Crossing the Finish Line....

I believe that we'll cross the finish line to completion by this coming weekend's end. The list of 'big things to finish' is getting smaller. The painter (me) seems to have a never-ending list of things to do.  I sorely underestimated the job or overestimated my energy/speed when signing up to do all of the painting prep/execution (or some combination of the two!).

My brother and sister and law were very kind and gave us a hand on Friday.  We got the last of the lighting fixtures in (a fan and a light). Most of the primed/first coated baseboard had been re-installed.  Stretches of it had something needful....nail hole filler, nail hole filler sanding and all of it had to be caulked.  But before caulking, there is cleaning.  My SIL cleaned all of the baseboard; I manned the caulk gun, and my SIL came right behind me to finish off the bead.  It was a huge help--as it reduced by 1/2 the amount of stooping and swiping that I had to do (or 2/3 if cleaning it were involved).

On Saturday, I was back on my knees painting the baseboard.  It's all cut-in work, but with a high quality brush, it went pretty quickly. Of course, my painting skills/speed have improved mightily since the beginning of the project.  I still have one more room to both caulk and paint.  It currently is housing the kitchen cabinet doors...I did not wish to move them for the 20th time.

With that accomplished, Mark was able to put down the shoe moulding which I had previously stained.  Boy, does it look beautiful put up.  The Helmsman Provincial wiping stain was the perfect stain to match the floors.  The floors are just gorgeous...just gorgeous.

Sourcing a 22' drain pan for the water heater turned out to be a major event.  Had I utilized Home Depot's on-line inventory reporting, I would have saved myself some time.  Also, the Williamsburg store is quite a bit closer than the store we normally go to (as the house is in eastern New Kent, not western New Kent where we live).  A 20 minute ride puts you right in touch with a Lowe's and a Home Depot--literally back to back.  Another forehead-slapping "had-I-known" opportunity. 

At the HD, we also achieved a major milestone in acquiring a vanity for the downstairs bathroom.  The existing cabinet was a strange size that meant that a custom top had to be made.  And 98% of that would have to be cut away for the sink. It had a granite top in just the colors that complemented the colors of the bathroom.  That the undermounted sink was white was fine, as it melded perfectly into the overall look.  We had to purchase a new faucet as the one that I had was for a widespread application. So the existing prepped cabinet was tossed and the new cabinet that we found on a back aisle at the HD will replace it.

In both bathrooms, I had to scrape the walls where the old back splashes were attached.  None of our replacement options covered the old space, and I had not considered that eventuality (to my chagrin).  Removing the old caulking meant that some of the paper from the drywall came with it.  I fiberglass-taped over the scraped areas, and then applied drywall.  My skills are nascent at best, but my lack of foresight gave me a chance to build some skill. Gratifyingly,  I produced a fairly professional looking finish that looked better than some of the drywall in that bathroom! Both spaces are primed and ready for 2 coats of finish paint. 


We did have a bi-fold door casualty--a fatality which occurs when one has to "take a little off" that cuts into the core of an MDF door.  When you add 1/2 inch to your floors, all manner of evils unfold--one such evil is that your door jambs have to be raised or you have to cut the bottoms off your doors.  Standard doors, are no longer standard.  We bought new interior doors (from the Re-store), and thankfully, none of those required trimming (but they were solid wood).  But the side door was a problem, and the front door (though it was newly placed and adjusted for flooring) didn't have enough clearance for the threshold.  Mark raised the door jambs on both.

Mark has really been a saint through all of this--though I have tested his sainthood in asking too many questions or offering unsolicited 'suggestions'.  I've known him long enough (32 years) to know that he has to try things his way before he considers the utility of my way.  There have been some instances over that period of time where my was really was the most feasible/efficacious way.  That being said...he is far more knowledgeable in any of this stuff than I am.

With the scotia moulding down on the floor, there is a beautiful, finished look to everything.  It is satisfying (miraculous!) to see how this filthy, poorly maintained home has been revitalized.  Rather than miles to go before we sleep, we have a few hundred feet which we'll cover by putting one foot in front of the other.


