The siding is up; we painted kind of a greenish tan color, with bright white trim. It was only completed because my little brother gallantly came and helped after I fell off a ladder attempting to paint some of the higher up points and broke my foot. Oh yeah, that’s my other excuse for not writing for months, I was recuperating from a broken foot. I highly recommend never doing that.

Still haven’t painted the bathroom, maybe this winter, maybe. We’ll at least do it before selling the house in the next decade or so. Probably.

A couple of weeks ago we were watching Stephen King’s The Stand (it really hasn’t held up to the test of time, but that’s another story) and it got me thinking–if the apocalypse were to strike would I even notice? I mean honestly, those are the kind of things that pop into my head these days, I have a bit more time on my hands than I used to and the silence of the house makes you think odd things, but it’s a valid point. I can go a week or more without stepping a foot outside, unless I want the mail. I wouldn’t actually physically talk to other people if I didn’t live with someone. Unless the cable or power goes out I wouldn’t really notice what’s going on. I think, unless my house actually blew up or zombies broke in, I’d likely survive whatever is going on just due to sheer obliviousness, at least until my next Safeway delivery didn’t show up.

If the apocalypse strikes it won’t be the gun nuts or the people who stocked up on supplies who survive, it’ll be the telecommuters.

If only it was just that I couldn’t get much of a signal in my house (despite being in a sea of dark green, supposedly a strong signal area) it would be forgivable, really. However, when I could get a signal, even a strong signal, I was lucky to get speeds of .5 mbps, dramatically different from the 6 mbps they talk about. Okay, no harm, no foul. The technology just isn’t perfect yet. I live in the suburbs not in the city core so it, perhaps, just isn’t an option for me.

Tragic, but hey the sales guys were nice, they thought I was an idiot (I had to break down the cost of paying for a modem vs. leasing it for them as they kept trying to convince me paying $5 a month forever AND signing a 2 year contract was really the better deal than just paying $50 upfront), but nice. I just had to bring the modem back and they’d get me all sorted. At least that’s what they told me. But wait a minute, that’s just what they said when I asked about the return policy, you know, when they wanted to make the sale. The moment I actually tried to return it I was told I had to contact customer care.

Oh, but when I contacted customer care I got a long long run around where they demanded I try and increase the signal, it just must be a problem with where I’m placing the modem (really, I have a laptop, was I supposed to leave it sitting in the bathroom in the hopes of getting .6mbps rather than .5?). I should try tilting it differently in the USB port. Maybe unplug it and replug it. Did I try rebooting? Maybe I have a virus slowing my computer down and that’s why the speed was so slow (um trust me, I don’t). No, I just wanted to cancel! Oh? Well actually I didn’t contact the right department (silly me, following the instructions on their website), I needed to call x, click x at the menu and oh yeah, it’s already past their support hours so I’ll have to call tomorrow. Can I just email them? I mean they don’t even advertise their contact number if you’re logged in as a customer, you have to hunt for it. No, I need to talk to them. Odds on whether or not that’s so another retention specialist can try and talk me into keeping my service?

So are you thinking about trying Clear? Well if you know someone who raves about it, try theirs. Because trying to get rid of yours if it doesn’t work out…well if I ever manage it I’ll let you know.

Over a month ago we started down the path of updating our siding. The old cedar shingles were slowly rotting and the paint was peeling; the idea of replacing more shingles and once again painting the house (something we did just a couple years before) just seemed like a waste. So enter a project to update to fancy HardiePlank Fiber Cement siding. Then, because hey the majority of the labor for replacing the windows would be done with the siding job we decided to get rid of our old, falling apart, drafty, leaky, horrible, aluminum windows and replace them with über energy efficient ones. And hey while they’re at it I’d wanted a new kitchen floor for ages…. It was already adding up.

First, they found rot under the siding. Then, they found mold under the rot. Then, the windows didn’t fit as perfectly into the interior trim as we’d hoped necessitating replacing that AND one of the windows arrived from the manufacturer broken (still waiting on the glass guy to repair). Meanwhile, while replacing the kitchen floor it was discovered that the previous owners (dating back to the 50s) had never actually removed flooring, they just kept putting layer after layer after layer on top of each other (it was like a time machine even including avocado green at one point) so there was no way to actually get the floor level with the rest of the rooms without a huge job at triple the cost (let’s just say it’s not level now and I’m happy that way, probably how all those past owners ended up with layers of floor not removed). All in all it’s been an…experience.

