Redecorating Blog BY REGINA MCDOWELLSEND COMMENTS
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

.::Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Just when we thought we were done, improvements keep happening. The Board approved the purchase of a digital projector for the planned seminars and other programming. New member Stu consulted on the selection of a great Epson projector and we asked him to help with the placement of the screen.

After much testing and discussion with Rear Commodore Bob and Seminar Committee Chair Kent, I decided we needed to relinquish the old on-the-wall screen in favor of a large screen that would sit on its own legs and be portable, just like the tables and chairs. I could not bring myself to screw anything into the ceiling now that it was painted and looking so neat and uncluttered.

This new screen is light, easily set up, and can be configured for movies and slide shows, and even for an old episode of "24" downloaded from HULU! MYC is going to have such good times with this new equipment. Stu is pictured at left with the new lighter, larger, and portable screen for our club.

.::Sunday, March 22, 2009
The OPEN HOUSE took place earlier today. I know everyone had fun. The comments were all very nice and everyone was pleased as punch that the redecoration turned out so well. Bette H. outdid herself with a beautiful spread with the Club colors. The five members of the planning committee in attendance are pictured above! I wrote the following update for The Log so the general membership could see that over 50 volunteers came together to do this excellent job:

MYC Club House Transformed and Open for Activity
After two months of hard work this winter, Monomoy Yacht Club members have transformed the club house into a freshly painted, functional club house that is now open for activity. The project involved painting, flooring, new furniture, bathroom upgrades, brass polishing and attic cleaning, window treatments, outdoor and indoor signage, burgee displaying, and accessorizing.

It started last July when a redecorating committee was asked to purchase a microwave and add railings and paint to the stairs. That committee thought a significant improvement was in order, and asked the club to go along with it. The Board of Governors deserves thanks for supporting the proposal with their elbow grease as well as their funding.

Over 50 volunteers from the club participated in the redecoration. Special recognition goes to Dennis Schock, the painting captain and electrician;; Dick Hosmer, the flooring and molding captain; Bette Hahner, super helper, super shopper and hostess of the work groups; Bob Becker, the master of all trades; Bill Jordan, a patient and thorough problem solver; and the team of Jay Stahl and Tom Patton, the Can Do Anything duo.

Among the volunteers were John Bain, Marie Becker, Kent Bonney, John Brooks, Ken Chesley, Barbara and John Cotnam, Bob and Noreen Doyle, Dick Evans, Joe Gagliano, Jeff Hahner, Donna Jordan, Julius Lempner, Blanche and John MacMullan, Betty and Len Magnusson, Gerry McDowell, Suzy and Jack McDowell, Stacy Morgano, Jan Oudemool, Bill Schwalm, Linda and Peter Smith, JoAnn and Warren Sprague, Margaret Stenberg, and Karen Voorhees.

The redecorating project was so much more than just redecorating. Volunteers got to know one another better and in a different way than merely chatting at a BYOB. Through this project, it was revealed that the skill level for engineering, painting, fabricating, repairing, woodworking, and shopping is very high. Members own every tool we can imagine, although we did have to rent a 100-pound roller for the flooring project!

Kudos to the Redecorating Committee of Bette Hahner, Betsy Evans, Judy Chesley, Patty Duffy, Carole Millis, and Judy Doe. Our design consultant, member Deirdre Flannery, was very generous with many consultations and invaluable advice. The committee hopes the redecorating project will lead the way to continued friendship among the volunteers, additional ideas for programming, and increased use of the club house by all members.

..::Saturday, March 21, 2009
I got the word on Friday afternoon that the Telescope chairs had been shipped and received. Rod Cameron of Pool N Patio on Rt. 134 in S. Dennis wanted to deliver and set them up on Saturday morning! Rod had heard about the redecorating project and this blog and was happy to have a few photos taken. Jeff H., who designed the camera-ready logo for the chairs that Betsy E. selected came over to see how it all turned out, and was pressed into service to help unpack and assemble them. Rod was thanked for a job well done and the whole club will get a chance to see the chairs at the Open House tomorrow. Bette H. was there to begin the setup for the party!

When you walk in on Sunday, you will know that you are in the Monomoy Yacht Club and that the colors are black and yellow! You will have yummy refreshments as you view the "reveal." Can you tell that I watch too much HGTV? After about ten weeks of work on this project, not the usual weekend project on HGTV, we are finally at the completion of the redecorating project.

..::Thursday, March 19, 2009
Five of us spent an hour or two today finishing up some finishing touches. The new cabinet knobs installed by Bill J. look very good. With Bob, Marie, and Jeff helping, there are very nice "things" on the walls, burgees are up, trash cans are in place, and the undersink darkness has no traces of mouse goop thanks to press and place tiles. There are so many unexpected niceties as a result of extraordinary shopping skills of Bette H. Tomorrow, we will pick up some refreshments for the Open House on Sunday, and take some time for lunch out with the girls.

