this old rowhouse

Weekly Therapy: the ups & downs of home ownership

- Mel

the week:
The deck boards are gone in the start of our resurfacing project. It unearthed an unsightly mess — and a much bigger problem. Which I guess is just more of the same in this home ownership experience.

deck

But I think the boyfriend and I both decided to just tear it all down and start some greenspace. It will be raised because of the existing fill dirt and retainer wall and there will be more money paid to change the zoning and to go through historical review process (again)… I think it might be worth. Starting over, at least seems like the right call.

Oh, did I also mention that our air conditioning unit’s compressor went last week? Yeah, that was another $250 put back into the house *cries*

Anyways, I can’t wait until the 1800GotJunk guys get this shit out of my courtyard and get my weekend started.

weekend:
Friday, 42nd Street date night with the boyfriend tonight. I GET TO SEE JOEY FATONE.
Saturday: work. meh.
Outdoor skating on Sunday! (no rain no rain no rain no rain) We’re also going to look at a cabinet currently for sale (with an amazing offer to refinish to our liking too). We wanted something tall and interesting to add to our dining room. We’ll see!

And enjoying the rest of this:
dr frank wine

52 books in 52 weeks:
Really super-close to finishing #14 Bonk: the Curious Coupling of Science & Sex by Mary Roach – GREAT BOOK! I can’t wait to read her others.

seven things, seven days:
1. I participated in a twitter chatt with Simple Skin Care and the One2One Network — and I ended up winning a gift basket. WOO!
2. Uploaded all pics to flickr on my day off. Whew. So many pictures stored on my iphone from the last three years. Like, 1000 more to go.
3. Passport photos and application – sending today! Expedited fees, woof.
4. My bandages were finally removed from my face. I’m feeling very… weird. The boyfriend didn’t even notice, so I guess that’s a good start. Or, it’s just SO MUCH BETTER than all that bruising and swelling, that this is now my good face.
5. What do you do with excess of rhubarb from your CSA? Make strawberry-rhubarb banana bread, of course.
6. Beauty of life did a First Look Friday feature with Older Girl Beauty.
7. Interesting and appropriate article from National Post: The psychology of buying a home: why do we love one place and not another? I can tell you, like, 832 reasons why I wanted to buy another house… but we got this one.

Weekly Therapy: cookies for my troubles

- Mel

the week:
Woah, boy. We learned way too much about zoning, permits and the pains of living in a historical neighborhood. Found out the hard way upon applying for a permit because we wanted to have the deck resurfaced next week — a deck that is a) not to city code and b) never approved in the first place and c) also butts up to a property line of an abandoned house (the one we’ve been trying to find an heir to purchase). What. A. Mess. But also, basically, since we have this lovely courtyard that is technically the side of our house and not the “back” we need historical review for everything.

The deck project will happen, even if it means just tearing the damn thing down. It’s just going to be delayed a few weeks.

weekend:
Headed on a short road trip to Bloomington, Indiana for a derby tournament. Our last travel game until post season. Definitely not the last of travel though for summer.

This Sunday is the Pittsburgh Marathon. Fun day to go into town and give some support to these runners. Take the T or ride your bike because driving a car in/near downtown, east end or north side will be basically a lesson in detours.

seven things, seven days:
1. My review for Benjamin’s (a burger joint in Pittsburgh) made Yelp review of the day this week!
2. Wake up to an iPhone? You should change your alarm to a theme song from your playlist. Mornings are so much more fun now!
3. I celebrated one year at my part-time job. Time flies. Like the birds. *chuckle*
4. Signed up to do the Tough Mudder in August. I’m equal parts terrified and excited. And so ready to challenge myself.
5. Speaking of which, I finally went back to our team trainer this week. And the soreness feels GOOD.
6. Check out this Kickstarter campaign for Cherry Bombe Magazine: a beautiful publication celebrating women and food. I like!
7. Counting down the days until my birthday next week. How I feel about that. TLDR: Not great.

Don’t freak out…

- Mel

You know how this conversation starts — or ends, rather. With a FREAK OUT.

That was the boyfriend’s conversation to me after work on Sunday: Don’t. Freak. Out.

These are the kind of talks one never wants to have in a relationship. Don’t Freak Out. Don’t Get Mad. We Need to Talk. It’s Not You…

Said Freak Out has to do with our home renovations, thankfully (weird that’s a positive in this stage of life), and nothing to do with our partnership (thank the Ceiling Cat). We already discussed what we intended to do with the “fun money” this year as far as the house was concerned, but not-so-much about timeline.

Sadly, the house money did not include doing anything about this:

There’s always next year…

In conversation with others, we laugh it off as our “swingers” tub. If only our 1800s house had such a history, and not just that it hasn’t been renovated in 30 years. Also: yes, this is where our cats prefer their water reservoir.

We *are* decorating around that bathroom, however (with a helluva lot of paint and cheap-ish fixes). We’re also painting the entire first floor and entry. And painting the second floor and hallway. And breaking open the tiled-in fireplace to see what’s behind it, and what choices we have to renovate it…

Starting on Friday.

FRIDAY.

This Friday, if I wasn’t specific.

So, by this time next week, I’ll be waking up to beautiful grays and blues and bright white trim… instead of Stuck-in-the-80s-shopping-at-the-County-Seat colors (tell me I’m not the only 30-something who remembers that mall store!). The direction of the fireplace and firebox replacement will have to do with… well, what’s behind all that ugly tile.

In addition to the projects still-yet-unplanned, we have new tile in the entryway in the budget, some new furniture, updated light fixtures and a new deck. But that magenta platform tub will remain when all the dust clears. Oh boy, is it a conversation piece, but based on our home budget, it will remain for another year.