Embracing Our Inner Ghetto

Both our front and back doors have these "security" gates/screen doors that are totally ghetto. We can't take the one off the back door because it's the only door there.

When the cold snap hit, we had to cover it with visqueen so we could turn on our oh-so-lovely heater.

What an improvement!

If It Works...

We have a picture rail in all of the rooms that, someday, we want to use for its intended purpose.

In the meantime, it makes a great clothesline for shirts that can't go into the drier.

Puffer Fish! The Light!

This is what Rob rigged in the bathroom for light since the overheads are temperamental and outlets are at a premium.

After the house was broken into, we had this guy on a timer so the placed looked lived in. Talk about a high tech security system.

We Live in an Ice Cream Parlor

We have knob and tube electricity, which I had never even heard of until the inspector told us ours needs to be replaced. The outlets work fine -- what few there are. Our living room has two; the bedroom one. I can imagine the electrician in 1909 telling the owners they were being extravagant putting two outlets in the living room because, honestly, back then what were you going to plug in?


The overhead lights, on the other hand, work
when they feel like it. Again, what few overhead lights there are; the previous owners graciously removed the living room and dining room fixtures when they moved out.

Rob decided to hang Christmas lights to keep us from stumbling around in the dark. They work quite well and make the place feel cozy. It's been a while since we've had incandescent bulbs; the light is much warmer than with compact fluorescents.

Of course, now that Rob has come up with an alternative light source, our ceiling fixtures have started working again. Even so, the Christmas lights are staying.