Since last weekend was a long weekend, I decided to use the time to try to do the painting that I hadn't managed to finish before moving into my new place. If you're an avid reader, you may recall that I had left the kitchen and entraceway unpainted (and you may want to look harder for interesting things to read on the 'net).
Anyhow, I figured that finishing up would be about a two-day job, but painting never goes as planned for me (really, what does?). It ended up taking Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday evening, Wednesday (I took the day off work), and a couple of hours Thursday...and Kevin helped me all day Sunday and Monday...and I'm still not quite done yet. Basically, I just need to fix up a few little mistakes now.
I still don't really understand how it took so long. The closets and doors took a long time; they were much more complicated to paint than the simple, sliding doors in the rest of the unit. The ceilings were a huge pain, too. I made lots of mistakes that took time to correct. I had to move appliances around, blocking off areas I needed to paint. And, I ended up having to deal with three different paints (two colours, one in two different finishes) plus primer, which meant lots of time cleaning brushes and waiting for them to dry. But still, pretty much five days in total?!
The worst part is that I haven't done anything with the bathroom (though happily I really have no plans to) and there's still the balcony door step that needs to be painted with an oil-based paint.
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Friday, May 26, 2006
Monday, March 13, 2006
...But I Know What I Like
Yesterday evening, I went to Snap!, a photography auction to raise funds for the AIDS Committee of Toronto. I actually bought a piece in the silent auction, which I'm very excited about.
It's called Piki, and the photographer's name is John Fairley. Here is the photo, with a link to it on his Flickr site.
I can't get over how human her expression looks. And so mischievous -- she's definitely a heart breaker. I love the composition, too: the way her face is framed, and the other doll, out of focus in the background.
My empty walls are very excited, too!
It's called Piki, and the photographer's name is John Fairley. Here is the photo, with a link to it on his Flickr site.
I can't get over how human her expression looks. And so mischievous -- she's definitely a heart breaker. I love the composition, too: the way her face is framed, and the other doll, out of focus in the background.
My empty walls are very excited, too!
Friday, March 03, 2006
Unexpected Visitors
I'm working from home today, and I had a teleconference at 3:00 in the afternoon. I was quite surprised when, halfway through the call, there was a loud knock at my door. I opened the door, phone in hand, and found my condo developer's deficiencies team behind it.
They had finally come to address the various deficiencies that I, and the previous owner of the suite, had reported over the last 8 months or so.
I'd been trying to get some response about these deficiencies for ages, but the guy who handles this for the developer went silent weeks ago. Now, with zero warning, people arrive with hammers in hands. Oh well, better late than never!
I just went over the list with them, and I'm cautiously optimistic that most of the issues will be resolved today and tomorrow.
They had finally come to address the various deficiencies that I, and the previous owner of the suite, had reported over the last 8 months or so.
I'd been trying to get some response about these deficiencies for ages, but the guy who handles this for the developer went silent weeks ago. Now, with zero warning, people arrive with hammers in hands. Oh well, better late than never!
I just went over the list with them, and I'm cautiously optimistic that most of the issues will be resolved today and tomorrow.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Happy Holidays
It's Christmas today and Chanukah starts tonight. This kind of convergence is a rare occurrence. I wish I were celebrating the holidays, but, alas, I'm packing instead. Nonetheless, in case anyone is actually still reading my blog, after a month and a half of silence, I'd like to wish you and yours a very merry Christmas, happy Chanukah, and all the rest.
It's been very hectic lately, which is why I haven't posted and why I'm packing. I'll be moving to my new condo on Wednesday, which gives me just three days to finish packing (I started yesterday). Considering the pace that it's going, I think it should work out. At Consuelo and EB's solstice party last Thursday, Maureen and Consuelo were talking about their packing prowess. Well, I packed all my books and CD's yesterday, and I didn't take forever or leave great gobs of empty space in any of the boxes. Hopefully they'd be proud! It was actually much less painful than I remember it to be, which reaffirms Amy's claim that practice definitely helps.
