8:25 p.m. - 2014-07-02
more progress
Adventures in home makeover continue. I have finished painting every part of the house you can see from the street, except the very top corners under the apex of the roof, because I have to pry staples out of a screen covering ventilation slats, while teetering atop a 20-foot extension ladder and avoiding power lines that go into the house there. I am waiting till A. is home to call 911 when I fall or fry myself.
Other than those two areas, things are looking good. At least a dozen neighbors have stopped by to say so, which is very gratifying.
Of course, it's hard not to improve on peeling red paint with white trim and an overgrown lawn and garden. The house was a foreclosure and when A bought it, it had been neglected for a while. This, of course, was a dream come true for me because I've always dreamed of flipping houses -- buying run-down but structurally sound ones, making them beautiful and re-selling them. I think this project has cured me of that dream, but it is an amazing opportunity to get a house that's a blank slate and a summer off to fix it up at least once in my life.
Today I bought another $100 worth of bushes and perennials and spent the day working on the front gardens, round two. I'm trying to ensure that I have something blooming throughout the growing season, which necessitates visiting a garden center every month or so. At this point the gardens look good, but not fabulous. Unfortunately, I can't do much about that besides water, fertilize, and wait for shit to grow.
I like it when I'm inside and people walking their dogs slow down and stare. I like it when I'm outside and people stop their cars or walk down the street to tell me it looks amazing. I like it when I take my daughter down to invite the new girl in the neighborhood to play (her idea, not mine) and tell the parents we live in the blue house, and they say, "Oh! That one!" and say more of the same. I've never lived in a house I was really proud of before.
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