Cat House

You gotta love neighbors. One of ours is very particular about his property. VERY particular. I'm being diplomatic here, so work with me. Our neighborhood is transitional. It was once quite nice, and then quite scary, and now is seeing a very welcome resurgence due to some significant investment on the part of the nearby University and the inherent charm of the era in which the neighborhood was built... think gumwood trim and leaded glass and beautiful hardwood floors. This particular neighbor and his wife have lived next door for forty years or more, are older (about retirement age) and they are very alert to all things going on in the vicinity. Are you getting the picture?

There are quite a few stray cats around here, and while the Mr. and I don't feed them, we are happy to have them take refuge in our yard. We've never had a mouse in the house and that's saying something up here! Our neighbors all around seem to feel differently. Some even set traps and take the captives out to the country to get them away from the neighborhood. Now... over the last couple of months, we have come to realize that someone in the house next door has taken to putting out plates of food for a litter of kittens that cropped up over the summer. This behavior is definitively out of character and really kind of sweet.

Imagine my surprise when I looked out of my bedroom window last week and see this sitting in my neighbor's driveway:

Less "Build it and they will come" and more "If you keep feeding them, they'll never go away so you might as well build them a tiny house for the winter." What you are looking at there is a kitten house, custom constructed in the same yellow vinyl siding and black shingles as the house and the garage and the storage shed. It has since been moved to the side of the garage where it sits like a proper little addition. I wonder if they got planning permission for that?

Whoa.

Sorry about that. It's been a busy summer. Let me recap:

Memorial Day Weekend at Mirbeau (where we had our honeymoon)
Visit to Montreal to see Prue's first solo painting exhibition
Mom & Prue both came to us for a visit
We celebrated our second wedding anniversary
I travelled to Baltimore for a conference for work
I went to Ft. Lauderdale to visit my friend Heidi
Adam returned to Montreal for another visit
We joined our first CSA - split with Bethany & Joe
Many weeds were pulled, by many different people
There were picnics & BBQs with friends
We had a very cute brown bunny in our backyard
Rochester got a second Chipotle
Adam installed lights, ceiling fan and baseboards in the attic
The attic is finished to the point that we started moving furniture up!

I hope you have all been enjoying your summer, keeping well and thriving! I'll try to be a little more reliable with the posting from now on.

EEP! It's Spring!

Egads, when did that happen?!

This is a tree that I pass by between the parking lot and my office. We've had a very short and not particularly cold winter, and since the time change means more sunlight after 5 o'clock, I've been able to walk outside instead of using the tunnels to get around on campus. I'm looking forward to seeing more of this tree over the next month or so, and maybe even the rabbits that hang out in its vicinity.

Today was the first weekend day that was warm and dry enough to get out and start clearing the winter debris from the garden, so I got to work. One passing neighbor wished me a "Happy First Day of Spring", and I have to say it came as a shock. Not that she spoke to me (because she usually does), but that it really was the first day of spring. My garden is running about a month ahead of schedule, so I'm already behind!

In other news:

My job is going well. I've been there for just over a year now, and I'm still so glad I made the jump. My boss is out on maternity leave, so I'm looking forward to getting some time off when she returns in June...

Adam has been absolutely swamped with work, so much so that we haven't had much time for working on his new office space. We're getting some new windows installed in a couple of weeks, so perhaps that will motivate us to put in the finishing touches... we're so close!

Mom is doing well, recovering her spirit. She's seeming much more like her old self lately. Daddy has retired again, and taken off on a tour of unpronounceable locations in southeast Asia.

I believe I may have mentioned in the past that every time the Mr. goes out of town, Mother Nature takes a swipe at me. Usually it's a major snowstorm, a blackout, a flooded basement, a bat invasion... this time, she ran under the wheels of my car. I hit my first animal last night... a skunk. OF COURSE it would be a skunk! I did manage to come to a stop, so I didn't hit him very hard. I was pretty traumatized at the moment, but since I was on a highway ramp, I figured I needed to move on. As I drove away, I saw him in my rearview mirror, running off into the bushes. I'm guessing he was OK in spite of the incredible stink he left on my car. I felt so sorry for the poor kid at the car wash this morning...

One Step Closer

The carpet went in Saturday morning. It really changed the space dramatically, more than I expected. Even the cats noticed! Nori really digs it, but Filbert is still a little unsure.

