Remodeling Redux
Day 13 Friday 2/20/02
Disappointment. I get home to find no work has been done. I had been brought home by Artie who cut up some plywood for shelves etc. and to find the work not done was really a bummer. It could be it was the 13th day. I called Gregory who said “I told you” well his English is not the best so I didn’t understand. Ultimately I see why but that is not enough to appease me. There was/is only for hours work to finish the bathroom and that would have wasted a day of one of his most valuable men. So on Tuesday two guys will come finish the bathroom and get started on the kitchen. Oh well it will soon be over then my work starts. I still have to paint the entire apt and strip and paint the kitchen cabinets.
Day 14 Tuesday 2/24
Walking home from work I ran into the real estate broker who sold me my apt. and she said a smaller one bedroom in this building ended up in a bidding war and got $15K more than asked! In just five months I‘ve already made good money on the apt.
Outside my building is a big truck and I asked the driver if he had delivered a stove and fridge. Indeed my new appliances are here. They are stainless and black, very cool. There is loud Russian rock and roll blaring on my portable radio and Vitali is painting away in the bathroom the floor in the kitchen has a layer of luan down and the counter is gone. Progress at last! There might be a chance the Russians will history by the end of the week but I am afraid to jinx it so just go in my bedroom and close the door.
2/24/2004
2/19/2004
Light at the End of the Tunnel
The remodeling continues.
I have a toilet. Yeah!! Of course nothing is going the way "Vitali" would have hoped. First the floor is lower so he had to cut the toilet drain down to the floor which was messy to say the least. Then a plastic part broke inside the flush mechanism, luckily the super had the part. Now he is installing the pedestal sink and he just found out the floor is not level so he will have to shim the base. I looked up the sink on the web and found the Toto pedestal sink is pictured with the same faucet I chose.
Vitali is Gregori's main man and he stoically goes about his business and solves each problem in a methodical way.
I bought towels today and will get a rug, shower curtain and new toilet seat tomorrow while I am near BB&B. Those of you with out a Bed Bath and Beyond it is a one stop urban supplier for all the things for the NYC apartment. We couldn't live without it.
By the time Vitali left the sink was in and working a third layer of plaster is on the walls which are now ready for paint and we set the placement for all the towel bars glass shelves and even a four foot stainless shelf which sits high in the wall opposite the mirror so the door will clear under it. Supplies not needed every day will live there. A trip to the Container Store will fill that shelf with matching boxes.
By the time I get home from work the bathroom will be usable. Next the kitchen. The good news is Gregori wanted me to order the appliances today to be delivered on Tuesday. I know he is ready for this job to be done which is good for me. The faster the better.
Highlighted words are hot links that open in a new window.
The remodeling continues.
I have a toilet. Yeah!! Of course nothing is going the way "Vitali" would have hoped. First the floor is lower so he had to cut the toilet drain down to the floor which was messy to say the least. Then a plastic part broke inside the flush mechanism, luckily the super had the part. Now he is installing the pedestal sink and he just found out the floor is not level so he will have to shim the base. I looked up the sink on the web and found the Toto pedestal sink is pictured with the same faucet I chose.
Vitali is Gregori's main man and he stoically goes about his business and solves each problem in a methodical way.
I bought towels today and will get a rug, shower curtain and new toilet seat tomorrow while I am near BB&B. Those of you with out a Bed Bath and Beyond it is a one stop urban supplier for all the things for the NYC apartment. We couldn't live without it.
By the time Vitali left the sink was in and working a third layer of plaster is on the walls which are now ready for paint and we set the placement for all the towel bars glass shelves and even a four foot stainless shelf which sits high in the wall opposite the mirror so the door will clear under it. Supplies not needed every day will live there. A trip to the Container Store will fill that shelf with matching boxes.
By the time I get home from work the bathroom will be usable. Next the kitchen. The good news is Gregori wanted me to order the appliances today to be delivered on Tuesday. I know he is ready for this job to be done which is good for me. The faster the better.
Highlighted words are hot links that open in a new window.
Love & Marriage
Two friends of mine waited three hours and got married in San Francisco yesterday. They have been a couple for many years and have the protection of same sex couple benefits but yesterday they were allowed to do what most people in America take for granted, they are “married”. I don’t want to go on too much about same sex marriage per say. With the divorce rate at 50% or higher in America the straight world should embrace anyone who wants to build a long term loving relationship with another person.
What I really want to talk about is way our President has defined the argument. He and his Christian right government talk about the “tyranny of judiciary “.. He has decided that the judiciary branch of the government is the enemy. In other words the executive branch wants to rule without the benefit of the courts. This is a direct assault on the way we govern ourselves. The last time Bush used the word tyranny he bombed the crap out of Iraq. Take a look at the judges Bush has put forward. Charles Pickering, Priscilla Owen, Miguel Estrada these people are right wing ideologues looking to use their judgeships to put forward a Christian fundamentalist view. They openly oppose abortion, same sex marriage and will support the executive branches abuse of privacy. There is no difference between the Bush administrations stacking of the judiciary with religious zealots and the Imams controlling the Iranian government.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Texas Republican, said.
"We are pushing a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. We're working on one, we're trying to bring everybody together," he said. "When you have a runaway judiciary, which we obviously have, that has no consideration for the Constitution of the United States, then we have available to us through that Constitution [a way] to fix the judiciary."
This no less than an attempt to circumvent the legal system which does not fit their view of morality.
I think we should all be thankful for Mayor Gavin Newsom's brave and historic dictum to allow same sex marriages.
Now I know most of you waiting with bated breath for the latest report on the remodeling. Well the toilet just got hooked up and I am hoping for a working sink by the end of the day. I’ll update the work latter this evening.
Highlighted words are hot links that open in a new window.
