Cook Remodeling has moved its blog!

Check out the newly remodeled, renovated, improved site!









You will find the article, "Help Stop Viruses from Spreading in the Family" posted there.
Please go to:  http://www.cookremodeling.com/blog/ 

Cash for Clunker Appliances Comes to Arizona April 12, 2010

up
update:  the rebates were distributed
in 3 hrs and 38 minutes!

Mark your calendar and set your alarm clock! 

Arizona’s Rebate Program will begin 
taking reservations for participation in 
the program on April 12 at 6 AM sharp! 

Anyone who is an Arizona resident, 
who reserves a rebate for a new, 
qualified energy efficient appliance to 
replace their old, and follows the 
guidelines can obtain up to $425 
cash back.  

If you live in another state you can 
check here to see when your state's 
program schedule.                                                                               

Do you have an old, inefficient clothes washer, dishwasher,
or water heater?

You will need to call  1-877-307-5366 or go on-line  AFTER 6 am 
Monday April 12th to obtain a confirmation number on the type of 
appliance you intend to replace, limited to one per household.
Be patient, it may be difficult to get through, but you'll need to persist-
Iowa ran out of money in six hours!   Once a state's money is gone, 
that's it.  You can try to get on  a waiting list for money not claimed.

The U.S. Department of Energy has granted Arizona $6.2 million dollars  
from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to help  
individuals replace old and inefficient appliances with new Energy Star  
appliances. The Arizona Department of Commerce Energy Office selected 
appliances that will save energy and conserve water, and estimate there  
will be 35,000 rebates available that may be gone in a day.  

To be eligible, the purchase must take place after the start of the program, 
and the new appliance must meet specified efficiency requirements    
(see chart). You must agree to recycle or donate the appliance being 
replaced.   New homeowners without appliances are not eligible, as the  
intent is to replace existing energy gobblers.  Energy Star/Water Sense
clothes washers can qualify for either $125 or $200 (depending on level   
of efficiency), dishwashers: $75 or $125, gas water heater: $200, 
gas tankless water heater $300, and an electric heat pump water heater 
(new to market in April), $425.

You will have a month to purchase the “green” appliance, and after sending  
in required documentation, you will receive a prepaid Visa card as a  
reimbursement.  There may be random inspections to verify the purchase    
was put into personal use.  Unused rebates will be given to people on a 
waiting list.

If your old appliance is not worth donating, the City of Chandler will recycle 
appliances whether you are a resident or not, but you need to take it to
their center.  Call 480-782-3510 to schedule your drop off.  You may want   
to ask at the time of purchase if the retailer will recycle your old one for  
you when they deliver your new unit.  If your unit works, you can call 
Stardust Building Supplies at 480-668-0566, or St. Vincent de Paul  
at 602-266-HOPE for pick up, to name a few. 

It is so much better to give to someone in need, 
rather than give to the landfill!

National "Fix A Leak Week" March 14-18, 2011

Did you know that nationwide one trillion gallons of water are wasted because of running toilets, dripping faucets, and other leaks every year?  That the average American home annually pays for 10,000 gallons they did not need or benefit from, and water waste causes prices and even water use restrictions to go up?  That's why Watersense is promoting "Fix a Leak Week" to prompt homeowners to check their plumbing and irrigation systems for leaks.


The Environmental Protection Agency officially launched "Fix a Leak Week" last year in Phoenix, Arizona.  A translucent water tank was set up in the driveway of longtime residents Dennis & Debbie Jobin that showed how much water was lost with 2 old leaking toilets and a showerhead.  Two hundred gallons were wasted in one week!

Be "green" and maybe save some green by making the time to survey your house. Before going to bed (or work), check your water meter, then check it again in the morning (upon return) before any water is used, including irrigation, to make sure there have been no leaks.   If there seems to be, carefully inspect your home.  Check the bathtub/shower faucets, are they dripping?  When you examine your bathroom and kitchen faucet, look underneath to see if there is any evidence of a leak.   When the house is quiet, take the lid off each toilet, inspect the unit and listen.  Check the water lines to the clothes and dishwasher, water treatment appliances (heater, purifiers) and refrigerator as best you can.  In your yard, turn off your irrigation system and let the ground dry--are there any damp areas to indicate water seepage?  Could there be a crack in your pool or pool lines?  If you cannot find the leak, you'll have to call in a locator to check your hidden pipe system.

