tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65129297195231244202024-03-08T16:48:55.964-06:00Here Come The SavagesSavagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-61284358488249731492012-10-10T13:52:00.001-05:002012-10-10T13:52:21.089-05:00Moved InTen apartments, 4 countries, and 1 year later - give or take - we're in our real-live house! We couldn't be happier. We moved in six weeks ago without incident. We still have some items to take care of like curtains, trim in the back room, and a back yard fence, but we're settled for the most part.<br />
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In 19 weeks we went from here<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">guest room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">eventually this will be a tidy office and laundry space<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're trying to grow some grass so we don't wash away in a mudslide if it rains!</td></tr>
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Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-75517882989813729882012-08-11T09:12:00.002-05:002012-10-10T13:50:11.354-05:00House Transformation ContinuesOur floor was sanded and stained, we have AC and we have appliances. I'm so ready to unpack the juicer and set up the kitchen!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">floors - sanded and stained</td></tr>
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Next up - last big project before we move in next week is to paint the floor in the back rooms.<br />
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<br />Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-78478899176047055122012-08-11T09:07:00.000-05:002012-08-11T09:17:40.487-05:00T-minus one week until move inI had my first breakdown last Friday. I was scrubbing baseboard that we'd removed months ago to prime and paint so that we could put them back in the house on Saturday. I was overwhelmed by the cobwebs, the nicotine stains, the grease that covered the baseboards. Even though I've spent the past 3 months removing grime from inside the house, this proved to be too much. I think it all caught up with me. After I called John for consolation, I sat on the tree stump chair and just cried.<br />
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It was early evening, so John came home from work and we went to our favorite neighborhood cafe for dinner & a drink before returning to the house to knock out the painting to be ready for the next day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">trim and baseboard to paint for install the next day</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">writing on the back of trim & baseboard from when the house was built</td></tr>
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We've made progress the past three weeks: passing inspections, hanging drywall, painting window frames, building a retaining wall in the backyard for drainage, painting the new drywall with the help of friends, electric is finished, and AC is installed and running.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">window painting</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">new drywall and we painted the back office/laundry/bedroom with the help of friends</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">retaining wall to keep the flood out of our yard</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sweet relief</td></tr>
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</div>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-44195136858368563842012-07-18T18:19:00.001-05:002012-07-18T18:19:08.496-05:00So close and so notThe house remodel process has been a series of two steps forward, one step back or one forward and two back, really. I arrived at the house last Monday to meet Ruben the floor guy. He and his crew were going to repair all the Dorothea Lange holes in the floor and patch where the floor furnace used to be.<br />
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They were about 30 minutes into the work when Ruben asked about electricity to plug in all the equipment they needed to sand the floors. I explained that we had one outlet that is outside connected to the rickety old electric boxes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He would need two outlets and lots of volts he explained in technical terms, that sort of went in one ear and out the other. I just knew that we didn't have enough. Then he asked about AC. Well, we currently have the ducts and this...</span></td></tr>
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the spot for the AC condenser that will be installed after drywall. </div>
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If Ruben were to install the floor without AC, we run the risk of the floor "cupping" once we turn the AC on and the floor be ruined. That's a risk we can't afford to take. So the guys worked on repairing the floor and will come back post-AC install. </div>
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In the end, we did have a success that day. Our new electric mast and boxes were installed on the house. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq2vl99iIEc" target="_blank">Electricity!</a> Well, not really. We still have the one outlet and all the plugs and lights will be installed after drywall. (Can't wait for drywall!) </div>
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At the end of the week new windows were installed. All the windows except for the front bedroom. Because, you see, if we were to replace those windows they would not meet the egress law which requires a minimum width, height and square footage opening. I'd met with the inspector the day prior and he made it clear that this was a necessity if we replaced the windows. So, I went to the permit office for the third time this week and altered our building permit to read: install replacement windows in house except for front bedroom. </div>
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Our Saturday workday was very productive. Our friend Jonathan and I cleaned and oiled the wooden walls while John and Carpenter Rick build a mini-shiplap wall in the back room. It's our effort to tie in the wooden walls in the front three rooms with the mostly all-drywall room in the back. Oooh la la - continuity. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pFZVAYK4_sc/UAdBnpuHwSI/AAAAAAAACWc/jCb8rTceXWc/s1600/CIMG2900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pFZVAYK4_sc/UAdBnpuHwSI/AAAAAAAACWc/jCb8rTceXWc/s320/CIMG2900.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-17877610560368101202012-07-13T17:50:00.002-05:002012-07-13T17:50:56.314-05:0010 things I've learned during the house renovation1. Don't use silicone caulk on places where you still need to paint. Oopsie. (This mistake I made cost us at least 3 hours scraping out and sanding the caulk, replacing with new acrylic caulk and priming.)<br />
2. The holes in the top of the ladder are for tools, so they don't fall when you move the ladder or fall off the ladder while you're working. Brilliant.<br />
3. Trust your gut when hiring for a job.<br />
4. Wonder bars and pry bars rule. I love leverage.<br />
5. Ain't nothing a little caulk can't fix.<br />
6. The house painter says to paint last, the floor guy says to do the floors last, and the drywall guy says do the drywall last. I hire the guy who has the availability to do the job. It all has to be done.<br />
7. I'm so grateful for people who have skill sets that allow them to do things that seem very hard & frustrating to someone else.<br />
8. McCoy's is cheaper than Home Depot.<br />
9. Listen to your mother and don't wear flip-flops on the job site!<br />
10. In order to avoid big nail holes in the trim you want to re-use, pry nails out of the back - don't hammer them out. See below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I6pww8z6Ch0/UACaGFhGALI/AAAAAAAACU0/jIXVuaYfikI/s1600/IMG_1400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I6pww8z6Ch0/UACaGFhGALI/AAAAAAAACU0/jIXVuaYfikI/s320/IMG_1400.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leverage. see #4. </td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-klRz0k7CK14/UACaK3dFpjI/AAAAAAAACVM/7i-tVUJPacQ/s1600/IMG_1403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-klRz0k7CK14/UACaK3dFpjI/AAAAAAAACVM/7i-tVUJPacQ/s320/IMG_1403.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-69653622486834713912012-07-10T20:35:00.001-05:002012-07-10T20:35:12.710-05:00Three months and countingWe have cabinets! We have HVAC ducting & a furnace in the attic! We have a painted house! We've worked multiple 12 hour days! I'm pretty sure we're still having fun.<br />
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Remember Bruce who helped us early on? He gave me Sadik the Cabinet Builder's contact info and two months ago John and I met with Sadik to discuss kitchen cabinets. We decided that we would keep the upper cabinets but replace the doors and have new lower cabinets built. Sadik is the man! He went the extra mile more than once. Not only did he build us beautiful cabinets that accommodate our huge kitchen sink (that I love!), he installed them, the sink and our Ikea countertops. In fact, he took the two 8 foot pieces of countertop home so he could cut them for the sink, glue the pieces together and sand and water-seal the bottom of the countertops so that we could install them when he brought them over. He even put on the hinges and handles we bought, surely saving us some marital stress.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John testing to see if the sink <i>really</i> weighs 150 pounds. </td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-57atpnx1SIk/T_szKV7Q3VI/AAAAAAAACRs/Wy3q7Wcs0_M/s1600/CIMG2864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-57atpnx1SIk/T_szKV7Q3VI/AAAAAAAACRs/Wy3q7Wcs0_M/s320/CIMG2864.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sadik the Cabinet Builder</td></tr>
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We had the HVAC system installed which is very exciting and such a tease since it's in the 90s! Can't wait to turn that baby on. We'll wait for that, however, until all the drywall is finished. Speaking of drywall, we went ahead and had two walls of the the middle room sheet rocked. We miss the wood wall a little bit but since the kitchen is on the other side of this bedroom wall, I think it's the right thing to do to muffle noise and abate cooking odors.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vegaxN34t7U/T_syUgP5Y4I/AAAAAAAACQ4/OfGEyyNcQyI/s1600/CIMG2854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vegaxN34t7U/T_syUgP5Y4I/AAAAAAAACQ4/OfGEyyNcQyI/s320/CIMG2854.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A covered AC vent. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iw8CjH_1Yk0/T_szn8dxwTI/AAAAAAAACSI/w2l3dmBT7Rw/s1600/CIMG2869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iw8CjH_1Yk0/T_szn8dxwTI/AAAAAAAACSI/w2l3dmBT7Rw/s320/CIMG2869.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wall between kitchen and bedroom. </td></tr>
