the final step finally

I think this whole interior re-mo started with "yuck, we need new
drapes in the living room." Yesterday our glorious wooden blinds
were installed and we once again congratulated ourselves on
selecting the perfect color and product. We want to salute Costco
for the windows and these Hunter Douglas® blinds. Great service
and prices ~ the workers were always on time and cleaned up
before they left. Yes, we are feeling smug on Mullen Avenue.

it could have been a disaster

One in the dining room.

Bad photo of living room (above) ~ but you can see the nabes!
Bedroom below.

This interior re-mo all started because we needed new windows
"and we might as well get the walls painted," etc. You know how
it goes. We decided to use Costco because our friend Ginger in
Santa Barbara sings their praises for house projects.

Costco teams up with American Home Renewal and although
there was a wait from measuring to delivery, we are thrilled
with the results. They are busy because you remember that
there is a tax deduction for better insulation.

Yesterday 3 guys arrived at 8:30am and installed these 7
windows pictured above and they were out of here
by 3:30pm. They didn't stop and our new windows are
exquisite. Our friend Neti came over and approved of the
new walls and windows ~ hooooray!

Next? Window "treatments" also via Costco.

Now I had better get to work.

ladder-free living

Our house painter and 3rd roommate removed all the ladders yesterday,
right before I called the sanitarium to book a room. Here is a before
look ~ back in ought 2 as I recall...

This is the side of the house, "next to Walt's". Walt died a few years

ago, but that's another story. (Back of the house, but you knew that.)

Here we are next to Walt's this morning. Lovely, no?

And here is the back of the house, right above the deck. The City that
we love is reflected in the background. It is gorgeous and our long
local nightmare is almost over. We only have the front porch left ~
new slate that we purchased yesterday. A day long job for some, but
errrrr, uhhhhh, I'll get back to you on that. Oh, drat, I didn't get the
new steps in this photo ~ but they are there and you'll see them
later. I don't want to spoil you.

The back deck needs to be sanded. In a state of lunacy we had it
painted and it is peeling and ugly. But after the rains, I am going to
buy or rent a sander and get it back to its nice plain wood look.
That should be worth a blog post or 23.

Now, I know you have a few questions:
1) did this take longer than was planned?
2) did it cost more than we thought?

I'll leave you hanging on those...

am I blue?

This is the view from our kitchen window. We are on the last leg of
this endless journey, but of course no work gets done when it rains.
For my out-of-frisco readers, the rainy season is here.
This is our spare refrigerator in the basement. Our painter likes
his beer which we provide. Those are his paint brushes and then
we have just enough room for that melon and some root beer.
These are the times that try the soul of an otherwise ebullient
and exceedingly tolerant woman.

oh my...

Isn't this a delightful photo from the NASA web site? We don't see
stars here due to the icky and constant summer fog. I didn't get home
until after 2am last night, because of the great carpet cleaning event,
so I'm just a tad foggy myself. A nice lunch with Mr. and Ms. G. Plotnik
should set me right. I need to make myself less frightful now...

And no, notthat, there is no we in this team. It's all-Ron only and 8 ladders.