Friends and Family Make the Home... so does a 20K Down Payment... Part 2
Ok, ok…. so I have dropped off the face of blogger world for a bit… but hey, give me a break. it’s not like any of you guys were reading this during the holidays either right? we all have real lives to also attend to. so yeah, my god, i think it’s been over a month since my last entry for sure. so i think just to be to the point and not diddle daddle, right now, i’m feeling i would like to talk about the two things pervading my mind right now, and which have been constantly on my mind for while actually, for better or for worse. the first entry will deal with the drama of owning a new home and doing some pretty significant renovations/ improvements to it… at least i don’t have to live in it yet. it’s been a mixed bag of good and bad, but to be honest… it’s just plain stressful and tiring. i’m just “hoping” it will all pan out.
.
so, the fact of the matter is that i closed on december 4th and since then my house has been in some position of “being fixed up”. it’s been A LOT of work… and will be A LOTof work clear into march when i have the house blessing and can finally move it… four months after i bought the house… haha. funny in the future i hope. anyways, for 2 weeks i was even there after work and let me tell you... working a full day at your regular job and then working on a house doing stuff you don’t really care for… that get’s old. for a week or so i was “retexturing” the bedroom ceiling. at first, i thought i might be able to sand off the pseudo “popcorn” and then just be done with it. my mom told me that sanding was out of the question (whose house it is?) so i decided to do a “replastering” job… that is... throwing up three buckets of joint compound and texturing it. at first i thought my application skills would be good enough for a relatively smooth finish… haha... not as easy as you think! so i just ended up doing a purposefully textured ceiling… a kind of stucco like effect. let me tell you… i don’t think it’s the greatest thing in the world… but it is a WHOLE LOT better than what was there before.
.
on the weekends of those weeks, i ended up power washing the outside of the house… and also power washing the driveway and sidewalks… this is why it took two weeks. thank god, ron was there to help a little. the boy really is the sweetest thing in the world and i really felt bad for dragging him out on his weekend to do that… but why should i feel bad… the guy is sort of my boyfriend right?… haha. oh a little side note… the first time we rented the power washer we got a late start on saturday so we power washed the driveway only (actually i wasn’t even expecting to power wash the driveway… but the change is ridiculous and i was ensnared… it looks soooo good!) anyways…we powerwashed till sundown and then just hung out the rest of the night, and the next morning we were suppose to wake up early and get the job done. but i take full blame…. i just wanted to lay in bed with him. we didn’t get to the house till like noon…. and then we power washed...pretty much finishing the driveway… and like 2 hours before the machine was due... it’s busted. we thought maybe if we gave the engine time to “dry out” (it was raining) then it might kick up again…so we grabbed lunch, came back… and the engine still didn’t start. I just thought fuck it and returned the sucker. well… when my mom found out that i didn’t “finish the job”… she became LIVID! saying i shouldn’t start things i can’t finish. i understand her point but man does she OVEREACT! everything becomes some sort of dramatic life lesson. and this was also right when i was having a mad dash making a Christmas meal for 12… which they also gave me shit about because it was served too late…. WHAT THE FUCK!? that was the night i told them i was dating someone and that was why i was spending the weekend nights somewhere else for a while…. i wanted to see ron after dinner but i didn’t want to make them feel i was taking their yelling at me badly. so we had an adult conversation… finally. when i said i was dating… my mom didn’t even flinch my dad seemed kind of stunned though… haha. oh well… gotta do what you gotta do.
.
the real shit though about the house really sort of happened during my vacation from work. if i didn’t mention our company gave us three days of extra vacation simply as a gift and the way holidays and weekends fell during this season… that gave us a clear 10 days vacation. and guess what… that was 10 days of home improvement for me. it was definitely, if nothing else…. an experience for me… and if i can figure out how the new blogger uploads pictures i have a gazillion pictures. anyways… for the first 3 days… this is saturday, sunday, monday (Christmas!) me and mei (thank god she helped… she actually did more work than i did i have to day… i was occupied with the carpenter… continue reading) painted the study (what i have called the green room… and eventually that room is like 90% done), we painted the bedroom (blue room) in the cool striped effect i wanted (it’s about 80% done because i still have to actually block a window with a new wall that needs to be built… and then painted), and she also put on the first coat of primer for the living room (red room)… which is complete disaster right now because i’m letting Esau tear the ceiling down and put up what he thinks will be better…. aiyah… it’s been looking like shit for 2-3 weeks now… i think my patience is wearing thin. anyways…. lots and lots of painting… but the rooms (study and bedroom) really do look fabulous and are on their way. ahhh… there is hope.
