GE Washer Rant

As mentioned in my previous post, we have had a problem with our new GE front load washer. thanks to fixya.com, we have taken care of it......the problem is/was this;

These things work very differently than the top loading variety; the kind of "spill" water onto the clothes, toss them around, drain, and repeat....until the final rinse/spin cycle. Not too long after we bought it, the machine stopped going all the way through the last spin cycle; it would either stop with time left on the timer or finish, but either way, the clothes were dripping wet. We looked through the manual, called the store, talked to GE customer service...no one had ever heard of this (yeah, right) and said I needed to call a repair person, it should be under warranty. The sales person (at Famous Tate's) thought it might be a chip dislodged during transit, or we were using too much soap. I finally happen upon a site called fixya.com. You can type in a problem or an appliance and you will usually get several "answers" to the problem; I can't vouch for the credibility, this is consumer run....but this issue was widely discussed here. Apparently, there is a filter down below the tub in front which has to be cleaned out fairly frequently; everything which is not laundry goes in there, change, hair ties, pocket fodder...even socks. The issue I and many other people have is this-WHERE IS THIS FILTER MENTIONED? The answer is *nowhere*. Not in the manual, not on the GE website.....no service reps can tell you about this....are there any labels on the machine alluding to this filter, which needs to be cleaned? Nope. Is this filter easy to find and access by your typical consumer? Nope.
You have to access the filter by unscrewing 3 screws at the bottom of the lower front panel. You pull the panel off then unscrew a cap......a gallon or two of water comes out, then you can pull out the filter attached to the cap. You take out the crap that was stuck in there, impeding the water from properly draining and the put it all back together. How would anyone know this with no reference in the manual? Some of these people on the site had paid hundreds in service calls and blown pumps, and still no one had told them about this. that's HORRIBLE! Something which obviously needs to be cleaned (like a lint filter, only wet) fairly frequently should be a little more accessible.....and marked!

Could this be a Class A lawsuit?
Maybe it's just Monday, but I'm really ticked off over this.......we could have blown our pump, we could have paid a serviceman to come "fix" it, and probably never say what it was because he wanted to get paid for another visit.......and crap stuck in your filter would not be covered under warranty.....

Weekend Spoils

For our "holiday weekend", we
1) finished fixing the water supply pipe over the laundry room.

2) pro actively knocked out a section of ceiling in the downstairs bathroom, as it had suspicious water marks on it like the laundry room, and it was right in line with the leaky supply line.No Leaks, dry as a bone....tee hee, silly us.

3) Hung the art deco light fixture in the entry hall; it looks gorgeous, although the bulbs are too bright, we couldn't find the globe lights with the cut glass pattern in lower than 40 watt, so we will install a dimmer.

4) Finished putting the master bedroom back together after switching the bed from one area to another; now it looks like a bedroom instead of a construction sight. Except maybe for the really ***rough*** floor in the larger portion......it is not in as good shape as the smaller part which we sanded and poly'd. We will consult with a historical flooring specialist on whether or not it is salvageable or not. Hey! There's one right around the corner!

5) Fixed our NEW GE front load washer....more on that in another post; this needs to be shouted about!

6) Mowed the new sod for the first time.....it felt good to mow grass....but the other side is struggling so badly, I'm beginning to consider a "reduced grass plan" for the front as well as the back; may not without grass at all, but we have better things to do and spend out money on than providing constant life support for our lawn. Then the rains will start and we'll be dealing with fungus.

7) Strongly coerced (ok-yelled)the kids into cleaning their rooms...it was either that or call in a haz-mat team to do the job. Mission *almost* accomplished......a lot of trash bags came out of those rooms....I'm still missing many of my glasses.....

Wow, we got a lot done...and I have to credit Mike for doing most of it.....Thanks honey!

I will add if I think of anything else.....we ended it all with a rib & corn on the cobb dinner.
Happy Monday!

Flying the Flag

We have been flying our flag all weekend; it's something we had always done while I was growing up; my father was a marine in WWII, so it was never an option not to. It's kind of a tradition, we have the same flag pole holder which was on my parent's house in Bath, Maine for over 30 years. I'm sad to see that there are not all that many other houses who put a flag out; and I can't tell if it's due to lack of time and resources, or a personal preference. I can't say I am happy with all that is going on in our country, but it is our country, and I'll keep flying the flag as a symbol of my patriotism. And I'll barbecue ribs today too! (a symbol of my hunger from being so patriotic) Enjoy the day, if you are lucky enough to have it off.......

Drip......Drip......Drip......

The tip off, the discovery and the ceiling on the floor.

