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Archive through August 12, 2005

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2005 Jun. ~ Aug.: Home and Garden ARCHIVES: TVCH's Home & Life Organization (ARCHIVES): Archive through August 12, 2005 users admin

Author Message
Abby7
Member

07-17-2002

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 8:33 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Lkunkel, I am so very sorry to hear this. I've read some of your stories about Punk. You provided such a loving home for him.



Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - 3:33 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Oh Lk, I am so, so sorry. Punk is such a wonderful name. Please take care of yourself.

Lkunkel
Member

10-29-2003

Friday, July 29, 2005 - 12:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Today I am reading (and editing) some of Bill's book, but tomorrow I plan on blitzing.

Is anyone else interested in meeting in here at the :20 and :50 and telling what they have done, and what they plan on tackling for the next 20 minute blitz period?

Misery loves company, and blitzing requires supporters, so grab some before shots today (or not), make out your plans, and then tomorrow, we become blitzing divas.

Anyone interested? Anyone at all?

myicon

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Saturday, July 30, 2005 - 10:42 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I'm interested, but can't do it...great idea though! Good luck! I can't wait to read about it! (and see pics!?)

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Saturday, July 30, 2005 - 11:07 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I am with Happy, or rather I could, but don't wanna. (Feeling very, very lazy today.) But it's something we could all do together some day this fall, when life is more regular again.

Grandmato2
Member

07-16-2004

Sunday, July 31, 2005 - 3:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I am starting to wage war on paper clutter. Most of my house is fine except for the paper stuff. [Psst ! I thin it multiplies while I am asleep.] It doesn't help that I have all of my school stuff here in an office that I can barely see in. Too much stuff!

Any pointers for waging this type of battle??

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Sunday, July 31, 2005 - 5:09 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Grandma, when you find out let me know. I have been procrastinating on our office for months. It needs major purging and/or filing.

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Tuesday, August 02, 2005 - 10:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I am so glad to see you posting again, Lk; this thread needs you! Sorry to learn about Punk. I know how much you love your kitties.

I have some before and after photos to post of the work my sister and I did at our family's cottage, but I am so tuckered out today that I can hardly move. We definitely did NOT do it the FlyLady way, which is unfortunate, but time was limited.

Acckkk, paper clutter is the worst...I need to boogie the file cabinet next and I am not looking forward to it at all. Good luck with yours, Grandmato2.

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 5:36 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Back again, but realizing that I shouldn't post too many photos...just three...hope that isn't too much.

C
My father's hat collection

C
Reduced collection

C
East end of camp with morning sun

My parents are leaving tomorrow for a ten-day vacation. Neither is in any shape to be doing a lot of cleaning so my sister and I wanted to open the cottage and have everything ready for them. I'll let you know if they were pleased or dismayed. LOL!

Grandmato2
Member

07-16-2004

Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 12:00 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
The camp looks very inviting Vee.

I am slowly putting all of our medical bills for the last 2 fiscal years in binders. DH had surgery last October and there are plenty of bills.

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 2:19 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
That "camp" looks like a 5 star hotel to me!...we're about to go tent camping!

I enjoyed the photos! Who decided to reduce the hat collection? If it wasn't your dad...how did he take it?

I hope they are pleasantly surprised!

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Sunday, August 07, 2005 - 3:59 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Happymom, I guess that it is a hotel compared to a tent. Hope that you have a wonderful time...I could never get used to tent camping...tried to for the sake of the kids, but it was beyond my abilities to cope.

Sis and I decided that a focal point of the room should not be a collection of old, nasty caps. No, we did not ask, we just went ahead with our plan. This may seem awful, but we knew that our dad was going to go red alert anyway...straight to the top...so we just went ahead and did everything we felt needed doing knowing that it would only happen once and not while we were there. Dangerous! LOL

I'll let you know how he actually "took it" when he returns later in the month. Hopefully, he'll have cooled off by then.

Landi
Member

07-29-2002

Sunday, August 07, 2005 - 10:28 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
well, my house is almost done. i did a three day blast and i haven't seen my house so clean or so clear in years. this is the way it always used to be.

the reason i say "almost" is that i need to get a new bookcase for the books that were found that are keepers, and i need to purchase a new chair for the family room, and two bar stools for the kitchen. then i am done. oh, and i may just redo my bedroom's linens. i'm bored with it. but as for organizing and stuff, ALL DONE!

