Mostly Knitting

I just wanna thank my readers, few though they may be, for pouring on the encouragement during this kitchen journey. I really appreciate the support you’re giving me. It’s nice to be able to share and have you share your experiences as well.

So, a big –

– to you!!! I hope you can see this in the sky where you are!

Everything is pretty out of my control right now, so I am focusing on what I can control. And right now, that is knitting.

First, here is the offending sweater that I finally got brave enough to sew together only to discover I made grave sizing errors:

Mayhem thinks I should just leave this out for him to take care of.

In my defense, I was a new knitter when I attempted this. It’s been sitting in a bag for about 10 years. Well, this week at some point I will be taking it all out to use in some other project. I’m not sure how much there is anymore, but I do recall it was pretty nice yarn to knit.

I started a new project last night. Turns out, I’m kind of a 1-trick pony:

Yep, another cowl. This is my last skein of the sugarcane yarn. So even though I am not skill-progressing right now, I am stash busting.

This morning I was preparing Big Sister’s hat for mailing. I thought about a ball of yarn I wanted to hand off to Auntie. But a ball of yarn and a hat don’t really vibe together in a package. So I got this bright idea:

You use the swift to make a ball from a hank, why can’t I reverse the process?

Well, here is why – it’s a difficult process to wind the yarn while trying to unwind a ball.

Then this occurred to me:

When I put the ball into the bowl, it bounced around happily allowing me to keep the tension good for the hank. In no time, I had this:

That’s where it all fell down. I realized I don’t pay attention when starting to wind a hank, so I had no idea how to do this. Eventually, I knotted the ends together loosely and then used darker yarn to tie the hank. I twisted it up and packed it for shipping:

Hopefully when it arrives, Auntie will be able to wind it for use and actually find a use for it.

I planted some beets I got at the library. I know, it’s weird, but here they do a seed swap and whenever I see something I like, I take a packet. I guess I need to bring in some to share soon!

There were five seeds in the pack, after 2 weeks, 2 have sprouted. I cannot wait to roast them up!

The potatoes are doing pretty good. The Hubs goes out every day and looks at them:

I’m pretty sure I killed my fig somehow. Everything else is showing signs of life, but it is stubbornly staying a stick.

Not to be bested, I bought a tiny Meyer lemon tree last week. Someday I’ll get out there and dig a nice little plot for it. And after that I will go about the business of killing it.

I’ll keep trying. I have plans for more gardens, which means more digging. I’d like to get some herbs going, and catnip for the Wild Ones – you know in case they decide to grow up. I need to get my mint in the ground, and someplace to watch a tomato plant die. The Hubs keeps making compost, and trying to amend the sand, er, I mean soil, here. I have yet to order all that mulch. I need to get on it, but other stuff keeps happening.

I’m waffling between 2 sinks right now…

I know, right? It’s a sink. I’m leaning toward the one on the right. Well, I was yesterday. When I go to buy it, I’m pretty sure I’ll change my mind. There is so much involved in this process now. Last time I bought a sink it was giant copper farm sink that looked like a steamer trunk. I thought about going copper again, but they currently cost more than cabinets, so forget that!

I just went out and took a pic of the shelves in all their glory:

They don’t look like much at the moment, but these things are destined for something great! Sadly, they came home with us, so we’ll just have to see if we can do them justice.

Camp Kitchen

We worked ourselves pretty hard this weekend getting the kitchen into a usable state. There was painting and electrical work, shopping for needed objects and whatnot.

We did rent a truck and pick up the boards for the shelves. That was somewhat of an adventure. The boards are now sitting in the shed waiting for… something.

Friday night we primed the walls. No wait, maybe it was Saturday night. I don’t remember now.

Anyway

We went from this:

To this:

In just a few short hours.

The Hubs did the cutting in, for which I was very thankful. Because although there were not 5 doorframes, there was the window and that can be a booger.

He also re-wired the new stove plug. That was very unexciting this time!

