Our Bob Vila to-do list is growing.
We’ve got a bunch of little things that need to be done, but we’re not doing them. So I thought putting a public list of them out there would help motivate us:
- Go over a water stain in the living room with ceiling paint.
- Finally paint the ceiling in the stairwell and paint over the wall where the movers scratched off the paint.
- Put the leaning bookcase in the dining room.
- Paint the master bedroom.
- Cover the big air conditioner and use heat-wrap on living room and master bedroom windows to seal in, duh, heat.
Geez, I’m tired just thinking about this.
Maybe writing this out was a bad idea?
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A Moment of Seriousness
It’s been suggested, er, required, that I post more blogs this year. Especially since this blog was originally my idea, but my blushing bride has done all the work to date.
So I’d like to kick off my 2011 blogging with a quick recap of 2010, the busiest year of Bich’s life. You already know about the house (Brooke’s pictures don’t do all her hard work justice; this place is really looking good) and you likely know how much we love food and wine.
So I’m going to take a few minutes to talk about something serious that happened in my life. First, some background. When I started my new job in 2008 as a financial journalist, I was more than a bit bummed to be leaving the world of newspapers. As one friend said, the journalism was the same, but the new place would be a job. Newspapers are a way of life. That all led to a rather difficult transition period for me. I struggled for the first few months with that, but got lucky that somebody took me under their wing. That guy, David, became a true mentor and a friend.
David died Oct. 23.
It was my first adult experience with death - and in the true circle of life came just days before the birth of my best friend's son. Yes, I’d lost grandparents, as we all have, but this was different. I understand some of you have dealt with deaths even closer to home. Two of my closest friends are under 35 years old and have already lost a parent each. It’s a pain I can’t conceive, and never want to.
Still, I was beside myself after David died, and I had only known him for two-plus years. I couldn’t imagine going to work every day and not being able to do the things we did everyday. Quoting Family Guy. Testing the other’s ability to recall arcane trivia, either sporting or historical in nature. (Editor’s note: David could remember more than I’ll ever forget. The guy had the best memory of anyone I’ve ever known.) Me actually having to take the other side of the “Red Sox suck” argument. David loved his BoSox but, man, was he always dour on their chances.
Anyway, after David died, I was given his job. Two years after I made the biggest professional transition of my life, I was assuming a job of quasi-supervisory work. I got a fancy title and all the responsibility that came with it. I’ll save you the boring details of my daily routine, but suffice it to say, I’m working harder than I ever have.
So I’d like to kick off my 2011 blogging with a quick recap of 2010, the busiest year of Bich’s life. You already know about the house (Brooke’s pictures don’t do all her hard work justice; this place is really looking good) and you likely know how much we love food and wine.
So I’m going to take a few minutes to talk about something serious that happened in my life. First, some background. When I started my new job in 2008 as a financial journalist, I was more than a bit bummed to be leaving the world of newspapers. As one friend said, the journalism was the same, but the new place would be a job. Newspapers are a way of life. That all led to a rather difficult transition period for me. I struggled for the first few months with that, but got lucky that somebody took me under their wing. That guy, David, became a true mentor and a friend.
David died Oct. 23.
It was my first adult experience with death - and in the true circle of life came just days before the birth of my best friend's son. Yes, I’d lost grandparents, as we all have, but this was different. I understand some of you have dealt with deaths even closer to home. Two of my closest friends are under 35 years old and have already lost a parent each. It’s a pain I can’t conceive, and never want to.
Still, I was beside myself after David died, and I had only known him for two-plus years. I couldn’t imagine going to work every day and not being able to do the things we did everyday. Quoting Family Guy. Testing the other’s ability to recall arcane trivia, either sporting or historical in nature. (Editor’s note: David could remember more than I’ll ever forget. The guy had the best memory of anyone I’ve ever known.) Me actually having to take the other side of the “Red Sox suck” argument. David loved his BoSox but, man, was he always dour on their chances.
Anyway, after David died, I was given his job. Two years after I made the biggest professional transition of my life, I was assuming a job of quasi-supervisory work. I got a fancy title and all the responsibility that came with it. I’ll save you the boring details of my daily routine, but suffice it to say, I’m working harder than I ever have.
I have questions constantly, the kind of questions that only David could answer.
David built my publication into something pretty impressive. It’s a national leader in what it does, all on the backs of four reporters, including me, and a few data folks. We do things that the industry we cover has come to rely on – and we do it really, really well. Much of that is because of ideas, creativity and leadership that my friend showed.
A lot of people have told me I’m the right guy to follow David. I hope that’s true, because David left really big shoes to fill.
I’ll do my best not to trip while wearing them.
David built my publication into something pretty impressive. It’s a national leader in what it does, all on the backs of four reporters, including me, and a few data folks. We do things that the industry we cover has come to rely on – and we do it really, really well. Much of that is because of ideas, creativity and leadership that my friend showed.
A lot of people have told me I’m the right guy to follow David. I hope that’s true, because David left really big shoes to fill.
I’ll do my best not to trip while wearing them.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Philosophies
For different reasons, the past year and a half has been, I suppose, a year of introspection for the B in Bich.
We've dealt with a lot of change, and at the end of the year, I looked back and thought, Wow. We did OK. And there are a lot of good people in our lives who we could have never gotten here without. That's pretty awesome. It makes you grateful.
