March 22, 2009 THE HOUSE TOUR

I WAS WORKING TOWARDS OUR HOUSE TOUR, AND WE NEEDED WHITE NINON, $3.98 CURTAINS FOR 12 WINDOWS ON THE FIRST FLOOR, 84 INCHES LONG.....AND ALL OF THE OTHER FLOORS. AFTER THE MOVING TRUCKS TOOK THE FURNISHINGS ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, OUR REALTOR SYDNEY INFORMED ME THAT SHE WAS PLANNING A HOUSE TOUR FOR THE 22ND OF MARCH. IT SEEMED LIKE A LONG ENOUGH TIME AWAY FROM THE PACKING, SO I FIGURED IT WOULD BE FINE. WELL, JIM RETURNED HOME, WADE DID NOT. I HAD TO THINK THINGS THROUGH AND MAKE PLANS. ALL OF THE WINDOWS NEEDED WASHING AND THEY WERE BLACK. I HAD WASHED THEM AT CHRISTMAS AND DID NOT KNOW WHY THEY WERE BLACK. THE KITCHEN WALLS SEEMED SO DARK THAT I DECIDED I WOULD WASH THEM AND THEN PAINT THEM WHITE. SURPRISE ON ME, THEY SMEARED INTO LONG BLACK STREAKS. FRIENDS CAME OVER, AND BRICE THOUGHT WE HAD A "PUFF BACK", AND I CALLED OUR HOME OWNERS POLICY, "STATE FARM" AND LOW AND BEHOLD, IT WAS ALL COVERED. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD CALL "ALLAN INDUSTRIES" AND THEY DID IT THAT VERY DAY. CRAIG FROM THE "A.I." CALLED ME AND ARRANGED TO COME UP AND LOOK AT THE "PUFF BACK" AND HE CAME THE FOLLOWING MORNING. HE SAID THAT IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT I HAD NOT PAINTED THE KITCHEN BECAUSE THE OIL WOULD HAVE STAINED THROUGH THE PAINT AND LEFT ME WITH MORE BLACK SMEARY MESS. OKAY. CRAIG ARRANGED FOR THE WORK CREW TO ARRIVE ON FRIDAY BEFORE MY HOUSE TOUR.

MEAN TIME, P.J. HAD PULLED UP THE CARPETING, AND THE LIVING ROOM AND HALLWAY WERE FINE, THE STEPS WOULD NOW NEED PAINTING, BUT THE DINING ROOM, HAD TO BE SCRAPED BESIDES. HE AND I BOTH SCRAPED THAT FLOOR ON OUR HANDS AND KNEES AND IT WAS A WRETCHED JOB. JIM ARRIVED LATER THAT WEEK.

P.J. HAD TO LEAVE FOR FLORIDA. HMMMMMMM THE FLOOR LOOMED LARGE, AND I CONTINUED TO SCRAPE IT. NO HOPE, FOUR DAYS LEFT, AND I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FINISH IT. MY REALTOR LENT ME HER SILK RUG, AND IT WAS PERFECT. IT COVERED THE ENTIRE SECTION I HAD SCRAPED WITH P.J.......BEFORE I COULD PUT IT DOWN, I WASHED THAT FLOOR WITH VINEGAR WATER AND WHEN IT DRIED, PUT DOWN THE RUG. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. P.J. HAD LENT ME ALL SORTS OF FINE ART PICTURES, AND FURNITURE...HALLWAY CHAIRS, A SIDEBOARD ABOUT 150 YEARS OLD, AN OLD CIGAR HUMIDOR CHEST ON A STAND, AND ON AND ON IT WENT.

BY NOW, THE CLEANING PEOPLE FROM THE ALLAN INDUSTRIES ARRIVED AND DECIDED TO TRY TO SAVE THE KITCHEN FROM WHAT I HAD SCRUBBED INTO A LARGE SMEAR. THEY COULD NOT SAVE IT, AND THE TOUR WAS TWO DAYS AWAY.

