Noobies VÜ

I have had my washer and dryer stacked since I got them a couple years ago. I have never really liked them like that but the cost of the snazzy pedestals that the manufacturer makes are stupid expensive. I've seen lots of how-to's online and finally decided I'd make my own.
The Supplies

 And, the final product, (ignore my poor tiles, and yes, I know I'm gonna have to move those heavy ass machines and pedestal all over again when I fix them. I just don't know how to do the tile yet and I honestly didn't realize how big it really would wind up being. I overestimated the size I needed but I figured it was safer to be too big than too small.)

And there you have it. I'm happy with them and all told it was about $100 a pretty good bargain if you ask me. Just one of those pedestals is $299. I don't have storage in this but I have a few shelves so I think I'm okay with that.

This seems to happen quite frequently, well, relatively speaking anyway, I have become so lax in my posting that a year can come and go and I don't even notice. The only reason I did this time was because I was trying to show a friend a video that I knew I had posted on here. Yeah, I also learned that some of my videos no longer work. Booo for that.
So, what have I been up to, you may ask. Or not. But who cares? I'm gonna tell you anyway!
I've been doing a few projects around the house, nothing terribly earth shattering by any means but they do make the house more to my liking. Ohhh what I could do with a real budget. Or at least pay someone else to do.
I think the biggest project this year (and one that still isn't complete) is the upstairs floor. Thanks to a certain feline's propensity for peeing on the carpet in the hallway (BAD KITTY!) I found myself having to step up my timetable on replacing the carpet in the house with some wood flooring.
Of course the flooring I wanted couldn't just come off the shelf, no, that would be too easy. For some reason Lowe's and Home Depot both refuse to carry black or black toned flooring beyond the Jacobean Bamboo. That would be fine but I was advised against it as my house is too dry and the floor would likely crack in a few years unless I used a humidifier. If you've ever been in my house you'd know that was folly. har har
I did locate a lovely dark toned oak that had blue-gray graining. I really like it.
I tore the carpet out (ew, BAD KITTY) and was greeted with a sad sad subfloor. I had hoped to change it out but it would have been a huge job (of course, ALL my projects at this house go from small to huge). So, I suffered on. I do wonder if I might pull it all back up before I completely finish and try to do something about the subfloor. It is sooo uneven.

I've posted before that I really love pretty, fragrant, colorful gardens. I've even been trying to achieve something close to that at my own house but it's a lot more difficult then I thought it would be.
I like to think of myself as capable of doing most things, then the reality of my limitations comes crashing down and I realize I need to stop drinking so often.
Last weekend my brother and I went on a garden tour with a couple of my besties in the hopes of getting some inspiration. Well it succeeded and failed. It succeeded on the point of introducing me to some plants and garden types that I really liked and could see modeling my yard after. It failed on the point of enticing me into thinking I could do it as well. Bastard gardeners.
I've been slowly working away on my yard; added some trees last year. And I've been planning on doing some more this year, but as with all things, I am lazy and I drag my feet. Thanks to an awesome infuriating neighbor I've found myself having to step up to the plate sooner than planned.
My next door neighbor's next door neighbor, on the other side, bought the house between us. This would be my next door neighbor, though they didn't actually own the house, they were renting from some apparently obnoxious person who lived their before but had moved into town and seemed to be subsidizing their rent by using the rent they charged on their house instead of paying the mortgage on said house. So, it became the bank's property and my neighbor's neighbor is now my neighbor and his own neighbor. Anyway.
Awesome fellow my neighbor², he has transformed the mediocre house next door into a gorgeous little bungalow type of hybrid. I give to you, exhibit 1

Click to embiggen (sorry this is off google street view)

And now look at this little jewel, (oh and don't think I don't appreciate the fence, I had been wanting to put one in for a while, neighbor kids kept going into mine when they played. -oh, an aside inside an aside, turns out the shady owner kept moving the property line. The chainlink fence in the previous picture was actually over 2 feet onto my property. nice. - this allowed me to cut my costs in half, more if you include the fact that he built the whole thing while I was at work!)
Exhibit 2 The after where my damn  awesome neighbor has totally stepped up the game of making a jewel out of chunk of shit.

HUGE difference

 So because, well I had planned on it anyway, but he did up my timeline a bit. lol

A couple of weeks ago Constance and I decided to at least try to add a little color to the front of the house, she of course, had totally planned on jumping right in with the planting and stuff, but hey at least I got her input. We I made window boxes! (in her defense she was busy holding down her bed and making sure the cats weren't lonely)

Connie's box (har har- wink wink)

Jason's, snicker, box.

