Porch Progress 2/25

Are you tired of these updates yet? Because I'm not. I'm so happy to see work being done, especially now that we're nearing the finish. Though today we saw our first shoddy bit of work.

More screens were assembled and we mentioned that the light didn't work in the fan so they're going to look at that on Thursday.

The bad news though is that we failed our final inspection - "Hand rails must be installed at each end of deck". Just to be clear, we don't have a problem with the installation of rails. What we have an issue with is HOW these were installed. Check out the pics below. I could probably live with the rail attached to the porch (on the left). But the one attached on the right? No way. It's screwed into the siding of the house. It's not very stable and it looks awful, like we're boarding up to evacuate for a hurricane or something.

Mike called the project manager who was unaware inspection had even taken place, let alone that rails had been installed. He indicated they must be temporary. Mike's reply? "You bet they're temporary because they're sure not staying!". We're thinking free-standing rails would look a lot better, with slats/posts to match the bottom half of the porch area.

Other than that, we're very happy with everything and the work crew has been fabulous. I'm not sure when the stain will happen - rain this weekend - but I'd think by next week at the latest. Just in time to enjoy it!

Porch Progress 2/24

So much happened with the porch today.

Soil, seed and straw were spread in the yard. A lot of caulking, touchups and finish work were done. Lights and fan were put back in place. Gutters were installed. And two of the pocket screens were put in place.

9 in '09 - Week #8

Last week:

• 4 workouts - 3 wiifit, plus ran/walked a long way Sunday (hockey game) and did crunches
• better eating - overall yes but weekends are my downfall
• 64 oz water a day - yes
• pickup house - yes
• make a few decisions about committees - think so
• stay on new blogging schedule - yes!

I didn't quite make the 4 structured workouts but I did get in a good amount of exercise so I'm ok with that.

This week:

• 4 workouts (2 wiifit, 2 prob just crunches)
• better eating
• 64 oz water a day
• pickup house
• stay on new blogging schedule
• finish book

Busy week so I'm going to need to stay very organized to accomplish everything.

Weekend in Florida

This weekend, Mike and I took a long weekend (Feb 19-22) to go see his Aunt Brenda in Florida. She had recently moved into a new condo and also bought a new laptop that needed configuring.

We left after work on Thursday night and our flight down on Southwest to Orlando was perfectly smooth. We arrived around 9:30, picked up our rental car, and drove the 45 minutes or so from the airport to Titusville. Since Brenda works 4pm-midnight, she wasn't in when we showed up and we were in bed by the time she got there.

Friday, we spent some time working on her computer before she went into work. Then Mike and I took off for a walk on the beach. The water was kinda cool but there were some people in it. That night we had fish and chips outside at an Irish pub. The food was ok but the chance to relax and enjoy the weather was even better.

Saturday, Mike went for a long run (longer than he intended) and we went to Cracker Barrel after for breakfast. Then we drove around a nature park and saw a baby bald eagle in the nest. Huge! We also checked out a teensy Amish store and bought a few goodies. Then back to Brenda's to hang out for the rest of the evening.

Sunday we didn't do a whole lot before it seemed it was time to head back to the airport. After getting ripped off for gas ($4/gallon but there's not price-gouging laws there so they got us just like all the other tourists), we returned the rental car.

The part I've left out here is the weather. It was cold and rainy in Raleigh all weekend but beautiful and sunny (75-80°) in Florida. Until Sunday. That's when a storm blew through and dropped the temps in Florida to around 50°. Also, the rain in Raleigh turned to winter weather.

We went to the airport early because we were concerned our flight might be canceled. Almost all the flights around us were canceled but we took off, just a few minutes late. The pilot told us our alternate destination if we were diverted would be Pittsburgh, which nobody on the plane seemed impressed with. Beverage service was abruptly ended just after it had begun and we had a bit of turbulence as we made our approach but it really wasn't too bad.

Not the most exciting trip but we really just wanted to get away and relax. Brenda's place is perfect for that. Plus we were able to enjoy her new screened porch, getting a taste of what it will finally be like to have our own.

Yeah, I'm posting this way late and back-dating it. Maybe that makes people crazy but all I care about is not making me crazy. So that's how it's gonna be.

