Tuesday, January 7, 2014

The Joys of Homeownership

Hello everyone!

Are you safe inside your warm house protected from this Artic blast that is sweeping the country?  I know I am!  About an hour ago I heard some noise on my back deck.  I looked outside to see what it was and saw a big chunk of ice on the deck.  I have no idea where it came from.  But it's STILL there!  That's how cold it is here.  We southerners are not used to this cold weather either.

 May I just interrupt this post to let you know something important too?  If your pipes burst from the cold, DO NOT CALL 911!  The Fire Dept. will simply come out and turn your water off and tell you to contact a plumber.  They should not be used as a clean up service to your problem.  Turn off your own water!  Call a plumber and whoever else you need to clean everything up.  Call your insurance company for damage reimbursements.  My husband is a fireman and is working today.  He is running calls back to back  for this sole purpose. Fire Dept. services get abused for so many reasons.  They are not your plumber and not your taxi!  There, I feel much better now.

    Last night as I lied in bed, I heard popping noises in the window.  I guess it was the cold air compressing against the glass. Also, when we walk outside on the deck, the wood creaks.  It's all so strange.  Usually, if we have cold temps like this there is snow to go along with it.  Not here!  

Yesterday, we had something done in our back yard despite the cold temperatures.



Can you guess what he's doing?


What about now?  Could it be the beginning stages of a swimming pool?  Or perhaps some new feature added to our landscaping? 


I wish!  


No, it's actually a new field line for our septic tank.  Isn't that exciting????


They came out just after lunch time and dug in our back yard to expand our existing field line that wasn't draining properly.  We found out that our lovely builder skimped in this department!  So, now we had no choice  but to fix the problem.  I'm sure our neighbors are much happier with us now too!  LOL.

So, this is my new view outside.


I can't wait for it to be warm enough to re-seed grass and make it pretty again.  I'm having to clean my dogs feet now every time he walks through that Georgia red clay.  It stains everything!

After all that excitement, we ate some dinner and curled up by a fire to watch the FL/Auburn game.


What have you been doing during this cold snap?

Thanks for stopping by.

~ Kelly ~

30 comments:

Deserae said...

Oh God Kelly, that is just the pits! We have had to dig our yard up several times due to similar issues and it is never fun. We use baby wipes to wipe our dogs feet after they come inside. I have found they lick their paws less now since we have started doing that. Stay warm :o)
~Des

Unknown said...

I agree.. people do abuse the fire fighters and the deputies. My son is a deputy and I am always shocked by the calls he gets. 'a runaway dog', really?? Glad you said something. Good to get stuff off of our chests :)
Sorry about the septic issue :/
Stay warm.... Gee

Ron said...

I was hoping that you were getting that pool of your dreams. LOL!
Stay warm, Kelly! I have not done much after dark this week except eat and stay indoors.

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

I was hoping it was a pool you were putting in...septic is such a pain!!
This morning when the kids went out for the bus the wind chills made the temp feel like -15 below!!

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

Oh, my what a mess that will be till you can grow grass. Y'all should put some hay on it. We have to in our county if you dig up the ground. People sure do abuse 911. That is ridiculous. Stay warm.

White Lace and Promises said...

Where are you in South? Loves like someone is comfortable, feet propped. That's what my day has been.

Happy New Year,
Bonnie

White Lace and Promises said...

Love what I call rustic elegance. Just beautiful

Hope you'll visit sometime.

Bonnie with White Lace and Promises

Laura @ duke manor farm said...

Oh my... how did u figure thst out? Kids were out of school today ......you can figure out what I have been doing.

NanaDiana said...

Oh- what a mess to have to dig up and expand a septic field. It's too bad they didn't do it right he first time.

I hear you about the cold but we DO have the snow to go along with it. If you'd like I could send you a semi-truck of snow to cover that red GA clay! xo Diana

Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoes said...

Don't you hate sinking money into stuff like septic systems? It's not fun at all! We had a high of 12F today...I only went out to walk the dog. Good day to work on my blog! Love your last photo -- very cozy!

Lisa @ Fern Creek Cottage said...

Aw man...don't you hate it when you have to spend money on really boring home improvements? Think of all the pillows and hats you and your husband could have bought! tee hee

Jane@Bluebird1959 said...

