23. The Basement

Today was one of the good days.  I think I get the most excited when there is a lot to do - because I know at the end of the day I will be able to see some progress.

This is the list for today.  I already told you how much I love lists!  I have this spiral notebook with me everywhere I go.  I start an entry with "Next Trip" and the date at the top.  The main portion is a list of what I want to accomplish on that day.  Then there are three sub-lists:  "Prior To" which is phone calls etc. that I have to make before I go, "Buy" which is stuff I have to purchase and "Take" which is my final checklist to make sure I haven't forgotten to load everything up.  On the pages in between I make notes on each phone call I have to make, quantities I have to order or measurements, etc.  It is essential to keep this all in one place - it saves me a lot of brain space if I don't have to try to remember every little thing.  And I get more done because I'm not forgetting that particular tool I need to do item number 9.

I'm already working on the lists for two visits in the future - I plan them as things come up that I have to do on a particular day.

I did actually skip a couple of things today - you can see they are not crossed off.  I figured since I'm going back tomorrow, some of the items fit better with tomorrow's agenda.

This is a picture of Roscoe and our mobile office.  Cooler with lunch saves time and money.  Tools and cute box with all my files in it.  Safety leash so Roscoe doesn't venture too far after the kitty across the street.

I started out in front of the house - I'd like to do just a little sprucing up on each visit to make the place look more presentable (translation:  more lived in so maybe a certain transient will stop making his bed on my front porch).  I actually called the police and they told me to put their stuff in the trash.  Again I couldn't bring myself to throw someone's meager possessions away so I piled them neatly on a pallet near the trash.  Then I weeded out the 4' high lanky grass that has grown up around the row of bushes in front of the porch.  Well I weeded about half of it.  I gave each bush a good soaking, probably their first in a long time.  Then I dumped some miracle gro on each one - I figure if I'm going to keep them I might as well kick start them now.  What I learned:  When you have a house that faces east, it's better to do the front yard gardening in the afternoon - the morning was blazing but around 2:00pm it was nice and shady up there.  So tomorrow I might finish the weeding.  In the afternoon.  I also swept and hosed off the front porch - Roscoe had stayed on the porch where he would have shade, and when I was done I let him play in the hose.

During that time, Mike the ADT guy came and installed the control panel, contacts and smoke detector.  He'll come back when the power is on to do a final check and tell me how to use it.  Also a guy came to pick up some crappy cabinets I had listed on craigslist - free, but it was nice not to have to move them.

After a short break, we headed for the big job of the day:  The Basement!  This is the before picture of just the left side and yes folks, it is as bad as it looks.   Here was the goal:
1.  Make a throw-away pile next to the trash bins (which were finally delivered by the way).
2.  Make a pile of metal stuff for some friends of mine that like to "scrap" - collect a trailer load and take it to the metal recycling place for money.  They're not doing it for crack so I like giving it to them.
3.  Make a nice place to store the wood I brought from Home Depot.
4.  Load some leftover laminate flooring in the truck to take home and either use or list on CL.

I managed to do all that... for half the basement.  Tomorrow I'm going back to finish the right side.  I hope.  Check out the finished product!  This is more of an Amy-style basement.

I actually finished at around 1:30 and was ready for a lunch break when the guy came to talk to me about my AC "situation".  The furnace is crap, and the AC unit, which is not a heat pump and too small for the house, is also crap.  When the thieves moved it they broke both copper valves and the compressor is rattling around inside.  It could be fixed, but is it worth it?  Nobody would put a warranty on it.  So... here's what I think I'm going to do.  If I get a Rheem heat pump (exterior) and air handler (interior) they are throwing in a free water heater right now because Rheem is giving them away.  My water heater is pretty old and doesn't look that hot anyway (haha).   They will rebuild the housing under the house, which would need to be done with a new furnace anyway.  No gas, no carbon monoxide.  And ... drum roll please...  I'll be eligible for a $1500 tax rebate.  With that included the cost of all this is around $4500 - I don't think I could do much better than that, and I'm all set with a warranty on everything for 10 years!!!  I could live without heat and air, ok, but I don't think my guests should have to so I'm going to do it.

I'm achy and tired but happy.  Ready to go at it again tomorrow, and take the weekend off!!