Jack Squat

According to the hubby we have accomplished Jack Squat today. However, I feel that baby steps make a difference, so we'll leave up to you to decide who is right. :D

Today's projects consisted of painting trim, fixing the sewer pipe and staining the desk. M&M was in the house today, and no I'm not talking about the award winning rapper or the candy coated chocolates. M&M is the nickname I've given my hubby because he is so good and Micro Managing me.

I was supposed to stain the desk, but some how he ended up with the bucket, the stain and the brush and started the task before he had everything ready. How annoying! So, I just sat back and watched the show, because I can't rebuild a drain pipe or do any of the engine work because I know nothing about those things.

Here is a shot of me, I mean M&M, working hard on staining the desk.



Here is a picture of ME dressed and ready for work.



I told ya'll it wasn't a pretty site. No, there are no pictures of me actually doing work because M&M is too busy to take pictures of me, sorry gang. :D

The desk looks really nice and since it was so sunny out today it helped it to dry quicker. We wrapped all the projects up by 3 because there a tornado warnings out and we all know how fast a storm can blow in around these parts.

If you are a pessimist the work completed today wasn't worth it, and if you are an optimist the work today gets us a teeny tiny bit closer to take off. In any event, I hope you enjoyed this brief blog posting and hope to have more for you soon.

Manic Monday

Ok, so it wasn't really a manic Monday, but it certainly was productive! We headed out to the RV around 11:30 and tried to keep James out of the sun, but it didn't really work out too well. At least he wasn't out in it ALL day...just an hour or two.

Today's projects consisted of putting flooring in the cubby where the fridge is going to go.


Installing cupboard doors and the drawer pulls (found at Hobby Lobby).






Cleaned and reinstalled the stove top.



Added more trim in spots and finished painting the trim around the microwave.



Oh, and speaking of painting.....we have to do some touch up in the bedroom. When we were working on the windows someone got their dirty finger prints all over the yellow walls. UGH! I will only claim ONE set of prints.






My most favorite project of the day was the desk!!!!!!!! Seeing it sitting in its respective spot really helps us feel like we are making progress and gets us just one step closer to the big day!

First, we had to figure out how to remove the top of the desk, but it wasn't long before James had it figured out and taken apart. We decided to forget about the drawers because we were cutting a significant amount off of the desk. Plus, the back side of the desk was in better shape than the front.



Once the top was off James, measured and cut off the part we weren't going to use.





We then took the bottom section out to the RV to make sure it looked good, even though I knew it would ;)



We decided it was a little too wide at 26 inches, so an additional 4 inches were cut off, making the base 22 inches and with the top on it made it 23 inches.



We did not bolt the desk in because we have to install the flooring and decided to add bead board around the area. We weren't going to do anything to the wall because we were going to have cabinets. I am just happy we don't have to paint!!!!!!!! Of course the top needs to be stained and finished, so maybe James will get to that tomorrow. It would be a good job for him because he would be out of the sun AND it would make him feel productive.

Hopefully soon we can get the remainder of the tools to get the flooring put down. Gosh its getting soooooooooo exciting!!!!

I guess that is enough sharing for one blog episode. Thanks for stopping by!

Sunny, Sudsy Sunday

Hello one and all! Happy to report we had another BEAUTIFUL day here in NW Ohio. We took full advantage of the beautiful day, by continuing with taking out, cleaning and caulking the windows. We only have two more left to do and that task will be over. Thank goodness because that is one messy task!

In addition to working on windows, James and the hired hand (one of Jorden's friends) climbed up on the roof and took care of the lichen. Let me tell you in sure did make a difference. Actually, I will show you as I took before and after shots of the roof.

Here are some of the before shots.










Here are the after shots.






We also scrubbed the coach down again and now its ready for some waxing and buffing.

All hubby's hard work came at a price though. Silly man didn't think he needed to put on any sunscreen and now he is paying big time for it!





