June, July, & August 2017

Pete took three small bite sized trips to the house this summer, so I decided to save them all up for optimal reading satisfaction.

Burn out

Pete told me about this only after the problem was resolved. The outdoor security lights were plugged into really long extension cords. Extension cords are not suitable for continuous extended use.

This happened once before, Pete showed me but didn't tell me why, I thought the plugs were just defective.

 

So he installed two hard wired outlets to prevent any further meltdowns. We are going to have a talk about that lamp.

Spooky noises

There is a noise on the first few seconds of this video from our security camera that scared the crap out of me until I realized what it probably was. I'll let you be the judge. 

Obsessive compulsive lawn mowing

A combination of our lawn mower (the person) as well as our lawn mower (the machine) being out of commission this summer led to our yard looking like the jungles of 'Nam. 

The local wildlife appreciated this. There's a bunny in there somewhere, if you look closely.

It would have been the perfect place to dump a body. Luckily, nothing that dramatic was found.

Instead Pete found these remnants, right by the back fence, thrown in our yard by who has been and will be henceforth referred to as "the peckerheads" 

Pete is really back seat driving this blog; he insisted I add this lawn mowing video. 

Landscaping?

The jury is still out on whether I think these suburban crop circles are a good idea or the first sign of a mind just starting to unravel.

He spent way too much time on the lawn, he actually raked it all!

Further evidence of Pete's OCD. There's always tomorrow to mow.....

Pete's lawn fixation reminded me of this scene from the movie Modern Times, where a factory worker played by Charlie Chaplin has repetitive stress injury to the brain and just cant stop working with the wrenches. 1:25 is where it gets really silly.

Things left behind
I found these ads in the mountains of paperwork left behind, I think they were mailed with the never paid credit card bills.

This must be the very first air mattress.

Whoa, we've come a long way!

Why this woman is dressed this way in a barn was not explained.

Brooklyn hipsters wear cameras like this as accessories. 

This pantomiming cat burglar amuses me.  

I have yet to scan these Kodak Disc negatives....


 ......but I suspect they may contain photos of the previous owners raunchy Caribbean vacation.

The previous owner and his parents were very involved in their local church, as well as the major televangelists of the 1980s.

Bulk mail from Jim, Jimmy and Jerry

Confirmation that Darlene is a PTL lifetime partner, and all the perks that come with it.

Check out Tammie Fae in that bottom photo-so young!!

When I went to Catholic mass we put money in the basket and that was the end of it. I had no idea anyone kept track of donations like this!

Is it a sin in the Christian faith to make donations to your church if you don't pay your bills? It was bizarre to find these cancelled checks and receipts along with endless demands for payment for unpaid debts.

I find this interpretation of the Adam and Eve story particular annoying. Eve was just too dumb, she needed Adam to guide her away from temptation; that's why she took the bait.

  

New acquisitions

A few more street finds, found on First Ave just a few blocks from our apartment. 

I think this was an ashtray, although I'm not sure what that pointy nipple looking thing is. We're going to make it into a birdbath. 

We found two more outdoor sconces, these are in better condition then the last ones we found.

 As much as I detest Facebook, I have to admit it is good for some things. A friend posted this couch, originally selling for $4800., on sale for $1635.  Pete picked it up in a warehouse in New Jersey on the way to the house.

I've included the product photos from the website because they're better photos, and this proof of purchase picture of our friends daughter to show scale.



Gateway to the west
The dream is to fence in our entire yard with frilly finial fancy fence. We have three sides of our property fenced off with chain link, and the front yard covered with overgrown bushes that are way too much trouble than they are worth. We started with this driveway gate from a manufacturer in Mississippi-$1710. shipping included.

I was in New York as the gate was being delivered, squee-ing with delight with every photo received.

There are gas powered post hole diggers, but these old posts had to be removed manually.

 Here's the new gate post, stabilized with 2x4s, ready for the concrete to be poured.

The concrete sets fast and is not affected by rain.

Pete installed the posts by himself but needed extra hands to get the gate installed. Many thanks to Craig and Simon for the help! 

Anything not at 90 degrees would have been a serious problem!!

One side installed. I like that this photo shows scale.

All done!

This is going to be an amazing picture when the house is painted!

I've said many times before that I will be filing the finials of the gate with a grinder, our friend Paul sent us this photo from The Addams Family.

Poetry Corner

I guess these are more to do lists then actual poems. I'm guessing the first one came first, because the second one doesn't  mention sexy time at all.

Work on home projects together. Wow, that's rich!

April 2017

I was able to get some time off work to accompany Pete to the house for a week. It had been seven months since I'd been there, and I had an emotional moment seeing in person what will some day be our kitchen. A new sub floor, and the start of our first bathroom helped me really visualize the future of the house.

Big brother at our big house

Between the peckerhead neighbors behind us shooting at the house with BB guns and some other random skumbag stealing our mail, we decided to install security cameras outside of the house on this trip.

After a lot of research we decided to go with the Canary system.

These cameras connect to wifi and send alerts whenever there is activity detected. It's possible to turn them on at any time and watch anything going (or not going) on.

