Adventures to Austria or Not

     This is day 5 of our Austria Adventure.  Glenn and I are hoping to catch a space A flight to Germany and end up in Austria before January 5th.  Kyle decided about a month ago to get married while visiting his girlfriend Maggie.  We are thrilled with the news but decided to go the cheep way and use one of our military benefits.  If there is space on military transport planes we can fly free.  As retires we are at the absolute bottom of the list though.  Knowing how this works, you have to be very flexible and willing to hang out in a terminal for hours or possibly days.  This made great sense on Sunday when there was a flight with 105 seats but just before leaving Glenn discovered his passport expired 10 days ago.  A new plan took shape in a few short hours.  He got an appointment in Philly at the passport office on Monday morning.  They can expedite the process to get a new one.  Trying to beat the snow we left for Philly Sunday night.  We didn't quite beat the storm but did arrive safe and sound.  We chose a hotel within a few miles of the office so if the roads were too bad GLENN could walk there.  I would remain in our warm hotel room.  Monday morning feeling optimistic we checked out of our hotel and  navigated the snow covered streets to the passport office.  The downtown businesses were busy shoveling sidewalks for any brave soles that would venture through their doors.  That is all but the one we cared about.  A sign written on plain white paper hanging on the door, "Building Closed due to the Snow".  So Sunday Night Football and the Passport office would be canceled until Tuesday.  Glenn rescheduled his appointment for Tuesday and we went back to the hotel for another night.  On a positive note, we finally got to see newest Harry Potter movie.  
     With Glenn's new passport we headed for Dover AFB to see about getting a flight.  We waited around for two days with several other families.  As the hours ticked by the kids got wilder.  It was quite comical, above the running and screaming an announcement could be heard "parents need to keep control over their children at ALL times, no running in the terminal".  :)
     Last night we made a decision to drive to NJ to another AFB since it sounded like there were more flights and seats available.  This morning once again things change.  The two flights with 73 seats each are reduced one flight with 8 seats,  these were filled by two families in a matter of minutes.  Ok, next chance at 6pm tonight maybe 73 seats.  We have our laptops, movies, books and puzzles so here we stay hoping for the best. 
     Stay tuned for more updates.  I am writing this for my sanity so you really don't have to keep reading I am sure you all have better things to do.

End of Summer

This morning it dawned on me that the Summer of 2010 is over.  For me it has been a different sort of summer.  Usually they are marked by places we vacation and trips to the lake.  This year the only trips taken were to Fairfax to work on "The House".  I do have more accomplishments this summer in the before and after photos.  Both Glenn and I even lost a few pounds, I guess we were too busy to eat.  Our before and after photos don't look any different though.

It has been fun watching the two sets of Lambs grow over the summer.  I faithfully look for them as I drive by the farm.  One set was born totally black and now there is just a little on their face.  Some of the eight Hummingbirds I have watched over the summer have left for their long flight to Mexico.  I still see five of them taking hits at the feeders.  It is nice not having to refill the feeders every day.  I was making eight cups of sugar water every other day to keep up with their eating.   There are still a lot of deer around but the fawns have lost their spots.

I enjoyed getting to know Maggie, an au pair from Austria.   She didn't just steal Kyle's hart but mine and Glenn's as well.  I miss her smile and contagious laugh.  We hope she can come back to the USA soon.  Lansen's girlfriend Elena spent a lot of time with us over the summer.  It was so fun getting to know her better.  I felt sad each time she needed to return home.  Having another female around was a special treat for me. 

Monday I go back to work so Summer is defiantly over.  There is still a list of projects left to do and I will chisel away a little at a time.  It is time to move on to Fall and see what this season has in store.  Cooler nights, breezy days, daylight savings (yuck), lots of yard work and best of all Football and Hockey to name a few.

