Bud and Mary's Big Adventures

SOLD!

2011-09-13T23:05:00.002-04:00

Two years and almost four months later, we're finally minus one house!

We were under contract about six months with this buyer, and then suddenly Bud got a call yesterday that we were closing today at 10 a.m.

After all that waiting, it's suddenly over, and it's a little hard to believe that particular house isn't ours anymore.

Now, to clear out the next one...

One down, two to go

2009-05-19T06:56:00.005-04:00

forsale
Originally uploaded by budandmary

If you have an extra $138,500, we'll be happy to take it off your hands. In return, we'll give you the best house we've seen in that price range around here. (We've done our open-house research, so we know!)

We met with a real estate agent this afternoon, and now our previous home is officially on the market. Still, it was a shock to drive by yesterday evening and see that sign in the yard.

Today, Bud will mulch the landscaping. Tomorrow, I'll add some color with flowers. And we still have those few paint touch-ups inside. Then, we'll really be finished.

And then there's Bud's mom's house and the building the newspaper will leave behind in a couple of weeks.

Outdoor Life and A Different Kind of Move

2009-05-08T01:16:00.005-04:00

patio
Originally uploaded by budandmary

We've moved into summer mode a little bit early. Or at least we've hit "prepare-for-summer" at full throttle.

Last weekend, we bought this "chat set" for the deck. Unfortunately it has rained almost endlessly since then. Today, I ordered new fabric for the cushions of the wicker furniture that used to live on the front porch here before the remodel. I think the yellow we chose will work much better with our decor than the orange floral we inherited.

Bud has moved a ton of plantings from the old house to the new yard. He also moved the house plants from the sunroom to the deck, so we've got a bit of a tropical feel out there now.

Sadly, we recently found out that the newspaper where I work (and from where Bud retired a few years ago) will be moving to a new office at the end of the month.

We're disappointed to see the paper leave Main Street for the first time in its 132-year history. For me, working in a shiny, new strip-mall-type office will feel soulless compared to showing up every day to the same place where my predecessors, including Bud's dad and grandfather, melted lead to create type for each edition.

The paper hasn't been family-owned for more than 30 years, but it has taken 'til now, this impending change of scenery, to finally rip away all that was left of that family feeling. The connection to the past won't seem as strong somewhere else, and right now, it feels as if the staff members will be tossing history in the trash bin as they walk out the door.

Baby hawk down

2009-03-28T22:33:00.002-04:00

babyhawk
Originally uploaded by budandmary

As we headed over to the old house this afternoon, Bud saw something round and spotted in the gutter along the side of the road. When we turned back to check it out, this baby hawk is what we found.

Bud helped him over the curb and into the grass, then we went on our way, leaving him alone to see if his parents would come to the rescue. They did.

I didn't know funhouses had kitchens

2009-03-28T22:20:00.002-04:00

vinyl
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Remember the crooked man in the nursery rhyme (wallked a crooked mile ... had a crooked cat)? Apparently, the vinyl installers think we're selling our old house to him.

As you can see by the threshold between the kitchen and the garage, they didn't quite hit square when they put the floor down. They'll be trying again as soon as the replacement vinyl arrives.

Other than that, there's a little painting -- both inside and outside -- and some yard work before we're ready to list.

A deck with a view

2009-03-25T20:12:00.002-04:00

deer
Originally uploaded by budandmary

We may be a couple of blocks from downtown, but we're not without wildlife.

Evidence? This is back yard as seen from the deck tonight during the Kentucky game.

We have noticed these girls' hoof prints often, but this is the first time we've seen the deer themselves this close to the house.

More paint, no carpet

2009-03-09T21:00:00.002-04:00

whitgar
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Still no word on the rest of the floor coverings' status, so no date for a carpet install. But we've made some progress anyway.

The garage has more paint. The new tub has trim. The old tile found its way out of the house.

Bud and I found a new trim tile for the bathrooms this weekend. We also got the bikes out for the first time this year, and we got to experiment with one of Bud's anniversary gifts -- a bike-to-bike intercom system, which was a blast.

We've really missed talking to each other on rides since I stopped riding with him. I don't think we shut up the whole way to breakfast Sunday morning.

Of progress and illness

2009-03-07T12:03:00.002-05:00

tubin
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Big week in the life of the renovation. The new tub went in, as did the kitchen countertops. The bathroom accessories were sitting on the front porch this morning when Bud went out for the paper, so they actually arrived yesterday.

Also, some of our floor coverings have arrived. I'm hopeful that they'll all be in by the middle of next week and that the installer won't be busy with other work.

Gary and Jimmy have been working on another job, so I guess we have to hope for cold weather to move them back to our project.

Bud has been sick since Wednesday night. (It probably wasn't entirely the fault of Kentucky's loss to Georgia, but I think that had to be a contributing factor.) This morning, he ate something other than saltines for the first time since then.

We're off to enjoy the spring-preview weather and, we hope, a Kentucky win over Florida.

Happy anniversary to us

2009-03-03T21:20:00.002-05:00

whitbluebath
Originally uploaded by budandmary

I marked our three-year anniversary with a 14-hour work day. Bud started the morning with a migraine. Things went up from there. (Actually, we opened our gifts yesterday. Tonight, we went out for sushi. Yum.)

In remodel news, the countertop installers called today to set up an appointment for later this week. I'm so eager for them to arrive because they should do such a great job of tying the new colors together.

The photo is the full bath, which soon will say goodbye to its blue sink. The half bath is about to lose an equally lovely one in pink. The house's new owners will never know how much they should thank us.

Nothing to see here

2009-03-02T21:16:00.002-05:00

whit1
Originally uploaded by budandmary

So here's the first of what will become a series of photos that shows almost nothing: It's a garage! With a partial coat of paint! And a stack of stuff for the bathrooms! Wow, right?

This weekend, Bud and I replaced the kitchen cabinet doors and installed the new knobs. He also installed new light fixtures in the kitchen and den.

We're at a little bit of a standstill -- waiting for the plumber to install the new bathtub (currently in the living room), the first installers to deliver the countertops, and the second installers to bring the new floor coverings.

Kathy, who cleans our house and is helping us make sense of Bud's mom's house, will spend a few hours this week cleaning windows and baseboards at the remodel.

Almost entirely spruced

2009-02-26T18:14:00.002-05:00

For several weeks, Bud, Gary and Jimmy have been working on the house where Bud and I used to live.

They've patched and painted, replaced outlets and switches and their covers, removed wallpaper and carpet. I haven't put any effort into documenting their progress, though, so I'll try to remedy that starting tomorrow.

New countertops and floor coverings are still on the way, and updated bathroom fixtures are waiting in the garage. Outside, we'll throw some paint on the garage door, window frames and various other non-brick surfaces when the weather warms.

Then we'll plant annuals in every bare bed and sell the whole thing for millions of dollars!

Right. Anyway, pictures to come. Possibly tomorrow.

A brush with coldness

2009-01-30T11:58:00.003-05:00

icedeck
Originally uploaded by budandmary

The house was still lighted and toasty when I left for work this morning. But I barely had time to put my things down at my desk when my cell phone rang.

It was Bud. Our luck had run out. Or so we thought.

Turns out the electric company shut us down while they repaired a line going into a neighbor's house across the street. All was well within an hour. Whew!

The photo is from Tuesday night, when our deck became known as the ice rink attached to the back of our house. The steps were humps of iced-over snow -- climbing or standing not recommended (and nearly impossible anyway).

Clean-up begins

2009-01-30T00:13:00.005-05:00

annsice
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Luckily, we still haven't lost power -- unlike more than 600,000 other electrical customers across the state.

So, rather than worrying about how to survive, I went back to work and Bud started getting rid of our downed trees. We loaned our portable generator (purchased during our ice-storm power outage in 2003) to my boss, who hasn't had electricity since about 7 a.m. Wednesday.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we won't get any strong winds to further burden our ice-laden trees -- because we're really enjoying our electricity and the lack of holes in our roof.

Battling Mother Nature

2009-01-29T11:32:00.003-05:00

budplows
Originally uploaded by budandmary

As our friend Joe drove home from work yesterday, he snapped a shot of Bud clearing our driveway.

Clearing this mess wasn't as easy as the first time he got to use the snowblade. Under the snow was a solid sheet of ice, and getting below the ice to break it up proved difficult.

Not one to give up, though, Bud persevered. The lawn tractor couldn't climb the hill, so he tied it to the truck's hitch, and I pulled him up. When he got stuck in snow and ice, he rocked himself free and sometimes I helped by pushing. Now we have a clear driveway to show for his efforts.

At least there were no trees blocking his progress. Let's hope it stays that way.

Dodging a wooden bullet

2009-01-29T07:56:00.003-05:00

treedown
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Our garage (and our neighbors') are still standing by luck today.

As ice piled up all around us Tuesday night, the big maple that stood between us and our neighbors decided it couldn't stand any longer.

And so one trunk fell just behind the retaining wall for our driveway, also missing the back of the garage. The other fell between the hedge and the neighbors' garage.

(I'm still searching the archives for a 'before' photo. You know there's got to be one around here somewhere!)

The tree used to have three trunks, but we lost one in a windstorm this past spring. Bud talked with the neighbor then about taking the whole thing down, but the neighbor wasn't interested.