..::Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Just a few more things need doing before Sunday's Open House to celebrate the redecoration and the arrival of Spring. I purchased a nice big coir mat for the doorway thinking it would be a great surface for members to wipe off mud, sand, dirt, salt, and scum before walking on the new vinyl floor. The mat was so big and bushy that it could have been a safety hazard. So, reluctantly, I decided to send it back and keep looking. The old mat is back, but will not be suitable for long-term use because it has a rubber back and will do damage to the floor, according to the maintenance specs for the floor.

Bill J. is working on the cabinets to install knobs and pulls. It is hoped that this nautical look will add to the ambiance of the club house. It was not easy to find a fix for the extra hole problem, but Bill is great at thinking up unusual problem solving answers and his idea on this one looks pretty good! I have some more work planned for tomorrow, but not in the morning. That is reserved for a pedicure and manicure that I booked after I received a wonderful gift certificate in the mail from an anonymous donor. Bette H. also received a similar gift certificate. I am thrilled by the gift and both of us are really going to enjoy this experience tomorrow! Thank you, anonymous donor!

With the old Coast Guard boat house gone now, there is a little something interesting missing from the view. Cape Cod Online has a video of the move to the barge and through the Canal. See The Big Day at the Canal

..::Friday, March 13, 2009
It is a beautiful chilly day to go to the club house and take some photos of Jay S. and Tom P. putting up the flagpole that they repaired. This was a big job, but it did not seem to faze these two! I also wanted to clean up and remove all the tools and work items and bequeath the leftover paint to Jay for his job as maintenance chief. As an added treat today, a barge with a crane was in Stage Harbor preparing to move the Coast Guard boat house to Quincy. The boat house was all packaged up waiting to be lifted and floated away.

Gerry and I decided to get some sandwiches and take some time to watch the crane because we could never get a better spot to view this event than right here in the club house. Unfortunately, the timing was not quite right. The tide was low, so there was not much activity other than men in trucks waiting around. It should be very interesting once they do get to work!

..::Thursday, March 12, 2009
Our members, and the Rear Commodore are certainly doing their part to finish up this redecoration! Today Bob D. manhandled two monster TV sets in the attic space and wrestled them downstairs, single handedly, and took them in his manly truck to the transfer station. Hooray for cleaned up attics and maybe this year I will clean up my own attic!

Tom P. and Jay S. put up the gorgeous outdoor signage selected by Carole M. The men also removed the old quarterboard and the harbor side MYC sign. This new signage creates a sense of place that matches the spectacular view from the windows of the Monomoy Yacht Club.

My email brought some good news about deliveries of cabinet hardware, the entrance mat, and the new wine chiller vessel -- all to be delivered before the Open House for Members on March 22.

..::Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The first board of governors meeting in the redecorated space took place today! There were lots of oohs and aahhs and general kudos of appreciation for all the hard work by our committee and our volunteers. Some even said they enjoyed reading this blog! A standing ovation for the committee took place. It would have been perfect were it not for the fact that there was no heat! A "flux capacitor" on the heating system failed to work as we sat there for two hours in our coats huddling together to keep warm and waiting for Whiteley Heating to respond!

The board voted to purchase a new digital projector to enhance the Seminars planned for April and to increase the ability for multimedia programs for our enjoyment, including showing movies. Joyce S. brought back the stock for the Club Stores all neatly packed up in boxes. Phyllis F. artfully arranged the new bulletin board with photos of new members. Bill J. took the old anemometer for repair and got estimates. We have to decide to fix the old or opt for a new, easier to install, more inclusive system. It is a hard decision. Which is better? Silver or gold?

..::Sunday, March 8, 2009
Today I took a walk with Gerry (who has been the very best supporter of this blogger for the last two very busy months) around the Chatham loop and stopped into the club house to take a few photos. Notice the MYC wind jacket in his photo below! Yesterday, he and I set up the room for the March board of governors meeting on Tuesday and I wanted to get that shot of the space for the blog. This will be the first club activity in the new space. While we were taking pictures, Bette and Jeff showed up to work on the burgee display. The bathroom, the closet, and the burgees were all the design and hard work of Bette, who has unending enthusiasm for this work at the club. On our walk we passed another couple who were MYC members. They mentioned the project, congratulated us, and volunteered to be part of the transfer station run tomorrow! Later at Lighthouse Beach, we ran into yet another couple who were MYC members. They too volunteered for a project -- new wheels for the round oak table -- and offered kind words about what has been done.

I can think of about six things that still need doing before the Open House on March 22. With this kind of member enthusiasm, I know it will get done in time. I am really liking how this all turned out so far!

..::Friday, March 6, 2009
A bunch of us worked today for a few hours. Bette is getting the closet to look like California Closets did their best in there! She found a rug and painted the floor. The attic space is all neated up so it will be easy to store extra chairs. We are looking for some members who are strong and have no back problems to move attic junk to the transfer station.

Jeff H. came by with tools and fasteners to referee the fight we had yesterday with the molly bolts. We learned something about molly bolts and now have a few tricks up our sleeve. The bottom line is that the chart area is done and looks fabulous! The brass clock and the brass bell are installed and set to welcome members as they enter.

