One Step Closer to Being Up to Code

Yes, that's right, smoke/carbon monoxide detectors!

We got the fancy ones--if they go off, you can turn them off by pointing any remote control at them and hitting a button.  Brilliant!  But.  The downstairs one is right above the stereo tuner.  And here's the thing, pointing a remote at it and hitting any button will also put the damn things in test mode.  So if you are, say, watching a movie and are less than diligent about where you aim the remote to turn up the volume, the smoke detector will start yelling at you.  Literally, it yells, and says you need to evacuate the building.

Needless to say the downstairs one is in a few pieces and without batteries at the moment.

2010 Recap

Well well, let's see if we got anything accomplished in 2010, compared to what I wanted to do:

Punch list, 2010

• Install new ceiling lights - DONE
• Restore downstairs bathroom - ALMOST DONE
• Refinish and install new front door - Not even close
• Repair foundation of back porch - ha!
• Install new door & windows on back porch - nope
• Squirrel-proof garden (or eliminate squirrels) - Bird netting sort of works, but you have to be vigilant about sealing the bottom, and you might accidentally trap a bird in it.
• Finish stripping and then refinish downstairs trim (yeah, right) - I actually made a bit of progress on this one.
• Install shoe moulding - We bought some, does that count?
• Rebuild stairs (a girl can dream...) - I don't know why I even bothered putting this on the list.

We talked to our contractors about the porch, and it would be around $16k to dig a full trench foundation, which is what it really needs because the original pier foundation can't support the two stories that the porch now spans.  However, if you add in replacing all the windows and siding and installing a new door, you get pretty close to what it would cost to tear the whole damn thing off and rebuild it, to code, AND add two feet on to the back of the house.  But, since we don't happen to have $50k lying around right now, and can only pull $30k out in a home equity line of credit, we're stuck saving up for a while.  (I'm lookin' at you, 2012.)

It took me a while, but I stripped and refinished the picture window in the front room, restrung the window weights so the windows don't come crashing down, and put up storms so we can have normalish screens now.   It also means Dexter's alleycat girlfriend will be less likely to try to bust in the house.  I hope.

We didn't finish a whole lot in 2010, but we poked away at a bunch of stuff.  The bathroom is nearly done, just needs a bit more trim and a door, which is arguably the most important part of a bathroom.  The linen closet was mostly ignored but made some progress.  I got a real desk/table for my office and some great salvaged cabinets.  We did some landscaping and gardening, though the squirrels are still confounding me.  We got the ducts cleaned--the guy said that they probably hadn't ever been cleaned, so we had I'm guessing 30+ years of dust in there.

We're getting there.