Darn that TJ Maxx

Today I got an email from my bank alerting me that I was going to get a new debit card, pin and access numbers next week. All this because I am considered “medium risk.” My debit card number had been compromised, by who? The email didn’t say. Me being the curious type promptly called them up and asked which merchant had compromised my information? After some hemming and hawing they said TJX.

Knowing a little something about the identity theft issue I was slightly taken back. First, the TJX (owner of TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, Home Goods, etc) data breach was all over the news in January 07…why is it I am not hearing about it until the end of March? Second, if I recall they only told the public in January 07, the actual data had been taken months before that in 2006.

Well they had a fantastic answer to that. They said had I been “high risk” they would have told me sooner. That gave me a little chuckle.

Apparently, today the information came out that 47.5 million people are affected by this data breach.

So, sorry to complain on and on, but this affected me, most the women I know have shopped at TJ Maxx or Marshall’s (even my mom – who probably won’t have except she forgot her bathing suit on the trip to the Cape). So I wanted to share. But not only that, I want to give you tips from CU’s ID Theft Campaign and a way to make a difference.

Also, remember to keep a close eye on your credit report and your finance statements. Some states don’t have notice of breach laws so you may never know if your data is stolen.

Finally, since this is a phlog here is a photo of the last item I purchased at a TJ Maxx – my all time favorite luggage set.

If it smells like dirt...

Centex started the foundation leveling this morning. It was a sight! The Supervisor hadn’t showed up, but his crew arrived first. Ian and I were putting all the tools in the shed and I went in to the front bedroom to see 10 little Latino guys with their faces pressed up to the window taking very quickly in Spanish. I am sure they were thinking – this is going to be a lot of work!

This morning they ripped out the rest of the floors (whatever Ian and I had planned to rip out this weekend) and took out quite a bit of dirt. Now seen in the front yard.

(under the front hallway)
(underthe guest bedroom)
(under the kitchen)
(under the dining room addition put on in 1997)

Ian and I are crazy – we know this. But, at least we know when this is all said and done that the house will truly be ours.

Did I mention that the neighbor, Talbot, who has been here almost 40 years said it used to be a crack house? Look at his website - Mom and I toured the house. We even did the catwalk to the treestand 4 stories up!!!

Well, bygones to the crack house – hello to the dirt house!

(PS: signature crooked photos courtesy of Mrs. Quad)

Mom: The Great Motivator

In an effort to get as much done that we could while my mom was here we spent the weekend bustin’ our humps at the new house.

We ripped out a lot of the floor (still more to be done next weekend) while mom tackled the yard.

Here is mom chopping down the neighbor’s tree (not really).

Here is mom taking a much needed break looking out over the yard she had been “going house” on. (That’s an Ian term, for all I know he made it up.) It is important that we say a BIG thank you to my mom for all her perspiration and motivation over the weekend!

Ian and I split up the house and started ripping out the subfloors – an extremely slow process. You have to use a crow bar, a hammer and every muscle in your body. We are still pooped.

The next pictures are of under the house. Mostly my dad wants to see the support beams and piers. Centex starts as early as this week, but most likely Monday on leveling the house. They are going to put in new concrete piers (replacing the bricks you see) and reinforce the beams. This is a major overhaul and we may be crazy for trying to do this. But the ink is dry and we are all systems a go.

Click on the pictures to see it up close, I have labled the photos under each on so you know what you are looking at.

(under the master bedroom)
(under the living room)
(the beam in the guest room)(the beam in the master bedroom)(where the beam breaks - it doesn't go under the bathroom)

(the pipes running under the bedroom)

Centex says that it will take about 5-6 days. So if they are out of the house by April 7, Ian and I can get in and replace the subfloors, wash and paint the walls, and get ready to lay the new hardwood floors on the 14^th. After that we have to get on the move – literally. We need to be out of here by April 30.

Um…yikes

One frog Sarge wouldn’t want to meet in an alley

Ian’s mom sent this one over this morning. Sarge would really jump if he every saw this frog! Sorry about the lag time between posts lately. My mom was in town helping us get the house ready. We spent the entire weekend working in the yard and tearing out the floor – all the way to the dirt – to prepare for the foundations guys to come in. Depending on the weather and their other jobs they could be in as early as this week. They need about 5-6 days to complete the work. Then we can put the floors back down. I have a ton of photos from the weekend to put up tonight.