NOW IF I CAN ONLY KEEP IT THIS WAY!


Lkunkel
Member

10-29-2003

Sunday, August 07, 2005 - 3:59 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Vee: Congrats on breaking FlyLady's (and every other declutterers') rule about not decluttering for anyone else. Invest in Caller ID in case he HASN'T cooled down!

Landi: Congratulations! I truly mean it!!! I know how hard you have worked. It will be a test of the system to see if you can make it work, but I have faith in you.

Bill's hat rack is working well--especially well as I am the one putting the hats away! But, I am willing to do that to get them in one place.

We're having interesting debates over what is going and what is staying in our move. We've decided that any appliance over 10 years old isn't worth taking, and the kitchen stuff itself has a lot of issues. Let's just say that the kitchen is going to take maybe a box or two, and most of it is decorative items.

My books are going to be media mailed out to mom's to hangout until I get there. I talked to some eBayers who sell plants, and got a lot of ideas for mailing them UPS 3-day select, especially if I am going to go in February to check out the home situation; so, I'll have measurements and pictures for planning.

As part of the moving process, I've been trying to create a home inventory. After trying to figure out what would information be needed for a home inventory, I gave up. I then went looking, and found this program: Insurance Information Institute which has not only a program but also a template.

Between this file, Treepad!, and MasterCook, I am feeling really confident about having all of my files safe and secure by the time we move.

I also found out that Treepad! will be available for the Palm by the 4th quarter...which means I'll have my whole Household Notebook with me everywhere I go.

I do know I will be painting the paneling; I grew up with hideous brown paneling and hated it. No more!

The kitchen is going to be blue, terra cotta, and yellow. Blue is supposed to help suppress the appetite, so that is way cool. The terra cotta and yellow will be for the accessories. I figure I can use terra cotta window boxes to hold spices, and a terra cotta tube to hold kitchen utensils. The yellow is going on the cupboards and drawers, as I'm going to reface them.

The living room is generally open to the kitchen so I am keeping the blue and yellow, and adding green, and peach. Bill wants wicker-look resin furniture (which is fine--I'M getting a heated massage recliner!) and I'll paint the resin furniture a pretty sage green and make some nice cushions to bring in all of the colors. Yellow and peach are going to be accent colors to go with all of the southwestern art stuff that we have that will be in the living room.

Our room will likely be a turquoise and peach--our wedding colors--since that's the colors we have all of our wedding based decor. It reminds us regularly of our commitment, and it's nice and restful to see.

That still leaves the hallway, the second bedroom (Bill's office), and my art area. I'm also making tentative notes about outside with the grass and the flower beds/gardens.
Can anyone tell I'm getting excited?

I'm plugging away on the paper monster. Now that I have my filing system figured out, and I am remembering that you only look at about 20% of what you file, it is easy to pare things down. Things I want to remember or tidbits of info that could be important are going into Treepad!

I am making progress, and I can see that things will get done; I determined which magazines I am keeping, and which ones I can read and donate--which is really cutting down on clutter. I just have to work at it steadily.
myicon

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Sunday, August 07, 2005 - 5:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Awww, shucks, and I hate breaking the rules, Lk!

Wow! You really have made progress. I am always amazed by how much you accomplish and how much research you do to maintain an organized home. That link was excellent and I will be downloading it. My household journal is a big help and I think that inventory will be another good thing to put in it.

Isn't it fun to think about color schemes and new living arrangements? I hope that you have a blast with it and the more planning that you can do in advance like this, the easier it will all be to accomplish. Continued best wishes with your move. This will not be taking place until the new year I see...wow! You really are organized!!

Lkunkel
Member

10-29-2003

Monday, August 08, 2005 - 11:17 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Actually, Vee, after the hellish 15 hours spent without electricity, added to the fact that our plumbing in this place sucks (we have to plunge the toilets at least every day while maintenance snakes them and says "yes, there's a clog, but we can't do anything") means that we have tentatively moved the move up to December. So I need to get moving on everything.

