Paint Samples

I hate making decisions
Today I was supposed to tape the basement…never got to it. I did go to Sherwin-Williams to look at paint samples, though. They are having a sale…30% off. Picked out Wool Skein. It’s a light beige, and, depending on how the light hits it, it has undertones of either gray-green, pale yellow, gray, or no undertone at all. I don’t know if I would like a whole room done in that color. I had planned to do the wall with the slider in chocolate brown with the other walls in a tan/beige. Now, I’m not sure. Aaaaarrrrgggggghhhh! Don’t know what to do! I guess I’ll go with my original plan and if I don’t like it when the whole room is finished…I’ll repaint it. ☺☺☺

My couch has a similar color thread running through it (and it also has dark blue and maroon). So if I slip cover the lounge chair in maroon, and have the chair Kathy wants to give me reupholstered in denim…that could pull the whole room together. On the slider I would like to put drapes in a stripe incorporating all the aforementioned colors.

I tried to take pictures of the paint sample on the walls, but it just does not photograph well.

My bargain chair
Now that I have found someone to re-upholster my bargain chair for a reasonable price, I will go fabric shopping at some point during the next two days. Of course that will put me out on the road during another wicked heat wave.

So, when will I get around to taping the basement? At this point, it’s anybody’s guess.

Insurance adjuster
I had to leave two messages with the insurance adjuster head honcho trying to get it across to him that I needed my car fixed before I leave for vacation. My car has a hitch for a bike rack on it and when I leave for vacation my bike will be on my rack on the back of my car. And hopefully the bumper will be a new one. If not, then I go away with a damaged bumper and hope it stays on.

Anyway, when does the local adjuster call me? Four fifteen this afternoon to get a statement from me…to gather all the information I already gave to their office when I reported the accident on SUNDAY! The interview was going to take 20 minutes or so and all I had was 15 minutes because I had to pick up a friend at the airport. Now I won’t talk to her until tomorrow and I can’t go anywhere until I do. Trapped!

Hissy is a Hit Fit

FIRST: no one got hurt.

I was on I-91 south, coming back from Shelburne Falls, MA yesterday, and a guy in a big 2004 Chevy pick-up rear ended me not once but twice. Traffic was heavy and slow so he didn’t hit me that hard. He claims something went wrong with his transmission. Personally, I think he hit the gas instead of the brake.

I don’t know the exit number but it was just before the exit for Route 141 to East Hampton, right around the Holyoke area.

My friend, Barbara, was with me, but like I said, no one was hurt (except Hissy, and she’ll be fine).

☺☺☺

Another Great Bargain

The latest additions to my Woman's Cave!
I have been looking for two lateral files to replace the 4-drawer and 2-drawer metal cabinets I had. My son, Paul, suggested I go to Value Office Furniture in West Hartford. He had heard their ads on the radio and thought I might have some luck there.

For those who don't know, I'm finishing my basement where I will have an office, library and sitting area.

Luck indeed!
My friend, Barbara, and I were at a CAPA meeting in Avon, and in order to get to VOF before they closed, we had to leave the meeting before it was over. The featured speaker was very interesting, but she had not covered a tenth of her intended material because she had so much information to convey. I was getting bored because she kept getting off track...besides, I had to get to VOF. I know Barbara wanted to stay, but since she was with me...

VOFs's used furniture is in two different back rooms...one for wood, the other for metal. I found these two cabinets for $50 each. SOLD. Others I had seen elsewhere were $300 for one 6 foot file. I ended up paying $95, tax included...discounted because of my cheerful attitude they told me.

Paul and Andy came over this morning to take these out of my car (YES, they both fit in the back of my Honda Fit.) I LOVE MY HONDA FIT SPORT!!!!! After I unloaded the contents of the metal cabinets into the new laterals, Andy took the old cabinets away in his truck.

I am a very happy cave dweller. ☺☺☺

Recent Bargains

Let me begin by saying I hate to shop. If I didn’t need to eat I would never go into a grocery store! Now that I’m sorting things out in my condo, I need to hunt down those little things that will make a difference (to me) décor wise. I find myself having to shop.

Pillows
The pillows that came with the couch are really bland. I found these pillows at Pier 1…on sale. They pick up the colors in the area rug in the dining area.

Candle Holders
While in Goodwill looking for a wingback chair and/or a 2-drawer lateral file, I spotted these candle holders. Perfect for my mantle and only $4 each. Unfortunately, the 'feet' are a tad wider than my mantle is deep. No problem…this winter I’ll have a deeper mantle built. Not a bargain any more, I'm thinking!

Wingback Chair
So that leaves me still in the hunt for a wingback. I saw a couple at a consignment shop but they were in beautiful shape, too high-backed, and too much $$. In order to have the fabric I want (picking up the colors of the pillows on a light background) I need something in bad shape that I can reupholster.

Sunday, as I was heading to Stop & Shop, I saw a tag sale, and contrary to my usual habit, I screeched to a stop and asked if they had any wingbacks. It was obvious they didn’t, but I asked anyway. The lady had a cellar full of them. I found this darling little chair. It’s delicate, not high backed, and it needs reupholstering. When she said $25 I said SOLD! She also goes to upholstering classes here in town and, even though she herself doesn’t want to do the job, she is going to inquire among her classmates to see if one of them wants to take on the task. It sounded like it would be this person’s class project. This chair may turn out to be my biggest bargain yet! ☺☺☺

Canal Ride — 8/13/10

This was a ride on the Windsor Locks/Suffield Canal, not the Erie. Although I have to admit I was thinking about riding the Erie Canal. As crazy as it sounds I want to ride it again…taking more time and riding fewer miles each day. I’d like to accomplish this before I turn 80, so the clock is ticking.