Sunday morning I started the actual painting. It took about an hour to do all the cutting in. At that point we decided the best use of our time was brunch.

It was a lovely break in the middle of all this.

When we got home it started raining. So much for drying paint!

While the Hubs wired up all the remaining outlets, switches, and whatnot, I rolled on the paint.

It’s not all done by any means, but I got to a good stopping point and quit. Not sure when I will finish, but since I STILL have no response from kind kitchen guy, I’m in no hurry.

Brandon texted us to see if we needed him to do the stove plug. Nope.

The sink hookup? Nope.

Pick up the boards? Nope.

And of course I don’t know if he was relieved or felt useless! We did decide when he has some availability he would come over and cut up the boards for shelves.

This morning I broke down our temp kitchen:

And moved into the camp kitchen:

I am continuing to move stuff into a place where we can cook and not feel like we need to do something immediately.

We have a stove that works, a little counter space and a sink. And a LOT of outlets! What more can anyone ask for?

I spent the day cleaning stuff. I’m pretty sure I’ll never be done, but at least the floor is to a point I can walk around barefoot.

I called the always-charming Anisha this morning to get an update on the window parts that were due in on 1/16. She called me back at 4 and told me she has not heard yet. She promised I would be the first to know when they do respond.

I didn’t bother to tell her what her promises are worth to me.

I texted the Terminix guy and said I’d appreciate a response. He actually called me. And then blamed the call center, his co-workers and me for him not getting back to me sooner.

He actually said I should not have had the contractor finish the work until he had looked at it.

Seriously?

I told him I was going to do that, but YOU have not bothered to respond for 7 working days.

He then blamed the call center again and said he was out of the office.

Which I found funny, because supposedly HE sent the kid who finally came out 4 days into this.

He is going to grace me with his presence on Wednesday.

WTFEver dude.

The other morning Havoc was re-claiming her house:

I’m not sure why she does this, but whatever makes her happy.

Today we got someone else’s mail and this return address cracked us up:

I don’t know if this company is legit, but if they are, someone should have done some market research before they settled on a name!

Part One Done

Yesterday marked the end of Part One of the kitchen reno.

As with all plans, this one took on a life of its own and God got a tremendous laugh at my expense.

I don’t mind God laughing at me, I like to think I’m here for His amusement.

Thursday afternoon I went to a different kitchen designer. He was kind and helpful and promised to get the prices to me Friday AM. Well, that came and went, as did today, and still nothing from him. This makes me feel unimportant and overlooked.

When I get to the pissed off stage I will discover he was rushed to the hospital for some life threatening event. I am trying to avoid that stage so I don’t have to deal with the guilt that inevitably comes for daring to believe my kitchen somehow matters in the grand scheme of things. (Update, we were at his store today and he was there, so he’s not dead, I am free to get pissed off.)

When Brandon left yesterday, he made sure the kitchen was livable. And it is, albeit very dusty. I have a sort of plan for cleaning it up and starting to use it as best we can before the second part starts. It is overwhelming, even though I have been keeping up with it.

So here is where we were yesterday morning:

This is right before the place got draped for snotting:

All the drywall was readied, the ceiling was prepped for new popcorn, at which point Brandon suggests removing it.

Yeah, that’s not happening no matter how much I hate the popcorn. If it were gonna get done it would have been pre-floors. As I think about it, I really should have done everything pre-floors!

But I didn’t. so here we are.

It was a full day for Brandon. He got it all done somehow.

All that is left is a million times over with the vacuum and mop.

I am trying to decide if I should paint before I set it up, or just clean and camp for a few more days. I think today’s progress will be the deciding factor.

There was an explosive event with the stove outlet last night, so it’ll be a minute before that is ready to go.

The Hubs wants to rent a truck and go get the shelves today. I’m hot and cold about that.

Overall I am not unhappy with the progress. There is a long way to go still, but I can work with this.

In other news, I am nearly done with Big Sister’s hat:

I would have finished it last night, but I made an error and had to back a row out. I have about 6 rows left now. I’ll be done today.

