Day Six

All the vents are connected except to three rooms, and the furnace is heating the two bedrooms, study, living room, and dining room.

The HVAC people discovered a pipe in the crawlspace that was not connected to the sewer line, so the plumbers have made an appearance.

I feel like a construction manager at times.

HVAC is returning on Thursday to finish the other vents, hooking on the new central air conditioning, and the new sheetrock. :-)

Day Five

Most of the ductwork is done, but the return and several vents still need several pieces. Sheetrock now encloses two of the three new runs of ductwork, and the last one is framed.

The new furnace is 95% efficient; the old unit, which was twenty years old, was about 50% efficient, according to people from two different HVAC firms. We're hoping that our gas bill declines significantly. Such a deal, we save money AND help conserve energy AND help the environment! :-)

Day Four

All the vents and the return are cut in the walls and floors. I'm hopeful that the worst of the dust storm is now past.

Work is progressing on the running the ductwork from the furnace to the vents and on sheetrocking the exposed ductwork.

We began cleaning the kitchen (counters, appliances, tables and chairs, etc.) and the half-bathroom off the kitchen.

Day Three

Yesterday saw some surprises, which are inevitable in any house but especially in one that is a century old.

With cutting holes for vents in plaster walls and in stone floors, the first floor became blanketed in dust. Yuck. My better half expressed buyers remorse, because of the chaos. And the mother-in-law flies in tomorrow. LOL.

Day Two

With holes in floors and ceilings (but nary a wall), the ductwork is being installed on one side of the house.

The cat is now comfortable with the strangers and with the noise, although she eyes suspiciously the plastic walls that attempt to contain the dust when they cut the floors and ceilings.

Now for the start of day three...

One Down

All six radiators were removed yesterday, as well as almost all their supply pipes and the old furnace, by three efficient, hard working men. Several of the radiators were quite heavy, so it was no fun to remove them.

They also brought the new furnace, compressor, air handler, and some of the new air ducts here. We can't wait until they get hooked up, although the fireplace and a space heater kept the house comfortable. Indeed, the cat LOVES the fireplace, and is warm to the touch from its heat.

The downside is that there's much finishing work (with the previously hidden but now exposed walls and floors) that needs to be completed.

A Week Long Project

Today, the heating/air conditioning contractor begins a week long project of removing the old furnace and hot water system (including removing the radiators and pipes) and replacing it with a new one that uses forced hot air and ductwork. They will also install air conditioning, which we missed this past summer. Until the new system is operational, we'll be using our fireplace and space heaters. Watch for this week to be unseasonably cold. LOL.

Meanwhile, the cat is having her naps interrupted. She is suspicious of strange people and loud noises, so she is on edge...

A Difficult Transition

Both my cousin and the doctor had told me that they thought Dad was no longer able to live on his own. Dad has Alzheimer's disease, which to this point primarily impacted his memory. On my recent trip back to Iowa to see him, I concluded that my cousin and the doctor were correct. He was making mistakes with his medicines, not eating properly, physically challenged by everyday tasks.

We identified assisted care as the best option, since they oversee his medicines, prepare his meals, and provide basic housekeeping tasks like cleaning and laundry.

Dad disagreed that assisted care was needed, which made the transition more difficult. Fortunately, he did participate in choosing the facility and in selecting the furniture, pictures, and other items for his assisted living apartment. After about six weeks, he seems quite happy, enjoying the company provided by the other residents as well as the meals.

A Long Weekend - The Carnegie Museums

Pittsburgh has several musuems that were established with money from Andrew Carnegie, who also funded a series of public libraries across the country (including one in my hometown). We visited two of these museums, the Carnegie Art Museum and the Carnegie Natural History Museum. Both had wonderful collections. Here is a sample of a stained glass window:

(More pictures)

And some pictures at the natural history museum:

The natural history museum also had an interesting collection of rocks and minerals, like this one:

A Long Weekend - Pittsburgh

After visiting with Uncle Joe for a couple days, we headed up to Pittsburgh where we took the incline railroad. Here's the view of the track and the river from inside the car:


And here are a couple of the beautiful views from the top:



(More pictures)

A Long Weekend

Last weekend, we headed over to western Pennsylvania to see an uncle of David's who we hadn't seen for years. Uncle Joe was just like we remembered -- outgoing, friendly, and personable. The three of us went sightseeing in the area, stopping first at Fort Necessity, where George Washington fought in the French and Indian War.