We bought 4 cameras for outside, but mounting them on the house unprotected seemed like a bad idea.  We bought pre-fabricated bird houses from the local craft store to house our little spy birds.

Pete built mounting brackets to make them easier to remove them when needed, and cut the birdhouse doorways wider to accommodate the face of the cameras

Painting them was a dry run for painting our big house. Pete kept adding more and more details, asking me what I thought during the process. 

Here they are, all cute and ready to be mounted.

Maybe we should have painted them peeling yellow to camouflage them.  

We were concerned about getting alerts at odd times at night due to deer activity, but so far this has only happened once. I slept right through it. Pete woke up and had nightmares after that, probably about aggressive deer.



The vegan in me loves this video. The only shame is that this guy didn't sustain permanent injury. Between the wife who kept filming and made no attempt to help her husband and the man who sprays Elk urine in his mouth, these two idiots really deserve each other.

The only trespasser we've caught so far is this guy. If you turn up the volume you can hear his wings flapping around. I now feel obligated to mount more bird houses and keep them vacant. 

Scrap metal and other trashiness 

Pete hates scrapping alone. The last time he was at the house by himself  he refused to complete a scrap metal run. Every day I asked him about it, and every reply was "I'm busy."  This time I was determined not to be naggy about it.  I mentioned the issue once again, and he surprisingly agreed.  He dismantled the old boiler in the basement, parts of it looked like something from an archaeology exhibit. 

I wonder if the previous owner purchased the extended warranty.

I forgot my work gloves, so I used our host Amanda's oven mitts at the scrap yard. Sorry, chica.

$43. in scrap metal, better than last time

Profits from the house so far:

$43.10 in scrap metal in April 2017

$166. 70 scrap metal in September 2016

$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

We decided to throw away this chair I found on Broadway last year. It's a cheap reproduction,  as light as balsa wood, and not worth restoring. 

Second circuit breaker panel
Here is our amazing electrician Tom hooking up our second breaker box.
"Whatever you do Stephanie, do not touch the bla bla bla when yadda yadda."This warning does not matter, I have no plans to touch that thing until the installation is 100% complete.

We need to replicate Tom as a plumber.

New Acquisitions

This chair was for sale at the City Opera Thrift Shop in Manhattan. I always take the time to visit all the thrift stores on 23rd street whenever I'm there. Being the cheap person that I am, I walked around the block contemplating a $75. purchase.

When I  finally returned to buy it I was told all the furniture was 50% off that week! 

Unfortunately, I lost one of the finials transporting it home.

More creepy books. This collection is slipping down a slippery slope. I thought Pete would eventually run out of appropriate titles, but there is no end in sight.  

 Reproduction salt and pepper shakers. 

 These are relevant considering my current job. 

Pete was enamored with this bat-on-top-of-coffin candle, convinced it was not mass produced and made by some local goth child suffering through high school in the small town where we purchased it. He contemplated buying it like I did with that antique chair on 23rd street.

 I'm not sure how this is gonna work out, but we bought this for our intercom system.

 Pete is planning to reproduce this spiderweb doorbell cover and make more of them, using them for various push buttons around the house. 

I really like this multi hinged floor lamp base!

Our hosts gave us this porch swing. Rocky's dad told us it was mounted under several family porches before this one. 

In a funny twist, Pete and I bought each other gifts from the same Etsy vendor for Christmas. These miniatures are made by Lady Delaney, a professional prop fabricator in New Orleans who sells a ton of adorable itty bitty spooky books, bones, and everything else one would need to furnish the ultimate haunted doll house. 

If the space between the beams allow it, we plan to create alcoves in the wall between the foyer and the parlor, each with a themed diorama using these miniatures. 

I know the whole sea monster/octopus thing is pretty trendy, but I

I'm still hanging these prints by Amber Curio in one of our bathrooms. 

I'm hoping this cutting board does not get the attention of our house ghosts! Woodcrft makes custom cutting boards in several woods, and has a huge inventory of styles.

I'm so happy I will have the wall space to hang these fantastic prints by Alternate Histories. This graphic designer creates alternate history for many cities including New York, Paris, Chicago, London, Cleveland, etc, etc. Each image depicting a city attacked by a giant cat, squid, flying saucer, or Godzilla.

I got Pete book these ends for his mountain of creepy books. Made by Knob Creek Metal Arts 

Things left behind

I would love to hear the details of what went down between Kristen's dad and Dave! Did it involve a baseball bat and Dave running out of the house pantless?

This RCA payment coupon book from 1980 is fully intact.  I'm sure this was one of the many consumer items never paid for, considering how this family dealt with their debts. Perhaps this was for the TV we disposed of during our first clean up.

Unpaid bills from the no longer existing Trans World Airlines-1980

The groom's name on this wedding invite has a familiar ring to it.- 1991

A flirty letter from Jackie-1992

I wouldn't be too happy if someone gave me anything saying they were burnt out over me. Is the

 'I love you" supposed to compensate for that?

The hugs and kisses coupon book from 1992. dated, (mentioning video rental and answering machines) yet timeless (get out of the doghouse free)

Poetry corner

(refresher warning: If you are offended by pornographic poetry avert your eyes now)

This is one of several poems mentioning rain. It's always raining in this guys mind.