Porch Progress - 2/21

Painted!

The guys finished the priming on Friday and came out Saturday to take advantage of the warm weather. They taped everything up in the morning and then sprayed everything a nice clean white.

We're getting near the end. Stain, cable, screen installation, a few loose ends and we should be finished!

Porch Progress 2/19

Priming was finished. I think.

The priming looks to be finished, as far as I can tell. Also, the siding was put up on the inside peak and our access panel was cut so we can still get to the water. Our other option for the water included a lot of expensive pipe re-routing so we decided to try the simple solution first.

Porch Progress 2/18

Priming started this week.

It's a little hard to see but you can tell the rails and things look more "white". We've had some rain so nobody was out today - all of this happened yesterday.

9 in '09 - Week #7

A look back at last week.

Last week:

• 4 workouts - 3 wiifit, ran/walked on Sat
• better eating - sometimes
• 64 oz water a day - yes
• pickup house - yes
• pick new book - yes
• stay on new blogging schedule - yes

I went out for a run with Mike to calibrate his new Nike+ sensor. I ran .25 mi, walked, ran 1 mile, then did .25 mile run, walk, .25 run again before walking the end. Not amazing but not bad considering how long it's been since I ran.

This week:

• 4 workouts
• better eating
• 64 oz water a day
• pickup house
• make a few decisions about committees
• stay on new blogging schedule

Nothing after-hours for me this week. Haircut on Saturday. Hockey Sunday afternoon.

Valentine's Dinner - Rey's

Or, if you like, "Friday the 13th" dinner. Because that's when we went - on Friday. We had hockey tickets for Saturday night (though in the end we bailed on the game which was good because they lost badly). Anyways, this is my review of Rey's Restaurant in Cary.

Our reservation was for 6:30 and we were seated immediately upon arrival. Mike chose a wine (2004 Heron Pinot Noir) and we ordered scallops with garlic lime butter for our appetizer. We were also served a basket of complementary bread.

For our salad course, I ordered the spinach salad with warm bacon dressing and Mike ordered the fresh tomato, basil and Buffalo mozzarella salad. Both quite excellent and the perfect size - not tiny but also not large enough to feed a family of 12.

Mike ordered the special for his entree. It was a Louis the XIII Beef Tournedos - tender fabulous beef topped with gruyere and crab meat. I ordered the petite filet mignon which practically melted in my mouth. Sides are served family style so we had sauteed spinach and mashed sweet potatoes.

We had almost decided to skip dessert when Mike changed his mind and decided to go for the bananas Foster. They make this tableside, resulting in quite the show when they set the liqueur on fire. Very impressive.

Final verdict? Excellent meal. Also, expensive meal. But it was totally worth it. To give you a better idea of what to expect, I'm going to compare Rey's to two other restaurants.

First, Angus Barn. This is the "popular" local steakhouse. The food and service have always been excellent but the ambiance has really fallen off the last few times we visited. It's very crowded and loud. When I pay that kind of money for a meal, I don't want to be hoarse from shouting to be heard by my husband. Rey's was much quieter and much less crowded.

And second, Ruth's Chris. Rey's is actually located in a former Ruth's Chris building and the owner worked for RC for about 20 years. When they chose to relocate to a newer location a few years ago, he bought the old building. The menu is very similar though Rey's has also made some nice additions and tweaks.

Overall, Rey's was a fantastic dining experience. Just not one most people can afford very frequently.

Porch Progress 2/12

A big day!

• More siding replaced
• More trim put in place
• We have stairs!!!
• The electrical fixtures were installed*

*Mostly installed - the electrician says the light kit we bought isn't compatible with the fan, the manufacturer was no help at all, and we're still waiting to hear back from our project manager for more information.

Porch Progress 2/11

Some of the siding was replaced and the beadboard was put up on the ceiling. Also, pipe insulation was installed on the exposed pipes to/from the master bath to prevent freezing (again) before that area was covered up.

A porch update

No pictures this time folks but progress is being made again this week.