Here's one of the National Park Service rangers (in period attire) talking about the battle:

Afterwards, we drove to Fort Ligonier, built in 1758, where Uncle Joe and I examined a cannon:


For more pictures, click here.

A Continuing Surprise

Our plumbing continues to provide surprises, the latest being a leaky sewer pipe in the basement that had to be dug up. Four people spent yesterday replacing the pipe, closing the street and digging an eight feet deep hole. Here they are starting to fill the hole:

Hopefully, this will be the last surprise from the plumbing!

June in Manayunk

Manayunk had two fun events during June, the first a bike race that went through part of the city. Fun to watch, the race had cyclists from the US and Europe, including teams from the Tour de France.

Here's a picture from the race:

The course was 156 miles, and took six hours to cover in unbearably hot weather; someone measured 120 degrees on the road.

The second event was an arts festival. There were photographs, paintings, jewelry, and ceramics in booths set up along several blocks of Manayunk's Main Street. Such pretty wares!

Summer!

I do enjoy summer; it's my favorite season.

One of the magazines that I subscribe to featured some summer eye candy on its cover:

Too bad, but neither one goes to my gym.

Awbrey Arboretum

We visited the Awbrey Arboretum this weekend, where we saw this Mountain Laurel:

The $19.95 U-Haul

We recently rented a U-haul van to transport items to the local Goodwill donation center. Indeed, we filled the van with excess clothes, furniture, and other household goods, many of which were too large to fit in either of our cars.

The side of the van noted the $19.95 daily rental price. With insurance (required by U-Haul), the mileage fee (over sixty cents per mile!), the gas, taxes (city and state), the total exceeded seventy dollars. I hate hidden fees.

Pretty Battlefield

Last Saturday, TBH (The Better Half) and I went to the Brandywine battlefield, a Pennsylvania state park that was the site of a revolutionary war battle. The park was disappointing, from the movie that displayed a visually incorrect and sanitized version of the war to the reconstructed house that had no resemblance to the one that Washington, Greene, and many of the other prominent American generals had used as their headquarters for the battle.

But the trees were in bloom and looked wonderful. :-)

Classic Books, Classic Prices

When unpacking some of the old paperback books, I noticed several purchased when I was in high school so many years past. The price of each was a whopping $1.25.

Another Outing

Yesterday, we explored two more Philadelphia attractions: the Civil War Library and Museum and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. In route to them, we encountered a group of Hillary Clinton volunteers as well as a lone Barack Obama volunteer.

Visiting the Civil War museum was like visiting someone's attic; it was located in an old row house with a quirky collection of items donated through the years. They had the spectacles from Army General George Meade, along with his boots, and the stuffed head of his horse. (I'm not kidding!) One word best describes the museum: quaint.

The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts was our second destination. Not as well known nor visited as the Philadelphia Art Museum, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is housed in a spectacular building:

It contains artworks by many well-known American artists, such as Winslow Homer, Charles Willson Peale, Benjamin West, Gilbert Stuart, and John Singleton Copley. Here is Venice by Thomas Moran:

The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts delighted us. It is Philadelphia's best kept secret!

Stolen Sunglasses

Earlier this month, my better half found his driver's side window broken. Bits of glass were everywhere - on the dashboard, carpeting, center console, passenger seat, even on the back seat and floor. The contents of the center console had been dumped onto the floor. The vandal was bleeding, and we found blood on the steering wheel, door, and some of the contents.

The only item missing: a plastic, neon green pair of sunglasses. The window cost several hundred dollars to replace, as well as the time required to clean the car. All for a pair of sunglasses worth less than a dollar.

New! Improved! Please use!

The mail brought a replacement credit card, a Visa card from one of the big issuers. The accompanying letter said the card now was no longer limited to a dollar amount. The inner light bulb lit up; they must expect me to use this credit card when filling the car with gas! LOL.

Native Plants

Douglas Tallamy was recently interviewed on one of the local public radio stations (WHYY, my favorite radio station here). Tallamy is the chair of the University of Delaware's department of entomology and ecology and the author of the book Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens.