We knew at least one remaining side of tree was partially hollow because it was home to our neighborhood bees. Guess which side we got! Bud will do his best bear impersonation soon, prowling the trunk for honey as he saws the tree to manageable pieces.

Anyway, back to the storm. We are fortunate not to have lost power so far. In 2003, during a much worse storm in Central Kentucky (although not as far-reaching as this one), we were without electricity for four days. It was less than fun, even with the fireplace's feeble attempt to keep us warm.

This time, our misery has been a day without Internet access, cable and phone -- all of which returned yesterday evening. Here's hoping that's all we have to report.

At our old house, things seemed in working order yesterday afternoon. At Bud's mom's, we also lost another tree, which narrowly missed her garage. So we're thankful for that too.

Half-wrong

2009-01-04T22:19:00.004-05:00

Well, I only got it half-right when I predicted two Kentucky losses this weekend. Obviously, I have completely lost faith in the Cats. Who would have ever thought we could pull out a third-straight football bowl win, but not defeat Louisville in basketball?

On the moving scene, we didn't manage much. Bud gave his pool table to an neighbor from the old house, so we went by there Saturday to deliver the goods. That's one piece of furniture down, lots more to go.

Luckily, I've planned a vacation later this month for exactly that purpose. I hope we can get the majority of it done in just a week. Then it'll be up to Kathy, who cleans our houses. After that we'll decide what cosmetic projects we want to tackle before we put in on the market.

It all sounds so easy.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T20:13:00.003-05:00

Our annual New Year's Eve casino visit was somewhat profitable for Bud, who left the boat a few bucks up. I wasn't quite so lucky, bringing home about half of what I took.

We've been hitting the slots for six or eight years now on New Year's Eve, and this was a noticeably smaller crowd than usual. I can only guess the economy is to blame -- because the weather and roads were fine.

This morning, we headed to a huge auction that included lots of antiques similar to some of ours. Eavesdropping in the women's restroom, I found out it's an annual consignment event -- which makes more sense than what we thought, that it was the estate of some people who really liked antiques.

Our plan was to research the market for some of our pieces, so that we'll know to expect when we finally decide which ones just won't fit in the house. But we almost came home with a couple of new desks.

Bud had his eye on a gorgeous rolltop. We'd never seen anything like it (even though we have a rolltop or three among our collection). I coveted a two-drawer Stickley that needed some finish work. But since we couldn't figure out where we would put either, and since we're still not even sure of everything we have already, we restrained ourselves. That restraint may turn to non-buyer's remorse, but I hope not.

White on white

2008-12-17T12:18:00.002-05:00

snowhouse
Originally uploaded by budandmary

So the house blends pretty well with the snow, huh?

We took full advantage of our snow day yesterday, doing pretty much nothing. This morning, I realized it might have been a good idea to do a little Christmas shopping!

I really don't want to fight the weekend-before-Christmas crowd, so maybe we can squeeze it in one night this week. If we don't do it soon, we'll be delivering lots of gift cards with our Christmas wishes this year.

Snow day!

2008-12-16T22:13:00.007-05:00

budplows
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Today, Bud and I enjoyed the biggest snow we've gotten in a few years. The 4 or so inches of white stuff had a little coating of ice underneath because of last night's freezing rain.

At the office, we squeezed two days of work into one yesterday, just in case the freezing rain caused a power outage. I had a little scraping to do when I finally left work last night, but it was worth it -- because I got almost a whole snow day today.

Bud hit the driveway on the lawn mower with his new snowplow attachment this morning, clearing the way for me to get out and spend a couple of hours finishing things up at work.

Talk about a worthwhile investment! He'd still be shoveling tomorrow if he hadn't bought that blade earlier this year.

He had such a great time with his new toy that he also cleared a neighbor's drive. He even considered driving the mower to our old neighborhood to help those neighbors, and he probably would have, if I hadn't gotten home from work so quickly.

Bud also trekked around the house taking snow pictures this morning. I'll post one or two of those soon.

Excuses, excuses

2008-12-14T07:06:00.006-05:00

I didn't forget this place. See, there was Thanksgiving, during which I was sleeping most of the time because I was sick. So I didn't take any pictures. (But we both know I would have forgotten the camera anyway.)

Then it was time for the annual "Letters to Santa" special section at work. Seeing the letters of 300 kids who want a lot of stuff and then trying to make sure the picture each of them submitted gets published with the correct letter has a way making Christmas not quite as fun as it used to be. Grinchy and Scroogey are good ways to describe the effect.

There have been a lot of home basketball games this month. Bright spots, like last night's win against Indiana, are all the brighter because of losses to schools like VMI and Miami.

I've been Christmas shopping, although I really can't mention what I've purchased. There's nothing like choosing a great gift to put me in the spirit. Bud and I had hoped to finish up the last of our shopping yesterday, but the little elf who was supposed to give us some gift ideas for a few family members didn't meet her deadline.

Lance turned 1 yesterday, and while Bud and I weren't there for the cake-faced bash, we saw some photos. And we're hoping to deliver our gift soon.

Brian, Janie and Eliza are moving much closer to us, which actually is also very close to Janie's family. Brian got a new job that offers family health insurance.

My friend Victoria gave a home to another needy dog. This one, Jasper, seems to be turning out to be great company for Satch, the Lab she adopted a few months ago.

The daughter of my friend Mattie had surgery to remove a huge tumor from her abdomen. I haven't heard an update on her health, so I'm hoping no news is good news.

There's much more to tell you, I'm sure. But after a month of no posts, I don't remember what else I had to say.

Lawn waste roasting on an open fire

2008-11-21T17:37:00.003-05:00

budfire
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Bud burned for (maybe) the final time of the year last night. In the snow -- which still wasn't heavy enough to mention, but I'm doing it anyway again.

No s'mores or hot dogs because work grumped me out so much that I couldn't deal with just going to the grocery for some buns and marshmallows. I'll be glad when Thanksgiving gets here!

Notice a trend with the nighttime photos? I'm not going through a phase. It's winter, and it's never freakin' light outside when I'm home! How many days 'til spring?

We tried to reintroduce one of our many clocks into the house this evening, but we couldn't figure out how to hang the pendulum. So we're still mostly blissfully unaware of the passage of time when we're in the great room.

By the light of the deck

2008-11-18T11:57:00.002-05:00

snowondeck
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Our first snow in the new house wasn't much to write home about, but I'm doing it anyway. Here's hoping it foretells a deep, white winter.

I'm not exactly sure what has happened since my last post. It was a lot easier to keep up when I wrote daily.

We got another round of furniture back from refinishing. And we decided that we can use one of those pieces for Bud's side table/remote control storage vault. So we got to cancel the table we ordered from Macy's.

Speaking of Macy's, the great-room rug arrived safely, and we love it.

In appliance news, we thought the dishwasher was leaking, but apparently it was our imaginations. The appliance repair has got to think we're crazy by now.

The treadmill finally made it over from the other house. It came in through a second-floor window. We're hoping that's the last airlift for a while, seeing as how the truck leaked fluids on our pristine new driveway, which made Bud very sad.

Oscar Delance Blevins: March 9, 1929 - Nov. 11, 2008

2008-11-13T14:31:00.002-05:00

delanceblevins
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Laura's dad died Tuesday morning. It's fitting that her family will forever remember their hero, who served in the Army in the early 1950s, on Veterans Day.

Goodbye, gravel!

2008-11-08T11:18:00.003-05:00

Hello, blacktop! The biggest house news from the week is that we're no longer stirring up gravel dust every time we pull into the driveway. The pavers came Monday and Tuesday, and by Friday at lunch, we could stop taking the back way in and hiking up to the house from the beyond the garage.

I've delayed posting because I wanted to put up a picture of the new driveway, but seeing as how I haven't posted in a week and the pictures are still on the camera, I thought it was time for a photoless update.

The rug we ordered last week is supposed to arrive Monday. The cable guy is coming back Tuesday to install a jack upstairs.

In non-house news, basketball season started. We enjoyed watching Kentucky win both of their exhibition games by large margins, which we hope is an indicator that we won't be just hoping not to be embarrassed every time we head to Rupp this year.

We were excited that Barack Obama won the presidential election, but it was pretty embarrassing to see Kentucky glowing red from all the network and website maps long before any other states had been called.

I'm sad to say things aren't looking good for Laura's dad. He's home from the hospital, surrounded by family and being assisted by Hospice. Those are the bright spots.

Move a little, buy a little

2008-11-01T10:48:00.006-04:00

rug
Originally uploaded by budandmary

With all of things we still have to move, you've got to wonder how we could possibly need to buy anything at all. But amazingly enough, even with all we have to choose from, sometimes nothing fits the bill.

Yesterday we bought an area rug, which should arrive in about two weeks. All the rugs we currently own are primarily red, which doesn't work with the aqua/natural/black colors of the great room.

And among the millions of tables we have to choose from, what we don't have is one that's side-table height with a drawer where Bud can store his collection of remotes. So we bought one of those yesterday also, but it won't arrive for eight to 12 weeks. So it's box city on Bud's side of the sofa 'til then.

Today, we're planning to move some larger pieces of furniture and the treadmill. The 'mill goes upstairs, and since Gary and Jimmy are going to replace the handrail on the front stairs Monday, we thought getting it up there before then was a good idea.

