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GREAT NEWS...L is balanced...at least vision-wise. L's 2nd surgery is another success. Yesterday, at his post-op appointment, the surgeon released some fluid from L's eyeball as his eye pressure was too high. Other than that, the situation is looking up! L's distance vision is amazing, AND after 17 days he's now able to read again with the aid of dollar store reading glasses. He still needs to wait another 4 weeks before he can order new glasses, but he should be able to return to work on Monday....WHEW.
Here are the pictures of our new project...
The top picture shows our new porch compared to the old porch in the background. It also shows the lovely 3 inch overhang we gained with the new roofing. Wednesday, we all ran out in the rain to watch the water running off the roof WITHOUT hitting our siding or windows....YAY!! Next summer we'll be able to re-side the house without worrying about the siding getting ruined by roof runoff.
This picture shows our project for this weekend...moving the sidewalk and leveling the steps. With the new porch roof slant, there wasn't enough room to install the door on the front. The new door faces the garage and driveway. We don't have a problem with that.
Here's a picture of the new roof doo-dads that were installed. Our bathroom fans now have flappers that will prevent our heated air from escaping. In addition, all the vent pipes now have leakproof rubber boots around them.
Here's what we were working on while the contractor was doing our roof...a new, larger, birdfeeder mounted on squirrel-proof(hopefully) pvc sewer pipe. We built this whole project with scraps from other projects. The only thing we bought was 2 pvc connectors for $5 total.
I realize that most people would've tackled the sidewalk project before building a new birdfeeder. Our birds, especially the hummingbirds, were having such a fit from the moment the contractor took down the old feeder to make room for his scaffolding, that this became our top priority.
Gotta run to Menards for Quikrete and caulk. See ya later!
posted by tshsmom @ 8:14 AM
24 comments
24 Comments:
So glad the surgery was a success and L can see again! Woo hoo!
Nice-looking porch, too!
Great news! I'm glad everything was sucessful!
Great news about the 2nd surgery! :)
Nice birdfeeder. My anti-zombie compound will have a bunch of 'em, plus some bat houses. Need bats to eat the bugs. Hopefully your birdfeeder is squirrel proof.
(I love birds by the way)
That's so great about L's surgery! I'm so happy for you guys over that. What a relief it must be. I'm glad it got done as soon as it did.
You guys are really moving on your home improvement. Will it ever be done? You guys could use the break, both with your time and your money.
Good luck on keeping the squirrel out of your feeder. I have no sympathy for my fellow rodents when they destroy birdfeeders and steal feed. :-)
Glad to hear that the surgery went well. Nice little project you had, I can see why you gave priority to the birds though, nice little home they have there. :)
Yeah! Congrats on a successful surgery and the new porch. I'm sure the improved eyesight is such a relief. Now get back to work! ;-)
WC, THANKS! The porch will look better once we get it caulked, painted, and skirted.
Thanks Hammer!
ZS, A-HA, you've come to the right person! My Dad and I have been experimenting with bat houses for years! Then we accidentally came upon a design that they like.
L says that bird food is one of the few things we get our money's worth in entertainment value. Our birds are WAY funnier than any TV show! ;)
So far the squirrels and chipmunks are baffled by the new feeder. They just sit on the ground, looking up, and grumble.
Squirl, Done? What is this "done" you speak of? ;)
All I know is that if our old, crappy roof lasted 22 years, then our new, solidly built roof SHOULD last us until we move to the nursing home. ;)
Thanks Helene! I hope you survive the rest of your in-laws visit! It's really hard to put up with difficult people when you're pregnant.
VV, WILL DO! Yesterday L's vision was wavering, so I did all the one-person jobs: deck-stained the porch floor, caulked the east wall of the porch, and leveled the steps. Today...the sidewalk!
Okay, so when you're done, we have massive weeding and clean-up on the brick steps that still need to be done, not to mention the endless peeling paint that needs to be scraped and repainted. When will you be by to do all our work? ;-)
VV, you're on your own with the weeding! I'm experimenting with a new weed-killing method. I'll let you know how it works.
