Secret Squirrel Nest

Changing Rolls

2010-08-16T23:24:00.000-07:00

Living with boys can be entertaining. Sometimes Len is the grown-up voice of reason, other times Adam takes that roll.

Len - "My heart is racing like crazy."
Adam - "How much caffeine did you have today?"
L - "I think I should go to the hospital"
A - "Why don't you just stop drinking caffeine?"

Verdict - The doctor said "stop drinking so much caffeine"

Adam - "Shit, that is a bear!"
Len - "Yup"
A - "Dude, that is a grizzly"
L - "Yup"
A - "What do we do?"
L - "Wait"

Verdict - The bear looked at us and then lumbered away.

Adam turned 18

2010-02-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

He is now officially an adult, unbelievable.

Mustache Madness

2010-01-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

I think this picture should go on next years holiday card.

Culinary Creations

2009-12-24T23:01:00.000-08:00

I made a apple pie and peppermint cheesecake from scratch for Christmas Eve/Mom's birthday. I was nervous but the results were pretty good.

Jazz Santa

2009-12-05T21:43:00.000-08:00

T-Day

2009-11-27T21:49:00.000-08:00

We hosted Thanksgiving this year. Len cooked an awesome meal. It was also Pop Pop's 59th birthday.

I love my cats, but.....

2009-11-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

One of the little demons has chewed through two phone charger cables in the last couple of weeks. Luckily the cables are only a couple of bucks to replace, but still we live in the sticks and I have to get things shipped here. My familiars are all such fluffy, cute, horrible little critters.

The End of Summer Days

2009-08-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

August has been a pretty nice month.
Things I have enjoyed:
-Mike and Sara visiting
-Barbecuing with family, Schimmys, Kiko, etc.
-Running with Heidi (even though she has to slow for me)
-Wogging with Len (walk/jogging)
-Berry picking
-Playing with Beasties (Livvy lets me read to her)
-Not working
Owen and Mom racing on the old Nintendo power pad that Mike got out.
Heidi and me enjoying the sun by the creek at Bill and Sheila's baby shower.

Now Available

2009-07-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

vacation pictures on Flickr.

Blow'n Stuff Up

2009-07-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

I love the 4th of July. It is the perfect combination of fire, explosives, alcohol, and marshmallows. What could be better?
Livy wasn't sure about the fireworks, but she did like the marshmallows.
Boys of all ages loved the fireworks. The ladies and I lite several off as well and I didn't get my hair singed by a bee this year. Last night, I thought I might have burnt my hand, but today everything seems just fine.

Good-Bye to Wisdom

2009-07-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

Adam was knocked out and lost four teeth today. Len and I paid to have this done. Doesn't seem right.
Why do people even get wisdom teeth if we are just going to have them removed? He isn't doing to badly. He is just hungry and swollen. My wisdom tooth experience was so non-traumatic. I was a junior at the UW. I took a bus to the dentist office. He yanked out my teeth and gave me a ride home (he didn't like the idea of me taking the bus). I laid on my couch for about an hour, took some Tylenol when the Novocaine wore off, and went to work that night. I don't think many people have that easy of an experience. I was very luck. Adam is not so lucky, but at least he hasn't gotten sick, like my sister did.

Beach Run Fun

2009-06-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

Heidi, Mom, and I ran the 5K of the beach run yesterday. We each placed in our age group. I was 1st in mine, mom was 2nd in hers, and Heidi was 3rd in hers. The funny thing is Heidi had the best time of the three of us. I guess the 20-29 group is the fast group. Only one more year and we will be in the same age group again. Not cool. Pop Pop played with the beasties on the beach while we ran. Livy befriended a really cute little dog and also got covered in sand.

Time Marches On

2009-06-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

Wow. Adam is officially a senior. I can not believe it. That cute little boy who liked to say "actually" is now a big boy who still likes to argue. Some things change some don't. He has a pair of green shorts he bought last summer that remind me of the green pants he loved in about second grade. He still loves video games and his dog. He is still shy, but social. I still push him into social events, that he resists then loves and doesn't know why he fussed about.
He will be working at the Imperial Schooner this summer. So, if you are in Ilwaco looking for some good fish and chips this summer stop by and know that a fluffy haired trumpet player will be washing your dishes.

Ice Cream Pirate

2009-05-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

Adam is not a ferocious pirate, even using his waffle cone as a knife. Tourist traps are weird.

Life Update

2009-05-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

Nothing exciting going on here. I haven't gone on a whirlwind trip to DC, nor am I anticipating a new family member. I am simply in survival mode for the next two weeks. Middle school track ended; pizza/awards party was tonight. The high school season is nearing a close; districts tomorrow with hopes of state next weekend.

I have been thinking lately that we have been in the new house for less than a year, but I have no idea how I would go on without some of the things I never knew I needed. How did I survive 30 plus years without an ice maker in my fridge? I actually get excited every morning for my refreshing pre-breakfast glass of ice water. Was I ever truly warm before my jetted tub? I don't think so, I only thought I knew how relaxing a bath was. Every time I pull into my driveway I feel like the luckiest person on earth. I had no idea how amazing an automatic garage door and attached garage were.

My only current issue is keeping the place clean. I am a VERY poor housekeeper. Cleaning overwhelms and stresses me. What products do I use? Where do I start? How often do I do these things? Why do my plants keep dieing? Life has many mysteries, but I am happy to be warm and dry with plenty of ice water.

Loyalty Day

2009-05-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

>Moldpenny snapped this amazingly adorable picture at the kiddie parade.
Adam in the big kid parade. Things don't change much in this small town.

