Haunt Free House

In my post Aptil 25, 2008 I told how I had been hearing a haunting sound that made me think my house was haunted. Well, thanks to a reader (Lee from OKC) I discovered that the problem was a vibrating rain gutter.

When the wind blew from a specific direction and with sufficient velocity it caused the back side of the rain gutter (the side closest to the side of the house) to vibrate. If you look at your gutters you may see a slight gap in this spot.

Well the problem was a quick fix and here's what I did.

I took a wood screw (about 1 1/4 inches in length) and a soft plastic spacer. Then used my cordless drill to affix the back of the gutter to the house, thus preventing further vibration.

The next evening another wind storm blew through Oklahoma City and I stepped outside just to check out my handywork.

I stood under the spot I repaired and the strange noise was gone.

Just for good measure I built a small fire underneath that place and offered the neighbors cat as a sacrifice against future haunts.

Trey

I Found a Refuge

Dear Home Owner,

Faced with yet another weekend filled with personal frustration trying to reach the end of the seemingly endless list of household projects, I was grateful when David (my son, see picture below) asked me if I would like to help him with a project this past Saturday.





It meant that I would have to finish my Saturday chores early in the morning before heading downtown OKC to help with his project. But what the heck.



7:30 am I donned shorts a long-sleeved T-shirt and sunglasses and went outside. I started the mower, cut and trimmed the yard, watered the plants and then had a bowl of cereal (Raisin Nut Crunch) before we headed downtown.



I was a bit nervous because I didn't quite know what to expect nor what I would find to do when we arrived.



Once we found parking (which was not easy since the Annual Festival of the Arts was going on just a couple of blocks away) we made our way to a building currently under renovation. We met Tim (see picture below) who I can best describe as the driving force behind this undertaking. I shook his hand and asked him what he called the place and he said, we call it "Refuge".

http://refugeokc.wordpress.com/








My son took me upstairs through what at first seemed a labyrinth of stairs and hallways to a room that he proudly declared to be, "the room he has adopted". Over the past four weeks he and some of his Fraternity buddies have come down and poured hours of labor into making the room ready to remodel.



You see this particular building was recently a drug house and someone chose David's room as the target for a Molotov cocktail. When the young men first started the renovation the room was completely charred black. When we walked in this past Saturday, the walls had been scrapped and the flooring had been removed.



We spent the day with several volunteers from the University of Central Oklahoma (see picture below - thanks ladies!) and some teenagers from out of state making a few more baby steps toward the apartment's completion.






The one small closet in the apartment had to be stripped of plaster board and the lathing because of the fire. The bathroom still needed to be cleaned of soot and we spread over 15 gallons of wall texture on the concrete walls to prepare them to receive paint.


For the hours we worked there I forgot all about the projects that needed to be done at home. And I was actually happy working with some other volunteers. HomeOwnerGoneMad had found a refuge in this volunteer labor.



I want to challenge the readers of my blog to join me over the next few weeks to help complete this apartment renovation. We need some labor and some supplies in order to meet the May 30th deadline.






Here's a list:

• We need to rip out and replace the Sheetrock in the ceiling (about 6 sheets)
• We need to install new Sheetrock in the small closet (about 3 sheets)
• We need to rip out and install new counter tops for the small kitchen (we need the counter top)
• We need laminate flooring for the kitchen (about 10 x 12) and perhaps some sub flooring to make the installation smooth.
• We still have more texture to spread on the walls before we paint.
• We need paint for the walls
• We need a bathroom sink faucet (it's a unique fitting)
• We need tile for the shower floor (about 3x3 - it's a small shower) and thin set and grout.
• We need a closet door and entry door (I'll have to get the dimensions)
• We need a Futon (the living/bedroom are one in the same)
• We need pillows
• We need sheets and blankets
• We need a bookcase
• We need books
• We need a CD player and Cd's (with appropriate music)
• We need a couple of window blinds
• We need an area rug or two
• We need a dual electric burner
• We need dishes (set of four; bowls, plates, cups)
• We need eating utensils (forks, knives, spoons)
• We need dishtowels
• We need pots and pans
• We need a microwave
• We need a dish drying rack
• We need serving dishes
• We need measuring, cooking and serving utensils
• We need a can opener
• We need storage containers for left over food items
• We need a scrubber for dishes
• We need a shower curtain
• We need a shower caddy

If any of this touches your heart, please leave me a comment. I would welcome your donation of time or any of the above listed items.

Join me and my son as we work with others to create a refuge in downtown OKC where the needy can find their permanent eternal refuge in Jesus Christ.

Trey Bowden

Help I Think My House Is Haunted!

Dear Home Owner,

I swear my new house is haunted! Who has ever heard of such a thing? I could understand a haunting if this were an older home that had been the location of some horrific murder or suicide. But it’s a brand new house; and it’s not constructed on some ancient burial site. The closest cemetery is miles away!

Over the past few days I’ve heard a spooky moaning coming from the back patio area. These noises usually happen in the evening hours when both my wife and I are home. Yes, she’s heard them too.

To make matters worse, the weather has been a bit unusual which serves to enhance the overall creepiness of the sounds.

Until a few days ago I enjoyed sitting on my back patio. But recently the Oklahoma wind has been “sweeping down the plain” and threatening to level anything that dares get in its way. So we’ve been forced inside.

This is just as well. The creepy moaning seems to get worse when the wind blows. The harder it blows, the louder the moaning gets and the higher its pitch. When the wind blows softly, the moaning sound is low and intermittent.

It makes going to sleep at night a bit of a challenge. I can still hear the sounds in our bedroom. I haven’t slept well since the noises started. Between the strange sounds and my worrying that the consistent high winds will create some shingle work for me to do, I’m turning into a nervous wreck.

I either need someone to recommend a good exorcist or offer some other suggestion to stop the noises. It’s driving me nuts!