Vegasjuhl: home improvement

Showing posts with label home improvement. Show all posts

February 2, 2018

Superb Owl

How is it that we are already in the second month of 2018?! Madness, I tell you. I don't mind that we are whipping through winter. I heard the ground hog calls for six more weeks... no bueno. We've been lucky in my neck of the woods. It hasn't been too cold and the chill seems to be in the past. Temps have already been reaching the 70's and more of the same is in the forecast. At this rate, we might be in the pool before St. Patrick's Day this year. Frank has already drained it and changed all the filters so it's ready to go. Addison has a new swim suit so she's ready too. Lex, man, I'm not sure I'm ready for her in the pool. She has no fear and she was such a dare devil last summer. Cue my anxiety. That girl just turned two! She is a force to be reckoned with, she'll definitely give us a run for our money.

Sunday is the Big Game or the Superb Owl. We don't want to call it what it actually is, we don't want to infuriate the NFL. I haven't a care who wins the battle for the ball this Sunday. I'm more looking forward to brunching with the Golden Knights. I hear the puck drops at 9:30AM PST at the Washington Capitals. I'll be tuning in for that. There may be a bloody mary or two consumed. Those guys have been such fun to watch this season. Back in November, we picked up a second set of season tickets in the lower bowl. We'll be renewing both sets for next season. We just can't get enough.

We'll also be supporting the Las Vegas Lights. Frank picked up two season tickets at Cashman Field. I know next to nothing about Soccer, but I quickly adapted to hockey. So, I look forward to learning to be a fan.

Usually, Frank and I are counting down the hours to vacation about now. We have made it routine to escape the city immediately following football's favorite Sunday. This year, though, we're staying put. We'll be getting flooring instead. We have needed to replace the carpet and sheet vinyl in the kitchen, utility and bathrooms since we moved in. We've been round and round trying to determine what material and where? It's a large project over 1100 square feet. So, there was also the time component. We had my dad babysit the painters last year, and intended to have him do the same for the floors, but life had other plans. We were fortunate that our newly retired friends volunteered to house sit for us. Once they had availability we went into action to get the floors selected and scheduled. We are going with plank tiles that look like wood. I like the warmth wood provides, but it's not practical in the areas we are flooring. All the rooms are exposed to water whether it's from wet feet from the pool, rogue ice cubes, shower spray or the washer hose corroding and creating our very own water feature in our upstairs laundry room. The 10 foot spray quickly filled the room with inches of water and rapidly created a sprinkler in the utility room ceiling light fixture directly beneath it. Causing not one, but two rooms to flood. That was a real joy, last spring.

We also considered installing luxury vinyl, but it was cheaper to go with the tile. I debated selecting a different tile for the bathrooms, but ultimately the transitions felt like they'd be weird in multiple areas, so we decided to go with one look throughout. It will be cohesive and clean. Plus, it's more budget friendly.

When we first moved into the house, I swore the first project would be our bathroom since it's carpeted. Ugh. I hate it. I really don't know how I've tolerated it this long. Carpet just does not belong in the bathroom. I don't know if I'm more excited that we'll finally be rid of it there or in the kitchen/living area. The carpet transitions to the sheet vinyl right along the island. This is the heaviest traffic area in the house and it shows on the carpet. It's been worn thin for more than a year. If you choose your steps poorly you land on the tack strip and little pricks sting your feet. It's unpleasant and a real nuisance.

To say, I'm excited about the floors is major understatement. I don't mind a bit that I'll be clearing rooms rather than rooting on the Eagles or the Patriots. With any luck, I'll have extra pep in my step from another Vegas Knights Victory.

November 1, 2017

Listed!

October 30, 2017

Our Flip?!

Mike and Amy headed back to Vegas, I stayed in Chicago to get the ball rolling. I didn't know how long I'd stay, I only knew there was a lot to do. I first thought I'd stay long enough to collect my dad's cremains. I planned to begin cleaning and sorting through my dad's place to pass the time - I figured I'd have to wait for probate to sell the condo.

