Good fences make it easier to tolerate bad neighbors. Our neighboring property to the West includes three houses on one lot; all are rentals. Sometimes you get good neighbors and sometimes you don’t. Two out of three isn’t bad but the third house was a home for a couple of parolees who were obnoxious on […]

There is a strange yellow glow that fills one corner of our living room when the sun shines through the front window. One front window is obscured by all of the permits Carrie has pulled for our various projects. Yellow is the color of the building permits issued by the City of Pomona. Light shining […]

Not only do I manage to be out of town at the most convenient moment to dodge household crises, I am married to Carrie who appears to relish any and all new challenges our 85 year-old house throws at us.

A lot has happened since I wrote about our early fish rescue efforts. See the story “Fish Pond” in “Old Articles”. Carrie determined that the pond wasn’t getting enough light so we moved it. That required we first dig a new hole on the west side of the Office, temporarily relocate the fish, drain the […]

This might be a role reversal in some families, not ours. I was in the kitchen cooking dinner and Carrie was on the roof of her office ripping off shingles when I snapped this picture. We have the permits and work has begun on replacing the roof of Carrie’s office. Read the Saga about our […]

Two things you don’t want to hear you wife say in the same sentence: There is a bee on your head. Hand me the hammer. We were putting new siding on the Studio. As I held a sheet of siding against the wall for Carrie to nail in place, she gasped “There is a bee […]

With such big repairs as fixing the roof and foundation looming ahead of us, I was surprised at how much satisfaction was derived from replacing the water heater blanket this weekend. You may have read or heard my complaints about how the previous owners of our house were amateurish and/or inept in so many of […]

An old grapevine had been allowed to grow wild at the back of our lot. It had engulfed and killed at least one tree and was entangled in two others. It had also entwined itself in the back fence as well as a (used to be) decorative picket fence. The central mass of the grapevine […]

The first time we walked into what became our new house, we were impressed by some of the original Craftsman architectural details in the living and dining rooms. In addition to the built-in hutch, the fireplace flanked by built-n bookcases, and the crown molding, the sliding pocket doors separating the two rooms elicited a significant […]

This is a bad thing on so many levels. It is hard to look manly when you are running screaming through the house, slapping yourself. If you think it pisses Carrie off when I work on the house wiring without shutting off the electricity, you should see her reaction when the sparks from the resulting […]

From Gourmet Servings: 1/2 Cup Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes Difficulty: Easy 3 TBS cumin seeds2 TBS black peppercorns1 1/2 TBS paprika1 TSB kosher salt1 2" piece cinnamon stick2 tsp whole allspice1 tsp hot red pepper flakes Toast cumin seeds in a dry small heavy skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently until […]

From bon appatit Servings: 2 1/2 pounds Prep time: 10 Minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Difficulty: Easy 2 1/2 lbs zucchini, peeled, trimmed and sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces. 1 onion thinly sliced, or 1 tsp onion powder2 TBS kosher salt2 cups vinegar, preferably Champagne, but white works1 cup sugar1/2 tsp ground ginger1/4 tsp […]