So Much Time Has Past...

I need to come back, but i am so lost in the summer and work and working on the home... maybe after I get the latest plumbing problem fixed and patch the kitchen ceiling, for the second time....
Cheers!

Being In Touch Has Made Me Out Of Touch

On a recent trip to our local AT&T store (K's phone was acting up) we go tricked into looking at the IPhone, and that did it, so hundreds of dollars later and all the more happy with our new technogadgets, we are overly connected to everything Internet. Which has distracted me, thus the lack of posts...
This weekend I plan on sitting down and catching up... That is is the beautiful weather doesn't distract me too much...

Time Spent

Well, it’s been some time has it not?

Time has gotten away from me here, mostly because I switched jobs. Again, the third time in as many years. I am still with the same company (only the second company) but doing something new. A lot busier, a lot more challenging and NOT working nights. The bags under my eyes are slowly fading…
But alas it leaves me with little time or energy to get to writing posts.
Not that I’ll give up.
I finally finished the up stairs hall, No more plumbing problems and I am hoping to get that hole in the kitchen ceiling fixed sooner rather then later…

this weekend is supposed to be amazing weather wise so I doubt I'll spend much time indoors. I know Saturday we're going to go wander downtown and eat at Matchbox (can't wait for that Pizza!).
That’s all for now, another post will be forthcoming with pictures I hope!

Cheers!

An Odd Mix, Or Form One End To The Other.......

The last week has been, well a mix of crap, more crap and some tastiness.

As I mentioned before we have been experiencing some plumbing problems. Well that is RESOLVED! almost... The plumber has been working on it since Thursday, it's Monday... not done... not his fault though he had t order a special toilet from New Jersey (go figure...). I didn't mind, this special toilet saved me 3,000.00 dollars, yes folks 3K. how? well it has what is called a Macerator box. Sounds lovely, no? It's not. It's a toilet tank sized box below the toilet tank that completely liquefies anything that goes threw it. Apparently the plumber saw a demo where they sent 20 tampons threw at once and just liquid came out. So that's some chopping power!
How did this amazing poo chopper save us 3k? well with the pooerator toilet there was no need to jackhammer up all the old pipes, just cap them off put a small line directly to the main drainage pipe and whala! all done!

I'll put some pics of the finished work in soon...

I know, it's not nice to talk about things like poo-annihilation devices in public, but it makes me happy (more then I think it probably should, more then anything that deals with poo ever has before, except when they put in the Porto-potties, back when I was stuck in the desert, and we didn't have to pour diesel fuel into a bucket of poo and burn it to dispose of it anymore, that's the happiest anything that has to do with poo has ever made me......


Ok done now, I promise!


So if your still reading (I wouldn't blame you if not), this is what I started while the plumber was busy at work.





Mr. YDIOBIDICWAC (that's "you do it over because I did it completely wrong and crappy") ,the guy we bought the house from, replaced sections of baseboards with completely different trim and boards...













It's coming along ok, I think I need to pull off all the old stuff in this area and redo it to avoid it looking like I just patched it up... yay more work. And it's hard to pull that off without putting holes in the plaster! the trick is a shingle or putty knife behind the pry-bar to disperse the pressure...

Though this may be ill advised I'll come full circle and end on a tasty note...

For dinner I made Pepper steak on the old grill. I must admit this is perhaps the simplest and most delicious steak I have had in a long, long time.
Start here...
That's:
Black Pepper
Salt
dried mixed garlic and herbs (I like the Spice Islands version set to a course grind)
Olive oil (On the veggies)
Garlic (also only on the veggies)






I used Green Pepper, Onion (one half large white) mushrooms (Baby Bella) and one lager Red Potato.
Wrap the veggies in Aluminum Foil


Drizzle on the olive oil
Liberally grind on pepper and spice
salt to taste (I am a sparse salt person, K is not...)
and place the garlic on top (I used about a table spoon, or more... I like garlic... a lot...)

wrap it up and put it on the grill.
about 30 or 45 minutes, second shelf 400-500 degrees.



Meanwhile rub the steak (I suggest the thickest cut you can find) with the salt, pepper and herbs. Wait till the veggies are done to cook if you want it rare like me, or throw it on for 20 minutes and make it blackened like K.






And your done!














And done!


















Remember to let the meat sit for about 5 minutes after you take it off, it's lets it finish cooking...



Cheers!

The Crap Abounds

The last week has not lived up to expectations. Not that I actually had any for it, but it didn't live up to any that I or anyone else would have had...
It started out as a good weekend, Friday came, wine was had, bagels for Saturday breakfast, pizza for dinner at a local dive (more on that later) and a lazy night of beer and annoying the dogs... I had hoped to rototill the garden but some much needed rain came and fouled that all up. Sunday is where the crap hit...

