Finally Friday!

speakeasy14

Someone needs to take my place while I'm gone next week. NEY don't let me down

GoldenPenguin

speakeasy14 said:

Someone needs to take my place while I'm gone next week. NEY don't let me down

labro

@speakeasy14 It won't be the same around here without you! I'm sure we will manage somehow!

speakeasy14

@labro I'll bring back tequila for all!

minskat30

TwoDimes said:

@labro, I had an NEY dream last night too! I had a dream that @minskat30 and her H came to visit me, and they brought Raj of course! Minskat was trying to talk to her doctor on the phone, and she kept having to repeat her name and spell it for the person on the phone, but they apparently did not believe her or believe that was really her name.

Oh my God! I'm in a class right now but just burst out laughing at this and now people are staring at me. This made my day...especially since my ex-boss just cornered me to make small talk

minskat30

labro said:

@TwoDimes Omg that's hysterical! I wish @minskat30 and her H and Raj would come visit me for realll!!

one day I'm making this happen lady.

minskat30

@twdimes - I would get a few quotes from other professionals on what it would cost to fix and what kind of problem it could cause you down the road. I wouldn't live with significant cracks in a newly poured block, it's just going to crack worse over time and settle unevenly. Also I'd get a quote on the downspout fix...50 seems low to knock off the price but I'm not an expert on that obviously

AlPacina

@untouchablets - I'm actually incredibly jealous of your new job. Working with dogs is such a dream of mine. Hopefully someday!.......... Also, I can watch Elf pretty much every day for the entire holiday season.

@speakeasy14 - What a crazy day for your BF! That's so exciting that he won all that stuff! Is it a mountain you like going to that he got the passes for?

@TwoDimes - I would not have even known the game went like that if it weren't for you, since I typically just check the score. We don't have tv. The score is pretty high though, considering they played like crap. I guess the Lions were just as bad? But yay for that hail mary! ..... Are you going to a local pet store? I would LOVE to do a Santa picture with Marv, so I wonder if any of the chain stores do them.

@beachyone15 - That color is more gorgeous on you than in the website photo, that's for sure!

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I have nothing to say for myself, really. I'm hoping that this weekend we'll put a couple more sets of house lights up, and then I REALLY want to get our tree. I also want to go see Hunger Games and watch American Sniper.

I also just wanted to share this with @TwoDimes because of the baby shower she threw....

KeptInStitches

@swazzle, gorgeous blanket!

@untouchablets, congrats on the sponsorship!

@speakeasy14, almost done!

@twodimes, I fell asleep halfway through the fourth quarter and woke up a couple hours later. H told me the Lions had won. ESPN told me the truth. My H is an ass.

@beachyone15, cute coat!
---
Tonight is gaming. I'm going to finish the lap blanket for SGMIL and start a lap blanket for SGFIL. At Thanksgiving, SGFIL admitted he's cold at his apartment and is wearing extra clothes to bed. MIL says the main problem usually is cold feet, so he can use this at the foot of his bed or across his lap if he's up in his power chair.

Tomorrow is more gaming. I'll work on the blanket(s) - I also have a baby blanket on my needles. If I accidentally finish everything, I have a Pottery Barn-style throw I'm living to start (link). The blankets H and I registered for didn't survive washing, so I'm going to make a couple of these instead.

Sunday is for football and laundry. We're going to church in the morning - our church is celebrating its 65th anniversary and we still have a charter member with us, so that's super-exciting. I'll probably also do some housework and wrap Christmas presents.

beachyone15

@AlPacina - Thank you!
What kind of tree? Real or artificial?

@KeptinStitches - Thanks!

eilis1228

@AlPacina Dying at the look on that giraffe's face!

@Swazzle I'm going to come to NJ and steal your blanket. That is all.

@speakeasy14 If I'm your SS, you are allowed to wait and send me my gift as long as it includes tequila from your trip.  Also, congrats to your BF! That's amazing! Even with the car crapping out, that's an amazing night!

@GoldenPenguin I hate that your medication is making your life worse. I really hope they switch you to something better ASAP!

@twodimes DYING at your dream about @minskat30! Also, I have no insight with home reno, but I am so sorry you are having to jump through hoops to get the job done that you paid for. That seriously sucks. Does this company have a presence on FB or Yelp or anything? I would write some crappy reviews to see if 1. Your issues get higher priority and 2. You can warn off others from hiring them.

