One week into summer (going by the Memorial Day standard), I've got nearly all of my windows at least quasi-operational. Yesterday, Don helped me with the living room window which, while pretty (its wood is stained to exactly match the rest of the living room), is a trainwreck as far as operation is concerned. The sashes are so old that it doesn't reliably stay up without the aid of a stick - a concern due to the cat.* This is also one of the worst as far as wind and cold leakage, compounded by its location directly behind the couch. Opening it in the summer requires a delicate ballet of sliding the storm window up to balance on top of the new screen - all while holding the window itself up so it doesn't come crashing down. Plus, to reach it, I have to balance on the back of the couch. Having a second set of hands is immensely helpful.
The only windows still not operational are the upstairs bathroom which is still sealed shut (and also sashcordless), one of the paired back hall windows (which has a horribly rusted and broken screen), and the larger of the office windows (which has no fitting screen). Oh, and there's one more in the back hall that I can't reach, since it's perched above the stairs, so it's a moot point anyway.
I plan to scrape the last of the removable caulk from the upstairs bathroom, though I hope to soon have the money to completely replace the whole bathroom. The way the window's frame is bisected by the wall with the shower plumbing, replacing that window requires a ton more work - one that a new bathroom can fix.
Overall, by my count, I have four new windows in the house (two each in my bedroom and the kitchen), six old ones in the main living area, two in the basement, and a whopping eleven geriatrics on the porch. The living room window is first on the list for replacement, and I'll also replace the two cracked window panes on the porch. From there, it's up to budget.
*Right after I moved in two years ago, the cat was hanging out in one of the porch windows that we knew was sashless but "seemed to stay in place just fine," in the words of my ex. One morning, we heard the most blood-curdling yowls. The window had fallen and trapped Collette. In her haste to escape, Collette's back paw had gotten stuck in the window, and she was hanging, dangling, flaying her other three paws against the wall, trying to get traction. Once we freed her, she slinked off to drip blood all over the new carpet and didn't walk normally for a couple weeks. To this day, she occasionally stops and shakes out the affected paw - I think it was likely a broken toe. Since then, if a window lacks operational sashes, it either remains shut or is firmly propped into place.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Next Up: A Timer
I like having my front porch lights on when I come home in the dark, especially in winter. Plus, studies show that a block whose homes are lit up have less crime. In my neighborhood, it sure can't hurt. And since I switched to the snazzy new CFL bulbs, the electricity impact is relatively negligible - though I did discover, less than two weeks after installing the first pair, that they are susceptible to brownouts.In winter in northern Illinois, it gets dark by 4:30, long before I get home from work. Around Christmas, I string up Christmas lights on the inside of my porch windows and use a plug-in timer so they come on at sunset and go off about bedtime. I flip on the porch light when I get home. In summer, I flip on the light when it gets dark - lately around 8:30. But in summer, I wake up to blazing sunshine at 6 AM - and the porchlights are still on.
This weekend, my friend Sarah was showing off all the great updates her dad helped her with recently, one of which was a neat automatic timer for the front lights. Rather than plugging into an outlet, it's designed to fit in the existing switch slot. The model she got can be programmed for your timezone, whether or not you adjust for Daylight Savings, and your local area. From there, she was able to set it to have her lights on from dusk to dawn - exactly what I'm looking for.
I think I'll stop by Home Depot and pick one up.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Failure
The great sharpening experiment has failed. Saturday, I excitedly mowed my lawn. Yep, the blades are sharper, but the cut is still horribly uneven. My lawn looks like (shorter) crap. I'm weighing my options for next steps.
In happier news, I planted a tomato plant in one of my big clay pots that line the driveway, as well as numerous herbs - basil, oregano, cilantro and dill. I plan to add a bell pepper plant in the next few days, once I find a worthy candidate.
It's been another beautiful day that triggers my allergies, but that didn't stop me from my inaugural 5 mile bike ride through the my and neighboring neighborhoods.
In happier news, I planted a tomato plant in one of my big clay pots that line the driveway, as well as numerous herbs - basil, oregano, cilantro and dill. I plan to add a bell pepper plant in the next few days, once I find a worthy candidate.
