Never thought retirement would be like this

Long detailed update on kitchen...

First one excuse: Lifted an 80 lb bale of peanut hay for the goats in an odd way and got a kink in my back, but that only accounts for 3 days of not working.

The light green wall paint (Sherwin Williams) looks great. They matched the color to that of a sample from Martha Stewart paint called "Artichoke Heart." So now I have a name for it.:rolleyes: Everything looks so clean and bright.

There are 4 doors and 4 windows in this kitchen, plus baseboards and some crown molding---almost more woodwork than walls. As if I didn't already hate painting enough, I used Valspar (Lowes) semi-gloss, only because I already had an unopened quart. White over tan and 3 coats still didn't cover! I thought maybe it was just my imagination, but found a link with 134 complaints which sound exactly like the problems I had. Anyway I absolutely can't stand painting any longer, so I'm calling it quits with 3 coats before the guys with the white coats have to come take me away.

How to fix the crooked electric switches took a long time. Used an "old work" box, cut the upper hole larger and straighter, and repaired the cracked wooden bridge between the two using a piece of wood glued from behind with heavy duty adhesive. It isn't going anywhere. I'm kind of tickled with how that came out. May change out to new switches, and will get matched cover plates, later.

switches1_zpshsachfrd.gif
switches2_zpsvfghyt9z.jpg
switches3_zpsalz2a2sy.jpg

　
Floor damage. The plywood underlay was in crumbles but the rot only went into the subfloor in one tiny spot near the wall (red circle), and didn't even go all the way through that. I filled the hole, cut a new piece of plywood and screwed it down. There were 2 more layers of old vinyl and linoleum below the plywood, so the depth didn't match any plywood dimensions. I added some floor patch filler to compensate. This may have been a mistake, IDK. Nothing will ever go in that corner.

floor1_zpsdklnowlz.jpg
floor2c_zpslsh033up.jpg
floor3_zps0w3sxslz.jpg

　
Inserted a thin strip of wood along one whole wall where the gap between wall and underlay was too large. The guys at the flooring store said you could just put in floor patch for any gaps less than that.

wall1_zpscc95krhf.jpg


I've decided to go back to sheet vinyl for the floor. If I just want to see if I can do tiles, I'll practice on the guest bathroom---it's only 7'x7' and could use a new floor. If sheet vinyl doesn't last, I'll just get it done again. Tired of thinking about it. It might take a while to get this floor installation arranged, so I'll save any touch up painting to do while I'm waiting.:p Then there will be more work afterward, like shoe molding.

Will spend this weekend moving appliances and cleaning up. Want to look at one spot where the old flooring is bubbled up. I don't know if they will want to remove all the old vinyl or not. Then shop for flooring, maybe Monday. End of Story.
　
Day 6, Feb 25th

Morning weight: 120.0
Calories:
4 oz fried ground beef (75%) drained, 1/4 c lima beans: 360
frozen dinner (180), 1c+ mix veg: 300
salad ( lettuce, 1/3c lima beans, 1oz cheese, 3tbsp dressing, 6 olives) 400
ff sf cocoa, 12 olives: 90
Total: 1150

Day 7, Feb 26th

Morning weight: 120.2 (salt)
Calories:
4oz fried gr beef (drained), 1/4c lima beans: 340
Frozen dinner (180) + vegs: 280
Salad (lettuce, cheese 120, lima beans 80, olives 30, dressing, 150): 410
ff sf Cocoa x 2, 1 Gingersnap, 12 Olives : 140
Total: 1170

Day 8: Feb. 27th

Morning weight: 119.8
Calories:
McD's cheeseburger, 1/4 small fries: 360
chicken strips ~5oz: 290
Salad (lettuce, cheese 140, 1/3c lima beans 100, dressing 100, 6 olives): 400
ff sf cocoa x 2, 6 olives: 80
Total: 1130

 

Last edited:
Valspar at Lowes. I used this in the guest bathroom a couple years ago. Was not happy with the coverage either, Nancy. The clerk assured me it would only take one coat, but it sure didn't.
From here on in, I'll pay the extra and go back to Sherwinn Williams.
 
Pappy, I used to like Benjamin Moore best, but the last gallon of that wasn't so great, either. I think it might have something to do with this new trend of having paint plus primer all in one. All the brands are going to that now.
 

