Home(owner) alone

A good friend recently shared a link to a portable home security system called SimpliSafe.    A $19 starter kit includes a base station, wireless keypad, entry sensors for protecting windows and doors, and a keychain remote to turn the alarm on and off.  The service itself costs $15/month.  It uses a cellular wireless connection to stay in contact with its monitoring service.  According to the website, if the alarm is tripped a SimpliSafe operator calls to check in. If the customer does not pick up the phone or provide a safe word they notify police department. 

SimpliSafe markets itself as being portable and easy to install.  Because it operates through a wireless connection with the base station, it does not need to be hardwired in the home or apartment and can easily be relocated.  For more information, check out the link below.

http://www.dailygrommet.com/products/457-SimpliSafe-Home-Wireless-Security-System

When I have the time over my lunch hour, I like to check out www.catalogliving.net and see what my favorite catalog couple Gary and Elaine are up to.  Catalog Living is a Web site created by Molly Erdman, a Los Angeles-based actor, writer and comedian.  Erdman gives funny captions to absurd photographs she finds in design catalogs.  Her posts revolve around an imaginary couple named Gary and Elaine who live within the homes and backyards featured in these catalogs.  I’m sure this won’t be for everyone, but I love her sense of humor.  Here are just a few of my favorites: 

Table for one…  Taken from the West End catalog

Gary hated mornings when Elaine went to her early Zumba class, but at least it gave him the chance to reflect on his early sketches and pray to his lucky number.

We have a sit-uation here… - taken from the Grandin Road catalog

Gary, you know what I meant by “just put the chairs anywhere.” Now get down from there and fix it before everyone gets here.

It’s that time of year… - taken from the Uppercase living catalog

Some people have desk calendars that say what day it is, but Gary prefers something more basic.

Heads up… - taken from the Pottery Barn catalog

We had been married 15 years when I discovered Gary’s skull vase and at that point, really, what was I going to do?

 Those of you who read my earlier post about what I did to my front lawn may be wary of reading any lawn advice from me, but I believe this post has some merit.

This spring when I went shopping for a lawn mower, my biggest concern was being able to get it started. I’ve always had a hard time starting push mowers.  I don’t know if I’m too weak (hard to admit), if my arms are too short, or if I just don’t have the rhythm necessary to pull start a mower.  The other excuse could be that we never had reliable lawn mowers when I was growing up.  Back then, I’d wear my lucky shorts, do a lucky dance and throw my arms up to the heavens before trying to get the darned thing started.

For these reasons, I started looking at electric mowers.  I knew I didn’t want one with a cord.  I looked at battery-operated models at a few different stores.  I asked salesmen about the battery life and replacement.  I wanted to make sure that if I needed a new battery that the store would sell them or help me order one.  Not every salesman I spoke to was prepared for the questions, but I finally found one who was.  I was told the battery should last up to 5 years as long as I store it inside over the winter.  This store also was equipped to order batteries when needed.  I was sold!

Some pros and cons of electric mowers:

Pros: I don’t have to worry about gas or other mower maintenance.  As long as I keep it charged, I don’t have to worry about it not starting. Replacement batteries can cost around $60, but if they do last 5 years I think that still may be cheaper than purchasing gas and oil changes. 

Cons: Because electric models are relatively new on the market, there isn’t a lot of information about their life expectancy.  I have a fairly small lawn and have never had a problem using up the charge, but I can’t speak for those who have large lawns.  I’ve read that a full charge should last more than an hour, but I’ve never had to test that claim.

Electric lawn mowers are more expensive.  I paid about $100 more than I would have paid for a good gas-powered mower, but that is money well spent in my book if I never have to ask for help getting it started.

I happen to know a few women who get out of mowing lawn because they tell their husbands they can’t get the mower started.  Ladies – I hope my post didn’t spoil what was working for you.  Please don’t hold it against me!

Saturday is the day the city of Fargo’s hazardous waste facility is open from 8 a.m. to noon.  Aside from regular business hours Monday through Friday, the facility is only open the second Saturday of the month.  It’s the perfect time to get rid of old paint cans, fluorescent lights, and other items that can’t be put out with the regular trash.  Listed below is further information about acceptable items as well as the address.  Happy cleaning!

Household hazardous waste

Fargo residents can bring household hazardous waste to our facility year-round at no charge during regular business hours. Household hazardous waste (HHW) includes items labeled danger, toxic, poisonous, corrosive or flammable such as paints, thinners, stains, varnish, drain and oven cleaners, poisons, automotive fluids, weed and insect killer, fluorescent light bulbs and ballasts, etc. These materials (in household quantities), among others, are accepted at the city’s permanent HHW facility. 

The HHW building is located at 606 – 43 1/2 St. N. in Fargo.  The facility is just east of the landfill and compost site, on the south side of 7th Ave.

The year-round facility hours are Mondays and Tuesdays (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), Wednesdays (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.), Thursdays and Fridays (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), as well as the second Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. to noon.

This week marks one year in my new home and one year down on a 30-year mortgage. 

My home improvement wish list is endless.  I want French doors leading to my deck, all new window treatments, more art for my walls, and the list goes on.  I have to remind myself that I can’t expect to do everything during this first year.  My obsession with having everything perfect even prevented me from throwing a house-warming party. 

