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Legs Hurt (T-89)

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It would probably have something to do with the fact that I bicycled down Pikes Peak this past Saturday morning!

My dad saw in one of those tourism guides this really cool ‘Thing-To-Do’ in Colorado Springs: Bike down Pikes Peak. Here’s the website link for the company that does it (www.bikithikit.com), because if you really want to bike down the mountain, you have to do it through this company or one just like it, as special permits are required. Those of you who don’t feel like visiting the website though, here’s the scoop: you meet at this place in Old Colorado City at 6:15am and after signing away all the waivers, getting fitted for a helmet, and getting some grub, you pile in their van (which has the bikes you use on top) and drive up to the summit of Pikes Peak (weather permitting) via Pikes Peak Highway. You definitely want to do the morning run (a morning and an afternoon one are offered), as afternoons here on the Front Range are notorious for turning stormy like clockwork at right around 3:30pm. We had a small group (only 3 of us) and there were 3 staff members to go with us, so it was kind of nice. Apparently once summer vacation gets into full swing that’s when it’s super packed. Anyways, our weather was tremendous this Saturday morning. Crystal clear skies and beautiful temperatures. Melissa, Sara, and Daniel drove us up the road, which is actually quite a scary ride, especially in a big ol’ van. There are numerous points on the drive up there when it’s a nice big drop off off to the side and as we were heading up the mountain, I realized the road was really steep in most places, especially as you really head up the mountain. The views were astounding though. Finally, around 7:45 or so, we were at the top of the mountain and after a few briefings on safety and operation, we were on our way. The van follows you from behind so as to block any cars from running you off the road, which is very nice. I ended up going the slowest because honestly I haven’t been on a bike in forever and when you’re that high up and on that steep of a road, definitely nerves came into play. By the end I was going faster, but at that top part, where you’re freezing, the wind is blowing like hell, and the road is filled with bumps and it’s really not even a road at many points, it’s a tad overwhelming. But those were the only things I could even think about calling concerns as the adventure was amazing! You can see forever. It’s invigorating being out there before most people are up yet on a Saturday. The road was very sparse with traffic at the top. Closer to the fishing reservoirs it definitely got more crowded, but still, you’re immersed in such amazing natural scenery you don’t care. And all you hear, while you’re FLYING down the road, especially in the last third of the ride, is the wind. It’s awesome. Dad and I definitely had an awesome time. The pictures below can speak to the amazing journey it is – and if you ever have the inkling and the opportunity to do this, don’t even hesitate. Sign up. The fee covers the bike and helmet rental, the fee to get on the Pikes Peak highway, free food and snacks before and during, and a free lunch at the end of the ride at the Wines of Colorado restaurant, which is definitely a great way to end the trip. So do it!!!!

2 Jun 2007 – Bike Riding down Pikes Peak!

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A pretty sweet stitched together photo from the summit - right side had a bad line though!A pretty sweet stitched together photo from the summit - right side had a bad line though!
A pretty sweet stitched together photo from the summit - right side had a bad line though!
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Here's the route you drive up and bicycle downHere's the route you drive up and bicycle down
Here's the route you drive up and bicycle down02-Jun-2007 06:25, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec
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02-Jun-2007 06:26, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.04 sec, ISO 141
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02-Jun-2007 07:54, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.003 sec
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02-Jun-2007 07:54, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.002 sec
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02-Jun-2007 07:54, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.003 sec
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Dad at the Railway summitDad at the Railway summit
Dad at the Railway summit02-Jun-2007 07:55, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.003 sec
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Me giving the thumbs upMe giving the thumbs up
Me giving the thumbs up02-Jun-2007 07:55, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.004 sec
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Somehow I missed these the first go-round: Here's my Dad at the top before the ride startedSomehow I missed these the first go-round: Here's my Dad at the top before the ride started
Somehow I missed these the first go-round: Here's my Dad at the top before the ride started02-Jun-2007 08:01, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.004 sec
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And me too!And me too!
And me too!02-Jun-2007 08:01, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.004 sec
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Blurry pic of the van at the topBlurry pic of the van at the top
Blurry pic of the van at the top02-Jun-2007 08:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.002 sec
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Another group of folks who were getting ready to snowboard the mountainAnother group of folks who were getting ready to snowboard the mountain
Another group of folks who were getting ready to snowboard the mountain02-Jun-2007 08:11, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.003 sec
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02-Jun-2007 08:13, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.006 sec
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Typical Tourist...Typical Tourist...
Typical Tourist...02-Jun-2007 08:14, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.013 sec
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Here's the beginning/end of the road!Here's the beginning/end of the road!
Here's the beginning/end of the road!02-Jun-2007 08:15, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.004 sec
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And to finish off the pictures of my bathroom project, I present to you one last pic with the new lighting and the new shelf I put in. There are still things to be fixed because of installation ‘concerns’ (okay, I’ll fess up: the old lighting, when removed, showed that the electric casing with all the connections was NOT centered on the old or new mirror. And my new lighting only has a central circular connection to the wall, so that still has to be patched over as we had to get ‘creative’ in bringing the wires to the middle; plus, the two remaining walls need to be painted pure white as well). Regardless, my bathroom rocks. Now I really have to think as to what I would want to do next to my house. I think my living room needs some reorganization, but nothing major or Lowe’s related…? Anyways, back to work for another fun week, I’m sure. Oh joy.

