Stain Soliloquy

We headed out last night to pick up the sample trim (I’ll save that topic for tomorrow) and to begin stain shopping. As mentioned, I am rather nervous about choosing a stain because after all the work of getting the old paint and finish(es) off, I want to make sure the color is perfect. At first I figured the task would be relatively easy, surely there are at best 20 or so stain colors out there to choose from- we just take our best guess and see how it works out. So we head to Sherwin Williams. Now I’m not sure I’ve mentioned it before now, but I am rather engrossed with several other people’s home renovation/restoration blogs, all which can be found on www.houseblogs.net. The best part about this site is that you can search for a term, and it will comb through all of the sites out there- at this point 459 and it will bring up any posting with those terms. It’s enormously helpful because you can read about other people’s techniques, products they’ve used, see their ‘after’ pictures, etc. Needless to say it has been enormously informative. So after reading up on the different brands and quality of stains out there, which I learned is measured by how deeply and quickly it penetrates, how much stays to the surface to give you the color you want and how many different coats it takes to reach that color, I decided Sherwin Williams’ stain would be the way to go. We stopped at one on our way home, headed over to the wall of stain colors, and I began nervously eyeing them to figure out which one I would probably least regret once we covered our freshly stripped trim with it. After a little back and forth, Clint and I settled on what was called Walnut Wainscot.

We meandered over to the clerk so that he could mix our selection- when he dropped the bomb- they could custom match any color. Not only that, but they can try it on a sample piece of wood that you bring in until they get it right. Now to some this might be a relief. Every option is open and it can be exactly matched to whatever you want. For me- it only created an almost nonsensical dialogue inside my head. It went something like this...

“Any color, great! We could bring in the vase that Clint made for me for our anniversary. When we picked out paint colors for the wall we held it up to the trim and decided we wanted the trim walnut based on its color. But wait- if there are only ten colors to choose from on the other wall, then someone had to have chosen those colors. Some Sherwin Williams wood color expert must have combed through every possible wood color and compared it to paint palates and furniture colors, etc. to have decided that those are the best ten wood shades in existence. Not only that, but the stain used on the vase was the same as that used on the jewelry box makeover, and that (I realized in hindsight) was a cheap stain, as evidenced by the copious coats it took to achieve the color. So what if, because it was a cheaper product, the wood color expert person that chose that color palate wasn’t as good, or smart, or talented as the one that worked for Sherwin Williams. Is it fair to deny the Sherwin Williams expert a fair chance to prove that their color is superior or is this being a brand snob? Were all the colors just randomy computer generated? Should we just go with the color we like enough? Do we even like it enough? But is choosing the old color foreclosing on the opportunity that we might love the Sherwin Williams color even more and we just don’t know it yet?!”

By the time I came to I found the Sherwin Williams clerk staring at me, so we just grabbed our stain samples and bolted, to consider these questions in the privacy of our own home. We haven’t come up with an answer yet, but I’m leaning towards choosing our original walnut wainscot selection and trying it out. It’s a rich medium to dark tone brown, not red, but not too gray. I’m a bit afraid of going too dark, but every time I see trim in a house that I love it’s always dark so I guess we’ll just go with it. Worst case scenario we just slap a coat of paint on it. Ha, that’s a funny joke. Because that will never happen.

More trim talk

We’re headed to pick up the sample piece of stripped trim this evening- I’m quite excited, and am keeping my fingers crossed that it looks good. After a slow couple of hours of trim stripping last night I’m ready to be done with that phase- or to at least see some progress. Although I am getting somewhere, spending two hours getting paint out from between cracks doesn’t look like much when you’re done. My original plan was to strip all the woodwork in the living room then do all the staining at once and so on, but I think I need a boost so I might focus on getting one area cleaned and stained just to see how it’ll look. I’m coming to recognize how much those little boosts help- I try to balance out the monotonous work with things that will help me see the end product. That’s probably why we’ve had a ceiling fan sitting in a box on our living room floor for a month. On that note, here are a couple of our fabulous bargains we’ve gotten that help contribute to that vision of the final product in my mind. May I present our ceiling fan and the desk that we somehow magically found at a warehouse sale for more than 80% off.

cedar fence

Living Room To-Do List

Hi all- I can’t believe its been almost two weeks since I last posted. It has been a busy couple of weeks, I’ve been getting my ducks in order with school including finals, applications to graduate and the application for the PhD program. Clint is now 8% less wise with the emergency removal of his wisdom teeth, and he is wrapping up ongoing projects as he prepares to start a new job in December.

