A cooked meal and lights

So my lovely wife got the first kitchen boxes unpacked and made spaghetti.  All three of us sat and ate at the island, just like we talked about doing over the last couple months.

Remember that post about the great, open box deal on the fan.  BOOOOO!  You would think it would have all the pieces and wires cut too short to use an extended downrod.  So now I have to make a trip back out to return, then find a NEW in box fan for morning room.

On a tiring and great note, I got all the rooms lights installed, the Master Bedroom and Family Room ceiling fans in as well.  Just the morning room fan to finish.

Which brings me to another "hindsight is 20/20" moment.
    -  Consider putting in a few can lights in your master bedroom.  One ceiling fan with a 100watt Halogen light bulb does ok, but we will have to get a couple of table lamps flanking the bed.  I may hit the electrician up for a couple (4 maybe) can lights.  We were smart enough to add 4 can lights to the family room and they have made all the difference!!!!  highly recommended.
    -  Consider getting the dryer vent higher on the wall.  That would allow you to hook to dryer, push back to wall and THEN clamp to the wall.  I'm not spry and limber enough to be climbing behind the dryer (that's on a pedestal!)  three times that I did.  BUT, it's done.
    -  If getting an island, see if you can get an outlet on both ends and not just one.  Ours is on the stove side.  I am guessing the placement is at "the electricians discretion" but I could be wrong and that's standard.  I was sitting there tonight on the "bar" side and wished I had an outlet for the laptop charger.

The garage is pretty cleared up and we are parking in there.  SOOO nice to have a garage to park in.  We still have the big storage container with all our $hit to empty.  Looks like I will wrangle up some reluctant friends for next Saturday.

We got our dogs back.  Some great friends kept them for us for 6 weeks.  Having plenty of room to spread out is keeping the dogs from feeling like they are always underfoot.  I swear they are more relaxed too.

That's all for now.
Carry on

Some interior shots, because Tammi made me!

Ok ok ok!  I was hoping to get some decent light and get some decent shots, but Tammi has "demanded" some pics.  So here ya go, I don't want any complaints on lighting, quality, etc....

A few observations:
-my house is warm!  I mean, I got the thermostat down to 68 and it's still warm!  I can stand by windows and feel NO cold air. 
-I am wondering if I could have gotten the dryer vent moved up the wall so it can be attached above the dryer.  Rather then at the very bottom where it's difficult to get behind and hook up.
-I wonder if I could have gotten the switches moved closer to the kitchen sink and away from the upper cabinet.  That would have made putting up a tile backsplash and stopping at the upper cabinet edge WAY easier.
-I wish I had unlimited money and put recessed lighting in every room.  Still living in the dark in ours and Ryan's rooms because I have not had the chance and/or tools to get lights up.  Very happy we got 4 cans put in the family room though.  Very nice.

I did learn how to convert/adjust for a three pin dryer needing to go into a 4 prong plug. 

PM may stop in today to adjust fireplace flame.  It's low (on the high setting).  Also have an electrician still due to put a flush mount light at top of 2nd floor stairs.  Right now it's just one of those crappy basement jobs with an exposed bulb, while the other two hallway  lights are flush mount fixtures.  Not sure why I had to ask for that to be fixed, but it's getting fixed just the same.  Also the Master Bath tub faucet started leaking after the first shower.  So plumber is scheduled for that as well.

We are very happy.  It's been a great experience...SO FAR.  We didn't even have any problems with NVR (sounds rare).  Hopefully we will get some furniture in Sunday.

standing at top of stairs and looking back.  Notice the washer/dryer...on the second floor....already hooked up?  yeah...that's right.

I really need some chairs!  two nights sitting on the floor or standing at the island to eat is already old!

a TV and two recliners...you would think a couple of college guys live here.  Notice the ceiling fan...still not hooked up.  Note, do not pack your ladder and tools at the back of a 16' storage container making it the last thing you will get too.

those that pay attention might start to wonder if Ryan has a thing for standing in corners.  Notice the hardwood into the dining room?  very nice.

Half crapper.  Works fine by the way.

The piano in it's final resting place.  Next time it moves, it's going out in pieces.

First Night

Still no interior pics, you will just have to wait.  I wanted to take some this morning, but the gloomy rain didn't give me the light I was looking for.

Closing was fast.  In and out in 45 minutes.  I drove there WITH the UHaul in tow.  After, drove straight to the house...MY house, and unloaded uhaul, then went and got my covered trailer and brought to the house.  I had to get that empty as well as the piano movers came this morning at 0930 and the piano was buried in there.

Understand that we bought from the Piano Movers (Smooth Moves), they have moved it IN, then OUT, then back IN today.  So after we got the piano moved in and in it's permanent spot, I jokingly asked if they moved washer/dryers into upstairs laundry rooms.  Guess what, Pat went and got his partner from the truck (getting ready to leave), and a dolly and had my Washer and Dryer in place in 30 minutes!!!!!  AND, wouldn't take any more money (paid $75 for piano move)!  Can you believe it!?  Shelley already has a load running now!  

