I didn't say *which* tomorrow

Sad House

Well folks, you waited long enough and now since the snow is all gone and things have settled a little, it's time to draw back the curtains and share some pictures of what the neighbors at Tahoe used to call, "The Sad House".  As you can see in the stunning picture above, the shingles were still attached.  Nobody likes those shingles, because they make the house sad.

OMFG Look at the PAINT!

 The sadness continues around the side of the house.  As you can see, the largest snows in the last 20 years were unable to remove the very sad paint completely.  It's simply a bit worse than it was when we bought it.

Yes, that really is bark as "shingles."

I like to call this, "The Guest House."  Sharon (and all the neighbors) think that we should reduce it to shredded plywood and put it in a dumpster.  I'm coming around to their way of looking at it.

Not cannibals, not in the least

Did I mention that Sharon and her mom have been in love with the mountains for MANY DECADES?  Well they have and here's a shot to prove their love for all that rock and sky and snow and lakes and stuff.  PS if you aren't from here, that is the "little" lake called Donner Lake in the background, or Desperate Cannibal Lake if you like.

This is the smile that makes the Earth turn.

Here is my sweetie and her sweet smile showing off the Tahoe Park Association beach.  Note that the lake is REALLY FULL due to all that snow I mentioned earlier so there is hardly any beach at all.

Hell, re-imagined.

Relaxing by the beach is hellish, as I am sure you can see for yourself in the above picture.

I know, it's beautiful

To escape from the hellish beach, we Sharon got the front room all decorated and stuff.  Note the AWESOME fireplace that allows you to have an actual fire just by turning up the thermostat.  Over the fireplace where the Collier sign is in this shot, we're gonna put in a flat screen tee vee.

Please, do not try to leap into your screen.

Remember when I went up to the cabin for a week and I didn't blog about it?  I was building this kitchen.  Also, that solid wood table seats ten and we got it at a church parking lot sale, half price for $37.50.  We are awesome shoppers.  Actually, Sharon is the shopper.  I was going to drive right past the place.  Like an idiot.

Comfy, and you can look at the stars too.

Did I mention that Sharon has decorated the whole interior?  Here is what is known as "The Green Room".

Take that, Sad House.

Remember the shingles, and how sad they made everyone.  Oh and that *darling* entry way which doubled as AN OVEN TOO HOT FOR THE DEVIL HIMSELF in the summer.  We got out the tools of destruction and made some small revisions.

Seriously, neighbors were ecstatic.

At the end of last Saturday we'd stripped all of the sad shingles off, and removed four million staples.  The covering over the doorway was pretty shaky still so...

Clean shaven house seeks architect for hot building action

We ripped it off of there in pieces, and tore off all of the shingles on the garage for good measure.  And to get the shingles off, we used a snow shovel.  Because that's just how awesome we are.

Coming Soon

Tomorrow, I'm gonna post some more cabin pictures.  Do not miss this!

The next post

I often think to myself what other peoples lives, total strangers, must be like.  What are they thinking about now, I mean in the moment that I see them.

The other day I saw a young man, maybe 22 or so, Mexican, long white shirt, just like the two fellows walking alongside him.  He had a very confident stride, and a small ear stud with a star shape to it.  Was the star significant to him, and if so, what did it mean?  It seemed out of place on such a macho guy.  Why did he choose the white shirt? Is the social world he is in so rigid that all the men must wear the same shirt?  Where were he and his friends walking to?  What was the source of his confidence?  Was it bravado that he wore just to be tough enough for the street?

I hope that he is happy with his life and his friends.  I hope that he is prosperous and that he is or becomes a good father and role model to his children.  I hope that he lives to be an old man, with his family around him, and love in his heart.  I hope that his star ear stud makes someone else smile at the whimsy of it.

Rip Van Blogger

Just a few short weeks ago, it was still snowing at the cabin.  We went and worked anyway...

And yesterday it was about 80 degrees, we went swimming in the lake, and the interior of the house is actually looking like you'd like to rent it.

Andy asked me, "How do you stay motivated to keep working on it?"  I think it's because it is so relaxing to be there.

Remember me? I used to blog here.

Hello kids,
Let me share the latest news from Tahoe:
SNOW ON MOUNTAINS MAKES LARGE PILE OUTSIDE HOUSE
The amount of snow we've had this year is, we are assured by the locals, way more than usual.  This has made a huge pile of snow that we've had to dig through several times.  SO MUCH FUN!  Since we've gone up there every weekend for a month, we've dug in the snow for at least a couple of hours each time.  Last week, Sharon dug a huge pile away from the windows (both of them) so we could have light in the house.

And now the latest from inside the house - the ugly fireplace is NO MORE.  Looky here!

After all of that fun, there was electrical stuff to be installed above the fireplace and inside on the right there (done), and a whole lot of plumbing work to be finished up in the kitchen.  When that was all getting done, our (awesome) friend Andrew labored away on finishing up some upstairs demolition, and installing some itchy insulation.  YAY ANDREW!

The snow (yes, even more snow on April 22) started falling when the kitchen plumbing was getting done and we had to get all finished up and get on with the driving home.  Each time the drive seems a little shorter and more zen-like.  Even so, it's still kind of a long way.

Next week, sheetrock and some gas plumbing (this time, done by other$).  Shortly after that, we'll be getting a brand new, and stunning, gas fireplace.

Summer rentals, here we come!

Hi Mom!

I called my mom today for the first time in a long time, way more than a year.  Though she's not geriatric, she lives in an assisted living setting because she had a major stroke several years back.  I'm happy to report that she's doing well, and that she was delighted to hear from her long lost son.  We shared the news that each other had missed out on, and she was (naturally) astounded at how the kids had grown up.

She tells me she's reading now; it wasn't possible for quite a while after the stroke, and that she gets in lots of time for her art and for spiritual reading.

We reminded each other that we loved each other.  It was great just to talk to her again.


And yes Pam, I am a punctuation perfectionist.  :-)

The news of the moment...

Facebook has made a mockery of my blogging fortitude.  My pithy outlet has become posting quips to my friends' updates.  Sheesh.  I come here to my spiritual center, The Flaming Scroll Of Doom™ to redeem myself.

Most importantly, I have a cold.  I spent the bulk of the day sleeping.  It's an exciting life I lead.  After snoozing til three, I felt the cold hand of death lifting from my mortal body and I got up and had breakfast.  Charlie Sheen only wishes his existence was so interesting.

Last night I had the time of my life doing a backup and restore on the iPhone.  Actually, since it's Apple, they call it a reset that you then optionally restore at the end of the process.  It was needlessly confusing.  The process allowed Mr Phone to recognize the SSL certificate needed for the new email system at work.  I know, too exciting!

Would you believe that the dog wants to get walked?  I know, the glamor.