Even his eyelids are red! I on the other hand put on sunscreen both days and I even wore a hat today since my face was a lil pink from yesterday. I will be beach ready soon enough with my tan, while he will be shedding his crispy, fried skin and MAYBE he'll think twice when I ask him if he wants some sunscreen.

That's all for tonight folks. I have a nice cold adult beverage calling me and I have earned it, so I don't want to let it get warm. Have a great one and thanks for stopping by!

Yay for Sunshine!

Happy weekend everyone! So excited to report we have SUNSHINE today! It is supposed to be with us for most of the day then showers head in tonight and early tomorrow, so we are going to work our fingers to the bone today.

Before I dive into all our tasks for today, I thought I'd share the link to Cabin Creek the RV park/campground that we will be staying. It looks like a really nice place and it has cabins and park models that can be rented when guests come to visit (hint, hint).

Ok now back to work. Today's tasks include, but are not limited to:
* Washing/scrubbing the lichen off the RV roof
* Taking out, resealing and replacing windows
* Cleaning out storage bins under the RV.
* Installing drawer pulls
* Sanding and staining the desk top
* Cutting the desk to fit
* All other projects deemed necessary :D

So I think you can see we will be a little busy today. As always, the invitation to come over and help out is always open...we might even purchase you a cool beverage or two to show our thanks.

Have a wonderful day and I'll try to post some pictures tonight.

A New Day

Thankfully Saturday was a much better day all around. We got some work accomplished and that makes us feel a little better as we have 77 days to go (if we leave OH August 1).

James completed the bathroom floor and it looks AWESOME and he also installed the toilet. Just need to put up the trim around the top and bottom of the bead board and get and install the bathroom faucet, hang a shower curtain and we will have at least ONE area complete. Yes we have decided to put the shower door on hold because we just can't find what we need/want in the price range that we like/can afford.

Here are the photos of the bathroom.






While James was busy working in the bathroom, I was busy sanding the desktop. That is one long process, but it would have been even worse if we didn't have a power sander! It took me about 2 hours to finish the remaining 3/4 of the table. The sucky part is we measured the table and it is 36 inches wide which is a tad on the ENORMOUS side for fitting in the RV, so James is going to take off about 10 inches off the back to make it fit. Silly me, I sanded the back portion and had we measured it and figured out what we were going to do before I started sanding I could have saved myself some time by not even messing with the portion we are removing. Oh well, it kept me busy and it was a beautiful day outside.

Here are some before shots of the desk.





We finished our projects up early enough that we could close all the windows and cover the table before the rain arrived. It rained off and on all night and now today is cold and wet and is supposed to continue raining. *Sigh* I swear we may have to turn the big beauty into an Ark in order to get out of here. LOL

Thanks for popping in and I hope you enjoyed the photos and are as excited as we are that work is once again happening, even if it is just the little stuff. Have a wonderful day and well check back in soon!

Yes, its true Bad things happen in 3s

We have tested the theory and it does ring true that bad things do happen in threes. As you recall we had the transmission issue with the van, and then James got injured on the job, well on Friday James woke up to a missing wallet. We weren’t sure if it was lost or stolen, the only thing we knew for certain was that it was missing and that meant NOTHING was going to get paid and no purchases were going to be made for the RV project. GAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!! So, the first part of our Friday was to cancel credit cards, head over to the Social Security office to get a new card, which they won’t give you without a driver’s license, which they won’t give you without a social security card.

Once we got all that hassle out of the way we decided to work on the RV because it was a beautiful sunny day, for once. The first project on our list was to open up the awning and see how it looked. The latches to hold it in place were quite rusty, but with a little elbow grease we were able to get them out and open up the awning. Everything looked GREAT!

Our next project was to start resealing the windows in the RV. But of course with it being Friday the 13^th the deck was still stacked against us. The special window tape that James had purchased on eBay was about as useful as a sieve in a sinking boat. It had basically melted on to itself and was just total trash…kiss that $25 goodbye. James had a mini temper tantrum, but who could blame him, he did after all wake up to a missing wallet.