Livvy has Ponies

2009-04-19T21:14:00.001-07:00

Date Night

2009-04-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

Len and I went out on the town last night, old people style. We took a little road trip to Seaside to enjoy some sushi. Who knew there was such amazing sushi in Seaside of all places! Yum! After dinner we enjoyed the weather, poked around in a couple cute shops, ate ice cream, and played arcade bowling (I totally whooped him). The evening was concluded with the newest Nicolas Cage movie at the Astoria theater. It was not great. Why does Hollywood make little kids so creepy? Also, they defiantly spend all their money on Nicolas Cage and nothing else. Anyways, it was a very fun evening made possible by Adam being out of town with some friends.

Sporty

2009-04-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

Here is my 2009 Mazda 3. It's pretty sweet.
Livvy is cute.

Something Orange

2009-04-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Car shopping is strange. I have been looking online and researching all the makes and models, but then I have to go to a dealership and see what is actually available. I just want what I want. I really want a hatchback, but they don't seem to be readily available. Are they so popular that they sold out or are they do unpopular that nobody stocks them? Len and I went to Astoria/Warrenton on Saturday and I test drove a few. We went to the Suzuki place first. The Reno got great gas mileage, but drove like a go cart. Len loved the SX4, but I thought it drove like an SUV. Then we went to Oceancrest and I drove a little Mazda 3. I loved it. It was totally tricked out and drove like a sports car. Unfortunately is was more expensive used and three years old then the brand new Suzuki. I tried a Toyota Yaris, yuck, no guts. I drove a Ford Focus too, but it was really boring. So, this week we are planning a trip to the city to give Hyundai, Nissan, Honda, and Kia a try. After all of this, I may just buy some duck tape and get the Saturn going again.

Update

2009-03-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

It is cold and wet and I am exhausted. Must be track season! This year the programs have been combined and we are now grades seven through twelve. I spend my time after school trying to keep 76 kids for hurting themselves, each other, or running amok. It is a challenge. We had a first home meets this week. Middle school on Wednesday and high school on Thursday. They actually went pretty well. Also on a plus the local newspaper photographer took some decent pictures.

Miss Livy's First Cupcake

2009-03-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

Little Miss Livy turned one today! She celebrated with squealing, smashing a cupcake, trying to eat a ribbon, and playing with a plastic fork instead of her gifts. She also took two steps. Such a cute little pumpkin.

Only Seventeen

2009-02-03T21:19:00.001-08:00

I feel old. I can't believe Adam is seventeen today. Wow. In one short year he will legally be an adult. Nuts. I found him a really cute shirt, but it is too small. Adam is so impossible to shop for and he actually really likes the shirt. I hope I can get it exchanged quickly. At the little family party tonight we had ice cream cake and cake flavored ice cream. He loves that. Funny kid. He hoped to have some D&D goober-festing this weekend with his friends.

Eighty-eight years young

2009-01-24T13:19:00.000-08:00

Owen helped Grandma Barbara with her birthday candles.

Remembering that I am fond of reading

2009-01-04T19:15:00.000-08:00

I just finished Coraline. It was a very quick little read, but I loved it and was reminded that before I started grad school I really liked to read. For the past two and a half years I have only been able to sneak in two or three pleasure books. I am so excited to remember that I can read what I want when I want.
Besides Coraline, I have only read one other Neil Gaiman book, American Gods, enjoyed both. Coraline had an Alice in Wonderland feel to it, but much darker. My favorite character was, of course, the cat and I have a new favorite quote. "No," said the cat. "Now, you people have names. That's because you don't know who you are. We know who we are, so we don't need names."
It is super stormy tonight and Len made a giant Spanish Tortilla for dinner. It was yummy.

Holiday Treats

2008-12-25T15:49:00.000-08:00

Are these not the cutest little pumpkins ever? I love the ballerina skirt.
Here is a picture of the cake I tried to make and the cake I made. It took forever, then it was WAY too much chocolate.
Christmas eve gingerbread houses. Owen and Mike made the cute one in the back. Abam (his spelling) wrote his name on his.

Yeah, I'm White

2008-12-23T22:09:00.000-08:00

I went to an old friend party in Oysterville tonight with the folks. It was fun. There were nice people I don't see very often, excellent food, and VERY strong drinks. As we were preparing to leave I was searching for my coat and had a thought that I should have written my name in my coat. This immediately reminded me of how white I am and I had to laugh.

Here is me in my pea coat after a couple of vodka crans.

When technology fails, neighbors prevail

2008-12-21T17:02:00.000-08:00

I went out in the slush today to deliver some items, shop a bit, and go visiting. I didn't make it very far. On my way back from the O.P. my little car decided it had had enough. Of course, it died in a section of the Peninsula with no cell coverage. Luckily I was in clumsy girl's old neighborhood. It took my a while and my feet got pretty wet, but I found her childhood friend's parents' house. They were very kind, let me use the phone, stand by the fire, and pet their cat.
Now I don't know what to do. I love my little car, but I am getting tired of being rescued from various spots. I need reliable transport. While randomly browsing on Craig's list I found a pretty sweet mustang, but that is not very realistic. I'd like something small with good gas mileage. Also, I have no money. So, if anyone knows of a reliable, environmentally friendly, low mileage, high fuel efficient, cute, fun, free car give me a call.

