Monday 29 September 2014

American Culture

LOL
Whilst out doing what my sister and I know as 'the mandatory plastic store visit' required after every long distance move, mini me found the perfect doormat.  Granted it is for Halloween (and yes Christmas goods are already appearing in the stores too), but seems an appropriate greeting to any workmen that might still grace our door!

After this find and our 5th store on a Saturday morning, life sized me needed a little sustenance to keep going.  For the first time ever (or at least in adult life), she happened into a Steak and Shake - and look what we found on the menu - all kinds of  milkshake flavours.  Yes, we tried one and mmm, mmmm good, although too large to finish.

Now my sense of humour must have changed whilst in Britain, as much of the American TV jokes seem lame, and the everyday conversation jokes leave me flat or have cultural references to things I missed whilst living abroad.  I must admit the whole way of conversing sometimes leaves me a bit puzzled.  A southern thing perhaps?

1980s relics
Found a few more 'antiques' in my storage goods -- these are off to a charity shop.

And spent the afternoon organising and putting together various bits and pieces.  Complicated enough for us to think we have kids and it is Christmas Eve.

Insert A into B . . .
what will it be?
And after 6 months, we finally have an iron and ironing board again!  And hubby got the old B&W 11" TV working again!

Before re-plastering began











With flowers from my sis when the furniture was delivered last week, it is starting to look like home.  I have pocket doors, which some people remove, but I love.

And my parents gave us a lovely gift of a new friend.
Shall we give him a name?
And am getting a positive response to starting a local crafting group after searching hi and low for one.  Yipee!

Up with the sunrise, I see frisky pelicans & today we will have 11 hours and 56 minutes of sun.

Sunrise:  7:23 am                                   High Tides:  3:11 am and 5:38 pm
Sunset:   7:19 pm                                   Low Tides: 10:39 am and 9:26 pm

Hear Sunday night that toilet is expected today, for installation Tuesday.  Not wanting to tempt fate, so here's hoping for a  gratefully received JIT (just-in-time) job or my sister's visit.

Saturday 27 September 2014

The Great Race:  Personal Effects or 'Completed' Condo - Which Wins?
I no longer recall what's in my sea shipment, packed up last March, except some clothes, tax papers (woo ho) and 'other stuff.'  Shipment scheduled to arrive Wednesday.
Jorje Villafan Smiley Face clip art
my countertop smiling
Great, the description our workman just gave to the general contractor over the phone is that our countertop is bowed - "it is like smiling at you".  Wonder how they are going to fix this?

Frowny Face clip art
mini me not smiling
This leaves mini me feeling a bit sad - all seems so avoidable if only . . .

There is nothing so nerve racking as being in the house hearing the workmen banging, drilling and then muttering about how they cannot fix something.  Must be time for a beach walk, but if I go, will they depart without finishing?
"Smiling" Ledge
Trying to weight down countertop ledge
white walls are plaster that should be blue


13:15 on Friday the 26th September:  Now awaiting plumber who should be here by 2pm (we'll see) with a long list of fixes and installs for him, including guest shower and sink for sis' visit.

water!  mini me is delighted!
although sink seems set back a bit far
Hubby on the case to monitor what is going on.  Plaster applied Wednesday as a cosmetic fix to get the countertop to fit is still wet -- so much for the 24 hours to dry.  And two countertop pieces have to be redone as not done correctly first time.  Sigh!  So no painting of the kitchen today and hence workmen back in kitchen again - hopefully next week.  Good news is sink is back and small "disposal chamber" at back is very handy (with garbage disposal in it).

Plaster falling off wall
Next dilemma - most people have dishwashers immediately adjacent to sink, but no life sized me has a small cupboard in-between (trash bin); heavens!  This requires additional plumbing and I have already heard 3 times:  "Usually the dishwasher is next to the sink."

OK, now past 2pm, no plumber - 'it's to be expected' says hubby.  This is Florida, it just is how it is.