Two friends of mine waited three hours and got married in San Francisco yesterday. They have been a couple for many years and have the protection of same sex couple benefits but yesterday they were allowed to do what most people in America take for granted, they are “married”. I don’t want to go on too much about same sex marriage per say. With the divorce rate at 50% or higher in America the straight world should embrace anyone who wants to build a long term loving relationship with another person.
What I really want to talk about is way our President has defined the argument. He and his Christian right government talk about the “tyranny of judiciary “.. He has decided that the judiciary branch of the government is the enemy. In other words the executive branch wants to rule without the benefit of the courts. This is a direct assault on the way we govern ourselves. The last time Bush used the word tyranny he bombed the crap out of Iraq. Take a look at the judges Bush has put forward. Charles Pickering, Priscilla Owen, Miguel Estrada these people are right wing ideologues looking to use their judgeships to put forward a Christian fundamentalist view. They openly oppose abortion, same sex marriage and will support the executive branches abuse of privacy. There is no difference between the Bush administrations stacking of the judiciary with religious zealots and the Imams controlling the Iranian government.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Texas Republican, said.
"We are pushing a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. We're working on one, we're trying to bring everybody together," he said. "When you have a runaway judiciary, which we obviously have, that has no consideration for the Constitution of the United States, then we have available to us through that Constitution [a way] to fix the judiciary."
This no less than an attempt to circumvent the legal system which does not fit their view of morality.
I think we should all be thankful for Mayor Gavin Newsom's brave and historic dictum to allow same sex marriages.
Now I know most of you waiting with bated breath for the latest report on the remodeling. Well the toilet just got hooked up and I am hoping for a working sink by the end of the day. I’ll update the work latter this evening.
Highlighted words are hot links that open in a new window.
2/18/2004
Thank You and Good Bye Dr. Dean
Just a quick political note before I get back to the report on the remodeling. Last night I wrote the following to as many places on the Howard Dean web site; as I could find.
"QUIT NOW!!
As a Vietnam veteran I will be voting for the man who not only fought in Vietnam but led the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
Your campaign is over. You have done well now go home."
Today we wake up to hear he will announce the end of campaign. Do I think he listened to me? Of course not but each message is tallied. Whether you write your congress person or the White House, be sure to state your position right up front and keep the message short. Basically you will be sending a pro or con message and it will be counted as such if you keep it brief.
Howard Dean was good for the party and made the race interesting and has kept the Democratic Party in the headlines. It is now up to Kerry and Edwards to continue the dialogue and make the case against what I feel is the most dangerous administration since Eisenhower. Eisenhower allowed South America to be plundered by corporate thieves and threw out Iraq’s last chance for democracy by supporting coup that put the Shaw in place. Now the Bush administration has turned Afghanistan into a mire and lied to the American people to start a war that was planned long before 9/11.
Can Kerry win it? It will be a long hard road and the Christian Right will be fighting with all their efforts. But the fight has to at least define the position against a government of ideologues.
Highlighted words are hot links that open in a new window.
Just a quick political note before I get back to the report on the remodeling. Last night I wrote the following to as many places on the Howard Dean web site; as I could find.
"QUIT NOW!!
As a Vietnam veteran I will be voting for the man who not only fought in Vietnam but led the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
Your campaign is over. You have done well now go home."
Today we wake up to hear he will announce the end of campaign. Do I think he listened to me? Of course not but each message is tallied. Whether you write your congress person or the White House, be sure to state your position right up front and keep the message short. Basically you will be sending a pro or con message and it will be counted as such if you keep it brief.
Howard Dean was good for the party and made the race interesting and has kept the Democratic Party in the headlines. It is now up to Kerry and Edwards to continue the dialogue and make the case against what I feel is the most dangerous administration since Eisenhower. Eisenhower allowed South America to be plundered by corporate thieves and threw out Iraq’s last chance for democracy by supporting coup that put the Shaw in place. Now the Bush administration has turned Afghanistan into a mire and lied to the American people to start a war that was planned long before 9/11.
Can Kerry win it? It will be a long hard road and the Christian Right will be fighting with all their efforts. But the fight has to at least define the position against a government of ideologues.
Highlighted words are hot links that open in a new window.
2/17/2004
Day 10 Tuesday 2.17.2004
Its 4:45 and Sasha just left. He’s in a little bit of trouble because it’s his wife’s birthday and he had hoped to get out early. But it turned out to be a long day in the bathroom. Today he had to fit all the floor tiles which are on a diagonal and cut the wall tiles around all the pipes. To finish it off he set the threshold before he left. The threshold is the best part, Gregory bought a black and green marble threshold that looks so classy next to the green tiles. He usually uses gray marble but he knew this was a great finishing touch.
Gregory took me to the paint store where I got the usual primer and decorators white but for two walls I am using Benjamin Moore #1583 a light celadon, it’s just enough to pick up the color of the floor.
It seems like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Sasha will do the grout in the morning then the plasterer will do his second coat and then the painting after that all the appliances and towel bars etc. It could be a bathroom by the end of the week.
Its 4:45 and Sasha just left. He’s in a little bit of trouble because it’s his wife’s birthday and he had hoped to get out early. But it turned out to be a long day in the bathroom. Today he had to fit all the floor tiles which are on a diagonal and cut the wall tiles around all the pipes. To finish it off he set the threshold before he left. The threshold is the best part, Gregory bought a black and green marble threshold that looks so classy next to the green tiles. He usually uses gray marble but he knew this was a great finishing touch.
Gregory took me to the paint store where I got the usual primer and decorators white but for two walls I am using Benjamin Moore #1583 a light celadon, it’s just enough to pick up the color of the floor.
It seems like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Sasha will do the grout in the morning then the plasterer will do his second coat and then the painting after that all the appliances and towel bars etc. It could be a bathroom by the end of the week.