It's been another beautiful day that triggers my allergies, but that didn't stop me from my inaugural 5 mile bike ride through the my and neighboring neighborhoods.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Springtime Wandering
On this beautiful sunny day, I strolled through the neighborhood, buoyed by Claritin. This was the first such destinationless stroll this year, and it was divine. The air was clean and crisp - a nice 65 degrees with a slightly nipping wind in the shade, but beautiful sun permeated the trees.
I had nowhere to go or be, so I meandered through streets I don't usually wander through. I deviated from the main streets and drank in the neighborhood in springtime. It was all very suburban - kids galore, out on bikes and kicking soccer balls around. There were even a couple moments reminiscent of driver's ed videos, with kids darting into the street after a wiffleball without checking for traffic. But you can get away with that through much of the neighborhood.
There were blocks of old houses like mine, and a few blocks of identical ranches houses with only slight variations on shutter color and front door placement. There were a couple blocks of all brick homes, built in the 20s to replace the blocks destroyed by Elgin's infamous 1920 Palm Sunday tornado.
I walked past tiny local businesses I never realized were there in my car-fueled haste. I stopped into Herb's Bakery, which I've heard so much about, only to find their selection picked over and sparse. I never realized just how many tiny auto repair shops are in the neighborhood. I suppose it comes with being a less affluent area. I also passed dozens of homes for sale, and a couple with the tell-tale signs of foreclosure - including one on my corner.
But that's what I love about Elgin and my neighborhood. There's so much diversity in the houses and the people who live in them. When I was house-hunting, I was adamant about not wanting to live in a cookie-cutter subdivision where an overzealous homeowners' association dictates house colors and suitable flowers for planting. Sure, the lack of such covenants does open the door for the occasional teal house or the pink bodega, and you get your fair share of tall, unkempt lawns - but it always provides conversation. For example, in my neighborhood, there's a parakeet house, where the screened in front porch is filled with at least a dozen cages packed with the birds. You can hear it a block away!
I'm looking forward to many more such walks in the warming weather. I bike a lot, too, but even at 10 mph, you miss a lot of the details.
I had nowhere to go or be, so I meandered through streets I don't usually wander through. I deviated from the main streets and drank in the neighborhood in springtime. It was all very suburban - kids galore, out on bikes and kicking soccer balls around. There were even a couple moments reminiscent of driver's ed videos, with kids darting into the street after a wiffleball without checking for traffic. But you can get away with that through much of the neighborhood.
There were blocks of old houses like mine, and a few blocks of identical ranches houses with only slight variations on shutter color and front door placement. There were a couple blocks of all brick homes, built in the 20s to replace the blocks destroyed by Elgin's infamous 1920 Palm Sunday tornado.
I walked past tiny local businesses I never realized were there in my car-fueled haste. I stopped into Herb's Bakery, which I've heard so much about, only to find their selection picked over and sparse. I never realized just how many tiny auto repair shops are in the neighborhood. I suppose it comes with being a less affluent area. I also passed dozens of homes for sale, and a couple with the tell-tale signs of foreclosure - including one on my corner.
But that's what I love about Elgin and my neighborhood. There's so much diversity in the houses and the people who live in them. When I was house-hunting, I was adamant about not wanting to live in a cookie-cutter subdivision where an overzealous homeowners' association dictates house colors and suitable flowers for planting. Sure, the lack of such covenants does open the door for the occasional teal house or the pink bodega, and you get your fair share of tall, unkempt lawns - but it always provides conversation. For example, in my neighborhood, there's a parakeet house, where the screened in front porch is filled with at least a dozen cages packed with the birds. You can hear it a block away!
I'm looking forward to many more such walks in the warming weather. I bike a lot, too, but even at 10 mph, you miss a lot of the details.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Who names these things? How do we stop them?
My lawnmower sharpening kit came with a great set of instructions that made the job pretty simple. Heck, each step was spelled out in three languages, and the diagrams actually made sense and mirrored my mower!
I also learned a couple new words. Anyone know what this sentence means?
Fortunately, the diagrams helped clarify the goal. But what is a pinion gear, and how does it relate to a pawl? Who named these parts? And where do the names come from?
Wiki comes to the rescue with a couple helpful definitions.
I also learned a couple new words. Anyone know what this sentence means?
"Carefully remove the pinion gear, being extremely careful not to allow the pawl to fall out of the slot in the reel shaft."Huh?