Cheerful, jokey plumber and son combo arrive around 3 pm.  Hum, local DIY store (national chain) sells sinks that don't meet code, so a workaround is installed.  More sighing about the dishwasher and extra parts required (this should have been known since July!). 

4 pm - workmen depart, work remains, no notice of when they might return.

Furniture delivery arrives, fortunately just before building fire alarm goes off; only hubby, me, a visiting Scottish couple and the Condo Board President (who has to meet the fire truck) evacuate.  Other residents claim they knew it was just a false alarm. Hmmmm. 

5 pm (on  Friday night) the plumber returns, guest shower and sink now installed albeit a small dent has been placed in the vinyl. Dishwasher connected.  As he departs the plumber jokingly exclaims "now the woman can start the clean-up after me [ie his mess]!"  Can you believe it?

Then weather alert radio goes off twice for flooding (2 inches in 1 hour forecast) - hold on to your children it says - and I get an AAA email alert for lightening.  Thunder overhead; storms roll in.  Nothing dull here in Mad Beach.

Mini me hoping for an uneventful weekend!

Oh joy, stucco and bucket 'weights' on my ledge for the weekend

Life size me still recovering from flooring fiasco - and feeling incompetent.

Sea shipment forecast to win the race.
Place your bets!


PS  Confirmed these are dolphins we are seeing (with curved fins; porpoise have triangle fins).  Apparently in 50's and 60's, locals called bottlenose dolphins porpoise - hence the confusion.

Friday 26 September 2014

Yes, Saga Part III . . . I am European and they are Fussy

. . . the flooring and renovation saga continues, and isn't over yet.

Mini me has 'flipped'
Tuesday 16 Sept:  more waiting for people to call us back, for electrician to return and new carpet installer to arrive. Electrician arrives about 11:35 and finds that there is a nicked wire inside the dryer 240v outlet - so an electrician error to be fixed.

Greek carpet store owner, after several phone calls, agrees to come out and waits for his installer for approximately 90+ minutes; he agrees no pattern matching not done properly and seams need to be redone - fortunately there is enough carpet left over for one more go. 


He and Philip work to find the pattern match.  New installer promised, but previous two are sent to job.  Installer who should have arrived before 10 turns up at 11:45, is instructed by owner on how to do the job. Owner then leaves saying it is good as this will be educational training for the installer.
He adds we are Europeans and are more fussy than Americans who wouldn't have noticed or asked for the mistake to be fixed (that is, Europeans know what the carpet should look like and Americans apparently don't); mini me says this is a complement.  Life sized American me is not sure how to take this!  Then flooring salesman chimes in that he did construction work and the outlet plates are not properly installed; he inspects our home (wish he would focus on the carpets!).

This leaves long suffering hubby to supervise R and K; R seems a bit spaced and confused, but at least he seems to be listening this time.  Motor mouth K, the second installer, disappears a lot and talks nonstop including explaining his ADD and how he 'walks away from jobs when he gets bored.'  Life sized me hides out in bedroom, again to avoid doing bodily harm - just get on with the job K!  R quieter and more focussed (spaced?).  Hubby enormously patient and kind for which life sized me is grateful.

2:50 pm K out on balcony videoing my view!  Still a long way to go on my job!

It is hard to get much of anything done (even crochet) as one has to pay close attention to what each workman is doing (without appearing to hover) and most of our things remain packed up in boxes on high shelves in the closet or in suitcases on the balcony.  Not that we have much as still awaiting delivery of sea shipment.  Even harder work to keep smiling and encouraging workers when all one wants to do is scream at the total incompetence (and wasted materials we paid dearly for); life sized me very restrained.

Job completed at 4:00 pm and carpet looking "somewhat better."  Now with storm clouds gathering, we await tonight's bed delivery; tomorrow's small furniture delivery from storage (life sized me's grandma's furniture last seen in 1998), we are told, hasn't yet left the warehouse and might be here Friday.

