Battling Drafts

The winters are cold and the summers are hot inside 765, but the character is unbeatable and it's cliche, but they just don't build them like they used to. The draftiness was meant to circulate the house and is the reason a leak will simply dry instead of mold. While insulating and lowering our energy bill sounds appealing, it's hard to change it, since it was supposed to be like this. So we're working on a happy medium.
While standing in the kitchen any gust of air came right inside. When it's 30 degrees outside even the gas oven has a hard time offsetting that. So we pulled out the wood and found where the draft was coming from: around the sink pipe and from under the house. Travis added a little bit of insulation, a good amount of spray foam around some big gaps, and added fresh new wood around it all. In the process the sink water hoses were replaced and Travis put his wood working skills to use making tongue and groove pieces for the cabinet.
Less draft and a fresh, clean space under the sink - a successful weekend project in my book.

Live Downtown

When I moved to Baton Rouge Travis chose Spanish Town for our first apartment knowing it was a neighborhood I would like, plus it was walking distance to his work. He was right, and the longer I live here the more I realize I wouldn't live anywhere else in BR. Downtown is getting better daily, with a corner grocery and pharmacy on the way. (If only Trader Joe's was coming downtown, but beggars can't be choosers right?) To attract more people to live downtown the DDD created this video, and I think you'll recognize two people and some feathered friends in it. Enjoy!

Fix-It Project: Bathroom Light

There is always a project at 765. Even if it's not the one you want.
Our bathroom light fizzled out, which meant it became the project on the top of the list. (And a resurgence of the dreaded brass lamp so we could use the bathroom in the meantime)
We spent a full day flipping breakers, testing outlets and yelling instructions from across the house. Come to find out half of the house is on one breaker and the bathroom is split between two different ones. And a whole, unnecessary spiderweb of wires was hanging out in the attic. Problem discovered, it was soon repaired and we now have a little less load on one full breaker. (And the brass lamp is once again in hiding.)

 

Farm to Kitchen / 2 / Red Cabbage

Cabbage is one of those traditional foods for New Year's Day - supposedly for money, though I'm certain it's partially because that's when they are ready to be picked.
We had plenty of red cabbage in the front yard so I opted for a less traditional approach than the boiled greens: Chinese Chicken Salad. Next up, red cabbage glumpkies?!
If we're still putting our garden to use in January I'm liking the prospects for 2013.