Yet Another House Post...

Does it seem like my house is the only thing going on right now in my life?  Well... it's pretty much the truth.  The weather has been all over the place, not allowing much outside activity (I've had more softball games rained out than we've actually played this spring!  And the several inches of snow this past week was not kind to my little garden and flowers).  I continue to get paid, so I keep going to work (a good thing to be sure!), but all my financial resources are pretty much going into this remodel, so there you have it...  my lead in to this week's pictures!!

We start with the ever-enlarging sink hole in one of my front flower beds... which really has nothing to do with the remodel, other than my remodelling contractor couldn't figure out what they had done to create this perfect square sink hole - absolutely nothing!!  When I had my sewer line replaced  in November, one of the holes that contractor dug was here, and I'd say that the soil didn't get packed back in so well.  At one point the top of the new flush valve was level with the rest of the flower bed... not so much anymore!

The new gas meter got put in this week:

Which allowed them to remove the old gas line and put in the new window wells!!  Just look at those great big beautiful windows that are going to be in my basement!!

The electrician continues to wire away...  and started putting in cans for recessed lights - very few of the rooms in my house actually had overhead lighting, so this is a big deal for me!!  Also, the smoke detectors will now be hard wired in.

The only place my old fridge would fit was in a corner where there was no electrical outlets - I had to use an extension cord to plug it in...  so imagine my total and complete delight to see an outlet just for the fridge - no extension cord required!!  (It's amazing how it's the little things that bring such joy to my heart - with the exception of the beastly furnace - that was enormous!  And joy isn't a big enough word for that!)

And the old electrical box is no more!!!

One of the new boxes is full and the

Yahoo!!  Progress continues!  The new windows are scheduled to be here in about a week, I get to go look at kitchen cabinets and moldings and a new front door this week, and I picked out new siding this week!

I am a little sad though that this is Memorial Day weekend and I'm not at home in Colorado.  Memorial Day seems to have become a Robinson tradition at Mom and Dad's - we hang out with whatever family can make it, eat lots of good food, laugh so much that my stomach muscles hurt, play games and BBQ, run the Bolder Boulder and go to a Rockies-Dodger game...  But I'm looking forward to seeing everyone in Minnesota this summer!

A month in...

This week's excitement at the remodel was provided by one of the framers who cut off his thumb... apparently he first went to St. Marks Hospital and the surgeon wasn't there so he took an ambulance ride up to University Hospital where the doctor asked if he was right or left handed and he told him "Does it really matter Doc?  I want them both!"  The good news is that his thumb was successfully reattached and the doctor expects him to make a full recovery.  And I have to admit that after I heard about this I had to check for blood, not because I was worried about blood stains in my house but because I was thinking that had to be a pretty good bleeder... what a geek, huh?  But I didn't see any signs of a cutoff thumb.  My friends at work started joking that Salsa might have enjoyed playing with it... I can just see us trying to chase her down to take away a thumb from her... 

Last week at our walk through the contractor asked if I had my heart set on keeping my old siding and I told him I just didn't think I could afford to reside the whole house, but I was planning on it in a few years.  He told me he thought he'd found me a great deal... he needed to go run the numbers, but if he was right, would I let him reside my house for his pride?  We discussed numbers and agreed on an amount... and Monday when I drove by and saw this:

I figured he'd worked out my great deal... new siding - yahoo!  Other than that, this week was all the electrician... poor guy...  this is what he had to start working with:

This is what he's moving everything to:

And here's some of the results - holy cow!!  How can he keep track of everything?

And last, but certainly not least... for my brother the structural engineer...  the new saddle and ceiling beam on the main floor:

And the new structural beam in the basement:

Hope they meet your approval!!

Week 3... or theoretically 1/4 of the way done... theoretically...

