Drip! Drip! Drip! Or, Owen is my hero!

Well, I had quite a morning yesterday!!! I was lying on my bed with my laptop, typing away and listening to Glenn. I was listening to something else, though, too, not really wishing to figure out what it was. The sound was like a creaking floor, the noises a wood floor makes after its been walked on and sort of bounces back into place over time. But this sound was going on too long for that to be happening, especially since I had not walked on any floors. Okay, let's go see what is making the sound.....Drip, drip, drip, drip.....Sure enough, water was dripping from the ceiling vent in the hall bathroom, landing first in a ceramic plate on the back of the toilet and then overflowing nicely onto the floor. Oh, for heaven's sake, now what?????

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Let the phone calls begin! First, I called Tracy downstairs whose spouse is the maintenance manager for the building. Jeff was asleep, having just returned from flying for Fed/Ex. I called both Travis and Jessica but neither of them answered their phones. Quickly I brushed my teeth and got dressed, planning to go out and find Connie on the property somewhere, to see if she can help me. I had put towels down to absorb some of the water, and as I stood there listening, I could hear something running above me. Like the sound a toilet makes after it is flushed and refills. In the meantime, Tracy had gotten a key to get us into Jessica's house, and I had reached Jessica. Connie went with us to check for leaking water but we found nothing amiss, nothing was running. Back down to my house we three went, and Connie climbed on the toilet to remove the vent cover to see what was going on. She could not really tell, but I was busily trying to reach Butch, the man who has done much work for us in this building. He was busy. Next, I called Steve Bradshaw, my plumber friend from the business, but he, too, was busy roughing a house and had no one to send over. Rats! I called Hugh on the 2nd floor for a plumber's name but he had none to offer me. Rats again!

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So I called my buddy, Owen, to see if he knew of a plumber who could help me out. Owen is my hero! He was coming to Orange Park anyway to check on a job and offered to come over to see what was going on. He is an A/C man by trade, but really, jack of all trades. He said he would be here in about a half hour which is more than I could have expected from a plumber.

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In the meantime, Jessica had gotten home from her walk with the baby, which ended up being more like a run since the urgent phone calls. She called me to see what was going on and it turned out the water had since started coming in through the kitchen cabinets. Yikes! She said she was going to turn off her ice machine because it had just run again, thinking that was the source for the water. She was right! What she shut off was the electricity, not the water supply, but when Owen got there, he shut it off. And gradually, the dripping subsided.

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Owen's worker, Art, got behind the fridge and vacuumed the floor after he wiped up the water. I noticed there was no cover on the outlet and brought one from my toolbox (a good builder always has extra covers!) which Art installed as long as he was back there. Nothing in the cabinets was ruined and it seems no long term damage occurred except perhaps the fan in the bathroom. I do not know yet about the fan, nor do I care really. All I care about is that it stopped dripping and it was not me dripping on anyone else. Both Jess and Travis assured me they will cover any damages I might experience but I think all is well. Except, they have a repairman coming on Monday to fix their ice machine. It is not that old, since Travis bought and remodeled when I did, and he said it cost a pretty penny. Just imagine all the goofy things that can happen in a building like this and have it be nobody's fault....

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I had sent Justin a text message telling him of my situation and how stressed I was. He offered to come over at his lunch time to help me clean up but I had things mostly taken care of, even while Owen and Art were still here. When they were up at Jessica's, I was working off my anxiousness polishing my fake fruit from the basket on the fridge, dusting this and wiping that. Things got cleaned that I never intended to clean!!! Even straightened out my food cupboard since the doors were wide open to let the water flow better...Remember the other day when I mentioned how dirty the French doors were to the guest room off the kitchen?? Not anymore!! No wonder my back was killing me....Justin suggested we recuperate over lunch because he was hungry for Koko's. All this commotion and activity took place before 11:00 a.m. so when it was lunchtime, I had collected myself already.

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I love Owen, and not only because he would not accept any money for his help---he is just a great great friend!!!!