Texas Blue

That is the special color that the Texas sky turns right before it is about to pour. And when they say “everything’s bigger in Texas” they mean it. The thunder, lightening, rain drops and hail are really BIG in Texas.

It took these shots (they are in time sequence over 5 minutes) last week. I am posting as a preview for my mom. She is coming down on Thursday to help us with the house. We were planning some major work days – especially outside in the yard (which needs a lot of work). But, with the weather forecast it looks like we will be spending some quality time inside.

Day Two: Aggression Issues

Apparently, I am an angry woman. Because put a 5-foot razor blade in my hands, put me in front of a floor and I go to town. I totally kicked the kitchen/dining room floor’s butt today. It was there, now it is gone.

We knew there was crappy tile laminate flooring in the kitchen and dinging room. What we didn’t know was that they put it on top of crappy sheet laminate. Jeez, what wouldn’t these people do? They put carpet on top of tile on top of particle board on top of the subfloor. They put cheap laminate wood on top of cardboard on top of foam on top of subfloor….they are the kings and queens of “just cover it up no one will know.”

So I got out the kitchen and dining room. Ian spent the day trying to pry up the access point (that has clearly not been accessed in 15 years – at least.
Here is a look under the subfloor.

Next: the contractor comes in to tell us how much it is really going to cost to level the floors. And Ian goes to the asbestos testing place on Monday to make sure it is safe to be in the bedrooms. (The tile in the bedrooms that has to be hauled out of there is 40-50 years old – back when they didn’t know the dangers of that stuff – and we can’t be hauling out toxic waste).

Day One: Distruction (for Dad)

Today we pulled up the laminate wood flooring, the carpet, the carpet pads, and the tack trim (that was the hardest part). We were able to get to the subfloors in the living room, but there is some weird tile in the bedrooms.

Dad needs to see the floors and help us figure out how to get them up. It appears that the top is made of a plaster-like layer. It used to be solid all the way across, but we think that they trued to use a chemical to get it up and the plaster-like top started to corrode. Also, under the plaster there is particle board that is falling apart. Each tile is nailed in (we think), but the nail is under the plaster layer. And it looks like it is also glued down to the subfloors. It is a real pain to get up – we were so tired that we stopped for the day.

This is what I am describing - take a look at the big picture and see what you think.
Any suggestions on what the heck this stuff is and how to get it up is greatly appreciated.

Tomorrow we go in to the kitchen – and remove that crappy floor too. Which is also glued to the subfloors.(PS: you're loved)

Doing SXSW-Music right

SXSW – I went to the interactive part of the conference for work. But the music side is what everyone wants to get in to. The way SXSW works is that you can buy a badge (couple hundred bucks) for each part: Interactive, Film, or Music. Or you can get a Platinum Badge that gets you in to everything (mega bucks). Or you can buy a wristband for a few hundred dollars. And, finally, if you only want to see a few things you can queue up and pay a per show charge – but you are not guaranteed to get in.) Pretty much, only badges are guaranteed in. In front of every show – there are three lines. Badge, wristband, and cash. Many of the venues are so small they have to close the doors after the badges. But, see the real secret behind SXSW is the parties. The parties are invite only – doesn’t matter if you have a badge, if you don’t have an invite – you can’t get in.

Thank goodness for Jax and French – they have all the invites. Last night we went to three shows. The Meat Puppets. Public Enemy. And The Feds.

First, the Meat Puppets. The South Austin Speed Shop (I kid you not – a classic car auto body shop) held a party and upended their garage up for the party.

Then we headed over to Auditorium Shores to see the free Public Enemy show. Only thing was – VIPs get really good seats. It was awesome! Back stage...

Flavor Flav and Chuck DIt was Flavor Flav’s b-day. Some other spinner, named DJ Lord. Ian says too bad it wasn’t Terminator X. But the guy was good. The clock!

Peace and F*%$ George W. Was the message of the night.
Artful shot of Jax and I.

After Public Enemy let out we went down to 6^th Street it was super crazy.

But we battled the crowds to get over to the Rockfest for the Feds (not that great, little too heavy for me). With more fantastic seats. We all kept marveling at what a nice “happy new home” celebration the city threw for us! Most thanks goes to The Quads for the awesome night!