which we could use about now. Jeeze...

Couldn't find anything but this one picture from round two's truck. Guess I was tired.

The garage is packed again...

January 13, 2017

Been unpacking while still managing with one sink in the master bath. Even though the kitchen window is now in, our countertop guy is on vacation, so...  no sink yet...

On another note - apparently we got a bum fridge with a poor seal, so here is the new one we are swapping in. I was amazed at the way these guys carried it in. No more dolly carts. There is another mover on the opposite side of the fridge - they just carried it along!

January 17, 2016

Yahoo! Countertop!  Our install and fabricator Ryan just left! And - I already called the plumber who is coming tomorrow.

As you can see, we have a sink... but I suppose it's the faucet we really need! LOL! So nice though.

You may remember having seen a picture of a quartzite slab that was in my last blog, but when Ryan priced it out it came to $3000 per slab - not installed, materials only! And we needed two. So... we went with this - our first choice actually.

It's man-made quartz and indestructible. Luxxor Calacatta or 'marble'. I'm loving the whole light and airy feel we have going. Now for the dishwasher and faucet.

Where are those plumbers!

January 18, 2016

Ahh, the luxuries... A faucet a faucet a faucet! I can finally retire my portable wash bucket in the bathroom. Yuk yuk yuk.

January 26, 2017

So this what got me off my game. Our saddest day in two years - when Kayla decided to join her sister on the Rainbow Bridge. She had been sick for a couple of months fighting back the cancer, but last night she began to lose that battle. And today we had to let her go.

Two years to the day she joined Lindsey. Here they are at their best!

Kayla

Lindsey

Sweet girls - we miss you!

January 31, 2017

But life goes on and in a way we are glad for the distractions the house is giving us.

Thank you all who sent caring thoughts!

So, here we go.

It's screen repair day.

OMG! These guys loved being in the log book. :D Just straddle a ladder across two others - and there they have it.

Blow this one up and check out his face!

Below on the left, we removed a solid panel of Texture 111 that was rotted - and full of palmetto bugs. Ewe!

If you've never seen one... here you are. Gross I know! They can grow to almost four inches. Paul laughs when I meet one. I either run away in crazed repugnance or smash it to bits with my shoe - for a minimum of 10 or 12 times...

Thankfully, they crawled off outside the screen!

And with that last image in your mind, see you again soon for some landscaping and finish work pictures.

Thanks for hanging in there with us.

XI. Merry Christmas! - And a Touch of Bah Humbug...

December 12, 2016

It's been a couple of really busy weeks since our last post. Ok, so not everything is complete... but - we are here at last!

We unofficially moved in today!

With a just a bed, a microwave, coffee pot, TV, and a few kitchen borrows from Barbara and Nick.

And  bottle of Oban to celebrate.

However, I have been lazy about taking pictures so here's my description.

December 18, 2016

The first two days we had nothing but two plug in lamps, one functioning bathroom, a kitchen with some cabinets (no sink) and an island that was skewed sideways because yours truly misjudged where the channeled in electrical wire went to the center island. Needless to say, that took a couple of days to get corrected.

On the first night (and for the month) we rented a bed and a flat screen TV. Gross and disgusting bed from Rent a Center - but at 8 P.M. we were thrilled to have it. Funny how exhaustion changes one's perspective...

The flat screen however is perfect.

The fridge, stove, washer, and dryer got delivered on day two. Thank God. But only the fridge and washer worked initially. Here's why.

The stove spent several days in the middle of the kitchen because our electrician had a delay due to his daughter's sudden medical event and couldn't get back to us to put in the super plug. It looked ridiculous if not a bit cumbersome with the skewed center island as you might imagine.

The existing dryer vent to the outside was decrepit. I couldn't bear hooking up the brand new dryer to it and that type of fix wasn't really in any of our contractor's line of work. Finally I decided to just change it out myself. That was an experiment but - we are up and running in the laundry room!

Meanwhile, we had more windows worked on, the carpenters flew through and did an amazing job of getting up the crown molding and baseboard and trimming out the doorways, the tile guys finally finished the spare bedroom and guest bath floors, and our electrician came back and is working daily to get all the fans, switches, and lights in place - and the stove. It's a kitchen!

