All Better

The garage door opener is all fixed & awesome!! The old one wasn't even this nice when it was brand new. :)

Does it Ever End?

Garage door opener breaks! Can be repaired, but will cost as much as a new one -- so new GDO will be installed tomorrow!

Why is it when you go into "save" mode things always break? GRR!

*ugh*

Not the way we wanted to start the new year! Our refrigerator is not cooling. It has been emptied, unplugged and we are now living out of a cooler while we wait for a service on Monday! The freezer was still working, but we moved everything down to the large up right freezer. I plan to spend some time Sunday giving it a thorough cleaning! We had to throw out a lot of stuff -- there goes my stockpile! :(

Barkwood, Hickory, or Weathered Wood

Yesterday afternoon Bob & I signed a contract with a roofer. Now comes picking a color for the asphalt shingle. They will be the architectural style that is popular now -- at least here. I thought I had it narrowed down to one color, but some others have caught my eye now.

The shingle manufacturer's website allows you to upload a picture of your home, map the areas you would like to change, and then change those areas. I did that with an image of our house today and here are the results...

While this isn't an exact representation of what our house will look like when it is done, it gives us a good idea. The contractor is going to get us the address of some houses that they have done in those colors. I have it narrowed down to either Barkwood or Hickory with a slight preference for Hickory. Weathered Wood is too much like what we have now, and I want something with more contrast.

Which is your favorite?

That Roof Over Our Heads

Well, the time has come to gather quotes for a new roof on our house. Even if you are prepared for the cost (have it in savings), the numbers can be shocking! I am really excited to get this project behind us because I know it will make a HUGE difference in the look of our house!

Slowly, but surely we are getting those pesky home improvement projects off our list.

Wow, That's Service

After our last big snow storm or maybe the one before that (there have been too many to keep them all straight), our mailbox had a fight with one of the plows and the snowplow won! It won big time. The post was broken off right to the ground. After the snow we were able to pack enough snow around it to keep it up right and functional for a week or so. The snow melted so I spent a little money for a temporary fix that worked until our Sunday papers were delivered. Adding their weight to the mail/paper boxes brought it crashing down as did the wind a few days later. I had had it with trying to keep the box propped up in the bucket of sand. So I put our mail on hold -- went several times a week to pick it up.

Knowing we don't really have the proper tools to install a new post & box system properly, I decided to try to locate a local company who could handle this job. One look in the Yellow Pages (how late 1900s of me..lol) lead me in the right direction. They have a website so I began my search for the perfect mailbox. It was pricey, but I didn't want any old mailbox in front of my house. Yes, I am a mailbox snob...LOL! I found this one (in matte black)...


After I seeing that one, I called to inquire about a the price for installation & about how long it would be until the install could happen. I was told the install would be $85 and would take 1-3 weeks for what we ordered to come in a be installed. That was acceptable to us so VERY late Sunday night (more like Monday morning) I ordered.

I was prepared to keep waiting & thought if I hadn't heard anything from them after two weeks I would call just to check on the status of the order. Well, that call will not have to be made. I got a call from the installer yesterday before noon. Barely 36 hours after I placed the order, I had a call and a time the installer would be out. He arrived yesterday afternoon about 2:30 and worked in the rain for a little over two hours. Not only did he install the new post/box in a new area, but also dug out the old cement with broken off post and filled that hole with the dirt from the new hole he dug. He took the old stuff along with him and left the area in good condition.

It will be so nice to be able to walk out to the mailbox tomorrow to pick up my mail rather than having to hop in the car & drive across town to pick it up. I don't envy those of you who have to go pick up mail.

Thank you "Mahvelous" Mailboxes!!

Another Repair -- UGH!

Barely a month ago we had to call out a plumber to repair the flange on the toilet in the full bath. Now, we have to have an appliance guy out for the dryer. It just stopped heating. Anyone know how long it takes to tumble a load of towels dry without any heat? LOL!! It's probably the heating coil thing a ma bob, but I am not comfortable with adding gas appliance repair to my resumé.

This is when Bob says the house is falling down around us we should just sell it. It's really not, but doesn't it seem like everything happens at once? "They" say things happen in threes, but I am hoping "they" are wrong. ;)

I Surrender

We have had painting the exterior trim, garage door, and fence on our to do list for about 2 years now. It took me all last summer to get the outside of the fence & the arbor painted. The inside still needs painting. We finally gave in and decided to hire someone. Two companies are coming out for estimates tomorrow, and I am waiting for return calls from two others.

I love to do those types of projects, but the weather never seems to cooperate when I have time to work on those jobs.

Remind Me

Next time I say "whew" remind me not to! I thought things would get back to normal around here after that. Well, needless to say they did not! (Jenny was right!)

Friday after Bob got home from work we were all on the second floor of our house. There are two bedrooms, the den (really a bedroom), the line closet and a full bath. I went downstairs to move a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer, but stopped at the counter in the kitchen when I noticed water on the counter. It wasn't a big puddle. More like someone had accidentally sprayed the counter with the sprayer from the sink. While trying to figure it out where it came from I feel water drip on me. I look up to see the paint on the ceiling bubbled and water running out!

It turned out to be the beeswax ring around the toilet upstairs. It only leaked when flushed so I shut off the water and put it out of commission for the night. The next morning I went to the hardware store for the items I need need. Replaced the ring, put the toilet back on. Later that night the toilet was leaking again, but just on to the floor next to it this time. Thank goodness it wasn't to the kitchen again. So I took the toilet apart for the second time in as many days. The toilet flange (a drain pipe fitting that allows you to securely connect a toilet to the actual piping) was broken. I don't have the strength or tools to fix that. So it was plumber time! I spent today waiting for him to show and had the privilege of handing him nearly $400. Better than the approximate $550 the first guy estimated over the phone.

Thanks to the leak on Friday night, I have to move paint the ceiling of the first floor up on my to do list. There aren't any headers over the doorways to the rooms on there so I have to paint the entire ceiling! I am thankful that the water mark left is above a cabinet and not very noticeable. It dried fine and won't need much repair other than a tiny bit of spackle , a coat of primer and paint!

Can someone say UGH for me! ;)