JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

[jimmie 48]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

oh yeah! i dug out around it and yanked and pulled and dug some more and then jack came to the rescue and got it out. i filled the hole in and put the tools away. the nasty metal post is gone.

[zencyn]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

I finished my closest today - the kids' closets weren't that bad, nor was the linen closet. The other closet in the master bath area was a different story though! I took before pics, but I really wish I had taken pics of it before we installed the wire shelving. The difference is amazing - even if I say so myself! I haven't taken after pics yet, but will this weekend.

[sallyseachange]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

I love it that every time I come on in the morning there are a whole host of updated lists! Makes me think you all have been working all night... though it's only due to the different time zone, really. You guys are really giving those chores a hammering!

I'm going over to our rental house shortly (it's eight in the morning here) to get my sleeves rolled up ready for battle. Will report progress later today... or tonight!

[jimmie 48]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

looking forward to your update, sal!
how many rentals do you have? do you have to work this hard at all of them?

[biogeek]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

We had quite the deluge of rain & storms late Thursday afternoon & evening. The only thing I could do in the yard was pick up branches that were knocked down by the strong winds. Part of my yard is now a swamp, so I can really forget about tilling anytime soon!

I think I should have picked some indoor chores to supplement my outdoor ones. Note to self for next month.

Looks like everyone has done great jobs around the house! Those pictures are amazing!!!

[sallyseachange]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

Awww Bio... so sorry to hear your garden is a swamp! It's so disheartening when the weather is totally unreasonable. Keeping my fingers crossed for some nice sunshine to dry things up for you. Picking up branches is good exercise though!

Jimmie... we only have the one country house (in Umbria) to let out now, as we sold the other one to buy the building that has four flatlets, down in the Aeolian Islands (off Sicily). So... at the moment, we have the country house and four Aeolian flatlets for short holiday lets, then a shop and a town flat for long term lets (these last two are hub's). I'm currently slowly trying to separate the house I live in (my mother's old house) into two separate flats so that I can rent out one of them. My eldest son lives in a studio flat on Lake Trasimeno, and is supposed to give it back to me during the summer months for tourist lets; but though it's very cute, that hasn't happened yet as the restoration has only been finished a short while and I need to get air conditioning in to sort out the damp problem.

The house that gives us the most work is the country house, because of the garden/land and pool. This year is slow (for everyone) because of the unfavourable dollar rate. We also blocked the house until after we get back from Scotland because of the pool crisis. From the 23rd onwards though we go full steam ahead until September... and no doubt that month will soon get filled too... also October is often good. Fingers crossed.

Might not sound too much like hard work, but when you "juggle" property for a living, you have to be very much on top of things and ready to change investments when the property/tourist market alters, before anyone else! Have a few other projects in the pipline too, to keep us busy. Never a dull moment!

Anyway... today we got all the main pre-rental prep done: Cleaning all cupbords out and sorting plates, pots and pans, cutlery, appliances etc., cleaning fridge, putting mattress covers on beds, ironing sofa covers, sorting out the terrace plants, waxing terracotta floors, dusting ceiling beams... the list is never-ending. The house is now all but ready. Tenants come in the day after we get back from Scotland and there's only the last minute cleaning to do before they arrive (dusting, windows, bathrooms, floors, sweeping terraces, making up beds), so am on track. Phew!

Also managed to do an hour's work in the olive grove today, breaking off the new shoots that form where the trees were pruned a while back.

Pool area is coming on too and will be ready in time... apart from a mysterious leak (not big, but we need to find out where it's leaking from... always some teething problems, just to make life interesting!!).

[jimmie 48]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

just reading that made me tired.

sal, i just have this vision of lovely gardens, olive orchards and lovely landscaping where you live. that would be a dream to see one day. maybe i can rent one of our flats for a week.

you got alot of stuff done today! good deal!

i should have put cleaning up the garage on my list. i've spent 3 or 4 hours out there today, cleaning up the floor which required moving everything from one spot to another. we can actually get in the door now without tripping over something. jack will have to sort and put away but at least he has a starting point now. i got 2 big chlorine cans full of junk off the floor.

[sallyseachange]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

Oh boy Jimmie... don't talk to me about cleaning garages!!! (chuckles) Poor you! It's great to get rid of junk though, isn't it?

I'll try to post some pics of our rental house and pool, before the end of the month, so you can see if it's like your vision or not. Actually, it's a pretty house, with a spectacular view, but our old house (which was older and bigger) was more naturally rural. We only used to rent that one out in the summer, and the rest of the year lived there. Gave me many a pang to sell the house where I'd raised my boys.

