Art has been working on our house renovation in fits and starts since 2008 when we moved back to Hawaii.
One of the more obvious things he has yet to complete is the baseboards. He's finished most of the closet interiors, but now there's the rest.
A couple of months ago, he almost finished the kitchen. There's just a bit more to finish there.
But now there's all the REST of the house to finish and it's rather daunting. He was planning to just order all the lumber moulding and quarter rounds at one time and store them outside the house.
But then came our trips, finishing the albums, this and a lot of thats.
Therefore he decided to do just some of it at a time.
We spent a lot of time at Home Depot selecting the straightest pieces we could find.
I did advise the sweet Home Depot young man who helped us cut the boards to wear the ear protectors next time. I told him he could otherwise end up with hearing loss and tinnitus like Art.
In my mind's eye, I could see my kids rolling their eyes, embarrassed that their mother was at it again.
OK, now we've got the lumber at home.
However, I just started Netflix again and Art has a book he's trying to finish on the Kindle that I borrowed from the library for him. We had that fun hike with Dave and Diane on Sunday and then there's a luncheon with friends from tai chi tomorrow.
Hmmmm....
One of the more obvious things he has yet to complete is the baseboards. He's finished most of the closet interiors, but now there's the rest.
But now there's all the REST of the house to finish and it's rather daunting. He was planning to just order all the lumber moulding and quarter rounds at one time and store them outside the house.
But then came our trips, finishing the albums, this and a lot of thats.
Therefore he decided to do just some of it at a time.
We spent a lot of time at Home Depot selecting the straightest pieces we could find.
I did advise the sweet Home Depot young man who helped us cut the boards to wear the ear protectors next time. I told him he could otherwise end up with hearing loss and tinnitus like Art.
In my mind's eye, I could see my kids rolling their eyes, embarrassed that their mother was at it again.
OK, now we've got the lumber at home.
However, I just started Netflix again and Art has a book he's trying to finish on the Kindle that I borrowed from the library for him. We had that fun hike with Dave and Diane on Sunday and then there's a luncheon with friends from tai chi tomorrow.
Hmmmm....
I almost fell out of my chair when you mentioned it's been five years since you moved back to Hawaii. I'd have guessed three, max.
ReplyDeleteIt really boggles my mind too. It's been 5 years. Actually I feel like we've been back longer. I can always remember when we moved back because that's when I started my blog.
DeleteIt's nice to have a project that lasts for a long time. It could wait another five years before it's done, and then you would just have to find another one. 2008 is when I moved to the Pacific Northwest! I hardly remember Boulder. :-)
ReplyDeletethere is always tomorrow,
ReplyDeleteHome renovation projects seem to have a life of their own....they just go on and on. The good thing is that they will be there when the rest of your life allows time for them.
ReplyDeleteMy children used to roll their eyes any time I spoke in public. lol
ReplyDeleteThe project will get done when you put it at the top of your list...
ReplyDeletewell, it is so true abut the need to protect one's hearing...good for you! Once a teacher, always a teacher.
ReplyDeleteI think mothers whose offspring do the eye-rolling thing are lucky. There's just as much proud "That's my mom!" in it as there is "Oh, no, she's at it again" and definitely more than "I don't know who that woman is, do you?" Your two are probably secretly proud you are mothering every young person in sight.
ReplyDeleteAnd you are so fortunate to have Art. Dick would no more actively engage in home renovation than fly to the moon. I've bought him two of those suitcase-size sets of tools and other individual tools, but he has touched none of them. The house will have to be falling down around his ears before he realizes something needs fixing.
Last weekend, though, he bought me a power nailer.
K
Art would have loved a power nailer when we were doing the other parts of the renovation. Hmmm.... I wonder if he still would.
