One of my best friends, Kristina, bought her first home. I am very excited for her for so many reasons. She is a single mom with 3 amazing children. She does not have a college education. She has over come some crazy situations. She works in management in a big-ish company; she got there by hard work and proving herself. She constantly focuses on making the lives of her children better. And she saved up money to buy her first home all on her own! She went round and round with the banks for a year for this house; it was a short sale and it took quite a toll, but she stuck to it! Finally, the deal closed and she was able to get in and make some repairs that were needed before she could move in.
As this was her first house, she really had no clue what and who to trust. It is a big house and the whole thing needed a new paint job. It needed new flooring. It needed a new range, new sinks, wall paper torn down, sprinkler system repaired, gas fireplace repaired and some serious deep cleaning! Did I mention she was a single mom with 3 kids and works a full time job?
So last week, I spent 4 days with her in her new home. My first task was to pull down the wall paper in the bathroom. Trial and error and it took all day. It had me facing one of my biggest fears in home improvement. My husband jokes with me about learning to change light bulbs in the house. No. I am not THAT mechanically challenged; however I am deathly afraid of ladders! Light bulbs tend to be on ceilings which I can not reach without a ladder; so I let him do it. But last week I found myself face to face with a 2 whole walls, floor to ceiling, of wall paper and it all had to come down. I couldn't really leave the stuff at the top; that wouldn't be right. So up on the ladder I went.
All week long I found myself climbing ladders of various heights to reach the tops of walls and trim around the windows. I think I was actually becoming kind of comfortable. At least that is my story and I am sticking to it!
While witnessing the change taking place in Kristina's home, I learned a great deal about home make overs.
1) There is a tool for everything.
2) When it comes to tools, what you pay for is what you get. Spend the money on good tools...especially paint brushes and rollers.
3) Learn to manage the people you ask to help and don't let them manage you.
4) Get second opinions and second quotes.
5) When someone volunteers their services, it might be best to seriously consider this; it could save you lots of money in the long run.
6) Fabric softener is a fantastic and inexpensive way to remove wall paper. And it does double duty; it makes your hands feel amazing!!!!
7) 30 second dance breaks are a must!
8) The right music to work to really does make the work much lighter not to mention change the energy in the house you are working in.
9) HAVE FUN!!!!! Let the paint get in your hair and laugh!
After a week of home improvement at Kris's place, I got to spend an hour at the Boise Bike Project for Volunteer Orientation. During the orientation, they gave us a brief over view of their amazing program followed by a quick tutorial on the ABC's of bike maintenance. Once again I walked away with some new knowledge.
1) Everything has a tool but not every tool works for everything! Even though a tool might LOOK like it will work to take the pedals off of the cranks, there is a better tool called a pedal tool. Use it!
2) Once again, I learned that its okay to get dirty. Expect to get dirty and smile while you do it!
3) I learned how to check the chains on bikes to make sure they are not worn out. This was probably the most exciting thing for me. I instantly had to go buy a tool so I could check out my own bike chain!
4) I also learned more about the quick release tires that are put on bikes these days. How do you know you are putting yours on correctly, and what happens if you don't. My husband laughed at me last night as I walked down the bike isle at Target and checked all of the quick releases on the front tires!
I learned a bit more that I won't bore you with and I am looking forward to learning even more as I volunteer there. For right now, I am totally excited to own my very first tool (No I have never owned my very own screw driver. But wait..I did own a hammer.) It is the tool used to check a bicycle chain! And I am happy to tell you, that my bike chain is perfectly healthy!
Between working in the house (tearing down shelving, pulling wall paper, painting, working with power tools) and volunteering at the Boise Bike Project, I am feeling rather mechanically inclined. I am a long ways from being a real bike tech or a proficient handy-woman but I am so much closer than I was a few weeks ago! This week's training was invaluable and I am feeling a bit more prepared for my adventure in March!
I can't believe it's only 4 months away! I am so grateful for my friends who have donated thus far. My personal goal is to raise $2000; however, in order to take place in the Fuller Center for Housing Spring Ride, I really only need to raise $750. As this year is coming to a close, if you are still looking for a tax deduction please consider donating to this cause. Join me in helping a family live in a safe home. Anything and everything helps.
Thank you for following me in this adventure! To find more information on the Fuller Center for Housing, the Bike Adventure, or to make a donation to my $2000 goal, please click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment