Friday, October 23, 2009
Done
Yep, it's done. We finally fished up the HUDling in September and it is now on the market...all ready for someone else to call it home! It really does look great, especially after going back and looking at old pictures. For all the nay-sayers out there, we have proof that the HUDling cleans up well! I will post pictures soon. (Someone please buy this gem!)
Ahh, Piss on it!
I realize this post is a little late, but well worth reading anyway.
Our elderly neighbor does a lot of work for us. He is a retired farmer and needs to keep busy, not only to help the time pass, but I think to feel worthy. Unfortunately, he still thinks he can work hard like a farmer and doesn't know when to call it quits. Anyway, he has been cutting the lawn at the HUDling. So one day in August I was taking the boys for a walk and saw that his truck in the driveway over there - must be lawn cutting day. We walked in the backyard to say hi, but only saw the unattended lawn mower, resting in the yard. Where was Ed? My heart began racing as images of stumbling upon a collapsed man formed in my head! Just then Ed came out of the garage from the side door. I said, "Oh, hi. I was wondering where you were." He simply said, "I had to take a piss."
Our elderly neighbor does a lot of work for us. He is a retired farmer and needs to keep busy, not only to help the time pass, but I think to feel worthy. Unfortunately, he still thinks he can work hard like a farmer and doesn't know when to call it quits. Anyway, he has been cutting the lawn at the HUDling. So one day in August I was taking the boys for a walk and saw that his truck in the driveway over there - must be lawn cutting day. We walked in the backyard to say hi, but only saw the unattended lawn mower, resting in the yard. Where was Ed? My heart began racing as images of stumbling upon a collapsed man formed in my head! Just then Ed came out of the garage from the side door. I said, "Oh, hi. I was wondering where you were." He simply said, "I had to take a piss."
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The Dining Room Reborn
Wow. I continue to be amazed at how fabulous the Hudling is looking! The last couple of weeks have been both incredibly rewarding and very frustrating. A week from last Saturday, we planned on spending the entire day at the Hudling working on installing the wainscoting in the dining room. We really wanted to finish it all in one day...not impossible.
A few months ago, we purchased a Bostitch air compressor and brad nailer. I was THRILLED! This would make installing the wainscoting, baseboards and other trim a breeze. Except for the fact that I was very terrified of using it. Once upon a time in a land far, far away, I worked for a construction magazine as a writer and editor. I wrote several articles concerning OSHA regulations on work sites and read far too many stories of construction-related accidents. I'm now scarred for life. Just ask Rit. I am constantly telling her to be careful. I'm worried that the miter saw is going to leap up and cut off a major limb....or at least a finger. I'm worried that the brad nailer is going to impale one of us...I'm SO paranoid. Thanks, OSHA horror stories, thanks a lot.
Arriving at the Hudling bright and early, we realized that we needed some trim pieces. After a quick trip to Lowe's, we returned to the Hudling only to realize that the trim we purchased wouldn't work quite right. Back to the store. We returned with the correct trim pieces, and after pouring over the scanty instruction guide for the air compressor and brad nailer (heretofore known as "the Beast") 237 times, I finally got up enough courage to turn it on.
I checked the cord and plug, check. I checked the connection to the air hose, check. I checked the connection to the nailer, check. I checked the gauges, check. I took a deep breath and pulled the ON switch.
Nothing.
I looked at Rit. She looked at me. I quickly pushed the switch back in and pulled it back out.
Nothing.
You've got to be kidding me. After all of that, it doesn't even work!?!?! So, one more trip back to Lowe's, air compressor boxed up and in hand. After exchanging it for a new one, we hit Jimmy Johns for some sandwiches and headed back to the Hudling. Yes, that's right. By now, it was lunch time. What a day...what a very productive day.
After a quick lunch and psyching myself up enough to turn on the new Beast, we finally got started with the wainscoting. The first section was a little brutal. As you can see in the photo, we had to cut around the telephone ledge...lots of cuts.
We only finished the first section by the time we had to head home. I was so disappointed. We headed back yesterday bright and early to finish the job. We pretty much cruised through the rest of it. What a sense of accomplishment to look around at the Hudling and see so little left to do.
Almost finished in this photo. We did finish it yesterday. Now all it needs is a little caulk and a coat of paint. It looks phenomenal! I'm so excited! It really gives the Hudling the cottage feel we were looking for. Here's the new light fixture in the dining room:
I can't wait to finish up the last things on our list and show off some official AFTER photos of the entire project. Oh Hudling, you're looking good!
