4008. judithathome - 5/8/2007 12:24:27 PM
Never mind...I figured it out! Duh.
4009. Ulgine Barrows - 7/13/2007 3:02:22 AM
Such a perfect day, today. Looked like rain earlier, but no.
It all blew off. I played hooky with a gal I know.
We ended up in a cool library that is the closest thing to the NYC this western side of the Mississippi.
Saw an exhibit of photos. Some kids in Africa were taking pictures of things they loved.
4010. Ulgine Barrows - 7/13/2007 3:17:07 AM
JudithAtHome,
"closest thing to the NYC Public Library west of the Mississippi"
wink
4011. Ulgine Barrows - 7/13/2007 3:41:21 AM
Anyway. These kids taking pictures of things they loved.
I'd say 97% of the photos were of people. Only a few were pictures of things.
Very different culture than My House, USA - if I gave my kid a camera and told him to take pictures of things he loved, I doubt I'd show up in any of them.
But I would want to see what pictures he took, too.
4012. wonkers2 - 7/15/2007 11:13:16 AM
The Richest of the Rich Americans
4013. wonkers2 - 7/15/2007 11:13:42 AM
The Richest of the Rich Americans
4014. thoughtful - 7/16/2007 10:19:10 AM
We went to an antique car show yesterday with our 1948 cj-2a jeep and guess what....we won a trophy!
We were just tickled pink as there were about 450 cars there and didn't think we'd have a prayer.
4015. thoughtful - 7/16/2007 12:14:47 PM
4016. arkymalarky - 7/16/2007 6:30:39 PM
How cool! Great-looking car!
4017. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 7/16/2007 9:26:17 PM
Don't pass this up . . .
4018. thoughtful - 7/17/2007 7:09:56 AM
very good wiz...thx for posting.
4019. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 7/17/2007 7:42:00 AM
4020. alistairConnor - 10/20/2007 7:23:35 AM
Just a photo dump. A few months ago, up the hill from my place. Shrink-wrapped bales of silage.
4021. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 10/20/2007 7:53:22 AM
Precious!
4022. judithathome - 10/20/2007 1:49:25 PM
Fabulous shots!!!!
4023. wabbit - 10/22/2007 9:09:19 AM
Wonderful! How well I remember sitting in an Irish bar in NYC with your girls and marjoribanks, and your eldest telling us emphatically that she was "quatre ans".
4024. wonkers2 - 10/27/2007 2:12:55 PM
Nice looking daughters, Alistaire!
Wonder what Banks is doing? He's disappeared.
4025. alistairConnor - 12/2/2007 5:33:11 PM
The continuing saga of my heating system...
On Wednesday, the new (wood-pellet) boiler was delivered in the middle of the courtyard. On Saturday, the installer turned up with a couple of hefty friends, and we were planning to take it down to the cellar for installation.
But it won't go... the stairway is narrow and it turns. Short of demolishing a wall... but after due reflection, it's easier to open up a doorway to the cellar from the garden.
Just try to get a mason. Before Christmas. Go on, try.
Luckily my tenant used to be a mason... so this morning we knocked a hole in the wall. Very easy to do : stone and clay, with a very thin veneer of lime mortar. The trick is knowing when to stop, before the house comes down around your ears.
So now we've got a hole, and one side of it concreted up again, and some hope of getting it finished by next weekend. So the heating people can do their thing. We ran out of fuel oil for the old boiler last week, and I'm not buying any more -- I've finished with fossil fuels. So we're burning wood to keep warm, in the meantime.
4026. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/2/2007 10:08:58 PM
Pictures! I want pictures!
4027. wonkers2 - 12/2/2007 10:17:04 PM
Of anything in particular? Alistaire's plumbing. Here are a few of Lake St. Clair and our local Richistan. Lake St. Clair Landmarks (Excuse if I've posted these before.)
4028. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/2/2007 10:53:40 PM
Jeeze wonk, you get around! No, I want to see the hole in AC's foundation and what the new furnace looks like.
4029. alistairconnor - 12/4/2007 5:14:21 AM
The parable of the kitten
Around the end of summer, my ex-wife mentioned that her cat had had kittens. She intended to keep only one. The kids were with her parents in Normandy. Better suppress the others quickly, I suggested, the girls will be back in a couple of days. I know, she sighed. Nobody likes drowning kittens. (If you do, gentle reader, please don't tell me about it.)
A couple of days later, my girlfriend announces that she wants a cat. I quickly phone the ex : too late! The dirty deed is done. The sole survivor, Petit Tom (= petit homme) has been adopted by the girls.
We reserved a kitten with other friends, but a couple of months later it died before weaning. She was still searching for a replacement when, a few days ago, the girls said that she was welcome to take Petit Tom.
So the girlfriend bustled around buying the requisite accessories, and bore him home in triumph.
And this is where the fun begins.
He craps everywhere. Sometimes in his box, for sure. But he likes variety.
This morning, as we emerged into the half-lit hallway, I felt a squishy sensation underfoot... Don't walk there! I cried, but it was too late... and there we both stood, naked, frozen like statues, one shitty foot raised... luckily no photographers were in attendance.
I wonder, she mused, could I give him back? You could always try, I said.
Same thing with me.
4030. wonkers2 - 12/4/2007 7:15:18 AM
Ha!
4031. judithathome - 12/4/2007 10:57:58 AM
Someone didn't properly train Petit Tom.
4032. arkymalarky - 12/4/2007 9:29:28 PM
We've never had to train a cat to use the litter box, and we always had them before I figured out they were what was keeping me sneezing and itching, which only took about 25 years or so.
4033. arkymalarky - 12/4/2007 11:26:39 PM
And btw, if a cat ever shits or pisses in a part of your house he'll do it over and over in that same spot. So it will be interesting to see if y'all can break him of that. Wabbit knows more about that sort of thing than anybody, though, afaik.
4034. alistairconnor - 12/5/2007 5:51:48 AM
Well, Petit Tom has plenty of excuses.
He never knew his father, for one thing. And his mother rejected him at an early age (as soon as she worked out that the humans preferred him to her).
We'll have to discuss it with his social worker, but as I pointed out to my girlfriend, you've taken responsibility for him, you can't just turn him out in the street, he's not able to fend for himself. And his previous owner has no obligation to take him back, and is unlikely to be willing to, so we'll just have to make the best of a bad job, and try to cure him of his nasty habits...
... just like me, in short.
4035. judithathome - 12/5/2007 9:34:41 AM
By training, I mean at age 8 weeks or a little earlier, grasping their paw with your fingers and outting said paw in the litter box and moving it in a "pawing the dirt" fashion one or two times.
That's all you need to do. Harley is a FERAL cat, for cripes' sake, and she was trained to the litter box instantly in that manner. Has never gone "potty" anywhere else in the house AT ALL.
4036. wabbit - 12/5/2007 9:52:24 AM
Arky is right, you'll have to do some heavy duty cleaning wherever he's left you a gift.
I'd suggest a covered litter box, but Petit Tom sounds quite shameless and not the least bit desirous of privacy. Also, never clean up after him while he's watching. Sounds silly, I know, but many cats (and dogs) will quickly figure out that it doesn't matter where they do their business, because you will be along shortly to deal with it.
It could be that PT is just spreading himself around the house, making it his own, and will stop soon, or maybe he's just a dirty little bugger. Quelle suprise he was offered to you if this was happening at the ex's house. Perhaps he was expected to be an indoor/outdoor cat.
I would try confining him to one room (a smallish room, if possible) with his food and water on one side and the litter box on the other. For weeks, if necessary, until he gets the idea. You'll want to do this in a room where his litter box can be from now until the end of time, because if you move it, he may go back to that spot anyway.
I trust you've had him neutered?
4037. arkymalarky - 12/5/2007 5:38:55 PM
Maybe the ex trained him?
4038. arkymalarky - 12/5/2007 5:50:42 PM
That's all you need to do. Harley is a FERAL cat, for cripes' sake, and she was trained to the litter box instantly in that manner. Has never gone "potty" anywhere else in the house AT ALL.
Right, and they will generally use a litter box naturally without accidents. That he doesn't is a bad sign. We had one that didn't that I almost forgot about, but that's because I didn't live home at the time and it became an outdoor-only cat in short order after they got it because they couldn't get it to go in a litter box.
BTW, others may have done this for cats they want to convert to outside, but my parents have had several outdoor cats who ran in the house every chance they got, and since they fed them all canned catfood, they'd get them out from under the bed by hitting the electric can opener. Funny to watch them come running out of hiding every time.
4039. alistairconnor - 12/7/2007 8:06:57 AM
Tom seems to be making remarkable progress. Perhaps he overheard us talking about sending him to boarding school (he's now called Cookie, by the way. I was against the change -- it's confusing enough for him to have to change his family name, but his given name too...)
He is using his litter box, which is in the kitchen (I was against this location, but my opinion counts for less than nothing -- I have been convicted of jealousy by a jury of my peers.)
4040. judithathome - 12/9/2007 8:24:41 AM
Just make sure they keep the litter box cleared out...I have a little slotted scoop that I use about 3 or 4 times a day to keep Harley's cleaned out. (Bag the little nuggets in plastic bags...don't ever flush them or the little that adheres to them will stop up your plumbing.) Change the whole litter out once a week. And we used to use a plastic litter box but my friend turned me on to these disposable ones, with litter already in them...you toss the whole thing once a week and they never absorb the odors like plastic has a tendency to do. My hadn't but as soon as he mentioned that, I started imagining it soon would!
Well, after buying 3 of the disposable ones, we discoved Harley hated the litter that came in them...it was "rockier" and I guess disturbed her tender little paws. Plus, the disposers were very shallow so she tossed litter like confetti onto the floor A LOT. So we hit upon a fantastic solution: disposable aluminum turkey roasting pans with her favorite "beach sand consistancy" litter that has baking soda in it! The pans are so durable, deep, and non-odor absorbing that we can go two weeks with one so less waste. She is happy, and we are happy, too.
4041. alistairconnor - 12/9/2007 8:34:12 AM
Yes we are adepts of the little slotted scoop... those little nuggets are so beautiful, with the crunchy-looking bits of white litter, that they look like some regional chocolate speciality from Voisin... "Crottes du Périgord", $35 a kilo.
4042. judithathome - 12/9/2007 8:36:18 AM
The reasons for scooping out during the day are one, no chances of odor but mostly, two: you don't want a cat walking or scratching over and over in its poop & pee and then getting on every surface of you countertops and tables and being played with by your girls.
I thought everyone scooped multiple times a day until this poster on my forum said her cat had tossed a "turd" out into the hallway and asked jokingly if he was trying to ask for a litter change. I asked her how often she cleaned it and was appalled to hear "once a week, maybe"...and she has two cats! She said she HATES to clean the litter box...well, who doesn't? But people can walk into my house and not wrinkle their noses and ask how many cats we have whereas I'm sure they couldn't do that at hers.
We have Harley's box in the bathroom and I doubt anyone could tell it was there unless they happened upon her in mid-poop. If you keep it tidied up, you shouldn't be able to tell a cat lives with you until you see the actual cat standing there.
And by the way, congratulations to Petit Tom/Cookie on finally getting the hang of it!
4043. judithathome - 12/9/2007 8:38:50 AM
those little nuggets are so beautiful, with the crunchy-looking bits of white litter, that they look like some regional chocolate speciality from Voisin... "Crottes du Périgord", $35 a kilo.
Ha! I always think of Chocolate Nonpareils.
4044. wabbit - 12/9/2007 11:35:42 AM
I've recommended these litter boxes here before - I have two of them and they're great. They do take up a bit of space, but they're worth having. To clean, roll them slowly, bang on the bottom with your hand, roll them back and empty the bin, then tip them back again a bit past flat to distribute the remaining clean litter. Easy peasy, takes about a minute. I have covered buckets left over from litter purchases that I use for collecting the waste, and when they get about half full, they get dumped.
medium size Omega Paw litter box
large size Omega Paw litter box
4045. judithathome - 12/9/2007 6:12:40 PM
Ha...the first link went to...The Mote. At times, it might feel like a litter box but I doubt that's what you meant!
We couldn't fit even a small one of those in our bathroom, unfortunately. They look pretty cool, though!
4046. jexster - 12/9/2007 7:31:06 PM
Swimming cat
4047. wabbit - 12/10/2007 10:42:28 AM
Hmmm, careless careless me. Here is the correct link for the medium size Omega Paw litter box.
Sorry about that.
4048. wabbit - 12/10/2007 10:45:57 AM
Cute tub kitteh. None of mine like swimming, afaik, but one has no qualms about being wet. She'll stand out in the rain (or snow) and not mind it one bit. She has a very thick coat.
4049. concerned - 12/10/2007 2:40:43 PM
Actually, looks like the cat is walking around in the water.
4050. judithathome - 12/10/2007 3:00:11 PM
I'd love to try that with Harley! Maybe dip her in first and soap her up and then set her loose to rinse off. I have given her two baths...in the kitchen sink, with the sprayer hose, but I fear those days are gone forever now.
I am opposed to declawing cats and certainly she's too old now to have it done but there days around here that I wish I had gone ahead and had it done when she was spayed. She's fast and deadly with those things.
However, in her favor, she HAS stopped attacking our feet in the mornings.
4051. concerned - 12/11/2007 2:05:21 PM
Well, I've had the new heat pump (an Econar, made in Minnesota where they know what winter *really* means) running in my house for about a month now.
It definitely seems to be a better built unit than the Waterfurnace. For instance, the air heat exchange assembly is twice as deep, and the difference in air temperature is readily noticeable since it doesn't have to blow the air as hard to transfer the heat, so is quieter as well.
An additional piece of good luck appears to be that the earth loop that was installed (after I spent $11,000 having it backfilled so it wouldn't freeze up in the winter) has not been a problem. This means I don't probably have to spend another 25 grand having new wells dug and loops installed.
I paid for a 10 year full warranty on the Econar, and hopefully I won't have to take advantage of it. But time will tell.
In the meantime, I am proceeding with a lawsuit against Watefurnace. Their argument that the problem is the earth loop has obviously been discredited (see above), although they were also responsible for that defective installation that required my shelling out $11,000 to correct. So my primary goal is to recover all my out of pocket costs (well in excess of $40,000) that Waterfurnace forced me to spend to keep a working geothermal system in place. So much for Waterfurnace's '10 year full warranty'.
4052. concerned - 12/11/2007 2:08:19 PM
And btw, if a cat ever shits or pisses in a part of your house he'll do it over and over in that same spot. So it will be interesting to see if y'all can break him of that. Wabbit knows more about that sort of thing than anybody, though, afaik.
An instant cure is to cover that spot with a big piece of furniture. Make sure you completely clean the odor up first, of course. After six months or so, if you remove the furniture, chances are good that the cat will have lost interest in using that spot, especially if some sort of feline repellent is then placed there.
4053. concerned - 12/11/2007 2:24:27 PM
I once had a bigtime problem where I once lived with one of my cats who had regularly pishitted (new word, hey!) in a finished basement on a carpet. It was so bad, the whole room smelled like the inside of a cat's asshole. (I can tell jexster's getting excited here.) I was able to totally resolve the situation by buying several bottles of enzyme pet odor remover, mixing it with a good strong disinfecting cleaner and several gallons of water and literally saturating the whole basement carpet with this mixture.
After a few days, I rented a carpet cleaner and cleaned the whole thing. The result: pet odor totally gone, (no mildew odor either, even though it took almost two weeks to totally dry) and best of all, the cat didn't seem to have any interest in using the basement carpet as a toilet any more.
4054. concerned - 12/11/2007 2:26:07 PM
Btw, the cat had really spread it around on that carpet. There was no 'one place' where she went. It was almost every place, but mostly near walls.
4055. wonkers2 - 12/11/2007 2:41:39 PM
Concerned, I thought of you when I saw a cartoon in this week's New Yorker. Two attractive women are standing in a bar and one says to the other, "There's something about a man with a big carbon footprint that makes me really hot!"
4056. concerned - 12/11/2007 2:52:57 PM
Wrt my carbon footprint, I'm Cinderella Man. Contrast that with your Chicken Little Hero, Carbon Bigfoot Bore, Globaloniliar supreme.
4057. thoughtful - 12/11/2007 6:47:00 PM
concerned, we stopped by a house that is using geothermal heat and they seemed pretty happy with it. However, they told us something that our HVAC man neglected to tell us... that every time the system has to change from heat to ac and from ac back to heat, they have to have a technician in to do it and that it takes him 2 hrs to do it and it costs them $300 each time he shows up, and if they don't have that technician do it, it voids the warranty! That's $600 per year or about 2 tanks of oil.
Has that been your experience?
4058. arkymalarky - 12/11/2007 7:17:24 PM
Hey Thoughtful!
Have y'all started on your house yet?
4059. concerned - 12/11/2007 7:28:58 PM
Hi, thoughtful -
No, the Waterfurnace was completely controllable from the thermostat, and so, apparently is the Econar.
I'm curious who the manufacturer was of this heat pump, and whether it was an older model.
One slight down side of the Econar is the filter cost - the lowest it is available for is $20.00, being a large custom size, and it will probably need replacing 3-6 times a year. I'm looking into a lower cost alternative or two, though, where I replace the filter media in a permanent frame for about $3.00 a change, or, alternatively, get one of the reusable electrostatic filters that are supposed to only need a hosing down to clean them and are advertised to last for 'years'.
4060. thoughtful - 12/11/2007 8:29:05 PM
I don't know who made the equipment, but was stunned to hear what they went through, esp since it's in a house that's a historic home owned by a nonprofit.
Based on your recommendation, I think we'll nose around for an econar dealer in our area.
BTW, would you mind telling me where you're located? In general terms...just wondering how your climate would compare to ours.
4061. thoughtful - 12/11/2007 8:30:31 PM
Hi Arky, thanks for asking.
No we haven't started on our house yet. The town has had our building permit for about 5 weeks now and, given how wintry our weather is turning, we've decided to postpone construction until the spring. We've heard too much from people about all the issues/problems you go through constructing in the winter.
I hope you're feeling well and wish you good luck with your medical issues.