Fortunately, the diagrams helped clarify the goal. But what is a pinion gear, and how does it relate to a pawl? Who named these parts? And where do the names come from?
Wiki comes to the rescue with a couple helpful definitions.
A pinion is usually the smallest gear in a gear drive train. In many cases, such as remote controlled toys, the pinion is also the drive gear.A pawl is even less descriptive:
Pawl may refer to:
- A common component of a ratchet
- A part of the adjustable height locking mechanism of an extension ladder
- Pawl (constructor), a former racing car constructor
- A part of a table saw splitter, a safety mechanism designed to prevent kickback
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Sharpening My Skills - and Mower
My lawn looks like crap. There, I've said it. Spring is always tough, with frequent rain and ideal growing conditions that make the grass grow quickly, while keeping it too wet to actually mow with my old friend the reel mower.
This spring, it has been especially brutal. I nearly reached my limit with the reel mower and considered investing part of my "stimulus check" in what some (Don) call a "real" mower, complete with engine! But sanity prevailed as I realized that I had never sharpened the blades on my reel mower, and I'm now in my third grass-cutting season.
Last summer, I had idly realized that sharpening might be a good idea. I made a couple calls, and learned that there's only one place locally that does it, and even Ace farms out the work to them. Hence, the wait would be about three weeks! If I had planned ahead and sharpened in winter, three weeks would be no problem. However, in the height of summer, the neighbors - and city - might complain if I didn't mow my lawn for three weeks. I meant to send it off last winter, but alas - sloth prevailed.
Instead, I decided to investigate the sharpening kits that can be used spruce up the blades at home. Today, I stopped by my local Ace (I had checked Lowe's and Home Depot for the kit while I was on my door sojourn) and picked one up for $20. I brought it home and eagerly set up living room space for my project, spreading out a grubby old towel. I followed the directions and the whole process was pretty simple. From start to finish, it took maybe 30 minutes, 45 if you count the time to run to the Citgo for WD-40. (I can't believe I've been a homeowner for two years and didn't have WD-40!)
Basically, you take apart the wheel assembly, which is remarkably simple, and then paint goo onto the blades. The goo spreads on a deep blue with flecks of sparkle, reminiscent of the bad blue-glitter nail polish high school girls wear. Then, you insert a crank into the wheel and turn it counter-clockwise at a relatively high rate of speed for ten minutes. In the process, there's a horrific grinding noise, and the goo turns dark midnight blue. When you're done, wipe off the blades, reassemble the wheels, and WD-40 the whole thing. I did a test drive on a small strip of front lawn and cut it in a single pass, rather than the three cross-cuts that still left maddening uneven spots throughout the yard. Dandelions are still somewhat resilient, but they're the cockroaches of lawn care.
A huge sense of accomplishment and money saved - a very good project. Now I can keep my nice, quiet lawnmowing tradition and get some great exercise, too.
This spring, it has been especially brutal. I nearly reached my limit with the reel mower and considered investing part of my "stimulus check" in what some (Don) call a "real" mower, complete with engine! But sanity prevailed as I realized that I had never sharpened the blades on my reel mower, and I'm now in my third grass-cutting season.
Last summer, I had idly realized that sharpening might be a good idea. I made a couple calls, and learned that there's only one place locally that does it, and even Ace farms out the work to them. Hence, the wait would be about three weeks! If I had planned ahead and sharpened in winter, three weeks would be no problem. However, in the height of summer, the neighbors - and city - might complain if I didn't mow my lawn for three weeks. I meant to send it off last winter, but alas - sloth prevailed.
Instead, I decided to investigate the sharpening kits that can be used spruce up the blades at home. Today, I stopped by my local Ace (I had checked Lowe's and Home Depot for the kit while I was on my door sojourn) and picked one up for $20. I brought it home and eagerly set up living room space for my project, spreading out a grubby old towel. I followed the directions and the whole process was pretty simple. From start to finish, it took maybe 30 minutes, 45 if you count the time to run to the Citgo for WD-40. (I can't believe I've been a homeowner for two years and didn't have WD-40!)