.
however, most of that vacation week however was devoted to building my front porch. as i write this… it’s about i’d say 80% done…. and it really honestly does, look very very pretty. all i have left to do… “all”…. is “just” put down the porch decking, encase the columns, and build the stairs… all things i think i can do… we’ll find out. anyways… i ended up hiring a carpenter for this… alias… but the deal was that i hired him for his know how and obviously for his labor… but that i would supply his “partner labor”. it was a crazy 7 or so days i have to say….very very tiring. i don’t think i want to see the inside of another home depot again! haha. but he was contracted to frame out my porch base, put the columns up, and give me basically a complete roof, top shingles, bottom and side…sided. he did a fantastic job… although he was kind of hard to work with at the end because i think he wanted to get more money and kept conniving about it… but hey… a deal is a deal. i learned a lot too i think, and i want to see if i can use any of this experience in a “semi-official” way to fill in for those “CA” credits i still need… site observation and all that.
.
this story really is told much better with pictures… and it is my mind to start a mini part of this blog as a documentary on my home improvement projects… i have the pictures… i just have to start loading them up. please enjoy them… even if you don’t enjoy this blog… heehee.
.
so where am i right now with the house. well like i said… it’s kind of messy inside and out… the porch needs some more work… maybe 2-3 more weekends (since i can’t work during the week anymore)… so probably done by February. the study and bedroom are more or less painted. next week after work i think i will start putting in the crown molding in the study and bedroom then, or starting the redo of the bathroom. all the supplies are here and ready. during my vacation, dad wired most of the new electricity i wanted… but there is still some more… i’d feel bad to make him do the whole lot… and it’s more experience for me i guess. over the break i also found a BEAUTIFUL 1930’s wood dining set at such a steal of a table and five chairs for $100. i also just recently found a high table that will act as more counter space and a eating bar for my kitchen… nice solid wood table… just itself a $100…. but not a “bad” deal. i think i am itching to get a “real” couch instead of the flimsy sectional my parents are giving me… and i need a desk and a coffee table… pretty simple.
.
i have been going through a little emotional up and down lately… and i think it mirrors the condition of my home. since i have been there a lot already, i think the house is receiving/absorbing/reflecting my “chi” and since it’s somewhat in a state of flux…i think it effects me as well. because things have not been the smoothest they could be…especially these immediate 2-3 weeks past… it has been a somewhat confusing…holiday season…. mostly because of my relationship with ron… but maybe because of also the stress with my house. for the week while i was working on the porch i really was just…. plain…exhausted…. and i kept snapping at my parents and cousin and just being mopey. well, my mom didn’t have much patience for that mood and told me up on that. but i think its was the right thing to do… i need to find the zen in my life. this house should be about happiness… hard work yes… but this house needs to be filled with love… with friends and family and lovers…. building it together. hmmm… haha… i’ll leave you with that thought.
.
.
so, the fact of the matter is that i closed on december 4th and since then my house has been in some position of “being fixed up”. it’s been A LOT of work… and will be A LOTof work clear into march when i have the house blessing and can finally move it… four months after i bought the house… haha. funny in the future i hope. anyways, for 2 weeks i was even there after work and let me tell you... working a full day at your regular job and then working on a house doing stuff you don’t really care for… that get’s old. for a week or so i was “retexturing” the bedroom ceiling. at first, i thought i might be able to sand off the pseudo “popcorn” and then just be done with it. my mom told me that sanding was out of the question (whose house it is?) so i decided to do a “replastering” job… that is... throwing up three buckets of joint compound and texturing it. at first i thought my application skills would be good enough for a relatively smooth finish… haha... not as easy as you think! so i just ended up doing a purposefully textured ceiling… a kind of stucco like effect. let me tell you… i don’t think it’s the greatest thing in the world… but it is a WHOLE LOT better than what was there before.
.
on the weekends of those weeks, i ended up power washing the outside of the house… and also power washing the driveway and sidewalks… this is why it took two weeks. thank god, ron was there to help a little. the boy really is the sweetest thing in the world and i really felt bad for dragging him out on his weekend to do that… but why should i feel bad… the guy is sort of my boyfriend right?… haha. oh a little side note… the first time we rented the power washer we got a late start on saturday so we power washed the driveway only (actually i wasn’t even expecting to power wash the driveway… but the change is ridiculous and i was ensnared… it looks soooo good!) anyways…we powerwashed till sundown and then just hung out the rest of the night, and the next morning we were suppose to wake up early and get the job done. but i take full blame…. i just wanted to lay in bed with him. we didn’t get to the house till like noon…. and then we power washed...pretty much finishing the driveway… and like 2 hours before the machine was due... it’s busted. we thought maybe if we gave the engine time to “dry out” (it was raining) then it might kick up again…so we grabbed lunch, came back… and the engine still didn’t start. I just thought fuck it and returned the sucker. well… when my mom found out that i didn’t “finish the job”… she became LIVID! saying i shouldn’t start things i can’t finish. i understand her point but man does she OVEREACT! everything becomes some sort of dramatic life lesson. and this was also right when i was having a mad dash making a Christmas meal for 12… which they also gave me shit about because it was served too late…. WHAT THE FUCK!? that was the night i told them i was dating someone and that was why i was spending the weekend nights somewhere else for a while…. i wanted to see ron after dinner but i didn’t want to make them feel i was taking their yelling at me badly. so we had an adult conversation… finally. when i said i was dating… my mom didn’t even flinch my dad seemed kind of stunned though… haha. oh well… gotta do what you gotta do.