4062. jexster - 12/11/2007 8:53:08 PM
T'filled...there's a MOTE APB out on your butt ya know
4063. arkymalarky - 12/11/2007 9:51:34 PM
Thank you, Thoughtful!
We started ours in November, and even down here it wasn't a good time. It was bitterly cold at the end of December, but luckily we hardly lost any days on building. Here it's important to avoid the rainy times, if possible--which is a big IF. Building in spring will be so exciting and fun. Bob and I were talking just a couple of days ago about what it felt like to stand on the subfloor of the second floor before it was even framed. He'd never seen their land from that vantage point in all the 40 years he'd been here.
I wouldn't do it again, but I wouldn't do anything differently or undo it. And y'all have planned so carefully going in you won't hit some of the obstacles we did. Fortunately we had no major snags after firing the first carpenter, but we were very lucky.
4064. judithathome - 12/12/2007 7:34:42 AM
get one of the reusable electrostatic filters that are supposed to only need a hosing down to clean them and are advertised to last for 'years'.
As with most things promised, this one fails to come through. Try replacing "years" with months...after boit three wash downs, it's useless. We purchased one, which was was more expensive than the $13 ones we'd been getting every few months, thinking just like you...a one time expense as opposed to every other month expense...it would pay for itself and then some!
We were careful with it and it lasted from fall into the winter but the first time after the winter use that we washed it down, it just fell to bits. I guess the heat degraded it too much or something. So maybe get one and use it as long as you can...you might have a different experience. If not, don't say you weren't warned!
Hey, Thoughtful...been missing your "calendar" pictures!
4065. judithathome - 12/12/2007 7:37:14 AM
"after boit three"...ha! Sounds so Canadian! That should be ABOUT.
4066. alistairconnor - 12/12/2007 8:06:08 AM
The heating people are supposed to have started installation at my place this morning... If nothing went wrong, e.g. the new doorway collapsing when the tenant took down the scaffolding. I wasn't there to look.
I finished the concrete on Sunday night, then on Monday the heating man told me they would be carrying the new furnace through the new doorway on Tuesday, and I said no you won't... give the concrete an extra day.
So with a bit of luck we will have heat for Christmas!
And I will have a fun job for the Christmas holidays : breaking up the slab the old furnace was on, digging out another half ton of earth and granite, and laying a new slab for the wood-pellet silo.
4067. judithathome - 12/12/2007 8:35:30 AM
Why can't you just use to old one for that purpose?
4068. alistairconnor - 12/12/2007 8:41:32 AM
Cos it's about 2 feet too high. The point of digging up the floor of the cellar, apart from any fortuitous archaeological finds, is to increase the volume of the silo. It's 2 metres by 2 metres, and adjustable in height. By lowering the floor by 50 cm, I might be able to store enough wood pellets to get through a mild winter without a refill.
4069. judithathome - 12/12/2007 9:22:47 AM
Oh, I see...so, have you found anything interesting yet under the dirt?
4070. thoughtful - 12/12/2007 4:24:11 PM
Just for Judithah, December:
Afternoon Sun
4071. wonkers2 - 12/12/2007 4:53:42 PM
Nice pic. Good to see you back. We (the Cap'n and w2) were worried about you.
4072. thoughtful - 12/14/2007 8:57:22 AM
Concerned,
Hubby found a dealer in our state that carries both econar and water furnace and the dealer said the econar is a better system. So we'll do some comparisons for price, efficiency, etc. At least judging by the web site, the econar are certainly more informative if nothing else.
4073. jexster - 1/5/2008 3:10:06 PM
My Balinese blue point Son of Thunder (aka SonnyTheCat) turned 19 in October
Frail but my God what a big mouth..complains that he's hungry when his dish is full..complains if I don't pick him up immediately on demand, complains if I don't want him to sleep on my arm at night.....
A Chart here...
Towards the End: From Feline Old Age to Pet Breavement
If we hadn't been together since he was 10 weeks old, I'd have strangled the old fart
19-22 years - 92-100 years - Amazing.
That he is
4074. arkymalarky - 1/5/2008 7:04:02 PM
If we hadn't been together since he was 10 weeks old, I'd have strangled the old fart
Probably has thought the same about you. ;->
I hope the rest of his life with you continue to bring you both joy.
4075. jexster - 1/6/2008 9:42:13 AM
Thanks Arky...knock wood, he's grown old most gracefully. When a guy hits 90, he is entitled to whatever he wants. That's why I am being so hard on Wonkers. So little time
4076. wonkers2 - 1/6/2008 11:41:37 AM
Jex, I hesitate to let the air out of your tires, but we have a little mongrel hep cat named Sparky who is 21. Even money could beat the shit out of your "Son of Thunder."
4077. jexster - 1/6/2008 1:33:13 PM
He share your walker?
A pit bull wandered through the open door of my apartment a few months back....Sonny chased him down
He's MY child. The Son of Thunder
4078. judithathome - 1/6/2008 3:54:37 PM
Harley is just hateful enough to live to a ripe old age. She has that yakking thing down pat.
4079. thoughtful - 1/7/2008 5:42:50 PM
2008 calendar cover 
And January photo 
4080. judithathome - 1/7/2008 5:56:49 PM
Beautiful!!
4081. thoughtful - 1/7/2008 6:21:46 PM
Thanks J@H.
This year's calendar is all sunrise shots...I called it "Comes the Dawn"...special meaning given the losses I've suffered recently. While the poem was written about divorce, I find it meaningful for losses of all kinds...I especially appreciate the final two lines.
After A While
(alternate title - Comes the Dawn)
After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul,
and you learn that
love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't mean security,
and you begin to learn
that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises,
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up
and your eyes ahead,
with the grace of a woman,
not the grief of a child,
and you learn to build all of your roads
on today because tomorrow's ground
is too uncertain for plans,
and futures have a way of
falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn that
even sunshine burns
if you get too much.
So you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul,
instead of waiting for someone
to bring you flowers.
And you learn that
you really can endure...
That you really do have worth.
And you learn and you learn...
With every goodbye you learn.
by Veronica A. Shoffstall
4082. jexster - 2/27/2008 11:41:05 AM
I have to board Sonny during some serious spring cleaning. So I called the Pet Hospital only to discover that they only do medical boarding these days.
This is why
WagHotel
4083. jexster - 3/5/2008 8:07:31 PM
Just got through "watering" the cat
He was diagnosed with chronic renal failure, common in old cats and he was dehydrated.
So the vet recommended subcutaneous fluid therapy 2-3 times a week. It was easy when the tech showed me how but quite another story when I have to do the poking though he doesn't get quite as angry
Don't know how much of this I can take. Harder on me than on him
At least it works...His coat is back (not as much free skin to poke) and is more active
4084. thoughtful - 3/9/2008 10:14:24 AM
So sorry to hear about your cat, Jex. We lost ours at 18 to renal failure. It is very common now.
4085. thoughtful - 3/9/2008 10:15:45 AM
My happy orchids:
4086. thoughtful - 3/9/2008 10:16:23 AM
4087. thoughtful - 3/9/2008 10:17:12 AM
4088. thoughtful - 3/9/2008 10:18:04 AM
4089. judithathome - 3/9/2008 12:05:57 PM
Lovely!! I remember when you got those!
4090. jexster - 3/9/2008 12:08:32 PM
Phaelopsolises (sp)! Pretty...
4091. jexster - 3/9/2008 4:28:39 PM
Yo T'filled
My doc said that the CRF was in an early stage but that I should be alert to "signs of decomposition". I didn't think to ask but what..loss of appetite? severe loss of energy?
Hope I've not recalled painful memories but am trying to make this as grace filled a passage as possible
4092. Magoseph - 3/9/2008 5:06:07 PM
http://www.felinecrf.com/what0.htm
Here. Jex.
4093. jexster - 3/9/2008 6:33:24 PM
Merci mago..and again...sooorrrryy
4094. jexster - 3/9/2008 6:40:37 PM
Now I understand how important that damned fluid therapy is ...I nailed it yesterday but he now knows what it means when I put the chair by the door and hang the IV contraption from a hanger...
Great to know that they're not suffering much at all until the very end ....yuk..but kinda ready for that
4095. judithathome - 3/9/2008 11:35:52 PM
Something to keep in mind:
Think Twice Before Asking For Lemon In Your Drink
4096. thoughtful - 3/11/2008 8:49:52 AM
Jex
Our cat got more lethargic was reluctant to eat and started losing weight. She huddled close to the wood stove trying to stay warm. We got reluctant to touch her except most gently on the head as anything else seemed to cause her pain. Finally she looked at ius and we knew it was time. Her sad eyes just begged us to do something. So we took her to the vets and had her put to sleep. It was a most gentle and peaceful and humane process...so much so that i cursed the powers that be that prevented us from doing the same for my SIL when she was in such agony suffering terminal lung cancer. It probably only ended the suffering for a day or so but when someone you love is hurting, every minute counts.
4097. thoughtful - 3/11/2008 8:58:29 AM
Jex
The other thing is we did not go through what you are w regard to fluid replacement. She was already 18 and had lived a good life. There was no point in postponing the inevitable. Of course that is an individual thing. She was first diagnosed with kidney issues when she was 13 and she seemed to do quite well for years with no seeming issue. The only thing we did for her at that point was to put her on science diet kd (kidney diet) which i believe is low protein which helps protect the kidneys.
4098. thoughtful - 3/12/2008 12:19:50 PM
Time to make corned beef and cabbage. I enjoy it and often wonder why I don't make it more often...somehow I need st. pat's day to remind me...
4099. jexster - 3/12/2008 1:59:15 PM
T'filled
Sonny is 19plus!!! Be 20 in October if he makes it
The fluid therapy is designed to slow the progress of the disease and relieve discomfort
It is more palliative than anything else. I was having REAL trouble getting the line in ...the first 3-4 treatments were disasters. Water everywhere but in the cat. And this was having an effect - rapid dehydration and sudden loss of apetite
I called the doc and he told me to buck it up ..it is too important that I not be squeamish. We're now going on 1/day for a few days
Then miracle of miracles, yesterday and again this AM total sucess.
He doesn't much like it but at least he's got the strength to fight to get away! I suspect he'll adapt. My brother used to give his cat daily insulin shots..eventually he'd jump up on the chair to get them
4100. jexster - 3/12/2008 2:00:47 PM
We got reluctant to touch her except most gently on the head as anything else seemed to cause her pain. Finally she looked at ius and we knew it was time. Her sad eyes just begged us to do something.
I have had cats die but never put one down
My sis in law has done 3 and THAT IS EXACTLY what she says...
They tell you when it is time
4101. jexster - 3/12/2008 2:09:07 PM
Doing some research..UC Davis has developed dialysis for dogs and cats...this to bridge until a suitable kidney can be found for transplant
Too many people have too much money in this country
4102. jexster - 3/12/2008 2:54:52 PM
T'filled ..from my brother
4103. thoughtful - 3/12/2008 3:29:15 PM
Yup, Jex, that's how it is...some how they know how to communicate when they're ready...if we're willing to see it.
A friend of mine waited too long and the cat died before they got him to the vets. It was because he's so emotional and couldn't bear to lose the cat. But as I explained to him, it's not about losing the cat which is going to happen anyway, it's about loving the cat enough to let him go when HE's ready, not when YOU're ready.
So just keep your eyes open and be receptive to what the cat has to say and you'll know when it's time.
Never easy to lose a pet, but much easier to lose them than to watch them suffer.
4104. thoughtful - 3/12/2008 3:33:13 PM
j@h, re the lemon. eh.
Ever watch mythbusters? They did an experiment testing the myth that the water spray from flushing toilets makes uncovered toothbrushes more vulnerable to contamination from bacteria from human waste than toothbrushes stored elsewhere. One of the fellows, as a control, took out a brand new toothbrush and left it upright in a cup on his desk...never used it, never touched it, never got it near the bathroom. Guess what...it was as contaminated with feces bacteria as the one parked in the bathroom.
It's everywhere. We can't get away from it.
As the bumper sticker says, sh*t happens.
4105. judithathome - 3/13/2008 9:01:01 AM
Oh, I know...we're literally breathing it in every day.
I just thought it was intersting since so many people...I'm thinking mostly of my cousin...try to act all superior asking for water with lemon rather than having a diet coke like they really want. Ha!
4106. thoughtful - 3/17/2008 11:26:06 AM
speaking of 'feces' happens, mystery solved thanks to the internet.
Hubby noticed a pile of scat near our bird feeders...too big for cat...almost the size made by a small to mid-sized dog and looked like dog too, except that it had seeds in it. Over the next several days, we kept finding more and more. Odd too in that it's very close to the building foundation. Yesterday we counted over 10 of them, all in the same area.
So I hopped on the internet and found this:
Raccoon.
We haven't had raccoons in our are in any numbers for quite a few years as we had a lot of rabies which kind of decimated them. Apparently, they're making it back.
4107. robertjayb - 3/17/2008 3:31:38 PM
Your visitor has established a latrine and will probably return. A livetrap baited with fried bacon and marshmallows may work to capture the critter. Be sure all possible trap exits are secured. They are amazing escape artists.
Or you could stand guard with a shotgun.
4108. jexster - 3/17/2008 3:37:55 PM
Robert will be dismayed to learn that today I administered 100 cc latase solution to my aged cat; didn't spill a drop, and he didn't try to escape (too much)
Coat improving
water intake down
Appetite back to normal
Texas back to Mexico
4109. robertjayb - 3/17/2008 3:56:49 PM
jexster, you are just a regular fucking francis of assisi.
4110. thoughtful - 3/17/2008 3:59:41 PM
well hubby cleaned them up and sprinkled the area with ammonia in the hopes it will make it less desirable.
What surprises me is it's right near the bird feeders where the coon is clearly enjoying all the seed on the ground. I thought it was a common rule that critters don't 'make' where they eat, but clearly the coon doesn't follow that rule.
What's also interesting is hubby used to have to clean the seed remains on a regular basis, but since the coon has been visiting, the patio area has been significantly cleaner.
Coon's giveth and coon's taketh away.
4111. thoughtful - 3/17/2008 4:03:53 PM
On another note, I'm a member of the 'green team' at work where we discuss ways to make our building greener...CFL lighting, recycling, all that good stuff. Anyway, we had a conversation with our landscape guys and I learned about 'no mow' grass. I'd never heard of it before. Apparently it's a fine bladed fescue that grows about 3-6". As it's fine, it tends to lay over not need mowing. 
It's also good in the shade and once established it spreads well and crowds out weeds and such.
We've ordered some and will try spreading it around our pond...most necessary since the wetlands people won't let us mow the area more than once a year.
4112. thoughtful - 3/18/2008 9:56:22 AM
Well the ammonia had no effect. Nice big turd left for us this am by our cooney-coons.
4113. thoughtful - 3/18/2008 11:52:54 AM
Here's one of the little cottages I walk by when I walk the beach at Manalapan. Maybe the thoughtful's will buy it...whaddya think? It's asking price is only $36,950,000.
Cheap at any price.
Stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway, this brand-new Venetian-inspired estate meticulously constructed over a 3-year period presides over 2.4 +/- prime acres at 20 +/- feet above sea level, commanding glorious Ocean-to-Intracoastal views along 225 +/- feet of beachfront and protected waterway dockage. Imposing entrance gates give way to a stone drive winding to the stunning Old World masterwork embellished with striking rooflines, Gothic arches, multifoils, columned loggias, tropical gardens, and serene fountains. Resort-style amenities include the heated oceanside pool with spa, fenced tennis court with underground irrigation and viewing pavilion, and full-service yacht dock. An impressively engineered concrete-and-steel sea wall protects the property.
The ultimate showplace for grand-scale entertaining, this regal 3-story palazzo encompasses 24,500 +/- total feet with 9 bedrooms, 11 full and 3 half baths, 3 laundry rooms, private guest house, garages for 6 cars, and multiple loggias. Captivating views overlook the Atlantic Ocean, the Intracoastal Waterway, or lush gardens at every turn. Splendid appointments imported from around the world highlight rare marble and hardwoods, elaborate plasterwork and pecky cypress ceilings, artisan paint finishes, ornate ironwork, art glass, fine furnishings, exotic carpets, European textiles, and Venezuelan Altusa clay S roof tiles. Ceiling heights are 13 feet on the main level and 11 feet upstairs. All interior doors are crafted of Sapele mahogany. Floors are of marble, hardwood, and Spanish terra cotta tile. Uncompromising standards are achieved in the steel-reinforced concrete construction incorporating 225 auger pilings, corrosive-resistant metals, hurricane-rated glass, and Icynene insulation. Utilizing the latest technologies with category-6 wiring, high-efficiency systems include the hydraulic elevator, 16 zone Trane air conditioning, 100-kilowatt Kohler back-up generator, commercial-grade water purification system, Lutron lighting, and 3 central vacuum systems. Crestron electronics integrate lighting, audio, video, pool, and security controls.
Eh. Now that I think about it, I think I'll pass. After all, it'll really cramp my style to live with only 3 laundry rooms...
Sigh.
4114. alistairconnor - 3/18/2008 1:07:25 PM
Only 20 feet above sea level?
You planning on a short retirement?
4115. thoughtful - 3/18/2008 1:12:33 PM
AC, are you in the habit of raining on someone's dream?
4116. wonkers2 - 3/18/2008 2:15:32 PM
You left out the phone number.
4117. thoughtful - 3/18/2008 3:48:25 PM
call 1-800-Not-a-prayer
4118. jexster - 3/18/2008 5:58:34 PM
4119. thoughtful - 3/20/2008 7:49:11 AM
On my a.m. walk, I may have seen cooney coons, the great depositor. Actually I have no idea if it was him/her or not, but there was a coon walking very slowly through a vacant lot across the street from my house. It was very early in the a.m. on an overcast day so while it's unusual to see them in the daytime, it was only just daytime. S/he was moving very slowly though, but didn't look violent or crazy. I'll have to keep my eye out...
4120. judithathome - 3/20/2008 8:15:58 AM
We have automatic lights in our back yard that come on if someone approaches the house after dark...frequently, we'll notice them come on throughout the night. Usually it's feral cats. We have quite the little community of them on our street. Teo families I know of feed them so they are in and out of our yard crossing into the ones with food all the time.
