I HATE House Maintenance

I was so excited about the new guest room. I found a perfect cabinet to refinish and tile to match the nightstands (at the Goodwill for $9.99!). I went upstairs to measure the closet to be sure it would fit....and found this:

If you can't tell -- that is the ceiling in the closet, which has fallen in due to a leak in the roof! What is maddening is that it is obvious this area was a patch job, leading me to believe that there was a previous problem. This is one of many things the former owners of the house never disclosed to us. We realize that they were in dire financial straits and that they were trying to sell the house before the bank forclosed, but we would have appreciated knowning about problems, such as the master bathroom shower (which leaked), the many leaks in the roof (we found and fixed two right after we bought the place), and the fact that there had been a leak from the washing machine (which warped the subfloor upstairs) and a leak from the water heater (which needed to be replaced). I don't understand people who can be so purposefully deceptive -- how do they sleep at night?

Needless to say, I'm pretty depressed about it. Not only do I now have more work to do in the guest bedroom (and have I mentioned I hate doing drywall patching and mudding?), but we now have the extra expense of having to pay for another roof repair. The quote I got from our roof guy (who I totally trust and love his work) is $1000, because he has to take the swamp cooler off the roof in order to do the repairs and then install it again. I called and explained our situation (with Mike being unemployed) and asked if there was a less expensive option (that will still do the job and not leave us with problems later). However, we may just have to take the money out of savings to take care of the problem, which is scary. I can tell Mike is really stressed about it and I heard him muttering, "I need to find a job!" It makes my heart hurt for him, because its not like he is not trying to find a job -- there is just nothing out there that pays a decent wage that we could live on.

I'm trying to stay positive -- not only for Mike's sake but for my sanity. I'm focusing on positive things and accomplishing the tasks I can handle myself -- such as finishing up on that TV cabinet for the guest room and using a few old king size pillows to finish the accent pillows for the guest bed. Working on projects makes me feel like I'm at least making some sort of contribution.

Next weekend is the annual neighborhood garage sale. Perhaps we'll make enough to put a dent in the roof repair bill!

The New Guest Room

Since daughter Cherron has moved into her own place, her former bedroom has been empty. I wanted to turn it into a guest bedroom so we had a proper place to put family and friends when they visited -- but with the job situation being what it is, we didn't have a big budget. However, since when do you have to pay a fortune to get a really great look?

I knew I needed all of the furniture, artwork, and accessories. The only thing I already owned was a television and the window coverings that Cherron left behind. The paint was a pretty color, but there was some damage in a few places on the wall. Luckily, Cherron had purchased a quart of new paint to add to the paint we had leftover, as she had wanted to paint the bedroom in her new place the same color. She was kind enough to give me the remainder of that paint to use to touch up the walls in the new guest room.

I became a Craigslist stalker (in a good way -- looking for anything at a great price that might work for me). I was able to purchase the queen size bed and boxsprings, bedroom furniture, and some artwork in this manner. I visited garage sales and picked up a lamp and shopped thrift stores to find the shade and some accessories. I used 50% off coupons at hobby stores for some additional artwork and accessories, and I got all of the bedding on sale. I purchased some fabric (with a 50% off coupon, of course) and I used it to make the accent pillows. I bought a few forms at thrift stores and for the rest, I used old king size pillows we no longer used, cut down to size. The bedroom furniture was in rough shape, so I filled the dings with wood filler, sanded, and painted. I also had to find two finials to go on the footboard, as the originals were missing. I picked up some at the hobby store that were on sale for 66% off and painted them to match. On the nightstands, I tiled the tops to make them more durable and to give them a really great and unique look.

After I touched up the paint on the walls, I found that the new paint was just a tad darker than the old (or the old paint had faded a bit). You could see the blotches on the wall where I touched up -- so I bought some glaze, added it to some of the paint, lightened it up just a bit with some cream color paint I had, and then I did a faux finish on the walls with a sea sponge. The results were great!

Here's where the money went, the total cost, and pictures of the result.

