The Green House Project: Week 9

January 20-24

For the third weekend in a row, I spent the weekend at The Green House alone. The time apart from Brandy is becoming increasingly difficult. Thankfully, this is the last time we’ll have to spend time apart (aside from any required work travel that I won’t accompany her on.)

Friday, January 20

As I did in weeks past, I loaded up the car with as much as I could carry. This time, I included my work computer as I was planning on spending at least one more day at the house, if not two or possibly even three.

I took off after work Friday and headed in to Ottumwa, stopping at Hy-Vee for a couple of things for dinner that night. I got to the house shortly after and unloaded the items I’d brought with me- namely a large tote full of plants that Brandy had sent with me. I did leave the few boxes I’d brought for unloading at a later time, then got to cooking a dinner of inexpensive frozen pizza and breadsticks.

Once I was done with that, I moved the recliner and makeshift TV stand (Ash’s kennel topped with leftover vinyl flooring planks) into Brandy’s office to make room for the work I’d be doing in the living room come Saturday morning. I did some laundry and added an additional fluffy topper to the bed to try to make for a more comfortable sleep, then I relaxed for a bit before retiring for the night.

Saturday, January 21

I woke up in the middle of the night with my back hurting a bit. I went to Brandy’s office and sat in the recliner until the pain subsided then went back to bed where I slept comfortably until just after 7:00.

I woke up to the notification of Brandy messaging me. I got up, took a quick shower, got dressed and was just getting ready to make some breakfast when Craig showed up at about 8:30, much earlier than he had in weeks past. We immediately got to work putting up the remaining shiplap in the living room until we were about out. We needed one more stinking board so he and I went to Menard’s for one more board as well as all of the trim we were going to be using around the windows. They don’t sell pre-finished trim in the size I wanted so I bought 14 eight foot pieces of unfinished oak that went home with Craig. He promised to work on it Sunday, so I was expecting to have it Monday, then would follow that with putting up the blinds Tuesday, and Wednesday if necessary.

He left shortly before 1:00 so I finished up the last pieces of shiplap alone, which was fine, I just had to rip a couple pieces down to narrow, three-inch strips and nail them up. I got that done in a hurry then spent the rest of the day cleaning.

By the time I was done with the shiplap, the floor was a disaster, covered by debris from the panel clips we cut down, trim we weren’t going to reuse, sawdust, and just junk in general. I glued down the screw hole plugs in the windowsills, then started the arduous task of vacuuming. As I went, I shuffled and condensed the tools and supplies remaining, including Craig’s compressor, ladder, stepstool, and other miscellanea. Before you knew it, the living room was in near pristine condition, only cluttered by those last remaining tools.

After that, I went to the deck and broke down the workbench Craig and I had been using to support his miter saw (really, just a spare door I’d pulled from the rafters in the garage set atop a couple of plastic sawhorses.) Once that was done, I lined a 32-gallon trash can and started picking up all of the offcuts of shiplap and quarter round strewn about on the deck. Once they were picked up, I swept the mounds of sawdust and threw that in the can as well. By the time that was done, the trash can was 2/3 full.

I then turned my attention to the kitchen, whose countertops had been absolutely covered by tools, both Craig’s and mine. I boxed up most of Craig’s stuff, the logic being that most of it we no longer needed, or I had my own version of. I then boxed up my own tools that I no longer needed and got them ready to take downstairs to the workshop (temporarily. They will ultimately be moved to the shed on a more permanent basis.)

Once the counters were cleared, I thoroughly cleaned them, as well as the stove’s glass top and the sink (as best I could, anyway. The sink is full of stains and chips and scratches. I’d like to get it replaced soon, but that’s a project for another time.)

Once I was done with that, I’d pretty much exhausted myself so I made a quick dinner of microwaved Tyson chicken patties on hamburger buns, had a few drinks, and sat and chatted with Brandy for a bit before bedtime.

Sunday, January 22

I slept a little better Satruday night but still woke up way too early. I got up, showered and made a breakfast of pancakes, bacon and eggs in my newly cleaned kitchen. I then unpacked a couple of boxes of kitchen stuff I’d brought with me. When those boxes were emptied, I went back to my home away from home (Menard’s) to pick up a bathroom mirror Brandy had ordered back in November.

While I was there waiting for assistance in the order pick-up area, Sue called saying she and Craig were at the house, they had the window trim ready to go. I told them I’d be home shortly, picked up the mirror and headed back. Sure enough, there were 14 pieces of corner molding stained to perfectly match the rest of the trim in the living room.

Craig and Sue stayed for a bit chit-chatting, inviting me for dinner the next evening, then, once they left, I set about resetting the workbench I’d broken down the day before. I wasn’t comfortable setting it up on the deck as it had been as there was about 3 inches of snow piled up on it, and snow was actively falling. Instead, I set up in the garage, which meant I’d have a small set of stairs to climb to get to and from the impromptu workshop, but that was OK.