@beanbot2002 So I love how fast you've gotten a plan in place for Bean. You are a rock star mom! I also require pictures of your finished kitchen, please and thanks.

@labro Please AW all of the pics of your indoor and outdoor Christmas decor once it's all finished.

@beachyone15 I love that coat! Also, 

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I think I responded to everyone, but I'm sorry if I missed anyone! I've been reading this thread off and on all morning thanks to meetings and such. Who has budget meetings on a Friday?! Lame.

H left on NPR this morning for Zoey, and apparently she's been an angel all morning. Of course this is on the day he offered to relieve me of lunch-time duty because seeing her freaking out twice a day is wearing on me. Methinks she's a daddy's girl, the punk.

So, our apartment is sorely lacking in storage/closet space. We've made it work for over a year, but after getting ALL the things from the wedding, we realized we really needed to rent one of our apartment's storage units. We found a 10x10 unit 5 feet from our door, and it's only $10 per month. I started moving stuff in there yesterday, and it's just magical how much more space we have now. It's things like this that make realize I really am a boring old married lady now. Ah, adulting, the killer of fun.

On a more serious note, H is very concerned that his contract won't be renewed in February. The company he works for is slowly renovating their building, so all of the departments get moved around every few months as different sections get renovated. They sent out office assignments for the January move, and he was given an office far away from his current department. He's taken this as a sure sign that he's getting the boot in February. I have no idea if it's just an oversight since he's the only contractor on his team and his immediate boss was out on maternity leave when all of this information was submitted/determined, but he's basically resigned himself to being unemployed come February. I'm trying to stay positive and not worry. We have enough savings to live off of for almost a year, but I really want that to be Plan F. So, anyway, please send him lots of job vibes!

500days

Woohoo it's Friday! I haven't been able to come on all week and I miss everyone! 

@swazzle have fun at brunch! lucky! And they just put a Pottery Barn near me so I will have to check it out and get a fancy cozy blanket.

@speakeasy14 yikes about your BF's car but I'm glad you anticipated it happening. Yay for being so close to being done with school!

I sent out my SS this week and I'm so glad they got it! I can't wait until we do the reveal. In other news, I watched the Wiz last night and I was surprised that I enjoyed it. I really liked Ne-yo and Mary J Blige. This weekend I have a memorial on Saturday for my H's step-mom and then I have a baby shower for a coworker on Sunday. Hopefully I get to relax a bit because this week was tiring and I'm pretty sure I have a sinus infection. 

beanbot2002

TwoDimes said:

Can I vent/request some advice? Especially if any of the homeowners or people who have done home improvements can weight in (@speakeasy14!!). Also, @beanbot2002, you work in building permits, right? Maybe you have a recommendation for me?

Sorry in advance for the novel!!

When we moved into our house last year, we decided we wanted to add some stairs to our deck. Our deck was a full story above ground, and there was no way to access the backyard from the deck. After the wedding, we got 3 different quotes for installing the stairs, and they were all about the same.  We chose a full scale contractor, paid a deposit, and they said it will be 6-8 weeks before they get to us in their schedule. 8 weeks rolled by, and we hadn't heard from them. I politely emailed our contact and asked for a timeline update. He said they would begin in stalling in 2 weeks. Okay, fine. They ended up coming a day earlier than they said they would (a little annoying, because I had planned to send Indy to daycare the day they came so the noise wouldn't bother her, but overall, not a big deal). The installed the stairs, but when they were finished, they had missed two major components that were part of our bid and contract: they were supposed to pour a 3ft x 3ft concrete pad a the base of the stairs, and they were supposed to reroute our rain downspout to the side of our house, out of the way of the new stairs. Instead of a concrete pad, the installed a couple concrete paver blocks (but didn't level the ground or install any fill underneath, so they were very unstable). Pavers are way cheaper than a concrete pad, which was part of our contract, so that was unacceptable. They also didn't reroute the downspout, but instead drilled a hole through the landing of the new stairs so it could stay in the same place it was originally.