Wake up at 8
watch the Sunday morning news and read the paper
notice that I have a runny nose and feel a little crappy
notice a strange "poo" smell
notice the smell is getting stronger as I move towards the laundry room
enter the laundry room
notice about 5 inches of water
notice it's welling up through the floor....
notice we're not going to have a good day...

So what has happened is a continuation of a problem that has been lurking about since a month or so after we moved in. The wonderful (only in his own head) DIY guy that owned the house before us had apparently washed tile grout down the drains, which then solidified making the diameter of the pipe about one inch, a small rough hole that clogs when anything but clean water passes through. We knew this thus we only used the toilet for #1, did not use the shower and I put a laundry sink in that bypassed the pipe.

Problem solved (or at least delayed until we could afford to have the floor jack-hammered out and the pipes replaced, about year 3 or 4 in my mind) or so I thought.

So what's going on? I wish I knew. Now when water is run ANYWHERE in the house for more then about 1 minute, out it comes from said hole. And the fait poo smell has me worried.

After about an hour of vacuuming up the water and beaching the floor (all the while noticing that I have developed a nasty head cold) I called the plumber. He could come today (for an exorbitant "emergency visit' price or tomorrow for the normal fee (which I had a coupon to waive) so we waited...

I was nice taking 1 minute showers and not washing any dishes...

Monday, I feel like crap, my head has kittens in it that are scratching up my eye's and nose for the inside and I have to work all night...

About 10 the plumber shows, goes over all the problems, looks in the drain, takes out a pen and a calculator (now I know I'm screwed) and starts adding up a lot of numbers.

long story short, that 3 or 4 year off project is happening Thursday and Friday. the floor is coming up, the pipes will be replaced, a new toilet and sink will be put in and the whole layout is going to change. NOT what I had wanted. I wanted to wait and do it slowly, when I had money and time to really plan it out. But we need to be able to wash/shower/cook/flush etc...

yay for us

On a back note, we went to the Stained-glass pub for pizza and beer. when we showed up the cops were taking two rapscallions away, we went in anyway. it's like going back to 1988 the minute you walk in, acid washed jeans were seen... But the pizza is good, greasy and cheesy and the beer is cheap... we'll be going back

Now I just need to get over this damnedable cold...

Cheers...

Why Do I Hate Metro Buses again?

Oh ya, that's right..
They are always running folks over and doing things like this...
Metrobus was involved in a collision with a MARC train and another Metrobus!
All I can think to say is wow.

The DC Home and Garden Show - OR - An Excuse To Go Out

So This Saturday K and I went on down to the H&G show at the convention center near the Mt. Vernon Metro stop.

Ahh, where to start?

I say that because I'm really having trouble, there was so little there worth commenting on that I feel like I should move on to the later evening events.

But I shall say some things.

First, it was more then a little disappointing. I was really looking forward to getting some ideas for my place, seeing some really well done exhibits and interiors. unfortunately there were only about 5 and this was the best.Not much to see here folks.

For the most part it was like reverse door to door salesmen. And by that I mean you were going to do door trying to get crap sold to you. that's the gist. here's what the majority of the place looked like...

Ya, that good.

Although there where a few high points, for instance there was the very reasonable and obviously effective newfangled exercise machine. This new device exercises every mussel in the body with the force of an earthquake! that's right! it's guaranteed to jiggle the fat away!

Just stand on the two vibrating pads and the machine will do the rest for you!







Seriously in real life it was shaking the crap out of her, I think it may cause brain damage and spinal dislocations....


Also I got a little scare when K decided to grab a pare of pruning shears...
seriously, She is always cutting herself or coming very close to cutting me. We keep a good stock of band aids and Neosporin in the house for just that reason and I couldn't see a first aid kit anywhere near that display!

so this is scarier then it looks...






Final note? it was a great big room filled with people trying to sell you crap that should only be sold in those "As seen on TV" stores with a spattering of gutter and door salesmen, landscapers and remodelers and people trying to avoid them...

What else can I say?
I won't be going back next year?
I want that hour and a half back?
Though they did have a cheese box....

On another note, we went to Matchbox afterwards. I was very happy there, good beer on tap and good pizza.
I had a Delirium Tremens. A sweet Belgium style blond ale. Tasty and got me thinking about summer... that paired nicely with the "Fire and Smoke" pizza and I must admit for once something I ordered in a restaurant that was listed as spicy was actually spicy! very good, not for those who are afraid of spicy red pepper, but very good indeed. K ordered a stake... K will only eat a steak if it is burnt beyond recognition. After ordering a well done steak she received a medium... so I ate most of a steak too, it also didn't help that their standard steak sauce is rather sweet, another thing K does not like, sweet food that is not desert.

