Category Archives: Remodel-O-Rama

The money-sucking house remodel that now enjoys us the opportunity of showing off to our friends.

Git ‘er Done

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Do you smell that? That, right there. It is the smell of progress. And higher on its fumes I could not be.

My parents arrived Friday night at dusk looking like something straight out of the Grapes of Wrath. Missing from this post will be the photo of my father’s 80’s model flat-bed Chevy loaded down with two 10-foot cabinets covered in blue tarps and yellow rope, miscellaneous hefty bags containing tools & luggage and two cases of wine they picked up in Ukiah. The only thing missing was a rocking chair on top.

We got more things done in 48 hours than we have since that insane week when we moved in over two months ago.

First thing Saturday morning, as I was putting on my make-up, the mirror (that hangs on the wall adjoining the dining room) started gyrating violently, and I heard the muffled sounds of, “Okay, now to the left, okay, okay, umph! Got it, got it.” This meant one thing: Game On. From that point forward was just one continuous blur of getting stuff done. By the time the dust settled at the end of the weekend my father was limping, my husband hadn’t showered and I had reduced the inventory of unpacked boxes by over half. As of that moment, my prerogative to bitch and moan about not being able to get anything done was summarily revoked.

Big red lines have been drawn through the following items on the never-ending scroll we refer to as The List:

  • Replace original, 1964 thermostat. The existing thermostat would only ever get you within an approximate, 10-degree range of your desired temperature. It was replaced with new and lovely programmable model that will allow us not only to hit our target household temperature without guessing, but might actually produce some cost savings in the process.
  • Replaced original, 1964, yellowed, broken-cased smoke detector, and added 2 more. Another testament to the complete apathy of the previous owner, who sold this house to us at the absolute bare minimum of stated legal requirements by the State of California.
  • Replaced existing conventional light switch in master bathroom with a new dimmer switch. This particular modification was done to counteract the effect of the previous owner’s installation of a mirrored light fixture with 5, 100-watt vanity bulbs that produce so much heat that they have actually scorched the paint on the ceiling above them. And although the switch is now a lovely almond colored lever with a white switch plate, I no longer have to choose between showering in the dark or burning out my retinas.
  • The highly anticipated barn door installation was brought to completion, save for the finishing trim to cover the hardware. One of the very first thing removed from this house was the lovely set of sliding, mirrored doors. It boggles my mind who ever would have made this design decision…then I look at the rest of the house, and I am reminded.
  • Last, but not least, the new dining room cabinets and lighting were installed. Don’t even get me started on the kitchen, or it’s endless lack of storage. Fret not, there will be many posts in the future on it’s myriad inadequacies. But until we are able to re-“remodel” it, the Mount Everest of cabinets was mounted in the dining room. 10 feet of lovely, lovely storage.

All this, AND we managed to fit in a trip to the brewery.

Thanks Mom & Dad. Our sanity depended on this.

And I would like to thank the Academy….

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So our adventure, although far from over, is quickly winding down. All that is left is the details — those nasty, nasty details.

Thank you again to all of you who helped — both directly and indirectly. In no particular order we wish to thank the following:

The grandmas: for all their babysitting, their ‘husband-on-loan’ program, their ability to repeatedly travel (sometimes through the most heinous of circumstances) and of course, their ability to continue to keep our golden child stocked with cute, fun and exciting stuff.

Dad Walston: for filling in as Master Lackey, for doing it not once — but twice, and for doing it while sick.

Dore & Lewis: for not just offering to babysit once, but many times, and for officially being Stella’s first real live sleep over.

Scott:for getting up and leaving by 4:00am, driving yourself and a 30+ foot trailer chock full of cabinets for 11 hours, delivering them, then turning around and leaving at 4:00am the next morning for home. We salute you…and your insanity.

Andrea & Brian: for their patience, tolerance, their spare bedroom and their amazingly helpful insight on kitchen design (we predict that by 2015, no home in America will be without a ‘Last Chance Junk Drawer’)

Our neighbors: for putting up with the hammering, sawing and all other forms of racket at the wee hours of the morning — even on Saturdays and Sundays.

All of our friends and coworkers: for listening (or at least pretending) to our relentless updates and woes during this chaotic experience.

And of course, thanks to Dad Anderson: for doing all those things you usually wouldn’t on a job, for never getting frustrated, or impatient or overwhelmed, for living in your trailer for 6 weeks straight and still insist that you loved it, for getting to know our daughter, for making the effort to reach out to both of us, for making the reconnection.

This project brought so much more than just the new kitchen, floor and bathroom. It brought us the realization that we are surrounded with amazing and generous friends and family. And no amount of fancy appliances could ever top that…well, except maybe that sweeeet Viking Range…. ;)