Yes Linda, your stairs look really good! I have a fear of hardwood stairs, after I went for a tumble down a set at a local showhome... in front of many people. Embarrassing. I do love how they look, but they made a lot of bruises on me that took a long time to heal.

I walked into my doctors office (unrelated appt) and she was like... WHAT HAPPENED!! My left forearm was black and blue, and I had a bruise above my eye where I cracked my browbone/cheekbone against the stair. Looked like I'd been in a fight...

I think that sock feet would have to be banned. Dangerous. (And we Canadians don't wear shoes in the house).

Or maybe I'm just a klutz.

oh Kimdee!! were we separated at birth? I fell at the theater last summer and it took a year for my pulled ligament to heal. but your accident sounds a lot worse. you're lucky you didn't break something more.
I don't wear shoes in the house either, but I do wear slippers with treads :)

Good morning everyone!
Linda..the stairs do look great, good job! I miss my old house sometimes..so much character & warmth, plus so solidly built.

I am lucky, and was surprised to come out of it with nothing but bruises. I do love the way they look without runners, etc. Beautiful! But yeah, I'd have to be sure to wear something grippy on my feet!

I have solidly built and do you know what happens to your smartphone? you can't get bars! the walls are too thick :)

Suction cups? ;)

I was on a business trip in Winnipeg a few years back and tripped when I was going down the front stairs of the hotel. I fell forwards and went down 15 concrete stairs with my elbows riding my duffel bag like a magic carpet and my knees banging along behind me. It was a VERY long flight home. I landed up fracturing the cartilage in both knees. :(

Owwwwwwwwww!!!! My cartilage (what's left of it anyhow) is crying for you.... lol

Ooooowwww is right, I was wincing when I read that. Poor knees in this group, we are terrible abusers of our kneecaps and cartilage here. :(

Afternoon all.

Since I have been up this morning my brother finished putting up a storage closet in my garage for my bags. I organized the garage and the outside. Very tiring work.

I got up and walked it off... well, tried to.

Angela, did you like any of your gifts?
Robin, are you lucky enough to be off today? Hope so!!

Nope. Night shift starting at 6pm.

Just took DD shopping for new school shoes. Got me a new pair too! Can't wait to run in them tomorrow. :D

Yes thanks Michele.

When my husband got new sneakers when he was a kid, he was convinced he could run faster, so all new shoes in my family are called "run fast shoes" lol.

I worked a bit more on my stairs - although they looked great, they had a gritty feel in places. So, a quick hit with some sandpaper smoothed everything out and made them feel good as well as look good. Then, I decided to do some cleaning in the hallway (trying to get rid of the cobwebs hiding in the corners) and on to the front foyer. Nothing fancy, just sweeping and shaking out rugs and dusting.

So, I moved the hall tree out of the way and opened the front door all the way. Bad move! When I got everything cleaned up, the front door wouldn't close. All our doors have interlocking weatherstripping with a brass strip on the bottom of the door mating with a ditch in the brass threshold. Along the hinge side is a channel in the door and zinc weatherstripping with a corresponding piece sticking out. Fabulously tight doors and windows, especially considering they are 80 years old. But, if one piece gets bent, the door won't close. Then, if someone decides to force it to close and further bends the pieces, all bets are off.

The problem was with the brass strip on the bottom of the door where it was nailed into the bottom closest to the hinge which is end grain wood and doesn't hold nails very well. So, the piece had come loose and got bent and the nails were falling out and hitting the upper side of the threshold. And, the only way to fix that was take the door off the hinges. Another adventure - not impossible but it is a 39 inch wide solid wood door so my hubby got pulled in to assist getting it down.

All in all, my little dusting/sweeping project ended up taking the better part of two hours. No good deed goes unpunished was proven again today. But, on the bright side, the door closes better than it has in years

Linda- you are a firehouse.

I have the same kind of weatherstripping here, Linda. And it's bent, we've fixed it as best as we can, but it's been forced for a lot longer than we've been in house, and like yours, it's a very, very old house. I'm glad that your hard work paid off with a door that closes better and will probably have a much better seal now. Kudos to you, hard working gal. :)

Angela, doesn't it feel good to power through a job like that, especially with a great helper? How nice for you that your brother is giving you a hand. :)

It has been so helpful...

Angela - Sometimes I enjoy having help with my projects, from the right helper. My business partner is good help, on some occasions, but he usually ends up taking over the project so I have to keep him in check. Today was fortunate because he stopped by my house when I had the door almost done. He was able to finish straightening and bending the weatherstripping and he and I rehung the door.

