Frost’s “Mending Wall” may tell us that “good fences make good neighbors”, but I am not so sure. I have a pretty shoddy fence, but my neighbors are all fine people. Just this afternoon, my neighbors Trish and Andy helped me move some very heavy furniture. When she saw the truck in my driveway she said, “Oh no! You’re not moving, are you?” They mail a Christmas card every year, too, even though our houses are only fifty feet apart. They’ve given nice gifts, like plants and hummingbird feeders. The decrepit fence between our houses may keep their cows on their side, and my elves on mine, but neither of us is too worried about it.
Filed under: House, Literature and Books, Musings on March 6th, 2010 | No Comments »
A couple weeks ago, after the plumbing nightmare, and the air conditioner failure, I silently wondered what the next house horror would be. I incorrectly guessed something related to the wiring. Last night, in the middle of the night, my hateful house answered my question.
At first, I thought the puddle of water on the bathroom floor was the result of my having not closed the shower curtain. But I felt around the tub and it was dry. When a drop of water hit my head, my heart sank. A leaking roof was the last thing I expected, and the last thing I want. The ceiling was saturated, the plaster breaking off in chunks. So, before the sun rose this morning, I was up on the roof, in the high wind and driving rain, laying tarps over the roof. Lord, was I dismayed!
But my preliminary survey of the attic was encouraging: there are no visible signs of water intrusion over a wide area of the sheathing. Rather, I suspect that the leak is occurring where the vent stack comes in contact with the asphalt shingles. I will know for sure soon. Meanwhile, I’d just like it to stop raining.
Stay tuned.
Filed under: House, Meteorology on May 20th, 2009 | 3 Comments »
I was premature in declaring my plumbing problems ended. Last weekend, after a long shower, I found the problem I had hoped had been resolved had, in fact, returned. (Yes, I am aware the preceding is a terrible sentence.) So, tomorrow afternoon between 2:00 and 4:00 in the PM, the plumbers will probably be ripping the yard apart to get to the cause of the clog.
When I arrived home from work tonight (after visiting the downtown farmers’ market and having dinner at The Top with Miriam), I found that GRU had paid us a visit and done some work in the yard. There were tractor marks in the grass, and the yard had been dug up beneath the cedar tree. I couldn’t find a clean-out, if one had, indeed, been installed.
I will spend all day tomorrow writing a paper and looking forward to being able to take a shower while simultaneously washing clothes, running the dishwasher, and flushing the toilet.
Filed under: House on April 22nd, 2009 | No Comments »
I think it may now be safe to say that our dire plumbing woes are behind us. Several weeks ago, on a Saturday afternoon, the stoppage was almost total, and as we had a couple dozen guests coming over for dinner, it was crucial that something be done. We had informed our visitors that they may have to hold it while at our house. But I called Quality Plumbing out, and, though I feared what the bill would be at $170/hour, I had no other choice. Rocky came out. He was a younger fellow, but very nice. He spent probably an hour and a half on the roof, and on hands and knees in the yard listening for the sound of his snake spinning in the drain. After he felt like he’d done all he could, he announced that the total was only $112. Our guests were relieved, so to speak, to have the toilet working again, and I was glad to be able to shower that night. Almost a month later it’s still flowing smoothly. Huzzah, Rocky, and Quality Plumbing!
Filed under: House on April 10th, 2009 | No Comments »
When we bought our house four years ago, we used the back rooms as a staging area, bringing all our furniture and boxes there to be sorted before moving it to more appropriate rooms. Unfortunately, it took us a long time before we got around to clearing out those boxes, and two rooms in our house were a mess for quite a while. Eventually, we got organized, and we put in new floors and painted the walls and ceiling, and that was pretty good. Then Miriam found some wallpaper she really liked and she asked me to put it in. I spent my Christmas break last December putting that up. Knowing that I’d later be installing paneling to the bottom of the walls, I left the wallpaper covering only the top two thirds. It looked silly for a couple months.
My spring break began a week ago, and I spent it installing paneling and a chair rail. It involved dozens of precise measurements and intricate cuts, but by last Saturday I was putting the finishing touch on the paint. It looks pretty good, if I do say so myself, and is by far the most cheerful room in the house. During all my labors I regreted not being able to relax on the sofa–and I missed a couple chances to go to the beach–but, having now finished, I feel satisified.
Filed under: House on March 16th, 2009 | No Comments »