Household – California Dream 2000s

Bullet points of life: household projects and DD-WRT

I re-caulked part of the tile seam area around my bathtub. First I got some advice about it from the local hardware and tiling guy then spent some time pulling out the very poorly installed grout/caulk that someone else did in the past and finally I re-did it. It looks so much better, it’s cleaner and it should seal properly now.
It’s fascinating to find weirdly installed things around my apartment; some of the items I’ve found are just super bizarre. It’s really satisfying to remove ’em and re-do ’em, though!
I was on sort of a roll with the household projects so I installed some new light fixtures in the bathroom, and a new soap dish, too. Oh, and I hung a new clock on the wall.
The new pillows and stools look great!
I went to set up an extra wireless router for some friends and ended up also pulling out another router and installing the newest version of the DD-WRT OS on it. I first tried DD-WRT a long time ago because it allowed increasing the wireless power output (I was beaming my signal from a 15th floor window to a Starbucks at street level); now DD-WRT has all kinds of new features and is compatible with lots of wireless routers. Neat geeky geek-out wireless networking fun! Check out DD-WRT.

Sewing

I pulled out the sewing machine the other day and stitched up a tear on the inside of the duvet cover.

I hate to admit it but I haven’t had the sewing machine out of the box for a couple years.

I bought it more than three years ago because I feel like every household should have a sewing machine. And they’re, like, the coolest thing ever invented. I don’t quite understand how the thread in the bobbin intertwines with the thread in the needle to do its magic. I’ve taken it apart and looked at the diagrams, but I’m still rather amazed to see the stitches that come out. Everything is so perfect, so rhythmic, so well spaced; the machine hums out it’s steady song as the needle hops back and forth and the threads get tied, mysteriously, together.

I’m not particularly good at sewing. I got a job at a sail loft once and did my best to stitch together huge pieces of white Dacron that would be used to harness the power of the wind and pull boats through the water. I messed up a lot and the owners were nice to me and didn’t tell me how bad it was. I’d take apart my errant stitches with a seam-ripper and do them again. It hurt a lot when I’d jab the seam ripper into my thumb.

They never told me, but I could tell when I’d come in the next morning that they had re-sewn some of my sails. It was a lot of work for them to take apart a long stitch then run the whole thing through the machine again. They were kind and didn’t criticize me as I made little improvement.

Those machines were big and industrial and powerful and scary. Picture a farm tractor with a big needle on the end. I had trouble keeping things from going out of control when they got up to full speed. I did manage to put together one sail pretty well and I actually saw the boat sailing out of the harbor under the power of the sail I had just made.

My machine is a basic model. It’s white and has a light, a reverse lever, a foot pedal. It can sew through lots of fabrics; it can sew denim. I think it can sew leather if it’s not too thick. It does straight stitches and zig zags and button holes and a bunch of other things selected with dials.

I figured when I bought it that there’s so much fabric around a typical home, surely I could use my machine to make practical things like cushions and pillows and maybe even curtains. The curtains wouldn’t have to be too fancy, after all.

I have a plastic bin with some fabric scraps. I have a pincushion, pins and some kind of chalk pencil to mark the fabric. I made a cushion. Some bags. Some simple repairs of torn fabric items. But I have to admit I just haven’t done much more than that. I found myself intrigued the other day to see my machine running like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I quit the job at the sail loft job after a few weeks. I just didn’t think I was good enough and I was afraid to see if I could get better. I tended to give up back then. If I had stayed there I would probably be really good at sewing now. At running my little machine and at running those big monsters with all that horsepower and the huge spools of thick white thread piercing giant swaths of heavy fabric.

I’m pretty pleased to have the rip inside the duvet cover fixed. The sewing machine is still out of its box, back to its place of honor on my shelf. I may see if I can piece together another simple bag or pillow soon. I like that I’m picking it up again, knowing that I can learn whatever I want, I just have to sit down and do it. Make the effort. Read the manual. Have some patience. The bobbin is wound, the needle is threaded and the sewing machine is still, like, the coolest invention ever.

Hardware stores and hiking

I love hardware stores. I find it kind of amazing that they have so many fun, interesting, cool and unexpected items; that I can buy a single bolt or enough wiring and pipes to do up an entire house. There are three hardware stores near my apartment — four if you count the one that is on the next hill over. I like going to them and looking for project ideas. Sometimes it’s just hooks or picture hangers, sometimes it’s shelves or organizers, sometimes it’s a new idea for lighting or electrical projects and sometimes it’s coming up with a creative way to make toys and inventions out of common household items. I really like coming up with ways to store and organize things, clean, decorate, try new lighting or just manage the recycling and trash better. I like to do things that enhance my apartment without adding clutter, of course.

Last week I went to the hardware store and found a bunch of fastening gear for a home project I was finishing up. It usually takes me a couple trips since I tend to figure some of it as I go. That’s why the hardware store two blocks from my place is a good starting point. Of course it’s certainly no burden to walk another five or seven blocks to see if I can find the right items at one of the other two nearby stores (the fourth hardware store is eleven or twelve blocks away, which is still along a regular walking route, but doesn’t have the same “in my neighborhood” feel).

