Pup in the City

Why LBC Rocks #2

2009-03-09T20:55:00.001-07:00

on sundays, i get to walk along the bluff and watch other doggies run and frolic with the ocean breeze on one side and the park on the other.

Why LBC Rocks #1

2009-03-09T20:54:00.001-07:00

my area actually has a neighborhood association.

Contractor Pimp Out

2009-01-31T14:06:00.001-08:00

having spent a lot of time looking for great contractors, i try to share information about the best of the best.

electricians are everywhere, but anyone who does something to my walls has to be the best. john is a perfectionist that will never cut corners or mislead a client. he's also a licensed general contractor.
JOHN HODROFF
(562) 773-1911
Johnhodge51@hotmail.com

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our windows were also fantastic. the installation was clean. there was absolutely no scarring on the walls (in or out), and the father and son team that came out were clearly focused on what i wanted, what would fit my needs best, and giving me the best value for my money.

Patrick Sr and Pat Jr do all of their own labor. they explain everything in layman's terms, and they were the most easy going guys around. they are fully licensed, and i won't do windows with anyone else. they helped our condo go from this:

to this:

REFLECTION WINDOWS AND DOORS
PAT
(562) 322-3695

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glass is a wicked mistress. if you aren't careful, she'll make you pay.

BROADWAY GLASS
2523 East Broadway
Long Beach, California 90803
(562) 434-8405

Lights... But I'm Not Allowed to Use the Camera

2009-01-31T12:44:00.000-08:00

a call to our favorite electrician has given us the gift of recessed lighting. oh, yeah; that's right. we've got cans. actually, we've got cans in the entry way, the living room, and the entire kitchen. no more ugly fixtures for us! we also had the radiant heat coils ripped out, ditched the two wall heaters and thermostats, and replaced the 80's-stye white metal ceiling fan with an awesome brushed nickel hunter (that has a remote so my person doesn't make me sleep in a lighted room when she's too tired to get out of bed to turn them off).

i'm not allowed to use the camera ever since i put up those pictures of the neighbor's short haired domestic on puporn.net, so my person says she'll take some and upload them soon. in the meantime, john the electrician is excited because our kitchen and living room are visible from the street, and "they look awesome!"

if you are in the area and need any kind of electric work done, i highly recommend john. he's done work for us for the last eight years, in three different locations, and our last code inspector called him "a freaking artist." john is a general contractor, so he can do any repairs or upgrades that you need, but electrical work is what gets him excited.

Ho- Ho- Holy Crap, What a Difference

2009-01-05T12:35:00.000-08:00

the christmas break left plenty of time to see what kind of neat things home depot santa could bring.

our new vinyl windows are in, and the change is amazing! we used reflection windows and doors, a father and son run company. instead of doing just the front, we replaced all of the windows. i'm so glad we did. without the hideous aluminum window, the kitchen is nowhere near as ugly. the front is beautiful, and clean looking. in fact, the installation looks pretty damn seamless.

broadway glass came back out, and mark (the nicest guy in the world) came back out and took off our floor to ceiling mirrors with as little damage as possible.

the two pats from reflection windows and doors know a good drywall/plaster guy, and he was nice enough to come out the same day to begin repairing the wall.

this place is going to be awesome.

Admission: $10 Before 10pm

2008-11-23T15:27:00.000-08:00

the people who put the mirrors in my condo are idiots. instead of mastic, they used either liquid nails or silicone. the only way to get them off the wall is to hammer and chisel them off. after that, we'll have to replaster the whole wall. ouch.

this is why there should be a minimum IQ for homeowners. silicone? seriously?

in the meantime, we're experimenting with molding and custom bookcases as ways to integrate the mirrors. they do add huge amounts of light, and the illusion of space is incredible. it also allows for delicious views of joggers both coming and going. on the other hand, the refrigerator door opens up right in front of it... i'm not sure if that's good or bad.

if nothing else, we'll turn into the underground lesbian social-- complete with strobe light, cling chart, and awkward moments shared with the ghosts of girlfriends past.

Ugly, Ugly, They All Fall Down!

2008-11-18T05:56:00.000-08:00

even though the floor to ceiling mirrors in the living room add a lot of light and create the illusion of size... they create the reality of ugly. our window guy suggested we rent the space out as a dance studio. the chickapea suggested we hang a disco ball. i think we should just remove it. for this project, we're contracting with broadway glass. they are a long beach fixture that's been around for about 55 years. it's a little scary to think about what the wall will look like when the mirrors come off.

I'm Floored

2008-11-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

our floors are done!

mp wouldn't let me walk on them yet, something about permanent paw prints not being part of the plan... but the whole place looks incredibly different. we went with a natural finish and water-based polyurethane coat, so it looks like fresh, beautiful wood.

Cosmetically Challenged

2008-11-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

it's definitely cosmetically challenged, but i'm a puppy with vision... and access to my person's bank account.

we get fantastic light in the living room and kitchen, though this picture was taken late in the afternoon, and the bedroom is cool and quiet. when it was 90 degree outside last week, the bedroom was a refreshing 70. all good for puppy naps after an afternoon of sun-tan-turn-over-time. we're less than a block from the beach; we have a great view of the people (and pups) strolling by; all of our neighbors are mp's age. this is where a spry puppy and her playful person belong.

next up: the bedroom and bathroom-- complete with original 50's tile. mmm... salmon.

The Great Love Affair

2008-10-31T18:02:00.000-07:00

i love long beach.

long beach was the first place i called home. it's the place i bonded with mp. i took my first car ride to long beach. i took my first walk on a leash in long beach. i played in my first dog park in long beach. i opened my first door, tossed my first toy, peed on my first rug, drank my first beer, chased my first mail person, flirted with my first hot girl, and spent the first night under the covers, safe with my person, in long beach.

i love walking on the bluff, letting my whiskers flutter in the breeze.

i love walking around the neighborhood, giving attitude to other pups that don't know how to keep their people in line.

even when we moved away, long beach was where i felt at home. when things got crazy, i would go there and watch the waves and feel the weird calm that seemed to physically pull weight from my back. i stroll 2nd street and window shop as i eat a puppy canoli from whiskers. sometimes, mp and i grab a coffee and watch the girls roll by us.

like all relationships, not everything is perfect between me and long beach. the city, well, she has some bad habits and rough spots. but we're working on it because i believe in her.

long beach rocks.

welcome to our love affair.