Your post made me smile about the ice, popping windows, and creaking deck. We had an overnight temp of 18 below, with windchills of fifty below! (Still ventured out to dinner and a concert last night)....your weather would seem tropical to us right now, lol! What a bummer with your septic...not cheap (or decorative)! Hate when you find out somebody skimped along the way, and you have to fix it!!! Boo! Keep warm!!! Jane

Melanie said...

No, we aren't accustomed to this severe cold! IT should be different this weekend though, giving anyone that hasn't been good and sick this year, the opportunity to do so. Agreeing with you about the firefighter, the public feels they have a right to use them in any way they see fit, very sad. Stay warm, this won't last long!

Olive said...

It is cold for our neck of the woods-our poor heat pump cannot keep up. Plus I let my firewood get wet. I wipe our dogs feet too as he is digging up moles which really is a service. Stay toasty:}

Katie Mansfield said...

I had a similar view last winter, Kelly. We had our retaining wall rebuilt in December so we had dirt until summer. I feel for you. I wish you were getting a pool, instead. Thanks for the tip about the fire department. I had no idea people called them when pipes burst.
Stay warm. Hopefully the warm up will start soon.

Vickie @ Ranger 911 said...

You have my sympathy, Kelly. It would have been so much more fun to be digging out for a new pool than a septic system! What can you do? At least now you'll know it's done right.

Pondside said...

The joys of home ownership, indeed! We get to pour oodles of money into very un-glamorous projects!

AntiqueChase said...

out of all your pretty photos, I love the last one the best!! That room looks so cozy!! and wasn't it a great game!!

Linda said...

I see that fire in your fireplace!!!
Who would have thought people would call the FIRE DEPARTMENT over broken water pipes!! My sister owns a plumbing company! That's who I call if Louis Dean can't do it that is!

Lisa @ Texas Decor said...

We've lived in this house almost 14 years, and are still finding little gems that our builder skimped on. So annoying. I really thought you were going to say you were getting a pool! Sorry you have to deal with the whole septic issue. And you KNOW I agree with you on the fire dept. thing. ;)

maggiegracecreates said...

My huggy honey is a plumber and I sell plumbing, the next few days here in NE Georgia are going to be busy selling repair parts. Every one needs to know how to turn water and power off at their house. And how to prepare for cold weather. A few simple and inexpensive preventative measures go a long way.

Daniela @Frugal Aint Cheap said...

we have been inside for way too long. Tomorrow we are supposed to reach 40...about time :) It has been extremely cold

cynthia lee designs said...

Kelly...here in Ohio with wind chills at -40...our house was creaking and popping like crazy. It is finally started to warm up here and will be 40 degrees by Friday. Can't wait!!
So sorry to hear about your septic system. My hubby does soils work for septic systems and designs the layout for them. Doesn't sound like a fun job to me, but he seems to enjoy it.
~Cindy

Bliss said...

I will be the voice of reason here....while field tile may not be as pretty as a swimming pool, having a backed up sewer would certainly cause a bit of unwanted excitement! So instead extending the sewer, how about I think of it as you extended your back yard.

Marissa said...

Oh, I was so hoping that project would of been a pool.
I hate when I have to spend money on home improvements that you really can't see.
that fire sure looks cozy..

Cynthia said...

It would never dawn on me to call 911 for this situation unless someone had a health emergency. What are people thinking??? Sorry about your septic, I know those problems are not cheap. Dealing with all that clay must be a mess. Good luck friend and stay warm.

Cynthia

This N That said...

It's always something Kelly..Somehow we make ourselves believe it's all worthwhile..

Brenda Pruitt said...

I'm always hearing about builders that skimp on something. Sorry about the red dirt. I hope it doesn't get on your furniture!
Brenda

Anonymous said...

I really thought you were going to build a pool. You got me there. Anyway, I'm a new visitor here on your blog. I really love how candid your writing style is and I really enjoyed reading your posts. Keep up the good work! Oh also, if you know some information about az pool repair tips, any insights would be really appreciated. Have a nice day!

Anne said...

Oh no....well you are right it is the not so fun part of home ownership.Hope you are staying warm.
xx
Anne