Day 4: Cahwk

If there was one piece of advice I could give to a first-time homeowner, it would be to get familiar with the cahwk (or caulk as they call it outside of Boston). I hate the way it feels on your fingers, the way it gets over every friggin' thing, but dayum, does it hide those dirty little secrets of poorly fitting trim.

Had three quotes for sanding and finishing the floors today - bear in mind that now we've removed the carpets, almost all of the 2200 sq. feet is oak floor. Some damaged by water, most worn, but not desperately bad. The quotes varied from $1300 to $4000 - how does that happen? I know how - the low quote will be utilizing Vietnamese immigrants (they are the floor finishing ethnicity of choice in the Northeast). Screw it, let's give them a go...Gabe came to see the new house - and brought the above beast to snowblow for the drive for us. Apart from the sparks that came out when he sucked in gravel, it did an awesome job. Another item to add to my Craiglist searches.

On duty: Maurice and me
Man hours of work: 10 hours
Cumulative hours: 36 hours
Cost of parts/labor: $15 (for spackle, putty knives, and spare keys)
Cumulative cost since purchase: $230