Today is Dia de Los Muertos, which means that yesterday was Halloween!! As many of you know, Halloween is our favorite holiday. A year without Halloween would probably be almost as bad as the one time we spent Thanksgiving by ourselves.
We've thrown some great Halloween parties over the years, many in collaboration with our Good Friends Mr. GH and Mrs. HG. This year with Halloween landing on a Saturday for the first time in 11 years, they naturally wanted to take little E trick 'er treating, in their own neighborhood, 26 miles away. And, frankly, we were not prepared to have an inaugural Halloween bash this year.
So we comforted ourselves with the knowledge that, for the first time since we left Los Angeles, we would be able to give out candy to trick 'er treaters. We were very excited, until some bad bad person made the Good Mr. Dr. sick. Then I was excited and he tried very hard to have the energy to be excited.
We carved pumpkins, I decorated the parlor windows and front door, planted myself outside and waited. It started at around 5 pm. It was almost 3 hours of head exploding cuteness. Princesses, Transformers, pirates, princesses (there must have been a sale), and ghoulies of all types. At least 6 houses were handing out candy on our block. It helped that the weather was warm (65 degrees F at 5 pm). We did not want to be those people who are cheap with the candies, so everyone got 3-4 pieces. Except for adults with infants; they got 2. Uncostumed teenagers got 1 of the cheapo candies, unless they could give a creative answer to the costume inquiry. One young man, who couldn't have been older than 15, dressed as if he had just come from basketball practice told me that he was dressed as "Sexy." To which the only response is, "Keep trying."
Because the Good Mr. Dr. is ill, I uploaded the pictures to my Picasa page. You can access by clicking here.
Everything's been cleaned up today. The pumpkins still grace our steps, at least until they are stolen or I have time to cut them up to put them in the compost bin, whichever comes first.
Other exciting news:
The Good Mr. Dr. is a grand-uncle for the first time on his side. The poor thing developed a respiratory infection and has spent the first days of her life in NICU. Please send your prayers and good thoughts her way. She's been making good progress and she should be able to come home shortly.
Not to be outdone in the medical services department, brand new Grandma took a fall and broke her leg. So, keep her in your thoughts and prayers too.
Well, I am off to do a bit of grocery shopping. Not as fun as shoe shopping, but not as bad as shopping for a plumber.
UPDATE: Our newest grand-niece is out of the hospital and home with her parents. We look forward to meeting her next month.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Peeping Leaves and Getting Blown Off Mountains
On October 8, we took possession of a 2007 Nissan Versa SL (the L stands for "loaded") that we bought on October 3.
This was the first time we bought a car from a dealer and that was an interesting experience. First, we were rejected by two of the dealer's lenders because we were not borrowing enough money from them. Then, the company that was re-sealing the windshield broke something that would have caused the sun-roof to leak. But, the dealer gave us a rental car while they made that repair and delivered the car to our house. I was particularly impressed because the dealer was located in Auburn, a good hour west of us. And the worker had to drive back to Auburn during rush hour.
So, we decided to treat our new car to the same test that we gave the Corolla: Road Trip. And it just so happened to be the Columbus Day holiday weekend. Out here, Columbus Day is not a celebration of the genocide of the indigenous peoples in the Western Hemisphere. No, out here, it is a celebration of Fall Foliage. So, when in Rome, or rather New England, we celebrate Columbus Day by going on that great pilgrimage: leaf peeping. Us, and everyone else in New England.
By some great fluke, there was a single B&B left in New Hampshire with a room available for one night. And, there happened to be a single table left at the restaurant next door for an 8 pm reservation. The Cabernet Inn was very comfortable, reasonably priced, with a fabulous breakfast. Definitely a place to stay if you are in the area. The dinner at the 1785 Inn was awesome. I stuffed myself on wine and wabbit. The Good Mr. Dr. partook in a half rack of New Zealand lamb, which now competes with my father's lamb as the best rack of lamb ever. This restaurant is also famous for their flaming drinks. I will admit that I wanted to eat here not just because it was literally next door to our B&B, but because I wanted to see if their flaming drink show was as good as the one in Ensanada when we took my Dad and his friend ('member that, Dad?). Our waiter was definitely a likable guy, but it suffices to say, Mexicans still rule. The drink, which involved Tuaca and cinnamon schnapps, was still quite tasty.
On Sunday, we decided to really test this car out and take it up Mt. Washington. This is the highest peak in New England, standing at 6,288 feet. Now, this is nothing compared to the San Gabriel or San Bernardino mountains in Southern California. It is about the height of the average peak in the Eldorado National Forest in Northern California. But the road requires that you drive in first gear the entire way up and down. It averages a 12% grade. And because of the latitude we are at, the weather at the summit can be drastically different than the weather at the base. On the day we went, there were basically blizzard conditions at the summit, so we were only able to drive halfway up. At the turnaround point, I almost got blown off the mountain and the Good Mr. Dr. almost got frostbite.
Upon leaving Mt. Washington, we continued through the White Mountains, stopping in Bartlett to buy some of the best apple cider we've ever had. We saw cliffs, and waterfalls, and more shades of yellow, red, and orange than you can possibly imagine. In many ways, it was like when we went to Scotland. Around every bend, one or the other of us can be heard to say, "Wow." Sadly, we did not see any moose. But the car passed the Road Trip test. Which is a good thing, considering that we were not aware that our comprehensive car insurance coverage had not actually kicked in while we were exploring the White Mountains.
Leaf peeping is an annual tradition. The concept of seasons is still rather novel. I expect that we'll be exploring the White Mountains for some years to come. We hope some of you can join us. But the next time we go to Mount Washington, we might just take the train instead.
And a quick thanks to the neighbors, particularly Ms. Jazzy J, who took care of Simba during our trip.
You can see the rest of the pictures of our trip by clicking on the gallery link above.
This was the first time we bought a car from a dealer and that was an interesting experience. First, we were rejected by two of the dealer's lenders because we were not borrowing enough money from them. Then, the company that was re-sealing the windshield broke something that would have caused the sun-roof to leak. But, the dealer gave us a rental car while they made that repair and delivered the car to our house. I was particularly impressed because the dealer was located in Auburn, a good hour west of us. And the worker had to drive back to Auburn during rush hour.
So, we decided to treat our new car to the same test that we gave the Corolla: Road Trip. And it just so happened to be the Columbus Day holiday weekend. Out here, Columbus Day is not a celebration of the genocide of the indigenous peoples in the Western Hemisphere. No, out here, it is a celebration of Fall Foliage. So, when in Rome, or rather New England, we celebrate Columbus Day by going on that great pilgrimage: leaf peeping. Us, and everyone else in New England.
By some great fluke, there was a single B&B left in New Hampshire with a room available for one night. And, there happened to be a single table left at the restaurant next door for an 8 pm reservation. The Cabernet Inn was very comfortable, reasonably priced, with a fabulous breakfast. Definitely a place to stay if you are in the area. The dinner at the 1785 Inn was awesome. I stuffed myself on wine and wabbit. The Good Mr. Dr. partook in a half rack of New Zealand lamb, which now competes with my father's lamb as the best rack of lamb ever. This restaurant is also famous for their flaming drinks. I will admit that I wanted to eat here not just because it was literally next door to our B&B, but because I wanted to see if their flaming drink show was as good as the one in Ensanada when we took my Dad and his friend ('member that, Dad?). Our waiter was definitely a likable guy, but it suffices to say, Mexicans still rule. The drink, which involved Tuaca and cinnamon schnapps, was still quite tasty.
On Sunday, we decided to really test this car out and take it up Mt. Washington. This is the highest peak in New England, standing at 6,288 feet. Now, this is nothing compared to the San Gabriel or San Bernardino mountains in Southern California. It is about the height of the average peak in the Eldorado National Forest in Northern California. But the road requires that you drive in first gear the entire way up and down. It averages a 12% grade. And because of the latitude we are at, the weather at the summit can be drastically different than the weather at the base. On the day we went, there were basically blizzard conditions at the summit, so we were only able to drive halfway up. At the turnaround point, I almost got blown off the mountain and the Good Mr. Dr. almost got frostbite.
Upon leaving Mt. Washington, we continued through the White Mountains, stopping in Bartlett to buy some of the best apple cider we've ever had. We saw cliffs, and waterfalls, and more shades of yellow, red, and orange than you can possibly imagine. In many ways, it was like when we went to Scotland. Around every bend, one or the other of us can be heard to say, "Wow." Sadly, we did not see any moose. But the car passed the Road Trip test. Which is a good thing, considering that we were not aware that our comprehensive car insurance coverage had not actually kicked in while we were exploring the White Mountains.
Leaf peeping is an annual tradition. The concept of seasons is still rather novel. I expect that we'll be exploring the White Mountains for some years to come. We hope some of you can join us. But the next time we go to Mount Washington, we might just take the train instead.
And a quick thanks to the neighbors, particularly Ms. Jazzy J, who took care of Simba during our trip.
You can see the rest of the pictures of our trip by clicking on the gallery link above.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Updates: Fast and Furious
Car Accident
So, for those of you who don't yet know, I got into a car accident. On the same day as Sen. Kennedy's funeral. I hydroplaned on Storrow Drive on my way to take Simba to the vet. I spun around and slammed sideways into the guardrail. I am fine. The cat is fine. The car is totaled. We have not yet got a new car but we are looking and will let you know when that happens. All I can say is our car insurance company has (so far) been wonderful.
The roof
It is still leaking. The roofer has to bring in a more expert roofer. The floor will now need to be replaced. That's all we can say at this point.
School is back in session
The Good Mr Dr started one week before I did. We both have three classes. It is hectic beyond belief. Him because he is now commuting via the bus and train (mostly bus) and he has one new class. He is also up for tenure and has a lot of work to do to put the tenure package together. Me because all three classes are new classes for me.
Simba
Yes, we eventually did get her to the vet for her quarterly thyroid check. She's fine too.
That's all for now. I'm going to grab a glass of wine and get some sleep.