But she did really like my pizza, so not a total loss and we are both in agreement that we will go back and BOTH have pizza.

Cheers!

Weekend Event

This weekend promises to be either

a: Entertaining and chalk full of ideas.
or
b: frustrating and disappointing.

*note, both choice a and b contain copious amounts of wine, the great equalizer.

Why?

We're going to the DC home and Garden Show at the Washington Convention Center. Why would this fall into category b? well it may be crap and just make me think that other folks just have a lot nicer things and are a lot better at doing things then I.

No use on dwelling though, I am convinced it will be well worth the trip (plus, afterwards we're going to actually eat at a restaurant that is NOT within walking distance of the house! and of course theirs always the drink!). I usually find these shows at least good for inspiration and an education on the new products on the market. Also it's a cheap day out at 9 smackers to get in (per adult) it's less then a movie! (food and booze not included of course) With saving the green being a good thing, I like the sound of that. Also winters over and it's time to get out there, time to start that garden (which I have decided to chronicle on a new blog "Growing Indecently, A Bad Seeds Gardening Stories") . I am also addicted to home improvement (which if you ask K she'll probably insert the word unfortunately in there somewheres) so anything to do with fixing or improving the old abode and I am there.

So This Saturday we're going jump on the old Metro for a short trip to Mt Vernon and see what can be seen. Then off for little fun downtown somewhere. It's been so long I can't even think of a decent place to go for dinner and drinks...

I'll pass on my thoughts after the show (if I don't wash them away shortly afterwards that is...)


Cheers!

A New Friend And Some More Of The Same

Ahh, Cheers to a new friend, I will call you delicious. My new friend is a wonderfully full bodied, delightfully aromatic, smooth, french Buzet. And I couldn't be more happy to have made your acquaintance.

Sorry for the Crappola picture, but that is the hazard of spending too much time with my new friend. crappy pictures, losing coherence, falling over the dog (she does not like that so much and will often give you this look after being stumbled upon, needless to say she is not fond of my new friend) and general all round placidity... But I digress. As for an official scoring I will award the coveted "a wonderful new version of reality" award, with 8.5 whole points of perfectly smashed grapes! it would have been a 9.5 but unfortunately I have discovered two flaws. One; tastes like 2$ wine if imbibed after a stronger, bolder wine. Two; Causes sever brain hemorrhages is imbibed with any other form of alcohol. Really it does! or at least makes you think that it does, but that may have been my fault for having two glasses of my Beloved Buzet AFTER sampling 4 other wines.... but who's to blame me, certainly not I.

As for the more of the same?
I have been scraping paint all day.... Again... But Besides the front door seen below the whole first floor is done! DONE DONE!!!!!!!!!!! off the the second.... And as you can see the paint is just practically falling of the trim in the hall. After the hall? then the bed rooms, the bath window, the basement hall, and all sorts of touch ups...
But I must admit I do love the results! pictures to come, I'm still to focused on the pre to look at the post and due to the timely arrival of spring, the garden is a calling!

All is good.


Cheers!

Home Work

I've been busy of late, so it's taken me a while to get an update together. So here it is.

I've been painting the house, I started and finished the living room as well as the dining room. which is a little bit darker of a gray then in this pic, I added the cove molding too. Now I just need to do the ceiling , but thats going to wait till the whole first floor is painted.

I still haven't fixed the hole in the kitchen ceiling and to be honest I may pay to have it done. I tried twice now and had to remove both attempts due to it looking like a drunken 3 year old did it, I have a real joint compound abuse problem... Besides it's nice looking right there above our stove. And yes, that IS a sewer pipe.




Today I woke up at 2 p.m. because I wanted to get a jump on the stairway before going to work. So I woke up let out the animals and started taping off the stairs. It takes a while to tape off stairs. It takes two hours... Mainly for the banisters....

Tomorrow I am planning on priming the trim, or at least starting to, one of the problems I keep running into is the crappy painting skills of the last owner. I am assuming the stage painted the house in a hurry and in doing so they managed to splatter, drip and drop paint on every hardwood surface in the house. So as I paint I need to carry a scrapper around with me to lightly scratch off the old drips, trying not to remove the woods finish. Not an easy or fast chore. But it's getting better, slowly... I discovered that he didn't even bother to tape off the bottom of the banisters so I need to scrape the entire length, I'm going to have to refinish those I just know it... I REALLY don't want to have to do the floors anytime soon, it runs about 900$ a room to have them done, thats a lot.

So thats the update. Not a lot going on, well not a lot thats exciting to anyone but me I guess.

Cheers!