New Roof on the House

 We've been here for 16 years this week.  We bought the house from my In-Laws.  It's a sturdy little house that is now considered to be "Mid Century Modern".  Who knew?  I just call it a Rancher, but the last real estate agent who came through here looking for homes for his client by knocking on doors told me this house is a "Classic Example of Mid Century Modern Architecture".   That's right.  Our 51 year old money pit is "A Classic". 

Over the 16 years we've been here there has been work, more work, and still more work we've had to do as things have needed to be upgraded or - the never-ending project - getting their junk that they left behind out of the house.

One project that has been on our list for a few years now is the roof.  We knew it was at least 15 years old, but we thought it was 20.  No matter how old it was, it was looking rough and several shingles had blown off last summer.  Getting the roof replaced before winter was a high priority for us.  

We found a company we liked. We interviewed three companies.  The first company came highly recommended, but when we called their references, the people we spoke with always said "He's great!  Whenever it rains, he comes over and fixes the leaks without complaint!"  (Umm..no.)  The second company was one that we had contracted with when I was on Trustees as the church.  While they were highly qualified, so were their rates. They had a flat rate to replace the roof.  But they charged an arm and a leg for everything from nails to running around the property with a metal detector to pick up nails when the job was done.  It turns out we saved the best for last.  They came with multiple positive reviews from people we know and trust, as well as from the random references that they gave us to call.  And so, back in October, our roof was replaced.  But not without a hitch or two.  Because what is a home improvement project without a hitch?

It turns out the roof on our house had never been replaced.  It had just been shingled over, that layer of shingles was 25 years old.  The original layer of 50 year old shingles was still on the roof.  There were places where the roofs had started to leak, so plywood underlayment had to be replaced.  It was a big job that stretched out over two days.  The roofer scheduled us for two days, but then cancelled once because it looked like it would rain the second day, and he wanted two dry days in a row to do everything that needed to be done.  

I was telecommuting the day that first day.  Let me tell you, it was LOUD!  But I really enjoyed watching all of the old shingles coming down off the roof. I sat here mesmerized by the efficiency with which the team tackled the roof.

Just look at all the new plywood over the front door!

We now have a brand spanking new roof.  But you know what?  The woodwork is looking really bad.  Really, really bad.  That's really moved up on the list of things that we need to get taken care of in the next 18 months.

A Nifty New Pacemaker

 2 weeks ago, my Mom passed out while she was getting dressed.  She lives in a Senior Living Apartment, and help was immediately available.  They sent her to the hospital "just in case" it was something major. I got the call from the hospital, letting me know she was there AND that I could come see her.  You know things are bad when you are still in the midst of a global pandemic and the hospital invites you to come inside to be with a patient.

By the time I got to Mom, she had passed out again.  It turns out her heart was "pausing" for several seconds and then restarting again.  When I walked in, they had just put in a temporary pacemaker and were waiting for her vitals to stabilize enough that they could put her under a light anesthesia to install the permanent pacemaker.

Mom has her permanent pacemaker now. For the first time in a couple of months, she is strong enough to sit up for periods of time.  She is currently in a rehab hospital.  (Where we are NOT allowed to visit, so you know she's okay.)  She hopes to be back in her apartment by the end of the month.

The doctor mentioned that if this had been normal times, they most likely would have caught the heart issue at a regularly scheduled check up.  But since they've only been doing tele-health visits for the last year they missed it.

As our doctors offices open back up, it's time to go see our doctors.  Get our screenings and get our wellness checks. And if something doesn't feel right to you - call your doctor and insist on seeing them in person.  You need to take care of you. 

My 2021 Resolutions

I like to keep a list of resolutions on the blog.  It helped to keep me accountable and  helped me keep track of my goals - what I wanted to do and whether or not I actually got them accomplished during the year.  I had a few goals in 2020.  Those all went out the window in March.  I don't even want to talk about those goals anymore.  But, this is 2021, and we are all set for a new series of goals.  So, here they are.  It's a short list this year. 

1) Get away with my husband twice this year. 

The timing on this will depend upon CoVid restrictions being lifted and us getting vaccinated.  We are waiting.

2) Visit middle child in Kansas.

We are planning to drive out in September, if CoVid restrictions have been lifted.

3) Visit all of the state parks in Maryland.

I have my State Parks Pass!  Waiting for the weather to warm up!

4) Get one more stamp in my National Parks Passport.

Where to go?  There are a lot of National Parks close by.  But the NPS has not yet put the stamps back out at the parks.

5) Lose 10% of my body weight.

I've packed on the CoVid 19.  I've lost 3 of those pounds.  16 more to go.  And then heck, why not go for a few more pounds after that and hit 10% of my body weight?  I've done it once before.  It's time to do it again.

6) Get a storage unit and move stuff there to sort it out.

We had stuff we needed to get out.  And then we cleaned out my Mom's house when we moved her to Assisted Living and then we cleaned out my MIL's condo and apartment and THEN the oldest child moved back in.  AND THEN my Step-Mother's niece called me and gave me BOXES of my Dad's stuff.  You know, my Dad.  Who passed away over 12 years ago.  (There's another story...)  This house looks like a real life episode of Hoarders.

7) Do a minor home improvement project.

There's a lot to choose from.  Which one will we pick?  Fixing the fence line in the back?  Getting the wood trim on the house painted?  Replacing the floor in the utility area in the basement? Hiring the tree guys to come out and get rid of the brush piles in the back? Having someone come out and landscape the front of the house?

8) Visit my cousins in Texas (a trip postponed from 2020.)

I'm crossing my fingers.  I was supposed to visit them in April 2020.  As of right now, I have an in person conference for work that is tentatively set to be in San Antonio late this year.  I would love to fly there and then spend a few extra days with the cousins.  Again, everything depends on CoVid.

9) Get my kids and all of my sister's kids together in the same place at the same time.

This would be the first time since Thanksgiving 2017.  I hate when they grow up and move out. It makes getting together so much more challenging.  We need this to happen this year.