Last night Keoni called me excitedly to come into the garden room because two large racoons were strolling through. They took their time and didn't seem worried by the lights coming on halfway through their journey. Later, after mifnight, when I couldn't sleep and decided to watch some taped TV, they strolled back past...big boys, lumbering across the stones of the patio.
I haven't checked for "deposits". ;-)
4121. wonkers2 - 3/20/2008 9:53:51 AM
We used to see racoons in our back yard, but not for several years. I wonder what happened to them. We still see rabbits and a groundhog that lives under our next door neighbor's deck. Aslo, plenty of squirrels. Civilization marhes on.
4122. thoughtful - 3/20/2008 10:16:31 AM
we saw lots of coon in our yard when we were growing corn...or should I say attempting to grow corn...we got what the coons and crows decided to leave for us!
4123. thoughtful - 3/25/2008 1:58:23 PM
Well, we saw cooney coons eating the bird seed the other day. I'm very concerned as it was out during the day, though it was late in the day. Also cooney coons did not look well. Very skinny and had difficulty walking...very stiff and his/her front legs were kept low to the ground. Didn't seem bothered by my tapping on the window and when I opened the door and looked outside, s/he sort of wondered off very slowly, but took the time to make a dump in the latrine before ambling off completely.
From what I'm reading, if it is rabid, it isn't long for this world. Usually they last only 4-5 days from the time it affects their nerves and their ability to walk to the time it kills them. If cooney is still around in another week, most likely it's sick, but not from rabies...
I'll post a pic when I get a chance.
4124. wabbit - 3/25/2008 3:38:35 PM
t'ful, it sounds like your cooney may have distemper, though sometimes the symptoms can be similar to rabies. Trouble walking, confusion and weight loss - and distemper is highly contagious, so if you have any furpeople in your household, keep them away.
You might try peppermint oil as a repellent. I mean the strongest, smelliest, eye-burningest peppermint oil you can find. I spray it in the attic to repel mice and squirrels and it works like a charm. Best to do it when you won't be home for a day or two, though, because your eyes will be bothering you. I don't know if or how well it might work with raccoons, and yours may not care anymore anyway. And of course, that will discourage the birds as well, so you may need to move the feeder if that's doable.
4125. thoughtful - 3/25/2008 3:53:42 PM
Interesting...thanks wabbit.
4126. thoughtful - 3/26/2008 7:43:12 AM
Pictures of cooney coons...s/he stayed hunched like that the whole time including when s/he was ambling away. Hubby noted no seeds disappeared last night...could be s/he's a goner by now...
4127. Magoseph - 3/28/2008 4:20:42 AM
Feel French — Pour a Proper Ricard
1] Pour 1½ to 2 ounces of Ricard into a tall glass. Serve with a pitcher of cool water.
2] Add water, anywhere from 3 times as much as the Ricard to 7 times as much. A ratio of 5-to-1 water to Ricard is most common.
3] Drop in 2 ice cubes and enjoy. Serve with a small bowl of olives and radishes to munch on.
By Thierry Peremarti
Every French expat in L.A. knows it too well. Order a Ricard—France’s favorite pastis (licorice-flavored aperitif)—and you’re likely to get a rocks glass filled to the brim with ice and spirit. Maybe even a straw. It’s enough to ruin your day. Why can’t bartenders in this town pour a proper pastis—even in many French restaurants where they should know better?
We called upon Michel Visciano, owner of Chez Michel-La Brasserie des Catalans in Marseilles, France, to tell us how it’s done.
At his bar, he says, “you’ll be served 5 centiliters of Ricard in a tall 20-centiliter glass.” That’s about 1.7 ounces in a 7-ounce glass. “It should be taken in this manner, and not otherwise.” Tradition (backed up by Ricard’s website) dictates that ice be added after the water. Visciano plops in one cube, then slides the drink, along with a small pitcher of water, to the customer to add to taste. The water turns the chartreuse-colored aperitif milky white and refreshing. Undiluted, it’s strong enough to kill a horse.
Take a sip, then bring the glass to your ear. You will hear the scrubland of Provence, the cicadas. You are Jean de Florette. And that’s not La Cienega but a field of lavender.
I was thinking of my father this morning--he had to have his "pastis" every summer day before his game of "petanque". He was a simple man who married way above his station in life and paid a dear price for it.
4128. alistairconnor - 3/28/2008 5:41:55 AM
I must confess Mago, I keep a bottle of Ricard in the cupboard and occasionally even drink it out of social obligation (i.e. when there is nothing else on offer)...
... but after twenty years, it still tastes like mouthwash to me.
4129. Magoseph - 3/29/2008 9:08:23 AM
Ali, my lovely friend, how about trying Pernod instead and drinking it while eating oysters—the experience is a real turn-on, you know.
4130. alistairConnor - 3/30/2008 2:53:23 PM
I'm afraid it's champagne with everything for me these days, Mago. The ransom of hanging out with the haute bourgeoisie.
Though today, offered the choice, we preferred to drink German beer.
4131. Magoseph - 3/30/2008 5:31:26 PM
You're in a perfect world, aren't you?
4132. wonkers2 - 4/10/2008 3:34:42 PM
Personal Finance Advice from Gaspar Portola
4133. iiibbb - 4/10/2008 4:13:06 PM
Taking a crap was never so hip. I wonder if it plugs into my iphone.
4134. thoughtful - 4/12/2008 2:55:55 PM
I love toto toilets, though the washlet is over the top...or should that be under the bottom!
4135. thoughtful - 4/12/2008 3:04:11 PM
Would you believe, the ground has broken?
Here's proof!
Excavator on site...note the bucket is nearly as tall as hubby!
House building basic...how are foundations dug? One scoopful at a time.
That's Joel in the cab, making it happen.
Dump it down the hill to separate the rocks.
4136. anomie - 4/12/2008 3:55:59 PM
Great news. Congrats Thoughtful. But is this Weekend overtime for the crew? Ouch.
4137. anomie - 4/12/2008 4:03:16 PM
Saw a great simple recipe on TV.
Fry up some ham and put it on a plate
Top with pasta (spaghetti will do)
Top with an over EASY egg - fried or poached
Top with browned butter (from the fried egg perhaps or heat up some in
a pan).
Top with grated cheese.
Cut through the egg and mix everything up on your plate so the yoke mixes with the butter and cheese to form a sauce.
4138. thoughtful - 4/13/2008 5:54:51 AM
Anomie, I posted the pics yesterday, but they were from friday...no weekend work, no OT. This house will cost us enough as it is!
Thanks.
Recipe sounds sloppy and like comfort food.
4139. alistairconnor - 4/13/2008 7:15:16 AM
My thought also Anomie... I know this style all too well... sounds dangerously like batchelor's fare. Perhaps you need to be cooking for someone else from time to time. Your arteries would be better for it.
4140. anomie - 4/13/2008 8:26:18 AM
It's not low-fat fare for sure, but it just sounded like an interesting way to make a pasta sauce. I wouldn't put it on my daily menu.
4141. anomie - 4/13/2008 9:53:09 AM
Just tried it and it was delicious (with parmasan cheese). It's a dish that can satisfy 3 or 4 cravings at once. But as I said, not a healthy choice for the daily diet.
4142. alistairconnor - 4/13/2008 11:21:44 AM
Well I confess I did do a spaghetti carbonara yesterday which was pretty close to that description. Fry up some snippets of bacon, tip them onto the cooked spaghetti, add a raw egg and some cream, and stir. Never fails to please.
4143. thoughtful - 4/14/2008 7:16:42 AM
Well as you guys may or may not know, the latest thinking...which docs haven't caught up with yet...is it's carbs that cause the issues not the fat or the protein. See Gary Taubes' Good Calories, Bad Calories.
The issue has a lot to do with insulin which is essential for digesting carbs, yet causes a lot of damage in the body.
So the dangers in anomie's dish are from the spaghetti more than anything else.
4144. alistairconnor - 4/14/2008 8:05:47 AM
heh...
Actually Tful, I have been cutting back on the carbs in recent months. Partly because of concerns about any tendency towards a midlife midriff crisis. But also partly because of your recommendations.
I'm not entirely sure why I trust your advice on these matters. But I do.
4145. alistairconnor - 4/14/2008 8:08:27 AM
You should convince my girlfriend that fat isn't a problem. She won't have butter in the house.
But then again, she might be onto something. Her grandfather eats nothing but bread and olive oil for breakfast, and has done for over a hundred years.
4146. anomie - 4/14/2008 9:57:46 AM
I think too much of anything is the problem. Moderation in all things - as they say - is my goal. I even take moderation in moderate amounts. Life is short.
4147. thoughtful - 4/15/2008 7:52:49 AM
butter is better than margarine.
4148. alistairconnor - 4/15/2008 8:15:04 AM
I even take moderation in moderate amounts.
Amen brother!
Excess is OK too, in moderation.
4149. thoughtful - 4/16/2008 8:01:31 AM
The hole is growing by the day.
The mountain each of dirt and soil and stone around it is also growing to phenomenal levels. The project mgr said site prep on this job would be the biggest expense and now I see why. In addition to burying the lower half of the house in a hillside, they have to go down even deeper to put in the footings. Yikes.
In addition, it took the excavator 2 hours to get one rock out of the hole...the thing is shaped like a cube and is about 6 feet on each side.
Anybody want a rock?
4150. wonkers2 - 4/16/2008 10:48:59 AM
4151. wonkers2 - 4/16/2008 10:50:29 AM
4152. thoughtful - 4/18/2008 7:14:20 AM
House update...we hit ledge. Ugh.
Fortunately its only in the last 10' of the foundation and it's only in the northeast corner of the foundation so it isn't much. No blasting. They're going to hammer it. They'll also then be able to hammer that gargantuan rock into smaller manageable pieces.
Today I meet with architect to do battles on windows. We disagree on style and we'll need to figure it out as windows need to be ordered ASAP. So many decisions. So much fun!
4153. thoughtful - 4/20/2008 6:33:13 AM
Not so big a mountain:
Not so big a hole:
4154. thoughtful - 4/20/2008 6:35:39 AM
Much bigger mountain:
Much bigger hole:
4155. thoughtful - 4/20/2008 6:37:19 AM
What's bigger than an out house? The rock:
4156. thoughtful - 4/20/2008 6:39:43 AM
The rock pile and the two guys making it happen...project mgr Ken on the left, architect Joe on the right:
4157. arkymalarky - 4/20/2008 7:49:51 AM
Wow, what a project!
Decisions were fun, even though I am not a shopper. I did virtually all of that myself. Bob wasn't interested in that part--he liked all the dirt and wood and hanging out with the carpenters, which suited me fine. I hope you'll keep us posted on all that stuff too--what you go with wrt materials, and why.
I bought and modified house plans and had to fire our first carpeneter for, among other important reasons, failing to implement my adjustments. It was by far the most stressful single thing Bob and I have ever done. Bob was the one who did it after much drama, when I finally convinced him that I could not--not would not--keep control of myself. But once that was done things went very smoothly. WOrking with the architect would be great, but no way we could do that, unfortunately. As long as everyone respects that you have the final say, you'll get a lot of great advice and guidance we had to do without. Our house was built by two great carpenters with our guidance, and no other professional assistance.
4158. thoughtful - 4/20/2008 8:38:26 AM
A good carpenter is worth his weight in gold.
A good mason too. We're looking at samples for the stonework on the front of the house and even the same stone looks very different depending on how much spacing and grout is used...it can be the difference between something that looks great and something that looks awful.
The biggest challenge will be in controlling costs. The house is already 50% more than hubby thought, though about where I thought it would be. But each choice we make seems to add more, not less. I have a feeling we'll be double the cost of the first estimate before we're done.
As a bud of mine who has built several houses for his family over the years told me, we've got a really nice size hole now to pour lots of cash into! Yikes!
4159. arkymalarky - 4/20/2008 10:24:01 AM
Haha! Yep, that's about right. We spent about twice what we originally planned, but we have about that much more house than we had planned, as well. I spent the least on the floors, because I knew they weren't for the lifetime of the house, I have to have very short-pile, tight-weave carpet which was cheaper anyway for the carpeted parts of the house, and we were at the end and money was short. One other thing I didn't spend much money on that lots of people I know did was cabinets and countertops. I tried to make sure that if I really wanted it and knew I couldn't get it later (like enlarging the windows considerably from the floor plan, adding a balcony and french doors on both floors, widening the wrap-around porch two or three feet beyond the plans, etc) that it got done. Something else I did that I'm happy about (we got lots of good advice on little things that we never would have thought of on our own) was widening my living room window sills so that they're actually shelves.
4160. arkymalarky - 4/20/2008 10:35:07 AM
IOW, we were on a tight budget of borrowed money, so where we had to cut money, we cut it on things we could change later. After 11 years, the floors are the thing I want to change first, and I'm thinking about cork with very washable area rugs for our bedroom.
4161. thoughtful - 4/21/2008 6:41:00 AM
That's good thinking arky. It is very difficult to prioritize, and i think the idea of permanent vs changeable is a good way to do it. On widening the sills, we'll be doing that in the dining room and the window juts out in a box. I want to make that surface stone or something water proof as I'm sure it'll be a great place for my orchids. We are also running the kitchen counter top deeper into the kitchen window area which also juts out so that the counter top becomes the sill. I'll be using that area for herbs in small pots so I have a year-round supply.
We met with architect on windows on saturday and we've agreed with him on the style...which unfortunately is the most expensive option. Naturally.
Well, it's only money...
4162. judithathome - 4/21/2008 7:57:14 AM
Anybody want a rock?
My son! If there were a way he could get up there and haul that thing back, he'd take it in a heartbeat.
He has a rock garden in the backyard and one near the curb next to his driveway...last week before his surgery, he chiseled his last name on a big chuck of sandstone that he'd hauled from the Big Bend area...luckily, he has a five letter last name...everyone thought it was rather morbid, especially after he started calling it his tombstone...ha!
4163. thoughtful - 4/21/2008 9:43:30 AM
J@h...he can have it...for free! All he has to do is come and get it! I wonder what the shipping charges are on 10 tons...
:-)
So glad he's doing well.
4164. robertjayb - 4/21/2008 11:40:23 AM
Hummingbird sighting yesterday, about a week later than usual. But they returned today with a party for lunch.
4165. thoughtful - 4/21/2008 12:09:29 PM
Hummingbird don't fly away, fly away, do do do do...
4166. arkymalarky - 4/21/2008 3:31:59 PM
I think I saw our first hummingbird a couple of weeks ago. We need to put up feeders. Things have been blooming around here better than I remember them blooming for years.
4167. arkymalarky - 4/21/2008 3:34:12 PM
We are also running the kitchen counter top deeper into the kitchen window area which also juts out so that the counter top becomes the sill.
That sounds really neat.
4168. magoseph - 4/22/2008 1:12:40 PM
The robins are here, the robins are here!
4169. thoughtful - 4/26/2008 6:01:19 AM
What do you do when you hit ledge?
4170. thoughtful - 4/26/2008 6:02:35 AM
You get out the big hammer!
4171. thoughtful - 4/26/2008 6:03:26 AM
4172. thoughtful - 4/26/2008 6:04:08 AM
Note the mountain of material these machines are sitting on...they've had to extend the silt fence all the way to the barn. Yow!
4173. wonkers2 - 4/26/2008 6:11:00 AM
Moving dirt and rocks around ain't cheap.
4174. thoughtful - 4/27/2008 8:18:07 AM
Ain't nothin' cheap about this house, wonks! Just as my wallet!
How big a mess can we make???
4175. thoughtful - 4/27/2008 8:19:51 AM
Here's thoughtful on the machine...
4176. thoughtful - 4/27/2008 8:21:46 AM
Here's hubby with just some of the mountain
4177. thoughtful - 4/27/2008 8:25:00 AM
So we're over there practicing onanism...spreading the no-mow grass seed around the pond in the hopes that some of it will take, and the next thing we know, a whole passel of vehicles pull up...ken, joe and 2 trucks with wood planks and portugese guys...they're framing for the footings already!! Wahoo!
4178. thoughtful - 4/27/2008 8:27:21 AM
Oops..that was supposed to be "Just ask my wallet!"
4179. judithathome - 5/3/2008 1:12:26 PM
Thoughtful, read this article...it's really interesting and worth the price (free) of subscribing if you can't get into the site. If this link takes you to the home page, go to "Most Emailed Articles" and click on "Home Green Home". I was very impressed!
Home Green Home
4180. thoughtful - 5/5/2008 11:35:18 AM
Very interesting...thanks Juds!
4181. thoughtful - 5/6/2008 7:30:28 AM
Met with architect this am and got a color scheme for the house...it is wonderful. The front will be part stone in beiges and taupes so we're going with a taupe colored siding a dark brown roof and an off white trim. Garage and front doors will be left a natural wood tone. It's just what I wanted...very classic traditional colors that will be appropriate forever. At first he started adding some spring green trim. Ack! Too trendy. This is warm, cozy and inviting...just what I wanted the house to be.
He spent a lot of time coloring it and then had color copies made, but the color rendition of the copies is too dark. Any one have any suggestions on how to get better color rendition?
4182. judithathome - 5/6/2008 10:06:22 AM
No, but I'm certain it's lovely and sounds like it will look good with the surrounding property.
I think the only "spring green" you need with this house is that which Mother Nature will provide....in the spring.
4183. thoughtful - 5/8/2008 6:48:51 AM
Footings are framed.
4184. thoughtful - 5/8/2008 6:49:29 AM
Concrete truck arrives
4185. thoughtful - 5/8/2008 6:50:00 AM
Concrete is poured...literally.
4186. thoughtful - 5/8/2008 6:50:59 AM
via a boom truck....a big boom!
4187. thoughtful - 5/8/2008 6:52:27 AM
Foundation walls are framed and filled with concrete the same way.
Now we wait for the concrete to dry.
4188. jexster - 5/9/2008 9:54:46 AM
Anyone see the Capital One credit card commercial? The design your own featuring a Darth Vader like character.
I howl everytime I hear
"And I want a picture of kittens!
