Alabama Trip

Great start to the trip - breakfast with C on her day off from Summer job
She was tired, sunburnt, happy.

This is a reminder of the 20 dollar  restroom stop at the halfway point
Next time I'll remember to just stretch my legs with a walk along the mighty Mississippi!

before and after on brink grunge

Shoes hanging to dry on back porch light string hooks.

I had never run a "power-washer" before.  Great fun! I loved seeing the immediate results and it's gratifying to have done a job that will stay "done" for a while. I'm a convert.

We rented a gas powered one from Home Depot.  There was just a bit of trouble keeping the hoses organized, and I was unable to accomplish the first start (though once it was warmed up I did fine with the re-start).  I accidentally swept it across my foot and was amazed at how deep it cut (also blew some paint off of the shutters). Next time I'll have on tennis shoes for the job.  It's probably worth noting that every joint on my arms and shoulders is aching today.  I can't say it's entirely due to the power washing job, but doing the entire exterior of the house  plus the entire interior of the garage and all the sidewalks and patios was probably too much for my body at one time.

These two sweethearts came over with food and drinks, helping hands and hugs.
Precious.  I miss them.
  

 

I thought repainting the living room would be a half day job -
it took all day! Cleaning  sheetrock dust from the floor was another half day project.



I was very happy with the results.
Benjamin Moore - Grant Beige



Touch up in the hall went fast
for renting the house out we will add 5 smoke detectors
that door had been "touched up" with a grey paint during our absence
weird little touches like that were all over the house - idk who did it or why.



Fixture shopping - I really wanted to buy the fixture on the right but it was out of stock for a fifty mile radius - wound up with the one on the left which is more transitional and probably a better choice anyway.  I thought I would have time to install it myself, but we had to get back to Texas.  I think we left a couple of days work with the handyman.

  

It amazed me to see things like this - someone wanted to see under the wallpaper in the upstairs bath so they just poked a hole in the sheetrock and peeled back the wall paper.  Every window on the back of the house was unlocked!  One of the offers we declined indicated that that prospective buyer had spent considerable time in the house (without their agent).  I am honestly appalled at what people are willing to do with property that doesn't belong to them.  I thought it would be good to put the house on the market after it was vacant. I was wrong.  I have learned a lot about how I would do things differently concerning selling the house.

I spent a day working the flower beds, both front and back, trimming shrubs, and laying out pine straw.  I don't know how the shrubs will get trimmed while the house is a rental house.  The property manager we hired said most people don't even have lawn mowers while they are renting - that makes sense.  Our yard guys do mowing, edging, and weed whipping.  We'll see.  

We think this economy*is right for rental properties.  This is our try on.  It looks like it will be rented out this week.  I like that it won't be sitting empty. 

*Owner-occupied housing units made up 54.9 percent of total housing units, while renter-occupied units made up 32.4 percent of the inventory in the second quarter 2016. ~census data

The other thing I want to note about the trip - I am so glad we moved back to Texas.  Alabama has a de-energize, stagnant feel.  Their local economy isn't vibrant.