So I’ve got this broken, leaking garbage disposal…

AND I’m debating whether to spend the $75 to have someone fix it, or just open up my handy Reader’s Digest How to Fix Everything book and have at it myself – what do you think?

As an aside, the new disposal is just sitting there on the dining room table, begging me to open it…

Operation Move-In = SUCCESS!

OK, so I KNOW we haven’t posted over the weekend, but we’ve been busy with the move. Saturday was a LONG day, starting around 6:30AM and finishing late in the evening (with a much deserved bourbon on ice – Basil Hayden, if you must know). Sunday was similarly long, with trips to Costco, Target, and the Farmer’s Market, all designed to stock up the house.

In between, we found many new “projects” we’re going to have to work on, as well as a number of “fixes” that will need pretty quick attention (e.g. there appears to be a leak inside a wall, behind the shower – more on this later).

So I PROMISE a more lengthy post later today or tomorrow, which will include pictures from the move-in, and how the house looks now (generally disheveled, but livable – much like my grunge days).

In the meantime, I hope you’ll settle for these pics from Costco…Costco, you say? Yes – have you ever seen Costco right before it opens? I hadn’t…but apparently there is a daily melee that occurs just as the rolling entrance doors open up…

This is what Costco looks like JUST before it opens - something like the start of the Tour de France, only with shopping carts

This is what Costco looks like JUST before it opens - something like the start of the Tour de France, only with shopping carts

Today’s trip to Lowe’s – OR “Things Ethan Covets”

Quick lunch trip to Lowe’s – this is what I came to buy:

Not thrilling...a doorstop and a garage clicker

Not thrilling...a doorstop and a garage clicker

But this is what I REALLY wanted to buy!

It will be mine, OH YES, it will be mine!

It will be mine, OH YES, it will be mine!

Back of the house, then and now

Back of the house in May

Back of the house in May

Back of the house, June 29

Back of the house, June 29

The bottom is actually the improved version (and these are from 3 weeks ago) – I swear with some paint it’ll look WAY better.

T-minus 1 day!

Tomorrow is the big move-in day! Our handy cleaning service arrived early this morning, most likely happy to find that the main part of the house really did need much work, other than a light dusting of the newly stained floors and some bathroom cleaning. Any happiness they may have felt at finding the main house so clean may have evaporated when I showed them the garage, which included enough cobwebs that it looked like the giant spider scene from Lord of the Rings, as WELL as the strangely placed urinal next to the water heater (I’m pretty sure there was a spoiled banana peel in there too, but I decided to let them verify that for themselves).

Assuming that the gas company came and turned everything on, we’re good to go for tomorrow, which will include a bevy of house appointments:

9AM Movers arrive at old apartment

9AM Trash haulers arrive at new house (through some fancy black hole science, I will magically appear at both locations simultaneously)

12-4PM DirecTV shows up

2-3PM Cable shows the upper hand by only needing an hour window to do their work (Internet!)

AND at some unknown point, Sears will show up with our fridge (they seem to find enjoyment in keeping the timing a surprise…)

Stay tuned for pics from the move-in!

Escrow Closed!

Official!

Official!

 

It’s official!  Escrow has closed.   The house is owned.  A very good thing because we’ve already had a $izeable amount of work done on a house we didn’t technically own!  Stay tuned for a cheesy photo of us in front of the house holding the keys and a “sold” sign…

Bugs Be Gone!

Circus tents

Circus tents

Once Juan (window/door guy) and his beer drinking crew headed out, the exterminators rolled in.  After some issues with misplaced keys (we may or may not have accidentally returned a set of keys to Home Depot with some other hardware),  they set up the tent and started killing bugs.  Tent was up for several days and fortunately left no trace of the chemicals behind (aside from a now dead shrub in the back.)

Comparing the old and new(er) front of the house

It’s not all done yet, but we’ve come quite a ways! Notice the new door placement, added french doors on the guest bedroom, removal of the metal awning, removal of the awful bars, and taking out of the hedge.
Front of the House, circa May 2009

This was the front of the house when we bought it

Check out the new door!

Check out the new door!