Winding Oaks Pool begins

After considerable delay and even more spousal angst, the pool behind our home, promised to be done by November of 2010 by the agent selling the home, has begun reconstruction.

Criticism aside, it's been three days now since commencement of this long awaited project, and I've taken the liberty to snap a few pictures of the preliminary work. In these two pictures, we see the cement truck (partially hidden) and the most important piece of equipment, the cement "lift" with the ability to move cement from one side of the site to where it's needed. On the day this picture was taken, the task was to fill three "baskets" of cement to form the foundation for the south end of the pool, where a large shade structure will be secured and erected. I found it interesting that the foundation did not use wood forms, but a wire basket (for lack of a better word) which was approximately 36 inches square. There were three of them, but the cement truck ran out of product after two, so these are going to be really sturdy supports. Considering the potential wind load during hurricane season, you have to accept the wisdom.

That was three days ago, and the following day we had dump trucks come to carry away some of the sand which had been there, going nowhere, for many months. I missed my chance, however, to put out a beach umbrella, a beach chair, sand pail and a sign which said "Winding Oaks Beach Club" to share with our homeowners association. Oh well, time marches on and the best news is that (according to the board) now work has commenced, the contractor has 90 days to complete the job.

Over the coming months, I'll probably blog (which apparently has now reached the status of a verb) about progress on the Winding Oaks new and improved pool. Stay tuned.

Our front orchid garden

When we moved into our new garden villa (one story) condominium, we inherited what might best be described as a neglected courtyard, with several diseased and dying trees, and bushes that had clearly passed their prime. Over the past six months, we removed several trees and shrubs, and my wife has hung several varieties of orchids in those trees remaining.

We're now contemplating a double or triple trunk palm tree, and when the weather turns cooler in the fall, some additional plantings alongside the garage. My wife is very good with laying out ideas, just look at some of my blog entries about the new house. Today, we're listening to the contractor install some new "hurricane standard" sliding glass doors along the window wall in our bedroom. They are really heavy duty, and tinted for keeping out sun and holding in cool air-conditioning. It's said that Florida only became popular with the advent of air conditioning, and that's probably a fair statement. There are several really nice months here, without need for any air conditioning, but those would not be the upcoming months I fear.

This garden attracts all sorts of flora and fauna, and behind the storm door rests the guardian of 3402 - Ripley the Beagle. Our friend the heron, who feasts on small gecko lizards, is another frequent visitor. All this transpires outside my office/den window, where I can see all of the happenings in our neighborhood. Life in Winding Oaks is good, and perhaps, like Lake Woebegone, even "better than average".

2 Car Garage Floor, with Sprinkles

Today, I was able to get my good friend Bobby to come by and help spruce up our garage. He had done this for me at the old condo up in Manatee County, and I liked it enough to repeat at the new house in Sarasota County.

The garage floor hadn't been painted since the house was constructed in 1988, so there were plenty of stains and scuff marks. The product we were using was an epoxy type paint, upon which confetti sized color bits were sprinkled. You power wash the floor first, then after it dries, you start rolling on the paint. Before the paint starts getting too sticky, you grab a handful of confetti and throw it up in the air, where it separates and floats down to impact on the waiting floor.

Bobby, who is to painting garage floors as Peter Max is to painting Americana, has been commissioned to create works of art over two dozen floors at our old condo association. He has this down to a science, and supplements his regular wage by making properties look better, and easier to clean. Oil stains, tire scuff marks become a thing of the past. Now all I need to do is remember I can't park in the garage for seven days as this masterpiece cures.

Kitchen Magician, Part Deux

It's been about twenty days without a blog entry, so I must be slowing down, but before I closed out this topic I wanted to share a couple more pictures of the kitchen project, now that it's done. The side of the kitchen with the small peninsula is where the original kitchen had a "pass through" into a breakfast area. We closed up that wall, and developed a really nice space to be used as an office. For two of us, that peninsula and two counter height stools is enough, for coffee in the morning, and even an occasional dinner when we're eating light.

The project wasn't just the kitchen, as the whole house benefited from an upgrade. That same granite in the kitchen reappeared throughout the house, as the window sills, the seats in both showers, and the fireplace hearth all came from that same quarry. I even have a piece left over in the garage, not sure what I'll do with it, other than perhaps get a hernia moving it around.

Kitchens have become the new living spaces in the American home, and when you come to our home you'll find it warm and inviting. Come on down to Florida...the weather's great and the beach is only a quarter mile away.

My New Pool - Part 2

The pool "project" moved into a new phase, following the archeological dig that went halfway to China in search of logs the original developer placed as "fill". The developer cleared the land, but rather than haul off palm logs, live oaks, and other debris, he simply buried it, and apparently buried it DEEP. At which point, the pool contractor took the easy way out and simply added some dirt fill. Ultimately, the fill degraded, the pool cracked, and we had to start over 20 years later.

