Welcome to the Machine

After many attempts, mostly unsuccessful, to remove the thinset from my floor after busting up tile, I have broken down and will rent a machine.  Yes.  A machine.  This machine is designed to grind down the thinset with carbide bits so that I once again have a smooth concrete surface. 

I have mostly resisted the machine idea, thinking instead that I would chip away at the alien spaceship thinset from hell with my trusty hammer and chisel.  As much as I love my hammer and my new chisel, they just aren't getting the job done...at least in this century, and that's saying a lot since we are still early on in the century. 

Tomorrow I will drive to Green Valley, where I have reserved the floor grinding machine of destiny.  Evidently it's a big machine and will require two people to load it into my vehicle.  That should be easy since I assume a person there will help me load it.  The interesting part will be getting it out of the vehicle and into my house once I get home.  Unless Bhodi and Myrtle get super motivated and decide to help, machine removal from the vehicle will have to get creative...or I will have to call someone in a fit of desperation. 

I am hoping it grinds without jacking up the slab underneath the thinset.  I am also hoping that the rental people are going to give me some kind of training on how to use the thing.  If not, we're winging it, because I am sick of trying to figure out how to get this crap off my floor. 

Sunday will be wallpaper removal and drywall fixing day.  If anyone is bored, come on over to Octopus street. 

It's Electric, Boggie Woggie Woggie

Keith Graham of Graham-Electric-fame is hanging out on Octopus Street today to try and make sense of the Medusa head of wires I have hanging from walls and the ceiling in the bedroom.  As if my demolition tendencies haven't been productive enough, in addition to drywall destruction, I have also exposed lots of wires and outlets and the like. 

In order to re-secure and place the wires, outlets, and switches, Keith and his trusty companion are taking down more drywall and busting holes where they are putting junction boxes.  What have I gotten into?  At least 4 hours of electrical work.  That's what I have gotten into...oh, and lots of drywall repair.  Let's not minimize the joy that will be drywall repair.

Unlike the plumber, who took a nosedive for the worst, Keith Graham and Graham Electric are still electricians to the gods.  Seriously.  It is shocking how nice they are.  (sorry.  I couldn't resist that little pun.)

Tearing it all down

Thanks to the kindness of friends, I had a massive wallpaper removal day at the house, which also turned into a massive demolition party again.  Raymond, Sean, and Kip succumbed to the siren song of free beer and food and spent more than 8 hours stripping wallpaper from the bedroom.  Friends are the best, especially when you buy a home with wallpaper in the bedroom. 

Kip also ripped out the stupid arch the former owners built into the doorway leading to the bathroom.  Remember about 15 years ago when there was a shortage on nails?  It was because the former owners purchased all the nails and used them in framing up the stupid arch. With a hammer, a crow bar, and lots of determination, Kip showed that arch who was boss!  Woohooo! 

So, now I have a bare concrete slab in the bedroom, walls that are mostly wallpaper free, exposed wiring and insulation on parts of the walls, and some drywall repairs to make. I just want to make sure I have it ALL stripped and bare and as destroyed as possible before I start to fix things. 

Next update:  selecting tile for the floor.  Oh the agony! 

Demo Days Are Here Again

After the frozen and busted pipe fiasco, the wet carpet, the dripping ceiling, and all the fun that was associated with unexpected winter weather in Rio Rico, I have finally been home long enough to deal with the aftermath.  On Sunday, Kip came over with his miniature truck and we tore out all kinds of things at the house.  For starters, goodbye bedroom carpet.  So long.  See ya.  Wouldn't want to be ya. 

I also ripped out a stupid half wall, another stupid fake pocket door wall thingy, a cheesy arch in my bedroom doorway, and the crap floor in my master closet.  Demo is cathartic.  If you have something to tear apart, I highly recommend you do it.  Today.  It feels awesome. 

So what that I am now sleeping on my bed in the living room. At least the fix-it process has started.  Now if I could just get the insurance adjuster to show up to my house so I can start buying things to cover the concrete slab in the bedroom. 

Plumber? We don't need to stinking plumber!

After my extended journey to house-camping-land, I have finally fixed the broken pipes at my house. I am glad the pipes were fixed before I really did get used to flushing toilets with a bucket and buying gallons of water to keep myself and the dogs hydrated. 

At first I called the plumber.  After he no-showed and refused to return phone calls, I took matters into my own hands....or rather, a friend of mine took pity on me and offered to help me fix the pipes. Yay for friend of mine!  For those of you that are curious, yes...the plumber that flaked out on me is the same plumber who received rave reviews in previous posts here. 

So, because my dreamy, pipe-fixing friend has know-how and power tools, we were able to change the pipes and return Octopus Street to the 21st Century. 

to sleep perchance to dream

I have been on a mattress quest.  I currently have a queen bed, and with the alert that my grandmother and my aunt may be coming to visit in the next few months, I have decided to buy a king bed to move the current bed into the guest room. 

Truth number 1 about shopping for a mattress:  It is insanely fraught with too many options.  Memory foam, latex foam, pillow top, double-sided pillow top, individually wrapped coils, quilting, regular or low profile box spring, firm, medium, soft, plush, double plush, double dutch plush. 

Geez.  I just want a bed that makes me feel all warm and squishy and sleepy.  Which bed is that? 

The search has been doubly complicated by reading online reviews, listening to the advice of friends, and stumbling on this whole world of luxury mattresses that I never knew existed.  I thought the Westin Heavenly Bed was irrationally expensive with its $2,400 price tag, including frame, a mattress cover, and delivery.  Then I read about the Shifman, the Hydro, and all the mattresses that are hand sewn, cashmere covered, gold dipped, and stuffed with hand spun wool from the most beautiful and delicate of wool-bearing animals in the whole world.  Crap. 

I have discovered that some people pay $5,000, $15,000, even $30,000 for a mattress set.  Do they give you that much better of a sleep experience than a regular mattress?  Do they last forever?  Do they appreciate in value?  It is best not to even attempt to try one of these mattresses.  If they are better, a million times better than a regular mattress, then I will just be depressed that I will never own one.  Even if I won the lottery, I don't think I could bring myself to pay that much for a mattress. 

In my current economic downturn, I cannot imagine affording a mattress on the low end of the high-end mattress universe.  If I did buy one, I would expect it comes with my own personal on-call masseuse.  FOREVER.  And the masseuse would have to also do dishes, change my 8,900 thread count sheets, and shave my legs for me.  Seriously. 

So, maybe I will go on a mattress-trying excursion this weekend.  I am sure that actually trying a mattress is a better strategy than shopping online and reading mountains of mixed reviews. 

I am sleepy just thinking about it.

The First Christmas

This year Bhodi, Myrtle, Sombra, and I celebrated our first Christmas in the new house.  Technically, Sombra has had Christmas here before since he was the former owners' cat, but I imagine this was a little more dog-centric than he is used to. 

Thanks to Deirdre, I had a miniature tree with all the trimmings. 

Thanks to Sarah, I have more ornaments for future miniature trees, and I have a festive table cloth for my borrowed dining room table. 

Thanks to Grandmama, I had egg on toast with homemade salt risen bread for breakfast.  It was so good, I had it for lunch too!  I also have fun Christmas decorations that G send me years ago. 

Thanks to all my friends and family, I had lots of calls, cards, and Christmas wishes. 

Thanks to Bhodi and Myrtle, I had a great Christmas walk and Christmas nap snuggled up on the bed. 

All in all, the first Christmas was a nice one, even if I was far from home. 

So, goodnight all.  So ends another Merry Christmas.