Condemned

Well, not exactly. We're having our windows restored by a restoration expert. So the house will just look condemned for the next month or two. Here's a picture of said expert handily dismantling our beloved windows...

The hope is that he'll be able to make them even more beautiful and less teakettle-like, and everyone* is blissfully happy.


He took all the windows in the front two rooms of the house (living room and master bedroom). Did I mention that it's a bit dark in these rooms now? I may start referring to our bedroom as the "bat cave."

Not pretty, but I think it will be worth the effort ($$). The windows are one of the reasons we purchased this house... it kills me not to have them here, even knowing they'll be better when they're back.

This milestone also kicks off what we'll henceforth refer to as "Reno Madness," or simply, the "Big Spend." More demolition, old building parts, and plywood to come... **

*"Everyone" = Alexandria Board of Architectural Review, our history-loving neighbors, David the Restoration Guy, the Cats (who will now sit at the window without catching a chill), and I guess we're okay with it too. Those not impressed: Harry, who isn't a fan of loud construction noise, and our pocketbook.
** We've elected to rename this blog "The Money Pit" in an effort to preempt the inevitable disaster that can only result when one attempts a major renovation on a 150 year-old house.

Harry and the Big Snow

Recently Harry experience his first big snow (as far as he's concerned any amount of snow is "a big snow").  He wasn't a fan.

"You've got to be kidding me with this... I'm a sunny Florida boy."

"That's it.   I'm done.  Let me know when it's over."

Day 9

Dear Diary:

It's day 9.  Still no sign of rescue.  Food is running out and the lack of water is finally getting to me.  Starting to hallucinate.  Recently thought I saw a completely redone, working kitchen.  Can't take much more.

Natives getting restless.  Repeatedly attacked by one of the smaller creatures.  Seems to be happening early in morning.  Hope rescue comes soon.

10 degrees + Plumbing = Bad

It has been an interesting day or two here.  Yesterday while doing the dishes I noticed the sink was backing up.  Even with the use of the trusty disposal it would continue to back up.  No big deal, right?  All I have to do is run the disposal every so often and the problem solves itself.  That was until I noticed a little drip of water on the PVC pipe under the sink.

Enter the plumber.

To their credit, Dwyer Plumbing managed to fit us in Friday afternoon (apparently pipes burst all over the area creating high demand for their services).  Unfortunately, the plumber wasn't able to bust through the blockage... even with their heavy duty, electric snake (which according to the plumber can push through anything).  Eventually the plumber called it a day and suggested we get a space heater and try to thaw the pipes.  One run to Lowes later and we have had the heater under the sink for a good 18 hours now.  Thoughts were, that would take care of it.

Of course, good things come in threes (this whole experience is obviously a good thing because it builds character).  Good thing number two: the washer backs up, shooting water out everywhere.  The plumber thought yesterday that, though the drainage line from the sink likely hooked up eventually to the same drainage for the washer, the washing machine should be fine.  Guess not.

Good thing number three: the crawl space.  To see if we did indeed have a burst pipe we pried open the crawl space hatch and took a look.  Well... we still don't know.  From what we can gather from photos, the crawl space access we have is only for the "old" part of the house.  As you can guess this has the potential to pose many, many problems.

So now we're waiting for the plumber to give us a call back and the weather to warm up.  Can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday.

Scenes from a Work at Home Day

"Mom... enough with the flashy box already."

"Ugh. Wake me up when the Bush presidency is over."

Boy Scout's Motto

Be Prepared.

Because we live by this, Katie and I recently stocked up on some very necessary Emergency Holiday Provisions.



For those of you who may think we're being smart (well, we are a bit), we're not lying. As the label clearly states, these are Emergency Holiday Provisions.



And in case you aren't sure exactly when or how to use these "provisions", they come with some sage advice.


Here's what the back of the bottles say:

TAKE NO CHANCES. BE PREPARED.
We've specially designed E.H.P. to help you survive unforeseen holiday crisis. E.H.P. sustains and invigorates the body, enhances moral and serves as an essential component of the holiday "Toast."


