New Table

Above, Sierra checking out the new table. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today, I had to go into Gallup to mail a package to Russia and do some grocery shopping.

While on the way to the market after I was done at the post office, I spotted Furniture Warehouse on historic Route 66 and decided to turn around and head there to see if they had any side or buffet tables.

I've been wanting to get one for a while and had been looking here and there.

Fortunately for me, they had some and I found one that I liked. So I bought it at a very reasonable price.

It was delivered about 45 minutes ago.

Now I have to figure out what to put on it. Right now, I have the box containing Count Petofi's mummified hand on it (actually, my humidor).

Sierra and the New Table Set

Above, the new table set and Sierra. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A little while ago, I noticed that Sierra has discovered the new table and chairs as I saw some fur on the tabletop.

Sierra was busy playing with her laser light toy (she knows how to turn it on) and I took a few photos.

Above, the toy would work better standing up, but she keeps knocking it over. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, plotting her next move. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the set in the morning light. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Bistro Dining Set Delivered and Assembled

Above, the assembled bistro dining set. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The small dining (or bistro) set arrived today from Wayfair. It arrived and was left on my front porch by Federal Express while I was down at Denny's at the Flying J for our usual breakfast/coffee meet-up.

The rest of the day was spent putting it together. The table was easy. The chairs were another story. The Allen wrenches supplied with the table set were difficult to use. So, I went down to Home Depot in Gallup and picked up some Allen wrench bits for my drill.

That made the final assembly of the chairs a whole lot easier.

Above, another view. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It seems most furniture items one orders these days come in kit form and assembly is required. I had to assemble the patio dining set, the curio cabinet and, now, the bistro dining set. My biggest gripe about these are the poorly written and drawn instruction sheets.

Oh, well. I guess it kept me occupied with something to do for a while.

New "Bistro Set" On The Way

Above, the set I ordered.

Finally, I've found a "bistro" three-piece dining set for the open space near the bay windows in the living room area.

The set is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow, but as I was writing this, I received a text message from the shipper that it will be arriving today before 8:00 tonight. Well, I'm not complaining!

Above, the area that the set will be going in. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is what I've been looking for and at the right price (under $140).

This should mark the last thing, as far as furniture goes, I will be ordering in the foreseeable future. 

The Bay Windows Area

Above, the living room bay windows area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now that I have the curio cabinet assembled and collectibles inside of it, I have to see about getting a small table and chairs set (commonly called a bistro set) for the area.

I have not as yet decided on the style of the set, I am going to take my time about getting one and will look over different styles.

In the meantime, a storm is coming in right now and I already can hear thunder.

Curio Cabinet Finished

Finally, the replacement part for the curio cabinet I purchased online (and had to assemble) arrived exactly one week after notifying the manufacturer of the broken mirror on the section.

After it arrived, I proceeded to finish assembling the cabinet.

It took about an hour and a half to complete. Once done, I was able to completely empty two boxes of collectibles.

Here's the finished cabinet:

I have to go though another box for more stuff when I return from Albuquerque this weekend.

It Never Fails...

...there's always something that goes wrong.

The curio cabinet I ordered last week arrived today.

My neighbor, Bo and I began to assemble it this afternoon. But the work came to a grinding halt when I pulled the upper back frame (with mirror) out of the box.

The mirror had a crack across the top.

Unfortunately, the manufacturer was closed when I called their customer service. I'll have to call them tomorrow morning to see what they want to do. They can either replace the whole section or I can take it to a Gallup area glass shop have have them replace the mirror and I can send the manufacturer the bill for reimbursement. In the meantime, I emailed the manufacturer and sent along the photo below of the cracked mirror.

Why can't things be easy?

UPDATE (8/8/18):

I got a hold of the customer service department of the manufacturer this morning and they are sending a replacement.

Patio Tinkering Today

Above, the chairs and table on the brick deck in the side yard. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Part of today was spent cleaning up some old patio furniture that I had at the apartment in Tarzana.

It had been a while since I last used them there and they got pretty dirty over the years. I used a combination of a bottled cleaner and a bucket full of hot water and dish soap along with a scrub brush. That got the job done.

Above, testing out the outdoor lights. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The furniture consists of two stackable plastic chairs and small table. When I finished cleaning them, I put them over at the brick "deck" further back in the side yard. The new dining table set will remain on the wooden deck.