Snow Day

2008-12-19T23:10:00.000-08:00

What a great snow day! I usually hate snow, but today it was fluffy and thick and bright. Getting an extra vacation day was nice too. Yes, I know we will be making it up in June. Adam and I tried to make a snowman this morning, but the snow was too powdery to stick. We threw some not well constructed snowballs at each other and called it good.
Yesterday Len went with me on a trip to the UW for my 6 month check-up. I don't know why I didn't reschedule. The drive up and appointment were fine. The drive home was another story. Cars could travel on the road just fine, but trucks and buses struggled. We spent 4 hours sitting on I-5 between Tacoma and Olympia very slowly moving around two jack-knifed trucks and two stuck city buses. Yikes.
I took a ton of snow pictures today. Adam measured the snow on the balcony rail and claimed it was 4 inches deep. As Moldpenny mentioned, it has been a very long time sense the last snow storm at the beach. I am curious as to what the rest of the week will bring.

O Christmas Tree

2008-12-07T18:52:00.001-08:00

Happy T-Day

2008-11-27T21:46:00.001-08:00

I am very thankful for all of my wonderful friends and family. Best wishes to all for an enjoyable holiday season!

Small Steps

2008-11-24T21:01:00.000-08:00

Len installed the cabinet handles in Adam's bathroom last night. I like them. They make the room look closer to finished.

I installed the handles on the drawers in the master bathroom. I still need to put them on the doors, but Len will have to make me a different jig for that. It was kinda fun and much easier than I thought it would be. Jigs are cool, even though Len drew boobs on the one I was using.

Birthday Fun

2008-11-10T19:44:00.000-08:00

For my birthday, my dad installed the sinks and faucets in the master bathroom. They are awesome! The handles are very fun.

Moldpenny gave me an equally fun gift. This is the most ruffly, chickeny, obnoxious apron ever. I LOVE it! I am also wearing the rad necklaces from clumsy girl today, but you can't see it in the picture.

A few less than pleasant birthday things:
- I got an email from the AARP. Thanks to whoever put me on that list.
- A woman obviously in her late 40's asked me if I was older than her.
- My drivers license has been expired for four days now and when I got to the building it was 5:02 and dark.

There are also good things
- My top XC girl placed 12th at State. She wore her medal to school today and was the cutest thing ever.
- My XC boys placed 10th at State and beat the team we have been chasing all season.
- I had pumpkin pie cheese cake last night.

A great day

2008-11-05T18:58:00.000-08:00

Last night I really enjoyed watching all the Republicans loose, not just the presidency, but in the House and Senate. The acceptance speech turned me into a big, sappy, cry baby. Hurray for social change, locally and all over the country and world. Yes, we can!

New Sidewalk

2008-11-02T21:16:00.000-08:00

Len put in forms for this sidewalk and had the concrete poured. He has planted grass seed in the middle. I hope it starts growing before the terrible weather comes.

The district XC meet was this weekend. Our boys' team and top girl qualified for the state meet. So, next week I will be taking a rather large group of kids across the state to the Tri-Cities. Should be a good time.

Sweet Baby

2008-10-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

Len watched Olivia today for a couple minutes while Heidi and I used the work-out equipment in the exercise/war/dancing room. She is so sweet, she fell asleep hugging him.

The Kenna would win

2008-09-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

47 seconds

New Sinks

2008-09-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

The Don stopped by today and dropped off the sinks for the master bathroom. I like them. They are different. Len ordered faucets online. Maybe someday soon we will having working sinks in our bathroom. Awesome!

Here is the keek after her bath the other day. Unhappy kitty.

No Time for Fun, Dr. Jones

2008-09-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

XC and school started. It has been mostly good, just busy.
We haven't done anything on the house, but try to keep up with the cleaning and chores. Oh, I washed three out of four cats the other day. I will try to get pictures up soon. Mad kitties.

Goober Fest 08

2008-08-24T22:47:00.001-07:00

Len had some fellow D&D geeks over for a little adventure last night. They ate a bunch of junk and goobed out all night. Moldpenny and I went to the kite festival to watch the fireworks as her husband was one of the adventurers. All of these guys have worked on our house. Mr. Moldpenny installed the Internet and phones. Goober Jeff helped with framing and siding. Len's nephew Brian did some painting and Adam installed the electrical outlets.

I LOVE the table the Moldpenny's gave us. It is huge and beautiful! It is absolutely perfect in our dining room.

House Party

2008-08-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

We had a little house party on Saturday. Lots of food, folks, and beer.

Here is a pretty baby in her party dress.

The children love the dirt piles. I hope for them to someday soon become a lawn.

Exciting Day!

2008-08-11T22:24:00.001-07:00

The koi are here!

Renee and her husband, Brian, came and installed the mosaic today. She brought it in three pieces. The little bits are all taped together.

It will set overnight. Then tomorrow she will take the tape off. If any pieces come up with the tape they will have to be stuck in again and set for another night. Then on Wednesday they will come and grout it.

Each koi in the mosaic is a different type. They have Japanese names for the different colors and patterns. I remember one is called fawn and another is four. She said she would write the names down for me. I am so excited for it to be complete!

Also today, my dad put up the shades in the master bathroom. I can now shower and potty in there without fear of exposing myself to the world. He also hung the mirrors and toilet paper holder in the master bath and the towel bar, hand towel ring, and toilet paper holder in the guest bath. He is awesome!

One Room Done

2008-08-09T23:41:00.000-07:00

My dad was over the other day. He installed the mirror, towel ring, and toilet paper holder in the power room. Oh, and he made it so the door will lock. Except for trim paint, the powder room is done! Yes, it is the smallest room in the house, but it is complete!
My clothes all smelled like mildew from the old house so I am washing EVERYTHING. It is taking forever. Maybe I will be able to get my closet done soon. I need to run to Freddy's and maybe Ikea for parts.
Len is working on the tile in the master bathroom tonight. The blinds came from Penny's so when he is done grouting and painting we can install them.

Ready or Not, it's Party Time!

