Yellow Door

I have wanted to paint my front door for years, but I could not figure out what color. The house is Sherwin Williams Network Grey with white trim.



The door has been white ever since I moved in (May 1992).




What color should the front door be? The obvious choice is a red door, right? I hate to do what is expected. How about black? The front door is covered, and black would make it look like a black hole.

So, I turned to the internet to see what colors people have painted their doors when they have a grey house. Yellow kept popping up, and the more I saw, the more I liked. But, there are many shades of yellow, and not all can be made into exterior paint, according to Sherwin Williams. (I have since been told that since my door is covered, that I could have gone with an interior paint.) I knew I didn't want a shade of yellow that was yellow-orange, and I didn't want a shade that was too bright, like this one.


I wanted a "creamy" yellow, and I really liked this photo:



But, it's hard to take my computer to the paint store and say, "THIS is what I want!" I actually did take this photo, and told them what brand and color this door color was, but they were not able to get a formula for it.


I also wanted it bright enough that it would not look white from the street. That is hard to accomplish since I have this ugly storm door (that will be removed one of these days when I can afford to get another one that is a full glass view), and the door is covered.





I decided on Butter Up by Sherwin Williams.



I love it! I think it could stand to be a teeny tiny brighter, but I love the Butter Up color.
Here is the door before (taken from inside the house):



Here is the door after the paint job:



Here is the door from the outside:



Here is a picture of the Christmas decorations, where you can see a bit of the door:





I don't use the front door much since I park in the garage and go in through the garage, but whenever I go into the house through the front door, I feel it is so cheery. I think once the ugly storm door (which was installed incorrectly by the ex) will make the entry into my home look better.

Up next is the back door. I started it today, but I need to paint the white trim because the dogs have scratched the heck out of it over the past 25 years when they scratched to come inside.

Still Running!

I haven't accomplished much on my running. I was doing the Couch to 5K program, but last week, I was only on Week 5, Day 1. (I haven't run for the past week.) Couch to 5K is a nine week program to get you ready to run a 5K. HA! From my last post, I see I started it in early August, and here at the end of December, I'm only on week 5. At this rate, I may be ready for it by the time my 40th high school reunion rolls around in August 2012.

My goals for the house have been achieved. I replaced my windows with more energy efficient windows. I also replaced the 25 year old 1 inch metal, almond colored mini blinds with 2 inch vinyl white blinds. The really make my house look clean and modern. I like the windows and blinds. Next up is to finish replacing the rest of my wood siding with hardieboard siding and to get a new storm door. Tomorrow I am painting my back door (that goes out to the lanai) pink. I painted the front door this fall yellow, and I really like it. Every time I open my door, I feel more cheerful because of the door color. After the back door is painted pink, then every time I let the dogs out back, I'll probably laugh because pink is just a fun color.

Running

My 40th high school reunion is scheduled for July 28, 2012. I got the email this week. In 2009 and 2010, a group of woman with whom I attended high school (and most of them went to the same junior school with me and three of them went to the same elementary school with me) got together for one weekend. In 2009 we spent the weekend at a state park in Indiana. We stayed at the lodge. Some of them are runners, so they would run in the mornings.

In 2010 we went to New Orleans because one of the ladies lives there as she is a professor at UNO. For this year's mini-reunion, not as many ladies could come as in 2009 due to scheduling conflicts. None of them runners attended, so there was no running involved during this weekend.

When I got the email from Jane this weekend, she mentioned that they would hold a 5K walk/run, the same as they did then we had our 30th reunion. I've decided that I would like to participate. Now, you've got to realize that the last time I ran ONE mile was in junior high school (back around 1967 or 1968). One time I tried to do some running in high school, and that was when I found out I have asthma, so I gave that activity up. OK, I have one year to train to run 5K.

I started training to run one mile on August 3, 2011. I could only run for about one-tenth of a mile. The training program I found online said to run one-sixteenth of a mile, then walk three-sixteenths of a mile and repeat for a total of 4 repetitions. Now, in Florida, it is H-O-T in August, so I wisely decided to run at 9:00pm. In addition to trying to stay out of the heat, I decided to run at night so no one could see me since I knew I would be struggle at this. I used my car to give me an indication of how far one-sixteenth of a mile is, but the smallest increment the car could do was one-tenth, so that's what I used.

Last night was my second training session for training to run one mile. I didn't want to do it as a friend came over at 7:00 to help me set up for a luau I am having tonight. After we were finished, she sat on my lanai and had a cold beer. I wanted to join her, but knew that I would never do the training session if I drank a beer.