2/16/2004
Day 9 continued
The toilet is now sitting in the tub and the floor tiles are being laid. They really look great. Sasha is at the point of fitting them around the toilet and the pipe for the tub cut off. Slow work but he is good and meticulous. With the toilet out I am off to stay in Manhattan with friends. Back in the AM to buy paint and see the progress.
The toilet is now sitting in the tub and the floor tiles are being laid. They really look great. Sasha is at the point of fitting them around the toilet and the pipe for the tub cut off. Slow work but he is good and meticulous. With the toilet out I am off to stay in Manhattan with friends. Back in the AM to buy paint and see the progress.
Day 9 Monday 2/16/04
It’s the little things.
Sunday was a day off so I won’t count it as a day. It was a good time for me to look at the work and make a few notes. The fact is that no one will know the room as well as you. The crew certainly knows how to do their job but they have tunnel vision. Ultimately I am the designer on the job and the general contractor is not on the site through the entire process so I need to watch all the details without slowing the work down.
The kitchen and bathroom share a common wall. I saw that the electric outlet that the fridge and stove plug into was right in the hole where the medicine cabinet goes. There is a range hood going in over the stove and it needs electricity. Now is the time to run that power BEFORE the medicine cabinet is screwed into place. Alec showed up a little after Sasha and he understood immediately that now was time to run the power so when we start the kitchen that wall will not have to be opened up. It got done and power to the medicine cabinet is now run. There is still the issue of the bath not draining. When the demo was done the drain got plugged up. I won’t be happy till that is fixed. Anyway the cabinet is now in place and the door is being hung. Hopefully Sasha can get back to the tile work in another hour or so. It’s 10:30am.
It’s the little things.
Sunday was a day off so I won’t count it as a day. It was a good time for me to look at the work and make a few notes. The fact is that no one will know the room as well as you. The crew certainly knows how to do their job but they have tunnel vision. Ultimately I am the designer on the job and the general contractor is not on the site through the entire process so I need to watch all the details without slowing the work down.
The kitchen and bathroom share a common wall. I saw that the electric outlet that the fridge and stove plug into was right in the hole where the medicine cabinet goes. There is a range hood going in over the stove and it needs electricity. Now is the time to run that power BEFORE the medicine cabinet is screwed into place. Alec showed up a little after Sasha and he understood immediately that now was time to run the power so when we start the kitchen that wall will not have to be opened up. It got done and power to the medicine cabinet is now run. There is still the issue of the bath not draining. When the demo was done the drain got plugged up. I won’t be happy till that is fixed. Anyway the cabinet is now in place and the door is being hung. Hopefully Sasha can get back to the tile work in another hour or so. It’s 10:30am.
2/14/2004
Day 7 Friday 2/13
I hadn’t realized it was Friday the 13th and the day went reasonably smoothly. The tiles and Gregory showed up as planed a little after 2pm. The tile man is Sasha and he has less command of the English language than the rest of the crew. Between Gregory, Sasha and myself we came up with a plan for getting around the medicine chest and I have asked for dark baseboard or “saddle” that matches the floor to go over the white tile on the sink/toilet wall. It’s a little unconventional but will look finished when it’s all done. Even with no language between us Sasha and I convinced Gregory it was the right solution. So Gregory is off to other jobs and Sasha starts the tile. I am thrilled to see this phase started.
It is great to see the choices I made in the show room look good together. I stuck my neck out when choosing the floor tiles they are a green and black sort of “agate” look. They have a bit of texture so I won’t go sliding across all five feet of bathroom floor. Did I mention the bathroom is tiny?
Day 8 Saturday 2/14.
Sasha has got most of the whole pieces on the wall of the tub surround by noon. After his lunch, they all carry Tupper Ware lunches and tea, he is starting on all the cuts around the faucets and nozzles.
I spent the morning at the container store and Bed Bath & Beyond scoping out new towels, storage boxes and shower curtains. I should have a scrap of the floor tile to take with me in the next day or two. I managed to get out of both stores with only a $5 trash can but will have to bite the bullet soon and buy all the stuff when we get closer to completion. With the green of the floor I think the towels, rug and shower curtain will be sage or celadon. The wall color will also be celadon with the wall opposite of the mirror staying white. Of course I’m getting ahead of myself. I think the walls and floor will take through Monday.
I hadn’t realized it was Friday the 13th and the day went reasonably smoothly. The tiles and Gregory showed up as planed a little after 2pm. The tile man is Sasha and he has less command of the English language than the rest of the crew. Between Gregory, Sasha and myself we came up with a plan for getting around the medicine chest and I have asked for dark baseboard or “saddle” that matches the floor to go over the white tile on the sink/toilet wall. It’s a little unconventional but will look finished when it’s all done. Even with no language between us Sasha and I convinced Gregory it was the right solution. So Gregory is off to other jobs and Sasha starts the tile. I am thrilled to see this phase started.
It is great to see the choices I made in the show room look good together. I stuck my neck out when choosing the floor tiles they are a green and black sort of “agate” look. They have a bit of texture so I won’t go sliding across all five feet of bathroom floor. Did I mention the bathroom is tiny?
Day 8 Saturday 2/14.
Sasha has got most of the whole pieces on the wall of the tub surround by noon. After his lunch, they all carry Tupper Ware lunches and tea, he is starting on all the cuts around the faucets and nozzles.
I spent the morning at the container store and Bed Bath & Beyond scoping out new towels, storage boxes and shower curtains. I should have a scrap of the floor tile to take with me in the next day or two. I managed to get out of both stores with only a $5 trash can but will have to bite the bullet soon and buy all the stuff when we get closer to completion. With the green of the floor I think the towels, rug and shower curtain will be sage or celadon. The wall color will also be celadon with the wall opposite of the mirror staying white. Of course I’m getting ahead of myself. I think the walls and floor will take through Monday.
2/12/2004
The Walls Came Tumbling….UP!!!