Thanksgiving--Post Meal

I achieved my two simple goals:  prepare a lovely meal and stay conscious.  My SIL brought a potato and fennel gratin.  This dish really pulled together all of the savory scents and tastes of the other dishes.  It was the perfect complement.  It is also the first time I've allowed somone to bring food to my table!  I was glad to not have this extra side dish to complete, and as I've had it before and my SIL is a great cook, I new it would be good.


Desserts were spectacular, and when I have time, I'll post the Maple Pecan Chocolate Tart.  It is an extraordinary dessert that I have been making on and off for many Thanksgivings.  It compliments any meal.  It has one of those, rich, persnickety crusts that requires you to work quickly, and it needs two refrigeration stages, but it is worth it.  And it is divine slightly warm with some high quality vanilla ice cream.  For the life of me, my crusts never look great, but they sure do taste good.  The Sweet Potato Marscapone with fresh whipped cream (with a wee bit of Grand Marnier in it) was delicious as well. They make two nice choices (and several of my guests chose to have a piece of each.

The turkey was beautiful and delicious.  It was just under 15 lbs...plenty for 11 and some take-homes for guests and sandwiches for us.  The ham was a delicious a one as I've ever cooked.  It took almost 4 hours to cook to temperature rather than the 2 I expected.  I use a meat thermometer...you know the probe with the wire, snakey mesh that allows your oven to close.  These are a must in the kitchen, and put it on your gift list for your special cook in your life.  s/he will thank you for it.  It will save many a dish from under/over cooking.

Time know for my indentured servitude at the house.  Creeping across the finish line.  The weather could not be more beautiful...lovely Indian Summer.







Thanksgiving-1

We are undergoing a mini-EPA cleanup.  My goal is to keep my sink clean and enlist my minions to help.  They are energetic for a bit, and then disappear quietly until I roust the out of their tranquility.  Ella is underfoot, hoping that gravity will work its magic yielding a tasty treat.   I shoo her out of the kitchen.

I've removed the ham from its 12-hour hot sauna.  That method works well in leeching out excess 'stuff' from the ham to make it so that you can eat a few bites without going into some sort of salt coma.  I still find the odor offensive--feeling as if I should be working in a mortuary as strong as the chemical smell is.

I'll be pecking away at some posts to make myself sit down from time to time to spare my legs.  My goal is to not be too tired to enjoy my guests.  It is a beautiful Indian Summer day here.  Much to be grateful for.


Thanksgiving Eve

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  Here it is Wednesday, I'm just getting started.  For the first time in years, I waited until today to get my victuals.  I had a client deliverable that just needed to get done.  I handed it in this morning after working on it as late a 2 a.m. last evening. 

I normally have an organized list of 'stuff', but not this time.  I'm winging it like the poor turkey.  This will be my 24th Thanksgiving Dinner...I ought to be able to wing in.  I'm in cut back mode--meaning fewer side dishes and not even a 'new' one this year.  I generally make a new dish, but I've not had a moment to consider an entree for an entre into my menu.

I have been getting a free range turkey from BJ's these last couple of years.  I went to BJ's to be greeted by an empty bin where the turkeys should have been perched.  The meat manager explained that there was a turkey shortage (which explains why only 2 turkeys could be purchased by my daughter's school who was trying to get turkeys for kids in need at the elementary school).  "If you don't have one by now, you may not get one," the meat manager said unhelpfully.

I looked at the smithfield country hams, noted the price, and then dashed out the door to Martins.  Thankfully, there was a bird there for me, but I would not have wanted to be any later.  It was a fresh-ish bird...still partially frozen but not a frozen turkey.  They seemed plentiful and at .39/lb v. 1.07/lb a bargain.  But my preference is fresh (though I've seen where frozen may actually be better).  Oh well...no time to thaw a bird either!

I also saw that the country hams were cheaper than at BJ's, so I picked up one (more later).  Back to BJ's and procuring the balance of my victuals.  Cream.  Half and half. milk. Brussels Sprouts. Cranberries. Peanut butter. Cat food.  Pecans.  Walnuts. Shrimp!