My hope was to drive my dad's car while in town, but his brakes were barely functioning. I had a friend that is a mechanic give it a look, it definitely needed brakes and calipers. Plus, a whole lot more. More than the car is likely worth. I thought I had no choice, but to extend my rental. However, my aunt kindly offered to let me use her vehicle. I quickly accepted knowing I'd be amassing a great deal of debt handling my dad's affairs. No will, no beneficiaries, assets and real estate meant probate was unavoidable. It was new waters to navigate. I was fortunate to settle my mom's estate with small affidavits and avoid legal fees. I gained a great deal of knowledge in Nevada, but I'd learn little applies in Illinois.

In short, Illinois is racket. Everything is more costly and has more red tape. The cost for direct cremation, for example, was nearly double in Illinois compared to Nevada. That was after a slew of phone calls, too. The first few quotes through funeral homes were four, yes 4! times as much as we paid La Paloma in Las Vegas. It was a pill I couldn't swallow, we persisted. By cutting out the middle man, we saved a bundle by going to Skyline Crematory. They were professional, timely, compassionate and I was very appreciative they weren't out to take advantage at such a vulnerable time.

I began by finding a probate attorney on Avvo. It's like Yelp, but for lawyers. I weighed options, got Mike and Amy's input and ultimately decided to get started right away. I pulled as much paperwork as I could for the appointment, and only had to follow up with a few items. The consult was a whirlwind. Naturally, I was overwhelmed. I have already carried the costs of my mom's estate since she passed, and the burden of my dad's was far greater. Cook County has incredibly high taxes, even for a modest condo in the 'burbs. Fortunately, there was no mortgage. But once you combine the taxes with the monthly HOA, insurance and utilities; I was looking to carry at least a grand per month. At least, I did not have to wait for probate to list the condo. I only had to wait to petition the court before I could sign the sales contract as representative of the estate. Initially, it was a relief to learn this, but it solidified the fact that I had an insurmountable task ahead of me. Time was of the essence. Though, I was grief stricken I knew I had to be practical and sensible.

The attorney recommended a real estate agent. I followed up with her to gauge how to proceed. She was helpful and informative. The market has grown stronger, but it's no where near the level we are experiencing in Vegas. I also realized I was heading into the second slowest season for real estate sales. School was just about begin, and winter was coming. My fear was confirmed, I was in race against time. However, she was encouraging and said that life happens, even in stale markets. You just never know.

My dad lived in his condo for 20 years. He was a smoker, he rarely opened the windows and never used the A/C. The condo was nearly thirty years old, it had been in our family since '93. My great grandparents bought the place for my aunt to live. She passed, shortly before my parents divorced. My dad moved in, inherited her belongings and collected his own over the years. My brother and sister had both lived with my dad for periods of time. My brother's room was the master with attached half bath. My sister had the other bedroom. My dad had always preferred the couch to a bed, and that didn't change when he had the place to himself. The rooms have pretty much been frozen in time. The living areas were neglected since my dad had lived in Vegas the majority of the past two years. I bought cleaning products with the intent to scratch the surface so I'd know how to best proceed.

Frank flew in late afternoon on the day I met with the attorney. After picking him up at the airport we grabbed dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant, Gum Wah. I rattled off everything that occurred and I learned so far. Prior to his arrival, I told him I was okay and it wasn't necessary he come. I knew he had a lot on his plate with work, I didn't want to burden him with being away and knee deep in all that was mounting around me. He didn't hear of it. I was happy he came. The hug was worth the trip alone, but little did I know how much was ahead of us, and how much I'd rely on him.

That night we went to my dads. We cracked the windows - literally, the wood splintered all along the frame. Fresh air seeped into the place, but the smell of cigarettes was still so thick it stung your eyes and lingered in your lungs. I got to work on the kitchen. I started with the sink (and moved on to the counters and stove). If I could turn that around, I'd had hope for the rest of the place. Low and behold, I had it looking like new. Elbow grease and SOS pads to cut through the gunk. We can do this. I guess you could say, it became our first flip.

