Time Lapse Revisited

I know, I know, it's been a while, AGAIN. But I really am going to try to keep up the posts from here on out. Incidentally, we've been plenty busy since the start of the year. Things that would probably have made for interesting blogging, if I could've mustered up the brain-power to document them. Like when our family Jeep was hit by a left turning truck WHILE MOTIONLESS IN OUR DRIVEWAY and the less-than-lucid Ogden PD we called wrote us a citation for a "backing violation". Um, hello, does the term "stationary vehicle" mean anything? Needless to say we are appealing that one, we might even have a chance since she filled out almost HALF of the paperwork incorrectly. Also we lost hot water for about a week after the valve leading to the roof evap. cooler corroded and gave us a lovely high water bill. Of course, I was under the impression that this particular line had been drained, lucky me I got to find out different right in the middle of an ice storm. Directly after solving that little dilemma, our wall oven decided to call it quits, and it took 2 weeks to get someone out to repair the faulty wiring on it. I am guilt-ridden over the amount of takeout I ate in that time period. Now that we can bake again, we are facing yet another plumbing problem in the form of an overflowing basement drain, which appears to be directly linked to the kitchen sink. Nothing else in the house is affected, so I will be taking apart the basement ceiling/walls of the target area in an attempt to locate the problem. I have to now anyway, because it appears to be causing mold damage (yuck!). In between all of this, our little family has managed to survive the cold/flu season relatively intact, and we are heading for the local gym every chance we get. The boys are thrilled with the child care center, and a few hours a day w/o kids is a nice reprieve for me. Even if I have to make an effort to get fit during that time. And now that the end of winter is finally in sight, we are getting ready to start seeds in the kitchen nook, which gets the most reliable sun. When we have something more interesting than a couple of trays of potting soil to look at, I'll be sure to put up pics. Here's looking forward to spring!

Post-Inspection Checklist

Well, our inspection that was originally supposed to be several weeks ago finally took place. I have to say, even though some problems turned up, it's a relief that most of them are small in nature. Nothing like the last inspection, thank GOD! So here are the things our inspector recommended be taken care of:
-loose, uncovered electrical wires/splices need to be properly concealed in conduit/junction boxes
-natural gas supply needs help as currently the gas is on but not reaching appliances (this may just be due to the contractor working on the house, I'll have to check)
-small leaks in the basement need repair at main water shut-off, bathroom supply, kitchen supply
-chimney needs repointing at top and cap needs to be secured
-main electrical service running overhead needs to be raised for safety (probably need to contact the utility company about that one)
-basement shower surround is pretty dead (not to worry, we would have demo'd it anyway!)
-loose light fixtures in bedrooms need to be properly installed
-furnace needs a flex line, also discharge pipe is threaded and needs to be replaced.

Another Day, Another House

Hmm. Well, this next prospect is certainly thought-provoking. It's a 1923 brick bungalow on a tiny city lot with a shared driveway, and the interior is a mixture of Craftsman details and 70's fugly. I really don't know what to feel about this house, part of me wants to try and save it, the other part thinks that its surroundings might not make it worthwhile. The seller is willing to make the necessary repairs to get us through escrow, and it is priced low enough to allow serious renovation, so we are somewhat tempted. Just to give you an idea of what I'm still trying to wrap my brain around, here's the 28th St bungalow with:

The Good

The Bad

And The UGLY!