Dinner as follows:

Shrimp cocktails
Turkey (brined)
Ham -- Go here to see my cooking method
Brussels Sprouts Hash with carmelized Shallots
Potato and Fennel Casserole (my SIL is bringing this---a departure...because I never let any bring anything)
Cranberry Sauce 
Sausage and Cornbread Dressing
Sweet Potato Marscapone Pie
Maple Pecan Chocolate Tart
Steel fermented Chardonnay from the New Kent Winery

The cranberry sauce is one that I adore.  It has whole cranberries, cooked to bursting.  Sugar, Granny Smith apples, ginger clover and cinnamon added after pureeing in the food processor.

For many years, I made Sausage and Cornbread dressing by making the cornbread.  Last year, I did what seemed to be the unthinkable--I used packaged crumbs.  I have to say, my family liked it better and so did I.  So this year, I will do same.

I always make from-scratch desserts.  They are time consuming, but worth it.  No refrigerated pie crust...they just don't taste the same to me.  I'm boiling the sweet potatoes now as well as the vegetables for the stock for the turkey brine. The Sweet Potato Marscapone Pie is a glommed recipe--stolen parts from a pumpkin marscapone pie, sweet potato etc.  It is a lovely pie--the marscapone adds  so much to the texture and richness of the pie. 

The Maple Pecan Chocolate Tart is an old Bon Appetit recipe. I lost the original recipe, but managed to recreate parts of it.  It is an elegant and delicious dessert.  Served slightly warm with ice cream is a heavenly indulgence.

My motto for Thanksgiving is simple...

Stay Conscious.

I wish you the best in your cooking, consuming and regaling.

Happy Thanksgiving.
















Digital Disgust

These last few days have been frustrating. 

First...  I am now on day 3 of not having my internet connectivity with Cox.   This would not be so bad except:
  • trying to call and report it presents two frustrations.  First, finding a phone number to call.  Second, once calling having to call through a digital agent that requires you do "stuff" that you've already done prior to calling in the first placed.  
  • My my backup--connecting through my phone--was whacked out.  So connecting to the internet was liking surfing through molasses.  It was so slow it was almost worthless.
My phone connectivity has been nothing but crap since I bought a new phone.  The reason I bought a new phone in the first place was because my Blackberry modem tether was broken.  It would no longer connect to the tether socket.  The new phone presented new technology challenges on top of just not doing what you think it ought to do, and it says on the menu that it should do:  tether to your computer and access the internet.

I'll not drag you through all of that...but I will say that the technical support was beyond excellent.  When the technician called me back later that day, he stated that this was one of the most interesting work tickets that he has presented.  What that means for me is simply, there is some IP address conflict or the phone is faulty.  To give you an idea of the speeds in which I'm operating (who knows if this image will upload), take a look at this:


Yep, that is me the blue worm crawling across the lowest of the low performance, while the green line is what most enjoy.  Now you get a sense of my frustration.  This is not what I'm paying for.

On another digital front, I'm trying to close on a house that is wrapped in a process that is mostly digital, seems to involve primary processing in India (with difficult to understand English, and tersely written e-mails) but the US address is in Georgia. Trying to call and get a person gets you a voice mail that you are unable to understand because the English is spoken so poorly.  Please do not misunderstand me--I'm no nationalist!  I'm no bigot!  But I fully expect to do business with people who I can understand and who can understand me.  Nothing is more frustrating than trying to resolve an issue or complaint with there being such a large gap in communication/understanding. 

Solving customer issues is more than a nifty algorithm that requires sequential processing and multiple parroting back of what the customer is saying by someone whose cost per hour is significantly below that of a US person.  We sometimes forget that communication is as often a style/cultural expression as it is structural. I notice this being a Southerner and doing business in other parts of the country.  There's a huge difference in pace and style of communication--but there is a cultural underpinning that allows that to be bridged.  There is no cultural underpinning when one starts to jump oceans--and when you are a customer with an issue (product, service, technical), any of these differences start to inflate and exacerbate the problem.

Remember, I'm talking about the customer experience, not a corporate global integration and having to work with team members on a different continent.  These are two different things.  Corporate cultural integration is internal and there is lots more time/venues to develop understanding, shared objectives, etc.  The customer experience has none of those latitudes.