03-Jun-2007 19:47, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 124
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just a post, pictures

Nearly completed (T-94)

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The 5-day Memorial Day weekend I just had was not exactly relaxing, but productive for sure!

Besides hanging out w/ friends at night, most of my weekend was spent working on the bathroom with Dad and Pat, so my ‘vacation’ was much more work than even my real ‘work’ is. Which leads me to explain why I was so damn tired at work today and why I came home and just passed out. But I’m awake now and before I return to sleep, I wanted to post my complete picture set of my bathroom renovation, from beginning to end. Okay, the true end has yet to be reached (the whole replacing the lights and putting up the shelves) but those pictures will come soon enough. I’ll also get to posting pictures from the Royal Gorge which I visited with Dad and Pat on Thursday. Get this – this upcoming Friday I’ll be riding down Pikes Peak with my Dad on bicycles. This should definitely be interesting as long as the weather holds out, which it usually does until the afternoon. I hope I can take lots of pictures from that, as it should be amazing.

Alright, so here’s my photos from the bathroom project:

The Lisa Dr Master Bathroom Renovation Project – May 2007

You wanna know what the catalyst was that actually got me working on this? The damn towel bar. Last weekend, I had just finished drying off after showering and when I put the towel back on the rack, the bar just fell off the wall. I couldn’t snap the bar back on (although I know what I was doing wrong now), so I was like, Fuck It, I’ll Just Buy a New One… and that my friends, is the starting point of this whole endeavor. For now I was thinking, hell, I’ll get the towel bar that will match what I’ve been planning. But now that I had gotten one piece of my new bathroom, it was time to just go for it, and with a long weekend approaching, what better time?

And to be honest, I’ve been planning how I wanted this renovation to go for a pretty long time. You can see past journal entries with my drawing proposals, and I think the final result is pretty close to those. And because of my hours and hours of hanging out at Lowe’s researching what I wanted to install, the only time I really spent this weekend was fortunately on installation and not what I wanted to do. Except for the walls – I still hadn’t figured out what I wanted to do with that until that afternoon.

I definitely couldn’t have done this without my Dad (and Pat) so much thanks goes to them for helping and doing so much on this project. Plus, the books below were INVALUABLE to my efforts and I heartily recommend them to anyone else considering some DIY work:

– Popular Mechanics’ Moneysmart Makeovers: Bathrooms (This book is an AMAZING resource for all aspects of this project – got this for 75% off at Barnes & Noble’s discount rack; best deal ever)
– Stanley: Complete Plumbing (helpful for figuring out the nuances of plumbing, pipes, etc)
– Stanley: Complete Tiling (essential for making decisions on what to use for my floor, installing, removing fixtures, etc)
– Lowe’s Complete Guide to Paint and Color (extremely helpful for painting techniques)
– DIY Channel: 10 Weekend Bathroom Makeovers (great for ideas and instructional how-tos on certain techniques)

With all the reading I had done for this project, really I was mentally ready. But my biggest holdup had been fear of actual execution – but as you’ll see below, that quickly went away. Especially once you’ve completed ‘Demolition Day’. You’re committed at that point!