Basically, you take apart the wheel assembly, which is remarkably simple, and then paint goo onto the blades. The goo spreads on a deep blue with flecks of sparkle, reminiscent of the bad blue-glitter nail polish high school girls wear. Then, you insert a crank into the wheel and turn it counter-clockwise at a relatively high rate of speed for ten minutes. In the process, there's a horrific grinding noise, and the goo turns dark midnight blue. When you're done, wipe off the blades, reassemble the wheels, and WD-40 the whole thing. I did a test drive on a small strip of front lawn and cut it in a single pass, rather than the three cross-cuts that still left maddening uneven spots throughout the yard. Dandelions are still somewhat resilient, but they're the cockroaches of lawn care.
A huge sense of accomplishment and money saved - a very good project. Now I can keep my nice, quiet lawnmowing tradition and get some great exercise, too.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Home Depot Employees = Talent?
Wow.
Home Depot employees Walk Like Electricians. Via Make the Logo Bigger, a marketing blog I frequent.
And for the record, Great Stuff really is great, especially for a drafty old house!
Home Depot employees Walk Like Electricians. Via Make the Logo Bigger, a marketing blog I frequent.
And for the record, Great Stuff really is great, especially for a drafty old house!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Fleeting Flowers
I had a whole herd of gorgeous tulips this spring. They were late to bloom, but when they did, last fall's frenzied planting made sense. I had about 30 red tulips which looked great against the white house. Then, about a week later, the pink and white swirled blooms I had completely forgotten about appeared one sunny morning. Heck, I had even forgotten about the daffodils!
I kept waiting for the perfect morning to take the perfect spring picture. I wanted the morning light to be just right - which seems to happen about the time I leave for work - and a light breeze to add some loft to the flag. The morning I had an extra minute, my camera's batteries were uncooperative. Manana, manana, I thought.
Then one morning, they were gone. Strong winds and heavy rains ripped most of the petals from their moorings. Over the next couple days, the remaining petals dropped to the ground and started rotting on the lawn.
Oh, well. The petunias are doing pretty well, and the snapdragons are holding on for the moment. Today, I hit Lowe's and got tons of seeds (zinnias, nasturtiums and aubrietas) and a few cheater marigolds. I went ahead and planted all but some of the zinnias. Once the stems and
leaves of the tulips die, I'll plant the rest.
But for now, here's a drooping daffodil next to a growing petunia.
I kept waiting for the perfect morning to take the perfect spring picture. I wanted the morning light to be just right - which seems to happen about the time I leave for work - and a light breeze to add some loft to the flag. The morning I had an extra minute, my camera's batteries were uncooperative. Manana, manana, I thought.
Then one morning, they were gone. Strong winds and heavy rains ripped most of the petals from their moorings. Over the next couple days, the remaining petals dropped to the ground and started rotting on the lawn.
Oh, well. The petunias are doing pretty well, and the snapdragons are holding on for the moment. Today, I hit Lowe's and got tons of seeds (zinnias, nasturtiums and aubrietas) and a few cheater marigolds. I went ahead and planted all but some of the zinnias. Once the stems and
leaves of the tulips die, I'll plant the rest.But for now, here's a drooping daffodil next to a growing petunia.
Doors ordered!
After comparison shopping, Home Depot matched - and beat - the best price I had found, so my doors are on order. I should have them in 10-14 days, so I'm just a couple weeks from a shiny new door! And it will indeed be shiny steel. I found I could order a fiberglass door in my super-special size, but it would have been more than double the cost. I'll spend that money elsewhere, I'm sure.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Darn Doors
File this under "who would have thought..."It's past time to replace my back door. The existing one is very, very old wood that has warped with age, and the glass leaks cold air and wind like a sieve. Plus, the existing storm/screen door doesn't quite fit the opening. When I first moved in, there was a sizable - probably 4-5 inches - gap at the bottom through which Collette escaped one day. After that, I rehung the door so there were two inch gaps at the top and bottom. I never leave just the storm door open for any amount of time, since I don't want to let bugs or critters in, but if I'm bringing in several trips - groceries, namely - and I don't bother to close the actual door, I'll see Collette's face peeking out from the gap.
I wanted to replace the doors last summer, but before I knew it, it was the height of mosquito season. I didn't want to be doorless for an entire day with bugs streaming into the house. A couple weeks ago, I priced things out and called my dad, since he's offered to use his know-how to install the new doors while teaching me how to do it.