A few months ago, we purchased a Bostitch air compressor and brad nailer. I was THRILLED! This would make installing the wainscoting, baseboards and other trim a breeze. Except for the fact that I was very terrified of using it. Once upon a time in a land far, far away, I worked for a construction magazine as a writer and editor. I wrote several articles concerning OSHA regulations on work sites and read far too many stories of construction-related accidents. I'm now scarred for life. Just ask Rit. I am constantly telling her to be careful. I'm worried that the miter saw is going to leap up and cut off a major limb....or at least a finger. I'm worried that the brad nailer is going to impale one of us...I'm SO paranoid. Thanks, OSHA horror stories, thanks a lot.
Arriving at the Hudling bright and early, we realized that we needed some trim pieces. After a quick trip to Lowe's, we returned to the Hudling only to realize that the trim we purchased wouldn't work quite right. Back to the store. We returned with the correct trim pieces, and after pouring over the scanty instruction guide for the air compressor and brad nailer (heretofore known as "the Beast") 237 times, I finally got up enough courage to turn it on.
I checked the cord and plug, check. I checked the connection to the air hose, check. I checked the connection to the nailer, check. I checked the gauges, check. I took a deep breath and pulled the ON switch.
Nothing.
I looked at Rit. She looked at me. I quickly pushed the switch back in and pulled it back out.
Nothing.
You've got to be kidding me. After all of that, it doesn't even work!?!?! So, one more trip back to Lowe's, air compressor boxed up and in hand. After exchanging it for a new one, we hit Jimmy Johns for some sandwiches and headed back to the Hudling. Yes, that's right. By now, it was lunch time. What a day...what a very productive day.
After a quick lunch and psyching myself up enough to turn on the new Beast, we finally got started with the wainscoting. The first section was a little brutal. As you can see in the photo, we had to cut around the telephone ledge...lots of cuts.
We only finished the first section by the time we had to head home. I was so disappointed. We headed back yesterday bright and early to finish the job. We pretty much cruised through the rest of it. What a sense of accomplishment to look around at the Hudling and see so little left to do.
Almost finished in this photo. We did finish it yesterday. Now all it needs is a little caulk and a coat of paint. It looks phenomenal! I'm so excited! It really gives the Hudling the cottage feel we were looking for. Here's the new light fixture in the dining room:
I can't wait to finish up the last things on our list and show off some official AFTER photos of the entire project. Oh Hudling, you're looking good!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back...
So progress on the Hudling as been stilted at best over the past several months. We took a bit of a hiatus over the holidays, and it's taken us some time to get back in the groove. But we've officially arrived...back in the groove, that is. The hudling is coming along nicely. I think we've finally solved the problem of the shower surround, and the bedrooms are well on their way to being finished and ready for carpeting.
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sigh.
I've spent a couple of days over at there this week. All of the upstairs bedrooms, formerly known at the green room and the blue room, each have two coats of paint now.
The green room:
The two smaller bedrooms are finished, except for touch up and edges.
The blue room:
The master bedroom, the one with the paneling, is going to need one more coat, but it already looks 2000 times better than it did prior to the paint job.
This Saturday we're planning on putting up the wainscoting in the dining room and baseboards up in the downstairs bathroom. Then the fixtures can go in. It's going to look incredible! We're a little nervous to use the nail gun for the first time. Wish us luck!
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sigh.
I've spent a couple of days over at there this week. All of the upstairs bedrooms, formerly known at the green room and the blue room, each have two coats of paint now.
The green room:
The two smaller bedrooms are finished, except for touch up and edges.
The blue room:
The master bedroom, the one with the paneling, is going to need one more coat, but it already looks 2000 times better than it did prior to the paint job.
This Saturday we're planning on putting up the wainscoting in the dining room and baseboards up in the downstairs bathroom. Then the fixtures can go in. It's going to look incredible! We're a little nervous to use the nail gun for the first time. Wish us luck!
Monday, March 2, 2009
The One Where the Furnace Breaks in the Middle of Winter
Yep, we spent the weekend babysitting the temperature inside the Hudling hoping that it wouldn't drop below freezing causing the pipes to burst. We all made it through the weekend and the furnace is now repaired.
Please, Hudling, please get finished and find some new owners...
Please, Hudling, please get finished and find some new owners...
The HUDling shivers
We are ambitious with a new deadline to get this beauty done. So this past weekend was going to be a productive one. That was, until we showed the progress off to Casey and Sonja Saturday morning and discovered it was a bit more chilly than normal. Turns out the furnace got sick. We coddled it through the weekend, and the heat doctor came today and got everyone feeling better! Back to work!
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