We stood around and stared at each other for a few minutes and discussed what we could work on. We did have the bathroom complete so we could start on the flooring. We also have the gigantic hunk of table that needed to be sanded. We decided to divide and conquer. The bathroom was way too small of a space for the both of us to be working and sanding was a task that I could manage on my own, so off we went on our separate ways, feeling as though we could accomplish at least something we were content to tackle our respective tasks.

All was going well, until the clouds rolled in and the wind picked up and the rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. I put down my sander and headed out back to the RV to help James roll the awning back up before the wind ripped it down. After a few minutes of fiddling with it we got it locked back into place just as the rain started to fall.

Neither of us was worried about the rain being serious enough to cause a problem with the table since we just had to walk up to the front of the house. Of course Mother Nature had other plans. Just as we made it to the front porch the sky opened up and poured! But don’t you worry, it wasn’t just the rain, it was gusty winds too, blowing the rain onto the freshly sanded table top. Really?! I bolt up the stairs and grab trash bags and tape in an attempt to cover and save the table. I get down stairs and James once again has a mini fit and I am screaming at the top of my lungs for him to get a towel and he yells back it won’t save anything and the table is going to be ruined. Then I yell a few colorful words and he throws down the trash bags and stomps up the stairs. By this time I am dripping wet and felt like running out into the front yard and reenacting the Lieutenant Dan scene from Forrest Gump. You know the scene where he is cursing and tempting God to due him in or to back off. However, there were no movie cameras around and I knew I wouldn’t get any sort of award for my performance, so I too, threw down the trash bags and sloshed my way upstairs. The two of us stood in the kitchen dripping wet a looking at one another, just shaking our heads and trying really hard not to go crazy.

We decide to move on with our night and made a pizza and watched a movie, forgetting our stress for the day for just a little while. Next thing you know the doorbell rings. James goes and answers it and what do you know, a stranger had found his wallet laying next to the van when he was walking by at 3 a.m. on Friday the 13^th. He returned it to James with everything in tact; all the canceled credit cards and the social security card and all of his pictures, thank goodness the night had ended better than it had started!

Today we are hoping all that nonsense is behind us. We checked the table and it is such a great piece that it is not showing any signs of problems from yesterday’s rain. I am planning to get my trash bag cover ready in advance because they are calling for more rain and storms for the next few days. James is going to finish the bathroom floor and install the toilet. I will continue sanding the table top. Not sure what our plans are for Sunday, but we’ll just take it one day at a time that is about all you can do any ways, right?

Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this post and can take from it that there is such a thing as a happy ending…at least for a day. Enjoy your weekend and I’ll try to get some pictures posted soon of the floor and table.

Wednesday, May 11 Hurry up and wait

Hi-de-ho blog fans and lurkers! Bet ya’ll are getting just as antsy as we are to get this show on the road. Kind of rough having to sit back and wait for healing to take place, but it is a MUST. *sigh*

Tuesday James had to go in to the staffing service for a meeting regarding workman’s comp. He found out the schmuck who caused the accident got let go thank goodness. He ended up working at the staffing service as their grunt. LOL The Dr. had released James for light duty only so that is what they gave him. He was handed a stack of business cards and white out and had to white out the person’s name, and e-mail on all of them. Today he got to collate and highlight papers. Poor guy! He does not care for office work, but he is a trooper and gets the job done. Tomorrow he goes back to the Dr. to see if he can be released back to regular work.

Of course now the weather decides to dry out a little bit when we can’t do much of anything. However, James is always thinking and talked one of Jorden’s buddies into lending a helping hand. This kid worked for at least 2 hours yesterday cleaning all the lichen off the coach and let me tell you it certainly makes a difference! He’s going to wash the coach down one more time and then he’ll work on waxing her. She is going to be beautiful! This kid is also going to help put down the flooring and do some other jobs for a small price of course. But with time running out there isn’t much else we could do.