This is one of my parents' many remodeling projects---a very old abandoned house on 80 acres of land they bought near Marietta, Ohio, in the early Seventies. They added indoor plumbing and two bedrooms upstairs. The dark tone is from converting to grayscale. [cheap photo paper turned red]

Before and After:

bumpsbeforeG_zpsjlxykqab.jpg
bumpsafterG_zpsbs8edvoo.jpg


I didn't appreciate what they did at the time, because building and remodeling were always a part of daily life when I was growing up. Whatever they did always came out great every time, and I think I just assumed it must be easy. I do know that it's much easier to start from scratch. The house was demolished shortly after they sold the property.

Got the kitchen cleaned up. Messed up counting calories today, because I forgot one item until it was too late. Will make up for it tomorrow.

Day 9, Feb 28th

Morning weight: 119.4
Calories:
6" Subway (ham & cheese, only): 350
5 oz chicken strips: 200
sliced apple, 1 oz grated cheese, ff Coolwhip, 260
4 oz fried ground beef drained + 1/3 c lima beans: 360
ff sf cocoa x 2, 6 olives: 80
Total: 1250

Day 10, Feb 29th

Morning weight: 118.8
Calories:
1 chicken strip: 190
frozen dinner (220) + 1 c mixed vegs w lima beans: 340
salad (lettuce, cheese 120, 1/3c lima beans 80, dressing 90, 6 olives): 350
ff sf Cocoa x 3, 2 Gingersnaps, 8 Olives, 1 hb egg: 170
Total: 1130

Day 11, Mar 1st

Morning weight: 118.4
Calories:
McD cheeseburger, 1/3 sm fries: 370
1 chicken strip: 180
salad (lettuce, cheese 120, 1/3c lima beans 80, dressing 90, 6 olives): 370
apple, hb egg, 8 olives: 200
Total: 1120


 
Last edited:
Kitchen flooring installation scheduled for Monday (3/14), possibly sooner. Should start moving furniture---all but the stove anyway---by tomorrow night.

Goats have been fine.

I've been in a gloomy place lately. Nothing to do with the internet or forums. More related to my best friend (in real life). But spring coming, clocks changing, elections so exciting, floor coming, temperatures way above normal, birds chirping... all good stuff! How can you be gloomy with all that?! Think I'll go for a walk tonight. It's been a long time.

Tom Jones and Paloma Faith - God Only Knows (A 50 year old song by the Beach Boys)
 
Last edited:
Hey Drifter! I really appreciate your stopping by to say hello.

Sure hope your recent health issues get resolved with just the meds.
getwell1.jpg
 
Flooring folks moved the installation to Wednesday, instead of Monday. The kitchen has only a stove and fridge right now and it looks so roomy. If the pantry wall were removed it would be 12'x24', and then you could have a nice total remodel done. Why I didn't want to spend a lot of money on fixing things this time. A good time might be when my vintage stove finally konks out. Hope it's not next week. I'm a little afraid to move it for just that reason.

Part, or all, of the motor on table saw is shot. I've needed it a dozen times lately. My dad's saw is out at the farm, and I found the assembly instructions. I could read them backwards and bring it in town. Many other options, too. But I need to stop worrying about wasting money, just call Sears to come out and fix it, and get it over with.

And the cycle continues... Goats are shedding winter hair again. Brushed Shorty (right) and there was hair flying all over me, Dixie, and everything else, even the camera lens.

hair_zpslamqakpw.jpg


*Wormed (3/12): Shorty, Dixie, Green (check him, dose may be too small)
 
Last edited:
Sometimes you just needed motivation... For 30 years a chunk of natural gas pipe, with cut off valve above and elbow below, has been sticking up through the kitchen floor behind the fridge. Over the years I've looked at that thing often and thought about how to remove it without sawing it off, cause I don't like sawing pipes. Finally sawed it off. It only took 10 minutes. I should learn a lesson from this.:rolleyes:

The flooring guys made a big mistake giving me 2 extra days to think. :eewwk:

Decided to saw a crack under the door frames so they can slide the vinyl under them instead of try to cut out around them, like they want to do. It will look neater and be easier to keep clean. Also pulling up some old loose flooring where it is buckled up underneath, because I'm afraid they will try to ignore it.

These guys will probably hate me by the time they leave. And I've still got 2 days to think up more annoying things.:playful: [Should do a little touch up painting instead.:p]
 
I love your goats Nancy, can't believe the shedding. The hair looks whispy like my Labradoodles, it flies all over when I groom him, it sticks to everything, when I try to throw a clump in the trash, I can't get it off my hands. Rubbed my hands with a dryer sheet last time, didn't help. Hope all goes smooth with your new flooring! :cool:
 
SB: That picture just shows a fraction of the hair that came off him. They all shed differently and at slightly different times. The other 3 have a white cottony-like undercoat that pulls out, and the outer hair stays on. When you try to brush one, at least one other goat will always try to squeeze in between you and the goat you're trying to brush, so you have to keep switching sides. Silly goats. :playful:
 
Last edited:
The one time I really miss Ohio is during presidential election years. It is so exciting there because it is a toss-up state. I loved the diversity, like a little snapshot of the US. All 3 of the counties where I've lived (in OH, NC, GA) did good in their primaries, on both sides.:rose:

Stove now moved to the hallway, refrigerator to the dining room. Flooring guys are supposed to come at 9:30 am.