2008-08-07T23:51:00.000-07:00

What: House Warming Party (whether we are ready or not)

When: Saturday, August 16th
Open House from 1:00 PM on

Who is invited: Everyone and their mom!

I heart Ikea

2008-08-03T09:11:00.001-07:00

Check out my huge, red sectional and comfy chairs! We got the sectional and two chairs home in the back of Len's pick-up. It looked like a hill billy homecoming.

Finally a Picture

2008-08-02T23:18:00.000-07:00

I have been trying desperately to put my new house together, but haven't made much progress. Working at the camp all the time hasn't helped. I should have a few days off soon.

Here is the guest/Adam's bathroom.

We're In!

2008-07-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

I have spent the last two full days moving out of the bay house. What a mess. We slept in the new house on Monday night. I can't believe this is really happening. There is so much to be done. Hopefully, I will be able to post pictures soon.

Pictures of Fun Stuff

2008-07-08T22:14:00.001-07:00

Mad Matt used bamboo flooring for the tub surround. It looks great!

The kitchenette is fun. I want to order some pineapple drawer knobs for the cabinet doors. I also want a pineapple outside light.

Len put in all the kitchen cabinet handles. They are great and from Ikea of course.

Here is the laundry room!

A pot to piss in! :)

Getting Closer

2008-07-07T22:47:00.001-07:00

The kitchen counter tops are in. "Uba Tuba" granite from Ikea. The tile is done in the kitchen as well.

Adam put together his Ikea desk, chair, and bed. The mattress was crazy. A queen mattress vacuum sealed into a very small package, once we took it out it just plumped up. Funny.

Eugene 08

2008-07-03T23:37:00.000-07:00

Wow! What an amazing experience. I volunteered at the Olympic Track Trials in Eugene last week. It was great!
Mr. Pant's parents put me up for the days I spent in track town. They were extremely kind and flexible, especially considering the late notice and that we had only met once before. They have a beautiful home in Elmira.
I spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday helping at the metal detector. I wanded people, searched bags, and greeted people. The hours were long and my feet got tired, but it was really fun. The other volunteers were so nice.
On Monday I got into Hayward field. It was awesome! I watched a few races in the morning. For the evening races I bought a ticket. WOW! I am so glad I did. The men's 800 finals was the most amazing thing ever! The entire stadium, all 20,000 plus fans, went crazy.
I wish I could have stayed the entire week.

Spoiled Rotten

2008-06-18T23:09:00.000-07:00

I am so amazingly spoiled! Tomorrow Renee O'Connor is meeting me at the house to look at the entry way. She is going to put a tile mosaic of a koi pond there. This is my graduation gift from Len. I am so freakin excited!
Mad Matt laid the marble tiles in the guest bathroom. They look great! I love the bamboo on the stairs. It turned out really nice.

I'm in love

2008-06-10T20:53:00.000-07:00

We made another Ikea run on Sunday. This time we got file drawers, a book case, and a desk for the office. We wanted to get more, but could not fit anything else in mom's rig. We nearly had to leave Adam on a street corner.

I am in love with my floors. I don't think it is a crush, I think it is true lasting love. They are so pretty and shiny, but they are taking a long time to be installed. The bamboo is done upstairs. We are putting tile in the guest bath and by the shower in the master bath. Mad Matt and The Don were starting on the stair trim today. After that I guess they will install the downstairs floors.

The closet doors are in both Adam's room and the guest room. Except for touching up the trim and painting the doors, Adam's room is done. He picked out a bed frame he liked at Ikea, but we didn't have room for it. We'll get it on the next trip.

Bamboo

2008-06-05T22:17:00.001-07:00

Here is the beautiful bamboo floor in the exercise room! I love it! Did I mention how great it smells?

Floors and Doors

2008-06-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

Hailey Bug

The doors and floors are getting in. Pretty crazy. I love the smell of bamboo. It makes the whole house smell good. I wish it would stay, but like the smell of fresh cut wood, I think it fades with time.

Kitchen

2008-05-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

Ikea kitchen cabinets are in. The Don and Len got it done. It looks great!

They put in the microwave too. I can't wait to get the stove and fridge and counter tops!

Adam installed 20 electrical outlets today. He was very helpful and didn't shock himself.

I painted "bamboo" by Dutchboy in the landing, entry way, and hall. I like it. I think it makes the bright colors stand out more.

Sadly I was at Freddy's picking up more painted when the Moldpennys stopped by. I have been wanting to show them the colors for weeks, but I missed the big day. Poo. Oh well, Len gave them the tour.

This is actually an over the counter light, but we are using them in the closets. They are super bright. It was a great idea dad got from a customer.

Dad and Len installed the linen closet from Ikea. It isn't as tall as I thought it would be. We will need to get some other type of cabinet or baskets to put above it. I like it though. It lightens up the room. We will get bathroom figures to match the metal trim.

Olivia Smiles!

2008-05-12T22:15:00.000-07:00

How can this not just melt your heart?

Here is the classic red wall in the master bathroom with bamboo green. I like the way it turned out.

Okay. I need some opinions. I like this "sailcloth" color, but I am not sure that it sets off the chocolate and aqua. Len thinks it needs to be more brown. It is a big area. Any suggestions?

Len also doesn't like the neon green in the work out room. That is just too darn bad. I like it. I am thinking about tropical flowers on the far wall. Ideas?

This is not installed yet, but here is what the floors and trim are going to look like. This is so exciting!

Painting the Roses Red

2008-05-07T22:47:00.001-07:00

Red wall. Red wall. We painted one wall in the powder room and one wall in the master bathroom "classic red" by dutch boy. I finally got to paint something. Now my hands are red. I've been caught red handed. Har de har har!