Here's a true story of a team of experts who couldn't figure out the problem!

I knew of a contractor who was called in by a frantic homeowner whose water bill had more than quadrupled in a month's time, although nothing had changed in their routine.   How could so much water be lost with no signs of a leak?   He had called every kind of expert.  They checked the water meter, it was accurate.  Every pipeline, faucet, and appliance was checked,  and there was no leak.  No one could figure the mystery, yet on some days his meter showed close to a hundred gallons were used when no one was home!   The stress took its toll, and he was home in bed, too sick to get up or go to work.  While he was laying there in his misery, he heard his downstairs toilet flush, and he was home alone!  Armed with his video camera, he crept downstairs to catch the water bandit, and he captured it on video!   It seems his house cat had learned how to flush the toilet, and there it was entertaining itself, flushing the toilet, then striking at the swirling water as if it was trying to catch something getting away, then flushed it again, over and over and over!  Mystery solved!

--Remember to be green in the community too!   In a public restroom one of the toilets was running because the trap could no longer make a seal.  I would estimate a gallon of water was being wasted every five minutes at the rate it was flowing!  I shut off the water valve and put up the seat, and put the lid of water tank on the seat's base to signal, do not use and tip off the maintenance crew of the problem since I didn't know how to find them.   If there is water flowing down your street, and it hasn't been raining, trace the water to the source.  Maybe someone forgot to turn off a water hose, and you can be a good neighbor and turn it off.  Water is a precious resource that we all depend upon!

Do your part.  Every drop counts!

Why a "Bidet Rinse" is as Standard as Hand Washing

Let's Get Personal

I remember the first time I saw a bidet. I looked at it, and wondered why some people would want to use one. It seemed awkward to imagine transferring from a toilet to a bidet, as well as sitting in the opposite direction. I guessed they used toilet paper before transferring, and again to dry off. In my mind I couldn't justify using up the space in a bathroom to have one. Eventually I found someone I felt comfortable asking, and they told me using a bidet is as standard of a routine as washing one's hands after using the bathroom, it simply was primitive, even barbaric (their description) to not rinse clean after using the toilet. I still was not sold.

At a Kitchen and Bath Show for professional designers, I saw that manufacturers were making a bidet and toilet combination. I had more interest, for at least in doing a remodel it did not require additional plumbing and space for a bidet, and who wants something else to clean? It sure seemed like an expensive experiment--what if the person didn't like it? or if it stopped functioning? It seemed like a hassle to have to replace a toilet that works fine to have a bidet, especially if you all ready had bought a dual flush unit to conserve water.

My girlfriend has a plumbing business, and she put a toilet/bidet combination in her showroom. She told her staff of plumbers that they had to try it at least once, so if their customers had questions, they would be familiar with the product. They rolled their eyes at the idea. What she never would have predicted, is the brawny men would always opt to use it! That was quite an endorsement for me--if these tough guys like it, anyone would! My interest grew in finding a good product to recommend.

Recently I found a company, Brondell that makes a Swash seat (pictured above), that a homeowner can install on their existing toilet in less than an hour. When I asked an "expert" as to why would one want to rinse after toileting, she offered a great explanation. "If your arm was dirty, you would not instinctively take a dry paper towel to try to rub it clean. You would want to get the area wet to help with the removal of the dirt." That made sense to me! I obtained one.

In my younger days, I used to shower daily. Being able to "swash" helps me feel clean and fresh every day. The seat and self-cleaning nozzles (one for posterior and one for feminine washes) are made of antibacterial material, the water is warm*, it even comes with a dryer* so you can cut down on toilet paper! (*models vary)

Brondell has also designed a product called, Perfect Flush you can add to your toilet to make it a dual flush unit. With a dual flush switch, it will use half as much water for a flush for those eight out of ten times that just has liquid waste. Its use can save between 3000-7000 gallons of water a year! Eric Corey Freed, author of Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies said, "The brilliant simplicity of Perfect Flush makes it one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to conserve water in your home."