I cut the trim down to size and nailed it in place, finding that it was extremely brittle. If it didn’t splinter ferociously on the miter saw, it would have a tendency to split if I placed the small 18-gauge nails too close to the ends.

I made sure to be very careful going forward as I only had enough to do the windows with little to spare. At the end of it though, I did have one waste piece but was able to trim the three sides of all seven windows.

Once I was done with that, it was time to start hanging blinds. Brandy had special ordered seven sets of blinds for the living room- five at 61 inches long, and two at 42 inches. I got three sets up before running out of gas and calling it a night. I ordered Applebees via Door Dash then started watching Bullet Train on Netflix, but only made it about an hour into it before falling asleep at 7:30 or so.

Monday, January 23

Having fallen asleep so early, I was up early again, starting my day before 3:00 am. I showered and got dressed, then set up my work computer and second monitor on the dining room table. I watched some TV and had some cereal before starting work.

During my lunch break, I went to the living room and got a couple more sets of blinds up, leaving only a couple more sets for the evening.

After work, I got the last two set put up with little hassle, then headed to Craig and Sue’s for the dinner I’d been invited to.I stayed for a little after dinner then headed back to the house to start re-cleaning up. I did some more laundry, did the dishes and took the rest of my tools to the basement. By the time I was done with that, I was ready to sit and relax for a bit before heading off to bed alone for the last time.

I woke up Tuesday morning bright and early. I had a quick breakfast and started work, taking breaks periodically to move the last few things out of the way to ensure a smooth move come Friday. The recliner and small TV I’d been watching went to the basement and Ash’s kennel got folded up and put in the back corner of the living room before we make a final decision on where it will live full time.

At the end of my workday, I packed up my computer, put away the second monitor and headed out for the drive back to Coralville, stopping at the U-Haul for a couple of last minute supplies.

I was elated to get back into my wife’s arms. Being gone for three weekends in a row, and this one for four days, was getting to be tough. Knowing though that this was the last time we’d have to endure it was the only thing that kept me going.

As for pictures… well, I really only took one worth posting, and it’s here:

Not worth a whole page on the photo diary. I don’t see a need to post pictures of the house all decorated and what-not, that’s Brandy’s universe, so last week’s entry into the Photo Diary turned out to be the last. Didn’t realize it then but do now.

What’s Next

Next weekend is the move. Finally!

Sue will be coming Thursday to pick up Ash to take back to her and Craig’s house, where he will board while we move on Friday. We have loaders set for Friday morning in Coralville, and unloaders set for Friday afternoon in Ottumwa. We will have the unloaders leave all of the boxes in the garage for the time being, but will have them move the furniture and big, heavy stuff into the house. This includes having them take the spare fridge and Brandy’s treadmill down to the basement. Our massively heavy sofa and bedroom furniture will be put in place, then they will be free to go. Brandy and I (and probably Sue, and maybe Craig) will spend the rest of the weekend slowly moving boxes into the house and unpacking them as we go.

Next weekend we will be returning to Coralville to clean the house there and get it ready to list for subleasing. We’re hoping February’s rent payment will be the last we’ll have to make. Having double bills is becoming increasingly difficult and I’d hate to have to do it until our lease is up at the end of July.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

To-Do List

Here is the remaining to-do list:

• Prep for painting
  • Filling holes
  • Priming three walls
• Painting
  • Master bedroom
  • Spare bedroom
  • Bathroom
  • Hallway
  • Dining Room
  • Brandy’s Office
  • Kitchen
• Install new showerhead
• Take down shower doors
• Finish hardwood floors
• Install flooring
  • Hallway
  • Bathroom
  • Dining Room
  • Brandy’s Office
  • Kitchen
• Replace five six ceiling fans
  • Master bedroom
  • Spare bedroom
  • Bathroom
  • Kitchen
  • Living Room
  • Dining room (just added!)
• Replace hallway light fixture
• Replace front and back porch lights
• Replace house numbers
• Replace front doorknob
  • Replace front door? (for later)
• Replace mailbox
• Adjust entry door to garage
• Carpeting Living Room and stairs to basement (hiring out)
• Replacing all light switches, outlets and plates
• Put up shiplap in living room (just added!)
• Hang new blinds

I would like to point out that this is not a finite list of all the work we are going to be doing on this house. This is just what we are going to get done before the official move-in. The Green House Project will be a project in perpetuity. Just beyond the list above, we need to renovate the basement, work on the front and back decks, power wash and re-stain the decks, power wash the siding, move the back fence… there is always something that’s going to need to be worked on in the house beyond the day-to-day maintenance.

Next week’s post-move update will be the last in The Green House Project series. Shortly following that will be the cleaning in Coralville, then some rest before I put my boots back on the ground and start getting myself out into the world again.

Until then, thank you for stopping by. I appreciate you!

-Phil