Blanche and John seemed to be having fun working out the frigamatics of hanging up 22 protraits of the past Commodores. They still have different sized frames in some cases, but they all have identification and nice new mats.

I ordered a coir door mat for inside the front door. It has a nice black rectangle and is large and natural looking. It will do well to brush off dirt and suck up water as we enter. Unfortunately, it will not arrive before the Open House on March 22.

..::Thursday, March 5, 2009
An early morning trip to the transfer station did wonders for us! We trashed all the packing materials for the furniture and cleared out the space so we could work on arrangements. We took a break for other activities and when we returned later in the day after lunch, the Commodore left the ship's bell that she shined up to a beautiful finish and, along with the shined-up ship's strike clock, these items will make a very shiny addition to the chart area.

We examined our four expandable tables by opening them out as a game table, and then expanding them to the full size table. We sprayed Glide All to make them work easier, and we took notes on how to open up the tables so a set of instructions could be left for all who will work with the tables. They first expand to a game size table, and then to a full 6- or 8-person table. The tables are still a bit stiff, but I know it will become easier with use. We are keeping the shades down so they stretch out to their required length using the old gravity trick! Deirdre tells me that we can also pull on them to get them to stretch out. The light shining through them is very pleasant, although I much prefer the view out the window on to Stage Harbor.

Thanks to Bette and a recent trip to Philly where a nice big IKEA store is located, there will be a few new items in the club house, such as the handsome new hangers in wood tone with black hooks! Tomorrow, we hang up the Commodore's Gallery with Blanche and John.

..::Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The fun stuff to do is to put finishing touches on things. Bette and I hung the chart area furnishings--the quarterboard and the charts for East and South. The area is very welcoming and there is NO DOUBT that this is the Monomoy Yachts Club! I finished up the final poly coat on the bottom of the bar/buffet. I finally will no longer have to get down on my knees with a paint brush! We opened and closed the expandable tables a few times to get the routine down. After a few sprays of silicon, they will glide very easily. Bette will print up instructions for the club so that any member will be able to set up the room.

The Commodore and her hub came over with ice melt and spent quite a while shovelling the stairs to make it safe for us all. We are still talking about the best way to display the burgees. At the end of the day, we decided to install the shades and what a great surprise that was! They look fabulous. Local interior designer Maura Miller came by to do the install and she finished it up in about 15 minutes! I definitely will work with her again. When stacked, tied up, laying in the box, the shades looked a little pinkish. Now that they are hanging on the windows, they are a very close match to the walls. Thank you, Deirdre!

..::Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Furniture delivery day is here! There is some excitement, not unlike a birthday, when you know you will be getting presents. After the sloppy mess of yesterday's snow and sleet followed by today's cold temperatures, the steps to the club house were treacherous! We did have the shovel, but no ice melt, and no time to make it less difficult.

Undaunted by the prevailing conditions, Bill and his son Dan from Tale of the Cod showed up in their van with 24 Stakmore chairs and four Stakmore expanding tables. Bette was there to receive the presents! Bill and Dan were great, helping to shovel the steps and unloading our furniture without making a dent! They worked with Bette to make sure we were up to speed on creating a table for four and then a table for eight from the small console table they brought in. Very neat! The folding chairs are quite comfy, so we were very pleased with our choices. We now have oodles of plastic bags, cushioning material, and cardboard boxes. Tomorrow, we will arrange the furniture and set up a convenient way to store the chairs and leaves in the storage space.

I would do business with Tale of the Cod again. They were willing to give us a very decent price on the furniture we found in a catalog, they ordered a sample for us to check out, they stored the furniture for several weeks for us, and they delivered it with a smile.

..::Monday, March 2, 2009
Due to the 12 inches of snow across the Boston area and the sloppy mess of rain, sleet, and snow here in Chatham, most things were cancelled today! I don't think anything happened at the club house today. I checked the web cam at Stage Harbor and there were no footprints in the slush! However yesterday, I spent about an hour polishing up the brass ship strike clock. Ordinary brass polish did not do too much, so I went to the internet for suggestions. I tried the first one: make a homemade paste of vinegar, salt, and flour and leave it on for about ten minutes. Then remove the sloppy mess and rub. It worked! Another suggestion to use ceramic cleaner also worked and added a little more shine.

Tomorrow I will do a few coats of poly on the baseboard of the new bar-buffet and hope that the furniture will be delivered as promised! And may all the sloppy messes disappear.

..::Saturday, February 28, 2009
Hooray! Caution! Surprise! We now have hot water in the club house after quite a few number of years without it. Steve Gilmore, Pleasant Bay Plumbing, made it happen with a new heating element. I was staining the buffet base today and went in to wash my hands, cavalierly using the hot water tap to get cold water. Suddenly, I had hot water and did not mind almost burning my hand. There will be a new higher quality of life at our club house from now on.