We returned in the morning, with Frank's mom, to begin packing. Frank also arranged for a dumpster and we planned to pack and move whatever was salvageable into my mother in law's storage shed. When the condo was empty, we'd paint and replace the carpeting. Once we got started, we didn't stop. I put in ten full days and nights. I'd get to the condo by 9AM and I'd stay until at least midnight. Frank was only going to stay a few days, but he kept rebooking his flight due to set backs.

Wednesday, we started the day shopping for carpet. It was tough to find a place that could install in a hurry. The big box stores and name brand places were no help. We found a hole in the wall place nearby, they had cheap carpet in stock that looked nice. An appointment to measure was set for the next day and we scheduled the install for the following Wednesday. With that, the deadline was established. The rest of the day we packed and loaded as much as we could ourselves. Our friend, Bill, loaned us his pick up truck. It made the process much easier.

Thursday, the dumpster arrived and real progress began to happen. We met the neighbor, Mike, during one of the numerous trips to the dumpster. He lives in AZ, but had been in town for a few weeks cleaning out his mom's place. She had passed suddenly too. He offered some rags and such that we took knowing we could use for cleaning or painting. The dumpster was full midday and we just kept adding to it. Lesson learned get the bigger dumpster. That evening, Frank enlisted the help of our friends from high school. The extra muscle allowed us to clear the condo of furniture in a hurry. After showering, we took our friends to Beggars for dinner. It was nice to catch up and relax.

Friday, Frank took the ride with me to pick up my dad. When we returned, we moved what was left, shopped, pulled toilets, patched holes and began to prep for paint. We grabbed dinner with friends, and planned to begin priming with Kilz after. Our friend, Dan, was coming by to lend a hand. Bill had also loaned us his painting supplies so it saved us a fortune. We returned to the condo to find the bathroom under a few inches of water and it was flooding the back bedrooms. The carpeting in the hallway was completely saturated. We couldn't stop the water, it just kept coming up from the shower. Snaking the line didn't have any success, it was well after hours, so we had no choice but to place an emergency call with Roto Rooter. There was a soft blockage in the main line. Very common these days with so-called flushable wipes, paper towels, etc. We sit on ground floor at the lowest elevation so we took the brunt of it. Joy. No amount of rags could dry this mess. Believe me, I tried.

I wish I could say I was stoic, and thankful, we were here to find it. But no, I lost it. Complete meltdown. The flood brought my anxiety to new heights. What if this happens after the new carpet is installed, when I'm back in Vegas, etc. Frank calmed me, he and Dan, took control of the situation. We borrowed fans and a shop vac from Bill. Not only are we fortunate to have him for a friend, but he also lives around the block and has better inventory in his garage than Menards. Which by the way, is the poorest excuse for a home improvement store. That place infuriated me on the daily. Life would have been much easier with a Lowes or Home Depot nearby, but I digress. Rather than painting, the evening was spent sucking up as much water from the carpet as possible. We left leaving the fans run all night.

By morning, it had not dried one bit. As the day went on, the smell of mildew grew stronger and stronger. Still, we pressed on. We had 5 gallons of Kilz on the walls. Thanks to the help of my Aunt Sandy. Trouble was that the walls were so parched they gulped the primer like a tall glass of water on a hot day. Worse, yet, the smoke stains kept bleeding through. We added coat after coat, Frank tried buying a sprayer to speed up the process but it was garbage. Brush and roller was the only way to get the coverage that was needed. That and 50 coats, maybe?

By Sunday, we had both new toilets installed and 10 gallons of Kilz on the walls. Progress, but there was still so much to be done. The paint fumes weren't enough to tackle the horrendous mildew stench that now overpowered any remnants of cigarette smoke. It was nauseating. We cut away and discarded the wettest sections of carpet to rid the odor and allow the concrete to dry. Midday I was exhausted and my hands were crippled. I came to the realization that I couldn't - we couldn't - possibly finish the job ourselves.

