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The semi-decadal retrofitting of our main bathroom began today.
The early morning started with a rush out to the City of Berkeley Customer Service Center to try and get one-day visitor parking passes for our handyman, so he wouldn't have to move his vehicle every two hours for the next week. It's been a long time since I've gone to get City of Berkeley services, and I had very low expectations based on long, frustrating waits in the past. But this time it was quick and simple — but that might be because residential parking permits, once a way to help Berkeley residents keep students out of their spaces, are now a money-making machine for the city. But, I walked into an empty room (admittedly, it was 8.40, about 10 minutes after they opened), I entered my need into a computer, and one minute later the magic screens told me to step to a counter. I stepped up, handed the woman my form, handed her my driver's license, handed her $27.50, and came away with ten one-day parking permits, which should be more than sufficient.
Meanwhile, our handyman was tearing down all the tile that got put up five years ago. He was quite efficient at it, clearing it all in the course of a few hours. He also pointed out numerous mistakes made by our supposedly great builders of five years ago: like they didn't put concrete material behind the tiles, and they didn't caulk the corner of the tub lip to prevent dripping if any water did get behind the tiles, and they left a big gap for cold air to blow up along the pipes, and they didn't put anything behind our decorative blue trim, causing it to ripple.
I have high hopes that this time things will work out, to the point where we're going to go ahead and get some trim (if K. finds some she likes), which I'd previously written off after the failure to get it installed well last time.
Tomorrow, the concrete sheetrock (or whatever it is exactly) goes up. Then K. goes with the handyman to get tile and hopefully choose trim.
Meanwhile I get to go to the dentist. Because it's a busy week.
(Meanwhile, the rest of my routine is wrecked: I'm getting up early, and showering at night in our upstairs bathroom, and going to bed early. But it should be just for several days.)
The early morning started with a rush out to the City of Berkeley Customer Service Center to try and get one-day visitor parking passes for our handyman, so he wouldn't have to move his vehicle every two hours for the next week. It's been a long time since I've gone to get City of Berkeley services, and I had very low expectations based on long, frustrating waits in the past. But this time it was quick and simple — but that might be because residential parking permits, once a way to help Berkeley residents keep students out of their spaces, are now a money-making machine for the city. But, I walked into an empty room (admittedly, it was 8.40, about 10 minutes after they opened), I entered my need into a computer, and one minute later the magic screens told me to step to a counter. I stepped up, handed the woman my form, handed her my driver's license, handed her $27.50, and came away with ten one-day parking permits, which should be more than sufficient.
Meanwhile, our handyman was tearing down all the tile that got put up five years ago. He was quite efficient at it, clearing it all in the course of a few hours. He also pointed out numerous mistakes made by our supposedly great builders of five years ago: like they didn't put concrete material behind the tiles, and they didn't caulk the corner of the tub lip to prevent dripping if any water did get behind the tiles, and they left a big gap for cold air to blow up along the pipes, and they didn't put anything behind our decorative blue trim, causing it to ripple.
I have high hopes that this time things will work out, to the point where we're going to go ahead and get some trim (if K. finds some she likes), which I'd previously written off after the failure to get it installed well last time.
Tomorrow, the concrete sheetrock (or whatever it is exactly) goes up. Then K. goes with the handyman to get tile and hopefully choose trim.
Meanwhile I get to go to the dentist. Because it's a busy week.
(Meanwhile, the rest of my routine is wrecked: I'm getting up early, and showering at night in our upstairs bathroom, and going to bed early. But it should be just for several days.)