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Archive through August 26, 2010

Reality TVClubHouse Discussions: General Discussions ARCHIVES: May 2010 ~ August 2010: Home & Garden: TVCH's Home & Life Organization: Archive through August 26, 2010 users admin

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Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Wednesday, August 18, 2010 - 11:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Thursday's Mission

Christy, I think it's wonderful you are helping your friend and introducing him to Flylady!

Cleaned the living room (Dakota vacuumed) and kitchen and the kids put trash cans on the curb tonight. Also did a load of laundry. My nieces ended up being here til after dinner time. Bil had his tooth pulled, took them longer than they expected and then sis asked if they could stay while she took him home and ran by the pharmacy. Told her of course, and I fed them dinner before they went home...er, ok, I ran by Little Ceasers and got pizza, lol.

Tomorrow I think I'll clean the den and bathroom and get some towels washed.

Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Thursday, August 19, 2010 - 4:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
New neighbor took my recycle bin out. Ain't I spoiled? Later took my own garbage/food-waste out, ran some laundry and ran the dishwasher.

Actually, the story about the 'new' neighbor. They lived here a few years until about 5 yrs ago. Eastern Indian (I believe from the beautiful sari/dresses she wore), she ran a daycare (big sign posted ON her house, nothing out front) for a couple yrs before they moved back to 'out of country'. Huge 4 story house her parents own (out of whack zoning issue, but that happened long before I ever moved here). My cranky watchdog skinnyhouse neighbor wanted to raise some heck about the daycare/zoning (she later died, so we finally have some peace in the neighborhood - what a legacy), but I told cranky neighbor I wouldn't support any complaint. Shoot, the daycare parents just drove up to drop off/collect their kids, it had zero impact on any of us.

So, new neighbor/husband/kids have moved back to the states. Trying to clear out years of renting tenants (noisy guy Rockstars wannabees that way over filled their garbage cans & left the crows to distribute the trash around the park & the neighborhood).

Anyway, last week while taking out my garbage the young woman came to ask if they would be taking recycles (sorry, bi-weekly not 'til next week). She was a little upset, they had filled & moved off the huge dumpster, filled their garbage & recycle still clearing after the tenants. So I told her that I only use half of mine, "fill them up"!

Told her about the upcoming neighborhood block party and Halloween "Friends of the Forest" gigs at the park coming up for her kids. Took over the garbage/recycle schedule (I don't need) and 'History of the area pamphlet' the neighborhood community had printed (I have several copies to welcome new neighbors).

Don't know if any of you are old enough to remember the show "Here Come the Brides" show inspired by the movie Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. ...the bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle... This area was the pioneer Denny's vacation claim, 7 miles from the downtown where they traveled by horse & buggy.

So, today the doorbell rang. She wanted to know if she could haul out the recycle bin (yes, she's filled it up). Frankly, I'm delighted to have a new neighbor. Major reason I bought here was because I love a diverse neighborhood! Now I want to figure about introducing my newish 1+yr skinnyhouse neighbor of Japanese/Indonesia parents that just got back from a trip to China. Both young women, about the same age, well traveled, and might really enjoy knowing each other.

It's good for me to be spoiled and thinking 'peace to the neighborhood'! I won't have to be picking up after the crows spread garbage anymore!

Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Thursday, August 19, 2010 - 4:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
BTW, children laughing at the daycare back yard & two doors down aren't any louder than children laughing across the street at the park. Zero impact.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Thursday, August 19, 2010 - 8:46 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
I ended up rearranging my balcony, LOL. I did unload the dishwasher, refilled my water and soda bottles, emptied the litter locker and took out some recycling.

It was a fun night.

Lumbele
Moderator

07-12-2002

Thursday, August 19, 2010 - 1:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Lumbele a private message Print Post    
Another cross in your calendars, please! The kitchen has been dusted, scrubbed, shined...shone....whatever, into dazzling cleanliness. I mean under the stove and fridge, behind the fridge, inside, outside, the whole sucker. Only thing left are the doors to the deck.

That'll probably be it for a while. Hot, humid weather back on the horizon which will find me in my lazyboygirl in an a/c'ed house with the fan blowing full blast at me.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Thursday, August 19, 2010 - 5:28 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
WOW, lumbele, that is fabulous!

Christy358
Member

07-10-2007

Thursday, August 19, 2010 - 8:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Christy358 a private message Print Post    
Love hearing the neighborhood stories. Getting ready to think about thinking about buying my first (and only) house. I see often on TV the wish lists. Am I able to include cool neighbors?

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Friday, August 20, 2010 - 12:14 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Friday's Mission

I don't know about cool, Christy, but I have read that when looking at houses that you should drive by and/or park for a while a couple times to see what the neighborhood is like at night. Busy, noisy, quiet, etc. If I was giving one piece of advice for buying a house that would be it. Make it several night time visits for a house you really want!