Laura's dad does, in fact, have pancreatic cancer. And it's inoperable, which isn't surprising but is very sad. Chemotherapy could be an option, if he wants to pursue it -- but even that's not certain until after a consultation with the chemo docs.

Slowly, semi-steadily

2008-10-29T07:56:00.003-04:00

While I've been back to work and pitching in a little bit at night, Bud's plugging away daily. He cleared a spot in the garage for me yesterday, so the Jeep didn't have to endure last night's freezing temperatures.

We also could have a mailbox by the end of the day today. I bought it last week, and Bud finally got a chance to start working on it yesterday.

Inside, we're expanding outward from the great room, which still has cardboard-box end tables. Bud's office is organized and functional, and if you peek inside the kitchen cabinets, you won't be staring into an abyss anymore. The closet is mostly organized. The medicine cabinets are starting to fill up -- well, at least the one upstairs is.

Still, we've got a long way to go. Last night, I had to pause in the middle of making dinner to drive to the other house and grab a measuring cup. (I brought back four -- and a pot with a steamer insert. My rule is that I can't walk out the door there without my hands full.) Then we had to go back later, so that I could check my hair appointment card, which is still magneted to the refrigerator there, and pick up some storage containers for last night's leftovers.

No pictures yet. The camera has been sitting forlornly on the kitchen bar for days.

Laura's family probably will learn the results of her dad's biopsy Friday. She says his appetite and strength are noticeably less.

Home Sweet Home

2008-10-23T21:21:00.005-04:00

All the essentials -- TV, Internet, great-room furniture, bed -- finally were in place Saturday, so we took the plunge. It's still hard to believe we're actually in.

Since Saturday, it seems as if we've done nothing but move and arrange things, and yet, we're still using boxes as end tables in the great room! I have no new photos because I can't stop hauling stuff into the house long enough to pick up the camera, and also because the USB cable with the camera dongle is still at the other house.

Speaking of the other house, it's overwhelming to look around there and realize all of that stuff has to come here. Soon.

Gary and Jimmy are back and working on the to-do list we accumulated for them while they were gone building railings for someone else. After they wrap up those final details, they'll be ready to prepare the other house to sell.

Problem is, I'm not sure we'll be ready for them that quicky.

Day 407: Oct. 16, 2008

2008-10-16T22:31:00.004-04:00

day404b
Originally uploaded by budandmary

The more time I spend at the house in a day, the less likely I am to take pictures. And the worst part of forgetting today is that Dad came to town for lunch and a house tour!

So here's a photo from a few days ago, just after the front-porch ceiling had been painted. The light fixture is hanging open because it hadn't been painted yet. Now it's black, instead of green, but the unfortunate part is that it doesn't work anymore! Our first plan of attack tomorrow will be to try a new bulb.

Bud and the cable guys got things taken care of this afternoon, so now we can watch TV at the new house. We allegedly have Internet access too, but we haven't gotten around to confirming that yet.

I made a little more progress on dust control in the kitchen this evening. As I cleaned the front of the oven, it occurred to me that none of the buttons worked. That fix was easy; the breaker wasn't turned on.

But we still don't know why we can't get water from the refrigerator.

Day 406: Oct. 15, 2008

2008-10-15T21:34:00.004-04:00

day406
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Let the boxing begin. Not to mention the kitchen cleaning.

I started battling the dust in the kitchen this afternoon. Unfortunately, Kathy is sick, so I didn't have her expert help.

I also started moving boxes of kitchen things into the breakfast area so they'll be handy when I finally have dust-free cabinets to put them in.

While Bud waited for the cable/Internet installer, he sanded and painted the vent covers we washed the other day. They look great. He also started putting the covers back on the lights on the deck steps. Those look much better too.

When the installer finally arrived late this afternoon, he couldn't do anything after all -- because the company has to drop a line from the pole to the house. So that's the plan for tomorrow.

Laura's dad is still in the hospital. Last I talked with her, the mass near his pancreas still hadn't been biopsied.

Day 405: Oct. 14, 2008

2008-10-15T20:43:00.003-04:00

day405
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Bud whirled all dervishlike outside again today, putting out another truckload of mulch, more grass seed. He also cleaned the patio and the deck.

At lunch, we moved the patio table and chairs from the garage to their rightful place on the deck. Now to have a drink!

Laura's dad is in the hospital. Although his doctors don't know exactly what's wrong yet, they suspect the problem is pancreatic cancer. I'm really hoping that's not the case -- and I know I'm far from the only one.

Day 404: Oct. 13, 2008

2008-10-14T07:40:00.005-04:00

day404
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Five truckloads of mulch later, Bud's somehow still standing and the area surrounding the deck almost entirely covered.

Upstairs, Chester put a second coat of urethane on the great-room floor. Dwayne, the drywaller, finished up his work on the kitchen ceiling; and Robert and Gary, the painters, got to work on their first coat. They also painted the ceiling of the front porch.

At lunch, I was on wasp duty. About seven or eight got into the guest room through an open window this weekend, much to their regret. Spraying them was scary, but very effective. I spent the rest of the time cleaning wasp spray off the ceiling, the light fixture, the wall, the window and the floor. As of this evening, none of their buddies had shown up to check on them.

Kathy cleaned the upstairs again. I think it's going to be a while before we stop tracking dust from the driveway and rooms that haven't been cleaned into the clean areas of the house.

After work, I moved a couple of small pieces of furniture from the garage into the house -- a jewelry chest that used to belong to Bud's aunt and the mirror that goes on the dresser in the guest bedroom.

Days 402-403: Oct. 11-12, 2008

2008-10-12T21:23:00.014-04:00

So I misunderstood when I thought Jimmy said Jesse was coming Friday. He actually said Chester -- which was even better. Chester sanded the entire great-room floor and put the first coat of urethane down.

He'll be back Monday and Tuesday for the second and final coats. After that, we have to wait 24 hours to walk on it, and then a week to put furniture on it.

Friday night and Saturday morning, I washed bed linens for the new house (using the washer and dryer at the new house!). On Saturday, I put sheets on both beds, and stuffed the comforter for the master into its duvet cover. I also ordered a comforter for the guest room. Bud took care of things outside. Watering the newly seeded grass, cleaning the patio, that stuff.

On Saturday evening, we went to the farm for dinner to celebrate Chris' birthday. I promised myself all day that I would take pictures, so that I could show you my side of the family really does exist. When I forgot the camera, I figured I'd take phone pictures. Then I forgot those too.

Sunday, we vacuumed the central air vents and painted the insides black. We washed the vent covers, which are drying in the garage and will need new coats of paints also.

We moved a few pieces of furniture from Bud's mom's house. There were a couple of large pieces we had planned to move, but they're still crammed full of things, so we made new selections. We'll try to clean out the others this week or next weekend -- since we won't be able to put stuff into the great room yet, we'll have a little time on our hands.

Day 401: Oct. 10, 2008

2008-10-10T23:35:00.006-04:00

hideafrog
Originally uploaded by budandmary

As Bud and I took our evening deer cruise last night, a frog hopped across the road in front of us. I stopped, and Bud got out and caught the chilly little guy.

Bud handed the frog to me through the driver-side window, but the pass didn't go smoothly. The frog jumped down onto the floor and disappeared.

When I got out to look for him, he was snuggled up in a tight area above the hood release. I reached for him, and he moved further into the dash.

So we finished the deer run -- with me fearing the whole time that our new friend would jump out of hiding and onto my feet, at which point I would scream and drive off the road.

But we managed to stay off the sidewalks on the way home. I checked the floor and dash again after we had been back for a while. Nothing. Bud looked everything over once more early this morning. Nothing.

We resigned ourselves to the fact that we had sentenced our poor little frog to a sun-baked death and ourselves to weeks of dead-amphibian smell.

When I piled my stuff into the Jeep this morning to head for work, I reached across the console to put my purse in the passenger seat. I checked the floor for frogs, found the right key on my key ring and started to climb in.

Then I glanced down at the console, where our spotty green friend sat calmly (and literally coolly, as I found out when I picked him up) in the change tray!

He was chilled again, so catching him wasn't a challenge. Holding on to him 'til I got to the new house to release him was a little more interesting.

We're hoping he'll hang around his new home in the garage retaining wall for a while. But we've tried to institute an unsuccessful frog relocation program in the past, so we're not optimistic.

Day 400: Oct. 9, 2008

2008-10-09T21:33:00.003-04:00

day400
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Bud rented a mini skid loader this morning and backfilled the remaining area next to the patio under the deck. (Much better, and faster, than a shovel!) Then he used a rake to even it out.

Nice disco-ball effect from the sun shining through the deck, huh?

Reno grouted the front porch, and he said walking on it will be fine by the time to mattresses arrive tomorrow. He also reiterated that it'll be OK for us to walk in the kitchen and sun room too.

Gary (the painter, not the contractor) put a second coat of stain on part of the deck. I think he'll get to the rest tomorrow. Jesse also will be there tomorrow to reinstall the recessed lights that got moved because of the new cabinets.

Bud says the cable installers are scheduled for Wednesday. I guess they got "rushed up" after all.

So that means our big hold-up is going to be the hardwood floors. Time for me to get the phone number from Jimmy so I can pester Chester!