We should have been completed and moved in end July, then 20 August, then 1 September, then 3 times in 3rd week of September .  From September, "completion" still means without final kitchen flooring and countertop, no guest room flooring, no functioning 2nd bathroom and a myriad of snagging issues.  We hope (and pray) to be 'done' by end October - making it a 5 month job for a small condo.  Dolphins are frolicking and we are well, so ... am singing my motto:  it is just bricks and mortar (and carpets, cabinets and paint) and eventually the dust will settle ...

Update of 25th Sept - end of week 17 of renovations:  vinyl lifting in bathroom and carpet seam
Great Egret foraging in my 'front yard'
match is still off with a very visible seam - despite being sold that the carpet would be pattern matched with no visible seam.  We agree to settle with the carpet store and part ways (thank goodness for diplomatic negotiating hubby).  Now have to find another installer and still have the kitchen flooring to replace - latest estimate is November!


 

Hairless or Saga Part II: The Florida Motto

Beware Visitors:
Guest room carpet - funky!
After tearing out all her hair, Mini Me overheard the following statement which she realises must be the Florida Motto -- an excuse for ______ [fill in the blank with almost anything that goes wrong]

This is Florida; it is just how it is.

Plus we are on Florida time which, we've found, means either
earlier or later but not the stated time.

Continuing Saga of getting Flooring - Carpets & Vinyl Installed

Saturday 10:15 am, we call and are told installer may arrive around 11 am as he is 'running behind.'  R and K (good 'ol Louisiana boys) arrive more personable than Friday crew; then colleague K departs.  Late afternoon -- oh dear, more comments about wool carpet (which it isn't)!?! and confusion over pattern matching.  Mumbling under breath has begun with return of K.

Around 5 pm it becomes clear job won't be finished today and they departed around 7 pm.  Now told the 'mud' on the bathroom & closet floors is the wrong kind and R is going out to get another product overnight.  Life sized me totally confused as we were sold the mud leveller as a proprietary product required to make the botched installation good and charged to us at $375!

Not much one can do whilst flooring is being installed throughout a small condo . . . am sitting on botched kitchen floor organising my pictures - so many more now that the camera is digital and I have these amazing sunsets to snap.

Sunday the 14th:  Up early again after another sleepless night in hotel, to await return of R and K along with our bathroom flooring.  State they would come at 10:00 am, arrived 11:20.
At least today I have carpet laid out (but not fully installed) to lounge on and watch the surf until installers reappear.  And of course this blog to write.

Noon:  Philip off to Home Depot (B&Q type DIY store) twice first to purchase a piece of 1/4 inch thick wood and then a toilet ring required to finish off bathroom floor (why this wasn't passed on to installer to supply, we don't know as we chased up a number of times and already paid for materials). 

Life sized me has asks installer to insure carpet is laid square in the room as there is a pattern and yes it makes a difference.  All negotiation skills and more have come into play.  Bedroom carpet is not square in room and lifting at the edges - oh my.

Next life sized me finds K installing vinyl using a spray aerosol, not the expensive proprietary product required by the manufacturer for warranty.  This is called to K's attention, but he insists what he is using is right.  Unfortunately his cutting skills leave very jagged edges and a cut into the vinyl floor itself.  Basically we are a 1 1/2 weeks later, but no further forward - just more damage to walls and baseboards along with further frayed nerves.

Not sure if life sized me is turning into a wailing banshee or a total lunatic or if Alzheimer's is setting in, but this renovation is not a health enhancer.  And she now seems to know more about flooring than most installers merely via Google reading/watching manufacturers' installation instructions!  How can this be?  Oh, oops  forgot, "this is Florida, . . ."  Apologies, I sound a bit jaded.

Installers finish around 4 pm (took much longer than they estimated) and we discover a number of issues.

Monday the 15th:  Hubby goes to carpet store who supplied flooring and installers; they agree vinyl  'is a complete mess' and promise to call later Monday with time for a new carpet installer to come fix the pattern matching in the living room.  Meanwhile life sized me goes grocery shopping to avoid committing murder in carpet store!