On Monday, the electricians were out for about 5 hours to do their work - 2 floodlights, 2 electrical outlets, the wiring for the fan, and rewiring some switches. Today, we passed our electrical and framing rough-in inspections and then the guys were back out taking some measurements. They expect to arrive at 7am tomorrow and put in a full day.

9 in '09 - Week #6

Let's see how I did last week. Also, a brief porch update at the end of the post.

Plans:

• get healthy - yeah, I'm way better. And we did go for a walk with a little jogging on Saturday
• 64 oz water a day - yep
• diet = no grains - sorta, not really
• pickup house - another sorta
• pick new book - nope
• keep planning ahead and blogging regularly - I'm finding a definitely groove here which is great

I spent most of last week trying to feel better. Which I finally do. Now we can move on to this week!

This week:

• 4 workouts
• better eating
• 64 oz water a day
• pickup house
• pick new book (way behind)
• stay on new blogging schedule

I have an early meeting Tuesday night and hockey on Saturday. I should be able to fit in workouts and other activities with no problem.

Also, the reason there hasn't been a porch update? Because there's been no porch update. They've been waiting on the electrician since last Tuesday. He's finally there today so we should start seeing some action again now.

Maximillian's Pizza Kitchen

Since I've mostly recovered from my cold, we finally went out for Mike's birthday dinner on Saturday. He picked Maximillian's Pizza Kitchen, which is right up the street from us. We've had takeout from there before but have never eaten in. What a treat!

It's a teensy place and related to Maximillian's Grill & Wine Bar (though I'm not exactly certain how). It's casual but also has a more upscale atmosphere than your average pizza place. Great service, muted lighting, etc. Their wine list had a lot of promising options and we went with the Ben Marco 2006 Malbec. It was perfect with our meal.

We started with two appetizers - calamari and a bread plate. The calamari was good, though not fried which is how I've had it in the past. Because of my weird texture issues, I didn't love it as much as I could've but it was still good. The bread plate definitely exceeded our expectations - this wasn't just slices of bread on a plate. It was warm rosemary bread with oil and cheese and olives. Delicious!

For our main course, we both ordered an individual pizza. Now, one pizza is enough for the two of us to split and make a meal but we went with two so we could have leftovers the next day. Plus, we were able to sample different flavors. I ordered the Bianca, which is sadly not listed on their site. I had several different mild cheeses, tomato, and a bunch of other delicious things I can't think of now. Mike ordered the Big Jeff - "baby shrimp, spicy demon pesto, arugula, prosciutto, goat cheese, lemon zest, mozzarella". It was a lot more zesty than mine and totally amazing.

Disappointment came slightly with dessert. We split a tiramisu. The flavor was good but it had obviously been frozen. The top layer had definite ice crystals. I don't know if they make it ahead of time and freeze it or if it's brought in from outside but that was a bit of a let-down. Also, we ordered a glass of port, just to try it. No fault of the restaurant there, it just turns out we're not fans of port.

Overall, it was a GREAT meal. And while we really made a big deal out of it, we also have plans to go back during the week at some point, order one $12 individual pizza to split, and make an inexpensive night out. Definitely check it out if you're in the area!

Screen Porch 02/03

No work was done on Friday and not much yesterday (only a couple of hours) plus it was too dark for pictures by the time I got home. As of tonight, some of the facing is up and a lot of trim work.

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9 in '09 - Week #5

Let's see how I did last week.

Plans:

• 4 workouts - 40 min WiiFit on Mon
• 64 oz water a day - yes
• diet - between Mike's bday and being sick and Superbowl? Let's skip this one.
• pickup house - somewhat but not as thorough as planned
• finish magazines - yes!
• finish book - yes!
• keep planning ahead and blogging regularly - mostly

Oh, I had fantastic plans which mostly went to hell thanks to coming down with a cold on Tuesday.

This week:

• get healthy (not setting a workout goal until I feel better)
• 64 oz water a day
• diet = no grains
• pickup house
• pick new book
• keep planning ahead and blogging regularly

Nothing on the agenda for me this week. I'm going to focus first on feeling better, then worry about working out once I recover.

This also marks the start of a new month. My big January goals were to read one book and clear up the backlog of magazines, which I did. February means a new book and something else I'm too tired to think up at this point.