"So, you got plans for the holidays?"

This past Wednesday, my last work day before Christmas break, the relatively few of us left at work were lunching together.

Coworker #1: "So, any of you have plans for the break?"
Coworker #2: "We've got some family visiting."
Me: "I'm installing a door."
Coworker #1: "A door?!  Oh, you mean you're going to hire someone..."
Me: "No.  I mean I'm installing a door.  Well, technically two.  We're starting with an interior door and if that goes well, we'll do the front door."

And without further ado, here's our new front door!  (We snapped a bit of trim taking it down but I couldn't wait until I'd painted it to take the brag pictures.)

Before	After

Update 12/27/2009: Managed to find some reference pictures of the old door.

The cost of trash

Those are our receipts from four trips to the Fremont Transfer Station this weekend (similar to the city dump but they process recycling too.)  In case you don't have a calculator handy, that adds up to 3,280 lb.  Travis and I hauled 3,280 lb of construction debris into and back out of his truck.  It took a total of 5 hours (with a lunch break) and cost $139.92.

We listed this green toilet and sink combo on Craigslist after they were demolished out of the bathroom (in perfect condition).  I'd say the combo weighed about 100 lb.  After a few false starts, a guy bought them for $50.  Upon receiving them, he was so pleased with the green color that he sent us another $50.  We also learned that green porcelain bolt covers are a very prized detail so if you plan on selling 1950's colored toilets, make sure you keep the bolt covers in a safe place.

That unassuming toilet just nearly paid for getting rid of over 1.5 tons of debris.

1 Mystery poo problem + 1 Box moth balls + 1 Tinkerer

We have something of a mystery pet poo problem on our front lawn. There is a neighborhood cat/small dog who has a liking for pooing in a particular spot on our front yard.  We asked Travis' parents for some advice on this problem and a subsequent newspaper column confirmed as well...

Lesson # 8 in Home Remodeling: Animals don't like pooing near the smell of moth balls

I have to disclaim that this one's still a little bit untested on our part.  But the mystery poo is quite a bit of a nuisance.  If I'd ever caught the small mystery animal pooing on my lawn, I would give it such a talking to it'd never even consider using my lawn as it's potty ever again.  Unfortunately, I've yet to catch it in the act.

The column suggested getting a small can (i.e. soup can) and poking holes in it.  This makes the moth balls last longer.  (I expect it also keeps some curious child from accidentally ingesting it but then what child would even consider trying to eat something that smelled so obnoxious?)

However, seeing as we lacked a soup can at the house and I have a husband who would use any excuse to play with his power tools, this is what I got instead.

We had some leftover materials from the fence we recently put up and the remodel going on.  This allowed Travis to use both his table saw *and* his drill.  :-)  You'll notice some air holes for the odorific moth ball smells to disperse.

And a nice swivel top (attached with a weather resistant deck screw to stand up to the elements) reveals 6 refillable compartments perfectly sized for moth balls.  He used his 7/8" spade bit to make those.

Update 12/27/2009: We've yet to see new mystery poo show up. I'm still uncertain whether it's been the rainy/cold weather recently that's keeping it at bay or the moth balls but at least this is showing some promise. :-)

Restoring my faith in retailers

We ordered a shower basin from a local kitchen and bath showroom, Water Concepts.  They're operated by the same people who run the local Ace Hardware store.  Though the Ace tends to be a little more expensive, I've always had a great experience with their customer service.  All of their staff are friendly and more importantly, knowledgeable.  I've never asked them a question they couldn't answer.  Our shower basin ran about $500 and I received a hand written Thank You card in the mail from them.  It's surprising how good a simple Thank You card can make you feel.  So I return my thanks to Ace and the people who run our local store for still striving to be competent.

And in a separate incident, this time with a big box hardware store, I was also pleasantly surprised.  This incident started about a month ago when I ordered the shower hardware.  As our contractor started the plumbing rough-in, he asked for the shower valve control which goes in the wall.  To our dismay, what I ordered was apparently only the trim kit and was missing precisely the valve control.  Being flustered, we ran out and bought the entire kit which was luckily in stock at Home Depot.  I then went to return the trim kit I ordered and, in my flustered state, boxed it up and dropped it off at UPS.  On my drive home, I had the horrible realization that I had put the packing slip inside the trim packaging box.  Thus started 2 weeks of panicking that the return warehouse wouldn't find it.  So imagine my surprise and relief today when I was emailed that they're refunding my $183 and change.

Two rooms down

First off, with a lot of crawling around on the floor, we finished putting on the polyurethane in the living room and office.  The slippery-sliding feeling of walking on it is just indescribable.  Refinishing your floors really is a labor of love but boy are they gorgeous!  No more dull, orange, aged floors.  The red oak grain gets to shine through again.

We started a big push during the Thanksgiving holidays against finishing the living room and office.  Mostly, we just needed to cut and install baseboards as well as caulk and paint them.  During the long weekend, we managed to install all the baseboards and put 1 coat of paint onto the office.  Our time table was completely knocked off schedule by the finickiest fireplace surround in history.  Nothing on the stock surround we bought fit and it took about 4 trips to Home Depot and 5 last minute modifications to get it all put together.  We were also forced to nix our plans to install decorative fluted pilasters in the end.  However, I'm pretty pleased with the end result.

So here's a little before and after for our two finished rooms.

Before	After