Color Explosion

2008-05-05T08:07:00.000-07:00

Chocolate and turquoise in the great room.

Gold in the master bedroom.

Pink in the Alice room.

Hawaiian Blue in Adam's room.

Lime in the exercise room.

Champagne in the dinning room.

Our Big Shopping Trip

2008-04-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

Len and I made a huge shopping trip to P-town this weekend. We filled a U-Haul.
List of what we got:
Ikea kitchen cabinets
Ikea bathroom cabinets
Ikea small round sink for kitchenette
Fan/light for master bedroom
GE Fridge
Microwave
Front loading washing and dryer with pedestals
Dishwasher
Flattop range double oven
Interior window and door trim

Ready for Mud

2008-04-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

All the sheet rock is hung and we passed the inspection! I hope the guys tape and mud it soon. I am so excited to start trim work even though it will take forever!

This is Batman in a hat on a boat saying "cheese".

Walls

2008-04-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Check it out! We are getting walls. I am excited. It is starting to look like a real house. However, I kind of miss being able to see all rooms from any where.
It looks like everything is hung in my closet, Adam's room, the guest bathroom and the guest room. Most of the bonus room is done. Sheet rock is dusty and messy. Things will get really messy when they start mudding.

Billy Tyler II

2008-04-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

Adam bought a car. Yes, he is 16. No, he does not have his license. It is a Geo Prism that looks a lot like a Toyota Corolla. Hopefully he will be able to take the driving test soon and get a job.

Lots to Share

2008-04-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

A sleepy little baby and her WILD batman brother came out to visit on Saturday. Olivia is doing very well. Heidi doesn't take her out in public and only family come over to the house, but in a couple of weeks she should have a fully developed immune system. She is still cute as a bug.

The sheet rock material is in the house. The sheet rockers are coming on Monday to start hanging. I am so excited! It will look like a real house on the inside soon.

I made some marks on a two by four that will get covered with sheet rock. Maybe in 100 years when someone wants to remodel the house they will find this.

These are some colors that I like. The kitchen is going to be green. The dinning room with be "champagne". I think the great room will be chocolate with blue and red accents. The upstairs guest bathroom might be orange and navy. I may make the master bedroom a yellow/gold color. I think the master bathroom may have a lot of red.

Thinking about color

2008-04-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

Kiko and the fam stopped by and helped me measure some rooms today for paint. I hope to have a productive trip to P-town this weekend. I only have one paint color picked out. It is for the dinning room. I call it champagne, but it is just a yellow/gold color on a seat cushion Mom and I found at Ross.
I would like to get white ceiling paint and new door knobs on this trip. I also plan to look at trim. Lenny Poo says we need new door knobs. I really like the style of the ones we have, but he says they are cheap and crappy. Hopefully I can find the same style and color in a higher quality material.

Good Things are Happening

2008-04-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

Yellow everywhere! The insulation is in. It is really starting to look like a house. I love it. Hopefully the sheet rockers will be able to come on Friday.
It's spring break. I have been sleeping and not doing much. Spring break is such a tease for summer, except for the crappy weather.

The Don got the heating system done. The water heater isn't hooked up yet, but it is done.

We finally got the french door back in. I hope this one holds up, no more typhoons. That is our septic system outside the door. It will eventually get landscaped and not be such a mess, but who knows when.

Tea Time

2008-04-02T18:56:00.001-07:00

My plan/fantasy: It's a bright sunny morning. I wake to sunlight through my beautiful bedroom windows. After warming some water and and putting cereal and soy milk in a bowl, I walk out onto my gorgeous balcony to enjoy my grape nuts and tea. The perfect way to start any day.

Back to something like normal

2008-03-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well, the last few weeks have been a little scary. The Sunday before last Heidi took eleven day old baby Olivia to the ER at Columbia Memorial with a fever. It was too foggy to airlift so she was rushed by ambulance to Portland. She spend two weeks in the hospital with bacterial meningitis. Things were very scary, but they are getting better. She is out of the hospital. Things aren't perfect, but they will continue to get better.

In regards to the house; the deck is on and looks pretty cool. Len finished the heating system this evening. Stapling all of the aluminum to the pipes took forever!

My New Home

2008-03-10T22:10:00.001-07:00

This is going to be my new home. It is jetted AND heated! I am so excited. Once this is installed I plan to get in and stay in. I will eat here, sleep here, read here, talk on the phone here.

Welcome Batman Baby Sister!

2008-03-04T21:26:00.000-08:00

Olivia Anne Clarke was born this evening at 5:36 PM. She weighs 7 lbs and is 21 inches long. She looks just like her big brother and makes the same cute little mewing noises.
Just as a side note, I had a dream last night that Heidi had the baby. I must have ESPN or something.

Let there be Light!

2008-03-02T21:32:00.000-08:00

We put light bulbs in all the outlets. It is great. There is so much light. We actually ran out of bulbs. There were 25 upstairs alone.
Hopefully we will get an electrical inspection soon. Then it will be on to the heating system.

Yippy! Yippy! Yippy!

2008-02-24T22:22:00.000-08:00

Moldpenny helped me video my new GARAGE DOOR!

Visitors

2008-02-17T22:31:00.000-08:00

Look who came to visit today! It's cute little Hailey Bug and her mom. She is just starting to walk.

I pulled this wire from one box to the other. It was pretty fun. I installed about three wires. Hopefully I get to do more soon.The wiring and heating take so much time. There is so much to do.

Cans

2008-02-16T22:23:00.000-08:00

Look at all these cans! Len and The Don put eleven can lights in the kitchen. There will also be three pendent lights over the bar. It will be the most well lit kitchen EVER!

