posted @ 6:29 am Comments (3)

Lots going on this week, in both the city and Hudson Valley.

Let’s start with something that made my jaw drop because I have nothing but fond memories of this guy. Dan Aykroyd will be autographing bottles of his own Crystal Head Vodka (Yes, he has a vodka company now!). Where? Viscount Wines in Wappingers Falls. When? Wednesday, March 17th, 1-3pm. How cool is that? I want to be a total goof and go, but must-keep-working-on-house.

Now, I know you won’t trek all the way to Wappingers just to see Dan Aykroyd, but here’s something else for you. It’s Hudson Valley Restaurant Week. March 15th-28th. There are over 140 participating restaurants from Westchester all the way up to Columbia County. Check it out.

But wait! It’s also Dine in Brooklyn week, March 15-25. Over 200 participating restaurants all over the borough.

The Go Green Expo is this weekend, starting on Friday, March 19th. It takes place at Pier 92. Annoying celeb guest speakers will include Ed Begley Jr, Mathew Modine and Mariel Hemingway. Gosh, is the green movement really that uncool? I’d rather be drinking vodka with Dan Aykroyd. But seriously, it should be a great event!

One more unofficial event I’d like to add. It’s going to be a nice weekend. What’s better than a house painting party? Y’all invited to Beacon to come help work on the house! Yay! See you there.

  posted @ 6:43 am Comments (0)

It’s a choice that you probably made when you played pretend with your Lego sets all those years ago as a child, but the construction industry is more than a plastic brick world. Once you commit to it, you’re responsible for the safety and security of thousands of people, from your workforce to the people who will ultimately reside and work in the building you’re erecting. So before you jump into this field of work, you need to know if you’re apt for the job. In general, you’d fare better if you’re armed with a degree in engineering or construction management and if you’re the kind who:

· Pays attention to detail: When you become a construction manager, you’re going to become involved in all the projects that your company handles. You’ll generally be responsible for handling details related to the workforce, materials and equipment and also for coordinating schedules and ensuring that materials are delivered on time. A degree in construction management comes in handy when you’re employed at a senior level, but if you’re just starting out, you would be working under a manager and following direct orders from them.

· Doesn’t mind working long hours: When you’re part of the construction management team, you’re the person in charge of the day-to-day operations. And this means you need to be ready to handle any emergencies that may come up at any hour of the day or night. You’ll have to put in long hours at the site and at your desk because paperwork is important too.

· Is passionate about construction: It’s an industry that’s plagued by ups and downs, and with the way the economy is at present, the construction industry which took a really hard hit seems to be recovering very slowly. If you belong to this profession, you need to be able to deal with the way its fortunes swing and take the rough with the smooth.

It’s a fulfilling profession, but one that demands your effort and time. So if you don’t mind working hard and dedicating yourself to your job, perhaps construction management is your cup of tea.

If you’re interested in becoming a construction manager, you will find yourself deeply involved in each project, from concept to ribbon-cutting. You’ll oversee details regarding the workforce, materials, equipment, and safety issues for workers and the surrounding community. This is done by dividing site activities into logical steps during the planning stage, and monitoring each step along the way to ensure the project meets deadline and budget requirements. Your job may involve working directly with the architect or engineer on design specifications. It’s crucial that you understand both the ‘big picture’ and the minute details that go into making it a reality.

** This guest post is contributed by Nicole Adams, she writes on the topic of construction management degree . She welcomes your comments at her email id: nicole.adams83@gmail.com .

  posted @ 5:32 am Comments (1)

So, the broker finally came over to look at our Beacon house and tell us how much we stand to lose in this God awful market. Looks like we’ll list it at $399k even though we paid $385k and put (still putting) a shitload of work into it. What are ya gonna do? We’re motivated.

Everyone thinks their house is special and worth more than the realtor tells them. But we KNOW our house is special because it has a turret! That didn’t impress the broker all that much. He said the home has some nice period details, but the turret isn’t a major selling point.

Well, excuse me, but I beg to differ. Why? Because there’s an old home sucker born every minute. Take us, for instance. We looked at several houses before seeing this one. When we pulled into the driveway, my eyes teared up because it had a turret (We didn’t see any pictures beforehand as it wasn’t listed yet). We knew we were going to buy the house before we went inside. We toured around in a matter of minutes so we could quickly put in an offer. Did I mention we had been looking for months? I think six months, to be exact.

We overpaid. It didn’t appraise out. But we love our house. We think there are other folks out there who are jonesing for turrets just like we were.

$399k is not what we wanted, but it’s a fair price for the house. I’m really hoping buyers won’t try to get us down to much or I might cry again.

  posted @ 7:09 am Comments (7)

How to Build a Dog Gate. This Old House

DIY Concrete Countertops. Charles and Hudson

How to Make a Pillow Case. Brick City Love

DIY Solar Panel Video. Solar Power Homz

  posted @ 6:58 am Comments (1)

Hey, dy’all know about Old House Web? It’s a mega website that has just about any information you need to find on older homes.

Although some of it is paid advertising (no problem with that-they have to make money), there are blog posts and diy tips that are pretty handy.

My favorite section of the site is the forum. It looks like lots of people use it, which always makes for a good forum. There are pre and post 1900 house categories with topics ranging from wallpaper to countertops to foundations.