24 May 2007 – My Bathroom before the renovation

My MBR bathroom in its "before" state
My MBR bathroom in its "before" state24-May-2007 16:04, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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View of the mirrors
View of the mirrors24-May-2007 16:04, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Your days are numbered, vanity
Your days are numbered, vanity24-May-2007 16:04, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Almost time to say goodbye, old linoleum
Almost time to say goodbye, old linoleum24-May-2007 16:05, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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View with the wooden shelving unit gone
View with the wooden shelving unit gone24-May-2007 16:59, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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An idea of what the new tile will look like
An idea of what the new tile will look like24-May-2007 16:59, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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25 May 2007 – Demolition Day

Dad arrived in the morning to help me tear all the guts out of my existing Master bathroom. The first goal was to get rid of the vanity/sink combo. What a bitch that was. First, we discovered that the existing vanity had a back wall and no big holes for the vanity to allow the supply valves through. So we had to cut those out after first trying to disassemble them. That was a lot of effort but fortunately, it did come out eventually. Also, while I went on a Lowe’s run, Dad got the mirror off the wall without shattering it (which was one thing I was sure would happen!). While that may sound like not much work, it in fact took from 9 to Noon, at which point Dad went home. I then proceeded to take the toilet out, which went much easier than I expected thanks to all my books. Then the REALLY fun part occurred: taking the linoleum out. It was easy enough to peel that stuff off, but it was the remaining adhesive that was the real beyotch. I did get adhesive remover (like wallpaper remover), but you have to cut through the paper so that the remover can soak through. After cutting at the floor like a mental patient, I then let the remover soak for an hour, then it was scraper time. Thank God I had bought that scraper or else I would have left my back and vertebrae back there in agony. After many pauses to pick up all the pieces, my wooden subfloor was finally cleaned off and ready for tomorrow’s fun: Putting all new tile back down.

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I duct-taped the HELL out of this mirror preparing for the shatter that never happened
I duct-taped the HELL out of this mirror preparing for the shatter that never happened25-May-2007 08:39, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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An emptied out vanity cabinet
An emptied out vanity cabinet25-May-2007 08:58, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Picture of the piping for future reference just in case
Picture of the piping for future reference just in case25-May-2007 08:58, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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My Dad affected by the sewer fumes, presumably... (I see where I get my weird faces from)
My Dad affected by the sewer fumes, presumably... (I see where I get my weird faces from)25-May-2007 11:02, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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The vanity and sink are outta there
The vanity and sink are outta there25-May-2007 11:19, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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You can see how the mirror had been glued up
You can see how the mirror had been glued up25-May-2007 11:19, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 141
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The baseboards are gone and the toilet is next
The baseboards are gone and the toilet is next25-May-2007 12:11, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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More baseboard removal
More baseboard removal25-May-2007 12:12, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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The toilet tank taken off...
The toilet tank taken off...25-May-2007 12:46, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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...and at it's new home for the next few days
...and at it's new home for the next few days25-May-2007 12:46, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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The toilet bowl lifted off the ground with the sewer plugged up
The toilet bowl lifted off the ground with the sewer plugged up25-May-2007 13:07, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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There's the wax ring that keeps your bathroom from filling up with swamp gas
There's the wax ring that keeps your bathroom from filling up with swamp gas25-May-2007 13:07, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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It looks worse than it really actually is
It looks worse than it really actually is25-May-2007 13:09, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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25-May-2007 13:10, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Peeling the crappy linoleum up...
Peeling the crappy linoleum up...25-May-2007 13:34, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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26 May 2007 – Laying the Tile and Getting the Walls Right

The next day, Dad and Pat and the dogs all came up promptly at 0900 (to be known as the start of the work day from here on out this weekend). Today’s fun was to be focused on getting the room’s floor and walls worked on as you can’t really put all the other items in until those core functions are taken care of first. Obviously the first thing to do was to get the floor put in place. I had chosen to go with individual vinyl tiles for my floor as it was one of the easier things to do-it-yourself and not too expensive nor does it take a lot of work and time to install. I had definitely considered going the ceramic tile route, but my only holdback on that was all the necessary prep and post work needed for a proper tile floor. Getting a concreteboard subfloor, properly mixing the mortar and applying it properly, placing the tiles without fucking it up, letting the mortar set, then mixing and applying the grout, cleaning that all off, sealing the floor properly….yeah, maybe one day. But not this time. With vinyl tiles, it’s all about laying an adhesive primer on the floor and then laying the self-adhesive tiles on the floor in the right place. After that, you’re done. Sweet. So that’s what me and Dad did, with Dad becoming an expert tile cutter in the process. That did take a few hours, and then Dad and Pat went home for the afternoon.