My, should be done in just a couple weeks, project has already spanned a month and we still have to tear the bathroom down to the studs (the location of the black mold discovered under the rot!) and put in new drywall and a shower surround.

You never learn this stuff as an apartment dweller. Up until we bought our house a few years back apartments were all I knew. It’s been a real eye opener! Next time I’m taking my projected budget and tripling it, would probably be closer to the reality!

Is this what it’s always like? There are still other small updates I’d like to make, not to mention the dream of adding a second bathroom. With the way this project has gone I can’t help but think that buying a new house would be less hassle!

The house, once upon a time:

The house, a month ago (well okay, a couple years ago right after we finished painting last time):

The house, right now:

I still have to decide what color to paint. Decisions, decisions! Any suggestions?

By the time I was 18 I was already on the path to a career and a jagged hop through an assortment of gray cubicals, large corporations, small companies and everything in between. I’ve been a designer, a developer, a webmaster and a code monkey (not my official title, but really, it should have been). It’s been a dozen years and until recently I never really stopped to think, is this what I want? It just was what it was. The bills were paid; some days my mind overflowed with excitement and ideas, and other days my feet had trouble moving I was so numb from the drudgery. It was work, basically. It wasn’t until a few years ago when I really sat down and thought about what I wanted to be when I grew up and even that didn’t go further than a constantly changing idea of “what could be” and an unused bachelor’s degree achieved while still working the same sort of jobs.

When I was a kid computers were always there (despite it being the early 80s), but they weren’t my overriding passion. From the time I was 6 I wanted to be a doctor (before that I wanted to be an actress/singer, I’d still take that job, if only for the paycheck). First a pediatric cardiologist (try asking most 6 year olds to pronounce that much less explain it!), then later a research biologist (but still a medical doctor) once someone introduced me to medical laboratories and let me play for a couple of days with centrifuges and other assorted equipment. The mysteries of the universe opened up before me, it was thrilling.

Now though, now I don’t know. I’m rushing towards 30 and I still don’t truly know what I want to be when I grow up. I can keep following the path I’m on and will likely continue to grow and enjoy my career or I can put on the breaks and completely change paths now, while I’m still young enough that I’m not that set in my ways.

So how about you? Are you doing what you’ve always wanted to do? Or did you fall into something that you really enjoy, but wasn’t an overriding passion or an intentional decision? What would you do if someone handed you 4-8 years worth of living expenses and said “go to school and study your heart’s passion, you just have to come out of it with a paying job and support yourself after”? What would you study?

Me, well I still don’t know. I know I’d miss what I’m doing now, it has become a passion. Maybe not my first passion, though. When do you give up on the what-ifs and what-could-have-been kind of thoughts? Is it when you finally grow up?

Now though, now the first big change is about to occur, the first time I’ve had to hire more than a simple handyman and where the cost…well it’s when I start thinking of things in terms of how much of a Mini Cooper S (with the options I want) that would have bought me (roughly 1/6th of a Cooper in this case). We’re not doing anything luxurious, my dreams of new kitchen counters and a jacuzzi tub are still unfulfilled, but the sense of joy the idea of new siding and windows is bringing me is, quite frankly, weird. You never realize until you own a house just how much of “you” gets invested in it. And it doesn’t happen to everyone, Jer couldn’t care less, but me I’m wrapped up in U-factors and debating colors to paint. To each their own I guess.

The contractors though, that’s been the worse part. First, getting them to actually call or email me back was a trial. Of the 20 or so I actually contacted to get them to give me a bid only 9(!) actually responded. For such a down economy I guess business must be booming for them. And then the actual appointments, good grief.

First, there were the guys who talked down to me; pretty little girl, hasn’t a clue in her head about what she wants, so I’ll just tell her what she wants or ask if her husband will be home soon (next please!).

Then, there were the creepy ones, the ones where I wish I hadn’t been home alone during their bid (um, police?!).