So, for those of you who don't yet know, I got into a car accident. On the same day as Sen. Kennedy's funeral. I hydroplaned on Storrow Drive on my way to take Simba to the vet. I spun around and slammed sideways into the guardrail. I am fine. The cat is fine. The car is totaled. We have not yet got a new car but we are looking and will let you know when that happens. All I can say is our car insurance company has (so far) been wonderful.
The roof
It is still leaking. The roofer has to bring in a more expert roofer. The floor will now need to be replaced. That's all we can say at this point.
School is back in session
The Good Mr Dr started one week before I did. We both have three classes. It is hectic beyond belief. Him because he is now commuting via the bus and train (mostly bus) and he has one new class. He is also up for tenure and has a lot of work to do to put the tenure package together. Me because all three classes are new classes for me.
Simba
Yes, we eventually did get her to the vet for her quarterly thyroid check. She's fine too.
That's all for now. I'm going to grab a glass of wine and get some sleep.
Friday, August 28, 2009
RIP Senator Edward M Kennedy
We went to pay our respects to Senator Kennedy on Friday. I have to admit, I wasn't sure why, but it felt like the right thing to do. Neither of us had ever had any direct contact with him. I've made many calls to my Congressional representatives, but honestly never felt the need to call Senator Kennedy's office. I always assumed he would make the kinds of decisions that I would have asked him to make.
I am a policy researcher and social justice advocate. Kennedy's personal belief in civil rights, social justice, and expanded opportunities for poor people and immigrants matters less to me than what he did while he was a senator. So, I reviewed the history of legislation that Senator Kennedy either sponsored, negotiated, or voted for that directly impacted my life or that of my family. Here's the highlights of that list:
Senator Kennedy was also a consistent supporter of increasing access to college. He wrote and supported bills that would increase federal grants (lessening the need for loans), increase access to federal student loans (lessening the reliance on the more expensive private loans), and provide loan forgiveness to those of us who entered public service. Were it not for these efforts, it would have taken much longer for me and the Good Mr. Dr to finish college and eventually earn our doctorates, if it would have even been possible. Senator Kennedy also fought to ensure that the most recent GI Bill included increased educational benefits for our soldiers and their spouses, much to benefit of two of my sisters and one of my nieces who are veterans, active duty soldiers, and/or spouses of active duty soldiers.
Senator Kennedy truly believed in social justice. But, more importantly, he made it his cause and acted on those beliefs. We could cry in our wine that there is no one available to continue to fight for the cause. Or each of us could look at the example that Kennedy provided, and continue the work he started.
I am a policy researcher and social justice advocate. Kennedy's personal belief in civil rights, social justice, and expanded opportunities for poor people and immigrants matters less to me than what he did while he was a senator. So, I reviewed the history of legislation that Senator Kennedy either sponsored, negotiated, or voted for that directly impacted my life or that of my family. Here's the highlights of that list:
- 1964 Medicaid and Medicare Act - provided health care to me and my sisters throughout much of our childhood.
- 1964 Civil Rights Act - provided protections from discrimination in hiring, housing, and education so that me, my sisters, their children, and my parents had the opportunity to work, get an education, buy a house, and otherwise pursue our dreams.
- 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act - allowed for my mother to stay in this country and raise her 6 children and eventually obtain American citizenship; allowed my mother-in-law to stay in this country, eventually obtain citizenship, and raise the Good Mr. Dr.
- 1965 Voting Rights Act - provided protections that allowed people like us (poor and working class Latinos) the ability to participate in elections.
- 26th Amendment (1971) - allowed me and my sisters, and all of their children, and my husband the ability to vote on our 18th birthdays. One of my niece's first vote was for President Obama.
- 1972 Title IX (part of 1972 Education Amendments) - provided equal access to educational opportunities for girls, which allowed my husband's niece to play high school sports, my youngest sister and eldest niece to play in the high school band, and me to take AP courses.
- 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act - allowed my sister-in-law to have access to all the things that the rest of take for granted, like being able to safely enter and exit any public building.
- 1993 Family Medical Leave Act - allowed my sisters and nieces to take a few weeks to recover after giving birth without fear of losing their jobs.
- SCHIP (in the 1997 Balanced Budget Act) - provided health care to my niece and nephew during a time in which my sister could not afford to pay for private health care insurance.
Senator Kennedy was also a consistent supporter of increasing access to college. He wrote and supported bills that would increase federal grants (lessening the need for loans), increase access to federal student loans (lessening the reliance on the more expensive private loans), and provide loan forgiveness to those of us who entered public service. Were it not for these efforts, it would have taken much longer for me and the Good Mr. Dr to finish college and eventually earn our doctorates, if it would have even been possible. Senator Kennedy also fought to ensure that the most recent GI Bill included increased educational benefits for our soldiers and their spouses, much to benefit of two of my sisters and one of my nieces who are veterans, active duty soldiers, and/or spouses of active duty soldiers.
Senator Kennedy truly believed in social justice. But, more importantly, he made it his cause and acted on those beliefs. We could cry in our wine that there is no one available to continue to fight for the cause. Or each of us could look at the example that Kennedy provided, and continue the work he started.
Monday, August 24, 2009
It's a jungle out there
We are smack in the middle of New England's two-shower-a-day season. We finally gave in this week and put in the air conditioners.
While the rest of summer was cooler and wetter than usual, August has been pretty characteristic: hot and muggy, with a side of random thunderstorms. Only five minutes outside is needed for your skin to develop a thin film of moisture that is one part sweat and two parts whatever is in the air.
The Garden doesn't seem the least bit bothered. As you can see, our grape vines have asserted themselves rather forcefully.
This is the top of the trellis. Please see pictures from May and June below for reference.
The inside of the Garden is just flourishing with life. As you may remember, we decided to just let everything grow so that we can see what is there. For the most part, we've been cultivating weeds. Pretty weeds, but weeds nonetheless.
The Good Mr. Dr. is cultivating a fern in the urn.
More weeds and my personal enemy: the rose vine.
We had the soil tested and found that it is in good condition. We already suspected this because there are plenty of worms and other (apparently) beneficial bugs in it. With these results, the Good Mr. Dr. has decided to use the back 10 feet to experiment with vegetable gardening. Currently, this is what it looks like:
The arbor vitae, the hated rose-vine and other assorted green things must go.
According to some old maps, this part of our yard was likely a wetland (i.e. swamp) 200 years ago. Kind of looks like one now.
During two-shower-a-day season, we are forced to escape into our garden regularly for dinner. It is just too hot to cook inside the house. Here we see the Good Mr. Dr. showing off his salmon grilling skills. Those collard greens and onions were suateed on a grill wok. Thank you, Mighty Dr. S from Miami for the gift; it is being put to good use.
"Hurry up and take the picture before the mosquitoes discover us."
One final note before we go. As you know from last week, the broken stink pipe has been repaired. When I went into my sewing/yoga room to take some pictures, I found this:
(click on the picture for a larger image)
(click on the picture for a larger image)
Free weekend stay at the Starluna B&B for anyone who can correctly guess what it is.
While the rest of summer was cooler and wetter than usual, August has been pretty characteristic: hot and muggy, with a side of random thunderstorms. Only five minutes outside is needed for your skin to develop a thin film of moisture that is one part sweat and two parts whatever is in the air.
The Garden doesn't seem the least bit bothered. As you can see, our grape vines have asserted themselves rather forcefully.
This is the top of the trellis. Please see pictures from May and June below for reference.The inside of the Garden is just flourishing with life. As you may remember, we decided to just let everything grow so that we can see what is there. For the most part, we've been cultivating weeds. Pretty weeds, but weeds nonetheless.
The Good Mr. Dr. is cultivating a fern in the urn. 
More weeds and my personal enemy: the rose vine.We had the soil tested and found that it is in good condition. We already suspected this because there are plenty of worms and other (apparently) beneficial bugs in it. With these results, the Good Mr. Dr. has decided to use the back 10 feet to experiment with vegetable gardening. Currently, this is what it looks like:
The arbor vitae, the hated rose-vine and other assorted green things must go.
According to some old maps, this part of our yard was likely a wetland (i.e. swamp) 200 years ago. Kind of looks like one now.During two-shower-a-day season, we are forced to escape into our garden regularly for dinner. It is just too hot to cook inside the house. Here we see the Good Mr. Dr. showing off his salmon grilling skills. Those collard greens and onions were suateed on a grill wok. Thank you, Mighty Dr. S from Miami for the gift; it is being put to good use.
"Hurry up and take the picture before the mosquitoes discover us."One final note before we go. As you know from last week, the broken stink pipe has been repaired. When I went into my sewing/yoga room to take some pictures, I found this:
(click on the picture for a larger image)
(click on the picture for a larger image)Free weekend stay at the Starluna B&B for anyone who can correctly guess what it is.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
This is beautiful
I'd like to take a break on home improvement reporting to share something that a friend shared with me through Facebook.
This is a piece of history that I must admit to being totally ignorant about. This incredibly talented artist tells us the story of Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII using a light box and sand. Only the most dead of heart could watch this without feeling an emotional connection to the lives depicted in the sand. The inscription she writes at the end says, "you are always near."
This young woman is the winner of Ukraine's Got Talent television show. I think if our own domestic "talent" competitions were as illuminating, I would probably watch them. I don't know what the difference between good art and high art is. But I believe that real artists do more than entertain; they provoke thought. True art forces us to look at our history, our society, and ourselves in a way that makes us evaluate what we think, we know, we believe.
Apparently they appreciate real art and real artists in the Ukraine. I think we have a lot to learn from this former Soviet Republic.
P.S. Yes our stink pipe is repaired. More on that later.
This is a piece of history that I must admit to being totally ignorant about. This incredibly talented artist tells us the story of Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII using a light box and sand. Only the most dead of heart could watch this without feeling an emotional connection to the lives depicted in the sand. The inscription she writes at the end says, "you are always near."
This young woman is the winner of Ukraine's Got Talent television show. I think if our own domestic "talent" competitions were as illuminating, I would probably watch them. I don't know what the difference between good art and high art is. But I believe that real artists do more than entertain; they provoke thought. True art forces us to look at our history, our society, and ourselves in a way that makes us evaluate what we think, we know, we believe.