Kick Off

This has nothing to do with "The House" so I know some of you won't be interested.  I will still keep you updated from time to time but for now some new material.  Any one that knows me knows I am a sports fan.  Yes, little ol'me.  I go for the more violent sports aka, hockey, football and MMA.   This comes from being a Mama to three sons and even a male black lab.  I call it survival!  The funny thing is I love sports even more than some of my sons.

Tonight is opening night for NFL which is a great moment since it means Hockey season is just around the corner.  I started out watching football and knowing hockey was another cool sport but didn't pay much attention to it until about two years ago.  Now football is ok but Hockey is the one I love. 

Our family has a Fantasy Football League the BLF.  This will be our forth year.  We play for fun but are pretty competition.   My team name this year is the Marsha Mellows.  This name should put fear into the other team owners.  I am acting as the League Manager since Glenn already has more jobs than time.  We did an automatic draft this year due to last minute timing.  There are several players on my team I have never heard of so I need to do some homework.  I do recognize Tom Brady though.  Glenn picked up Ben Rothensberger  who is suspended for at least 3 to 4 games.  Mom and other sports fans have been wondering why Bret Farve is still playing and not retiring while he can sill walk.  Well he ended up on her team.  My sister-in -law who lives in Denver and is a Broncos fan ended up with Jay Cutler (their ex QB).  So there were a few funny automatic picks but for the most part the teams should start out even.

Our teams are set for tonights game and an exciting weekend ahead.  Lets play some football!

The House update #1

It is time to up date you on progress made at "The House".  No, it isn't finished yet.  Glenn has continued to stop in after his real job and put in a few hours of work.  Last week he finished the upstairs bathroom.

Perfect shirt!  "Handy Dad INC"

Over the Laber Day weekend I helped Glenn hang the mirror, and cabinet in the downstairs bathroom.  So both bathrooms are finished! Yea!!!!!  I painted doors and more molding pieces.  Lansen cut the molding, Glenn brought his table saw over which made this job much easier.  Monday was very frustrating since most of the day was spent on cutting out the place for hinges on doors.  They were having all sorts of problems.  But there are door on Andres and Joshua's bedrooms and the downstairs bathroom so far.  Lansen patched the hole in the living room wall that was still open from electrical work.  Glenn re routed the vent for the clothes dryer.  It was just going into the crawl space which was a very bad idea. 

I cleaned and painted the railing and base boards for the stairs.  Mom stained the upstairs hallway.  This is the last of the wood floors.  It will need three coats of polyurethane before calling it finished.  

Tomorrow a new stove is being delivered.  Yes, the one Mom spent so many hours cleaning self distrusted.  :(  We haven't had much luck with keeping the original appliances.  Hopefully the washer and dryer will work for a while.

Andres moved in on Sunday so all three boys are living there now.  It isn't too bad as long as they avoid the back family room/construction zone.  There still needs to be mini blinds for the windows but at least the windows are high so no one can really see in.

Lansen is going to be able to put some of his job experience to good use since he just got a job working for Home Depot.  Maybe he did that so he could see his Dad once in a while.  LOL

Day Thirty three

Waiting on the furniture

New microwave

Ready for more dishes

Medicine cabinet

Mom and I did a lot of picking up and moving of tools and supply's to the family room and soon to be Lansens bedroom (when finished).  I hung the newly painted black and white medicine cabinet.   The bathroom is going to look sooooooo good, with the large black and white square design floor and other black and white accents.  Mom sprayed closets and rooms with bug spray.  Glenn got an early start and finished the ceiling in the orange room and put the finishing touches on the bathtub.  Andres stopped by and measured and cut the molding for the bathroom.  Lansen and Josh spent their day packing for their move.   Glenn was unable to get a U-Haul since all the rental places were closed today.  It makes prefect sense to be closed on Sundays, right?  He was able to borrowed a trailer from a friend.  Most of the larger furniture and the refrigerator fit.  The items left will fit in either Glenn's truck or the van.  You did notice I said "the refrigerator fit".  You faithful followers from the early days are probably wondering about the one in "the house" that Mom spent a lot of time cleaning.  After giving it some time we decided it wasn't getting cold enough.  Fortunately I had an extra fridge stored in our barn.   I will use the stored one at my house and give the boys the one we have been using.   The only problem is the one that has been stored doesn't have an automatic ice maker.  Glenn is not too happy to give that up but at least we don't need to by a new refrigerator.   Oh, when I was looking in the barn for things the boys could use in their new house, I think I found the correct feet for the sofa.  I will let you know later if they are or if we need to use the ones I took from the sofa destined for the dump. 