DeleteArt should wear ear plugs says David who no longer does much sawing. Good advice. Dianne
ReplyDeletebalance in all things...work and play makes for a happy retirement...lol!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry! I recently reminded a City Mill employee who made lots of cuts on a plywood sheet to wear his dust mask. I did feel iI was out of my place as a customer saying that. But the poor guy was coughing and clearing his throat as the stand up saw spewed saw dust. My husband gave me the eye (not rolling) lol. He even helped uß load all 29 doors to the van. The worst part was we didn't tip him. Yesterdat we were back...same guy more cuts then he asked "are you coming back again?" We said no and he just wrote up our ticket and was off. As we walked to the cashier we realized the extra service a few days ago was because he was expecting a tip. So husband looked for him and gave him a ten. After that he came by and chatted a bit trying to be more helpful. I never thought of tipping a store employee for extra service because we were charged. 50 cents a cut...but all that dust probably pushed it to deserving one.
ReplyDeleteL....w
I don't know why Kindle fire can't spell right!! or maybe my typing....
DeleteL...w
What??!!?? You're supposed to tip those guys? We had no idea! Granted our cuts were tiny, buuut....
DeleteWe never did tip store employees before, but I've seen a lady at Kmart tip a store employee who helped her with a large load to her car. Usually we decline help unless the item is very heavy. The guy who helped us mentioned how much time we've saved by having the store make the cuts for 29 doors. Probably that's why. He figured a tip was the least we could do despite being charged 50 cents per cut. We felt better tipping him (no shame next time). We would still go back to City Mill because their employees make sure the cuts are precise. Home Depot usually just rips it with their dull blade and when husband tries to ask them to go slower, they say something like "you're going to sand it anyway right..."
DeleteL...w
You're right about that dull blade at Home Depot. Our cuts were quite jagged and will need to be trimmed off. We do love City Mill and Hardware Hawaii for personal service.
Deleteloud noise does not make a good ear. I usually have to take long gaps between using a mp3 player or my ears start to feel it.
ReplyDeleteHe certainly did much better than our contractor!
ReplyDelete...and you moved back to HI when?
ReplyDeleteOh, I understand. It's taken almost fifteen years to remodel our place and now it is time to repaint. It's endless.
We moved back to Hawaii in 2008, 5 years ago. :-)
DeleteYou two get SO much done. The baseboards sound like a good project when winter sets in. Oh yeah, not much snow around your winter wonderful Paradise! Have fun. DrumMajor
ReplyDeleteWell, actually these are more summer projects because the cuts are done on a table saw outside of the house.
Deletehave fun with this baseboard project!
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget all those 90 degree cuts. Or is it 45, to go around a corner. I suppose Art knows, but it would make me hire the job out.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about the tipping thing either but hey, you actually did tip him. You gave him a good tip about his ears. I say as long as water doesn't come in when it rains, some things don't need to be put on the front burner. Besides, you can't rush an artist. He really did a great job on the other baseboards.
ReplyDeleteChanging the subject, Kay I remember you had a post about standing to do your computer work. I thought of you when I read this: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/updesk-upwrite-standing-desk-tech-test-lab-review-194785
ReplyDeleteI do alternate sitting and standing because I find I get tired of only standing all the time. I do like the flexibility of being able to do both. I have found that my monitor is actually too low but I can't do much to change that because of my shelf system.
DeleteI've just made more work for Art by telling him I'd like my monitor table elevated which means building another table on top of another table. Ohhhh... it's probably not thrilling him right now.
DeleteHah! We once had lots of fun talking about my garage renovation project, which lasted 16 years. It became a conversation starter in the neighborhood. I finished it two weeks before we sold the place and moved. In our new home, we have been remodeling for about five years, and there's no end in sight. I no longer do the work, but am the "chief worrier" about how slowly things are progressing. It all adds to the joys of retired living, so who cares? I think Art is doing a helluva job. Stick with it, and him.
ReplyDeleteIsn't retirement wonderful! I got new bathroom faucets today?
ReplyDeleteAloha, neighbor :-)
It's always fun to get something new! Yae!!!
DeleteThe work Art has done so far is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThere's always something more entertaining or amusing to do than household chores. It will all be finished in the fullness of time ;-)
ReplyDeleteYou and Art lead an active life. Art is so good at his renovations. We are taking notes. We have a lot of projects to be done around here.
ReplyDeleteWe had our carpets cleaned today!!!! I hope we're done with renos for now. We've redone that last 3 house's rooves... sigh.
ReplyDelete