Hanging on for dear life

There!!!! My new room---well, at least the floor is new---once clean and neat, is now trashed! Justin came over after working yesterday to put my office stuff back together and into place, including piles of paper, heaps of paper, on my desk. Nice! One thing that came to mind when Mike and Andy were putting my furniture into place and such was my office chair. It really needs something to govern it, because when I stand up or sit down, whee!!!!!, away it goes, as though trying to get away. One thought they had was to put coasters under the casters, or was it casters under the coasters??, like they put under the legs of the bed frame and dressers. I would not be able to scoot around, as is my custom, but it also would prevent scratches from marring the floor. Another option Mike thought about was the floor protector used typically under desks to protect carpet and allow for chair movement, but not the one for carpets. Some research must be done on that. Or or or I could move the round rug that I brought in from my foyer over here to the desk region and ride around on that!

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Since beginning this posting, I have been out to the pool and am back in again. It was sort of quiet today, not as full and busy as I would have liked, but lovely just the same. The greatest news was the return of the hot dogs, the same brand as last year. Yippee!! The water was the perfect temperature and the air was great, too, coming in at 97 above zero. Who could ask for better? Tonight is a mini-buffet event poolside so I changed from the swimsuit to nightie until such time as I must dress for dinner. Last night I enjoyed time with my friend, Penny, and others from the building. Once more I stepped outside my comfort zone and ordered the chicken and cheese quesadilla served with corn salsa. I ate half of the four pieces and my neighbor, Rosemary, ate one quarter, and Cassidy, my downstairs neighbor, ate the salsa. I really prefer the sirloin sliders and that's all there is to it! Even Beckham, The Prince of The Palace, enjoyed some time poolside with his parents.

The project from start to completion

The flooring is stacked along the walls, acclimatizing to my temperatures and humidity. This hallway connects the bedrooms, the walls wearing the artwork of Justin on the right. Out of sight is Timmy's artwork. The basket at the end of the hall is piled with my decorative pillows, waiting to suffocate me!

I took this shot to show the dark path worn in my carpet, which showed up after these same guys remodeled my bathroom and closet in 2007. And THAT is the big reason why I wanted to change the flooring. That, and the dust situation.

These built-ins were here when I moved in, figuring largely into my decision to purchase this unit. When Andy was getting started on the job, he said, "Can I ask you a personal question?" Sure! "Why do you have a flag with a parachuting star?" It does look like that, doesn't it? It is actually a Turkish flag, a gift from my favorite Turk, Sabin, who has moved my household and office 110 times.

This is the other set of built-ins which frame the windows, as well as the map of the travels of Lahaie Day, complete with color coordinated pins. (Sigh...)

This is not the best shot, being against the window, but was a good way to show the pile of furniture stacked in my river room. Boy, I am glad to have my rooms back!

Here is the river room from another angle, and somehow the table stayed basically unstacked!

Mike is in the corner, grinding down the areas on the floor where the carpet strips once were and any nails that had popped up from the parquet floor. The doorway behind him is to my bathroom and closet.

It is so amazing how quickly the job proceeds once they start putting the pieces together. Both men had soaking wet shirts despite the A/C being on and ceiling fan set on high. Mike commented to me how nice and hot it gets in that window----well, ya! That's what I love about sitting here!

The floor is completed so Mike and Andy begin bringing the furniture back in. Yay!!!!

My room is put back together, sans the computer equipment, my bed is made and still unpiled in this photo. The next day I brought my magazines and books back to the 'passenger' side of the bed and I felt right at home again. Well, it was nice while it lasted....The backside of my desk presently sports a lovely Greek drape so that it looks pretty from the river room.

A view from the closet doorway toward the river room, before I put the round rug into place at the foot of my bed. And, as of yesterday, the two printers and the gas-powered computer put into place, rolling files returned to my left and the shredder/thrashing machine wastebasket behind me. Ta Da!!!

Yes, that is me!

Can you believe your eyes??? I am eating a grilled chicken and fresh fruit salad with greens at Bahama Breeze for lunch today. I ate most of it except not all the greens and about 2/3 of the chicken. Justin finished the chicken and ate those cracker things that came with the salad. Love eating outside on days like this!

I should be getting up....