Since I don’t love DPNs (my stitches always manage to drop off the ends), I use 2 circulars when I get down to the fiddly bits. It’s easier to manage on the whole, but the last 20 or so stitches still present issues for me. The smaller the needles, the more trouble I have, these are a 3. I did a lot yesterday and noticed at dinner my hands were hurting. But I ignored it in favor of finishing and ended up making a boo-boo and having to stop anyway!

I am still in need of a next project, for some reason I just can’t seem to land on an idea, and I really want to take a break from the usual and do something different.

If I were up north, Auntie would tell me what to make. But she can’t see my stash and do an evaluation! She sent me a mitered square afghan pattern she is going to start soon with her leftover sock yarn:

It’s really cute, uses a lot of small bits, I dunno, seems like a LOT of fiddly knitting – which she excels at! So I hope she gets it going and has great success at it.

Maybe I’ll start a sweater.

In case you think the Wild Ones are all damaged because of the drama here the last couple days, fear not, this was them last night:

OK, yeah, they are definitely traumatized!

Zero Shits Left to Give

Last night the Hubs asked if I had done a post.

Nope. I forgot.

Forgot? Really?

Nope.

All this staying positive has drained me.

That and meeting with the kitchen designer. And the Terminix guy showing up and asking me why he was there.

Revelation: Life IS a helicopter. I don’t know how to operate either of them.

And later the Kraken called and said if she died today she wouldn’t be bothered.

All this was too much for me in that moment.

But I had swordfish for dinner last night, so all is NOT lost.

OK, lets unwind all this.

Yesterday the drywall got finished:

OK, this is from the night before, but you get the gist.

Yay.

Then I went to meet the kitchen designer. And I was ready, I had my checkbook and a fresh credit card. I was gonna pull that trigger.

She had changed the design a little. A smaller cabinet next to the sink, the peninsula went from 8 feet to 5, in order to get a deep cabinet over the fridge I need a side panel next to the fridge.

OK, not ideal, but not deal breakers.

And then she was all about shaker doors. I wanted slab. Then she told me the slab doors are MDF. I wanted wood. If I go with shaker they are wood… sort of. The frame is and the inlay isn’t.

I’m sorry, what?

Fine, WTFEver. I’m running out of shits to give at this point.

Then we sit down and she shows me the total. I make an appointment for Friday because I seriously am so weary of all this I want it done. On the way home I start thinkning about such an enormous amount of money on subpar materials I can get for less at Home Depot.

By the time I get home, I don’t care that there is no crying in renovations. I just want to cry. I do not even have the energy to get angry, and that is my default setting.

At home I start looking over the changes she has made. And she was so reasonable about them. But who lives in this house? Her or me? I don’t care about symmetry, I care about functionality. I am so over a beautiful kitchen designed by someone who can’t boil water. I once made a great kitchen that people said wasn’t beautiful. But the people who bought the house said it was the most functional kitchen they ever had.

Is that really too much to ask?

So I am currently trying to cobble together pieces of furniture I already have to make a kitchen I can use for the foreseeable future.

Brandon wants to bring the termite poop shit he took out of here last week.

NO!

Please let me just do this my way.

If I can’t get what I want, let me “camp” until I can make a better plan.

OK, so then the Terminix inspector shows up.

He wants to know why he is here because I apparently just had an inspection in December. I tell him the operator said I was due, so here he is. He stands in the foyer explaining to me how the world works.

Have I mentioned I have zero shits left to give?

Then Scott calls and tells me the motor and board are in for the AC unit and can he come install tomorrow?

Why not?

So Brandon finishes mudding and leaves:

OK, now this is starting to look like a house.

I just want to send everyone away and paint.

But I’ll wait til the sanding and snotting is done.

And the Kraken. She’s doing her 2+ hour commute home. She’s complaining about everything. If I ask a question, she doesn’t want to talk about it. She’s been sick, but she won’t make an appointment with a dr unless she can do it online.

Sounds like a YOU Problem.