Silhouette of a Phone Man

2008-02-15T18:15:00.001-08:00

The phone man came today! It was exciting. There is blue wire all over the upstairs. We are one step closer. Hopefully we will get to work on the yellow (electrical) wire this weekend. I am so unbelievably excited for walls and paint and trim.

Electrical Work

2008-02-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

Len and The Don have been working on wiring the house this weekend. There is so much work to do. Between my jobs, school, and internship I have not been able to help. Adam's recent attitude has also made him less than helpful. I guess it will just all get done when it gets done.

My Day

2008-02-07T19:43:00.000-08:00

Well, today was the day.

Len borrowed my car for a trip to P-town today. Last night I checked to be sure I had everything out of it that I needed. I grabbed my running shoes and a sweatshirt. Feeling all prepared I went to bed early to get a good nights sleep.

This morning, I woke up late. Jumped in the truck and pulled up to the school just before first period (I am usually there an hour before the bell rings). I reached into the console to grab my work keys and realize I was not driving my car. My keys were not with me, they were in Portland. Feeling rather panicked I ran into the building. The Vice-Principal was kind enough to open my office for me; however, the main problem was now my locked file cabinet where I keep EVERYTHING. First I completely tore my desk apart looking for an extra key. I next when to the wonderful office ladies who helped me search through all of the master keys, but to no avail. I finally when to each classroom and borrowed keys from anyone who had the same brand of file cabinet as me. In desperation I asked a Para to help me pick the lock. I even had a student help me tip the cabinet up and try to find a way to reach up into it to pop the lock. None of these efforts were fruitful.

Why, you might ask, was I so desperate to actually do work today when I usually just chill on days when things aren't going well? I'll tell you. My sixth period group was being observed by my big boss coming down from the ESD in Vancouver today. Yikes! All of my group materials were in that apparently extremely secure file cabinet.

So, I had to wing group. My boss was very gracious saying "things happen", but it was so embarrassing to explain to the group why I couldn't have their booklets that they were working on.

After that the little things just piled up. I had to borrow keys for the weight room. I forgot to pick up a permit from the county that I told Len I would take care of. I smashed my pinky between two dumb bells, and when Len came to switch cars with me I left my purse in his truck, so I couldn't go to the store and had to drive home illegally.

I would say TGIF for tomorrow, but sense I didn't get anything done today I have a huge work load and really need another day this week to get it done.

Oh well. I am chaperoning a middle school dance tomorrow and plan to wear a bright pink flamingo shirt. That will be fun at least.

Garage Slab

2008-02-02T23:14:00.000-08:00

The slab was poured for the garage. I am so exited to get a garage door.

Adam turns 16 on Sunday.

Happy Two Hour Delay Day!

2008-01-28T07:33:00.000-08:00

I had fun this weekend with clumsy girl looking at lighting and such at the ReBuilding Center. It was a bit too cold and wet to spend much time at the huge, open warehouse, but it was still a good time.

Len's friend Ian has been working on getting the wiring in our house. They are done with most of the upper level. I think the kitchen will take a while. I hope we can get a garage door soon so that we can really heat the place and get some stuff done!

Too cold to paint

2008-01-20T21:55:00.000-08:00

Wow! It has been so cold the last couple of days. Not cool.

The porch is beginning to look real. The inside is coming together also. We have some pipes, lines for the vacuum system, and lots of framing.

I am still obsessed with the Italian light fixture.

Yucky Weather

2008-01-14T21:23:00.000-08:00

The progress has been slow and the weather has been AWFUL!

We are putting a bunch of recessed lights in. Here is a picture of a recess can installed in the upper landing area.

My taste is way to expensive for my own good. I found some dishes that I LOVE, but they are a bit out of my price range. Also, I found a beautiful wall sconce (see picture below). Unfortunately it was hand made in Italy and sold in a New York design studio. I have emailed to ask about the price, but I am sure it is well out of the budget. At least I found some great kitchen cabinets at Ikea!

This is so cute, but not practical. Moldpenny gave me a bunch of color magazines that have been getting me inspired to paint even though I don't have walls yet. There are tons of wonderful colors.

Power!!

2008-01-13T19:29:00.000-08:00

The weather has been so awful I haven't gotten out to the place to take pictures. We have power and a rock road out to the property now . Very exciting!
Most of the plumbing has been roughed in and we will starting pulling wires soon. (I hope.)

Stairs and water

2007-12-29T21:50:00.000-08:00

Len designed our stairs and he and Jeff have been building them. They look good. There will be a shoe closet as you walk in the front the door and a coat closet off the office. Two closets under the stairs!

Some resent set backs. The meter box we bought at Home Depot was not put together correctly by the manufacturer and when the PUD came to install the meter it didn't fit. So we had to replace the box and now the state inspector has to approve it again.

Also our road is flooded, but I am sure it will stop raining soon.

A differant type of construction

2007-12-25T23:41:00.000-08:00

We made gingerbread houses at my sister's place on Christmas Eve. Good times. Len's chocolate foundation worked wonders.

We partied until we fell down.

Back to work

2007-12-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

Len and the boys have been working hard and the house is looking good. The siding is repaired from the storm, but we still need to replace the skylight, french door, and gutter.

I am trying to design the kitchen. If anyone has any ideas of things that work well and things that don't, please let me know. I plan to get the cabinets from Ikea and the counter top from Home Depot.

Also, I'd like to get going on designing the office soon. Any ideas there would be appreciated as well. Again, I found a lot of great stuff at Ikea. It is just a matter of laying it all out and choosing color. It is fun, but a bit overwhelming.

