In The Details

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Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

We are still working on the nursery. We are hoping to finish up this weekend. Until then her are some detail shots of the sea life that were painted by Dawn.

Nursery Progress

Next Wall
Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

We continue to paint and decorate the nursery. We painted faces on the creatures occupying the first wall and add some more aquatic pals on the second wall. Dawn also framed the wet pets with white bubbles. The second wall contains my attempts at painting sea life. While Dawn praised my efforts, the true test is when the baby sees it. Will s/he be pleased with my interpretation of sea life? We'll find out in less than eight weeks.

The Guest Room is Closed

Green Corner
Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

Dear Future Guests,

We are sorry for the inconvenience however our guest room is currently under renovation. We plan for renovations to be completed shortly. Once renovations are complete the guest room will be available again. However, no reservations will be accepted until 2025 as the room is currently booked by a distingushed guest through that date.

Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Mangement

Attack of the Tasty Tomatoes

Overfed & Overgrown
Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

Early in the summer we planted four little tomato plants expecting the venture to be a colossal failure. Instead what we got was success beyond our wildest dreams...and lots of tomatoes. With this success has come a new culinary challenge: what to do with so many tomatoes? Dawn has posted some of the top recipes on her blog. We've given 10 bags away so far and our neighbors have permission to pick tomatoes whenever they want. Next summer we'll have to plant some cucumbers to go along with the tomatoes in the summer salad. That or we'll need to plant a pasta tree. They have such a thing, right?

Meet Me In the Bathroom

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Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

What was once a closet is now a bathroom. Our long-time dream of having a bathroom in the basement is realized. No longer must we walk up two flights of stairs with urgency, no longer is there a line for relief. Now one person can go up, the other down, for there is now a bathroom for every person in this house (until October when the baby arrives).

Brand New Kitchens (or Renovations Pt II)

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Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

The sadness brought by the end of vacation was tempered knowing that a brand new kitchen awaited. The suspense was dizzying. What kind of kitchen would it be? Would it be nice? Would the contractor remember to install the counter tops? Would there be a giant hole in the floor? All fears were allayed when we walked into the kitchen. Pristine white cabinets stretched high above us, a sleek stainless steel microwave beamed back at us, and best of all no one stole the fridge. I've hardly made a meal since we've been back. The happy new kitchen has re-energized Dawn and she's full of pep for making dinners and tasty treats. Money well spent, I say.

Kitchen Renovations (Part I)

Kitchen
Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

We're back! And we have lots of entries planned. Home renovations tales, vacation tales, invading critters and so on.

First up, part one of our kitchen renovation. In the past we had done some of the renovation ourselves (some cabinets, ceiling) however we had an opportunity to do it right and we took it. The only thing better than having a professional renovate our kitchen is having them do it while we were vacationing in Portugal.

Next week, we'll see the wonderful results of all this destruction.

The Leaking

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Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. While not the flash flood that was last summer, we discovered that the shut-off valve for our outside faucet leaks when turned on. It leaks inside the house, of course. Dripping inside the wall and soaking into the plaster.

I wouldn't have know this if the Roto Rooter plumber had not insisted I pry off four wooden panels. Of course, once the panels were off, the plumber came to the conclusion that removing them wasn't necessary.

I shouldn't complain though. After the plumber tightened a single nut (which was accessible from the start) he told me, "I was smart. I could be a plumber too".

Thanks, dude.

What's Your Bench?

Bench
Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

This is ours. It's new and replaces the vanity that was a magnet for junk mail, magazines, dust, and pens. Now all that stuff can go in the baskets under the bench. We thought our Bean would want to sit on it so we put his favorite blanket on top. However, he seems content sitting on the couch or in our laps.

This marks the last post I have planned. So unless I accomplish a loosely-related home improvement task before next Wednesday, there won't be a schedule post. To be notified of when I resume posting I recommend Google's Reader, which 'watches' website, like Blogspot, and notifies you when its updated.

Grosser Than Gross

We cooked various meats throughout the winter. With the meat, came a lot of that troublesome grease. Not wanting to pour hot grease in the trash, nor down the drain I began collecting it in a plastic Super Bowl XL cup. During the winter months this worked perfectly - we could store the cup outside in the chilly temperatures and retrieve it when needed. Which was often. By the end of February we had a full cup of solidified grease. I thought of getting a wick and making a meat candle.
Then, like my thoughts, the seasons changed. I become occupied with spring cleaning while the solidified grease began to melt. This weekend we went to Philly and my Mom watched the cat. During her visit she must have carefully placed the grease cup (now liquid) in the recycling bin. I hadn't noticed this. If I had I certainly wouldn't have yanked the recycling bin with so much force. It wasn't just the grease that got over everything including me, the recycling bin, the deck floor that was the nasty part. It was that it smelled like rancid meat. Not just one kind of rancid meat. No, it was a vile bouquet of rancid meat smells.

I placed the foul recycling container on the curb for the morning pick-up. I had hoped that once the recycling folks dumped out the contents it wouldn't smell so bad. However after a day of baking in the sun a nasty, empty bin simply mocked me with it's stench when I came home. Defeated, I took it into the backyard and washed it out.

Memorial

Virginia Tech Alumni Hall
Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

My deepest sympathies for all those touched by Monday's terrible events.