Saturday, he came over to take detailed measurements. My initial measurements had indicated that the door wasn't a standard size, but I obviously wanted verification before I actually bought one - especially if it ended up being a special order. Dad confirmed my fears - the door I need is a 30" by 80" door to fit my 32.25" by 82" opening. We talked about enlarging the opening, but the framing around the opening is in really good shape, and we shouldn't disturb it if we don't really have to. Plus, with aluminum siding, we don't want to create an opening that would then entail needing replacement siding. Ugh. Occam - keep it simple.
So we went off to Menard's, Mom and sister in tow. After finding the doors I had previously picked out, we looked at the specs. Yep, the size I needed would have to be special ordered. The Menard's guy spent some time with his online catalog, adjusting options (kickplate? mail slot? what kind of hinges?) to come up with a quote. The door will likely run about $230 for a steel door with a half-light window with grills - essentially replacing the style already there. The corresponding storm/screen - with the retracting screen - will likely be more, closer to $270.
The narrow size really limits my option. It appears - at Menard's, at least, I'm limited to steel. While steel is definitely better than the ancient wood I currently have, it is prone to dings and dents, which worries me. This door is pretty high traffic, and though I may start off being careful, six months from now when I'm struggling in out of the cold with eight bags of groceries, I may end up doing some damage. It appears fiberglass is a bit more durable - and expensive - but I don't even have that option. I'm going to further investigate my options at Lowe's and Home Depot to see what else I can do.
It just goes to show how home design has evolved. The back hallway part of my house isn't original - it was added on at some point - but I'm sure 30" was pretty standard for a door width then. Now, the standards seem to be 32" or 36". It's like subway seats - as Americans have gotten larger, so have doors and seats - though airline seats have only shrunk.
I have one even smaller door in the house. The door to my downstairs half bath - which I think used to be a pantry - is a paltry 24" inches wide. It's pretty claustrophobic in there.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
"Deferred Maintenance" Bites Me
Two years ago, the home inspector listed several small, relatively simple repairs. I took care of most of them – things like tightening toilet bolts, replacing a faulty light switch and adjusting ceiling fans.
Others, I’ve neglected. In the ceiling of my screened in porch, there has always been a loose board. For two years, I’ve often thought to pull out the stepladder, climb up there, and nail it back into place once and for all. In the last few weeks, the board appeared to drop down a bit farther and come more detached from the ceiling. Saturday, when my dad was over to help measure for the back door, we talked about other pending projects, he noticed the board and said if I handed him a hammer, he’d take care of it right then. But dinner was going on the table, so I put it off again.
It started pouring Saturday night, and by Sunday morning, there was a nice puddle in the porch, directly below my detached board. It was leaking at a pretty steady rate, though it never filled the bucket I put beneath it. I mopped a bit and found a second spot with a smaller leak.
Once it stopped raining, Don reached up with the rubber mallet and hammered the board back into place for the moment, but it looks like it and the boards on either side should be replaced. It’s bead board – one of many such instances in the house – and I have grand plans for the porch as a whole, so this just shuffles it to the top of the list. I’ll replace the three affected boards, caulk the heck out of the whole thing, and then paint. I have two cracked windows out there to replace, too. But essentially, I want to really make that space livable. It’s screened in, which is perfect for summer, especially since it’s ringed in hanging baskets of dianthus. Late last summer, I picked up a wicker rocker and ottoman on eBay, which are out there with another lounge chair. With some fresh paint (I’m thinking a cheery Mediterranean blue), a real light fixture to replace the naked bulb and a bit more furniture, it’s going to be a great room.
But first, I think I need to climb up on the roof and figure out the source of the leaks. This could be my first roofing project!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Cinderella has a Roommate
I have a confession to make. Despite all my crowing about making it as a single girl homeowner (choose the appropriate hyphenation), I'm not so single anymore.
For the last 15+ months, I've been dating the wonderful Don ("The Don," as friends call him), and two weeks ago, he moved in. It's been fantastic sharing my home - our home - with such a caring, loving guy who constantly challenges me to be a better version of myself and do more. In fact, the Cinderella concept stems in part from him. One night several months ago, I was talking about all the things I've learned as a novice homeowner and the advice I give to friends. He encouraged me to keep at it, write it down and do something with the concept. That idea, coupled with Colete Dowling's Cinderella Complex, gave rise to this blog and numerous other scattered writings.