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We spent all day July 4th working on the house. When we were leaving the house around 8:30, we had to maneuver around traffic getting into the neighborhood to park for the fireworks. I can't wait to walk to the fireworks next year!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6qw316qMTg4/T_s1HcScymI/AAAAAAAACTU/r2cWuHYSmuk/s1600/IMG_1406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6qw316qMTg4/T_s1HcScymI/AAAAAAAACTU/r2cWuHYSmuk/s320/IMG_1406.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy 4th! </td></tr>
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Well, Painter Rey is wrapping up the paint job. Not sure how I'll spend my days now or who I'll talk to but anyway...we have a painted house! Yippee! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oQ4TDWhYkEs/T_s0Vp1dqKI/AAAAAAAACSo/wxiUnmtc8-Q/s1600/CIMG2874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oQ4TDWhYkEs/T_s0Vp1dqKI/AAAAAAAACSo/wxiUnmtc8-Q/s320/CIMG2874.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Primed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eYA9lcccpus/T_s1TnF8SQI/AAAAAAAACTc/nLWep9QMOdQ/s1600/CIMG2886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eYA9lcccpus/T_s1TnF8SQI/AAAAAAAACTc/nLWep9QMOdQ/s320/CIMG2886.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and painted. Still needs a little color but we're getting closer. </td></tr>
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Have I mentioned that the whole time we've been working on our house, this bad boy has been going up next door? It's for sale. Who wants to be our neighbor? </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fDX-7k93eGw/T_syumi2WhI/AAAAAAAACRU/YBwPGT1ofkI/s1600/CIMG2861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fDX-7k93eGw/T_syumi2WhI/AAAAAAAACRU/YBwPGT1ofkI/s320/CIMG2861.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-68432492667923345692012-07-02T18:48:00.002-05:002012-07-02T18:48:43.522-05:00Nearly three months in...It's a good thing I have experience in endurance events, because this house remodel is a similar process. Every few hours of work preps you for the next work session and contributes to the goal. Every action is based on the results of previous work. And then there's the fatigue. But we push through.<br />
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One thing I've learned is that we have to keep moving forward with whoever or whatever trade is ready, even if it doesn't match my original timeline, within reason of course. For example, we hired the house painter to start even though I thought that would be last, you know, the "icing on the cake" as our painter says. Our painter is our neighbor Rey - Reynaldo - Rey-Rey - King Rey. We've spent many hours together over the past two weeks as he has prepared the house to paint. He's a true 78704 Austinite full of old neighborhood stories about the "speed freaks in the 70s" house, San Francisco Joe's house, he showed us where he was an extra in Clint Eastwood's <i>A Perfect World</i> in a scene filmed one street over from ours, tales of surfing in Central America and many, many more. Stop by sometime and I'll introduce you. He's probably at our house right now!<br />
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He's doing a fabulous job on the prep work for the house and we look forward to see the final result in another week.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b0wdVD47EXQ/T_IolAwmdnI/AAAAAAAACOQ/oqvRKS179uE/s1600/CIMG2760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b0wdVD47EXQ/T_IolAwmdnI/AAAAAAAACOQ/oqvRKS179uE/s320/CIMG2760.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Painter Rey</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d4SqK51I8iM/T_IouvJU-FI/AAAAAAAACOk/tcgqiCjBI3o/s1600/CIMG2755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d4SqK51I8iM/T_IouvJU-FI/AAAAAAAACOk/tcgqiCjBI3o/s320/CIMG2755.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Carpenter Rick who helped us on numerous jobs. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZR1smexkGG0/T_IoqS1k1xI/AAAAAAAACOY/jnR8xhc8vI4/s1600/MV5BMTIzODEzODE2OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjQ3ODcyMQ%2540%2540-1._V1._SY317_CR8%252C0%252C214%252C317_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZR1smexkGG0/T_IoqS1k1xI/AAAAAAAACOY/jnR8xhc8vI4/s1600/MV5BMTIzODEzODE2OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjQ3ODcyMQ%2540%2540-1._V1._SY317_CR8%252C0%252C214%252C317_.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet the new Maggie & John. (We did, in fact, watch this recently.)</td></tr>
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What have we been up to otherwise? Pulling out chain link fence, visiting my new favorite store McCoy's Building Supply, replacing rotten wood siding around the exterior of the house, getting a windowsill milled to replace the rotten one where the window AC unit was, and tearing down all the sheetrock in the back room to hopefully get rid of the animal odor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-SgY78ssM8/T_Ip5Hd027I/AAAAAAAACO8/o56vodmhlqw/s1600/CIMG2763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-SgY78ssM8/T_Ip5Hd027I/AAAAAAAACO8/o56vodmhlqw/s320/CIMG2763.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Step 1: locate all the rotten wood - which was made easier because of Rey's prep work scraping the house.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dxLMnYjspjk/T_Ip6eHawaI/AAAAAAAACPE/EvXxT4Ij1DY/s1600/CIMG2762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dxLMnYjspjk/T_Ip6eHawaI/AAAAAAAACPE/EvXxT4Ij1DY/s320/CIMG2762.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step 2: Go to McCoy's to find wood siding. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CfyMBaGiBT4/T_IqqdwWRNI/AAAAAAAACPc/s2Q9hL2bfQA/s1600/CIMG2766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CfyMBaGiBT4/T_IqqdwWRNI/AAAAAAAACPc/s2Q9hL2bfQA/s320/CIMG2766.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step 3: Prime siding</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8QuP4r30510/T_Iqt8DvTtI/AAAAAAAACPk/oPgVqob-ptY/s1600/CIMG2784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8QuP4r30510/T_Iqt8DvTtI/AAAAAAAACPk/oPgVqob-ptY/s320/CIMG2784.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step 4: Replace siding</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3BsqUOhgb8M/T_IrXHJ1WOI/AAAAAAAACQI/WBHjSYh4t0Q/s1600/big+ol+bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3BsqUOhgb8M/T_IrXHJ1WOI/AAAAAAAACQI/WBHjSYh4t0Q/s320/big+ol+bar.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love demo days! See all that drywall? It's about to be gone. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gONxp2BvN10/T_IrBjBQ5aI/AAAAAAAACP4/h76ANCH0EzI/s1600/CIMG2790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gONxp2BvN10/T_IrBjBQ5aI/AAAAAAAACP4/h76ANCH0EzI/s320/CIMG2790.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gone. </td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6RStz6Klhwk/T_Iq9_Ns6FI/AAAAAAAACPw/J6e9xoFdQZY/s1600/CIMG2791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6RStz6Klhwk/T_Iq9_Ns6FI/AAAAAAAACPw/J6e9xoFdQZY/s320/CIMG2791.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Vww0A1iWQ4/T_Irgr8LHtI/AAAAAAAACQY/6gUHCBh97Zo/s1600/CIMG2816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Vww0A1iWQ4/T_Irgr8LHtI/AAAAAAAACQY/6gUHCBh97Zo/s320/CIMG2816.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home, sweet, home. </td></tr>
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See all pictures <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100497978873614859949/LittleDreamHouse?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIDj2uixyoPBFg&feat=directlink" target="_blank">here</a>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-13808345178839692752012-06-12T13:52:00.001-05:002012-06-12T13:52:49.424-05:00Weeks 7 & 8Lots of action in the house. Carpenter Rick and John built a wall to divide the large back room into two rooms - a bedroom (with a full closet!) and an office/laundry open area outside the kitchen. I'm excited for this open space. At our last house, I found I didn't need a full size room for an office, but I did need a desk. This will allow both of us a working space without using a full room.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">new wall looking from mini-office into bedroom with closet! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looking out from bedroom</td></tr>
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All the walls have been scrubbed, and the door frames have been scrubbed inside and out. We've taken off all the trim and cleaned both sides. Without going into it too much - because I fear that none of my family & friends will come visit - let's just say that it was necessary to clean both sides of the trim. Did I mention that we found one final rat's nest? We did. Just nasty. At first I thought the plastic bags stuffed under & into the wall holes were the result of people trying to keep pests out, when, in fact, it was the rats keeping the people out! Plastic grocery and food bags, a kitchen dish cloth, papers all used to make a nest. I'd google it to learn more, but I don't want to see any more images.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">last rat's nest</td></tr>
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We continue to paint the inside of the house, and we've hung some of the doors back up after cleaning and painting them. It's nice to see the place brightening up bit by bit. It's also nice to clean up the house after a work day and sweep up all the sawdust and scraps. Every time I sweep, as the dust fills the air and I can see the earth through the holes in the floor, I think of Dorothea Lange photographs and a black and white picture of my great grandma standing on the porch of wooden house in the early 1900s. I also think that I need to start getting bids on refurbishing the floors.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cleaned, primed door</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of a few holes in the floor</td></tr>
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The electricians started. They pulled out all the old wiring and had to cut a few plug and smoke detector holes to bring the house up to code. The first day the youngest of the fellows was under the house drilling holes for wires and when he came out, he said, "I think y'all have rats" and held up a rat skull. (!) I replied that, "yes, we did have rats." He was excited to keep his treasure.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">early stages of new wiring! </td></tr>
