Monday, February 28, 2011

LATEST NEWS...

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals!! Hope this post finds you all well.

We are still working to complete the "final touchup" on the bathroom work. There will be photos and explanations in the near future. There will also be an assessment of the vendors selected to do the jobs.

In the meantime, I wanted to share something with you all that really struck me. No... it wasn't a lightning bolt although we do get some healthy ones around here. :)

I was completing my morning walk the other day. The street I was walking on dead-ends into another street. I have met and chatted with the folks in the last house on the right as I walk as well as the folks who live across the second street and one house down. (Don't worry... it isn't important that you see this in your head.) Both couples are retired and enjoy working in their yards. That's how I met them! The gentleman in the last house on my right had explained he had been maintaining the yard across from him as the owner had passed away and the house had been placed on the market. Don't think this is a postage-stamp-sized lot. This is a good 1/2 to 3/4 of an acre with a lot of trees, shrubs, plants, etc. He has been mowing the lawn and maintaining all of those plants... without pay... just to keep it looking nice. I say there is a local Realtor that owes him big-time!

At any rate... as I was approaching the end of the street I was walking on, I saw both couples out working in a different yard!! I stopped to chat and found that the house's owner was in the hospital in Houston and there wasn't anyone to do the yard... so these two couples had decided to do just that. They had coordinated their schedules and were out leaf-raking, leaf-blowing, and mowing. It was a well-oiled machine-like team. When I went by later in the day, I saw a very nicely manicured yard. These folks, with their own yards and their own issues (one of the ladies has very bad knees), had acted in the very best meaning of "Love Thy Neighbor" and the Golden Rule. With no thought other than how the owner of this home would wish he could take care of the yard but could not, they selflessly spent their morning allowing the owner to have one less thing to worry about. These are the truly good neighbors we all wish we had.

The next time you think one of your neighbors could use a little help, remember that doing something they aren't able to do at that time is the best thing you can do for them... and for others who witness your attitude. I always heard that our actions speak much louder than our words. They do.

Until next post...

Monday, February 14, 2011

BIG BOX UPDATE

Hello again, Blogging Buddies!!

Well... thought you might be interested in an update on the Big Box experience and the new bathroom vanity countertops.

So... when we last visited, my countertops were paid for but a glitch in the Big Box system had failed to generate a Purchase Order thus the countertops had not been ordered... I was told. After a refund to my credit card followed by yet another charge for the same countertops, I received a call that the delivery date for the tops (originally given as Feb 10) would be Feb 17 and I should hear from the contractor within 48 business hours of receipt of the tops to schedule the actual install. Looked like everything had slipped a week due to the ordering debacle. Fine. Whatever. Just get my countertops in and call me.

Last Friday, Feb 11th, I received a call from "Liz" at the Big Box advising that my countertops had arrived!! Hmmmm. So the receipt was only one day later than the original date quoted. Guess that's good. I asked "Liz" to please take a tape measure out to the countertops and measure the two-sink top. It should be 12.5 inches to the center of the sink at either end from their respective end. Much huffing and puffing later, "Liz" called me to advise that she measured 12 inches from one end and 13 inches from the other end. Okay. Does that mean the average is 12.5 inches which is what I need? Sigh. Anyway, I told "Liz" I wanted to visit the tops before they left the store in order to set one of the selected faucets in place to make SURE the faucet neck was long enough!! No problem. So... this morning, the spousal-unit and I headed north to the Big Box. We located Liz easily enough and went on a controlled visit to my new tops. A flip of the top and a setting of a faucet revealed that my eye had been accurate. The new faucets had plenty of clearance. (The problem with the exising units is that the faucet neck is so short, the water pours out just barely in front of the back of the sink! What you end up with, regardless of how careful you are, is a pooling of water around the base of the faucet which is unsightly and a pain to have to sop up every time one uses the faucet!! I figure this is a perfect time to remedy that problem.

That's the report for today! The painter did call last Friday and I am expecting to hear from him today to come by, size up the job I have, and bid it. The spousal-unit has replaced all 3 vanity light fixtures (2 over the dual-sink vanity and 1 over the single-sink vanity) and they all look just great. I think these minor changes are going to make a major difference. I'll try to get "before" and "after" shots for my HGTV-addicted friends. :)

Have a lovely week. Looks like the weather here is going to be wonderful and I am looking forward to it!!

Until next post...

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

BABBLING...

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals!! Welcome!!

A few things to impart to you about things here in southwest Louisiana.

First of all, I completed a series of Physical Therapy visits and am glad to report I am feeling a little better and a bit more confident. I think it was a good thing. I continue my morning walks 6 days each week and am on my way to dropping some of those nasty pounds that showed up when I was so inactive over the summer. :)

The Aunt celebrated a birthday February 1st. It was complete with an ice cream cake, flowers, balloons, and lots of cards. Even though the weather was less than stellar, I think it qualified as a good day!

Speaking of weather, it was 24 degrees outside when I left for my morning walk this morning. It was 25 degrees when I returned. This is NOT the balmy south I remember. I'll be filing my complaint as soon as I can find the appropriate form. As to Al Gore... get over yourself, Al. (You can read my rant to Al from LAST January by clicking on his name.)