Frank found a guy on craigslist that could come Monday with a professional sprayer. He said he could knock out the unit in a day for a few hundred bucks. Originally, I was going to do the bathroom and kitchen myself, but ultimately, agreed to let him do it all. We stopped painting, and started prepping the condo to be sprayed. My dad's place has gorgeous oak trim, cabinets and doors throughout. Protecting the wood became my obsession. Much to Frank's dismay. But it was in perfect condition. I know oak isn't trendy anymore (give it a few years) but I believe in restoring the integrity of natural wood. It should only be painted when the condition is too poor to otherwise salvage. Deep down, I'm sure my obsessing over the wood work was my way to focus on the tasks at hand rather than dealing with the emotion of the whole experience. So, he humored me and we taped every linear foot. We covered the cabinets and doors in plastic. It was looking very much like a scene from Dexter.

The painter got right to it. There were still areas that needed covering so I fought to finish, but rather quickly the whole condo filled with paint in the air. I could feel the sting in my lungs. It was time to get out. I didn't get every surface covered. It is, what it is.

We camped outside, the lull allowed me to go through years of mail while I sat with Frank while he smoked a cigar in the shade near the dumpster. He had just a couple hours before his flight home, we said good-bye so he could clean up before his mom dropped him at the airport. He never got to see the finished product first hand, but I sent pictures each step of the way.

The painter did knock out the whole place in a day; he also, found the walls to be extremely thirsty. Said and done, there were 20 gallons of paint and Kilz primer on the walls. They were so saturated because there wasn't enough time for the paint to dry. The sprayer left drip marks - all over. There was overspray on the wood trim. The tile in the entry and bathroom were never protected so they were fully covered in paint.

I was devastated. The job was done, but not to my standards. I had taken such care and attention to the priming, and it was all for not. The walls and ceilings were clean and bright (though, in hindsight, I should've went with a much darker color than white) and we were nearly rid of the smell of smoke. Even the mildew smell took a backseat to the smell of paint. So, all is not lost. Sigh. It is, what it is. This became my mantra. I got a rag and bucket and got started immediately cleaning the trim, and later the tile. Fortunately, I had not yet cleaned the wood so the years of smoke and dust provided just enough grime to create a layer of protection. It was tedious and time consuming, but I had it looking like new. While I was crawling along the floor, I realized how wet the carpet still was in the bedrooms from the flood. I pulled up the carpet and piled it in the middle of the room to allow the concrete to dry.

The paint fumes were too strong when I arrived on Tuesday morning, I couldn't get anything done. While I let it air out, I visited an old friend from high school. She had a baby a few months earlier and I was eager to meet him. We had a nice visit and ordered Lou Malnati's. After, I shopped for window coverings, shower curtain and other necessities to finish the condo. When I got back, I ran into Mike the neighbor. We traded notes and commiserated with each other. Loss alone sucks, but this part, is really the pits. With Frank back in Vegas and his mom gone to KY, I was solo. Bill stopped by to look in on me & Mike would ask if I needed anything when he'd run errands. Thankfully, I didn't encounter anymore disasters. I tried to sand the wall to correct the drip marks and repaint but it was too long of a process and my time was up. The carpet installers were coming in the morning. I had to move on. It is, what is. Sigh.

Wednesday's lesson was that the cheapest price for carpet does not mean its the best. The carpet itself was fine, the color worked better than I imagined. It really tied everything together and the multicolor will hide dirt and traffic marks, which was really great for showings because once it's listed since no one will be there to maintain it. The installers were friendly, but lord were they slow. I figured they'd be done by lunch. I was wrong - it took 8 hours. And, they still had to come back the next day to finish the job. When they arrived they assumed there had been a fire in the unit, fresh paint, wet carpet that smelled of smoke and mildew. "Nope! Just a smoker and a flood", I replied.