......but I am so comfortable here in my sort of new room! Sadly, the cable is messing up again and I cannot get F & F this a.m. so am listening/watching yesterday's radio show on-line. Man, I wish I had the physical stamina to endure a trip to Washington, DC on 8/28! Certainly I will be alive with regret for not going but I also know that I would have a terribly tough time with all the walking and standing. Justin said we would have about a mile walk to just get to from the hotel to the Mall and then to get to the Lincoln Memorial would be another hike. And then standing....Yes, I could take a lawn chair but would have to buy one once in DC since I cannot take my own on the plane. Ugh, I am so frustrated with myself. I have offered to pay Justin's way so he can attend with Grove and his girlfriend. Justin is all about "Restoring Honor"!

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Well, the new floor is in place and the big furniture put back in my room. I brought the round rug from my foyer and put it at the end of the bed and like the look of it there. Once the bench is in place, that might help secure it so I don't slip. Or so the rug won't slip 'n slide. I did not notice any undo echoing last night with the TV on and I did not have it on louder than before. Next time I turn it on I will pay extra attention to the volume numbers to see if I have it lower than usual since the carpet will not be there to absorb the sound. It is more than a decorating thing, it is science!

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At one point when Mike was putting in the transition boards, he had one that needed something heavy to hold it down so it would not pop up again. He asked me for something heavy to put on it for about an hour or so until the adhesive set. We decided to use books and went to my shelf to start pulling them down. I reached up and got some of my 'bigger' books, telling the guys to use these because "they are heavier reading", which Andy thought was so terribly funny. On Monday, when they were busy working, I was out in the family room listening to the radio/podcast and laughing my silly head off, as usual. At the end of the day, when they were packing up to leave, I walked them out and Andy turned to me and said, "I hope you cheer up for tomorrow!" I tried, I really did!

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Back now from Bible study and lunch with my Justin, who makes me laugh, too. We were talking at the study during a brief break and I told those gathered how I listen to the radio/podcast and just roar with laughter, all alone in my home. (That is, except when workmen are here, then not alone.) Later, at lunch, I told Justin that I had an emergency for him to take care of tomorrow when he comes over...The base from my "cut-out" of Maurice Jones-Drew that David gave me for Christmas fell off when I was doing the dusting. In order for me to try reaching it, I had to take off my steel bracelet and was fishing around behind the shelf next to my desk. Nuts! It slid under the shelf itself. All this while he is just nodding, likely thinking, "I can get it out tomorrow...." but I kept going with the story. The only thing in reach firm but narrow enough to fit under the shelf was my Greek calendar,as I demonstrated for him my attempts. But, no, that didn't work either. He was sitting across from me, chuckling. He said, "I should put a camera in your house to video tape you laughing (as he threw his back to imitate me!) and digging around, trying to get your stuff out!" Now, why was that so amusing to him??? I was being innovative in my attempts to get my little stand back, that is all. A butcher knife might work, too, and I will try that later on. I must have my MJD in a standing position, that is all there is to it!!!

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After Mike and Andy left me yesterday, having cleaned everything up inside and outside, I carried a few things back into my room. Not too much but I just wanted to sort of get things settled. The biggest job for me was making the bed again, including the mattress pad, which fought me all the way! At last the bed was made and the pillows, all 25 of them, or so it seems, placed on the bed with photos taken of the finished product. After Justin moves the computers and printers back to the room and has them hooked up again, I will be able to download my photos taken during the project and will post them. One of my friends on Facebook, someone I have never met in the flesh, asked me to take pictures so I did! Hey, it is summer and people are looking for something to do---if it is my photos, so be it!

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After resting my back a bit, I went upstairs to Jessica's to deliver the Papa Murphy's pizza I had picked up for them. She had taken Beckham over to her mom's house on Tuesday when the majority of the work was being done in order that his naps would not be interrupted and I felt badly even though I did not need to be. Anyway, she was appreciative of my offering. My downstairs neighbor, Cassidy, was coming up to watch the soccer game with Jessica but she is a vegetarian so Jessica would make the pizza later. She thought they might come over to The Club later for Happy Hour but they never made it. I did, though, and enjoyed my time very much. The appetizers were melon wrapped with prosciutto ham, a pickled veggie tray, and mussels. I like the melon and ate several of those, with some strawberries. More fruit! Penny came over as did others from The Palace and there was a nice roomful of folks. I saw a friend of mine with her office staff as guests, going into the dining room so I went in to say "hi" to Mary. It was great to see her, somewhere other than at Great Hang Ups! It was a lovely evening and I hope tonight will also be such, with the 'real' Outreach meeting going on. Most of me does not want to go, but I will anyway, so I can plead with those there to pitch in on the preschool anniversary event!!! HELP!!!!