Adam rewired all the outlets today. Next step is staining and installing baseboards and trim, then choosing lighting. Oh yeah, and doors for the closets. Still debating the pros & cons of new windows...

Attic Update

More progress in the attic!

Everything is primed, and the ceiling and walls are painted. It's hard to see in this light, but the color is actually a very pale taupe. A few little touch-ups and a nice accent color on the half wall at the stairwell and the painting will be done! We're now debating carpet colors and the possibility of new windows.

Four days and Flyin'

These guys mean business! It's really looking like a proper room - so exciting. We're debating paint schemes now...

It Can't be Summer Because I'm Not Sweating

So, yeah... it's been awhile. Sorry about that. We'll just call this a quick update before I head off to a BBQ at a friend's house (woo-hoo BBQ!).

My Dad stayed for about a week and even bought himself a new Old Car before he left. I believe "Daisy" has now made it safely to Texas where she is acclimating to the heat. A few days after my Dad's departure, my Mom & Adam's Mom (henceforth to be referred to as the gardeners-in-law) met up at our house for a few days worth of gardening. And there was much gratitude in the air. I haven't been out there since, but it is still massively improved! They got out almost every sprout of fennel (can I get an A-men?) and did a truly heroic amount of weeding and pruning. We got the weeping [read: falling over] cypress tied upright again, and eliminated a couple of renegade rosebushes that had popped up in the middle of other shrubs. Four - count 'em FOUR - 4.5 foot deep wheelie bins full of weeds and trimmings. *whew*

The bat exclusion people finished setting up, so now we just wait a couple of months and then they come back, take off the valves and seal up the holes. Yay - no more bats! For those who are unaware, they identify the major bat entrances/exits and place one-way valves over them so the bats can get out but not back in. They seal up all other potential entrances and wait. The bats leave to get food and are trapped outside the house. No chemicals, no dead animals, no guilt. I'm sure there's another house somewhere in the neighborhood they can get into...

Adam narrowly escaped having to make a short notice trip to Nigeria. The company he does most of his contracting with wanted him there for almost a month! Lucky for me, the logistics just didn't work out. I have filed my request for him to please not go to Nigeria again. I think my odds are fairly good on that one.

Last week, I went to lovely Chapel Hill, NC, for my first business conference - ABSAP, the Association of Business School Alumni Professionals. I wasn't sure what to expect, as the only conference I've been to before was NCECA. It was certainly different (50 people instead of 2000 - membership is limited to top tier schools), but it was actually quite fun and gratifyingly educational. The group has an amazing spirit of sharing and camaraderie that was somewhat unexpected. I guess it makes sense though, as we all do the same work, face the same challenges, share the same goals for our institutions and yet are not in any real competition. We are all trying to better engage our own alums, for the improvement of our school communities. If I haven't mentioned it before now, I absolutely LOVE being able to feel good about what I do.

Now it's back to work, but with the addition of drywallers coming to finish our attic so Adam can have better space for his office! Yay - office! We planned to do this when we bought the house three years ago, and it's only just now becoming a reality. The previous owner had started the drywalling and Adam has done a ton of work up there in preparation for this point, so once the rest of the drywall is done, it's just woodwork, paint and carpet. The picture above is the "now", and I'll post some during and after shots as we move forward.

The driveway has already been given fair warning that it is next on my list.

The Sun is Shining, the Snow is Melted, the Early Bulbs are Blooming

I believe I have mentioned (on more than one occasion) that every time the Mr. leaves town, Mother Nature takes a whack at me. Well, I'm pretty sure she's off the hook this time...

It's a small thing, really, and I'll admit I've been waiting for this to happen for a few months now. But, still. Some little rat-bag has stolen one of the super-cool, day-glo orange snowplow guide poles from our driveway. Like I said, a small thing, but WHY??? What could they possibly need it for in this beautiful weather? Is it wrong to hope that they trip and poke themselves in the gut with it?

Blogging for Warmth

So, it's been a wee bit chilly here of late. We had an exceedingly temperate summer and early fall, but I've been glad of the furnace most nights this month. On Tuesday, parts of the Rochester metropolitan (HA!) area were slated for snow, so I was not particularly surprised to wake up shivering. I got bundled up and headed downstairs. I WAS surprised when I looked at the thermostat, and the temperature in the living room was LOWER than the thermostat setting.