I called the company and said we were happy with the stairs, but those two items were unsatisfactory. They were very apologetic, and said they would be back to fix the items as soon as they could squeeze us into the schedule. They came back a week or so later, poured the concrete pad, covered it up with a big black bubble-tarp thing, and told us not to use the stairs again until they came back to remove the forms from the stairs in a day or two. Fast forward a week and a half, and they had not been back to remove the forms or the tarp. I politely emailed our contact yesterday and asked for a timeline update, and he said the crew would stop by that afternoon to take care of it. He also told me they had decided not to move the downspout because it would be too difficult to move due to various reasons. I'm not very happy that it can't be moved -- if they leave it where it is, the water run-off flows right into the back of the new stairs, so I'm pretty sure it will rot the wood over time. But I understand their reasoning for not wanting to move it, so I said I would just find a ground-level solution to the water run-off, and would they please knock some money off the final cost since they are not completing that part of the contract. The guy took $50 off, and the crew came by to remove the concrete forms pretty much immediately, .... but I'm still not very pleased. I don't know if the temperature was too low when they poured the concrete or it got rained on despite the cover, but there are a ton of cracks and tiny holes in the surface of the concrete (I assume from air bubbles). My first reaction was to be annoyed, but I assumed it was only an aesthetic issue. Now I am realizing that the tiny holes will expand and disintegrate the concrete over time as it is exposed to the elements.

I'm at the point where I really just want to be done dealing with these people, so I'm really tempted to just write the check for what we owe them and never contact them again. At the same time, this is a pretty expensive project.... if I'm paying this much money, I want it done right. I assume that if I complain, they will wait until spring, tear up the concrete pad, and repour it. I just don't know if it's worth it. What would NEY do?

Resident Permit tech here....
Ok, so code requires a 3x3 landing at both the top and bottom of stairs (often at the top it is just part of your deck, so long as a door doesn't swing out over it), This can be done by installing a pressure treated wood landing (what I have) a poured concrete pad, or pavers. So, as far as code goes - the pavers would have satisfied code requirements. Now, your contract is a different thing. I'm going to assume you had a building permit and an inspection by your local jurisdiction at the time of the installation. If the final was passed with the pavers (which again - i'm just assuming it was), you don't really have a lot of recourse as far as filing complaint with your local jur. This is only because they satisfied the minimum code requirements. A poured concrete pad that does not support a structure (such as a pergola/roof structure/or hot tub) is not covered under building code. Basically its a cosmetic thing. Since you changed it after the fact - it wasn't looked at by the inspectors. And even if they had installed it before hand - i'm not sure that they'd be looking for cracks and holes - just that it met the minimum size requirements. 
You are absolutely correct in thinking that over time the cracks will expand. You can remedy this by applying an approved concrete epoxy in the cracks and holes. You should be able to find some at home depot, or request the contractor come back and do the work.
As far as the water goes - any wood touching earth, by code, has to be pressure treated. So, I would assume yours is. If it is, this would provide you some protection against water damage. But, I think it is wise to purchase a flex drain pipe to divert water to a different run off location.

Again, all of this is based off of the assumption that you had permits and it was inspected by your local jurisdiction. Let me know if you have any other questions. xoxo

500days

@eilis1228 We rent a small storage unit for all of the nice big things we just can't fit in our 1 bedroom apt. I wish we had room for all of the shower items and wedding gifts but we just don't since my kitchen is teeny tiny. #firstworldproblem I guess

eilis1228

@TwoDimes 1. The pic of Indy in a life jacket! OMG! Cutest thing ever! 2. Awwwww her relationship with your H is the sweetest. 

@500days We're in a 1-bedroom apartment as well, but H has always been a big believer in minimal living, so he's been against storage units or anything like that. His mom and her parents (especially her parents) have hoarding tendencies... his mom's hoarding is contained to multiple storage units, but his grandparents' hoarding is pretty ridiculous. They grew up in the Great Depression, which I think contributes to their never-let-go-of-anything attitude. Anywho, until now, he's just had us donate old things to make room for new things, but he finally relented and agreed a storage unit was necessary. It's made a huge difference already. I'm so excited!

beanbot2002

@twodimes You're making me blush! xoxo glad I could help. Yeah, cracks happen in concrete. It's almost inevitable. Happens a lot with foundation walls and such. 

