I think I found my new home!

[Wolferz]

Gotta love a Skrim junkie.

[frau kaleun]

OY WHAT A DAY.

In anticipation of my first night staying over in the new place, I packed and transported two carloads of stuff starting about 9 AM this morning. It was all made even more fun by the fact that I woke up about 3 AM and couldn't get back to sleep for a couple hours, so I'm already tired when I get started. But pretty much everything is out of my bedroom except for some holiday stuff in the closet and, you know, furniture that I can't move until we have the truck. So not too shabby.

Anyhoo - got everything carried in and where it needed to go temporarily, at least mostly, and ordered my first LaRosa's delivery at my new address since I was starving. Had a hoagie for lunch and got a salad for later which I never ate and will have for dinner tomorrow I guess. Finished eating and got started on laundry and getting the master bath cleaned and set up so I could start actually living here.

Yikes, that took... WAY longer than expected. Doesn't it always? It was complicated by the fact that I spent about an hour and a half trying to hook up my showerhead, only to have it leak/spray water all over me and my nice mostly clean bathroom every single time no matter what I did. And I hooked it up right, but either something got busted in transit or I'm missing a washer somewhere. Took apart the showerhead left by the last owner and pulled washers out of that to see if they would help but nothing worked. Maybe whatever I needed is still in the bathroom back at the apt, I wonder if a washer got stuck up in the pipe or something and I didn't get it out.

Anyway that was getting really frustrating, here I was *this* close to being done, just needed to hook the showerhead up, and looking forward to having a nice shower and getting all the grime and sweat off... it's REALLY hot here today, even with AC running and ceiling fans there's just no way NOT to be hot and sweaty when you're working in a small upstairs room. Another reason I really, really hate cleaning bathrooms. I couldn't get my Waterpik to work and there was no way I was using the one that was in there when I arrived, it was really icky. Fortunately I remembered there was also another showerhead in the guest bath and checked that out and it looked relatively new and was a snap to clean up. Why it wasn't in the master bath to begin with is anybody's guess.

So, that was my day, and I didn't get done near what I'd hoped I would, but at least I accomplished something. And I did take a few pics.

Frau Kaleun has books!



Most of what's stacked along that wall is just... books. And there are still more boxes of them in my apt.

Laundry done?



CHECK.

Bathroom acceptably clean and functional?





CHECK.

And what about sleepy time?



Bed is ready, repeat, bed is ready. Makeshift nightstand reports Monday morning alarm is set. Pillow fort enabled. Comforter and extra bankie on standby. WE ARE GO FOR BEDDIE-BYE!



It'll be interesting to see how screwy my morning is, I'm not a morning person so I have a routine and have had for many years, I know exactly where everything is that I need, which hand to use to reach for it and when, what drawer to open, what order to do things in to get ready in the shortest amount of time possible so I can sleep as late as possible.

Tomorrow, nothing will be where my addled early morning brain will expect it to be. I've got stuff laid out and handy but I'm sure it will still be interesting.

[Jimbuna]

Your getting there

[Wolferz]

Almost home.

[Sailor Steve]

Congratulations on a good start. A couple of objections, though:

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

and ordered my first LaRosa's delivery

That link is to a Wiki article, and since everybody knows that Wikipedia gets everything wrong and can't be trusted for anything, how do we know this place even exists?

Also, how does anyone order a sandwich from a pizza place? Sandwiches are great, but pizza is the food of the gods. Are you sure you're really a valkyrie?

Anyway that was getting really frustrating...

Yeah, you have to hate it when things decide they aren't going to cooperate no matter how hard you try. Maybe it's asking for a shower massage head or something.

Frau Kaleun has books!

Most of what's stacked along that wall is just... books. And there are still more boxes of them in my apt.

I like the staircase. I only see a few boxes, though. How many more do you have? I hope it's a lot; I need competition in the book department.

Here's hoping your first night HOME went well.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

That link is to a Wiki article, and since everybody knows that Wikipedia gets everything wrong and can't be trusted for anything, how do we know this place even exists?

http://www.larosas.com/

Also, how does anyone order a sandwich from a pizza place? Sandwiches are great, but pizza is the food of the gods. Are you sure you're really a valkyrie?

I'm too tired to be sure of anything right now.

Altho I risk being drummed out of the SW Ohio club for saying so, I really don't care for their pizza. It's the sauce, I think - it's just not to my taste. So if I'm gonna get pizza, I get it somewhere else.

They do have really good hoagies, though, also I like their salads and pasta dishes. And the calzones, yum. Sometimes I'll get a focaccia style pizza, which has a different type of sauce on it.