The truth is, it's great having a roommate who not only helps with the mortgage (thus freeing up funds to do more projects and - gasp - go back to school) but also serves as a sanity check on some of my more harebrained ideas. Climbing up on the roof alone? No way, not with Don around. He acknowledges that I certainly can do many things alone, he's there, ready to help out while also injecting some reason and rationality into the process.
Heck, last fall he climbed the roof to help me clean gutters, despite his fear of heights! If that's not love, I don't know what is.
Though he hates - HATES - my rotary lawnmower, so that job happily remains mine.
Overall, I'm so lucky to have found such a great guy to share my life and home with. I just hope he realizes what he's in for on the DIY front!
For the last 15+ months, I've been dating the wonderful Don ("The Don," as friends call him), and two weeks ago, he moved in. It's been fantastic sharing my home - our home - with such a caring, loving guy who constantly challenges me to be a better version of myself and do more. In fact, the Cinderella concept stems in part from him. One night several months ago, I was talking about all the things I've learned as a novice homeowner and the advice I give to friends. He encouraged me to keep at it, write it down and do something with the concept. That idea, coupled with Colete Dowling's Cinderella Complex, gave rise to this blog and numerous other scattered writings.
The truth is, it's great having a roommate who not only helps with the mortgage (thus freeing up funds to do more projects and - gasp - go back to school) but also serves as a sanity check on some of my more harebrained ideas. Climbing up on the roof alone? No way, not with Don around. He acknowledges that I certainly can do many things alone, he's there, ready to help out while also injecting some reason and rationality into the process.
Heck, last fall he climbed the roof to help me clean gutters, despite his fear of heights! If that's not love, I don't know what is.
Though he hates - HATES - my rotary lawnmower, so that job happily remains mine.
Overall, I'm so lucky to have found such a great guy to share my life and home with. I just hope he realizes what he's in for on the DIY front!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Fresh cut grass
I woke up to a beautiful day. A bit chilly, but finally - it was sunny and clear enough for my inaugural lawn mow!
The grass had mostly dried out by the time I got to it, but it was so long that my manual mower (no engine or emissions for me!) definitely struggled. I had forgotten what great exercise lawnmowing is - I felt it in my legs and shoulders.
Once I finished the mowing part, I realized just how long the grass had gotten when I saw how much longer the remaining edges appeared! We're talking code-violation length - six inches, easy.
I pulled out my evil weedwhacker/trimmer and crossed my fingers. Last spring, the ten-year-old model I had stolen from my dad died, so I went to Lowe's and bought the cheapest model I could get - an electric powered string trimmer similar to the one I had killed. It worked well for a couple months, but by August, it had evolved into a petulant brat - constantly ripping through string, randomly unspooling, and essentially being a pain in the ass. Today was awful - I'd get no more than ten feet before it needed to be respooled. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if it would have been worth it to pay a bit more. Or maybe it just needs a new spool?
Either way, the yard looks pretty darn good, if I do say so myself - much neater and cleaner than when I woke up this morning. With the rows of tulips, daffodils, and petunias, the flag, and the green-green grass, all set against the white house, it looks like summer.
Then I moved to the backyard to visit my anthills. I sprinkled my death powder liberally, then watered them down as instructed. A couple hours later, I inspected them again - no movement could be perceived. I will keep a cautiously optimistic eye on the hills this week. Hopefully the nuclear option will be successful.
I also spent a couple hours washing windows and continuing the screen-storm window swap. I have learned the very hard way that my infatuation with removable caulk was slightly misplaced. While it worked well as far as insulating against wind, it has proved very, very difficult to remove without damaging the windows. The living room window, already in poor shape, took some real abuse while trying to remove it following at least two solid hours of work. The other wooden windows - back hallway and upstairs hall - were slow-going. I did find that the guest room - with its relatively freshly (semi-glass) paint was a tad easier, where as the older, matte paint on other windows was more stubborn. Mostly down, just one to go - the bathroom. And that window has no remaining sash cords or pulleys anyway, so it's pretty much moot.