Life sucks for her because she won’t do anything to improve stuff. She’s tired of adulting.

News flash:

Everyone is.

Suck it up Buttercup.

And that was the last shit I had to give.

I know, I can’t really say this because I just got done pissing and moaning about not getting my way.

So today I moved the excess stuff into the shed. I’m gonna clean my bathrooms. When Brandon leaves I’ll throw in a load of laundry. And in the meanwhile I am making plans. They aren’t great plans, but this stupid house, which I hate (sorry Cat, you’re wrong about me liking it), will NOT best me.

If it kills everyone around me, I WILL get my way.

There is no world where eventually I don’t get what I want.

Kitchen Progress

Today I took a mostly hands off approach.

I know, it’s what I do every day, because there’s really no way for me to help.

I didn’t even watch. I camped out in the dining room. I read. I knit. When I heard glass tinkling, I didn’t react.

Dammit

Wouldn’t you know it?

Brandon broke my sink light today.

Couldn’t have been the light I hate, had to be the one I actually like.

But it’s not his fault, it was in the way with no place to go.

At noon the window guy appeared.

Don’t ask me what I was expecting. All I got was wasting his time and I took a little satisfaction in that.

By the time he arrived, the damage was mostly fixed. But, Brandon laid it on. He said the screws were wiggling. The guy said, “Yeah, they shouldn’t have put the window in.”

And then he asked me what I wanted.

An apology?

A check?

Someone to get fired?

Seriously, what are my options here?

When I reported to the Hubs, he said, “The weight balance?”

Sure, I mentioned that. And the guy groused about the job failing inspection.

OK, I’m lying if I said that didn’t make me a little happy. I like the thought of the office pissing and moaning about my job failing inspection. On the other hand, are they doing anything to rectify the situation?

Nope.

But he assured me the office will call me with an update on the balance and the missing screens.

Yep, that’s me holding my breath for that one.

On a positive note, you know, because I’m nothing if not positive.

The framing is all repaired:

I think I’m getting drywall tomorrow. I did ask Brandon if he would teach me the proper way to snot because I keep having to do small patches. He said he would. I’m super curious about the taping and mudding process. I’m not 100% sure there is any taping and mudding. I’m looking at the wall behind that cabinet, there should be mud squeezing through that seam. But it’s clean. Like there is no mud. So we’ll see tomorrow what the protocol is on that score.

Tomorrow the bug guy is coming to inspect the damage. Which is gone. But I’ll show them pics and see if they won’t cough up a few bucks to help defray the costs of this particular nightmare.

I talked to Brandon about the shelves. He won’t go get the wood for me, I have to meet him there and pick what I want. Which is not unreasonable. Then he’ll bring it here, with a table saw and cut it up for us. Which is really generous of him. Of course he’s getting paid, but whatever. After that is done I will begin sanding. Then the Hubs will take over til it’s how he wants it. Then I’ll start the poly process. Which he will eventually take over.

See? We’re perfect together. I’m like 60 grit sandpaper and he’s like 400 grit.

It just works.

Anyway

This is what I’m knitting today:

No, I did not do all that today.

It’s a slouchy hat with Auntie’s yarn. I started it last night after Hulu suggested I watch Dante’s Peak. I was actually happy it did, I had nearly forgotten January and February are disaster movie month for me.

Go ahead, laugh. You know you watch them too.

But really, this nightmare of a house was put into perspective while I was watching.

At least I don’t have to contend with a potential lava flow, right?

Surprise

It got much worse.

But not insurmountable.

Friday the Hubs was working here. Brandon continued his exploration. And it went on and on and on.

At the end, it was this:

From the weird turn in the wall to the pantry. At the pantry The Hubs called a halt to the search. Brandon said he thought the wood was pretty solid at that point, so we decided it was good enough. I’m pretty sure it’s not, but I’m not gonna rebuild this whole fricking house.

As you can see, three studs have been replaced so far. There is a fiasco with the window as well.

