June 2016

New Roof!

Although we are now eating cat food because we are so broke, I have no regrets about wiping out our savings and buying a new roof. By a stroke of good luck we had the money in the bank and took the plunge. 

The work started a day before we arrived, so we pulled into the driveway to see the roofers scraping off the old crusty shingles. It was pretty satisfying to watch.

These guys were old school, not using any safety gear. These boards were nailed to the roof to be used as steps for the workers to lean on.

I was sure not to speak to any of them unless they saw me first. I didn't want to startle anyone! 

I have a severe fear of heights, so seeing this guy on the ladder like this made my palms sweat and the bottom of my feet tingle.

Workers are laying down the felt paper, which doesn't feel like felt at all.

Here's the first sighting of new shingles!

This is the view from my neighbors house. Nobody in the hood was as thrilled with the progress as I was. 

"So,  whaddduha think?! I asked enthusiastically.

"Its getting there." One guy replied, trying to be nice.

This is an attempt to appreciate our new roof, without the scene being ruined by that ugly peeling  paint job.  Its gonna be a beautiful day when we power wash that crap off.

We got a great price for all this work, I especially realized this when I saw how much work went into it. However, we paid for it in other ways. The roofers had a radio, so we were subjected to some aneurysm inducing music. The worst of which were:

Benny and the Jets-Elton John

Pressure-Billy Joel

Living on a Prayer- Bon Jovi

Africa-Toto

You Make My Dreams Come True-Hall and Oats

I Feel the Earth Move-Carole King

Do Ya Think I'm Sexy-Rod Stewart

I didn't know if all these songs were being played ironically, but I think some people really do enjoy this music.

New Shed

Less thrilling is this new shed Pete got to store some of his heavy equipment, which took him all of three weeks to outgrow.

This  existing cement foundation was almost the perfect size for its new home.

(Where the mini landfill used to be)

 These corners are a mystery.

 Our friend help him build it

The empty beer cans ended up in a groundhog hole. So trashy.

The mysterious V

Someone used our lawn for their painting project, but one of my neighbors thinks its the footprint of the alien/human hybrid that populated the area, specifically the guy who lives two doors down.

The lake in the basement

I was relieved to see Lake Erickson finally drying out. We still have yet to figure out why that pipe is there.  I'm expecting to find fish fossils and ancient pottery in the muck.

Maids Room/Bathroom

We finished gutting and cleaning the maids room. There's a nice sense of accomplishment seeing all the plaster, sheet rock, insulation, and most of the craziness gone.

Pete managed to expedite the breaking up of one of the two ton tubs by cutting a grid pattern on it with his grinder......

...................before smashing it with the sledgehammer.

It's so so satisfying to see to this monstrosity in convenient bite sized pieces, ready for the scrap yard.  

This is Pete throwing the tub pieces out the window, like smashing plates at a Greek wedding, except more dangerous and not as tasty. 

Back draft

Although this looks like the fire I've been threatening to light in the dumpster, it's just a breeze bringing all the plaster dust back up through the trash chute. 

Here's the wacky discovery of the month. It's obvious that this is not the right size window.

However we just discovered this McGyvered spacer was secured in with only one rusty nail.

We also found what was an old hatch entrance to the attic, right above the landing at the top of the maids staircase. I suppose this means the attic stairs were not built when the house was. 

This is the maids room fireplace with the plaster removed. If I have my way it will eventually accommodate a beautiful antique gas heater.

To the left of the chimney on the back wall you can see where a stud was dissected to make room for a drainage pipe. We have found several of these hack jobs so far; it becomes more and more obvious why the house is so saggy. 

Here is a pan of the maids room all done.

The big bite

Another reason I'm happy we removed the porch was this scary termite damage, that we would have never found as long as we kept the porch intact. 

By chance we met a structural carpenter/mason a few months ago who ended up doing the repair below. It was easier for him to use stone from our yard then to cut lumber to fit the space eaten away. 

He seemed to really be crushing on our house when we gave him the nickel tour, looking at the exposed studs and beams like he was admiring a beautiful woman. 

"Wow, they don't make them like this anymore" He gushed with stars in his eyes. 

I was greatly relieved when he was done, it was kind of a scary sight with so much damage. 

Although the stone will eventually be covered with clapboard, I want to engrave "BUILT IN 1890" on in anyway. 

Thank you Joe!!

Sub floor for the kitchen

The smell of fresh lumber, an odor I do not associate with this house, greeted me as Pete returned from Home Depot. This is the lumber needed for the sub floor of the back porch, the room that will eventually become our kitchen. Delivery was not an option in the time he wanted the materials, so crazy man loaded it up himself in and on the van. 

He called me before leaving the store.

"I'm gonna drive slow, I don't wanna kill anybody" he laughed.

Not funny, honey.

Here's Pete with his new laser level, realizing just how slanted and bowed the joists are. 

Staircase surprise

To make use of the dumpster, we pulled down some of the paneling from the staircase. We found what appears to be original baseboard molding. There is so little character left inside this house, so finding this makes me very happy!

