Name That Rock Star

Come on – let’s hear it:

We took a break from cleaning to go out in the balmy 110 degree day and sand some drawers so I can stain them later today.  Honest to goodness, we look like the Beverly Hillbillies half the time….  Anyhow, I think David looks just like:_____________

Here is the getting closer shower:

Can hardly wait to see it grouted and all cleaned up.  Starting to look more spa-like around here.

It is Hatch chili season here.  Yum!  Made a bunch of salsa verde and slow roasted an 8.5 lb pork shoulder.  Feeding the tile crew tomorrow………….  A happy crew is a careful and productive crew.  Besides, it is a holiday (or so I told).  What’s a holiday?

Hope you all have a lovely one!

Give Me a D……..

as in D is for Demolition   as in D is for Darn Loud    as in D is for Dirty

We are in full combat mode here.  Yesterday all we heard as pounding and a jackhammer.  Saw clouds of dust (even though great care was taken to seal things off) and bucket after bucket of tile shards being carried away.  Lucy is hiding in her crate in David’s office (that side of the house is relatively dust free and a tiny bit quieter).   I made the crew a batch of chocolate chip cookies and tried to get some paperwork done (yeah, right).  David is working from home this week, so he can poke his head in to the chaos occasionally to check progress.  

Here is what our bathroom/house looks like:

 look, no more bathroom floor!

we’re thinking of doing all the floors this way….

  looking out the bathroom to bedroom

watercloset

 shower

 tub in bedroom now, very chic

We had everything wrapped in plastic, but the dust is so fine it seemed to get through anyhow.  Had to clean the whole house last night and wash bedding.  However, now that the demo is done the dust and noise should be over.  Ooops, forgot about the cement board that has to go in shower……oh well, what’s a little more dust (quietly weeping here) (and coughing).

 

And The Countdown Continues

I am sorry I have been neglecting my six faithful readers……..it is task central here.  Nothing too hard, just “stuff” that needs to be done before the tile guys come.  As I said to my friend, this will all be done in a week or so – whatever will I talk about?  I cannot wait to get back to writing fascinating……excuse me…..someone is pawing at me

Lucy:  Well, tell your tiny band of readers now they know how I feel!! 

Me:  Okay – go lay down.  No, you cannot type now…..I’ll tell them

Lucy:  You’re not the boss of me!

Me:  As a matter of fact I am – now go>>>>>

Lucy:  Whatever………and your writing isn’t all that fascinating……..they like my posts much better…..

Me:  LUCINDA BELLE

So sorry, I’m back.  As I was saying, I am looking forward to sending you a wider variety of topics very soon.  For instance – the tree guy.  OMG……… Let’s just say we have a chain saw ordered.  For the tree.  Not the guy.  Or the dog.  

Although…..

P.S. Lucy says now you are neglected just like her.  Whatever…….

T-Day and B-day

Yes indeed, Tile Day (actually tile week) is almost here!!  They come on Tuesday and hopefully will be all done by Saturday.  The very idea that this crazy bathroom odyssey will end is rather unbelievable.  I am putting the finish coat on the guest bath medicine cabinets this afternoon and tomorrow David and I will reinstall them and hang all the new towels bars, etc.  Just in time for us to use while the master is being tiled.  Lucy, as usual, remains unimpressed by the whole thing.

I am really in the groove with this cabinet refinishing thing — sorta a “wax on – wax off” kind of thing (name that movie reference!!)  We’ve decided what color stain to use on the kitchen cabinets.  And yes, I am taking a nice break before I tackle that project.  It is all worth it, and except for a nasty high hamstring pull and a cut or two, it has been relatively painless……oh, and that little drill mishap……….and the hammer thing……..  Let me rephrase….It has been relatively painful.

Wowie, did it rain the other day.  Thought the pool was going to overflow!  Then it stopped just like that…..monsoons are funny that way.  I just barely made it home before it started – could see a wall of black clouds sweeping in, gobbling up the mountains as it came my way.  Tried to take a picture of it, but could not get a good vantage point from the safety of my house.  I love ya – but I was not going back out just to get you a picture.  Forgive me?

B-day!!  As in my dear friend Christine’s birthday.  She is the one who told me to start this whole crazy blog.  Don’t hold that against her and join me in wishing her a very happy one!

 

 

Finally………..

The 5th tub was the charm.  Charm might be overstating it a bit – there were still a couple tiny scratches, but we cannot take any more chances.  It will be just fine.  God knows what disaster we might have faced if we rejected this one.

We cleaned it up and put it on some cardboard in the living room.  Makes quite a decorating statement.

That’s all for now.  I’m tired and sore & in need of some mindless TV therapy.

Sleep tight.

102

That’s what Julia Child would have been on Thursday 8/14.  It is how old I feel at the present moment.  It’s also the temperature……perfectly beautiful day.

We have two more tubs being delivered on Monday.  They are starting to send them in bulk so we have a better chance of getting a useable one. It would actually be cheaper for them to buy two first class airline tickets, hand carry it on the plane, and let the nice flight attendants strap it in. 

I’ve started a neighborhood pool – what is the number of the “keeper” tub.  Any prize ideas for the winner?

My guess is 102…….seems appropriate.

Last night we had a lovely little birthday party for our dear friend Bill.  Good food, good friends, and some much needed laughter.

Purple Haze

Behold! The desert after a couple of days of monsoonial rains.  Our entire neighborhood is awash in every shade of purple imaginable.  Even the Fairy Dusters have thrown out an occasional reddish pink fan.  The whites are fresh as sheets on a clothsline.  AND it all smells amazing.

Before & After

Three *&@%&^ Strikes

The third tub was just refused — big scratch in tub top.  I can’t even think straight I am so upset……..

Tub #4 is being shipped (hopefully not by chimps) as we speak.  It is the last tub in stock….

Make room under that bed Lucy, Mama’s coming.

On a brighter note – here is the guest bathroom.  Photo was really hard to take & get coloring right, but you get the idea.

Hey, That’s My Hiding Place

Things have just gone way too far — Mom is now under the bed.  MY bed, MY hiding spot.  She has been there since last night.

It all started when the tub was delivered, well not really delivered.  It was trashed just like the first one.  Some packing genius thought that shipping a bathtub cross country only required a thin piece of plastic over the top…….no padding, no box, basically a bathtub in a baggie.  Geez, even I know better than that.

A few frantic phone calls later and *poof* she was gone – under the bed.

This morning I tried to lure her out with a doughnut.  I heard ummy noises, but no sign of her.  I’ll try again at lunchtime with an In-N-Out burger, and if that fails, a Margarita.

In the meantime, I’ll just keep Dad company while he continues to destroy um, dismantle….hmm, let’s see – work on the bathroom.

Sometimes there are no words……