Day 399: Oct. 8, 2008

2008-10-08T21:02:00.005-04:00

day399
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Here's how close we are to finished: Gary and Jimmy took their table saw today and went to work on someone else's two-day project. Even though they're not gone for good yet, it was sad to watch them leave.

The tile's still groutless, but you get to see it anyway -- because I didn't take any new pictures today. (I think they're grouting tomorrow -- except for the bullnose edges, which won't be here 'til the middle of the month.)

Reno sealed the kitchen and sunroom tile this afternoon. We can't walk on it for at least 24 hours. So, doing out-of-the-house stuff today, we bought mattresses for our bedroom and the guest bedroom. They'll be delivered Friday evening. I hope there's a way to get into the house by then!

Speaking of mattresses, I've been puzzling over when I can stop with the "Day XXX" post titles. I think I've decided to give them up after we spend our first night in the house.

But even then, we not be fully in. We also stopped by the cable office this afternoon, and although the woman told Bud she'd try to "rush them up," the first appointment was for the beginning of November!

They're coming to do the phone a couple of weeks before that, so we're hoping they can do both (and the Internet too) at the same time.

Day 398: Oct. 7, 2008

2008-10-07T18:51:00.003-04:00

day398
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Bud spent another day shoveling dirt, and it shows. The side yard is smoothed and seeded, and the gutter drain lines are buried.

The railing above the front porch is complete. The one on top of the house is yet to be started.

Harold Wayne and his helper, Reno, continued tiling the front porch today. I'm really enjoying the way it's turning out, but I'm trying to restrain myself from posting a photo until it's completed and grouted.

And how 'bout this for good news: The kitchen cabinets are fixed! And, wow, do they look great!

Having the refrigerator surround the correct depth makes all the difference in the world. I fell in love with the kitchen all over again. (You'll have to wait for that photo too -- because the repairs aren't complete from where we had to move some recessed lighting to make room for the deeper cabinets.)

Day 397: Oct. 6, 2008

2008-10-06T23:54:00.007-04:00

day397
Originally uploaded by budandmary

On Friday, six dump truck loads of dirt were delivered to backfill the area under the deck. Today, when the backhoe arrived to move the dirt, the guys discovered that the bucket wouldn't fit under the deck.

So Bud and Jimmy had the unexpected job of shoveling all that dirt. They finished the driveway side today. Fun, huh? And speaking of moving dirt, in the picture, Bud is smoothing the side yard for seeding tomorrow.

At the front of the house, the tilers started laying the porch floor. Above that, on the porch roof, Gary started putting up railing.

The electrician and the drywaller prepared the kitchen for the return of the cabinet installers, who are scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

Day 396: Oct. 5, 2008

2008-10-06T00:07:00.005-04:00

lancebike
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Moving stuff tends to require both hands, which means no photos -- so here's another great one from yesterday.

You can see that Lance knows his way around a motorcycle already. He's a natural motorsports guy.

As I mentioned, Bud and I moved a few more things around today. It didn't go as quickly as we had hoped because a couple of the pieces we wanted to move still had drawers full of stuff. That added up to a lot of sorting -- because the stuff was the now-typical assortment of incredibly interesting memorabilia and broken oddities.

But any moving is progress. And it all has to be done at some point. Even the drawer sorting.

Day 395: Oct. 4, 2008

2008-10-05T23:40:00.004-04:00

elizafam
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Today we got to meet Eliza for the first time!

Brian and Janie were nearby, visiting her family, and they made a special trip to town so we could see their girl in person. Laura and Lance were able to come into town for the morning too.

Eliza was, of course, adorable. She's five weeks old. What else could she possibly be? At first, Lance wasn't so sure how to take some who's even smaller than he is. But he's a smart guy, so he figured the whole thing out pretty quickly.

The rest of the day, Bud and I got a little cleaning and furniture moving-in done.

Day 394: Oct. 3, 2008

2008-10-05T23:23:00.003-04:00

kirbstone
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Kirby's memorial stone arrived today.

I still forget that she's not here anymore. I practically have to remind myself aloud not to check on her and not to save our leftovers for her. So I'm glad that she at least has a nice marker for her new home.

A while ago, Bud moved Roscoe from the current house to a spot beside Kirby. Kirbs was sad and lonely when Roscoe died in 2003, so I'll bet they had a great reunion.

Day 393: Oct. 2, 2008

2008-10-02T21:14:00.007-04:00

day393
Originally uploaded by budandmary

We have gutters. Which means we're finally ready for that final inspection. (It's scheduled for tomorrow morning!)

Gary and Jimmy were nice enough to begin installing our Roman shades today, a relief for Bud and me because we really weren't looking forward to tackling that job.

Bud installed his patio speakers this morning. You can see one at the corner of the addition in photo. (And you can see one of the post caps too.)

Kathy cleaned more this afternoon. Bud and I took the bed frame up to the master bedroom and put it together this evening, and we also moved the hall tree into the entry hall.

It's still hard to believe we're actually putting furniture in the house.

Day 392: Oct. 1, 2008

2008-10-01T22:32:00.005-04:00

day392
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Now here's some progress! Bud picked up the dining room table, its chairs and the sideboard from the refinisher this afternoon.

See, there they are ... IN THE DINING ROOM!! How shocked are you?

Bud was talking with Gary and Jimmy this morning about where we could put the table until the final inspection, and it turns out that we can move into the old part of the house even before the final. Who knew?

So when Kathy made her first cleaning visit today, we asked her to start in the dining room instead of upstairs. (She's speedy, though. She also got the master bedroom finished, except for the windows.)

Outside this morning, Bud, Gary and Jimmy placed the post caps on the columns and Gary sealed them. They're bigger than I pictured, but they're fine. They're already growing on me.

Back to the dining room furniture. It belonged to Bud's maternal grandparents. Remember we went to the auction preview last week of the house that used to be theirs? This is the table that used to be in their dining room there.

Day 391: Sept. 30, 2008

2008-09-30T19:48:00.003-04:00

day391
Originally uploaded by budandmary

As you can see, we now have a door on the new part of the basement.

Gary and Jimmy also installed the washer and dryer -- at which point Bud discovered that we were missing one of the adjustable feet on the dryer. So he went to Lowe's and was able to come right back with one!

The painters were at work on the front porch today, so it's nice and crisp white. Harold Wayne is supposed to be back next week to install the tile out there.

The gutterers hope be here Thursday, and I'm sure I'm hoping harder than they are. I might cry if we have to let another weekend pass without being able to start moving in!

Tomorrow could be exciting. The post caps for the columns should be in. (Can't believe it's already been three weeks since we ordered those.) Kathy is scheduled to do her first round of cleaning upstairs.

And the dining room table is refinished and ready to be picked up. I'm not sure where we'll put it -- too bad we're not finished with the final inspection -- but I'm excited to see it!

Day 390: Sept. 29, 2008

2008-09-29T20:30:00.004-04:00

day390
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Using 197 blocks, Bud, Gary and Jimmy built the retaining wall under the deck today.

Meanwhile, Jesse passed the final electrical inspection.

Now all that's left is the overall final inspection. Before we can get that, Gary and Jimmy have put an entry door on the area under the great room. Gary has some quarter-round molding to install in the house. And the gutter subcontractors have to do their thing.

Please let all of that, including the inspection, be finished by the end of the week!

Day 389: Sept. 28, 2008

2008-09-28T17:44:00.006-04:00

leaf
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Nothing to report, except that the Raiders are actually winning at the moment.

The photo, from several days ago, is another of the wild cats from our back yard. This one we may call "Leaf." (Can't do the spelled-like-a-name "Leif" because that's pronounced layf, right?)

Anyway, before this picture, we had a lengthy discussion about whether that thing lying by the tree was a cat or a pile of leaves. I voted leaves.

Day 388: Sept. 27, 2008

2008-09-27T21:45:00.004-04:00

day388
Originally uploaded by budandmary

After a relaxing morning and an afternoon ride, we're watching Kentucky overpower Western Kentucky. Yay.

Nothing to report housewise, except that everything seems undisturbed despite a lot of extra foot traffic nearby because a festival downtown this weekend.

The picture is the steps that will lead to the under-deck patio from just outside the garage entry door. We didn't get them from our usual materials supplier because their only set was chipped on one corner.

So Bud had to go out of town to find these last week, and when he got back, the guys discovered that the steps are so heavy and unwieldy that manpower alone (even though we had a lot of it) wasn't enough to get them unloaded from the back of his truck.

Our usual supplier was nice enough to send a forklift over to save the day (also probably saving Bud, Jimmy, Gary and the painters from serious injury).

Day 387: Sept. 26, 2008

2008-09-26T23:18:00.005-04:00

day387
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Painting and deck stuff. Other miscellaneous things, like the guys hung the mirror in the closet room.

Now that the great-room floor has dried, it turns out that the spot is still there. So it looks like Chester's coming back again.

The picture is the blocks that will form a retaining wall around the patio under the deck. That's on the agenda for next week.

Day 386: Sept. 25, 2008

2008-09-25T20:35:00.004-04:00

day386
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Bud picked up some pre-cast concrete steps for the patio under the deck today. Gary and Jimmy continued deck work.

Two of the painters stayed at work staining the underside of the deck, while Robert painted and caulked the half-moon attic window.

