The contractors finished up yesterday. For all intents and purposes, the remodel is complete.
Tile floors to replace the linoleum, tile surrounding the tub and reaching all the way to the ceiling, new fixtures, granite counter-tops, two wash basins instead of one and new paint.
Now it’s just a matter of putting in the finishing touches like mirrors and handles on the cabinets and so forth.
I think it came out very well, especially considering what it looked like before.
Last week we began the remodel of the master bathroom.
And by “we” I mean we hired a contractor to come in and demolish what was there and install the new one.
Here’s some shots of the master bath as it was when we bought the house.
Ugly, pale blue wallpaper with pink butterflies and the linoleum floor have to go as does the form fitting plastic tub/shower and the cheezy washbasin vanity. All gotta go!
I was happy to find no horror behind the shower. I fully expected water damage and/or termites but it looks good. There was an even uglier wallpaper under the layer we had removed. Yuk!
We’re installing a new vanity and a large tub and tiling the floor. Floating and repainting the walls as well.
It’s going to be spectacular.
We also had the kitchen cabinets refinished. It was done in the first week and that part of the house is returning to normal. The bathroom should be complete sometime in the next week and a half. It’s a very disruptive process but it will increase the resale value on the house not to mention the bubble baths.
I was asked to shoot pictures at the annual $500 a seat fundraising gala for The Orange Show this year. I accepted and had some fun.
The event was held at Adickes SculpturWorx Studio which, I was to discover, is where the molds for the President’s Park sculptures are kept. Presidents Park is where you will find a collection of 20-foot-high concrete busts of the 42 American commanders in chief created by David Adickes.
Seeing them all lined up there, bathed in orange light made me think of that They Might Be Giants song…
Here in the hall of heads
You look through the keyhole
This is the hall of heads
One step through the doorway
Roll out that special head
This is our favorite one
Please don’t try to leave
Don’t leave the hall of heads
Hide underneath the porch
Hide down behind the furnace
You can’t get away
You can’t really hide
Once you hear the call
The song of the hall of heads
You can’t run away
Your feet won’t help you run
You can’t run away
Out of the hall of heads
The drive to work today was like a scene from Hitchcock’s “The Birds”
Another good weekend at faire.
We are recruiting some new fans as evidenced by this picture of charming young child clutching her Loch Ness Monster CD.
I’ve been in Houston most of my life and without disclosing too much we’ll just say that’s a long time.
This city has grown and changed over the years and looks nothing like it did even a few short years ago.
Houston landmarks are disappearing or changing with greater and greater frequency. The Houston Coliseum where the Beatles played is gone. The Houston Summit where I saw some of the greatest rock concerts of all time slowly changed to become the Compaq Center and is now the home of Lakewood Church. The eighth wonder of the world, The Astrodome, has gone from a magnificent baseball and football stadium to a convienent and expendable evacuation center for those seeking refuge from the devastating effects of hurrican Katrina. KLOL, Houston’s premier rock and roll radio station, is now a Spanish station playing Reggaeton, Spanish hip hop and pop hits (bleh!). Even Astroworld is slated to close it’s doors before the end of this year.
But some things never seem to change, thank goodness.
It’s been a long time since I have eaten at Star Pizza and when I was invited by my colleague Dwight Silverman to meet up for dinner to discuss the future of Technology Bytes with his friend Chris Hearne, the founding publisher of the Houston Press it seemed a most logical choice.
Founded 30 years ago by Hank and Marilyn Zwirek, The original Star Pizza at 2111 Norfolk has provided Houston with it’s most well known outlet for procuring a genuine Chicago style pizza in our fair city. It has also been a place one could go to get a tasty Italian meal and, more importantly, it has been an inner-city gathering place with easy access to the heart of Houston for all these years. It’s super casual with plenty of dining space inside and out. The atmosphere (combined with delicious pizza and adult beverages) is very conducive to a most animated and thoughtful conversation. Just about anyone you talk to knows about Star Pizza.
I don’t know if we accomplished much last night but I am sure glad I went. It’s comforting just knowing that they’re there and you can walk in on a Thursday night and get some good food served by a friendly and attentive staff of pizza proffessionals.
I was daydreaming a bit.
As I was looking out the window I started to wonder what this sky looked like reflected in my building.