There are coffee shops and restaurants, a movie theater that plays indie flicks and a lots of small busonesses near my house and my hardware stores. Plus an odd grocery store that has fancy individual cakes (which I get once in a blue moon for a treat to share). Almost all of them are local businesses, not chains. I love my neighborhood.

I love August in the Bay Area. The weather is great, there’s lots to do and the sun comes up early and goes down late. It’s my favorite month.

I took the ferry out Angel Island a couple weeks ago to go hiking. I had done the perimeter road in the past, but this was the first time I had climbed to the top. I’m usually an urban hiker, but there are trees and dirt trails just a boat ride away. I plowed up the hill like a billy goat; the view was gorgeous at the top. I sat and ate energy bars and drank protein drinks, then headed down the other side and back to the ferry boat. Walker, hiker, urban foot-transit enthusiast. I chuckle when I see the Segway groups near Aquatic Park; do we really need vehicles that mimic walking?

It’s slowing down here. The crowds at the Wharf and Union Square are thinning out. I guess the kids are back in school or something. September and October are greats months here too, especially for the locals. I’m done with today’s chores, cleaning my apartment, attaching the hooks, taking things out and adding things in. Until the next hike to the hardware stores, of course.

Technology, Travel, Transit, Weather, Work, Design and Social

Travel

I did a small amount of travel over the holidays, both by train and by plane. I like train trips since I don’t have to deal with the airport, I can move around freely while en route and, most importantly, I can bring a laptop and write. Life has been so busy lately that having a day riding the rails meant I had a day to write and reflect. I wrote over 5,000 words on the train, examining my year and my accomplishments, looking at patterns I have been repeating and working out the things I’d like to keep doing and the things I need to change or stop doing. There are some hard decisions there, but that’s what taking an objective look at myself is all about. I was also able to see some amazing scenery and see how the train winds its way down a particularly tall mountain pass.

The plane ride was pleasant; I chatted the entire time with an interesting couple sitting next to me. We had a remarkably broad conversation for three people who had just met.

The silly moment was before the flight, at the security check, when they pulled my bags for a secondary search. I hadn’t even thought that my tube of toothpaste would be a problem, but it was more than the three ounce limit. I think that limit is ridiculous (as is removing our shoes), but I also know that it’s just not worth arguing about. I just quietly said, “okay, you can keep the toothpaste.” The security woman looked at me with compassion and asked if I’d like her to squeeze some of the toothpaste into a plastic ziplock bag so I could have a little with me to brush my teeth later. I thought that was nice of her, though it occurred to me later that since she believed it was actually toothpaste, and was willing to give some back, then why not let me keep all of it? I figure we were both doing our parts to act sane, within the confines of the insanity imposed around us.

Transit

I got a chance last week to ride the double decker bus that Muni is testing out. It’s nice and clean, and the view from upstairs is interesting. The ceiling on the top level is pretty low, so heads will be bumped. The bus itself felt responsive and didn’t seem to strain under the load. I did notice that it has double axles at the back; I’m assuming that is to carry what must be much more weight than a regular bus carries. I’m curious how these buses compare, weight-wise and fuel efficiency-wise, to the long articulated buses that are used on many of the routes.

I think that an electric trolley-bus version of the double decker would be needed here in SF; we should be lessening the amount of diesel burned here, not increasing it.

Weather

Someone recently said, snarkily, that I just write about the weather ere. I disagree. The weather is a handy way to mark changes, and the changes in the weather often remind me of the passage of time and prompt me to write a little something here. But the weather is in the background, helping me set a tone for the limited writing I do in this space. I’d like to think that someone who thinks I just write about the weather is someone who is not really paying much attention to what I’m saying. That being said, it’s 45 degrees Fahrenheit right now. To me that is really cold! I am so grateful for the double-pane windows, the radiator and the new boiler down in the basement, firing with half the gas consumption of the old one.

Design

I’m rooting through my list of art and design projects, looking to pick out a couple small projects I can fit in here and there, scoping some medium projects to make them more manageable and doing some preliminary planning for a larger remodel-type project that may get underway later in the year.

New Year’s resolutions

I actually have New Year’s resolutions to exercise more, eat more vegetables, lower my fat intake, rest more and pay more attention to healthy choices, physically and emotionally.

Operation: declutter and organize

I’m totally happy to be making some real progress on decluttering and organizing. Not that my place is some packrat hovel to start with, but it’s amazing how much stuff can pile up over even a small amount of time.

I’ve been reading Apartment Therapy and have embarked on one of the first projects recommended in that book: creating a landing strip. The idea is to have a system in the entryway to deal with coats and bags, to sort mail and to put away things like keys and cell phones. Basically, none of the carry-in items should continue into the living space.