When we first moved in this house, the first year here was horrible. Our bedroom window and Caleb's face the neighbors front yard (we do have a fence around our backyard but it didn't help a bit with this situation) and no joke, once a month like clockwork, the damn neighbors would get raided. Middle of the night and all of a sudden our bedrooms would be lit up with flashing lights and someone on a loud speaker yelling for them to get down or come out and then hours while the cops searched the house and drug people off to jail. They were there a year or so after we moved in and I have to say it was the longest year ever! These days we have next door neighbors who like to throw a wild party every couple weeks and crank up their music 2-3 nights.

Dakota and I cleaned house today, but left the floors (mopping and vacuuming for tomorrow.) Then she went to my sisters to play with the girls and Caleb went off to his buddy's when he got home so Darren and I had a pretty quiet evening.

So tomorrow I'll do the floors and probably wash sheets. Dakota's practice and not sure what else we have planned. Darren has a three day weekend. He had a bunch of vacation time left he needs to use before the end of the year, but in the new department he came in too late to use it all at once. Instead he's taking at least one 3-5 day weekend each month through the end of the year. This was supposed to be 5 days, but he switched and used 2 of those days for the plumbing probs last week.

Lumbele
Moderator

07-12-2002

Friday, August 20, 2010 - 7:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Lumbele a private message Print Post    
You're impressed now, eh, Dipo?

Off for some groceries, odds and ends. Had to wait out a thunderstorm first. It will be so wonderfully steamy out there now. ACK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christy, don't think even Santa can guarantee cool/good neighbours. It's a crap shoot, but we have been very lucky in that department here. Actually, I think this latest one may even be the best out of the 6 we had next door in almost 20 years.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Friday, August 20, 2010 - 12:14 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
I agree about checking the place out at different times, but I would also suggest going on a weekday, mid day to see if it is quiet or noisy. We have a bunch of high school kids that show up around 2-3ish, they aren't really too much trouble but that was a surprise to me, LOL.

I really disliked the tenants in the unit next door, but they moved and I love the one I have now. Not that I have much say in it, but it is nice to know who is next door.

Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Saturday, August 21, 2010 - 2:01 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
Wargod gave good advice: I don't know about cool, Christy, but I have read that when looking at houses that you should drive by and/or park for a while a couple times to see what the neighborhood is like at night. Busy, noisy, quiet, etc. If I was giving one piece of advice for buying a house that would be it. Make it several night time visits for a house you really want!

Like others said, it's really a crap shoot! You never know when people will decide to rent out and just hope for the best. But, when I was renting I had NO control over who the landlord would rent to either. The last neighbors in the apt under me had the music blasting so loud my teeth rattled and I couldn't even read a book. That's when I decided to buy. The landlord wouldn't do anything. Now, as an OWNER, if I had to I could call the police and have some standing. Not that I do, because I'm a "live & let live" kind of person.

In my case, the neighbor from he!! started out wonderful. Senior citizens renting their daughter's house. She became increasingly determined to oversee the neighborhood and had a battle going on with the two elderly (owners) on the other side of her. Making sure to protect her daughter's investment. Lived with that for 10 long years. I liked the other neighbors, but wasn't supposed to speak to them (more phone calls to tell me she saw me talking to them). Cripes.

Really turned into a test of 'power' and harassment via telephone to city depts. If the other neighbors left a car parked ONE MINUTE beyond the 72hr limit she was calling parking enforcement to give tickets. Constant calls to EPA, trying to drag me into her complaints. I couldn't even step out of my house when the control freaking started, I couldn't even pull weeds without her standing over to supervise, phone calls to tell me how I should manage my cats. Each day a new flaw to point out on my house like she was the landlord & I was the smuck paying $1300+ mortgage payment.

I finally painted my house in less subdued colors (boy did THAT freak her out, she had made it clear I needed to paint gray to match her house). My colors were supposed to be a beige with henna trim but the colors together kind of blended to make it look dusty rose/"PINK" she screamed! Not what I would have chosen particularly, but after her screams I just LOVED the color. Frankly, now I think next time I will go for dark brown trim instead of henna which should make the beige look beige.

She died 3 yrs ago (instant peace in the neighborhood) and her lovely quiet husband went to live in retirement community last year. The house is being rented out by a Realtor. Husband was calling me monthly for updates and I kept telling him the new tenants were great. Quiet, pleasant, nice couple going to school as well as working. LAST time he called about 4 months ago he asked "How are they keeping up the yard?" All I would say was "I have no complaints." Haven't heard from him since. My guess is his kids have told him to butt out & stick to retirement.