WAR KITTENS??"
4189. Ulgine Barrows - 5/9/2008 11:58:46 PM
jexster, I abhor guns, but that's a funny picture.
4190. wonkers2 - 5/10/2008 7:51:58 AM
Good to see you back, Ulgine.
4191. judithathome - 5/10/2008 12:29:25 PM
Ditto!
4192. thoughtful - 5/13/2008 6:00:51 PM
The foundation is in:
Such a lot of concrete!
4193. thoughtful - 5/13/2008 6:02:02 PM
Hubby in his study...or at least where it will be when we get the first floor built.
4194. thoughtful - 5/13/2008 6:21:52 PM
Thoughtful sitting in the breakfast nook...or actually in the windows in the guest room...the breakfast nook will be there once the first floor gets built.
4195. thoughtful - 5/13/2008 6:24:00 PM
Waterproofing the foundation. Just like with a baby, nothing like a dry bottom!
4196. arkymalarky - 5/13/2008 7:41:08 PM
Wow, that looks massive.
4197. thoughtful - 5/14/2008 7:05:29 AM
Yeah, I guess that's what happens when you build a ranch style house in the northeast... a lot of basement and a deep one as it has to go 4' below ground level to get below the frost line.
The house is not that big though, at least for this area. It'll be 2100 sq ft on the main floor which is small compared to the 5,000 and 6,000 sq ft monstrosities they build in town. The town itself has a 1500 sq ft minimum so it's not that much over.
4198. thoughtful - 5/14/2008 7:06:28 AM
I just love the picture of the war kitten.
I showed it to hubby and suggested we make sure we keep our guns away from Cas...don't want to give him any ideas!
Your tuna or your life!
4199. judithathome - 5/14/2008 7:18:22 AM
Harley is in that kitty's army, for sure. But she has had advanced training in paw-to-ankle warfare.
Thoughtful, you're as lovely as I always thought you were...strangely, you look a lot like someone I've seen before. ;-)
4200. thoughtful - 5/14/2008 8:11:34 AM
You mean that blank expression on my face?
Next time, I'll be sure to smile!
4201. arkymalarky - 5/14/2008 8:34:28 AM
Haha!
That's the size of my house, which is more than.enough when it's time to clean. We have a two-story, which looked tiny when it was just the foundation. No basement--they're rare here due to moisture. I wish we had one or a storm/root cellar.
4202. thoughtful - 5/14/2008 9:02:30 AM
Yeah, especially this year! You sure it's not all the politicians running around causing all that wind???
4203. alistairconnor - 5/14/2008 10:14:10 AM
Not wishing to anthropomorphise excessively, but our dear delinquent cat Cookie committed suicide today.
Jumped out of the window, 6th floor.
He's been messing with open windows ever since it's been warm enough to open them. Obviously had no idea of the danger, and a strong instinct to run outside and play. So unfair for a young cat, condemned to apartment life.
There will be much grief this evening. And some sort of burial ceremony, I suspect. I think we'll have to smuggle him into the park and do a clandestine internment.
4204. thoughtful - 5/14/2008 11:35:18 AM
Oh that's so sad. I'm sorry to hear that.
It is not uncommon though.
Apparently cats falling from higher heights are less likely to die from the fall.
See High Rise Syndrome
4205. judithathome - 5/14/2008 9:07:43 PM
So sorry, Alistair.
4206. jexster - 5/15/2008 12:58:14 PM
Meet your match
ASPCA develops cat personality test
4207. wonkers2 - 5/15/2008 3:45:22 PM
Thoughtful, your basement looks like a good tornado shelter, maybe even a good bomb shelter.
4208. thoughtful - 5/16/2008 6:30:45 AM
Yeah, wonks except for the fact that it's completely open on one side. Clearly though, we'll have a great place to go for when a tornado hits. Fortunately, they're rare in our area. Many years back, tho, we did have an F-4 cut a 40+ mile long, mile wide swath through the middle of massachusetts. Considered one of the deadliest. 94 dead, 1300 injured. Yikes!
4209. thoughtful - 5/19/2008 7:14:20 AM
Phew. We were doing battle with our architect about insulating the basement floor and it looked like we had reached an impasse. So this a.m. I called ownes-corning and found out they do have a product that satisfies him and us. Phew.
Now we can get the house project moving forward again.
Last week they did the waterproofing, insulating and the curtain draining. We're on our way!
4210. jexster - 6/4/2008 10:00:54 AM
Cat Haiku
You never feed me.
Perhaps I'll sleep on your face.
That will show you.
You must scratch me there!
Yes, above my tail! Behold,
elevator butt.
I need a new toy.
Tail of black dog keeps good time.
Pounce! good dog! good dog!
The rule for today.
Touch my tail, I shred your hand.
New rule tomorrow.
In deep sleep hear sound
Cat vomit hairball somewhere.
Will find in morning.
Grace personified
I leap into the window
I meant to do that
Blur of motion, then-
Silence, me, a paper bag
What is so funny?
The mighty hunter
Returns with gifts of plump birds
Your foot just squashed one.
You're always typing
Well, let's see you ignore my
Sitting on your hands.
My small cardboard box
You cannot see me if I
Can just hide my head.
Terrible battle
I fought for hours. Come and see!
What's a "term paper"?
Kitty likes plastic
Confuses for litter box
Don't leave tarp around
Small brave carnivores
Kill pine cones and mosquitoes
Fear vacuum cleaner
Want to trim my claws
Don't even think about it!
My yelps will wake the dead
I want to be close
To you. Can I fit my head
inside your armpit?
Wanna go outside.
Oh, no! Help! I got outside!
Let me back inside!
Oh no! Big One
has been trapped by newspaper.
Cat to the rescue!
Humans are so strange.
Mine lies still in the bed, then screams!
My claws aren't that sharp....
Cats meow out of angst
"Thumbs! If only we had thumbs!
We could break so much"
Litter box not there
You must have moved it again
I'll crap in the sink
The Big Ones snore now
Every room is dark and cold
time for "Cup Hockey"
We're almost equals
I purr to show I love you
Want to smell my butt.
4211. jexster - 6/4/2008 10:05:24 AM
4203...
A friend of a roommate once left his cat with us..kitten really.
Same thing
6th floor. Tried leaping from sill to sill. Really sad
4212. thoughtful - 6/4/2008 11:11:40 AM
Love the cat haiku!
4213. wonkers2 - 6/4/2008 5:58:12 PM
Yeah. Who wrote it?
4214. thoughtful - 6/6/2008 8:24:03 AM
i found it on line...apparently written by various employees at microsoft.
4215. wonkers2 - 6/6/2008 8:43:38 AM
T'ful, how's the house coming? Any recent pics?
4216. thoughtful - 6/6/2008 9:46:35 AM
it's coming...i'll have to upload them, maybe this weekend.
They cut down the 2 dead trees in the front, they backfilled the foundation and are putting in the piping and such needed under the basement floor in case of radon. Hopefully within a week or so the framers should start...at which point it will really start to look like a house!
4217. thoughtful - 6/7/2008 2:49:23 PM
Thoughtful house update...
Water proofing and insulation added to the exterior of the foundation and curtain draining covered with crushed rock added to make sure we have a very dry basement.
4218. thoughtful - 6/7/2008 2:50:30 PM
We're spending a lot of time and money underground. Hubby worked with an architect many years ago who always said, put your money underground. You can always repaint or add shutters, but you're not going to dig the whole house up again.
4219. thoughtful - 6/7/2008 2:53:00 PM
Finally the town trucks show up to remove the two dead maples in front of the house. They were supposed to do it back in Nov before we even started, but better late than never. Certainly better than once the framing was up...lest they dropped a tree on the new house!
4220. thoughtful - 6/7/2008 2:55:07 PM
Those trees were huge. A woman stopped by the place back in the 1960s. She said she was born there and had just turned 100. She said the trees were huge even when she was a little girl.
But everything has a lifespan. I notice a number of very old maples in our neighborhood that have also been taken down recently...looked to be about the same vintage...mostly dead.
4222. thoughtful - 6/7/2008 3:00:57 PM
Once the trees were gone, it was back to backfilling around the foundation. As the entire space under the garage had to be filled back in and as we had an abundance of dirt that came out of the hole, but included an abundance of rock (thanks to the old wisconsin ice sheet!) the solution was to get a rock crusher going to use what we had, but make it smaller and more compactable to fill in the hole and around the foundation.
Quite a scene...one big machine filling the crusher...the other backfilling with the output. The crusher itself is operated remotely, like a kid's toy. A very large kid's toy!
4223. thoughtful - 6/7/2008 3:02:39 PM
Look closely and you'll see Joel, one of the excavators standing by the rock crusher...just to try to get a sense of scale. All such big equipment for such a little house!
4224. thoughtful - 6/7/2008 3:06:06 PM
Nice big garage, just like hubby wanted...big enough to park the excavator in!
Note too that we can finally walk up to the foundation. Starting to look more like a house!
4225. thoughtful - 6/7/2008 3:08:44 PM
Piping gets laid in case of radon. Don't know if we have it and won't until the house is sealed, but if we have it, this is the easiest, fastest way to take care of it.
4226. thoughtful - 6/7/2008 3:11:37 PM
Latest pic from today:
Crushed rock has been added to the foundation floor and the pumped septic to handle the downstairs bath is sitting in the far corner. Curtain draining is complete, rough grading is done. Next step is to pour the basement floor and the framers should be starting soon.
4227. wonkers2 - 6/9/2008 7:57:53 AM
Quite an impressive project! Keep us posted.
4228. arkymalarky - 6/9/2008 10:08:02 AM
The most exciting part of building my house was coming home and finding the first floor frame up. Better than the foundation or the floor, was actually walking around the "walls." Unfortunately it was also the most traumatic part, because I found that 1) the contractor hadn't made the changes in the plan I told him to, and 2) he doubled the per-foot price on me. So Bob and I had a 3 day fight right after that (it was, thankfully, a weekend) over who was going to call the guy and tell him he was fired, then had a desperate scramble against the bank loan clock to find new builders.
You won't have that, though, so all you'll feel is the excitement, and that's the part that still stands out for me twelve years later. It's just too cool the first time you walk through your house.
4229. wonkers2 - 6/9/2008 10:22:43 AM
The interior--wiring, plumbing, etc., is the slow part.
4230. arkymalarky - 6/9/2008 11:36:30 AM
Yep, but the final stuff is the slowest--all the trimwork and stuff. But it's where you do all the fun shopping, too.
4231. thoughtful - 6/9/2008 12:26:42 PM
god willing we have the $$ left by that time to do the fun shopping!
4232. jexster - 6/24/2008 3:07:43 PM
This is a first. Just got chased off the pot by the cat! His kidney's aren't in the best shape so he couldn't wait until I left. I had to explain that I had my bidniss and he his...didn't cut it
4233. jexster - 6/27/2008 8:22:23 PM
Welcome to the Hayes Valley Senior Assisted Kitty Living and Hospice!
Senior assisted living at its finest. Sonny's CRF has taken another southward turn which is bad enough - he can hardly walk - without the separate and apparently unrelated development - urinary incontinence.
Puddles of piddle in the bed.
4234. thoughtful - 6/28/2008 11:38:34 AM
Oh the poor thing, Jex...maybe it's time....
4235. jexster - 6/28/2008 5:12:25 PM
Oh it's time alright. Sonny's taken to the closet and I've been playing phone tag with the vet...went to bed at 12 woke at 2..haven't slept all day...Thanks T'ful...soldiering on
4236. jexster - 6/28/2008 7:14:08 PM
Son of Thunder (Sonny)
October 1988
June 28, 2008
4237. jexster - 6/29/2008 11:39:03 AM
Guess I am going through a second childhood or something but whatever, Julia Child recipies which stand the test of time as my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking will attest - a stained ragged ass mess from my teenage years
Note especially her ratatouille...a bit complex as most of her's are but it is the season and if you've tasted better...
4238. robertjayb - 6/29/2008 11:53:39 AM
Sorry, jexster.
4239. alistairConnor - 6/29/2008 1:16:10 PM
Yep yep the essence of a good ratatouille is to cook everything separately. My mother laughed at me, but couldn't argue with the result.
Son of Thunder, rest in peace. Our old thing will be only 15 this summer, but she's had a tough life, and I don't know how long she will last. I think she had a stroke or something about a year ago, one side of her face is all droopy.
Still a formidable hunter though.
4240. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 6/29/2008 2:43:06 PM
4241. arkymalarky - 6/29/2008 9:57:55 PM
I tried to post a note, Jex, but I was away from home and my connection was down, and it wouldn't go through. Sorry to hear about Sonny.
4242. thoughtful - 6/30/2008 8:08:45 AM
It ain't easy, Jex...my thoughts are with you and Sonny.
4243. jexster - 6/30/2008 10:08:11 AM
Thanks girlz..I was so messed up that when the tech asked if it was ok to insert the catheter I didn't know what he was talking about and when he brought Sonny into the Bereavement Room they have, I thought it hadn't been done yet..They'd cleaned him up brushed out his tail and wrapped him in a pink blanket....too much to take
4244. jexster - 6/30/2008 2:07:23 PM
This is GRAVEYARD humor...
Background - Colma is just south of SF. For a kazillion years SF has prohibited any burials - only so much space for the living.
So people started to be buried in Colma - running joke Welcome to Colma CA pop 500,000 - 5000 are actually living"
Same for pets..They're handling the arrangements
4245. arkymalarky - 6/30/2008 2:34:20 PM
Another benefit of living in the country: I know exactly where all our former pets are buried. Our neighbor had a headstone made for his dog, and the police stopped at his house one time and asked if a baby was buried there. The dog's name was Rosie, so at least they weren't asking for a "Spot" or "Rover," but still--and they were perfectly satisfied when Jim told them no, it was his dog. They didn't ask him to dig it up and prove it or anything.
4246. judithathome - 6/30/2008 4:19:05 PM
We had to have Leslie's 17 year old Siberian Husky put down on Friday....she had suffered from being let out from his backyard and picked up by the pound days later (where we found her) while he was in the rehab hospital.
I called the lady vet who comes to the home and she put Mali down on Friday. Leslie was so relieved that she was finally in no pain that he took it very well.
In fact, I think the dog was holding on for him and that he knew it...he has imporved in his mental attitude since she went to sleep and he feels as though he helped her.
I know for sure she helped him....
4247. judithathome - 6/30/2008 4:20:49 PM
Jexter, so sorry about Sonny...just know and feel better that there is no pain for Sonny now.
4248. arkymalarky - 6/30/2008 5:20:46 PM
Oh man, Judith, that's rough.
4249. jexster - 6/30/2008 5:33:57 PM
Yeah they have a sixth sense don't they Judith! We're gonna take Sonny's ashes to Mount Tam State Park in Mill Valley just across the road from where he was born at some point
Just across the Bridge
4250. jexster - 7/7/2008 7:17:41 PM
Well that was quick. Sonny's remains arrived today and so did Sasha charcoal medium hair kitten about 12 weeks...SPCA makes you go thru an inteview, microchips the cat, gives you DVD on cat care...quite the operation they have..
4251. thoughtful - 7/9/2008 9:46:30 AM
So sorry about all the pet loss...so hard on us 2-legged friends left behind.
That is a fabulous picture, jex. Yowzah!
4252. thoughtful - 7/9/2008 9:47:54 AM
Well after a 3 week delay for no good reason...it was a real communications snafu...we are finally moving ahead on our house project...the basement floor will be poured tomorrow and the framers arrive on Monday. Wahoo!
Next shots I post should include some wood. Yippe!
4253. arkymalarky - 7/9/2008 10:23:53 AM
That will be cool!
4254. alistairConnor - 7/9/2008 2:07:08 PM
Damn, Jex. I was going to send you a kitten by express (Fedex or DHL?) We've still got four running around the barn, completely feral, untouchable. The fifth one, we kidnapped (the girlfriend's son got him with a real old Tom and Jerry trick: box, stick, and string trap) to replace the suicidal adolescent that jumped from the 6th floor window.
4255. jexster - 7/9/2008 7:27:39 PM
Yeah did I tell you that happened to me..6th floor window, roommate was keeping kitten for vacationing friend. Boy was I pissed..poor thing
We're getting along great, except she thinks I am a kitty condo...keeps leaping on my back..full claw
4256. wabbit - 7/10/2008 7:42:22 AM
Jexster, I am so sorry to hear about Sonny, but I bet he had a great life with you. I'm very happy to hear about Sasha - not the full-claw thing, just happy that you have another kitteh.
4257. thoughtful - 7/12/2008 12:12:22 PM
Question for Moties: Hubby and I are arguing about what sink to get in the kitchen...he wants a double bowl so he can wash on one side and put the dish rack in the other to dry dishes. I would prefer a large single bowl sink. My thinking is you can always use a dishpan to make the single into a 'double' but you have access to the large sink when you need it.
What do you think?
4258. arkymalarky - 7/12/2008 12:46:02 PM
I have a double, but another thing about a double besides the wash/dry is that two people can be doing different things in different sinks at the same time--like if you're cutting veggies over the side with the garbage disposal. It just seems easier for two people to function in the kitchen with a double sink. But I must say honestly that Bob and I don't do a lot in the kitchen, individually or together. We need a dual microwave. ;-)
4259. arkymalarky - 7/12/2008 12:48:32 PM
One thing I did in the kitchen that Bob thought was silly--he didn't like the way it looked--was the goose-necked faucet. His good friend up the road corrected him on why that was a good idea.
4260. thoughtful - 7/13/2008 7:40:36 AM
OK, thanks. A lot seems to depend on how much and what kind of cooking you do. The double sink works great for mom, but she's by herself so doesn't have to cope with roasting pans and cookie sheets and such. I go crazy tho trying to clean the refrigerator guts without soaking the entire sink area.
4261. judithathome - 7/13/2008 8:39:12 AM
Maybe you could find one of those that has a large one on one side and a smaller, higher one on the other.
4262. judithathome - 7/13/2008 8:40:22 AM
Have the garbage disposal, if you get one (we didn't) installed under the higher one and it would save more cabinet space below, too.