Well, the plan to do nothing but tie up loose ends has failed already, and it's only Friday! The suspicious "get to it later" water spots on the laundry room ceiling got really wet and started dripping today. We thought it might have been old water damage from before we replaced the roof, but as it was dripping water, it was obviously not old.It wasn't raining, so it couldn't have been the roof at all. Mike cut into the ceiling to locate the source of the water, and found not a leaky drain pipe from our master shower like we thought, but a leaky supply line. Since we did not plan on replacing the piping at this point, (it's fairly new, for a really old house) we will just use some fiberglass tape which goes on wet and completely seals itself around the pipe. This shouldn't be a HUGE project, but anything not planned for is a pain....although in old houses, the unplanned is a way of life. I have looked at the stains and felt uneasy over them.....so in a way I'm glad I know what it is. The crap on the floor is old insulation, scraps of bathroom tile (from the upstairs bathroom from when it was "remuddled") and some scraps of old newspaper...hard to read off such small pieces, but there was an ad for circus tickets-$5.50 a piece (not that old?). There was also some nasty looking stuff I can only deduce is a rat/squirrel by-product. Wish us luck!


***UPDATE:
Ok, the tape didn't work...who was I kidding? The elbow joint was too far gone and needed to be replaced. I'd like to replace all of the galvanized steel piping we have (that orange/brown water in the morning is so nasty) but we have so many other things to do. Hopefully, this will take care of it; time will tell-if everything's still dry in the morning, we're good.

Memorial Day Weekend!

A three day weekend! Sounds good to me.....I noticed very light traffic today, so I'm sure many people out there are taking a four day weekend. In Maine, this was the traditional opening of the outdoor activity season....planting, yardwork, even the beach.....BRRRRR......I guess the thermometer hitting 65 in Maine is a little different than it hitting 65 here. We don't have much planned this weekend-we won't start the side of the house until next week so we can finish up some assorted items around house & yard and let our backs recuperate.....
We are making some progress in the battle against the "nuthedge" (spelling?) weeds overtaking our sidwalk strip...we spent some serious time and money digging, planting, mulching & even installing landscaping fabric. this stuff comes right up through the fabric, comes back after being repeatedly pulled, and does not respond to even extra strenght Round Up (double strength). There is an herbicide sold especially for this weed, it's not cheap, and it's not instant, but it seems to be impacting the pesky things. It will take a few applications; the good thing is that it is safe for other plants, so we did not have to remove everything before spraying. I've also heard that placing several layers of newspaper will impede the stuff for awhile before it breaks down. But for now, I really want to kill it...I'm so mad at it!
Any big projects going on in the neighborhood and beyond?

The Grand Entrance

It's not the best picture, but this was as close as I could get with the current state of my back and the pesky iron handrail in the way. This is where my little buddies, be they rats or squirrels enter my house. Entry has just been made a bit easier as a big chunk of rotted siding just fell off the house there (note the small plant growing out of the house close to the door frame). We thought it was through a little hole up where the roof meets the siding over our laundry room, but this makes more sense-and we fixed the other hole, and I still hear them coming and going. I hear them back up in the ceiling, after a long period of only hearing them in the walls; this makes me think they may be nesting, preparing for some bundles of furry joy. This weekend we start on the repair of this side of the house; the bump out which used to be a wrap around porch and is now an office. We will get some siding from Rome Lumber, and start tearing off the rotten stuff...hopefully the sill is ok, but it is probably not. Yes, we still have the backyard to do, but this is a priority.....the backyard will resume when the rodents have lost their access. The door has to go as well; I got a great door for $20 bucks off craigslist; it is perfect for the side door. The current door not only does not fit the style of the house, but it is so badly rotted, you can see daylight through it when you are in the office or foyer and when it rains, we have to put a towel down in front of the door. So if you drive by and see us outside staring horrifically at the side of the house (facing Hillsborough) give us a wave of encouragement.

I Found it on eBay!

I stuck a link to eBay on the blog.....not that no one else knows how to get there; just a convenience. I picked up an art deco light fixture for my front hall...haven't received it yet, but here's a picture of it.......and don't I feel smart learning how to paste an url right into my posts! I have been hitting eBay a lot lately.....they just don't have a lot of good antique/salvage shops here with the selection I want. There is an architectural salvage store in Sarasota, but that's a drive.....I go to the Habitat "ReStore" sometimes........good place for doors (if your patient) and kitchen/bathroom cabinets it you aren't concerned with the period style. I think there used to be a salvage store in Tampa.......

Antiquarian Books Closing?