Today I went over to East Harwich Hardware and Paint to talk with a stain guru. I brought a drawer from the cabinet and after actually opening six cans of stains, from water based to oil based to gel, they wiped them out on hardwood and pine. The one that came closest to my drawer color was a Honey Maple gel stain. Almost sounds good enough to eat! They recommended two coats of stain followed by three coats of water-based polyurethane. If I am diligent and go over at 8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 2:30 pm, I could be finished tomorrow. Dick H. would like to come to install the carpet strip for a finished look on Monday. He may be convinced to come on Tuesday or Wednesday if that nasty Nor'easter comes upon us as predicted.

We expect a furniture delivery early next week. We are getting closer and closer. There are still a few hundred little details to do before completion.

..::Friday, February 27, 2009
There were tools all over today. Carpenter Jeff Foster used both power tools and hand tools and spent a little over three hours assembling the three cabinets, the base he built to raise the structure up to approximately 40 inches, and the countertop. Jeff observed that the floor was not level and the wall had a bow, sort of in the middle. He leveled the cabinets with shims so that they were 40 inches from the floor on the left and 40 3/4 inches from the floor on the right. He used a power planer to fix the wall problem after he installed the countertop. The bar/buffet looks good! Jeff said he was happy to have this project today outside of his home workshop because the rest of his family was down with the flu that has hit the area. After the oak base gets a stain treatment, it will be complete.

Kent B. came by to fill in holes and "slap some paint" on them. He went around the room looking for holes and slapping paint on lots of spots in the room. I am pretty sure he got them all! I used some furniture refinisher and worked on the round oak table all morning. I was so pleased at what happened to the table that I also did the chart area cabinets and the bathroom vanity. Jan O. came by to drop off the charts of East and South suitably gold-leafed and framed with fans. He had to finish them even though he was brought down by the local 24-hour flu that has hit the town with a fury. The boards look wonderful! Carol Millis checked in to say that the outdoor signage is complete and will be put up by volunteers Jay S. and Tom P. when the wind stops blowing so hard and the group can get together. Blanche M. called to say that the Commodore's Gallery is undergoing a cleanup and rematting in some cases. She had also been the victim of another type of flu! Next week the flu viruses should be gone and we will get furniture delivered and complete the decoration of the room.

..::Thursday, February 26, 2009
Another early day today. Before 8:30 a.m. the bar/buffet cabinets were delivered. Luckily, Bob B. was at the clubhouse with the door open when the delivery took place. Carpenter Jeff Foster was there to inspect. Bob helped him move the stuff into the club. Jeff plans to raise up the buffet to bar height and then install the countertop, which Bette purchased earlier at Home Depot to match the one in the bathroom that we like so much.

Dick H. came today to install the carpet strip molding around the room. It is finally dry after Bette and I painted and stained it on Tuesday and Wednesday. Bob B.was at the club because he volunteered to help Dick, who brought his mitre box and saw. Along with Bob and his nailgun, and Bette and her coffee, the three teamed up to make short work of the project. Kent B. stopped by to check out the progress that took place while he was off on vacation, and stayed to paint the molding after filling in nail holes. He also put up the tissue roll in the bathroom. Former Commodore Dick E. came by to install the cabinet hardware in the bathroom. The Commodore also stopped by later to help us design a method of putting up the colorful burgee collection. She had some good ideas from recent travels to other area yacht clubs. Again, I have to say that we have the BEST volunteers of any yacht club anywhere.

Since we had flooring left over including one full unopened box, Gerry and I took the box back to RPM to return it. Our salesman John DeTroglia of RPM Carpet in East Harwich was a great resource on this flooring project. In addition to being so pleasant, he gave us many tips about the installation, offered us some needed wood transition materials for the bath room, and tried to help me find a suitable product for our indoor door mat. It's a tough one, because we cannot use rubber on this vinyl floor, and I am still looking. John is pictured below next to a tile Compass Rose kit that we tried to get for the clubhouse. Unfortunately, John could not drop the price for us from $3200 to my offer of an invite to the Open House on March 22!

..::Monday, February 23, 2009
Work started early today as I went over to let Pleasant Bay Plumbing into the club before 8:00 a.m. Steve, the business owner, and his sidekick Zach had a few blips in the plumbing plan. First, the flange was not centered in the room, so the nice Toto unit they brought with them would not fit and they had to return it and find one that did fit and that was also in stock at one of their suppliers. Luckily, they found a nice American Standard. We were all amazed at that good luck. Then, the existing flange was cracked, so they had to put in a new one and put the pipe in below the floor. The sink and faucet went in well, with no problems. They were finished sometime before 11:00 a.m.

I asked Steve to take a look at our shutdown hot water heater that was not working. He did, and found out that it was not working! He will explore more at a later time. He also tightened the water shutoff valve in the crawl space and now it does not leak. The bathroom is now in service, thanks to the happy plumbers. We will deal with the lack of hot water soon.

