Knicker Knotter #2 - Paint Morons

One of my most pettest peeves is people who don't do a job right; they half do it or don't use the correct materials/methods (or don't bother to learn what the correct materials/methods are). My dad always called this "doing a half-a$$ job."

Yesterday, DH and I spent a few hours out at the new house starting on cleaning the kitchen. We filled two trash cans full of "tenant residue" and then I started scrubbing the cabinets clean in preparation for putting down shelf paper. The cabinets are site-built and the insides are all nicely painted with oil-based enamel paint (which is what you should always paint kitchen cabinets with). At some point, some paint moron decided to paint the outside of the doors and they used flat latex wall paint. Moron.

Flat wall paint on cabinets picks up dirt very easily. Latex paint painted over oil-based paint without a primer will come off if you try to clean off the dirt. Notice the lovely circle of grunge around all the cabinet knobs prior to my scrubbing. Also notice the nice window with no sink beneath it, but that's another story and the same moron.

DH was REALLY a home-moaner

Yesterday, we went out to the new house to begin work on it. It had tenants in it previously, and the former owner didn't remove any tenant "residue." So we have a lot of heavy cleaning to do among other things. The former owner also turned off the water at the main.

Now, if you've ever lived in an older rural home, you know the joys of finding out all the little idiosyncrasies of said home, especially when the home is outside city limits and city building codes don't have to be followed. DH spent about an hour looking for the water main valve. The former owner told him it was in the "corner near the fence." He just didn't say which corner and which fence. DH finally found it but only after he cut the snot out of two of his fingers looking in the wrong place. Of course, there was not a band-aid to be found. So we went home.

One of the cuts probably could have used a stitch, but it was across a knuckle which would have been difficult anyway. So, I just butterfly band-aided it and made DH tape his finger to a popsicle stick for 24 hours so he wouldn't bend it and pull the cut open. Of course, we didn't have any medical or athletic tape, so we used duct tape. Then we went off to Lowe's to buy needed supplies. Did I mention that this was DH's middle finger?

Yeehaw! We're "home-moaners" again!

Surprisingly, the closing on our house went off yesterday without a single hitch. Perhaps it's because none of the bank monkeys were in attendance. As DH likes to say, "We're 'home-moaners' again!" It was sad saying goodbye to our realtor as we've been "together" for nearly a year and a half. On the other hand, the poor man might've been glad to at long last get rid of us!

I haven't put a single stitch in my current WIP in three days, so I haven't any progress to show or report. So, I'll post another picture of Emma. This one is of her and my DH loafing on the couch together.

No miracles today

'Round lunchtime yesterday, DH got a call from the mathematically-challenged bank loan officer. Guess what? Yep, the closing was moved back to Friday because the bank lawyer "didn't get around to reading and approving the legal description." Geesh. Bank monkeys and lawyers - what a combination.

Here is a picture of Emma lying on the back of our sofa. She seems to be saying, "You're kidding, right?" and it makes me smile.

Ranting, complaining, and a picture

Warning, long rant imminent! DH and I are supposed to close on our new house tomorrow. This is the fifth house we've bought in our 20+ years of marriage. I can truthfully say that this is the most convoluted, crazy, ippity, blippity, bleepin' closing we've ever experienced. I have no faith that we will actually close as scheduled tomorrow, but I guess miracles do occur.

The realtor has been wonderful - the poor man has REALLY earned his money with this sale/closing. The title company has done their job efficiently and in a timely and knowledgeable manner. The bank? Well, let's just say that monkeys with an abacus and a typewriter could do a better job. Neither of the loan officers we've been shunted between seems to have a clue. DH caught a MATH ERROR the second one made. A bank loan officer!! A MATH ERROR!!! And he was using an Excel program!!!! Geesh.

DH has had to call the bank nearly every day to check up on things they should be attending to. We're certainly paying them enough fees for them to do their job without supervision, but they seem unable to comprehend this. Yesterday, they told DH that we will need a cashier's check for the closing, despite having told him repeatedly that we could just write a check from the money market account where our funds are currently held. SURPRISE! Uh, gee. It takes 10-14 days for a check like that to clear our bank before our bank will write us a cashier's check. Uh, gee. It's three days until closing (another math error perhaps?). Instead of giving in to his urge to tell the bank off, DH called the realtor. The realtor told DH to have the money wired to the title company. DH called the title company. They said, "Easy peasy. We actually prefer that it be done that way. And the bank should know this." Sigh. *bangs head on desk*

Anyway, as I've been packing up pictures, I thought I'd post a few of my favorites. Here is "Texas Nutcracker" by Mosey-n-Me.

Cat and Dog

I'm in the process of taking down all the pictures in the rent house and boxing them up. I thought I'd post a picture of JBW's "French Country Cat" and "French Country Dog" all finished before I box them. I was never totally happy with the way the Dog came out. I reversed the pattern and had to restitch and "center" the word "Dog" several times. I'm mostly happy with it, but not totally.

Doors and a WIP

I never seem to have time on the weekends to post. Oh well. DH and I spent most of Saturday price comparing doors/storm doors for the "new" house. Besides our Lowe's and Home Depot, we found a place called Surplus Warehouse. My tightwad heart beats rapidly at any store with "Surplus" in the name. Indeed, we found doors were cheapest there. The storm door, however, will be purchased from Home Depot. DH wanted some new-fangled features and Home Depot had the best price on a storm door with the newest-fangled DH-pleasing features.

I did get some time to stitch on "Texas Longhorn." I got the longhorn stitched. And lest my Aggie friends think I have lost my mind and gone over to the burnt orange side, let me assure you that I think of the longhorn as a Texas steer; it is not a longhorn with a capital "L." There is not a speck of burnt orange in this design. I wouldn't have bought it if there was, much less stitched it! GIG 'EM!