Garage Grows Up

We are not done yet. It is time to make the garage functional. The plan is to finish the window/door trim, walls and floors.

Before

During

Thought for the Day

We ought to do our neighbour all the good we can. If you do good, good will be done to you; but if you do evil, the same will be measured back to you again.

- Bidpai, Dabschelim and Pilpay. Chap. i.

Walk on Words

I can't seem to get the written word floor out of my mind. Maybe I could do a easier variation with a simple, "Welcome Friends". While I don't know calligraphy, that is why we have computers and fonts (or as my friend Paul says, types).

I like the Miama font because it is scripty but clean, but I'm still not convinced on what I should say.

My To Do List

Summer has almost come and gone, but I still have 2 projects left on my to do list.

1. Finish the Floor in the Entry Way

2. Install a Brick Path

Right now the floor in the entry way is unsealed concrete. Do I stain it or just seal it? More painted concrete floor ideas from Apartment Therapy piqued my interest. I don't like the faux rug and I'm not a lacy person, but the scripted floor has potential...too bad I never learned calligraphy.

I thought that I would have to host the last Book Club meeting (deadlines help), so I was actually making progress on the brick path. The bricks are here and I'm playing around with patterns, but I haven't work on that project in awhile.

The Other Real Estate Bubble

The Cloister Inn by Addison Mizner, survived the 1926 real estate bubble and the Great Miami Hurricane. Sound familiar? I guess we never learn. Nonetheless, the building survived and is now known as the Boca Raton Resort and Club.

The Poverty Jet Set in Boca

Poolside

Intercoastal

It is usually one or the other – time or money. You either have lots of time but no money (me) or lots of money but no time (me in a former life). So I’m reverting back to my poverty jet set ways. I never really left it, but now I’ve fully embraced it. Hence my summer vacation all across the state, in New York, Washington DC, Baltimore and now Boca Raton.

How do I do it? I rely on the generosity of others, credit card rebates and frequent flyer miles (in that order).

The resort we stayed at in Boca is great. The water, palm trees and cool weather was relaxing. I did think twice about popping open a bottle of Cakebread, but boy was it worth it. I like being this person!

My Recession Car

Last week was super busy with free work, the whole car selling/buying ordeal and night classes. How did I get all of this stuff done before when I was working 40+ hours a week?

The Saab sold on ebay around noon on Thursday to the guy who test drove it on Wednesday. I got more than I would have if I traded it in, so I’m pleased with the transaction. I dropped off the Saab at his house in the ‘burbs with the agreement that he would drive me back home. In the end, he drove me to the Honda dealership that provided me with the best quote. We still had a few details to iron out, so he dropped me off at the service department - where I negotiated with the salesman on the phone all the while sitting outside on a bench. I was out the door and on my way to class by 7 PM.

The Honda CRV is perfect for me right now. I can fit my bike inside without taking off any parts and it is r-e-l-i-a-b-l-e. Yes, I miss my exotic European cars and the leather, wood trim and buttons on the steering wheel. But I have to admit that this was the first time in years that I was able to take off on a trip and not have to worry that the car would break down in the middle of nowhere.

Doesn't it Look Pretty

I’m selling the car on ebay as we type. I sold my Alfa Romeo on ebay and was happy with the final outcome. The auction ends tomorrow and all is going well. My reserve is met. Two people called about the car and one person took it for a spin. I frantically washed and vacuumed it again before the test drive.

Car negotiations are going well. I know I’m a geek, but shouldn’t everyone do this much homework before they spend $20,000? I’m using the techniques from Roger Dawson’s Secrets of Power Negotiation and the information from Fighting Chance. Right now, between the two, proposals are running around $500 under invoice.

When is a clunker a clunker?

Today is the day. Today is the deadline the government had to list cars on their website. I hoped that the wagon (versus the sedan) would qualify as a clunker, but it does not. According to the website, my car gets 19 MPG and does not meet the 18 MPG eligibility threshold.

This puts a dent in my plan to get a new car. I factored in my math a $3,500 rebate. The KBB value for my car is only $2,000. Bids are coming in from various dealers, so we’ll see who has the best deal. The three numbers I have are all in the $19,500 range, minus taxes, tag, title and dealer fees.

Financing was surprisingly easy. My credit union quoted me 4.75% for 48 months beating my local bank's rate of 5.5%.

Sourcing Bricks

Time to construct a permanent walkway to the Carriage House. Right now, we have a gravel path. I troll Craigslist (love it!) every other day looking for cheap or free bricks. I see plenty of salvage bricks around town and when I run, but I'm reminded daily by others that it is a felony to pick those bricks up. I finally scored some bricks today. They are not free, but they are cheap and he is going to deliver them for free. Deal done!