Apparently they appreciate real art and real artists in the Ukraine. I think we have a lot to learn from this former Soviet Republic.
P.S. Yes our stink pipe is repaired. More on that later.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Stink pipes, horsehair, and dirt - oh my!
As some of you know, we had one of those wonderful homeowner experiences: a leaking ceiling due to a cracked pipe. The plumbing repair person will come on Wednesday to remove some length of the pipe and replace it with PVC. As much as we're trying to avoid any plastics, the PVC is really the best solution for this particular repair. We know it will last forever and a cast iron replacement would have cost twice as much.
It's come to our attention that not everyone knows what a stink pipe is. Your building undoubtedly has at least one per toilet and sink. Basically, it is a sewer vent pipe. It is needed so that your plumbing works properly. Every time you flush the toilet or rinse something in the sink, the water flows into the sewerage system. At the same time, air is vented through the stink pipe, usually through the roof, taking all of the odors of your plumbing with it.
So, what does a hole in a stink pipe look like? Just like this:
Looking at the close up, I haven't a clue what is even holding that one part in place.
In preparation for the repair and the installation of a new ceiling, the Good Mr. Dr. spent the better part of the day doing demolition. There were foam ceiling panels in this room. Not quite the institutional looking ones that were in the parlor, but equally ugly. Just above these panels was the original horsehair plaster ceiling. Again, why they decided to put the foam panels just below the original ceiling is beyond us. It wasn't even a dropped ceiling. Regardless, if you remember, removing horsehair plaster is a dirty job, as the good Mr. Dr. can demonstrate:
"I will not be doing this again anytime soon."
"I need a drink."
Needless to say, the rest of the day was spent vacuuming, mopping, and wiping down surfaces to make it reasonably safe for Simba. The part that really sucks is that we'll have to do all of this cleaning again after the plasterers put up a new ceiling. Ugh.
We'll post some pictures of the crawl space in this room later this week.
Do us a favor and pray for no rain.
It's come to our attention that not everyone knows what a stink pipe is. Your building undoubtedly has at least one per toilet and sink. Basically, it is a sewer vent pipe. It is needed so that your plumbing works properly. Every time you flush the toilet or rinse something in the sink, the water flows into the sewerage system. At the same time, air is vented through the stink pipe, usually through the roof, taking all of the odors of your plumbing with it.
So, what does a hole in a stink pipe look like? Just like this:
Looking at the close up, I haven't a clue what is even holding that one part in place.
In preparation for the repair and the installation of a new ceiling, the Good Mr. Dr. spent the better part of the day doing demolition. There were foam ceiling panels in this room. Not quite the institutional looking ones that were in the parlor, but equally ugly. Just above these panels was the original horsehair plaster ceiling. Again, why they decided to put the foam panels just below the original ceiling is beyond us. It wasn't even a dropped ceiling. Regardless, if you remember, removing horsehair plaster is a dirty job, as the good Mr. Dr. can demonstrate:
"I will not be doing this again anytime soon."
"I need a drink."Needless to say, the rest of the day was spent vacuuming, mopping, and wiping down surfaces to make it reasonably safe for Simba. The part that really sucks is that we'll have to do all of this cleaning again after the plasterers put up a new ceiling. Ugh.
We'll post some pictures of the crawl space in this room later this week.
Do us a favor and pray for no rain.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Well, it is summer time you know
I know that I haven't updated this in over a month now. As it happened, summer started just after the 4th of July and we decided to take full advantage of it.
First, our Good Friend Scattone came for the annual visit. In addition to the ritual of at least one zombie/horror movie per night (that is a gentleman's only event), we also went blueberry picking with a couple of Delaware transplants and their very cute daughter.
And she speaks 3 languages so far.
I learned that these people, by that I mean everyone in the picture below, are obsessive, no - addicted, berry pickers. This next picture was taken after we all agreed that our baskets were overflowing and that they should leave some berries for other people. Yes, they have a problem but they don't want to admit it.
"Ooh, look at that one." "How did we miss this bush?" "This is the last one, I swear."
In addition to getting back to our roots on the farm, I was given a challenge by Ms. H-G. On the 4th of July, she brought over the starter for Amish Friendship Bread. Basically, you unload this on people you know as a test of your friendship. Even though the only thing that I can claim any skill in baking is chicken, I took it as a challenge. On the 10th day, wa-la!
"Mmmmm. Tasty." said the Good Mr. Dr.
Something tells me that this isn't really an Amish recipe. I think it was the need for instant vanilla pudding that tipped me off. Given the amount of sugar and cinnamon in this bread, it is not something to be shared with diabetics or anyone with a serious heart problem. But, for the rest of us, it was actually pretty good. I have since unloaded a starter onto 3 people, but I have yet to hear the results. I know at least two of them remain my friend. I don't know about the third.
We've also been spending quite a bit of time in the garden, making long term plans on what to do with it. We went back to the Garden in the Woods and a couple of local garden centers to get some pots and a few plants to start experimenting. This time we brought the bug spray. We were very comfortable on the tour of the Garden in the Woods, especially compared to the California family who did not use any bug spray. The little girl was just about eaten alive by mosquitos. As much as I believe we must avoid unnecessary exposure to chemicals, I still live by the principle that there is better living through DEET (40% if possible).
We've also been using the grill at every opportunity - which hasn't been as often as we'd like. Someone stole our summer. The weather guy reported the other night that Massachusetts got 11 inches of rain in July, the most since the 1930s. The normal (based on records between 1960-1990) is 2.8 inches. One Thursday we got 3 inches that came straight down in big huge raindrops. Those raindrops apparently went right down the stink pipe and through the big gaping hole that no one knew existed until the Good Mr. Dr. found a waterfall in my yoga/sewing room. It will not be expensive to fix, but our roofer/ contractor totalled his truck and he's been very difficult to get a hold of. Sigh. So, we hope for little rain and not just because we're sick of it.
But, it has not been all bad. Today, we decided to spruce up our street tree. We went and bought some mulch and some limestones to make a border. Here's what it looked like before:
Yep. That's a mess.
Mr. Dr. digging a trench for the stones:
No, that is not our car. No, we did not make that mess.
And here's what it looks like now:
There's one place where the stones don't meet because the sidewalk needs to be repaired. But, for now, this is an improvement as far as we're concerned.
Well, that's the month's news. Right now, we're preparing for classes that start up in a month. But today, we're going to cross our fingers that it stays cloudy and that there will be no more rain so that we can make steak tips.
First, our Good Friend Scattone came for the annual visit. In addition to the ritual of at least one zombie/horror movie per night (that is a gentleman's only event), we also went blueberry picking with a couple of Delaware transplants and their very cute daughter.
And she speaks 3 languages so far.I learned that these people, by that I mean everyone in the picture below, are obsessive, no - addicted, berry pickers. This next picture was taken after we all agreed that our baskets were overflowing and that they should leave some berries for other people. Yes, they have a problem but they don't want to admit it.
"Ooh, look at that one." "How did we miss this bush?" "This is the last one, I swear."In addition to getting back to our roots on the farm, I was given a challenge by Ms. H-G. On the 4th of July, she brought over the starter for Amish Friendship Bread. Basically, you unload this on people you know as a test of your friendship. Even though the only thing that I can claim any skill in baking is chicken, I took it as a challenge. On the 10th day, wa-la!
"Mmmmm. Tasty." said the Good Mr. Dr.Something tells me that this isn't really an Amish recipe. I think it was the need for instant vanilla pudding that tipped me off. Given the amount of sugar and cinnamon in this bread, it is not something to be shared with diabetics or anyone with a serious heart problem. But, for the rest of us, it was actually pretty good. I have since unloaded a starter onto 3 people, but I have yet to hear the results. I know at least two of them remain my friend. I don't know about the third.
We've also been spending quite a bit of time in the garden, making long term plans on what to do with it. We went back to the Garden in the Woods and a couple of local garden centers to get some pots and a few plants to start experimenting. This time we brought the bug spray. We were very comfortable on the tour of the Garden in the Woods, especially compared to the California family who did not use any bug spray. The little girl was just about eaten alive by mosquitos. As much as I believe we must avoid unnecessary exposure to chemicals, I still live by the principle that there is better living through DEET (40% if possible).
We've also been using the grill at every opportunity - which hasn't been as often as we'd like. Someone stole our summer. The weather guy reported the other night that Massachusetts got 11 inches of rain in July, the most since the 1930s. The normal (based on records between 1960-1990) is 2.8 inches. One Thursday we got 3 inches that came straight down in big huge raindrops. Those raindrops apparently went right down the stink pipe and through the big gaping hole that no one knew existed until the Good Mr. Dr. found a waterfall in my yoga/sewing room. It will not be expensive to fix, but our roofer/ contractor totalled his truck and he's been very difficult to get a hold of. Sigh. So, we hope for little rain and not just because we're sick of it.
But, it has not been all bad. Today, we decided to spruce up our street tree. We went and bought some mulch and some limestones to make a border. Here's what it looked like before:
Yep. That's a mess.Mr. Dr. digging a trench for the stones:
No, that is not our car. No, we did not make that mess.And here's what it looks like now:
There's one place where the stones don't meet because the sidewalk needs to be repaired. But, for now, this is an improvement as far as we're concerned.
Well, that's the month's news. Right now, we're preparing for classes that start up in a month. But today, we're going to cross our fingers that it stays cloudy and that there will be no more rain so that we can make steak tips.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Busy busy busy week
It's been a week of very good days.
Wednesday was the Good Mr. Dr.'s birthday. We cleared the calendar and went to go see Up, got new cell phones, spent the early evening at Border's drinking coffee and perusing gardening books, and then spent the evening drinking wine and reading good books.
Up is a very good film. I'm not sure how much the kids will get it. The storyline is really based adult themes of love, loss, and moving on. I wouldn't say to not take the kids to it, but go with an adult friend because there's a lot of non-kid conversation to have after the film.