Chester stopped by in the afternoon and refinished the great room floor. Jesse checked all the wiring in the kitchen.

Bud and I walked through a house a couple of doors down that will be auctioned next weekend. A couple of owners ago, it belonged to his other grandparents, his mother's parents.

Day 385: Sept. 24, 2008

2008-09-25T08:10:00.005-04:00

day385
Originally uploaded by budandmary

We now have all three central units -- the original one, which controls the original furnace and the temperature in the first floor of the old part of the house; a new one to control the entire upstairs; and a second new one to control the addition. Here's hoping they're all very efficient.

Jesse is supposed to return Thursday to do the electrical part, so it's possible that we'll have air conditioning by tomorrow afternoon.

I chose a fabric and ordered the window seat for the closet room. It should be ready in a couple of weeks at most, I think.

Chester, the floor guy, apparently made it back yesterday afternoon. He installed the thresholds, which look good -- although we may need to do a little something to even up the one between the original house and the kitchen.

He also took a shot at fixing the pool of urethane in the living room. That didn't work out so well, so he's going to come back and reseal the whole floor.

Day 384: Sept. 23, 2008

2008-09-24T13:06:00.003-04:00

day384
Originally uploaded by budandmary

More staining. More railings. One of the central air/heating units is finally in place! One more to go.

Bud and I ended up behind Jimmy in a drive-thru line at lunch. When we got to the pick-up window, Jimmy already had paid for our lunch. So nice. (But sneaky!)

Day 383: Sept. 22, 2008

2008-09-23T00:20:00.005-04:00

day383
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Don, a friend of Bud's, died last night in a motorcycle accident. He was driving down a four-lane highway, and a car pulled out of a gas station and into his path. From the looks of things, he never had time to react.

We didn't see Don often, but ironically, we'd just run into him a couple of times recently. He was on both the poker runs I wrote about over the past few weeks, and he actually helped organize the one that benefited the animal rescue. He was a good guy.

At the house, Gary and Jimmy put up more railing, and the painters continued to stain the deck. Bud used caulk to seal the backs of the lighting fixtures on the deck stairs. "Looks like the circus came to town," Bud said the first time we saw all the light leaking from the underside of the steps.

One of the electrician's helpers stopped by and apparently fixed the power to the dishwasher. But when I tried to test it, it didn't fill with water. Sigh. Back to the drawing board.

Day 382: Sept. 21, 2008

2008-09-22T05:38:00.003-04:00

Most of the day, Bud and I cleaned up the house and yard. We hope the remaining subcontractors will take the hint and begin to treat the place like a home instead of a construction site.

I had planned to give the dishwasher a whirl, just to make sure it works correctly, but I guess it won't have power until Jesse comes back to finish up the electric.

Day 381: Sept. 20, 2008

2008-09-20T21:03:00.007-04:00

valleyview
Originally uploaded by budandmary

At the house this morning, Bud removed the construction trash from the front yard. I took the pot rack that I'd almost forgotten from the garage to the kitchen, so the guys don't forget to hang it.

This afternoon, we rode the motorcycles to a fall festival, a trip that included a ferry ride we usually try to do a couple of times a year.

Nice day, nice ride. It was a good way to find some time to contemplate the happiness in Kirby's life, rather than dwelling on the sadness of the past few days.

Day 380: Sept. 19, 2008

2008-09-20T20:55:00.003-04:00

day380
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Gary and Jimmy finished the replacement railings on the front porch this morning and started on the deck railings.

The siding guys finished putting up the shutters. The painters were touching up everything they could find.

Bud suggested a weekend trip, in our usual get-out-town-to-take-your-mind-off-the-bad-news style. But both of us slept so little Thursday night that we weren't up to trying to hit the road Friday after work. So we went out for sushi instead.

Day 379: Sept. 18, 2008

2008-09-18T20:44:00.003-04:00

day379
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Gary and Jimmy have been building the lower posts and railings for the front porch this week. They're not quite finished, but you wouldn't believe the things they've had to do to match the sizes on the original porch railing!

We have pictures of a baby Bud standing on one of the lower posts that used to be there. His dad removed them -- Bud guesses because keeping them painted became too much trouble -- but we love the way they looked, so we're putting them back.

Robert, the painter, has started putting sealer on the deck. The plumber came back today and fixed the smelly water problem, which was a relief. We're not sure what's become of the HVAC guys, but they're not finished yet.

The new shutters starting going up today. I didn't look carefully enough to see if they're all installed yet.

I forgot to mention in Tuesday's post that I called Bryan again to try to get an estimate on when he'll be back. He says four weeks. Guess we won't be truly in for at least a month, huh?

Day 378: Sept. 17, 2008

2008-09-17T21:27:00.014-04:00

kirbybw
Originally uploaded by budandmary

We said goodbye to Kirby today.

Fourteen is up there for a dog, and she had been showing her age lately. She was getting thinner and thinner, didn't want to eat, could hardly see a thing.

It wasn't easy to accept those changes in Kirby. I chose her from the animal shelter for my birthday in 1996, when she was 2 and I was 24. We went through a lot together, and I continued to think of her as a young girl. (I know she wouldn't appreciate being just a couple of blog posts away from a cat!)

This morning, she was so weak she couldn't stand. After I spent some time snuggling her and talking with her, we took her to the vet and sent her to Rainbow Bridge.

She's buried in a nice shady spot under a couple of trees in our new back yard, where we can visit her often and remind her what a good girl she is.

Day 377: Sept. 16, 2008

2008-09-17T21:12:00.003-04:00

day377
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Gary and Jimmy continued replacing trim. When there wasn't enough old trim leftover to surround the door from the hall to the downstairs bathroom, Bud took Gary to a new source, the second floor of the building where my office is located.

Decades ago, Bud's dad was the owner and publisher of the newspaper where I work now. (Bud's grandfather bought it in 1921.) Bud's dad and Bud's aunt sold the paper to a newspaper group in the early 1970s, but they still owned the building -- so we own it now.

Above the newspaper office were several more office spaces, including Bud's grandmother's hat shop -- where Bud and Gary found trim very similar to what's in our house.

It's not easy to see in this picture, but C.E. Bond, the guy who built our house near the turn of the century, signed the back of this trim piece, which Bud and Gary borrowed from the office for our bathroom door!

Day 376: Sept. 15, 2008

2008-09-15T19:10:00.004-04:00

day376
Originally uploaded by budandmary

While Bud made sawdust of the fallen trees today, one of the wild cats that roams through our yard kept him company.

When we stopped by the house in the winter, we even saw her lying on the front porch a couple of times. We just call her “the gray one.” LOL. We probably can do better.

Jimmy was sick today, but Gary worked on trim. We chose a color to stain the deck (dark brown), and Bud thinks the siding guys may have finished up the columns.

The HVAC guys are supposed to place the central heating/air units tomorrow. I'm not sure whether the plumber ever reported in today.

Still no word from Bryan on when he thinks his guys will be back to fix the cabinets. Guess I'll call him again tomorrow.

Day 375: Sept. 14, 2008

2008-09-14T21:21:00.007-04:00

day375
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Some of the remnants of Hurricane Ike arrived today, which made for an adventurous motorcycle ride to breakfast. Gusty winds have a tendency to move you in directions you weren't expecting.

This evening, we found that we had lost one tree in the back lot -- but only because part of a neighbor's tree fell on it.

In disgusting house news, I cleaned the downstairs toilet, which someone had used before the plumbing was ready. Blech. We also started working on the dirty tub, but we had to cut it short when I accidentally turned on the hot water. Long story.

Just before we started the remodel last year, we discovered that the hot water had developed a horrible sulfury smell. Last week when I cleaned the sinks, I noticed that it's still there. The plumber's supposed to be back Monday to troubleshoot.

Here's hoping the HVAC guys are there Monday too, as scheduled. Nothing would help us more than some air conditioning!

The photo is the deck at night, by the way.

Day 374: Sept. 13, 2008

2008-09-14T21:08:00.005-04:00

day374
Originally uploaded by budandmary

When we got home from the volleyball game Friday night, we were greeted by lights on the deck steps. Hooray!

We did part of a poker run today to benefit a local animal rescue program. It started late, and we had an appointment with the interior-shutter measurement guy, so we only made it to the first stop before we headed home.

Speaking of measuring for plantation shutters -- wow, that was a hot couple of hours! But we have our order forms now, which we're supposed to take to Lowe's on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.

The shutters should arrive in four to six weeks -- either at the installer's warehouse or, more conveniently, at our house, depending on whether the company will agree to ship them to us.

Happy anniversary to Linda and Bill! If I'm counting correctly, this makes 23 years!

Day 373: Sept. 12, 2008

2008-09-14T20:56:00.005-04:00

day373
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Lots of inside stuff going on today. Most important, the medicine cabinets are finally installed! They look great, and the mirrors are huge! (The picture is the downstairs bathroom -- with the back stairs reflected in the mirror.)

The other bath accessories went up too -- towel racks and rings, robe hooks, toilet paper holders. And the rest of the doorstops found their homes also.

Outside, siding is still going up. We chose exterior shutters Thursday. Actually not much of a choice -- we just went with exact replacements for what's already there and decided how many more to add.

In an exceptionally warm Memorial Coliseum, we watched the Kentucky volleyball team defeat Indiana. We'd love to go back if someone could find the thermostat.

