Mike and Music

…If a house is open in Golden Hill and no one goes to see it, is it really an open house?

It wasn’t that bad.  We actually had a few people come by to look at the apartments.  Considering we didn’t put an ad up until late yesterday afternoon for our open house this afternoon, we didn’t really expect a flood of people.  But we thought it’d be a good idea, if only for the experience, and it turned out pretty well.

Mike was up late last night working on installing the flooring in the kitchen of 639.  Outside of putting in the new toilet and the new floor in the bathroom; hooking up the stove, sink and dishwasher; and attaching the quarter round (molding), that unit is done.  I finished touching up the paint, all the handles are on the cabinets, the window treatments have been put up, and I even had time this morning to put a coat of paint on the exterior doors.

For the open house, we cleaned everything up and put in all the appliances.   We got a couple of nice fragrant candles (fresh linen, yum) and some flowers in a vase, so the place looked and felt warm and inviting.  We printed out some applications and waited.  And waited.  We advertised the open house as taking place from 1-3 p.m., and no one came by until probably 2 or 2:15.  The people who did come were serious about renting the place, though, and in the end, we only need two people!

After the open house, Mike and I took Elree out to dinner in Old Town to thank him for all his help.  It was great to get out for a while; we have spent the vast majority of our time lately working on the units.  I have re-posted the ad and have already set up an appointment to show the place.  It’s all coming together!

Once the last few things are taken care of in 639, we can focus on 637, which is not as far along.  We’re probably two to three weeks away from that unit being done, given that we have to work during the day, but at least we can get one unit rented.

This whole process has been amazing.  It’s so cool to watch the places come together, and I can’t describe the pride that comes with knowing we did it all ourselves (with help from friends and family, yes, but not hired professionals).  Once I figure out how (which will probably involve Mike showing me), I will post some pictures on the blog.

One of our neighbors at the new house is this older retired woman.  She is a widow who is actively involved in the neighborhood, serves as a volunteer for the city’s police department, writes about fly fishing, and walks her dog (Limby, named after Rush Limbaugh, who her late husband really liked).  Nice enough, this woman makes it her business to know what’s going on, on our street.

When we moved in and began renovations, she came by with her dog and introduced herself.  I immediately noticed that she seemed to fawn all over Mike.  He and I were standing talking to her and she asked him what he does for a living.  Once he’d told her, she didn’t ask me, she just asked him another question.  She addresses all her comments to him and is entirely dismissive of my presence.  I’ve been teasing Mike for quite some time that she must have a crush on him because she acts like a love-stricken girl when she is around him.

Yesterday, Mike told me, she came by specifically to tell him that she’d seen him doing interviews on television.  She said she and all her friends watch Channel 8 and that she told them all about him.  I can’t remember if he also told me she told him how good he looked, or if I just teased him about her thinking that, but my belief she has a crush on him has been confirmed.

So if you read in a future mikeandmusic.com entry that Mike has left me for another, it may very well be the old lady on the corner!

I’ve just been called into the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for a 12-hour shift as the Planning Section Chief. The EOC, a central command center in times of crisis, was activated due to the devastating wildfires that have sprung up in the face of Santa Ana winds, high temperatures, and dry conditions. My role is, as far as I know, to coordinate information from different groups (people at the scene of the various fires, finance folks, logistics people who are dealing with Red Cross, etc.) so that everyone is on the same page and has accurate information. The coordination also serves to provide a log of the City’s response so that when the disaster is over, we can figure out what went well and what didn’t.

Mike has prepared a bag of stuff for me, including magazines, Diet Coke, a book, and some snacks. They feed us, but he said he wanted to me to be prepared in case it turns into a barter system during the night. He also provided an eye mask, in case I get enough down time to take a nap. And all this from someone who was on the front lines of the fire this morning, shooting footage and giving on-camera interviews to tv!
When you’re in bed tonight, all snuggly and warm, think of me sitting in a dank basement of a public building. And count some extra sheep for me!

Now that things have settled down a bit, I can devote my full attention (after work hours, of course) to the renovation of the rental units. Basically, Mike and I generally work all day and then come home to do stuff to the house, with weekends reserved for longer, more grueling projects. It’s so hard to believe we’ve now owned this place for more than a month!

In 639, the new laminate floors are in, the walls are painted, and all the kitchen cabinets are in. I need to paint the trim (doors, window frames, molding, etc.) and we need to do put the flooring in the kitchen and bathroom, but that’s about it. There will, I’m sure, be other things that come up, but hopefully they will be small and not take too long.

