tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674Wed, 07 Feb 2007 16:21:26 +0000http://1902victorian.com/diary.htmlKristinBlogger371125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-8844167448517758720Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:42:00 +00002007-02-07T10:11:33.944-06:00paintbathroom2 scrapers 1/2 can of Bondo Palm sander 6 sheets green extra-strong sandpaper from 3M 9 tubes of caulk 2 3/4-inch nap rollers 2 cans of primer 1 can of paint, Benjamin Moore "Mauve Desert" Use scrapers to remove loose paint. Bondo the many cracks and nail holes, taking breaks between each smelly, awful batch to gasp for fresh air in the hallway. After it's all dry and the scraping is all done (http://1902victorian.com/2007/02/recipe-for-painted-wallsKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-4190224947510056165Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:08:00 +00002007-02-06T14:19:42.498-06:00petsEutawWhen I got home from dance lessons last night, I changed into pj's, donned my hoodie - zipped to the chin, hood up - and ventured out into the cold to take Millie for her walk. We began our usual circuit - down the back steps, between the posts of the half-finished fence, stop for pee break (her, not me), then around the corner of the porch to the front yard. In the evenings, I usually get the http://1902victorian.com/2007/02/hoots-happy-endingKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-5179132626584267993Fri, 02 Feb 2007 19:34:00 +00002007-02-02T13:35:55.591-06:00grumpy-bearmysteriesIt appears the problem was with each individual post having no .html extension. Okay, I may have fixed it for future posts, though I'll have to fix the old ones individually ... or else they're impossible to fix. Work, blog, work!http://1902victorian.com/2007/02/lets-see-if-this-worksKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-5529459730290770302Fri, 02 Feb 2007 15:44:00 +00002007-02-02T10:22:13.178-06:00disastergrumpy-bearmysteriesI've heard from several readers that my blog has been acting up in Firefox. People have had trouble opening my posts on Houseblogs.net and commenting. I downloaded Firefox myself and checked it out - yes, this problem is terribly annoying, and I apologize! I wondered why my comments have slowed to a trickle recently, though I blamed it on my conversion to Blogger Beta last month. I think the http://1902victorian.com/2007/02/help-i-need-somebo-o-odyKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-213945269165532148Thu, 01 Feb 2007 21:52:00 +00002007-02-01T15:56:55.293-06:00mysteriesHow did I get on the mailing list for this catalog? I don't have much need for a book titled Caramel Flava. http://1902victorian.com/2007/02/express-yourselfKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-264702382709541949Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:56:00 +00002007-01-30T10:31:18.568-06:00historytoursBefore and after pictures are in short supply this week, so I'll post this photo I took on Friday afternoon of the Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion, a Tuscaloosa landmark. I just love houses with cupolas, don't you? Remember in grade school when you'd play MASCH? You'd draw a square with the letters MASCH above it, and they stood for mansion, apartment, shack, cottage, house. This is just the http://1902victorian.com/2007/01/m-in-maschKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-7624071942130403659Tue, 30 Jan 2007 15:22:00 +00002007-01-30T09:48:46.724-06:00bathroommysteriesYesterday after his deer-shooting fiesta, Darwin came home and tore out the plywood floor in the half bathroom. As I mentioned yesterday, we discovered that water from the perpetually leaking toilet was running into a crack between two pieces of plywood and pooling underneath between the plywood floor and what we thought was the original wood floor. We realized this while I was brushing my http://1902victorian.com/2007/01/kant-leak-thisKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-5719903321788584581Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:54:00 +00002007-01-29T11:14:15.552-06:00grumpy-bearbathroomI primed the rest of the bathroom this weekend (with no help from Darwin, thanks a lot honey), so that means no more scraping! Heeheeeheeeeeeee, I'm giddy because I'm so very sick of scraping that bathroom and getting covered head to toe in lead paint dust. If I die an early death of lead poisoning, you'll know why. Darwin started caulking the big cracks between the beadboard (an undertaking http://1902victorian.com/2007/01/primed-and-ready-part-deuxKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-5879015954075791510Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:20:00 +00002007-01-25T10:36:43.731-06:00grumpy-bearbathroomThis is my crude drawing of the bookshelf we're planning to build in the space under the bathroom window. There's already a cut-out in the wall from where