So here we are at the conclusion of week 3, or if the original time estimate holds true (not holding my breath on that one...) I am a quarter of the way done... I'm hopeful, but not believing!!  The work this week hasn't been as dramatic as the first two weeks with all of the demolition and framing, but equally exciting to me, as the new furnace got hooked up and the vast majority of the plumbing is done and waiting to be hooked up to things, and the electrician has started...  Enough words, lets look at some pictures:

The new gables now have shingles:

You can't really see from this angle, except for the gaping hole in the ceiling, but new structural beams were added in the attic (and downstairs also, but I don't think I remembered to take a picture of that):

All the plumbing for the kitchen sink and notice the blue electrical boxes!!

All the plumbing for the new laundry room, including a gas hook-up for the dryer if so desired!!

And glory-be... the new furnace all hooked up (doesn't look as small now with all the venting and the hood on top, but believe me, it's still teeeny compared to the beast!!  I'm beginning to realize just how much I didn't like that old furnace - for good reason of course!)

All the plumbing for the new full bathroom in the basement:

And how silly is this, but look at that shiny new vent!! Woohoo!!  

Like I said, not as visually overwhelming as the first few weeks, but obviously just as important!  I ordered new lighting fixtures this week, and the windows and a new front door either have been or will shortly be ordered. As soon as the electrician is done and a few other small items are done, it will be time for the first inspection and then to close up the walls!  So exciting... and it will be even more exciting when I get to move back in!

Go Cougars!!

ksl.com - Cougars sighted near edge of U campus

And so this is a few months old ... and maybe not so interesting to anyone but me. Three young cougars have been spotted roaming near the building where I work in Research Park. This not unusual... I've seen all kinds of wildlife at work - moose, elk, rabbits, hawks, etc. But I recently started running again (had to stop last fall when I was pitching a co-ed softball game and took a line drive right in the knee cap, and then my running buddy had terrible stress fractures and then it was winter and cold and dark... excuses! excuses! excuses!) and so I've many concerned people asking me if I've seen the cougars and what I'm doing to protect myself. First I tell them that I'm generally running away from work, and second surely they would recognize a fellow cougar when they saw one - this last point would raise eyebrows. I had to have a friend explain to me that people thought I meant a cougar as in an older woman (when did I become an older woman?*?#!@!) chasing younger men, but all I really meant was that I cheer for the BYU Cougars and not so much the Utes!!

Salsa story time

Here's Salsa with my next door neighbor's grandkid (Salsa loves them!!)...

Salsa story number one:  When the weather is nice we frequently run into a little girl who seems to really like Salsa, but is a little bit afraid of her and can never remember Salsa's name.  She always asks and I tell her "Salsa", and she'll ask "Salsa?" and I'll say "Yup - like chips and salsa", and she'll say "OK" and go on her way.  So one day last week I see her out playing and I'm running through the conversation in my mind - because it's the same everytime... except that day when she said "Hey everybody look!  It's Like Chips and Salsa!"  And so I finally know Salsa's full name...

Salsa story number two...  Salsa and I were walking in the park when a guy stopped us - and that's not unusual, lots of people stop us to comment on Salsa-girl, but this guy just wouldn't stop - how beautiful she was, her eyes, her markings, where did she come from and on and on and on.  Then he finally asks her name and I tell him Salsa.  He looks at me and says Salsa?  I say yes and he says "Is that because she's hot like you?"  Oh yeah, as I told the ladies at church - I got it, I don't know what it is, but I got it!  And no, the bad pick-up line didn't work - I took off as fast as I could!

Big Project...

My current big project is (drum roll here...) my house remodel...  so I guess I should really say that it's Russell and Co Builders project (and probably not so big to them!).  After a major sewer back up last fall (of course when family was visiting!) and a furnace with a pilot light that needed relighting at least once a week during the winter (waking up in the middle of the night and being able to see your breath... not good) and sparking light switches and last summer's visitor-full schedule (with only 1 bathroom and seriously about 3 feet of counter space in the kitchen)...  I had just had enough!  I originally only intended for this to be a basement and kitchen remodel, but it turns out the most expensive part of remodeling is the intangibles - like the dumpster rental - and kitchens and bathrooms... and moving walls isn't so bad... so it's a whole house remodel.  I've been working with an architect - Annie at Renovation Design - awesome!! - and my general contractor is Russell and Co Builders - also awesome!!  We are currently entering week 3 (yeah, I'm slow, but life has been a little nuts)... but let me start from the beginning.