I loved my four years at Virginia Tech and I was proud to document the wonderful place that is not just Virginia Tech, not just serene Blacksburg, but a true community.

To the current students, faculty, staff, and parents my thoughts are with you.

Wade in the Water

Low Overhead
Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

I would like one calendar year where I don't get the phone call "Come home, water is leaking from [somewhere] oh my god come home now!!!" On Monday I got that call for the second year in a row. Thankfully, it was only a fraction of the amount of water from last year. This time the new twist was water dripping from the ceiling. Our toilet overflowed and seeped through the space between the toilet and bathroom floor, down the pipes, and through the spaces we cut for the recessed lights.

We took the ceiling down to dry out and began to disinfect everything in the kitchen. On the upside, the kitchen is now the cleanest it's ever been. On the downside, toilet water, eww....

Blue Flower

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Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

...and white, and yellow. Lots of yellow.

Now that the weather has turned warmer, we're focusing our efforts on improving the house's "curb appeal". Last year we planted the 'yellow things' which has bloomed nicely. I think we also planted the 'purple things' last year. True, I don't know the correct names; that doesn't restrict my enjoyment of them though.

We bought most of the flowers at a local nursery near our first apartment. However, some items in the pictures were recycled. One set of the yellow flowers are from a friend's wedding decoration; the pot featured in the picture was one of the four stands to our wedding huppah.

We also did some weeding and trimming. Since I know that you can imagine how amazing awesome fun that is, I knew posting pictures wasn't necessary.

Gone, Virtual Daddy, Gone

Actually, I don't think I ever played a game like that...


They're gone. It took about a year but I sold all the unwanted video games and all but one DVD. During my experiment with selling used video games and DVDs online, I discovered Amazon.com totally kicks e-Bay's butt. I sold one thing on e-Bay and never got paid. I sold tons of games and DVDs at the Amazon Marketplace and got adequate cash. I even sold the instructions, the map, and the box to GTA3 - but not the game (I lost it)! Granted, I sold this item for $0.50; hell, I sold everything for less than what I paid for it. Still, I got it out of the house and got some extra cash too boot. This was such a successful experiment that Dawn is looking for other things to sell. Cha-ching!

In the Hanging Garden Washroom

Hanging Stuff
Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

This is the end result of painting the closet green. We moved the wire rack out so we could have room for this fancy cabinet. It holds a variety of cleaning products, as well as the persistent gift boxes that have been stacked on something since we moved in.

Even though we replaced one item with another, this setup is much safer. Before, every time I wanted something from the shelves to the right I always bonked my head on the corner of the wire rack. Now there is enough clearance between the cabinet and shelves for you to stand (!) between then and leisurely select what you need. Amazing!

Everything is on Sale!

Everything is on Sale!
Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

While this does not constitute a direct home improvement, saving this kind of dough allows us to spend money on all the little projects around the house. Plus - the Harris Tetter brands are tasty! Salsa, lunch meats, and fish are always on sale. Add to that the yummy sugar cookies right inside the door. I thought after the grand opening last fall that this service would end. Yet to their credit the cookie stand is still there. Maybe that's why we shop there some much.

We Are Open for Business

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Originally uploaded by jasonhunter.

This past Wednesday I have two things in my favor - warm weather and comp time at work. So I used these two favors to accomplish two tasks that the cold weather prevented. Because I sure as hell ain't working outside unless its 55 degrees plus. Also, the grip tape for the shed ramp says it won't stick unless it's above freezing. That's all the endorsement I need!

Anymore interested in replacing a porch light should now it's rather simple. Since there is only one foot or so of wiring, the hardest part was doing the wiring with both hands and keeping the fixture aloft. Fortunately, I was able to attach the fixture to the nearby awning's support arm with a velco strap. I should have taken a picture of that - that was something to see.

The Duration

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hunter/sets/72157594423703862/show/

Some time-lapse fun with the digital camera. I actually shoveled between 10:30 am and 11:30 am , however the only evidence of that is my footprints.

Cabin Fever

The camera is MIA so this post will be a text-only affair. It's been cold - I've repeated that time and again this month. Since we were stuck inside for fear of losing a limb to frostbite we accomplished a handful of thing that lingered on the to-do list. First off - we bought a drill. Not just any drill - the drill of my wife's dreams - a DeWalt 14.4 volt. I took this bad boy for a spin by finally countersinking our kitchen ceiling. For the encore I hung up the dust buster's charging base in the laundry room. Once everything was hung accordingly, I relocated our Airport Express to the stereo so I we can listen to the previous day's Marketplace and fancy rock music in a wireless fashion.

Come to think of it, I wished I'd moved the stereo remote to this chair and brought with me my cup of tea. I don't think I'm getting up anytime soon on account of this guy.
(thank goodness for Photo Booth and iSight)

Trapped Under Ice

The previously documented cold weather finally had something to show for it trouble this week - snow! ice! mayhem! On Wednesday they closed almost everything in the greater Washington metro area. Dawn's school was closed for the day so I stayed home from work too. The inclement weather had impeccable timing since I had come home with a sore throat the day before and needed a day's rest to get over it.

This morning I woke up renewed and refreshed, which was good since I had to push my car out of our driveway, which was encased in ice. The temperatures didn't get above freezing today so the driveway is still an ice rink. Hopefully, tomorrow morning will not be a double-header game of Honda Accord vs. Traction Be Damned.