Thing #9 Completed: Plant Bulbs in Roundabout

There is a round-about in the intersection in front of my house. The city doesn't take care of it and apparently the nearby residents are responsible to maintain it. There is a variety of plants already planted in it, and I've been weeding it occasionally (only when the weeds got really tall). My latest project was to plant 100 tulip bulbs in the roundabout (bought in bulk in unknown/mixed colors). I'm looking forward to a burst of color in the spring.

Thing #8 Completed: Replace Kitchen Counter Lights

Tada! And this DIY, I actually did myself. It wasn't as easy as it seems like it should have been, but it's done.

Blog: Update

Okay, okay, I know I let my blog lapse for more than 6 months, but I've got excuses! Mainly work, and being away from home 4-5 days a week, but I could make up a few more if I needed to. And it is not as if I haven't done any Things. Here are a few of the Things that were accomplished that would have been on my list if I'd been blogging at the time:

• Fix the built-in space heater in the den
• Fix the crumbling brick steps on the side entrance to the house
• Replace several dimmer switches with normal light switches
• Purchase a new laptop
• Learn to make a "Flaming Dr. Pepper"
• Book flights for going home for Christmas
• Furnish the spare bedroom
• Furnish the living room

For the record, all the household fix-it projects I just mentioned were accomplished by my father when my parents came to visit, but I was the dutiful supervisor and purchaser of any needed tools/supplies, so I would have counted them.

Anyhow, I am back in Columbus for now, so maybe I'll keep this up-to-date at least for a little while again.

New Thing: Replace Kitchen Counter Lights

Okay, so here's my first DIY project around the house. The kitchen came with a series of lights mounted underneath the kitchen cupboards, above the counter. I like the look of the lighting, but I have a couple of reasons to want to replace them. First, the wiring is a mess. Close to a dozen individual lighting units with a messy daisy-chain of cords and plugs. Second, the lights are not energy efficient. For their small size, they generate a pretty significant amount of heat. In fact, I noticed that I was going to 'cook' some of my spices that are stored in one of the cupboards directly above one of the lights if I didn't change something (I disconnected that particular light). The intended solution involves removing all of the old lighting fixtures and replacing them with a LED light 'cord' mounted in their place.

Thing #7 Completed: Identify My Typewriter

I just noticed it's been 6 weeks since I last posted. Oops. Thing #7 was completed long ago, but here's the update. More Internet searches were unsuccessful, but then I joined "theportabletypewriterforum" Yahoo! Group, and after posting a query to the group, had my answer almost instantly. Not only did they point out where the serial number was located, but someone was kind enough to send me a PDF scan of the manual for my typewriter.

So. I am the proud owner of a 1962 Smith-Corona Galaxie, deluxe portable manual typewriter.

New Thing: Identify My Typewriter

For Christmas, Kurt got me an old manual typewriter, which is something I have wanted for a long time.



I'm not sure if this will happen or not, but I always thought there was a certain charm to writing on a manual typewriter, and I'm hoping it will inspire some writing energy.

So now I want to figure out just what variety of typewriter I have. I know it is a portable Smith-Corona Galaxie, but that's about all I know. I think it was manufactured in the late 1950's or early 1960's. A cursory Internet search has not helped me much, nor have I been able to find where the serial number is located.

Thing #6 Completed: Move!

We are moved. We are even getting pretty well settled in and unpacked. Life is good. So, a few facts about the new house:

• built post-WWII, roughly early 1950s (the paperwork is buried at the moment)
• 1250 square feet
• 3 bedrooms, 1 bath
• 2-car attached garage
  

And a few pictures:

(clean, working fireplace in the living room)


(small, but adequate kitchen)


(beautiful knotty pine master bedroom)


(and just for fun: a mountain of packing paper in the den - enclosed porch seen rear-left, kitchen and dinette are rear-right)