Day 372: Sept. 11, 2008

2008-09-11T21:13:00.005-04:00

day372
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday, dear Laura.
Happy birthday to you!

For Laura's birthday, I got to see her! And Lance. And even Louis.

Gary, Jimmy and Bud installed the light fixtures on the steps. Jesse hasn't been back to wire them, but we're all really excited to see them lighted.

I think I forgot to mention that we passed our final plumbing inspection Tuesday. Not quite ready for the electrical yet, though.

Day 371: Sept. 10, 2008

2008-09-10T18:57:00.006-04:00

day371
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Gary and Jimmy installed the storm door today. Not an easy job, apparently. But it's finished, and it looks great.

While they were slaving over the door, Bud and I slogged through another errand day.

We visited two block places to find capstones for the deck columns. After all that driving, we ordered from the first place we had been. The stones won't be in for three weeks.

While we were close, we stopped by Lowe's because the representative who's supposed to measure for our plantation shutters hadn't called yet. We talked to him this afternoon and made an appointment for Saturday afternoon.

The electrician's helper worked on the deck lights late in the afternoon. Looks like he finished a few.

I cleaned out the sinks when I stopped by the house this evening for photos. The tub is so covered in dust and dirt that I think we should vacuum it before I turn on the water!

Day 370: Sept. 9, 2008

2008-09-10T07:15:00.012-04:00

day370
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Gary and Jimmy put one of the medicine cabinets together this afternoon. You can just see the corner of the other cabinet door in this photo -- it's not attached to the rest of the cabinet yet.

They also replaced some warped deck boards and cut holes for the lighting fixtures on the garage-side steps.

Bryan stopped by today and agreed to fix the too-shallow area around the refrigerator.

He'll also replace the panels and trim that surround the wall oven -- because that area is connected to the refrigerator compartment by the arch over the French doors (which means that the beadboard on the ceiling between the arch and the wall will have to be replaced with bigger panels too).

Such a mound of rework! Now you know why I was so stressed.

Day 369: Sept. 8, 2008

2008-09-08T21:20:00.004-04:00

day369
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Gary and Jimmy continued to work on the holes for light fixtures on the deck steps. They also tried a few post caps on for size.

Robert, the painter, is out of town this week, but he'll stain the deck when he gets back.

The guys also installed the laundry room windows, which were the right size this time. That's it for windows. So at least something's finished. (Or at least we think it is. Is anything ever really finished on this project? Probably all the new windows will crack or fall out or something tomorrow.)

I called Bryan this morning. He and Billy, the lead cabinet installer, are supposed to stop by tomorrow morning.

Day 368: Sept. 7, 2008

2008-09-07T19:46:00.003-04:00

One of the Roman shades I ordered last week arrived Saturday, so we stopped by the house this afternoon to check the fit and color. The second size should arrive tomorrow, and the other two (which are the same two sizes in a different color) were on back order 'til later in the week.

That's it for excitement at the House of Naps today.

Day 367: Sept. 6, 2008

2008-09-06T23:58:00.006-04:00

blimp
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Along with our neighbor Mark, we went on a poker run to benefit Kentucky's Healing Field, a memorial honoring military members who've died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The memorial, which features a flag and plaque for each person who is honored, was dedicated a little less than a year ago. This past spring, high winds destroyed almost all of the flagpoles. The run raised more than $9,000 to rebuild the memorial.

Bud and I had horrible poker hands, as usual -- although not bad enough to win "worst hand" honors. Mark got two pair, but that wasn't enough to score one of the two plaques for the best hands.

At our last stop before the run concluded, we watched the sky as the Goodyear blimp flew overhead. (It was much closer than it appears in this phone picture.) We wondered if it was going to the Kentucky game, but that's not exactly the direction it was headed.

Day 366: Sept. 5, 2008

2008-09-05T16:11:00.005-04:00

lanceplays
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Once in a while, my phone alerts me to a picture mail from Laura that is almost as good as seeing Lance in person. While we were on vacation, she sent this video of her tiny virtuoso in concert.

Not much to say about the house today. It rained this morning, and everyone went home.

Bryan e-mailed me with a couple of plans for fixing the kitchen. Bud and I are discussing what we want to try.

Day 365: Sept. 4, 2008

2008-09-04T21:57:00.005-04:00

day365
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Welcome to one year! It would be fitting to report some big breakthough or exciting accomplishment for the day, but as you can probably guess, I have none.

Gary and Jimmy continued to work on the deck. They placed the fixtures for the lighting in the posts. They also cut the holes in the driveway-side steps for the lights that will go there.

Bud suggested tonight that we install lights in the garage-side steps too, so we visited a couple of Lowe's store and managed to scrounge up enough fixtures.

The replacement top for the downstairs vanity arrived today. I tried to look it over carefully before the installers left. I didn't see anything, but Bud found a tiny scratch after they were gone. I think we can live with that.

Still haven't heard back from Bryan. I left him a voicemail this morning.

Day 364: Sept. 3, 2008

2008-09-04T08:34:00.003-04:00

More work on the deck today. Bud and I went back to Lowe's to request an appointment for measuring the windows where we've decided to put plantation shutters.

We also went to the dentist. Woo hoo. It was my first day back to work -- so I was glad to stay just half the day, even though the reason I left was to get my teeth cleaned.

The replacement vanity top is scheduled to arrive Thursday morning. No word from Bryan yet on a cabinet solution.

Day 363: Sept. 2, 2008

2008-09-02T18:54:00.004-04:00

day363
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Gary and Jimmy said they can't recess the refrigerator into the wall for lots of reasons -- from the structure of the house beyond the wall to the fact that plumbing and electrical are already inside it.

So after we talked to them this morning, I called Bryan, who's supposed to call back with his possible solution.

We took care of some other house errands this afternoon.

We picked up the storm door from Lowe's and delivered it the garage. While Bud prepared the deck lights for the guys, I went back to Lowe's to return one of the lights that didn't have its lens cover.

We also picked up the bottoms to the dining room chairs from the refinishing place and took them to be reupholstered. While we were near Lowe's again, we checked on interior shutters.

Then we went back to the house, did some rough measuring on the windows and decided it's beyond ridiculously expensive to put the shutters on all of them. So we're thinking we'll do a combination of shutters and Roman shades.

Last step: Back to Lowe's to turn in our 'Measurement Estimate Request Worksheet,' so that someone will come take measurements. We have to take a piece of trim too so we can choose a paint color.

I already ordered a couple of different sizes and colors of shades for us to try.

Oh, almost forgot the picture. The siding subcontractors started working on the columns today.

Day 362: Sept. 1, 2008

2008-09-02T18:33:00.005-04:00

day362
Originally uploaded by budandmary

So, about the refrigerator. See the picture? That's as far as it goes into the cabinetry! Not cool.

The whole thing sticks out about 8 inches. Part of that is the doors, which obviously need room to open. But more than 4 1/2 inches of it is refrigerator body! It looks awful.

I can't stand to be in the house right now because it makes me so mad!

Day 361: Aug. 31, 2008

2008-09-01T16:41:00.004-04:00

day361
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Time to head home. The trip around Chicago on I-294 may have been the worst part. I thought it would never end!

After a late lunch somewhere mid-Indiana, Bud's idle cable broke!

We were nervous the rest of the way home, each planning what we'd do if the throttle cable gave way too. (It's happened to him before. He coasted to a stop, and that was all she wrote.)

Luckily, we made it into the driveway with no further problems. After we unpacked, we delivered the bikes back to the other garage and took a few quick pictures of what happened while we were away.

As you can see, most of the columns for the deck are built. Inside, plumbing is started and lots of doorstops have been installed. There may be more to tell, but we were too tired to notice lots details.

One detail wasn't so great: the fit of the refrigerator into the cabinets.

Day 360: Aug. 30, 2008

2008-09-01T16:18:00.009-04:00

jellybelly
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Bruuuuuuuuce! We concluded our trip with a Bruce Springsteen concert on the lakefront in Milwaukee. That was one crowded place!

Unfortunately, my camera-phone photos left so much to the imagination that they weren't even worth posting. For a set list, scroll to the bottom of this page.

Earlier in the day, we toured the Jelly Belly plant in Pleasant Prairie, Wisc. It was really just a trip around the warehouse (see the photo), so we think all of the actual candy-making must take place in California.

We also zipped over to the Chicago Harley shop for a couple of shirts before napping briefly to get set for the concert.

As we pulled out of the parking lot after the concert, the police officer directing traffic told Bud to turn on his headlight -- which was strange because it's supposed come on automatically when you start the bike.

Turned out that the low beam was out -- so Bud hit the high-beam button, probably to the annoyance of a few drivers, and we pulled onto I-94 once again.

We had decided to take a back road home, hopping off the interstate just before we reached the construction zone. That turned out to be a better plan than we could have dreamed because before we got back to the hotel, Bud's high-beam light stopped working too!

So for the final 15 or 20 miles, headlightless Bud followed me, trying to use my headlight to see and unable to avoid quite a few potholes in the darkness.

When we got back to the room in the wee hours of Sunday morning, we packed and showered so we could hit the road for home when we got up.

Day 359: Aug. 29, 2008

2008-09-01T16:09:00.005-04:00

marywisc
Originally uploaded by budandmary

All business today. Lots of ABCs of Touring photos to get!