But, getting back to the Windsor Locks Canal, I could not get over how many trees along the entire canal are standing up dead, fallen over dead into the canal or dying. What is going on?

I heard some birds but didn't see very many. Saw a couple of komikaze chipmunks and one rabbit. Even though I was out early, I got to the canal before 8:30 this morning, there was precious little in the way of wild life.

Viewing of the river and the canal was difficult because of the vegetation in full summer foliage. Once the leaves fall off, the views will be uninhibited. Since the leaves are starting to turn now due to stress (not the season) they might fall early.

The bike path over the Route 190 bridge is open for business. It's about time! You can't access the bridge from the parking lot of the canal yet...that's still under construction. For now, one has to ride up Canal St. to Route 159 and cross over where all the traffic is coming off the 190 bridge and turning onto the bridge. A little hairy, but with a little caution it can be done.

When I got to the railroad bridge, I was amazed at the tree damage (photo on left).

Notice the ‘plank’ (right photo) that goes from one pier to the other goes from about 15 feet above the water (near end) to just inches above water. That had to be some high water!

This is all that’s left of the Enfield Dam. People used to walk out on the dam, when it was whole, to go fishing. It was also a popular site for those wanting to commit suicide. Anyone who went into the water here, above the rapids, would surface 3 days later either in South Windsor or Middletown...depending on the time of year and the temperature and depth of the water. I bet you didn't need to know all that.

The condition of the canal lock distresses me. The entire canal is in very bad shape. It needs to be dredged and the invasive weeds dealt with. The walls need to be repaired as well as the lock itself. AND they need to allow more water to flow through the canal. It’s getting very stagnant! Next thing you know the snapping turtles will refuse to live there.

The canal is a historic site; this lock should be considered historic and probably is. How is it that it is being allowed to crumble like this? When the Dexter family owned the paper mills in Windsor Locks they drained the canal ever year, cleaned it out, made repairs, then filled it up again. Since they sold it to Alhstrom (I believe that is spelled correctly) nothing has been done. A group called Friends of the Canal has been negotiating with Alstrom to let the Friends take care of draining and repairing. Alstrom is hung up on ‘liability’. True, when the Dexter family ran the canal, there were boats up and down the canal on a seasonal schedule, and I believe Connecticut Light and Power controlled the lock at the Windsor Locks end. Now the boats up stream go down to Long Island Sound on wheels.

Got It!

Late yesterday afternoon the building department called me to say my permit had been approved! This is the woman who deals with the public at the counter and she is very nice. As a matter of fact, she was apologetic when she called, saying she was sorry I had been put through such an ordeal. I should get it in the mail today or tomorrow. YES!

I have not (publicly) lost my cool through all of this. I have been very cheerful and nice. And, I guess, that has been the lesson for me to learn. It's the old vinegar and honey thing! ☺

Building Department Beyond Annoying

I got a call from the building department this morning saying the letter they made me get from the condo association isn't good enough because it isn't signed. It was emailed to me and I printed it and hand carried it to town hall. Why can't the inspector (the little prick!) just pick up the phone and call the management company to verify that the letter is legit? I sure would suspect me of dummying up a letter...better check up on me just to be sure!

I am waiting for a phone call from the management company telling me they have a SIGNED letter for me to pick up and hand deliver.

I would suggest to the building department they put a hoop at the door so towns people can jump through it on the way in and be done with it.

Playing Catch-up

Tilex does the trick!
I have given the tub and surround a couple of applications of Tilex. The results are amazing. The first time I applied it and waited 5 minutes before spraying it off, I could see the bottom of the tub was a black stream heading for the drain. That mold could not be seen on the surround, but after the Tilex loosened it, it became a disgusting stream of black.

BUT, after that there is barely any smell. Yes, I did it a second time and I think I will do a third, now that I know it won’t hurt the grout or the vinyl flooring. I think it’s on the painted walls, too, but have been advised not to use it on the paint…it will remove the paint.

When I re-paint the entire condo in the spring I will use Kilz on the walls as a primer…then paint.

If the former owners had just used their heads. The tub area is small, windowless and has no ventilation other than the ceiling fan. I’m not sure they ran the fan very long if at all.

New Carpet
The small bedroom now has new carpeting. Thank goodness! The old carpet was probably original (25 years) and black all along the baseboard, including in the closet and where the folding closet doors closed. This I’m told is from the ceiling air vent. I will need to take them down in the upstairs areas to clean them. That’s going to be a ‘gag reflex’ job! ☺

It’s all mine
I don’t know if I mentioned this before, but this is the first time in my life where my home is mine and mine alone. It’s not my parent’s, or my in-laws. Not my landlord’s. It’s mine. That’s why I want everything exactly the way I want it…not someone else’s choices or restrictions.

Speaking of restrictions…
I applied for the building permit to finish the basement. That was an education and I am now considered a contractor. Now, the building department wants a letter from the condo association that I have their permission to improve my basement. The condo association told me I didn’t need their permission as long as I wasn’t taking down any walls or making any structural changes. I’m waiting for the letter from the management company that says I have permission and I’ll hand deliver it to the building department.

I didn’t balk when they said I needed a smoke detector in each bedroom. I was not bothered when they said I needed a CO detector in the upstairs hall. I was fine with having all three smoke detectors hard wired together. In this town, when doing a renovation the entire unit has to be brought up to code. All that is for my safety and I’m OK with all of it. But this permission thing is annoying!

Physical Therapy
I have been discharged from PT. So far I am still pain free and able to do activities requiring me to put my arms in the air over my head...water aerobics and swimming. It feels good to feel good!