That evening I could finally see the finish line. Things were really coming together, but I was falling apart. I was so torn. I was positively crushed that I was moving at such a rapid pace, but I was so proud of what I accomplished. It no longer looked like my dad's place. This fact was so horribly bitter sweet. I was determined to finish one room fully. Amy's seemed to be easiest, but there was one problem. Painters tape that her and Jeff put up more than ten years ago was still there. When I asked her why they never removed it after painting, she said, "it was too hard." Trust me when I say it was no easier all these years later. But my obsession with the trim wouldn't allow me to leave it. I persisted and eventually it was all gone.

The next day, I hung new sheers, vacuumed and one room was finally complete. Not a moment too soon, either. I had scheduled meetings with two realtors for Thursday. I knew I wanted the paint and carpet complete before I let anyone give me a market analysis - first impressions and all that, it had to be clean and smell good to get people through the door. I hoped to have the condo photo ready Thursday, but it wasn't. There was still much to be done. But I was comfortable letting the realtors see the place. It was time to find out what we were working with, and hopefully, all of our hard work was worthwhile. Both were impressed overall. Each had different suggestions to "finish" it like replacing dated light fixtures to painting the cabinets or gutting the bathroom. I valued their opinions, but I was done, I put all the time, money, blood, sweat and tears into it that I could manage. I ultimately decided to list with the agent the attorney recommended. She was familiar with the area, which was important to me because location was the condo's greatest selling point.

Meanwhile, I was down to my final 24 hours in Chicago. Months ago, I had booked Frank and I a trip to San Diego. I actually booked it twice. Because the Mayweather/McGregor fight was announced, and of course, it fell during our trip. I had to rebook to accommodate Frank having to work. Flights were booked on Spirit so I essentially paid for the flights twice for the change. It was important that I go - not just for the expense, hassle, but for my sanity. I had been through the ringer physically, mentally and emotionally since my uncle's call on the 8th of August. I need to get away. I needed rest. San Diego was the perfect distraction.

I was a bundle of nerves when I woke Friday. I think the lack of sleep was really wearing on me. My to do list seemed a mile long. My brother was back in town - I was terrified and thrilled to show him the condo. It was a major change since he left 11 days earlier. He had booked this trip in advance, he was going to visit a friend in MI and stay with my dad a night or two. I was lucky to have him, because I simply could not get it all done. My aunt came over to help, too. They were both shocked by the transformation. Time ticked by way too fast - much of my morning was wasted making returns and running all over trying to get keys made. There were just so many finishing touches. We made a great dent, but the floor in the laundry room was still covered in paint. Tools and whatnot were still scattered about. I hadn't hung the curtains for the patio slider. HOA requires window coverings, I asked Bill to come by and hang it. I didn't have the proper tools to even attempt it. I returned everything that was borrowed, said good-byes exchanged numbers with Mike, and got cleaned up before my brother took me to the airport. Tears welled up in my eyes as I closed the door for the final time behind me.

before

during

after

I was flying Spirit and only had my personal item. I also had to secure dad in my bag (now, there's a story for another time) with whatever else I could fit (photos and important docs). Mike tackled the rest of the to-do list, Bill hung the curtains, and my aunt came by for one last clean sweep before the Realtor scheduled the photographer.

And... That's how we flipped my dad's condo in ten days.

I could not be more thankful for the friends and family that went the extra mile for me. I could not have gotten so much done in so little time without their help. I'm forever grateful.

July 24, 2017

Summer Madness

I didn't plan on taking a hiatus in July, but here we are three weeks into July. It's not like there were trips that occupied the gap. I haven't traveled a bit since April - I'm suffering from wanderlust, BIG time! We have a weekend planned in San Diego next month, but that's all that's on my calendar. Frank, on the other hand, just returned from Laughlin, Tahoe and Reno. His travels were for work so it wasn't all fun & games. He's been swamped. He could use a breather. We plan to cross over to Tijuana on our San Diego trip. I'm super excited to see what it's like just over the border. I hear the food scene is amazing! I have no doubt we'll be in for a treat.