1. In case of social or family tension: Lubricate conversation & sooth frayed nerves with E.H.P.'s rich Tuscan-style blend of flavors.


2. In case of unexpected gift exchange: Affix ribbon or bow to bottle & present to any designated recipient over 21 years of age.


3. In case of polar bear attack: Grasp bottle firmly by neck, break base on solid surface & defend with quick, controlled side-to-side slashing movements - not forward thrusts.



Remember: No wine, however delicious, can prevent all holiday calamities. Be mindful of winter weather conditions. Don't attempt difficult carols without proper training and supervision. If you experience intense holiday cheer lasting longer than 16 hours, discontinue use.

To make sure the Emergency Holiday Provisions work as advertised, we opened a bottle tonight. Thankfully, we were impressed.

For all of you wondering where you can get your own supply of E.H.P., I'm afraid I have some bad news: I'm not sure you can. We purchased this from the website Woot Wine, which sells one selection of wine a week (usually for about $10 - 15 a bottle). Once the week is over, the deal is done. To be sure you don't miss out on any future deals you'll just have to check back weekly.

New Kitty

Okay, so before anyone jumps to a quick conclusion, Andy and I did not adopt another cat. Though we both adore cats, we're in full agreement that two is quite enough for us. That being said, when we do adopt another (and I hope it is many, many years in the future), I've mentioned that I'd like to consider adopting a Siamese. I think they're beautiful cats, full of personality, and surprisingly enough, there are a fair number of them available in shelters and rescues.

It should come as little surprise then, that while perusing the artists' studios at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town, I stumbled upon and instantly loved this work, called The Curious Kitten.
The artist is Megan Coyle. She is a young local artist who uses a collage technique to create her works. As someone who once used this technique for my final project in AP Art History, I have a sense of how it works and the challenges (and time!) this method entails. I particularly love the somewhat abstract use of color and shading in the background; the impresicion reminds the viewer of the medium and adds complexity to the overall image.

The image so impressed me (and it impressed others, it is the recipient of an honorable mention award in the exhibition in which it was showing) that I couldn't get it out of my head. I woke up the next morning, still wanting to look at it. Though I could visit it -- the Art Center is about 8 blocks from our house -- I also knew it could be sold to someone else. So... after a bit more thought, I brought The Curious Kitten home. I've learned the hard way that when art strikes you to that degree, you best act on it or you're likely to regret it.

It looks wonderful on the wall outside our bedroom and I smile every time I pass by.

A House Becomes a Home

Today marks the one year anniversary of our signing our lives away on our very first house! It's been a quite a year, there's no doubt about that. From a major roof leak the first week we moved in, to the pain of energy bills in an old house, we've risen above it all to truly fall in love with our little crooked house. On the anniversary of our new lives as homeowners, we pause to reflect on the journey thus far with a few nuggets of wisdom gleaned in one short year:

1. The studs in an old house are older than you or anyone you know. They've been there, standing for a long time, and will have none of your annoyances (nails, drill bits, etc.). They command respect and incur endless frustration
2. Sometimes the ugliest, least perfect aspects of your house become the most near and dear to your heart.
3. Contractors owe you nothing, even if you've paid them and signed an agreement to work. A good contractor is worth his (or her) weight in gold.
4. "Character" comes at a cost. One that is still well worth paying as far as we're concerned. I can't imagine living in a house with level floors and brand new windows. Just wouldn't feel the same.
5. A covered woodpile is a beautiful thing. An uncovered woodpile is a worthless eyesore.
6. Some home improvement projects are best done with one person. Not two.
7. There are few feelings more satisfying than surveying your house after you've cleaned it up yourself. Knowing that it's yours and it's beautiful because you take care of it is what taking pride in ownership is all about.
8. Nothing... and I mean, NOTHING... makes up for location. We could live in a huge house 20 miles outside the city, but as far as we're concerned, our neighborhood is about as close to priceless as you get in real estate. We have EVERYTHING within walking distance, 2 grocery stores, shops on King Street, parks, walking/biking trails, public and private elementary schools, hardware store... I could go on and on.
9. And finally, a house becomes a home when the people (and animals) you love move in. This is our first home as a married couple and it's Harry's first home. Period. We look at pictures of the house before we moved in and see a shell. Now it's a place we can't wait to come home to.

