Deck the... deck!

We bought a Generac 2500 PSI washer last week. On Friday, Tom began power washing. We really didn't get much done that evening since we work late. But he hooked it up and played around with it. He found it was a little more powerful than he thought...

Tom didn't realize how powerful his pressure washer would be. He hooked up the straight attachment and "carved" his name into the deck. You could still see it etched in after he washed over the area!

Almost permanent.  

 Tom resumed pressure washing on Saturday and finished on Sunday. Probably a bit over 8 cumulative hours of washing. Our water bill is going to be so high!

On Monday, we began using  Thompson's WaterSeal Clear Multi-Surface Waterproofer to seal the deck. Tom left work early(ish- he got called back for a service call). I started helping when I got home. We worked together from about 6:45-9:30pm sealing the spindles and other small/tedious areas. Tom knew this would be most time consuming, so we started with that. We left the deck for Tuesday.

We finished the project at 7:45pm Tuesday! Here are the before and afters:

All the while... the weather forecast kept calling for rain. It kept changing from 30% chance to 60% chance. I was praying so hard that it would not rain!

I didn't sleep well Tuesday night thinking I kept hearing rain. Throughout the day Wednesday, I probably checked the forecast, 10 times. Tom stated he did this as well! Finally, 7:45 rolled about and NO RAIN!!! It began raining about 11:00pm. The water was beading up, just as it should! We are very relieved and happy with the results.

railing

deck

We learned that Thompson's Waterproofer needs to be applied every year. We're ok with that being it was the first time that we did the deck and this year we had to purchase the pressure washer. Next year, we'll be able to afford a longer lasting product and might even pick a tint to add to the stain.

With the remaining sealant, I am going to wash and seal the concrete in the garage!

Decor Galore

In addition to not being sure if I hate the living room paint color or not, I was getting that a college dorm house vibe again. I needed something to change. My mom was here this weekend and we went to a surplus store. I bought some art work that I thought might help the space out a bit.

My approach to putting up the art work was inspired by a pinterest post. You've probably seen it or one like it. My mom found it kind of confusing. It was a lot of work.

I started by gathering all the pieces to be put up. Cut a template for each piece using newspaper. Arranged them on the floor for a general out lay.
Taped them to the walls to determine spacing using a pencil and level to help.
Tapped the nails.
And hung them up.

To be very transparent- this seemed helpful in theory, but it slowed the process way down. What I thought would take an hour or so took almost all afternoon and into the evening. And I think it could have been possible to enjoy the results just as much, if not more, by starting with one or two pieces put up and placing others around them by eye-balling it.

Any ways... Here's my results.

Bathroom Reno... Sorta.

Tom left for the weekend. So I bought some paint and a pre-cut sheet of vinyl flooring. Well, let's just say he was excited to help, because he came back home and we accomplished more than I had planned.

I used a darker grey for the bathroom. I used the same color we used in the living room on the insides of the cabinets to add a pop of color.

I took the doors off on the bottom cabinets to the left for a more "open" concept and have hidden things/organized with these great bins I got from a home store.

We added a curved double shower rod, new handles/knobs to the cabinets. We replaced the toilet American Standard Clean Dual Flush toilet! I am a dork, and I am super excited for this toilet. I love that we will be saving some water!

I know the flooring doesn't match exactly, but we got close enough. The pre-cut sheet was super affordable. We didn't adhear it to the existing floor.

I don't have a before picture! I found a couple before pictures!

 

After pictures:

We WILL eventually be putting in the new tub, fan, and sink faucet (already purchased- they are in the basement still in the boxes!). We have to purchase the tub and shower fixtures that match the faucet. Then, we have to pick out and purchase new tile flooring, the tile surrounding to the shower, and backslash tile for the vanity.

My dream would be for a new vanity & vanity top and a pocket door. This space is SMALL.

Chips or Tags?

I have been considering ID chips for both Versace and Hazel just a little bit for quite some time now but haven't gathered much information.

For a while I didn't want to register Hazel because of all the horror stories about pit bull type dogs taken away from their families as a result of law changes in their communities. Don't watch those documentaries. They're horrifying. I pray everyday that we are far enough advanced that a situation like that is unlikely. I have my doubts though :/ But I mentioned this to the Vet one day, and I felt silly for asking in the first place. I felt even sillier by the vet, the vet tech, and the secretary's reactions. I am not sure that they had ever heard any of those stories. They reassured me that Hazel being registered would not lead to her being taken from me and that pit bulls were not banned in our community. I still feel like I need to look into this further/ ask around some more. I still feel slightly uncomfortable about it. It's hard not knowing anyone in this community.

I guess that's sort of along the lines of identification in that an ID chip may indicate registration and other information BUT ANYWAYS...

I saw this video today. Got me thinking again about ID chips.

I am also more concerned because Versace has been outside more and more lately. Without claws, she shouldn't be... but I can't deny her mewing at the screen door. Especially on weekends when I am enjoying my coffee with Tom and Hazel on the deck. It feels awful enough leaving her on weekends and not being able to take her with us like we do Hazel. SO she comes out and has been getting brave about exporing under the deck and around the flower gardens. NOT that I would intentionally ever leave her out there or leave her unattended for long, but I worry about forgetting her out there, about her getting brave and running off, about a visitor thinking she's an outdoor cat (her mewing is determined and convincing that she belongs outside) and letting her out of the house.

AND I seem to loose Hazel's rabies tag every time I change her collar. I set the ID and rabies tags to the side waiting for Tom to transfer the ring (my nails are weak and can't pry the ring open enough) and forget about it for a while. Then it's lost for good :(

ALSO her tags ching chinging drives me crazy. I hate that sound. Especially at night when I am sleeping. It wakes me up EVERY TIME she scratches or changes position!

An ID chip seems convenient, but invasive. And again, I'm paranoid, thinking that it would grant agencies information about my animal(s) that they might misuse. I need to find more information out. I would like to hear from others who have used the ID chips.

Do you use chips or tags?



In case the link above doesn't work, here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBj53DnJGf8

Reminder

Just because I am stressed about the amount of financial debt I have as a result of getting my bachelor's degree and the negative perception of education in our state/nation, I cannot devalue my education and experiences over those 5 and 1/2 years.