Tallamy talked about the importance of native plants to wildlife. Only insects that evolved with plants are able to eat them, so the native insects are unable to eat non-native plants. Many of our favorite plants are not native. Initially, I was thinking that this would be a great way to avoid insects eating the plants without using pesticides; however, wildlife (particularly birds) depend on insects for food. He thought one reason for the declining bird populations is the decline in the insects, because of non-native plants. Since we're having to landscape our small yard, I'm hoping we can use native plants -- which has the added benefit of attracting wildlife by providing them with food.

Abby Moves In

My better half observed that our last cat (Samantha) "owned" the house immediately after she arrived. Our latest pet, Abby, has only just now moved in. She had previously claimed only the area beneath the beds, although she would emerge for food and playtime.

Now, Abby has claimed places throughout the house. One of her favorites is the top of the radiator cover (this house uses hot water radiators for heat) in the hall bath, where the heat from the radiator (and the sunbeams from the window) lull her to sleep.


Downstairs, one of her favorite spots is the top of the wingback chair, where she can view three windows as well as the living and dining rooms:


And in our bedroom, she likes to perch on the dresser near the bathroom sink, so she can supervise our morning preparations (although this picture sees her somewhat distracted):


If we sleep too long, Abby starts dumping everything stored on the top of the night stands onto the floor.

Abby has definitely moved in. :-)

Philly Destinations

The Academy of Natural Science was one of our recent destinations. I love dinosaur fossils, and theirs were no exception. Many of the skeletons had huge teeth making me glad they were extinct. They also had a visiting display of the hair of former Presidents (including Jefferson and Adams) which made me marvel at the things some people collect.

The Philadelphia Flower Show was our destination on Saturday. Filling the convention center, it was well attended. They had a Louisiana theme, so we were familiar with many of the flowers, shrubs, and trees (such as daffodils, azaleas, camellias, and dogwoods). They had beautiful displays, but my better half had as nice a display in the garden at our Atlanta home.

We ate at the Reading Terminal Market, which is filled with shops and restaurants and conveniently located across the street from the convention center. The best food was a slice of double chocolate triple layer cake from a Mennonite bakery. I'm already planning a return trip for another slice!

A Blur of Activity

Not only do we get to unpack, but we're also undertaking various projects: mounting medicine cabinets, toilet paper holders, towel racks, adding shelves -- and when all else fails, calling in the professionals. The plumber found the reason the drain was glacially slow was that someone had dumped grout into it, which hardened.

Meanwhile, Abby was coughing so we took her to the vet, who diagnosed it as asthma and noticed evidence that she had fleas. That meant washing all the bedding, throws, etc., as well as treating Abby.

We also moved items from the temporary apartment that my better half had, and culled the duplicate furniture.

In my spare time, I got my Pennsylvania drivers license, vehicle registration, and voter registration.

Abby, Our New Addition

My better half wanted to visit one of the animal shelters yesterday, so we went to the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) where we looked at cats and adopted this one. Like Samantha, Abby is a female calico. She's only six months old, is excited about her new home and people, and purrs almost constantly.

Certainly, she's already making our new house seem more like home. :-)

Philly

This past weekend, my better half and I walked to the Manayunk main street, a collection of shops that include restaurants, coffee houses, ice cream shops, and home stores. We found an excellent pizza place where we ate dinner. Philly has lots of these small main streets, which used to be separate communities before being annexed in the 1850s.

The spare bedroom, office, (the entire third floor) and workshop (basement) are still disasters, but the other rooms are mostly ready. Here's a picture of the office, where this entry is being typed:


Obviously, we still have some unpacking to do. LOL!

A "Sweet" Gift

Our real estate agent in Atlanta was a delightful person and became our friend. Sherry gave us a present before we left Atlanta, a jelly bean dispenser from Jelly Belly along with a big supply of Jelly Belly candies. We placed the dispenser in the living room, where we've been sampling the fifty different flavors of jelly beans.


One of my favorites is the bubble-gum flavored jelly beans. Delicious!