Day 6 Thurs. 1/12
It’s 12:30 and walls are all closed up and the cement board is going down for the floor tiles. It’s so much better now that the walls are closed I can almost sense that a bathroom will exist here in a few days. These boys don’t mess around.
There is of course plenty to do. Next the floor gets tiled then the tub surround and sink wall gets tiled and then all the “accessories” get placed. Each tiling job has wait times involved so things will speed up then come to a sudden halt. I decided to put a grab bar in the shower. I may not need it now but I think it will be a safety feature that is better added now rather than latter.
There is a little delay in that the floor tiles will not be delivered till tomorrow at 1pm. They could have started the floor today but all is well and the half day wait won’t hurt that much. It’s a bit anti climatic, the room still looks like a construction site and the hallway into the apt. is still piled with tools, plaster, workmen’s cloths and the pieces and parts yet to be installed, but today was a good day.
On another note it is freezing here in NYC but a small ray of summer just showed up in the mailbox. The mooring permit arrived for ”Peregrine”. This is always a welcome sign that Oyster Bay will indeed thaw out and sailing and lounging about in the sun is coming.
Highlighted words are hot links that open in a new window.
Day 6 Thurs. 1/12
It’s 12:30 and walls are all closed up and the cement board is going down for the floor tiles. It’s so much better now that the walls are closed I can almost sense that a bathroom will exist here in a few days. These boys don’t mess around.
There is of course plenty to do. Next the floor gets tiled then the tub surround and sink wall gets tiled and then all the “accessories” get placed. Each tiling job has wait times involved so things will speed up then come to a sudden halt. I decided to put a grab bar in the shower. I may not need it now but I think it will be a safety feature that is better added now rather than latter.
There is a little delay in that the floor tiles will not be delivered till tomorrow at 1pm. They could have started the floor today but all is well and the half day wait won’t hurt that much. It’s a bit anti climatic, the room still looks like a construction site and the hallway into the apt. is still piled with tools, plaster, workmen’s cloths and the pieces and parts yet to be installed, but today was a good day.
On another note it is freezing here in NYC but a small ray of summer just showed up in the mailbox. The mooring permit arrived for ”Peregrine”. This is always a welcome sign that Oyster Bay will indeed thaw out and sailing and lounging about in the sun is coming.
Highlighted words are hot links that open in a new window.
2/11/2004
Ah… The life of a home owner.
The following is brief description of the remodeling that will go on in my apt for awhile. Since it is a major factor in my life I’ll let it take space in the blog.
The remodel includes a total redo of the bathroom from the floor up and just the floor new counter, sink and appliances in the kitchen.
Remodel Diary
Day 1 Thurs. 2/5
The Russians have landed!
Gregory said they would show up at 8:30 so of course they showed at 7:50 while I was still in the shower. I let them in and they started covering the floor and taping up plastic while I finished my shower.
The ordeal has begun!!
By the end of the day the bathroom was rubble with all the walls exposed to the studs and the ceiling out.
Day 2 Fri. 2/6
One lone Russian had the sad task of finishing the demo by himself. The job was done by 3pm and Gregory showed up and pronounced the job “good” the bathroom however looked like a bomb went off. I am now living in a wrecked bathroom and the rest of the apt encased in plastic to keep the dust at bay. It will be a long weekend.
Day 3 Monday 2/9
The plumber showed up and started to rough in new copper with new fittings and cut off valves. All was going well when the super Adam shut off the water to the toilet and the pipes were cut. When Adam restored the water we had a flood from above. The toilet in 5A overflowed when the water went back on. Adam had to break into the apt and fix their toilet that was not draining before they start work again. My bathroom was soaked but since the walls were out there was nothing to get damaged. I worried about the apt below because she has worked so hard to make her apt a showcase.
Day 4 Tues. 2/10
No issues with the apt below so work continues the plumbing is roughed in and the new framing is starting. It’s great to see the new work starting. After another discussion about putting the medicine cabinet in the wall I pull the cabinet out of the box and insist that be set into the wall. I ran off to work at noon and let the Russians do the work.
Day 5 Wed. 2/11
I am now staying with friends as the bathroom has little or no function. I returned this morning to find just one workman putting up the cement board. It is 10am and the ceiling is up and the tub wall is rocked. The GFI plug is in the middle of the blank space I want to put shelves in so after a bit of explanation it will be moved next to the medicine chest which is in and set well into the wall. It’s important to see each detain so changes can be made easily as you go.
The following is brief description of the remodeling that will go on in my apt for awhile. Since it is a major factor in my life I’ll let it take space in the blog.
The remodel includes a total redo of the bathroom from the floor up and just the floor new counter, sink and appliances in the kitchen.
Remodel Diary
Day 1 Thurs. 2/5
The Russians have landed!
Gregory said they would show up at 8:30 so of course they showed at 7:50 while I was still in the shower. I let them in and they started covering the floor and taping up plastic while I finished my shower.
The ordeal has begun!!
By the end of the day the bathroom was rubble with all the walls exposed to the studs and the ceiling out.
Day 2 Fri. 2/6
One lone Russian had the sad task of finishing the demo by himself. The job was done by 3pm and Gregory showed up and pronounced the job “good” the bathroom however looked like a bomb went off. I am now living in a wrecked bathroom and the rest of the apt encased in plastic to keep the dust at bay. It will be a long weekend.
Day 3 Monday 2/9
The plumber showed up and started to rough in new copper with new fittings and cut off valves. All was going well when the super Adam shut off the water to the toilet and the pipes were cut. When Adam restored the water we had a flood from above. The toilet in 5A overflowed when the water went back on. Adam had to break into the apt and fix their toilet that was not draining before they start work again. My bathroom was soaked but since the walls were out there was nothing to get damaged. I worried about the apt below because she has worked so hard to make her apt a showcase.
Day 4 Tues. 2/10
No issues with the apt below so work continues the plumbing is roughed in and the new framing is starting. It’s great to see the new work starting. After another discussion about putting the medicine cabinet in the wall I pull the cabinet out of the box and insist that be set into the wall. I ran off to work at noon and let the Russians do the work.
