Another Case of Extremes

There's almost nothing better, after a long day of sweating and getting coated in dirt and plaster dust, than taking a shower and getting off all the grit. It's another case of extremes amplifying each other. You don't really appreciate getting clean until you've been really, really grimy. I'll give a shout out to my peeps in the middle ages. They know what I'm talking about.

And speaking of extremes, we made so much progress on the house this weekend. It really finally feels like a home, and not a constant construction zone. And we appreciate the difference. A lot. If any of you ever want to take a look and come hang out for a while, shoot us an email. It's an open invitation (except to you readers we don't know — you'll need to pass a two-hour screening process and a thorough background check before entering the premises. Please bring an exhaustive family tree, cross-referenced with disease and crime histories...and be welcome.)

Our first visitors will be arriving this Wednesday. Kate's parents, sister, brother-in-law and two nephews are coming into town. Can't wait, guys!

Knowing a Good Electrician

Finding a good, reasonably-priced electrician, or a plumber or a lawyer is a huge positive. I know two now.

Most of you know that we've been remodeling the house for some time now, which has necessitated a lot of new wiring and the fixing of old wiring. My brother-in-law John helped us with the early, middle, and late middle phases of the project. He's an excellent electrician, and you don't get much more reasonable than a bill of coffee, Big Bite hot dogs, shared labor and good conversation. Thanks again, John. You're a rare breed.

But Steph and John have Jackson now, and not a lot of free time. So a friend of a friend who did a little work for me in the past has taken over the tail end of the project. So far I'm really impressed. He and a coworker of his from his day job (he works for a major electrical company) have been coming in the evenings and making really good progress. He's working right now and should either be done today or middle of the day tomorrow. Of course I've been nervous about the bill. But today he gave me a figure for where the project currently stands, and it's very reasonable. I'm really happy so far.

Fact is, a lot of people pad their bills. Most often it's because of high overhead. A lot of employees and equipment, etc. requires a lot of extra money. But I've met some sheisters that just pad because they can, and they know enough people are willing to pay, or don't know any better. So, just a like a good car mechanic, having an electrician or carpenter or any other skilled tradesman that's honest, efficient, and reasonably-priced is a real boon.

Thanks John and Shall-Remain-Nameless-To-Protect-Your-Day-Job-Even-Though-Only-A-Dozen-Or-So-People-Read-This-Blog-And-None-Of-Them-Work-For-Your-Company-Which-Shall-Also-Remain-Nameless.

This Entry Isn't Filler...

But it's about it. And yes, sometimes entry topics don't flow out of the subconscious quite as freely as other times. Sometimes you have to turn to what's around you, and this morning it's spackle.

First off, the word is fun to say. See...you all just tried it. Spackle. It's a great near-onomatopoeia for the action. "I'm gonna go spackle on some spackle!" And the verb form doesn't limit itself to smearing building material into holes and crevices. You can spackle butter on toast. Poorly complected people can spackle their faces with make-up, and has-been actors from the 80's can spackle the cracks in their careers with ill-conceived but well-liked reality television concepts.

In the last year or so, I feel like I've become pretty adept at wielding the spackle to cure most ceiling and wall ailments. I've had to. There've been a lot of holes and blemishes to fix and fill here in this wonderland of old plaster walls and settling foundations. I've actually come to enjoy the entire process (other than the sanding.) I liken it to sculpture in reverse. I'm attempting to take a rough, broken, craggy or uneven surface and return it to a pristine flatness. It's not always as easy as it seems, although it is, I suspect, much easier than sculpture. Anyone with hundreds of buckets of spackle and enough free time could convert Michelangelo's "David" back into a large block of stone.

But I see spackle, and it's cousin caulk, as very positive things because they can save your life in home remodeling. Well-flung spackle can fix just about any form of destruction you can imagine for your poor, unsuspecting walls. And caulk, as I learned from a carpenter / handyman we used a few times throughout our remodel, is the patron saint and guardian angel of wood trim and moulding. A little bead of white, paintable caulk injected into the gaps between walls and door jams and moulding pieces can transform what looks like (and in my case probably is) a poor carpentry job into a professional-looking finished masterpiece.


Oh spackle and caulk
You fill the voids in my heart
And smooth the rough spots

You Want Positive? How About a Nearly Finished Kitchen?

Our granite kitchen countertops went in today. Finally. After a year and a half of research, dithering, mind-changing and feet-dragging, they're installed. After all the mental anguish trying to narrow down such an expensive (and permanent) kitchen feature, I'd built up a pervasive fear that, in the end, I'd hate it. I was terrified to discover that we'd made the wrong choice, and now would have to live with something we (or I) didn't like.

Thankfully that's not what happened. They look great! Our choice of stone really sets off the res t of the kitchen. All the time invested in the decision making process was worth it. I'd post pictures with this entry, but the sealer needs 24 hours before it can be cleaned off. After that the granite will look it's best. Plus there's a floor to ceiling 2 x 4 supporting the eat-in bar slab. I need to get some supporting braces installed so that I can remove that. As soon as all that's finished I'll post a few snaps.

It's a happy day in the Karbownibloom household.