April 19, 2009
Sunday
We have stopped working on the hall for right now because I want the bedroom finished. We have to sleep there and I hate how nasty it looks. We removed the boards covering the seams of the sheetrock and found that there is a gap of 1 to 2 1/2 inches between the sheets that the boards are there to hide. So we have taped and mudded the seams and are trying to get a good sharp line in all the seams. And patching holes, filling dents and too-large cuts around plugs and vents. The 2 x 4's in the walls and ceiling are not level/square and we are trying to minimize that. I have the paint picked out, I'll show photos when we get that far. A little repair on the floor and we will put down carpet. Also, a little project of my own is the front porch. I have bleached the boards and will stain when I am sure it isn't going to rain. The posts and rails will be painted white, I am building a trim piece to go around the top between the posts that will dress it up.
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March 26, 2009
Thursday
We've finished the table and I am so pleased with how it turned out. The finish is all that is left, there are two coats on it so far. Bad experience with the polyurethane last night. My stupid mistake. It is still winter here and so I didn't open any doors, it was 2:30 am and very cold out. The fumes got to me and my lungs, ended up dizzy, sick to my stomuch, throwing up, and my head hurt something terrible. As I said, very stupid of me, I know better. I just got excited and didn't think.
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March 15, 2009
Sunday
I've been working on a personal project that has almost reached the finishing stage. I wanted a nicer dining room table than I could afford to buy and decided to build one. We couldn't afford furniture grade lumber so it isn't as nice as it could have been, but I'm proud of it so far. I designed the style and Bill helped me figure out how to get the results I wanted. He also helped with the sanding and any miter cuts. I'm always afraid that I'll mess those up. Photos of the project are on the project page. The legs are from an old table I found on Craig's list and restored before I ever started the top.
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March 14, 2009
Saturday
We have been working on the stairway to the second floor. It was a mess, but we have almost reached the point where we can paint. Bill wired for a light and installed recessed lighting. The stairs themselves will be an expensive project, but necessary since some of the boards are split. It all takes time and I shouldn't get impatient.
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January 13, 2009
Monday
It is always a matter of money, especially these days, right? Until we can afford the sheetrock for the livingroom we have made it livable for now. It had two layers of old carpet and two layers of padding. We took up the top layer of both and removed the bottom layer of carpet, then replaced the top layer. Cleaned and painted the ceiling and upper walls. Then cleaned and oiled the old paneling so it wouldn't look so rough. Cleaned the carpet because it will have to do until we can find some we can afford. I'm afraid to take the paneling down until we can fix the walls in case that is the only thing holding the old plaster up. And yes, the trouble we've had with the other walls says this is a real possibility. We've built shelves for all our whatnots, painted them white to lighten the room. It makes it feel more like home, you know?
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December 20, 2008
Saturday
We have finished the reptile room for now. It actually came out better than I expected it would. The ugly carpet will have to stay for now. When we have the funds we will tear out the plaster and put in sheetrock. We will leave the doorway between the two bedrooms, but take the "kink" out of the wall and have it run straight. Starting on the arch in the doorway to the livingroom next.
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December 4, 2008
Thursday
We have moved into what will be the reptile room until we have the money to finish the dining room. We will have to try our hand at repairing the plaster until we have the money for sheetrock. It is a lot slower than sheetrock. I don't have any experience with plaster and it is a lot of trial and error. When we have a bit of money and can do it right we will tear out the wall that has the "kink" in it and build a new wall that is straight. While we are at it we will run a sewer pipe to the upstairs. It will come out inside what is now a large closet and will later be a small bathroom. It is all going to take time and I am still enjoying it a lot.
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November 12, 2008
Wednesday
We just about have the arch in the kitchen doorway finished and have started on the doorway into the livingroom while we are waiting for the plaster to dry. Mostly, we just have the doorframe ripped out and all the moldings. And we removed the folding doors that they had there. Why in the world would anyone put doors there? Unless they used it as a very large bedroom. There were no overhead lights in the diningroom and we will face the same problem in the livingroom. I take it that they weren't considered necessary that long ago. I'm not going to live without them since I can do something about it myself. We removed the cheesy ceiling beams that were in the diningroom, which showed a lot of damage in the ceiling. Matching the old texture is more of a problem than I thought it would be. Probably have to re-texture the entire ceiling to match. I hate textured ceilings, always have.
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Sept. 27, 2008
Saturday
Found 5 layers of wallpaper on the diningroom wall before hitting plaster. Using a steamer helps a lot, but it is still slow going. Hope to be moved in by Tuesday. Have the paneling and wallpaper out of one bedroom and half of another. I am getting a real kick out of this!
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Sept. 26, 2008
Friday
Talked to the landlord today about moving. He is refusing to return our deposit because we didn't give him 30 days notice. I have all the utilities turned on and ready. Computer will go in the last trip. Need to remember to take the camera. Found 4 layers of wallpaper when I started removing the first layer and paneling in the diningroom. This is going to be fun. By the end of this I will be an expert on applying plaster to lath walls. Bathroom wasn't as bad as I feared it would be. It will do for now. Hoping the window upstairs can be removed without too much trouble, because the boxsprings are NOT going to make it up that tight turn in the stairway.
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Sept. 23, 2008
Tuesday
We signed the papers today! We will start moving tonight. I think we can be out of the apartment within a week.
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Sept. 02, 2008
Tuesday
We still don't know if we will be getting the house, so I am sitting on pins and needles waiting to find out. Still have to come up with $2400 because two days before signing the bank decided they had to have 20% down instead of 10%.
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August 31, 2008
Sunday
We found a new home for the guineas on a pony farm here in Holland. Without knowing if we would be getting the house things were too uncertain to keep them. They couldn't live in a garage forever.
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