Open Letter re: Cash for Clunkers

Dear Fuel Economy,

Hi. I am trying to find out whether or not my car qualifies for the CARS program. I checked the website and my car is not listed. They have the sedan, but not the station wagon.

I am writing to you because I called the Official Hotline number of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at 1-866-227-7891 and they forwarded me to the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at 1-877-337-3463. I was told that the dealer probably did not provide them with a vehicle for testing and was directed to contact you at this e-mail address.

My car is a 1999, Saab, 9-5, V6, Station Wagon. Any information you could provide is appreciated.

Thanks.

Cash for Clunkers

I have a love hate relationship with my car. After spending a weekend test driving Mini Coopers, Hondas and Nissans, I am still in love with how the Saab drives. I know everyone is tired to hearing me compare cars to the Alfa, but it has great form and function. Unfortunately, my quest for a beautiful car that drives like a dream always catches up with me…as a regular at my mechanic’s shop.

In anticipation of trading it in, I cleaned and detailed the Saab today. I even tried to remove a dent with my hair dryer. Boy does it look good! I had high hopes of utilizing the CARS credit towards a new vehicle, but according to the website my car is 1 MPG over the limit. As a footnote, I should add that they only have the sedan, not the wagon, but how do I dispute something with the government? If my car doesn’t fit the definition of a clunker, I don’t know what does.

On days like this, I dream about selling everything and moving back to NYC.

6 Lessons Learned from my IKEA Kitchen

During

After

My kitchen is awesome and I can't believe that I made it happen. IKEA has some great products and you can definitely save $$ using their kitchen cabinets. The easy thing to forget, especially when a project is done, is how much labor you put into it. On average, it look me about an hour per box to assemble the cabinets. The simple ones took a little less than that, the more complicated ones took a little longer. If I could do it all over again, this is what I would do.

1. Plan the size of my kitchen based on the cabinets I want. Because of the stairwell, my kitchen is not a standard 10x10 kitchen. It is a little shorter and a little longer, hence the lazy susans in both corners. When I mentioned this to an interiors friend, she said that she always designs the kitchen first.

2. Have more drawer banks. I already knew this from renovating the kitchen in the main house, but because my kitchen is not a standard size (see comment 1) I only have one drawer bank. I do have a pull out by the sink, but that required me to downsize from a double to a single basin.

3. Always, always get a flat surface stove. One exception to this rule is if you can get a gas stove. I've found that in smaller kitchens with limited counter space, the extra flat surface is extremely valuable. When my friend Nan replaced her stove, she went with a flat surface stove and says it was a great idea. I love it when people take my advice and tell me that I am right!

4. Use a drill to attach the doors to the cabinets. The little cartoon instructions IKEA provides does not place an emphasis on using a high powered drill. You need to use a good drill. Why? Because if you just try to screw in the hinges by hand, or use an electric screw driver (which is what I initially did), the doors will fall off after a few uses.

5. Use a square when you are making the first box of your cabinet. Again, the little cartoon people don't reference using a square, but this is muy importante if you are going to: 1. line up the cabinets against a wall. 2. line up cabinets against each other. 3. just want things to line up.

6. Be patient with IKEA. When you are in the planning/ordering phase go on a weekday. Also, more often than not, they will not have all of the pieces available for your project. You will either have to wait until after hours, "because it is in the storage area and we are not allowed to move things back there until after hours" or it will take multiple trips. I had to pick up my supplies at a future date at their warehouse by the airport. One shining light is their customer service. When I lost a few of the leg pieces, all it took was a quick trip with my receipt to get some FREE replacements.

OMG Cupcakes Galore

Back in the day, when we would mix high strength concrete in the lab, my friend and PhD candidate Sandy would say that mixing concrete was just like baking - but with bigger ingredients and equipment. My college roommate also introduced me to the Cake Bible where the author refers to herself as a kitchen chemist. Maybe that is why I prefer baking to other forms of cooking. My sweet tooth probably contributes too.

So where am I going with this? I am a cupcake fan. I read a cupcake blog, visit cupcakes stores in every city I visit and eat more than my fair share of cupcakes. First wife is having a baby shower in August and I really, really want to make some cute cupcakes for the shower. I wasn't sure what I wanted to make until I saw the kupcake kababs.

The End of TV

My television died on Friday. Thanks to a new converter box (only $5 thanks to the government coupon) it is on life support.

Here’s what all the infomercials don’t tell you:
● Your bunny ears will not pick up all the network channels.
● The connection is sporadic. One day I can watch ABC in all of it’s digital splendor, the next day it is gone. Today, only NBC works. Goodbye Oprah, hello Martha Stewart.

Here’s the good news:
● When it works, it works great.
● I now have a remote control.
● I really don’t miss it that much.