4263. arkymalarky - 7/13/2008 10:56:46 AM
I love those porcelain sinks with the drain built in.
4264. wonkers2 - 7/13/2008 12:22:00 PM
We just put in a new kitchen with a double porcelain sink and a fancy faucet and liquid hand soap squirter. The left side (larger) measures 19x18.5 x 9 inches deep. The right side measures 16.5 x 11 x 7.75 inches. We like it. It's stamped on the bottom ALLIA, LIMOGES, FRANCE.
4265. judithathome - 7/13/2008 9:06:16 PM
Ooooo-la-la!
4266. thoughtful - 7/14/2008 10:57:17 AM
Wow Wonks!
We don't have a garbage disposal...we're on septic.
I thought we had a solution...large single sink with built-in drain board. But now I find to get that we need a 48" base and to keep the sink under the window it would mean we lose the lazy susan in the corner.
:(
The smaller sink with drainboard doesn't make sense. Most frustrating. I can see I'll just have to go into sink design like I have to go into appliance design to get what i want!
Ah the trials and tribulations of being a control freak...
4267. arkymalarky - 7/14/2008 11:08:15 AM
Is there any way to have two sinks in the kitchen in separate locations? Are you going to have an island in the kitchen?
We have a garbege disposal, but Bob put in a small septic--very small--just for it. I don't think it was worth it, frankly, but it was something he insisted on. It needs work to be very functional now, and we need to work it so that it can be used for compost.
4268. jexster - 7/14/2008 11:28:11 AM
Thanks Wabbit.
Got her the same day that Sonny's remains arrived....Completely different personality. This one is a handful!
4269. thoughtful - 7/14/2008 11:53:42 AM
Arky, we are already planning on having a prep sink in the island, so this is really a clean-up sink near the dishwasher where all the dishes and other things will be washed. We also do not have a service sink or washtub or anything in the utility room so this one will have to do all those functions too.
4270. wonkers2 - 7/14/2008 12:05:11 PM
Fitting all the kitchen components into the available space is tricky.
4271. arkymalarky - 7/14/2008 1:02:05 PM
Oh, then it sounds like the bigger the better!
4272. wonkers2 - 7/14/2008 4:41:53 PM
My wife informs me that the Rohl all-porcelain ceramic over-mount sink cost $550 with a discount, about the same as a comparable Kohler sink. However, the fancy Rohl faucet and hand soap reservoir with squirter cost $600. The sink came from Limoges. I don't know where the faucet came from--somewhere in France. So far the faucet works well and we like the sink. The kitchen contractors installed our old garbage disposal in the new sink. They said it was fine and there was no point in replacing it until it wore out.
4273. arkymalarky - 7/14/2008 5:16:22 PM
Thoughtful, are you doing stainless steel sinks? I love porcelain, but I do have some permanent marks on it, and I don't use the kitchen much.
4274. thoughtful - 7/15/2008 10:56:58 AM
SS for sure. I cook all the time and expect that once I retire, I'll cook even more often. I'm looking for durability and low maintenance.
We used to have the old porcelain sink but I found my tummy getting cold against it all the time when washing dishes...I'm much happier with the ss, tho it's not much to look at.
4275. judithathome - 7/15/2008 12:18:54 PM
Wonkers, back in the early 70s, I had a sink with a faucet that came with an automatic soap dispensing thing AND another that held hand lotion! I used this liquid hand lotion called Golden Touch...pure glycerin and very good...I used to carry a bottle of it in my purse in high school, in fact.
I checked on the internet a several years ago to see if that hand lotion was still made and found the company that makes it. I oredered a half dozen bottles...smallest order you could make...and still have some of it left.
4276. arkymalarky - 7/15/2008 1:01:02 PM
If they have a home expo, or whatever they call it, scheduled in your area any time before you start the interior, those are lots of fun to just walk around and see all the latest stuff and get ideas. SS sinks and appliances, and concrete countertops seem to be the big thing now, at least according to HGTV. ;-) Kitchens seem to be shifting in style to real use. My house is a country Victorian and I tried to pick stuff consistent with that and in consideration of the fact I've never used the kitchen much, but I wanted counter space and cabinet space. I still hope to start canning one day, and I already have the stuff and the room to do that, but I don't have a cook's kitchen.
4277. jexster - 7/15/2008 2:29:15 PM
Hello Cruel World
4278. jexster - 7/15/2008 2:30:54 PM
4279. judithathome - 7/16/2008 6:29:25 AM
What a big-eyed cutie, Jex!
4280. thoughtful - 7/16/2008 6:32:04 AM
OMG that first picture looks so much like Cas! Amazing!
When Cas was a wee one, he had those big ears and a spiky tail just like Sasha's. Fortunately, as he grew, so did his tail...it is now a really long tail and completely fluffed out, as is the rest of him.
I'm sure Sasha will be a lovely...
4281. jexster - 7/19/2008 10:06:43 AM
War Kittens!
4282. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 7/19/2008 11:17:19 AM
4283. jexster - 7/19/2008 11:45:42 AM
My nephew calls em Ninja Cats
4284. iiibbb - 7/21/2008 10:36:14 AM
So I got a deal on a table saw several months ago. My wife didn't understand the can of worms she opened on my tool-buying.
Anyhow. We ordered a sofa and needed a new coffee table. There wasn't anything I liked at the store except one that was super-expensive and still not quite right for what we needed. I told P that I didn't want to buy something I thought I could make better. It was a dare.
So I made this.
Scandinavian inspired (working on staining and finishing it now). The top is an elongated amorphous shape that gives us the benefit of a round table without going so far into the room. The sofa is an L-shape so we can align it at any angle and it won't look wrong. I plan on adding a glass shelf below, but I'm still trying to find the right glass bracket.
Gluing up the top was a new trick to me, and the use of pocket screws to hold the frame together was also something new. My best ideas were with the method of attaching the top and frame, and also how to shape the legs and top.
4285. iiibbb - 7/21/2008 10:39:48 AM
Oh.. the other good trick was building the frame... it's wider at one end than the other so I had to make some angled joints... that was tricky. I had to use almost as much wood on jigs as I did the table.
4286. thoughtful - 7/21/2008 11:13:00 AM
Looks nice...what color will you stain it?
4287. iiibbb - 7/21/2008 11:18:41 AM
Light brown with a tint of red in it.
4288. iiibbb - 7/21/2008 11:21:25 AM
A little lighter than the floor. Slightly more red than the floor, although the floor looks like it has red in it in the picture. The floor is really more of a caramel.
4289. alistairConnor - 7/21/2008 2:09:35 PM
Cool table! What's the wood?
I've done a fair amount of bush carpentry and shelving and stuff, but never dared to try furniture. In fact I'm a bit of a klutz, I can't conceive stuff in three dimensions.
4290. iiibbb - 7/21/2008 2:40:41 PM
Thanks.
It's oak. I would've liked to use something glamorous like cherry or maple, but since I don't have much experience I really had to use a wood that is forgiving on the wallet. The wood for this cost about $130 (not including the piece I messed up or the jig lumber).
Klutz factor is somewhat mitigated by investing in proper tools. For instance I splurged on the saw blade (4x the cost of one from Lowes) but it gives a perfect edge and I can glue boards (the top is made of 4" boards glued together) without planing (big time saver).
I made a computer desk a long time ago out of some cabinet plywood, but it wasn't meant to be a presentation piece like this.
This is my first true piece of "real" furniture.
4291. Ms. No - 7/22/2008 12:09:47 AM
Wow! Very nicely done! I really like the lines.
4292. alistairconnor - 7/22/2008 3:38:32 AM
Actually the asymmetrical shape plays tricks with perspective. The table looks like it's sloping to the right. I like it.
4293. arkymalarky - 7/22/2008 9:07:46 AM
Yeah, it creates a lot of visual interest. WHen it's stained it will be even more so. I like the base, too.
4294. iiibbb - 7/22/2008 7:25:26 PM
This is looking straight down. Hopefully you can see how it doesn't matter how you orient it within an L-shaped sofa (i.e. the sofa will be along the left and bottom of the picture).
None of the radii are the same.
4295. iiibbb - 7/22/2008 8:34:23 PM
The secret to making something like this is clamps (lots) and jigs.
4296. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 7/23/2008 10:25:22 PM
For cat lovers . . .
4297. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 7/24/2008 3:58:09 PM
Giggles galore!
4298. thoughtful - 7/25/2008 6:10:26 AM
Time for a house update.
Finally got past the issue with the full insulated basement floor. 
and they laid the rebar on top
Don't ask me what's going on with shutterfly and image size!
4299. thoughtful - 7/25/2008 6:13:16 AM
Then concrete goes on top in a big pour.
Need lots of bodies to accomplish this...they all appreciated the cold 6-pack I brought!
4300. thoughtful - 7/25/2008 6:14:46 AM
Last poured was the lower garage/workshop area so it had the proper slopes in case of spills.
4301. thoughtful - 7/25/2008 6:16:06 AM
Then, not to sound like an x-rated film, but we got WOOD!
4302. thoughtful - 7/25/2008 6:16:56 AM
Lots of wood!
4303. thoughtful - 7/25/2008 6:46:52 AM
This is from the road looking at the front of the house.
The garage on the far left is unframed. The big window is in hubby's study...the stairs are where the front porch will be. The next window is the library and the far window is a bedroom.
4304. thoughtful - 7/25/2008 6:50:35 AM
This is the west side of the house on the barn side.
On the lower level, the large opening is for the jeep garage and work shop...the window is in my craft room. Upstairs are bed and bath windows.
4305. thoughtful - 7/25/2008 6:54:09 AM
From the back side, the full two stories are revealed.
Going across the upper floor is bedroom, dining room, kitchen, breakfast nook and family room. Deck will be off to the right behind the garage....where that concrete wall is.
Lower level is craft room, sliders to the exercise room (outside will be a patio) then guest room. Outside on the right under the deck will be the outdoor shower. YUM!
4306. wonkers2 - 7/25/2008 7:02:42 AM
Looks like a wonderful house on a beautiful site!
4307. thoughtful - 7/25/2008 7:37:42 AM
Thanks wonks.
I get so excited about this. It's amazing to have walked through the house so often in my head and now start to see it in reality. Everyone kept insisting that as the framing goes up and i see the actual rooms I'm going to be changing my mind and wanting to move things around, but so far it's been exactly what i expected. No changes needed.
Now we have to buckle down to go through all the rooms again to get a handle on the electrical and plumbing details. Lighting is especially critical to making rooms look right.
Any of you who are fans of Divine Design with Candice Olson...she redid a room in a basement that was only 12x14 and yet I counted 21 light fixtures in total! No wonder her rooms just sparkle!
4308. arkymalarky - 7/25/2008 10:35:49 AM
WOW!
When you know what you want and you've spent a lot of time planning it, walking through the frameup just reinforces it. To me, that's the most exciting stage of building a house.
Lighting and plumbing are so crucial. And H/AC vents, too. Our electrician is a good friend, and he walked us through every ceiling fan and every switch and light placement, how to divide up breakers, every detail. There are a few things I would change, but they are my fault, because he made the alternatives clear. Nothing that wouldn't be easily changeable, however.
Our H/AC guy asked if we wanted a vent in our closet. It would never have occurred to me, and I didn't, but I could see why he asked. Our carpenters did our plumbing. The best construction workers, beginning with the architect who draws up the plans plans, are those who bring up options you might not have thought of and then defer to what you want unless there's a real structural or functional problem with it.
I didn't want a garage. I told the carpenters to slap me something off the side of the house to park the cars under. They talked to Bob and then they all convinced me that the money a full two-car garage would cost would be well worth it in a lot of ways a carport wouldn't. If they hadn't broached the subject and had kept their opinions to themselves I'd have been disappointed in the result. A friend of ours suggested we add a foot to the planned width of the wraparound porch. That made a huge difference, and it never would have occurred to me to adjust the plans to widen the porch. Our porch isn't a show porch. We use it all the time. We'd feel cramped if we hadn't widened it.
4309. thoughtful - 7/26/2008 7:13:25 AM
Absolutely! That's why I always encourage as many people and as many eyes on the project as possible. You never know what idea someone might suggest that will make a huge impact on how the house works. I do find the whole process to be most exciting.
4310. thoughtful - 7/26/2008 7:15:27 AM
Of course, here in new england, a garage is a necessity and an attached garage totally desirable. Tho I'm amazed at my neighbors many of whom have their garages so packed with stuff that the cars are outside all the time anyway.
4311. wonkers2 - 7/26/2008 7:16:17 AM
Garages aren't needed for cars, as Frank Lloyd pointed out years ago, but they do come in handy for storing lawn mowers, yard tools, etc.
4312. arkymalarky - 7/26/2008 9:40:02 AM
I guess because of all the dust in west Texas everyone had garages, and carports looked really weird to me here in AR when we first moved here, but lots of people had them. We talked about converting our garage to a gameroom--until Bob got a new car. When I got a new car, a gameroom was fine. But it's good by me. We don't need a pool table, and we finally broke down after eleven years and put a tv in the living room. All the time we've lived here we each had our own room with our own tv, but we never watched tv together. Now it seems like that's all we do, but I'm enjoying it.
We've got that big barn and Bob mows with a tractor, so the cars actually stay in the garage. We could actually park them in the barn, but I'm glad not to have to walk out there to the car.
4313. iiibbb - 7/26/2008 10:54:29 AM
Done... well until I get the glass shelf installed.
4314. arkymalarky - 7/26/2008 11:20:49 AM
I love the finish!
4315. judithathome - 7/26/2008 12:41:02 PM
That table is gorgeous...you could always become a furniture designer and maker, 3i3b!! I absolutely LOVE your table!
4316. judithathome - 7/26/2008 12:43:10 PM
Our porch isn't a show porch. We use it all the time. We'd feel cramped if we hadn't widened it.
I'm counting down the hours until I'm sitting on that porch, Arky!
We are SO looking forward to coming there and doing absolutly nothing...just getting away from here and all the hustle and bustle is going to be a godsend this year.
4317. arkymalarky - 7/26/2008 2:34:04 PM
I'm so glad, because we've been looking forward to it, too! Especially since we didn't get to go to CO this year. We talk about it every day.
4318. judithathome - 7/27/2008 2:17:17 PM
Keoni has decided not to bring his clubs so Bob will have to put up with him all day on the day he usually golfs...ha!
Getting so sick from the heat last year and missing half the party gave him pause, that's for sure.
I heard it was supposed to get to 107 today...feels like it already HAS.
4319. arkymalarky - 7/27/2008 5:15:17 PM
The heat is very scary. Bob will be glad to have him around. And you asked if y'all could bring anything? RAIN! We are really getting desperate here.
4320. judithathome - 7/27/2008 9:41:59 PM
Believe me, if WE had any we'd be more than thrilled to share it!
I'm just packing those dresses like I brought last year...they're the coolest pieces of clothing I own and I want to stay as cool as I can. I know they look like sacks but what the hell...all my other clothes are too big now, anyhow...as I was told today by at least three people.
That's nice to hear but distressing to actually have to deal with...ha!
4321. arkymalarky - 7/28/2008 2:06:40 PM
Well, we may have to go shopping in Hot Springs!
4322. iiibbb - 7/30/2008 9:41:12 AM
The lion was in the news Wiz.
4323. iiibbb - 7/30/2008 9:42:09 AM
Well the link didn't work... but it was on the Today show... an interview with those guys today.
4324. arkymalarky - 7/30/2008 6:22:54 PM
That was the coolest!
4325. jexster - 8/1/2008 3:52:16 PM
Mine does this TOO!
Gets all wet, nasty
CAT SUCKS TAIL
4326. thoughtful - 8/3/2008 6:14:51 AM
Give the poor cat a break! For cripes sake, it's not like he has a thumb or anything!
4327. thoughtful - 8/12/2008 2:04:44 PM
Thoughtful house update. Framing is continuing...it's starting to look like a house now!
Two car garageon the left, first window is hubby's study...it will be a larger window with an arch top, though they haven't cut the arch yet. Next is front door then library and then bedroom.
4328. thoughtful - 8/12/2008 2:06:26 PM
Latest shot shows they're adding the dog house dormers over the garage and the living area. These are actually just up in the attic space. Someone may choose to expand up there in the future, but it will be some other family...not us.
4329. thoughtful - 8/12/2008 2:10:43 PM
Rear of the house looks significantly larger, a result of building into the southern facing slope.
The little lady in blue on the left is the thoughtful mother. On the right, behind the garage will be a deck. Area underneath will be filled and a small retaining wall will be there so the ugly wall of concrete will disappear.
Solar panels will be on the upper left portion of the roof.
4330. thoughtful - 8/12/2008 2:12:55 PM
This is the view from the guest room on the lower level. Architect has declared that that is his room and he's never leaving. I told him there will be a desk centered in the nook so he'll be able to have any future designs he makes inspired by nature.
4331. thoughtful - 8/12/2008 2:17:33 PM
The views from upstairs will be similar, though from a slightly higher aspect. Here is the window in the dining room. This too will be higher with an arch top, the arch not yet cut. Note too the beams above. This room will have a barrel vaulted ceiling that matches the line of the window arch. We'll have indirect lighting shining up and I hope to have the ceiling painted by hand to look like a sunset sky. I'll try it first and if I can't do it, I'll hire someone to do it for me.
4332. thoughtful - 8/12/2008 2:20:39 PM
This is the view from my bedroom window. It's in a nook (you can see the outside of it from the back view...left-most window) above which will be an arch and below I'll be placing a chaise which I'll probably never leave. Sigh.
I feel like a kid waiting for xmas...Hurry and finish the house already!
4333. thoughtful - 8/12/2008 2:23:52 PM
The worst part of it is, I look out the window and say ahh what a view...hubby looks out the window and says, I need to do more mowing....those lower limbs need trimming....drives me nuts!
4334. wonkers2 - 8/12/2008 3:35:26 PM
I'm sure a lot of thought went into your house. Nice!
4335. arkymalarky - 8/12/2008 4:15:55 PM
Wow, that's great! Love the views and the water.
4336. judithathome - 8/13/2008 10:34:50 AM
Absolutely stunning! When can we expect to be invited for the weekend?