Such a shame I actually have to do physical work on my house today or I’d be on Old House Web all day dreaming up some crazy new restoration scheme.

  posted @ 7:01 am Comments (1)

I fell asleep on the Academy Awards, but my husband kept waking me up. One of his outbursts occurred during the acceptance speech for The Cove. “They cut him off!” was all I heard. Then back to sleep.

I can’t see The Cove because it would be too upsetting for me. The movie exposes the slaughter thousands of dolphins and porpoises in Taiji, Japan being sold as food around Asia. Let’s just say that I’m behind the cause and I can spread the word.

If you missed The Oscars like I did, the subject of the documentary, Ric O’Barry, held up a sign on how to help the dolphins, but he was quickly cut off.

O’Barry captured and trained the first five Flipper dolphins during the 60s. He later regretted it and dedicated his life to protecting the highly intelligent species.

So what was it that O’Barry was trying to say?

Well, the sign he was holding said “Text Dolphin to 44144″. In doing so, you will receive information on how to help end the slaughter of dolphins in Taiji. Of course you can always look at the Take Part website also.

  posted @ 7:20 am Comments (1)

Now that the snow is melting, basements will get flooded. Well, mine anyway. There is no one quick fix. It could be a number of maintenance issues causing the problem. The best way to figure it out is take a good look around when it’s damp. Like right now.

Let’s look at small and easy DIY repairs first.

1. Start outside. Make sure your gutters are all connected and direct water away from the house. It seems so simple, but do you know how many people don’t realize they have lovely waterfalls flowing down their homes?

2. Ok, downstairs. Check your bricks and block work. Do they need repointing? Concrete sealers such as ThoroSeal or Drylok are never a bad idea. In fact, it’s a good idea.

3. Something you might want as a “just-in-case” even if your basement is bone dry is a sump pump. You will need to dig a small hole for the unit. Definitely install one if you’ve given up and let it flood every now and then. It trumps a wet/dry vac, trust me.

4. While we’re still on small stuff, treat yourself to a dehumidifier for the dampness. This one was way obvious, right?

5. Still flooding? Ok, now it’s getting more complicated. Go back outside. Check the slope of your landscape. The water should flow away from the house, not towards it.

6. While your at it playing with the pitch of your landscape, might as well install a french drain. DIY? Maybe with difficulty if it’s all soil. If your house is surrounded by concrete, that’s an even bigger job. Now it’s time to think about calling in the pros.

7. There’s another way if you don’t want to dig around your house, but it ain’t pretty. Professional systems such as B-Dry are installed on the inside. The cost is as much as a brand new inexpensive automobile. On the other hand, we did a DIY alternative in one of our homes and it worked like a charm.

If you have any dampness issues at all, DO NOT store stuff that will get moldy. I lost all of my cherished record albums that way. Every one of them.

  posted @ 3:24 am Comments (3)

Friend plug alert! I went to high school with photographer Erik Lieber. He was taking darkroom classes at Murrow before I knew how to adjust my shutter speed. And 30 years later, he’s shooting Brooklyn like nobody’s business.

Lieber lives in Gowanus now. That’s the industrial area between Carroll Gardens and Park Slope that has just been declared a Superfund site. He shoots both rural and urban landscapes, but of course it’s the Brooklyn shots I really love!

The digital works are printed on archival fiber paper. Price range is $100-$150.

I’ve been eying Eric’s gorgeous work on Facebook and last weekend I finally got around to visiting so I could choose a print to hang on my wall (once I have walls). After making him take out every print he’s ever made, I decided on the one I originally wanted online. (That would be the image above.)

Maybe one day I’ll actually frame and hang my signed Lieber, but for now, I’m happy just to own it.

Most of these shots are Gowanus unless otherwise specified. There are tons more on his site.

Jay Street at the river

Yes, this is Brooklyn! Can you guess where?

  posted @ 7:41 am Comments (1)

When I saw the CNN Living headline yesterday “Brooklyn Brewhaha: Babies in Bars“, I knew it was about Park Slope. Of course it was. It’s well known around Brooklyn that Park Slope is the land of entitled parents, but it was kinda funny that CNN decided to weigh in on it.

So yeah, in a nutshell, parents are bringing their kids into bars and child free patrons aren’t all that happy with it. They want to be able to curse and fall down drunk without someone telling them to watch their language. They don’t want to trip over the $800 strollers blocking the entrance and they don’t want to entertain the kiddies when the parents are otherwise engaged.

As an unwavering non-breeder (who doesn’t really go to bars much anymore), I’d like to put in my two cents.

You want to bring your kid to a bar? Ok, but here are the rules:

1. Non breeders and parents who are taking the night off are free to say or do whatever they please. Because it’s a bar, not a playground!

2. I don’t want to hear your little brat scream and cry.

3. No, I’m not making eye contact. I don’t think your offspring is the cutest thing on earth. Tell it to leave me alone.

4. If I trip over your rugrat while making my 12th trip to the bathroom and knock him over, I keep walking.

5. You better keep those diapers clean and I don’t want to see any spittle or snot or you’ll be cleaning MY puke off the chair.

6. If it’s ok to bring little Damien into a drinking establishment, you shouldn’t have a problem with my dogs, correct?

Ok, I think that oughta do it.

  posted @ 8:09 am Comments (12)

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