House Update

Okay, so C's dad has been scheduled to visit us in mid June. That time has come. I think I've mentioned this in passing in previous blog entries, in that we initiated a pretty intense six-week push to finish up as much stuff on the house as possible before his arrival. It became a point of personal pride for us to show as much forward progress as we could. Afterall, Joe and Shirley's last visit was just after move-in, when EVERYTHING was at it's worst. Shirley unpacked the kitchen and set up the cupboards/drawers. That's what it was like when they visited last time.

So, with Joe and Shirley arriving today, its time to take stock of our push. How did we do? We did a LOT. This is just the list since my last house related post on June 2:

• Backyard landscaping complete except for spot lighting and fountain electrical wire-up.
  
• We even got the last of the concrete debris hauled away yesterday.
  
• Alley parking area now debris-free, usable, and eye-pleasing  for the first time since move-in day.
  
• Backyard re-seeded with grass to repair construction damage.
  
• Front yard re-seeding partially completed. Right on schedule.
  
• The drywall hole in the basement pony wall (where we had plumbing issues) has been patched, mudded, textured and painted.
  
• Garage has decorative hardware to evoke a carriage door look. Much better alley appeal from that.
  
• Basement has been cleaned, tidied, vacuumed, and - as of last night - the carpet in the laundry are has been shampooed. We've been leaving the windows open to ventilate the basement. It hasn't smelled bad per se, but it's much nicer to have it aired out.
  
• New backdoor threshold installed - this looks better and makes a better seal for the door weatherstrip
  
• UV film on the upstairs windows and skylights mean a more comfortable environment.
  
• One final lamp replacement in the upstairs landing means we no longer bonk our heads on the pendant lamp, and still have an authentic period look.

C cleaned and tidied the living spaces even further. She's sweating the details that make the place look put together like a magazine photo-spread. The sense of spaciousness in the house is starting to come together.

There are a few things that we'd hoped to accomplish that, frankly, are still not completed:

• Outside trim paint is still partial. Mostly, white trim on the low-visibility eaves and gutters is what remains.
  
• Corner pieces for the siding aren't installed on the house yet.
  
• Trim piece at the bottom of the siding isn't installed yet; a strip of tar paper still shows if you have a sharp eye for detail.
  
• The garage is still a rip-roaring mess - the last bastion of construction debris and moving boxes! Needs about three hours of undivided attention to arrange/organize/clean up.
  
• Spice cabinet tuning needs more work.
  
• Stained glass panels not installed in the Front door or porch side windows yet.
  
• The junipers are still in the front yard (yechh!) Which means we haven't spread bark mulch yet to make it as pretty in front as it is in the back.
  
• The burm in the back yard hasn't been shaped out yet. It's still just a dirt pile at this point.
  
• Haven't replaced the Back Door hinges with the decorative ones yet.

But that's not such a bad list, really. Many of these items have been delayed by the long, protracted rainy and cold spring. When we're still getting snow in the mountain passes in mid June, continuing to add to the 20+ foot base that still exists on the mountains, that says a lot for how wet it has been in the valley too. We got a lot done around the rain, but not as much as we'd hoped.

All in all, we've been quite successful. I think it's going to show well. Better than well.