4337. anomie - 8/20/2008 6:41:04 PM
It's been pretty cool watching your house go up, Thoughtful. May the good progress continue... And what a beautiful site!
4338. arkymalarky - 8/20/2008 7:08:42 PM
I'm anxious to see the details--colors, fixtures, all that fun stuff!
4339. arkymalarky - 8/20/2008 7:09:13 PM
Though, I must add, it is all fun stuff.
4340. thoughtful - 8/21/2008 6:41:12 AM
Thanks, guys. I'm anxious too.
The dining room window in #4331 is set in a bump out and will have a deeper sill...probably about 12". I want to put my orchids there and so want to have a waterproof sill.
So, trying to be green, I dutifully found bioglass which is made from recycled glass. I thought, great...I could maybe even light it from underneath, get a really cool effect. So I went hunting and finally found a place. No they didn't have samples, but would quote me a price.....$8,800! For a window sill!!!
I said, this is made from trash, right???
So now I'm hunting for granite instead, preferably something with blue. Naturally, I found out that blue granite is the most expensive. A guy has come up with a remnant and I'll be sure to be sitting down when I get the price from him. It's called blue pearl. 
I mentioned this to my sec'y who said, can't you just use saucers under the plants like the rest of us???
4341. judithathome - 8/21/2008 7:36:18 AM
Ha!
NO!
One thing that saves money is getting a thinner slab of granite. Saves a lot, and still looks great.
4342. judithathome - 8/21/2008 7:36:44 AM
OR, what about granite tiles?
4343. thoughtful - 8/21/2008 9:08:27 AM
Y, someone else mentioned granite tiles as a less expensive alternative. The other thing I could do is use the same granite as a fireplace surround in the library. Apparently since you're buying the material anyway, making max use of it saves some bucks. So, as we're getting in caesar stone for the kitchen counters, I could maybe get some of that for the dr too.
Or i could cover the area with copper flashing...
Choices, choices.
4344. wabbit - 8/21/2008 10:17:44 AM
Some beautiful counters can be made with concrete or paper.
4345. judithathome - 8/21/2008 10:48:30 AM
Those "green" counter tops made of recycled paper look great...and seem to be the wave of the future. They are waterproof, heat proof, and have a huge choice of "looks". Probably are a little more pricey now but if the decoraters get a whiff of enough of them, they will take off like granite has.
Personally, as a watcher of HGTV, I'm a little sick of all the pushing decoraters have done of the granite this and granite that...in a few years, they will be on to something else.
And no one ever mentions how carful you have to be of granite or marble countertops...one carelessly sliced tomato or lemon done on a countertop with the juice left to stand and presto, you have permanetly etched spots on your expensive countertops. (Speaking from viewing the experience of my friends who did this a few years ago.)
4346. robertjayb - 8/21/2008 1:51:27 PM
Oh! The humanity!
4347. judithathome - 8/21/2008 2:46:00 PM
Well, it may seem hilarious to you but after paying three grand and ruining it right off the bat, they didn't think it was that funny.
4348. robertjayb - 8/21/2008 4:11:59 PM
No, it isn't funny.
4349. arkymalarky - 8/21/2008 5:03:16 PM
I paid that for all the counters and cabinets in my house.I know I would damage counters, so if I spent a lot of money I'd want something that wouldn't be so easily marred.
4350. judithathome - 8/22/2008 8:20:25 AM
Arky, next time you're here, we should go see their house...it's a 50s gem...the walls are mahogany paneled and they have what the Japanese call a spirit screen in the entry...it's made of stone and you walk in the door and have to go either right (to the bedroom wing) or left (to the living room, kitchen, dining area.) The stone wall is about 10 feet tall.
The house is built sort of in a curve around the patio area and the living room looking onto the patio is solid floor-to-ceiling windows.
It's on a pie-slice shaped lot where two two streets converge and they have gorgeous mesquite trees in the front yard.
He has a small studio inside the house (bronze sculptor) and it's really interesting to see his work space.
4351. arkymalarky - 8/22/2008 6:24:26 PM
Oh, that's who it is? Sounds like a lovely place!
4352. thoughtful - 8/25/2008 2:50:16 PM
sounds very nice...very interesting home.
y granite can stain and crack and needs to be sealed...and I've heard of people ruining their granite by sealing the kind that wasn't supposed to be sealed. what a mess.
We're avoiding that, tho not the cost, by going with caesar stone which is a manmade quartz product. Not only does it not need sealing and isn't as porous, but the slab is consistent so there's no need to hand select the stone as with natural stone.
4353. robertjayb - 8/26/2008 4:07:45 PM
Here ya go, jexster:
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Mark your calendar for Sat., October 18, 2008 for our
annual Lutefisk Dinner. We are hoping ALL OUR MEMBERS
will find a time to help either of the day of the dinner,
or some of the preparation work needed. An important aspect
of our dinner is the fellowship starting with the planning
session at the end of August, the potato preparation
for the lefse, the lefse making, the meatball preparation,
the rommegrot preparation, the cranberry making, and
church cleaning, culminating with the dinner on Oct. 18th.
The potato preparation for lefse will begin on Sun.,
August 24th, and the rollers and bakers will begin on
August 25th at 8:00 am. The two “crews” will continue for
the next four Sundays and Mondays after the Labor Day
weekend. If you are able to help with either job please
contact either Ginny Johnson, Janet Castle, or Donna
Dybdahl.
The committee chairs will have their first meeting
the first part of September. Please contact either Patty
Herrling [798-2268] or Linda Watkins [767-3312—
work or 795-4714—home] to tell us how you would
like to help with the dinner. The choices are endless!!
Do you want to help in the kitchen? How about being
a waitress? Serving the food from the kitchen? Cooking
some of the food? Bake goodies for dessert or
prepare to serve? Learn to make rommegrot or cranberries?
This dinner’s proceeds provides us with the majority
of our mission budget for the year. In the past it has
helped fund our LECA mission fund, the youth of our
church, the endowment fund, and some special projects
with our church.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO COME!
Vermont Lutheran Church....Black Earth, Wisconsin
4354. robertjayb - 8/26/2008 4:12:33 PM
No calories here:
NORWEGIAN ROMMEGROT
1 qt. milk
1 c. half & half
1 c. butter
3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
Sugar & cinnamon
Heat milk and half and half; do not scorch; set aside.
In large, heavy pan, melt 1 cup butter and add flour, cook about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour in milk, cook, stirring frequently until mixture bubbles and thickens. Stir in sugar. Pour 1/4 cup melted butter on top. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Serve warm. Makes 1/2 gallon.
NOTE: This may be kept warm and served from a crock pot. Use low heat. Add butter, sugar and cinnamon after mixture is put in crock pot. Rommegrot is traditionally served at Christmas.
4355. magoseph - 8/26/2008 4:42:15 PM
Hi, Robert.
4356. robertjayb - 8/26/2008 5:12:50 PM
'Lo
Do you have lutefisk suppers in your part of the state?
4357. magoseph - 8/31/2008 5:53:42 AM
It is said that about half the Norwegians who immigrated to America came in order to escape the hated lutefisk, and the other half came to spread the gospel of lutefisk's wonderfulness.
- Norwegian-American saying
In Minnesota and Wisconsin, you can find lutefisk in local food stores and even at some restaurants. It is a food that you either love or hate, and, as some people say, "Once a year is probably enough!"
During the fall in Wisconsin, people watch their local newspapers for announcements of lutefisk suppers, which are usually held in Norwegian churches. usually every Norwegian church will host at least one lutefisk supper between October and the end of the year. The dinners have become so popular that lovers of the special dish drive great distances, and these are not just people of Scandinavian descent.
4358. alistairconnor - 9/3/2008 1:42:55 AM
So, Mago : I just saw the Coen bros film, Fargo, the other day. What's that accent that they all have? Are they all of Norwegian stock? (except for the funny-looking guy of course)
4359. thoughtful - 9/3/2008 6:42:06 AM
Windows arrived...hopefully they'll be installed soon...
4360. thoughtful - 9/3/2008 6:42:22 AM
toys!
4361. judithathome - 9/3/2008 8:13:26 AM
Fargo accents are MinneSOtan...via Hollywood.
4362. jexster - 9/4/2008 11:03:49 AM
Dealt with many cats in my day but this one is the weirdest. EVERY time I go into the bathroom she follows to her pan..whether she has to go or not
Last night I had to get her out of the way of straightening up the place so I picked her up ...she caught her image in the mirror did a double take WENT BALLISTIC shredded my arm and flew into hiding
When she came out..she spent 30 minutes stalking the bathroom just to make sure the other cat had departed
4363. magoseph - 9/4/2008 1:44:48 PM
That is very funny--I needed the laugh!
4364. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 9/4/2008 3:44:08 PM
Ahh-- frisky innocence in all its joy and beauty!
4365. concerned - 9/4/2008 4:25:37 PM
Dealt with many cats in my day but this one is the weirdest. EVERY time I go into the bathroom she follows to her pan..whether she has to go or not
Why not try not eating out of her bowl?
4366. Jenerator - 9/4/2008 7:17:01 PM
Thoughtful,
I have really enjoyed watching your home come together.
4367. thoughtful - 9/6/2008 7:37:13 AM
Thanks Jen...I've enjoyed it too.
We're now classifying the monthly checks we're writing by autos...last month it was only a nissan...the month before it was a bmw...next month it's supposed to be really high, but we're hoping for something less than a bentley! Project mgr tells us after that they'll be more like kias. That's the good news...the bad news is they'll be coming more frequently!
Yikes!
4368. Jenerator - 9/6/2008 7:08:38 PM
Having a (small) glass of Basil Hayden's tonight
4369. judithathome - 9/6/2008 7:21:51 PM
Looks great...have one for me, too!
4370. Jenerator - 9/6/2008 7:36:29 PM
:-)
4371. wabbit - 9/7/2008 5:35:20 PM
Hey, AC, that funny looking guy is Steve Buscemi, a very good character actor. One of my favorite movies is Living In Oblivion and stars Buscemi and the equally fab Catherine Keener.
4372. wabbit - 9/7/2008 5:35:42 PM
t'ful, I sure hope you are keeping a diary!
4373. jexster - 9/8/2008 2:07:20 PM
My cat sucks her tail
Goes to the bathroom every time I do
and whenever I take pants off or put on, jumps down my leg to play JackInTheBox or is it "Tigress"?
4374. robertjayb - 9/8/2008 3:21:01 PM
Twisted kitty...
4375. thoughtful - 9/8/2008 3:29:06 PM
Jex, your cat must be related to Cas....he's the weirdest animal we have ever owned. Who ever heard of a cat who couldn't climb trees? I swear, when they were handing out the brains, he was in the fur line.
4376. thoughtful - 9/8/2008 6:46:50 PM
She's looking more like a house all the time. Windows added.
4377. thoughtful - 9/8/2008 6:48:50 PM
and trim boards starting to shape out the eaves. The carcass of the deck is being added
4378. thoughtful - 9/8/2008 6:50:27 PM
and you can see the beams supporting the overhang, so the deck will be half covered, half open. This is looking at the east, garage side of the house. The black hole over the deck will be the doorway to the family room/kitchen area.
4379. thoughtful - 9/8/2008 6:52:29 PM
So for the first time, this weekend, we were able to walk out on the deck and get a sense of the view...to the east...
4380. thoughtful - 9/8/2008 6:53:17 PM
and to the west...
4381. thoughtful - 9/8/2008 6:56:42 PM
Once the walls get finished, it's going to be hard to post interior pics as I don't have a wide angle lens. But for now, here's looking through the powder room wall to the window in hubby's study.
That view is to the north, the streetside of the house...we're most fortunate that there's a pond across the street instead of a house, and the houses are on either side of the pond. So even the view to the north is a nice one.
4382. thoughtful - 9/8/2008 6:58:53 PM
It gets harder to leave that house every time I go. I can't believe I've said it, but I've said it several times now...I think I'm even going to enjoy cleaning the place!
4383. thoughtful - 9/8/2008 7:18:38 PM
This is standing in the dining room looking through to the library in the front. The rooms are separated by a hallway which will be better defined with columns, lighting and floor treatment. Down the hall to the left is the master suite...and on the right is the doorway to the kitchen/family room.
The library will have a fireplace on the left wall and bookcases surrounding it...on the right wall will be a recess for the sofa created by the bookcases surrounding it. The daylight you see on the right is through the doorway to the foyer and the front door/porch on the house.
So when you come in the front door, you'll see the library and fireplace on your right, and the staircase to the lower level will be in front of you. To your left will be hubby's study, the foyer closet, and if you keep walking down an angled hallway, you'll pass the powder room on your left and the utility room is next (washer, dryer, freezer, closets and door to garage). Turn a little more and you'll have the pantry door on your right and the family room dead ahead which is open to the kitchen. Take a right through the kitchen and you're back in the dining room/library area. So the house has good circulation in the public space.
4384. thoughtful - 9/8/2008 7:28:16 PM
These doors are in our current house and we'll be taking them with us when we move. They will be on the end of the hallway separating the master suite from the public space. We've designed the columns between the library/dining room to be spaced such that when the doors are open, which they'll be most of the time, they'll tuck behind the columns and be out of the way. But when we have company or such and want to limit access to our private space, the doors will finish off the hallway nicely.
4385. wonkers2 - 9/8/2008 7:58:01 PM
Nice doors. Beautiful house. I can hardly wait til its finished.
4386. Jenerator - 9/9/2008 7:14:40 AM
Me either!
House warming party at Thoughtful's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4387. thoughtful - 9/9/2008 7:46:40 AM
Thanks guys!
I'm going to be having multiple house warmings as we've been talking about this house for so many years to so many people that none believe it's actually happening. To give you a sense of how long we've been thinking about this, hubby and I bought books on earth-sheltered home design back in the late 70s during the oil shortage and discussing how the site was perfect for an energy efficient solar oriented design.
As part of my work on the green team at the office, I've been video taped for the local green group discussing going green and they've already asked if they can put our house on a house tour to benefit the group. I said sure, but I suggested it would be better to wait until it's actually built!
4388. magoseph - 9/9/2008 7:51:54 AM
What a treat--I was just about to ask for recent pictures. Thank you, thoughtful.
4389. thoughtful - 9/9/2008 8:20:10 AM
You're welcome! Can you tell I LOVE talking about the place???
Wabbit asked if i'm keeping a diary...i'm not...this running gag i'm doing here is as close as it gets. We are taking lots of pics tho and i'm filing them by date on my computer.
Everyone we've talked to says be sure you take pics of where all the pipes and such are underground and in the walls so we'll know where to find them in the future.
I've been starting to pick out plumbing fixtures and i'm most frustrated as i want an antiqued brass look but that look is OUT. Well, actually, it's just starting to come back in. So I came across newport brass fixtures which come in a wide variety of colors, but hubby talked to someone at the gym who said, without his solicitation, that he had 4 of them put in and had trouble with 4 out of the 4. Not good. so I'm still shopping.
4390. thoughtful - 9/9/2008 3:39:54 PM
I think we've settled our sink issue by getting one with a built-in drain board and a larger sink. 
This way i get the larger sink like I like and hubby has a place to put the dish rack like he likes.
4391. jexster - 9/13/2008 7:29:54 PM
4392. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 9/27/2008 9:23:15 PM
4393. iiibbb - 9/27/2008 11:28:37 PM
That cat is playing "Redlight Greenlight". Used to play that a lot as a kid.
4394. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 10/2/2008 10:40:05 AM
4395. Jenerator - 10/5/2008 6:34:40 PM
Anomie,
I shared this over at RI. I shot this of my daughter in our front yard a few minutes ago. She was twirling around in her princess dress and I couldn't resist.
4396. Jenerator - 10/5/2008 6:35:21 PM
PS I choose/chose to not photoshop her birthmark out. It has lightened considerably naturally.
4397. judithathome - 10/5/2008 6:48:48 PM
Jen, as I said over at RI, she is an adorable girl! I showed it to Keoni and neither one of us even noticed the birthmark...I have a dark brown one on the back of my leg and was mortified by it when I was young and when I met Keoni? He never even noticed it.
She is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous!
4398. thoughtful - 10/5/2008 7:28:23 PM
Very sweet.
4399. thoughtful - 10/5/2008 7:42:23 PM
House update
Moisture barrier going up on front gable before masonry goes on...back chimney has stone applied already and masons are getting ready to do the front stone.
Roof is on.
Inside some plumbing, some HVAC, electrician is coming on Monday and central vac outlets are in.
4400. thoughtful - 10/5/2008 7:45:07 PM
Little older shot
Roof is complete except around chimney and brackets for solar panels are now up. Deck flooring is in.
4401. thoughtful - 10/5/2008 7:46:15 PM
Geothermal wells are in and the water well is next. That rotary rig is higher than the house!
4402. thoughtful - 10/5/2008 7:47:31 PM
John the framer showing off his good work on framing for the barrel-vaulted ceiling in the dining room.
4403. thoughtful - 10/5/2008 7:49:31 PM
Copper roof over front porch is in and hopefully still there...with copper scrap prices as high as they are, copper disappears pretty fast in unoccupied buildings. So far, so good.
4404. Jenerator - 10/5/2008 7:55:08 PM
Thank you very much Judith! (And Keoni) :-)
When she was born she had a pretty dark one on her forehead and one on the side of nose. Her pediatrician assured us it would go away, but would likely reappear when she was mad, hot or crying.
It's definitely lighter than before, but it's still there. I had forgotten until I saw the pic.
-------------
I have a small brown one the size of a dime on the back of my right leg.
4405. judithathome - 10/5/2008 8:39:12 PM
Mine is the size of a 50 cent piece on the back of my left leg. (thigh)
(I had to ask Keoni which leg it was on!)
4406. arkymalarky - 10/5/2008 9:36:45 PM
What a doll, Jen!!
Mose had birthmarks when she was little, as well. I don't think she has them now, but I don't know. My niece had a huge one on her upper forehead that they had to remove a few years ago. It was partially under her hair and that part of her hair was brown, then turned white (she's blonde) but the kind of birthmark it was has a chance of becoming cancerous, and when her hair changed there from brown to white the doctor decided it needed to be removed.