I raised the setting. Nothing.

I turned the thermostat off. And back on. Click. AAAAnd nothing.

Into the basement, and the furnace is definitely doing SOMETHING, but I'm not sure what.

Called Adam, "I'm cold and the heat won't come on! Help!" and on his recommendation,

Switched the thermostat to FAN. Ooh! Air... blowing! But not heat.

Eight hours later... the HVAC Man squeezes me into the end of his day. Stuck valve, unstuck ("SmartValve" = not so much). As HVAC Man says $600 to replace this genius valve on an 11 year old furnace - here's hoping it doesn't stick again. He also says that a NEW furnace would likely save us $600 in fuel costs in the first year. Any of you priced furnaces lately? nnngah...

So here's me REALLY appreciating the warmth that my laptop produces while I'm typing.

The Gift of Equity

The wedding is now behind us, and we begin to realize that this lovely weather won't hang about indefinitely, and so we get back into home improvement mode. This is our third summer in this house, and we FINALLY ordered screens so we can open our bedroom windows. It's actually a little embarrassing, now we realize how simple a task it is to pick up a phone and speak into it, and then wait for the screens to turn up. Golly geez...

I pulled out the most recently deceased evergreen, and sent off a soil sample to see why things keep dying in that location. The tests were inconclusive, but I suspect an excess of water (otherwise known as poor drainage). Oddly enough, the early bulbs all did beautifully there, but for the moment that spot is proudly featuring a big hole where two dead evergreens have now departed. Talk about curb appeal!

And last week, we got our long-awaited glass block windows in the basement! This was something we've been planning/saving for since we bought the house. I have very high hopes for these windows. They are clearly (or perhaps that would be LESS clearly) more secure than the old ones, and here's hoping more insulating against the cold.

If only the housekeeper would vaccum...

Please be Seated

Chairs! We have real and proper chairs, with cushions and all! All around the dining table! This Holiday Season, we will all be able to sit down to the table without worrying someone's chair will topple - ah, we're living the dream now!

As the vast majority of you are likely unaware, we have for the last six years been using antique wooden folding chairs around the dining table. I "rescued" them from a slow rot in the basement of a certain art center, the first year we decided to host a holiday meal at our apartment. They are quite cool for folding chairs, but genuinely old and increasingly decrepit. One of our guests last year had a very narrow escape, so we retired one of the crew and set about the quest for Dining Room Chairs.

I feel like a real live grown-up now! Reminds me of the New Year's Eve we sat around the table arguing the merits of broccoli at five minutes to midnight...

Stellaluna vs. the Dark Knight

DanananaNananana DanananaNananana... BAT BEAN!

Give that cat a treat! My little pampered Nori-bean trapped herself a BAT in our attic. Big meanie that I am, I pulled her away from it and shut the bat inside the attic. I'm sure it knows a way out. It got IN after all...

Our story begins at 3:30 AM, and our heroine is asleep at the foot of my bed. Suddenly, I am awakened by two cats launching themselves full speed off the bed and skidding into the attic door. A flurry of... wings? and GOOD LORD WHAT IS THAT NOISE!!?! I launch mySELF off the bed (only because the Mr is away on business, otherwise I'd launch him) and into the hallway, running into walls and flipping on lights as I go. Only to find Miss Nori hunched over Something on the attic stairs. And she's OFF! Up the stairs and into another corner of the stairwell, amidst much squeaking and flapping from her prey (which I still cannot see). OK. I'm calm. Promise.

FLAPPING + SQUEAKING = BAT according to my calculus.

So I'm up the stairs, grab the cat, toss her back to the landing and slam the door. Lights off, back under the covers and I'm pretending that did NOT happen, 'cause I've got to get up for work at 6am. 12 hours later, after much input from the internets, BOY am I glad the cats are up to date on all their shots! Crunchy creature that I am, I'm waiting till September to serve the eviction notice, so I can be sure any potential bat-babies have fledged. The last thing I need on my conscience is dead bat-babies in my walls.

Two days later, the basement flooded. If anyone knows just what I did to annoy Mother Nature, could you give me a clue?

Ta-DAAAH!