Saying goodbye to winter---the trees are coming out fast. I prefer the woods in the winter.

Photo experiment: picture of a log stuck in the pond. Ha! Taken 2 weeks ago:

log3_zpsbuw28gsx.gif
 
Last edited:
Is that Dixie in the middle? I love that sweet face! :love_heart: Nice peaceful photo there Nancy. Why do you like the woods better in the winter, easier to see what's out there?
 
Yes, Shalimar, those Golden Guernseys are beautiful! You don't see any of them here. I've only seen pictures of them.
 
SeaBreeze said:
Is that Dixie in the middle? I love that sweet face! :love_heart: Nice peaceful photo there Nancy. Why do you like the woods better in the winter, easier to see what's out there?
Click to expand...

SB: Yes, Dixie is the black and tan one. And yes, also, I like to see the tree trunks and the way the hills roll. In the summer there is too much undergrowth. Just looks like a clump of brush in the woods. I always liked the Rocky Mountains, above the tree line.
 
Mini-rant... I'm stuck here at home with no one else to fuss at until the flooring guys leave.:rolleyes:

They didn't listen to me. I even took a piece of vinyl and demonstrated how I wanted it slid into the slots I cut out under the door frames & vertical molding (rather than cut out around). It was the *only* thing I asked them to do. And then I made the mistake of leaving them alone... They cut out around anyway.

At least there was still enough width left to slide it under the *molding* parts before they glued it down. Now they want to caulk the gaps at the frames. No way!!!

Typical of many, but thankfully not all, men. ("She's just a woman and doesn't know anything. Just pretend to listen and do it the way you've always done it.")

I'm beginning to think, because you have an old house but not a fancy one, that folks assume you don't care how anything looks. If I wanted to go cheap, I'd go to a box store.

So now I guess I'll get some tiny molding to cover those gaps. It will look silly, but better than a big glob of dirty caulking on the floor.

(I know this doesn't make any sense. Sorry.)
 
Thanks, Shali. I guess it's really another case of being angry with myself. I shouldn't have left them alone. But I hate to sit and watch people when they work, partly because I hate someone watching me when I work, but also because I'm afraid they will think I'm checking up on them (which is what I'd have been doing in this case :)). I think it can be fixed. They just left. The choice of pattern looks good. I'm calm now.:)
 
Just realized the flooring installers removed the pantry door and bent one of the hinges. Now it hangs even more crooked than before, and won't come all the way open. I might as well have taken that door down, torn it apart, and squared it up to begin with, and left it off until they finished. The only place I can work on it is on the front porch, because it is too heavy to carry to the basement. Will save that project for warmer weather. Probably end up being the summer of 2017, or never.;)

I have a bad habit of never quite finishing something when it gets down to the last little nitty-gritty details. Will cut all the base molding pieces to fit, paint them, then install them by the end of the week. Maybe I'll stick to it if I put it in writing here.
 
Well that was an easy fix. Rear turn signal light out on truck. Checked Youtube. Looks easy. Got in truck headed for Autozone for a bulb. Checked one more time. Signal now working. I thought 20 years was kind of quick for a bulb to burn out. (Probably a loose connection.)

Think I'll take a break now and rest from completing that project. :)
 
Just got a letter from the GA Department of Natural Resources saying it's time to inspect the dam again, and they want me to call them to make sure they can get access to it. They've never asked permission before, but then I didn't have a fence before. They are supposed to have inspections every 5 years, but they have been way far behind on inspections because of state budget cuts. Is this good news, or bad?

Probably good news. If they say I need repairs, they will surely be able to help find someone to do it. Was just planning to call the guy I talked to last fall anyway. With rain about every 3 days since then, I'm sure he is way behind schedule also, but this will give me an excuse to call him. I really didn't want him to do this until late summer dry season anyway, when the water level is low. It's very high now and the ground is wet. I'll think about it for a day or two.
 
It's frustrating Nancy when you have someone come in to do something, and you take the time to specifically explain how you want something, and they do whatever they want anyway. I'm like you, don't like to breathe down someone's neck when they're working and don't like to be watched either. Good luck with the dam inspection.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top