Decorating Diaries - Things That Go "Boom!"

Blair rolled in the door about 9:30 last night and immediately asked, "What's that noise coming from the dryer?"

"I don't know," I said. (I was already snuggled down in bed reading.) "My strategy was to ignore it and hope it goes away."

Grimacing at me, Blair opened the door to the washer/dryer area. "Dena!" he said.  "The entire hose is disconnected.  Didn't you notice the heat pouring out?"

"Yeah," I said turning a page.  "I did think it seemed kinda warm."

This is why I should not be left alone with appliances.  It's that not I'm incompetent of handling a problem, I just don't care. Mechanical items bore me.  Always have, always will.

Which doesn't change the fact that not only did our dryer hose disconnect, it's torn.  So we need a new hose.  Which, being the easy-solution challenged people we are, brokes an entirely new set of options.

Right now, our dryer vents to our back porch.  However, on schedule for 2006 in the "Home Upgrade" category is a new porch/deck/sunroom.  So, we're wondering if while we're replacing the hose, we ought to vent the dryer to a new area. What area that might be, I have no clue.

Plus, Blair thought he remembered reading the metal tubing is better than the flexible plastic or whatever tubing we have now.  So should be replace all of that?  Discussion of which reminded me to remind Blair that we as of yet have done nothing with the heated floor guy's informing us that the state of insulation under our home is "a mess."

"What does that mean?" Blair asked last night.

"It means it's a mess," I answered.

"No, I mean, how bad is that? Is it all over or just in the bathroom area where they were working?"

"I don't know."

"Because I've been under there and I don't think it's that bad.  Did he say anything else?"

"Look," I said, "I'm not holding out on you.  All I know is he said it's a mess and he seemed pretty upset for us that we had that big a mess to deal with.  That's all I know."

But now I'm nervous.  Once one thing breaks down in the home, it usually spreads like a bad virus and things start going "boom!" right and left. 

Meanwhile, I'll be hanging my socks and unmentionables out to dry.

Decorating Diaries Update

I touched base with floor/tile/counter people yesterday, and the consensus is we do NOT need a skim coat put down in the shower area.  I forget the reason why--something about the liner or installation is fine without it. So that's  good news.

I was instructed to have the plumber come and "rough-in" the showerhead, as well as have our drywall contractor come and build in the walls for the shower door. (It's cheaper to build in the walls than it is to order a custom-size shower door).  So I just hung up with my drywall contractor who is going to stop by later today to take a look.

He asked if he was supposed to also do the sheetrock for the shower.  "I have no idea," I said.  "Call the floor/tile lady and ask her, okay?" He was a little miffed because we put him in charge of general contracting the project over a month ago, yet the floor lady was still coordinating through me.  I have limited sympathy for his situation. What that tells me is that he hadn't bothered to call them in a month and get them moving and to see what was happening.  If he had been on top of it, he would have known that the skim coat was in on the floor.  To me, paying for general contracting means I'm paying you to keep on top of things. That's not happening here.

It would be lovely if the plumbing and wall work could be done this week.  I have no idea if that's even an option. 

Meanwhile, my trip revealed to me a previously undiscovered desire I didn't even know I had.  Ready?  I want a mini-TV in the bathroom.

I know, I know.  But my hotel room in Tucson had one and I got sucked in.  When I saw it, I thought "Pfwwt!  Waste of time for me--I'll never turn it on."  Then one night I was watching a show and went into the bathroom to get my contacts out and wash my face.  I turned on the TV so I could keep watching my show and BAM! I was hooked.

I loved watching the news in the morning as I did hair and make-up and one night I laid in the tub and watched 30 minutes of Friends.  I'm not sure it would be worth us doing because we don't have cable anywhere except in the front room so I probably couldn't even get the local GSO channels, but it's a thought.

I'm so ashamed...

Book Sales At Conference

I did okay with book sales at the conference - 8 books sold.  That's not impressive in and of itself, but I have to remember this was a conference focused on marketing, performance, and improving professional speaking skills, so it's not like I was marketing to my target audience. 

One cute comment did arise from the conference.  My co-presenters current books are titled Don't Murder Your Mystery and Why Is Everyone So  Cranky?  My book is titled, Lessons In Stalking.  The valedictorian of our tract pointed out in her speech that coming in everyone was afraid they would be learning about stalking and murdering cranky people.  We hadn't put the three together, but good point!

The Luggage Has Been Found

Thanks for everyone's prayers to the God of Lost Luggage.  It showed up at my door 40 minutes ago, no worse for the wear.  Also no tags to tell me where it had been.  When I lose luggage I at least hold out hope that it's been sent somewhere interesting.  No clues here.  But I am now happily unpacked with laundry churning, so all is right with the world.