In case you were wondering, we both got LG-enV3s. Great little phones with really good cameras. Best of all, my mom can finally see picture messages that I send.
(taken with new phone)
All of the rain we've gotten this week has not been good for our tans, but has been great for the garden. We had one really good and sunny day, which the Good Mr. Dr. took advantage of to get some clearing done and to set up the compost bin. This picture was taken on Thursday. Here's what it looks like in the garden right now.
A prize goes to the first person to find the top of the compost bin, the griffin, and the Good Mr. Dr.
Finally, we went to the annual end of season show for A Prairie Home Companion with our good friends from the western outpost of Ashland. It rained a bit (again) and we forgot to bring a big umbrella (again). But we had good wine, good food, and good company. In front of us were The Cutest Couple Ever, who also forgot to pack an umbrella. The family sitting next to them lent them an extra umbrella. These lovebirds were clearly enjoying the show and eachother's company.
It was quite a funny show this year, not the least of which was because Martin Sheen accidentally said "dick" on a live radio broadcast (NPR, no less!). We could not see the stage out where we were on the lawn, but it was clear from the pregnant pause and the reaction to those in the Music Shed that he was laughing with embarrasment. This year, Ms M of Ashland and I managed to sneak up closer than ever to the stage during the encores. Here's the best pic we managed to get of Garrison Keillor and one of the musical guests.
Well, that's all for this week. Apparently we're getting another spit of rain and clouds today. Perfect day to do some writing, I suppose.
PS. We uploaded some new pictures to gallery. They were taken by the H's during their visit in May.
Wednesday was the Good Mr. Dr.'s birthday. We cleared the calendar and went to go see Up, got new cell phones, spent the early evening at Border's drinking coffee and perusing gardening books, and then spent the evening drinking wine and reading good books.
Up is a very good film. I'm not sure how much the kids will get it. The storyline is really based adult themes of love, loss, and moving on. I wouldn't say to not take the kids to it, but go with an adult friend because there's a lot of non-kid conversation to have after the film.
In case you were wondering, we both got LG-enV3s. Great little phones with really good cameras. Best of all, my mom can finally see picture messages that I send.
(taken with new phone)All of the rain we've gotten this week has not been good for our tans, but has been great for the garden. We had one really good and sunny day, which the Good Mr. Dr. took advantage of to get some clearing done and to set up the compost bin. This picture was taken on Thursday. Here's what it looks like in the garden right now.
A prize goes to the first person to find the top of the compost bin, the griffin, and the Good Mr. Dr.Finally, we went to the annual end of season show for A Prairie Home Companion with our good friends from the western outpost of Ashland. It rained a bit (again) and we forgot to bring a big umbrella (again). But we had good wine, good food, and good company. In front of us were The Cutest Couple Ever, who also forgot to pack an umbrella. The family sitting next to them lent them an extra umbrella. These lovebirds were clearly enjoying the show and eachother's company.
It was quite a funny show this year, not the least of which was because Martin Sheen accidentally said "dick" on a live radio broadcast (NPR, no less!). We could not see the stage out where we were on the lawn, but it was clear from the pregnant pause and the reaction to those in the Music Shed that he was laughing with embarrasment. This year, Ms M of Ashland and I managed to sneak up closer than ever to the stage during the encores. Here's the best pic we managed to get of Garrison Keillor and one of the musical guests.
Well, that's all for this week. Apparently we're getting another spit of rain and clouds today. Perfect day to do some writing, I suppose.
PS. We uploaded some new pictures to gallery. They were taken by the H's during their visit in May.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Busier week than usual
So much has happened, it's a wonder I've had time to watch the Daily Show and Colbert Nation. :)
Our farm share deliveries started this week. I have no pictures, but we received a whole bunch of veggies that were promptly put to good use. First, there was bok choy sauteed with garlic in olive oil, served with broiled chicken. That was me. Nothing fancy but tasty nonetheless. Then there was the casserole medley cooked up (ha ha) by the Good Mr. Dr. including kale, arugula (I think) turnips, and chicken (we have a lot of chicken in the house). For Sunday Morning Breakfast, it was huevos torteados with spinach and green onions. Hmm hmm good.
We also went and bought a composter. As soon as it stops raining I'll take a picture of it. The Good Mr. Dr. has read so much about composting that his head is about to explode. All I know is that I am supposed to shred paper. I'm happy those credit card applications are going to go to something useful. We also learned that we do have good soil, as evidenced by the existence of worms. It's been raining pretty much all week, which has been very good for the garden.
The black barrel in the bottom left is the composter. It will be located behind the pussy willow, once the space is cleared out. Everything is getting a bit wild, so we went to Sears to complete the ensemble of tools necessary to maintian the garden. So now we have two kinds of shovels, a variety of cutting devices (loppers, shears, saws, etc), and a pitch fork. The pitch fork is really for when we decide to join a mob and kill the monster.
We also got the official news from Simba's vet that she is likely an immortal, as long as she continues to get her thyroid medication. Here is her reaction to the news:
She then took a 2 hour nap, after which she sought out her toy koala and proceeded to systematically knock him down the stairs, one floor at a time.
My neighbor had rescued a litter of kittens on Monday. She tried her best to pawn one of them off on us, arguing that Simba needed a companion. After watching what Simba does to anything smaller than her, we had to decline for the safety of the new kittens. For those of you wondering, we managed to find all of them a good home.
The H's from Whittier sent the CD of pictures taken while they were visiting for the graduation. Here's the happy couple enjoying a bit of TVland kitsch in Salem, MA.
There are two on the CD that I particularly liked. Actually, there are three but I think I might suffer the consequences of putting up the one of the Good Mr. Dr. cooking breakfast without his knowledge.
This one is me in the processional during the ceremony. Yes, I was caught by surprise and almost swallowed my gum.
"Hi Mom!"
And this is my sister's plate that she ordered during the graduation dinner. We ate the leftovers from this for at least a week.
(Click on the image to see how big that plate really is.)
That's all on this end. Cross your fingers that we get some sunshine this week.
Our farm share deliveries started this week. I have no pictures, but we received a whole bunch of veggies that were promptly put to good use. First, there was bok choy sauteed with garlic in olive oil, served with broiled chicken. That was me. Nothing fancy but tasty nonetheless. Then there was the casserole medley cooked up (ha ha) by the Good Mr. Dr. including kale, arugula (I think) turnips, and chicken (we have a lot of chicken in the house). For Sunday Morning Breakfast, it was huevos torteados with spinach and green onions. Hmm hmm good.
We also went and bought a composter. As soon as it stops raining I'll take a picture of it. The Good Mr. Dr. has read so much about composting that his head is about to explode. All I know is that I am supposed to shred paper. I'm happy those credit card applications are going to go to something useful. We also learned that we do have good soil, as evidenced by the existence of worms. It's been raining pretty much all week, which has been very good for the garden.
The black barrel in the bottom left is the composter. It will be located behind the pussy willow, once the space is cleared out. Everything is getting a bit wild, so we went to Sears to complete the ensemble of tools necessary to maintian the garden. So now we have two kinds of shovels, a variety of cutting devices (loppers, shears, saws, etc), and a pitch fork. The pitch fork is really for when we decide to join a mob and kill the monster.We also got the official news from Simba's vet that she is likely an immortal, as long as she continues to get her thyroid medication. Here is her reaction to the news:
She then took a 2 hour nap, after which she sought out her toy koala and proceeded to systematically knock him down the stairs, one floor at a time.My neighbor had rescued a litter of kittens on Monday. She tried her best to pawn one of them off on us, arguing that Simba needed a companion. After watching what Simba does to anything smaller than her, we had to decline for the safety of the new kittens. For those of you wondering, we managed to find all of them a good home.
The H's from Whittier sent the CD of pictures taken while they were visiting for the graduation. Here's the happy couple enjoying a bit of TVland kitsch in Salem, MA.
There are two on the CD that I particularly liked. Actually, there are three but I think I might suffer the consequences of putting up the one of the Good Mr. Dr. cooking breakfast without his knowledge.
This one is me in the processional during the ceremony. Yes, I was caught by surprise and almost swallowed my gum.
"Hi Mom!"And this is my sister's plate that she ordered during the graduation dinner. We ate the leftovers from this for at least a week.
(Click on the image to see how big that plate really is.)That's all on this end. Cross your fingers that we get some sunshine this week.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
It's all about the Garden
Since it is Spring, almost summer, our attention is mostly on the garden. Changes to the house will have to wait until next year.
This is a picture taken from the kitchen window on May 2 (that's my dad playing the guitar).
This is the Garden from the kitchen window, taken this morning.
Not only are the grapevines coming out, so is everything else. We have roses bushes that have bloomed. There are a variety of ground vines that we have no idea what they are. Today the Good Mr. Dr. is going to trim back the ground plants. Tomorrow we will go out to buy a composting bin. Our farm share starts this week, so we are going to have a lot of veggie scrap. We're trying to reduce the amount of trash we throw out as well as make some clean new soil to rehabilitate the Garden. We went to the bookstore and got three books, including the essential Dummies Guide to Gardening, to help with figuring our how to plan and maintain our Garden.
Not all of our attention is focused on the Garden. We are doing some small things to put a "sweater" around the house to save energy. We had an energy audit done this week. It is free and they go through your whole house (or apartment) to tell you what you can do to save money on energy. The auditor also comes prepared to replace lightbulbs (and we got a three way CFL too!), put weather stripping around doors and windows, put door sweeps in, and who knows what else. We had done a lot already, but it was good to know what other inexpensive things we could do to be more energy efficient. If you live in Massachusetts, you can call 866-527-7283 to schedule an appointment.
In local news, yesterday was the Chelsea River Revel. As I always do, I volunteered to work the kayaks. This year I decided to volunteer for only a couple of hours so that I could actually enjoy the festival. Our Good Friends D and J with Little E came to come out on the canoes and kayaks. This was also going to be the year that I got to go out on the kayaks. Alas, it was not to be. The organization that provides the kayaks and canoes, their van broke down. It was too bad, because it was perfect weather to be out on the river. Oh well, there is always next year. It was still a nice festival and Little E loved the Peruvian dancers. And I got to see many of my neighbors and meet some new ones. East Boston and Chelsea are great communities.