Len and The Don installed the frame for a pocket door for the powder room. The room was a little too big so we are taking some of the space and adding it to a coat closet under the stairs.

We finally got the window installed in the bonus room. All windows are now in. We just need a garage door, to replace the french door, and to finish the last bit of siding and we will be sealed to the weather.

No Beer and No TV make Homer Something Something

2007-12-05T20:38:00.000-08:00

We are living in the dark, but we have the Internet again so all is well.

Here is the big tree that fell and missed Len's truck with the generator in it by about two feet. There was another smaller tree that I watched from my bedroom window fall and miss the northwest corner of our house by about six inches. Yikes!

It started on Sunday. We lost power from about 11 to 4, then it came back on for a couple of hours. The wind picked up again it went out that evening and hasn't come back yet. The worst of the storm was on Sunday night and Monday morning. It felt like it just kept going and going. We lost about eight trees at the place we are living. Three of them on the power line from the road to the house. Most of the Peninsula in up and running again, but not our little pocket. We had a line lying across our driveway until this evening. I think we are looking at a week or more without power. That's okay. We have a generator and now we have Internet! Being able to call long distance also just came back.

At the new house, we lost siding, the french doors, and a skylight in the covered porch. The french door was completely blown out of the frame. Half of it was inside the house the other half was lying outside. Oddly, despite the frame and door knob being in pieces, the glass didn't break. The skylight was broken by the siding flying off the east wall. I have not been able to call the insurance company yet, but am hopeful that they will be helpful. Also, one of the new gutters got smashed.

This is the power pole across the street from our house. You can't see the tangle of snapped lines next to it, but they are there.

So far this storm has been a strange and surreal experience. We will see how cranky I get with limited power for an extended period of time. Tomorrow we go back to school!

Cold Weather Progress

2007-11-24T22:34:00.001-08:00

We have rain gutters and a ditch. Woo hoo! The ditch has a big power line in it. Hopefully we will pass inspection and have juice soon. It would save a lot of money on the gas for the generator we have been using to run tools. The siding is nearly up. There is so much to do. It is a little overwhelming. I want to start inside work ASAP. We will be planning a big trip to IKEA for design help soon. One set back this weekend was that we ran out of phone cable. Hopefully Mr. ShinyBeerDragon will be able to rescue us soon.
Stacey e Paco visited this weekend, but I forgot to get pictures. Paco finished his doctorate and Stacey is done with her Masters. I am very jelous. Six and a half more months for me. It feels like an eternity!

No. No. Bad Storm. Stop that.

2007-11-14T00:47:00.000-08:00

Wow! We finally had the big wind storm the news had been talking about. It blew like crazy on Sunday night or Monday morning. We lost power about 5 AM. Up here in the OP we didn't get it back until Tuesday about 10 in the morning. It wasn't too bad. Last year we were out for four days. The huge gusts were not good for our house. The bottom of our french doors blew in and broke the dead blot. The damage was a little crazy. The door is completely ruined.

Mmm Butter

2007-11-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

My house is getting all warm and buttery. It was a beautiful day. I had to work at the camp in the morning, but was out at the house in the afternoon. Even though the sun was out it was freaken cold.

I like my door knobs. They are pretty.

Felice Cumpleanos to me!

2007-11-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

Some pretty flowers my mom gave me today.

Today was a good day. After school I visited with my friend Kiko and her super adorable little pumpkin, Hailey. Then I went out to the property to watch Len paint. For my birthday, The Don got the first coat of paint on the south wall. It looks great. Then we went to Mom's house for home-made pizza, pumpkin cheesecake, and a wild potato show. The big "O" was in rare form. He was jumping and kicking and singing and squealing. Who needs TV when you have a two year old.

XC state went well. The kids and I had a good time in Pasco and the weather was surprisingly pleasant. Mike's boys' team go into the national race in Wisconsin. Very cool.

Another Sunday

2007-10-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

I got to spend another Sunday out at the property. The weather was nice, but cold. I put a coat of paint on the front door and french doors. The guys worked on siding. The south wall is almost done. We put the non-painted siding up because that wall is pretty easy to reach. We will put the already painted siding on the very high gable areas on the east and west sides.

The siding makes a huge difference in the appearance of the house. It is beginning to look real.

Here is the french door that I put a coat of paint on.

Len didn't like being up on the scaffolding. It was not stable enough for him.

Yesterday was the XC district meet. The weather was perfect. Four athletes from the team advance to the state meet in Pasco next weekend, two boys and two girls. The girls team came very close to moving on as a complete team. Maybe next year.

Window Trim

2007-10-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

I have a ton of homework and needed to work at the camp today, but I am actually really glad I blew everything off to go work on the house. It was a nice morning, but the fog blew in after lunch. Spending time out on the property really made me want to be out there more.

Almost all of the windows are installed. The wrong size was ordered for the bonus room so that space is still open, but the rest of the house is getting sealed up. I pained trim today, I put final coats on the east and north upper windows. I also painted the trim that hasn't been installed yet.

I like my front door. I picked it out at DK Windows in Warrenton. We need to pick out door handles next.

Here is the east side of the house. The french doors need to be painted and they need hardware.South Side, yo! Here are boys working on the south side of the house. The slider will open onto a balcony outside the master bedroom. I can not believe how fancy my house is!

The west view. The side door to the garage and bonus room window are not in yet, but you can see the main structure of the house. I can't wait to start getting the siding up. The garage floor is still sand. Hopefully soon we will have time to prep and level it so they can pour the slab.

I really like the sky lights in the covered porch. They look cool and they will add so much natural light to the downstairs.