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Speaking of treasures, I cleaned up and painted the mirrored medicine cabinet from the bathroom. When I removed the medicine cabinet from the wall, I discovered a pile of used razor blades behind it. At first I was spooked and creeped out but realized that the slit in the medicine cabinet was used for <a href="http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,107732,00.html" target="_blank">razor blade disposal</a> all those years. I had initially put the cabinet in the trash pile just because it was one more dirty, rusty, old thing, but later pulled it out knowing that it, like the house, just needed some tlc & Lysol.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">painted medicine cabinet with slit in back</td></tr>
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Next up - electric inspection, more painting and Neighbor Rey gets started on painting the house<br />
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see all pictures <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100497978873614859949/LittleDreamHouse?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIDj2uixyoPBFg&feat=directlink" target="_blank">here</a>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-75919577623022662712012-05-29T13:16:00.001-05:002012-05-29T14:08:54.071-05:00Weeks 5 & 6We've had three roofers out to help us figure out what to do with the flat roof over the back room that was an addition in the 1950s. There are soft spots on the roof and water stains on the ceiling. Luckily, after all the rain we didn't have puddles on the floor. We decided to remove the sheet rock and insulation in an effort to track down the leak and, as far as I'm concerned, the more we remove out of the house, the more the bad smells and any lingering musty juju goes away. I'm all for it.<br />
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I had a gut feeling that I needed to get one more opinion, so we met with another roofer. It's likely we'll replace the back roof, get better insulation and won't have to worry every time it rains.<br />
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We got on a roll and decided to remove even more sheet rock in the living and dining rooms. All I could think was, "How many <i>more</i> tacks do I have to pull out of the wood?" In the end, though, it's worth it. We're liking how it all looks.<br />
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To top off our productive week Carpenter Rick finished finished the trim around the opening between the living and dining rooms, so we can really start to see our living room coming into shape. We also started priming the kitchen and doors. Seeing visible changes is keeping our energy up - for the most part.<br />
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I've had to tackle several of the things that I've been putting off - the nitty-gritty scrubbing and reaching into the floors of dark closets to pull fabric off the walls. I keep thinking every little step we do now, is one less step we have to do later. It all needs to be done. As I was removing shelves from the bathroom closet I thought about how we're undoing what someone else put a lot of thought into. The front part of our house is built well, and I know grandpa thought all these little things through - the coat closet bar that can't fall out of the grooves because of the shelf above it , the bathroom shelves, the kitchen shelves and cabinets. And here we are undoing it. And, some day, someone else will undo the things we did. Unless they just tear it down like the one around the corner and the one next door.<br />
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Next up - electricity and more painting!<br />
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We had two dead trees removed. One was a deteriorating half-tree directly outside the back door and the other one the arborist called a "minor emergency." Fortunately, I got two chairs and a mini-table out of the deal.<br />
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I had to make a visit to our POD to retrieve some tools. We've been borrowing tools - thank you David and Grant! - from family and friends and it was time to get our own as our tasks increased. The PODS are stored in a humongous nondescript warehouse in Pflugerville. They require 24 hours notice and when you arrive you see your POD in the corner of the parking lot.<br />
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Last August we closed the door on the very packed POD and I was a bit hesitant about opening it now, wondering what was going to fall on my face. Nothing did. I pulled out our tools and a few within-reach items like our water filter and vacuum. We've been fine without all our stuff, of course, but there was something comforting about seeing all our <strike>crap </strike>stuff and knowing that we'll unpack it in a few months in our new home.<br />
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We're still exploring the flat-roof leak over the back room. There is evidence of a leak in the ceiling, but we didn't see drips after all the rain so that's good. Maybe the roof was fixed and the previous owners chose not to repair or paint the drywall and tacked cardboard on the ceiling to cover the hole instead.<br />
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Carpenter Rick started his work this week - moving a door by closing one doorway up and making a new doorway between the middle and back rooms, closing another doorway and enlarging the opening between the living and dining rooms.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">closed up doorway with recycled shiplap between kitchen and middle bedroom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O_0u9LpOGtI/T7UMtpykAfI/AAAAAAAACIw/S8dXBLkAFAY/s1600/CIMG2672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O_0u9LpOGtI/T7UMtpykAfI/AAAAAAAACIw/S8dXBLkAFAY/s320/CIMG2672.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">enlarged opening between living & dining</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in the process of closing door on left and building doorway on right</td></tr>
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It was one of those weeks where I vacillated between being excited about the small progressions and needing lots of breathers as I realized how much more work there is to. When I feel like that I grab my orange Home Depot bucket and pick up trash in the yard. It's progress poco a poco, little by little.Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-64665321358151956402012-05-10T12:40:00.000-05:002012-05-10T12:44:38.660-05:00House Week 3So much, so much!<br />
On Monday Jose and John cleaned out the attic while I was shopping at Home Depot (again!) for lead safe respirators, because we managed to become thoroughly freaked out about lead. (So much so that John got his blood tested. His lead results were less than 1 and you don't start worrying until it's 25. I think we're okay.) After I got back to the house, I waited until they went to lunch to go through all the treasures from the attic. I now have several more mason jars with lids, a few old mayonnaise jars - they're a great size for storing too many dry garbanzo beans - and some vintage clothes. (Don't tell John.) There was also a ton of junk, a few old coffeemakers and a toaster, and two fake Christmas trees and decorations. After rifling through the goods, it was time to get back to work and more cleaning. We scrubbed baseboards, cabinets and windows.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new shirt. <i>Come and knock on our door; We've been waiting for you...</i></td></tr>
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We met with Bruce <i>The Bungalow Doctor</i>, or Bruce Bungalow as I like to call him, about some changes we want to make including closing up two doorways and making a new doorway between the back two rooms. I think he was more excited than we were! He is passionate about these old homes and his work, so it's a good match.<br />
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On Wednesday Joel & Carlos, the plumbers, started their work to re-plumb the house. They are nice, quiet and move fast. Luckily, no big plumbing surprises were found and we'll be wrapping up this phase soon. We'll wait to install sinks, commode, dishwasher, etc. until all the painting and dry wall work is done. In the meantime, I've been googling bottom-freezer, french door stainless fridges and am very excited.<br />
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Saturday we had meetings planned with a window guy and an electrician starting at 9am and then planned to work a full day. We made the mistake of running that morning in the humidity, so during our meetings John was yawning and I kept trying to find a seat on the step-ladder to rest. We were beat! We pushed our work to the next day.<br />
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Saturday night there were major storms and a tree fell inches from my car where we are staying. It was around 2:00 am and John and I heard the tree falling and I jumped out of the bed and yelled "come on! come on!" trying to run out of our bedroom where I was certain a tree was about to land. This all happened in seconds, of course. Luckily, the tree managed to fall between two cars in a parking lot.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backing out under the tree. Not dangerous at all. </td></tr>
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Despite the long night of storms and the felled tree, I was pumped to get up and start pulling down the cardboard-like wall covering in the bathroom so that we can put up bead board or something purty like that. I got to work with the wonder bar and tried not to break too many pieces of trim...or tile. But, it wouldn't be a normal day in the Savage household to not break something. In the end John and I each accidentally broke some tile. A little spot of glue will fix it right up. We hope.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bathroom before</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bathroom after</td></tr>
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Working in the kitchen, John first took down one of the two little walls. We were going to call it a day when we decided to take down the second half-wall with storage to open up the kitchen. We were hesitant because we'd lose the storage space and grandpa who built the house put in a lot of thought and effort. In the end, though, I'm so glad we did take it down! Not only did it open up the kitchen, we found a rat's nest between the bottom of the cabinet and the floor. Nasty! Once we saw that we knew we had to take out the bottom kitchen cabinets because who could say for sure those weren't as nasty. We'd been debating all week about taking out the cabinets and this made the decision for us. Fortunately, they weren't as bad.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kitchen before</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rat's nest</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">demoing in lead mask</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kitchen after - see small window on left</td></tr>
