Sooo…I’ve got a friend who would like to visit the Delta. Got another with an SUV. Got a free Sunday with nothing major planned. So…time to move tables and bookshelves and kitchen appliances to the Delta. We’re all getting up and leaving The City early to avoid the traffic and the forecasted 91F (33C) high. Because of the “getting up early” part of this endeavor, I’m actually home at midnight. ON A SATURDAY! Sheesh.
On the plus side, since we’re going to be passing the Brentwood Costco, hopefully USDA Prime New York Steaks are in order! Since the “recession”, big shot steak houses haven’t been as busy as before. There’s lots of USDA Prime that hasn’t been picked up by steak houses and as a result, picked up by Costco, to be picked up by me! This IS a big deal if you like to eat real food. The WSJ even wrote about it back in July.
And once we get this fantastic meat, there’s only ONE way to prepare it. Some sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. And then…FIRE!
This is the enviro way to fire up coals. No lighter fluid here!
Delta Money Pit (updated)
I just returned from a quick run to the Delta to finish polishing the hardwood floors on the third floor. It’s a lot of “hands and knees” kinda work, but once it’s done, it looks pretty neat. I also fixed the garbage disposal (so don’t have to buy a new one now). Yay.
This is the great room, door to the deck visible on the right
The hardwood continues into the hallway
The third floor of this building used to be occupied. Then it was broken into and squatters made themselves at home. After they were evicted, the occupant moved out and it has been derelict for a while. Besides wrecking the floors, the squatters broke the thermostats on the wall oven and the kitchen faucet (probably out of frustration because the water and the gas was turned off). The faucet has to be replaced since the stem is clogged with hard water sediment and it was installed in 1992. No spares available. It’s the same with the wall oven. Purchased in 1990, this Modern Maid oven has been rarely used but needs US$400 worth of thermostat controls that are no longer available. New wall ovens are US$700, are more energy efficent and have a warranty.
UPDATE: I took some more photos of the main room with a table and chair set inside. Now that I have a reliable contractor, I’ll probably get around to replacing the oven since that will also require a new trim piece for the cabinet. The room is truly “square” with a quarter cut out for the kitchen. Still, it gets nice light and is airy.
Am trolling Craigslist now for various appliances and furniture bits. Let’s see what comes available out here…
Blog redesign and Delta house
I’ve redone the site so it’s easier to navigate and fixes the broken links that resulted from the last site change. Yay.
This past summer has been a busy one for me. I’ve been learning “home improvement” at a house in the Sacramento Delta. I now know how to rewire lights, install doorknobs and locks, learned the ins and outs of the Home Despot and Lowes, how to clean and polish hardwood floors (on yr hands and knees!) and how to replace a garbage disposal. The aircon works and the gas has been turned on. As a result, the house is now livable save for a broadband connection. I wonder how long THAT will take?
One plus about being out in the middle of nowhere is that there’s a two slip boathouse on the levee across from a slough. On a clear day it’s kinda nice as long as you can deal with oodles of flying stinging bugs. Yuck.
