Sunday, November 24, 2013

The Ugly, the Bad and the Good

Good morning everyone :)

Welcome to the SUNSHINE blog - where you'll find nothing but happiness and sometimes just a little bit more than you bargained for :)

Well we're here - in the new place - in a state of shock ......................

Where do I begin?
Let's see now - oh maybe Soda falling into the pool would be a good place.
Into black water that was frozen over slightly...............
Or when she fell down the stairs?

Or.................ok - queasy stomach readers leave my blog immediately.
AND I DO MEAN IMMEDIATELY - I WON'T TAKE OFFENCE -
AND THIS IS TRULY A WARNING FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.

When we put the original offer on this house - we were told they had seen a field mouse now
and then in the Fall of each year - they would catch it and that would be it.
I can't remember if I told you guys that our inspector discovered it was more than an occasional problem from the looks of it - and so we added a clause to our promise to purchase that the building would have to be professionally fumigated - AND PROFESSIONALLY CLEANED - before we could go ahead with the purchase.
We received a copy of the fumigation invoice and a promise that the clean up was scheduled.

So we moved on Friday - and by Saturday night the kitchen underwent a major transformation


 It's completely demolished as you can see


What you can't see - ( ok - this is the last warning - if you keep reading - and you throw up - I absolutely cannot take responsibility. ) is the approximately 2 tons of mouse droppings that came out of the pantry - and the dish cupboards - I'm talking it rained down - the utensil drawers - dead carcasses in traps underneath the built in cabinets where they were just left to rot ( with no way to remove them other then demolishing the kitchen ) skeletons - the works.
I will NOT be showing you photos of that mess, don't worry, lol, I'll just let you start off your week feeling sick to your stomach instead LMHO.

By the time you read this we will have already contacted our lawyer to see what our next step should be -

John says - I hope you're not going to discuss this on your blog
Suzan says - Yes, I am John
John says - THIS HAS TO STOP - YOU CAN'T KEEP PUTTING ALL OF OUR EMBARRASSING
SITUATIONS OUT THERE FOR EVERYONE TO SEE
Suzan says - I'm not really embarrassed to tell you the truth - I think the seller should be mortified though

AND THIS IS HOW I DON'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL.
Our lawyer is a lawyer who does a lot of work in our field ( the wonderful world of fabric ) and so he knows a lot of people we know ...............

Suzan says - I hope XXXXXX doesn't go around telling people we know, about this problem
John says - WHAT THE HELL DOES IT MATTER - YOU'RE TELLING EVERYONE ON YOUR BLOODY BLOG !!!!!!!!!!

Touche I suppose.
Except I feel like I'm telling the people I feel comfortable enough about it -
Like I said - I don't make any sense sometimes.

Want to see some more photos?
Ok !!!
FIVE layers of floor have been removed - those boys worked their butts off let me tell you


John and James ( his son ) removed all the carpets from the bedrooms - and most of it from the stairs


 And John started removing the linoleum from the master bedroom floor


Here's the linoleum that was under the carpet in the office - I swear to you I remember this pattern from my childhood - I'm not sure if it was a common one - but it just looks so familiar - my girlfriend thinks she had it in her bedroom as a little girl
Ahhh - the good old 60's - in all it's glory


John says - Well I suppose we could live with it for a little while
Suzan says - If a little while is a week - then yes I suppose we could - but not a day longer than that
John says - We can't do everything in a week - are you insane?
Suzan says - NOT everything - but that linoleum is going - fast ...............
John says - We may have to end up getting new floors

But THAT is not going to happen - I know that with all certainty..........

We're kind of at a standstill now because we have to wait for the plumber to get here - and then the electrician...................
Next weekend the plywood should go down in the kitchen - and the drywall should go up -
I'm off tomorrow to order the window and the cabinets ( and possibly select the counter top which I'm pretty sure is going to be quartz )

And that folks, is the UGLY and the BAD - I'm afraid it's going to be awhile before you get to see the GOOD.....................:(

There's no place to go but up at this point - as far as houses go - because it absolutely cannot get any worse.