I also don't like Cincinnati chili. So sue me. Skyline and Gold Star are the two biggies around here, I think they've also expanded into other parts of the country as well... usually those that see a large influx of Midwesterners at certain times of year or as retirees. But Cincinnati chili uses spices like cinnamon, allspice, stuff like that. AND THOSE THINGS DON'T BELONG IN CHILI.

Yeah, you have to hate it when things decide they aren't going to cooperate no matter how hard you try. Maybe it's asking for a shower massage head or something.

That's what I had, also what the previous owner had on there. I dunno, I think a washer or something fell out and I just don't have it. At this point I think mine is probably busted from dropping it so many times in the tub while I was trying to hook it up and getting sprayed in the face over and over again.

Well, there's a reason I got all those gift cards, lol. I'll find another I like and put that in my bathroom and put that decent spare back in the guest bath. At least now I know it's nice enough to leave in there and will save me replacing it whenever I get around to fixing up that shower for the many guests I will never have due to the lack of a furnished guest room.

I like the staircase. I only see a few boxes, though. How many more do you have? I hope it's a lot; I need competition in the book department.

I think there are four boxes left in the apartment. I don't know how many in the condo, they're stacked 3-4 boxes high and two rows deep along most of that wall. There might be one box in the office already.

It's still probably not nearly as many books as it felt like when I was loading and unloading them to get them moved over.

Here's hoping your first night HOME went well.

Well, the bed is comfortable enough and it's quiet enough but I still didn't get to sleep until about 1 AM and I woke up a lot earlier than I needed to. Too much to think about and probably too worried that the alarm wouldn't go off or I wouldn't hear it or whatever. I'm dead tired, right down to the bone. And I have to go back to the apt probably every night this week to keep taking things apart, throwing things out, and packing up stuff there. At least I'm getting to the point where very little needs to be moved over by me, I think most of what's left can be packed to go on the truck.

And I've got the holiday next Monday plus I'm taking the rest of that week off as vacation time. I need to go down to Florence KY to order my bedroom furniture on Sunday or Monday, since they're having a big Memorial Day sale of which I can take advantage. Lowe's is having a sale on major appliances through the holiday but so far the fridge I want hasn't shown up on their website with any sale price, it seems to be only selected models... so I may not need to worry about ordering that over the holiday weekend after all. My discount card is good til July so there's no rush if it's not on sale. I will have to move the current fridge first to verify measurements on the space and clean up that alcove, and I'm not sure I'll be up to that this week. Maybe. I don't know.

AND I've got to clean and do whatever repairs are necessary in the apartment. And I still haven't heard anything from the building manager about what to do with the keys but they had almost three weeks to call me before the phone was disconnected, and I gave them my cell in the letter... so I guess I'll call them when I get around to it if they can't be bothered to follow up on their end.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

http://www.larosas.com/

Oops. I really should have put a in there to show my intent.

I'm too tired to be sure of anything right now.

Lol. I know that feeling.

Altho I risk being drummed out of the SW Ohio club for saying so, I really don't care for their pizza. It's the sauce, I think - it's just not to my taste. So if I'm gonna get pizza, I get it somewhere else.

That's too bad. Still...

They do have really good hoagies, though, also I like their salads and pasta dishes. And the calzones, yum. Sometimes I'll get a focaccia style pizza, which has a different type of sauce on it.

Sounds like a place I'd like. Hoagies and salads are important food groups, just like pizza.

AND THOSE THINGS DON'T BELONG IN CHILI.

Chili is also an important food group, but in this case I think I agree...yuck! I tend to by the canned stuff and then dump in what I like. I've only made my own from scratch once, but it was pretty good.

It's still probably not nearly as many books as it felt like when I was loading and unloading them to get them moved over.

I was just stealing an opportunity to brag about the 60+ boxes I still have left over from when I worked at the book warehouse fifteen years ago. I'll never read them all. At the rate I'm going I'll never read any of them, especially since I keep buying the ones I actually want to read.

If you have the books you want then you have all you need. On the other hand there's the old musicians' saying: "How many guitars is enough? Just one more!"

Sorry about the lack of sleep, but as I said that's a feeling I know well. In my case it's just not sleeping well anymore. I end up dozing in front of my computer a lot.

Good luck with the furniture sale. Get plenty of rest and take care of the heavy stuff when you're ready, and not before.

AND I've got to clean and do whatever repairs are necessary in the apartment. And I still haven't heard anything from the building manager about what to do with the keys but they had almost three weeks to call me before the phone was disconnected, and I gave them my cell in the letter... so I guess I'll call them when I get around to it if they can't be bothered to follow up on their end.

You have to love it when people can't bother to be bothered. My management is very professional in that department, always checking on the details and following up. I'm sure your people will try to blame you for everything.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Oops. I really should have put a in there to show my intent.

