Meyer Mix

Again, my web master extraordinaire Jon, demonstrated his talents by updating our family blog so we can now write posts from the road via my iPhone.
If only this was available at the beginning of the summer, you would have been treated to posts from adventures such as: camping, visiting the Laura Ingalls homestead in MO, and our week vacation with both sides of the family at the cabin. I can even have more timely posts from the basement renovation project (granted that is only two floors away from where the computer is located, so it isn’t like I couldn’t make those posts more often, but the novelty of typing on the iphone might encourage it–afterall, I’m typing on my phone right now, and I’m sitting at my computer desk).

I can even post photos from the phone. Here are some gems that the girls took when playing with the phone on our recent car trips. The world of journalism will never be the same.  Peace out.

Position: Seamstress

Description: A new construction project requires the assistance of a seamstress to make theater curtains and playhouse curtains.  The project is on schedule, with base molding and door casing installed yesterday, and carpet being installed today.

Location: Westcoast headquarters, but willing to travel to branch office in Chicago suburbs

Hours: Contractual position, 1 day

Skills: Must know what that bobber thingy is on a sewing machine, and how to load it.  Solid opinions on fabrics and pattern options a plus, as well as theater experience.  Also, must be able to concentrate admist the chaos of 7 children running around.

How to Apply: Please arrive in person to the auditions, taking place next week.  Can bring own sewing machine (becuase we have a feeling that it wouldn’t be the first time a Kelly has brought or tried to bring one on a plane), but can also use local machine.

On Father’s day, I had a nice breakfast with the girls, and then we went to Scot and Sharon’s for lunch.  We started a new tradition, an Ice Cream eating taste test.  Jenny bought six flavors of ice cream, and everyone was given a small sample of each to try, and guess the main flavors in each one.  The Meyer men fared the best, each earning a 4 out of 6 score for a three way tie.  However, it was also Scot’s birthday, so he won the trophy.

Oh, and Jenny and the girls gave me a dartboard cabinet for the basement, which was a great gift!

Gracie gave me a present she made toward the end of her preschool.  It had a quiz on it about me that she answered for her teachers.  These were her responses:

• My daddy is 14 years old
• He weighs 100 pounds, and is 11 feet tall
• His hair is brown, and his eyes are blue
• My dad loves to relax by wearing his Bear’s shirt and shorts
• He loves to cook eggs
• His favorite household chore is working in the basement
• his favorite TV show is the news, and his favorite song is Karaoke
• Daddy always tells me he loves me
• It makes me happy when I play with him
• When my dad shops, he loves to buy coffee
• If he could go on a trip, he would go to and would take camping with the family
• I really love it when my dad plays Scene-It with me
• He’s the best!  I love you Dad!

I love you too Gracie.

Slowsky has been working at our house for the last four days straight.  His first two days, he spent tiling the bathroom floor.  The last two was spend hanging the rest of the doors, starting on baseboard molding and door casing, and a bunch of other items.  Leo and Joyce came over for a visit yesterday, and took us out to dinner, so that was a welcome break in the basement project.  Jenny and I did go to home depot on the way back from dinner, and then worked until 2am.  And today, I clocked 8am until 10:45pm (Slowsky too), and Jenny is down in the playhouse now putting the second coat of bright pink on the walls.

In the afternoon, I made a pilgrimage to Owl Lumber in Lombard, to buy the door and window casing, and stair parts.   As I was loading up my massive pile, I thought to myself, I better double check that the price they gave me ($1.19/ft) for the casing was accurate.  Sure enough, it was actually $2.19/ft.  That might not seem like a lot, but when buying casing for 7 doors, three windows, two built-in cabinets, plus railings and balusters for the staircase, the total came to just shy of 2.5 million dollars.  I actually had a panic attack at the store, followed by deep feelings of depression on my long long drive home.