Third, there was the salesy one, thankfully this was only one of the 9, but he made up for his minority status by pulling out every cliché there is. He started off asking me what he needed to say to get me to sign on the dotted line today (how about “I’ll do all the work and pay you $500 for the privilege.” No? Then I’m not committing during a bid). He then proceeded to tell me how they do everything differently and better than every other company out there. Then he told me how they’ll match the bid of any other company, as long as they’re using the same materials and exact process as they are…hmm what about how they’re completely different? I guess he didn’t think I’d catch on to that. He also insisted I sit down with him to go through his brochure (which was pages and pages about how they’re different, addresses of houses they’ve worked on, obviously as proof they’ve been hired before, their better business rating, etc), before he’d even get into the product OR the costs. All the while talking about how he’s not really a “salesy” type person and not at all pushy. And then of course he wanted an answer. Wasn’t too thrilled when I wouldn’t give him one OR when I said please don’t call me, I’ll call you (he said he WILL call within a week, um thanks). Listen, just take your measurements, listen to what I want and hand me your bid. Include a reference sheet if you want, if you don’t and I’m interested, I’ll ask for one. Otherwise, be on your way. You can ask questions, suggest products or methods you think would be better, but if the whole thing takes an hour you’re doing it wrong!

Fourth, there were the low pressure, listen to what I want, cheerfully respond and promptly give me my estimate ones. There were 2. Still trying to decide which of those 2 will get my business. Too bad I can’t hire them both.

I’m not sure which will be the tougher decision, which contractor to hire or what color to paint the house. Both won’t be easy. A bad contractor will be more expensive though.

To those contemplating getting braces, really they aren’t that bad. I’m sure it’ll be worth it in the end. It’s not some delusion forced upon me by the orthodontic industry. I think. I hope.

Oh, and silicone wax is far better than standard wax, but it takes 3 times as long to put on, so get both.

I have learned a few things along the way, though, that I hope might be of some use to others thinking about making the same choices I did.

First, lingual braces are actually quite comfortable. Maybe it’s because I had a tongue piercing once upon a time and I already had to go through that whole learning to talk around an injured tongue and dealing with discomfort thing, but really, they aren’t so bad. My speech is most certainly affected, but I have no doubts that given time and practice I’ll get rid of my annoying lisp.

Second, ceramic braces are not comfortable. I’m already regretting cheaping out and getting the linguals only on the top. After all the horror stories of discomfort and speech issues I decided that more standard braces on the bottom made sense. No one is going to see them anyway so why spend more for the fancy gold ones. The ceramic ones are more comfortable than the regular metal ones (my back molars have regular metal), but they’re still extremely discomforting. I’m feel as though my lip has had an altercation with a weed whacker.

Third, the area where the ceramics really shine is in hygiene. If you think flossing is bad normally, try doing it with threader floss while trying to open your mouth wide and look in the mirror so you can see what you’re doing. At least with the ceramics there are no jaw contortions needed, linguals, not so much. For that reason alone the extreme discomfort of the ceramics is worth it.

Fourth, wax is my friend in terms of comfort, but oh the hours I’ve already spent putting it on, taking it off, putting it on, taking it off, so on and so forth. Wax on, wax off, I feel like I’m in a classically campy 80s movie, just without the martial arts skills.

Fifth, when they say “You’ll start to see movement soon.” they really do mean soon. I thought with 6 weeks to go before my first adjustment, soon meant 2-3 weeks, not 36 hours. Feeling as your front two teeth begin to slowly move out of alignment is freaky. It’s like living in one of my worst nightmares. I’m sure it’ll only get worse from here on in, though. To anyone just getting started, just be prepared, soon comes sooner than you think!

Sixth, you can eat an astounding number of foods without chewing.

That’s it for now. I have every intention of posting pictures at some point, if only because some people (such as my little brother) are demanding them. I’m planning on posting updates at least every few weeks or once every adjustment, if only to chronicle things for my own memories, I might move them to a separate section of the site though. I know when I was doing my regular obsessive over-researching while making the decision about what types of braces to get, I enjoyed reading people’s experiences. So maybe someone out there will glean useful some information from mine.

Early tomorrow morning I go in to have both iBraces (uppers) and ceramic braces (lowers) installed (such an odd word, makes me feel like a car, having something “installed”). Wish me luck!