You No Pick Color Monday

My living conditions downstairs

Monday was payday for Roni and company: first payment on the remodel job. I had let Miguel #3 in and gone up to take a shower when Roni and Sam showed up. After drying off and getting dressed, we met in the office (the only unaffected room in the house) and discussed the work so far, (removing the popcorn, finishing and painting the ceilings), which is very nicely done.

We added in one more project: we are installing a sconce light on the wall of the basement stairway and replacing the hanging unit upstairs with a recessed light. I wrote out the credit order for them, and then they were off.

Excess stuff exiled to the patio.

This left Miguel #3 by himself. He was working on patching and finishing the ceilings up the stairs and in the bedroom. He caught my attention and said he had brought paint samples, which he put up on the wall. About three minutes after they dried, he wanted to know which colors I picked.

I explained that I had to see them in the evening, too, to make a final choice, so I would tell him tomorrow. He shrugged and went back to finishing the entry and living room ceiling (which look excellent) and priming the ceiling up the stairs.

So modern and inexpensive

That evening I went on an Internet buying spree. I bought matching door handles for all the doors (including regular, "privacy" and the locking kind and deadbolts). I tracked down very inexpensive wide toggle switches and switch plates (so they all match, too); turns out you can pick them up at the Home Depot whenever.

For the bathrooms

Replacing the lighting fixtures was the most expensive, but I still have the originals from the 1980s, so it was time to upgrade. I did very well, budgetwise, and splurged a little on the bathroom lights. Then there's the entry, the dining room, the kitchen light, the light up the stairs, the lights in the bedroom and a new ceiling fan, to boot. (I ordered the ceiling fan and downstairs sconce while Roni was here; that way, they will arrive in time to be installed when the electrician comes.)

Light bar for the entry

In the midst of all this, I remembered to call the bank and warn them about the large charge that Roni would be submitting. I also let them know I was purchasing online, too.

Dining room light

After the lighting was all bought, and after a short break, I dove back in and looked for pulls for the kitchen cabinetry. I was actually under budget, so I also splurged a little (see picture). The beading design on the handle matches that of the cabinets. Finding decent towel bars and toilet paper holders that don't cost of fortune is not easy, but I did manage to locate something tasteful.

Antique bronze cabinet pulls

Roni found a countertop granite with a brownish-pink that matches the current finish on the cabinets, so that saved having to repaint them. I had already picked out the sink and faucet for the kitchen, and the counter installers will bring those with them.

Over kitchen sink

Tuesday came and went with no one coming to work. About 6:30 the buzzer for the security gate rang, but I was upstairs on the toilet and not able to leap up and answer it.

Stairwell light

Today no one showed up, either. I did get several delivery people dropping off the lighting and other online purchases. Also, Jessie showed up. I was supposed to get together with her and Karl for a beer or something (Mary's in D.C. and Karl's bored). I begged off on that in order to be here to receive any packages that might arrive later in the day. So we visited and Jessie broke the news that she had been offered and accepted a new job…in Irvine.

Bedroom track spots

Since this is not her blog, I will not go into the particulars. You will have to go to her blog for details on this life-changing decision of hers. This cyber space is all about me.

So I gave her the nickel tour of the place and she was amazed at all that had been done (mostly removal), with junk piled up and dust everywhere as ample artifacts of the workers' work.

Towel bar and toilet paper dispenser

I had dropped Roni an e-mail, seeing what was going on with the project. I was going to give him a call after Jessie's visit to check on the job's progress and schedule, but I got distracted online. Before I knew it, it was 6:30 and the buzzer for the gate was ringing.

It was Carmen with the paint swatches again, and we nailed down what colors go where and picked the final colors for the bathrooms, bedroom and kitchen. I asked her why no one came the last two days. "Because you no pick color Monday, you no pick color Tuesday," she replied. Ends up, I would have chosen the same colors on Monday before the sun went down.

So the gang's going to be here at 9 a.m. tomorrow (Thursday), bright and early, to paint. While that's going on, I've decided to clean out the garage tomorrow, since I have boxes down there from when I moved in back in 2006. Not only do I want to clean the shelves, I also want to make a holding space for donations and storage. I also want to get the new lighting fixtures, in their boxes, down there so Roni doesn't see them and try to convince me to let him install them…at $100 a pop.