Traveling back and forth from our hotel to Milwaukee on I-94, we hadn't noticed a 'Welcome to Wisconsin' sign. Maybe that's because of all the construction.

Anyway, we decided to take a photo at a Harley dealership for our Wisconsin photo. So there I am at Racine Harley-Davidson.

We also visited the Buell motorcycle factory in East Troy, Wisc.; the Powertrain Operations plant in Wauwatosa, Wisc., which was particularly difficult to find, even though it was right there; the Harley headquarters on Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee; and the new Harley museum on Canal Street in Milwaukee.

We couldn't go into the museum because entry was by lottery draw during the 105th celebration. But we visited the store and had dinner at the restaurant.

We also stopped by main festival grounds on the lakefront before a dark, chilly ride back to the hotel.

Day 358: Aug. 28, 2008

2008-09-01T15:52:00.005-04:00

budclub
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Thursday morning brought rain. But we were OK with that because we were ready for some rest.

After some great Chicago pizza for lunch, we set off for the 25th anniversary event for the Harley Owners Group. There, we took pictures (like this one of Bud) for ABCs of Touring, looked around a bit and bought a couple of shirts.

We didn't stay very long because there was more rain the forecast, and we knew the place would be a madhouse of scrambling motorcyclists as soon as the first raindrop fell.

Back in Kentucky, Brian and Janie welcomed Eliza Jane to the world.

Day 357: Aug. 27, 2008

2008-09-01T15:39:00.010-04:00

maryiro
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Before leaving Purdue behind, we stopped at the nearest Sprint store to buy a home charger for our phones -- seeing as how both of ours remained on the kitchen counter from Monday night's charging session.

We also talked to Jimmy, who said the shower doors were looking good so far.

And then we were off -- toward Iroquois County in Illinois (which is where I'm standing the photo) and then to the Indiana-Michigan line for a Michigan photo.

Along the way, we encountered those huge electricity-generating windmills for the second time. (The first was on our quick trip to Iowa last year.)

Something about those windmills captivates to me. They're huge, and I understand that there are issues with them disturbing the migratory patterns of birds. I'd guess some locals dislike them as much as I abhor mountaintop-removal mining in eastern Kentucky.

But I love the windmills anyway. We took pictures, but they don't do any better a job than TV in conveying just how massive the darn things are. Stopping to take the photos felt like meeting a celebrity.

So we finally made it to the hotel, which was actually in the northern suburbs of Chicago -- about 60 miles or so from Milwaukee. We ventured out for dinner and found a great sushi place. Huge! With five sushi chefs!

Day 356: Aug. 26, 2008

2008-09-01T15:20:00.007-04:00

wabashbud
Originally uploaded by budandmary

After breakfast with Jamie and Allyson, we waited around all morning for the marble fix-it crew to arrive. But when we got a call that it would be later than 1:30 p.m. before they showed up, we headed off on our vacation, leaving Jimmy and Gary to handle the vanity problems.

The guys had begun building one of the columns for the deck before we left.

Motorcycles loaded and no rain in the forecast, we began our trip to Milwaukee for Harley-Davidson's 105th anniversary celebration -- our first-ever longer-than-overnight trip on the bikes.

Bud had a few ABCs of Touring photos scheduled along the way, so on the first day, we only went as far as Lafayette, Ind., near Purdue University.

In the photo, Bud checks out the Wasbash River, which runs through Purdue's campus, after our great dinner at 9 Irish Brothers, recommended to us by a really helpful clerk at the local Harley shop.

Jimmy left a voicemail in the late afternoon that the marble guys weren't able to fix the pit in the marble, so they'll be cutting a new top. No word yet on when it will arrive.

Day 355: Aug. 25, 2008

2008-08-26T05:23:00.015-04:00

zoom
Originally uploaded by budandmary

To save you from death by boredom brought on by concrete photos, here's a quick shot of Bud slipping up the driveway behind me on my motorcycle as I was capturing yet another fascinating picture of the millstones.

But don't breathe too easily, those stones (now free of duct tape) could be tomorrow's photo.

Bud and I did a walk-through to check out the floors this morning in anticipation of Chester's arrival. Apparently, we were a little to eager because he didn't come back today.

The good news is the only mistake we found was a small, dried puddle of urethane in the great room that I already had noticed Friday evening.

Jimmy and I also walked through, placing the doorstops in the correct locations. Several more that were on back order are scheduled to arrive soon.

Gary and Jimmy removed the forms from the concrete before a huge rain blew in. Courtesy of that storm, we spent an hour and half in the dark at work. Bleh. Nothing like wasted time on a Monday.

The marble shop crew is supposed to be back Tuesday mid- to late morning. I'm still hoping they can repair the flaws, but if they can't, at least we'll know that and they can get started cutting a new slab.

Jamie and Allyson are in town, so Bud visited with Jamie while I was at work today. Then the four of us had dinner before I headed back for a few more hours at the office.

Day 354: Aug. 24, 2008

2008-08-25T09:52:00.004-04:00

Not so much to tell. Cleaned a bit. Tried to make sense of the dining room. Things are in more upheaval than usual in there now that there's no table on which to stack them. Here's hoping for enough room to organize this stuff in the new house!

Day 353: Aug. 23, 2008

2008-08-23T22:15:00.005-04:00

day352b
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Bud and I escorted our neighbor Mark on his first poker run today. The proceeds from the run will benefit children with special needs, which is an even more important cause to us these days because of Lance.

It didn't rain. That's the good news. In fact, it was pretty much the complete opposite of rain -- hot! Temperatures in the mid-90s.

So when we drew our final cards and decided none of us probably would win either highest or lowest hand, we called it quits without riding the final leg of the run.

Maybe we would have won lots of door prizes at the last stop. We'll never know, but by the time we left, air conditioning was prize enough for us.

The photo is the medicine cabinets' first coat of paint Friday. (Mark took pictures today, but we didn't, not even with our phones.)

Day 352: Aug. 22, 2008

2008-08-23T04:13:00.009-04:00

day352
Originally uploaded by budandmary

See. Concrete. I told you.

The guys poured this morning. It was a hot and sweaty job, but they made it through. Bud said Gary and Jimmy liked this driver's mix and precision so much that they tipped him!

Now we have this slab for the side deck steps, one between and garage and the back of the deck, and one for the new central heating/air units.

The floors got their final coat of urethane this afternoon. Now all that remains for Chester is the thresholds.

Robert happened to stop by (as he does frequently), so he put a first coat of white paint on the medicine cabinets.

The misunderstanding of the day was pretty big. The marble shop crew stopped by to look at the downstairs vanity, and Chester apparently chased them away because he was ready to put down that final urethane!

Now they'll be back either Tuesday or Wednesday. Who needs plumbing anyway, right?

Day 351: Aug. 21, 2008

2008-08-21T21:07:00.005-04:00

day351
Originally uploaded by budandmary

OK, so I was two days ahead on my concrete estimate. The trucks are supposed to arrive tomorrow at 10 a.m. I swear.

We're dining room table-less right now. Bud and I loaded it up just before lunch, and he delivered to the same refinisher who did the front door.

Tomorrow, he's taking the sideboard and the chairs. So I get to choose new upholstery for the chair bottoms. That's one I hadn't anticipated, so I'm sort of excited. Yay!

Gary made the medicine cabinet doors today. Chester put another coat of sealant on the floors.

The shower-door guy finally called me back. He said they have installation scheduled for next week. At least the floors will be dry by then.

The marble shop repair crew is supposed to arrive between 1 and 4 pm. tomorrow. I really hope they don't have to take the top away, but I'm still not optimistic.

Day 350: Aug. 20, 2008

2008-08-20T18:22:00.004-04:00

day350
Originally uploaded by budandmary

My speculation was only a day off. Gary and Jimmy finished the forms today and are planning to pour concrete tomorrow.

Bud suggested a while back that we take two millstones that used to lie in the back yard (where the garage is now) and set them in the concrete walk from the driveway to the deck.

So there they are in the picture, ready to have concrete poured around them. The duct tape is to keep the concrete off their faces.

The first coat of sealant went on the floors today. When I talked to Jimmy this afternoon, he said Chester plans to do another tomorrow and the final coat Friday. That way, the house can be closed all weekend so the floors will have plenty of time to dry.

The marble shop guys didn't come back today to check the vanity top. They're now scheduled for Friday. When I cleaned the top this morning, I found a natural flaw, kind of a pit. So now I'm less confident they'll be able to repair it on site.

Day 349: Aug. 19, 2008

2008-08-19T19:35:00.004-04:00

day349
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Well, it's all floors, medicine cabinets and deck now, so get ready for the land of redundancy when it comes to photos.

First, the floors. Looks like everything's sanded, except the front stairs -- so we're a little confused about whether Chester thinks he's doing those. He told Bud this afternoon that the final coat of urethane (or whatever he's using) should go on Sunday or Monday.

The medicine cabinets just need doors and paint now.

Gary and Jimmy did some more deck work today. I only stopped by at lunch, but it seemed that they were working on the concrete forms again. Maybe they'll pour tomorrow. Maybe not. Just speculatin'.

Forgot to mention yesterday that when I pulled into the driveway at lunch, the car in front of me was someone from the PVA office. You'd think they could have waited 'til we were finished.