THEY WASHED THE CEILING AND THE WALLS. THEY RUINED THE CEILING WHICH WAS ONE OF THE "DROPPED PANEL TYPE OF THE 60'S". IT LOOKED LIKE A GIANT LEAK ABOVE HAD DONE IT, WHEN THERE WERE NO PIPES THERE. NOW I AM TOLD THEY WILL MAKE ADJUSTMENTS FOR ME ABOUT THE CEILING AND A PAINT JOB. BUT THE SOOT IS WASHED AWAY. YOU CAN NOT PAINT A ROOM IF THE SOOT IS STILL THERE. TRUST ME, YOU CAN NOT.

THE CURTAINS ARE UP. THEY ALSO WASHED THE SAME WINDOWS, EVEN THOUGH I HAD WASHED THEM TWO DAYS EARLIER. THE KITCHEN IS ABOUT 10 SHADES LIGHTER WHERE THE CLEANING WORK TOOK.

THEY DECIDED TO DO THE DINING ROOM. THE SOOT ON THE CEILING WAS WIPED AWAY. THEY USE "CHEM SPONGES" WHICH TURN BLACK, AND YOU SMACK THEM TOGETHER TO CLEAN THEM, LIKE BLACKBOARD ERASERS. THEN THEY WASHED EVERYTHING DOWN WITH "RED ROCKET" A CHEMICAL MADE BY BUTCHERS WAX COMPANY. IT WAS REALLY GREAT. IT CERTAINLY DID CLEAN THE SOOT TOTALLY AWAY. ONLY THING WAS, THEY CLEANED THE WALLS VERTICALLY AND THERE WERE BLACK AND WHITE STRIPES ON THE WALLS. I HAD TO CALL OFF THE SATURDAY CLEANING. IT WAS MAKING THE WALLS LOOK BAD FOR THE TOUR.

THE TOUR WAS THE NEXT DAY, AND WE WERE READY. I HAD BORROWED CARPETS, FOR ALL ROOMS, TWO BATHROOM CURTAINS FOR THE SHOWERS, THAT WERE SO ELEGANT...OURS WERE SO PLAIN, THE REALTOR HAD SOME TO LEND OUT. AND, I BORROWED TWO PAIRS OF HER CURTAINS FOR THE BATHROOMS AND TWO WHITE BEDSPREADS AS WELL AS 6 CURTAINS. SHES DIDN'T WANT MY BLUE CURTAINS THERE AND WANTED EVERYTHING WHITE. JIM HAD SELECTED THOSE BLUE FLORAL CURTAINS 25 YEARS AGO, AND THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE WITH ME. ALSO SHE DIDN'T WANT MY SNOW WHITE TABLE CLOTH, SO WENT HOME TO GET HER DAMASK GOLD COLORED ONE FOR THE DINING ROOM.

THE HOUSE WAS SIMPLY SPECTACULAR! NEVER HAD IT LOOKED SO GOOD.

BOTH OF US (JIM AND I) HAD TO ADMIT THAT THE ROOM LOOKED POSITIVELY ELEGANT WITH THE REALTOR'S THINGS HANGING EVERYWHERE.

SYDNEY AND I WORKED HARD, SHE IRONED HER CURTAINS. I WORKED ON THE BASEMENT. THE TOUR WAS NOW TWO DAYS AWAY. MY CLARK CAME AND BROUGHT ME HIS TRAILER ON THE PREVIOUS MONDAY TO FILL UP AND HE WOULD TAKE IT AWAY TO THE CHEMICAL SPOT AT THE LOCAL DUMP. HE DID COME ON THURSDAY AND I HAD IT ALL FILLED UP. HAZEMAT ITEMS WENT, AND ALL SORTS OF BOARDS AND METAL AND JUNK FROM OUTSIDE. INSIDE, I HAD EMPTIED CLOSETS AND THROWN AWAY WHAT I COULD AND BAGGED IT UP, AFTER THE MOVERS HAD GONE.

THE RATHSKELLER WAS WASHED DOWN BEST I COULD. THE ALLAN INDUSTRIES WOULD NOT GET TO THAT PART BEFORE THE TOUR WAS OVER.....SYDNEY STAGED THE HOUSE AND BROUGHT DOWN MY ANTIQUE MIRROR OUT OF THE DINING ROOM, AND WANTED TO HANG IT UP OVER THE STONE FIREPLACE IN THE BASEMENT. IT DID LOOK GOOD.