the previous owners moved up the window to accommodate their bathtub. The bookshelf will indent into the wall a few inches, and we're framing it out in 1x6 trim to match the window. Darwin bought the materials for it earlier in the week, buthttp://1902victorian.com/2007/01/this-is-my-crude-drawing-of-bookshelfKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-7707859813323567826Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:48:00 +00002007-01-19T10:03:26.153-06:00historycommentaryI have a new favorite show (along with Ugly Betty and The Office): What the Victorians Did for Us. It's a British show that airs on History International, and it's a cheeky (literally ... on the most recent episode, the host Adam Hart-Davis ended the show naked, enjoying a bicycle-powered shower) look at the Victorian innovations that made life the way it is today. Technology is moving so fast http://1902victorian.com/2007/01/what-victorians-did-for-usKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-8122131775067142734Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:30:00 +00002007-01-16T11:28:16.249-06:00paintbathroomWhat a cliche, right? Forgive me - we just finished the February issue of the magazine I work for, and I'm creative-headlined out. Also, it applies in a very literal way. We got so much stuff done this weekend that I feel like a different blogger! Where's that lazy girl and her lethargic husband? Saturday we worked on Millie's fence, and with the help of our friends/neighbors, got all the http://1902victorian.com/2007/01/primed-and-readyKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-3802598425603966424Fri, 12 Jan 2007 21:18:00 +00002007-01-12T15:43:51.809-06:00commentarymysteriesMindy over at Fixer Upper tagged me to tell you "5 Things You Probably Don't Know About Me." In real life, I'm terrible at keeping secrets, even about myself, but that's not entirely true when it comes to the blog. There are parts of myself I hold back even from you, dear bloggy readers. Since I'm writing instead of talking, I can exercise a little more control over myself. For one, many of my http://1902victorian.com/2007/01/confessions-of-harriet-spyKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-342602342486997520Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:07:00 +00002007-01-11T11:20:22.563-06:00familyLast night we went to our fourth private dance lesson (we've been taking group lessons on and off since the summer), and for the first time it really clicked. We caught onto the new steps faster and retained the old ones better, so for the first time the teacher could help us focus on the details. How to point the toe, hold out the arm, really throw our bodies into the crossover. But more than http://1902victorian.com/2007/01/rumba-babyKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-2425208965897452047Mon, 08 Jan 2007 17:29:00 +00002007-01-08T12:33:58.090-06:00petsexteriorbathroomA plumber is coming to our house this week for an estimate, and I have Millie to thank for it. For most of our bathroom project's long and varied life, Darwin has been opposed to hiring a plumber. We have copper pipe, but he studied the plumbers while they fixed a leak this summer, and he is convinced he can do the switcheroo (tub and toilet will need to change places) himself. I'm convinced ofhttp://1902victorian.com/2007/01/pipe-wire-american-wayKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-7135728225688698805Fri, 05 Jan 2007 19:26:00 +00002007-01-05T14:25:33.380-06:00travelgrumpy-bearwishingWhen I become a multi-millionaire, this is what I want: a small apartment in Venice in a quiet neighborhood like Santa Croce. In general, I have no burning desire for vast wealth. I would like more wealth, of course, enough to buy Rejuvenation light fixtures whenever I want, a house full of antiques, a picket fence for the front yard, and an exterior paint job done by someone other than myself.http://1902victorian.com/2007/01/daydreamKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-2785295845651035717Thu, 04 Jan 2007 17:05:00 +00002007-01-04T13:36:46.443-06:00lightsinfluencesbathroomIt's like the shine on your shoes, or hearing a blues that's great. Makes you relax, like a big tax rebate! We got light! Okay, so maybe those aren't the actual lyrics, but I'll take any excuse to squeeze in a song from Annie. In fact, I think we might name a child Annie one day. Sure, Darwin's mom's name is Annie, but we all know who the real namesake would be! Sorry, I'm feeling a little http://1902victorian.com/2007/01/we-got-lightKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-7639020266318367709Wed, 03 Jan 2007 16:30:00 +00002007-01-03T12:12:47.864-06:00work-day-clublightsfriendsbathroomAs members of the unofficial Work Day Club of Eutaw, we've helped our neighbors on several occasions. This weekend we cashed in some of our help-out bucks to get a jumpstart on the bathroom. It all started