Though we have even bigger plans for our little crooked house in our second year as homeowners, we will never forget the happy memories of our first.

A Walk In The Woods

This past Sunday we took advantage of the beautiful weather and walked a bit on the Mount Vernon Trail with Harry. While it's not quite New England foliage, the trees were hitting their "peak" color down here (to give you an idea of the time difference between Northern VA peak foliage and New England peak foliage - the peak in Maine this year was right around our 1 year anniversary... over a month ago). All in all the walk was very peaceful despite being less than 30 yards from the George Washington Parkway at any given time.









Although Harry wasn't too thrilled about walking two miles, he was a trooper and didn't drag behind at all (maybe it was all the compliments he was getting by fellow walkers).

Seussian Politics

One fish....

Two fish....

Red fish...

Blue state!

VOTE

I hope that by now you've already voted for president, Congress, and any state and/or local elections/ballots there may be in your area. If you haven't, stop reading this and please go do it now. I'll wait.





If you're reading this far down you should definitely have voted by now. There are too many people over the past two hundred thirty two years who have given their time, effort, and lives to ensure that you have this right for you to not exercise it. Whether it was the Revolutionary War, the Women's Suffrage Movement, the Civil Rights Movement or countless other moments in our nation's past, men and women that you will never know have given everything so you can chose your leaders and the direction this country will take. So please, go vote.

Happy Birthday!

Today is Katie's birthday. Originally I wasn't going to post a picture of her when she was little because she won't let me have any. Thankfully though, her parents read my mind and sent me this.
Too cute.

Happy birthday! I love you.

Windy City

This past weekend we traveled to Chicago for my cousin's wedding. The whole weekend was great. We got to see family, Katie saw Chicago for the first time, and the sun even chipped in by showing itself just about every day.

In some of our time off we took an architectural boat tour along the river. Despite a little wind (surprise, surprise) it was very cool to see and learn about all of the different styles of buildings that grace downtown Chicago.

I would impress you with my knowledge of the different types of architecture, but alas... my knowledge is pretty limited.

There were a lot of glass buildings. This was probably my favorite. I love the reflections.


There was also, of course, the Sears Tower. Later in the trip we took a trip to the Sears Tower Skydeck. The view was impressive, but not necessarily worth the price and wait.

We also got to spend some time with Steve, Lauren, and Jack. It's always amazing to see how much Jack has changed since we've seen him last.

I think some of his favorite time was spent checking out the 'bean' at Millennium Park. Officially called the Cloud Gate, the bean is a really cool, and really odd, piece of art that really shows the skyline (and people) in a really unique way. Really.

That's Steve and Jack in the foreground. Katie, Lauren, and I are the three people in the middle of the reflection.

Unfortunately I didn't get any good pictures of the actual wedding. But I do want you to know that despite a weird accent (groom - he's English) and a busted ankle (bride - twisted it two nights before the wedding) the wedding was amazing. It was held in an art gallery and the whole thing just fit Whitney (my cousin) to a T. It was a great time to see family and friends and join Whitney and Ian as they pledged their love for each other.

Oh... and they also had a photo booth. Very cool. Very cool indeed.

Harry's first birthday in retirement

Yesterday was Harry's fifth birthday and there was much rejoicing.

While Harry's birthday "cake" might not look appetizing to you, I can assure you that Harry loved it. The "cake" is made up of salmon, cheese, and whipped cream. We weren't able to find any edible, dog-friendly candles for Harry to blow out (plus, the whole flame thing might have been an issue).