Oh, I knew you were mostly teasing. I don't know why I didn't use that link in the first place.

Sounds like a place I'd like. Hoagies and salads are important food groups, just like pizza.

It's definitely a local institution. In fact it's funny, where I grew up - way north of Cinci proper - we didn't have any of their places at all until the last 10-15 years. I had never eaten their food, ever, until I started working where I work now. One winter we had a day with really bad weather and only a few of us made it in to the office; I was one of them. The doctor who was here that day said that it was a good day to order lunch and he would buy LaRosa's for all of us who were brave enough to venture out and show up for work that day. I asked if we had a menu and you could've heard a pin drop. Nobody could believe that I'd never been to LaRosa's. The doctor even joked that anyone who needed to see a LaRosa's menu probably didn't deserve to eat there.

But that was my introduction to the franchise; when I moved to my apartment there was actually a place right down the street. I ate there sometimes but reallly indulged after they put online payment on the website, which allowed me to place a delivery order through the site instead of calling them which had been the norm previously.

Nevertheless I can still sing their phone number - if you read the wiki article, it mentions the fact that years ago they consolidated all of their phone ordering under one number which was featured prominently in their radio and tv ads. BOY WAS IT EVER. I doubt there's anyone who's lived around here for long who can't sing the LaRosa's phone number. Very clever, setting it to music like that - it became unforgettable, kind of like those old bits from Schoolhouse Rock.

Chili is also an important food group, but in this case I think I agree...yuck! I tend to by the canned stuff and then dump in what I like. I've only made my own from scratch once, but it was pretty good.

I've never made it completely from scratch, but there's a mix that I like - dry spices and whatnot in a pouch kinda thing - altho it's been hard to find except for one or two stores. Huh, whaddya know, they sell it on Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Tempo-Chili-2-.../dp/B000H25YHK

So I guess what I like would fall under the category of Southwestern style.

I just follow the instructions which call for ground beef and a can of tomatoes, but I add a can of beans too plus a little Tabasco. Cincinnati style would be to ladle it over a plate of spaghetti or a hot dog, but usually I'll do chili macaroni instead. Chili over macaroni topped with some shredded Cheddar Jack and sliced fresh green onion: OM NOM NOM. Really nice on those cold winter days.

I was just stealing an opportunity to brag about the 60+ boxes I still have left over from when I worked at the book warehouse fifteen years ago. I'll never read them all. At the rate I'm going I'll never read any of them, especially since I keep buying the ones I actually want to read.

I'll probably end up having fewer books than I think I have, lol, because a lot of my bookcase space ended up being used for storage of other items that just wouldn't go anywhere else. It will be interesting to get all my bookcases in place and start unpacking them, just to see how much shelf space they take up when they're put together in one place. I may even have room for more!

I did the measuring and I should have room for 5 cases, each about 31" wide and 80" high - six shelves each. And mabye one matching 15" one in the corner where the two rows will meet. All in one room! That's probably as much shelf space or more than I had scattered around my apartment - and most of it can actually be for books this time. I'll have to see once I start unpacking that stuff, but I may have storage space on the other wall for DVDs/CDs plus extraneous office stuff.

You have to love it when people can't bother to be bothered. My management is very professional in that department, always checking on the details and following up. I'm sure your people will try to blame you for everything.

The property manager is rather scatterbrained - but I knew that when I moved there, as my sister used to work for her. She had another person who was actually responsible for managing that building then though. I figure I'll call them this weekend, if nothing else they need to know that the electricity will be shut off on the 31st unless they call to make the necessary arrangements to avoid that. You'd think they would assume that needed to be done anyway, but I'm not counting on it.

[Wolferz]

Well, you definitely need the landlord there with you for the exit inspection of your apartment. Otherwise, they could claim all manner of damages and forfeit your deposit. Then you hand them the keys after all documents are signed off on. I would think that they would be chomping at the bit to turn the place over and get it rented to a new tenant ASAP.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Wolferz

Well, you definitely need the landlord there with you for the exit inspection of your apartment. Otherwise, they could claim all manner of damages and forfeit your deposit. Then you hand them the keys after all documents are signed off on. I would think that they would be chomping at the bit to turn the place over and get it rented to a new tenant ASAP.

Well, that's what I assumed - that they'd want to know exactly when I'll be out so they can do a walkthrough as is stated in the lease. But they haven't called.

OTOH I've been in there for 18 years - it's pretty much a given that the carpet will have to be replaced and it will have to be repainted. The lease even says that we're NOT allowed to paint ourselves, so I wouldn't have been able to do that even if I wanted to. I will spackle holes in the walls and clean up as best I can, and if they don't arrange a walkthrough I guess I'll just take pictures.

