Pax and the Renovations - almost done!

It's been some time since I bored you all with the status of my apartment renovations.  So let us have a "look see" at the current state of the Home of the Pax

Kitchen -  looking from lounge area (note - the kitchen and lounge are all one rectangular room - 1/2 of my apartment space)

Kitchen - pantry & fridge side

Lounge room - (same side as sink/dishwasher in kitchen) - you can see the new doors leading to the Balcony; and my mini computer zone

Lounge room (other side).  These bookcases hold only my DVD collection.  The Majority of my books are stored in the bedroom and hall bookcase.
At some point (when I have saved up a few more $$) I will be finishing the Splashback in the Kitchen; and hopefully getting some wooden "venetian style" window blinds to replace the not-quite-block-out blinds I have installed.  (oh and renovate the bathroom.. and paint the bedroom and hall and... never ending :D)

Never the less - I am most happy with how it has all turned out - and so thankful that my Dad is such a Handyman (he laid the tiles and helped me install the kitchen benches).  My home is now *MY* home once more - and I feel safe and content to be here.

And for any of my friends that wish to travel and visit.  I *will* be acquiring a comfy mattress for the floor so at least ONE of you will be comfortable.  However - Must be willing to be bossed about by my cat :)

December catch up

Wow - time has really been flying here.  I am still madly working away at the apartment renovations and the end is (mostly) in sight.  One wall left in the living room to patch up and repaint and then I can move all the bookcases back out and achieve order. So looking forward to that!

In Milsupport endeavours - I have had a LOT of fun this year playing Santa-Pax. 

• Decorations and small gifts made their way to three of my Adopted Troopers.  Reports back from the two I am "Friended" with on Facebook are that they were very happy with the assortment of silly things received.

• The Re-adoption of one of my previous Soldiers' Angels troopers.  He is USA Airforce and once more Downrange and in the thick of things.  With the wonderful help of my friend Vicki in California - a parcel of Christmas decorations managed to be sent off to him just prior to the Military Christmas Mail deadline.  Vicki went above and beyond by baking a huge batch of Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies and sending them with the decorations.  Appreciative Noms were achieved [R makes sure that most of the things I send him are shared with his crew so Happy Airforce points achieved]

• My newly adopted team of Marines missed out on the "authentic made-by-Pax" Christmas wreath but scored well in the TimTam (an Aussie Chocolate covered cookie/biscuit) area.  I also sent them some Aussie toys - some foam boomarang-ish throwing toys [foam to avoid injuries to themselves; equipment and figures of authority]; a bullroarer [which sadly failed to give enough noise due to it's teeny size - replacement has been sourced and will be sent along shortly] and a wee cuddly Koala [there are 15 of them - surely one of them is manly enough to be seen with a fuzzy toy :D].

I *have* given the Marine team the option of receiving practical stuff (i.e hygiene stuff or chemical hand warmers or some blankets etc) but their "Point Man" (or should that be "Point Sgt?") says they are enjoying the randomness of my parcels and to keep that up.  I have to say that I am REALLY enjoying treating this bunch - their appreciation of "Weird Aussie Troop Support" came when I was at an emotional low point and has helped to remind myself just why I do this (To Give and not to count the cost - to cause smiles and joyful confusion) - I think I'm hitting the targets okay so far :)

So currently I have 4 adoptees via Soldiers' Angels - and the team of Marines via AnyMarine.com - which is accounting for about 1/4 of my fortnightly pay packet.  I think after a few of my troopers head home in January/February I may need to cut back on the milsupporting for a little bit and get the finances back in order  [of course I say that now... and then I will see the plea for someone to adopt "Army person X - who never receives any mail and needs some cheering up" and I'll be back to the official Three adoptees again.  Yes Yes - I know - I *am* a soft touch but since studies have shown that this sort of support really helps the morale and confidence of deployed troops - most of them young enough to be my children had I not foolishly squandered my reproductive years - then the cost to myself is just something to factor in and work around.] 

New Year's Eve is tomorrow here in Australia so I will leave you all with the wish that 2012 is good for you all - and that you remain safe and well.

Pax - signing off for 2011

This too shall pass....

Taking a short break from the renovation works - mostly so I can sit down until the dizziness passes.

Seems my recent bout of earaches/dizzy fits were all related to a really severe infection in my left ear canal.  So severe that yesterday (Friday here) my G.P. (Doc) declared me a hands breadth away from being admitted to hospital for a week or more.

