Working on a Sunday

The stucco guys showed up this AM and wanted to paper and wire the house for stucco. Go figure they would want to work on Sunday, but what the heck it gets us closer to the end goal. The stove guy was suppose to come and cut the hole for the stove pipe, but that was cancelled until tomorrow afternoon. I can't remember if I mentioned we found someone to repair the hall carpet, so we are going to go ahead and order our carpet and pick up the flooring probably tomorrow. The roofer mentioned he is going to have a hard time matching the gutters, so I will do some shopping tomorrow to get some estimates for just replacing them for the entire house.

Max took me out to dinner to San Leandro's Horatios (one of my favorite places to eat). We had a wonderful meal and MUCH THANKS goes out to Jessie and Adrienne who paid for it! They make the best key lime pie - yum! We then stopped at Best Buy on the way home and picked up a DVD recorder with VCR. I have been wanting one of those for a long time and this will allow us to get rid of three components hooked up to the receiver. We also shopped for receivers and speakers. They had a really nice one on sale for $900, but we are going to do a bit of shopping. I want a receiver in my sewing room to go with the surround sound speakers that are already there and we need speakers for the new addition.

Kodi finally found a spot where he can get his back up against something and be comfortable - there may he hope for his peace of mind and sanity during this construction.

Later . . .

Michael's Raise

Last night Michael took the family out to dinner at the Olive Garden to celebrate having worked for WalMart for one year and he got his first raise in pay. He also now gets vacation and sick leave and he was VERY excited about that. Micahel, Paul, Kathy, Debby, Max and I all went to dinner and then went to Loard's for dessert (hot fudege sundaes except for Michael who only eats vanilla ice cream).

Debby went home because she had to work the next day, but the others came back to our house to check out the progress of the addition. Pictures don't really tell the picture and I wish everyone could see the progression in person. They have all the framing done, including Max's closet. The only thing left is to take out the old door that opened into our old bedroom. These are pictures of the hallway and the doorway into the addition and Max's closet. The roofer came out yesterday and layed paper on the roof because there was a chance of rain. They moved everything inside (tools and insulation) and got everything pretty water tight (it did rain last night). The stucco guy showed up today and dropped off material as they will start that process on Monday. The electricians will probably finish with the electric on Monday and then they can actually insulate and sheet rock. The whole process is really going quickly. I am actually getting very excited about the final results!

Later . . .

OMG it is becoming real . . .

OMG! Our addition is actually beginning to look like what it is suppose to look like. I am amazed at the difference when the walls are up. The sliding glass door is in the addition and the frame is in for the window in what will be my sewing room. It is sooooooo cool to see what the actual hallway will look like.









We have to do some measuring to decide where we want our bedroom furniture to go. The contractor will put the wiring for the surround sound in the wall and wants to bring it out where the receiver will be; which is what we have to decide. He measured the bed and nightstands and is putting the outlets behind the nightstands along with the phone outlet. Because of the headboard and footboard for our king size bed, we are a little pressed for room to walk, but it is much better than the previous room. We have some clear lines now, but I just am not sure how to arrange the dressers and the armoire. We have some limitations due to the free standing stove, but I am sure we will figure it out.

We are making some changes as we go and I had to spend over an hour with the contractor and the electrician today figuring out where to put lights and light switches. He kept trying to talk me into some strange-ass things, but I held my ground and explained I am a simple girl – keep it simple and keep with the flow of the house. I want the addition to blend with the rest of the house and I not only do not need, but do not want to spend the money for elaborate crap!

Whew – what an adventure this is turning out to be!

Later . . .

Progression

The addition seems to be progressing quite well. Unfortunately the workers were on a roll with the framing, but lumber that was suppose to be delivered this AM did not arrive until the afternoon. Since they cannot stand around and do nothing, they started on the master bedroom removing whatever they could get their hands on. The sliding glass door is ready to be removed and the doors and hardware are removed from both the closets. The carpet has been rolled up (we need to save a portion). The plan is for the inspector to do a PM inspection and have the roofers roof on Thursday.

I think I have picked out the flooring for my sewing room. It is a really pretty laminate by Dupont. It has the backing attached and the color and pattern should not show scratches or dirt. We have come across a little problem with the carpet. We cannot match the carpet that we have in the house. With the extension of the hallway, we really need to have the carpet match. We can get new and different carpet for the extension, but the installers will not install the old carpet from the master bedroom into the hallway. No problem with getting new carpet for the addition, but we have to find someone who will cut a piece from the master bedroom carpet and install it. We do not know how to install carpet, so I will be searching for a “repair” service to see if they will lay the carpet in the hallway. I am sure it will all work out in the end – the closer we come to completion the more timing becomes essential.