[biogeek]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

I felt worn out after reading your post, Sal! It's hard enough to keep up with the chores in one house....I can't imagine managing more than that! How on earth do you do it???

We had another gully washer last night, and the forecast calls for more rain later today and tonight. Since it's not raining right now, I'll go out and at least mulch some areas. Those 2 cubic foot bags aren't the lightest to haul around. I think we have 40 or so bags left to lay out.

[sallyseachange]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

Oh Bio... more rain! And as for those 2 cubic foot bags... talk about weight training! You're gonna have those wonderfully sculpted muscles by the time the weather clears up.

Re looking after more than one house, it's not as bad as it might sound. The Sicilian flatlets are in the hands of a real "gem" of a lady who does the changeovers for us. It's a fourteen hour trip to get there, so impossible for us. The long term lets are no hassle at all, which only leaves the country house as "extra". We do the changeovers on Saturday mornings... so these are always hectic as you have to get all done between one lot leaving and another lot arriving five or six hours later. It all depends on what state the ones departing leave the place in. Have had some horror stories, that's for sure!
But I do have a helper for those summer Saturdays, which is essential. Hub does garden and pool.
What's harder is always having some kind of project going on... and never being free of builders!! But then, it beats having to go to an office for eight hours a day.

For instance... after the summer, have to create an extra room and bathroom plus terrace on the roof of one of the Aeolian flatlets... plus I'll have builders in to convert the garage where I'm living, into an extra bedroom/bathroom for the downstairs flat. Not quite sure how we're going to manage to split ourselves in two, but no doubt it'll come together somehow or other!!

[LooseShoes]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

I've been working hard this weekend. I finished up my closet, of course that led to cleaning my room and drawers and storing winter clothes. Whew!

We also rearranged all the furniture in my son's room. We haven't painted yet, but wanted to get the furniture where he's happy before we start the paint work. I kind of feel like I cheated on this one a bit. He was doing all the vacuuming and cleaning up under his bed, but we do have to train them don't we? The month's not over yet, I just might get it all done.


Still have the backroom and painting to do, but it will have to wait for another weekend.

[Mickkey]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

Sally, I'm guessing you're in Northern Italy. My grands are from Modena, a little village there, Fanano. It's up in the mountains. Do you know it?

I haven't gotten any of my projects done, but I'm working on them. Didn't want you to think I'd forgotten them.

Sure looks like everyone is working hard!

[sallyseachange]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

Caryl... good to hear you're getting things done! I agree wholeheartedly about having to "train" the offspring... but, in my case, it's a bit of a case of "you can't teach an old dog new tricks!" and the "old dogs" are only 19 and 21! (kidding... they're good boys really).

Mickkey... don't worry... still plenty of time left till the end of the month! I'm sure you'll get everything finished.

I've been to Modena, but can't say I know it really. My niece was at university there for a year on an exchange from the UK. Don't know Fanano though. Must be nice, up in the mountains. You must be of Italian origin then. Cool!
I'm in central Italy (Umbria). Midway between Rome and Florence. A nice area... though unfortunately Umbria doesn't have those hallmark Tuscan cypresses dotted around everywhere. I just love those.

[biogeek]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

In between rainstorms yesterday, I was able to lay down about 15 bags of mulch. My arms and back are sore, but the areas look a lot better and hopefully will keep the weeds down. Two of the transplanted lilies have bloomed despite getting beated by hail last week and then again the other night. A lot of the leaves are bent, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the blooms this morning. If it's not raining this afternoon, I'll take some pictures.

Sally, that still sounds tiring! I always pictured the Italian countryside as being very beautiful. At least you have a good view when doing your chores.

[sallyseachange]

Re: JUNE - CHORES & EXERCISE Double Whammy Challenge

In between rainstorms yesterday, I was able to lay down about 15 bags of mulch. My arms and back are sore, but the areas look a lot better and hopefully will keep the weeds down. Two of the transplanted lilies have bloomed despite getting beated by hail last week and then again the other night. A lot of the leaves are bent, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the blooms this morning. If it's not raining this afternoon, I'll take some pictures.

Sally, that still sounds tiring! I always pictured the Italian countryside as being very beautiful. At least you have a good view when doing your chores.

Great work Bio! Looking forward to pics!

Yes I have a wonderful view to work to... but as for tiring... well am off to Scotland on Wednesday for a vacation (unheard of for us at this time of year!!)