So my wife went back last week and did a lot of cleaning. We’re talking hard to reach behind the door stuff you don’t do in your regular house type cleaning. Combined with what I got done in December, we should be looking good for the next big push.

That “push” with come in April, when we get a friend who is an interior designer to come and do colors for us. All we want to is a very simple color scheme for the main floor and upstairs. By simple, I mean NOT trendy or hip - just a color scheme with broad appeal.

We also want input on light fixtures, flooring, and pull handles for the kitchen, and a thousand other things she will see that we do not. This person did two houses for us already, and both sold withing two months (in a crap housing market).

It looks like I will be buying insulation and paint on Veteran’s Day. 3 months ago

I just found out that Home Depot gives a 20% discount to veterans and active duty military three days of the year (Memorial Day, July 04, and Veterans Day). This means that with proper planing, I can really stretch my renovation budget.

The fist thing I will do is buy the insulation I need on Memorial Day. For $19.58 a roll, I can get the Owens Corning EcoTouch R-19 Kraft (6-1/4 in. x 15 in. x 39.2 ft.) Continuous Roll Insulation, which is perfect for my attic rafters. 4 months ago

So we made the trip to Ogden, and I ended up doing nothing on my list. It was Xmas, and I really didn’t feel like doing much. I did manage to clean the main floor, which included mopping and wiping down the walls.

So looking at 2013, I think the major “hits” for the Ogden House will be insulation for the attic, and gutting/restoring the main floor bathroom. There will be small projects along the way, but the attic and bathroom are on for 2013. 4 months ago

Some minor goals I have for working around the house while on Xmas leave.

1. Cover windows in the sun porch. This is an easy one. I want to do this to keep snoopy eyes out of our stuff.

2. Remove old bottles up in the attic. There were dozens of old salad dressing and baby food bottles scattered around the attic, and they have no real value. Time for them to go.

3. Box historic newspapers and magazines in the attic. There are newspapers scattered all over the attic, and some date back to the 1930s. I will box them all up and sort them later.

5. Pack and remove 15 bags of old insulation from the attic. The old insulation has to go. I have already removed close to 40 bags of old insulation, and another 15 could see the job done.

6. Move the old doors stored in the attic to the furnace room. I don’t know how old these doors are, but there are at least 10 off them. I need to get them down and clean the off.

Lots of little stuff, but no real home runs. 6 months ago

In addition to all the plans from my last post, I also plan on repairing some broken drywall in the furnace room. It is in rough shape, and needs some serious attention.

Instead of focusing on huge tasks, I really want to get a lot of small things done. Several small tasks will eventually lead to major accomplishments. 6 months ago

Since I got injured in Afghanistan and am now stuck in a Warrior Transition Unit, there will be no major movement on the kitchen for at least a year. I just won’t be able to get back and invest the time required to work on it.

I can do some things over Xmas leave. Most of what I am thinking about it simple cleaning and getting rid of stuff. In addition, the attic still needs to be cleared for insulation installment, so I can work on that.

Also, my furnace room is in a sorry state. Most of it is brick, but there is some drywall work that needs to be done. There is also an old coal chute that needs to be cleaned out. There isn’t any coal in it (thank God), but it is full of old wood and other assorted stuff. I can clean this in an afternoon.

We’ll see what happens in December. 6 months ago

Looking over my list, I think I will focus on the kitchen. I still need to complete cleaning out the attic, but it is a three or four day job, and that includes putting in new insulation.

The kitchen is another matter. I need to do the following.

1. Strip the paint off all the woodwork.

2. Deep clean/put pull handles on the cabinets.

3. Prime and paint the walls.

4. Deep clean the stove and refrigerator.

5. Install a dishwasher.

6. Put molding around the cabinets.

7. Run a “kick board” around the bottom of the cabinets.

8. Scrub the floor.

Can’t wait to do this in September. It is a good goal, and not too pricey. Aside from the dishwasher, it should only run around 400 dollars.

I will post before and after pictures for those who are interested. 10 months ago

So I am making alist of 5 things I can do to each floor (4 floors) of the Ogden House when I get home. The lists are budget friendly and high impact.

The attic will see the most love, because I still need to install insulation and a new enterance. However, each floor will get one “expensive” treat.

Work should begin in September when I get home. 13 months ago

Spent a few days of military leave cleaning and organizing the Ogden House. I spent most of Thursday cleaning out the attic, which was a complete mess.

When we bought the house in 2008, the attic was full of junk (piles of old carpet, papers, rotten insulation, broken bits and bobs). I’ve spent the last 4 years cleaning it all out. Along the way we’ve found some cool stuff (magazines from the 1960s, an old cap gun, parts of an old tube radio) so the process has been an adventure.

Anyway, Thursday saw the last of the rotten old carpet piles removed from the attic. Also, 4 more large trash bags were filled with junk. The attic is almost empty, which means Phase II of the restoration project will begin Fall 2012. 14 months ago