The cause of our power outage, purportedly, was that we used the expensive AC filters instead of the cheap ones. Also, apparently, nothing is to be in a 12" radius of the air filter area.

So, something more for me to try to find a different place for, since I was storing some stuff under the filter area, but not blocking it.

As for being organized, I'm not. This place is a disaster area with crap all over. Since all of Bill's stuff is in the second bedroom, mine is scattered throughout the apartment, which is why it is always my stuff that is criticized for being out and being a mess. I really hope that we can find a mobile home with an expando unit. It would give us a "room" roughly 5x8', which I could then claim as mine (since Bill would have the roughly 10x10' second bedroom) and be able to put all of my stuff away and be able to use it. That's my dream, anyway. Otherwise, I'll just end up throwing out my stuff since I've heard all the complaining I want to hear about it for the last 10 years (anytime anyone needed to stay with us, I lost "my" space and my belongings were shoved anywhere and everywhere, making the house look bad and disorganized.)

So, there's a lot to do--a lot of paperwork has to be finished this month and I have to have everything packed up that is moving by Thanksgiving. Think it would be fair of me to have Bill pack up his office?
myicon

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Monday, August 08, 2005 - 3:18 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Lk, you better believe it would be fair for Shotputt to do his own packing *and* helping with yours. Just point him to the moving boxes!

Vee, I had my say about your little rebellion in my folder and will leave it at that - this time.

Landi, congratulations on your major declutter!!! If you stick to the daily flylady routine for most of the year, you can even take time off here and there. I have been over the summer, and things are not tooooooo bad - yet.


Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Tuesday, August 09, 2005 - 4:12 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Think it would be fair of me to have Bill pack up his office?

Ahhh, yuh!

Lk, nothing like a move to force organization. Just don't pack anything that you never want to see again. That's my best advice.

landi. you're a'flying like crazy. Just don't forget to apply those principles and you'll keep it looking pretty much just like this forever or until the next heat wave. LOL


Lkunkel
Member

10-29-2003

Tuesday, August 09, 2005 - 12:02 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Well, we had a second night of no AC. It turns out that the 10-year experienced electrician overlooked the fact that a 240volt appliance was connected to a 120volt fuse. In short, a 3 year fire hazard.

On the bright side, we had $60 taken off from our rent for next month.

Other than the electronics, Bill says he'll be packing up his stuff for the move--which is very cool.

I also spoke to a friend in town who has offered me a truck and trailer to bring over my priced items for a yard sale in the summer--and right down the street after the sale is a Salvation Army. The same friend owns a cleaning business and has agreed--in exchange for all that I have done for her--to do the move out cleaning of the apartment, which is what I was MOST dreading.

So, onto the clutter! And onto the sorting. Time to make this work!
myicon

Lkunkel
Member

10-29-2003

Tuesday, August 09, 2005 - 7:18 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
And yes, I know what FlyLady says about rummage/yard sales, but we need the money for moving.

I got some dots today (three stores--that was ridiculous!) so that I can label as I go, rather than going back later and redoing it.

I bought two painter's cloths (plastic) for $3.00, and I'm going to put one on the balcony floor, and then one on the top to cover the boxes I use. That should protect them from the elements until the moving sale. My hope is that I'll be able to reuse those boxes (in part) for moving. If not, well, we'll get more of what we need.

We're going to put the stuff we keep in the small bathroom (since we can't use it anyway). The plan is for me to start cleaning out that bathroom by this weekend, so I can start cleaning, packing, and storing the stuff we're moving.

Granted, there won't be a lot that we are moving--it's time for an almost clean and new start. For example, right now, we have stoneware dishes (very pretty--but very heavy) that are really difficult for me to handle on bad days. We've decided to go back to Corelle (which we had, and Bill gave away since we received the stoneware and he didn't like the pattern) and get the "Abundance" pattern.
Abundance

It's pretty and goes well with the revised plan for the kitchen and living rooms. Kitchen colors: Blue with drybrush of silver or copper (walls); green with drybrush of silver or copper (cabinets)--one would have silver, one would have copper--cabinet hardware to match drybrushing; copper and silver metallic diamond/triangle on the backsplash. Depending on the sink color, we'll paint the appliances white, yellow, or, if the sink is stainless steel, then we'll get those metal sheets. We're also going to do moldings and trims in white. The accessories (bread box, paper towel thingy, etc.) are chrome and terra cotta. I plan on making a lot of the terra cotta accessories myself--like a cooking utensil holder, etc. I'm also going to make a really neat bubble light holder (having them in the kitchen reminds me of dad) out of terra cotta pots.