I've kept busy with projects around the house. We've added shutters, painted several rooms and we've been shopping for floors. Even when it's not fully DIY it's still rather time consuming researching options, setting appointments, and scheduling work to be done. I think we've chosen our floors. We've gone round and round, but I'm pretty certain we will go with wood like tile planks. It is going to be a huge project, there is over 1100 sq ft of tile on the lower level alone. I'm ready to pull the trigger, but scheduling it will be tricky. Here's hoping we can sort it out sooner than later. I'll be sharing before and afters so stay tuned for those.

When I haven't been searching home improvement stuff, I've been shopping for a new car. Ugh, is there anything worse?! My Elantra is only a 2013, I had plans of keeping it for the long haul, but its turned out to be a bit of a lemon. The engine was replaced at 24,000 miles and it seems I'm well on my way to my third as I approach 48,000. I've gotten mailers for extended warranties on airbags, etc for parts that are faulty. No recall, just extended warranties. I'm so cheap, I have complete sticker shock going to the dealer. Frank is a master negotiator - I'm so grateful - still, we haven't found a dealer motivated enough to sell me a car. With any luck, as 2017 ticks by, I'll finally be able to snag a deal that I can live with. The prices I've seen so far are simply ridiculous, it's a pill I just can't swallow. I feel alone in this, though; as I drive around town I see nothing, but new rides that cost $40k+. I cringe when thinking of spending half that. I cannot even imagine. I suspect a car bubble is coming soon.

I've been thoroughly enjoying summer thus far - the recent humidity from the monsoonal moisture, less so. I've lost count of how many times I've been in the pool this year. The sunny days and warm temps have allowed the water to hang right around 90 degrees which is just right, if you ask me. Frank has been killing it as pool boy, the water has been crystal clear and there hasn't been a single algae bloom which is pretty remarkable given the high temps. The kids love the pool. Addy's confidence has grown by leaps and bounds. She can hold her breath under water like a pro and she's learning motions to swim. Lex is a wild child. Completely fearless. She had tubes put in her ears this spring and that is the only thing holding her back. She insists she's the next Michael Phelps. She thinks she can swim and jump in with no supervision necessary. When you hover, she just pushes away and snaps "stop it!" She can teeter on every last nerve, but I adore that sassy pants wild child. We had a great low-key 4th of July with just the family. Frank, Jeff and Mike recruited Nick to assist with this year's firework show. It went off without a hitch, a few neighbors had quite the spread too, so it was a nice display. Addy cheered for more, and preferred the purple ones. Meanwhile, Lex was downright scared of the booms and wanted no part of earplugs so she stayed inside (Amy and I rotated between the girls).

We celebrated my brother's 30th birthday with a surprise party. Our theme was Breaking 30 Badly, he's the biggest fan of the show so it seemed like a natural fit. It's always fun to get an idea and run with it. I really enjoy themed parties (at any age). I can't believe my little brother is 30, though. There is only a couple more years until my sister crosses that milestone. Then, I'll really be in denial. Old age is one sneaky SOB.

My dad visited for a couple months so he was able to join us for our summer adventures. He was a big help to Frank and I during our painting project. The doggy door repair took much longer than expected so he spent a week by our place watching paint dry. He kept an eye on the painters so Frank and I didn't miss any work. He returned home last week. Addy desperately wanted to go on the airplane with him. No matter how much I explained we didn't have tickets she insisted we follow him. Amy and Jeff booked a trip back to Chicago with the kids in January (the first since they moved two years ago). Addy will be thrilled to finally fly in the airplane and visit "her family". It's all she talks about since she learned of the news.

That's the gist of happenings lately. I hope summer is treating you well in your neck of the woods.

