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Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloweens H

Today is Halloween and we are into the fall season. Today, we have to finish cleaning the floor to prepare for hardwood to be installed on Monday. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?), we've had a lot of rain in the past few days. The water running off the roof above the master bedroom is over flowing over the gutter, hitting the deck, and some how coming inside under the wall or door. We have to get the floor dry before the hardwood is installed. I'm glad this is happening now BEFORE the hardwood is installed and then having to be repaired.

The deck railing is started, but the rain has delayed it's completion. The hot tub was to be delivered this week, but has been put off due to the rain. Some brick work has been delayed due to the rain. This has delayed the start of our drive way, too.

We are scheduled to close November 25, which is the day before Thanksgiving. Just over 3 weeks away. We have a lot of work to do and the weather isn't helping.

In the adoption world, we are not through review. That means our paperwork as been reviewed by the Chinese and there were no problems or questions with our application. So, we are still waiting. Still no speed up, but there is still hope.

Gas prices have jumped up to just over $2.50 a gallon. Unemployment is still terrible. And the public insurance option is back on the table.

Happy Halloween,
Tide Gal

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Let's Play Some Football

Yesterday, I forgot to mention that Alabama is undefeated again this year. So far it has been a great year. We have junior quarterback and this is his first season as a starter. Right now we are ranked #3 and it looks as if we could be headed to the SEC Championship game again. We should be in a great bowl game, too. We already have room reservations in Atlanta for the SEC Championship game, and rooms in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl and Pasadena for the National Championship game.

Yesterday, the tile guy said he could easily fix the pot filler. However, if we could find some kind of extension to change the filler so that it unfolds below the rather than above, it would be easier, quicker, and less expensive. Of course, we've looked and the company doesn't offer that option. Luckily, we do have enough extra materials to redo the area without having to buy more tile. He also has about 3/4 of the tile around the master tub now.

The builder finished the mantel in the master bedroom and both mantels are now ready for primer and paint.

Tide Gal

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Happy Fall

I think it is now officially fall even though it is still 80 degrees during the day. The leaves are falling and scarecrows are going up.

Our house is going, but going slow. Our tile guy is working on the tile around the master bath. Once he completes this, he would be done. Yes....would be. Turns out our plumber plumbed the pot filler in the kitchen too high. We didn't realize it until he installed the faucet. It is about 1/2 inch below the vent and so high it would look like a waterfall if we used it to fill a pot. It looks like the placement it wasn't planned well and obviously it wasn't. We want to change it so it is actually usable. So, we want our tile guy to chisel out the back splash, move the pipe, and redo his work. Two steps forward, one step back.

We are waiting on the counter in the bonus room to be completed. The cabinet guy will then order the granite top for that, the mudroom, and the laundry room. The plumber told us this week he needed that sink installed in the mudroom before he could turn on the water. We've been waiting for weeks for him to turn on the water. Now, he tells us he needs that done first. Of course, the counter top won't be in for about 3 weeks. Unfortunately, we thought the water would be on by now and had the port-a-potty removed. Perfect.

Our retaining wall is almost complete. In fact, it may be complete. My brother dug the trench for it last weekend and now it is done. We are so glad we hired that job out. It would have take us weeks to do what they did in 3-4 days.

In the adoption world from China, the rumor of a speed up has not happened yet. There is still a little hope that it will happen but there just isn't any way to know for sure. And we won't know until it happens or doesn't happen.

In national news, gas is running about $2.17 or maybe a little higher. Unemployment is still in the tank. Layoffs are everywhere in every aspect of the job market. The stock market has leveled out at the bottom. And the President just won the Nobel Peace Prize. He was nominated a few weeks after he was elected for the work he WILL do. Seriously? Seriously. When his name was announced as the winner, there was an obvious audible gasp in the audience. There was one in my house, too. He couldn't even get the Olympics to come to Chicago. In fact, Chicago was eliminated in the first round.

Ready for fall.....and to move into the house

Tide Gal