He then signed me off as "unfit for work for the rest of the day" (his appointment was at 11.30am - just across from my work - during my "early lunch break").  I then hurried off to the local hospitals' emergency ward so that proper tests could be done (my GP being unwilling to poke about too much in case he ruptured the ear drum).  3 hours of waiting later and the E.N.T (ears, nose & throat) specialist declared my infection to be both "fascinating" and "the worst she's seen in a long time".  And then proceeded to use the world's tiniest vacuum cleaner to suck out all the nasty greebles. After which I tottered home and slept for about 12 hours.

Today I am feeling better but still a bit unsteady in balance.  And I *am* taking it easy (sort of).

As for the renovation stuff - I am slowly pottering about - applying heat (from a hairdryer) to the nasty modern tile adhesive that is left on the wall - and then peeling/chipping it off with a chisel.  It's a bit physical and very VERY boring however I am a) not required to be up on a stepladder to do it and b) not having to rush to get it done [my levels of urgency are inversely related to how much my head spins if I try to hurry].

So I will keep chipping away at the nasty stuff until it's all clear.  At which point I will be at the point of 'painting walls' - which can occur tomorrow [since Cozzles will be here to do the bits requiring ladders]

Destructo Pax

Today I have been excelling in the old "rip-em-out" methodology of renovation.  De-tiling the old kitchen splashback.

I originally thought it would be a relatively easy job - after all, 50 year old tiles - surely they'd be a bit loose by now?

Turns out not to be the case. So armed with my newest tool...

Rotary Hammer Drill with Chisel tip

I have been gamely trying to detach the tiles from the walls and window ledge.

Seems that the bonding mixture they used to attach the tiles to the wall is more powerful that superglue.  So I am having a few problems of:-

a) the tiles turning to powder as I try to remove but not detaching from the wall, and
b) the cement wall being less robust than the tile bonder. Resulting in lumps of the wall coming away with the tiles et al.

Definitely going to be doing a lot of plaster/concrete patching when it's all done!

Just a bit more to do

I have stopped for the night (it's just after 6pm here) and no doubt my neighbours are excited at the lack of drilling noise.  More to finish tomorrow (post parental visit since I can't make noise before 10am on a Sunday* and the P's will be here for lunch and a bit beyond that. Plus it's a bit too dangerous - with flying tile shards - to do with them in the place)

Once the walls are de-tiled; replastered and painted - my new kitchen cabinets can be put into place.
So far we (Cozzles and I) have put together only two of the seven cabinets - waiting on the rest till there is a spot to install them all.

Cozzles - Queen of the Flatpacks - showing me how it's done :)

And now I'm off to have a nap.  All this hefting of major tools; destruction and saving the universe - takes it out of a Lady! :)


*I could make noise before 10am on a Sunday but I won't.  Seems such a rude thing to do with people trying to either sleep in or just off to church.

Tired Pax is Tired

Well it is the last day of my recreation leave today and I don't feel that I have achieved enough.

True I have the door varnishing almost conquered [the outside has been all sanded back with fine grade sandpaper and therefore only requires another coat or two to finish. The Inside is to be sanded today].  I am cranky that I still haven't been able to do the overlapped bits - due to the installer playing "Oh! Sorry! How about tomorrow?" with me for most of the week.  He has now said "Saturday PM! Definitely!" - which is all well and good that I might finally get the doors off the sliding rails to finish painting - but gives me no idea of when I can get them rehung [hopefully I can learn the trick to getting them on & off and can just get some strong-armed help Sunday night to rehang].

Oh and yes - I have organised the new living room floor installation.  Contract signed for wooden floor boards to cover the floor area - and installation for sometime in October.

Still dithering over floor tiles for the hall, kitchen & balcony but I'm getting closer to a choice on that.  I need to purchase those in bulk and store them for now as I will be (eventually) learning how to tile from my Dad (with the balcony as the "learning zone").  The Hall is also an easy area to do. 

The Kitchen... sigh... that's a whole 'nother drama there that I will close my eyes to, cover my ears with my hands and loudly sing "La La La" till it magically goes away.  [but if any of my blogging friends know anything about re-planning kitchen space so that there is room for a table? - please contact me!]

Now if only I had another week of leave - I might actually find time to do that whole "relaxing" thing (or not... Pax's in a natural state of rest tend to devour books, donuts and annoy the cat by hogging the couch)

In other news - I think I will extend the drawing of the woolen hat to early next week.  So you have another few days to enter (or if you are on the Navy vs. Marine all-in-brawling teams - you have time to add a few more amusing exchanges)

Now excuse me as I go to once more apply varnish - wait for it to dry - sand it back - and then do a final coat. 