Later today, Dick H. picked up our carpet strip molding and Bette and I got to work painting it.We left after staining two and priming the rest. We continue tomorrow to do the final coat. Our bar/buffet is scheduled for delivery on Wednesday, and we hope to have that item completed by the end of the week, thanks to Patty Duffy's carpenter, Jeff Foster.

..::Sunday, February 22, 2009
I took a break for the weekend. On Sunday, some of our members participated in the Annual Spelling Bee at the Eldredge Library. Phyllis Freeman, Ali van der Berg, and Noreen Doyle represented the Monomoy Yacht Club very well in the contest. The team, Bee Fore the Mast, was among the last to fall on some of the most horrendous words in the English language! A big thank you goes to them for their spelling prowess.

..::Friday, February 20, 2009
The floor is done! Long live the floor! It looks so good!

Today's floor crew, under the able captainship of Dick H., successfully laid the last strip and completed the thresholds and transitions. They had to endure all the difficult cuts today.These volunteers are very skilled and clever. Along with Dick, we had Jay S., Bob B., Paul C., and Bette working on the completion. They had great rhythm and got it done so quickly, and everyone's knees got a real workout. Even the pieces Dick took home to work on got done before 2:00 pm. A huge thank you goes to these volunteers. I know they would probably prefer a nice massage to a thank you! Bette brought roast beef sandwiches and wonderful chocolate brownies for lunch to treat our workers today.

We had two full boxes of flooring material left over. My plan is to keep one for emergencies and repairs over the next forty years, and return the last one to RPM for a refund, minus a restocking fee.

I spent some of the morning visiting our local mill work stores to purchase the "carpet strip" that will finish out the neat look and transition from floor to wall. We ordered the material in 14-foot lengths from Fair View Mill work in South Yarmouth, on White's Path and will pick it up on Monday afternoon. They had the best price and the best customer service!

Bette and I recycled the flooring boxes at the transfer station, and Gerry and I returned the 100-pound roller to the Harwich Port True Value rental place. Tomorrow, I suggest we take a break and not paint. (I do not know if those who want to finish up the bathroom will take that break!) Bob and Dick stayed later to work on the bathroom mirror molding. Next week, we have so much happening starting with plumbing on Monday morning.

Left, watching a difficult placement. Center, Paul cutting. Right, smiles happen as the last piece is celebrated!!!!

..::Thursday, February 19, 2009
We started the flooring project today. Floor Captain Dick Hosmer was helped by several very talented volunteers, Bob B. and Tom P. Bette and I asked if we could watch and be their gofers. We all worked together so well that at the end of the day, more than half of the floor was done and all of the knees on the jeans were worn out. See the photo below!

After reading online accounts of the pitfalls of installation of this floor, and looking, planning, and thinking about it for a while, Dick H. had made his plan, and it was shock and awe from there. Bette and I went to rent the 100-pound roller at the True Value Rental Center in Harwich Port. Dick figured out where to start, put down a chalk line, and borrowed a special saw to undercut the molding, which helped a lot. Bob went home to bring back some important things like wood glue and an extension cord. Tom cancelled his other plans for the day and stayed to work. The teams developed a nice routine of grabbing a panel, sloughing off the paper, forcing the panels in place glue strip to glue strip, and rolling it tight. The measurements and cuts were done by Dick and Bob working at opposite ends of the room. We took a short break for lunch around 1:15 pm, and around 2:45 we were done for the day.

We like the floor, and we like how nicely it installed. Great job by our MYC members! Tomorrow, some of the more difficult areas will be completed.

..::Monday, February 16, 2009
A very good contractor, Bob Long, came in today to move us along to our completion. He removed the toilet, installed the flooring in the water closet, elimiated the old sink,faucets, and yellow counter top and installed the new slate-look counter. He also put back some molding on the walls. It looks really nice. We were lucky to get Bob away from his work as a kitchen cabinet installer. Now, we await the arrival of the plumber on Friday (or Monday) to install the new toilet and sink. The new sink lined up nicely in the center of the cabinet door.

Bette and her nuclear family worked hard today to purchase and deliver the HUGE 10-foot slate-look counter! Sons with youth, strength, and big trucks are definitely an asset! We are going to have so much room to put our "stuff" for the BYOBs with this bar/buffet unit!

Some of us were concerned that we did not have hot water in the space. It is not true. We have a very efficient six-gallon water heater that is just turned off in the winter. Our plumber says this is quite sufficient for our needs.

..::Sunday, February 15, 2009
Yesterday a few steadfast volunteers worked on some of the finer details. Jeff and Bob assembled the small oak veneer desk with a cabinet and drawer that is just perfect for the corner next to the Ship's Store area. It will store the Commodore's papers and administrative supplies. Bob also worked on framing out the bathroom mirror, and how lucky we are to have had him do this. He found that mirror hanging on for dear life; we were lucky that it did not fall and shatter and cut someone. It is now much more secure waiting to be fitted for finish molding. Dennis was there to complete the electrical work and install the new light fixture that Bette found on her bargain-hunting-for-the-club-house spree.