While Harry looks kinda creepy, he's actually enjoying wolfing down every last morsel.


When there's a birthday in the family, everyone gets a treat, although Nala apparently isn't too psyched to be getting her tuna fish so close to Athena.

Happy Birthday Harry! Here's to many more...

And he's off...

Great Kid

As Andy mentioned, Owen and his dutiful servants... er, parents, Trish and Dean.... were here this past weekend for a visit. Allow me to explain why we can't spend more than a few days with Owen...

At 17 months, he has more personality than most people we know at 17 years or more. This kid takes gregarious to a new level. He's a rampant flirt (watch out for that one in high school), flashing his big bright baby blues and toothy smile at all the girls. All it takes is a wink, smile, or wave in return to send him into a fit of smiles and giggles.

He's probably one of the most objectively cute toddlers I've ever met. Now, I say objectively because, subjectively, most babies are cute. I've observed very few babies/toddlers however that get quite the attention that Owen attracts. People stop and smile as their walking by on the street or in the Metro station. Strangers strike up conversations based on one syllable words. And I'm not talking "baby people" either.... I'm talking about men in business suits who ride the Metro all day every day. Kids hardly older than he is whisper to their mommies, "Mommy, he's so cute!" The sheer number and variety of people entranced is a bit overwhelming.

According to Owen's folks, he's an excellent sleeper. How many 17 month old kids do you know that sleep just about whenever you want them to, for as long as you let them? I'm guessing not many. Trish told us that he'll sleep in until 11 am if they let him. Did I mention that he's also a good eater? Andy and I tried hard to pick restaurants that would serve kid-friendly fare, but we needn't have worried. Whatever Mom and Dad eat, Owen eats. In the course of a weekend, we watched him eat chilli, deep dish pizza, hamburger, a Chipotle burrito bowl, scallops, shrimp, and other things I temporarily forget.

Of course, no one is perfect at any age, and particularly not at 17 months. Owen had his tired, fussy moments, but even the fussing seemed to end pretty quickly. Trish and Dean, from our relatively brief observations, are masters of what dog trainers call positive reinforcement training. Poor behavior gets ignored, or, in some cases, a firm/stern "No whining, Owen."

Piggies! (We were at the Kid's Farm at the National Zoo.)

Whatever Andy's selling... Owen's not buying...

Oh, wait! Maybe he is!

I wanted a picture of Andy carrying Owen, something he did quite a bit over the course of the weekend. He looked completely natural doing it, and it was the first time I've ever seen him hold a baby and look comfortable doing so. I think that Owen, for his part, loved being carried by someone that tall. I guess this picture will have to do.

Needless to say, we were sad to see our friends and their adorable baby leave at the end of the weekend. We have to remind ourselves that very few babies are as sweet and easy as Owen appears to be. Yes, I know you love your child regardless... yada, yada, yada. I still want one like Oh-Oh.

So Trish and Dean... we have one question we forgot to ask: What catalogue did you order this one from? We'd like to order a similar model someday. :oP

The Park

This past weekend Dean, Trish and Owen were here. There will be more to come on their visit later. But in the mean time, here are a few teaser shots from our time at the park down the street.

Owen petting Harry. We were both impressed with how well both Owen and Harry behaved around each other.




Here's Harry best impression of Falcor the dragon from A Never Ending Story. (I'd put the actual picture in here but Blogger is taking forever to load...).

A Year has Passed

As a means of celebrating our first wedding anniversary, I thought it appropriate to remember the vows we exchanged a year ago today...

Andy to Katie:

Katie,
You are everything I could ask for
In a friend, a woman, and a wife.
You are my best friend and the love of my life.

I promise to be there to celebrate your successes
To laugh with you in times of joy
And comfort you in times of sorrow.

I will encourage and support you,
Honor and love you.
I will respect our differences
And do my part to work through
All our challenges.