John screams - Where's the box with my boxers?
Suzan says - I have no idea -
John says - Well that's not good enough - I need them
Suzan says - Plenty of men don't wear anything under their pants - don't make it sound like an emergency.
John says - I'm not walking around without underwear on - and I don't give a damn who does -
Suzan says - So go buy some - just go buy yourself some boxers -
John says - I'M NOT BUYING NEW BOXERS - WHEN I HAVE A TON OF THEM BURIED SOMEWHERE IN THIS HOUSE................
Suzan says - You're willing to buy new floors for 4 bedrooms - rather than remove linoleum - but you can't buy yourself new boxers?????

There's female logic.......................and then there's..........................none whatsoever

You all have a wonderful ( hopefully sunshiny )  Monday ☼
Much love,

P.S.  This was not meant to be a depressing post LMHO - but I'm documenting this entire journey so you get to see every step of the way - warts and all ♥
It'll make the end result all that much sweeter .....................

UPDATE - KITCHEN TODAY


YOU CAN SEE MORE PHOTOS  HERE

AND THOSE STAIRS?  THEY LOOK LIKE THIS NOW


MORE PHOTOS HERE

51 comments:

  1. Oh my poor poor friend.I am thinking of you but while I am doing that half of me is mortified about your little mice problem the other half is pissing her self laughing.Thanks Suzan for making me smile ...I hope it gets good soon love dee x

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  2. Dearest Suzan. This looks SCARY, LOL. No, my friend, I can`t wait to see how it end up. I`m so sure it will end up like the sweetest dream house after you two laid your hands on it.

    Good luck to you both. Love to read your posts, and you are soo good at it.

    Big hug from me

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  3. We, too, had a mouse/mice issue...the cats have taken care of most of the problem. Why cats? Because we couldn't get back into all the nooks and crannies to lay traps and poison. I HAD TO GET CATS TO TAKE CARE OF THE MICE...like Anne of Green Gables.

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  4. Oh my dear, sweet, Suzan......I can so sympathize with you....truly. My first thought was, "I hope that flooring does not contain asbestos, as most did in the 50,60,and early 70's. I hope John (and boys) are wearing masks. (an you too if you're helping)" I conquered the mouse problem with my sweet kitties too, so I recommend a little fur baby if you're not allergic. My mom and grandmom used to tell me that a house isn't a home until a cat lives there. That *may be* a Southern thing! LOL!! Taake time to get some rest.....Much love!

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  5. Good luck with the lawyer but don't hold your breath. IF you had an inspection by a qualified inspector that will work for the seller as well as for you. THEIR lawyer will say-they had an inspection they should have found any problems then...UNLESS you can proved they deceived you on purpose (which means they had a professional service there at some time in the past to take care of the problem-thus you can prove they KNEW. We have been in this "game" a long time and have seen it all. We once bought a house in Florida that was FULL of cockroaches-or course they hide during the day and we didn't find out until we moved in. We had to have the house tented and the law said the inspection should have "turned up that fact". It's a mess.

    At least your sense of humor is intact so far. Lord love ya- and it IS going to be wonderful when it is all done-just keep that in mind. I kind of set a long term goal when I do projects like that and think- Okay- Christmas NEXT year-this will be beautiful. That's what keeps me going sometimes. We are living in our 14th rehab to say nothing of the ones we did that we didn't move into. You can do this!

    Have a wonderful week, my friend- Miss ya- xo Diana

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  6. well Nana Diana has the most encouraging words, but wow, thats really underhanded selling a mess like that, hope you get compensated for your loss, I wonder where the mice are getting in , they did lie to you saying one mouse and that was it, Karma is a bitch so they will get theirs, maybe they';; but a house full of cockroaches like Diana talked about! That would be terrible, wouldn't it!

