Author: eaumaison (Page 51 of 210)

Yesterday the snow started, melting into a wet layer of water that froze slick overnight.  This morning the ground was an ice skating rink.  I got the kids safely to school, then went to pick up tile samples.  In the empty parking lot, at roughly 3 mph, my car skidded into a curb.  Probably no biggie,  I thought, everything looked fairly normal, and went in to get my tiles.  When I tried to drive again, it gave an awful squeal and felt very very strange.  Discount Tire was 0.3 miles away, so I hobbled over and they took a quick look.  They said the wheel and tire look good, but the suspension has been jammed back.  The noise was the tire rubbing against the wheel well, and the strange axle angle explains why I had to hold the steering wheel at 2 o’clock to go straight.

An hour on the phone filing a claim got me a tow truck, a rental car, and an appointment at the repair shop.  Ben came whizzing down from Longmont to my rescue and to help pick up our pre-schooler on time.

Everyone at each of those places said they’ve been crazy busy; it seems most of the Denver area has stories similar to mine.  Four hours after the incident I’m finally home for lunch, after what was supposed to be a quiet, productive, relaxing morning without kids or house workers for the first day in weeks.

Looking on the bright side: Sam was a dear, and the repair shop had popcorn!

Also our insurance covered a mini-van rental.  I’m in love.  I don’t mind driving this luxury mom-machine for a few  weeks or months!  It will make my next trip to IKEA easy-breezy.

Also, no one was hurt.  No property or other cars were involved.  I have great insurance.  Sure, it’s our FIFTH claim since September, but that’s what it’s there for.  (If you weren’t keeping score: Water Damage, Ben’s Car, Wind Damage, Computer, My Car.)

Another major milestone in the renovations is complete! Today they finished putting in the IKEA cabinets. I am overwhelmed by the quantity of storage space I now have. My mind is boggling with different placement options.

(A spare piece is playing the role of island countertop.)

Tomorrow afternoon the countertop will be templated, and then we wait 10 to 15 business days for fabrication and installation. After that the backsplash, sink, dishwasher and plumbing can be installed, and last they finish the outlets and lights and trim for the electrical icing on the cake. And then I can finally make cake! 

Optimistically, it’s conceivable that I could bake my own birthday cake by February 20th.  More realistically, it will be March when we can say life in our house is back to normal.

It only needs a toilet paper bar installed.

This is what 983 pounds of IKEA flat pack looks like:

Our floors are cured enough that we can resume light work.  Monday the kitchen walls got their texture.  Yesterday and this morning I painted the kitchen.

Ceilings are hard!  It still looks blotchy because of all the patching and varying amounts of texture (this team was not top notch) but it’s good enough for my standards. It looks decent in real life, and once the room is finished they won’t draw focus.

I painted that yellow wall gray to match the others.  Never liked how that yellow turned out years ago.  Also, I didn’t bother to paint where I was sure the cabinetry will cover the walls.

Sam has done a super job of entertaining himself with toys while I work.  I swear that kid is hot and cold-the sweetest ever, or a whiny mess.  There’s nothing in between 🙂

The guy from our restoration service is back today putting on baseboards and reinstalling the bathroom.  I can’t believe we might be able to pee downstairs tonight! And wash hands! And do laundry!  Oh, how I miss my washer and dryer!

Our IKEA shipment was delayed a day due to snow in the mountains.  I got an alert that it made it to the front range and will be delivered tomorrow.  Cabinet installation isn’t scheduled until Monday, I’m glad we gave it some wiggle room.

In other news, Sam spilled water on my laptop yesterday.  Kids!  I swear, if our cottonwood were to crash into our roof tomorrow it wouldn’t surprise me at this point.  It’s one thing breaking after another this fall and winter.  

I’m kicked out of the house today.  My choice – I’d rather stay away than be trapped in the basement with the fumes.  

I’m sorting house-related correspondence and working on the Into the Woods choreography at a Starbucks.  The boys are both in school.  I figure Sam and I can get lunch out, then play at the library in the afternoon.

Today our floors got their smooth finish sanding and a coat of sealer.  Rather than be stuck in the basement all afternoon, we are entertaining ourselves outside the house.  Sam and I picked up Jack and played at his school playground.  Then some errands, then had dinner at Tokyo Joes with Ben.  With 30 minutes left until socks can walk on the floor, the boys get a special dessert. 

The floors should be done tomorrow – a day early!  I’m looking forward for a few days of quiet.  Even if we can’t move back into the main floor until next week, I won’t have vacuums and sanders droning overhead all day.  

Update – got home, they are gorgeous!  Stinks though.  Would have been nice to have warm weather with open windows and fresh breezes.

Things are moving along on schedule.  The floors are installed up to the kitchen and the kitchen has been patched.  Ben had the displeasure of taking all our laundry to a laundromat for cleaning.  House repairs make you appreciate things you take for granted.  I had forgotten about hoarding quarters to wash our clothes.

Ben and I used a date night to look at backsplash tile and countertops.  I think I’ve settled on a design scheme.  Then we ate and Red Robin and got home in time to put the kids to bed.  

Yesterday we saw Hidden Figures at a theater in Stapleton.  The Alamo will always be my favorite theater, but this new one, Harkins, has babysitting!  It was fantastic.  For $6 per kid they got movies, video games, crafts, toys, and unlimited popcorn and water in the play center in the lobby.  I got a silent pager in case they needed me during the movie.  I wish more places would offer services like this!  The movie was great too.  Not especially factual, but fun and full of good feelings and great period costumes.  

Tomorrow the boys are off of school for MLK day.  If they’re good and my cold and injured back are not worse, I’ll take them swimming.  They’ve been good sports about the house.  They deserve a treat.

It’s a big relief to see something being built up instead of torn down.  We’re on the other side now.  Bonus picture of Sam being entertained by a spinny chair in the Daltile showroom.