The first running of one-tenth of a mile was agony, but then after that and walking for a bit, the rest of the repetitions were easier. In fact, it sort of felt good. Kind of. The muscles in the back of my legs are pretty tight, so that hurt a bit. And by the time I finished the one-tenth of a mile part, I am really, really out of breath.

So, I have two training sessions under my belt. The plan I'm following is a 4-week plan just to get me to be able to run one mile. Then there is a 3-month plan to train for running 5K. I'll be happy if I can do it by the beginning of 2012.

I just hope I can stick to this training program. I am so out of shape. I used to do weight work at the gym, but when my gym membership ran out in October 2010, I didn't go back. I re-joined the gym in March 2011, but I have not been able to motivate myself to go one single time! After doing two training sessions this week, I feel more motivated to go. I am thinking that after doing this for one week, I'll spend the off days going to the gym and lift weights again. Then after a few weeks, maybe I will be confident enough to run on the treadmill at the gym, so I can run after school (instead of waiting until 9:00pm).

I've probably gained 10-15 pounds (and gone up two clothing sizes) since last October, so if nothing else, maybe I'll lose some weight while I struggle to run one mile.

Wish me luck at sticking to the training.

Vacation

I took a job teaching an evening class (meets Tuesdays and Thursdays) for the summer session at the local community college. I thought it would be easy money, which it definitely is. It is more or less a computer course as all of the lessons are on the computer. I present a lesson on Tuesday evenings and on Thursday evenings the students work in the computer lab while I assist. I also am allowed to work 5 additional hours in the computer lab, so I work 10 hours/ week. The only bad part was the class began on May 10, while I was still teaching high school (my full-time job). So, I would get up at 5:00am, be at work at 6:30am until 3:00pm, then on Tuesdays I would begin work at 3:30pm until 9pm (Thursdays I worked until 8:00pm). It was pretty rough until school got out in mid-June. Now, I work 3:00pm-8:00pm until July 28.

Because of this job, I have not been able to go anywhere for a vacation. So, I went to Orlando for this past weekend. Many months ago, I heard a comic on a comedy channel on XM radio (which I listen to in the car), and he was hilarious. His name is John Caparulo. When I got home, I did an internet search for him to see if he would have any shows close to me. He was going to be at Comedy Improv in Orlando July 20-24. I wished it had been in Jacksonville, but Orlando is a 2.5 hour drive away. Close enough. A girlfriend and my son said they would go with me, and my friend suggested we go for there on Friday afternoon and stay through Sunday. So, we got tickets for July 23, got a hotel across the street from where the Improv is and that's my vacation for this summer. Orlando was pretty hot, and since we live in Florida, we have already done all of the theme parks (plus I never go to them during the hot months). We didn't do very much at all, but the comedy show was probably the funniest one I've ever been to. I laughed constantly the entire time and had tears rolling down my face. If you ever get a chance to see John Caparulo in person, do it. I would go again and again and again.



Here's a picture after the show of John, my son, and myself.

The Back Yard

I've been busy since November with upgrades for the house.  In November I put in a new heat pump with UV lights to help control organisms and help my allergies.  I am so happy with the unit I decided on (Trane).  In fact I have had 2 contractors tell me that I made a good choice.
In February I put in a new white vinyl fence.  It brightens up the back yard so much it's unbelievable.  I love it.  Again, I am happy with the choice I made.

Here is what the old fence looked like:





Here is the new fence:








I wanted to put in a concrete patio.  The dogs have made a sandbox of much of my backyard.


I tried to control the amount of sand that the dogs tracked in by putting in some concrete pavers, but it really didn't work. One day on my way home from Lowes, I was at a stop light when a man in a truck ahead of me jumped out and posted a sign about concrete patios. I wrote down him number and called him when I got home. He was at a job not far from my house, so he came over and gave me an estimate that I could afford. So, I had him pour a sidewalk from a gate to the patio. Then I was on the hunt for some patio furniture. I found a set I liked (and one that was comfortable) at Target, so I bought it.


Here are 2 pictures of the sidewalk. This one shows from the patio to the side of the yard.


And this one shows the sidewalk from the side yard to the gate.


Here is my favorite place to grade papers. If I have to work at home, then I want to enjoy my surroundings.