Well - the fence is back in place, or rather finally in the RIGHT place. And freshly painted to boot! I've been waiting all week for the sun to come out so I could get a picture, but no luck. I don't think we've had a sunny day since we took the fence down! Poor Carol, our neighbor on that side, was downright giddy with delight the day it went back up. To say nothing of three weeks may just be a record for project completion in this house! Of course, one of Adam's colleagues asked him if he'd been in a fight because his knuckles were so busted up. Ah the price we pay! I say "we" as if I actually expended some effort after the first day...

Product Placement

Tulip v2.0, brought to you by Coca-Cola and iPhone!

Adam's Version of a Shopping List

So when confronted with the need to buy a second can of paint for finishing the ongoing picket fence project, Adam wanted to be certain that he got the same as we already had. Enter the iPhone. He snaps a picture of our paint can with his phone, and uses it to remind him once at the paint aisle.

That's my guy!

Spring Cleaning Task #237: Mop the Fence

So, what with Spring having sprung, the sun making daily appearances and the garden beginning to rise up as it were, the time has come at last to get that picket fence fixed up. When we bought the house, we realized the Previous Owner had put the fence up wrong way out. Our next door neighbor is such a nice lady, and she insisted she didn't care what direction it faced, but would like to have it repainted as it was beginning to show signs of wear and weather. That was nearly two years ago now (good heavens, how did THAT happen?).

Needless to say - once we pulled the fence down to paint it and turn it around, we discovered exactly how dirty it was and that a good many pickets needed replacing (fortunately there are spares in the garage). We also realized we'd need to put down some primer before we repainted, and so you see me relieving the fence of unknown years of jet fuel dust and other grime. With the kitchen mop. I was using the dish scrubbie, but Adam suggested the mop might be more efficient. My hero!

And no, the garden hose would not have been sufficient, as jet fuel CLINGS like the very devil.

On a side note - has anyone else noticed how difficult it is to find sunscreen with zinc or titanium as the active ingredient? They all seem to have switched to those unpronounceable chemicals that give me hives (Welcome to Maui... umm, what are those spots on your arms?) and the apothecary where I bought my last bottle of Blue Lizard keeps banker's hours.

DREAMSICLE KITCHEN

Just do me a favor and imagine the fridge (which you can't see anyway), the stove (which you can just see in the lower left corner) and the dishwasher in brushed steel instead... ahhh, Dreamsicle!

ONE MORE DOWN!

We completed one more room in the house today! The guest room is officially ready for occupation! Many thanks to the generous family members who gifted us with credit at Lowe's (not to mention furniture and carpets). The kitchen (pictured in the next post) and the new guest bedroom have been the primary beneficiaries of your largesse. Note the distinct absence of mint green and royal blue...

Thank you!

We'll call it a draw...

Well at long last, green things are beginning to poke their heads above ground. We have the first flowers on our block, my neighbors have crocus-envy, and my race against the plants has officially begun! Last year I killed two boxwoods, and maimed two hollies. This year, I've almost finished off the euonymus vine! I seem to be the Angel of Evergreen Death... watch out cypress, you could be next!

Last fall, I planted about 60 early blooming bulbs one afternoon. Two hours after I put the mulch down on top, the squirrels had already eaten about half of them. This week, the ones they left behind appeared through what's left of the mulch. Looks like they got most of the crocus bulbs, but left the tulips.

I like tulips better anyways.

THERE'S NOTHING WRETCHED ABOUT IT!

The excess that is...

As you can see from the photo above, we had an EXCESSively lovely Christmas here on Raeburn Ave. Prue and Jim made the trip down, and Prue's brother (aka Uncle Chris) came over from Pittsfield, Mass. This was our first time to do Christmas in our very own house, so it was particularly special. It was a RAWTHER grand affaire which began with a delightful selection of imported cheeses (one of which went straight in the bin after I smelled it, eewww nasty foot medicine smell, eeewwww I AM NOT eating that!), various olives and crudite (and rather a lot of wine), followed by the exchange of many lovely gifts and a fine meal catered by the elite Pittsford Wegmans. Dessert was courtesy of our many lovely friends who bake, featuring the elusive Martel cookie. Daddy assures me that David slaved over those cookies, and boy are they worth every calorie! We rounded things off with a rousing "Cracker Concerto" of Christmas carols (so sad, no recording was made...) before the visitors returned to their hotel (by which you can read that the guest room is still a work in progress).

David, if you're reading this, we need more Martels!