I hope the boys will find all these cleaning supplies

My blog post won't be as regular since we are mostly finished.  I will keep you up to date on our progress as it happens.  There will be an open house once "the house" is totally finished.  I will also work on a before and after photo album.  Thank you for your comments and encouragement through this process.  It has been fun writing the blog.  Who knows maybe I will keep posting but with a new theme. 

Construction Zone!

Day Thirty two

 This week has flown by and now it is Saturday-----WOW!  Mom and I leave for "the house" around 9am
but stop at Wal -Mart on the way.  There are only a few jobs for us to do today.  Most of what is left has to be done by Glenn and Lansen.  There are a few areas that will need paint at a later date but they are not ready yet.  I decide to finish painting the medicine cabinet and the floor molding.  Elena prepares the bedroom floors so Mom can put a third coat of polyurethane on.  After seeing the living room we decided a third coat was necessary.  Glenn painted the second coat on the ceiling in the upstairs bathroom.  Lansen and Elena measure the living room for floor molding then work together to cut it.  Glenn makes a trip to a rental store to get a special roller for installing the vinyl and a nail gun to make putting up the molding easier.  After we all leave Glenn works on the pluming for the bathtub. 

Lansen and Andres will start moving in tomorrow.  I feel like the home improvement shows the day before the family returns home.  There a several unfinished projects and tools and construction debris ever where.  The living room, bedrooms and dining area are finished except window blinds.  Tomorrow should be interesting.

Day Thirty one

I need a real job so I don't get tasked with being at "The House" by 8 am to meet the delivery man or set up man.  Today it was the FIOS Verizon man.  I love how they say you need to be available between 8am and 5pm.  You would think they could narrow it down just a little better.  He did arrive at 8:30 so getting there at 8 wasn't a total waste of time. 

I was up at 5:30 so I could clean at least one of our bathrooms and do a few loads of laundry before leaving at 7:00.  I haven't seen our Maid (that would be me) in several weeks and things are defiantly falling behind.   If we don't get the Fairfax house finished soon our house will need a total renovation. 

I finished the second coat of paint on the bathroom and cleaned the light fixture.  After looking over the medicine cabinet and still not being happy with how it looks I decided to paint it black and white.  The vinyl floor is black and white so it should look pretty nice when it is finished.  I also painted more floor molding.

Lansen was the only other worker today until Glenn got there after work.   They got the kitchen sink totally functioning.  Lansen attached most of the floor molding in Josh's room.  Glenn installed part of the shower wall in the upstairs bath.

The boys will start moving in tomorrow and Sunday since school starts on Monday.  I just wish we had another 2 or 3 weeks before they needed the house.  It will be a little harder to finish up once they move in.  Everyone is being a good sport and trying to stay positive.  Getting the internet and TV put a big smile on Lansen's face today.

First piece of furniture

Day Thirty

Front of house

Oh my, I can't remember what we did yesterday.  Glenn and I were there early, the mold man came to do a follow up inspection and it passed with flying colors.  Glenn stayed and put in a few hours before going to his real job.  He finished sanding the bathroom so I could get at least one coat of paint on the walls.  We need this finished before the sink and toilet can go back in place.   While he was sanding I put a second coat of paint on the hall closet. 