Oh I almost forgot, we solved our desk issue! James was checking out Craigslist and came across a beautiful HUGE desk. It is SOLID wood and beautiful. The poor thing has been neglected for quite some time so TLC is required to get it back in shape for our space. This means we are going to have to sand the finish off, restain and then refinish it. I think all the hard work will be worth while though. As soon as we get it out of the van we’ll take some before and after pictures; just not sure when that is supposed to happen because we are supposed to get rain for the next 4 days. UGH!

This afternoon we had a lovely surprise, NOT. We got home from work and noticed the storage compartments on the side of the RV were WIDE open. I go out and do a walk around the RV checking for any damage or stolen goods; fortunately, nothing was hurt or taken. I go about my business of buttoning up the compartments and head upstairs to make my dinner.

A short while later I hear a lot of commotion outside and just figure the neighbor kids are out back playing tag or something. Not the case. As I walk past the window over looking the back yard, I notice one of the storage compartments is open AGAIN. I take a closer look and see that the door to the RV is open as well! WTH????? So James and I put on some shoes and beat feet it out to the back yard and catch the lil buggers in the act! They are running around like a bunch of wild banshees in and out of the RV, and even had the NERVE to take some stuff OUT of the RV…ok so it was only a Tupperware container, but that is not the point….the point is these 3-6 year old children were running around unsupervised AND going into other peoples property! Seriously?! James bellowed at the children stopping them in their tracks…they all headed home with their heads hanging low and their spirits crushed…we had done our jobs of protecting our beach house on wheels and also the jobs of the parents of these children by letting them know it is NOT their property therefore they do NOT touch it.

When did it become ok to let your children of such a young age roam freely about the neighborhood and when did manners go out of style? Next thing you know these kids will be all grown up, working in a factory and messing around with a machine that injures another man causing him to lose 3 days pay and many hours of labor on the beach house, just sayin’.

Well for not getting a lot accomplished I sure had a lot to say. Keep your fingers crossed that all is well with his hand and that we don’t have anymore issues with the neighbor kids. Thanks for popping in!

May 5, 2011 Monkey Wrench part deux

Well, I guess the universe isn’t done messing with us. James got injured at work and is now off for medical leave for at least a week.

The 20 something yahoo he works with thought it would be funny to increase the speed on the machine that James had to manually feed pipe through. The first time he did it James gave him an earful and told the dipweed to knock it off. The second time it caught James’ hand and pulled it into the machine to the point it lifted him off the ground! The guy is lucky James’ hand was caught in a machine or else James would have beaten the living tar out of him. I would really like to have a talk with that kid and would LOVE to make him cry. Fortunately, nothing was broken, just a serious sprain, but enough to put him out of commission for awhile.

Since he works at a temp service that means no sick time and it also means he might not get his job back and it all means no money coming in. That really bites because he liked the job and his bosses liked him.

The other really sucky part is the guy who caused James to get hurt is STILL working and STILL bringing home a paycheck. What I wouldn’t give for some instant Karma for that guy right now!

A claim has been filed with workers comp so thankfully that is covering the medical expenses and meds.

Oh and let me tell you about the meds. The one medication he is on has a tendency to make people hyper AND to be a number one A$$. I don’t think it is fair for the Dr. to prescribe medicine that will cause that and not give me something to deal with that stuff. LOL Keep your fingers crossed that he doesn’t experience those symptoms. I told him if he does, he better move a mattress to the RV cuz that is where he will be banished to.

So since James can’t use his hand for work it means he can’t use his hand for the RV project either and yet again, putting us farther behind. Let’s hope this is the last of the tough stuff. I know, I know bad things happen in threes, but I don’t know if I can handle much more.

Here's to a speedy recovery for James and hoping better things are around the corner! Over and out for now.