Over the previous couple of weeks, I've been painting the new place. I almost finished, getting two coats done in the living/dining space, the bedroom and the den. The kitchen and entranceway still need to be done, but my goal was to finish the rooms where all my stuff will be. Painting was hell. I've helped others out with painting before, but it's not something I've ever done from start to finish, and there was much to learn. Surprises abounded, like the oil-based paint on the baseboards and doors, requiring them to all be primed. Oh, and the unsweepably large mountain of dust generated by sanding a skim patch (though I'm still not sure if I even was supposed to sand it!). Oh, who can forget the should-I-shouldn't-I? drama about painting the caulking. Well, it's pretty much done now, and I think it looks good, so that's a relief. It wouldn't have been possible without help from Kevin, Alex, and especially Stu. Thanks a million, guys!
Kevin's back home on PEI for Christmas. It's not even been two weeks, but I do miss him like crazy. We've been talking on the phone every two or three days and texting in between, but it's not the same. I just don't understand how people pull off long-distance relationships. Anyhow, it's good for him that he hasn't been around to share in all of my stress, and he'll be back on Friday. Can't wait!
So, that's the kind of holiday I'm having.
It's been very hectic lately, which is why I haven't posted and why I'm packing. I'll be moving to my new condo on Wednesday, which gives me just three days to finish packing (I started yesterday). Considering the pace that it's going, I think it should work out. At Consuelo and EB's solstice party last Thursday, Maureen and Consuelo were talking about their packing prowess. Well, I packed all my books and CD's yesterday, and I didn't take forever or leave great gobs of empty space in any of the boxes. Hopefully they'd be proud! It was actually much less painful than I remember it to be, which reaffirms Amy's claim that practice definitely helps.
Over the previous couple of weeks, I've been painting the new place. I almost finished, getting two coats done in the living/dining space, the bedroom and the den. The kitchen and entranceway still need to be done, but my goal was to finish the rooms where all my stuff will be. Painting was hell. I've helped others out with painting before, but it's not something I've ever done from start to finish, and there was much to learn. Surprises abounded, like the oil-based paint on the baseboards and doors, requiring them to all be primed. Oh, and the unsweepably large mountain of dust generated by sanding a skim patch (though I'm still not sure if I even was supposed to sand it!). Oh, who can forget the should-I-shouldn't-I? drama about painting the caulking. Well, it's pretty much done now, and I think it looks good, so that's a relief. It wouldn't have been possible without help from Kevin, Alex, and especially Stu. Thanks a million, guys!
Kevin's back home on PEI for Christmas. It's not even been two weeks, but I do miss him like crazy. We've been talking on the phone every two or three days and texting in between, but it's not the same. I just don't understand how people pull off long-distance relationships. Anyhow, it's good for him that he hasn't been around to share in all of my stress, and he'll be back on Friday. Can't wait!
So, that's the kind of holiday I'm having.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Home Sweet Home
Last Thursday, I got an e-mail from Karyn:
It's true. I've actually had news since mid-October that I just haven't had the chance to share with many people at all, much less blog about...
I bought a condo -- my first home!
As Karyn indicated (she must have had some inside information, huh?), it's at RadioCity, a new, two-tower development on the former site of CBC Radio, near Jarvis and Carlton:
I just got back from the handover meeting, where control passed from the developer to the condominium corporation, and a board was elected. So, it seemed like a perfect time to write about it all. I'm hopeful that we've elected a pretty good board: it seems to include a fair amount of experience and a variety of viewpoints and concerns.
Interestingly, the biggest issue seems to be around the art installation in the courtyard: a collection of little, metallic houses that light up inside. One owner referred to it tonight as "scrap metal." Apparently, all of the original purchasers were surprised to find that they were paying for it directly, as part of their closing costs. Since my purchase was a resale, I'm not feeling (or seeing, at least) that pain. Perhaps that's part of the reason why I quite like the piece.