At this point, I knew I had to still figure out what the hell I wanted to do with my walls. I had always envisioned a split-wall design with a chair rail being a breakpoint for the walls, but I just couldn’t find the right color. I initially envisioned a solid color for the blue lower part of the wall, but none of the blues I looked at meshed just right with the blues on the tile…but that was because there are two blues on the tile and trying to pick just one is nearly impossible. Then I thought maybe I’d tile the wall up to the chair rail point, but like I mentioned above, tiling takes a LOT of work. It looks great, for sure, but that’s if you know what you are doing. I don’t, at least with tile just yet. But with paint and color, I certainly do. So while wandering around Lowe’s for inspiration, I actually did find it – at the faux finishing section of the paint aisle. I found a few ideas immediately right there, first with a metallic finish that I thought would be cool and then a secondary stippling idea that I wasn’t too impressed with but I took home anyways just to consider it. At home, I realized the metallic idea, while cool, just wasn’t right for what my bathroom tiles had in them. Then the stippling idea took center stage – and I then saw that it matched the pattern on the tile perfectly. So back to Lowe’s I went and got those supplies (the base paint, the translucent glaze and a stippling brush) and applied the base coat that afternoon. You had to let it dry completely before putting the glaze on, so off I went with my friends that evening to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3!

Perhaps Dad is reacting to the adhesive smell?
Perhaps Dad is reacting to the adhesive smell?26-May-2007 10:47, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Me hard at work tiling the floor
Me hard at work tiling the floor26-May-2007 10:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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I LOVE tiling
I LOVE tiling26-May-2007 10:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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All the full tiles in place
All the full tiles in place26-May-2007 11:00, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Now the fun part with custom-cutting tiles to fit the small areas
Now the fun part with custom-cutting tiles to fit the small areas26-May-2007 11:23, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Ta-Dah!
Ta-Dah!26-May-2007 12:48, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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The base coat of Midnight Blue satin paint up and ready
The base coat of Midnight Blue satin paint up and ready26-May-2007 19:00, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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A slightly lighter view
A slightly lighter view26-May-2007 19:00, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 141
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Getting an idea of the color with the tile floor
Getting an idea of the color with the tile floor26-May-2007 19:21, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Where the new vanity would go
Where the new vanity would go26-May-2007 20:27, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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27 May 2007 – Finishing the Paint and getting the vanity/sink ready

My faux finishing needed to get completed before we could do too much so that was what I got knocked out of the way first – going to town on the blue base coat with the Bluebell glaze on a stippling brush. I made sure to practice my technique on those parts of the wall sure to be covered by the vanity, so I think that by the time I got to highly visible walls, I didn’t do that bad a job. I’m sure experts would agree that my end result is not exactly what stippling is supposed to look like, but I like the end result and it looks freakishly like the blue pattern in the floor tiles, which is what I was going for. So score one for me!

After that was done, then it was time to determine ideal placement of the vanity with the sink on it, and to also get the baseboard and chair rail replacements, which is what Dad and I spent some time at Lowe’s accomplishing. Once we got back (Lowe’s on the weekends is certainly more crowded than on weekdays and evenings, let me tell you), Dad was able to show me how to successfully use my brand new jigsaw to cut pieces of baseboard and install them (even using a finishing nail set!). They went home and I ended up finishing most of the baseboards, securing the vanity to the wall, installing the new Delta faucet to my sink, and mounting the sink to the vanity and wall. Finally, I was able to succesfully reattach the toilet to the floor and have it work again, without leaks. Sweet. After all that excitement, I went over to Jeff’s for Game Night, which involved a great round of Uno Attack! (I have yet to meet someone who after playing this game didn’t Love it) and a game called Shout at TV which I rocked at. We even played a second round in which 7 of them played against me and I still won.