Use the code COOK during checkout at Brondell to receive a 10% discount on all their products!

Anti-Construction Amendment Stripped from Healthcare Bill

March 18, 2010 update


Thanks to the lobbying efforts of the National Association of Remodeling Industry (NARI), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and others, the unfair burden on small construction companies was removed from the Healthcare bill. For now, the government won't be forcing small construction businesses to have to lay off their employees or face bankruptcy because they could not afford the mandate to provide health insurance or pay fines if they have five or more employees (for all other industries it is 50 employees).  However, Senator Merkley's spokesperson Julie Edwards said the amendment could reemerge as a stand alone bill or be reattached to another bill.

(originally posted January 12, 2010) 
Putting Mom & Pop Out of Business
That's what will happen to small construction companies if the Senate's Version of the Health Care Bill becomes law (H.R. 3590)!

On Christmas Eve, behind closed doors in a back room deal, the influence of Big Union Lobbyists succeeded in tacking on a mandate to burden small construction companies in the Senate's version of healthcare as proposed by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

All other companies with 50 or more employees will be asked to comply with all the bill's mandates or pay penalties. Not so if you are in a construction related company. If you have only FIVE employees, or 250,000 annual payroll, you will be required to comply or pay fines which will devastate the industry. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry surveyed its members, and found 96% oppose the new provision. They believe that if the amendment is kept, thousands of remodeling and constructions firms will face bankruptcy.

It is an unprecedented assault on a single industry that is made up of mostly small businesses. In response to historic losses in which companies volume dropped upwards of 60% causing layoffs or closures, the unemployment rate for construction workers is 22%. Now they want unemployment to increase? As a remodeling business owner, I am sure that will happen.

Our company has always offered group health insurance to our employees since we first hired a crew in 2001. Because we are small, our premium is high compared to a large company, so we can only afford to help with 50% of the premium. Some of the employees are covered though their spouse's work and opt out of our plan, so that makes it doable. This labor burden increases our costs and pricing and we do lose some sales to companies who do not offer their employees insurance, but we do what we can to keep offering a health plan because it is the right thing to do.

If this is passed with this final hour addition, the only way for us to survive would be for us to cut back to 3 employees. Those that would be laid off will lose their health insurance benefit they currently have! Does that make sense???

As Mom & Pop would say, "Play fair!"

Please go here to tell your elected representative in Washington D.C. that you do NOT think it is right for the industry of construction to be singled out. All companies should have the same requirement of having 50 employees to be mandated to comply with all requirements, if that is what the law will be.

If you are a small business owner, you may want to click here to join the National Federation of Independent Businesses to be better informed, and get involved.

Thank you for taking the time to let your representative know you don't think it is right to single out the construction industry and force many companies into bankruptcy, causing many people to lose their jobs.

Shifting Perspective to Lessen Stress

How A Husband Came to Help in the Kitchen

Do you have the stress of differences of how and who should get the household chores done?

It would be a tragedy in life to not fulfill our call to give love and receive love. If we haven't experienced the love of God form those significant in our life, living can be quite painful, and loving those in most need of love can be difficult. We live in a wounded and wounding world, and it is a challenge to not react to someone not being loving, and to choose to love unconditionally.

One can have a custom designed, quality built home--all the creature comforts, but that cannot compensate for dissatisfaction or discord in a marriage relationship. I remember a Reader's Digest quotable quote, "After you're married, its easy to find reasons to divorce, the challenge is to find the reasons to be married."

Last week, I had the opportunity to listen to Ronda Chervin, Ph.D., a philosophy & theology professor, and author give her talk, Freed to Love. Her story was a great inspiration, which she gave me permission to share:

'While dating, courting, it is easy to exhibit all the positive traits of our feminine and masculine nature, but as life's challenges grew, so did the surfacing of the negative traits. When my first children, twins, were 3 years old, my husband became so asthmatic that he was unable to work. I found myself having to work full time, and be responsible for all the house work. I threw myself into the perspective that Christian love meant self-sacrifice, but it is not love when you are seething with resentment. As I clung to my perspective that I was doing everything, I grew in anger. My world became that a good day would mean I got my way. I did not have any good days--and my unhealthiness grew. No matter how great the burden was for me--the children being needy, work being taxing, my being sick, he would never help in the kitchen. He might say, "you look tired, why don't you make us some tea and muffins," and that was the extent of his helpfulness.