Flip Flop Wine!!

Fix to carpet to be done Tuesday before our [delayed] furniture from storage arrives Wednesday.  In the meantime, the circuit breaker for the dryer trips and cannot be reset.  Take wet clothes to laundry mat (mini me thought we were done with that!).


In the evening we go to a fund raising dinner (very informal beach style) for the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum and then on to a turtle nest inventory with  Sea Turtle Trackers.  Saw the Flip Flop wine in the grocery and wondered who drank it -- now I know!  A very pleasant evening indeed and a distraction from our flooring woes.

Pulling Out Hair . . . Saga Part I

You may recall a spot of bother about our flooring and carpets being lost in the warehouse, resulting in a delay to installation, then a botched job.  One week later the story continues ...

Entering renovation week 16 (four months):  09:30 Saturday morning, little white bird is dive bombing the breakers; hubby snoozing.  Life sized me stomach in knots awaiting yet another promised flooring installer.  This is the third day in a row we have sat and waited.  Mini me in bag in closet hibernating to avoid fine gray cement dust.

Friday the 12th:  Flooring installer arrives, complete with attitude, and states "I know nothing about this job, what is it?" after having called Philip on the phone asking Philip to come to the local DIY shop and help the installer get supplies!  Installer then:

 1) looks at bedroom carpet and exclaims "what's this?"  looks at living room carpet and goes with a disparaging tone "this is wool carpet" (which it isn't)
2) says he cannot pattern match the carpet for the living room (room wider than carpet roll width and was sold as being pattern matched)
3) doesn't have necessary materials for the bathroom (riser board - don't ask)
4) states the two day job will be done in a day (so we frantically pack up the bedroom)
5) installer's crew places materials up against the new balcony screening stretching screening almost to breaking

I was getting a bit concerned ----- and then he walks off job!! But he tells us he is going to DIY store and will be back!!!!  We twigged something was up, so ...

Several hours later after a number of  phone calls to the flooring retail who provides contradictory information, we are promised a new installation crew Saturday morning.  Job is costing us ridiculous amount of money - unbelievable!
 
General contractor team said they were coming Friday afternoon -- didn't show and didn't return phone calls. 

Same cup mini me sat in
We had moved everything to the balcony and deflated our airbed, clearing the floors for carpet installation, so having no more reserves to unpack, we put down the hurricane shutters and decamped to a hotel for the night, feeling totally deflated, frustrated and frankly angry.  We are now back in the  hotel we started in last April.

Watched appropriately named DVD called 'Numb' (the title seemed too appropriate to resist).

Any wonder I have knots in my stomach and more gray hairs on my head?  Mini me went gray and then lost all her hair, before having a new "rug" (ha ha) reattached.

.


Life sized me is volunteering at 3 soon to be 4 places, participates as a 'secret sister' at church, (reminds me of, but different from, the spiritual mothers & daughters programme in Atlanta) is in two Bible studies and is trying to start a craft group as well as find a job.  So plenty of distractions and we are trying to 'get stuck in' locally and settle here in Florida - we certainly are not idle.  Soon that new super-duper sewing machine must come out!
 

Thursday 25 September 2014

Enjoying Gray, Rain ... Oops did I go native in England?

Rain over Gulf, thunder overhead
It has been gray and rainy all week, with an occasional outburst of sun (sounds like a British weather forecast) and life sized me has been enjoying the change in weather.  Bit more of a thunder (boy does it boom overhead!) and lightening show here than across the pond.  Well it is the rainy season in Florida - duh!  And the rain often brings lovely cooling breezes albeit our low temperature has yet to drop below 76 degrees (or 24 Celsius).

We are all pleased that Scotland remains in the UK, although must say it barely made the news in the US, having been eclipsed by NFL (American football) domestic violence scandals involving high profile players and their wives / kids.

