small house seems big

 My first tenant, Ari, flew back to Paris yesterday. He left Emma's Room in good condition and even though I didn't see much of him, the house feels different. Quiet. Empty. I have a few weeks before tenant #2 (Laura) arrives and a bunch of laundry to do. All in all this has been a good experience!

an overnight guest

 Susan is in Emma's Room for a night. So far, excellent. After lunch here (I cooked!) we went to the Minnesota Project and roamed around for a colorful afternoon. Dinner last night down at Precita Social and that joint was jumping. So glad they are in the neighborhood. Delicious black cod for Susan and a burger for me. In between all the activities? Talk/talk/talk.

let's just back track, OK?

 Of course you all remember that I met Emma one Sunday a few years ago while picking up trash at Manny's, right? We bonded and she moved to Portland and Handy Jan built a suite for her and she finally used it with her partner, Natalie, and everything was oh so smooth. Emma and Natalie arrived Friday night for pizza here and Saturday we went to breakfast at Le Marais in the Castro. I introduced them to Waymo and they loved the driverless cars and downloaded the app for themselves and used it without me on Saturday as they flew around SF and I prepped for the party. So, whoosh, that's it in a nutshell. Heidi, Emma and I went to Manny's yesterday morning for trashing and had a splendid time as Natalie enjoyed some alone time with her coffee and she ran into a woman that she met in Thailand a few years ago and isn't life just amazing and wonderful? Well, most of the time. Emma and Natalie left yesterday afternoon and are now back home with their big dog, Ferguson. I already miss them...

party photos today (words tomorrow)

 

It was a hit! Good friends, good food and yes, I am a bit tired this morning. Emma's Room seems to be perfect, as are the current occupants. 

house guests = happy!

 Emma and Natalie arrived about 8pm last night and we had pizza and salad and lots of lovely catch-up talk and we are going to take a Waymo (their first) to breakfast and then they will poke around SF while I prepare gently for the party tonight. So finally Emma's Room is in use. I apologized for the fog but they said that Portland is unbearably hot and they welcomed the cool SF air. 

curating and arranging

 The Blogmaid gifted me with three (3!) new pieces of Joan Brown art and yesterday Handy Jan came to hang them and to help me keep my little home safe and organized. The two new cat prints are downstairs in Emma's Room and the glorious "two dogs and toddler boy" are here in the living room where I can admire it often on a daily basis. The bottom photo is of an oil painting from my late friend Curtis Fields (1957, when he was just starting to paint) and it really works well downstairs. I need to keep my world small now with all the horrid world news, right?

the problem with new art

 The three pieces on the left were gifted to me for Emma's Room downstairs. Bare walls there in much need of art. Alas, I want to enjoy these now, everyday. The far left is from my neighbor Rob (who did the big pink) and the two Joan Brown's from the Blogmaid. I love them all even though they need to move down to the "garden suite" ~ but not quite yet.

finishing touches

 Handy Jan will be here Friday to install towel racks, etc., so yesterday I walked and circled and asked sales people at Lowe's for help. Great customer service! When I got home I put up the shower curtain and congratulated myself once again. Next week I will spend an entire night in the new bedroom and see if everything works perfectly. But first, we need a woman President and a woman Mayor and then maybe we can all exhale.

almost finished

 The sliding door between Emma's Room and the new bathroom was a great idea (not mine) and over the weekend Handy Jan and Mike installed the toilet, vanity sink and shower. We still need towel racks, shower curtain, etc. but am I pleased? This year has been a bit of a challenge, but the end results are so worth it. Good job, everyone!

slowly but surely

 The new bathroom is coming along as well as can be expected. Mike can only work weekends, but work he does. The toilet-with-a-view on the left and the shower on the right. I'm quite ready for this endless project to end. Duh.

re-mo update

 Handy Jan and Mike work on the new bathroom on weekends, but the plumbing chores are finished and the sub-floor (right term?) is in. The toilet will be over there by the window and the shower over here in the right hand corner. I am so eager to have this finished in 2024.

I hate MALLS

 Bathroom construction has resumed in my garage and so I went to Home Depot at the West Lake Mall in Daly City yesterday. At least this is an outdoor shopping center so I got a pretty good walk in and had lunch and read my New Yorker. But confusion reigns and friends remind me that one day this home renovation will all be worth it. 

phase two begins (oh boy)

 Somehow I have managed to clean out my little over stuffed office and it will become Emma's Bathroom sometime this year. To my happy surprise work started yesterday and Handy Jan's partner, Mike, is doing all the plumbing and he works quickly. Annabelle and I are a tad nervous with the noise but we know that it is all for a good cause and yes, we can do this thing.

a gift for Emma's Room

 Amy presented me with a cool black coat rack from Amazon. Every guest will need some place to hang stuff, as we all know. She even put it together for me yesterday as we discussed everything under the sun over tea. The new bathroom next door is still under discussion...

the rabbit landed yesterday

 TaskRabbit arrived promptly at 10am and put together all the Ikea furniture and I was very, very pleased with his work and with the new apartment.  Chief Inspector Feline has been busy making sure everything is up to code and all in all, a splendid day for this blogger. Plus family is in town and I will have lots more to report about that/them in the upcoming few days. Busy!

IKEA delivers today

 Fingers crossed that this will be smooth. Then I contact TaskRabbit and find someone who can put all this furniture together and then a few little colorful touches and we will all applaud. This has been a fun project, except for the year-long tossing of crap and memories. 

a roomful of furniture...

 ...and a pro-Palestinian march on Market Street. And lunch. What a whirlwind shopping spree we had yesterday in downtown SF. I'm so grateful to Mr. and Ms. Blogmaid for getting me to/fro Ikea and for keeping me somewhat calm as I furnished Emma's Room with the basics. I've never really shopped Ikea before but it was a fun experience, thanks to my friends. Free delivery too.

Annabelle approves!

 Emma's Room is finished and I am delighted. Next I go to Salvation Army (shhhhh) and Ikea for a little furniture, nothing elaborate. And during this 2024, my office next door will become a small bathroom. I was so pleased with Handy Jan and her work so she will do this next project which we all know will not be easy nor cheap.

Emma's Room update

 This is exciting and it is a pleasure working with Handy Jan. We already have our routines and this weekend the new floor will be installed. She appreciates working inside as we still have rainy weather here and I appreciate her talents. And...she has a cat! 

the project begins

 Handy Jan is a workhorse! Yesterday I hit Lowe's to select the floor and paint while she removed all that fake wood and tossed everything into her huge truck which she miraculously backed into my tiny garage. A couple of complications, of course, but I'm pleased with her work and soon we know that Emma's Room will be a reality. Then the bathroom, but that will be a big undertaking.