There is some damage to the wall under one corner of the air conditioner but that's from water running down behind the wall where the units are placed, it's eaten away at the drywall there and if you pressed on it you could put your hand right through it. They knew there was a problem with that (and not just in my apartment) years ago and were supposed to have fixed it. In fact they already came out once and "repaired" the wall once but last summer it was obvious that it was being eroded again. As I've been moving stuff and cleaning I've noticed what looks like indications of water running down behind the drywall in several other places too, there's faint discoloration up near the ceiling. Not just the exterior walls either. I'm not gonna take responsibility for anything caused by that stuff.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

But that was my introduction to the franchise; when I moved to my apartment there was actually a place right down the street. I ate there sometimes but reallly indulged after they put online payment on the website, which allowed me to place a delivery order through the site instead of calling them which had been the norm previously.

We have a pizza place by the University of Utah called The Pie. Best pizza in Salt Lake since forever.
http://www.thepie.com/

I doubt there's anyone who's lived around here for long who can't sing the LaRosa's phone number.

I shudder to think of all the commercial jingles and TV theme songs I remember from childhood.

I've never made it completely from scratch, but there's a mix that I like

My first thought was "Yikes! Sixteen bucks for two 1-oz packages?!" Then I looked again and it was "Oh, it's twelve 2-oz packages." That's only a little over a buck a pack. Not bad at all.

I had a roommate once who was a master chef, but he hated recipes and did everything by guess and by golly, so it was always different. He insisted that I could do it, so we made a huge pot of chili, me making and him advising. We cooked up a bunch of pinto and black beans that were just waiting for a project, added fresh tomatoes we cut up ourselves, about three pounds of beef if I remember correctly, some other veggies and whole bottles of spices. After it cooked for about a day we decided it was ready. He really liked the extra spice mix and asked what I had added. When I told him I had dumped a whole small can of plain black pepper in, he said that it was all too easy to forget that the common stuff can sometimes make all the difference. It lasted us at least a week.

Chili over macaroni topped with some shredded Cheddar Jack and sliced fresh green onion: OM NOM NOM. Really nice on those cold winter days.

Sometimes when I'm feeling lazy I pull out one of my old favorites, mixing together a can of chili and a can of spaghetti. A six-cheese Italian blend from the store and it's ready.

I did the measuring and I should have room for 5 cases, each about 31" wide and 80" high - six shelves each.[/quote]
I currently have three - one I bought (the second one didn't survive the move), one that was given to me and the third is made out of several box-style shelves stacked on top of each other. I was going to buy two more as soon as I had a car, but I don't want to assemble and load them up when I'll have to take them down again because of this remodelling that's coming up. My original plan was to read all the books I got from the warehouse and then give them away. I'll never get there.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

I'm not gonna take responsibility for anything caused by that stuff.

My small family lived for a year in a very nice split-level duplex. When we moved in the owners pointed out that one of the downward steps had a piece broken out and the carpet was soft there. We lived there for a year and when we moved out the new owners tried to stick us with repairs for the stair I had broken. It seems the old owners hadn't mentioned it in writing anywhere. When I told the new owner about it, he pointed out that I could say they had told me that but there was no proof. I worried about it for a minute, then thought to ask him where the broken piece was. He asked what I meant, and I did my own pointing out. The stairs were carpeted. If I had broken the step then the piece would still be there under the carpet. If the piece was there, then he had a point. If not, then it had to have been thrown away before the carpet was laid. They pulled the carpet up and sure enough, no piece.

I'm surprised the old owners didn't repair it when they put the new carpet in, but who knows what people are thinking at any given time.

[WernherVonTrapp]

Frau kaleun, is the water coming out from the area where the shower-head screws onto the pipe threads? If so, you may simply need to wrap about 6" of Teflon tape around the threads before screwing the shower-head on. I used to be a plumber (a Tiler and a Landscaper too), but I can't see the showerhead or pipe coming out of the wall.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by WernherVonTrapp

Frau kaleun, is the water coming out from the area where the shower-head screws onto the pipe threads? If so, you may simply need to wrap about 6" of Teflon tape around the threads before screwing the shower-head on. I used to be a plumber, but I can't see the showerhead or pipe coming out of the wall.

Yes, it's coming from that general direction... but I tried the tape thing and rubbed soap around the threads as well since I know I've done that before when attaching such things and neither worked. Well, even when it looked like it wasn't coming from where it screws onto the pipe, it still leaked from somewhere, the part that screws onto the pipe actually screws into the rest of the unit and it might have been coming from there. I don't know, and I'm done fooling with it for now, I've got one clean working showerhead and that's good enough until I have far fewer fish to fry.

[WernherVonTrapp]