Weather has reigned in the beach activities and hence the beach stories.  There has been some unusual marine life behaviour recently -- including dolphin mating? and lethargic pelicans - guess
One in water flew in to check on his immobile mate
they ate too much fish -- and the shoreline fishing has been good.  Big debate in our home at the moment is whether we are actually seeing dolphins or porpoises - no definitive answer to date.

This pelican sat on the groin for hours with his mate stopping in twice to encourage him to go fishing - 3 hours later they flew off together - but not until mini me had called the local bird rescues thinking he was injured!

Wednesday (24 Sept) life sized me (LSM) goes to our local post office to sign for a package.  She arrives in [empty] post office and is served by two [!] counter clerks (CC).  The interaction goes like this:

LSM:  Hi, I am here to collect an item.  I received this card in my letterbox.  Do you need some ID (as the card says bring ID)?

CC:  No ID needed, you don't look like a crook.

LSM:  That's good to hear (said with feeling and relief - LOL).

CC:  Yes, I supposed it is (laughter all round).

LSM:  No idea what you have for me.

CC#2: Here's your package, it's come a long way -- from England.

LSM:  Ah, that must be from friends for my birthday.

CC:  Are you going to open it here?

LSM:  No, my birthday isn't for another 2 weeks and it's a surprise.  I have to avoid reading the customs label (as instructed by CB), must flip it over and give to my husband to hide it away.

CC:  Right (as she uses her pen to scratch out the customs declaration!), now you cannot
Surely not original contents of Yamaha parts, cannot read customs label
Mini me cannot stand the suspense!
see what it is!!  Sign for it, print your name and give us your address (all on an electronic pad) and it is yours.


TOTAL customer service I'd say (complete with humour), in a small town post office!!

The renovation continues relentlessly with surprises at every corner and tonight we found a another renovation blog bemoaning the lack of 'attention to detail' from all their contractors!!  The only comfort is knowing we are not a special case; they too had to reorder their kitchen countertop.  Whilst renovation is minor in the scheme of life, all these errors, redos, uncertain timetables is very, very wearing -- and we are not yet properly moved in, so it is impossible to settle.

Sea shipment due to come out of storage this coming Wednesday, just before sis arrives for a weekend visit.  Hurrah!


Tuesday 23 September 2014

"Water-free": latest kitchen trend

Latest Kitchen Trend - No Water

Latest sink innovation!
OK, stop laughing - in order to get the countertop replaced the kitchen sink had to come out.  It looks a bit sad on its own down here on the floor which also has to be replaced.
Where's the corner sink?


What was mini me saying about 'two steps forward, one (or more) steps back'?




Ah, there's the sink - blocking my cabinet access - ah well
On other fronts, hubby continues trying to clean up and finish off from the second botched vinyl installation (wrong glue, poorly measured, cuts into floor) . . .
 
whilst life sized me unpacks her goods from storage last seen in 1998. Actually they are from her single life in the 1980s, as likely you can tell in these photos.  Hubby says he thinks he can get 1970s analog TV receiving channels again(!) - this was a gift from my parents back in the days when there was a debate about allowing your child to have his/her own TV in their room - imagine that today!?!
Yes, analog TV, still working!

We continue to try and make the condo our home with a bit of seaside fun. 

And we await the loss adjusters and furniture repairers to fully move in . . .


reminds me of an upside down collie
grandpa's highboy awaiting leg repair


Guest Bath
Yup those are mini me special towel bars
Guest bedroom not ready
The big question is will we or won't we have a toilet for sister Sue's visit next week -- I've been promised a sink and shower, but the toilet is in transit from California, so --- ??

There is a sleeper sofa in the guest room -- or an airbed that can be inflated in the lounge/living room.
 

Gotta protect those brand new carpets - can you imagine we
waited so long to put them down - and now this!
And now out to dinner given kitchen work underway through this Friday.  Cannot wait until it is done and we can entertain!!

You may recall a spot of bother about our flooring and carpets being lost in the warehouse, resulting in a delay to installation, then a botched job.  Tomorrow, I will publish the rest of the story; it took 18 days and still -- the story continues ...