As I'm sitting with my notary, signing the papers, I note an error in the documents.  It is not a small error....rather they are requiring me affirm certain pieces of information about a property that I'm buying.  ONe of those affirmations is a statement that there is going to be a mortgage placed to  encumbering the property.  There is no mortgage; and I try to call and e-mail my "closer" to discuss how they want to handle as there can be no changes to the documents.

No luck getting any.  Dial 0 out of voice mail and you get nothing.  So, I line through the erroneous statement and initial like any normal person would.  Signed the documents, and inserted the legal description of the property where it was conspicuously absent, and then scanned the docs and sent them via e-mail in addition to Fedex. 

I still have not heard from my closer (who I know is in GA).  All of this supposedly from a six sigma organization.  Right.

What is the difference in these three digital dilemna's?  With Verizon, I easily got to a human being who was interested in resolving my problem: no hoops, no digital assistants to hold me at bay and drag me through steps already taken, no any digital walls (voice mail, e-mail) to ignore me and require me to fend for and make decisions for myself on a contract that should have been correct in the first place and no offshore customer service that presents a communication cultural divide that cannot be bridged.

There are some things that you can outsource (offshore or digitally backfill), and there are other things that you ought to ensure that you preserve---such as keeping customer service focused on both the customer and the service.






Time/Space Intersects

Yesterday was a busy day running hither and yon to close on a property.  I was soaked to the core after leaving the FEDEX office which required me to sprint in the rain, both to and from, my vehicle.  As I was driving home, my daughter called me.  She was ahead of me by just a few minutes.

All of a sudden, there appeared to be a vehicle pulled halfway into the road.  As I closed in, I saw the smashed in front of the truck, and I realized the vehicle had wrecked.  There was a man standing beside the truck, and   I rolled down the window to ask if he was okay. He was clearly shaken and a bit bewildered.  I backed up to put my flashers on and gathered him into the car out of the rain.

He had originally said he had called the police, but he did not have his phone on him.  I asked if he was bleeding or if he had anything broken.  He said no, but his head hurt.  He knew his name and gave me his wife's telephone number.  I called her, and told her who and where I was and that I would call the police and ambulance.  I relayed my amateur assessment of his condition.

Frankly, I was a bit shaken myself.  I called #77 and gave them the information. Several passers by stopped to ensure that everything was okay. First responders were there quickly, and  he was evaluated.  They put him in a neck brace and then put him on a back board.  I called his wife to confirm the hospital that he was at, and explaining what they did.

As they were talking to him, I realized that he was coming from the opposite direction.  He either hydroplaned or hit a patch of water that caused him to veer off the road and then over correct, careening him to the other side of the road and into a tree.  He was not facing a tree, so the impact must have turned him around more.  He is lucky to not be more injured...and his airbag likely saved is life or at least reduced his possible injuries.

IN thinking about the time/space intersect, I was reminded that had I been a little further ahead, or had my daughter been a little further behind, either one of us could have been entangled in that event.  This was so similar to another event where both my husband and I were the first ones there when a young girl wrecked her car.  Oddly enough, I've been the first one onto an accident for no less than 4 times now.  Not sure what the odds are on that.  Luckily, the people were intact.  Other witnesses see much worse.


Homestretch...........

I have managed to use the 12" mitre saw without losing any of my fingers.  I've also used the jigsaw without losing any digits.  I've been under-the-weather these last couple of days.  I went out to the house with full intention of breaking out the paint brush for final coats of paint on doors, but I elected to sweep and take random pictures.

This sink along with the countertop will be trashed.  It has served, admirably, as a work sink. My daughter cleaned my bucket screen last, and I was not happy with the job that she did. 


New countertops should be installed next week.  I neglected to inquire about the lead time on the Formica...(because I did not think that there would be one!).  I had a bead on some countertops that I could "re-purpose".  That turned out to be a total bust (time waster).

Below is the room of a thousand doors--4 pairs of bi-folds cam in and I'm painting them.  You can also see the kitchen cabinet doors in the second pic along with the air compressor.  At least the bi-folds were primed, but they need two coats.  This is what I had planned to do last evening, but I could not muster the energy.