The grass had mostly dried out by the time I got to it, but it was so long that my manual mower (no engine or emissions for me!) definitely struggled. I had forgotten what great exercise lawnmowing is - I felt it in my legs and shoulders.
Once I finished the mowing part, I realized just how long the grass had gotten when I saw how much longer the remaining edges appeared! We're talking code-violation length - six inches, easy.
I pulled out my evil weedwhacker/trimmer and crossed my fingers. Last spring, the ten-year-old model I had stolen from my dad died, so I went to Lowe's and bought the cheapest model I could get - an electric powered string trimmer similar to the one I had killed. It worked well for a couple months, but by August, it had evolved into a petulant brat - constantly ripping through string, randomly unspooling, and essentially being a pain in the ass. Today was awful - I'd get no more than ten feet before it needed to be respooled. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if it would have been worth it to pay a bit more. Or maybe it just needs a new spool?
Either way, the yard looks pretty darn good, if I do say so myself - much neater and cleaner than when I woke up this morning. With the rows of tulips, daffodils, and petunias, the flag, and the green-green grass, all set against the white house, it looks like summer.
Then I moved to the backyard to visit my anthills. I sprinkled my death powder liberally, then watered them down as instructed. A couple hours later, I inspected them again - no movement could be perceived. I will keep a cautiously optimistic eye on the hills this week. Hopefully the nuclear option will be successful.
I also spent a couple hours washing windows and continuing the screen-storm window swap. I have learned the very hard way that my infatuation with removable caulk was slightly misplaced. While it worked well as far as insulating against wind, it has proved very, very difficult to remove without damaging the windows. The living room window, already in poor shape, took some real abuse while trying to remove it following at least two solid hours of work. The other wooden windows - back hallway and upstairs hall - were slow-going. I did find that the guest room - with its relatively freshly (semi-glass) paint was a tad easier, where as the older, matte paint on other windows was more stubborn. Mostly down, just one to go - the bathroom. And that window has no remaining sash cords or pulleys anyway, so it's pretty much moot.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Uncle!
I have more ants. Last weekend's attempted destruction of the giant ant hill and its satellite barely slowed them down - they've rebuilt in full, and I daresay they're even bigger. Last night, I spied a handful of ants in the dining room, along the baseboards, carrying a crumb of food. I discovered my can of ant spray was empty, so I Windexed them to death.
This morning, while brushing my teeth, I looked down into the backyard from the guest room and could plainly see the larger ant hill from my window.
This means war.
I went to Home Depot and bought weapons for a triple-pronged approach: good old-fashioned spray ("kills on contact!"), bait traps and some powdered poison that supposedly will take out the hills once and for all. Hopefully tomorrow will be rain-free so I can bait the hills.
*********
Update Sunday afternoon: While getting ready to head upstairs for the night, I noticed a moving black crumb on the kitchen floor. It was a mass of ants - easily 20 of the little buggers - who had united to hoist a piece of catfood and carry it back to their lair. Now, Collette's not always the tidiest eater - she often drops a piece or two of food to the floor right outside her bowl - but this was a good 3-4 feet away. Such power!
We sprung into action, first locking the curious cat upstairs, away from the pending poison, along with her food and water bowls. We sprayed all the kitchen and dining room baseboards with the new ant spray, laid down bait traps under the fridge and stove, and called it a night.
This morning, while brushing my teeth, I looked down into the backyard from the guest room and could plainly see the larger ant hill from my window.
This means war.
I went to Home Depot and bought weapons for a triple-pronged approach: good old-fashioned spray ("kills on contact!"), bait traps and some powdered poison that supposedly will take out the hills once and for all. Hopefully tomorrow will be rain-free so I can bait the hills.
*********
Update Sunday afternoon: While getting ready to head upstairs for the night, I noticed a moving black crumb on the kitchen floor. It was a mass of ants - easily 20 of the little buggers - who had united to hoist a piece of catfood and carry it back to their lair. Now, Collette's not always the tidiest eater - she often drops a piece or two of food to the floor right outside her bowl - but this was a good 3-4 feet away. Such power!
We sprung into action, first locking the curious cat upstairs, away from the pending poison, along with her food and water bowls. We sprayed all the kitchen and dining room baseboards with the new ant spray, laid down bait traps under the fridge and stove, and called it a night.
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