May 24, 2011

Solution #1

I mentioned the other day that we needed to figure out what to do with the back corners of our yard. Well, Sunday, we got the corner by the hot tub squared away. Silly me, didn't think to take a before photo.

This old one of Nicky & me (gosh, he's so little) kinda gives the idea of the mess it was before. Weathered bamboo borders were around each of the palm trees.

We bought cheapo bricks from Lowes, 34-cents each. And 5 bags of soil, we were actually one bag shy, but I was able to get the task at hand complete. I built two retaining walls, Frank added dirt and rearranged the drip system and I planted three varieties of new flowers. Once the flowers grow a bit, they should fill in the area nicely. They should hide the peeling stucco too. We recently trimmed the oleander, soon it'll grow out and it should make that back corner appear a bit more lush.

Next, we'll do something similar in the opposite corner to finish off the pond. I'll have to remember to take true before and after pictures of that project.

October 13, 2009

Hot showers and fun ahead

I’m happy to report we have hot water. Frank found a plumber on Craigslist, he’s just starting his business. We saved over a hundred bucks by buying the new water heater through him and having him install it. We priced Sears, Lowes and Home Depot. He came the same day, within a couple hours, did good work and worked fast. Craigslist is awesome.

Hot showers are simply wonderful! Two days never seemed so long.

Switching gears…

San Francisco is a month away. We booked our hotel; we’ll be staying just outside Fisherman’s Wharf. The location should be very convenient. We won’t be renting a car so easy access to public transport was important. We haven’t done a trip without a rental or own transportation since days of visiting of Las Vegas, over seven years ago. The trip will be here before I know it. It’s time to start researching places to eat and things to do. We definitely want to take a Bay Cruise and visit the Ferry Building for tasty eats, everything else is up in the air.

Besides the trip, we have other fun stuff ahead to look forward to. First, this Saturday is Bite of Las Vegas. Frank will be working, but I’m going to take my brother. Train and Uncle Kracker will be playing along with a handful of other bands; Le Reve is supposed to have some sort of performance, too. In addition to music, there will be restaurants from all over the valley selling their specialties. Tickets are only $8 at the gate and if you bring a canned good, they’ll take $1 off. It should be a fun-filled day.

Later this month, Frank and I will attend an awards dinner at Red Rock inside Cherry Nightclub. My company was nominated for Best Places to Work. Hopefully, we’ll take home an award.

Then, on the 31st Frank and I have tickets for NHRA at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. We’ve been to the venue before for NASCAR and Midnight Mayhem, but this will be the first time seeing NHRA. We saw street-drags, years ago, when we lived in Chicago, at the Joliet Motor Speedway. It was a great time. Cars were loud and fast! We saw a semi-truck with a jet engine rip down the track. It was a sight to see. NHRA Finals should have dozens of top fuel cars; they are supposed to have top speeds of 300 mph and more, and quarter-mile times anywhere from 4.42 to 5 seconds. That is sick!

Frank will be off that whole weekend. It’ll be great having time off together. Sunday will be a lazy day in front of the TV watching football. It’ll be a nice treat.

October 12, 2009

It was one of those weekends

You know the kind where nothing goes according to plan. I thought Friday night we might catch a movie. Instead, Frank worked late, I made dinner and we had a quiet night.

Saturday, I went to Gilgrease Orchard to pick apples and eggplant, but it’s the end of the season. I came home with 6 apples, apple cider and a honey dew melon. It took me an hour to get home because of traffic and road construction.

Normally, it wouldn’t matter, but I was in a hurry because Frank had called to say the hot water heater was flooding the garage. Before he left for work, he turned off the water to it and hooked up a hose to drain the tank. Thankfully, he had it under control because it took me forever to get home. All was ok when I arrived.