4407. arkymalarky - 10/5/2008 9:38:09 PM
Amazing progress on the house, Thoughtful! When are y'all expecting to be finished?
4408. anomie - 10/5/2008 10:14:07 PM
Hey Jen! I didn't notice the birthmark so much either. She's a doll, really. Takes after her mom, I'm sure. And it's a great shot...nice photo.
4409. anomie - 10/5/2008 10:16:16 PM
A grand house indeed, Thoughtful. I don't know much about building, but that curvature in the ceiling ain't cheap I bet. Nice feature though.
4410. Jenerator - 10/6/2008 6:33:00 AM
Thanks thoughtful, Arky and Anomie. Faith is a lot of fun.
----------------------------
That house in pretty incredible t'ful!
4411. thoughtful - 10/6/2008 7:34:19 AM
Thanks, guys.
Not sure when we'll be in. All I know is, it's not soon enough for me.
Problem is all the dependencies.
Roofer can't finish roofing until masons are done with the chimneys and solar panels can't go up until roofing is done....that kind of stuff.
Also still waiting for doors. Can't put a lot of valuables into the house until the doors are on and we can protect the place from the 2-legged vermin....
We're just delighted with our back deck. One of our many architects told us that the southeast corner is the best place to put a deck or porch as it is protected from the northwest winds and captures the morning sun. We were there for a meeting the other day and though it was only in the 40s, the deck was sunny and very comfortable. I have a feeling we'll be spending a lot of time there.
4412. wonkers2 - 10/6/2008 9:15:51 AM
Not my style architecture, but it sure looks like high quality construction, thoughtful! It will be a beautiful and functional home.
4413. thoughtful - 10/6/2008 12:25:28 PM
what style is your style, wonks?
4414. wonkers2 - 10/6/2008 2:54:50 PM
I'm a fan of modern architecture--Frank Lloyd Wright and California modern houses, if that's the correct term. Unfortunately we've never had the opportunity to build our dream house. We've lived for the past 37 years in a brick, center entrance colonial. Comfortable but not much pizazz.
We came close to having Alden Dow design a house for us. But the price was a bit out of reach. Don't get me wrong. I admire your house. All the planning and deliberations you put into it are clearly paying off!
4415. thoughtful - 10/6/2008 4:19:45 PM
No, no....nothing personal about people's taste. I was just curious. My problem is my taste is very eclectic and there are elements of design that I like from almost all styles, but as soon as it gets too one thing, I tend to get turned off. I find some beautiful victorian style wall papers or drapery treatments or a turret, but put them all together and the darkness becomes a turnoff and the gingerbread trim becomes too much. I love some shapes associated with art deco, but put it all together and it overwhelms me. There are some nice things about modern architecture, but too much and it leaves me cold.
So our house design was constrained by what the architect could design given my inflexibility on the floor plan, our desire for capturing the sun and the view, as well as the fact that we are limited to the new england landscape and are building between a 200 yr old barn and an outhouse. So something very mediterranean or very modern would look out of place. So it has some elements from europe, shingle style, tudor, cape cod, and i suppose even some adirondak, though without the stag horns.
My criteria on the house was 1) it should not say "Look at me how wonderful I am" 2) it should be warm and welcoming 3) it should invoke the response, that's an interesting house...I wonder what it looks like on the inside.
I'm hoping that, by the time it's done, we'll have achieved all of those.
4416. Jenerator - 10/6/2008 4:28:46 PM
1) it should not say "Look at me how wonderful I am"
Sorry, but it does that! It's not ostentatious, but it's a pretty impressive home.
4417. Jenerator - 10/6/2008 4:28:59 PM
1) it should not say "Look at me how wonderful I am"
Sorry, but it does that! It's not ostentatious, but it's a pretty impressive home.
4418. Jenerator - 10/6/2008 4:29:09 PM
Drat
4419. Jenerator - 10/6/2008 4:29:21 PM
fix my link
4420. Jenerator - 10/6/2008 4:29:32 PM
Now?
4421. Jenerator - 10/6/2008 4:30:05 PM
I had the at the front, and then the at the back - so why is it not working
4422. Jenerator - 10/6/2008 4:30:46 PM
Alright. So, how do I fix the tag?
I used [i] and [/i]
4423. Jenerator - 10/6/2008 4:31:04 PM
But with these < and >
4424. arkymalarky - 10/6/2008 4:31:09 PM
Hello?
4425. thoughtful - 10/6/2008 4:50:10 PM
Thanks, I think, jen.
We were not going for prideful...there are way too many mcmansions in our area that are very prideful houses, meant to aggrandize their owners. That's not where we wanted to go.
I sure hope we didn't.
I don't think we have because a funny thing happens whenever we're there...people stop by...neighbors, friends...seems to be very friendly and attractive, which is good. Of course it could just be that they're nosy while the building project is going on, but i hope not.
4426. Jenerator - 10/6/2008 7:48:56 PM
This one was from tonight. She loves her new bike!
4427. anomie - 10/6/2008 8:58:14 PM
Killer shot, Jen! Nice afternoon light. Just beautiful. And she knows she's cool. Ha!
4428. anomie - 10/6/2008 9:10:20 PM
http://jaronbrown.net/home.aspx
My son-in-law specializes in child photography. See above link.
4429. anomie - 10/6/2008 9:12:58 PM
4430. anomie - 10/6/2008 9:13:34 PM
That was from the site above...
4431. Jenerator - 10/6/2008 9:25:57 PM
Thank you so much Anomie. Faith makes me smile everytime I look at her.
---------
I love this one from your friend's site:
She has a lovely face and this captures it, IMO.
4432. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 10/6/2008 9:38:47 PM
Utterly charming!
4433. jexster - 10/9/2008 2:59:02 PM
4434. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 10/11/2008 2:41:54 PM
Intense cat!
4435. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 10/11/2008 2:42:27 PM
This is sweet . . .
4436. jexster - 10/13/2008 2:46:00 PM
Chevron's coming to town 11/14-17 with their OBSCENE profits and I'm gonna lighten America's burden with a weekend in Sonoma Wine Country including but not limited to and not counting wineries...
4437. wonkers2 - 10/20/2008 9:40:51 AM
The Scariest Halloween Decorations
4438. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 11/3/2008 12:03:19 AM
4439. jexster - 11/15/2008 5:33:14 PM
more animals
4440. jexster - 11/15/2008 5:49:31 PM
more animals
4441. jexster - 11/15/2008 6:25:07 PM
more animals
4442. wabbit - 11/19/2008 7:35:50 PM
Ah, jexster, I see you are also a fan of I Can Has Cheezburger?!!
If you must have a Roomba, you may as well have one that is color-coordinated with your cat.
4443. arkymalarky - 11/23/2008 1:42:43 PM
I never do home shopping, but Mose lost her Magic Bullet in transit and has been wanting another, so I saw an infomercial on SRI and ordered "two for the price of one" because it's the only place I'd saeen one and that was the deal. I thought I's NEVER get off the phone and of course S&H was the big catch in that deal.
But I caught another infomercial this morning on the H2O mop and I want one. Anyone know anything about them? I didn't call, but if I could buy one in a store and knew it worked, I'd love to get one.
4444. judithathome - 11/23/2008 4:22:21 PM
Check out these reviews on the H20 mop and think about buying a cat, instead.
4445. arkymalarky - 11/23/2008 4:37:15 PM
Thanks Judith! Allergic to cats, so I'll have to keep looking for the one perfect cleaning tool--so it can sit in the pantry unused and I can throw the other unused ones away.
4446. arkymalarky - 11/23/2008 5:02:37 PM
Love that link! Won't get the mop, but glad I got the Magic Bullet after reading comments. I paid a total including shipping of $140 for two, with the blender and juicer and glasses.
4447. judithathome - 11/23/2008 5:14:24 PM
I have no idea what a Magic Bullet is but we bought a VitaMix several years ago and use it every single day...it can turn entire apples into juice in seconds (peel, seeds, and all) and even grind grain into flour.
We paid $300 for it and Keoni swore we'd regret it but guess who uses it daily for smoothies?
4448. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 11/23/2008 5:35:05 PM
That cat is hysterical--thanks wabb, it made my day!
4449. wabbit - 11/23/2008 7:53:30 PM
Isn't that sweet? I rehabbed a deaf kitten years ago that loved riding on the front of an upright vacuum cleaner. She was such a cutie.
We lost two cats to coyotes this year. One was my very special kitteh Sophia. I still look behind the stone wall and expect to see her stalking the small fur creatures.
The remaining three cats all go outside, but two don't go more than about ten feet from the house. They'll walk all around the perimeter of the house on their own, but they'll only venture farther away when I'm out walking with them. The third was a street cat and has more courage about wandering a bit further afield.
4450. wabbit - 11/23/2008 7:54:37 PM
Arky, my sister swears by her Magic Bullet. I bought one for my niece, who swears by it. It's the perfect size for two people.
4451. arkymalarky - 11/23/2008 8:12:54 PM
Mose loved hers and lost it last time she moved, so I was tickled to be able to get two.
It's so hard to protect cats, especially if there are wild animals around. We're going to lose Hobo to a car. He chases them and I don't know how to stop him short of a shock collar, and that's still iffy. We can't get an invisible fence and Bob hates to pen him up.
4452. wabbit - 11/23/2008 8:41:35 PM
We have five acres with conservation property on two sides. There is a pond behind us. We have a few deer and turkeys, and it's perfect territory for coyotes. This past summer I managed to get a few seconds of video of one who was under the deck on the back of house. I figure he was after the hen. By the time I started the camera, he had seen me and moved down the yard, but never went behind the stone wall, which is where I think he grabbed the two cats.
 |  |
4453. arkymalarky - 11/23/2008 8:56:28 PM
Wow. Neat shot. The dogs keep them at bay here, so to speak, but they howl right at the edges of the yard, especially on cold moonlit nights. Mose hated it, but Bob and I love it.
4454. thoughtful - 11/24/2008 9:09:36 AM
house update:
Progress is so slow now, and the siding isn't all on yet and winter is setting in...most frustrating. Still the outlines of what is to be are becoming clearer. Stonework is going up on the front of the house. Solar panels are installed and generating power as we speak...only thing is, the power still has no place to go. Electrician working on hooking us up to the grid this week, hopefully.
4455. thoughtful - 11/24/2008 9:12:28 AM
I'm most pleased with these garage doors for the jeep garage. Yup boys and girls, this is a regular lift type garage door, only it looks like french doors with frosted glass...how cool is that. Architect fought me tooth and nail on these, but I insisted. He has since given me kudos for my choice.
4456. thoughtful - 11/24/2008 9:23:22 AM
We've seen coyote at our new house, heard them howling in the middle of the night at our current house and even seen them wandering across the drive at work. With so many turkey around, they're bound to follow. While I'm not happy that they go after pets, I sure hope they can help keep the squirrel population down...so many of the freakin' things!
4457. judithathome - 11/24/2008 9:24:52 AM
Those look superb! We are needing a new garage door...ours is bent at the top and I feel every opening will be last.
Right now, my garage door looks like the ones I drive past and make fun of!
4458. thoughtful - 11/24/2008 9:33:54 AM
I found them many years ago when christopher lowell featured the lady who invented them on one of his shows...called french porte. The windows are a durable acrylic, not glass so they're fairly secure, though not overly energy efficient. But they do let a lot of light into the garage which is nice.
4459. wonkers2 - 11/24/2008 10:24:01 AM
You'r gettin' there. Nice!
4460. jexster - 11/24/2008 5:03:19 PM
Sasha does same..have all but given up on printing
4461. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 11/24/2008 5:17:31 PM
Loved it!
4462. magoseph - 11/25/2008 11:47:14 AM
What do you have behind the dormer windows, thoughtful?
4463. thoughtful - 11/25/2008 11:52:44 AM
Hi Mags, nothing
the entire upstairs is attic space...lots and lots of attic.
We wanted one floor living so everything we need is on the main floor....the finished basement below is just for fun: music nook, exercise room, craft room, jeep garage and workshop, and guest suite. We were going to have a media room too, but i think that room will have to wait for the funds to be replenished. Hubby says it'll be used for storage in the meantime.
4464. thoughtful - 11/25/2008 11:54:05 AM
On the backside of the house, you'll see a space left in the solar panels and a black dot there...and another on the right side of the solar panels. Those are solatubes to light the dressing room and the utility room with sunlight as they are both interior spaces.
4465. thoughtful - 11/25/2008 1:27:01 PM
Velux Solar tube
4466. magoseph - 11/25/2008 7:34:11 PM
Those are solatubes to light the dressing room and the utility room with sunlight as they are both interior spaces.
That's pretty wild--so you'll see how you'll look like outside once dressed up to go? Is there a door between your bathroom and the dressing room?
4467. jexster - 11/25/2008 7:39:27 PM
Looks like Sarah and Todd's AK love nest
4468. jexster - 11/25/2008 7:41:00 PM
4469. thoughtful - 11/26/2008 8:31:46 AM
Mags, yes there is a door between the dressing room and the bathroom. The dressing room is like an anteroom to the master suite...it will have an ironing board in the wall, a large closet and in the corner I'll have a 3-way full length mirror for getting dressed. The space is designed such that, in the future, should we need to install an elevator to get to the lower level, we will be able to do so. But at this point, we're opting to save the $$ and use the space instead.
And yes we should get good light there. Though I've also insisted with the electrician/lighting designer that I have true daylight fluorescent lights in the walk-in closet as well. I said I want to be able to tell navy from black without having to run around the house looking for some sunshine.
4470. thoughtful - 11/26/2008 8:34:25 AM
Most frustrated this a.m. The electrician called to say he's done for now awaiting the building inspector who will be there on monday, and then we have to wait for the utility to come and inspect and approve before they'll sign off on the solar and geothermal systems. His guess is it will take them 2-3 weeks. Most frustrating as with holidays, it really cuts it close...we need to get sign-off before year end to get full benefit of the subsidies on both systems. Big $$$$ hanging in the balance.
4471. judithathome - 11/26/2008 9:37:50 AM
I said I want to be able to tell navy from black without having to run around the house looking for some sunshine.
Our house is utter death for this purpose...Keoni constantly has to take his ties and slacks to the front porch(!) to see if his slacks are grey, taupe, beige, or this weird pale beige-y green...then the ties have to be examined to see if they match the slacks, socks, and shirt.
This might not be a problem if he only had 4 changes of outfits but he has over 50 ties and god only knows how many dress shirts and slacks.
He is very GQ...best dressed in his company and certainly in our social circles.
Our house has lots of windows but is situated so that nothing looks like a "true" color...many's the day he's gotten decked out without checking only to come stomping in from the truck to change slacks or a tie...I thought about setting up a "Garanimals" system for him at one time but he has FAR too many things to do that.
I don't have any navy stuff so only occasionally do I have to check out if my black colored stuff matches...you know how there are different tones of black? That drives me nuts...or used to. I finally saw Sharon Stone wearing a different black top from the skirt she had on and thought if SHE can do it, so can I!
4472. thoughtful - 11/26/2008 10:00:47 AM
Well there are a couple of things you might want to try.
One would be to get a compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb with true daylight colors... they have a higher Kelvin rating and are supposed to be as white as true daylight. We actually have one of those bulbs in our reading lamp in the living room and it's amazing how much easier it is to read the paper with our old eyes using that light.
When investigating energy star lighting, we learned a lot from this place that's sponsored by the utilities to save energy. He showed us this Kelvin chart which we found very helpful in understanding the 'temperature' of various light bulbs which is especially important when buying CFLs.
So changing the bulb in the closet or somewhere nearby could be of help.
You could also just get a laundry marker and mark a G for gray and B for black on the labels on just the trousers anyway that will take some of the guesswork out of the process. I've done this for hubby who has red/green color blindness and often mistakes green for beige for some reason. He never could tell the difference between his white shirt and his pale pink one. Of course I still always have to pick his ties for him and I think he has as many as Keoni does. Only thing is, since he's retired, he rarely wears them any more.
4473. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 11/27/2008 6:07:41 PM
For jex & David . . .
4474. judithathome - 11/27/2008 8:54:41 PM
Ahhh...how sweet. A Cranberry Cannon.
;-)
4475. thoughtful - 12/5/2008 5:07:46 PM
One of our hunters was kind enough to bring me a venison tenderloin....free range, all organic, deer led a fulfilled life until that sudden stop at the end.
"another one bites the dust. Yeah!"
I'm open to recipe suggestions...
4476. wonkers2 - 12/5/2008 5:37:00 PM
Venison is delicious. Sorry,I don't have a recipe. Haven't had any in ages. How far is your house from Detroit? Could we make in time for dinner tonight? or tomorrow? :-)
4477. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/5/2008 6:10:38 PM
Last March, a registered letter showed up at my local gallery, addressed to me. My art dealer happened to be in Florida at the time, dealing with an ill parent. A gallery employee signed for the letter and it remained in a pile of unopened mail near his desk.
When my dealer, Kevin, returned, he inadvertently opened the letter, thinking it was for him. When a bunch of photos fell out of the envelope and he realized the photos were of people he didn't recognize, he then looked inside the envelope for something that would explain who the people are--he didn't find one. Kevin looked at the addressee again, realized his mistake, and called me.
He explained what had happened and then tried to describe the people in the photos. I asked him to look inside the envelope again, which he did. With more care this time, he discovered a two-page handwritten letter that had clung to the inside of the manila envelope. I asked him to read it aloud to me.
Kevin began reading and then abruptly stopped--but obviously continued reading to himself. When I asked him why he stopped he said, "I don't know if you would want me to continue with this because it's kind of a bombshell!"
"Well," I said, I don't have anything to hide, go ahead!"
This is the letter he read to me.
4478. arkymalarky - 12/5/2008 6:33:45 PM
Bob doesn't hunt, but a friend got a deer shoulder and made a good stew with it. I've had it fried, smoked, as bbq, as chili, and most has been good except one dry, gamy-tasting deer steak.
4479. arkymalarky - 12/5/2008 6:41:29 PM
Woah, Wiz. That's amazing. How do you feel about it? Have you done anything yet? It's a lovely family and the little girl is a doll.