The board of governors decided to set a date for a celebration of Spring and club house redecoration. An Open House will be held on Sunday, March 22 from 2 - 5 pm so that members can drop by and take a look and enjoy some wine, beer, and light snacks. Watch for an invitation in the mail!

..::Saturday, February 14, 2009
There was no post to this blog yesterday. However, a crew did show up to pick up the new floor. Bette and Jeff stopped by to check up on the status of the new desk being assembled in the club house. Our strong, back-pain-free volunteers, Tom, Bob B., Gerry, and Regina, were at the club house when Bob D. drove into the marina with a truck load of Konecto Supreme Traditional! Unfortunately, our salesman at RPM misjudged the weight, and Bob had to go back to East Harwich for the rest of the flooring above a half ton! We set up a bucket line to lift the 35-pound boxes up the stairs. After 37 boxes, Margaret showed up. She was late, but as it turned out, she was so petite that she could not lift the weight of the box! After making a plan to leave some Advil or aspirin in the club house for future uploading projects, some of us continued on to King's Way in Dennis to enjoy the MYC Valentine Luncheon. A good time was had by all!

The enlargements of the NOAA charts for East and South were completed later in the afternoon at Cape Cod Photo and Art Supply in Orleans. After and I picked them up and displayed them at home, Gerry liked looking at them so much that he requested we do the same thing for our family office!

..:: Thursday, February 12, 2009
This photo features the newest item we have in the club house right now. Can you guess what it is? A clue: it is bigger than a bread box, black, and shiny. Jan Oudemool, a prospective member of our club and a fine wood carver, is the person who created this beautiful quarterboard. Jan is also fabricating decorative frames for the charts and the bulletin board.

We did not schedule a crew today, but Bob B. came over to do some important carpentry work for the window and the bathroom mirror. We are moving right along! I went to proof the colors of the large nautical charts we are blowing up for the focal point of the room. Tomorrow morning, Bob D. will pick up the flooring in his truck and our small crew of strong men and women will help to move it up to the club house! We may be a little late for the MYC Valentine Luncheon at King's Way Ardeo's today.

..:: Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Our plans to pick up the flooring materials were aborted today due to the economoy. RPM had expected delivery, but alas, the distributor had changed trucking companies with another delivery schedule. Our truck and volunteers had to be cancelled. Tom did not get his voice mail or email on the cancellation, so he was waiting at the club for an hour or two! We apologized, but he said he did not mind because it was such a balmy day and he was happy hanging out near Stage Harbor in the sunshine! We plan to pick up the flooring on Friday morning with the same bucket line crew off loading.

Although we did not schedule a crew today because of other social activities, we did have a few people at the club house working to assemble some furniture and finish up some painting details. As it turned out, the furniture had been damaged in shipping, and customer service made us an offer we could not refuse, so we are in the process of fixing what was broke in return for a pretty good discount on the order! Sorry, no photos today. But soon . . .

..:: Monday, February 9, 2009
The painted doors are back on! They look great. Dennis finished up the painting today with some help from Jay, Bette, and little from me. He also started to replace the brown electrical plates, outlets, and switches with ivory ones to complete the nice clean feel of the space. We also painted the bulletin board. I left early to work on the charts for the frames in the quarterboard area. MYC is certainly doing our part to support the local businesses. Orleans camera will do the graphic work on the charts. Bette again brought coffee and brownies for us.

We are now planning for the floor. Bob D. has offered his truck, and I have asked a few people to volunteer for a bucket line to unload the flooring from the truck. The new window shades arrived, thanks to Deirdre, who dropped them off at the club house.

..:: Saturday, February 7, 2009
Here are some photos of the club house just before I left on Friday afternoon. These are both after and before photos. How different it will look with a new floor and furniture! Looking ahead, I am thinking about the Valentine Luncheon on Friday at Ardeo's at 11:30 a.m. and happy to have such a nice event planned for the end of the week.

..:: Friday, February 6, 2009
Finishing up Friday is a good name for today. We had nine great volunteers and Dennis had to really think ahead to get everyone busied up with a job. Now, it is just doors. Painting is finished in all places except the sink area. We will finish that up after the new counter and sink have been installed.

This day's helpers included Karen V., Jay S., Tom P., Regina, Bette, Dennis. and three Johns -- John C. John B. and John Mac. Because we did not want to wait to watch the primer paint on the sink area ceiling dry, John Mac offered to go up the ladder with a hair dryer! It worked. With a little scraping and window cleaning, the room was looking soft and clean. Pam P. stopped by to see the room and was approving of our work. The reinstall of the copper nautical light fixtures revealed lights that have a lovely patina. The large copper lantern had a plate that read, Clipper Ship Lamp No. 1233, Dunbarton, Scotland, 1869. Antique or reproduction? It has been raised up so that even a six-foot, five-inch man can clear it without taking a chunk out of his pate.

All that remains to do after the doors are back on is to complete the bathroom and floors. We pick up the floor material on Wednesday, thanks to Bob D. and his big half-ton truck. For that we will need some strong healthy volunteers. We will all take a needed break from the MYC Redecorating project this weekend.