Anyhow, on to the good stuff: my suite is a one bedroom plus den, of 705 square feet. My purchase closes on December 2, and I'll be moving at some point between then and January 1, when I have to be out of my current place. I'm hoping to paint the walls and buy some living room furniture before then. I had also hoped to have the kitchen counters replaced with granite, but apparently that time frame isn't realistic. So, it'll have to wait until after I move in.
Here are some photos:
Notice the yummy exposed concrete ceiling.
Unfortunately, the windows in my suite are not quite as spectacular as in some of the others. In particular, the corner units have windows all along the two outside walls, from floor to ceiling. The left corner of my suite, in the picture above, is actually part of the structural wall, so obviously it can't be glass. Nonetheless, the place is still quite bright, especially when one of the bedroom doors is open:
You can see that there's a window in the bedroom along the length of the balcony, but that the balcony actually opens into the living room.
Here's a shot from the opposite direction, showing the kitchen:
Finally, the unit faces south, so it gets lots of light, and it has a pretty fantastic view from the balcony:
You can see the financial centre and the CN tower in the distance, and Maple Leaf Gardens on the right side of the picture. This historic arena, which has been empty since the Leafs moved to the Air Canada Centre in 1999, is being converted to a Real Canadian Superstore. Hockey fans in Toronto are outraged. I'm excited!
So, things are going to be pretty busy in the coming weeks: I need to finalize my mortgage and then complete the closing. All the while, there's much shopping and packing to be done. Then, I have to figure out when to move and whether to hire movers or do it myself.
But I can't wait to be living in my new home!
I believe somebody has news that they haven't shared with ME!
radio city, eh?
It's true. I've actually had news since mid-October that I just haven't had the chance to share with many people at all, much less blog about...
I bought a condo -- my first home!
As Karyn indicated (she must have had some inside information, huh?), it's at RadioCity, a new, two-tower development on the former site of CBC Radio, near Jarvis and Carlton:
I just got back from the handover meeting, where control passed from the developer to the condominium corporation, and a board was elected. So, it seemed like a perfect time to write about it all. I'm hopeful that we've elected a pretty good board: it seems to include a fair amount of experience and a variety of viewpoints and concerns.Interestingly, the biggest issue seems to be around the art installation in the courtyard: a collection of little, metallic houses that light up inside. One owner referred to it tonight as "scrap metal." Apparently, all of the original purchasers were surprised to find that they were paying for it directly, as part of their closing costs. Since my purchase was a resale, I'm not feeling (or seeing, at least) that pain. Perhaps that's part of the reason why I quite like the piece.
Anyhow, on to the good stuff: my suite is a one bedroom plus den, of 705 square feet. My purchase closes on December 2, and I'll be moving at some point between then and January 1, when I have to be out of my current place. I'm hoping to paint the walls and buy some living room furniture before then. I had also hoped to have the kitchen counters replaced with granite, but apparently that time frame isn't realistic. So, it'll have to wait until after I move in.
Here are some photos:
Notice the yummy exposed concrete ceiling.
Unfortunately, the windows in my suite are not quite as spectacular as in some of the others. In particular, the corner units have windows all along the two outside walls, from floor to ceiling. The left corner of my suite, in the picture above, is actually part of the structural wall, so obviously it can't be glass. Nonetheless, the place is still quite bright, especially when one of the bedroom doors is open:
You can see that there's a window in the bedroom along the length of the balcony, but that the balcony actually opens into the living room.
Here's a shot from the opposite direction, showing the kitchen:
Finally, the unit faces south, so it gets lots of light, and it has a pretty fantastic view from the balcony:
You can see the financial centre and the CN tower in the distance, and Maple Leaf Gardens on the right side of the picture. This historic arena, which has been empty since the Leafs moved to the Air Canada Centre in 1999, is being converted to a Real Canadian Superstore. Hockey fans in Toronto are outraged. I'm excited!
So, things are going to be pretty busy in the coming weeks: I need to finalize my mortgage and then complete the closing. All the while, there's much shopping and packing to be done. Then, I have to figure out when to move and whether to hire movers or do it myself.
But I can't wait to be living in my new home!
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