Tag Archives: bathroom

Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day

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Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day

And neither was my bathroom remodel. The wall paper was stripped and the walls prepped. The linoleum floor was pulled up.  No sub floor. The linoleum had been attached to the concrete.

About that time Brian decided to check the bulge in the tile behind the faucet in the tub. Progress came to a grinding halt as we discovered mold there. The sheet rock was not treated for use around water and had to be removed and replaced with water resistant board then re-tiled. Guess what they don’t make any more? The tiles! So Brian did his best to salvage the tiles he’s removed. Otherwise I’d have been looking at all new tile work on the tub. 

That process seemed to take forever before we could move forward again. 

Lets Add Some Wainscoting

I decided instead of wall paper or tile on the bathroom walls I’d just go with paint. I thought adding wainscoting might add interest so while Brian dealt with the tub problem his wife came along to prepare the bead board.  We wanted to be sure it blended so the panels were painted with the same color as the walls.  All during this time Brian would put me back together each afternoon so I had a working toilet and could take a shower. I hated walking on the concrete floor but Brian didn’t want to have to pull the toilet every day. He planned to just do that once the day the new floor went in.

We tossed the old over-the-toilet storage shelves because I was replacing them with an actual cabinet and shelves so the messy look would be contained. 

Old Shelves

New Shelf Unit

Time for the Bathroom Floor

Finally the day came when Brian said it was time to put in the floor. The wainscoting was in. The walls were painted. The end was in sight. Please excuse the toilet paper art the cats left.  Take one minute to look away and this is what happens but you can see the floor and the wainscoting here.

We’re in the homestretch!

Almost done! We just need the vanity top/sink and to put the shelves  in.  More on that next time.

Bathroom Re-imagined

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Bathroom Re-Imagined

I’m looking for a contractor to update my bathroom, not a handy man. I want someone who can find other professionals if they are needed.

I have a housekeeper. She comes in twice a month to make sure I’m not buried in cat hair.  While I was in my mental funk she was  in cleaning when she mentioned her husband had just gotten his general contracting license. That caught  my attention. I’d put feelers out for someone to remodel/ redecorate my bathroom but no one was interested in a small job. By small I mean a tiny almost square box. 5 Ft X 5.5 Ft not counting the tub.

The tub takes up 5.5 ft. along one wall. The toilet and single sink vanity are on the opposite wall. You have just enough room to walk in and chose your side- tub or toilet. 

I have no intention of replacing my wonderful deep cast iron tub. That was a bone of contention between me and the other contractors. (even if the tub and toilet are a disgusting brown color.) They wanted to upgrade, everything from walk in shower to soaking tub with jets. 

 

 That’s how I came to hire my housekeepers husband. He was willing to take on my small bathroom with my budget and restrictions.  I wanted a new ceiling fan, new ceiling, new walls and paint and new floor. Also needed a new vanity top. 

I did not want a walk in shower or a soaking tub with jets. I didn’t want shower doors. They are are hard to clean, a shower curtain was fine with me. So once we agreed on the scope of the work we set a date and began. 

 

Let the Project Begin

Tear out was pretty quick and but not easy. He started with the ceiling since that was a big issue for me. The ceiling fan had never worked and there was a leak that the previous condo management was convinced was all in my head.  As soon as Brian opened the ceiling it was clear that I was not imagining  the leak. It was an old leak and appeared to have been repaired at some point but the yucky part was that leak was in the sewer pipe. That water that kept dripping on me was sewer water. Oh YUCK! I wanted to take a decontamination shower when I heard that!

And Mold

Of course there was mold and that had to be removed. Luckily it was just on the insulation so we could pull that out and replace it but now we had to bring in the HOA maintenance so work came to a stop while we waited for them to come out and inspect. They wouldn’t let us go forward until they had a copy of Brian’s Liability insurance. That took a couple of days for him to secure so we lost about a week while all that was going on.

New Ceiling and Fan

Once we got the green light from the HOA and Brian’s insurance squared away, Brian came back with an electrician. In less than a day I had a new ceiling fan and my electrical switches had been moved from the wall outside the bathroom to above the sink in the bathroom. I was assured I’d get used to the new location and like it. I’m still waiting for that to happen but I do like the fan and the new ceiling light. Apparently my cat, Banner, likes the lights too. He taught himself to turn the light on and off. The switch now has little kitty teeth marks to prove it.  I’ve installed child safe covers over the switch so I can get through a night without the light turning on.

Getting the new ceiling plastered took a little longer since now  we  had to do the whole ceiling. Walls and floor next. Hopefully no more delays.  That was a futile wish.

 

 

So What’s Up Doc?

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So What’s Up Doc?

So now that you know about the lost domain what else has been going on? There’s a 6 month gap from November 2021 to May 2022.  It seems only fair that I explain at least a little.

November 2021 to January 2022

This absence was work related. I tried again (twice) for a promotion at work. This makes 3 tries.  I was passed over again with really bogus excuses. I won’t say what I think of the hires but suffice it to say they are much younger than I. Neither hire has hit 40 yet and I clock in at 71.  I’ll let you draw your own conclusions. 

To add insult to injury not only was I passed over for the promotions but I was told that I won’t get any more raises unless I change positions since I’m “capped out” where I am. That creates an issue for me. How do I change position if you won’t give me the jobs I apply for? It also occurred to me that this was the first and only time in my long work history that I haven’t gotten  a position  I applied for easily. As for the job I’m in, I’ve won every award they have for my position.  I was depressed and angry. Since I make it a policy not to bad mouth my employer I wasn’t in much of a mood to write anything. 

Banner

February 2022 – April 2022

In February I came down with a cold. I coughed and sneezed and wanted to sleep all the time. I was so wiped out I took a week off from work as vacation where the cats and I just snuggled and slept. When I finally got in to see the doctor she thought I had Covid. I had to argue. After all I was vaccinated and boosted. I was still having my groceries delivered and only went out when I absolutely had to. And then I had a mask. 

Balboa

Balboa

My doctor’s answer was you didn’t end up in the hospital so your vaccines did what they are supposed to.  But after that happy statement she went on to tell me she thought I had “Long Covid” and that it could be a year or more until I was symptom free. She is just full of good news. If I’m short  of breath walking across my living room at sea level, what will happen when I’m at 9600 ft in Colorado?

 

As if to add insult to injury I developed an abscess under a bridge. The dentist gave me an antibiotic. The pill was big enough to choke a horse but it’s a good thing she did because the root canal specialist can’t see me until May. Without that horse pill I’d have been in a lot of pain!

May 2022

During this hiatus from writing I did attempt to accomplish some things. Because I didn’t feel well the bathroom was a real point of pain. I never liked the wall paper. Not only was it ugly but it wasn’t even put up properly. The cats had started trying to pull it off the walls. So I decided it was time to bite the bullet and update/redecorate the bathroom. But that’s a story for another day! Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

 

My Typical Morning

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I share  my home with cats. I’m not a crazy cat lady. I only have 2 cats but they are the ones in charge.

On a typical morning I am greeted by Buddy as I step out of the shower. Forget closing the door. Both Buddy and Rocky are excellent lock pickers. Maybe that’s where cat burglar came from???

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Water just tastes better when it comes from the tap.

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