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We were both totally done at this point and ready to go home. Then John got fired up to create a window in the wall to let more light into the kitchen from the back room. It's a work in progress.<br />
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Next up - get the two dead trees removed and figure out where the roof leak is coming from!<br />
See all house <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100497978873614859949/LittleDreamHouse?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIDj2uixyoPBFg&feat=directlink" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pictures here</a>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-17313335403056285142012-05-03T08:46:00.003-05:002012-05-03T08:46:35.640-05:00House Week 2We started the week off strong as the foundation work started and John's friend, Jose, from Home Depot helped us one day. John and Jose removed nasty tile in the back room, kitchen cabinet doors, more sheetrock and cleaned. While cleaning, they found a newspaper from 1948 and some <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkz71zy8T8s&feature=related" target="_blank">baby rats</a>, which sounds shocking, but no-fear Jose scooped them up with some tile and got rid of them. I'm just glad I wasn't there at the time.<br />
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Instead, I was at Home Depot strolling around with my shopping cart like it was HEB. I searched high and low for a magic tool to remove the strings around the tacks on the shiplap. I've probably purchased at least 4 different tools and when each one didn't work, it took the wind out of my sails. Good thing Home Depot is so awesome about returns. The project seemed so daunting. Just when I didn't know what to do I found a 4" tack puller. I knew this tool and some tweezers were my last resort. Luckily, they worked. Thanks to Kelly who came over and helped me with the task!<br />
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The neighborhood is great - we met some more neighbors who gave us turnips from their garden and told us how relieved they were that we weren't going to tear down the house. Over the weekend, I could hear the reggae fest from Auditorium Shores. <i>Rasta. Rasta. Rise up! Rise up! </i><br />
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We continued working trying to get rid of the odor in the house. We used a solution of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda with a touch of dish soap and an enzyme treatment from PetCo . Did you know they sell rats at PetCo? I told them I have some for free at my house.<br />
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We discovered that the attic had not been emptied after all. I'm certain there are lots of treasures up there, but I'm too scared to clear it out myself should I encounter the mama rat or any other rat. We also discovered a ouija board tucked in a closet corner. I think it was being used to cover up the rat holes.<br />
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Next week - plumbing starts!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">holes for new piers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I see storage space. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toilet shopping. The step before appliance shopping. </td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">See all house </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100497978873614859949/LittleDreamHouse?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIDj2uixyoPBFg&feat=directlink" rel="nofollow" style="color: #2187bb; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">pictures here</a></span><br />
<br />Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-61985143515484668182012-04-26T19:40:00.001-05:002012-05-17T08:52:47.805-05:00Little Dream House Week 1<u>House Week 1 Goals</u><br />
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Assess. </div>
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Clean out yard and clean up house to have a blank(ish) slate from which to work. </div>
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Remove drywall and the underlying cloth and paper layers to expose shiplap in front and middle rooms. Try not to get overwhelmed by the amount of cheesecloth strings attached to the shiplap walls by tacks that need to be removed. </div>
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Try to get rid of acrid odor. </div>
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We went over the day we closed to get to work. We met some of the very nice neighbors and heard tales of the house and some good street gossip. :) </div>
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At week's end, we were successful at most of our goals. Still working on the odor emanating from the back room floor. All in all a good week! See all house <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100497978873614859949/LittleDreamHouse?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIDj2uixyoPBFg&feat=directlink" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pictures here</a></div>
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<br /></div>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-86377266881152517672012-04-26T19:39:00.000-05:002012-04-26T19:39:12.590-05:00Little Dream HouseWe signed the papers on our new house last week making the dream of moving into the Bouldin neighborhood come true. And when I say "moving into" I mean in a few months. We have quite a bit of work to do on our little dream house.<br />
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This is what we saw when we first looked at the house. Can you spot the five refrigerators?<br />
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Luckily, my husband has vision and could see past all the trash. I, on the other hand, wanted to curl up and cry. However, this house met our size and location requirements so we went for it with the help of our superhero realtor Albert. </div>
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See all <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100497978873614859949/LittleDreamHouse?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCIDj2uixyoPBFg&feat=directlink" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pictures here</a></div>
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<br />Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-30297538003047258022011-12-04T13:01:00.001-06:002011-12-15T19:02:07.680-06:00Buenos Aires<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">"Here lived and were kidnapped..." This plaque is in the concrete outside an apartment building a block from our apartment. </td></tr>
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Buenos Aires is a grand city - in size and character. Buses, trains, taxis, and an extensive subway system whisk the more than 13 million residents, called porteños, around the sprawling metropolis.<br />
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The city palpitates with a passion for soccer, food and community, as well as an economic nervousness. The Argentine economic collapse of 2001, when many lost their life's savings, is a vivid memory to porteños.<br />
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Another unhappy memory, more sinister than a faltering economy, is the military dictatorship that took place during the late seventies and early eighties. Kidnappings. Torture. 30,000 people disappeared. <i>Los desaparecidos</i> were alleged political dissidents. They were wives, husbands, teens, pregnant women - there were no boundaries. At the time of their disappearance, their families received no information about what happened to their loved ones.<br />
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We've met some people who will talk about this historical time and others who quickly and politely dismiss it and don't want to engage in the conversation. The wounds are too fresh. On an organized bike tour, we saw the excavation site of a recently discovered mass grave and torture site.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Site of mass grave - only discovered when the city began construction on an underground athletic center. </td></tr>
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Porteños managed to survive the hideous military dictatorship and recent economic collapse with scars to show for it. And despite their turbulent past, or perhaps partially because of it, Buenos Aires sophisticated denizens are passionate for futball and fashion, cafes and tango, spending hours with family and friends, and imbibing into the wee hours.<br />
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After reading about the varied and beautiful neighborhoods of BA - Recoleta, San Telmo, La Boca Retiro, Palermo - we decided to rent a studio apartment in Palermo. Palermo Soho to be specific - a tree-lined neighborhood full of cute Anthropology-like shops, designer stores and cafes on every corner.<br />
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While the past hangs heavy here, Buenos Aires is also a city rich in tradition, culture and beauty and has much to offer its citizens and tourists. Here are our highlights:<br />
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<b>1. Bike Tours with <a href="http://www.bikingbuenosaires.com/">Biking Buenos Aires</a> & <a href="http://graffitimundo.com/">Graffitimundo</a></b><br />
a. Graffitimundo bike tour - Part political and part art, graffiti is not discouraged here. Instead it lends playfulness to community spaces and brightens up otherwise dull or dark areas. Some homeowners ask the artists to paint their houses. Graffiti brought color to a bleak time following the 2001 economic crisis and continues to be accepted and supported.<br />
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b. Puerto Madero, San Telmo & La Boca - Tango started in La Boca. We saw the Boca soccer team stadium in La Boca. And we visited Puerto Madero which is a city within a city. It's only over the river from downtown, but feels like a metropolitan suburb worlds away with new tall buildings and fancy apartments.<br />
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<b>2. Casa Rosada Tour </b><br />
Casa Rosada is Argentina's equivalent to the White House. President Cristina Kirchner works here Monday through Friday and it is open on the weekends for free public tours.<br />
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Inside we walked two feet from Cristina's desk! You had to walk fast but were allowed to take pictures. Imagine getting such easy access to the Oval Office. Not happening.<br />