In part 1 of this story, I showed how heavy equipment was brought into break up the original pool (which had settled and cracked, ergo needed to be replaced), and prepare the ground for a new "dig". In the pictures posted above, you'll see the final steps of removing the last of the logs and debris, and then the repacking of the ground with fresh fill (without the "chunks") which will not be settled and compacted in preparation for the ultimate excavation. My last trip out the back door with the camera resulted in finding the uneven hole gone, and replaced with a smooth rectangle of fill......ready for phase 3, construction of our NEW pool.

When we bought the place, we knew there was a pool project, but had no idea how long it would take, and how much it would cost. Fortunately, we had $4,000 placed in escrow by the seller - which probably would have cut it before they discovered the need to go down fifteen feet to find "bottom" of all the debris. Oh well, sometimes the elevator, sometimes the shaft, and in this case the mine went much deeper than planned. When it's finished, we'll see how much gold came out of the old wallet.

Window Blind Man's Bluff

You'll recall the pictures of the bird outside my window, shot from the inside. The other morning, when nothing much was moving, I took my camera and walked across Harbourside drive and took a picture of my office window (on the right) and my wife's kitchen windows (on the left). I also took a shot from Winding Oaks, looking past the driveway and to the left would be my other windows. This house has LOTS of windows.

Next week, we'll see a bit less from the inside, when we install blinds in the living room and master bedroom. That's probably a good thing - the sunlight would eventually bleach out furniture from that one set of windows. And we need blinds in the bedroom, if only to blot out that pesky streetlight that shines directly into my wife's eyes at night. Mind you, on MY side of the bed, I am not bothered at all because my side has a wall with dresser against it, so no problem. Of course I offered to switch sides of the bed.........as you can imagine that went nowhere after 39 years of marriage. I'm convinced women are creatures of habit and will not change for love nor money. Men are like tomcats - they'll sleep wherever they fall down. Might be from having a career traveling and spending nights in strange beds too often.

So, my wife's solution so far has been to take wrapping paper and tape it to the windows. Now, that's tacky but it did turn out temporarily effective. It also brought about a search for a blind person to come and measure the openings for a more elegant and permanent solution. We got a phone call the other day, and the blinds are now ready to be installed. That's a good thing, after all. When I write yet another check, I'll know I'm that much closer to having completed the new house.

I wasn't all that impressed with the blind guy, but his dog was pretty damn good with the tape measure.

Remodeling

A short entry, for those following the deconstruction and reconstruction of our new home on the island. During the week my son and I traveled south, we stopped by and checked on the progress of the remodeling of our recently purchased home. Gone is the popcorn ceiling, and the white tile floor. The popcorn is now history, and the tradesman who did the skip troweled ceiling did a fantastic job. Removing that popcorn erased one more sign of the original 1988 construction.

Now starting to arrive is the wood flooring, and after that the new tile in the bathrooms and laundry. On the day I left (August 27th) the wood flooring had been installed in the master bedroom, where some living room furniture was already delivered and stored. The fireplace had been stripped of the old tile, awaiting the new. And the kitchen might best be described as a work in progress.

The picture does reflect the amount of light which can enter the room from the sliding glass doors onto the screened lanai. We both look forward to having that large deck area, which can be accessed from both the master bedroom (shown) or the living room. This home is all on one level, and will replace the two condominium homes we currently have, both on multiple levels. I'm looking forward to the life of fewer steps, and greater space.

Just Add Money - Part Two

The picture on the right shows a brown colored tile on what is a fireplace at the far end of the room. The tile sample (pictured left) is what we propose using to replace it, which will complement (as well as compliment) the new wood flooring to be installed. There was some discussion about using that same stone tile for the kitchen back-splash, but we're still looking for something a bit more two dimensional. I love this tile!

Those red couches will be going out with the current owners - and the layout of the room will be flipped - we'll be placing the television on the fireplace side, and not have a sectional but a less massive couch and chairs. One nice thing about this picture - it shows the expansive use of glass sliding doors (which we'll be replacing with more energy efficient and hurricane standard doors) which allow lots of light into this home. We're really pleased with the light, and the high ceilings, which make this house seem far more spacious than it's 2,013 square feet, and a 420 sq. ft. garage. The master bedroom measures 15'1" by 16'10", and the second bedroom is a spacious 13'6" by 14'6' with adjacent bath. The very best part is that both bedrooms and baths are at opposite ends of the house and can be closed off for energy savings when guests are not about.

Oh, those two guys in the living room - that's my Realtor in white, and the seller's Realtor in the blue shirt. This picture was snapped during the house inspection - those guys are just sitting around waiting to cash those commission checks.

