Old Venting Thread

[Fisher's Mom]

Oh man, your house must be a Money Pit! I'm guessing you got a good deal on your house to begin with to make you willing to tackle renovating the whole house.

My electrical system is so old, I have a fuse box with glass fuses. At least it's in the kitchen so I don't have to go far when we blow a fuse. The plumbing is almost 85 years old so it's very scary when there is any plumbing problems. I haven't had to refinish the wood floors yet, although they would look better if I did. Haven't had to tuck point the bricks yet except in a few places. No new windows either, although these are original and are nowhere near airtight. They rattle like crazy in a high wind. And I've never been in the attic - I send my sons. (There are raccoons and bats up there that scare me like crazy.) Do you and DW do most of the work yourselves?

 

[LPBeier]

My uncle calls his house "The Money Pit"! You gotta share some of the worst highlights of your Nightmare On Elm Street!

I wrote a big description of one room of our house and then lost it (I hate how sometimes my browser opens a new window and other times it writes over the old one). I will rewrite it tomorrow.

 

[LadyCook61]

On the subject of burning pics and video to DVD, it is often better to use a software program like Roxio or Nero (I prefer Nero and have a DVD plug-in that allows me to copy my DVD movies, handy with kids around losing originals and scratching them!) instead of the drag and drop method. Reason being, the software programs not only allow you to create menus so the pics can be viewed as slide shows and videos browsed on most any DVD player, but they also usually have a 'test' check box. By checking this box, the program will 'compile' the DVD image first, then 'test' to make sure it will burn properly without errors before actually burning the DVD. Doubles your burn time, but cuts way down on 'coasters'.

I make backups of my original movies too.

 

[LPBeier]

Okay, Fisher's Mom, you may regret asking, but I will give you just a sample of our Nightmare on Elm Street Money Pit!

We started in the master bedroom with our renovations. DH's sister had been living in the house for several years before we bought it from her and that was her room. She hated the house and didn't do anything with it. We couldn't believe she spent almost 10 years in that room the way it was.

The bedroom (and laundry room behind it) were actually an add-on in the 70's. The house was built in the mid 50's and was a tiny 2 bedroom rancher. The add-on was actually the old garage and they made a lean-to for storing firewood into the garage. The ceiling in the bedroom/laundry was a full 8" lower than the rest of the house, even though on the outside the roof was all level.

The ceiling was plaster and done in a pattern of semi-circles. It was yellow with cigarette smoke. The long wall and closet wall were covered in a horrid plastic wallpaper covered with vertical "threads" in shades of pink from light to dark. The other two walls were painted a very dark fuschia and the floor was covered in an ugly threadbare brown carpet that came to 2" from the window wall, revealing raw plywood underneath. There were obvious holes in this wall that were allowing ants of all sizes to enter the room as they pleased (we found out that these weren't the only "unwelcome visitors" but that's another horror story).

There was a hideous border in the corners of the ceiling that when we took it off revealed a 3/4" gap between the ceiling and the wall all the way around. When we filled this we had to plaster over the ceiling and couldn't match the pattern, so we ended up putting a new sconse around; however it was white to blend in. Oh, yeah, it took 3 scrubs and 4 coats of ceiling paint to get the smell and colour out of the ceiling. When we removed the wallpaper it took with it much of the drywall because there was no primer or paint between the two. We ended up putting up new drywall because patching was just too much. On the other wall under the paper were many very large holes (unfilled and up to 3/4") left by the removal of heavy exercise equipment, along with the black marks that outlined where the equipment had been. The fuschia walls took two coats of special cover-up paint and 3 coats of our pale mauve to cover it.

When we took the carpet out we found that there was a layer of really ugly linoleum underneath that also had to go. We put in a laminate floor, but because the room wasn't square and the subfloor was warped (we ended up replacing it but it didn't help), this wasn't easy. Also finding a nice light fixture that looked good and was flush enough to the ceiling because it was so low was not easy but I finally got a real bargain on one.

When we were done we really were pleased with ourselves; however we didn't get all the ant holes and eventually the yellow in the ceiling started showing through again. And this was just one room - the rest was just as bad or worse! We loved the house, but between the never-ending reno's and the mortgage we were glad to sell it. Our assessment showed that our huge corner lot was worth a lot and our little house was worth $3,000 - by the time we had left we had put more than that into reno's!!

 

[Fisher's Mom]

WooHoo, Laurie! I'll bet you were glad to sell that home! You are so right about cigarette smoke being really tough to scrub off. I don't know how you managed it on a ceiling with that shell plaster pattern. Stripping wallpaper is an awful and tedious task, too. I've stripped so much of it now that I will never hang wallpaper again anywhere.

Installing drywall is something I really hate too because it's absolutely a 2 person job. I can't physically handle a sheet by myself - even just to carry it in the house. I hate cutting and installing subfloor, too, probably for the same reasons. The big sheets of plywood are too big for me by myself and using smaller ones means more joints to fill. Is your hubby good at this sort of thing?