Another Kentucky Creation

In driving to Philadelphia from Atlanta (with a carload of stuff to ensure that our house had the essentials before the movers arrived), I stopped at Berea, Kentucky. They have a collection of Kentucky crafts which include ceramics, pottery, hand-blown glass, and metal figures. Our cute mouse was bought there on an earlier trip. This trip I acquired a kitty:



Isn't it cute, despite its temporary spot atop moving boxes? :-)

Boxes, boxes, more boxes

The movers deposited all the Atlanta possessions at the new Philly house on Saturday. They spent all day unloading. The moving van (a fifty-three foot long trailer) would not fit into city streets, so they had to rent a U-Haul, then shuttle loads using the U-Haul.

The new place is a "twin," which is what they call a row house with only one neighbor (I would call it a duplex). It has a basement and three levels, so the movers were constantly having to lug boxes and furniture up and down stairs.

To my amazement, they managed to get everything into the correct room except for the queen-size box spring of the third floor guest room. (They had to "fold" the mattress to get it there). They even managed to move the refrigerator - which was almost as wide as the door - into the kitchen.

Our decor is boxes, hundreds of boxes. David has been working on unpacking the kitchen, while I unpack the bathrooms, master bedroom, and closets. We have been unpacking since Sunday and still have boxes and more boxes to unpack. We haven't found anything broken yet.

Going Crazy

The movers come on Monday to pack the house, then load the furniture and boxes on Tuesday. I'm going crazy preparing for the move. I'm trying to go through all the closets culling the unwanted items. I have visited Goodwill every day for the past ten days with a trunk (sometimes the whole car) full of donations.

Both the recycling and the trash bins have been filled to overflowing; where does all this stuff come from?

Animal Shelters

My better half has really felt the loss of our pet. He's already been researching animal shelters.

The last time I visited a shelter was in my hometown when I tried to get my dad to adopt a pet to keep him company. I always feel so sorry for the caged animals and want to adopt all them all, both cats and dogs. Of course, that's not possible.

In looking for Philadelphia area animal shelters, my partner found one with pictures and descriptions of the animals available for adoption. One was an eleven-year old cat. Can you imagine what that cat must have felt when it was uprooted from her people and her home and placed in a cage, especially at an age that for cats is old?

The other thing that struck me were the names of the animals. Bo-Bo, CoCo, Dee-Dee, Fifi. Who names them? Must the names be a baby sound that is duplicated to two syllables? Abby was the only non-gibberish name I found.

Adopted 2-15-1997, Deceased 1-7-2008

Our cat was quite the character. Every night, she would put us to bed, usually trying to coax us in the bedroom at around 9 PM. In the morning, she would awake us, should we try to sleep beyond 5 AM. She would check on us periodically during the day, and would know when we should be returning, often waiting by the door.

She had a variety of sounds, from one that could only be described as a question mark, to another that asked where you were. I've never had a cat that could make so many different sounds, each with a special, unique meaning.

She also never hesitated to tell you what she felt, including hisses when she was unhappy. Honest and expressive and loving. That was our cat. We will miss her.

"Do you have a couple dollars?"

Occasionally, I'm approached by panhandlers. I used to always give them a couple dollars, but was unsure whether the money helped them. At times I'm sure my donation went to purchasing alcohol or drugs which only prolonged their problems.

Then, I tried buying food for them, usually purchasing a meal at a grocery store. I stopped that approach when one of the recipients refused the meal, saying he preferred to chose his food. I kept the meal and ate it for lunch, but that remark (and its implication that I was being condescending by providing the food) stopped me from donating food to panhandlers.

Next, I tried suggesting that they go to churches, thinking they would have the resources to help them, including counseling. One person reacted by telling me what one minister said when trying that approach, "Bless you. We'll be praying for you. God will help you get through this. Through God all things are possible. Bless you" before suggesting that the person go to a government agency located miles away. The person's description was funny, although obviously the church did not provide any assistance. Perhaps the churches also do not know what to do, or lack the resources to provide help. Anyway, I decided that suggesting churches wasn't being helpful.

So, what does one do?

Cold Temperatures, Cold Hearts

Atlanta is in the grips of an arctic cold front, like most of the country. It was in the high teens on Wednesday morning, with wind gusts of 35 mph. The bird bath never thawed (and hasn't for two days). In attempting to describe how cold it was, I hit upon a great description: colder than the hospitality at a Southern Baptist church. Anyone gay instantly understands how frigid their welcome is.