The Lake House

[Hopalong]

In a warm mountain home, a fire going, people napping, maybe music, baking smells, snow cascading down like cotton....

HEAVEN, Amber!

The way snow forces us into hearing the stillness is so beautiful to me.

hugs
Hops

[Hopalong]

Lighter,
I'm happy to hear your satisfaction and excitement about this property project.

Got nuthin' helpful but good on you!


hugs
Hops

[lighter]

Hops:  I'll do backflips when I get this site up and running.... working out bugs for the summer season and hopefully a few 5 star reviews in place. That's the plan.  YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeees!

DD23 is safely eating Thai in Canada.

 DD21 went to the school clinic, run by our GP practice, and received a benadryl and news she has an amoicillin rash.... THIS was necessary bc of a hot tub foot and ear infection (she wasn't the only one experiencing hot tub skin problems) and now she's home sleepy after a chicken,bacon, swiss sammy, having driven through this terrible storm twice.  There was lots of ponding in the roads, water burbling up through manhole covers and a couple cars in ditches.... assumed they hydroplaned.  It's sunny, just this moment, so I might travel to the Lake house.  Can pick up the sheet rock and keep it dry... contractor can't with his pick up.  I wonder if they're going to open all the airports... I think Charlotte closed down.

Amber:  I'm glad B can nap and take that time without anyone reacting and worrying something's wrong. I know I did.  Snow, baking, napping and watching a good mouser do their thing sounds very nice  to me. 

As for the storm here...not many limbs down, but I walked the property inthe rain and made sure all the drainage was running properly.  There was one jammed up spot with leaves in the drainage creek,but it was easy to clear.  Yards here run like rivers, as we're at the bottom of the nieghborhood. 

I'm very tire...not much sleep the past 2 nights.  I might nap, ready for the Lake and leave by 6... if I go.  If I can find a good deal on a dryer, I'll pick it up on the way. 

Enjoy the snow, Amber. 
Snuggle your lucky pooch, Hops: )

Lighter

[lighter]

I'm late getting on the road for the Lake.  Contractor expected me early this morning, but DD21 met me in the kitchen with her amoxicillin rash all over her body and worsening as we looked at it.  She couldn't believe I was leaving her today, which startled me.  I mean.... I sort of felt it was wrong/a mistake but I didn't think she'd consciously care and voice discontent like that. 

I'm packing the truck now, which started with yanking out the Christmas trees and branches for the goats.  Eventually, they'll get to eat them and I'll get to pet them.  I love the smell of Pine trees.... so much.

I made food, to go with me, while going over symptoms and meds with DD..... cooking for her..... letting her be unhappy and uncomfortable and terribly itchy and hot..... generally "in a mood."  Unhappy to be stuck caring for Pug while DD23 and I are gone,but there's too much mud at the Lake, so..... can't be helped. 

I'm conflicted about leaving, conflicted about working at the lake in the mud and conflicted about being needed by DD21 and DD23.... Monday they both had Doc appointments and both wanted me to go with them.  I committed to DD23 before DD21 asked, so that settled that....but it felt wrong and there was discomfort and I'm trying to notice it.... not judge it.... not get overwhelmed by it.  Sometimes I still do, but it has the benefit of making other problems seem very distant and small. 

DD21 eye balled me this morning, poined out her sister's anxiety problems and said she (dd21) was 50% sure DD23 would become overwhelmed at University and wash out UNLESS I made Therapy and doc appointments for DD23 and took her to them.  I said I would have a talk about putting plans in place to better cope with anxiety, etc for 23yo.  DD21 said it was a "bad idea and would fail."

I asked her what she felt I should do and she said she had no answers, which ws almost funny, and we laughed.  As I said.... she's in a gernally discontented mood with this rash, but these are genuine concerns and she's concerned.

::Breathing::.

It would be so good to get to the lake before noon.

Lighter

[lighter]

Last year this time pipes froze at the lake house.   I'm here now shoring things up for temps in the teens beginning tonight extending for days.