PackRat storage delivered my container, so we will start dragging crap in.  Hopefully the weather will turn decent soon so I can get a "moving party".

More later,
Carry on

Exterior Pics

These were taken Saturday morning.  Aside from some touch up on the front porch, a (still owed) light post, and the grass, it's all done.
Hopefully I will be off Wednesday and will get a shit-ton of interior pics in daylight.  Stay tuned.

That there is a 20' wide driveway.  Plenty of room for what ever the hell I want to do with it!

From my "spot".  This is the direction I come up the street too, so this is what I will see every day.

A different angle

Look at my deck, it's sooooo huge.  hahaha.  Now I have shown you mine, you show me yours.  I'm killing me right now.  I'm here all week.

Walk Through Tomorrow at 1000, Close Tuesday at 1600

I did swing by yesterday and take some outside pics of my extra wide driveway, my finished covered front porch, and my large deck (size is perspective...hahaha) but you will have to wait for the final "it's ours" pics I will post Tuesday.

There are still a few things my PM has to finish or touch up but it looks like closing on Tuesday is a go.  Off the top of my head, they have to put back a few pieces of siding they removed for the deck, fix/straighten my jacked up drawer (kitchen), and a new one....fix the corner of the step to the porch.  Looks like some nimrod knocked a small chunk of just poured concrete off the corner.  Not sure what the fix it, but will have a pic and follow up fixed pic later.

Quick note, Ravenna Rant made a great observation about the hose bib.  We were initially told we would get one in the front and BACK.  Turns out the exact placement is at the plumbers discretion.  So we have one in the front (at a good place I should add) and one on the side.  What about the back?  Do I really have to drag a fu@#!ng hose around my house again!!??  So for now, yes.  But I will plan to install a hose bib in the back at some point.

Quick note #2, side deals are great.  I got my PM to put a pipe under the driveway so I can run "invisible fencing" around the house after move in.  He helped work a deal with the concrete guy for an extra two feet on both sides of the driveway.  BUT, he was supposed to hook me up on two extra outlets on the side garage walls.  Then it dropped to one, and I have given up asking/reminding.  So....if you are going to work "side deal" angles, be prepared to suck it up if it doesn't go through.  I should have paid for and guaranteed the outlets.  Luckily enough, I know how to run a new outlet and will do it myself after move in.

Our excitement is off the charts.  We are ready.  It's a new year, new house, new fun, new projects, new new new....

I shall type this to help guarantee I will begin moving on these, my first projects will be:
build "$10 shelves" from plans found on
                         http://ana-white.com/
build a recycling "center" from the above sites "laundry basket dresser"
build a workbench
build garage shelving found here
                        http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Home-Organization/Garage-Storage/garage-storage-ideas-find-unused-space

of course a tile backsplash, new sink and faucet are not too far away either.

I hereby promise to continue blogging about anything related to my house.  I may whine about my whiney boxer Samson, or talk about the housewarming party plans, but regardless....I will blog.

Ya gotta stay on it!

It's so hard to imagine that we are closing and moving in on Tuesday! 
I swung through last night and found the wood floor almost clean, giving me my first real impression of the colors.  It also looks like some drywall touch up is in place as well.
So on to the title of this.  For those familiar with the Ravenna, the Master Bedroom closet has a long wall with the clothing rack/rod and a shorter wall (about 5') with a clothing rack/rod.  We asked from the beginning to have the smaller rack NOT installed.  Well, they installed it.  So we had that meeting two weeks back and pointed it out, with our PM giving us it WBTCO.  So last nights trip showed they removed the Long rack!  UGH!  So a text message later, my PM calls and apologizes profusely for his mistake promising that it WBTCO. 
He also has a call into the HVAC guy because the upstairs is a good 10+ degrees HOTTER then the 1st floor.  Sounds like the fan speed may need adjusted and/or a damper installed. 
Today the weather appears to allow the pouring of the driveway.  The porch columns and rails going in today as well.  Tomorrow brings the deck construction. 
We are so very close!

insert snappy, witty title about an updated picture here

We got into the house yesterday.  My camera was not with me (crazy, right!?) and the below pics are from Saturday.  What you don't see in the pics is that the siding is all done.
The inside was great.  The hardwood was dirty, but not as dirty as it usually is.  This allowed us to walk around in socks and enjoy the new CARPET!  Yes ladies and gents, my awesome 10lb padding and Bomber Jacket Brown carpet is in.  And may I say it looks great with the wall color, floor, fireplace, and me.
We found more small things that need to be taken care of, those have been pictured and text sent to the PM.
Hard to believe we are 7 days away from closing.

for anyone interested, check out the left "support" beam and that fabulous engineering!

I have managed to get quite a few from this spot.  I may have to convert to Black&White pics and frame them in order.

I am very happy with the Almond trim contrasting the <insert color here> siding.