The feeling stayed that way, until we started cutting the trim, which lifted my spirits.  I was excited to learn how to do it, and think it is a good skill set to have.  Plus, it was pretty easy, so there was the instant gratification.  We cut the trim for two doors, and then completed just about 1/4 of the base molding in the main rooms.  My goal for tomorrow evening, is to cut the rest of the base, because then we need to stain and seal it before the carpet comes in 9 days!

 That is the update.  Keep it real.  Peace out.

We’ve been hard at work.  I know that the Oregon family would like pictures and color samples of our progress, but that requires effort on our part, and frankly, by the time we are done working each evening, we are too tired.

 As for the colors, there are two main ones.  The first, is a light cream color.  The accent color is a green that resembles mashed peas baby food…after it is eaten and spit back out.

We’ve been doing a lot of painting.  Last Saturday, we stayed up until 5am the the following morning painting (Jenny made me).  Then I got up to work with Slowsky at 7:30am for a full day.  I told a friend about it, and she said we needed an intervention.

 So, here is the progress…

• Sand drywall DONE!
• Wet sponge the walls, and sweep up so we can paint  DONE!
• Prime DONE!
• Paint (and pick the paint colors) Colors are picked! Two ceilings painted.
  6-5-08 update, We’re sooo close!  All basement walls have one coat, and most have two.  Bathroom is done too!
• Insulate the ceiling 
• Install a drop ceiling
• Cut, stain, seal, and install base and casing molding
• Install 7  5   Only 2 left now! door frames and doors (oh, and stain and seal those as well).
• Build the built-in media cabinet
• Install all electrical outlets, DONE!
• Install can lights.   Bathroom is done, soffit is done, waiting on drop ceiling for rest!
• Tile floor in the bathroom Tiles were cut today (6-5-08) by Slowsky.  He’s coming back tomorrow to put them down!
• Wainscoting in bathroom
• Install sink, toilet, and shower door (oh, go buy a shower door)
• Install utility sink Done!
• Connect all plumbing 
• Stain, seal, and install three windows, and trim
• Closet shelving
• Carpet (this is the only part of the project we are not doing ourselves) Ordered, and will be installed in about two weeks!
• Dismantle our craigslist couch, to get it to fit into the basement, and then reassemble.
• Install wired house smoke detector
• Run speaker wire
• Install theater screen
• Convince Jenny to buy an HD projector

Update 5-24-08: Jenny and I started dating 20 years ago today!  We celebrated by buying 9 yards of mulch.  Who says the romance isn’t still alive?  I also spent the day in the basement, again.  Colors for the paint are picked.  The bathroom and stairway ceilings are painted.  And, we hung two of the 7 doors.  I’ll update the list below. 

Update 5-23-08: Now we are moving.  As of late last night, all walls are primed.   We picked our carpet and will order this weekend, and we are ready to put color on the walls.  Slowsky is coming out Sat and Sunday to start hanging doors too.  Check out the task list below.

Original Post (5-16-08): Last time I wrote, three weeks ago, I said we should be painting by the weekend.  What I meant was, we would be painting threeweekends from then.  Last weekend, Slowsky and I only had a half-day to work.  Slowsky did come back on mother’s day, and put in a second half day, which was very nice since I decided to spend the day elsewhere.

This weekend, I’m taking Emma and Grace on a “Y Princesses” camp-out with my brother.  If the girls like it, we’ll join next year.  But, for the basement, that means that again, I only have a half-day to work.  So tonight, I worked from 4:30-11:00 sanding drywall.  FINALLY, the sanding is done!  Jenny joined me at 9:00 and started sweeping up the drywall dust (this marks her first actual work on the basement project).