Originally I had planned to live in my house while this was going on, but got talked out of it - thanks to Lisa for letting me stay with her for a few months!!  So I packed EVERYTHING up - and into the garage...

And let's just say it is full from front to back, side to side and top to bottom...  The weekends leading up to this were not happy weekends... so many precious treasures, so many trips to the DI (local thrift store) and so much to recycle...  And to think that I really believed that I was going to be able to make aisles so I would be able to access anything if I needed it... HA! 

The before house pictures:

Let's start with basement - what it was/what it will be...

Storage room/bunk room:

Storage room and beastly furnace/full bathroom, hallway and linen closet:

Guest bedroom/better guest bedroom:

Laundry room/mechanical room and storage

???/ Laundry room

Family room/better family room

Kitchen/Much better kitchen with lots of counter space and cabinets and a pantry and a dishwasher and hood over the stove and more than two outlets and better lighting and new appliances... dream, joy, rapture... (Kirk and Luci - remember how hard we worked to take that horrid green and gold and black wallpaper off?)

Living room/ Great room - just wait... it's gonna be awesome!!

Master bedroom/better master bedroom with a GIANT closet!! (pay no mind to the dust bunnies... and grateful to the friend that convinced me that I really didn't need to clean them for the demolition crew)

TV room/part of the Great room!

And now week one:

Let's start with the outside...  the day this happened, my friend across the street ran and found his Mom and told her that the men were wrecking Rosann's house!!  (Bring it on!!  Although the first night after they started demo I'll admit I cried...  what in the world was I thinking??!!  But the 2nd night when the beastly furnace was out - it was only cheers of joy and happiness...  I never have to light that beast again!!!)

Master bedroom:

The kitchen - will have a new square off bay window

 The soon to be squared off bay window:

Doorways to the new bedrooms in the basement:

The far room is the mechanical/storage room and the near room is the new laundry room:

The new hallway and full bathroom in the basement (notice the absence of the beast.... seriously it took a whole room... beastly!)

New family room - can you see the square of plywood in the middle up high on the wall?  Apparently that's access to a root cellar - under my front porch steps - told them I didn't want access to that!!

And the new bumpout in the master bedroom...

Now I know this is getting to be the longest post ever, but here's week two:

The GREAT room

You can kind of see the master bedroom and the new giant closet!!  WAHOO....

The master bedroom bumpout... you can see the framing for 3 windows

From the great room into the kitchen

The squared off bay - it will have a big picture window on the front and little windows on the sides (and yup - the tile that was in the kitchen got put right on top of the linoleum... hmmmm...)

The new kitchen window that will be over the sink (I was really excited about all the windows and the natural light - didn't really think about window treatments, but that's OK...  I'll get to those when I can!)

I don't have many pictures of the basement because it mostly looks like it did last week, but this was exciting for me - see that beautiful new, tiny furnace and all the new venting, etc.  Love it, Love it, Love it...

And up the front of the house - looks really nice, huh?!

First "set-back"...  the gas line runs right through where the code-required egress window wells will be... so get to move the gas meter and line up to the front of the house

And I have to get a picture of Salsa in there, she knew something was up as I was packing the garage, and I have been so worried about her and if she'd be OK and hoping that she didn't drive the crews and neighbors crazy with her barking because she is living there during this.  I have been so grateful for how good these guys have been to her - she walks right up to them now and rolls over for a belly rub... I'm sure the treats and the fact that she constantly has someone there don't hurt!

And one last picture - yesterday the shingles arrived to finish off the roof - on a big truck with a built in crane - I looked across the street and saw about 3 little faces pressed up against the window watching... I love how kids are fascinated by big trucks and equipment, etc.  (and I'll admit I am too!)

And so there you have it...  I'm taking pictures once a week and I'll post more as the project moves on, but I am so excited to have a home that will be warm (during the winters!) and comfortable with a usable kitchen and hopefully more amenable to family and friends.  Yahoooo!!!