on Saturday when we took Millie for a walk around the block. We ran into Deirdre, who was helping tear out more plaster at Denise's house, and then we visited a while with Ken and his son, whohttp://1902victorian.com/2007/01/it-takes-villageKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-5071079757978907408Tue, 02 Jan 2007 17:25:00 +00002007-01-02T11:52:58.378-06:00friendsdisasterbathroomYou're not officially an old house renovator until you find a dead creature. We've finally joined the club. Here for your viewing pleasure is the skeleton and clinging gray fur of a dead rat found in our bathroom wall: And oh look, here's another rat photo. I was zooming in on this photo on my camera's LCD screen when I saw that disgusting ratty head and his horrible little claws and http://1902victorian.com/2007/01/our-first-carcassKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-3988592797318038670Thu, 28 Dec 2006 15:42:00 +00002006-12-28T09:59:57.115-06:00disasterpetsI had a non-dog-related post all ready to go, but I just have to relate this one story. Yesterday while I was at work, Darwin took Millie out for a walk on her new 16-foot retractable leash. She was sniffing around the fig tree (on the side of the yard she prefers for doing her business), and Darwin held the plastic leash handle loosely in his hand. Suddenly, Millie caught a whiff of something http://1902victorian.com/2006/12/wounded-kneeKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-8825220985260582661Wed, 27 Dec 2006 16:46:00 +00002006-12-27T11:49:32.230-06:00petsI introduce to you the newest bundle of joy in the 1902 Victorian household: This is Millie, getting her first bath. Millie came to us, and to her name, in a roundabout way. A co-worker of mine found a pup her neighborhood a several days ago. She put up flyers, called the local shelter and checked the missing pets page of the shelter website. Meanwhile, she and a neighbor passed the pup backhttp://1902victorian.com/2006/12/importance-of-being-millieKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-110192468975847575Wed, 01 Dec 2004 18:04:00 +00002006-12-18T11:57:30.838-06:00disasterkitchenPliers Paper plates 2 cans shave gel Insurance bill Pay stub 7 empty soda cans Christmas lights Instructions to mini tape recorder 2 of Mom's casserole dishes Beginner's box of Sculpey III clay Combine all ingredients. Mix well. Let cure for 168 hours. Makes one disorganized kitchen.http://1902victorian.com/2004/12/things-on-my-kitchen-counter.htmlKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-115351449388321264Fri, 21 Jul 2006 20:27:00 +00002006-12-18T11:54:33.474-06:00lightsauctionfindsBefore all the medical drama of the weekend, I initiated my friend Kristen into the world of the Moundville antique auction. I've mentioned this auction before, and my thoughts of it are usually accompanied by guilty stomach pains (rather than gall bladder) because I always manage to spend more money than I planned. The Moundville auction is "special." It's the auction for folks who don't mind http://1902victorian.com/2006/07/ebay-mayberry-version.htmlKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-116587242536981987Mon, 11 Dec 2006 21:26:00 +00002006-12-18T11:40:59.025-06:00lightsbathroomfindssinkOn my bathroom timeline, I said I'd order the sink faucet and vanity light this weekend. I was thinking that we'd need the light fixture once the electrical was done, and the sink faucet would be necessary to install the sink. But then we realized we wouldn't want to install the light fixture until the very end - after sanding, drywalling, painting, etc. - so that can wait. And Darwin pointed http://1902victorian.com/2006/12/decision-time_11.htmlKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-116603990016376683Wed, 13 Dec 2006 19:05:00 +00002006-12-18T10:56:27.145-06:00injuries-illnessfamilysinkWith our bathroom, it's always one step forward, two steps back. In Darwin's case, two very gimpy steps back. On Saturday, we were trying to figure out exactly where to cut the openings for the outlets. I had the bright idea that Darwin should lift the massive cast iron sink and hold it in position on the wall, so we could see if the spot we'd marked would work. But as Darwin struggled to grasphttp://1902victorian.com/2006/12/gimp-lives.htmlKristintag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793674.post-4843899134611757975Mon, 18 Dec 2006 16:30:00 +00002006-12-18T10:54:40.107-06:00injuries-illnessfamilybathroomThe Gimp is back at work today. He was still in pain and walking gimpy until one day late last week when everything magically went back to normal. Almost normal, anyway. He's still stiff and gets a little whingey when he has to stand up for too long, and the doc advised him to wear one of those back brace things the Sam's Club cashiers have to wear, just in case he should have to lift a 48-pack http://1902victorian.com/2006/12/all-better-nowKristin