Dumpster deal

The roofer charged us $200. to share this dumpster with him, which I think is the same square footage of our Manhattan apartment. It was a lost opportunity, because there is no way we would have been able to take advantage of all this space.

We worked hard to get as much garbage as we could in there.

Some concrete slabs were from the porch were still in the front yard. I wish I could weigh all the heavy things I manage to drag around. I really impress myself sometimes.

Pete was amused by my technique of getting these boulders in the trash. 

New acquisitions

Here's a great cabinet card for my awkward family photos collection, 19th century edition. The spinster on the right looks mean. If those buns were any tighter you would see their brains. 

I got this mirror from Craigslist for free in New York from a crazy lady in Stuyvesant Town. (it needs a repair at the bottom joint)  She pulls the classic bait and switch, listing something for free then lures you in to look at her hoard of things she's trying to sell from her apartment.

The monologue went something like this:"Welcome to the Serendipity Shop, those are my official greeters, Muffin and Spottie. (cats rub against leg) I have a lot of great items for sale, please take a look. You will have to take your shoes off before you enter the store."

I don't want to rag on her too much, she's trying to do something constructive with trash.

 We bought these spindles for $10. each at Construction Junction.We are going to use them for our porch.

I saw a bunch of pipes from a pipe organ on the Construction Junction website a few months back. Great, but what would one expect to do with them? Pete thought of making them into a doorbell, obviously inspired by the fog horn door bell on the Addams Family.


Another customer, resembling an exotic cross section of human and walrus, heard our conversation and told us he wanted to complete the same project for his house. He eventually performed for us. Oddly it does sound something like the noises whales make.

Then Pete got in on the action:

This was followed by a conversation about compressors versus bellows to produce the air needed to make them play, etc etc. I thought the discussion was never going to end. I began to walk away as politely as possible. He followed us all over the store. We somehow managed to part ways only to have him follow us to the parking lot, talking all the way. (I don't think he paid for his merchandise) For a moment I thought he was going to get in the van with us.

In spite of all that odd behavior we took his phone number because he's a good source of information. Actually calling him will be interesting. 

After a lot of hot air we decided on a D and an F note. I don't know what the "SAL" stamped on it is for. All that fun for just $43.

I made Pete gargle with grain alcohol when we got home.

Things left behind

This is probably just a plant hanger, but it looks pretty sinister.

 This plate was found in the ceiling of the maids room, it was completely black with soot. I imagined it contained a piece of cake handed to a contractor, who ate it on a ladder, and forgot to return it to the kitchen. Unless leaving plates in ceilings has some significance.

This tiny hand painted tile was also found in the maids room.

I can only assume this nozzle was hooked up to a gas heater. Found in the maids room, it was still attached to a pipe in the floor. 

I finally completed going through the mountains of bills, papers, and  photos left in the house. I threw away about 90% of it. Here's some of the other 10%

Here's a child's plan for her robot. Naturally, "spy on older brother" is top priority.

The great deforestation of 1986  

We have always wondered what happened to all the trees that used to reside in our yard. This invoice says two dead trees were removed, but what about the other three ripped out? It would have been a real bonus to have cherry and plum trees in out yard. 

Have you heard of the internet?

This is the first time I've seen the name Bill on any documents I've found. Is this a script from a shady telemarketing company, or was Bill a freelance con man?  This is the kind of pitch you hear if you don't hang up on random cold calls.

Here's $1.35 worth of unused stamps. That brings our profit to $189.42!

$1.35 in US stamps in June 2016

$21.60 scrap metal in March 2016

$52.80 scrap metal in October 2015

$62.30 scrap metal in July 2015

$11.37 Guitar Center gift card found in house November 2014

$40. box of uninstalled ceramic soap dishes sold on Craigslist

I'm gonna go mail something!

Yard work

These aren't the most thrilling photos, but its interesting to see how the yard was. The back of the prints are stamped 1986.

That tree in the center of the frame is no longer with us. That awning is long gone as well.

Pete thinks this is the original slate roof, but I'm not so sure. They don't look like the brown shingles we just had replaced, but knowing the financial situations of the past three owners before us, I find it hard to believe that any of them could afford a new roof. 

All American family photos, circa 1965

These photos really make modern Americans look like sloppy dressers!

Ah, the days you could give your children toy tommy guns and not have to worry about them getting shot.

Perhaps this robot inspired that list for robot requirements, posted above.

Coming home from church, perhaps?

A few more photos, even older!

From the 1930s?

This photo looks like a degraded tin type, but is actually on paper. I lost patience trying to make it more legible in Photoshop. My stab in the dark guess is one of these guys is two owners ago. that guy was a plummer. He is actually still living, now in his 90s. 

Poor restore!  :{

Restore is in sad shape. They moved from their huge space to this small store front. They just signed a lease for a bigger place the day we visited, so hopefully they will have it together the next time we visit.

Van scone

I bought this foul and tasteless pastry at a local coffee shop.  I took one bite, then only nibbled on it when the hangry set in. I'm keeping it around to see how stale it can get. Pete is obliging me, he has not yet thrown it away.




Awww!
The billboards on the way to our house usually irritate me, but I was pleased to see this PSA for the forest, covertly funded by the local hunting council.