Tomorrow, our goal is to get primer on the walls before I leave for the camp-out.  Here is the updated to-do list before the Oregon Fronza’s visit (our arbitrary deadline for completion):

• Sand drywall DONE!
• Wet sponge the walls, and sweep up so we can paint  DONE!
• Prime DONE!
• Paint (and pick the paint colors) Colors are picked! Two ceilings painted.
• Insulate the ceiling 
• Install a drop ceiling
• Cut, stain, seal, and install base and casing molding
• Install 7  5 door frames and doors (oh, and stain and seal those as well).
• Build the built-in media cabinet
• Install all electrical outlets, lights, etc.
• Tile floor in the bathroom
• Wainscoting in bathroom
• Install sink, toilet, and shower door (oh, go buy a shower door)
• Stain, seal, and install three windows, and trim
• Closet shelving
• Carpet (this is the only part of the project we are not doing ourselves)
• Dismantle our craigslist couch, to get it to fit into the basement, and then reassemble.
• Install utility sink
• Install wired house smoke detector
• Run speaker wire
• Install theater screen
• Convince Jenny to buy an HD projector

I think we should start a pool on when the basement will be done.  Place your guess in comments below, and there will be a prize for the winner!

Here is the latest update.  Today, I worked from 8am until 8pm sanding our second coat of drywall in the basement.  I can’t lift my arms.

The great news, is that if all goes well tomorrow, dad and I will be done with drywall, and will be able to put primer and paint on later this week!  The first coat of mud and tape took us 5 days, the second coat 2 days, and this coat probably another two days when it is all done.

It will be very exciting to be done with this part of the construction, because then the end will be in sight.  To help you with your guess, all we’ll have left to do is…

•  
  • Prime and paint (and pick the paint colors)
  • Install a drop ceiling
  • Cut, stain, seal, and install base and casing molding
  • Install 7 door frames and doors (oh, and stain and seal those as well)
  • Build the built-in media cabinet
  • Install all electrical outlets, lights, etc.
  • Tile floor in the bathroom
  • Wainscoting in bathroom
  • Install sink, toilet, and shower door (oh, go buy a shower door)
  • Stain, seal, and install three windows, and trim
  • Closet shelving
  • Carpet (this is the only part of the project we are not doing ourselves)
  • Dismantle our craigslist couch, to get it to fit into the basement, and then reassemble.
  • Install utility sink
  • Install wired house smoke detector
  • Run speaker wire
  • Install theater screen
  • Convince Jenny to buy an HD projector

That should be it for the list!  What do you think?

This story was written by Emma, and shared with us during her 2nd grade parent-teacher conference.  [Written letter for letter, spelling and grammar as well]

Beautiful Wisconsin

6 hours it takes.  Hurry!  We’re almost there! 

I see a sign to Wisconsin!  The air smells fresh.  The sun is beaming down on my family and I.  I see the North Woods.  I see the cool water splashing onto the shor.  Beautiful Wisconsin is around me! 

I’m still in my car, oh yes I am.  6 hours hasn’t gone by yet.  I’m bored the road is rocky.  I feel like a little speck in the big, long, wide, world. 

Just then the car stops.  “Are we there yet?” I ask?

“No” said my mom, we’re just stopping to get gas’!

I feel bored again.  It’s getting late.  My mom says, “Do you want to watch a movie?”  My sisters and I said, “yes.”  I got to pick first and I picked Matagasgar.  After the movie I fell asleep.

The next morning… we were there!  We were at beautiful Wisconsin!

See, didn’t I say Lauren was a cutie patootie pie?  Seriously, she is happy all the time.  She obviously takes after her Father.

When Scot and I were kids, we made a time capsule and put it inside the brick of our fireplace when the addition was being built. 

With our basement renovation, we are covering a wall that has the fireplace ash cleanout in it.  So we decided to have the girls put a time capsule together and put it in there.  When I was a kid, I was pretty sure that the items we put in included the most valuable stuff in our household.  I can’t say the same for the random items my girls decided would be important to share with future generations.  I sure hope the kids of the future enjoy that rubber ball Gracie left for them!

 The time capsule went in on February 29th.  Yep, it is the tin in Gracie’s hands.

The next day, Gracie was looking sad, so we asked her what was wrong.  She said, “I already miss my rubber ball.”