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  7. All I can think in reading this is the amazing satisfaction that you will have when these issues are conquered. Imagine the awesomeness that will reveal itself. You are rescuing a house and bringing back its pride and respect....the house will thank you eventually but for now, it still doesn't believe that you are nice people creating a beautiful environment. The house needs time to adapt to its new role as being appreciated and loved....... give it some time. Always remember.... you are doing good things.

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  8. oh maybe you could get back to the inspector, he missed a big problem! But once they get it cleaned if you block their entrance you shouldn't have a problem, ( Garry had to put his two cents in), lol!!

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  9. Actually don't forget that in the province of Québec there is a legal agreement that allows the buyer, after moving in, after an inspection, to hold the seller responsible for what is seen as not respecting full disclosure. I had friends that had to use that once they had a problem with the roof which revealed severe mold issues in one wall due to previous roof problems that were never revealed to them when they bought. Another friend had to prove that something was not an issue after he had sold his house and the owner came back to him when the basement flooded.
    Good luck. Not that you want to deal with that kind of issue right now. Yikes. Hang in there girl.

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  10. LOL I love you, you're crazy but in a good way ;)

    Yuck on the mouse situation, but at least it's fumigated and you tore out the worst of it (hopefully). All I can say is get a cat, now before they start creeping in again. My house had mice too - not as bad as yours thankfully, but there has been no sign since we moved in (being me and the cats). When my mouser cat had to have surgery, I kept her inside for a month to heal. The mice were back in the yard by then. I finally set her free and the mice were gone. Oh & btw, my neighbours who used to complain about my cat all the time, stopped complaining after the surgery thing cause it seems she kept the mice out of their yards too. go figure!

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  11. I've found dead mice bodies when renovating. I prefer that over mould. Can't wait to see some of your renos while you create a fabulous new place.

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  12. Moving is stressful enough but dealing with a mouse issue and gutting a few rooms while you live in the house is not going to be fun. I hope the mouse issue is done with and that the renovations are smooth sailing from here on. Can't wait to see everything your going to do to the house. Just don't overwhelm yourself my dear, one room at a time. (omg I am sounding like John) love ya Tobey

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  13. Dear Frazzled Somewhere in Quebec,
    It will only get better. But please don't try to do it all at once or you'll kill yourself doing it. We have been in this situation many times, gutting houses, finding rat holes in the corners, etc. etc. so none of the photos looks unfamiliar to me. You will wave your magic wand (that comes with a t.o.n. of exhausting work) and the cottage will be gorgeous. We know you can and will do it. P.S. Please go buy John some boxers. lol

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  14. When we moved into our house, we had RATS, not mice, rats the size of large squirrels living under the dishwasher. The former owners had moved and left the cupboards filled with food. Two thoughts: get a cat and check out full disclosure. If they had set traps, they knew about the mice. I cannot believe you are living there! I would go insane.

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  15. Who you gonna call? Cat Busters!!!!! I can't believe you just moved in and you have the kitchen torn out! You guys are amazing! You will definitely have to find the hole that those critters are getting in. They can be so destructive.

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  16. Oh no, Suzan! How awful, gross, and disgusting! I can't imagine people living in such a state. You are rescuing this poor little house. It's going to be fabulous, I just know it.
    Tell John to get over it! One little package of boxers won't kill him. Lol. Good luck, girl!
    C-e-c-i-l-i-a...(go ahead, you know, you want to sing it ;) )

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  17. Ick...and I was cooking breakfast as I read your post o.o Hope you find out where all those critters were coming in and take care of it for good. Can't wait to see the finished kitchen!

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  18. Oh my goodness, I'd be so upset but at least it isn't cockroaches...how terrible of them to lie about that. I hope your lawyer gets them to pay as they should.

    I'll be back to see if John finds or gets new boxers.lol

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  19. I'm just going to light another candle for you dear. I can't believe all the progress you have made already though! Go! Go! Go!