Thank goodness today was a reasonably warm day (upper 50s to lower 60s). It was also the warmest evening (in the upper 40s) tonight since I've been here. I was able to comfortably test the outdoor lights near the wooden and brick decks. Both worked fine. The light switch is under the wooden deck.

All Assembled!

Above, the completed set. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With the air temperature in the the low to mid 40s, I set out to assemble the last three patio chairs for the outdoor dining set that arrived yesterday. As I was working, the temperature steadily rose.

Above, on deck (as they say in baseball). Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The task was made much easier when I got fed up with the crummy wrenches that came with the chairs and I got my socket set out. That made me zip through. Had I still relied upon the cheap wrenches, it probably would have taken me another hour to finish.

Above, comfort and a view is a great combination. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With the socket wrenches, I was able to easily tighten the nuts & bolts of the chairs. I even tightened the up the chair I assembled yesterday.

Above, away from Commiefornia with a good cigar! Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After I was done, I went inside and grabbed a cup of coffee and a cigar and sat out and enjoyed the scenery. The chairs swivel and rock. They are also very comfortable! I am looking forward to stargazing during the summer months (I was told be several people that Jamestown is a great area for stargazing). The set will look even better when I have the deck re-painted in the late spring.

The "Thing"

After blogging about finally receiving the patio set today, I sent a link to my blog post to my "honorary sister" Diane with the above photo.

Apparently, something caught her eye.

She wrote back:

That looks nice.  What is this thing though?  Is it a water area for bunnies to drink?*

Along with her reply, she sent this blow-up:

My reply:

That "thing" is (I'm guessing) a painted tractor tire used as a planter or something. It was devoid of anything when I bought the place. I thought it would be perfect to display a 80 lb. chunk of petrified wood my grandfather lugged out of the desert during the 1930s or 1940s. So, I put the petrified wood in the center of it (rather, I had the movers put it there).

*She has a thing for bunnies. She has several as pets.

Here is a closer view of The "Thing":

The Patio Dining Set Arrives

Above, the assembled table and chair. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today was the day that my patio furniture finally arrived.

I ordered the patio dining set on February 9. I received the umbrella and the umbrella base within a few days.

Now, almost a month after ordering the dining set from Home Depot, it arrived today. Not assembled, naturally. At least the snow melted away from the deck. It is getting so one can't buy anything without having to put it together.

Before the set arrived, I unboxed and tried out the umbrella and base.

It arrived at around 1:30 and I immediately proceeded to begin assembling the table. That wasn't too bad, plus, it gave me something to do.

After getting the table assembled and the umbrella installed, I then proceeded to assemble one of the rocking/swivel chairs. That was a hassle!

Above, the deployed umbrella before the dining set arrived. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The diagram for attaching the chair to its base was not well illustrated, and the image was too tiny. Fortunately, the written instructions were written well enough for me to finish assembling.

This will make assembling the final three chairs a lot easier.

I decided to call it a day after finishing the chair, which was around 3:00. I had to go down to the Flying J to check my mail anyway.

I'll assemble the three chairs tomorrow.

Tomorrow's The Day

Tomorrow's the day that my patio furniture (outdoor dining set pictured above) will be delivered by Home Depot.

It took a bit longer than expected, but it is just as well as the extra time allowed for the snow and ice to completely melt off the deck. Now there's only a little bit of snow and ice on the deck's stairs.

I've had the umbrella and the umbrella base for several weeks.

I am looking forward to this set. It comes with four chairs that swivel and rock. The umbrella's color is "chili" (basically rust-colored) that will go well with the exterior trim of the house.

The Guest Room Coming Together

Above, the new night stand, lamp and sofa bed. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today was cold, but warm and sunny enough to venture out.

The first thing I did was to head over to the Flying J Travel Center to pick up my mail. Then, after that, I headed into Gallup to check out the town's mall, the Rio West Mall.

By Los Angeles standards, the Rio West Mall is on the small side with the only major department store being J. C. Penney. They had a number of small stores (Hot Topic was one of them) and a food court.

I went there to see about a night stand for the guest room (that will double as a library/den). I did manage to find a F.Y.E. video and music store. While there, I picked up the Universal Pictures Dracula Legacy Collection on DVD and a Blu-ray of Close Encounters of The Third Kind that contained the original theatrical version (I watched it tonight, the first time I've seen it in over 35 years), the "Special Edition" that came out in the 1980s and the "Director's Cut".