My Life - So Darn Exciting!

Pax's Renovations - Redux

So there I am - working away at the removal of the built in bookshelves when the blade of my Jigsaw gives a funny little lurch and then dislodges itself (no damage done to myself  since the blade stayed lodged in the soft pine board I was attempting to cut)

After I carefully unplugged the machine from the power board (see! Pax has absorbed *some* safety rules over the years!) I discovered that the locking nut that holds the blade guide roller in place is no longer there, and the guide roller and it's pin are now separated from the machine in a sad, forlorn little heap.  A check of the floor all about has failed to find the nut :(  [however knowing my klutzy luck I may end up standing on it the moment I pull my shoes off!]

Webmail has been sent to the manufacturing company (Ozito) - and if I fail to hear from them in a few days I will take the machine back to the Store for a "please explain how this is possible" discussion.  Cause.. you know... locking nut... aren't they supposed to ... umm... Lock??

So no doubt to my Neighbours relief, I will be unable to do any more work for at least a week.

However this is where I am currently up too - and as it's enough to give full access to the area where the new patio doors are supposed to attach I'm okay with that.

Guess where the Liquid nail glue was attached!  Good thing it had
adhered to the paint layer only. Repainting I can do.

Next step (non-power tooled) will be to expose the old Doorway's framework so that I can get accurate measurements when the Carpenter comes a-quoting. It's a 320cmW x 204cmH gap so hoping that the old framework is suitable or that if it's not, then removal & replacement is part of the work quote.

And for those asking about the DVD collection - well what remains of it (after the ex took what he considered his share) is in the part of the bookcase that I plan to keep (at least for now).  Sadly it will have to come out before I can re floor the lounge room but that may be 6 or more months down the track.

Late night Paxing

Past 11pm here in Australia so I will keep this post brief(ish) and just do a bit of "what I have been up to lately" updating.

Actually not doing that much I guess - have managed to sort out my financial drama's (fingers crossed) and will therefore be able to start planning some apartment renovations. 

First on the list is to reverse the built-in veranda (since sadly the place isn't resale-able until it's fixed) - this will involve installing a replacement for the big old heavy sliding door that was removed a while back.  Once that's installed, I'll be getting some help to pull out the extra walls & windows bit that enclosed the overhanging area (should prove to be relatively easy as all the works were cunningly built on the inside of the existing aluminium veranda shutter system).  I don't have a hard & fast timeline on this as I will be doing a lot of the work myself (jigsaw cutting through part of a bookcase/bench system etc. And YES - I do promise to count my fingers before & afterwards and take photos of any 'amusing' incidents).

Rest of the apartment renovations (bathroom / kitchen / laying new floor coverings) will be on hold until my parents return from their latest Bush camping adventure (Mum is feeling well enough to travel at the moment and wants to seize the opportunity at what might be her last chance to enjoy the bush).  My Dad is quite the handyman and is already VERY excited at the idea of being "in-charge" of the work here.

So part of this weekend has been spent (in the company of BFF) pricing various items at the local hardware superstore, and getting starting prices for a sliding door / french door system (and I have to say EEEEK! Darn that's gonna be expensive!)

In Milsupport - I've been a bit quiet.  I did manage to send off a care parcel via the Soldiers' Angel Store to the person coordinating the RAK marine group.  It will go with a bonus pack of Girl Scout cookies which is a really cool thing.  And as usual weekly letters / postcards have gone out.  However the latest International postage stamp is HUGE - kind of makes it hard to find room on the postcards to actually write a message! (and while I am tempted to often write "Wish you were HERE" I try to avoid that.  Although it IS a sentiment I really feel since even with our weird reptiles, insects and other furry animals Australia is really safe - so long as you avoid the musk stick sweeties!)

In upcoming Blogging news - I am planning on inserting the occasional audio clip.  Finally you will get to laugh at my accent (the Lord knows the locals do!)  I should probably mention here that since my Dad was born in Scotland I have a wee bit of an unusual non-Aussie inflection going on. Ah well... at the very least you *should* be able to understand most of the words even if you then have to write in for a 'Lingo*' translation!

So are there any burning questions you'd like to ask me? (polite ones that is - *eyes the peanut gallery with wary apprehension*)  Send me suggestions on what you would like to hear - however be warned that I tend to sing off-keyish so musical number suggestions should be kept to a minimum.

Whoops.. now heading towards midnight so I will end my not-as-brief-Brief.

Stay safe!

Pax, over and out

*Lingo, the way a certain speech community speaks, see jargon