Katie, as I stand here before you
In front of our friends and family
Know this:
You have my heart,
You have my soul,
I will be yours and stand by you through eternity.
You are my love.

I love you.

Katie to Andy:

Andy, I knew from the moment we met that you were important to me. It wasn't long after we met that I realized you were my best friend. I spoke and you listened; I laughed, and you laughed with me; I cried and you supported me. From the earliest days of our friendship, I was never afraid to share my deepest thoughts and feelings with you, because I knew that would be there for me, no matter what. And that trust has never faltered.

As our relationship developed, I discovered that you are not only my best friend, but the love of my life. And I stand here before you today, Andy, because I am the happiest -- the luckiest -- woman in the whole world, because I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you.

I promise to sand beside you in moments of joy and moments of pain, to be your pillar of support as you have always been for me.

I promise to take care of you in sickness and in health, to never leave your side in times of weakness.

I promise to be the best mother I can be to our children. I want to nurture in them all the qualities that I admire and adore in you.

I promise to be faithful to you and honest with you. There is nothing in this world worth risking the trust that we have in each other.

I promise to be your best friend. Always. I promise to love, honor and respect you even when we disagree, because that is what best friends do.

I promise to be your partner in all thing, large and small. Apart we can succeed, but together we cannot fail. Together anything and everything is possible.

I love you with all of my heart, Andrew Magoun. Today and every day for the rest of our lives.


For those of you who wish to continue reminiscing, click here for our wedding slideshow.

Thank you

As you may remember, I ran the Falmouth Road Race this August to raise money for the Matthew W. Houlihan Foundation.  Well, the results are in and Team Houli raised over $16,000!  Thank you so much for all of your support.

In with the Old, Out with the New

Funny thing about owning a little old crooked house... whenever you see some other old crooked doodad, you think to yourself, "Hmm... now wouldn't that look cute in my old, crooked house." What you fail to realize at the time is that, while abounding with charm and character, your old, crooked house is woefully inefficient, and as this fallacy seems inherent in the old and crooked, you inevitably end up with a flawed, albeit charming, home furnishing/appliance/etc. Andy and I have fallen victim to this lunacy -- er, interior decorating dilemna. Here are a few of our recent old crooked purchases:

This dresser dates to the turn of the century, during the Arts and Crafts movement. It's gorgeous in person, with just enough dents and dings to make it perfect for our humble old house. It's also missing what must be the most underrated invention of the 20th century: roller drawers. Bummer. If centuries of young couples before us survived, I suppose we can, too.


We ended up buying this gem at the farmers' market... because after all, that's what one purchases at a farmers' market, 100 year-old luggage. (It's a long story...) We needed a good spot to store our blankets, quilts and afghans; this does the trick perfectly. Unlike our roller-drawer-less dresser, this chest boasts one of the biggest things to hit luggage since the burlap sack: wheels on the bottom.


And finally, these two little numbers. While we were in Michigan, I noticed some old maps in a local shop window and thought, "Hey! That's what we could do for our blank wall space on either side of the south window in our bedroom. Find old maps of Maine and Michigan, frame them and hang them..." I got a little into the idea, and I manged to find maps of Maine and Michigan from the same atlas publisher, with the same edition date, 1856. You'll remember from our earlier post re: the house's history that this house was built between 1852-1854. Pretty close. Neat fact about TC circa 1856? It was then called Grand Traverse City (after Grand Traverse Bay, a name that survives today). Michiganders may already know this fact, but it was all new and exciting to me.

**These pictures brought to you courtesy of our newly installed recessed lighting in the master bedroom. One recent purchased that is neither old, crooked nor inefficient.

Classy

For years, the way your drink wine has said a lot about you and your level of class (or lack thereof).   Has the wine been properly decanted?  Did you serve it at the correct temperature?  Do you use the correct glass?  Where was the bottle stored?  What?  You didn't get the wine from a bottle?  Well, at least you didn't have boxed wine.