..:: Thursday, February 5, 2009
Today we had ten excellent painters show up to work hard. Four of them were named John. It was fun hearing," John, can I fill up with some of your paint?" "Sure, John, John has the oil and I have the latex. Maybe John has some left!" One of our painters liked the color Royal Silk enough to make an offer to purchase our leftover paint. How generous! This will definitely help our the budget. It could save up to $60! And we are pleased that our painter liked it. The photo below does NOT show the color, just the idea that the walls have been painted and the switchplates have been removed!

Linda and Peter, John Ba., John Br., John Mac, and John C. joined Karen, Betty M., Dennis and Regina for a very productive day of painting. Maureen showed up at break time to take a look to see what was keeping Dennis so busy these days and gave us a thumbs up. We should finish painting tomorrow. We think the only thing to do after that will be to put the doors back on and pat ourselves on the back.

This was a messy day and some of us got paint on our snow jackets! I used Goof Off and laundry detergent. When the washing machine stops, I will see if that worked! Thanks to Bette, who dropped off coffee and donuts this morning, even though her schedule did not allow her to stay to paint today!

..:: Wednesday, February 4, 2009
A day after a snow day in Chatham that makes this seaside town look beautiful in its blanket of snow! At the club house, it also looks beautiful in a blanket of fresh paint. We are so pleased with our first coat of Royal Silk eggshell on top of our two coats of primer. Of course we had add a few gallons of additional paint. The ceiling sucked it up. Joining Dennis's crew today were John Mac, Bill, Jay, Warren and Jo Ann, Stacy, Judy D., and John C. Bette and I ordered the floor - a floating vinyl by Metroflor Konecto Supreme. We want to make sure we chose the correct color, so we are going to delay the order until we are sure.

The room is looking so good! Thanks to the great volunteers, who are the most fun people to work with, who came to work today in the Monomoy Yacht Club. It was glorious!

..:: Tuesday, February 3, 2009
It was a fine blizzard of a day that we started painting the club house! Dennis had a plan, willing volunteers followed the plan, and the paint crew did two coats of primer (Zinsser Cover Stain), all five doors, and caulking of corners and wall warts. Bette brought coffee and goodies, and Maureen sent some cranberry bread for the volunteers. The only work breaks were mandated by the need to watch the paint dry. We were pleased with the primer -- it took about 40 minutes to be dry enough for a second coat. It covered even the black stains on the window sill.

The club house was bright and toasty warm despite the open windows and snow storm outside. It was a very good day! Many words of thanks go to Bob and Marie, Bette, Karen, Jay, Bill, Bernie, Betty and Len, and of course, Dennis (who is home now cleaning all the paint brushes from the oil based primer.)

Tomorrow I will order the floor materials. Deirdre emailed that the window coverings are in and she will deliver them to the club on Saturday!

..:: Monday, February 2, 2009
Dennis, our painting captain, must have had a relaxing and refreshing cruise to the Carribean because he arrived this morning and whirlwinded through some additional prep with great energy and efficiency. We helped him to tremove doors and hardware. He prepped the aluminum fan cover and lighting fixtures and taped off all surfaces to protect. We spackled and filled holes on the new door moldings and restored the rusty front door bottom to its original metal. We all hauled in paint and painting accessories. We are ready for our first painting crew tomorrow. If anybody who volunteers finds a tiny brass screw near the store room, please let me know!

Bette and I opened the boxes for the sink and faucet for the bathroom, and we think the stainless steel deep bar sink and high brushed faucet will work well in the space.

Bette and I went over to purchase our floor, but alas, our salesman John was not working today at RPM Carpets! So we went across the road to the East Harwich Hardware and Paint store to buy the contrast color for the bathroom area. What a good trip it was! Our floor choice was put on the floor of the hardware store recently, and we spoke with Fran there, the guy who installed it personally at the store, by himself. He was generous in telling us the pitfalls. There were very few pitfalls, and we feel that the installation will most likely go well.

..:: Sunday, February 1, 2009
The new month is here, and the new blog is now live on the Monomoy Yacht Club website! Thanks to Jeff for putting it up online. This blog will use a few notes every other day or so to keep members up-to-date with details of what we are doing to spiff up the club house room that is home to 50 members at a time of the MYC. Starting last July, the club wanted to do something to renew the space that would be a minimal impact on the accumulated funds but would add value, stimulate some new activities, and make it look nicer and be a little more pleasant and safe.

After fixing the steps and railings by adding railing on both sides up to the second floor entrance door, and purchasing a microwave oven, the committee developed a plan and now we are working to accomplish that plan in a fury of ambition by using all volunteer labor. The steps and railings project was done artfully by Bob and Rich, and got us off to a terrific psychological start. Come back to read this blog often and let us know what you think.

Members are still needed as volunteers, especially if you have a particular skill with carpentry, utility knife, sponge sander, or paint brush. Reply to me above if you would like to have a two hour fun work session at the club. Next Tuesday, we are starting the painting project with Dennis S. as our chief. We could use a few volunteers on Thursday and Friday.