When I bought my house at the coast, it had been vacant for over a year and was a HUD home. I made a ridiculously low bid and got it because it looked so awful. But it wasn't livable right then. The living room had cheap paneling on the walls and weird, styrofoam tiles stapled to the ceiling. I figured it was covering up something bad and I was right. I ended up having to install new sheet rock in about 1/4 of the room, including the ceiling. Lots of holes to patch and the only bathroom had no sink or toilet. Still, there were some good surprises like hardwood floors under the hideous, filthy carpeting and tile. All in all, it has turned out wonderfully and my boys are all pretty skilled in home renovation now.

 

[LPBeier]

WooHoo, Laurie! I'll bet you were glad to sell that home!

Is your hubby good at this sort of thing?

In some ways I miss the old house, but mainly yes, we are glad to be out for more reasons than just the renos.

Actually DH wasn't good at manual labour (he was a computer programer/instructor for years until about 2005) but he sure is now. His brother and several of our friends helped and he really learned a lot. I did my share, but my main job was to be a gopher (as in go for this and go for that). I was becoming well known to the Home Depot Associates and even to this day know my way around that store better than some of them! I remember several times where I would just check out and my cell would ring and it would be DH asking me to get something else. So I would park my cart, run and get it and check out again. As for the wood and drywall, The guys at HD were really good about hauling it out and attaching it to my roof rack for me.

We have some reno's here (again we had to deal with cigarette smoke and I am highly allergic) but mostly what we are doing is because we WANT to and not because we HAVE to - there is a big difference.

 

[expatgirl]

ok, with 54 approaching I do NOT do painting or major renovations.......been there done that for MANY years.......still recuperating from carpal tunnel syndrome...now if we were to buy a home it would be a small patio with no yard to mow and perfect move in condition...do not want to look at a paintbrush or roller as long as I live........but you youngins go for it..........

 

[LPBeier]

ok, with 54 approaching I do NOT do painting or major renovations.......been there done that for MANY years.......still recuperating from carpal tunnel syndrome.....

Hey, I am with you expat! My part of the renos of this place is picking the colours to be painted and where I want everything to go. I don't even do the running anymore. I am after all only 4 years younger than you and with carpal tunnel, osteoarthritis, FM, tendonitis, chronic back pain from a fracture and now this wonky knee, I think I deserve to sit back and watch. But DH has finally found a hobby and is always building or fixing something which is great.

 

[suziquzie]

My husband ordered a protien skimmer for his reef aquarium from a private party off one of his reef forums..... paid $300 for it thru paypal. I wasn't too thrilled, I don't trust people.
The box just came, empty, with a note on it saying it was recieved at the post office in NH open and empty. It was coming from MA to MN. The post office sealed it back up and shipped it on its way here anyway.
I'm so upset, and he's still sleeping. I hope there's a way to be re-imbursed.

 

[LPBeier]

I have to order cake supplies sometimes online and I tell you I am always nervous until it arrives. Even though I worked in the internet business for years (and we even took paypal), I prefer going into a store and handing over my money at the same time I receive the goods.

 

[suziquzie]

I don't worry so much from a business but just some internet Joe seems like a bad idea. I'm not upset with DH at all, more upset for him. I told you so won't come out of my mouth. I'll just get that part out here with you guys!

 

[Mama]

You should be able to get your money back if you paid using paypal.

 

[luvs]

my Dad saw me a few days ago & called me yesterday to say i'm fat & i've a gut!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he says i should weigh 107 pounds like my Mother. i am 5'5" &1/2" & weigh 135 pounds. that's not fat! i was anorexic fer years & finally started eating normal portions & he says that! he wasn't being mean 'bout it.
i just can't get over him saying that to me. my Dad & Grandfather, if you wanna see hypercritical 'bout fat, that's who you listen to. my gosh, though. 135 POUNDS?! i mean, i used to weigh 76 & had 2 cardiac arrests & now a defribllator. would that make him okay with my weight again?
i'm so pissed.

 

[LPBeier]

Oh, Luvs, I am so very sorry. Having suffered from a lesser eating disorder myself (secret binge eating but no purging - I would just diet in front of everyone and pig out in private), I totally understand how the comments of others can be so damaging, especially family. My problem was that my family wouldn't acknowledge when I was losing weight because they "didn't want to draw attention and jinx it" instead of looking at it as positive reinforcement.

But for your father to say that is reprehensible!!! At your height, 135 should be a comfortable weight and he should be lifting you up for not starving yourself and being more at peace with how you look.

I really hope you don't let this affect you and look to others for positive feedback. I am sure you are beautiful just the way you are!!!!

 

[luvs]

thanks, beier. i'm not gonna let him upset me too much. i'm just shocked & angry with him. other people comment often how much better i look. my nurse loves my new weight.

my Mom said he's just not used to me being healthy. maybe he misses being that Dad who had a 'project' of a kid.
i'm mad, but staying strong.


i'm sorry you, too, had an eating disorder. they're so easy to fall into & when you try to drag yourself away it's rough.