We all know that boxed wine is synonymous with cheap wine.  Well, not anymore.  As this NYTimes article notes, boxed wine is moving from the world of dixie cups in college dorms to the tables of wine lovers.  In addition to being cheaper to ship (cardboard weighs a lot less than glass), boxed wine is also environmentally friendly.

After taking all of this into consideration, we decided to try some boxed wine.  We were (and continue to be) pleasantly surprised.  So next time you're looking for a little vino, check out the boxed section.

Masterpiece Theatre

It was recently brought to our attention that we've fallen by the wayside when it comes to sharing the history of our little house. We do apologize to those who've been waiting and wondering... in deference to the current season, I invite you to grab the family dog (or borrow one if your have to), pour a glass of your favorite ice-cold beverage, and join us out on the patio for our next installment.

Michael and Mary (Riley) O'Sullivan

It was up to an Irishman to build the little house at 702 South Fairfax between 1852 and 1854.

The first smart move he made was to marry Mary Riley about 1850, certainly before census time.

Mary Ryrie (sic) had on January 24, 1849 bought from Amelia (Milly) Whiting the corner lot of Frankin and Fairfax "which was conveyed by Mayor Bernard Hooe ... and afterwards through several intermediate conveyances was devised to said Amelia Whiting." The lot cost Ms. Riley a mere 62 dollars and 50 cents.

Michael O'Sullivan had been buying up lots on Fairfax Street. Now, with his marriage to Mary Riley, he cemented his holdings on the 700 block of South Fairfax Street. The Alexandria Census for 1850 shows that the head of the family was Jane Sullivan, 50, born in Scotland; with family members Michael, age 30, shopkeeper born in Ireland, and his wife Mary, 26, born in England.

The sole evidence of this little house's construction lies in the tax records of the time. Records from as early as 1851 indicate that Michael O'Sullivan owned multiple lots and houses, though it is unclear if the house at 702 is yet among them. In 1854, the tax record states: Michal O'Sullivan (sic), owner of four houses and five lots at Fairfax and Franklin, worth $3,300, and occupied by Patrick Farrell, Mary Dainty, and Thomas Murphy. At this time it is virtually certain that the house at 702 was built, though there is not way to prove it, as building permits were not required at the time. The first reliable documentation of the home's existence is dated 1858: Micheal O'Sullivan (sic), owner of "L & M" [meaning "lots and improvements"] at "Frank & Ffx" [Franklin and Fairfax] worth $1,700, $400, $400, and $300 respectively. He paid two tithes (to vote), and furniture was worth $100. Total tax from the year was $33.50. Thus, through these invaluable tax records, the building of the little two-over-two house at present number 702 can be traced.

Michael O'Sullivan was a shopkeeper, as noted in the Census of 1850 taken in Alexandria. In 1856 and 1857 he made two disastrous Deeds of Trust and lost everything he had. He owed a little over $1,000.

I must admit, it is fun to imagine Michael and Mary O'Sullivan, first generation immigrants trying to make their way in America. According to the history, the two built this house at about the same stage of life as we're in now, over 150 years later. It lends a certain symmetry to the story that we're the ones who plan to revitalize it once again, restore the energy that it's managed to retain for so long. Let's hope our chapter of the story doesn't end as theirs did, in small claims court.

Man's Best Friend

Did you hear a horn tooting?

Our mothers taught us not to brag.  Well Mom(s), you taught us well.  So instead of bragging about the academic institution that opened our eyes to the world (and brought us together), we'll let Forbes.com do it for us:

America's Best Colleges

Off-Leash Dog Town

The good news: Alexandria has very professional and nice Animal Control Officers

The best news: Harry's a-okay

The bad news: We live in an area where a lot of people don't feel the need to control their dogs

The back story: Katie was taking Harry for an afternoon walk today when he was attacked by a little black dog that darted out from his person's front porch.  Luckily Harry's wound is very small and he's really no worse for wear.