There are some really fun flowers but I don't know how well they will do at this point. I can't seem to water them enough. I may have to move them or try other plants. They do seem to revive when I water them but still.

This week I attacked the front yard rocky area. Again I totally over estimated my skills. But I hope it'll turn out. I worry because I have no clue how to do it or what to put in, I just find pretty plants that will take full sun and cross my fingers. But I have definitely learned I am not very delicate when I handle plants. It's funny I give roommate Jason a ration of shit because he doesn't know his own strength, but something tells me he'd be more gentle at planting than I am. Sigh.
So here are the plants I just put in.

I really hope these grow

To break it down, in the front we have a Delphinium. So cool. unfortunately the tallest sprout thingy broke off on the way out to me jeep by a lovely gust of wind. Really?! sigh, then another one got broken while I ham handedly planted it. It would not be the only casualty.

Delphinium, sure I stuck the broken piece in the ground, there's a chance yes?

The next one has the neatest petals, the Dahlia!

Dahlia

The last in this section is a butterfly bush

"Butterfly Blue" Scabiosa

Behind these (I didn't take a picture yet) is a Tuscan Blue Rosemary. Oh man it smells sooo good! I blame credit my brother for this one. He pointed one out on the tour. I will post a pic once it blooms (fingers crossed)

I also put in some wild grasses. These were probably my most AHA! moment of the day as I have struggled with what I wanted to do I discovered hey, I should plant these every other and flank the sidewalk with them! I chose Regal Mist Deer Grass and Mexican Feather Grass, just don't ask me to tell you which is which.

back (I think) Mexican Feather Grass, front Regal Mist Deer Grass

In the front right planter I threw a couple of plants- one I'm really excited to see bloom (again, fingers crossed), Chapel Hill Yellow Lantana, and a Salvia, Burgundy Candles.

front, Burgundy Candles; rear, Chapel Hill Yellow Lantana

"Burgundy Candles" Salvia

I didn't get a pic of the lantana since it hasn't bloomed yet.
The last plant was one I was most excited about until my fat fumbling hands decided to wreck the damn thing. I guess I didn't pay as much attention when planting it as I should have. sigh. The three red spikey things are supposed to be attached to the other red spikey things but I managed to bust them off. Apparently I really shouldn't try to plant that type of bush. Felt like a total dumbass when that happened. Oh well, what do you do, I hope to get a couple more and maybe those I won't fail with. lol I figure it'll grow.

"Brakelights Crimson" Hesperaloe Parviflora

More plants to come, but hopefully practice will make me a better planter.

I think I figured out why it has been so warm this winter. First, I'm not complaining about the heat, it is marvelous and allows me time to ride my motorcycle in comfort, but it has been really warm when compared to January and  February of past years.
With my roommate's help this last weekend I think we discovered why.
On my continuing trials and tribulations of my home and the corner cutting and what-the-hell-were-you-thinking modifications by the previous owners, I have found one more.
We had some good rain last week (I love the rain, but I've grown to fear it lately) and I am aware that when it comes from the correct direction my roof tends to leak a little bit. Not a lot, but enough to warrant a bucket in the sunroom. I'm actually quite happy that it is localized in the sunroom doorway but it's still not cool. At all.
Well, imagine my surprise when I am sitting on my couch and there is this odd pop-pop sound coming from the cushion beside me. I glance over to see a receipt roomie had left on the couch jump slightly. I'm like... wha...?
Just as I start to ask said roomie, who was sitting on the floor- don't ask, he just does that, what he left on the couch that was making that noise I realize it is a drip. Holy shit. I've never had the ceiling actually leak in the main part of the room, but I look up and I could see water collecting at a seam in the drywall on the ceiling. Not cute.
Sigh. Fortunately, beyond a few drips that sectioned dried up quite quickly, then I could hear the bucket in the doorway start to fill up. Double sigh.
I had to resign myself that once again I was going to have to tromp up unto the roof that weekend and see if I could figure it out.
I am pretty sure the half-assed way that the a/c unit was installed had everything to do with it. I just have to wonder if the homeowners did it themselves, or if they paid someone to do it. Regardless, it is ridiculous. I can already tell I'll have to do something to correct it in the future. I just love when people half-ass things figuring they'll fix it later, or better yet, allow someone else to fix it when the house is foreclosed on. psh.
In my inspection of the A/C unit I discovered a nice gaping hole (try a good half an inch at its widest) beneath where the ducting ties in. I didn't think a lot of it, the ducting itself is flexible tubing so I assumed the square ducting was simply enclosing the other stuff, I had corrected some similar gaping above with some aluminum tape but I hadn't looked below. I should have. I can only assume due to the way they installed it, the unit has settled and caused the gap to open below. Well, roomie passed his hand underneath when the unit turned on to heat. Oh joy. One vent is the cold air return, the other, heat. Well both of them sucked and blew. I think we can pinpoint my house as the cause for the warm winter as I have apparently been heating the outside for months.
It's almost funny, I went upstairs to figure out a water leak and discovered another kind of leak. Well a bunch of aluminum duct tape later, hopefully that part of it is corrected. Now I still have to figure out how to correct the water leak. Pretty sure the 2x4s nailed into the roof have a lot to do with it. It just kills me 2x4s! Then there is a bit of flashing that they used that I assume was meant to direct water away, but it is so stupidly put in that instead it directs it under the 2x4's where it collects until it seeps into the house. Idiots.
I had hoped to post some images of it but I didn't think to take them until after I fixed stuff. We put some flashing around the the sides of the frame and thus far, almost 2 months and a few storms later, I can say that I think the problem has been at least mostly addressed. For now.