.
the real shit though about the house really sort of happened during my vacation from work. if i didn’t mention our company gave us three days of extra vacation simply as a gift and the way holidays and weekends fell during this season… that gave us a clear 10 days vacation. and guess what… that was 10 days of home improvement for me. it was definitely, if nothing else…. an experience for me… and if i can figure out how the new blogger uploads pictures i have a gazillion pictures. anyways… for the first 3 days… this is saturday, sunday, monday (Christmas!) me and mei (thank god she helped… she actually did more work than i did i have to day… i was occupied with the carpenter… continue reading) painted the study (what i have called the green room… and eventually that room is like 90% done), we painted the bedroom (blue room) in the cool striped effect i wanted (it’s about 80% done because i still have to actually block a window with a new wall that needs to be built… and then painted), and she also put on the first coat of primer for the living room (red room)… which is complete disaster right now because i’m letting Esau tear the ceiling down and put up what he thinks will be better…. aiyah… it’s been looking like shit for 2-3 weeks now… i think my patience is wearing thin. anyways…. lots and lots of painting… but the rooms (study and bedroom) really do look fabulous and are on their way. ahhh… there is hope.
.
however, most of that vacation week however was devoted to building my front porch. as i write this… it’s about i’d say 80% done…. and it really honestly does, look very very pretty. all i have left to do… “all”…. is “just” put down the porch decking, encase the columns, and build the stairs… all things i think i can do… we’ll find out. anyways… i ended up hiring a carpenter for this… alias… but the deal was that i hired him for his know how and obviously for his labor… but that i would supply his “partner labor”. it was a crazy 7 or so days i have to say….very very tiring. i don’t think i want to see the inside of another home depot again! haha. but he was contracted to frame out my porch base, put the columns up, and give me basically a complete roof, top shingles, bottom and side…sided. he did a fantastic job… although he was kind of hard to work with at the end because i think he wanted to get more money and kept conniving about it… but hey… a deal is a deal. i learned a lot too i think, and i want to see if i can use any of this experience in a “semi-official” way to fill in for those “CA” credits i still need… site observation and all that.
.
this story really is told much better with pictures… and it is my mind to start a mini part of this blog as a documentary on my home improvement projects… i have the pictures… i just have to start loading them up. please enjoy them… even if you don’t enjoy this blog… heehee.
.
so where am i right now with the house. well like i said… it’s kind of messy inside and out… the porch needs some more work… maybe 2-3 more weekends (since i can’t work during the week anymore)… so probably done by February. the study and bedroom are more or less painted. next week after work i think i will start putting in the crown molding in the study and bedroom then, or starting the redo of the bathroom. all the supplies are here and ready. during my vacation, dad wired most of the new electricity i wanted… but there is still some more… i’d feel bad to make him do the whole lot… and it’s more experience for me i guess. over the break i also found a BEAUTIFUL 1930’s wood dining set at such a steal of a table and five chairs for $100. i also just recently found a high table that will act as more counter space and a eating bar for my kitchen… nice solid wood table… just itself a $100…. but not a “bad” deal. i think i am itching to get a “real” couch instead of the flimsy sectional my parents are giving me… and i need a desk and a coffee table… pretty simple.
.
i have been going through a little emotional up and down lately… and i think it mirrors the condition of my home. since i have been there a lot already, i think the house is receiving/absorbing/reflecting my “chi” and since it’s somewhat in a state of flux…i think it effects me as well. because things have not been the smoothest they could be…especially these immediate 2-3 weeks past… it has been a somewhat confusing…holiday season…. mostly because of my relationship with ron… but maybe because of also the stress with my house. for the week while i was working on the porch i really was just…. plain…exhausted…. and i kept snapping at my parents and cousin and just being mopey. well, my mom didn’t have much patience for that mood and told me up on that. but i think its was the right thing to do… i need to find the zen in my life. this house should be about happiness… hard work yes… but this house needs to be filled with love… with friends and family and lovers…. building it together. hmmm… haha… i’ll leave you with that thought.
.
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