There’s not too much to report on with the house. I finally talked Clint into picking out some paint swatches with me for the living room, and we made some decisions. Of course now having a picture in my head of what the living room will look like only makes me insanely impatient to get it there. I mapped out a plan where it could all be done in time for Christmas, but I’ve realized my plan is pretty unreasonable. In part it’s because even thought the trim is close, there are still a ton of other small things that need to be done to have the living room complete

Here is my list…
Finish stripping the trim
Buy quarter-round for the baseboards
Stain the trim
Paint any tiny areas of the trim with paint that matches the stained wood where there are still bits of paint that just won’t come out (nail holes, etc.)
Shellac the trim
Rehang the trim I took down
Paint the ceiling
Replace the old track lighting with a ceiling fan (currently in our dining/living room in a box)
Tape off the trim and ceiling
Paint the walls
Get the wood floors refinished

Then eventually…
Replace the front door
Add a door between the living and dining room
Replace the side window
Add matching trim to the side window (requires getting it milled)

Ok so it looks much more intimidating when I write it all down like that. But what matters is I can finally see it all in my head- and it is so worth it!

Trim Strippin'

I got back to the task of stripping trim last night after having taken the weekend off for a bit of fun. Dad and Kathy got the chance to head out to check out the place and didn’t seem to think we were nuts for buying it (or at least didn’t tell us as much). It was great showing them around the place and getting their ideas on what we can do. There isn’t much work to do currently- right now we’re just in trim stripping mode but once we get into some major work (i.e. bathroom or kitchen) I’m sure we’ll be putting in a call for back up.

Right before they arrived we got some rather interesting information- there is a place in town who claims they can strip the trim for us in a day (a day!) if we can just safely get it off the walls. I briefly weighed the pros and cons- on one hand we would be running a big risk trying to pry off the trim- especially because in many places it’s already splintered. After getting it off in a couple places I now know that the trim is original to the house (there is no paint underneath it) but I think it is reused. There are numerous nail holes, many not currently in use, and all the cracks are where they would have pried it off another house. Plus there are some random notches where hinges for doors would have gone, but in places where there were definitely not hinges in this house. These cracks, coupled with the fact that in many places the trim is approximately 15’ long makes it a risky venture. I have already split one rosette in half and that is undoubtedly not a good feeling. I plan on gluing that back together, sanding as best I can, and putting it back up. I decided that it’s more important that it’s original than it look perfect.

But on the other hand the trim would be done in one day. That hardly seems possible after spending three months in one room. My dad was impressed we’ve gotten as much stripped in the living room as we have so that made me feel better, but nevertheless it feels like it has been an eternity. Also there are always the health concerns in the back of my mind. Although I wear a HEPA respirator I still can’t help but wonder about how much lead is released into the house (we do cross-ventilate while working). I remind myself that people worked with lead based paint for years, but I’ve also written reports about how many IQ points children exposed to high lead environments lose on average (7!). Plus we have been able to pry (rather gingerly and ever so slowly), some random pieces off without any damage so I have hope.

This place says they use cold solvent technology as opposed to the old lye dip-stripping which has been said to raise the grain of the wood and loosen the glue in the joints. I can’t help but be skeptical though of their ability to get off the 1/8” layer(s) of white paint, the tan layer of who knows what which just goops up and creates a mess, and the layer of shellac or really old varnish. All while preserving the original quality of the wood. Lucky for us they’ll take a piece less than 3’ a test it for us for free. We just have to get it to them by tomorrow and pick it up next day. (Next day!) I’m crossing my fingers that it comes back looking like the pieces I have labored over for hours, and my mind runs wild with the possibilities if this is the case. I’m trying to keep this excitement in check lest I be grossly disappointed, but the anticipation is almost unbearable.

A window into application season

I warned you all I was incabable of being pithy. :) I have tomorrow off so this is twice as long to give you two days of reading.