Never thought I would miss cooking. Enough with the takeouts already.

Then there is the lining up of house insurance, 2017 medical insurance for Paul and I, house inspections for the insurance company, and running out to get all those little things you can't do without - like can openers, oven mitts, toilet paper, and not to forget - a corkscrew!

Meanwhile, today, which is day 6 of our home-camping adventure, the one functioning bathroom decided to crap out - literally. Not only did we have some strange bubbling popping out of the toilet every time we ran the sink, the shower decided to plug up - along with the toilet. Oh, and did I mention this was on Sunday evening?

Desperado...

OK, so that got fixed... but not until very late Monday afternoon. Have you ever yawned and held your nose at the same time? I don't recommend it.

Seems the existing toilet's 'black ring' slipped loose and got sucked down in a flush. It then lodged itself at a right angle in the piping blocking everything up. Seriously? It took about 20 feet or so of roto rooter equipment to shove the little culprit along.

Then - a few days later the garage door opener stuck. In the up position at oh, 8:00 P.M.  With our garage still brimming with lights, fans, and boxes of personal stuff. What! So all night I slept with one eye open and my ears on high alert on the couch by the door. Have you ever yawned and swore at the same time? That I just might recommend. It really does make you feel better... especially if you add some tears.

Ok, so got that fixed.

By now I've literally forgotten that it is the Christmas season! I haven't sent out one card. Or purchased one gift. SO sad.

But Paul surprised me by making arrangements for us to have Christmas eve dinner at our favorite local restaurant. He can be such a dear. And we bought a turkey to make for Christmas dinner.

December 20, 2016

Today was a day of research - one fan didn't work so need a new one, one was huge, so need a new one. Also need to order pulls and knobs for the kitchen - and Christmas gifts! Which might be a bit late... OK so they will be a bit late.

December 23, 2016

Today the head carpenter came through to see what was left to be done and he was very complementary of all the work we were able to coordinate and get accomplished. It was nice to hear - and perfectly timed. We needed to hear some happy thoughts!

Cabana Bath

Bedroom Fans

And a kitchen in transition.

Notice the lack of countertop! So off we wet to make the final selection on getting one. We decided to go with a quartzite which is a natural quartz with strains of granite running through it. This one comes from Italy.

I love the movement in the stone which reminds me of ocean waves. Lots of drama! We are finally ready to have the kitchen templated, however our fabricator is enjoying some holiday time and won't be back until Wednesday. Oh well... it's been this long.

And tonight I got such a great surprise when I took Kayla for a late dusk walk. Our neighbors across the street have this awesome light set up. A tiny light projector throws tiny beads of green lights across their house and up into a massive canopy tree in their front yard. Every night I gaze up in awe when taking Kayla out.

Tonight they had it faced across the street onto our house which was ablaze in color, along with our big palm tree - and uh, dumpster.

I don't know if it was intentional or not, but how nice. It was so cool! So I put out my little Dollar Tree LED battery candles and lit up the wreath by the kitchen 'window'.

It is after all - Christmas!

December 24, 2016

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! 

Christmas is my favorite holiday so I decided to decorate. All of our good stuff is in storage so thrift shops and Walmart worked out just fine.

This is a twig tree from the yard stuck in an umbrella stand. :D

And a gift from Barbara and Nick before they went back home. We are loving the new French doors. Painted they are not - nor the walls yet.

Now for some different kind of news. Haven't mentioned it yet because it's so painful, but our little Kayla is not doing well. Seems the little darling is full of cancer. Not one kind but two. Mast cell on her face, belly, and backside - and lymphoma in the glands in her neck.

Most days she's funny and goofy as always but this morning she wasn't herself. Makes us very sad.

She's back on prednisone and some hormones to help control her urine spilling over when she sleeps or rests. But what beautiful time of year to transition from this life to the next - when the world is full of love and goodwill. We hope she'll be with us just a little longer, that's all.

Life is a roller coaster full of ups and downs. 

But no regrets.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

May you be surrounded by love, and family and friends.