So... let's talk about spelling. Yep. You read it right. Spelling. I know it is something that not everyone does well. I understand that. We all have strengths and challenges. Spelling happens to be one of my strengths so misspells catch my eye pretty quickly. I have to tell you, though... you would THINK that the job of editing a newspaper, filling out the marquee for the church, or filming and editing a television ad would REQUIRE someone who can spell... or at least has someone following behind them who can. Wouldn't you? Am I off-base here? Naw. I don't think so. Let me share a few of my most recent eye-catchers:
1) On the church marquee, I found "Saint Benedect" and "Greator" (in reference to greater glory). Now then... I Googled Benedect as I thought there was a slight possibility that there was a saint out there I was not familiar with who didn't want a name that sounded like a fancy egg dish! Nope. No "Saint Benedect" to be found. As to "Greator", I thought just MAYbe someone was being creative and combining "Creator" and "Greater" to coin a new and appropriate word for the marquee. Uh... no. I was right the first time. Bad spelling. *chuckle*
2) On the television, I have recently viewed two ads that just screamed "I probably shouldn't have this job!" relative to the party (or parties) responsible for proofing them. The first was for a local automobile dealership. The text across the lower left of the screen read "Derrider, La." That would be fine... except it is (and we are) in DeRidder, La. Yep. There is a double consonant in there... but the "r" ain't it!! LOL!! Another favorite is for a wood furniture place in the little town just north of here. It is Quality Wood Furniture. Great name. Tells you exactly what they have there... except the bottom of the television ad read "Quailty Wood Furniture." If one could make wood from the quail (an excellent eating bird!), perhaps that would work... but it doesn't... for a multitude of reasons.

Because there are just SO many misspells in the local paper, I don't even have a list. It's nearly every time I glance through it that one smacks me in the face. I don't know if it's deadlines or just staffing issues... but I have begun to think there is a church-going newspaper editor that moonlights making local commercials!! Sigh.

So... let's talk about making small changes in the home. Yep. Found a nice new sink and faucet I really liked. The Man (spousal-unit) agreed to install it. After all, it was the same size and basic shape of the existing one. How hard could it be? :) (Fortunately, he had asked me to line up the plumber we love here to help him drop it in as the new one is cast iron and a wee bit heavy!) When I arrived home three hours after the scheduled "quick drop-in", the plumber's truck was still in the driveway. This was not a good sign, folks. Turns out the plumbing underneath the existing sink had been done by someone who may have gone on to make local commercials!! It was so convoluted, they ended up having to completely replumb in order to make things fit and work. The most amusing part of this? Well, the fact that the plumber's bill was only $5 less than the cost of the new sink comes to mind!! It's a good thing I haven't lost my sense of humor.

Finally, I want to share with you my current experience working with a "Big Box" home improvement store that is 30 miles away from here (meaning a one-hour round trip drive every time we go there). I will state that the folks I mention here have all been VERY nice and VERY helpful... and VERY apologetic. :) Here is the experience thus far:
Go to Big Box store.
Look at countertops to replace two cultured marble vanity countertops in a hall bath and a half-bath.
Give dimensions to Sales Person to get quote.
Wait for call from Contractor to come measure existing vanity tops.
Contractor comes out & measures.
Wait for call from Sales Person for final quote to do work.
Sales Person calls with quote and advises I must go there to "sign the contract" and pay.
A little more than an hour later, I have a receipt... but no new countertops.
Three days later, I am measuring for new mirrors in the two baths.
Notice the measurements to "center of sink" on the Contractor's hall bath sketch are not right.
Call Contractor and leave message regarding measurements.
Call Big Box Sales Person who advises he has heard from Contractor and Contractor will be back out to re-measure. (Does "Measure Twice, Cut Once" come to anyone else's mind?)
Contractor calls next day and advises he is going to come back to re-measure. Weather is awful.
Contractor hems and haws a bit and asks if I am "sure" about my measurements? (Uh... yes?)
Contractor says he will use my measurements rather than drive down to re-measure. Okay. Your call (but I still assume no responsibility although I am right!).
Big Box Sales Person calls this morning to advise that new "center of sink" measurements will not allow for the rectangular sink configuration I want. Sigh. Fine. Oval it is.
Big Box New Person calls shortly after to advise that, even though I charged the full amount on my credit card, a PO (fortunately I knew that was a Purchase Order since she was using acronyms throughout the conversation) had NOT been generated by their system AND she needed to "refund" my credit card for the amount of the actual vanity tops then charge that amount again in order to generate a PO so the vendor would actually MAKE them!!! That became a longer conversation than it really needed to be but I hung in there.
I think there may eventually be two new vanity countertops in my home... but I'm really not sure about any of it.

It's just been so darned much fun lately, I have not had time to post to the blog. I apologize for the length of this post... but didn't want you to miss out on any of the fun!!

Thanks for staying with me. Let me know if you need a plumber. I have a good one. My recommendations on other providers are yet to be determined!

Until next post...