The LR colors: Walls the same as the kitchen; the furniture Bill chose is a sage green (or will be when I finish with it); the fabric for the cushions (which I'll make) will have the blue, green, terra cotta, and peach, which is reflected in the lamps and artwork we have and are moving. The same fabric is what I'll use for curtains.

I'm going to prime and stain anything wood Minwax's Pickled Oak; next to the sage green, it should look nice and light. Even the picture frames will work in that color. I haven't decided what to do with the baskets, but I'll likely attack them with some spray paint too.

I think one reason I am so excited is that I'll be able to start crafting and creating again--I'll have ROOM!!! I have a lot of ideas I can't wait to experiment with.

Anyway, off to toss more stuff; tomorrow AM, I'm doing a lot of replanting/transplanting. I have decided that, come hell or highwater, I AM taking the plants. It was a toss-up for a bit, but they are important to me, so they are coming.

That's all for now. I hope to have a lot to report tomorrow.
me

Lkunkel
Member

10-29-2003

Thursday, August 11, 2005 - 6:14 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
No A/C, Sizzles, Sparks, and the Fire Department Saga

On Sunday night, around 9PM our Air Conditioner decided to die. It was a warm night, and we were less than happy.

On Monday, the maintenance man showed up. He scolded me for using Purafilter 2000 filters for an air conditioner unit over a year old. Also while the Purafilters claim to be good for 90 days, ALL filters, according to the electrician with 10 years experience, should be changed every 20 days. He replaced the expensive filter with the cheap filter and then spent time cleaning out the big rotor thing.

It was a very temporary fix. The electricity once again went out at 7PM (so much for it being the filter, hunh?). Once again, we had no number to contact anyone, as there was no answering machine that was on at the Amber Ridge number. I did find the letter from the former management company which listed the phone number for the new management company. (Interestingly, the letter from the new agency, did NOT have the phone number on it). I called at 5AM, and realized I didn't have the cell phone number.

On Tuesday morning, at 8AM, Bill called the number and talked to someone who promised to get someone to the apartment when the office was opened. At 9AM, we call the office, and we were told someone was coming down soon.

The repair person showed up--from a different property--and said the problem was that the air conditioner was a 240-volt appliance, and it was plugged into a 120-volt circuit. The was changed and he looked inside the AC outflow register and said the previous person had really screwed it up, and he would straighten out the wiring.

He left with it working, and we kept our fingers crossed. It went on and off periodically, but never for more than an hour at a time, and then it would pop back on. We reported it on Wednesday, but no one was overly concerned.

At 5:50PM, it went out for good. I grabbed my cell phone, and called the front office. "X, this is Laurie at XXX-XXX. I need you to please send the maintenance guy immediately before you close at 6, since the AC and power are out again." She replied that she had to fill out a work order--I said to fill out the work order as you are sending him! It's almost quitting time!! I need this to be fixed! My husband is on the way down, and he's more furious than I am so please find the repairmen! I admit I raised my voice--mainly out of frustration--but I didn't swear at her or call her vulgar names.

Bill dashes out the door as he hears her say that she is going to have me arrested for harassment. I'm sitting in tears while he is gone, and calling the non-emergency emergency number to find out if I am indeed going to be arrested so I can get all of my prescriptions together, and arrange for bail money. They calmed me down and told me that the police would have to interview me before I could be arrested.

Bill returned and said that she had told him that she did not have to deal with either of us, but that she had requested a repairman to go over before leaving. He suggested that I go and lie down.

The repairman shows up at 6:01PM and decides that there must be a short in the wiring, but that he can jerry-rig it until morning. He then tells Bill (and shows him) how to hit the circuit panel to get the AC back on, and then he promises to be back "first thing" in the morning, but that if something happened, to go ahead and call him on his cell number.