I called the window people and nicely explained that the window was installed in rotting wood. I got a little pushback, but when I sent over pictures, suddenly, the guy was all, “I’ll get someone out there to look.”

This is pretty hard to deny.

But, it has to wait til Monday because the person who can decide what to do is at the dentist. And yes, I did have to hear the whole sordid story of why.

Like I care.

Which I don’t.

I want someone to get their fanny over here and direct Brandon on what to do. Because we all know if Brandon takes out one screw, the warranty is voided.

The plan is for him to get up to the window, and hopefully said window person will be here. If not, he’s gonna start working the window framing. Or hanging the drywall on the other wall. I don’t know.

Anyway

This is all super demoralizing, and I do not have any warm feelings about my house right now.

We did do some work today, all of the wiring that was inside the bridge to nowhere needed to be rerouted. So rather than waste Brandon’s limited time doing what we can take of, we wrestled with it today.

Some of it was super boogery, but the Hubs bested it.

He even added a plug for the microwave, and moved the switch to the kitchen light into the kitchen (it was in the foyer).

We did take some time to go to a place Brandon recommended. Overall, it didn’t have what I actually wanted for cabinets and whatnot, but they did have thick mahogany planks which we think we might use for the shelves.

The shelves continue to be a hot issue around here, there are a lot of choices and I’m just a little unsure of the end result. Yesterday I was thinking this:

But then I saw this:

I know, variation on a theme, but last week it was this:

Just ignore DIYPete here. Brandon said it was easy, except the bazillion 45-degree cuts were time consuming. I didn’t much care, til he sent me his estimate last night. Of course here, Pete isn’t doing 45-degree angles. So, grain of salt.

Now I’m back to the drawing board. If I can get that mahogany home, (how does one get 2- 12-16’x2″ thick boards home in a sedan?) I don’t really care what happens next, it will look all modern and industrial, and that works for me.

Tomorrow may be something completely different.

While all this is running around in my head, and while trying not to lose my crap over this nightmare of a house, I was knitting. Kind of like a maniac.

I turned out about a dozen of these yesterday:

How stinking cute are these?! They are supposed to be face scrubbies (which is just weird), but I am gonna use them under my soap dispensers to catch drips.

I know, it’s stupid, but a gal’s gotta do something to keep from showing her true feelings to strangers.

So, You’ll Laugh

Because this is happening here and not at your house.

The Hubs left for work as Brandon was pulling up. He came in and got right to it. I was cautiously optimistic.

We talked a little about expectations and then he started taking down cabinets. And there was this:

Gross, but not wholly unexpected.

Pretty soon all the cabinets were gone:

It’s like a whole new house.

With the same dirty whore past.

He started cutting little bits out of the bridge to nowhere.

And discovered extra wires.

Like the oven, and some switches.

Well, that’s unexpected.

He made a plan and kept going.

Pretty soon this was happening:

And this:

The columns came down:

And then it happened. I had a warm feeling about this house.

And before I know what’s going on, this:

What is that, you ask?

Well, that would be this:

My kitchen’s dirty whore past in all her glory.

At this point Brandon is scratching his head wondering how far this goes and what the heck he’s gotten himself into.

And I am trying not to cry.

To be fair, I knew this was a possibility. But at this point we’re wondering what the new window is screwed into because it’s NOT a stud. And I’m thinking those asshat window jerks freaking lied when I asked if there was damage. Maybe I have some leverage there…

So Brandon is making plans. Except that he’s a one-man show and he’s very busy.

I had intended to do this in pieces, bye-bye bridge, hello shelves. Save money. Bye bye nasty cabinets and counter, hello new. Save money and then finish the backsplash and fix the floor.

But Brandon is talking temporary sink and cheap cabinets.

Oh, and I know why all the houses here have cheap-ass cabinets: termites won’t eat them.

Now I have to make a smart decision. Do I get the better cabinets and hope for the best? Or get the cheap ones and hope they outlast me?

I really don’t know what to do. I had pretty much convinced myself it was the smart choice to go with all-plywood construction. Now I’m thinking the better choice might be MDF.