I just found out that a very dear friend has left this life. I say dear friend even though I don't think I have seen her in over 5 years, if not longer. It's so difficult sometimes to put into words the complex emotions that make up friendship. I loved her dearly and have always so cherished the relationship we had. But it seemed as I grew older and came more to terms with who I was and my homosexuality that I developed the habit of separating my life into two distinct timelines. BEFORE and AFTER.

Jackie was BEFORE. The irony being she was one of the first people I ever came out to.

I don't think this has been a conscious decision. I know that I don't make an effort though, to keep in touch with many of those from BEFORE. I don't know if it's because I really question how they will take me and the truth of my sexuality, or if it's just the simple fact of being reminded of who I used to "be" and the lies I told to protect myself from the fear of losing great friends over a revelation of who I really was. Jackie had never given me any reason to doubt her feelings towards me. She was always so accepting and loving. We never went through a parting of the ways other then when I moved to a new city. I don't even remember when it happened. It just seems that people grow apart over time, and when I returned it was just too easy to maintain the status quo.

I try and try to recall the last time I actually saw her. I can't for the life of me. But I can recall a lot of the wonderful times we did spend together. The ups and downs of both our lives, the birth of her beautiful daughter; my coming out; her brother's marriage; the trials and tribulations of her relationships... She always had a smile and a laugh to share. And it was wonderful. And so was she.

you can't see it, but she is gleefully tugging on a co-worker's hair. This was Jackie. :)

When I first found out about her cancer I planned on going to see her and catch up. I thought she was in remission but I was horribly lazy and ambivalent and just never bothered. When I was told that she was in the end stages on Friday I thought about trying to see her but I was reluctant. I tell myself it's because I wanted to continue remembering her the way I do; laughing and vibrant and full of life. I didn't want to be plagued with the images of her in the hospital with machines maintaining her life. But ultimately I worry that I was being selfish. That this was that one opportunity to let her know that I cared and rejoiced in the life she lived with me.

But I couldn't. If there is one thing in this life I have become very good at, it's distancing myself from most of the painful emotions that make up our day to day existence. It's a coping mechanism that I have developed over time, and it works quite well. But I am less for it I think. I just can't seem to break it. Being confronted with the reality of mortality in such an explicit way is a bit more than I can take. It would force me to address the issues I have with death and dying. There is a big history for me with this and it is a huge part of what caused me to lose whatever faith I once had. Seeing my grandparents die and visiting them in the hospital as a kid, most specifically my mother's mother, who had suffered through multiple strokes, it was just something I have been unable to face. When my own father was in the hospital I couldn't visit him, even though I knew he wanted me to. I was able to visit my mother after her aneurysm and I am surprised I was able to do that. But I have learned that I am getting really good at compartmentalizing; in many aspects of my life.

I think I am experiencing the first casualty of that division. I have lost someone that I had always assumed that I would one day see again. And it hurts. I think not just in the loss forever of her presence but also in having to confront some issues I have worked very hard to disregard. Ultimately this choice was taken out of my hands since as soon as I was off work I was headed to Vegas with a bunch of my AFTER friends and Jackie passed pretty much when we were sitting down to eat. I had no cosmic revelation that this had happened, no disquieting feeling that something was amiss; she went quietly into that good night and I was oblivious.

It always seemed like Jackie and I had all the time in the world to run into one another again. I know in my heart that somehow, somewhere we will meet again and pick up where we left off and all the pain of this world will have passed us by. I hope then I can thank her for being who she was and loving me for who I was, and ask her to forgive me for not being there all those times I may have been able to give her support.

To Jackie I can only say; I'm sorry for missing out on so much, but thank you for all that you selflessly gave to me. You will be missed. And once again you have taught me something I didn't realize I needed to learn.