Queen size bed and boxsprings: $80 (from Craigslist)
Four post bed and two nightstands: $40 (from Craigslist)
Finials for bed footboard: $15 (66% off at craft store)
Molding and tile for nightstands: Free (leftover from other jobs)
Paint for bedroom furniture: $30
Paint for bedroom walls: Free (from Cherron)
Glaze & supplies for painting bedroom walls: $30
Candle holders on nightstand: $8 (50% off at craft store and one from thrift store)
Lamp: $4 at garage sale
Lampshade: $4 at thrift store
Bedding (comforter & sheet set, mattress cover and mattress pad): $65 (on sale at various stores)
Bed skirt: $2 at thrift store
Pillow forms: $6 at thrift store and the rest free from old pillows
Accent pillow fabric/thread: $15 (using 40% off coupon at fabric store)
Large flower artwork: $20 (50% off at craft store)
Small flower pictures: $20 (from Craigslist)
Small mirror and hooks: $12 (thrift store and Target)
Floral arrangement: $15 (using coupons and sales at craft store)
Magazine basket: $7 (70% off at craft store)

The grand total: $373

I am still checking Craigslist often, as I would like a small chest or armoir to put inside the closet. That way, there will be storage, as well as a place to put a television (and guests can just open one closet door to watch television from the bed). I don't want to pay more than $25 for this -- so with paint (if needed), I may need to spend another $35 or so. However, I'm so pleased to get this beautiful, comfortable room for around $400! I think it would be easy to spend 10 times that much to get the same look!

Happenings

Spring is already summer and the kids are out of school! There has been no news on the job front for Mike -- not even one interview! We discussed it and decided that, since pickings are so slim, that this would be the perfect time for him to finish up his BA at college. He only has two semesters to go and while we will have to tap into savings to pay for some of it, we feel it is a good investment, as it may help him to get a job. So, he signed up to take two general education courses (English and biology) at the local community college, as well as an online class through the Southern Illinois University (which is where he is getting his degree). In the fall, he will take three courses at either the community college or university here in town and one more online class and he should be done! Of course, if he gets a job in the meantime, he can always drop the school and finish it later.

We had a bit of a setback with the master bathroom. As Mike was attaching the fixtures in the shower, he found that one pipe was loose. Turns out, the plumbers had not secured it correctly, and we first had to take out a tile (so the plumber could look and confirm this) and then go in through the back wall (Mike's closet) and fix the problem. I thought I was finished with drywall dust for awhile :( However, at least the problem is fixed now and hopefully the last fixture will go in this weekend. We are then FINISHED!! Of course, I'm already planning the next job. The kid's bathroom is in horrible shape. We learned (when we demolished the master bathroom) that the builders tiled right onto normal drywall -- and that is not acceptable. The grout in the kid's bathroom is cracking and we know the wall behind it is in bad shape. Since the tile we used in our bathroom was being discontinued and dropped to a ridiculously low price, we went ahead and purchased enough to re-tile the kid's bathtub surround and the bathroom floor. I'm going to be making a large mosaic from all of our many leftovers and that will be the focal point for that bathroom. I enjoy that type of work, as its an outlet for my creative side (plus, it really gives you a sense of satisfaction when you do a nice job).

Now I just need to find the time/energy to start on that project :)

Time Really Flies!

I can't believe I haven't posted for over a month! Things have been steadily crazy for the past several weeks. Mike still has not found work, but he has been working very hard every day on the bathroom remodel, as well as other tasks around the house. I so appreciate that he has been doing most of the cleaning and has dinner ready most days when I get home from work.

Work -- well, that has been interesting to say the least. I'm so grateful that my supervisor decided to give me 40 hours each week for the month of April. I don't spend all of my time in the OB/GYN office where I normally was working. Instead, she flexes me out to where the need is -- usually at the main registration desk for the pediatric and family practice clinic. While I usually keep busy while working anywhere, it is a different kind of busy at the registration desk -- just a constant flow of new patients ready to check in. There has been some drama in the OB/GYN office, with some people feeling resentful that I've been working primarily in the new suite with the new doctor. Apparently, they believe that I sit over there and just twiddle my thumbs or surf the internet and there was a lot of complaining and griping going on. One of the girls even emailed me to chastise me for how I spent my day, basing her opinion on incorrect assumptions and the griping of others. She went so far as to accuse me of not clocking out for lunch and of leaving early -- both of which were not true. After simmering for most of the afternoon, I calmed down and wrote a response, letting her know exactly how all of her assumptions were inaccurate and asking her why she just didn't ask me if she had a question as to how I spent my day. I also let her know I was copying the supervisors on the email, as I did not want them to get inaccurate information about me from her or anyone else.