"This is Florida, it just is how it is."



Friday 19 September 2014

Before and [well partly] After

Heron to left at high tide line
Spent most of Wednesday & Thursday trying to clean up after the workman and the mess the flooring guys left behind on baseboards, walls, doors (glue, leveller, etc). 

Now awaiting delivery of furniture in storage, already over 1/2 hour later than stated time.

Mini me is watching the blue heron who is watching the fishing folks this morning, hoping for an easy breakfast.



So here's the BEFORE -- good reminder of how it used to be - you cannot see in pictures the yucky carpet, banged up walls, grotty kitchen and cabling over doors.
Living/Dining

1980 Kitchen
guest bath thru bedroom
banjo over toilet



Carpet going in

<--- AND sort of AFTER TA DAH!!! -->  Furniture arrived at 9:45, they finished with our 28 items from storage by noon.
hall bath


 


I now have a sofa although one leg was snapped in storage so movers stabilised it with a can
oops, one leg snapped
of beans so we can use it until it is repaired.  Few other bits of damage so cannot yet fully unpack from those suitcases ...but am very glad to see my things again.




Tuesday 16 September 2014

We have carpet, we have bed ...

At last good news to share:

After only 5 1/2 months in Florida and with an hour to spare before the bed was delivered, the living room carpet was re-laid and the bedroom carpet fixed today.

At long last a bed, after we had to postpone delivery 4! times because flooring was a mess.  And the dryer is now even drying as I type (electrician error caused a malfunction Sunday).

Bare, but mine!

OK so the countertop is still wonky, the kitchen floor awaits replacement, the hall bath isn't, and there is no carpet in the guest bedroom, no doors on hall closets, etc. but we are in.

Latest details of the drama and errors to get our flooring done over a two plus week period are in my soon to be published three (3), yes three blog posts (Parts I, II, and III) which you may just wish to skim. As my friend Diane says, sometimes you just want the builders out of your house and your space to yourself!!

Delivery of Grandma's furniture, in storage since 1998, is delayed and still in North Carolina.  [Glad Heather got the oriental rug out, but not sure how that transpired if goods haven't left!]   Haven't even called to arrange delivery of sea shipment (our personal effects) yet as don't want to count my chickens before they hatch and I need my furniture in which to put our stuff first.  (Yes, in the picture that roll to the left side of the living room/lounge is the guest bedroom carpet).

Says it all really.
Wine glasses? No matter.


Tomorrow will be time enough to start getting organised and doing the clean from the builders (yet again) . . . for now -

PS.  I awoke to a raucous storm blowing in like a stink at 4:30 am such that the hurricane shutters had to come down.

Saturday 13 September 2014

Thunder to the Left, Gorgeous Sunset to the Right

View to the Left: Rain
View to the Right: Gorgeous
Thursday:  Watching a stunning sunset (camera just doesn't do the light justice), with simultaneous lightening and thunder -- a sort of weird experience.  Here's what we could see off our balcony.


The Coastguard helicopters were just making it home as the storm rolled in after their day's rescue training ....


And inside we have a countertop perched back on our cabinets (awaiting the new one in correct size) so we could make dinner.  And do the wash!!!

Appliances here are L-A-R-G-E.  It feels like I can get 3 loads of UK wash into 1 in my American washer.  And mini me always thought the UK model was more than adequate.


British washer
With the washing going round, thought I would show you my UK and USA machines.  And boy does my USA one have a personality - I have named him TED (total electronic device) as he has little bells to signal start/end of wash, and "speaks" -- perhaps I should say grunts -- early on in the cycle as he 'load balances' and gets himself all set up.  Then he washes quietly until end of cycle when TED sings out again with a chime to tell me time to dry.  The dryer is of similar size and should be named TEDette (she speaks too).
American:  TED



Motto of the week:   It is just bricks and mortar.  And dust does eventually wash away ...