My entryway is small, so I needed to come up with ways to fit things in, with a goal of leaving the entryway open with nothing on the floor. After some searching, sketching and playing with ideas, I decided to (a) use the back of the door for coats and bags, (b) sort mail on the side of the shelving unit next to the door and (c) store shoes on or at the inside wall across from the door.

I found the first pieces to make this plan work at the Container Store. I installed two of their brushed metal coat racks on the back of the door, one at the top and one midway. Now I can hang a bunch of coats, sweatshirts, bags and outgoing laundry (headed to the cleaners) on the door. Nothing on the floor.

I found a solution to the mail sorting problem, as well as a place for keys, phone, etc., at the Container Store as well. They sell a “Fabric Wall-Mounted Magazine Organizer” that has four pockets. I adapted it to mount on the side of the bookshelf next to the door, with the first pocket holding keys and phone (plugged into its charger), the second pocket for personal and social mail, the third pocket for bills and financial mail and the fourth pocket for magazines, catalogs and entertainment mail. Items in the fourth pocket cycle into the recycle bin, sometimes directly.

When I came home the first evening after setting this all up, I was amazed how everything did, in fact, have a place to go and nothing followed me in further. Everything is in a known place to be dealt with and recycled out as needed. It’s sweet.

The last part of the entryway is dealing with shoes. Right now they all sit across from the door; I am still deciding whether to put a regular shoe rack there or install one of the wall-mounted “TRONES” systems from IKEA.

On the decluttering front, I made a pass through my books and pulled out about 25 of them, which I then gave away via Craigslist, and another 20 or so that went from the bookshelves to the storage room downstairs (tech/work books that I’m not using now, but may need again in the future). Letting go of that first batch is making it easier to make additional passes and remove more. It feels really liberating.

I did a pass through the kitchen as well, moving things that were on top of the fridge, or on the counters, in to the lower cabinets. Now the whole kitchen is clear and looks even tidier than before.

Finally, another tip from Apartment Therapy: each week I am buying fresh flowers to liven up my apartment and treat it well and with respect. The flowers add a splash of organic texture, color and scent which adds even more life to my living space!

Building and design

Something very exciting happened yesterday: the new IKEA catalog landed in my mailbox. Say what you will about IKEA furniture — it’s cheap, it’s “dorm like,” whatever — I love the stuff. ~~Some of~~ ~~Most of~~ Nearly all of my furniture is from IKEA and I like that it’s light and contemporary. They have so much stuff it’s easy to find things that work even if you’re an “armchair designer” like me. And IKEA, as a company, professes to be environmentally responsible.

Now my apartment is rather small, so I don’t really buy new furniture much, but changing things up, adding little lamps and things really helps keep me from getting bored in my little space. I go through the IKEA catalog, the DWR catalog, the Pottery Barn catalog, Apartment Therapy’s site and similar catalogs and publications, looking for ideas, subtle things I can change, artsy projects that I can embark upon. My goal is always to avoid adding clutter and keep things tasteful and interesting, with a little whimsy thrown in. Yes, I said whimsy; whimsy is important.

This morning I heard some banging downstairs; I had heard that the unit downstairs was going to be renovated, and sure enough, painting and tiling was in full swing. I had never seen the unit below and it was interesting to compare. We have the same exterior wall layout, but that’s about it. The unit downstairs has walls separating the kitchen, living area and the closet and bathroom areas, whereas mine had those walls removed at some point and it’s a fairly open space. The built-in cabinetry and moldings downstairs are lovely and seeing them made me feel sad that my place no longer has those charms. But I much prefer a light open space to smaller individual rooms. When I lived in one of those “railroad” apartments, where all the rooms were off a long main hallway, things felt constricted. I would like to reinstall molding and re-tile my bathroom someday; the molding in particular would add back some of the missing architectural detail.

The building I live in is interesting, in and of itself. It was built in 1913 and has the standard San Francisco facade with bay windows and fire escapes. The elevator is an open-cage Otis and, from what I’ve found on the web, it’s of an even earlier vintage. I suppose they found it used and resuscitated it when the building was under construction. I think this whole block was built then, part of the rebirth after the 1906 earthquake. We have steam heat and old-fashioned radiators, which are now powered by a brand new gas-fired steam boiler in the basement; it replaced the cast iron monstrosity that finally wore out this year.

Update: Okay, well, I went to IKEA and bought an Ektorp loveseat; it’s the one that is comfortable to sit on and the covers can be switched off for different colors and patterns. So, one of the old chairs has been mothballed to the basement.

Chalkboard Wall

I painted the small wall near my front door with chalkboard paint awhile ago; it’s fun to be able to draw and write on a wall. It looked pretty stark at first, but once some chalk dust got rubbed in the color grayed a bit and faded to a nice look:

A friend posted pictures on her LiveJournal of her shower; she has used “bathtub crayons” to write on the tiles. I’m on the lookout for them as I’d like to try it.

There’s something appealing to me about doing art on walls, without actually “tagging” my home.

Like This? Share It!

Like This? Share It!

Like This? Share It!

Like This? Share It!

Like This? Share It!

Like This? Share It!

Like This? Share It!