One damned thing...
I was getting ready to finish the motorhome cleaning Monday when the potential painters showed up at the door. I gave them a tour of the outside and explained what needed to be done to bring the house up to Park Standards. Part of the awning over the shed had to be installed, replace two of the awning supports, paint the house and replace the carpet on the steps and porch. As far as we knew there was some damage to the frame where it had been exposed to the weather. Plus the roof needed some work. I was delayed some so I only had about an hour and a half to finish up the motorhome before I went to play bridge. I managed to go over everything before i stopped. I want to go over some marks with the Mr. Clean eraser sponge but I can do that while the motorhome is in storage.
wayfinder38 took the motorhome to the storage place at 1:30 and disconnected the batteries. We hope the solar panels can keep the batteries charged with no load that we are aware of drawing them down. Now I have to write a 'killer' ad to attract a buyer.
After I returned from bridge Ray and Mickey showed up with an estimate of what it would cost to have them do the work. It was much less for more tasks than the other bids we had received so we said "Yes, we want you to do the work." They live in the park and have worked on their own places and several others. They commit to one job at a time and commented that they show up. I guess some people have promised work and then would not show up. They started by buying supplies and working on the shed and roof Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday it seemed like I worked most of the day and accomplished very little just a couple of boxes unpacked, letters written and mailed, a few groceries purchased and some wine to take to the Midwest Potluck Saturday. We went over to B & J's for dinner and bridge last night. B and I won by 70 points! We will change partners next time. For those who play bridge we had two 700 rubbers.
Today after examining the board they replaced on the shed frame they told us that it was termite damage and not dry rot. We phoned a pest control company after getting a referral from one of the realtors in the park. They were able to send someone out today. By the end of the afternoon we were looking at the inside of the shed with the peg board and insulation pulled off. There was extensive termite damage along the whole bottom board of one side and one corner pillar was completely destroyed plus parts of most of the uprights on that wall. This was an 'aw shit' moment.
We also had an estimate from the pest control company for treatment to control subterranean termites of several hundred dollars. Termites around here take up some of the environmental niche that earthworms do in other climates. Apparently most people have a maintenance contract with pest control for monthly service. One more hidden expense in fixing this place up. Isn't life full of surprises?
As we stood there looking at the wall I said "oh phooey" and wayfinder38 said we could triple that. I wondered why my expletive was so mile when I can swear at the drop of a fork. For a woman who didn't utter the word fuck until I was in my thirties I sure use it without thought these days.
My treat for the day was to attend the "Ladies Luncheon" at Famous Dave's. There were 19 of us there. I read the whole menu and still chose my favorite, Chopped Georgia Pork. This time instead of a sandwich I had it on a baked potato. It was a nice respite from the joys of a new house.
The other stress for Tuesday was daughter Laurelei phoned to say she had a fall on the ice when she was on the way to her OB appointment. Instead of seeing her Dr. she had to go to the ER to have the baby monitored as she is in her 8th month of pregnancy. The baby is fine, daughter is upset because they did not attend to her injuries. Today she was able to see a neurologist about the shoulder (pinched nerve. The test did not reveal any nerve damage and he did refer her to physical therapy and told her it could be referred pain from carpal tunnel.
It's easier to try and give the facts instead of describing our emotional state. We bought this pig in a poke and there are more problems than we anticipated. The continuing news on the health front takes its toll. I feel like a walking time bomb never knowing when my colon will act up again. I hope and pray that wayfinder38's kidneys are clear. It is bad enough that the diabetes has affected them. We find that we may be more like our parents than we thought. We just do what has to be done and keep going. Don't stop to reflect or we might not get started again.
wayfinder38 took the motorhome to the storage place at 1:30 and disconnected the batteries. We hope the solar panels can keep the batteries charged with no load that we are aware of drawing them down. Now I have to write a 'killer' ad to attract a buyer.
After I returned from bridge Ray and Mickey showed up with an estimate of what it would cost to have them do the work. It was much less for more tasks than the other bids we had received so we said "Yes, we want you to do the work." They live in the park and have worked on their own places and several others. They commit to one job at a time and commented that they show up. I guess some people have promised work and then would not show up. They started by buying supplies and working on the shed and roof Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday it seemed like I worked most of the day and accomplished very little just a couple of boxes unpacked, letters written and mailed, a few groceries purchased and some wine to take to the Midwest Potluck Saturday. We went over to B & J's for dinner and bridge last night. B and I won by 70 points! We will change partners next time. For those who play bridge we had two 700 rubbers.
Today after examining the board they replaced on the shed frame they told us that it was termite damage and not dry rot. We phoned a pest control company after getting a referral from one of the realtors in the park. They were able to send someone out today. By the end of the afternoon we were looking at the inside of the shed with the peg board and insulation pulled off. There was extensive termite damage along the whole bottom board of one side and one corner pillar was completely destroyed plus parts of most of the uprights on that wall. This was an 'aw shit' moment.
We also had an estimate from the pest control company for treatment to control subterranean termites of several hundred dollars. Termites around here take up some of the environmental niche that earthworms do in other climates. Apparently most people have a maintenance contract with pest control for monthly service. One more hidden expense in fixing this place up. Isn't life full of surprises?
As we stood there looking at the wall I said "oh phooey" and wayfinder38 said we could triple that. I wondered why my expletive was so mile when I can swear at the drop of a fork. For a woman who didn't utter the word fuck until I was in my thirties I sure use it without thought these days.
My treat for the day was to attend the "Ladies Luncheon" at Famous Dave's. There were 19 of us there. I read the whole menu and still chose my favorite, Chopped Georgia Pork. This time instead of a sandwich I had it on a baked potato. It was a nice respite from the joys of a new house.
The other stress for Tuesday was daughter Laurelei phoned to say she had a fall on the ice when she was on the way to her OB appointment. Instead of seeing her Dr. she had to go to the ER to have the baby monitored as she is in her 8th month of pregnancy. The baby is fine, daughter is upset because they did not attend to her injuries. Today she was able to see a neurologist about the shoulder (pinched nerve. The test did not reveal any nerve damage and he did refer her to physical therapy and told her it could be referred pain from carpal tunnel.
It's easier to try and give the facts instead of describing our emotional state. We bought this pig in a poke and there are more problems than we anticipated. The continuing news on the health front takes its toll. I feel like a walking time bomb never knowing when my colon will act up again. I hope and pray that wayfinder38's kidneys are clear. It is bad enough that the diabetes has affected them. We find that we may be more like our parents than we thought. We just do what has to be done and keep going. Don't stop to reflect or we might not get started again.