Just Add Money - Part One

We made the offer, they countered, we accepted, and the dance begins. We had seen another house, but it was not YET on the market and the owner had decided it was worth $585,000. It was perfect, and we'd not have changed even the paint color, but it wasn't yet on the market, and in all fairness, it was at the top of the range I thought I'd have to spend.

Enter a property listed at $419,000 - one level, two car garage, two bedroom, two bath. While the other more expensive, but not yet listed, property offered an actual office, we saw possibilities. Ultimately settling on $400,000, we took our favorite contractor, Jason, through the house and discussed possibilities. He came up with an idea that would convert the breakfast area adjacent to the kitchen into a "man cave" where I could move my computer, a credenza, my Missouri condo's recliner, a bookshelf and my television. It would involve some kitchen reconstruction, and addition of a frosted glass door to allow light from the breakfast area (soon to be "den" of the papa bear) into the kitchen.

So, with the knowledge we could get the benefit of the office out of an unused breakfast area, we started making plans. We'd move an interior wall in the "den" to make it 9' wide and 14' long, we'd add a peninsula in the kitchen where we could put a couple of stools and have a surrogate breakfast area for coffee drinking and newspaper reading, and we'd replace the flooring throughout (except for bathrooms) with wood, and change out the cabinet fronts to a light colored wood, and add granite counter tops. We'll also remove the "popcorn ceilings" and replace them with skip troweled finish, and redo the bathrooms where the current pink tile would find more neutral replacement. There is a fireplace, and we've found a tile that we think will look great, and as this is written we're still looking for an appropriate back-splash. Today we found some nice pendant lights to place over the desired peninsula - stools to fit under can wait.

Oh, we've not kept my usual record of what we're spending - in terms of the granite, we started at several places where granite ran from $60 to $120 a square foot. What we found, at the workplace of our contractor's favorite fabricator, was a bargain at $22 a square foot - so we bought three large pieces - it will do the entire kitchen, plus seats in the showers, and perhaps a hearth in front of the fireplace. The wood will come from Lumber Liquidators, and I'm confident I'll find a good price on that. Watch this blog for further episodes

Possibilites......just add money

I took this picture of a home I wanted to purchase. It's going to need some work. It was built in 1988, and has "good bones" but it does have that 80's look. See that shiny white tile floor - the kind that you add water and then play slip and slide all the way to the orthopedist for that hip replacement? Hopefully in four months, that's going to be hardwood.

See that popcorn ceiling? Oh so 80's, and soon to be oh so gone. Well "skip-trowel" that dated look away. Notice how I now use those fancy home improvement show words like "skip trowel"? I have been retired too long, and HGTV has become a staple in our viewing lives. That and the Military Channel, but that's not for this blog entry. The bathrooms are in tile.....pink tile. Again, its a look not to be kept, and I've not even started talking about the kitchen remodeling.

So one asks "why if it isn't pleasing did you put a contract on it?" Answer: possibilities. And the price was right. The seller, whom turned out to be a fellow I know, looked at our offer and countered, whereupon I agreed, and started the finance dance. We hope to close in early July, and turn our contractor loose - barring finding any dead bodies in the attic or other deal killers.

When you move a woman, any woman, but especially a wife, you're in for a tough year. My dear wife will hopefully see the sense (and dollars and cents) of this decision once she has a chance to work with our contractor and make it "her home", but leaving one of our children up north is very hard on her. She's a tough person, and will adapt as she has any other time we've made a major decision that broke a comfortable inertia. Next week she goes with our contractor to make selections at Lumber Liquidators, and Sarasota Tile, and fixtures at Lowe's or Home Depot. We'll go north and get that three level home set up for sale over the summer, while Jason and his crew do their thing (that's the "just add money" part from the title). At the end of the summer we'll bring that which we haven't given our children down to Florida in a moving van. My dear wife has always considered our Missouri condo to be where "her good things" have been kept, and all my paper history is stored there as well. The new garden villa condo (one level, hurray!) has lots of room for storage, but that's not an excuse to pack everything. Any move is cathartic, but it's also a chance to shred stuff rather than move it. I have binders of taxes and investment account statements going back to 1988 which is way beyond any records retention law rules. A summer of shredding awaits!

So, in less than a month, we'll be headed back to Missouri. We'll help move our daughter and son-in-law from our condo (where they've lived during the sale of her first home) into a new four bedroom, three car garage, suburban home. Daughter has pledged to take not only some of our stuff, but to set up a room for her mother to stay in during visits to future grandchildren. She'll even store other furniture for our son, when he moves out from his step-cousins home to make way for that person's wedding and bride moving in. We will claim a closet for winter coats and sweaters rather than bring them south.

We're busy making lists of things to do this summer, and hopefully I'll find time to blog about them as well. After officially becoming a Floridian for tax purposes in 2004, I'll finally be down here 365 days a year (when not visiting friends, children or on a cruise ship). I consider my retirement is now complete - on social security and living in Florida. Where did that time go?