That's all for now. In our next episode, I hope to describe our efforts to set up the compost bin and the first meals with our first week's farm share.
This is a picture taken from the kitchen window on May 2 (that's my dad playing the guitar).
This is the Garden from the kitchen window, taken this morning.
Not only are the grapevines coming out, so is everything else. We have roses bushes that have bloomed. There are a variety of ground vines that we have no idea what they are. Today the Good Mr. Dr. is going to trim back the ground plants. Tomorrow we will go out to buy a composting bin. Our farm share starts this week, so we are going to have a lot of veggie scrap. We're trying to reduce the amount of trash we throw out as well as make some clean new soil to rehabilitate the Garden. We went to the bookstore and got three books, including the essential Dummies Guide to Gardening, to help with figuring our how to plan and maintain our Garden.
Not all of our attention is focused on the Garden. We are doing some small things to put a "sweater" around the house to save energy. We had an energy audit done this week. It is free and they go through your whole house (or apartment) to tell you what you can do to save money on energy. The auditor also comes prepared to replace lightbulbs (and we got a three way CFL too!), put weather stripping around doors and windows, put door sweeps in, and who knows what else. We had done a lot already, but it was good to know what other inexpensive things we could do to be more energy efficient. If you live in Massachusetts, you can call 866-527-7283 to schedule an appointment.
In local news, yesterday was the Chelsea River Revel. As I always do, I volunteered to work the kayaks. This year I decided to volunteer for only a couple of hours so that I could actually enjoy the festival. Our Good Friends D and J with Little E came to come out on the canoes and kayaks. This was also going to be the year that I got to go out on the kayaks. Alas, it was not to be. The organization that provides the kayaks and canoes, their van broke down. It was too bad, because it was perfect weather to be out on the river. Oh well, there is always next year. It was still a nice festival and Little E loved the Peruvian dancers. And I got to see many of my neighbors and meet some new ones. East Boston and Chelsea are great communities.
That's all for now. In our next episode, I hope to describe our efforts to set up the compost bin and the first meals with our first week's farm share.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Figuring out what to do
Now that I've completed the PhD I have to figure out what to do. Of course, the Good Mr. Dr. would like me to do anything that will allow him to retire early. Or at least speed up the remodeling projects in the house. I've been taking these personality tests and finding nothing surprising. I have a Guardian temperament and an ENTJ personality type. Nothing to really help me decide whether to stay in academia or continue to try to keep a foot in both the academic and non-academic world or what. I guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing for now.
In local news, the grape vines are really going strong. One side of the trellis is doing really well and the beginnings of the grape bunches can be seen. Yesterday the Good Mr. Dr. was suffering terribly from allergies. I think I am starting to develop mild allergies too. But the rain has cleared the air making it possible to enjoy the Garden.
The Good Mr. Dr. is working on his book.
Or watching the birds. Either way, nice to be able to be outside.
In local news, the grape vines are really going strong. One side of the trellis is doing really well and the beginnings of the grape bunches can be seen. Yesterday the Good Mr. Dr. was suffering terribly from allergies. I think I am starting to develop mild allergies too. But the rain has cleared the air making it possible to enjoy the Garden.
The Good Mr. Dr. is working on his book.
Or watching the birds. Either way, nice to be able to be outside.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Spring has sprung
Spring is now here. I know this because I haven't had to wear thermal underwear for at least 4 weeks. And because it rains almost without warning.
Garden story of the day: yesterday we came home and noticed the neighbor's cat, Smokey, hanging out on the patio in the back, periodically knocking on the basement door. Those of you who were here for the May 2 party remember Smokey as the cat who tried to walk into the basement as if he owned the place. At the same time, the neighborhood wild cat was hanging out in his regular spot underneath the dogwood tree. Well, we had one of those sudden downpours. Smokey ran to the bushes. Within seconds the orange cat bolts out from under the dogwood, and scrambles over the fence to find shelter. Apparently he was "Smokey-d" out.
Yesterday was our anniversary, so we decided to begin planning what to do with the garden in the back. We started off in the late morning at the Garden in the Woods, which is an arboretum of native New England plants. For those in Massachusetts, it's worth a visit but bring your bug spray. After lunch, we took a walk through the Fenway Victory Gardens to get ideas about hardscaping. The ideas we came away with include meandering walks, blue stone and brick, a central raised patio-like area, big pots, and moss. Those are only ideas at the moment, obviously the devil is in the details.
As far as plants go, our goal is to stick to native species for anything we add to the back. We'll also be getting rid of any and all invasive species. We've only identified a few of the plants in the back. Of course, we know that we have grape vines, but we still have no idea what species of grape. All we know is they are sweet, green grapes. We have identified the dogwood as cornus kousa "summer fun"which looks like this right now but should put out some pretty white flowers later this summer. We also know that we have a pussy willow, specifically salix discolor, which puts out these fuzzy catkins in the spring. The catkins have been replaced by dark green leaves. The tree is now a favorite hangout spot for the birds. We thought we had identified one of the shrubs (actually we have 4-5 of these) as eunymous alata aka "burning bush" which is an invasive species. Upon further investigation, it looks like it is something from the rose family. Either way, we are going to get rid of them. We don't like them. We don't want our plants to be "armed."
In other news, we finally had the oil tank removed. Apparently there was more than 150 gallons of oil left in the tank. We managed to give about 40 gallons to one of our neighbors. The rest was removed and recycled. It was not easy but they finally got it out.
Todd accidentally nicked the cold water pipe when removing one of the oil pipes, but he sent a plumber over to fix it. Everything was done in one day. Now, we have this space:
which we plan to brick up and turn into a wine cellar. Cool, heh?
Have a Happy Memorial Day. You can support the troops by supporting their children. Go to Donors Choose and donate to the public school classrooms of students with parents in the military.
Garden story of the day: yesterday we came home and noticed the neighbor's cat, Smokey, hanging out on the patio in the back, periodically knocking on the basement door. Those of you who were here for the May 2 party remember Smokey as the cat who tried to walk into the basement as if he owned the place. At the same time, the neighborhood wild cat was hanging out in his regular spot underneath the dogwood tree. Well, we had one of those sudden downpours. Smokey ran to the bushes. Within seconds the orange cat bolts out from under the dogwood, and scrambles over the fence to find shelter. Apparently he was "Smokey-d" out.
Yesterday was our anniversary, so we decided to begin planning what to do with the garden in the back. We started off in the late morning at the Garden in the Woods, which is an arboretum of native New England plants. For those in Massachusetts, it's worth a visit but bring your bug spray. After lunch, we took a walk through the Fenway Victory Gardens to get ideas about hardscaping. The ideas we came away with include meandering walks, blue stone and brick, a central raised patio-like area, big pots, and moss. Those are only ideas at the moment, obviously the devil is in the details.
As far as plants go, our goal is to stick to native species for anything we add to the back. We'll also be getting rid of any and all invasive species. We've only identified a few of the plants in the back. Of course, we know that we have grape vines, but we still have no idea what species of grape. All we know is they are sweet, green grapes. We have identified the dogwood as cornus kousa "summer fun"which looks like this right now but should put out some pretty white flowers later this summer. We also know that we have a pussy willow, specifically salix discolor, which puts out these fuzzy catkins in the spring. The catkins have been replaced by dark green leaves. The tree is now a favorite hangout spot for the birds. We thought we had identified one of the shrubs (actually we have 4-5 of these) as eunymous alata aka "burning bush" which is an invasive species. Upon further investigation, it looks like it is something from the rose family. Either way, we are going to get rid of them. We don't like them. We don't want our plants to be "armed."
In other news, we finally had the oil tank removed. Apparently there was more than 150 gallons of oil left in the tank. We managed to give about 40 gallons to one of our neighbors. The rest was removed and recycled. It was not easy but they finally got it out.
Todd accidentally nicked the cold water pipe when removing one of the oil pipes, but he sent a plumber over to fix it. Everything was done in one day. Now, we have this space:
which we plan to brick up and turn into a wine cellar. Cool, heh?Have a Happy Memorial Day. You can support the troops by supporting their children. Go to Donors Choose and donate to the public school classrooms of students with parents in the military.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Now in recovery
It's all over now. The graduation ceremony was the worst ever but I was hooded and received my diploma. Here's the picture I took of it during the ceremony from my cell phone.
The party was fabulous. There were lots of good friends, good food, and good drink. Our friends and family know us well. Just about everyone brought us a bottle of wine or other fermented drink, which is fabulous. I think we have about 3 cases of wine and other spirits in the house. So, I guess another party is in order.
The Big Family Visit was smooth, with only one small hiccup. Now, as you all know, there were 8 adults and 1 child in the house for 5 days. On the 3rd day, the water heater decided it just had it. Or rather, the gas regulator, which keeps the pilot light lit, decided to act like a petulant child. The Good Mr. Dr. had to coax the pilot light on every morning so that some of the guests could take a shower. On the morning that most people were flying out, the gas regulator simply gave out. Luckily, we didn't have to convince the manufacturers that their warranty was illegal in MA (warranties follow products, not people despite what the companies will try to assert). They went ahead and sent out someone to replace it at no cost. We now have a functioning water heater.
The last guest has finally departed and we are slowly putting the house back in order. We've decided to take a break from remodeling efforts. Not just because we'd like to enjoy our house, but because we need to save the money to get to the next project. We went to the first Brimfield Antiques show of the year on Wednesday and found a beautiful mahogany sideboard that would be perfect in the library - once we knock down that wall and build the library. So, we had to pass on the great offer the vendor made. Instead, we bought a 2.5 foot stone Griffan which is now sitting in the vineyard. This morning I saw a squirrel try to check it out but deciding that 3 feet is a safe distance to sniff at it.