I don't understand the well pump or how to insulate it better outside.... inside?  My brother has me following the220 wire from the interior pump thing y to stop it running IF the exterior pipe breaks?  I'm not sure how to go about trying to insulate the exterior but I want to spray that crack filler around the little playhouse over the thing, add insulation and a light bulb under all.....but I honestly don't know if that will fix things.

IF I leave a heater on in the mechanical room..... would that help anything?

::Putting on coat::

I'm going out.

Lighter

[lighter]

An hour and a half spent insulating the pump house and installing a heating pad around the water pipe..... that sucker's not likely to break now.  I feel better.

It's going down to 8degrees at home tonight.  DD21 is going to pull her car into the garage and put a heater on low.... it keeps the garage nice and toasty. 

Oldest DD23 is spending the night with a friend who lives very close to Univeristy campus.  That means a short drive for her first class at 9am.

The pug is very depressed and I miss her very much.  When i get back home I'm going to take her for lots of long walks.  She has a little sweater that fits her well. 

I caulked the new bathroom ceiling and will be ready to paint it in the morning. 

I have caulking and some grouting to do..... trying to match grout color on old brick pavers.  Will see how mixing paint into sanded grout works out.

Anyone have experiece with that?

Lighter

[lighter]

To post here or on the Mindfulness thread?  Hard to say, realy.

So.... I've been at the lake for 8 days patching sheetrock, figuring out the trim list and how to resolve problems without trim where I can.... like around the stone fireplaces where the LVP leaves a straight gap in the master bedroom and jaggedy gap in the living room.

I mixed an insipid light brick grout color to patch the replaced paver (where Dad's wheelchair rolled over it for 20 years) and to fill the gap between it and new LVP.  Wish I could make that decision again, but we march on. All will be well, yup yup yup.

A text from DD21 had me flinging myself around the house like Dianne Wiest trying to leave work bc her kids freaked her out in the movie THE LOST BOYS.... a conversation with DD21 reassured me enough......I leave tomorrow. 

That means I'll try to finsih the sheet rock patches, paint them and do the figure on trim and draperies to put us over the finish line.  I caulked and painted in the new bed/bathroom, fixed a lamp I didn't know I coudl fix, [aomted the laundry room, made lables for the light switches and fielded questions on Airbnb, which shocked me into dealing with the Lake calendar..... we're almost ready to go live,. but not quite. 

The contractor I need is playing coy, so I'm goinjg to figure out how to use a miter saw to cut 6" crown and install it 10' up.  Upside down backwards math seemed impossible yesterday.

Today....
     I'm thinking....
maybe.

Lighter

[lighter]

I just booked the first lake airbnb rental for the end of July.  6 older couples going to a craft show.... I think.  They seem very nice and have good reviews.

Last night I dreamed someone else was working on finishes at the lake house.... and there was lots and lots of pink furniture in that dream!  So funny.

[lighter]

My preferred contractor, for the jobs left at the lake, answered my call and set up 3 days in February.

His 100lb dog has been suffering and they have to put her down..... it's why he's put me off.  She's still hanging in there, but requires lots of hands on attention.   My brother just put down his little multi poo.... such a sweet thing, and it's never easy.  Always a heart break.

I've let the girls know my travel dates and both will be to care for Baby Girl Pug.  That's a blessing.

Lighter

[lighter]

Today just came together.....
the HVAC guy had a cancellation and headed to the Lake House to address the upstairs unit.  He'll service both and I'm hoping it's a faulty 10 year old thermostat that's the problem.   Turns out it's the fan when it gets below freezing...goes into second stage gas use... otherwise the unit runs fine in first stage.  I don't know what that all means exactly, but he wishes we had an 80% unit and not a 90% unit bc they create more moisture..... just know it's under a $1,000.00 to fix and it's a 2011 unit so I'm fixing it.

The contractor ( I work very well with from out of town) will drive to the house every day and home every afternoon after working 8 hour days.  Three days in a row.... that's going to get me very close or TO the place where renting is possible.  Tomorrow I'll have him replace the appliances, install the trim I have ready then finish painting and staining trim for the next day's install.

I should make a hard list right now but I'm in the zone and don't want to stop moving. 