Day 5 Wed. 2/11
I am now staying with friends as the bathroom has little or no function. I returned this morning to find just one workman putting up the cement board. It is 10am and the ceiling is up and the tub wall is rocked. The GFI plug is in the middle of the blank space I want to put shelves in so after a bit of explanation it will be moved next to the medicine chest which is in and set well into the wall. It’s important to see each detain so changes can be made easily as you go.
1/27/2004
1/27/04
$350 Later
Now that I am a home (apt.) owner I’m sure this is just the first of many such sagas.
I awoke Monday to find the power off in most of my apt. Only the kitchen and bathroom had power. Thanks for small favors. After determining it was not the building I got a couple of young Russians in to find the problem. Of course they couldn’t show till 7:30 pm and at 9pm they still had no idea where the problem was so I sent them home to return in the morning.
They came at nine and took up where they left off and by noon had all the power on and all new outlets installed. Between them they had about 15 words they could speak in English and I only know “Da” and “Niet”. For the longest time I didn’t hear very many “Da”s only “Niet’s”. But they went about their business. They saw last night that I don’t where shoes on the carpets so they took their shoes off without being asked and Alec brought flip flops to wear today. They worked fast and cleaned up. Nice guys.
It did cost $350 but with 5 hours work for two guys and the hardware it’s not great but not horrible. They were sent by the contractor who will start the remodeling of the bath and kitchen so I was glad to see good workers show up. I will have them wire the track lighting and other fixtures instead of doing it myself because if there is a problem they can find it. The wiring here is from the sixties and pretty out dated so it’s best to pay a few bucks and have it working well.
Ahhh….. the life of a home owner!
$350 Later
Now that I am a home (apt.) owner I’m sure this is just the first of many such sagas.
I awoke Monday to find the power off in most of my apt. Only the kitchen and bathroom had power. Thanks for small favors. After determining it was not the building I got a couple of young Russians in to find the problem. Of course they couldn’t show till 7:30 pm and at 9pm they still had no idea where the problem was so I sent them home to return in the morning.
They came at nine and took up where they left off and by noon had all the power on and all new outlets installed. Between them they had about 15 words they could speak in English and I only know “Da” and “Niet”. For the longest time I didn’t hear very many “Da”s only “Niet’s”. But they went about their business. They saw last night that I don’t where shoes on the carpets so they took their shoes off without being asked and Alec brought flip flops to wear today. They worked fast and cleaned up. Nice guys.
It did cost $350 but with 5 hours work for two guys and the hardware it’s not great but not horrible. They were sent by the contractor who will start the remodeling of the bath and kitchen so I was glad to see good workers show up. I will have them wire the track lighting and other fixtures instead of doing it myself because if there is a problem they can find it. The wiring here is from the sixties and pretty out dated so it’s best to pay a few bucks and have it working well.
Ahhh….. the life of a home owner!
12/15/2003
12/15/03
It has taken longer to get back to the blog than I had hoped. Moving is an epic that seems to have no end. I had lived in my last apartment for over 25 years so even the idea of a move was foreign to me. I am a service brat, having lived all over the states, Northern Africa and Europe so you might think I could move with ease but I think that worked against me. I settled, some would say burrowed, into a home for so long that inertia set in. But life moves on and all worked out for the best I am now a home, apartment, owner. I will say that now that I own, the hardware store rarely goes a day without a visit from me. How can there be so many little projects?
Did everyone see the second part of Angles in America? Mike Nichols fielded one of the strongest casts to be seen in a film made for television. Tony Kushner has written the best play about the plaque that is AIDS and maybe one the most profound pieces on the human condition. It’s a must see.
The North East has seen two big snowstorms and so far we are early in the season. Both storms happened on weekends. It’s great when it snows in the city on a weekend. Everyone gets out to play in snow. Now that I am a Brooklynite Prospect Park is where I headed to. I was going to go skiing but decided I wasn’t familiar enough with the park to ski it. I hiked in past lots of families sledding on gentle slopes and found some back trails that were still without footprints. The park has woods that are as old as the park and were just set aside by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux with very little changes which makes the wooded areas over a hundred and thirty years old. In the crystal white of the snow storm it was a magical walk. My hike lasted over two hours coming across the occasional cross country skier and a few snow shoe tracks. All in all a great way to see the park.
I hope to be back on a regular schedule with this blog now that things are settling down a bit. Please check back often.
Highlighted words are hot links that open in a new window.
It has taken longer to get back to the blog than I had hoped. Moving is an epic that seems to have no end. I had lived in my last apartment for over 25 years so even the idea of a move was foreign to me. I am a service brat, having lived all over the states, Northern Africa and Europe so you might think I could move with ease but I think that worked against me. I settled, some would say burrowed, into a home for so long that inertia set in. But life moves on and all worked out for the best I am now a home, apartment, owner. I will say that now that I own, the hardware store rarely goes a day without a visit from me. How can there be so many little projects?
Did everyone see the second part of Angles in America? Mike Nichols fielded one of the strongest casts to be seen in a film made for television. Tony Kushner has written the best play about the plaque that is AIDS and maybe one the most profound pieces on the human condition. It’s a must see.
The North East has seen two big snowstorms and so far we are early in the season. Both storms happened on weekends. It’s great when it snows in the city on a weekend. Everyone gets out to play in snow. Now that I am a Brooklynite Prospect Park is where I headed to. I was going to go skiing but decided I wasn’t familiar enough with the park to ski it. I hiked in past lots of families sledding on gentle slopes and found some back trails that were still without footprints. The park has woods that are as old as the park and were just set aside by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux with very little changes which makes the wooded areas over a hundred and thirty years old. In the crystal white of the snow storm it was a magical walk. My hike lasted over two hours coming across the occasional cross country skier and a few snow shoe tracks. All in all a great way to see the park.