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Today Argentina is very supportive of the right to free speech. In front of the Casa Rosada is the Plaza de Mayo, where mothers of the disappeared march weekly wearing white headscarves.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This captures Buenos Aires pretty well - Casa Rosada, a permanent activist camp, sun bathers on the lawn. Merry Christmas! </td></tr>
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<b>3. The parks & plazas</b><br />
One of my favorite places is the Rosedal located in one of the largest parks in the middle of the city. It's a huge expanse of different colors and types of roses. We also visited the botanical gardens (free) and the Japanese Gardens ($2 entry). There is also a zoo near these gardens which we didn't visit, but what I noticed is that all these places are very easily accessible by subway and bus and inexpensive.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tango in Recoleta neighborhood</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical weekend site in any of the number of green spaces</td></tr>
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<b>4. Graffitimundo Stencil workshop </b><br />
The workshop took place in a gallery upstairs from a bar owned by artists. I expected to draw up a stencil, cut it out and take it home. Instead, we learned about the history of the stencil and how to design one. Then we cut out pre-designed stencils and added our own touch and then spray painted them on the wall of the bar. It was so fun!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">upstairs at the bar & gallery</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my chicken-cat! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">spraypaint! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My chicken-cat with John's blue pirate - he designed the body and legs. </td></tr>
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<b>5. Seeing the Frida Kahlo painting <i><a href="http://www.malba.org.ar/web/descargas/Frida.pdf">Self-portrait with monkey and parrot</a></i> at the MALBA</b> (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires)<br />
When I think of Frida Kahlo, I tend to think of her life story and marriage more than what a great artist she was. This painting reminded me of how talented she was.<br />
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I like living the big city life - buying vegetables & eggs at the vegetable/fruit stand a half-block from our apartment, taking the subway, drinking coffee at any of the million corner cafes, enjoying the plazas, taking the time to walk places, hearing a collective roar rumble through the neighborhood when the soccer team scores a goal. But it also takes a toll, so we headed to the town of Tigre an hour northeast of Buenos Aires for a tour of the delta.<br />
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<b>6. Tigre Delta Tour </b><br />
We toured the small town of Tigre and the river delta just outside of Buenos Aires. Pictures are <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/100497978873614859949/albums/5685389939916306641?authkey=CJjq0bf8r--tFg">here</a>.<br />
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You can see all the Buenos Aires pictures <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/100497978873614859949/albums/5682423831203072817?authkey=CKf_5OvH2L63WQ">here</a>.<br />
Next up...Uruguay!Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-53614533813381421722011-11-13T08:10:00.001-06:002011-11-20T16:41:39.701-06:00Salta, ArgentinaOn our one-year wedding anniversary in late October we took an 18 hour bus ride north to Salta, Argentina from Mendoza. Bus travel is very common here, so the buses are comfortable, punctual (mostly) and provide meals and movies.<br />
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We treated ourselves to executive class bus tickets (with fully reclinable seats) so we could get some sleep. It worked! Three movies, dinner, a couple of glasses of wine, and a breakfast later, we arrived in Salta. <br />
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We took a taxi from the bus station to Bloomer's B&B (Bed & Brunch) where we had a room reserved. Bloomer's B&B was very comfortable and had great brunches. My favorite were poached eggs and arrugula, crepes with fruit, and homemade bread.<br />
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Salta is a lovely town and we had fun exploring the squares and museums and running up Cerro (hill) Bernardo.</div>
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<a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/travel/08next.html?pagewanted=all">This article</a>, read in August of 2010, inspired us to head to northern Argentina, and I'm so glad we did. </div>
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We took a memorable two day road trip north toward Bolivia to visit the small towns and see the countryside. You can see all the pictures <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100497978873614859949/SaltaAndNorthernArgentina?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJLNtu70uOfhSA&feat=directlink">here</a>. </div>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-22316943972213150542011-11-13T07:21:00.001-06:002011-11-24T07:31:48.856-06:00Chao MendozaAfter ten weeks in wonderful Mendoza we said good-bye and packed our bags for Salta, Argentina. We had mixed feelings. We were ready for the next part of our adventure but sad to leave new friends. We met so many wonderful people in Mendoza - Nike Running Team who sincerely welcomed us, Mercedes & Javier from B&B Italia, Melina - my Spanish teacher, friends from our Spanish classes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HYByWz9Az_A/TmPebHteuBI/AAAAAAAAAss/Y6VFfGKAJGc/s1600/CIMG1330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HYByWz9Az_A/TmPebHteuBI/AAAAAAAAAss/Y6VFfGKAJGc/s640/CIMG1330.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Melina, my friend and a great teacher, is to my left. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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Before we left, our friend Carlos invited us to his house for dinner with his wife and daughter. We met Carlos in the running group early on and he and John hit it off right away.<br />
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Carlos' wife, Veronica, cooked a wonderful dinner - homemade chicken milanesa, a fantastic carrot and apple salad, mashed potatoes, and, of course, wine. Dessert was dulce de leche and banana pudding followed by a glass of fernet and coke. The food was incredible and we had fun visiting with Carlos and his family. His daughter is ten years old, and I was able to practice my spanish. We talked about dolls, the color pink, field hockey and Disneyland.<br />
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Our last Saturday in Medoza, the running group had plans to run in San Rafael, about an hour and a half from Mendoza, and then have an asado. We carpooled to San Rafael, and after a dropping off our clothes to change into and taking a few group photos, the team drove to the start about two miles away. Thanks to Turco, our coach, who toted John and I around to more than one asado during our time in Mendoza! We ran 18km on dirt roads with the mountains on one side and farms and vineyards on the other.<br />
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By the time we made it back to the asado, we were ready to clean up and eat. Turco brought a bottle of wine to share with John and me, so we shared a toast and drank wine to recover from our long run. I could get used to this!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coaches Turco y Martin</td></tr>
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The asado was in a yard with a huge kitchen and dining area behind a bank. The wife of the bank's manager runs with the group, and they hosted us. Friends gathering to enjoy conversation and food - that's the heart of an asado. There is always an asador who grills the meat and watches the fire. People bring their own plates, cups and silverware, so there is no plastic waste, and the host doesn't spend money on disposable table wear. It is brilliant.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some folks bring this set-up while others bring a plate/cutlery from their kitchen. This is pretty fantastic, though. </td></tr>
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Asados seem like a big production but everyone works together to make it easy, so the host(ess) doesn't have to do everything. It seems like there is more emphasis on everyone visiting and being together than guests being waited on, so to speak. People bring overflowing bags of bread and produce they buy from the roadside stands, and minutes before the meat is ready, they throw together wonderful salads tossed with vinegar and olive oil.<br />
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I love the big salads - lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, carrots. I will confess that John and I brought a huge bag of potato chips and it was barely touched. In addition to the salads and bread, there are open bottles of wine and coke on the table. Everyone helps themselves. The asador periodically walks around with a cutting board full of new cuts of meat and the guests select which piece they want. People don't pile their plates with food from the beginning, instead, people eat bit by bit - a little meat, a little salad, a roll, repeat the cycle a few times as the asador comes around and then you're full.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mjsUNQLfmxE/TsRZN92qrrI/AAAAAAAABGE/vKIN7xyW0TM/s1600/CIMG1601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mjsUNQLfmxE/TsRZN92qrrI/AAAAAAAABGE/vKIN7xyW0TM/s640/CIMG1601.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin, el asador</td></tr>
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After a few hours, we said our goodbyes and thank-you's, and returned to Mendoza to finish packing. Sad to say good-bye but also excited for the next part of our journey!<br />
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</div>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-11796394497412862742011-10-29T14:17:00.000-05:002011-10-29T14:17:11.624-05:00Mr. Savage visits Argentina<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John's dad came to visit us in Argentina. We had a great time showing him around Mendoza, and we took a road trip west toward the Andes. <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/100497978873614859949/SavageSrJrTripInArgentinaSeptember2011?authuser=0&feat=directlink">See the pictures here! </a></span><br />
