Monday, May 4, 2009

How Long, How Long, Dear God, How Long

April 14 post continued:

Scraped?

My home was built in 1916. It was a five room farm home, quickly evolved into a trolley suburb home, and then was overrun by the city in the 1940s. We moved in 32 years ago and started renovations. Then we had children. Then we had dogs. Them the mama quit work and raise all of those. Then came college, and boomeranging children, and then retirement and finally after 25 years of deferred maintenance we are trying to resurrect it one more time.



Primed?


So in early March will some prodding from the OKC Community Code Enforcement Agency (a.k.a. Paint Police, Grass Marshals, and Dry Rot Inspectors) we began the long delayed work on our
home. So we got our bids and selected a contractor with a track record and made the start.


Painted?


Seven week, rain, wind, labor shortage (our Mexican Nationals have all returned to home), and we are half done. Looks good, from the street anyway. After I totally blew a gasket the carpenter shifted from let's get this over with to let's do this right. Now the painter's did not get the word. But, my wife says one insane episode is enough so I can't "Explain" to them what "scraping paint actually means" and that diluting the most expensive of paints so you can spray it is actually is not a good idea. Indeed the Woman has required that I leave the premises when when any of the "craftsmen" are working here (plus she made me up my meds). I thought that would be an inconvenience, but so far the speed of the effort is slow enough that I haven't had to leave so much yet.

So here I am. Waiting for the rain to abate and the guys to come back. More to come when it is done and I recover.

11 comments:

Carol said...

It's looking good! I like your labels on this post.

TStockmann said...

And I like the transition from a truck in the first picture to a more retirement-friendly sedan in the last

Kirsten said...

Whoever picked the paint did a good job on the colors. Very nice.

drlobojo said...

Kristen, the paint picker was "She Who Must be Obeyed". Sherman Williams 'True Yellow' and 'French Roast'.

"She " blogs at http://okiebookwoman.blogspot.com/

TS that's my last truck. I mean I don't plan to replace it ever. I do love my big sedans with cruise control and soft ride. Last year we put 30,000 miles on it during trips.

Erudite Redneck said...

Looks good! Have a housewarming!

drlobojo said...

It is a long ways from done yet.

Feodor said...

Then what are you going to do?

(I agree, it looks very nice, and you are leaving a legacy for another hundred years.)

drlobojo said...

I'm rebuilding structural damage to two areas in the rear; rebuilding the roof of the porch;
and replacing the Greek columns; and re-roofing the lower roof; and put protective rain gutter across the top front and sides.

Later, I will change out the front windows and replace some of the siding and outer lumber that is beyond rehabilitation.

My goal is to not have to do anything to it ever again in my life time unless God has a sense of humor and keeps me around long than I think he will. After that it is not my concern.

As my daughter says that is TMI. Too much information. A sign of aging for sure.

Oh yes, the old columns will go in my back back yard I think and will be part of a new temple there.

Feodor said...

Temple for/to... ?

drlobojo said...

Well they seem more Greek than Roman. I'll have to check that out. If I go Roman, I think I'll do Janus, you know the old Roman God not brought over from Greece.
In Janus' original form He/She was a male face one way and a female face the other. Janus was the deity(deities?) of new beginnings, crossroads, calenders, doors, guardian of the gateway to heaven, and the ceremony of dedication was baptism by submersion.
If Greek then I might go back again to the earliest deities. Pythias maybe. I could make a cave with a giant python in it.

Maybe, I could get a canon and put between them as a memorial to the South's Treason of succession.

drlobojo said...

Oh yes for the record and for those who might look up Pythias or Pytheas...Gaea's python son was the origin of all the other Pyth**** names.