I hope to be back on a regular schedule with this blog now that things are settling down a bit. Please check back often.
Highlighted words are hot links that open in a new window.
9/21/2003
This blog will be back after I get moved.
After 25 years in the village I am off to Brooklyn. The accumulated debris of 25 years is a major event to deal with. But a new chapter is about to open. Please check back near Halloween when the blog will be back and running. Till then write something every day.
After 25 years in the village I am off to Brooklyn. The accumulated debris of 25 years is a major event to deal with. But a new chapter is about to open. Please check back near Halloween when the blog will be back and running. Till then write something every day.
8/19/2003
Black Out 2003
NYC seems to be back to normal but each conversation starts with how did it effect you? Our crane camera man had the best story. He just put in a new pool on his 2-1/2 acre place in Brewster. They noticed the "fountain" in the pool had stopped spewing and stereo went silent so.... they made sure the beer was still cool and went back to partying. He lives in an area that has black-outs so at sunset he started the generator and watched a DVD. Life is tough.
This will be the first of a few stories.
NYC seems to be back to normal but each conversation starts with how did it effect you? Our crane camera man had the best story. He just put in a new pool on his 2-1/2 acre place in Brewster. They noticed the "fountain" in the pool had stopped spewing and stereo went silent so.... they made sure the beer was still cool and went back to partying. He lives in an area that has black-outs so at sunset he started the generator and watched a DVD. Life is tough.
This will be the first of a few stories.
8/08/2003
E-COOPS.ORG
I have been asked to exchange a link with E-COOPS.ORG. A new site for those in NYC looking for work and building a web community. It’s very new and he is just starting to get his links together. I hope it works and gets allot of traffic.
You'll find the link in my "recommended" area to the left and my link will be in his NY Bloggers area.
If you visit his site rate my blog at 8 or above. Actually I am looking get some traffic here so if you like my ranting pass the URL on to your friends.
Highlighted words are HOT links.
Links will open in a new window.
I have been asked to exchange a link with E-COOPS.ORG. A new site for those in NYC looking for work and building a web community. It’s very new and he is just starting to get his links together. I hope it works and gets allot of traffic.
You'll find the link in my "recommended" area to the left and my link will be in his NY Bloggers area.
If you visit his site rate my blog at 8 or above. Actually I am looking get some traffic here so if you like my ranting pass the URL on to your friends.
Highlighted words are HOT links.
Links will open in a new window.
Tar Baby.
Well the “Arnold” is in the race for Governor and from the first moment he was making news. The look on Leno’s face was priceless when he said he would be running. Rush Limbaugh is calling Arnold a closet liberal because Arnold said that he wanted businesses to come back to California so that the state government could collect enough tax revenues to provide social programs.
Of course only in California would a recall get Larry Flint, Gary Coleman and Ariana Huffington into a travesty of democracy. There is no question in my mind that like the 2000 election the Republicans will subvert the law to get what they want.
Al Gore gave a speech to the members of Move On.org. The gist of the speech can summed up in the following quote.
"Americans have always believed that we the people have a right to know the truth and that the truth will set us free. The very idea of self-government depends upon honest and open debate as the preferred method for pursuing the truth -- and a shared respect for the Rule of Reason as the best way to establish the truth."
"The Bush Administration routinely shows disrespect for that whole basic process, and I think it's partly because they feel as if they already know the truth and aren't very curious to learn about any facts that might contradict it. They and the members of groups that belong to their ideological coalition are true believers in each other's agendas."
Of course he was preaching to the choir. He went on to say
“Millions of Americans now share a feeling that something pretty basic has gone wrong in our country and that some important American values are being placed at risk. And they want to set it right.”
With the farce in California and the fact that many Americans have bought into Paul Wolfowitz’s idea of how America should conduct itself in the world. We are on a hard, mean spirited road that has no regard for the rule of law.
The sad part is we are reading every day of another American soldier dying and now we are seeing car bombs going off. If the resistance in Iraq has car bombs these are not just Ba’ath party members taking pot shots but a group that has bomb making resources and secret places to make those bombs.
Like Brer Rabbit we are stuck with both fists in the Tar Baby.
Highlighted words are HOT links.
Links will open in a new window.
Well the “Arnold” is in the race for Governor and from the first moment he was making news. The look on Leno’s face was priceless when he said he would be running. Rush Limbaugh is calling Arnold a closet liberal because Arnold said that he wanted businesses to come back to California so that the state government could collect enough tax revenues to provide social programs.
Of course only in California would a recall get Larry Flint, Gary Coleman and Ariana Huffington into a travesty of democracy. There is no question in my mind that like the 2000 election the Republicans will subvert the law to get what they want.
Al Gore gave a speech to the members of Move On.org. The gist of the speech can summed up in the following quote.
"Americans have always believed that we the people have a right to know the truth and that the truth will set us free. The very idea of self-government depends upon honest and open debate as the preferred method for pursuing the truth -- and a shared respect for the Rule of Reason as the best way to establish the truth."
"The Bush Administration routinely shows disrespect for that whole basic process, and I think it's partly because they feel as if they already know the truth and aren't very curious to learn about any facts that might contradict it. They and the members of groups that belong to their ideological coalition are true believers in each other's agendas."
Of course he was preaching to the choir. He went on to say
“Millions of Americans now share a feeling that something pretty basic has gone wrong in our country and that some important American values are being placed at risk. And they want to set it right.”
With the farce in California and the fact that many Americans have bought into Paul Wolfowitz’s idea of how America should conduct itself in the world. We are on a hard, mean spirited road that has no regard for the rule of law.
The sad part is we are reading every day of another American soldier dying and now we are seeing car bombs going off. If the resistance in Iraq has car bombs these are not just Ba’ath party members taking pot shots but a group that has bomb making resources and secret places to make those bombs.