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<br />Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-81515741694816642082011-10-03T17:18:00.000-05:002011-10-03T17:22:31.203-05:00Wine Tour! Wine Tour!After more than two months in the wine capital of South America, John, his dad and I went on a wine tour. Our friend and wine tour guide, Javier, picked us up at 9am in his French-designed, Brazilian-made tan <a href="http://bestcars4all.blogspot.com/2011/09/citroen-c4.html">Citroën</a> and off we drove to Maipu, a wine producing town ten minutes south of Mendoza.<br />
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I didn't have any expectations for the day besides seeing some viñedos (vineyards) and bodegas (wineries) and tasting wine. I was mostly looking forward to getting out of the city and doing something different than my daily school-lunch-nap-study-exercise routine.<br />
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Our first stop was <a href="http://www.carinaevinos.com/archivos_ing/bodega.html">CarineE</a> vineyards. Named after a southern hemisphere constellation, Carina, this is a small vineyard and winery that produces 75,000 bottles per year and is owned by a French couple who settled here after coming to Argentina for work. After a short tour of the winery and the history of the vineyard, we tasted five wines. By this time it was about 10:30am, and I quickly learned that I could, and should, only tolerate a few sips of each. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The woman on the far right labels and packs all the bottles by hand at CarinaE.</td></tr>
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Our next stop was <a href="http://www.vinotourism.com/travel_guide/tasting_m_domaine_st_diego.php">Domaine St. Diego</a>, another small vineyard and winery producing 35, 000 bottles annually, sold only from the vineyard. When we drove up a gray haired man was waiting at the gate to recycle his <i>damajuana</i>, a huge jug for wine, and get a new one - an errand he and many other locals repeat weekly.<br />
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Domaine St. Diego is a small family owned and operated business. The daughter in the family, who is the main tour guide and graphic designer for the bottle labels, gave us a thorough tour of the vineyard and explained how the vines grow, and how they propagate new vines when the older ones become tired.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">grapevines and olive trees</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">acequia - canal that carries water from the mountains throughout the region</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A passion for quality wine and sustainable growth is evident throughout the vineyard. At the entrance to the vineyard a few rose bushes are used to signal possible issues with the grapevines - if the rose bushes are suffering, then the grapevines are suffering, too. Olive trees stand between rows of vines and are used for shade and olive oil. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">Lavender plants lure ants away from the vines while also attracting bees for pollination. They use byproducts from the wine (grape seeds, skins and stems) and olive oil (olive seeds and skins) production to make compost that is used throughout the vineyard. </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: small; line-height: normal;">A system of small canals, called <i>acequias</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">, carry water from the mountains that the family uses to irrigate the vineyard. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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About half-way through this tour, somewhere between the olive trees and the acequia, I fell in love with this vineyard and the operation. Everything is clearly cyclical and intentional. When we asked how it was to work with the family, she told us they have a family asado every Sunday at the vineyard.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">site of the family asado, or BBQ, held every Sunday</td></tr>
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After the tour, we tasted three wines and olive oil. We bought a bottle of Pura Sangre Malbec that I look forward to sharing with John for our one-year anniversary later this month.<br />
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At this point we had learned a significant amount about the wine growing and production processes, and we were hungry. Our next stop was the <a href="http://www.bodegarucamalen.com/">Bodega Ruca Malen</a>, where we were pleasantly surprised with a five course lunch with wine pairing and a stunning view.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from dining room</td></tr>
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For the foodies out there, we were served:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1. Yellow Andean potatoes with sour cream, lemon zest, ham strands and olive oil paired with a Chardonnay.<br />2. Fresh ricotta and sauteed onion rolls with a Malbec and balsamic vinegar sauce paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon.<br />3. Traditional lentil stew with country sausages braised in Merlot wine paired with a Merlot.<br />4. Beef tenderloin with....who cares, right? It was great. Paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon and then a Malbec.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">5. A Bavarian cream dessert on a biscuit paired with a sparkling Brut made from 75% Pinot Noir + 25% Chardonnay. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Sr., Javier, John</td></tr>
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Of course we were ready for a nap after lunch, but we had one more stop to make. With a wink, Javier told us the next stop was for his preferred clients, and we drove to the winery of <a href="http://asherfloyd.com/blog/?p=232">Carmelo Patti</a>. Carmelo was born in Italy and moved to Argentina when he was very young. His grandfather made wine, and Carmelo continues the tradition. He buys grapes from a neighbor and produces 15,000 bottles of wine annually.<br />
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We went straight to the tasting, which was great, but I was more interested in Carmelo. With a huge smile he energetically showed us magazine articles and newspaper clippings about his winery and talked about his wine. It didn't matter that he was speaking in Spanish, and I couldn't understand every word. Carmelo Patti's enthusiasm is infectious, and I clearly understood that he loves making wine.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">notice the magazine and newspaper clippings in plastic covers on the right</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Savages with Carmelo Patti</td></tr>
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Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-42642370204413340082011-09-06T20:41:00.001-05:002011-09-06T20:41:06.483-05:00Comida/FoodIf you asked me my ten favorite things, five of those things would center around food: cooking healthy food, grocery shopping, drinking coffee and wine, talking about how food can change your life. Hence the reason I want to share our food experience with you. I love whole foods - vegetables, grains and fruits. I also enjoy a good tortilla or scoop of gelato - I can't help it. The past eight months, John and I have enjoyed fresh vegetable made-at-home green juices everyday. (I'm a huge <a href="http://crazysexylife.com/">Kris Carr</a> fan who is a champion of the green juice.)<br />
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I came to South America with packets of <a href="http://vibranthealth.us/?p2=/modules/vibranthealth/product.jsp&id=13">Field of Greens Raw Food</a> to meet my daily vegetable needs and to keep my pH in check. I also looked forward to eating standard Argentine cuisine - steak and wine. We ate out the first two weeks we were here, and I met my steak threshold quickly. I've since returned to a mostly vegetarian diet.<br />
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Before we arrived, I had quaint notions of life in Mendoza - sitting on our porch, sipping coffee, gazing at the mountains and vineyards. Well ... I can sort of see the top of the mountains from our balcony. And the vineyards... we're going on a wine tour later this month. Another notion was buying bread from a bakery, meat from a butcher, and vegetables from a small market. The day we moved into our apartment, our landlord pointed out a large supermarket two blocks away, which we went to the same day. So much for buying groceries at small mom and pop shops.<br />
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Every night we walk home from our workout at the park, and it has become one of my favorite routines - walking home, endorphins flowing after a run, talking about life or what we're going to have for dinner. As we walked home from the park last Tuesday, we couldn't resist the aroma of bread and sweets from a bakery we pass every night. We gave in and bought some bread and cookies, and wondered why we hadn't been buying bread at the bakery all along. Since our Tuesday night epiphany, we've purchased all our food from small shops, and we haven't been back to the big supermarket again.<br />
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Lining the major street near our apartment are several small stores that sell produce and other items. My favorite is <i>Verduleria y Fruteria Selena. </i>The shop receives produce daily from a cooperative about 15 kilometers away. I love shopping there. I can buy two big bags of produce for $5. The other day the total was $4.80, and the young man working there threw in another orange to make it an even $5.<br />
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<u><b>Overview of what & where we've been eating</b></u></div>
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Week #1: Santiago & Mendoza</div>
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Coffee, pasta, a steak for John, one vegetarian restaurant, bread, limited vegetables.</div>
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Week #2: Mendoza</div>
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Cafe con leche & toast, happily located a few vegetarian restaurants and a salad bar, another steak, more coffee, empanadas, but still no kale, avocado, tortillas or broccoli. A wonderful dinner of thick lentil soup, bread and wine at a friend's house.</div>
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Week 3: Apartment in Mendoza</div>
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Cafe, oatmeal. Big pot of black beans and brown rice for me; arroz con pollo for John. Enjoyed a traditional <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_Argentina">asado</a> (BBQ) with the running group.</div>
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Week 4:</div>