Sweet update. Ran into my skinnyhouse neighbor (that doesn't keep up the yard but I don't care) today. When she and her boyfriend were in Japan a couple weeks ago at her grandma's home - he proposed and they're getting married! IMO, he's clearly a winner, so gentle and sweet with her cat (that sleeps under my truck) & always pleasant to me. I've been smiling all night.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Monday, August 23, 2010 - 12:11 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Monday's Mission

We had a semi quiet weekend. Darren got called in to work today with a problem so I spent some time cleaning and doing laundry.

He's off tomorrow (supposed to be a 3 day weekend) and I'm not sure yet what we'll be doing. He's driving his mom to the dr tomorrow and probably a couple other errands and I'll take that opportunity to get my housework done so we can spend the rest of the morning/afternoon doing whatever we decide to do. Kota has practice and as far as I know that's our plans for the day.

Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Monday, August 23, 2010 - 1:20 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
Could hardly move today, creaky muscles. BUT, if I'm not too stiff to drive tomorrow I'm taking my little truck to the carwash. Going for the big guns, super wax and everything!

With all I've been doing, concentrating on reconstructing inside the house & all, my poor little truck was so neglected wash wise the last year. Not exaggerating, there was actually moss growing on the north side of the canopy.

Yesterday I pulled out the step stool, Soft Scrub bathtub cleaner for the fiberglass canopy, and bathroom tile spray for the truck, and washed that puppy really good. Used my nylon net (stuff you get at the fabric store for ballet costumes 99cents a yard), really if you EVER want something that deep scrubs a bathtub without scratching THAT's the stuff to use, plus I use it in the kitchen (new scraps, of course) to wash vegetables. Best invention since sliced bread.

Anyway, tomorrow if I'm able to drive the stickshift we're going for a carwash and REAL car soap so it won't smell so lemony. I was too embarrassed to take it for a carwash before. What if the guys would tell me 'you're not gunking up OUR scrubbies'? Fear of rejection, but my little truck looks good now, it will glisten once it gets the wax.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Monday, August 23, 2010 - 12:23 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
Darnit, I just lost my post. Anyway, I didn't do much but straigten up for my sister to come and clean.

LOL, I love that you cleaned your truck before going to the car wash, too funny.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Monday, August 23, 2010 - 11:48 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Tuesday's Mission

Bisc, I've never thought of using that nylon net stuff for cleaning! I'll have to pick some up.

I didn't do all that much today. Picked up the living room, Dakota vacuumed. Did dishes and took out trash. Also babysat nieces for a few hours while sis and bil went to the fair alone tonight (they took their girls and Kota last night.) Took Kota to practice...tonight they picked up their 19th girl and Darren said #20 will be their later this week. 20 girls! It's a huge team this season.

Tomorrow, I'm really not sure what I'm doing. Probably cleaning up around the rest of the house, some laundry. Darren's mom was supposed to take Kota clothes shopping, but she hasn't been feeling well so sent money for me to take her. Told her if she'd wait til payday, I'd add some money to it and we'd do most of her back to school shopping at the same time. But, she's kinda itching to go, so we may go buy one outfit tomorrow.

Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 - 3:55 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
Well I did it. Truck looks sparkling but I'm now so sore. Will post about it tomorrow.

Thanks All!

PS my truck now smells Macho and purring like a kitten. It's happy.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 - 8:50 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
I didn't do much, it is hotter than hell here! Supposed to be over 100 today and I think it was 100 yesterday, thank goodness the fog is returning tomorrow. I hate this heat and thought we had escaped since we had a "cooler" summer.

Anyway, when I get home tonight I am turning on the AC and playing games on my computer. Then I have a Birthday Dinner so won't be doing anything tonight.

Thank goodness my "maid" cleaned yesterday, I came home to beautiful floors, and a clean refrigerator. It was great!

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 - 11:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Wednesday's Mission

LOL Bisc, woo hoo on the happy truck!

Hot here today too, Dipo. I hope you had fun at the birthday dinner!

Watched my nieces for a couple hours today, did a little picking up around the house and that was about it.

Tomorrow I have the nieces again for an hour or so while sis takes bil back to the dentist for follow up. Darren has class and Kota has practice. I'll do some cleaning and probably some more laundry, but nothing big planned.

Dipo
Member

04-23-2002

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 - 9:08 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dipo a private message Print Post    
HAd a blast at dinner, went to a new resturant called Jacks, they have a wonderful menu. I think I will pick it for my birthday dinner next month, but I want to go in for the early bird dinners, they looked wonderful and maybe it won't be so crowded. I am also hoping it will be cool enough that we can sit outside.

It was still hot when I got home at 9:15ish, by 10 it was 80. So I did nothing, LOL.

Today it is supposed to be cooler 103 instead of 105, and it is always 5-10 degrees hotter at my house, so I am not planning to do anything tonight either. Thank goodness it will be cooler by friday and this weekend, back to the 80s, then the 70s and maybe showers on friday, amazing weather.