Bathroom with wall again

Floor molding and vent cover

Lansen and Mom arrived later in the morning.  Then Andres showed up early afternoon.  He and Lansen spent most of the day cutting the floor molding and placing it in the correct room.  They also put some cover plates on wall sockets and vents.   Mom sanded the living room floor and applied a second coat of polyurethane.  It has been very difficult to put the polyurethane on the living room floor.  You have to go through the room to get up stairs.  Some jobs require cutting things downstairs and hauling them upstairs.  The floor also has to dry a minimum of two hours.  Everyone had to take off their shoes and wipe off their feet to travel through the living room  to keep it clean before a coat of poly was applied. So after the second coat was good and dry we put sheets of plastic down so shoes could be worn.  There was great rejoicing!!!!!Glenn applied the third and final coat just before leaving for home.   What an ordeal but it is finished.  SIGH!!!!!! 

On the way home Mom and I stopped by Home Depot to pick out some vinyl floor for the bathroom.  We also got a new facet for the sink and some other odds and ends.   You will never guess who we saw there_____ well maybe you will_____ Glenn.  He had to stop by after his real job and before heading to "The House".

Day Twenty nine

Dishwasher

I was at "the house" by 8 am to except delivery of a new dishwasher.  There isn't one currently in "the house" but we decided it would be pretty important. 

Kitchen sink

I paint the trim in the dining area while I wait for Lansen, Mom and John to arrive.  Glenn had put in the sink fixtures last night and it looks great!  Our vision is becoming a reality. :) 

John painting

Andres and Lansen

Lansen starts by sanding the upstairs closet near the bathroom so it can be pained.  Then he works on changing some of the electrical sockets in the bedrooms.  John paints a second coat on the wood in the dining area then paints the upstairs closet.  Mom works on the living room floor.  I paint the kitchen walls then stain the medicine cabinet and put contact paper on the shelves in the upstairs bathroom.  When Andres arrives he works with Lansen to cut the baseboards for the bedrooms.  It is great to be working on the finishing touches in the bedrooms.

Lansen went looking for his tee shirt and discovered Mom had thought it was a rag and tore part of it off.  OOPS!

So that wasn't a rag!

Lansen wearing the tee shirt

Day Twenty eight

Dining area

So Tuesday was like Monday since we didn't work on Monday.  Mom and I show up at "the house" and she realizes she forgot her work shorts.  She wants to stain the living room floor so she can't wear her good clothes.  I usually wear a pair of shorts and a long tee shirt that looks a little like a dress since I am (under 5').  No big deal it's just us girls until Lansen comes in the afternoon.  I lend Mom my disgusting short shorts and decide I can just wear my underwear and  tee shirt until Lansen can bring me another pair of shorts.  All was good until Andres shows up to work unexpectedly.  We both do our best to pretend we always dress like this, and continue going about our jobs.  This worked fine until Lansen arrived with my shorts.  We totally lost it laughing hysterically. 

Lansen worked on attaching the garbage disposal and sink into the new counter top.  Andres painted the brown paneling white in the dining area.  I painted the second coat in the dining area.  Mom got the floors stained.  And Glenn worked on drywall and some electrical stuff. 

Lansen working under the sink

Glenn has spread the word they can move in this weekend.  It won't be a full move in but pretty close.

Day twenty seven

It is nice to know the Blog is missed when I don't get it posted.  I wish it meant that "the house" is finished but not so.  I did take Monday off due to appointments and other obligations, it was NOT REST. :(:(   There is a funny story to tell though.  Monday is trash day at "the house" and they take everything so it is nice to put out old doors, lumber and remember the 15 bags of sand.  Whatever is put out magically disappears by Monday evening.  So Glenn sent me a text saying the trash people didn't take the kitchen sink.  "Maybe it is so they can claim to take everything but the kitchen sink." 

