Off Again

[ArdraF]

Glad you made it home safely and in record time methinks!  I remember going to Luby's.  Many have pretty good food.  Give yourself a few days to relax - you deserve it!

Happy Thanksgiving,
ArdraF

 

[PatrioticStabilist]

I won't even compute my gas bill for driving that fast. :  And I will make sure in the future our caseworker knows how long we will be gone and when we are returning and also contact him before we go so we will be on the same page.  No more of these kinds of deals.  It won't be a problem.  I told hubby maybe they sprang this on him, you never know or we just both forgot, whatever.

The dog was thrilled to see us, he just was beside himself.  The chickens even came running and I gave them some bread, they love it.  Cat was glad to be home, she is all over the place bouncing around.

I have a ton of work of do.  One of the styrofoam pieces blew out of a window in the chicken house, it has rained and blowed and its a mess in there.  I just need to put new plywood pieces up outside like I do in the winter and clean that mess out, yuck.    Not healthy for them to be in a wet place.

I have to completely unload the motorhome as its going to be cleaned, probably detailed and getting ready for sale, inside and out.  A very nice little motorhome for sure, I told hubby I feel bad selling it.  I have to get the seatbelt recall work done.  And there is a drip from I think the fresh water tank, going to have to look around and see whats going on there but other then that just needs an oilchange.  Hubby changes it every 3000 miles and its due.

I have stuff to order for the other one, new skylights and some other things.  Get my handyman to take off all items on the roof.  Order the primer for the roof and caulk.  Have to get  more work done on the newest little rent house too.  Carpenter coming next week, walls to be setup inside so we can define the rooms.  Get the Electrican to put in electric, get estimate for plumbing.  Buy water heater and 1 piece bathtub also as I want to get them set and the stack washer dryer and have the furnace and AC put in, then likely stop till January again. We are paying as we go so may not finish till February.

I can save a ton of money by buying unfinished cabinets and finishing them myself, did it at another rental but its a lot of work.  Couple of coats of stain, couple coats of polyurethane.  Lots of work, but I can do it, its worth the money its saves for sure.

Oh also want to get Christmas decorations out and I put 300 ft of lights down the front fence each year.  I like them, so Christmascy.  I love Christmas, going to leave them up till Tom gets home, he will be home the week after Christmas I beleive it is. 

And I'm thinking maybe a Christmas cruise, I still want to go through the Panama Canal and hubby is home in January. February I start the garden and until it and canning are done, not much chance to get away.  We shall see how it goes. 

Hope to have the motorhome ready to take, but I doubt we have everything done we want to do, he won't have time, it will take a couple of trips home to do it all I think.  New satellite dome, (new TV's, yes, yes, yes)  Sirius radio transferred over and other things done.  Not sure what all we need to do yet.

 

[Ernie n Tara]

Carolyn,
Rather than do all of the finish work; I'd suggest you get oak cabinets (usually about the cheapest) and use Tung Oil. It's inexpensive, gives a good finish and doesn't require a lot of sanding. We've done it for tables, and bookcases and its really pretty. I also used Tung Oil to repair the finish on a bathroom cabinet that had suffered water damage to the finish.
PS Tung Oil is wiped on with a lint free cloth and scrubbed lightly between coats with steel wool. Refreshing the coat between renters is a simple process as well (been there, done that, sold the d rent houses quick).
Hope this helps,
Ernie

Ernie

 

[PatrioticStabilist]

I assume you can't polyurethane them?  It prevents water damage.

I have pretty good renters so far.  I'm starting to worry about the lady in the back rental unit of my duplex.  She is in her late 70's I think, her son had her quit work a couple of weeks back. She hasn't been feeling real good.

But she was asking me today, why would the hot water heater turn on if she wasn't using any hot water?
I explained to her there was a thermostat just like on the furnace, well its not, but she doesn't realize that and when the temperature goes down it turns on the heat to bring it up to temp again.

She doesn't seem to have any basic understanding of anything. She had worked at Walmart now has diabetis so I am wondering about her and how long she will make it. 

The last few weeks it is always something, hubby says those 2 ladies are just lonely and have to find something wrong to complain about.  However, he isn't here and I'm getting the calls.  It must be sad to not understand anything about your household.  I don't think this lady has ever lived anywhere but in an apartment and this is basically a 2 unit house.  But I'm also starting to think its more then that.

It's not a problem when I'm home and can take care of it, but when I'm gone and have to have someone else and it costs, that is a problem.

Well, I've been fortunate and had excellent renters so far, so we will see how it goes.  1 eviction in over 15 years, but I screen very close up front. Ours never leave!  That is a problem because if they leave once in awhile we can raise the rents!!

 

[Ernie n Tara]

I don't know that you need to use a coat of polyurethane over Tung Oil. I've got it on a bathroom cabinet and it seems to work as well (water beads up). As easy as it is, I just apply another coat every few years; takes care of scratches and the like.
Ernie

 

[PatrioticStabilist]

I just might give that a try, I think that is what I used on an old antique clock we have.  Seems like the clock repair person told me it nourishes the wood.

 

[PatrioticStabilist]

I'm not optomistc about getting the things done to take a trip before Tom comes in again in 10 more weeks.  We need to install the skylights, coat the roof and seal.  He wants to put in 2 new roof AC's.  Hook up gas sniffer, change all the fluids and filters on the engine.

Has to put in a window controller, getting that panel off is terrible.  He has to take the seat out, last time he tried to get the wall panel off and 1 screw somewhere we couldn't see we couldn't get out.  He dosn't want to take the dash off to get to it.

to me those items and checking out the furnace and water heater would get us going, but not sure what all he has in mind, guess we will find out.  But the next time home should finish it, but we are thinking that trip will likely finish him up on this project.

I subscribed to Texas Monthly again.  I told Sue Anne until he feels comfortable with everything we likely will be limited to Texas and that's fine for now.  There is lots to see down here plus it will give me a chance to get my license and get used to driving this "beast". 

He comes in the 30th, is home about 2.5 weeks. February here  you really need to start your garden.  Last year by the first of May the heat was already killing it, I pray this year is not hot and dry like last year.  I need to do my canning, then if everything is ok we should be able to go somewhere.  I'm already getting itchy foot.  Oh I forgot sell the other one, VERY important. 

 

[PatrioticStabilist]

This is killing me, I'm ready to GO!!  I want to go somewhere NOW!  Absolutely, impossibly not feasible at this time.  It's to cool to put my skylights in, its only 49 today, brrrr. 

I bought 3 big storage boxes for Christmas stuff at the Container Store.  They slide right in the bays and are exactly long enough.  I loaded them and since they have wheels in the back I can lift the front and roll them out.  No more stuff jammed and sliding all over.  The lids won't quite fit, to high, going to see if Tom can cut them down or something.  Clean as it looks under there I don't think it gets dirty, the doors must seal.

I now have rod and reel holders, don't think they have ever been used, 2 rods are a bit long they bump on the opposite side door but I think will be ok.  Got my tackle boxes and folding chairs all loaded.  Need to go through all the rest of that stuff out there and see what I can put in or leave out.  A lot of it had been upstairs in the other one.

Also I got 2 softsided containers that zipup one for Sue Anne and one for me to put extra clothing in, or jackets etc that we don't need often.  Also going to put in summer and winter stuff and leave it so I'm only loading and unloading food basically.  I'm going to try and keep the clutter upstairs to the minimum if possible.  She already found the pull out drawer under the couch, I told her linens likely will go in there.