Like Brer Rabbit we are stuck with both fists in the Tar Baby.
Highlighted words are HOT links.
Links will open in a new window.
7/27/2003
The Tour de France
Three weeks twenty one days nineteen days of hard riding. There is a champion with five consecutive wins and a determination to try again. It was Lance Armstrong’s hardest tour since he got off his bike in the mist in 1995. That was the year that Fabio Casartelli crashed on the descent of Col de Portet d'Aspet during Stage 15 of the Tour de France and died. Two days latter Lance won the stage and dedicated his ride to Fabio. I was lucky enough to meet Lance after his first tour win and I brought the picture of him winning that stage to sign. I said it was a great ride, he said it was the best day of his career. Now he is with a select group of riders that have won the Tour de France five times and stands with Miguel Indurain having won his five all in a row. But that is just the highlight of a hot, the hottest on record, tour that saw a massive crash the first day out. The best American besides Armstrong, Tyler Hamilton broke his collar bone in that crash and was not expected to finish. Instead he finished fourth overall and had the ride of his life on stage sixteen where he attacked and won the stage.
Go back to stage seven and listen to the heroics of France’s Richard Virenque take the day and go on to win his sixth pokadot jersey as King of the Mountains. We will never know what might have happened if Joseba Beloki had not crashed in front of Lance in stage nine. Beloki will be lucky to ever ride again having broken his femur at the bottom of a hairpin curve that sent Armstrong cross country to miss rolling over him. Beloki was second at that point and real threat.
Then there was the come back of Jan Ullrich. After missing the last tour with a blown knee he was back and dangerous. He tore up Armstrong in the first individual time trial making up a minute and a half bringing himself within thirty four seconds of the lead. At that point there was only fifty seconds separating first and third place.
The day after Lance’s disastrous time trial it was all he could do to hang on to a fifteen second lead as Ullrich powered up stage thirteen. At the end of the day eighteen seconds separated first and third. Never the previous four years had Armstrong faced such a tight race that late in the mountains.
Two days later Lance had recovered. Ullrich attacked on the Col de Tourmalet and dropped Lance who had to wait and be patient till his speed matched the German. He caught up to Jan and Ullrich again tried to attack, this time it didn’t work Lance held his wheel. The on the next and final climb for first time Lace attacked but it was short lived. A young boy held out a musette bag that hooked Lance's handlebars and he went down. Mayo rolled right over him. Tyler Hamilton seeing the yellow jersey down sprinted ahead and told Ullrich to wait which he did. Lance pulled himself up to the group then… he was off and running. He won his only stage in this years tour dropping the big German and the Kazak in his wake. It was not the two to three minutes we are used to seeing in the past but it was enough.
Then came the final time trial. Raining and dangerous the roads were an accident waiting to happen. Ullrich had to press to have any chance of a win and Armstrong kept the pace high. Their times jockeyed between Ullrich pulling ahead by six seconds and Lance pulling him back. Then Ullrich was down. Even though he got right up it was over. Lance could ease up and make sure he had a safe ride. His tour was won.
This was a great tour. Lance is the big story but each day brought heroics and valor.
There is no sport like the The Tour de France .
Highlighted words are HOT links.
Links will open in a new window.
Three weeks twenty one days nineteen days of hard riding. There is a champion with five consecutive wins and a determination to try again. It was Lance Armstrong’s hardest tour since he got off his bike in the mist in 1995. That was the year that Fabio Casartelli crashed on the descent of Col de Portet d'Aspet during Stage 15 of the Tour de France and died. Two days latter Lance won the stage and dedicated his ride to Fabio. I was lucky enough to meet Lance after his first tour win and I brought the picture of him winning that stage to sign. I said it was a great ride, he said it was the best day of his career. Now he is with a select group of riders that have won the Tour de France five times and stands with Miguel Indurain having won his five all in a row. But that is just the highlight of a hot, the hottest on record, tour that saw a massive crash the first day out. The best American besides Armstrong, Tyler Hamilton broke his collar bone in that crash and was not expected to finish. Instead he finished fourth overall and had the ride of his life on stage sixteen where he attacked and won the stage.
Go back to stage seven and listen to the heroics of France’s Richard Virenque take the day and go on to win his sixth pokadot jersey as King of the Mountains. We will never know what might have happened if Joseba Beloki had not crashed in front of Lance in stage nine. Beloki will be lucky to ever ride again having broken his femur at the bottom of a hairpin curve that sent Armstrong cross country to miss rolling over him. Beloki was second at that point and real threat.
Then there was the come back of Jan Ullrich. After missing the last tour with a blown knee he was back and dangerous. He tore up Armstrong in the first individual time trial making up a minute and a half bringing himself within thirty four seconds of the lead. At that point there was only fifty seconds separating first and third place.
The day after Lance’s disastrous time trial it was all he could do to hang on to a fifteen second lead as Ullrich powered up stage thirteen. At the end of the day eighteen seconds separated first and third. Never the previous four years had Armstrong faced such a tight race that late in the mountains.
Two days later Lance had recovered. Ullrich attacked on the Col de Tourmalet and dropped Lance who had to wait and be patient till his speed matched the German. He caught up to Jan and Ullrich again tried to attack, this time it didn’t work Lance held his wheel. The on the next and final climb for first time Lace attacked but it was short lived. A young boy held out a musette bag that hooked Lance's handlebars and he went down. Mayo rolled right over him. Tyler Hamilton seeing the yellow jersey down sprinted ahead and told Ullrich to wait which he did. Lance pulled himself up to the group then… he was off and running. He won his only stage in this years tour dropping the big German and the Kazak in his wake. It was not the two to three minutes we are used to seeing in the past but it was enough.
