Day 2 - The Fun Never Stops

After an exhausting day 1 (I was asleep by 9 PM), day 2 started out slightly cooler. I hate to sweat, but it's clearly something at which I excel.

Day 2 brought the muscles of Cody (and myself) to haul up 2 couches (neither of them sleepers, thankfully,but there's one of those on the main floor) and a old style 50 inch TV (I believe it was the tube kind) that "worked" but needed some part (according to Anthony). So it went to the curb with a "FREE" sign and was gone by the end of the day. I also counted this as my "workout of the day". After all, Cody is my personal trainer! I took pleasure in the fact that he was sweating too! I don't think he thought it was funny when I kept saying, "can't you call some strong guy friends?" We got it done. I only complained a little (a lot).

Heidi came along to help clean out the closets (coats, more gallons of paint, a ton of coat hangers and more "stuff"). Bob brought donuts and diet Pepsi, light bulbs and rags, buckets and plastic ties. And then he went to town on the garage. Here's the difference between Bob and I...I was thrilled that we had actually gotten the gross crap out of the garage and the "keep" stuff out of the basement and into the garage, in some semblance of order. Bob, however, attacked the garage like a man on a mission, sweeping, organizing, sorting and making it look so much better. Thereby reducing the risk of critters (there was bird seed all over the place.) Plus, you have to love a man who knows how to use a broom. Too bad he's married....

Heidi also acted as my main tour guide when visitors showed up, as I swept and scrapped the basement floor. I have to have mold remediation done, so I didn't want papers and pieces of balloon animals (wtf) going down my drain. I'm sure my visitors understood.

And finally, it was noon. I was so done for the day. Plus... I had committed to going to River Riot.  I'm not the smartest tool in the box some days. But I figured I needed a break. Thanks to Melissa for putting up with my tired ass as we met and watched some really good bands! In the heat. Oh well, it's summer. I have to suck it up.

Here's some pictures of our accomplishments. It also gives you a peek at the house "before" renovations. The sink is next on my list...and a big list it is!

The bathroom, divested of the previous owners toothbrushes (for real). The tub, floor and medicine cabinet are staying. The pink tags you see around the house are from when they winterized the house (and the antifreeze in the toilet). As much as I like purple, that rug is GONE!

A clean basement!

All the OLD screen windows were stacked up here

Old coal storage room (complete with coal chute) 

Old coal storage room #2

This is the creepy root cellar (we refer to it as the "puts the lotion on the skin" room)

The former home of 2 couches and a TV.

Day 1 - The Clean Out Part 1

Two "not so good" things happened on my first day as an official homeowner. One, my folks left to go back home. The short sale closing had been postponed a week, they had scheduled the trip thinking I would have the house, but it just didn't happen.  Short sales suck. So while I had plenty of time to spend with them, the second "not so good" thing happened...

A heat wave.

Heat indexes of over 105 degrees.  I don't like to sweat, with certain exceptions. And my little house had no air conditioning. It was also full of STUFF. I was dreading it, but I was on a timeline. The contractors were coming on Monday or Tuesday. I had to suck it up and risk my manicure. I donned a sweat band, a tank top, tennis shoes and stopped at Dunkin Donuts. I couldn't start without coffee!

A big shout out goes to my friend Sue for working like a madwoman (and getting to the house before me) to help me clean out the attic full of paint and chemicals, the basement full of screens and storm windows and icky stuff in the old coal rooms. Plus the garage full of STUFF. I don't think I can ever repay her and she'll never really know what this meant to me! She saved my ass, big time.

My house was full of weird shit. And I do mean shit. Steak knives in strange places. Magic trick books. Balloon animal kits/tools (we think). Books on how to be an entrepreneur (I can only imagine), VCR tapes, clothes, bathroom items just left and...milar balloons. Not to mention the too numerous to count shelving units (which I will clean and keep). Seriously weird stuff to just LEAVE. OH and cookbooks of every genre imaginable. But Sue came to my rescue and worked non-stop for over 3 hours. In the heat. With me bitching about sweating. Because that's what I do.

Melissa brought me a (round) box fan, which made a huge difference. Thanks for my house warming gift!

She was followed by Bob and Anthony, who also helped move stuff around, bought me an air filter for the furnace (just to turn on the fan) and made me leave around 2:30 when the heat and humidity got unbearable. For them I am forever grateful.  I have wonderful friends.

Various people came to see the house in its "pre-renovation" state, which I highly encouraged. I'm pretty sure I didn't tell anyone that there was no A/C... Sorry!!

Thanks to Bridget, Cody and the kids for my blue bird of happiness, which makes my little home happy. And Monica for the coasters, which I will use! 

I'm sure I'm forgetting something or someone. It was sooooo damn hot that day!

The fruits of our labors on the first day included a small dent in the construction dumpster, a clean attic, a somewhat reorganized garage and several added items to my list of things to do/buy.