..:: Saturday, January 31, 2009
I stopped in the club house today to measure the cover for the hot air return and to my great surprise I saw that the Vice Commodore had completed the molding applications on all of the doors! We got him up out of his recovery sick bed after some surgery. He really must be feeling well. He certainly made us feel like we are on schedule.

Earlier this morning, at the crack of dawn for a retired person on her day off, my front door bell rang and there was Deirdre, our member and professional interior designer, who has been so helpful and gracious during all of this. She was delivering the paint purchased from her favorite paint store--the store with the best paint expert in the world. With this advice, I think we will accomplish a near perfect paint job.

.:: Friday, January 30, 2009
John and Blanche came to help today. On behalf of the bathroom captain, Bette, I asked John to skim coat the seams of the existing wallpaper. He "sized" it up and started pulling off the paper without the benefit of steam, hot water, sponge, or anything. Bette almost had a heart attack anticipating the condition of the wall behind the paper. As it turned out, the paper came off in pristine sheets with hardly any tears and the wall was perfect!

..:: Thursday, January 29, 2009
We had a good day with great volunteers. Barb and John caulked, sanded, washed, and pulled out the remaining staples from the carpet padding.

..:: Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Marie, Suzy, Bette, and Bob C. did a great job of it priming the molding for the bathroom mirror, covering water stains, washing down the sanded walls, pulling out the staples from the carpet padding one by one, and removing the inlaid vinyl floor in the ugly bathroom. Not fun, but a really nice bunch of people, so it was easy to endure. Tom stopped by later to volunteer at a later date and to present the bill from the transfer station for recycling the carpet. We had noticed that the carpet padding left on the deck over night was no longer there. Kent came by early this morning before we arrived and took it to the transfer station, with no charge for dumping. And this was all before he planned to pack and leave for a vacation trip. We have the best people in this club!

..:: Monday, January 26, 2009
It was noisier in the club today than a gas explosion! (homage to G) Jack, Kent, Bill and Donna, Bette, and Tom came to do manly work! They sanded every surface they saw with power sanders. When Joe showed up, all the sanding was just about finished, so we asked him to start taking up the carpet. He did it, and so well that it took about a half hour! Luckily Kent had his truck with him and after loading all of the carpet, Kent and Tom left, stopping on the way to leave the stuff at the transfer station. It weighed .15 ton and cost us $27 to unload it. Special thanks to Jack for doing an unpopular job, sanding the bathroom doors and moldings inside and out!

..:: Saturday, January 24, 2009
Gerry and I went to the club and there were no volunteers! So I sent out an email to the list asking for some help. I must have sounded desperate, and we had a very good response to come next week to work on the redecoration.

Betsy, Gerry and I were working to sand some surfaces today. Bob showed up to take the beloved historical furniture to the barn for storage until the Congregational Church has their summer church fair. The money from the sale will be used for the outreach activities of the church's women's guild. Bob had some help from Martin and Tom and Jeff. They wrestled that heavy furniture down the stairs with great strength and courage.

..:: Monday, January 19, 2009
This is the first day to start the prep for the redecoration. Judy and Ken removed everything from the walls, like switchplates, stray nails, etc. They patched holes, which were everywhere. Bette and Jeff came by yesterday to mark the doors for installation of moldings that will be installed at a later date. Jeff and Jack got down on their knees to cut a strip of carpet along the walls, remove the padding, and pry off the tacking strips. Hard work! Marie, Bob and Noreen, and Judy washed down all the walls.

..:: Earlier in January, 2009
Bette and Judy were fearless when they volunteered to fix the goiters on the popcorn ceiling. And they did. And they did it for peanuts. We had been thinking that we would call a handyman in to replace an entire section of drywall on the ceiling, but as it turned out, the ladies made it disappear and blend in.

Bill showed up one day with a Club Closed for Redecoration sign. He also helped to take the memorial objects off the wall. He came back on his own to check out the anemometer and discovered that the wire was dead and then he took the instrument home to fix it. As it turned out, he was very familiar with that instrument. He also snuck in one day and cut the soffit wave off! How talented!

..:: July, 2008

The Board of Governors of the Monomoy Yacht Club asked seven people to form a committee that would come up with a plan to redecorate the club house. Judy, Bette, Judy, Carole, Patty, and Betsy joined me to come up with the plan. Our members were surveyed last year and the results were that most members wanted to redecorate rather than move to a new space, rather than do nothing, and rather than purchase property for a club house, and rather than remodel the club house.

We consulted, argued, brainstormed, threw out great ideas, argued, evolved, and then finally came to a point where we made a presentation of our ideas to the board. We each took an area as our private decorating project, and then put it all together with new furniture choices and presented the plan. To our great surprise, the board voted unanimously at the next meeting to approve the plan. We then heard some additional feedback that all the men were very opposed to our painting of the paneling. We'll see what happens! I am sure they are going to really like it!