February 2010
12 posts
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I am probably jinxing myself by saying this.
On Saturday night, I threw some rat/mouse poison into my attic. Directly to the area where the creatures like to make noise. Since Saturday night, I haven’t heard any noises in my attic.
I am going to knock on some wood right now, because I have a feeling that tonight, the creatures will probably be back. And I will be pretty damn pissed.
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Change of format.
After 140 days of posts (which should be more), I have come to the realization that I don’t have enough to post about on a daily basis. Sure, I could make up some stuff or write about random things, continuously post about the creatures in my attic, complain about high electric bills…the list goes on.
So rather than write just for the sake of posting something every day, I have...
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Day 140 - That's a little better.
My electric bill, which was out of control last month, is a little more reasonable this month.
We had a few cold days, but I have been keeping my heat downstairs at 60-62 degrees during the day and 65-66 degrees when I am home on nights and weekends. I have also been leaving my heat off upstairs. Heat really does rise, so it stays warm enough up there and I sleep better when it is cool. Plus,...
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Day 139 - Further investigation in my attic.
Since whatever is in my attic is obviously still there, my dad came down today to investigate.
He found an old birds nest in the corner of the attic, but it was empty. He poked through the insulation, but nothing came out. He checked to see if any light was coming in from the corners of the attic and around the vent and found nothing.
I have no clue what to do from here besides buy a different...
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Day 138 - Painting my dining room set.
I went shopping with my friend Ashley today and we went to Junkadoodle on Lovers Lane. Ashley pointed out this super cute, blue dining room set that looks similar to mine, which is wood and white.
After seeing how cute this dining room set was, I thought maybe I can paint my table and chairs a fun color. I am not sure what color I would paint them, but it is definitely something I am considering.
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Day 137 - I am so glad I have two bedrooms.
Last night at 10pm as I was getting ready to go bed, I heard the noises in my attic.
Great, just great!
So rather than have to deal with waking up every few hours to bang on the ceiling, I changed the sheets on the bed in my spare bedroom and slept in there. It was a little weird sleeping in a different bed, but at least I didn’t wake up during the night.
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Day 136 - Maintenance man day!
Bob the maintenance man came today. He opened the panel to my attic and checked around, but just like my dad, didn’t see any sign of rodents (besides some mouse turds, which I knew were there).
He got up on his ladder and found a birds nest in the soffit, which he pulled out. Then he covered up the hole/wood rot in the soffit.
He thinks it’s birds in my attic and I think that is...
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Day 135 - A new use for a curtain rod.
An unused curtain rod that I have laying around is the perfect length to bang on my ceiling at night when the rodents are playing up there. They go away for a few hours and then come back.
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Day 134 - The maintenance man is coming!
The maintenance man called today! I just scheduled a time for him to come on Thursday to temporarily repair the rotted wood on the soffit of my condo. I am pretty sure this is the way that the creatures in my attic are getting in and I am ready to lock them out!
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Day 133 - Sheets.
How often should you wash the sheets and bedding on a bed no one ever sleeps in?
I think if I wash them before someone actually does sleep in them would be fine, but I can’t help thinking that it’s a little gross to leave them on there for two months.
January 2010
27 posts
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Day 132 - I feel like I have noisy neighbors...
Except these neighbors have four legs and only come out at night.
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Day 128 - Bedroom: Check!
Tonight I ran to Walmart after work to buy some picture frames. When I came home, I framed two pretty scarves I got in Korea and some cards with Chinese symbols on them, which were a gift from one of my media friends (Thanks, Tong!) Then, I hung the pictures. Then I went to my spare bedroom and stole a picture that I drew in high school off the wall and hung that.
Now…my bedroom is done!
I...
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Day 127 - Gone?
Still no call from or sign of the maintenance man. I don’t even want to type this, but I haven’t heard the squirrel in a few days. Maybe he ate enough of the poison I threw up there and finally died. But before he died, he told all his squirrel friends not to up up into my attic or they would die too.
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Day 126 - I ruined a pot.
This isn’t very interesting, but tonight while making a delicious frittata for dinner, I burned the handle on one of my pots. I wrapped it in foil so it wouldn’t burn, but because I put it on the top rack, the broiler burned right through the foil. It’s not bad, but there are two nasty, smelly burned marks on the handle. I am pretty ticked off right now.
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Day 125 - I need to finish my bedroom.
I have a sudden urge to finally finish decorating my bedroom. I have some things that need to be framed and hung. Goal for this week!
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Day 124 - Shelves.
My dad is coming down today to put shelves in my closets. I don’t have all that much storage space in my condo, but I do have good size closets that aren’t very efficient. Shelves will be a big space saver.
Pictures coming soon!
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Day 123 - No sign of the maintenance man.
I guess my rodent problem is not that important. I have yet to hear from the HOA maintenance man.
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Day 122 - Taking care of rodents.
I reached out to my HOA today (again) about the rodents living in my attic. The response I got was very similar to the one I received about a month ago…
The HOA is planning building renovations soon and any outside damage will be addressed when the project starts.
My response was that a temporary fix needs to be done until “said project” officially starts. I have something...
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Day 121 - Random urge to clean.
Last night I had the random urge to clean. I knew a good clean was overdue, so I finally vacuumed, mopped the floor and cleaned the bathroom.
Cleaning is and always will be a chore for me. It’s not something I enjoy doing, but it is something I enjoy when it is done.
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Day 120 - The heat is...off.
The weather has been nice the last few days and I have officially turned the heat OFF in my condo. Turning the heat off HAS to have an impact on my out-of-control electric bill. Fingers crossed.