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My stippling efforts done - I like it!
My stippling efforts done - I like it!27-May-2007 13:04, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Where the vanity would go
Where the vanity would go27-May-2007 13:04, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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My window seat slash tool bench
My window seat slash tool bench27-May-2007 13:04, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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First piece of baseboard installed
First piece of baseboard installed27-May-2007 14:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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The sink and faucet are one
The sink and faucet are one27-May-2007 14:23, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Vanity in its new home
Vanity in its new home27-May-2007 16:05, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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With the sink now in place too
With the sink now in place too27-May-2007 17:01, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Baseboard behind the toilet installed...
Baseboard behind the toilet installed...27-May-2007 17:01, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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...because it was time to make the toilet work again
...because it was time to make the toilet work again27-May-2007 17:43, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Final piece of long baseboarding installed on the towel wall
Final piece of long baseboarding installed on the towel wall27-May-2007 18:56, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Detail of Toilet and Sink
Detail of Toilet and Sink27-May-2007 18:56, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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There's my tool bench again
There's my tool bench again27-May-2007 18:56, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Grimacing Susan at Game Night
Grimacing Susan at Game Night27-May-2007 21:57, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Dallas loves game night
Dallas loves game night27-May-2007 21:57, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Dave and Jeff getting some snacks
Dave and Jeff getting some snacks27-May-2007 21:57, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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28 May(+) 2007 – Finishing Touches

Day 4 of the project found me ready for it to be done. It was very cool to have done this on our own, but after a certain amount of time, I think I was ready for a break but I also knew it had to be done. Regardless, I probably wasn’t the most happy person this day; grouchy may be more accurate of a term. Added to my mood was the fact that I hadn’t connected the faucet correctly to the sink (it leaked the first time) and that we had to get more plumbing stuff as the supply lines from the old faucet were too short for this one and we had to get more drain pipe. Luckily Dad knows a thing or two about all this stuff and was able to get it all working wonderfully. Sorry for being a jerk that day, dad! After all that fun, including hanging the new mirror (which went pretty easily as it had one of those self-leveling hanger bars), Dad and Pat left and I did some of the easier finishing touches, like putting up all the new chrome fixtures and painting the upper walls white (turns out that while I thought the original color was white, I was wrong – in fact it’s quite obvious now that it was a very off white/brown color; who knew?). All that remains now is for the lighting to be replaced and for my shelves to go up. I think I’ve found a place for my vertical shades-of-blue harbor painting as well. Sweet.

Anyways, here are photos from what my bathroom currently looks like (sans new lights and shelves). Expect to see the 100% completion pics sometime this upcoming weekend.

Working on the fun plumbing aspect of the vanity and sink
Working on the fun plumbing aspect of the vanity and sink28-May-2007 11:58, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 183
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Ah...done. You can see the blue rug back in place as well as the new chrome TP holder
Ah...done. You can see the blue rug back in place as well as the new chrome TP holder28-May-2007 18:54, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Towel wall
Towel wall28-May-2007 18:54, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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28-May-2007 18:54, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Notice the new mirror and shelf over my sweet sink
Notice the new mirror and shelf over my sweet sink28-May-2007 18:54, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Towel wall
Towel wall28-May-2007 18:55, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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29-May-2007 21:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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View from the shower
View from the shower29-May-2007 21:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 141
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29-May-2007 21:04, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 141
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Detail on the Delta faucet
Detail on the Delta faucet29-May-2007 21:04, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 141
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Detail on the sink
Detail on the sink29-May-2007 21:05, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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29-May-2007 21:05, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 8.0, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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Hand towel and mirror detail
Hand towel and mirror detail29-May-2007 21:05, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 141
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just a post, pictures

Extreme Makeover – Bathroom edition (T-96!!!)

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I have been super productive in getting my bathroom redone – here are some before and almost-done pictures:

BEFORE:

View with the wooden shelving unit gone
View with the wooden shelving unit gone24-May-2007 16:59, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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GETTING THERE (status as of today, 27 May):

...because it was time to make the toilet work again
...because it was time to make the toilet work again27-May-2007 17:43, Canon Canon PowerShot SD900, 2.8, 7.7mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 141
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My bathroom has definitely taken most of my daylight hours, but it’ sbeen so worth it as I’ve been learning LOTS by doing this. My tool chest has also gotten seriously bigger. For the bathroom though, my Dad and I started this up on Friday morning with pure destruction only at that point, which involved getting out the old vanity, mirror and linoleum. Sounds easy. Wasn’t. Over the next few days though, my bathroom has evolved into what you see above. And I’m stoked. Not done yet – the water feeds didn’t reach while using the old connections, so I have to get some of those. Plus, need to put the chair rail along the midpoint (the paint top looks ragged because I knew I’d be railing over it), hang the mirror, replace the lights, put up the shelving…and THEN I’ll be done. Because this has been a lot of work, I haven’t gotten to the car stereo project, and that’s probably gonna have to wait until next weekend. I can survive though!