Pictures of Alayna

This photo so perfectly sums up the joy felt that day as Alayna graduated from high school. She is so adorable and beautiful, especially when she lets herself go and kicks up her heels!!

Mom, or in this case, Grandma K, posed with Alayna following the ceremony. Mom had much to do with helping with her upbringing and they are very close. "I love you more...."

It is nearly finished!

Sitting here on the "Day" bed, not nearly as comfy as my own bed, I await the arrival of the workers. Already I have vacuumed the new floor and used my Swiffer wet mop (I love who ever came up with that idea!) until I ran out of cleaner. It looks very very nice in there! Mike and Andy are going to install the trim pieces along the floor edges and put the transitions in place in the doorways, covering my Comcast wire so I will not need to have those people come out to do anything more. That is, unless I would like to get those couple of stations in my bedroom that will not come in, such as HGTV and Lifetime. It really is not that inconvenient to go to the family room to watch "Selling New York" once a week, and Justin had at one time forbade me from watching Lifetime due to the subject matter covered there. Fine!

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Since it is water aerobics day again I am not getting dressed until I have to, because my suit is not dry from yesterday's outing. Boy, did I ache after that work out. But, I smell sooo good, because my beach cover was recently washed and the Publix-brand laundry soap just makes my stuff smell wonderful. And it lasts, even after a wearing. My pillow cases hold the scent for a good long time, reminding me of the ad on TV where women are drawn to a man, sniffing his shirt. That would be me, people chasing me down to smell my beach cover! I used to be nutso for Dynamo laundry soap but cannot find that anymore. No need, really, since this Publix-brand 'cheap' soap equals the scent of Dynamo, in my book. This is as close to wash-line fresh as I will get!

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Thinking I would head off the task, I wiggled around in the river room with my Pledge multi-surface cleaner, which I love, too, trying to clean my exposed furniture areas not often accessed when in place in my room. I discovered streaks of Diet Coke down the side of my dresser from when the soda splashed as I tossed the can into the wastebasket. Hmmm....perhaps I should re-think that habit and not throw the cans....I wonder what the wall looks like behind the wastebasket. When I was in the bedroom cleaning the new floor, I could not help but notice how dusty the book shelves and such were, being able to get up closer with no furniture or stuff in the way. Yech! In November I had Patti, our former waitress at Longhorn, come and do all the dusting of these things for me and six months later, it's like the shelves have never been touched. This dust is not in my imagination and drives me wacky!

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My sleep was not the greatest last night but but but I did manage to fall back to sleep without the TV on. When the VCR tape gets to the end, it automatically rewinds, pops out of the player, and the TV shuts off. How convenient! And somehow, I was able to go to sleep without it, but not soundly. This afternoon, when the fellas are gone and the house is my own again, with my bed in place and redressed, I can take a nap! Tonight is Happy Hour at The Club which means I have to wear my church pants since there is a rule about no denim inside The Club. I can sacrifice once or twice a week in order to be in compliance and to look decent for church. In two weeks will be the buffet dinner at Happy Hour but I believe it is something I do not eat, fish or something like that. Last month was steak, red potatoes, green beans, carrots, and yes, I even had some salad! I was with Sharon and Kathy M. from the building next to mine and we left before they came around with the pie. That was fine with me because I did so enjoy my steak and potatoes!

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Now that I have spent more time than ever in my guest room, I have the sense of urgency at getting it straightened out. Not only does my temporary stuff being in the room make it look dumpy but my art supplies and scrapbooking stuff does too. Justin had removed the closet doors when he had his TV in the closet on the open shelving but now that he is gone, the doors could really be reinstalled. That would help tremendously with the look of the room. Also a brighter ceiling light would be a blessing. I might have to hire my friend's husband, Judy C.'s son, to do some wiring for me as two of the three bedrooms have the old-fashioned pull strings for the lights! At the very least, here's another option---I could put in the ceiling fans with light kits and mount the remote control on the wall closest to the door. Not only am I cute, I am also brilliant! Like my bedroom lights! Time for water aerobics while the guys finish up....