Day 348: Aug. 18, 2008

2008-08-18T22:12:00.005-04:00

day348
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Just as I was walking out the door for work this morning, "Money Talks" blasted from Bud's cell phone. It's the ringtone for Jimmy, who was clearing out the house because the floor guys were starting to sand this morning at 9.

So the end is nigh, I guess. Jimmy thinks it could take the rest of the week on the floors, then they'll need to dry.

After that, we've still got plumbing, medicine cabinets, final floor trim, some other trim, final painting (including the big hole in the wall where we ran the three-way wiring from the laundry room to the downstairs bath), those two windows that were the wrong size, installation of the air conditioning units. And probably some other stuff I've forgotten.

But it's amazing that the list takes up a paragraph instead of 300ish blog entries.

And, of course, there's still the deck. But that won't keep us from cleaning up and moving in.

Day 347: Aug. 17, 2008

2008-08-17T22:01:00.003-04:00

jelly
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Jelly day. Lots of work, but the results are tasty.

If we get many more grapes this year, we may try wine. I've never made it before, and Bud says he's accidentally made vinegar in the past. So that project might not turn out as well as the grape-flavored sugar gel we just finished.

Only one way to get experience, though.

Day 346: Aug. 16, 2008

2008-08-17T21:59:00.003-04:00

day345b
Originally uploaded by budandmary

So, the photo is the long-awaited closet island countertop -- with one drawer of the island slightly open for some reason. We're already not closing drawers. What's new?

Bud and I joined the fam at the farm today to celebrate the birthdays of Dad and Bill, Linda's husband. The big news was that Bill's son, Chris, bought a motorcycle Thursday.

At the house, Gary worked on the medicine cabinets a little more. He also installed the knobs on the French doors and the downstairs linen closet.

At home, Bud picked grapes and I did laundry. There's jelly in our future.

Day 345: Aug. 15, 2008

2008-08-15T21:57:00.005-04:00

day345
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Finally. The vanity tops. (And the closet island top.)

They look great! The only problem is a scratch on the downstairs vanity. In this picture, it's toward the front and to the left of the sink opening -- maybe about where the sawdust is disturbed.

I called Michelle, and she says the installers will be back Wednesday to determine whether it can be polished out or whether they'll have to bring a whole new top.

Bud mowed and trimmed our many yards today. He also dropped off his motorcycle for new tires.

More replacement windows went in. Turns out the last two, the ones for the laundry room, are too big. We hope they can get the right sizes to us quickly.

Day 344: Aug. 14, 2008

2008-08-14T22:52:00.004-04:00

day344
Originally uploaded by budandmary

More replacement windows.

I think that's pretty much it today. I didn't get by the house while Gary and Jimmy were there, and Bud didn't either.

Michelle from the marble shop called tonight to let us know we're first on the delivery schedule tomorrow. Woohoo!

Day 343: Aug. 13, 2008

2008-08-13T21:29:00.003-04:00

day343
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Gary and Jimmy installed replacement windows today, and the vinyl siding guys went right behind them replacing trim.

Bud and I picked up the newly resized glass shelves. They came from the same place that's providing our shower doors, so we asked about those while we were there. The shower door guy wasn't in though, so I'll try to remember to call him tomorrow.

Countdown to vanity tops: T-36 hours (or so).

Day 342: Aug. 12, 2008

2008-08-13T07:29:00.003-04:00

day342
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Gary and Jimmy built most of forms that will hold the concrete at the base of the deck columns.

The towel racks and other bath accessories arrived -- except for the towel rings, which are on back order, according to the invoice. (That's the first I'd heard of that news!)

Bud visited the Corvette assembly plant this morning. He managed to find the only ZR1 currently being built in whole plant, which made him happy.

It was Tuesday, so I worked a lot.

Day 341: Aug. 11, 2008

2008-08-11T18:59:00.004-04:00

day341
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Things seemed a little slow around the house today.

Jesse installed the range hood. Set on the highest level, the fan on that thing could cause a tornado!

Gary started building the medicine cabinets. Turns out the size he gave us for the glass shelves was too long, so Bud took those back this afternoon to be trimmed a bit.

Jimmy wasn't there. Not sure why.

UPS delivered the knobs for the linen closet while I was home for lunch. And when I looked around the house this evening, I saw that the knobs for the doors between the kitchen and the rest of the house have arrived too. (None of either are installed yet.)

Bud went on his third Patriot Guard mission this morning, the funeral of another Vietnam veteran.

Day 339-340: Aug. 9-10, 2008

2008-08-10T22:50:00.015-04:00

Not much in the way of house news this weekend. Gary said he was going to work on the medicine cabinets, but we saw that the mirror and glass shelves were still in the garage, so we don't think that actually happened.

Bud suggested a couple of weeks ago that we join the Patriot Guard. This weekend was our first opportunity to go on a ride with them.

And we started big, by doing rides both days. The first was a service for a World War II veteran whose remains had sat unclaimed in a funeral home for 15 years. The second was the funeral of a Vietnam Veteran and fellow Patriot Guard rider.

Although we took the camera, we were so busy trying to figure out the routine that we (surprise!) didn't remember to take photos. And actually, on the second day, I didn't even realize we still had the camera in Bud's bag.

I'm sending good thoughts to Lance, who underwent a minor outpatient surgery Friday (unrelated to his spina bifida), and to Brian and Janie, who are doing everything they can to keep little Eliza Jane from making her debut a bit too early.

Day 338: Aug. 8, 2008

2008-08-10T22:50:00.014-04:00

day338
Originally uploaded by budandmary

As we hoped, the return of the front door was cause for celebration. It's beautiful! Such an improvement from the flaking white paint.

Bud, Gary and Jimmy put it back on the hinges without incident -- which relieved us all, especially Bud, who was certain the glass (original and beveled!) would get broken even before he delivered it safely to the house.

If Lowe's isn't turning a nice profit, it's not our fault. This time Bud and I contributed to the bottom line by purchasing a custom size storm door -- 42 inches by 84 inches -- to protect our latest pride and joy.

Gary and Jimmy re-installed the downstairs linen closet doors. Depending on what else goes on this week, their picture may make the blog yet.

Day 337: Aug. 7, 2008

2008-08-07T22:02:00.006-04:00

day337
Originally uploaded by budandmary

Bud, Gary and Jimmy added steps and landings to the back deck stairs today.

If you knew how uneasy heights make me, you'd understand why this photo isn't so great. Hanging onto a post at the edge of the deck and holding the camera out as far as I can reach isn't my idea of a good time.

The front door is supposed to return tomorrow. I'm eager to see it installed because I'm having a tough time picturing the house with an oak-colored door. I'm just so accustomed to seeing the white.

No news is probably bad news when it comes to the vanities. I'm guessing since I haven't heard anything more from the marble shop, that means the tops won't ready any earlier than the end of next week -- even though our designer was supposed to give me a call either way.

Day 336: Aug. 6, 2008

2008-08-06T22:57:00.003-04:00

day336
Originally uploaded by budandmary

I spent the day being called on way too much during an InDesign/Photoshop seminar. Fortunately, Bud and the guys have something more than a headache to show for their work.

You can see their big progress in the photo. All I managed to do housewise was confirm that the vanity tops actually won't arrive for a week and a half. Not exactly a premium contribution.

(And, for the record, the seminar wasn't bad. It's just that every time I attend one with this particular lecturer, I end up as the unwilling teacher's pet. No chance to relax because as soon as my mind wanders slightly, I'm supposed to be answering another question. Way to stress up an otherwise fun and useful session.)

Day 335: Aug. 5, 2008

2008-08-06T08:08:00.003-04:00

Well, I took a picture of the linen closet doors, but I haven't uploaded it. So instead of that, you get nothing!

Gary, Jimmy and Bud started working on the deck's other set of steps today. They didn't get far before a big batch of rain and wind wrapped the day.

In even slower news, Jimmy said the marble place now says the vanity tops won't be delivered for two weeks!

Day 334: Aug. 4, 2008

2008-08-05T04:28:00.004-04:00

day334
Originally uploaded by budandmary

It's hard to know what to photograph these days. Mostly, the changes are so minor that they're hard to show you.

Gary and Jimmy continued trim-type work inside today, and the painters seemed to be following right behind them. So rather than take another picture of the back stairs, this time fully painted and sporting quarter-round molding, I shot Jesse's deck wiring from several days ago.

Prepare yourself. If the vanity tops don't arrive tomorrow, you'll probably get another shot of the linen closet doors. Can you stand it?

Days 332-333: Aug. 2-3, 2008

2008-08-03T22:27:00.005-04:00

cunnfalls
Originally uploaded by budandmary

We made a quick trip this weekend to see Jamie and Allyson and to deliver Jamie's birthday gifts. With so much time on the road, we didn't get an extended visit, but we enjoyed their company during dinner Saturday night and breakfast Sunday morning before we set sail for home.

On the way up, we stopped at a couple of Harley dealerships and took a brief detour when we passed Cunningham Falls State Park in Maryland. We hiked up to the falls, which looked pretty dry compared to the photo on the informational marker nearby.

After we got home Sunday night, we measured at the house so we could order bath accessories (towel rings, etc.). And because those are coming from Rejuvenation, we also threw a few reproduction push-button light switches on the order.