Wednesday, December 4, 2013

The Bathroom

Working on the bathroom


The bathroom had to be gutted to the studs and replaced.  In addition to obvious cosmetic problems, the sink does not fit into the vanity, the bathtub is missing handles (there were channel locks left by the previous owner for the valves), and all fixtures were grossly dirty.

What it used to be


Here's a shot of the sink, with the gap at the rear.


Above the sink, the medicine cabinet and light fixture sans cover.


Here, rust stains in the extremely dirty tub.  Note the missing handles and downspout.


Demolition


It all has to go! Here the tub is gone, along with all surrounding sheetrock.


Vanity gone, with surrounding sheetrock.  The toilet remains til last, for presumably obvious reasons.



Looking upward into the attic, all sheetrock removed.  this old light assembly will be replaced.



The Rebuild


Here, the new tub is in, we passed it through the wall from the 2nd bedroom.  No harm there since all sheetrock in this bedroom will be replaced as well.  It would not be possible to replace the tub without opening up the walls, as there is not enough space to rotate the tub with the sheetrock in place.  This is a very nice, very heavy, iron tub.



A plumber was hired to replace the water supply for the laundry room washer connections, and to install a new valve assembly for the tub.  They share a wall so thats pretty convenient really.



All sheetrock has been replaced, the new ceramic tile floor is in, and the first row of ceramic surround for the tub is in.


the remaining tub surround is in, with a nice decorative border near the top.


detail of the corner cuts for the surround border.


A better shot of the ceramic floor


Here, fixtures are in, the downspout still needs to be added to the tub, but most everything is back in working order including a new toilet, and new vanity and sink. It is starting to look phenomenal!







Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Who Went Camping at South Llano River State Park

So this last weekend, the extended family and I went camping at South Llano River State Park.  It was pretty cold in the mornings, down to 36 on Saturday morning and 42 or so on Sunday morning, but the days warmed up very quickly.

I got reservations for 4 sites back in March.

Coffeegoddess had to work Friday, but I took the day off so I could get to the campground early and claim our 4 spots. I arrived at the campsite around 3:00, thinking that would be early enough. I was horrified to find there were only my 4 sites remaining unoccupied in the park! They were all adjacent though, near the front of the park.  In fact, if I had arrived earlier I might very well have chosen these 4 spots anyway.  Nearly perfect for our group.

After checking in and claiming my spots, I set up my camp, having a tent behind the picnik table pavilion, and an easy up where we can eat/hang out without the annoyance of insects.





Kitchen area.  The table has a nice extension running past the seating boards, presumably intended for handicapped access.  But, it makes a great location for the camp stoves.



Coffeegoddess and Corey arrived around 6 PM




 
 
 
My brother and his family arrived around 7:00 pm, with a guest.  Their site did not have a pavilion over the table, but they too brought a screened shelter, which they put over the table.
 

 

 
 
Children arranging the tent to their liking
 

 
Mike, Audrey, Alyssa and Santa arrived Saturday morning.
 



 
What a good dog.
 
 
 
Coffeegoddess and I wandered around the park on Saturday and Sunday.  Sometimes we rested lol.
 
By the river
 
 
 At the Scenic Overlook
 
A good time was had by all.