Later . . .

SF Trips with Jessie & Adrienne

It is pretty obvious that we had a good time on both visits. The trip to Ghirardelli was a taste treat sensation for everyone (Jessie wanted to just jump in the vat of chocolate, but restrained herself). Adrienne and I enjoyed the sundaes as is clear in the picture. The weather for Jessie was one of the coldest day EVER, but we bundled up and had a good time. We stayed over in the city with Jessie, but came back the same night with Adrienne. For all you Ireland fans out there, I will make a disk of all the shots and send them your way in the next week or so.

Later . . .

Picked out stove for addition

I went to the House of Fire today and ordered the free standing stove for the addition. The one I ordered is a Kozy Heat Duluth http://kozyheat.com/duluth_image.html in black cast iron and will come with a blower and remote. We still have to pick out the hearth pad, but I am going to make Max go with me for that one.
The addition is moving along rapidly. They are putting up all the needed structure for the roof and the roofers are suppose to roof on Thursday. How cool - check out my closet! They will be breaking through the wall on either Wednesday or Thursday. Max removed all the "popcorn" from the master bedroom and just has the hallway to finish. It actually went quite quickly - it is just a mess to deal with.

Using the lumber

Not only did they get the floor down, but they have the room framed (including my walk-in closet) and they have put the boards on the outside of the room and are ready for the roof. It is moving very rapidly and certainly is taking shape. We have to get the bedroom ready for them to start working inside this coming week.

Our house is a diaster - king size bed in the living room and all the bedroom furniture is in the dining room. It is going to take some time to get back to life as we new it.

Arrival of materials

It doesn't actually look like a lot of material laying in the driveway, but when it showed up on the truck it looked like a huge amount! They were suppose to start framing on Monday, but the forman arrived Monday morning to say they will be starting on Tuesday. We wanted them to get started, but it was also nice not to have the pounding all day!

Later . . .

Foundation Completed

Around 10 AM the crew showed up to await the arrival of the cement truck. I still must say I am amazed at how things progress when you are organized and obviously know what you are doing. The job was completed around 3:00 PM with the framing actually removed from the cement. I am sure the remaining process will not move so quickly, but there is no messing around getting the job at hand done.

Later . . .

Ready for the foundation

Wow - this picture was taken Tuesday afternoon. I guess when the workers show up to work, they work! The city inspector came out on Wednesday and they are pouring cement today! The lumber for the frame is being delivered on Friday and they will start framing on Monday! This addition is becoming real really fast. The dogs are getting a bit more used to having people around, but I fear that the hammering on Monday is going to be a strain on them. Kodi hates noise and Darci wants to attack the noise.

My knee is slowly progressing. I think I have been probably over doing it a little and I am going to cut back a bit - it is sore and a bit stiff. The doctor said to work it and use it, but I am sure I do not understand "moderation". She did say I could get on the elipical in two weeks, but to NOT use walking as a means of excercise. Swim, bike or elipical would be good, but keep the walking to strolling for short periods.

We are going into San Francisco this Saturday and staying the night. We are going to do some shopping and site seeing with Jessie.

I need to complete my garage/Christmas decoration project so we can have access to the garage for storage of the stuff that will have to come out of the closets in the bedroom. We will also have to more all the furniture out. Once they start on the inside of the house things are going to get pretty confusing around here. More pictures and details to follow.

Later . . .

Let the chaos begin . . .

Yikes! It all started at 0800 hours this AM. It actually is amazing to see how much work can be accomplished when many workers are put together to do the job. They progressively made short work of removing the bricks from the patio (we need to save them to finish the patio when the addition is completed). Breaking out all the cement from the walkway and the hot tub pad was back breaking work and I certainly am glad I was watching and not participating in the labor.

Both the dogs are pretty much freaked about the whole situation, but Kodi is by far the worse. He HATES noise and you can image the amount of noise that was being made (and will continue to be made). He mopped around the house like he had lost his last squeaky toy and was over all just not a happy boy. Darci just wants to go outside and chase away the strange people in her yard (and the noise makes her jump a mile and all the hair stands up on her neck, back and butt)! We had to put up a make-shift fence to keep the dogs away from the construction work. This is NOT going to be easy on any of us!

I am trying to keep a running tab with photos of the progress. I was standing out looking at the spot that will be the addition and it just does not look that big. I know it will be great when it is done, but getting there is going to be a bit of challenge. I think I am actually amazed at the progress that was made in the first day, which makes me think it truly will be completed before we know it.

Later . . .

Hard Labor

I must admit this is not the preferred way to treat guests, but she really was a willing participant! We had to get the back yard ready for the construction workers to arrive and start digging up and moving things. We had to move the brick from one flower bed to the other, move the river rock from around the hot tub and move the good garden dirt into the extended flower bed. With the construction starting on Monday and my knee surgery and Max's flu, this project was upon us all too quickly.