Over the past few months I’ve wondered, “Do I buy a new tv? Do I buy a computer monitor/tv? Do I just get a digital projector?” Thanks to my parents, ex-boyfriends and friends, I have never spent a dime on a television. Then again, you get what you pay for.

This week will be a test for me. So far I’ve found that I can watch many of my favorite shows on the internet. I'm now addicted to google video. Coverage of live sports is the hardest to find. Right now I’m leaning towards relegating the box to the garage. In the garage, I can get on my bike trainer and watch DVD’s.

High Line - Open!

Talk about thinking outside of the box - from freight to public open space. You have to give it to NYC. They find opportunities in places no one would think to look. The High Line is a former freight line on the west side of Manhattan in the Meatpacking District. Ten years after the Friends of the High Line was formed to advocate for the High Line's preservation and reuse as public open space, it is now open and I'm going to check it out.

This morning on NPR, they compared it to an open air museum. I picture it as a trail high up in the air and I love trails. I run on trails. I ride my bike on trails. I plan lots and lots of trails and sometimes I even design a trail or two. I know it sounds geeky but I really want to see the guard rails. Where we live, multi-use trails that accommodate bicycles have to use 4'-6" picket railing where there is significant grade change.

Outdoor Inspiration: Claire and Nick’s Arbor

Have I mentioned that we’ve had more than our fair share of May showers? Now that the constant gray sky is gone, I’m back at work on my outdoor rooms and can’t this jasmine arbor out of my mind. It frames in the space, but lets the sun shine through and welcomes you to the back yard of their house. Sound familiar?

My Green Workout

It is official. The gym membership is gone. Like everyone else, I’m cutting back on some expenses. I’ve also found that my little home improvement projects are a great workout! Last weekend I worked on my pile of bricks and was sore for days. The search for more salvage bricks continues. After over 15 years in the neighborhood, my good neighbor across the street is moving to Virginia…and I’m getting ready to pick up some stray bricks.

Rain, Bricks and Budget

It is something like day 10 of continuous torrential rain and thunderstorms. Prior to this, the past few months were very dry so working on my landscape was not a priority. This weekend I decided that I might as well use the rain to my advantage and started work on my landscape plan (courtesy of the very talented Cornelia). Another motivation is our next book club meeting, which will be at my house.

During demolition and construction, the guys would start digging and hit a brick. There bricks were everywhere. I asked them to put them off to the side with the hopes that I could use them as pavers. Well after several hours of digging, carrying and stacking bricks, I can tell you that I have 50 full bricks and that much and more in partial bricks. What to do.

Budget ties all my weekend’s tasks together, as everything is free. With all of the rain, I decided to take the chance and try to propagate some of my existing ground cover and creeping vines. A friend’s circular patio was made entirely from salvaged bricks. Val would just ask for them when she saw a pile on a construction site. I’m going to troll craigslist and keep my eye out for some more free bricks.

Lets hope my body can take this. My hands are used to typing, not laying brick. The last time I did this – the back patio on the main house, I said, “Never again.”

Stop Me. I think I want a new car.

Don't get me wrong. I love my car. I love the way it drives. I love the cargo capacity. What I don't love is having to spend lots of money to fix it. I spent $2,000 in January and $1,700 this month to keep the car running. My only saving grace is that the car is paid off. The rule of thumb I've used over the years is that once the maintenance cost exceeds a car payment, it is time to get a new car. I hit that threshold and it is only May.

So, what did I start to do? Research, research, research.

I've always admired the Mini Cooper. It was on my short list the last time I was shopping, but alas they did not have a model with an automatic transmission. Not only do they have an automatic, but an automatic clubman!! I love the exterior, but have always felt like the interior was a little too overdone. The fine Italian lines of the Alfa spoiled me.

This 08 Mini Clubman is asking $24,000 with 13,000 miles. The local dealership also has one in racing green.

Pros: Cuteness, Full Bike Storage
Cons: Price, Stiffness, Future Maintenance Cost

I went to the Honda dealership to test drive a Honda Fit. I know several people that own a Fit and they love the car. The Fit also has some cool folding seats that would let me fit my entire bike inside. I didn't like the way it drove. Again, the Alfa and the Saab spoiled me. I took the CRV for a spin and liked it. My mechanic keeps telling me to buy a Honda, Honda, Honda.

This 07 Honda CRV is asking $16,000 with 30,000 miles.

Pros: Reliability, Full Bike Storage, Future Maintenance Cost
Cons: Limited Cuteness

The Volvo wagon was also on my last short list. The Saab won out due to price. I know I like this car, but would I just be delaying the inevitable and find myself in the same place in a few years?

This 06 Volvo X90 is asking $20,000 with 41,000 miles.

Pros: Smooth Drive, Full Bike Storage
Cons: Price, Future Maintenance Cost, Soccer Mom Image