What an amazingly clear sunny cool day it is!

Hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful day too.

Lighter

[sKePTiKal]

The weather has been teasing us here too! But our night's are still very cold, so no seed starting just yet.

[lighter]

The weather was spitting at us today, but otherwise breezy, cool and overcast.  A wonderful day to do trim with saw set up on covered porch.  Yes.

The kitchen crown went up...... it's SO GOOD!  Makes the cabinets look like they came out of a London pub 100 years ago.  SO GOOD.

The base and quarter round is going down in the Sun and Linving rooms...again... SO GOOD>  Brother came up and used the fork lift to get the pallet of extra 40 year old trim down...... AMAZING to have the exact trim we need and it's already stained.  SO GOOD!

I have a chicken in the oven... one of my favorite meals... smells divine. 

What  else..... the contractor's wife is love love lovely.... just adore her.  She was raised to be a caretaker and Speaks so softly.... so comforting.... and I really like her. 

They have 2 yummy dogs.... a Labridoodle and one of those Great Perinese (spelling?) dogs.... tall and blonde and takes treats so gently!

The chicken was delicious.... such a simple recipe, but great every time. Only had butter this time, so a bit rich, but the house smells like love and care.

We're watching Spirited Away in a bit then hitting the sack. 

We finished the trim in the LR, Sunroom and Kitchen... feels so good to put a bow on those things. 

Lighter

[Hopalong]

You sound so happy about the Lake House accomplishments, Lighter. Kudos to you on what must've been such a massive project. Will you be managing all the AirB&B rentals, or will Bro share that work with you?

Hope it repays you in multiple ways. Soon you'll be back to the island, too.

How are things going with the DDs? And your health and happiness at home? Hope you're content and resting as much as needed and finding positive connections.

Happy V-Day from me and Pooch!

hugs
Hops

[lighter]

Hi, Hops. 

The girls have had patches of bad luck, so I headed back home sooner than expected. Oldest DD had a tree limb take our her back windshield and youngest lost her wallet with keys. 

Aside from that, and a few other wobbly bits for them, things are going OK.  WIndshield replaced today and thaks to AAA sowing up in a few minutes yesterday, we have the spare key from inside the car with lost key. 

I'll be handling the lake house rentals on my own.  So far I have 4 bookings.... feeling pretty good about them.  Working steadily towards completion of basics. SO much more I'd like to do! 

Trying to figure out bathroom remodels at home and let things go.... just stop hanging on to anything I can't use.  That's enough for now. 

Is Pooch still on the mend?  How are you doing?

:Lighter

[lighter]

I'm feeling very flat and neutral about the Lake house after spending 14 hours researching comprables, their pricing and minimum night stays during the year.... all jumping about, not really in sync.

I assume some of the largest and fanciest properties set very low prices in slow months simply to keep their cleaning crews busy and on board.  I understand that.  Othersise, they fill their calendars with the people who keep them busy. 

We're not apples to apples..... but there are some SUPER expensive places and some appearing to be underpriced with similar number bedrooms and baths, etc..... some have better docks or good walkways to the docks and also ping pong and air hockey and hot tubs and outdoor kitchens and beautiful pools and landscaping, which we don't have.  No apples to apples... it's a market I'm not familar with, but am sick to death of studying, kwim?

I'm taking a break and going back to finishing up draperies, the master shower ceiling, downstairs baseboards, bar crown moulding and LVP in the bath and a half.  Will make a huge difference. 

And the outdoor firepit needs to be dealt with. 

And maybe a bed platform under the Upstairs Master King bed..... yup yup yup.

And the dock needs to be pressure washed and electricity restored.

Lights on covered porch need installing.

I can't tell you how good it feels to have the upstairs trim basically done. The laundry room and another 220 outlet needs to be addressed, but that's not crucial..... now.  I have the outlet and everything I need to get that done.  Contractor coming back soon. 

I like to be out ahead of him with materials and I think the girls are pretty solid, so time to go back in finish the big things. 

Oh the amazing things I would do IF I just had fun things to do! 

Lighter