It’s application time for me again, and over the past week I’ve been fervently trying to prepare to submit an application for acceptance into the PhD program in the Social & Cultural Foundations of Education (the same area one I’m in now). I’m doing all this even though I continue to struggle with whether or not I actually want to do it. But applications are only accepted once per year, and the program begins the following fall meaning if I don’t apply now I wouldn’t start until September 2008- almost two years away. To top it all off, my GRE scores (the equivalent of the SAT or ACT for graduate school) are only good for five years, and they expire in 2008. So in essence it’s now or never.

There are a number of reasons why I don’t want to continue on- including wanting to have more time to myself, to work on the house, to eventually start a family, and to all around retain some of my sanity. Although I like being busy, working a forty hour work week, taking three classes, working a second job, and continuously stripping trim on top of it all sometimes gets to be a bit ridiculous. There are also a number of reasons why I do. I happen to be one of those rare breeds that actually likes school (most of the time). I love learning and I am forced to read things I want to but otherwise lack the intrinsic motivation for. I’m not sure what I would do with myself otherwise, especially as Clint tends to be equally busy, and to top it all off… it’s free. I’m looking at possibly three more years of course work, plus the additional one or two for a dissertation. While this looks like eternity to me at this juncture- I realize that I am in my third year of my master’s program, and it has flown by. But none of this is really the point since I’m applying and will take it quarter by quarter if I get in. If I want to drop out, take a leave, or go extremely slow, I can. As long as I’m in.

The dilemma comes in if I want to apply to another school. All along the plan has been to apply here, and then a long shot or two like Harvard and Columbia. Of course this plan came before we had a house, and before I was tired of school, but part of the motivation was to see if I could get in. I’ve been knee deep in the application process for Ohio State and just realized that if I ever want to try it just for fun, this is my chance. The application process is surprisingly time consuming. I have to write a statement of intent, which is in essence two pages summarizing my whole history and background, what I want to do for the rest of my life, exactly what research I want to do for my dissertation, and specifically who on the faculty I would like to work with. This is especially challenging for someone who struggles with brevity. I need to get an official copy of my transcripts from each university I attended and an official copy of my GRE scores (this, as you could imagine, all costs money). But by far the worst part- I have to find three people willing to write a letter of recommendation for me. Now I don’t mind the other parts so much, but going to professors who have more than enough on their plate, and asking them to write good things about me out of the kindness of their heart isn’t the most fun. To top it all off, I realized the upcoming deadline a bit late and can only give people three weeks to get this done instead of the suggested six. This might not be so bad if I only had to do it once or twice like most people, but due to transferring out of counseling this is the third time I’ve had to go through this painstaking process. So that is one consideration in applying somewhere else. Also the money. As I mentioned there are associated fees, and I have to pay $75 just for someone to review my application. Then finally there is the why question. Why would I put myself through all this? Initially there was the chance we could go- but now we have a house. We’re pretty well rooted and I’m pretty happy with those roots.

There is the element of curiosity though, and even of knowing if I could get in. Would Harvard even accept me? As you might imagine it is insanely competitive. I believe approximately 5 people are accepted each year. But there is the time factor. If I ever wanted to know, now is really the only time. I’m already asking for letters, what’s another copy. Also, not to brag but my GRE scores were in the ninetieth percentile, well above the average at Harvard, and I’ve had straight As since 1996. With those GRE scores expiring(and I’m not being self-deprecating but rather realistic) -there is no way I could get those scores again even if i wanted to (which i really really don't). Turns out having mono right before the test is a good thing because it gives you plenty of time to study.

So I’m torn. Do I apply just so I could always know that I could have gotten in, or is this just needless torture. As much as I (we) don’t want to move, and there are so many other things I want right now besides being in a graduate program full time on student loans and uprooting my husband, but there is something appealing about knowing I could have a doctorate from Harvard. Would it become a source of pride and accomplishment just to know I could have gone there or would it be frustrating? I’ve been accepted to every graduate program I’ve ever applied to, part of me is just curious to see where my limits are. Interestingly enough I don’t think I’d be bothered in the least by a ‘no.’

Ultimately the idea of continuing where I am now is infinitely more appealing, perhaps I’m just adjusting to the idea of being settled down and rooted somewhere. The whole time I’ve lived in Columbus I’ve always assumed I was leaving to get the PhD somewhere else. Came pretty close to going a couple of times too (some guy stopped me one of those times- talked me into marrying him). It’s odd too to realize that somewhere along the way I began thinking about domestic life more than academic. Funny thing is- I can't imagine it any other way.

So I may be a little wordy

Lunch dialogue yesterday

Clint: “So you have a test today…”
Me: “Mm hmm”
C: “…and a paper tomorrow?”
M: “Yep”
C: “Have you started the paper?”
M: “Of course not.”
C: “ How long is it?”
M: “7-10 pages.”
C: “That’s nothing for you- just pretend like you’re writing a two page paper.”

I tried to feebly protest, but had me there.
[Although for the record it was only 9 pages]

Scaling Back

Clint and I had a few discussions this weekend as to how to make our house bearable, without going into debt, and without duplicating too much work. We realized we’re all or none kind of people- he calls it stubborn, I called it optimistic. We get a vision in our head and it becomes that or nothing. Unfortunately in the case of our house there really is no all or none. The all would mean we’d have to turn around and sell it because we couldn’t afford the payments on any of the work we’d have done, and the none means that around every other Sunday one or the other of us is going to be lamenting the fact that we bought the house, and bought into the myth that we could actually afford to make it beautiful.

In the past our approach has been not to do anything twice- so with the bathroom for example, after tearing off the wallpaper, taking down the mirror, and making it look pretty much as bad as we could, we chose to abandon it until we were ready to gut the whole thing. Part of the painful lesson of all this has been realizing that we have to be realistic about our finances. I’m not sure if this is a part of youth or an aspect of our personalities but we both tend to hold on to the idea that around the corner there will be substantially more money. I think yesterday was the day that we confronted this head on and said ok, if not- then what. We came up with a middle ground for the bathroom for now- and we’re still working on ideas for the kitchen. It won’t be perfect, but neither will it look like it should be condemned. The whole goal is not to make it look like we ultimately want it to look, but to make it livable, and help us be able to live with the fact that yes we bought a house, no we really don’t have the money yet to do what we want to with it, but regardless- we’ll be ok.

Masonry Estimate

After Clint and I ventured up into the attic last week for the first time, we noticed that the bricks in the chimney turn to dust when you touch them. Also, during the home inspection it was mentioned that the mortar at the base of the chimney wasn't the most solid ever. This was probably the singular thing that made us not want to buy the house because all I could picture was sleeping at night hearing a low rumble "what was that?" and all the sudden having the entire chimney come down through the walls. (On an intersting note, many of you may already know this but chimneys are on a separate foundation from the house- that's why a lot of times when you see old houses that have collapsed, or are burned there is a pile of rubble around a still-standing chimney.) We received reassurrance that it wasn't likely (or enough so it seems), but still knew it was something we needed to have looked at sooner or later. It doesn't help either that the chimney on the roof looks like it's ready to topple over any minute. So all led us to call a masonry person for yet another estimate as part of my plan to have everything priced out that we could maybe someday want to do, so we can plan for what is practical and what is ridiculous and out of the question.

This was a perfect comination of something that needs done, mixed with something that was fun- part of the excitement of having him come was to figure out if we could ever possibly get a fireplace in the living room that could vent out of the existing chimney. He didn’t prove to be too helpful- basically if our chimney was ever used as a fireplace we’d be ok, but if not we’d have to have one built external to the house. Not inexpensive I’m sure. And to figure that out we’d have to – well, take down the wall in the living & dining room to see what lies beneath. Although he said plenty of old Victorian homes had fireplaces walled up, I’m just not that optimistic about the possibilities. Sometimes I like to imagine there’s an ornate fireplace mantle lying just beneath the wall in the dining room, but I usually stop myself somewhere between the daydream and the trip to the garage to get the sledgehammer. Luckily we have enough on our plates at the moment that we’re not likely to tear out walls anytime soon, but the curiosity is compelling. On the other hand I'm certainly not saying that one day we might not lose our minds and try to make a couple of small, strategically placed holes large enough to shine a flashlight through.