A few other thoughts:
-- Perhaps seeing something take shape that gives you great comfort despite all of its imperfections, the work that goes into it, and the simultaneous joys and frustrations really is the reason the American dream is to own a home. I kinda get it now, this desire to own something. Hell, even owning an 11-year-old car that's being held together with duct tape gives me a perverse pride.
-- I'm not who I once was. Who is? Would I even want to be that person again? Sure, I'd love to have the courage of my college days again, the surety in the freedom of my 20s. The stability we have now is of a different kind: Rich and I have each other. (And three cats and a house we love, despite the leaks and the cracks.)
Despite all of the changes I've tried to make in myself, there will be countless more -- sort of making myself a project, like the house. And what I want to change in my life is up to me; what you want to change is up to you. Blaming others or being upset with them because of how they treat you or feeling that life has shortchanged you -- well, we can't control other people's behavior. But I can decide how much I can take, and how much energy I'm going to waste on them.
I've watched one of my best friends publish his first novel, another keep pushing herself toward achieving her dream of becoming a children's book author, another put herself through nursing school, another find his calling and a new home. All of them inspire me to want something more out of my life.
Most of all, I've been inspired by my husband to do better, learn more, work harder. Rich has even found in himself reserves of strength he didn't know he had. All of these people -- Todd, Leeza, Kristi, Mark, my workaholic husband -- make me so proud, and make me want more.
We've dealt with a lot of change, and at the end of the year, I looked back and thought, Wow. We did OK. And there are a lot of good people in our lives who we could have never gotten here without. That's pretty awesome. It makes you grateful.
A few other thoughts:
-- Perhaps seeing something take shape that gives you great comfort despite all of its imperfections, the work that goes into it, and the simultaneous joys and frustrations really is the reason the American dream is to own a home. I kinda get it now, this desire to own something. Hell, even owning an 11-year-old car that's being held together with duct tape gives me a perverse pride.
-- I'm not who I once was. Who is? Would I even want to be that person again? Sure, I'd love to have the courage of my college days again, the surety in the freedom of my 20s. The stability we have now is of a different kind: Rich and I have each other. (And three cats and a house we love, despite the leaks and the cracks.)
Despite all of the changes I've tried to make in myself, there will be countless more -- sort of making myself a project, like the house. And what I want to change in my life is up to me; what you want to change is up to you. Blaming others or being upset with them because of how they treat you or feeling that life has shortchanged you -- well, we can't control other people's behavior. But I can decide how much I can take, and how much energy I'm going to waste on them.
I've watched one of my best friends publish his first novel, another keep pushing herself toward achieving her dream of becoming a children's book author, another put herself through nursing school, another find his calling and a new home. All of them inspire me to want something more out of my life.
Most of all, I've been inspired by my husband to do better, learn more, work harder. Rich has even found in himself reserves of strength he didn't know he had. All of these people -- Todd, Leeza, Kristi, Mark, my workaholic husband -- make me so proud, and make me want more.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Little steps
Rich is away (and Brooke's plans were canceled by snow -- thanks a lot, weather), so Brooke will ... paint.
Once again, before and after:
A little primer and some paint, and we're in business.
Once again, before and after:
Inspection day, May
December
A little primer and some paint, and we're in business.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Open for sleepovers
I'm quite proud of myself for how the second bedroom -- now complete! -- came out. But I couldn't have done it without the genius and generosity of Leeza, who had the idea to paint the floor in the first place. It looks great.
A little before and after:
On inspection day, May
After carpet removal, September
Floor painted, just before polyurethane coat
Post-poly, pre-trim painting
At last: a real second bedroom.
Old and new.
Rich's childhood dresser, Leeza's IKEA bed, Etsy paintings and mirror, Macy's bedding,
Target container, Overstock guest towel set and curtain sheers
We've got a lot more books somewhere ...
Woody's favorite thing: fresh linens.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Snowed in
A blizzard welcomed Bich home to Jersey after our trip to Ohio and Western PA for Christmas. Stan was a real trooper through the snow, but we have definitely decided that our next car will have all-wheel drive.
Rich was still off from work, and I couldn't get Stan dug out of the snow to make it to work (and braving the roads would probably have been pretty stupid). So, real snow day for the ladies of Woman's World. At least we had time to shovel.
Brooke, seen through the front door
Two feet. Yep.
The front yard
Well, it sure made HoB look pretty.
The roads of our neighborhood. We were pretty lucky and saw a plow or two early,
but this was the best it got.
Stan, completely buried (and we didn't even arrive home until after the storm had begun)
This required creative shoveling.
Our driveway (gimme a snowblower!)
This was the most shoveling we got done in the front; the plows left a massive pile at the corner we would have never gotten through, so we didn't bother. Some very good person, however, ran a snowblower through later. Yay!
Did I mention Woodbridge got two feet?
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Happy new year!
The House of Bich rang in 2011 with a little dinner, dessert and drinks.
The crew (Kenisti, Bich, McGricca, AmyHo, Duck)
Lots of holiday cards
A fridge full of party food
Amy captures the fondue
Good champagne, a little nonalcoholic stuff for a couple of our ladies
Let's have another beer
Billy recovers after nearly choking on the lucky trinket I hid in the cake
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