One day our parish was having a Mass to celebrate marriage. I was there alone, for my husband was not wanting to participate in such occasion. There I was looking around at all the couples feeling sorry for myself, and reminding myself how he wasn't like how I wanted him to be. The priest asked us all to stand. I stood even though I was by myself. He said, God wants us ALL to love unconditionally, and you can't love if you don't forgive, and God wants us ALL to forgive. It was like God was speaking to me. I knew I was supposed to forgive, but this time I really heard it, even though I didn't fully understand how I could forgive so much hurt! I hung onto my wedding ring and repeated the prayer of forgiveness. As I prayed to God to help me forgive my husband, I felt the anger drain out of me, and healing pour in. I felt changed. I came home, and for the first time ever, my husband met me at the door. I looked in his eyes, he looked into mine and said, "You look tired. Why don't you sit down and let me make you some tea." Shocked and speechless, I let him guide me to sit down. As he went into the kitchen, I sat there pondering how such a miracle could have taken place. Suddenly I knew the answer. When I forgave my husband, all the anger dissipated, so now my husband when he looked into my eyes he could see my heart, instead of just my anger. He could now see my need, my tiredness, and I, in turn, could see his heart now too. With this new perspective nurtured by prayer and Scripture study and participation in Dr. Abraham Low's Self-Help Systems, I came to affectionate perspective that he came from the family of the fiddler on the roof--he's just not the type to do "woman's work" and it would be a rare day to find him in the kitchen. I came to accept him and love him as he was, and focus on his many good traits, and celebrated for what he did give. Yes, my husband was more laid-back as a person, and after his death I would have given a million dollars just to see him relaxed in his recliner emanating his love of life and affection for our family.'

I hope you found this woman's story moving, inspiring, and helpful in making life at your home more love full. One other resource that I have found to be most helpful in finding the joy in life of loving others unconditionally is Dr. Greg Baer's Real Love. We cannot change others, but if we change, others will too!

May 2010 be a year of expanded heart capacity to love! -- a great way to banish life's stresses!

Valuable Gadgets in the Kitchen!

It can be the little things in life, that make a major difference!

Starting with Thanksgiving, Christmas parties, to New Year's (and Bowl games!), there are lots of gatherings and people to prepare for, some include out of town guests. With all the extra activities and effort to make something special, does something stand out as a time saver? Do you have a clever gadget in your kitchen that makes what you do easier?

I've got one that is such a stress buster, because it is so fun to use! It reminds me of the carefree days of childhood in the midst of trying to assemble a meal. Anything that makes one pause and laugh is priceless! Everyone that sees my garlic cutter, wants one for themselves, so I want to share it with you.

Won't you share with us your favorite?

Being a remodeling business owner, time is precious, and I don't get to spend time preparing tasty dishes as I would like. I am very grateful that my Mother was able to get out of Nebraska to visit us this Christmas before the blizzard made travel impossible, and I wanted to make a special dinner for her. She likes to eat light at night, so the menu was salad, homemade vegetable soup and garlic sourdough toast lightly dusted with goat cheese, with a raw/live, antioxidant rich blueberry-raspberry pie for dessert (sweetened by dates/no sugar or flour/gluten), all organic. Now I can't very well chop garlic, get it on my fingers, then press an almond date pie crust into a pan! Who wants blueberry pie with the flavor of garlic! Using this handy-dandy gadget pictured above, you pop in the cloves, and play car on your counter! You zoom around and the garlic gets chopped into uniform pieces.

I negotiated a savings of $1.00 for all my readers for the Zoom Rolling Garlic Cutter-- lowering the price to $8.98! They also will give 20% off of the items in the giftbasket shop until January 12th. Just make sure to type in "cook remodeling" in the comment box for your savings! They are located in the U.S. garlic capital, Gilroy, California, and sell their own food and sauces.

Happy New Year!