Bill came in and told me all of this. I said that hitting the panel did not sound safe to me, and I wanted to ask Nevada Power about it. They responded that it was not safe, and shouldn't be done. BUT if it was, if there was any smoke or sparks, to contact the fire department immediately.

At 8:35PM, after about the 15th hit, there were sparks, so we called 911, grabbed the cats and shoved them into their carriers, grabbed our medications, put on shoes, and I grabbed the laptop. (From now on, when I am done for the day, it goes into my laptop bag, as do my meds, and anything else I don't want to lose and it stays by the front door.)

We took the stuff outside, knocked on our neighbors' doors (no one came to them), and then my cane and I went to one cul-de-sac, while Bill went to the other--since we didn't know where the fire department would show up.

Three went to his cul-de-sac, and one came to mine. As I was walking back from telling them which apartment it was, my cane missed the curb and I tripped, falling straight on my knees and wrist. The fire department guys helped me back to the apartment and had me sit on the steps. As we talked, the fire department was removing circuit board covers and more, while calling Nevada Power and the manager, informing them that this was a fire hazard and must be fixed immediately--not in the morning.

Nevada Power showed up first, and the fire department went over it with him. Before they left, the paramedics checked me and said that if needed to go to the hospital to call the paramedics to take me.

When Nevada Power and Bill noticed a woman walking toward them, they called over to her to see if she was the manager; when she replied yes, the Nevada Power guy started playing with the wires to make them spark and sizzle. She freaked out. She called the maintenance guy (you know, the one who didn't want to be present after 6PM?) and the Nevada Power guy explained everything that had to be done.

After 15 minutes, he was done, the AC was on, and everything was settled (although he said he would be here first thing at 9AM to finish something). I was in the bedroom icing my knees and wrist and still upset by everything.

By this morning, after I spent time fixing Bill's computer (which had really hated all of the shut-offs), I found out that the office girl had told the manager that I had sworn at her and called her obscene names, that fact that I fell was my own fault, as I shouldn't have been in the roadway but on the sidewalk, and when the maintenance guy finally showed up at 10AM, he had to (once again) shut off our power for 4 minutes.

We've had no apologies, no offers of compensation, and generally have been put on notice that we are now considered troublesome.

On a bright spot, this Saturday, I have help coming over to help me do a fast decluttering. It's about the only bright spot that I have had this week.
myicon

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Friday, August 12, 2005 - 4:33 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
{{{Lk}}} That sounds absolutely miserable! I hope that the damned A/C stays going, at least, and I hope that your knees heal quickly. As for the manager, I think that her true colors showed very clearly so her attempt to malign you is just a ruse to divert attention from herself.

How did the decluttering go?

Lumbele
Member

07-12-2002

Friday, August 12, 2005 - 6:33 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
(((Lk))) Hang in there! You'll be able to tell that sneaky manager to kiss your grits soon enough.

Lkunkel
Member

10-29-2003

Friday, August 12, 2005 - 8:19 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Vee: On the decluttering front, it went pretty sucky. Bill and I still have a Pavlovian response to the A/C shutting off--even when it should. So, it's causing me to sto and start. BUT, today I am working on the bedroom, and hoping for the best. My wrist feels better when I have it braced, so I'm keeping it in the brace as I work.

Lum: we certainly will. I am counting the days!
myimage

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Friday, August 12, 2005 - 2:10 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
LK...How awful!!! I just want to scream out of frustration on you behalf! I am so sorry to hear all of this happening. Moving is lousy, but I hope you'll be so much happier away from your current place and the people you have been dealing with. I sure hope you have a better week! I am also glad for you that Bill will pack his own stuff. I have start reading a book called Stop Clutter From Wrecking Your Family by Mike Nelson. You definitely need a place for YOUR stuff. On a happier note, I really like hearing about all the color plans for your new place...very colorful and pleasant and relaxing.

Wow Landi! good job!

Vee, the tent camping was fun, work yes, but the kids are old enough to do a lot of it now (while they somewhat grumble!) I even took 2 organizing type books and read a little! We all came home looking so tan, but it was actually dirt and dust! I am interested to hear your dad's reaction (and your mom's) when they see the place!