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More cafe, fruit and oatmeal. John makes breakfast tacos so he won't starve while in class from 9 -1. Huge lunches of rice, beans and spinach with tortillas, which I finally found in the market. Wine and salad with steamed broccoli for dinner. Discovered <a href="http://www.fromargentinawithlove.typepad.com/from_argentina_with_love/2008/02/dulce-de-leche.html">dulce de leche</a>. Uh oh. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional asado - note the huge built-in grill. People bring their own plates + utensils, some of which were brought in specially-made leather carrying cases. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We thought this would last us the whole three months we'll be here. It lasted a week! It sort of takes the place of almond or peanut butter which is not sold in stores.</td></tr>
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Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-90558451352390042042011-08-24T16:41:00.042-05:002011-08-28T19:47:16.901-05:00Apartment #8<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We woke up last Monday a bit sore from the half-marathon but energized by the notion of moving into our apartment! When we went down for our last breakfast at the B&B, sweet Mercedes told John that she wanted to take us (and all of our stuff) to our new apartment. She drove us to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">meet the landlord, Senor Padilla, to pay rent and get the keys. She was so sweet and we were sad to say good-bye! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The apartment is about a 10 minute walk from our school, 15 minutes from the park and one block from the supermarket </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">which doubles as a mini-walmart. (They have everything!)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NrXSsQinMwg/TlU8ZhuyNCI/AAAAAAAAApo/k_geuajl-PA/s1600/CIMG1266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NrXSsQinMwg/TlU8ZhuyNCI/AAAAAAAAApo/k_geuajl-PA/s640/CIMG1266.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TqOKPd9QGsE/TlU8i2RHERI/AAAAAAAAAps/-FsURmcCAx8/s1600/CIMG1267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TqOKPd9QGsE/TlU8i2RHERI/AAAAAAAAAps/-FsURmcCAx8/s640/CIMG1267.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ScgolSPKufU/TlU8YkDytBI/AAAAAAAAApk/WT_cVuTe4YE/s1600/CIMG1268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ScgolSPKufU/TlU8YkDytBI/AAAAAAAAApk/WT_cVuTe4YE/s640/CIMG1268.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0G4psarabRQ/TlU9LJAYGTI/AAAAAAAAAp4/_X5efy8QGmE/s1600/CIMG1279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0G4psarabRQ/TlU9LJAYGTI/AAAAAAAAAp4/_X5efy8QGmE/s640/CIMG1279.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JEKeKzqcGL8/TlU8xGN6GTI/AAAAAAAAApw/kK3gJFT_OE0/s1600/CIMG1272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JEKeKzqcGL8/TlU8xGN6GTI/AAAAAAAAApw/kK3gJFT_OE0/s640/CIMG1272.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aVn9KqtZ0kM/TlU8zy0VfOI/AAAAAAAAAp0/B5NSqX_lyu8/s1600/CIMG1270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aVn9KqtZ0kM/TlU8zy0VfOI/AAAAAAAAAp0/B5NSqX_lyu8/s640/CIMG1270.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, it's as small as it looks! It's cozy: a dining space, living room, bathroom, bedroom and kitchen. We've made ourselves at home and will be here for the next three months. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was excited to cook and not have to eat out. Even though we found a few vegetarian restaurants, I was so tired of eating out! <i>Please, no more steak, chimichurri and white bread. </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First things first: tacos!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been craving tortillas and salsa like you wouldn't believe. I haven't found a store that sells tortillas, so I bought flour, baking power, salt and butter. While I did have a recipe from the internet, I did not have one accurate measuring device, but that didn't stop me. I simply channeled my inner <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=diana%20kennedy&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Adiana%20kennedy&page=1">Diana Kennedy</a> and got down to business... </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jBLJyUCguj0/TlU9WpRZsEI/AAAAAAAAAp8/iVS-UpkVYGw/s1600/CIMG1282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jBLJyUCguj0/TlU9WpRZsEI/AAAAAAAAAp8/iVS-UpkVYGw/s640/CIMG1282.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-16L6HWbmS3o/TlU9bbSRKrI/AAAAAAAAAqA/VlzmxDcm9kY/s1600/CIMG1283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-16L6HWbmS3o/TlU9bbSRKrI/AAAAAAAAAqA/VlzmxDcm9kY/s640/CIMG1283.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SBX7Mu6qVJo/TlU9tfHiLzI/AAAAAAAAAqE/wdMec-Wjvjw/s1600/CIMG1284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SBX7Mu6qVJo/TlU9tfHiLzI/AAAAAAAAAqE/wdMec-Wjvjw/s640/CIMG1284.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JUMtqgeET0w/TlU93UYwmkI/AAAAAAAAAqI/SzdZIsoe_JY/s1600/CIMG1285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JUMtqgeET0w/TlU93UYwmkI/AAAAAAAAAqI/SzdZIsoe_JY/s640/CIMG1285.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lgEfFakrtHY/TlU94mtYHII/AAAAAAAAAqM/_V7u0QhbFos/s1600/CIMG1287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lgEfFakrtHY/TlU94mtYHII/AAAAAAAAAqM/_V7u0QhbFos/s640/CIMG1287.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tacos y salsa! </div>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-73692110463237823182011-08-22T10:40:00.238-05:002011-08-24T18:48:18.905-05:00La Media Maraton<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have run several half marathons, but none quite like the <a href="http://www.mim.org.ar/">Maraton Internacional Mendoza</a>, which John and I ran last Sunday.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We woke up at 6:00am to eat a bit and catch a bus to the starting line. The last bus was scheduled to leave at 7:00, so at 6:56, when we were still in route to catch the bus, I worried we may miss it. No need to worry, the bus didn't leave until 7:30. We arrived at the starting line just before 8:00am, an hour before the race was scheduled to start. On the way, John repeated</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> something our coach said, "don't be late. The race starts at 9:00, so make sure you're there by 9:10, 9:20 at the latest." Welcome to South American time.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we arrived to the starting line, it was about 30 degrees and still dark outside. We stayed on the bus to keep warm. Most runners got off the bus, ran around and warmed up for the race. Several runners started a brush fire on the side of the road to keep warm. <i>Think: dry winter morning, rural road, a few hundred people milling around. </i>John and I laughed and then laughed harder when we saw people pulling huge, dry tumbleweeds to add to the fire. <i>This would not happen in the U.S.! </i>I tell you what, though, when we finally deboarded the bus at 8:50 that fire felt good! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just after 9:00 the gun went off. John and I were walking toward the starting line not worrying too much about our running performance. W</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e told ourselves to enjoy the run and the scenery. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The sun had risen, illuminating vineyards on either side of the road and the snow-covered Andes in the distance, including <a href="http://climbing.about.com/od/thesevensummits/a/AconcaguaFacts.htm">Mount Aconcagua</a>, the highest point in South America. The race route snaked through fields, rolling hills and a few small towns. As we approached Mendoza, the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> smell of diesel replaced the fresh mountain air, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">we passed a couple of desperately poor neigborhoods - what I would call shantytowns.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pfthuviVju4/TlWM_YwazTI/AAAAAAAAArU/2ZLb7jtbLUQ/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pfthuviVju4/TlWM_YwazTI/AAAAAAAAArU/2ZLb7jtbLUQ/s400/Unknown.jpeg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I knew it, I only had six miles remaining. I felt great, which was surprising because three days prior I was laid out in bed with food poisoning. Since John finished before me, he cheered me on as I neared the finish line. I ran a 1:45 and felt strong the whole time. It was a lot of fun! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GuEEi13LjLQ/TlV2HuNT0HI/AAAAAAAAArQ/09fqT0DqKas/s1600/307883_10150270931375949_126347965948_7922934_4723759_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GuEEi13LjLQ/TlV2HuNT0HI/AAAAAAAAArQ/09fqT0DqKas/s1600/307883_10150270931375949_126347965948_7922934_4723759_s.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tiny picture (from facebook) of some of the Nike Mendoza Running Team. John & I are far right. </div>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-62832898606626247512011-08-19T14:55:00.102-05:002011-09-02T17:57:18.236-05:00First Day of Class<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last night I woke up at 2am worried we might die from a gas leak. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Houses in Mendoza are heated with small gas heaters. No central heat and air here. Before going to sleep I turned off the small wall heater in our room and didn't think twice about it. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until 2am.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fW1JibskKy0/TlAl8iZ0BbI/AAAAAAAAApY/wQXrOv0KT6w/s1600/CIMG1262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fW1JibskKy0/TlAl8iZ0BbI/AAAAAAAAApY/wQXrOv0KT6w/s400/CIMG1262.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wasn't sure if the gas needed to be turned off at the wall like I had to do when I lived in a 1920's Austin bungalow. And I wasn't sure if the egg-smelling sulfer compound is added to natural gas in Argentina. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a perfect story from South America: <i>American </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Couple's room catches fire after gas is left on! </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John was asleep and I didn't want to wake him in case I was over-thinking the situation.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I opened a window so we wouldn't pass out if carbon monoxide or gas filled the room. After ten more minutes of worrying, I woke John up and told him I was concerned about the gas valve. He didn't seemed too worried, but bless his heart - he got up, took a look and then went downstairs to ask the B&B employee. Since we couldn't find anyone, he got on the computer and attempted to google us out of this quandry to no avail. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As precautionary measures, we opened the window and door and closed the gas valve in our room, before going back to bed at 3am. We were so exhausted, we slept better then we have since we arrived. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next morning the B&B owner assured us we had nothing to worry about, and that the gas shut off when I turned the heater off. John and I laughed about the situation. Unfortunately we started spanish class on four hours of sleep.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was looking forward to starting <a href="http://www.ecela.com/loc_men.php">spanish class</a>. After a week of trying to speak it, I realized how little I know and how little I can say. Here's what I know after 3 days of 4-hour classes: learning Spanish is hard! I didn't realize how many different verb tenses there are, and my ignorance was bliss. My class level is too advanced for me, and I struggle to keep my head above water. I sit wide-eyed, listen to the teacher, and try to make sense of her words. Although frustrated, I remain patient and motivated. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0l8PZNBXDBk/Tk1KTEnmtCI/AAAAAAAAApU/aqscCKguq0k/s1600/CIMG1259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0l8PZNBXDBk/Tk1KTEnmtCI/AAAAAAAAApU/aqscCKguq0k/s640/CIMG1259.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in front of our language school</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Update</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: I switched to a beginner-level class and am very happy! T</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he teacher reviews things I already know, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can actually participate.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vXaHAqfjyXs/Tk1HlpLjQ9I/AAAAAAAAApQ/AgjYJh6qwF8/s1600/im-a-quitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vXaHAqfjyXs/Tk1HlpLjQ9I/AAAAAAAAApQ/AgjYJh6qwF8/s320/im-a-quitter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://nataliedee.com/">(from nataliedee.com)</a></span>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-11012403161281409312011-08-13T13:47:00.085-05:002011-08-14T19:54:04.520-05:00Glorious Saturday<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love Saturdays. One of my favorite things is when I don't have to work and can run with the Gazelles (our running group), eat breakfast at Whole Foods with John and then have the rest of the day free. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a 6am run, with a seemingly endless Saturday in front of me, I feel like I can do anything in the whole wide world - </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">although our Saturdays usually consist of a nap, more food, maybe netflix, reading and time with friends. Still, I love a Saturday. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today we met a Mendoza <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nike-Running-Team-Mendoza/126347965948">running group</a> for a run. They were supposed to meet at 9am. John and I are used to meeting the Gazelles and running at 5:45am on Saturdays, so 9 is a little crazy. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We ran to the park and arrived at the meeting spot at 8:55. We didn't see anyone and devised our own running plan, since we figured we had the time wrong. A few minutes after 9, coach Turco pulled up in his tiny Volkswagon with a big smile on his face. Others were right behind him. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again, the runners were very kind to us and said hello, introduced themselves and did the cheek to cheek kiss greeting which makes you feel like you've been friends forever even though you just met. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The temperature was a crisp 57 degrees. I was the only woman in shorts and John was one of about half the men in shorts. Most everyone was in tights and jackets! Turco had us run around to warm up and then explained the workout before we all ran a mile to the starting area together. Since some people are running the full marathon and some the half marathon next weekend, we had our choice to do 10 to 20k (6-12 miles) progressive run on a 5k course. John and I each did 9 miles. We felt great the first 7-8 miles and then we both thought we were going to pass out the last 1/2 mile which was up a steady hill. However, as always, it felt great to get a long run in! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the run we returned to our hotel to shower and then go eat. We were totally wiped out, so we checked out Florentino, the cute restaurant next door to our hotel. We looked at the menu and when I saw they had not only brunch, but vegetarian and gluten-free options, I knew we had to try it. Our food was delicious and the ambiance of the place charming. We sat in the sunshine-filled courtyard among red geraniums, sipping cafe con leche and feeling completely at ease.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9oYO9B9ASYY/TkfbLbe807I/AAAAAAAAAnU/sSI1aNwIxeY/s1600/CIMG1216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9oYO9B9ASYY/TkfbLbe807I/AAAAAAAAAnU/sSI1aNwIxeY/s640/CIMG1216.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eLS6Kow9MPI/TkfbL8rNrcI/AAAAAAAAAnY/a-iPlKhvZes/s1600/CIMG1217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eLS6Kow9MPI/TkfbL8rNrcI/AAAAAAAAAnY/a-iPlKhvZes/s640/CIMG1217.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jwg-YrEpb1c/TkfbSN3g7-I/AAAAAAAAAng/dIhNN76-1No/s1600/CIMG1222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jwg-YrEpb1c/TkfbSN3g7-I/AAAAAAAAAng/dIhNN76-1No/s640/CIMG1222.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a nap and reading time, John encouraged us, and by us I mean me, to go to the free salsa lesson in the park at 5:30. The park was happening!! Dreadlocked kids drummed in a drum circle, women kickboxed in a class put on by the city, families picknicked and young couples strolled around the park.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jHNPz3QlLQ/Tkfb2vIZLEI/AAAAAAAAAoY/z02bP_wjj6M/s1600/CIMG1239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jHNPz3QlLQ/Tkfb2vIZLEI/AAAAAAAAAoY/z02bP_wjj6M/s640/CIMG1239.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XYVGPO711t0/Tkfbv0OiucI/AAAAAAAAAoU/Fs_vy2-rOPI/s1600/CIMG1238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XYVGPO711t0/Tkfbv0OiucI/AAAAAAAAAoU/Fs_vy2-rOPI/s640/CIMG1238.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The salsa class never happened. It must have been delayed or canceled, so we went to dinner and for dessert enjoyed dulce de leche gelato, which Argentina is known for. The gelato was good but more exciting was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">spotting the largest jade plant we've ever seen! It was at least 5 feet tall and blooming. They must like this arid climate.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GJ1PbZbo7GQ/TkfbtA1_OxI/AAAAAAAAAoM/Q5WupNLmkIg/s1600/CIMG1234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GJ1PbZbo7GQ/TkfbtA1_OxI/AAAAAAAAAoM/Q5WupNLmkIg/s640/CIMG1234.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-obwD1cS9kbk/TkfbuP6j0dI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/gzuIhtkUskE/s1600/CIMG1235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-obwD1cS9kbk/TkfbuP6j0dI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/gzuIhtkUskE/s640/CIMG1235.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6512929719523124420.post-48763321366913651212011-08-11T18:25:00.055-05:002011-08-14T20:17:52.380-05:00Pork chops & green apples<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We took our test at the language school to see which level class we'll join. I'm a A2 and John is a B2. Considering I only know some basic vocabulary and present tense and John is fairly fluent, there must be a wide gap between A2 and B2. We'll find out next week. While at the language school we visited with an Australian couple who have been traveling since January. They packed their collapsible bikes and use them to cruise around the city. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">On another note...we met a young couple in our B&B last night who left their jobs in Chicago months ago to travel through the Mediterranean and South America and will then return to the United States and move to Austin! They've already familiarized themselves with the city and want to live in the same neighborhood we do, and they run. Small world!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After our test we went to check out the, "inexpensive and very good restaurant" near our apartment recommended by Javier. We ran into Mercedes there and then enjoyed the Plato del Dia - pork chops and salad. It was so good. We also ordered wine - just because we could & it's a fun thing to do. Wine with lunch in Argentina? Why <i>wouldn't</i> we? After lunch we walked home, napped and prepared for our first workout with the running group!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FGftxbPdyFs/TkU2NE3GeMI/AAAAAAAAAhc/bcmE6JESIq8/s1600/CIMG1212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FGftxbPdyFs/TkU2NE3GeMI/AAAAAAAAAhc/bcmE6JESIq8/s640/CIMG1212.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Plato del dia: pork chops & salad & dessert for 30 pesos = US $7</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After asking the Universe why in the world we would eat pork chops and wine for lunch before a run, we put on our running clothes and went to <a href="http://www.parques.mendoza.gov.ar/plano.htm">the park</a> to meet up with the local running group at 6pm: Nike Running Team Mendoza. While we were looking for the group, we ran into the program coordinator at our school, Soledad. She is one of the nicest people. She hugged us and introduced us to her boyfriend. We met the running group and they were all very nice & welcoming -- just like the Gazelles. (We miss the Gazelles!!!) After our warm-up they offered us Gatorade. It was a green apple flavor and I didn't want to stop drinking it because it was like drinking a Jolly Rancher. mmm.</span><br />
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We did a few short sprints: fast out 50 meters and slow back x 5 followed by a 2.5 km run around the lake. We did this twice and most people did it three times. I think we were just fatigued from all the walking and traveling, but it felt so good to run! The whole time I was running I kept trying to think how to say "green apple" in Spanish so I would have something to talk about, but all I could come up with was zanahoria verde "green carrot," so I kept my mouth shut and just ran. p.s. For the record, it's manzana verde.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IWcvmyCd9jE/TkU2MMF03fI/AAAAAAAAAhY/n1RMhHkiXrM/s1600/CIMG1211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IWcvmyCd9jE/TkU2MMF03fI/AAAAAAAAAhY/n1RMhHkiXrM/s640/CIMG1211.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">El Parque</span></div>Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16888455427670507382noreply@blogger.com0