Then came the final time trial. Raining and dangerous the roads were an accident waiting to happen. Ullrich had to press to have any chance of a win and Armstrong kept the pace high. Their times jockeyed between Ullrich pulling ahead by six seconds and Lance pulling him back. Then Ullrich was down. Even though he got right up it was over. Lance could ease up and make sure he had a safe ride. His tour was won.
This was a great tour. Lance is the big story but each day brought heroics and valor.
There is no sport like the The Tour de France .
Highlighted words are HOT links.
Links will open in a new window.
7/23/2003
"THERE WILL COME SOFT RAIN"
There will come soft rain and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;
And frogs in the pools singing at night,
And wild plum-trees in tremulous white;
Robins will wear their feathery fire
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire.
And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.
Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,
If mankind perished utterly.
And Spring herself when she woke at dawn,
Would scarcely know that we were gone.
SARA TEASDALE
There will come soft rain and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;
And frogs in the pools singing at night,
And wild plum-trees in tremulous white;
Robins will wear their feathery fire
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire.
And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.
Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,
If mankind perished utterly.
And Spring herself when she woke at dawn,
Would scarcely know that we were gone.
SARA TEASDALE
7/11/2003
Heroes Just the Same
Today was one of those special days at the Tour de France . It was 90 degrees on the road from Nevers to Lyon, a total of 230 kilometers or 143 miles. At 35 kilometers Stuart O’Grady a strong and crafty veteran of the tour and Antony Geslin the third youngest rider on the tour sped up to take the first intermediate sprint points and then decided to keep on going.
The only thing harder than a two man attack on the peloton is a one man attack which is almost impossible. That is exactly what Geslin tried the day before for two hours before being caught. O’Grady and Geslin not only attacked, they put as much as 18 minutes between themselves and the pack (peloton). They kept the peloton at bay for four hot grueling hours. Their effort was heroic and like tragic Greek heroes, doomed to fail. They maintained the lead until the very last kilometer then the peloton bearing down on them at 70 kilometers and hour gobbled them up. O’Grady finished 20th Geslin finished 59th. The new king of the sprinters Petacchi whizzed by the entire field to an easy fourth win in this years tour.
Do we feel sad that O’Grady and Geslin did not beat the odds? Well… yes but tonight they are the talk of France. They are being praised for an epic effort and they will not be forgotten. They are why we watch the the Tour.
Yes Lance Armstrong will be the big story tomorrow as they encounter the mountains. The fight for the overall lead will begin as Lance and Jan Ullrich contest the worst the Tour has to offer.
But today was for two brave young men who risked all.
Highlighted words are HOT links.
Links will open in a new window.
Today was one of those special days at the Tour de France . It was 90 degrees on the road from Nevers to Lyon, a total of 230 kilometers or 143 miles. At 35 kilometers Stuart O’Grady a strong and crafty veteran of the tour and Antony Geslin the third youngest rider on the tour sped up to take the first intermediate sprint points and then decided to keep on going.
The only thing harder than a two man attack on the peloton is a one man attack which is almost impossible. That is exactly what Geslin tried the day before for two hours before being caught. O’Grady and Geslin not only attacked, they put as much as 18 minutes between themselves and the pack (peloton). They kept the peloton at bay for four hot grueling hours. Their effort was heroic and like tragic Greek heroes, doomed to fail. They maintained the lead until the very last kilometer then the peloton bearing down on them at 70 kilometers and hour gobbled them up. O’Grady finished 20th Geslin finished 59th. The new king of the sprinters Petacchi whizzed by the entire field to an easy fourth win in this years tour.
Do we feel sad that O’Grady and Geslin did not beat the odds? Well… yes but tonight they are the talk of France. They are being praised for an epic effort and they will not be forgotten. They are why we watch the the Tour.
Yes Lance Armstrong will be the big story tomorrow as they encounter the mountains. The fight for the overall lead will begin as Lance and Jan Ullrich contest the worst the Tour has to offer.
But today was for two brave young men who risked all.
Highlighted words are HOT links.
Links will open in a new window.
7/10/2003
All is right with the world
The Tour de France is under way and Lance Armstrong is in great position just one second out of first place with a team mate ahead of him. The US Postal team had a great day on the team time trial. They started off slow and were 14 seconds off the pace at the first time check but when all was said and done they had won their first ever team time trial. Their margin of victory was enough to put Victor Hugo Pena into the overall lead and the yellow jersey. He became the first Colombian to ever wear the ”Maillot Jaune”.
This could prove to be a hard fought tour with Jan Ullrich in the best shape since his win in 1997. Unfortunately Tyler Hamilton was involved in the huge crash on day two and is riding with two fractures of his collar bone. I don’t think he will make it up the mountains with that kind of pain. Too bad, it would have been great to see two Americans battle it out for the win.
Tommorow we see the first of the mountains. The tour is always won in the mountains.
So enjoy the tour and root for Lance but watch the small stories the breakaways and the little triumphs. A stage win in the tour can make a small town boy a hero for life.
It’s the best sporting event in the world.
The Tour de France is under way and Lance Armstrong is in great position just one second out of first place with a team mate ahead of him. The US Postal team had a great day on the team time trial. They started off slow and were 14 seconds off the pace at the first time check but when all was said and done they had won their first ever team time trial. Their margin of victory was enough to put Victor Hugo Pena into the overall lead and the yellow jersey. He became the first Colombian to ever wear the ”Maillot Jaune”.
This could prove to be a hard fought tour with Jan Ullrich in the best shape since his win in 1997. Unfortunately Tyler Hamilton was involved in the huge crash on day two and is riding with two fractures of his collar bone. I don’t think he will make it up the mountains with that kind of pain. Too bad, it would have been great to see two Americans battle it out for the win.
Tommorow we see the first of the mountains. The tour is always won in the mountains.
So enjoy the tour and root for Lance but watch the small stories the breakaways and the little triumphs. A stage win in the tour can make a small town boy a hero for life.
It’s the best sporting event in the world.
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