AlPacina

@500days - I personally thought The Wiz looked awesome. I liked the original quite a bit, but mostly because of the cast members. I'll rent it once it's available on DVD! Ne-Yo's "Let Me Love You" is my JAM!

@TwoDimes - Thank you for the e-mail! There are totally photos with Santa this Saturday, and we're going!!! I'm sure BF will want to stay home. Because he has no Christmas spirit.

ETA: @beachyone15 - A real tree with that delicious real tree smell.

untouchablets

@AlPacina I'm in love with my new job! Its significantly less stressful than Starbucks was and plus people who have animals are happier and live longer and I spend 24/7 with them so that must mean I'll live forever!

AlPacina

Omg, I Googled "Petco Santa pictures" and this one was by far my favorite:

( @TwoDimes )

Swazzle

eilis1228 said:

@Swazzle I'm going to come to NJ and steal your blanket. That is all.

GoldenPenguin

Swazzle said:

eilis1228 said:

@Swazzle I'm going to come to NJ and steal your blanket. That is all.

@Swazzle - I'm really glad no one else picked up on the fact that I have the same blanket so they all want to come steal yours. I'll just be up here in Canadia, snuggled in my fur, so when yours gets stolen, you can come cuddle with me. 

500days

@eilis1228 That's pretty much my H's background too- full of hoarders. So I never wanted to get a storage unit, but it's a super tiny one. My H thankfully isn't messy like his mom and sister, now they are true hoarders with tons of junk in their cars and everywhere else.

Swazzle

GoldenPenguin said:

Swazzle said:

eilis1228 said:

@Swazzle I'm going to come to NJ and steal your blanket. That is all.

@Swazzle - I'm really glad no one else picked up on the fact that I have the same blanket so they all want to come steal yours. I'll just be up here in Canadia, snuggled in my fur, so when yours gets stolen, you can come cuddle with me. 

If anyone comes near my fucking blanket: 

AlPacina

Swazzle said:

GoldenPenguin said:

Swazzle said:

eilis1228 said:

@Swazzle I'm going to come to NJ and steal your blanket. That is all.

@Swazzle - I'm really glad no one else picked up on the fact that I have the same blanket so they all want to come steal yours. I'll just be up here in Canadia, snuggled in my fur, so when yours gets stolen, you can come cuddle with me. 

If anyone comes near my fucking blanket: 

speakeasy14

Ah sorry been in meetings all day!

@twodimes - @minskat30 and @beanbot2002 covered everything! We've done everything ourselves so I have no additional insight on what you should do other than what they said.  

@eilis1228 if you are flying all the way out to Jersey just to steal a blanket then that means you'll have plenty of time to visit.  Callie is an excellent spooner:

Swazzle

AlPacina said:

Swazzle said:

GoldenPenguin said:

Swazzle said:

eilis1228 said:

@Swazzle I'm going to come to NJ and steal your blanket. That is all.

@Swazzle - I'm really glad no one else picked up on the fact that I have the same blanket so they all want to come steal yours. I'll just be up here in Canadia, snuggled in my fur, so when yours gets stolen, you can come cuddle with me. 

If anyone comes near my fucking blanket: 

speakeasy14

Swazzle said:

GoldenPenguin said:

Swazzle said:

eilis1228 said:

@Swazzle I'm going to come to NJ and steal your blanket. That is all.

@Swazzle - I'm really glad no one else picked up on the fact that I have the same blanket so they all want to come steal yours. I'll just be up here in Canadia, snuggled in my fur, so when yours gets stolen, you can come cuddle with me. 

If anyone comes near my fucking blanket: 

Peaseblossom55

I'm finally here, it's really so hard to keep up with everyone this late in the day I've been running errands all morning on my day off.  I could use a nap. I got my car washed and oil changed, went to home depot, target, and veggie market.   H & I are going to go see Mockingjay later.  

Saturday no plans other than yoga.  Sunday I'm going into the city for brunch with @swazzle @cu97tiger & @hummingbird125  looking forward to that so much.  

beanbot2002

AW: photos of the counter tops. Not much, but I'll get better pics tonight when I get home. This is what you get when you ask your husband for PICS!!!! I should have specified "from every angle"

Swazzle

@beanbot2002 - Oh my god. OMG. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!