Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Hah Hah!

The neighbors probably thought we were moving out today. We hired a company to pack up and move away, to temporary storage, all the contents of our closets, bookcases, night stands, coffee tables, desks, file cabinets, etc. The reason is that we're finally getting our new carpet installed next Monday and Tuesday (if it takes 2 days). The carpet installers will move furniture, but only if it's empty. Hence the "moving day" experience.

After all the crap was hauled away, I was able to look closely in some closets that have long since been buried under loads of unused junk. In one, I discovered a vine growing along the baseboard. I pulled up the carpet and found an enormous amount of spindly vine there. It had somehow entered the house from a crack in the front and had been growing for who knows how long. In the same closet, I found more evidence of foundation problems. And I called foundation repair companies, after I discovered that the warranty on our last foundation repair, done in 1998, lasted 10 years. So, more money down the toilet.

We've decided to refinance our house, taking out a 10 year note on the refinance at 3.99%. That will shave off 8 years, which is what we have left on our 6.5% note. And even though it will cost more, it will save money in the long run. Why we'd want to refinance this money pit is almost beyond me, but I suppose it would be impossible to find a place as nice (except for broken foundations and plants growing under the carpet and along the baseboards) for the same payments.

The discovery of more evidence of foundation issues, coupled with the invasive plants and generally hideous appearance of the closets and the wood trim inside them has convinced me to spend next weekend doing handy-man stuff, such as painting. And, I'll pull carpet from the exterior walls of the house and calk along the sill-plate, where I see evidence of ants and other creatures entering our abode. I'm feeling particularly warm and fuzzy about new houses right about now. I wish someone would send me $1 million in cash so I could indulge my fantasy.

I had a conference call today with a client (while watching someone boxing up all our belongings), during which one of the participants accused me of being irreverent and funny. I enjoyed that little slap. She mentioned an email I had sent, responding to someone who was openly disagreeing with a recommendation I'd made. I had said the writer hadn't understood what I was suggesting...I wasn't suggesting taking legal action against a person who had engaged in fraudulent activity, I was suggesting the person be euthanized. They thought it was funny. They didn't think I was serious. Hah hah!

4 comments:

bev said...

I must admit that reading about the vine in the closet made me laugh. Really? A vine in the closet? Makes my big old wreck of a house here in Nova Scotia seem not so bad after all -- no vines in the closets!! However, today, while I was out buying and extension ladder, a courier driver came here to make a delivery - so I missed him. He left a message on my answering machine saying that he came to the address on my package, but that it was an "abandoned house" so there must be a mistake on the address. I called the courier depot to tell them the house isn't abandoned and I'll be here tomorrow!

Springer Kneeblood said...

Bev, don't be so sure...you may have vines in your closets, too, they just haven't recognized it's Spring yet! I'd give the courier driver a piece of my mind...an "abandoned" house indeed! I want more photos!

Pensionado said...

Hmmm. I'm not so sure that you should replace the carpets before seeing to the foundation work.

Juan just put in my toldo. Great effect of curbing afternoon sun. Had it painted to match the wall with a purple band at the bottom to match the window. Now he has to come over and replace the tiles below (I know he will soon as I haven't paid yet).

Moral of story: Home repairs and improvements never cease!

bev said...

Your "vine in the closet" sounds like something out of The Twilight Zone. Mythical. Sort of like Jack and the Beanstalk, only this is probably more like John and the Kudzu. (-:
I'm adding photos to the main gallery as I have time. The latest are of the dog fence and gates, some new garden shots, and a bit more paint and work on the outside of the house. It's been cool and rainy a lot of days lately, so things ground to a halt other than some gardening. That's supposed to change beginning tomorrow, and we'll actually be on the warm side soon, which is good as this house is not heated at the moment, other than a little fan heater in the parlour which is set up as my bedroom. With night temperatures dipping down to around 38 or 40, it's been a little challenging. Reminds me of all of the cold nights while camping last autumn and this spring. Anyhow, the link to the gallery remains the same as before. Look for the latest photos down near the bottom.
http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/round_hill_house