Went and saw Shrek 3 on Thursday (quick review: decent movie, but nothing special) and Pirates of the Caribbean 3 last night (very entertaining – so far, my favorite ‘third’ movie of the summer, as it was a lot more fun than Shrek 3 or Spiderman 3).

Hope you’re all having a good holiday weekend – can’t believe my 5-day weekend is nearly over, but it certainly has been productive. It’s been fun having Dad and Pat over every morning to help and talk to. But anyways, it’s time to get cleaned up, get some dinner, and then go over to Jeff’s house to hang out with the gang. Sweet.

Here’s a pic from hanging out at Jeff and Jeremy’s house – much needed soak in the hot tub, as my back was sore after all the work during the day on the bathroom project. Alcohol doesn’t hurt either:

One more picture
One more picture25-May-2007 21:30, SONY DSC-W100, 2.8, 7.9mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 320
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just a post, pop culture

101 Critical Days of Hobie (T-101)

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The Air Force has the 101 Critical Days of Summer – I myself, well, I have the 101 Critical Days of Hobie!

This is it people – I am almost a double digit midget, meaning I am almost down to less than ONE HUNDRED days until I become a Mister. That’s ridiculous, I tell you. You can go back to when I was doing this green countdown from 365 days! And now I’m nearly 100 days out. It’s almost…nervewracking.

Okay, so I didn’t have much to write, but I thought the 101 Days thing was catchy. I can’t believe that all my primetime shows are ending for the summer: Ugly Betty, Survivor, 24 (fortunately on that one), How I Met Your Mother, Scrubs….and my beloved Veronica Mars is actually ending, for good. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

I do have some pretty ‘exciting’ projects in store for this weekend – which is actually going to be a FIVE DAY weekend, since I am taking Thursday off in addition to getting Friday off as an AFSPC family day and of course, Memorial Day. What projects you ask? Well, I’m finally going to plunge in and redo my bathroom: I’ve picked up half of the items (the new faucet, light fixture, vinyl tiles, toilet paper holder and hand towel holder – also replaced my towel bar this past weekend when the old one fell off) and will get the rest tomorrow (new vanity and sink combo, paint, molding for the baseboards and a chair rail, a mirror and destruction tools – can you say CROWBAR?). My other project: installing a new car stereo that will seriously kick ass, as it’s fully iPod functional and that is going to rock my world. It will be a busy weekend!

Combine that with seeing Shrek the Third on Thursday night (after going to the Royal Gorge with my folks during the day) and then seeing Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End on Saturday night, and you can’t say I’ll be bored!

I don’t know if you’ve been following Jenny’s blog lately, but that girl has been having some serious bad luck in May – yet while I’m feeling bad for her, she has a way of telling her stories that makes you laugh out loud. Her car literally got run over yesterday. How does that happen? My crazy story for the day: lately, every afternoon Colorado Springs gets a crazy storm in; this week, the storms have gotten ridiculously crazy, with loads of rain and starting yesterday and continuing today, hail. Oh joy. Yesterday afternoon, I actually had to wait inside the building until the hail had died down and the lightning had moved on – since we’re a thousand feet higher than the city, we are basically in the clouds. And with that fact, the lightning is MUCH closer and MUCH scarier. Today I thought there was a lull, so I walked my happy ass down to the lower parking lot super fast. As I got down to that lot though, I started hearing a strange tapping noise on the ground. I look around and see a white gumball hit the ground. That’s strange. Then there’s another….and another, and suddenly I realize I’m getting PELTED by white gumballs which AREN’T white gumballs – they’re perfectly round bullets of ice! Hailstorms are crazy. I run to my car and listen to the POUNDING noise of my car being pelted with ice; then as I’m trying to drive down to the city level, the rain gets so heavy and loud to a point I’ve not witnessed in a LONG time. And about 10 minutes later, the storm is over. Crazy Colorado weather.