I worked on getting the last of the water out of the hot tub and then worked on brushing the dogs! Kodi is dumping another undercoat and he needed it badly because he is leaving little clumps of hair everywhere. I did the little bits and pieces that I could of moving things out of the way and just taking it at an easy pace walking around the yard.

Jessie and Max put in several hours of hard labor and then we called it quits and all showered and had pancakes and Irish sausage for breakfast. We headed out to Lowe's to get material to make some kind of make-shift fence to keep the dogs contained if they have to go out for potty breaks. The whole dogs in the back yard is going to be a "thing" that we will have to deal with. I am hoping that they will get used to the people in the back yard as the work progresses.

Later . . .

Weekend Adventure

After my doctor's appointment (which went very well and I am allowed to drive) we headed off to the Bodega Bay area. We spent the night in Sebastopol and then made the rounds to Bodega, Bodega Bay, Jenner, Duncan Mills and Guerneville. We had really beautiful weather and had a good time just strolling threw the villages and the shops. It was a bit windy, but overall it was really a nice Saturday.

This is a picture of "the camera that was" and me teaching Jessie how to use it. Max gave her camera to Jessie so she could take the shots she wanted (Jess forgot to bring her camera). Unfortunately, I was sitting in the back of the Xterra behind the driver's seat so I could keep my knee elevated and Jessie got in the front and closed the door before closing my door. Being the princess I am, I mentioned, "Ahhhh who is going to close my door"? Jessie jumped out to close my door and we were off down the road; unfortunately, the camera stayed behind in the gutter where it fell out when she opened the door. We did go back to look for it, but it was long gone. Someone has a really nice new camera and some Karma to deal with.

Bodega is where the movie "The Birds" was shot and this church is the location of the shoot. The town is very tiny and has a population of about 70. The people were very friendly and they had some nice shops (co-op artist shop had some really amazing work). Thankfully we were taking pictures with both cameras and had similar shots on both.

We came home Saturday night so we could have Sunday to do some thing in the back yard to get ready for the construction to begin on Monday.

Later . . .

Time Flys

Wow - hard to believe that time has passed so rapidly. I go back to the doctor tomorrow to have my stitches taken out. I have been doing pretty well this week. Of course if I press it too hard I end up with some swelling and pain. I am walking well and getting around well. I am hoping she will tell me that I can drive, but I must admit I have difficulty getting in the front seat of the Xterra. I have been riding in the back seat most of the time because it is easier to get into and then I can sit with my leg up and rest my knee.

Max came home from work with the permit for the addition on the house. Yikes! It tends to be kind of a scarey thing and at the same time very exciting. We had many contractors come out to the house and give us bids and we finally picked the one we wanted to do the job. They are not the cheapest, but they just felt right. We are both pretty confident that we have picked the right team. They are Diamond Certified, listed with the Better Business Bureau with no complaints and were just voted the best general contractor in the Tri-Valley through our local newspaper. They are starting on Monday and it will probably take 2 1/2 to 3 months to get the job completed. It will be so worth it when it is completed, but it is going to be a thing with the dogs and having people tearing up the back yard. I don't know at this point what the situation with the fence and gate will be, but I have to have a way to contain the dogs (luckily I should be able to take the dogs out on a leash for potty breaks and they will be pretty much confined to the house).

The Bob's are slowly dying and it is kind of sad to see them go. They don't live that long and there is no Queen, so they will eventually all die and we will have to start over. They really have been a kick to watch run about their farm. They do some incredible work.

Jessie and I managed to get in a little shopping this afternoon. She is a very good driver and she drove us up to the shopping center to check out the Dollar Store and a couple of Thrift Stores. We found some great bargains and were happy with our purchases. I ended up with a new ensemble for the guest bathroom (shower curtain, trash can, square kleenex box, tooth brush holder and glass). The stuff came from Penney's and the kleneex box had a price of $30 on it. I got the whole lot for $7.50 It is nice to have a change. and not have to pay a fortune to get it.

We are planning a weekend trip to the Bodega Bay area this weekend. We are planning on doing some shopping and going to my doctor's appointment and then making the drive. We will be staying in Sebastopol and then just driving around seeing the sights. Jessie has been many places in the California area, but she has not been up there. We don't have a lot of plans for travels while she is here so thought that might be fun.

I am very much hoping that the doctor will release me to drive tomorrow, but if she doesn't I am okay with that.

Later . . .