I spoke to my supervisor about the situation the next day and was very relieved when she told me that they could not be more happy with my work and that I should not let any of my co-workers bring me down. Apparently there are some ongoing issues with the OB/GYN department that I was unaware of (most with this particular co-worker) and we later had a meeting about those issues. At first, my co-workers expressed their resentment at the fact that I alone worked in the other suite -- but when I agreed to their suggestion that we rotate (as I felt that way they would all see exactly what work needed to be done over there), they suddenly changed their minds and decided that the whole situation was caused because of stress, as they do not always have me or the other temp worker (when we are flexed out) and are always feeling behind. The supervisor agreed to a suggestion that one girl in the office help with the scheduling so that they would always have sufficient help -- and I insisted that the other temp needed to work in the other suite, as I would not always be there -- so now we alternate. We'll see if that helps the situation. However, it was sad -- because I really enjoyed my job and the people I worked with -- but to learn that people were talking behind my back, criticizing my work unjustly, and making untrue allegations about my ethics and work habits really hurt my feelings. I don't feel that I can really trust any of my co-workers anymore and I do not look forward to my days at the OB/GYN office anymore. At this point, I'm mulling over some other options, including applying for some other positions which would pay a bit less, but would move me to a more autonomous position away from the OB/GYN office.

The bathroom STILL is not finished -- but every day it looks better and better. My parents came to visit the third week in March and I took nearly a full week off work to help Mike to get a lot of tasks accomplished before they arrived. We were able to tile the floor and tub surround, install the vanity and toilet, and put up the mirror/lights, towel rods, etc. We can now actually use the bathroom! The shower is the last thing to do -- and we are tiling it now (it should be done by the end of the week if things go as planned). We had wanted a frameless glass shower enclosure, but we may not be able to afford that right away with Mike's current situation, so we'll just get a shower rod and curtain for the time being. It will be so nice to be able to shower in our bathroom (for the first time since we moved into the house!). I'll be sure to post before and after pictures.

Some Recent Wins

Now that we are really penny pinching, I appreciate the occasional win more than ever! For now, we are going to allocate $42 per month (one roll of stamps) for sweepstakes entering. However, that may change if things get tight, so I'm also trying to enter sweepstakes online more.

I was notified the other day that one of my online entries was picked in a General Mills sweepstakes open to active duty and retired military families. We won a Nintendo Wii system, complete with the Wii fit.



That was a really nice surprise and one that will be put away as soon as it arrives. We figured it would make a great birthday present for my son or, if my husband is still unemployed at that point, we may just keep it hidden until Christmas. I also won a $50 gas card the other day, which was also a military sweepstakes. That will come in handy when Mike goes to job interviews.

Today, while I was out doing errands, I figured I would pop into the local Indian casino. They give me "free play" each month in varying amounts and I had $7 to spend this week. I do love going to the casino and it is one of those things that I have to give up for the most part just now. However, I decided to limit myself to the $7 they were giving me and another $5 in my wallet. When the money was gone, then I would go also. Just about the time I had used up my $5, I hit the bonus game on the slot machine I was playing and, during that bonus game, I won a $90 jackpot, combined with the other winnings during the bonus game, I walked away with $110! That will pay for our perishable groceries for the week! Too bad that doesn't happen ever time I go to the casino.

These wins, while not incredibly expensive or lavish are so nice, especially now that we can't buy a lot of luxuries for the time being.

Painting and nursing

My son Jonathon missed four days of school last week due to a stomach virus. Mike tended to him, as I was at work most of the time. Kristina came home mid-week from college for a long weekend and spent a day helping Jonathon with some math homework. Now both husband and daughter have the same illness -- just in time for the weekend (when we planned to get quite a bit of work done). I had something similar about three weeks ago, so I'm hoping that it hasn't mutated enough to reinfect me, but I am washing my hands like a maniac and spraying Lysol liberally on doorknobs, handles, remotes, keyboards, and other common items. Now, more than ever, it's important that I stay well, as if I don't work, we don't get that pay.

