When last I touched base, Todd the Vinyl Planking Guy had just broken a screen door window, tried to blame it on a bird, and ended up a few boxes short of flooring. Boy, Thursday was a weird day. But Friday was better. Todd showed up at 9:30, immediately apologizing for being late. He was … Continue reading 24 inconvenient hours and nary a baño.
Tag: house
Maybe a bird flew into it.
Words you never want to hear a contractor who is working on your home say: "Oh, that was dumb." At long last, our flooring guys arrived this morning to tear out the carpeting in the living room and hallway and install the vinyl planking. I naïvely thought it wouldn't be too disruptive to work from … Continue reading Maybe a bird flew into it.
That Voodoo That We Do
"You guys have the best cosmic energy of anyone I've ever met."Ashley J. First off, I'm glad those Voodoo lessons paid off. Tara thought it was a waste of money at the time, but I convinced her it could be a sound investment. Certainly better than crypto, amirite? What my friend was referring to, in … Continue reading That Voodoo That We Do
Trial and error and error and error.
Something funny happens when you've been painting seemingly nonstop for 10+ days: you start to look at other paint jobs with a critical eye. Case in point: I was in the men's room at TobacCo yesterday and found myself mentally critiquing the paint job. They did crappy work on the trim, I observed. The brushstrokes … Continue reading Trial and error and error and error.
Don’t ever take sunsets for granted.
When we were chatting with Dick and Carol at our closing appointment, I mentioned how excited I was about having ponds. The water features in the backyard were a big draw when we first saw the listing in December. "There are goldfish in there," Carol said. "Assuming they survived the winter." Well, guess what? After … Continue reading Don’t ever take sunsets for granted.
If it’s Thursday, it must be snowing.
We've had a weird trend in southern Wisconsin this winter: it has snowed almost every Thursday. Thursday isn't the only day it has snowed — but it has been the most reliably snowy. This isn't just a subjective observation, either. The stats back it up. In 2023, it has snowed every Thursday but one. Add … Continue reading If it’s Thursday, it must be snowing.
What a Dick!
Things are moving at breakneck speed with the house purchase now. We're rocking and rolling, as the kids say! (Or maybe they don't, but they should. Rock 'n roll will always be cool.) We wrote the earnest money check today. The home inspection, well inspection, and septic tank inspection are all scheduled for Friday. It's … Continue reading What a Dick!
David Byrne as a Metaphor for Life
There are few moments in life more surreal than signing a “Residential Offer to Purchase” on a home, but that’s exactly what Tara and I did on Thursday night. You know the Talking Heads song "Once in a Lifetime"? The one where David Byrne spouts lyrics like, And you may ask yourself, “Well, how did … Continue reading David Byrne as a Metaphor for Life
94.7%
Happy birthday, America! Tara and I are celebrating Independence Day by, first of all, not working on the house. The truth is, there's very little left to do at this point: all the painting is finished, the hardwood floors are 94.7 percent installed (due to a contractor snafu, they thought 18 boxes of bamboo would … Continue reading 94.7%
365 in the 605
We have officially been South Dakota residents for one year now. Exactly 365 days ago, we rolled across the state line, two days after leaving the Pacific Northwest behind. I will never forget the feeling of elation when we finally arrived. I can't ever forget it, because we have photographic evidence. This photo, by the … Continue reading 365 in the 605
Mark My Words 