Re: Beebe -- our 1935 Bungalow on Baker Street.
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:49 am
Since Halloween, we keep saying "Wow, is it X already?" Last night when we voted, I realized I couldn't remember when I'd been here last.
We've been busy, mostly trying (and failing) to get some yard projects wrapped up. I haven't lived on a property with a lot of trees in a long while, and holy moly, the leaves! I did manage to get the rain barrel emptied before the night time temps dipped to 24° F this past night, and I'm pretty happy that I only dumped a few gallons on the yard after the water level dipped below the spigot. I bottled some of it, the rest I dispersed around the yard to try to avoid run off.
I have been, as of this month, trying to shift my focus away from the yard and more towards the winterizing efforts and planning. The temps are suddenly plummeting now for both day and night. We still need to clean the gutters at least once more because of the copious amounts of oak leaves still falling.
I have a few pieces of glass to set still in empty storm frames that thankfully were on the premises. I hope to get to those before Thanksgiving.
Budget has been really tight. We already knew the gift from my inlaws towards the insulation would not cover it all, but then Sean's car failed inspection on more than we even thought he would, and then the plumbing foray ate into the spring bulbs I wanted to get as well.
We also had an issue where his last check was short a full day's work. They're correcting that, and he'll get it today, but it threw off our payment schedule even further. December is a three check month, so we know we'll finish out the year ok, but wooo...unplanned expenses!
It's made me try to step up some efforts to at least do some work on the side, but that's a bit of starting from scratch in some regards, and I only have a few small bites so far. Still, right now I'm glad for anything, and I just hope they come through.
It's kind of dispiriting when we knew going in that at least this year would be tight, but when something like failing an inspection or even a stove coil cracking (and ceasing to work) happens, it just reminds us how crazy we really were going into this.
My hope right now is that he does get the FT position he should be getting before spring. That will be a big relief on many levels.
We're doing our level best this month to get Beebe as ready as she can be for the coming winter, and each bit helps in noticeable ways which does counteract a bit to dampened spirits. I still have some air sealing to do with some new old stock insulation kits I found for doors/windows.
I really was hoping we'd get the insulation ordered this month. But now, I'll be happy if we can manage to get it done in December.
One really stupendous bit of news, speaking of heating and winter, is that despite what I thought, we came in just under the cap for heating assistance this winter. For that, we are so grateful. It also gives us, we found out, some sort of discount on our electric. That made us laugh, because our highest bill for that so far has been less than $40. Still, if we do finally manage to get a dryer, that will change to closer to $50.
Speaking of bills...that leak? Thank goodness we were using the hot water cut off. We went up 200 cu. ft. of water use for this quarter's water bill. Still doable, but amazing how just that one leak did that. Of course, now the kitchen sink started dripping. I hope to get that fixed this week, and am keeping my that's it's just the washer, and not another old fixture rotting. Still, dripping is MUCH BETTER than what was going on in the basement that last week.
I've missed having the time to be here, actually. Missed out on who knows how many conversations and things to learn. I figure as we wrap up the yard for the year, I'll be able to get back to my old routine of at least reading the latest once a day or so.
We've been busy, mostly trying (and failing) to get some yard projects wrapped up. I haven't lived on a property with a lot of trees in a long while, and holy moly, the leaves! I did manage to get the rain barrel emptied before the night time temps dipped to 24° F this past night, and I'm pretty happy that I only dumped a few gallons on the yard after the water level dipped below the spigot. I bottled some of it, the rest I dispersed around the yard to try to avoid run off.
I have been, as of this month, trying to shift my focus away from the yard and more towards the winterizing efforts and planning. The temps are suddenly plummeting now for both day and night. We still need to clean the gutters at least once more because of the copious amounts of oak leaves still falling.
I have a few pieces of glass to set still in empty storm frames that thankfully were on the premises. I hope to get to those before Thanksgiving.
Budget has been really tight. We already knew the gift from my inlaws towards the insulation would not cover it all, but then Sean's car failed inspection on more than we even thought he would, and then the plumbing foray ate into the spring bulbs I wanted to get as well.
We also had an issue where his last check was short a full day's work. They're correcting that, and he'll get it today, but it threw off our payment schedule even further. December is a three check month, so we know we'll finish out the year ok, but wooo...unplanned expenses!
It's made me try to step up some efforts to at least do some work on the side, but that's a bit of starting from scratch in some regards, and I only have a few small bites so far. Still, right now I'm glad for anything, and I just hope they come through.
It's kind of dispiriting when we knew going in that at least this year would be tight, but when something like failing an inspection or even a stove coil cracking (and ceasing to work) happens, it just reminds us how crazy we really were going into this.
My hope right now is that he does get the FT position he should be getting before spring. That will be a big relief on many levels.
We're doing our level best this month to get Beebe as ready as she can be for the coming winter, and each bit helps in noticeable ways which does counteract a bit to dampened spirits. I still have some air sealing to do with some new old stock insulation kits I found for doors/windows.
I really was hoping we'd get the insulation ordered this month. But now, I'll be happy if we can manage to get it done in December.
One really stupendous bit of news, speaking of heating and winter, is that despite what I thought, we came in just under the cap for heating assistance this winter. For that, we are so grateful. It also gives us, we found out, some sort of discount on our electric. That made us laugh, because our highest bill for that so far has been less than $40. Still, if we do finally manage to get a dryer, that will change to closer to $50.
Speaking of bills...that leak? Thank goodness we were using the hot water cut off. We went up 200 cu. ft. of water use for this quarter's water bill. Still doable, but amazing how just that one leak did that. Of course, now the kitchen sink started dripping. I hope to get that fixed this week, and am keeping my that's it's just the washer, and not another old fixture rotting. Still, dripping is MUCH BETTER than what was going on in the basement that last week.
I've missed having the time to be here, actually. Missed out on who knows how many conversations and things to learn. I figure as we wrap up the yard for the year, I'll be able to get back to my old routine of at least reading the latest once a day or so.