The sink no one wants imagine that

Day twenty-six

John painting

Living room

Elena taping in the kitchen

The Pastor spoke on Rest today and how we need a day to recharge.  I say "amen" but that will have to wait,  We have kids starting school in 8 days and "the house" isn't ready yet.  :(  So after feeding our soul and tummy's we head to Fairfax and get to work.

I think some people are taking pitty on me and decided to help with the painting.  Maybe it's my slow progress or due to how much paint I am wearing.  John and I finish a second coat in the living room and finished the white wood trim.  Then we move to the kitchen, Elena had already cleaned the walls and taped it.  She also painted the Harry Potter closet.  It really went a lot faster with the helpers. 

Mom putting up contact paper

Mom did several support jobs, reloading paint rollers, cleaning paint rollers, bringing drinks to the crew and cleaning in the kitchen to get ready for the counter tops.  After seeing the back wall inside of the cabinets she decided to put some contact paper up.

Glenn bounced between the upstairs bathroom, kitchen cabinet area  and supervising the work crew.  Lansen worked on cutting a slot for the new sink in the counter top.   After fitting the sink in he celebrated by being the first to put a dirty cup (Starbucks of course) into the sink.

See the sparks?

Measuring before cutting for sink

First dirty cup in the sink!

Josh and Danielle showed up as everyone was finishing for the day.  Glenn was happy to stay around and put them to work for a few hours.

I have too many pictures to fit in my blog so when our project is finished I will do an online album.  Here are a few from today. 

Josh ready to work

Day twenty-five

Was Saturday only yesterday?  These long work days are running together and my brain is turning to mush.  I even admit to wearing my grumpy pants to work and throwing a pity party.  We are all getting tired and a little on edge.  Nothing a mani and pedi won't cure.  SMILE

Glenn started out at Home Depot to purchase the kitchen counter tops, sink and a dishwasher.  I started out mowing our yard, doing several loads of laundry and answering several text looking for my input.  It probably would have been easier if I had gone with him but he did a great job on his own. 

Sawing floor tiles!  WHY????

Lansen, Elena and Glenn had several projects underway by the time my work team arrived.  Lansen was working on the wall/closet upstairs.  Remember the one he framed a few days ago, now it has drywall.  Glenn was doing more work on the bathroom floor.  Elena sanded Joshua's bedroom floor and moped it so Mom could apply the last coat of polyurethane. 

New wall.

Cutting drywall

John and I painted the living room.  Elena helped by taping and doing some trim.  Mom did some yard work by trimming bushes and getting rid of weeds.  Glenn did some mowing since the grass is very long. 

It is pretty easy to follow our progress by how many rooms have tools in them.  In the beginning the living room was Command Central with branches in the upstairs hall, kitchen and family room.  Now there is a little pile in the upstairs bathroom and closet, a few things in the kitchen and the family room is Command Central.

Thank you Elena for taking some pictures today. 

Day Twenty four

Kyle joined Mom, John and me today.  Glenn had intentions of getting to "the house" around 9 am as it turned out it was 2:30 pm.  Better late than never though.   He made up for it by working until 9 pm, I think he likes working alone. 

Kyle taking out the sink drain

Small bedroom

By the end of the day a lot had been accomplished.  Mom and I worked on the bedroom floors.  I used Glenn's newest toy, an orbital  sander, between coats.  The small bedroom and the orange bedroom are finished other than reapplying the baseboards, cover plates on sockets, light switches and vents.  Joshua's bedroom needs sanded and a second coat of polyurethane.  We decided to wait on the hallway until the bathroom is finished.  When the floors were finished for the day we found other jobs.  Mom cleared all the stuff off the kitchen counters and I painted a second coat in the stairwell and wall.

John and Kyle worked on getting the living room ready for paint.  This required sanding the drywall patches, using wood putty on the window sills, and washing the walls.  Once Glenn arrived he put them on other jobs.  Kyle cleaned out the storm gutters and John cut boards for a new floor in the bathroom.  All three of them worked to take off the kitchen counters and the sink. 
It was nice to come home and have tacos prepared by Lansen and Elena.  Yummy!