THE TOUR ARRIVED, AND THE HOUSE WAS A SHOW PALACE. WITH MY $3.98 CURTAINS ON THE FIRST FLOOR ROOMS, THE SUN LIGHT FILTERED IN, AND THE WINDOWS WERE SO BRIGHT THAT THE ROBINS WERE TRYING TO MATE THEMSELVES IN THE WINDOWS FROM OUTSIDE. LOST TWO WINDOWS TO THEM. LARGE SHATTERING CRACKED WINDOWS.

WE HAD ABOUT 20 PEOPLE COME THROUGH THE HOUSE AND A LOT OF THEM WERE THE NEIGHBORS AROUND THE LAKE WHO ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE THIS HOUSE.

ONE COUPLE WAS DESPERATELY IN LOVE WITH THE HOUSE, AND VERY RELUCTANT TO LEAVE TO GO HOME. WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THEY WILL COME BACK WITH AN OFFER.

SYDNEY LEFT HER POSSESSIONS HERE FROM CURTAINS, TO CARPETING, AND DECIDED ON THE SPOT TO HAVE ANOTHER OPEN HOUSE HERE IN 30 DAYS. OKAY, SO WE CAN DO THAT. SHE HAD PURCHASED A HALF PAGE AD IN THE LOCAL PAPER AND SHE HAD A TOTAL OF 6 HOUSES ON THIS TOUR. THE TOUR BEGAN AT OUR HOUSE AND WE HAD A SIX FOOT HELIUM BALLOON THAT HAD AN OPEN HOUSE BANNER ACROSS IT. (THAT WAS SYDNEY'S TOO)

THE TOUR IS NOW OVER, AND THE WHITE BORROWED ITEMS ARE FOLDED UP AND PUT AWAY, BUT IF A REALTOR CALLS, WE SHALL HAVE TO RUSH AROUND AND PUT THEM ALL UP AGAIN.

MEANTIME, THE SOOT PEOPLE RETURNED AND DID THE HALLWAYS BOTH UP AND DOWN, AND ALSO THE HUGE LIVING ROOM. THEY ALL TURNED 10 OR 20 SHADES LIGHTER AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT DID WHEN WE FIRST MOVED IN HERE. IT CLEANED RIGHT UP. THE DARK OF THE SOOT BEING GONE, IT COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED AT A BETTER TIME. GOD ALWAYS WATCHES OVER ME.

TODAY THEY DID THE GUEST BEDROOM, AND OUR BEDROOM, AND THE TWO BATHROOMS. THE HOUSE IS FAIRLY SPARKLING, AND I MAY NOT HAVE TO PAINT THE ENTIRE HOUSE AFTER ALL.

TOMORROW IS THEIR LAST DAY. I ASKED THAT THEY DO OVER THE RATHSKELLER, AS I CAN NOT PAINT IT UNLESS THEY GET THE SOOT OFF OF EVERYTHING. THERE ARE THREE ROOMS THERE AND ONE IS A HALF BATHROOM. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT FINISHED.

EACH WEEK I JUMP INTO MORE WORK. IT IS EXHAUSTING, TO SAY THE LEAST TO HAVE A HOUSE TOUR. BUT AT LEAST THE NEXT ONE, I PLAN TO HAVE THE KITCHEN PAINTED WHITE. ONE COAT OF AN UNDER COAT, WITH A SEALER, AND A NICE THICK AND CREAMY OFF WHITE ON TOP OF THAT.

IF ALL GOES WELL, P.J. WILL COME OVER ON THURSDAY AND SCRAPE THE FLOOR FOR ME. I WILL BE WORKING ON THE ROOM BEHIND THE WASHING MACHINE AND THE DRYER.

I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO TOMORROW WITH THE RATHSKELLER FINISHED WITH NO SOOT. IT WILL BE THE "CLEANERS" LAST DAY HERE.

BUT THE NEW "OPEN HOUSE" WILL BE SPECTACULAR.

HOPE YOU ALL ARE HAVING A NEW ADVENTURE, AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SELLING THIS HOUSE. EVEN IF IT BREAKS MY HEART TO SEE IT GO.

GOOD-BY DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.....KEEP ME POSTED. SANDE