Tomorrow, Len is going to be working on getting power and water. We maybe ready to start plumbing and pulling wires soon. It is very exciting.

Pain and a Roof

2007-10-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

My legs are killing me. Every step is painful. Why did a marathon seem like a good idea? Well, at least I can check that off of my life list of things to do. I ran the Portland Marathon on Sunday. Well, "ran" is a strong work. I ran for 14 miles then jog/walked the rest. I did finish and didn't ever stop that is the most important part. 26.2 miles is a long ways.

We have a roof. I got out to the property too late tonight to get any good pictures tonight.

The boys got the French doors in the dining room, the dining room window, the kitchen window, and the sliding door upstairs in today. They did good. I will try to get some good pictures soon.

Slow Progress

2007-09-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

The guys are working on the covered porch, still. It is taking a long time. I think we are behind schedule. The pipe is here for the water main, but I don't know when the ditch will be dug.

We are putting skylights in the covered porch so that the downstairs is well lite with natural light. I think it will work well.

More Cow Bell

2007-09-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the house to date. The guys are in the progress of putting the porch on.

It was a beautiful, hot, sunny day! The XC team went to the beach to stay a little cool. The beach was windy, but still nice and better to work out on then hot black top. According to my sister, the temperature meter at Sid's read 90 degrees this afternoon. Nice! I loved it, others did not share my enthusiasm.

When I was out at the property this evening taking pictures of the progress I heard cows. There was a lot of mooing. I couldn't see them, but I could hear them. I don't know what they were upset about, maybe the heat. Beach cows should be happy for warm weather. They are usually stuck in the rain.

The supports for the porch were poured today. The porch will wrap around the front and east side of the house.Adam has joined the house labor group after school. They will be working on the porch tomorrow.

Pictures speak louder than words

2007-09-01T23:19:00.000-07:00

I have a ton of pictures to share. Len and the boys have been working like crazy these last few weeks. It is really starting to look like a house.

Len has spread out all the sand and soil with this excavator. We have great soil, but it smells like cow sh*t.

I painted outside trim boards today. It was hot and sunny. The boards dried very quickly.

The guys have been sheeting the roof today. This is the south side of the house. I think Len got a sun burn.

The roof is very high. It is within code for our area, of course, but just barely.

This is the front of the house so far. The next step is to sheet the garage roof and start on the wrap around porch.

Bonus Room

2007-08-23T22:59:00.001-07:00

The roof tresses are being put up this week. The bonus room above the garage is inside the tresses. It is nice and big. It will be a great space for a workout room. We just have to hall my treadmill up the stairs.

Len and The Don in the bonus room.

View of the garage and bonus room from the west.

The bonus room. There will be a window in the far west wall.

Going Up

2007-08-14T00:27:00.001-07:00

Len and the boys have made big progress this weekend.

Framing and sheeting of the outside walls of the upper level.

Len working hard. (Note the Tums on the work bench.)

Mike in the septic tank.

Kings of the hill!

View from the top

2007-08-09T18:50:00.001-07:00

We got the floor on for the second story. Yippy! I can see where my soaking tub is going to be. I sat in my imaginary tub and admired the view. Very nice. This new development also makes the downstairs look closer to being livable. The "great room" is GREAT. The study is a little smaller than I had hoped. The kitchen dinning room area will be wonderful. I love all my windows.

This is the stair well with the entry way below. We climbed up with a ladder, getting down was a little tricky.

Mom and I swept out the lower level today. Len, Jeff, and the Don have been working like crazy. They worked until dark last night and they are all out there again tonight.

Dust and Cows

2007-08-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

I spent Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at Teenaway Creek Cross-Country Camp. This is a camp run by Ernie (IHS 93) and wife Tori, who are both head coaches at large schools. Only two Ilwaco kids participated, but it was fun. The camp is in Cle Elm, out by Ellensburg. As a nice surprise, Mike, my elusive brother, showed up. I hadn't seen him sense Christmas and it was nice to catch up. It was EXTREMELY warm and dusty in the middle of the sate. The flys were awful, but the sun was wonderful!

Yesterday, Mom, Heidi, Owen, and I went to the Clatsop County Fair! We had a great time. We saw horses, goats, sheep, cows, bunnies, chickens, llamas, ducks, arts and crafts, a fire truck, and tractors. It was all you could want in a fair. Owen loved the cows and we sat to watch the 4-H kids show their cows for a little while. The horse barns reminded me of my 4-H days. I have many good memories of the tiny little Pacific County Fair with Lucky Charm and Babe. It is funny how everything changes and nothing changes at the same time. The kids had cell phones, but the horse stalls and western outfits and decorations all looked just like the 80's ones I remember. Sigh, memory lane. Heidi and I had elephant ears, yum, and I took Owie down the big slide. There was a GIGANTIC mule (no shitting) in the parking lot with a officer on him directing traffic. A good time was had by all.

Update on the house: We are waiting for the tresses for the upper floor to be installed so we can frame the upstairs.

Downstairs Framing

2007-07-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a while. I had to read the last Harry Potter book and write two papers for school (in that order). I have also, unfortunately, been working a lot. I am still doing the on call thing at NYC. It is nice to have the money, but not fun to work all summer.

Okay, I have LOADS of pictures.

Here is a very cute, tiny potato helping in the giant sandbox that will be our garage.

Oh Dear! I saw three when I was out at the property the other day. I will need a dear fence when I have a garden.

The walls for the downstairs are up. This is the front of the house. The center is the entry way. To the right is the office and to the left is the great room. The garage is on the right side of the house. I like all the big windows. There will be a covered porch on the front and left side.

Here is the kitchen window.

I think the project is going pretty well. The next step will be to frame the second floor.