Seeing no furniture stores at the Rio West Mall, I headed out and after leaving the parking lot, I spotted a furniture store. I went in but didn't see anything that suited me.

I then decided to go over to the Furniture Warehouse, where I bought the sofa bed and dinette set. I found a night stand/end table that was just right and with a lower price than what I was seeing online.

They delivered the night stand this afternoon and it is now in place. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a table lamp for the guest room and finally unboxed it and put it in the guest room. The finished result is pictured at top.

Definitely a good day for getting things done.

Productive Day

Today was productive as I went to the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division in Gallup to get myself a New Mexico driver's license and to get The Beast its New Mexico plate (unlike California, New Mexico only requires one license plate.

Since the process of registering/titling a vehicle in a different state involves a V.I.N. inspection, I will have to return again to register the Mustang. Before I even do that, I have to complete and send to Sacramento a request for a duplicate title. The one I have/had disappeared. I found The Beast's title. Once I receive the duplicate title from Sacramento, I can then register the Mustang in New Mexico.

I was pleasantly surprised on the cost to register vehicles in New Mexico. For one year, the RV registration would be around $108. For two years, the cost is $211. Guess which I did? The two-year one!

In California, the cost to renew The Beast would have been around $300-500. This tells me that I made a good decision in moving here!

So, The Beast is all registered, and I have its new plate, registration and title (they print those on the spot).

Before I went to the Motor Vehicle Division, I waited for the delivery man to bring the office chair I bought yesterday.

Here it is:

Above, the new office chair. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

More Furniture

Ever since I knew I would be buying the house in Jamestown, New Mexico, I have been checking out patio furniture to use during the spring, summer and autumn months.

I settled on exactly what I wanted and, finally, I ordered them (while I had the cash handy and before the price goes up) last night. 

The first item is a Hampton Bay Niles Park 5-Piece Sling Patio Dining Set. Its features include:

• Rust-resistant aluminum frames offer lasting durability
• Neutral harvest brick tones coordinate with any outdoor style
• Split sling Phifer fabric is weather resistant to foster long-term use
• Hand-applied, multistep frame finish in golden bronze offers a unique, upscale look to enhance your patio or deck
• Swivel rocking design provides hours of relaxing comfort
• Easy to clean with mild soap and water
•  Set includes 48 in. round table and 4 swivel rocking chairs

To go along with it, I also ordered a Hampton Bay 9 ft. Aluminum Patio Umbrella in Chili. The color will go with the exterior of the house. Its features include:

• Rust-resistant aluminum frame in charcoal finish provides sturdy support
• Weather- and UV-protected outdoor fabric resists fading, staining and mildew
• Crank mechanism makes opening and closing the umbrella easy
• 3-position tilt mechanism for all-day shade
• 1.5 in. diameter center pole
• Cleans easily with mild soap and water

I also got an umbrella base (yes, the table does have a hole for the umbrella). All will be delivered in the next two weeks. This ought to take care of furniture spending for now.

New Furniture

After buying a dinette set and convertible sofa yesterday at the Furniture Warehouse in Gallup, they were delivered today.

Here's what they looked like after delivery:

Getting the sofa-sleeper into the guest room was a bit tricky. After much effort, I was about to throw in the towel and get a window guy to remove the window panes (I have dual-pane windows) and have the sofa brought in through there. But, the furniture guys managed to get it in right at that moment.

Furniture Shopping

After getting the old 1989 Mustang all tuned up and a new clutch (that part was unexpected), I took it out to Gallup today to check out some furniture for the house. The old car still has a lot of pep! I had to get it in shape before moving to New Mexico.

I decided to dump the old dark oak dining table. I got tired of looking at it since I've had it for over 30 years (bought during my marriage).

I stopped at a place in Gallup and looked around in their showroom of dining sets. Most of them were of dark wood or other materials. But I saw this one:

As you can see, it is a lighter stained wood and would go well in the dining area next to the kitchen:

The other item I was on the lookout for was a sofa-bed that would go into the spare bedroom that will probably be used as an office and/or a guest room.

I saw this one (and the pillows come with it) that I liked:

This will be the room that it would go into:

I am seriously considering buying both, maybe tomorrow. The price is right, about $700 each, and even cheaper if I pay cash (which I would anyway). The store also has free delivery.

Neither item is flashy, but would compliment each room.