I had to read it on Bob's Iphone.
4480. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/5/2008 8:39:28 PM
It's an amazing story, arky. I called her twenty minutes after finding out she existed and I left a message on her cell. (She later told me that she listened to my message maybe fifty times before she called me back.) Because her letter sat unattended on Kevin's desk for two weeks, Kim thought I was reticent to respond.
All I could do, when I found out, was laugh--a laugh that came out of a feeling that the Universe played an ironic fate-based joke upon me. Not only did I think my genes would never make it into the next millennium, but here I was finding out, in one extraordinary moment, that I was the father of twins and a grandfather to boot.
4481. wonkers2 - 12/5/2008 9:45:21 PM
Wow! That's great news, Wiz. Beautiful daughter, granddaughter and son-in-law. I can imagine a little of how you feel after, at my advanced age, the way I felt upon seeing my first grandchild at age two months over Thanksgiving. I assume you will get together with them as soon as practical.
4482. wonkers2 - 12/5/2008 9:47:01 PM
Aside from the above. From the looks of the letter she clearly is on the ball and has her act together. Her beautiful handwriting belies her claim not to have inherited your artistic talent.
4483. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/6/2008 12:24:54 AM
The male in that picture is her twin brother, Tim--not my son-in-law, wonk. Kim is very bright and very sweet, but she has not had it easy. Her brother isn't interested in any kind of relationship with me and I have no idea if that will change.
Kim came (alone) for a visit last Memorial Day and then she came with her husband and daughter for the July 4th weekend. Both visits were astonishing in many ways. We each had a million questions. She originally sent the letter to the gallery, because she didn't know how my wife would react--but my wife was (and is) fine with it.
4484. arkymalarky - 12/6/2008 1:25:40 AM
Thank you for sharing such a fascinating personal story with us, Wiz. I hope this is the start of a rewarding new dimension to your life.
4485. arkymalarky - 12/6/2008 1:28:14 AM
A band Bro plays in, The Leatherwoods, is supposed to be featured on HGTV Sunday night at 7.
4486. alistairconnor - 12/6/2008 1:43:37 AM
As bolts from the blue go, Wiz, that's a pretty damn good one. Congratulations (?!)
4487. wabbit - 12/6/2008 9:52:12 AM
WoW, amazing is right! It must be a relief to her not only to finally have found and met you, but to be accepted by you and your wife. I have a cousin who was adopted and finally found her birth mother when she was in her early thirties. Not only her birth mother, but a half sister! She was so happy to finally know her roots and they all get along very well.
Congratulations on your newly extended family!
4488. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/6/2008 10:22:49 AM
Thanks Alistair and yes, arky, Kim and I have become amazingly close in the last eight months. This was my first email to her.
"Lee," btw, is her birth mother and is two or three years older than me. I dated her when I was sixteen/seventeen. I knew nothing of her pregnancy; she was sent to Florida to have (what they thought was to be) a baby. That's another interesting story.
My maternal grandmother is a twin and I have a male cousin (from my grandmother's twin sister's side of the family) who also has a twin sister.
4489. judithathome - 12/6/2008 10:23:19 AM
Wiz, what a fantastic thing! She is beautiful and her daughter is adorable!
I'm so happy for you!
4490. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/6/2008 10:30:27 AM
Thanks wabb. She was indeed relieved. After giving birth to her daughter, she hired a detective to find out who the birth mother. It took Kim eight years to get my name out of her. Then, all she had to go on was my name and that I was an artist. Hence the letter to my gallery
4491. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/6/2008 10:31:15 AM
Thanks Judith.
4492. judithathome - 12/6/2008 10:33:55 AM
I just posted a pic of my great-granddaughter in Arts and Culture...Wonks' grandbaby is there, too!
4493. judithathome - 12/6/2008 10:34:42 AM
Wiz, your story would make an excellent movie....
4494. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/6/2008 10:38:40 AM
I took this one of Kinley on the July visit.
4495. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/6/2008 10:40:17 AM
Opps, I had realized the image was so big--sorry!
4496. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/6/2008 10:43:04 AM
hadn't
4497. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/6/2008 10:44:49 AM
Lovely Judith! And your granddaughter too! ;?)
4498. alistairconnor - 12/6/2008 11:55:57 AM
No need to apologise Wiz -- the picture is worth it.
4499. wonkers2 - 12/6/2008 3:26:46 PM
Beautiful granddaughter!
4500. magoseph - 12/6/2008 3:41:46 PM
I couldn't open your first two links, Wiz--they froze my computer, so I didn't get to read the letter. Anyway, the subsequent posts and the pictures gave me an idea of what happened. What a sensational turn of events in your life! I’m happy for your all.
4501. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/6/2008 4:57:38 PM
Thanks again! Sorry for the freeze-up, mago!
This is a recent photo of my (estranged-at-this-point) son who's a professsional fisherman and diver. My son is the one in the middle . . . . . . I should add, the fish favor me more than he! However, he does have my stomach! [rolling eyes upward]
4502. judithathome - 12/7/2008 9:56:15 AM
Wiz, I feel certain he will eventually come around. Don't give up hope!
4503. Jenerator - 12/7/2008 11:25:19 AM
Oh Wiz. What a beautiful story. I am so relieved that Kim is such a sweet soul. This is such a wonderful direction for your life; I am truly happy for you. Your daughter has those intense, yet happy eyes like her dad! Your granddaughter is gorgeous. You get to be father and grandfather - this is so exciting!
PS - Your son is like my dream man.
4504. Jenerator - 12/7/2008 11:26:28 AM
Have you been in contact with their mother?
4505. wonkers2 - 12/7/2008 2:28:16 PM
I can tell that he's a pro because of the way he holds the fish for the camera--holding them out closer to the camera makes them look bigger. My dad who was an avid fisherman taught me that many years ago! Not that your son's fish aren't of impressive size. How about a pic of your abs for comparative purposes, Wiz?!
4506. wonkers2 - 12/7/2008 2:36:00 PM
This Chinook Salmon was too heavy for my son to hold out very far in front of him as I instructed. Eric with Chinook
4507. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/7/2008 4:23:49 PM
LOL!
J@H- Have no idea or agenda, Judith. His former girlfriend contacted me in the hope that he might (and maybe get back with him, I think). So I wrote a letter to the girlfriend to show to Tim--he doesn't have a phone and lives with his adoption-mother, an agoraphobic with COPD and not keen on me or their biological mother contacting them. And I should add that the twins didn't learn that they were adopted until their eighteenth birthdays--and that was because Kim inadvertently asked as a joke and the mother broke down in tears, finally admitting it. I let him know that he is welcomed to contact me anytime, on his terms. However, in talking to the former girlfriend and my daughter, I've become aware of some troublesome behaviors that could only be understood if you knew more about their situation and how they were raised. Not being aware of their existence, I wasn't around for them, so I'm not one to judge--sufficed to say, there are issues that are profoundly complex with adopted kids--especially twins.
Jen-Which mother?
wonk- I'm not a fisherman but I am a fish-eater and how I morn for all of the fresh seafood I've missed!
This is as close as you'll get to a picture of my present stomach . . .
4508. wonkers2 - 12/7/2008 5:13:59 PM
We need to see you in a speedo for a valid comparison!
4509. wonkers2 - 12/7/2008 5:22:28 PM
Yours truly circa 1940 with my father's fishing partner, Paul Kramer and barracuda? or mackerel? wonkers, c. 1940, Aruba.
4510. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/7/2008 5:34:54 PM
I haven't been in speedos since my lifeguard days. But I still have a buddy (my age) who still wears them on the beach for the sake of being gaped at and ridiculed. He thrives on it.
Wow, what a great set of pictures for comparing time. fish and progeny. Thanks for sharing, wonk.
4511. wonkers2 - 12/7/2008 10:10:49 PM
Judging from the pics, maybe you should do a little DNA testing, Wiz. :-)
4512. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/8/2008 12:41:33 AM
Well if you're going to go by photos, I wouldn't wear shorts with those knees of yours! ;->
4513. wonkers2 - 12/8/2008 10:51:37 AM
Touche!
4514. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/8/2008 12:14:50 PM
LOL!
4515. wabbit - 12/9/2008 9:55:35 AM
WoW, yours is my favorite holiday story! And it's real!
I can see you in both of them, but I was really struck by Kim's resemblance in the first photo.
Also, your wife rules!
4516. wabbit - 12/9/2008 11:01:45 AM
I swear I'm a jinx. Two days after I posted this Message # 4452, the hen was gone. I can only think that the coyotes finally got her. They've gotten two cats and two hens this year.
Our first snow fell the other day. This is that same gap in the stone wall in the backyard.
4517. thoughtful - 12/9/2008 11:10:30 AM
Very pretty
4518. thoughtful - 12/9/2008 11:22:50 AM
Happy December...this is the view outside my office...this time of year i get to enjoy some fabulous sunsets.
4519. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/9/2008 2:24:26 PM
Wow wabb, this is downright spooky,
I came upon an old monotype that I thought , might be good for a Christmas card, but then, on more reflection, I thought it wasn't winterish enough. So then I thought about doing a winter version of it, but then decided that I didn't have the time or an idea of how it might look in winter--so I chose another.
Had I seen your winterscape early enough, I would have used it as a guide because it has the same visual elements and proportions. Do you see it? [Of course you do.]
4520. wabbit - 12/9/2008 3:27:24 PM
Oooh, I don't remember seeing that one, it looks like a cool November morning. Beautiful!
I think we share an eye!
4521. wabbit - 12/9/2008 3:28:18 PM
Thoughtful, when are you going to put your calendar out? Your photos are wonderful.
4522. thoughtful - 12/9/2008 3:41:55 PM
Sorry wabbit, no calendar this year...our life has revolved around house building so i've had little time for picture taking...but thanks for the compliment.
4523. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/10/2008 9:57:04 PM
Will one of the nation's greatest musicians be noticed in a D.C. Metro stop during rush hour? Violinist Joshua Bell experimented for Gene Weingarten's Sunday Magazine story in The Washington Post.
"Unframed Art"
The guy in the subway station, wearing jeans, shirt and cap, relaxes against the wall near the entrance, gets the violin out of the box and starts playing with enthusiasm to the crowd that passes through there, and in morning rush hour. During the 45 minutes that he played he was virtually ignored by bystanders, nobody knew, but the musician was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest violinists in the world, performing tunes in an instrument, a Stradivarius of 1713, estimated at more than 3 million dollars.
A few days before Bell had played at Symphony Hall in Boston, where the best seats cost a trifle of 1000 dollars.
The experience, recorded on video, shows men and women to walk
small, cup of coffee in hand, cellphone in your ear, badge
Balancing on his neck, indifferent to the sound of the violin. The initiative performed by The Washington Post newspaper was to launch a debate on value, context and art.
The conclusion: we used to give value to things when they're in a context.
Bell was a work of art without frame. An artifact of luxury without tag for the Virtual. Only a woman recognized the music ...
4524. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/10/2008 10:01:00 PM
Incidentally, don't pass up Gene Weingarten's linke WP piece above, it's interesting for anyone who believes in art & life.
4525. magoseph - 12/14/2008 8:09:22 AM
Determined Squirrel
4526. wonkers2 - 12/14/2008 11:28:44 AM
It might have been more interesting if they'd let the cat out!
4527. judithathome - 12/14/2008 11:29:00 AM
Wiz, I can't see the link to his performance but I feel certain I'd have at least stopped to listen...I do that now when we have amatuer guys downtown trying to make crack or Thunderbird money!
I heard an interesting interview last week on NPR with an author who claims people who read a lot are more likely to go to museums, ballet, symphony, and theatre. Also, more likely to be socially aware and at ease in environments foreign to their everyday experience . I think that's very true.
Don't know why I brought that up just now...hmmmmm.
4528. TheWizardOfWhimsy - 12/14/2008 12:27:04 PM
Well Judith, I think it says a lot about the American culture, people on a treadmill and just going through the motions of life rather than stopping to reflect.
Art was invented to preserve what's best in life, but people preoccupied with survival and quick superficial distractions don't make time to contemplate or savor the beauty and wonder of life.
You should count yourself blessed,
4529. judithathome - 12/14/2008 1:37:18 PM
I do....every day!
4530. wabbit - 1/8/2009 6:21:40 PM
Suze Orman's new book, Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan, is available as a free download courtesy Oprah until January 15.
4531. arkymalarky - 1/10/2009 12:18:26 PM
I downloaded a copy and shared the info at work and with Mose.
4532. thoughtful - 1/27/2009 8:48:46 AM
J@h, if you're around, do you remember I posted pictures of stained glass doors quite awhile back that my mom had gotten for like $10 back in the 1960s? In case not, here's a pic:
The doors originally were used as double doors. We took them to a restorer. One is in very good shape and to restore it will cost us only about $250. The other however is in terrible shape and to restore it will cost us $1100 to repair...over 40 pieces of glass are broken. In the new house, we were not going to use them side by side but individually...one on the door to the study and one on the door to the powder room.
I guess my question is if you think it's worthwhile getting both done, or just stick with the one...
Of course the door itself is too small. We'll have to get custom made doors to set the glass in at modern dimensions.
4533. judithathome - 1/27/2009 10:51:43 AM
Oh, that door is wonderful! Use it wherever and however you can!
As to the other restoration, that IS pricey but were I you, I'd check to see how much it would cost to buy a new one of that caliber and if it doesn't send you into shock, weigh the benefits of restoring the one that's damaged against the cost of a new, custom made one. Having two doors of the same vintage and by the same glass artist would be worth a lot down the line, even if one was restored.
Plus I just hate to see old stuff scrapped if there is ANY way possible to save it.
Stunning, stunning example of glass work!
4534. thoughtful - 1/27/2009 2:50:28 PM
OK...thanks. I'm sure to replace it would be a lot more, but given how over budget we are already on the house, we have to make choices...we can't afford to do everything we'd like. Maybe what we can do is keep the door and not have it restored now, but maybe do it in the future...after the market and my retirement accounts recover!
4535. judithathome - 1/28/2009 11:45:19 AM
Sounds like a plan!
4536. arkymalarky - 2/1/2009 7:27:05 PM
For my 50th birthday I'm supposed to get my house "deep cleaned" which to me means moving furniture, carpets cleaned, walls, absolutely everything. But I can't find anything on it, especially a price estimate.
And from there it gets complicated, because Mose wants the job for some extra summer money (taking a discount for my birthday into consideration, of course--after I mentioned it). I want it done in a timely way and done right, which of course offends her every time I say that. Anyone who knows anything about that stuff, how to pick someone and what to expect to pay, I'd love to hear it.
4537. thoughtful - 2/2/2009 8:50:38 AM
I think you can find companies in the yellow pages...there are firms that specialize in deep cleaning that are involved with insurance cos....like for cleaning smoke damage and stuff....I suppose you can always check with them too. Mind you, the service does not come cheap.
We found a cleaning co in the yellow pages that specialized in cleaning up at trauma scenes after my dad shot himself. So they're in there.
No slight to Mose, but she can't do the job they can as they have all the special steam cleaning equipment as well as more people and sufficient muscle to move things, reach things and all.
There are also some that specialize in cleaning green which might be good given your allergies...
4538. arkymalarky - 2/2/2009 12:23:01 PM
Thanks for the info! I was expecting a significant cost, which is why I was avoiding hiring Mose! She doesn't need it, anyway. I think she should enjoy her summer and rejuvenate for next school year. My problem, as always, is location. I haven't been able to find anything around here, so I'll start radiating outward and hope they'll drive here for mileage. Deep cleaning according to housekeeping services has a specific detailed list, and I'd probably hire a carpet cleaner separately. I don't really meed a fumigation--yet. I'd love to yank up all my carpet. Allergies are okay because 1) I will plan to be gone a few days while it's done and 2) as I often tell people, I seem to only be allergic to natural ingredients. ;-)
4539. arkymalarky - 2/2/2009 12:40:06 PM
O.K. There were exactly TWO in the Hot Springs book, one of which didn't answer when I called. I'm going to their website now. The other was one woman and her version of deep cleaning didn't seem very much compared to a site I looked at from Washington State last night (a great site, btw-- http://www.mrscleannw.com). She only wanted $140, but I may be able to provide her a list and shoot a price if I can't find anything else. Little Rock is pretty far and I don't have a phone book handy, but I'll look at a LR book tomorrow.
4540. arkymalarky - 2/2/2009 1:47:24 PM
Found a couple more like what you described under "carpet cleaning" and one is supposed to call back.
4541. wabbit - 2/3/2009 7:03:48 PM
Today must be my day to make up for lost time.
I'm sure Marj must have known this man - Joe Ades sold vegetable peelers at the Union Square Greenmarket.
R.I.P. Joe.
4542. judithathome - 2/4/2009 9:07:44 AM
Wow...I foresee new job opportunities in Hot Springs! ;-)
4543. wabbit - 2/7/2009 6:33:38 PM
Makes you want one of those peelers, doesn't he? This looks similar, but buying online just isn't the same as getting one after seeing the demo.
Vinegar - the duct tape of household liquids.
4544. iiibbb - 2/9/2009 7:29:15 PM
New pasta sauce recipe I made up last night--
Lamb and White Bean
1 lb ground lamb
2 cups sliced onion
2 tbls chopped shallot
6 Roma tomatoes (skinned, seeded) julianne
2 cans cooked white kidney beans
2-3 cloves crushed garlic
3 tbls chopped rosemary
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock
Brown lamb, add onion and wilt (4-6 minutes). Add shallot, tomato, beans, garlic, rosemary and cook 2 minutes. Add wine and beef stock. Bring to boil, then simmer until sauce thickens (time varies... 1 tbls corn starch mixed in 2 tbls cold water added to mixture can hasten process).
Serve over egg noodles.
Garnish with a dash of balsamic vinegar and shredded Parmesan.
It is pretty darn good if I don't say so myself.
4545. Wombat - 2/10/2009 11:38:10 AM
I would suggest using a stronger cheese with such a robust sauce. How about Pecorino or Locatelli Romano?
4546. iiibbb - 2/10/2009 7:01:12 PM
Maybe... Parmesan is what I had.
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