In other news, spring has sprung. The grapevines are sprouting, along with all of those things that the Good Mr. Dr. is allergic to. That's not going to stop us from getting out there and enjoying the good weather while we have it. We discovered that 4 of the bushes planted in the vineyard are an invasive species, so we need to find replacements and get those out of there. The Good Mr. Dr. is still not sure what we're (or really he's) going to do with the vineyard but I think he's slowly getting a plan together.
That's all for now. I should get in the shower and do a little cleaning before taking the rest of the day off to enjoy the only weekend this month with no meetings or other obligations.
The party was fabulous. There were lots of good friends, good food, and good drink. Our friends and family know us well. Just about everyone brought us a bottle of wine or other fermented drink, which is fabulous. I think we have about 3 cases of wine and other spirits in the house. So, I guess another party is in order.
The Big Family Visit was smooth, with only one small hiccup. Now, as you all know, there were 8 adults and 1 child in the house for 5 days. On the 3rd day, the water heater decided it just had it. Or rather, the gas regulator, which keeps the pilot light lit, decided to act like a petulant child. The Good Mr. Dr. had to coax the pilot light on every morning so that some of the guests could take a shower. On the morning that most people were flying out, the gas regulator simply gave out. Luckily, we didn't have to convince the manufacturers that their warranty was illegal in MA (warranties follow products, not people despite what the companies will try to assert). They went ahead and sent out someone to replace it at no cost. We now have a functioning water heater.
The last guest has finally departed and we are slowly putting the house back in order. We've decided to take a break from remodeling efforts. Not just because we'd like to enjoy our house, but because we need to save the money to get to the next project. We went to the first Brimfield Antiques show of the year on Wednesday and found a beautiful mahogany sideboard that would be perfect in the library - once we knock down that wall and build the library. So, we had to pass on the great offer the vendor made. Instead, we bought a 2.5 foot stone Griffan which is now sitting in the vineyard. This morning I saw a squirrel try to check it out but deciding that 3 feet is a safe distance to sniff at it.
In other news, spring has sprung. The grapevines are sprouting, along with all of those things that the Good Mr. Dr. is allergic to. That's not going to stop us from getting out there and enjoying the good weather while we have it. We discovered that 4 of the bushes planted in the vineyard are an invasive species, so we need to find replacements and get those out of there. The Good Mr. Dr. is still not sure what we're (or really he's) going to do with the vineyard but I think he's slowly getting a plan together.
That's all for now. I should get in the shower and do a little cleaning before taking the rest of the day off to enjoy the only weekend this month with no meetings or other obligations.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Less than a week
The celebrations begin in less than a week. The house is coming together, as evidenced by the massive transfer of seasonal clothing from the third floor to the basement. The futons have been constructed. In hindsight, the twin we got for one of the rooms was probably larger than needed. But it was cheap, and it's now already there and set up. Once we get the laundry back, I'll put sheets and blankets on them, sweep the floors, wash the doors, and then get busy on the office.
We are putting together the itinerary of happenings. There will be Duck Tours and museum visits. Two of us are going to The Tomb. One meal may happen in Salem. Reservations have been made, catering is in the process of being ordered. The wine was shipped in yesterday. Extra chairs are arriving over the course of the week.
And we are in the process of clearing the basement of old appliances. Some young men came to take the oil tank, stove, and fridge and other stuff that can't go out in the regular trash. Apparently, the oil tank still had oil in it (yes dear, you were right; the inspector was an idiot). So, they are coming back tomorrow to drain it and then take it. Hopefully that goes smoothly. In the meantime, we have a big hole in the wall where the 80 year old stove vented into the chimney. One step forward, one step back.
We are putting together the itinerary of happenings. There will be Duck Tours and museum visits. Two of us are going to The Tomb. One meal may happen in Salem. Reservations have been made, catering is in the process of being ordered. The wine was shipped in yesterday. Extra chairs are arriving over the course of the week.
And we are in the process of clearing the basement of old appliances. Some young men came to take the oil tank, stove, and fridge and other stuff that can't go out in the regular trash. Apparently, the oil tank still had oil in it (yes dear, you were right; the inspector was an idiot). So, they are coming back tomorrow to drain it and then take it. Hopefully that goes smoothly. In the meantime, we have a big hole in the wall where the 80 year old stove vented into the chimney. One step forward, one step back.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Massachusetts celebrates my birthday with a marathon
Monday is my birthday. Usually I celebrate in all kinds of ways for a week, but too much is going on to do my normal week long party.
This year, Monday also happens to be Patriots Day in Massachusetts. It's a state holiday commemorating the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which marked the start of the American Revolutionary War.
Monday is also the Boston Marathon, marking the start of tourist season.
While I appreciate the celebrations in my honor, I will have to decline to participate in any event that takes me into the heart city. We plan to head to movies where I can watch a cartoon about monsters and aliens, eat popcorn, and maybe do a bit of shopping.
I will be chauffeured throughout the day but not because the Good Mr. Dr. is such a gracious gentleman. My driver's license expires tomorrow and because it is a holiday, the Registry of Motor Vehicles is closed.
This year, Monday also happens to be Patriots Day in Massachusetts. It's a state holiday commemorating the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which marked the start of the American Revolutionary War.
Monday is also the Boston Marathon, marking the start of tourist season.
While I appreciate the celebrations in my honor, I will have to decline to participate in any event that takes me into the heart city. We plan to head to movies where I can watch a cartoon about monsters and aliens, eat popcorn, and maybe do a bit of shopping.
I will be chauffeured throughout the day but not because the Good Mr. Dr. is such a gracious gentleman. My driver's license expires tomorrow and because it is a holiday, the Registry of Motor Vehicles is closed.
Preparing for the Big Family Visit and other random things
As you know, we got the main guest room in order. We are about 85% done on the other two rooms upstairs. Just a few more things to do and they will be ready. It's coming along slowly but surely. We are putting together an itinerary of activities. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.
More importantly, I've submitted the dissertation to ProQuest, it was approved by the university and so it is now officially official. I will be hooded with the ceremonial hood and will receive a big piece of paper bestowing all of the honors and responsibilities of being an overeducated person.
I've managed to get out most of the announcements and invitations to dozens and dozens of people. I am thankful for self-sticking stamps. By the way, if you received it in the mail, it is an announcement, not an invitation. If you try to come to the ceremony without a ticket you will be turned away. However, if you do try and get turned away, let me know and you can join us for dinner afterwards.
I think I've figured out what spring cleaning really means. Twice this week I've seen workmen at various neighbor's houses literally emptying out basements and backyards. I called one of them and hope that we can work out a deal to take an old fridge, stove, and the oil tank this week. This will allow us to actually use the back part of the basement during the party.
In other news, I have learned that estate sales are FABULOUS. We went to one in central Massachusetts yesterday. We weren't looking for furniture but we were amazed at how reasonably priced everything was. We bought a few household items (serving dishes and the like) and some christmas presents, all for less than $15. Go to EstateSales.net for a list of upcoming estate sales and auctions in your area. We still haven't gone to any auctions, but hope to spend part of the summer learning about those too.
Also, for those of you interested in my dissertation research, my program director wrote a Spotlight article for our webpage about my work. You can go here and scroll down to see a not very good picture of me and read the summary.
That's all on this end. The semester is ending, which for us means grading, and grading, and more grading. Which is what I need to get to.
More importantly, I've submitted the dissertation to ProQuest, it was approved by the university and so it is now officially official. I will be hooded with the ceremonial hood and will receive a big piece of paper bestowing all of the honors and responsibilities of being an overeducated person.
I've managed to get out most of the announcements and invitations to dozens and dozens of people. I am thankful for self-sticking stamps. By the way, if you received it in the mail, it is an announcement, not an invitation. If you try to come to the ceremony without a ticket you will be turned away. However, if you do try and get turned away, let me know and you can join us for dinner afterwards.
I think I've figured out what spring cleaning really means. Twice this week I've seen workmen at various neighbor's houses literally emptying out basements and backyards. I called one of them and hope that we can work out a deal to take an old fridge, stove, and the oil tank this week. This will allow us to actually use the back part of the basement during the party.
In other news, I have learned that estate sales are FABULOUS. We went to one in central Massachusetts yesterday. We weren't looking for furniture but we were amazed at how reasonably priced everything was. We bought a few household items (serving dishes and the like) and some christmas presents, all for less than $15. Go to EstateSales.net for a list of upcoming estate sales and auctions in your area. We still haven't gone to any auctions, but hope to spend part of the summer learning about those too.
Also, for those of you interested in my dissertation research, my program director wrote a Spotlight article for our webpage about my work. You can go here and scroll down to see a not very good picture of me and read the summary.
That's all on this end. The semester is ending, which for us means grading, and grading, and more grading. Which is what I need to get to.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Done!
We've accomplished two things this week:
1. The parlor is finally done. Or at least, as done as it is going to get for now. We still have to do something about the floor moulding in the bay. And we need to put shoe moulding around the room. But still, it is done. As soon as I can get the Good Mr. Dr. to post the pictures to Picasa, I'll let you know.
2. My committee chair approved the final version of the dissertation. All I have to do now is submit it to ProQuest.
I also ordered my graduation announcements. The university wanted us to use this cheap company which provided a poor quality product. The sample they sent us was just terrible. I could do something better on my own computer. But I don't have time for that. So, I decided that I wanted to use a local printer. For the same amount of money, I could get a nicer announcement. And I can keep my money in my own community. After some negotiations with the university, they agreed to send the university seal to the printer. So, I should get them this week. Keep your eyes open next week for a mailing from us.
I started to work on the sewing room last night. I need to set it up to be a guest room for the Big Family Visit. The biggest challenge was building the futon we got from Freecycle. There were no instructions, so I had to simply figure it out. It took about 3 hours but it was easier than putting together the dresser we got from Ikea.
In other news: the Good Mr. Dr. returned from fancy-pants university on Tuesday evening. The birdies are happy that he's back. So am I.