I need to do some laundry and other stuff this weekend.

Lumbele
Moderator

07-12-2002

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 - 9:19 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Lumbele a private message Print Post    
Well, I gave the hall a good scrub (minus the screen door) this week and made a big effort to stay on top of things. Even did some laundry (had nothing left to wear).
The granddoggies will be staying with us starting tomorrow while the kids go on vacation. So I am not tackling anything that will be signed by 3 snotty noses (you should see the screen and deck doors and car windows when they are all around).
For the next 2 weeks, there will probably be no accomplishment posts from me. After that, I intend to jump back in big time...... unless there is another heat wave.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 - 10:47 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Very hot last night. I didn't realize how hot it was til I went to bed (at almost 2am) and realized I still had the cooler on in the front part of the house. Haven't done that at all this summer.

I've got a load of laundry in. Sis didn't take bil to the dentist so the girls are not coming over today. She decided since he was just going for a follow up he'd be good by himself. I'm fighting a headache so that was ok with me.

Glad you had fun last night Dipo!

Shoot, Lum, you just added another item to my list, lol, it's about time for me to scrub the hallway too.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 - 7:44 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Thursday's Mission

Still hot here. The girls practice was cancelled today because of the heat and thunder/lightening storm. My aunt complained to me and sis that someone was calling and telling her she had to leave her house. We couldn't figure out what she was talking about until sis got to the phone before aunt. Turns out the in home health people (the ones I work for) are calling all the seniors they serve and telling them if they don't have a cooler/ac or if the power fails, they will pick them up and take them to a cooling center (the mall, the senior center, etc.) If she lost power, sis or I would take her somewhere, but I thought it was great that they were checking on the elderly folks and making arrangements for those who needed it. It's also the first time I remember that happening so it's probably a new thing.

Dakota and I did some cleaning today. She cleaned up the living room and vacuumed, did a load of laundry, and took all the recyclable stuff to the recycle bin. Besides still being out of school, she's banking money for her cell phone bill, lol.

We bought her a new cell phone...$30 a month she gets 1,000 text messages and 1,000 minutes, they also have a $45 a month plan that is unlimited texts and minutes. Now, silly me, I thought the $30 plan a month would be plenty and we even warned her if she went over her 1,000 texts and 1,000 minutes she'd have to wait til the next month for more or she'll have to put out the extra $15 a month for the unlimited. Uh huh, 1st day she had 200 text messages! It's been two weeks since she got it, she's milking the text messages now and has been calling her friends or having them call her cuz there's no way she'll stretch 1,000 text messages a month. She already walked in and handed us $15 for next month to get unlimited and now she's working off the month after that, lol. I seriously thought 1,000 text messages a month would be enough...lesson learned, 11 year old girl, a bunch of 11 year old girlfriends equals a bunch of text messages!

Anyways, so she did her chores and I scrubbed the kitchen and did another load of laundry.

Our plans for tomorrow are iffy. Haven't really decided on what we'll be doing other than picking up around the house. I may clean the bathroom and wash sheets. The heat is supposed to last through the weekend so probably won't be too much done.

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 8:22 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Serate a private message Print Post    
I seriously thought 1,000 text messages a month would be enough...lesson learned, 11 year old girl, a bunch of 11 year old girlfriends equals a bunch of text messages!

Our 17yo probably goes through 500 or more a day. Tho you have to understand, alot of times they use 15 msg when 1 or 2 would do. Lots of k, lol, etc. going on. I drive her crazy when she asks a question cuz I answer it completely, not just give a simple answer & wait for the next corresponding question because the answer wasn't what she wanted. & she drives me crazy with her 1 and 2 word texts. But that's ok, we're crazy together. lol

One thing we probably should address since we put the texting $ on her phone [$20 a month on a go phone for unlimited texting. Birth vessel complains cuz we don't put minutes on, but if she wants minutes she can pay for minutes herself.] is the posting on Facebook during school, so probably tons of texting during school going on too. But she will be 18 in 3 months, & she knows the consequences @ school if she gets caught. Unlimited texting she can get in touch with us - or the birth vessel for that matter - no matter what.

Lexie_girl
Member

07-30-2004

Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 8:57 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Lexie_girl a private message Print Post    
I seriously thought 1,000 text messages a month would be enough...lesson learned, 11 year old girl, a bunch of 11 year old girlfriends equals a bunch of text messages

My BFF's daughter (who is in her early 20's) had over 6,500 text messages in one month. She doesn't even answer her telephone - she only communicates by text.

Dfennessey
Member

07-25-2004

Thursday, August 26, 2010 - 8:59 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Dfennessey a private message Print Post    
Lexie I have a friend that only texts. that is the only way her family communicates even if they are all home at the same time. She will never answer her cell phone or home phone. her husband answers her cell phone for her.