Except for having no hot water, of course. It’s always amazing to learn what you take for granted. I couldn’t run the dishwasher, I couldn’t wash sheets or towels, we can’t even take a cold shower because we have single knobs in every shower they don’t allow enough water pressure when using only cold water. At least the tub has two knobs, we’ve been able to use that for “bathing”. It’s damn cold, too. Fortunately, we live in a warm climate, I realize the water sitting in the pipes could be much colder if we lived back east.

We should have a new water heater today, assuming we can get cash together. Today is a holiday and we can’t just run to the bank. Ahh! The timing, gotta love it.

But that’s not even the end of the hassles this weekend.

Mike was due to arrive at 6:00 Saturday night, but his connecting flight from Austin was delayed. His flight came in at 7:10 instead. Normally, it wouldn’t be much of an issue except we made dinner plans expecting him to be in at 6:00. We were all quite hungry when he arrived. We waited at the carousel for his bags but they never arrived. We went to Southwest’s office and they told us they might be on flights arriving at 8:10 or 8:40. I asked if we could grab dinner and come back, they said that wasn’t an option because they close at 9pm. Meanwhile, Frank went back to the car we knew the meter would be expiring. He was too late a ticket had already been written. Meter maids waste no time writing tickets these days. He waited in the car and was hounded by security endlessly, you can’t wait here, you need to pay, you have to move, etc. 9:00 rolled around by the time the last flight’s baggage made it on the carousel. Mike’s bags weren’t on either flight. We ran into the office before they closed and they then had a record of one bag, it would arrive 9:15am Sunday. They assumed both bags were found, but only one made it into the system. I told them we’d be back in the morning to pick up his luggage. I told Mike I wouldn’t be taking him to my mom’s that night as planned, we’d wait until tomorrow after another trip to the airport. We met up with Frank just before 9:30, two hours wasted. We were beyond hungry. We were famished.

We went to Buffalo Wild Wings for boneless wings and beer. Service was terrible. When our waitress finally brought our order, we had no silverware. She left us sit for 5 minutes staring at our food while we waited on utensils. Then, we finished our beers and asked for water. It took another 5 minutes before she brought them to us. You'd think they'd be a little quick on their feet, we order hot and mango habanero for goodness sake, to leave us with nothing to drink is pretty cruel. I don't know why but service is always terrible at that location (Hualapai/Flamingo), but it is. We quickly remembered why we carryout from there.

Sunday when we returned to McCarran, Southwest had retrieved one of Mike’s bags, the other was still missing. They have no record of it. Thankfully, the bag found is the one with Mike's stuff in it. The other was a bag Amy packed with misc stuff for my mom. We made the claim. If they find it they can overnight it to my mom's house. Or I could pick it up at the airport and receive $100 travel voucher. I opted to do the latter. I tried to get Mike drink tickets for the aggravation, but they said all they can offer is the voucher if I pick up the bag. I haven't heard from them yet. Once this is done, I figure we'll write a letter. We wasted 2 hours on Saturday, got a parking ticket, and had to make another trip on Sunday only to find out they only had one bag. I wished they would've just offered us the option to come back on Sunday rather than wasting all that time Saturday night.

They called today they still have not found his bag. They hope it will turn up.

With any luck, it will be found. And we will have a new hot water heater installed this afternoon. A hot shower would be a great treat tonight.

January 12, 2009

I've had enough...

this no common day off business is for the birds. Frank's been working Sundays, our only shared day off, I miss having our one day together. February 8th can't come soon enough. That'll be our next day off together, after Super Bowl, he goes back to his regular schedule.

The weekend was quiet. I grocery shopped, cleaned house and did laundry, fun times. We're trying not to spend, and in turn, we're working on paying down our credit card debt. To free up some funds, we've decided to cancel Sirius and Vonage. We've been pleased by both, but they're just extra expenses that we can do without.

Saturday, I also hung the privacy film on the sidelight. I failed to note that I was supposed to spray the window in addition to the film so my end result has far more blisters than there should be. I figure I'll let it cure this week, if it doesn't fix itself, I'll redo it next weekend.

The peacock's final moments