My hubby was miserable today - sneezing something terrible, made worse I'm sure by the sweeping and dusting. He took two different antihistamines and he said the only effect was making him tired. He's on the road this week and he was actually looking forward to getting into a different environment

Hi All, :)

Made it back, unwillingly of course. What a beautiful day, were we so lucky to have such a great weekend. Way to many campers and motorhomes on the hwy. I am completely opposed to loose animals in any vehicle, i think there's kennels for a reason. On our way home, someone had a FULL SIZE poodle on the dash of a motorhome. That thing was the size of a 7 year old walking back and forth REALLY !!!!!! Maybe i'm just cranky and just don't get it but that was the most stupid thing I've seen all week.

Idiotic, what the heck are some people thinking? Things should quiet down on road after today. Shouldn't be so crazy (I hope). :)

You are just cranky Candace. LOL

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. This couple had to be 200 years old with this friggen dog on the dash!!!! The HWY. was bumper to bumper, one minute your going 120 and then down to 50 and then back up. Campers, trucks hauling boats, horse trailers, crotch rockets, you name it, including those people with dogs on there dash driving along well under the speed limit. i try to have patience for the elderly that are still driving but this was ridiculous.

LOL Angela, your probably right but this just really PMO!!!!! Seriously, when your 200 years old you probably shouldn't be driving a 30' motorhome down the HWY, moving 70km slower than what traffic is moving. That's just unsafe for everyone. When I turn 90, I promise to quit driving my Mach One. Or at least no more brake stands!!!! :)

You can have patience with the elderly but that doesn't require you to extend that to the crazy folk out there!

I am dying over here.

Robin, we need a medic, Angela is dying over here, come fast!!!!!

Candace-you a hoot.

Good night all.

I tire of coleslaw and potato salad really fast, I should share this wonky salad recipe if you're looking for something tasty and it's an eye catcher.

4 generous handfuls of fresh green beans ( Cut into 2" lengths, blanch, strain and chill in cold tap water).
1 can of Tuna (strained)
1 can of Black Olives Sliced (strain)
1 Ripe Mango ( julienne)

Add Olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar for your dressing and toss gently.

Mix it all together, looks crazee, but it's so tasty. Lasts a few days in the refrigerator. I like to make mine a couple hours before.

Night Angela :) have a restful sleep.

Michele, are you back home yet?
Was the house where you left it?
Does it seem odd to come back after being gone so long?

I used to dread all the catch up work that needed to get done, sometimes I swear, it wasn't hardly worth it!!! Now since I've chilled a lot, It's whatever, I'll get it done, no worries. Cause it certainly doesn't get done on it's own and I'm not busting my hump.

Candace!! What is it with dogs on dashes in motorhomes? I saw a cocker spaniel, in his little bed, curled up on the dash of someone's motorhome, driving down the street. That was just last week. Stupid, or what?

Well, we can't drive and talk on a cell phone, we can't text either, not suppose to eat or drink, apply make up etc and can get a fine for all. Wonder if that applied to dogs on dashes too, since there're like hood ornaments when it comes to motorhomes. Nutz!!!

Michelle - when do your kids start back to school?

There's actually a law (either current or in the works) about things above the height of the dash. They had to adjust the heights of all our navigation computers in the ambulances to comply.

Robin where were you Angela was dying!!!!! Good, I'm glad there doing something about that. It's crazy the things ( animals included) that people have on there dashes. Some peoples vehicles are a friggen mess, just a travelling trash can. That's certainly a no go for me. My daily driver is an suv, I have nothing in it. When I get home, anything I've picked up in it during that day, is removed. I've seen some packed to the roof with crap, you can't even see the back seats, I don't know how they can stand it.

I'm packing it in, night all :)

Wow, it's 2:36 and NOW I'm awake. Kept trying to type last night and kept falling asleep while doing it, lol
It was really funny because I'd sort of wake up for a second and wonder why phone was in my hand. Sorry, guys. :)
Linda, they go back on Wednesday.
Candace, feels weird. And house is a mess, but not nearly as bad as I'd imagined. Still have my hands full but I'd say its "manageable"
That recipe sounds good, love beans.
Wonder why I'm awake now, hope it doesn't last long. I'd say good night, but since you're all gone to bed, I'll say morning to you instead. And I hope you're shift is quiet Robin :)
Roo, can't wait to see what your photos look like. :)

2:10 here and I'm still awake too. Can't get to sleep for some reason. Going back to try again. Hope you've gone back to sleep Michele.

I wish, good luck kimdee. :)

We's gonna be tired in the morning...

You crazy girls. I'm awake - but I'm getting paid.

Think anyone would pay me for the insomnia? I'd be rich!!! New career opportunity ;)

I'll be like a zombie today, a zombie housekeeper, moaning and groaning around the house. And tonight I'll fall asleep while typing. Maybe l'll be smart and put houzz away at 8:30-9:00 and sleep by 10. That way I'll be ready for first day of school for kids.

Ugh, I feel just awful, finally got another 2 hours sleep, but even that wasn't unbroken. Better put a blast of cold water into shower this morning :)