I'd LOVE to try my hand at brick work! I know I wouldn't do any worse than the guys you hired. :(
BTW, I leveled the steps so the step into the porch was the same height as the risers. I'm already doing better than your brick-layers. ;)
SO glad to hear that the surgery was a success. What a blessing. Beautiful job on the home improvement projects.
Oh I would have fixed the birdfeeder first too! You have a really nice place there -
Absolutely FANTASTIC!! All of it.
L's surgery - offer him our congrats, okay. Wonderful!!
The new front porch - hooray! And the overhang that keeps water off the siding, big improvement, hey. Yes!
And that birdhouse - a work of art. You guys are GOOD.
Happy for all the progress you've have made.
Enjoy your news eyes, L, and all of you enjoy that watertight, nicely vented home of yours!
Two thumbs up from Oregon!
Glad to hear the second eye did fine. Now all you have to do is wait and it must be so nice not to have to squint to see anymore for L...
Thanks Grizz!
Gardenia, the chickadees have been very appreciative. The hummingbirds remained their normal, ornery selves. ;)
Cherie, THANKS! That means a LOT, coming from someone who just tackled a project like yours!
L enjoys his new eyesight more and more everyday. He's like a kid with a new toy.
Tweets, everybody keeps saying how weird it is to see L without glasses. ;)
V, we all do the best we can for our kids. There are always some things that they have to learn for themselves. Unfortunately, some kids NEVER learn, no matter how hard we try to teach them. :(
I can't believe it, of all the people to beat me to a pun, and it was Vest.
I'm glad the surgery went well. Nice job on the bird feeder, but don't be surprised if those squirrels figure it out. Pesky, clever little fu.... Nevermind. ;)
I suppose. You should take photo of him without them for us and e-mail it to me. You dont have to post photo's of L with out glasses. I have known him all these years and he has worn glasses. I know I would think its weird..
Tshsmom said: "I leveled the steps so the step into the porch was the same height as the risers. I'm already doing better than your brick-layers." See, and I'll bet you're not a rocket scientist and you figured it out, I don't know why the concept was so alien to our crew. You'd have thought I was asking them to build the Great Wall of China! I think we should do a vacation swap. You come here to stay and work on our house, take in a week at the beach, then we'll come there to stay and work on your house and then hit the rivers and woods for some R&R. Sounds like a great and productive vacation to me!
VERY happy re the surgery--did they say anything about glaucoma to L? High pressure inside the eye can be caused by a lot of things, but both Mom and I had that before the warnings started (in my case) and the glaucoma started (in MOm's case). Not to worry you but a word to the wise.
That porch is great and the bird feeder is too. Can't believe how handy/talented you guys are.
Are you planning to use wood siding? I just learned today that plastic siding is banned in quite a few places in Europe because it's flammable. I have plastic siding and am not too keen on it.
Courtney, I'm not overly confident that this will keep the squirrels out. If it doesn't, I have alternate schemes. ;)
I don't mind our squirrels, but the chipmunks piss me off! They keep chewing up my thistle feeders! L puts seed on the ground for them, so they're not going hungry.
Tweets, I'll see if I can get him to sit still for a picture.
VV, that's a TERRIFIC idea!! Now, you and I just need to find time off. :(
Bridg, there's no sign of glaucoma...yet.
Yeah, we're doing an "almost" wood siding. It's a pre-primed siding made from recycled wood products.
We went the vinyl siding route and were very disappointed with it. It just doesn't hold up well in our frigid winters.
Oh, my. They take fluid out of the eyeball? That must be slightly nerve-wracking. Glad to hear that all went well, however.
Thanks for stopping by at my place.
The green does look good on the roof.
Suldog, it made his eye a bit sore for a couple of days, but it did the trick!
You read the wrong July 4th post. Read my post from July 4, 2008.
SME, I KNOW! ;)
It'll look even better when we paint the trim to match.
Everybody doubted my color choice, but after it was done, they ALL(even Grandma) admitted that I picked the right color.
Overhang is everything, the more the better! Some friends of my parents in Modesto have *3-foot* overhang to protect against the summer sun.
My wife has been using eye drops to moisturize and cure a blurry spot that developed from too much computer use. Gotta keep blinking to keep the eye-hydrated!
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