I will end this post with a funny story:
We made the flight reservations for Mom, Dad, and the Banana a month or so ago to come for the graduation. My sister and her family are also coming. She made their flight reservations just this week. My sister has been flying all over the country in the last month, so I've not spoken with her about anything, much less the parent's flight arrangements. However, it turns out that my sister and her family are on the exact same flight, in the exact same row as the parents and the Banana. Weird, heh? Looks like an intervention from a higher power to me.
1. The parlor is finally done. Or at least, as done as it is going to get for now. We still have to do something about the floor moulding in the bay. And we need to put shoe moulding around the room. But still, it is done. As soon as I can get the Good Mr. Dr. to post the pictures to Picasa, I'll let you know.
2. My committee chair approved the final version of the dissertation. All I have to do now is submit it to ProQuest.
I also ordered my graduation announcements. The university wanted us to use this cheap company which provided a poor quality product. The sample they sent us was just terrible. I could do something better on my own computer. But I don't have time for that. So, I decided that I wanted to use a local printer. For the same amount of money, I could get a nicer announcement. And I can keep my money in my own community. After some negotiations with the university, they agreed to send the university seal to the printer. So, I should get them this week. Keep your eyes open next week for a mailing from us.
I started to work on the sewing room last night. I need to set it up to be a guest room for the Big Family Visit. The biggest challenge was building the futon we got from Freecycle. There were no instructions, so I had to simply figure it out. It took about 3 hours but it was easier than putting together the dresser we got from Ikea.
In other news: the Good Mr. Dr. returned from fancy-pants university on Tuesday evening. The birdies are happy that he's back. So am I.
I will end this post with a funny story:
We made the flight reservations for Mom, Dad, and the Banana a month or so ago to come for the graduation. My sister and her family are also coming. She made their flight reservations just this week. My sister has been flying all over the country in the last month, so I've not spoken with her about anything, much less the parent's flight arrangements. However, it turns out that my sister and her family are on the exact same flight, in the exact same row as the parents and the Banana. Weird, heh? Looks like an intervention from a higher power to me.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
No New Picture Yet
We've been slowly but surely getting the house in order. The parlor was done, and then became not quite done because we needed a new bookshelf. Anyone who had been to our apartment in the last year knows exactly what I mean. So, we bought a couple of bookshelves from Craigslist (which is a fabulous resource). The Good Mr. Dr. stained one of them but it's been raining every chance we've had to bring it up from the basement. So, the parlor remains almost done.
We've also purchased some futons so that people have a place to sleep when they arrive. It's happening slowly but surely. Still need to get things like pillows and towels. I'm going to put up the family pictures tonight and figure out where the sculptures are going.
In other news, I have successfully defended my dissertation. I have some official stuff to do, like make a few changes and submit it to Proquest. It all should be done in the next week.
The Good Mr. Dr. will be heading to Canada on Sunday for a few days at some fancy-pants university to do something with his students. I will not be joining them. I plan on going shopping at Ikea.
Now that spring has come, we've been getting a lot of birds. Finches (or as my people call them, meep-meep birds), cardinals, blue jays, and other birds that we've never seen before. The Good Mr. Dr. was dutifully going out every morning to feed them. Bird watching from the kitchen window is a great way to avoid working. Our backyard became so popular that one of the bird feeders has already fallen apart from use. That's o.k.. We've got more feeders just waiting to be painted and put out there. We've also bought a copper-looking one that we hope can stand up to the bird traffic.
That's all from here.
We've also purchased some futons so that people have a place to sleep when they arrive. It's happening slowly but surely. Still need to get things like pillows and towels. I'm going to put up the family pictures tonight and figure out where the sculptures are going.
In other news, I have successfully defended my dissertation. I have some official stuff to do, like make a few changes and submit it to Proquest. It all should be done in the next week.
The Good Mr. Dr. will be heading to Canada on Sunday for a few days at some fancy-pants university to do something with his students. I will not be joining them. I plan on going shopping at Ikea.
Now that spring has come, we've been getting a lot of birds. Finches (or as my people call them, meep-meep birds), cardinals, blue jays, and other birds that we've never seen before. The Good Mr. Dr. was dutifully going out every morning to feed them. Bird watching from the kitchen window is a great way to avoid working. Our backyard became so popular that one of the bird feeders has already fallen apart from use. That's o.k.. We've got more feeders just waiting to be painted and put out there. We've also bought a copper-looking one that we hope can stand up to the bird traffic.
That's all from here.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Bills bills bills
And not enough to drink.
Today is massive cleaning day. I'm going to vacuum and dust and wipe down all of the furniture and finally put the parlor together. We will post pics later once it is complete.
Today's topic is bills. We hate to pay them, but it is nice to have heat, hot water, and lights. I mean, how am I supposed to yell at David Brooks or Pat Buchanan during the Sunday morning talk shows if there's no juice for the TV? More important, how am I supposed to get my daily dose of calcium if the fridge doesn't keep the milk and the yogurt from going bad?
One of my jobs in the household is to manage the budget. This involves planning for expected expenses, like utility bills and savings so that we can determine how much we can spend on extras like new furniture and more remodeling. The Boston Water and Sewer Commission has made my job a little bit easier by actually posting our daily water usage. I can estimate, based on the last couple of months, how much water we actually use every day and how much that costs. Using the wonderful powers of Excel and basic math (no algebra needed), I can actually forecast what our average bill will be and put that into the budget. Knowing that we'll be having lots of guests also allows me to just decide to double that budget item so that I am not surprised by a really high water bill in May. And hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised when it is lower than expected.
Unfortunately, the electric and gas companies do not (yet) provide our daily electricity and gas use online. If I want to know how much gas we've used, I have to go down to the basement and look at meter. Even then, the billing is so complicated that I'd have to set up a whole new file using complicated algebra to estimate our bills. I have heard from friends who work in the energy consulting industry that the ability to monitor daily electricity and gas use may be coming in the future. I, for one, look forward to it. There is nothing more satisfying that taking control of your budget. Except maybe paying off credit card bills. That feels really good.
One a related note, when we were moving , I found the notebook that I used to record all of our expenses way back when we were living in L.A. We were poor back then and every nickle had to accounted for. Our average monthly expenses came to just under $700 a month. Our rent was a whopping $500 a month for a two bedroom house. Our gas bills were $12-20 a month. I think the highest electricity bill I saw was $25. Of course this is easily explained by the fact that we were living in L.A., so our gas use was mostly for cooking and laundry. We also didn't have three computers running 24 hours a day either. We didn't have comp and collision coverage for the car. No life insurance, house insurance, or student loans to pay back. It was funny to look back and see how much things have changed.
Have a good weekend. Look here tomorrow night for any new pics.
Today is massive cleaning day. I'm going to vacuum and dust and wipe down all of the furniture and finally put the parlor together. We will post pics later once it is complete.
Today's topic is bills. We hate to pay them, but it is nice to have heat, hot water, and lights. I mean, how am I supposed to yell at David Brooks or Pat Buchanan during the Sunday morning talk shows if there's no juice for the TV? More important, how am I supposed to get my daily dose of calcium if the fridge doesn't keep the milk and the yogurt from going bad?
One of my jobs in the household is to manage the budget. This involves planning for expected expenses, like utility bills and savings so that we can determine how much we can spend on extras like new furniture and more remodeling. The Boston Water and Sewer Commission has made my job a little bit easier by actually posting our daily water usage. I can estimate, based on the last couple of months, how much water we actually use every day and how much that costs. Using the wonderful powers of Excel and basic math (no algebra needed), I can actually forecast what our average bill will be and put that into the budget. Knowing that we'll be having lots of guests also allows me to just decide to double that budget item so that I am not surprised by a really high water bill in May. And hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised when it is lower than expected.
Unfortunately, the electric and gas companies do not (yet) provide our daily electricity and gas use online. If I want to know how much gas we've used, I have to go down to the basement and look at meter. Even then, the billing is so complicated that I'd have to set up a whole new file using complicated algebra to estimate our bills. I have heard from friends who work in the energy consulting industry that the ability to monitor daily electricity and gas use may be coming in the future. I, for one, look forward to it. There is nothing more satisfying that taking control of your budget. Except maybe paying off credit card bills. That feels really good.
One a related note, when we were moving , I found the notebook that I used to record all of our expenses way back when we were living in L.A. We were poor back then and every nickle had to accounted for. Our average monthly expenses came to just under $700 a month. Our rent was a whopping $500 a month for a two bedroom house. Our gas bills were $12-20 a month. I think the highest electricity bill I saw was $25. Of course this is easily explained by the fact that we were living in L.A., so our gas use was mostly for cooking and laundry. We also didn't have three computers running 24 hours a day either. We didn't have comp and collision coverage for the car. No life insurance, house insurance, or student loans to pay back. It was funny to look back and see how much things have changed.
Have a good weekend. Look here tomorrow night for any new pics.
Monday, March 2, 2009
SNOW DAY - Update
Today is a snow day. We're in the middle of at least 8 inches of accumulation. For me, it's a bit of a waste because we're in Spring Break. At the same time, a meeting scheduled for tonight was cancelled. And the Good Mr. Dr.'s college is also closed, which means we both get to stay home.
To celebrate, the Good Mr. Dr. went to the kitchen to make eggs. That's when he noticed this:
We have decided that our Sunday evenings would be devoted to painting birdfeeders. We finished two and hung them earlier this week. Apparently, our gift pleases the many birds of the neighborhood. I know it's hard to see from this picture, but there are about four types of birds down there. Including, our favorite:
(Click on the picture for the larger image)
This is a cardinal. We've got a male and two females that come by regularly. The bird feeders we are working on right now will be filled with food that is specific to their tastes.
We hope you are having a good day, even if you don't get a snow day.
Update
The Good Mr. Dr. went out to refill the bird feeders sometime in the late morning. He put it almost 4 cups in each bird feeder. By early afternoon, it was almost all gone.
This could mean two things. The birds are starving, possibly because of the snow. Or the bird feed we bought from our local supermarket is addictive, like McDonalds French Fries. If we bought bird feed from Whole Foods, would the birds still eat it?