I have heard some rumors that the bookstore on Central Ave is closing......one of my kids has said a friend went there and recieved a free book becasue they were clearing inventory out. Can anyone confirm this?

Police Called

Last evening, shortly after the preservation committee left my house(about 9:30pm) we heard some screaming outside our house. Just outside, in the street a white car had pulled over and a couple of doors were open. There was obviously a struggle going on inside; there were at least 3 or 4 people in the car. From time to time we saw someone get out and get back in; a couple of times we saw legs coming out of the passenger side door, kicking; it was obvious someone was holding this person inside (by the neck?).....one person got out and ran south on Branch.....the two people fighting in the front seat got out(it was a young man and a young woman) and were fighting in the street, him throwing her around (yes, we had called the police by now) and stuffing her back in the car, blocking her exit. He kept trying the close the door and she kept trying to get out. We felt pretty helpless-we made out presence known by standing directly in view in front of the window (lights on)....we were afraid to go out as we did not know if this person had any weapons. We called the police 2X, telling them it looked like one was beating the other pretty bad......their response time was a little slow; I have called them once before on something much less urgent and they had been here in a few minutes-they took closer to 10 or fifteen minutes this time,and after finally getting the girl in the car, the guy drove off, south on Branch. We gave the police a description of the car (we couldn't see the license plate) and the people, although it was dark. Up in Maine, there would be no hesitation to go out there and try to help.....here, it is a little more scary. We really haven't had much along the lines of this happen here.....it's fairly visible to a main street, and what we see mostly are the people who run the light at Florida and Hillsborough and get pulled over...our street is a natural for the police and drivers to pull onto. We have had a skateboard stolen from our front yard....a couple of suspicious people, but really nothing like this. I saw the police car several minutes after he left us turn back onto Branch from Hillsborough and drive down pretty fast, so maybe someone else saw something. I hope the young lady was ok......we try not to speculate what other people's business is, but it looked like something a bit beyond a boyfriend and girlfriend arguing. Please let me know if you live around here and saw anything....

Preservation

The OSH Preservation meeting is tonight at my house; I hope you can make it! If you have never been, it's really not pretentious at all-it's a very informal gathering of people who are interested in preserving the neighborhood's rich history through research and documentation-and we put on shows! I am not able to participate in every meeting and event, but I do what I can, and I enjoy being a part of it.
7pm tonight
5310 N Branch Ave

Porch Parties

I attended a porch party this evening; for those who are kind enough to pop onto my blog from other places, this is a Seminole Heights tradition-I'm sure there are similar events in other neighborhoods; each month a neighbor hosts a pot luck gathering at their house. It is a way to meet neighbors, visit with neighbors you might not have seen lately and continue conversations started earlier in the day/week/month. What I like about these porch parties we have here is the fact that no one who attends feels like they have to because the association says they have to...these people gather because they want to chat with their neighbors. They want to meet the people who moved in down the street, or a block over.....they want to relax with people who have at least one thing in common with them-they live in this great neighborhood! (plus they are probably a little curious about their neighbor's houses.....nothing wrong with that!) I think these events may be a little more common in historical neighborhoods because most people who live in these places have the same interests, concerns and hobbies (fixing their house) as everyone else. We lived for a while in a newly built neighborhood and there was this pressure to do "neighborhood things".....have a community barbecue, yard sale......anything to get everyone together, and unfortunately it quite often turned out to feel more like a chore than anything else. "We MUST participate in this because these are our neighbors and the association says we must....this is a friendly, family oriented neighborhood so we must enjoy ourselves at these events". It just wasn't the same........not that we hated our neighbors, on the contrary, we had some very cool neighbors- but there was something very artificial and forced about the whole thing. I was happy to note that I knew almost everyone there...if I didn't know them, I certainly tried to meet them and introduce myself. Suzanne's house as usual looked lovely, and her backyard was awesome.She has done the same thing I am planning for my backyard.....no grass; mulch, paths, and lots of plants along with some statuary and wood structures. Candles everywhere and places for people to sit and chat abound. What a great evening! I will plan on hosting a Porch Party after summer.....surely the backyard will be done by then...and maybe the sod out front will still be kicking....
For those of you not in my neighborhood...I hope you have something like this where you are..if not...start! It's not expensive or pretentious....just nice.

Happy Friday!