-luv, luvs

 

[texasgirl]

He stole from me!!MY OWN SON STOLE FROM ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I ran out of checks and went to get the next book in sequence, umm, not there, so, I go asking him. I had him go in and get a deposit slip once to deposit his check. I NEVER would have thought this would happen. So, after him SWEARING he didn't know what happened to them, I look online. Well, there are 5 checks for cash that he FORGED my husbands name on and another to a store here, that they actuall cashed!!! I am filing charges on THEM. Freaking idiots, a person comes in that doesn't match who is on there and they take it!!!!!!!!!!
I blew up on him. I grabbed him by the throat and shoved him to the wall. I told him he couldn't have hurt me more if he had shot me. I'm done. I'm so numb right now. I won't tell dh cause I know what will happen. There are still 3 checks in the sequence that have not cleared and the other 15 are unaccounted for. I don't know what to do at this point. The checks that have cleared so far are just over $100. He keeps telling me that the ripped up the rest, I prayed to God is not lying THIS time!!
One way or another, he is going to the NAVY!!! I want them to beat him into submission and straighten him out!! I will never believe him again and I HATE it!!

 

[Corey123]

So sorry to hear that. It's heartbreaking to find out that your own child is a thief.

I hope that this mess gets cleared up and if your son is not staying with you, then so much the better. If he is, then show him some tough love and show him the door!

There's this guy that I've known since he was a little boy. His mom stole from many people, myself included! I used to date her and babysit with the boy. She stole money from me often to buy crack.

Well, long story short, the "boy" is now engaged to get married and his mom had come back into his life.

No sooner had she done that, money ended up missing again!!

His wife-to-be had suspected that SHE did it, they both vented out at her and then they evicted her. She was homeless for a while, but now she has her own apt. Hope that she pays the rent.

 

[buckytom]

sorry to hear it, tg, but that sounds like a good plan.

a long time ago, i dropped out of college and was dealing drugs when my dad put me up against a wall and gave me a choice of going into the military, or moving home and getting a job/paying rent/being accountable for every other minute of my time, which he and my mom checked up on constantly.

i wish now i had chosen the military and had saved all of the years that it took me to grow up slowly.



and luvs, nevermind your dad's wisecrack. i'm sure it hurt, but i'm also sure that he didn't mean to hurt you like that. in some backwards way, he may have actually been happy to make a joke about it.
NO ONE HERE wants to see you go back to being sick again. so be strong.

 

[LadyCook61]

He stole from me!!MY OWN SON STOLE FROM ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I ran out of checks and went to get the next book in sequence, umm, not there, so, I go asking him. I had him go in and get a deposit slip once to deposit his check. I NEVER would have thought this would happen. So, after him SWEARING he didn't know what happened to them, I look online. Well, there are 5 checks for cash that he FORGED my husbands name on and another to a store here, that they actuall cashed!!! I am filing charges on THEM. Freaking idiots, a person comes in that doesn't match who is on there and they take it!!!!!!!!!!
I blew up on him. I grabbed him by the throat and shoved him to the wall. I told him he couldn't have hurt me more if he had shot me. I'm done. I'm so numb right now. I won't tell dh cause I know what will happen. There are still 3 checks in the sequence that have not cleared and the other 15 are unaccounted for. I don't know what to do at this point. The checks that have cleared so far are just over $100. He keeps telling me that the ripped up the rest, I prayed to God is not lying THIS time!!
One way or another, he is going to the NAVY!!! I want them to beat him into submission and straighten him out!! I will never believe him again and I HATE it!!

I feel your pain and disappointment. I went thru some things with my oldest son about 20 yrs ago, he is now a fine man with a family. Long story but if you want to know more , you can pm me or email me..
LadyCook

 

[babetoo]

He stole from me!!MY OWN SON STOLE FROM ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I ran out of checks and went to get the next book in sequence, umm, not there, so, I go asking him. I had him go in and get a deposit slip once to deposit his check. I NEVER would have thought this would happen. So, after him SWEARING he didn't know what happened to them, I look online. Well, there are 5 checks for cash that he FORGED my husbands name on and another to a store here, that they actuall cashed!!! I am filing charges on THEM. Freaking idiots, a person comes in that doesn't match who is on there and they take it!!!!!!!!!!
I blew up on him. I grabbed him by the throat and shoved him to the wall. I told him he couldn't have hurt me more if he had shot me. I'm done. I'm so numb right now. I won't tell dh cause I know what will happen. There are still 3 checks in the sequence that have not cleared and the other 15 are unaccounted for. I don't know what to do at this point. The checks that have cleared so far are just over $100. He keeps telling me that the ripped up the rest, I prayed to God is not lying THIS time!!
One way or another, he is going to the NAVY!!! I want them to beat him into submission and straighten him out!! I will never believe him again and I HATE it!!

we had a nephew that did same thing. had no clue til checks started bouncing. we called the police and they charged him with forgery. that made the checks null and void , and became the banks problem. have no clue what happened to him after that. but that was a nephew not a son.

i know u must be in anguish.it is very sad when you can't trust your own kids.does he do drugs?

babe