Catching up

Wow how time flies! My surgery went well and I am feeling pretty good. The knee is still badly bruised and swollen, but I getting around well. I pushed the crutches aside after the first day and relied on a cane for several days after that. We made the car trip up to Max's mom's for Christmas day and I slept on the way up and did okay on the way back. Max and I picked up Jessie at the airport (arrived from Ireland) this last Friday and that went well. Found a wheelchair to make the trek from the parking garage to international arrivals.

Max came down with the flu the evening I came home from the hospital. She has been a real trooper taking care of me. I had a flu shot so I did not get the horrible flu that she suffered. I had a couple of days that I had to kept a plastic bucket at my side because I was not moving fast enough to make it to the bathroom. I was sick, but not anything compared to what she has gone through.

I am walking really well right now and the main problem I am having is some muscle cramping in the calve. I fell really positive about the outcome.

We are having Max's family over tonight for New Year's dinner and I am planning on starting the new year in fine form!

I know I need to post some Christmas pictures and they will be forth coming (I hope).

Later . . .

Ready for surgery

I found out today that my knee surgery is scheduled for Friday AM. I am to show up at the hospital @ 6:30. Rumor has it that the surgery will last approximately one hour and recovery will be about one hour. Since I am completely convinced that doctors and nurses lie to patients on a regular basis, I am thinking surgery will probably be around 1 1/2 hours and recovery will be around the same. If I am to show up for surgery at 6:30, I am guessing I am actually scheduled for surgery around 7:30 or 8:00. Kathy is going to keep Max company (bless her heart for getting out of bed in the cold to join the frost filled trek to the hospital). I am glad I am the first scheduled surgery for my doctor because at least I can get up and get it over with and come home and go back to bed. Since I cannot have anything to drink four hours prior to the surgery, it is better to get it over with right off the bat.

With this surgery behind me I am counting on having a successful and productive 2007!

Later . . .

Early Christmas Cal City

Now how cute is that????

We made the drive down to Cal City to celebrate Christmas with Duane and family. It certainly is times like this that we would love to live closer. Not only are we not able to be there for Christmas, but we also miss out on the Christmas programs and just the general fun things that go on this time of the year.

We had a great time and the kids seemed to be pleased with their gifts. Can hardly tell that Desirae was pleased with her new Care Bear. Devin was pleased with his Sponge Bob lego set, but we made the mistake of buying Devin an XBox 360 game; which he could not play on their XBox. To solve that problem we loaded up the van and headed to Palmdale to get him something he could actually play. We ended up going to the Red Lobster for dinner (missed Denise's planned ham, sweet potatoes and killer dessert). We then headed to Best Buy where Devin picked out a new game. Devin actually fell asleep on the way home - so the game had to wait until Sunday morning.

The kids gave us really cool Raiders hats, which we plan to wear to Max's mom's where everyone else is 49er fans! Not only are they cool, but they are really warm too.

We made the long drive home Sunday afternoon, but it was completely worth the trip. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful family!

The "Bobs" aka "ants" arrived

Max has been "not so patiently" waiting for the arrival of the occupants for her ant farm. She finally had to get on the phone to "Uncle Mitch" and bug him to get the ants in the mail. She had decided that she was going to name all the ants Bob (this way she will not get them mixed up - as if you could tell the difference between ants). Now she can just say, "Look at Bob work". They are pretty busy little things. They arrived with two of the Bobs dead. The other Bobs are cleaning up and trying to make a place to bury them. They are quite interesting to watch and I am looking forward to see what kind of a home they build.

I did finally do some decorating in the house. I put up a little 4' artificial tree with built in lights. I hung some candy canes and white and red balls on it. It looks pretty cute and gives some light and spirit to the living room. I did not want to drag out all my Christmas stuff; however, I put out some santas and many snowmen. I even "hung the stockings with care".

We are heading off tomorrow after Max gets off work to have an "early Christmas" with the grandkids. We are really looking forward to seeing them and giving them their Christmas gifts! The weather is suppose to be horrid, but I did put new tires on the Xterra and had the front end aligned.

Later . . .

Lake Tahoe weekend

This is the view from the balcony of our condo on Saturday afternoon during the snow flurry. We had a nice time in Tahoe; however, I did not do any posts because I forgot the adapter for my memory stick and the network connection was not secure. I did not want to put my credit card information on a non secured site.

We relaxed, shopped a little, ate some good food and did some gambling. Once again, I was successful at the crap tables and managed to come home with more money than I left with. We both were doing very well and were able to spend some fun time gambling and not have it cost us any money (now that is the way I like to gamble).

I still have not put up the "in" house decorations; but I have plans to get on that tomorrow. I had to take my Xterra in for a bouncing front end; therefore, I am without a car. Forces me to stay home and hopefully stay focused.

Later . . .