The drywall guy finished today. He was incredibly slow, but did a really great job! I was able to prime and paint a few of the smaller areas today and then move furniture back to where it was suppose to go (with the help of my son, who is fully recovered). I'm hoping my husband feels well enough tomorrow to do a few things like reattaching some baseboard that we had to remove so I can put my office back in order. I haven't painted for some time and I had forgotten what a satisfying job it is -- giving immediate gratification for a job well done. Tomorrow I plan to prime and paint the larger areas, including the downstairs bathroom, a large under the stairs storage area, and the garage. It will be so nice to get the bathroom vanity back into place and out of the middle of my living room!

The plumbers are coming to finish the master bathroom plumbing on Monday. The quote they provided was very reasonable, so I was thankful. I'm hoping that they can finish that job in a day or so, and then we can get on with putting that bathroom together. I was talking to my mom the other day and she was worried about the stress my husband's unemployment might be putting on the family. I told her that while we weren't happy about it and, of course we worried about money now more than ever, the greatest stress in my life just now is the chaos my house is in due to the construction and remodel. Once everything is done, I think I'll have a real sense of peace.

One nice benefit to the chaos is that we are sorting through our belongings as we put things back -- culling out anything we do not need or want any more. I'll try to sell them online for some extra cash and, what does sell, we'll donate. One of my resolutions is to be much better at keeping records of those types of things, so that when tax time rolls around next year, I can take all of the deductions I should.

Well, I've got to squeeze a bit more painting in before bedtime. I'm feeling a sense of urgency to get as much done as possible -- just in case the dreaded stomach virus hits me again (but I'm praying that doesn't happen. I just HATE being sick!).

Some Days Are Better Than Others

Last week Mike was informed that the purchase of his company will not go through after all. Apparently, the delay in financing was just too much and the senior stockholders in the company demanded that the company refile for Chapter 7 and be liquidated instead of saved. So, Mike is officially unemployed at this point.

We had a tough few days as we attempted to process the information. While we always knew logically that this could happen, we always felt that the company would be saved (and thus were in some denial about the possibility of unemployment). Of course, this happened in the middle of the re-plumb of the house and remodel of the master bathroom.

I'm happy to say that the re-plumb went fairly well, passed the city inspection, and now we're just waiting for their drywall guy to patch up all the holes. What wasn't so great was that when we did the initial quote/walk-through with the owner of the plumbing company, he indicated verbally that most of our master bathroom plumbing (for the remodel) would be no extra charge, as they would already be doing plumbing in that area. However, once the re-plumb started, he indicated that the two jobs were to be entirely separate (due to the class action claim), and he would give us a quote for the master bathroom when the re-plumb was done. That is supposed to happen today -- so I'm crossing my fingers he is a man of his word and that no outlandish fee is quoted, as we just can't afford another huge cost just now (we had to spend $2000 of our own money to hire this particular company, as opposed to the company the class action people usually use (we were not impressed at all with them), to use the materials that every plumber we talked to recommended (instead of the materials included in the class action claim) and to continue the re-plumb to the street so that we would not have a possibility of future leaks under the slab (which is an expensive problem with the substandard pipes).

We spent the weekend productively, doing taxes to figure exactly how much we owed and making a spreadsheet of our finances, including current income, money that is expected in soon, unusual expenses (like the bathroom remodeling costs and taxes), and a regular monthly budget. It made us feel a lot better to see that we'll still have some savings left after our unusual expenses and that we'll be bringing in enough to live on if we are careful with our spending.

Mike was able to get into the dentist for his cleaning before the benefits expired at the end of the month (the kids and I were just in last month). Our health insurance continues, as it is military and not through his work. We were also informed by the company (two days before the end of the month) that we had to use up any money in our FlexPay account by 2/28, or loose it. So, we had to go on an unexpected shopping spree to purchase over the counter medications and other covered items so that we could submit a claim for the amount we had paid in this year. We'll use all of the items eventually, but it was frustrating that the company did not let us know about the situation until two days before the deadline.

I'll be happy to see the progress on the drywall patching when I come home from work today and hopefully the quote from the plumber for the master bathroom plumbing is not horrible. I'm so eager to have my house put back together again and items put away. Living in chaos, especially during this particular time and situation, is stressful -- and we need as much peace of mind as we can get just now :)