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Day 119 - Collecting
I have slowly but surely started to collect “stuff” and it keeps ending up in my spare bedroom. Why I need four TV’s is beyond me, but when my grandma offers me her old TV, which is nicer than my two bedroom TV’s, I couldn’t say no. And my lack of unusable space in my closets has lead me to start piling things up on top of dressers and in corners.
I think it’s...
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Day 117 - I have zero motivation.
To do laundry, clean, mop, dust, vacuum. I am sure I will get to it soon.
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Day 115 - I am pretty sure it is a squirrel.
Yep. I am pretty sure it is a squirrel living in my attic.
The good news, he wakes up in the morning at the same time I do.
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Day 116 - My gift from the IRS.
It came! Thank you for my first-time homeowner tax credit!
I know I probably have to give a good chunk of it back to my dad since he loaned me some money, but at least I can keep part of it!
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Day 114 - Electric bill.
My electric bill this month is triple what it has been the last two months. I have no idea how that is possible!
I keep my heat between 65-67 degrees when I am home and when I am gone for the day, it is usually around 62-63 degrees. I open my blinds and curtains during the day and close them at night. I do cook quite a bit, do laundry and blow dry my hair. Everything in my condo is run on...
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Day 113 - Taxes.
Yesterday I called the Dallas County Tax Collector’s office to ask them why they sent me a “bill” for way too much money when I pay my taxes monthly with my mortgage payment to Wells Fargo.
They told me it was just a statement and not a bill. WTF?! It was a bill. Sorry, Dallas County. When I get something in the mail that says I owe a certain amount of dollars by a specific...
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Day 112 - I need more light.
Over the holidays when I had my Christmas tree up, I moved a floor lamp behind a chair in my living room.
Now that I have taken all my decorations down and moved things back to their original places, I noticed it feels darker in my living room. I think I need to get another lamp in here.
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Day 111 - Home!
After too many nights sleeping in a hotel bed, I am so glad to be HOME!
My mom came down earlier today to drop off Jersey and also turn my heat up. I left it down at 60 degrees while I was gone, but since its been so cold, I appreciate walking into a warm house.
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Days 106 - 110 - Not home.
Locked up and in Las Vegas for work from January 5 - January 10. It is supposed to be bitter cold in Dallas while I am away, so I am hoping that my pipes don’t freeze since I didn’t leave my faucets dripped.
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Day 105 - I used my vacuum for the first time.
And it is awesome! I love how it has a switch that let’s me select Floor or Carpet. Now it actually sucks up dust, crumbs and cat litter without just spraying it around the room.
I am a fan.
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Day 104 - Goodbye Christmas.
I took all my Christmas decorations down today. I definitely had more stuff to put away than I originally took out. I collected a few more decorations as gifts this year.
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Day 103 - Shelves.
I would really like to put shelves in my closets. I could just store so much more in them than I can now if I had the extra space.
And that to my 2010 goals.
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Day 102 - 2010 Goals.
As 2010 begins, here are my goals for my condo:
Install a railing on the staircase
Paint the master bathroom
Put a garbage disposal and faucet with a sprayer in the kitchen sink
Remove the pedestal sink in the mater bathroom and put in a vanity/sink
Refinish the master bathroom bathtub
Landscape the patio
December 2009
31 posts
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Day 101 - New Year's Eve.
Here’s to the start of 2010 in my new home.
Tonight, I am making pizza and drinking champagne and watching movies.
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Day 100 - A recap.
100 days as a homeowner. The time has really flown by!
Here are some of the top accomplishments in my first 100 days.
Painted the living room, master bedroom, kitchen
Installed new closet doors
Fixed a leaky bathtub
Put ceiling fans in the living room and master bedroom
Had rodents living in my attic; killed the rodents living in my attic
Attended the annual HOA meeting
Got Internet...
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Day 99 - My toilet is dripping.
There’s a drip coming from the tank of my toilet. Sometimes I hear it and sometimes I don’t. It’s annoying.
Something else to look into.
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Day 98 - I heard noises again.
In my attic. Yesterday. I am not a fan.
I might need more poison. Or an exterminator.
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Day 97 - More new stuff.
In addition to my vacuum, I got some great new stuff for my condo for Christmas:
Coffee pot
Snuggie (not really for my condo, but it will always be on my couch)
Grill pan, cookie sheets, muffin tin
Home decor
Sign that says “eat” for my kitchen
Lantern made of recycled metal
Christmas decorations
“Wine Fund” jar
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Day 94 - Unplugging the Christmas tree.
My Christmas tree is on a timer. I know that is kind of nerdy, but sometimes I get home from work late and it’s kind of nice to walk in and have the lights twinkling.
I am off to my parents for Christmas and since I am afraid that my flame retardant tree might catch fire, I decided to unplug it.
I also turned my heat down to 60 degrees. It is supposed to snow, so it will likely be freezing...
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Day 93 - I opened the windows in December.
It’s officially two days before Christmas and it’s 76 degrees outside today. WTF?!
I opened all the windows in my condo today. Jersey enjoyed sitting in the window and it was nice to let some fresh air in…even in the middle of winter.
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Day 92 - My first house guest.
My good friend Jessica is visiting Texas for the holidays. She is crashing at my house tonight and will officially be my first house guest!
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Day 91 - A rug for my bedroom.
While at my parents house last week, my dad gave me an off-white rug he had been storing for me. It’s from my first apartment in New Jersey. It actually brought back memories of the first time I lived on my own and how owning my own home is such an accomplishment.
Anyway, the rug needs to flatten out and it is by no means permanent, but I finally have a rug for my bedroom.