A long week is ending! Not much work done around the house this week.....I had two ARC hearings, and the last one (Wed) went until midnight, which rendered me pretty much a zombie yesterday. Not Much is planned for the weekend; move more mulch into the backyard....the usual cleaning up after 3 teenagers and 3 dogs....(yes, I am the owner of the vicious, barking dogs of Branch Ave......no breakins though!), and we will probably be rearranging the bedroom a bit, there are two rooms that make up the master bedroom, and I think we are going to move the bed into the smaller portion and the dressers and such into the larger portion. I'm a little nutty about arranging furniture......just ask my husband; the furniture must be moved around from time to time, and when I get inspired by something, it must be acted upon quickly!
Some who drive by my house may have noticed the door on my front porch, leaning against the wall; it is to replace the side door on the Hillsborough side-which I can see daylight through in some places......Craigslist-$20....I LOVE Craigslist! I could have gone to an architectural salvage store and got something similar for a couple bills......ALWAYS check Craigslist 1st! I've bought and sold on there; just be very cautious when going to someone's house or having someone come to yours....
I will be attending the Porch party at Suzanne's house around the corner, and I will be donating blood at Merino's Deli too.......other than that, nuthin.

Kitchen Color-Should it Stay or Should it Go?

I'm posting pictures of my kitchen to possibly invoke some comments-we are really not sure of the color. Granted, this is part of what drew us to the house (it certainly drew us into the kitchen), it is a REALLY bright color in a house painted mainly in more natural, muted tones. The name of the color is Behr's "Atomic Tangerine". I thought it was a hilarious name for a color, but it is pretty accurate. I can tell from older pictures and old paint smears under the new that the kitchen was once dark red; there are a couple other traces as well. I can see why it might be hard to find a good color for this room; the cabinets are of a medium tone which requires the wall color to be either very light or dark (or bright) to create a contrast...otherwise it could look a little clashing. I have thought about a softer yellow or maybe a red again......hard decision, this color is so...funky, it exudes character, as many of us want in our homes in the area. We don't want a "new construction cream" anywhere....
We will probably do a whitewash on the island as the wood is a bit worn and does not match the cabinets anyway. The counters have black tile on the island, and "stone" laminate on the rest. We are planning to retile all counters for uniformity, plus the island has a "garbage hole" on top, but with kids & cats, it has become more of a black hole.....lots of stuff as fallen in there from sunglasses to wine glasses (and a cat from time to time). That will be going, as a family of five, a small hole leading to a small receptacle is simply not adequate.
Any comments for or against the orange would be most welcome......the other colors in the downstairs are-Terra Cotta, Mustard, a watery blue (really beautiful-Ralph Lauren's Faded Silk), a medium teal, dark wood walls in the den and a vanilla in the dining room, which may be going sometime as well.

GRASS!!!

This morning; DIRT











This afternoon; GRASS


Thanks to my dear husband Mike for working his butt off. I like it......it's so.....green! Much better than dirt......I just hope we can keep it going. Mike also installed irrigation, as there was only one sprinkler head on that side of the lawn, and it didn't work. We also have some antique & David Austin roses planted along the brick wall and side of the house, with some lavender thrown in for good measure. We struggled with the possibility of putting in some sort of patio off the side door stairs, but we just couldn't find a concept we liked, so we went ahead and did all grass...maybe sometime in the future we will add something to that spot.

Disturbance in the Hillsborough High Area?

Last night two of my kids, along with several friends were participating in the "Relay for the Cure" at the track at Hillsborough High; there were at least 100 other people there, it's put on by the American Cancer Society. I participate in several similar events and I was happy to see my kids doing so as well...although the event was to run from 6pm Friday to 10am Saturday and I wasn't crazy about letting the kids stay overnight there, but there were so many people there, including other parents, tents set up, activities...so I was OK with it. (and no I wasn't inclined to participate-I walk, I bowl, I paint, I take telethon calls for all kinds of great causes...but I don't camp!) We got a call around 9:30 that we had to pick them up; someone was in the direct vicinity threatening suicide....I didn't hear if this person had a gun or not, or exactly where. I drove down there and found the track closed off by police officers, I parked up in the lot above the track. When I got into the track area, I was told to tell them when I was ready to leave so they could escort me back to my car. Of course some of my kid's friends parents lived much farther away, so I ended up with a few "extras" back at my house. By the time I was back on the road home, there were police everywhere directing traffic, checking IDs for those who wanted to get into the track area...probably 6 or 7 police cars in all. I could not find anything on the news.....online or on TV about what was going on....does anyone know?

Got Mulch?

The mulch for our backyard project has started arriving! This is the first of several truckloads we will be receiving to complete the coverage. This is where having teenagers comes in handy. I was hoping they could dump in the backyard, so we would not need to move the mulch more than once; but they did not want to go over the edge of our driveway for fear they would make cracks in the concrete (and there are certainly no cracks to speak of now, lol). This is the best kind of mulch, because it's free!