I just love my back yard now. I rarely went out there in the 20 years I have lived here. I went out there when we first moved in because the boys were small and liked playing back there. Then, as the boys got older, they didn't spend much time out back, and the yard just became the bathroom of the dogs. Now I go out there almost every day. As the summer approached, the yard because unbearable because of the sun. So, I decided to purchase an umbrella. A friend of mine works at Target, so I told him to let me know when they went on clearance. Then I bought it.



Here is the new sandbox the dogs have created:


I will have to deal with that next year. I'm out of money for this year. I had to have some work done to direct the rain away from my chimney. And then I found out that my chimney cap was so rusted that it could not be salvaged. Did you know a chimney cap costs $500????
Here is a before picture. You can see the mold on the side of the chimney (at the roof line) and the rusted chimney cap:


I had to replace siding on the chimney, and there was rotted siding to the left of the chimney, so I had that replaced as well.





While the contractor was working, I asked him to go ahead and replace rotted and water damaged siding on the side of my house. If you look closely, you can see the rotted siding at the bottom:



Here is a close-up of the rot:


And a close-up of the water damaged siding:



And, the finished product:



Now, I am out of money. I need to have other areas of the siding replaced. I replaced the areas that were the worse. My contractor found studs that were eaten by termites, so now I am having the pest control company that I have my termite bond with replacing studs.

I usually have some major projects to do during summer break, but after what I've done since November, I decided to just take a break this summer and relax.

USA

Let me say upfront, I am a registered Democrat.  What I have observed in the last 30 years has bothered me, but I always thought the pendulum would swing back.  It does not seem to be doing that, or maybe I haven't waited long enough.

What I have seen is, the rich getting richer because of the laws and tax cuts that the federal government has passed.  Also, I believe that the federal government is trying to get rid of public education.  I have had this belief for at least 20 years, but I've kept quiet because I had no proof.  This belief was made on what I saw happening in the schools, the policies the government was making.   Now, I feel that what I feared is definitely coming true.  I believe that there is a faction in the USA that wants no public education, and that the only education will be private and only those who can afford it will be educated.  That way, only the rich will be educated, they will be in charge and will pass laws to ensure they remain wealthy.

I fear what is happening in Wisconsin is only the beginning, and there will be a revolution in this country.  I've kept quiet for so long about this because I didn't want anyone to think I was a nut case.  What I see happening, just in the past year, in this country makes me believe that I am not a nut case.

I've never been interested in history, or even politics, but I have listened to Noam Chomsky over the past couple of weeks.  He's educated much more than I am, yet, it seems that his comments agree with how I have been thinking.  Here is a link to what I listened to:
Noam Chomsky on DemocracyNow.org

I just cannot believe that people I know don't see what is happening.  Why do people still support the Republican governors such as Wisconsin's Scott Walker and Florida's Rick Scott.  Rick Scott is slashing the school's budgets, but the state has mandated programs for the schools that are unfunded.  Now, we have to take a $97,000,000 cut in our budget?????

No wonder I can't sleep at night.

The Fence

My first major purchase as a single person.  I've decided on a fence contractor, and I'm sending the proposal back to the company with my signature.  I've made changes to the fence layout, and I hope I will like it.  I was able to afford the vinyl fence, which makes me very happy.  I'll post before and after pictures to have a record.  Then I'll have to find out if I'll get a tax refund, and if so, how much.  Then maybe I can afford to do something to the yard.  If not, I'll save and try it later.

The schedule is for the fence to be torn down and the new one installed February 14-15.  I don't have to be here, but I have enough personal days, so I think I'll take those days off so I can be here and keep the dogs happy.  Plus, I want to keep my eye on things.  That's one reason why I scheduled the installation on those particular dates...then I'll have a 4 day weekend.  (I love that "don't have to work" feeling on Sunday nights!)

I'm pretty excited that I did this all by myself.  I've designed the fence layout, called the companies, had four of them come out and give me estimates (and they ranged from $5000-$7200), and then decided which company to go with.  I did ask input from one of my friends (who used the company that I eventually decided to hire).  In the past, I would usually allow my husband decide if I could not decide.  That was becausem then if it didn't work out, I could justify it to myself that it wasn't my decision.  And then, I would kick myself for not exerting my opinions because I would have been happy with my choice.  I just wasn't confident with my decisions.  (I hate to make decisisons.)
For this fence, I feel confident that this is a good decision, even with the changes I am making to the layout of the fence compared to what is there now.  I think it will look very nice.

Now, I just have to decide what I should do to make the yard look nicer (and useable by me and not just the dogs).

To be continued...