Day 1: Discovery

Our first day at the house was largely a day of discovery.  For example, we discovered that the walls are not really walls so much as layers of paneling and wallpaper.  Thus, we discovered, we would have to gut the house.  

We also did some cleaning, and, as the picture indicates, paid close attention to the toilet.  Our first trip to Lowe's was to buy a toilet seat to replace the cushioned one left by the previous owners.

We had a better idea of the kind of house the previous owners kept when we realized that the yellow wallpaper was originally white, but had been stained yellow by years of nicotine use.

 

We discovered the extent of the nicotine effect when we saw where a picture had been hanging on the wall--underneath, the original white wallpaper; on the sides, dingy yellow.

In spite of realizing that preparing the house to live in would take much more than a wallpaper steamer and some diligence, day 1 was a success.  Our own personal locksmith (aka Dennis) put in brand new locks, and our own personal cleaning technician (Barbara) cleaned all of the dog hair out of the refrigerator.  

As we were packing up to leave for the day, we noticed that the refrigerator was leaking--badly. Dennis and Greg rushed down to the basement to find the water valve, while Barb and I improvised with a trash bag and the bathroom mat to try and contain most of the water.  Eventually, we jimmied the copper piping so that the leaked stopped, but we were afraid to move the refrigerator back into its cubby.