Shit Hoss.

It wasn’t all bad.

The bridge is completely gone:

And if you ignore the gaping holes, it’s pretty much a whole new space that has some potential.

Can a dirty whore change her evil ways?

That is what we are going to find out.

The Eve of Destruction

Tomorrow the demo starts.

I texted with Brandon last night and asked if he could do the shelves. He said “absolutely.” To be fair, he really doesn’t know me yet, he doesn’t really know what he’s in for yet.

In the past, I have had two spectacular contractors. If I could import one of them to do this house, I would in a heartbeat! One of them is Carlos. He is a jack of all trades, and master of the really important ones. Like tiling. And design. He would listen to my ideas and say, “You don’t want to do that.” We would argue and about half the time his idea was better so I let him do it and was never sorry.

The other is Martin. He used to get this look on his face when I told him what I wanted. If he didn’t agree, he would drawl, “I can do anything you want.” That was my cue to ask his opinion. Which sometimes turned out to be what I really wanted.

I hope I can make Brandon into a Carlos/Martin. I really can’t get a bead on him, I can’t tell if he’s interested in being a sounding board or if he wants me to just tell him what I want and go away.

I’ll know soon.

For a last look, here is the bridge to nowhere:

Hold it in your mind, because today is its last day on earth:

This picture makes me hate that light so much! I hope it gets broken tomorrow!

In addition to the bridge, Brandon will also be taking the uppers out:

I really hope he’s good with angles, because those floating shelves he’s doing have to utilize the weird angle.

I still have some stuff to do to get ready. Like clear the counters and take down anything breakable. I kinda wonder if my weekend will be spent painting. I do need to talk to Brandon about timing.

Ok, enough on that.

I’m making spaghetti sauce today. I have not done that in a while, but the Kraken pretty much shamed me into it. You know that saying, the student surpasses the master? When she was younger, I started to teach her to cook. She wasn’t really all that into it, but I firmly believe in giving kids roots and wings. It was no secret, she was a terror and we didn’t want her lingering with us after her 18th birthday. She didn’t want that either. So she learned to do for herself.

A couple years ago she asked me to teach her to make beef stew. We were living 2 hours apart at the time, so I talked her through it bit by bit. Now she has her own version of my beef stew. Next was spaghetti sauce. Now she has her own version. And on and on. She has several go to dishes she makes on the regular. Which is super gratifying, as she was on a 10-year food jag of hot dogs (gag), lima beans (double gag), and noodles.

She also cleans her bathroom. Pro tip: toilet bowl cleaner takes hair dye off grout.

I’ll happily hand over the master title to her.

It’s a lot of work.

I finished my teal scarf. Finally. This one was a real booger and I ended up starting it 4 times. That is one start past my limit, but I was determined to get this made.

I was gonna give it to Big Sister, but she said she already has one.

That I made her.

Huh.

So, this is up for grabs now:

I still need to block it, but I’m gonna wait til the destruction is done so it doesn’t get dirty. And I have to figure out where to put it while it’s blocking because the kittens have decided it’s fine to knit with them on the planet, but other tasks are completely out of the question.

It’s no secret, this week I am regretting my need for kittens. For some reason, I guess because they are “teens,” they have been standing on my last nerve this week. They dump their food bowls out 50 times a day, they play in their water and spread it all over the kitchen, they have been chewing wires, scratching and biting furniture, the list goes on. I thought it was Mayhem leading the charge, but I just caught Havoc dragging her water dish into the middle of the kitchen.

OIY!

Then they do this:

And my annoyance melts.

Of course him lying here is just cover, she is probably tearing something up somewhere else…

Some News

I’ve been waiting to get a text for about 3 weeks. Last night, it came!

Oh boy! Ohboyohboyohboy!

Initially, I was so excited.

Then I thought about it.

Now I’m kinda scared.

On the 19th Brandon is beginning my kitchen demo.

That is just 4 short days away. On the one hand it can’t start soon enough. On the other, what if I am not ready? What if I have made grave errors in planning? What if the unthinkable happens?