To celebrate, the Good Mr. Dr. went to the kitchen to make eggs. That's when he noticed this:
We have decided that our Sunday evenings would be devoted to painting birdfeeders. We finished two and hung them earlier this week. Apparently, our gift pleases the many birds of the neighborhood. I know it's hard to see from this picture, but there are about four types of birds down there. Including, our favorite:
(Click on the picture for the larger image)This is a cardinal. We've got a male and two females that come by regularly. The bird feeders we are working on right now will be filled with food that is specific to their tastes.
We hope you are having a good day, even if you don't get a snow day.
Update
The Good Mr. Dr. went out to refill the bird feeders sometime in the late morning. He put it almost 4 cups in each bird feeder. By early afternoon, it was almost all gone.
This could mean two things. The birds are starving, possibly because of the snow. Or the bird feed we bought from our local supermarket is addictive, like McDonalds French Fries. If we bought bird feed from Whole Foods, would the birds still eat it?
Friday, February 27, 2009
Two important accomplishments this week
First, I finished writing the dissertation to the satisfaction of my advisor, which means that it went to the rest of the committee. So, it looks like I'll graduating in May. There's still a bunch of things that have to happen, but the really big hurdle has been overcome. I am relieved. More exciting than that is that my dad, who does not like to get anywhere near airports, much less on airplanes, is coming to the graduation. I've been dancing in my chair all day.
Equally important, the contractors are finished. The ceilings are put up. The floors and wood has been stripped and stained. The Good Mr. Dr. and Our Good Friend J will be doing touch-ups this Sunday and installing the light fixture in the parlor.
Here's a peek at our new bedroom.
The walls are dark blue and the ceiling and trim a creamy yellow.
The contractor was able to find some replacement doors for us with the original mortise locks and ceramic knobs. We still need to strip and paint the door. Also, we need to get replacement plates for the light switch and wall outlets. But, all in due time.
The parlor is where the touch-ups need to happen. But, still it looks good.
This is the south facing wall. You can see the soffit detail here. The wall is blue, the underside of the soffit is blue-green, and the ceiling is a mild yellow. We used all Benjamin-Moore, low VOC paints, so if you want to know the exact colors, let me know. You can also see the detail of the trim around the doors here. The trim was a mix of stains to look dark red. The door needs to be replaced eventually. This is a cheap, hollow door that is ugly and beat up. We can't wait to get rid of it.
This picture is a little dark and does not do justice to the window trim, but you can see how the paint contrasts nicely with the soffit detail.
We are particularly proud of the door. It was a lot of work for the contractor but we were able to save the door. It is stained the same color as the trim. Obviously one of the things that needs to be done is to paint (until we can stain) the stops in the door frame. Or we could leave it just to highlight the contrast. Or we could paint it the color of the walls. I'll leave that up to Mr. Dr. and Our Good Friend J. Our contractor found a really nice door knob and were able to remove a mortise lock from a door in the basement. The mortise lock (which is the mechanism inside the door) was dated 1862.
Mr. Dr.'s personal project has been the vineyard. One of the selling points of the house was the several foot long grape trellis. Now that the weather is finally beginning to get better he's been able to get back there and get something done. Well, apparently you have to prune the fingers back pretty severely to keep it healthy. Here's the final product:
Check out the pics in the gallery for what this looked like back in December.
Well, that's all for now. Now that my book is done, I am working on the grading that I have neglected for about 2 weeks and my consulting work. Next week is spring break for me. A chance to grade, finish other work, and prepare the house for all of the guests in May. The Good Mr. Dr. finished his second chapter and is starting on the third. We are happy to report that my dad is healthy, my niece survived a bout with norovirus and the baby is o.k. As far as we know, all is well and good with everyone else too.
Equally important, the contractors are finished. The ceilings are put up. The floors and wood has been stripped and stained. The Good Mr. Dr. and Our Good Friend J will be doing touch-ups this Sunday and installing the light fixture in the parlor.
Here's a peek at our new bedroom.
The walls are dark blue and the ceiling and trim a creamy yellow.
The contractor was able to find some replacement doors for us with the original mortise locks and ceramic knobs. We still need to strip and paint the door. Also, we need to get replacement plates for the light switch and wall outlets. But, all in due time.The parlor is where the touch-ups need to happen. But, still it looks good.
This is the south facing wall. You can see the soffit detail here. The wall is blue, the underside of the soffit is blue-green, and the ceiling is a mild yellow. We used all Benjamin-Moore, low VOC paints, so if you want to know the exact colors, let me know. You can also see the detail of the trim around the doors here. The trim was a mix of stains to look dark red. The door needs to be replaced eventually. This is a cheap, hollow door that is ugly and beat up. We can't wait to get rid of it.
This picture is a little dark and does not do justice to the window trim, but you can see how the paint contrasts nicely with the soffit detail.
We are particularly proud of the door. It was a lot of work for the contractor but we were able to save the door. It is stained the same color as the trim. Obviously one of the things that needs to be done is to paint (until we can stain) the stops in the door frame. Or we could leave it just to highlight the contrast. Or we could paint it the color of the walls. I'll leave that up to Mr. Dr. and Our Good Friend J. Our contractor found a really nice door knob and were able to remove a mortise lock from a door in the basement. The mortise lock (which is the mechanism inside the door) was dated 1862.Mr. Dr.'s personal project has been the vineyard. One of the selling points of the house was the several foot long grape trellis. Now that the weather is finally beginning to get better he's been able to get back there and get something done. Well, apparently you have to prune the fingers back pretty severely to keep it healthy. Here's the final product:
Check out the pics in the gallery for what this looked like back in December.Well, that's all for now. Now that my book is done, I am working on the grading that I have neglected for about 2 weeks and my consulting work. Next week is spring break for me. A chance to grade, finish other work, and prepare the house for all of the guests in May. The Good Mr. Dr. finished his second chapter and is starting on the third. We are happy to report that my dad is healthy, my niece survived a bout with norovirus and the baby is o.k. As far as we know, all is well and good with everyone else too.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Almost there
This week we hit three of important milestones. First, Mr. Dr. and Our Good Friend J took down the door frame on the second floor landing. If you remember, this frame, and the plaster "wall" was actually blocking the view to the first floor. So, now, from the third floor you can see all the way down to the bottom.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
There's some wall work we have to do and we'll have to figure something out for that rail along the stairwell wall. And, we discovered that the parquet floor on the second floor landing was installed over rug. Rug that had been soiled by cat pee. Nonetheless, it's nice to have the sun shining through to the first floor. We couldn't have done without Our Good Friend J.
The second important accomplishment happened in the bedroom. The painter put skim coat on all of the walls, painted the ceiling, the trim and just needs to put one more coat on the walls and he'll be done. After that, he'll start on the parlor. We'll probably have to pay him for one extra day, but better that than have half painted walls. I'll put up pics next week when it's done. So far, it looks excellent. Our painter is a real artist. He painted straight lines along the walls and ceilings without the use of painter's tape.
The best bit of news comes from the parlor. The contractor has finished the floor in the parlor. And it is beautiful.
So, here's something interesting we've learned. We have been very careful to buy low VOC paints because of my asthma. However, there really isn't such a thing as low VOC wood stain or polyurethane. And since I work from home two days a week, and most mornings, you can imagine how difficult it was to work when there is staining and polyurethaning happening directly below you. However, never let it be known that a little bit of vapors ever stopped me from grading.
Let me tell you, those fumes get everywhere. We (the contractor and team included) had headaches all week long. It also took 5 hours to clean all of the dust that was created by the sanding. But take a look at those floors. Aren't they beautiful.
We are hoping that by this time next week, I'll be able to report that we are back in our bedroom and that the parlor is 95% complete. The contractor and team started sanding and staining the moulding, trim, and parlor door (in the basement). We're not sure when the window trim is going to be finished. That might take another half week. But, the parlor should be painted. We do need to buy new light fixtures, which we are hoping to do next weekend.
In other news, Mr. Dr. finished the second chapter in his book and I finished the final chapters on the dissertation. We went to see Coraline to celebrate that and Valentine's day. Great movie. Highly recommend it. Except for my niece, the Banana, who needs to read the book first.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
There's some wall work we have to do and we'll have to figure something out for that rail along the stairwell wall. And, we discovered that the parquet floor on the second floor landing was installed over rug. Rug that had been soiled by cat pee. Nonetheless, it's nice to have the sun shining through to the first floor. We couldn't have done without Our Good Friend J.The second important accomplishment happened in the bedroom. The painter put skim coat on all of the walls, painted the ceiling, the trim and just needs to put one more coat on the walls and he'll be done. After that, he'll start on the parlor. We'll probably have to pay him for one extra day, but better that than have half painted walls. I'll put up pics next week when it's done. So far, it looks excellent. Our painter is a real artist. He painted straight lines along the walls and ceilings without the use of painter's tape.
The best bit of news comes from the parlor. The contractor has finished the floor in the parlor. And it is beautiful.
So, here's something interesting we've learned. We have been very careful to buy low VOC paints because of my asthma. However, there really isn't such a thing as low VOC wood stain or polyurethane. And since I work from home two days a week, and most mornings, you can imagine how difficult it was to work when there is staining and polyurethaning happening directly below you. However, never let it be known that a little bit of vapors ever stopped me from grading.
Let me tell you, those fumes get everywhere. We (the contractor and team included) had headaches all week long. It also took 5 hours to clean all of the dust that was created by the sanding. But take a look at those floors. Aren't they beautiful.We are hoping that by this time next week, I'll be able to report that we are back in our bedroom and that the parlor is 95% complete. The contractor and team started sanding and staining the moulding, trim, and parlor door (in the basement). We're not sure when the window trim is going to be finished. That might take another half week. But, the parlor should be painted. We do need to buy new light fixtures, which we are hoping to do next weekend.
In other news, Mr. Dr. finished the second chapter in his book and I finished the final chapters on the dissertation. We went to see Coraline to celebrate that and Valentine's day. Great movie. Highly recommend it. Except for my niece, the Banana, who needs to read the book first.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)