My goal this year is to try to let go a little and enjoy my home as it is.  I’m also going to make a conscious effort to get out of the house more.  I think it’s important to find a balance.  I can’t let my home become more important to me than all the great people I have in my life.  If I can’t pry myself away, maybe I’ll at least invite some friends over for that long-awaited house-warming party.

Cheers!

It all started a few weeks ago when my friend noticed water dripping in her bedroom closet.  We can all agree that’s never good, but the combination of causes, well, let’s just say I don’t think anyone could have imagined it.

She hired someone to come come repair her sheetrock and to try to find the source of the leak.  They both initially thought it was maybe her sump pump leaking.  He tore out some sheetrock and got to work.  She left for work that day, but several hours later the repairman called to ask, “Yeah, um, have you ever lost a pet in your house?”  What?!   She’s owned her house for around 5 years, and no, never lost a pet.  The guy said he found a carcass in her ceiling.  A CARCASS!  Obviously she was pretty pretty disturbed at that revelation.

The repairman wound up throwing out the bones as well as three garbage bags full of trash like empty grocery bags, leaves and mud.  Eventually he found the hide, and determined that it was a squirrel.  Turns out that little bugger made its way up through her dryer vent and made himself at home.  Now I don’t know how long it takes for a squirrel to become bones, but I’m guessing it had been there for quite a long time. 

At that point they thought that the leaky sump had probably caused all of that garbage to become wet and that’s what was making the ceiling leak.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only problem.  Eventually they also determined that the air conditioner she bought last summer hadn’t been installed properly.  All of the condensation that was supposed to collect outside was running down her wall.  That provided a new problem because it is extremely hard to find people to service wall unit air conditioners.  Thankfully, her current repairman got a little advice from a local store and was able to re-install the air conditioner properly.

The good news is that everything has been repaired and I was able to help her paint the walls and start to get things back in order this past weekend. 

It’s random horror stories like these that made it terrifying to buy a home.  Now I can add squirrels to my list of concerns.

My goal this weekend is to clean out some closets and my garage.  One would think I’d purged enough before moving a year ago, but I have the itch to do it again.  Listed below is information about a few area thrift stores including what organizations benefit from their sales. All information was taken from their websites.

 New Life Center Thrift Store, 1902 3rd Ave. N., Fargo. (701) 235-4453. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Profits support the New Life Center which provides shelter, food and other services to area homeless. They accept clothing, dinnerware, books, furniture, electronics, decorations and much more. Call for more information about pick-ups.

 Arc Attic Treasures, 215 N. University Drive, Fargo. (701) 232-6641; 3201 43rd St. S., Fargo. (701) 364-9762. Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. Friday. Profits support programs for the developmentally disabled. Their website lists the following as unacceptable donations due to liability concerns: console televisions and stereos, food or medication, older-model cribs, encyclopedias or text books, large metal desks, mattresses or furniture with tears, rips or stains. To request a pick-up, call (701) 232-6641.

 Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch Thrift Stores, 1001 4th Ave. N., Fargo, (701) 280-2371; 1601 32nd Ave. S., Fargo, (701) 297-4166. Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Profits benefit residential treatment programs for at-risk children. Donations are accepted during normal business hours. To schedule a pick-up, call (701) 277-9424. Accepted items: clothing, furniture, dishes, books, pots and pans, small appliances, drapes and curtains, blankets and bedspreads, and more.

Family Life Thrift Store, 1000 45th St. S., Fargo. (701) 373-0052. Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Profits benefit the Perry Center, a maternity home for expectant mothers. Top 5 needs listed on their website: furniture, kitchen dishware, household decorations, garage sale type items such as small tools, and crafts supplies such as yarn or fabric.

 Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 210 N. 11th St., Moorhead. (218) 284-5253. Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Drop-offs will be accepted during normal business hours Wednesday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays. For information about pick-ups, call the store. Humanity ReStore’s mission is to recycle building materials and to provide those materials to people of all income levels at affordable prices. Proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity. For information about acceptable donation materials, visit their website at http://www.lakeagassizhabitat.org/restore/

 St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, 1425 1st Ave. S., Fargo. (701) 235-5944. Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Donations can be made during normal business hours.  Call the store for information about pick-ups. Profits go to people in Cass and Clay counties who need help with things such as heat, electricity or rental assistance. They accept clothing, toys, house wares, furniture and more.

 Heirlooms, 1617 32nd Ave. S., Fargo.  (701) 356-2670. Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Donations can be dropped off during normal business hours or by appointment. Profits benefit Hospice of the Red River Valley. According to their website, Heirlooms “has become a donation destination for finer items no longer needed because of a change in family situation, redecorating or relocating. Heirlooms only accepts women’s clothing and does not accept shoes or undergarments.

 Jazzy & Mumbos, 813 Main Ave. W., West Fargo. (701) 282-3931. Hours: 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 2 to 5 p.m. Friday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Donations are accepted during normal business hours. Profits from the store are used to care for animals. Accepted items: clothing, shoes, knick knacks, furniture, kitchen items, miscellaneous. They also accept the following pet supplies: unopened bags or dog or cat food, canned food, pet carriers, bowls, saddles, tack and leashes.