No more kitchen counters

building bathroom floor

Day Twenty three

Mom and I got to "the house" around 9:30am.  Thanks to rain all day yesterday it was much cooler this morning.  This proved to be a big deal since the air conditioner wasn't working when we arrived.   I placed a call on the red phone to my HVAC man.  We tried a few things with no luck but discovered a switch needed to be repaired.  In between meetings he came to rescue the Damsels in Distress.  Wearing his business clothes he had a new switch installed in no time.   Mom made him lunch before he dashed off again.

I was back to painting and Mom was working on the floors.  The upstairs is painted except the bathroom and a closet near the bathroom.  I have to wait for the spackeling to dry and be sanded several times before I can paint those areas.  Mom put one coat of polyurethane on Kyles bedroom floor and stained Joshua's floor. 

Lansen, Elaina and Andres arrived just before we needed to leave.  Mom instructed Elaina on staining the floors so she could do the orange bedroom and part of the hallway.  Lansen played Foreman and found a job for Andres, removing the tile floor in the laundry room.  I'm not sure what Lansen did other than smile a lot since his girlfriend is in town, but I bet it was important stuff.

The barbecue  pork sandwiches were a big hit for dinner.

Day Twenty two

Lansen was a Lone Ranger today.  He worked from morning til evening.  He actually stayed at the house last night because he was to tired to drive home.  I don't think he got a lot of sleep though.  Something about his father snoring.

Lansen spent most of the day working on the walls in the upstairs bathroom.  Glenn joined him after work.  Some of his accomplishments are connecting the faucet in the downstairs bathroom, and putting in a drain in the new bathtub.  Some nights he is an electrician, on other nights a builder and others a plumber.  He's a one man "Village People".

I enjoyed a break from working on the house.  It was time to restock grocery's, so I went to Costco and Giant.  Thinking ahead I cooked barbecue pork for sandwiches tomorrow.  We are all getting sick of turkey. Yuck!   

  

Day Twenty one

I bet you are wondering if Lansen sealed me in a wall with all that drywall he has been putting up.  I actually worked the extra late shift so it has taken longer to set down and write my blog. 

Me stretching to paint the celing

Wall frame

New bathtub in place

Due to other obligations I didn't arrive until 3:30.  Lansen had already put in a full day and was still going strong.  His pride and joy was framing a new wall in the upstairs hallway.  He did a great job!  Of course there was plenty of drywall and spackeling to do as well.  When Glenn arrived they worked together and had the bathtub in place after about 10 minutes.  What a difference a day can make.  I painted the closet, window frames and door frames in the orange room.  My plan was to do a second coat after dinner but Glenn had other plans.  Oh, now wait a minute!  We had to make a Home Depot run since we were in the area.  There is no such thing as a quick trip.  Home Depot is to Glenn, as a Mall is to me, so much to see and so little time.  The second coat of paint will have to be done another day. 

Lansen relaxing in a nice bath

Day Twenty

After stain

Finished the sanding

More dry wall and Spackle

Primer in the orange bedroom

Ok, I try to be positive but is this house ever going to be finished?  I think we are all getting weary and sore to the bone.  At least we keep going back EVERY DAY. 

John finished playing "Mr. Sandman".  What a big job that was but the floors turned out great!  Mom washed some of the newly sanded floors.  She even got the small bedroom stained.  I worked in the closet and hallway of the orange bedroom painting primer.  I also filled holes in the window frames and the floor.  I should finish all the painting in the orange room tomorrow.  Lansen worked in the upstairs bathroom all day.  He put up more drywall, taped then spackled it.  I over heard Him singing "spackle spackle and more spackle that's all I do".  Glenn and Lansen attempted to put the bathtub in but it was more of a puzzle then they were ready to face tonight. 

We all went to dinner before leaving Glenn.  He will stay the night and do a little more work before collapsing in bed.