That damned air compressor jolts on and makes enough racket to scare every evil out of your body.  It's a purgative experience, and I'm certain that I'll be much more saintly when all of this is done.  The left over Floor Muffler  (green stuff that I calculated exactly!) makes wonderful floor protection along with the cardboard from the floor boxes. I ended up with 8 boxes of flooring left over.  Since I put the flooring down in the utility and bathroom area...these boxes might come in handy in the event of a water issue.  However, I had a piece of flooring outside for several days (that included rain) and nary a warp or whittle in the finish or structural integrity.

Mark came along shortly, and we took measurements for the base molding and shoe molding.  We re-used most of the base, but the shoe moulding was largely too nasty to reuse being victimized by whatever was used to soil the carpet so badly in the rooms.

On Friday, the electricians were working hard hanging light fixtures, putting in new switches and receptacles...the room above has been used to store trim and other sundries.  I went out with the truck with the bed extender to get shoe moulding.  I bought red oak scotia which I stained using Helmsman Provincial stain.  The engineered flooring has enough variation in the colors that it blends in nicely enough.  It is pretty moulding, and looks terrific.


Today, a first coat for some and a second coat of paint for the bifolds.  Tomorrow I plan to finish the bi-folds.  I also painted the stairway.  I had a stairway ladder, but I was not planning on being on it without a spotter.  My daughter, the former cheerleader, was an able spotter.  I painted the stairwell, and managed to use the last of the Hawthorne Yellow.  I didn't expect the stairwell to take an entire gallon, but it did.  I'm basically done painting all of the walls.  What a great feeling.

Now, to finish the many doors....and the cabinets... But second (and thrid) coats are easy coats, so I'm expecting it to go quickly.  As I sit in my office, I think about what color to re-paint if I were to do so.  I have a very nice office that has always intended to be an office.  It is right off the kitchen and the great room and has a 1/2 bath.  It faces north, so unfortunately, there is no great natural light--not like our southern exposed rooms.  But it is an amply-sized room that has afforded me the opportunity to work productively from it for many years.

The walls are Lancaster Whitewash with Peale Green trim.  I like the colors, but it needs to be freshened up. My room also contains a large, 1929, walnut encased Victrola.  It was something that my Grandad (my mother's father) bought.  I never met him.  I'm glad to have this beautiful behemoth in my home.  It does take up lots of real estate, but I love it.


I told my daughter that she should have made a shadowbox of the disgusting things in this house, so that she will always remember them.  She said the photos and the memories were enough.  Here's the front of the house with the new shutters, and the newly-painted door.  The brown and yellow have been freshened up to green black and yellow.  There are remnants of brown...but that is just the way it will be.






My sister is visiting soon.  She saw the house in its former state.  I cannot wait to show her the home in nearly-finished condition. 


I had dinner with two friends Thursday evening. I arrived early (for a change). The first friend showed up soon after. She lost her significant other in August and has been going through the transition of life without this man she loved so well. We talked a bit. I have no particular global wisdom about 'stuff', but I do have some solid go-to's that I deploy for myself and others at appropriate times. My encouragement to those (and myself) facing life's daunting challenges (and none of us escape those moments when life bears down so hard it hurts), is "Courage and Grace." 

I feel that courage is the root value from which all others emanate.  It takes courage to be compassionate.  It takes courage to forgive.  How so?  It is courage that allows us to surmount our fears and embrace whatever challenge is facing us.  It takes courage to "set aside" those things that abrade against our sensibilities and vulnerabilities.

I combine grace with courage because grace suggests an idealize comportment in such times where we must gird our loins.  We can be courageous and fearsome--a pairing that works well on the battlefield.  A far more refined pairing is courage and grace.  I make no claims to having cultivated either to the level that I would wish, but it is an ideal worth emulating.  I have moments in life where if have been the model of courage and grace--and I've had other moments of polarity that are best not worth remembering!


Embracing courage and grace helps maintain perspective.  If we are to see clearly, and act rightly, we must have proper perspective.  My friend later shared the video below--and I wanted to share it with you. It thought it a lovely composition of music, words and images.  I hope you enjoy it.