The other rental unit, 637, is a little further behind. Most of the cabinets are in and the walls are painted, but I need to prime and then paint the bathroom and all the trim. The laminate flooring will go down this weekend in the living room, hallway and bedroom, and then the kitchen and bath flooring will need to be put in, as well.

Once the floors are done, we can move the appliances into each unit, and as far as I know, that will mark the end of the interior renovation. We’ll be freed up to paint the exterior of the house and to put some serious work into the unit we’re living in. With luck, the place will be sufficiently done so that we can invite my family over for Thanksgiving. Talk about something to be thankful for!

We’ve been taking pictures of the renovation process, so if you’re interested, send me an email and I can send you a link to the online photo album.

This is the first chance I’ve had to write since seeing the Morrissey concert on Thursday at the Hollywood Palladium.  What a show!  The concert was, in terms of song selection, one of my favorite Moz shows (this was the fifth time I’ve seen him).  He played some of my very favorite song, both his solo work and Smiths tunes, including: Jack The Ripper; Sister, I’m A Poet; Tomorrow; The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores; The Boy With The Thorn In His Side; I Like You; Billy Budd; Why Don’t You Find Out For Yourself? ; Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me; Irish Blood, English Heart; and Last Of The Famous International Playboys.  He also played my absolute favorite Smiths song, How Soon is Now?  When I saw him in San Diego a few months ago, he was having trouble with his mic and ended the show during this song, leaving the stage about halfway through, never to return.  So hearing Morrissey do the entire song on Thursday was absolutely amazing.

People who say that Morrissey songs are depressing have never been to one of his shows, which are very upbeat.  His band really kicks it up a notch in person and the music is actually pretty upbeat (even if the lyrics aren’t always).  Moz fans tend to be a little obsessive, and they have such love for the man.  The crowd is always really into it, singing along and leaping desperately towards the stage to try to touch their idol.  Not me, though (or Ruch, who flew in from Chicago and went to the show with me.  This was our third Moz show together, hopefully there will be many more)– there are other ways to meet the man.  But that’s another story for another time…

Immediately in front of us at the general admission (read: no seats) show was a couple who were having a huge fight.  The girl was crying hysterically and getting physical with the guy, and it only got worse as the show went on.  He was grabbing her to try to keep her from flailing her fists at him, and finally they left.  Needless to say, I was glad about that.

Morrissey threw his shirt into the crowd and there was a huge melee to get it.  That frenzy quickly devolved into a shoving match, and alas, they only played a one song encore.

The other fun thing of the night was seeing Gary Paton, former Seattle Supersonic and Los Angeles Laker (currently a player for the Miami Heat).  We were waiting for Neeru to meet us for dinner when we saw this really attractive guy with huge diamonds in each ear walk out of a high rise residential tower.  Ruch and I had just turned to each other to comment on him when, simultaneously, we realized who he was and immediately whipped around.  He was looking back at us for some reason (surely because we’re so cute), and I waved and Ruch smiled.  Hot, tall pro basketball players walking around like normal people?  Must be L.A.!

This morning I got a call saying my grandfather has died.  His health had been declining for a number of years, with Alzheimer’s taking its toll, and in recent weeks, his systems had begun shutting down on him.  My grandfather lived a very full life, seeing the world during his Navy career, having five children, and finding happiness later in life when he reconnected with and married a high school friend.  I was lucky enough to have gotten a glimpse into that life when I traveled to Jackson, Mississippi last year to visit him, his wife, and my great uncle (my grandfather’s brother).  Though my grandfather’s mind was ravaged by Alzheimer’s to the point that he didn’t remember he had children– let alone having a grandchild (eight grandchildren, actually)– I spent time with him, looked through his old photos and Navy records, and was toured about the city and area where my family originated.  My great uncle took us to the house, not more than a shack really, where my grandfather and his siblings lived with their parents when they were children.  We went past the high school where my grandfather went (and where he met my grandmother and his current wife).  We also went to the nursing home where he lived once he became too much for his 80-year old wife to handle alone.

I am thankful I was able to have that experience, and happy that my grandfather isn’t suffering anymore.  I am hopeful that his wife, and everyone else who loved my grandfather, will take solace in their memories of good times with him.  That’s what I’m going to try to do.

U.S. Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) said it best when he described the Internet as “not a big truck,” but rather as “a series of tubes.”   Well, I’m pleased to announce that Mike and I once again have  the Internet at home and  I (we, but  who are we kidding?) can now update the blog again.  Woo hoo!  More soon.  For now, I have to cuddle my laptop and rejoice in our being reunited.