What is the unthinkable?

I have no idea.

But what if it all goes horribly wrong?

At church today, we were reminded to choose the positive.

What if it all goes right?

Yes. That’s better. We’ll stay positive.

Before we delve into a new project, I’ll show you how the last one turned out.

The Hubs put the wire cover over that mess of TV wires:

I won’t show you under the TV stand, because that’s all a mess, but when you look at it from here, it looks serene. It’s not perfect, but it’s much less distracting.

The gaping hole where the doorbell was came out pretty good, too:

I still need to paint the screws, but I’m happy with the way it came out.

The Hubs picked out a new clock:

And here’s the whole wall:

I’m not crazy about the Wi-Fi doohickey over the TV, but eventually, I’ll stop noticing it. It was on the TV stand, but the kittens kept kicking it off and I got tired of picking it up.

I was making plans to paint the rest of the living room next week, but then the text came.

I’ll have to finish emptying the upper cabinets, move some stuff into the dining room, and just generally get ready for the mess and chaos.

I’ll miss having the bridge to nowhere next Christmas:

Just kidding! I’ll not miss this stupid design feature for one hot second. I doubt I’ll enjoy finding drywall dust all over the house, but it’s a small price to pay to get this project going.

I cannot wait til these pillars are a memory!

I know this is going to take a long time, after the demo I’ll paint, and then hopefully Brandon can come back soon-ish and put the shelves where the uppers currently are.

Of course he might say, “I don’t do shelves.”

But we’re staying positive. And he’s gonna do what is in my head for this kitchen.

Be warned.

I will be talking about this kitchen constantly while it’s happening. We’ll all be so over this kitchen by the time it’s finished!

For Once

Today the Hubs went into the office, and for once I didn’t wander around wondering what to do with my day.

For once, I remembered to take some before pictures to show you.

I spent the day painting and baking and packing things to be mailed.

We started with painted baseboards, but the pic is just too boring to show you.

But I did take these just before I painted:

Living room:

After 2 hours of cutting in around 5 door frames, baseboards, and ceiling, I finally got to the rolling. That took about 15 minutes!

And then there was the holiday search:

I did not do a great first pass, from the amount of stickies I had on the wall!

But, overall, I’m happy with the results:

The hallway:

While I was waiting for paint to dry, I made spiced nuts for the Kraken. I wasn’t going to, but she’s been sad so I did:

Couple observations. I have made these before and they usually come out great. Today I did not read the recipe and added too much liquid, so I had to add more nuts and more of the dry spiced stuff. But it worked out OK. What did not work out OK is apparently parchment paper and aluminum foil are not always interchangeable.

Who knew?

Probably everyone but me.

While they were cooking, they were moving around freely. When they came out and cooled a bit, they started to stick. Like a dumbhead, I let them cool more. Then I was left with nuts sticking like they were super glued to the foil. I ended up picking each one off individually so they would not be covered in bits of foil.

Then I tasted one.

I guess I should have actually measured the dry ingredients. They are really spicy! I told the Kraken they might be too spicy for her, but she said, “Challenge accepted.”

So they got packed up and will be headed her way tomorrow.

I also made cookies that I put in the freezer for a rainy day. Or beach trips. Whichever is deemed appropriate.

When the Hubs got home he changed the outlets and re-hung the TV.

I still have some finishing to do, but you get the gist. After living with the two-tone for so long, this seems weird to me.

I think I’m gonna move the bookcase to the opposite wall, but since that wall is as yet unpainted, it’ll have to wait. I also think the clock over the TV needs to be a little bigger, so I am on the lookout for that.

The other thing that happened today was one of Scott’s minions popped over unannounced to look at the AC. Of course it did not do its sweaty socks/high humidity thing in the 10 minutes he was there. But he made some adjustments and said to call if it is still not right. Which is great, until the next humid day when we use the AC. But I am optimistic that it will be fixed for real this time.

I’m sure we’ll be talking about how that turns out!