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  20. OMG Suzan the horror of the mouse drama! I do hope the legal stuff works in your favor. Shame on the previous liar owners talking about one mouse in the fall and the filth AND the people who say claim to have cleaned before you moved in.

    It will be beautiful once you have put it together the way you vision it and then this current drama will one day fade away.

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  21. Ugh! I hate liars!! I, too, say get a cat - we have three and they seem to hold down the population. (For moles and gophers too-we live in the country.) Just makes one wonder what may be hiding in all our homes - sorry for that image!

    Can hardly wait to see what all you accomplish over the next few months!

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  22. Oh Suzan… I guess this may turn into a book for you or something good. I agree with Sue at Serendipity, get a cute little cat. Hang in there sistah! xoxo

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  23. Sounds like you purchased a diamond in the rough...really rough!!! But I just know it's going to become a sparkling diamond in time!
    Mary Alice

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  24. Oh my!
    Love how you share your stories with us.
    I know it will look great and I am excited for more stories. :-) Hopefully they will not be the Bad and Ugly ;-)

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  25. Hubby forgot to pack boxers once on a weekend trip and HAD TO stop to buy some. I was laughing then, and it's still funny now. He was not complete until he knew he had some boxers to wear, hahahaa

    Sorry about the mouse stuff. Good thing you demanded a fumigate, oy!

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  26. so glad the move part is done its all downhill now lol

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  27. Ok my friend the move is over and the transformation journey begins. I know this is going to be fabulous. I cannot wait to start to see the finishes. Ohhhhh I am so excited for you.
    Kris

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  28. My heart just leapt a few times...how is poor little Soda holding up? Pool and stairs in one weekend? Poor thing. You are made of strong stuff, my friend...don't you forget it. This is the worst part, but soon it will be wonderful and you'll be able to laugh at it 15 or 20 years down the road! Tell John to put on your big girl panties..he clearly needs to borrow a pair! LOL

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  29. Bless you. I hope you get some resolution but wow you got a lot done so soon. I can't wait to see the the transformation.

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  30. Oh my gosh! Well I am working on a REAL fixer-upper too, so I know what you mean. Electrician and plumbing first! SO familiar.

    But oh my gosh! Poop and carcasses! That's FAR worse than the first place I gutted! We called it the "cat house"; the cats used the kitchen cupboards to pee in. Everything had to come out.

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  31. Oh my gosh.....this is going to be SOME ride, girl! I can hardly wait for what curve comes next! lolol! Mouse dropping, dead carcasses, and boxer shorts. Doesn't get any better than that....but....with you.... it will! hehehe! Have fun shopping tomorrow, girlie! Better buy some boxers while you're out there. lol

    xoxo laurie

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  32. Suzan, Congratulations on the exchange of houses, sorry about the mouses. I can sympathize. We live in the country and winter means they move in like snow birds moving to Florida for the winter. I swear I hear their music and singing at night.
    Can't wait to see the rest of the updates.
    Cindy Weston

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  33. There's so much to comment on! Poor Soda! That must have been so scary. And what to say about the mice issue? I think there are always some ugly surprises when you actually take possession, even when the problems were supposed to have been resolved. You don't want to hear about the cat urine story in my laundry room...UGH. Disgusting. I can't believe how much you got done on Day 1. You are amazing! I hope that you found your countertop, and that John found his boxers!

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  34. That was really yucky. Lol really these people lived with that??? No wonder they wanted to move!!! Poor little Soda!! It also has been really cold!! Welcome back to blog land. So the move wasn't so bad???!

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  35. You shouldn't be embarrassed by the mouse problem, but I agree that the owners should be and they should probably enter a witness protection program! I know it looks intimidating right now, but I KNOW you are going to make it so cool that you won't even remember when it looked like it does now.

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  36. Yeah, I have to say, it's really funny when it's someone else. And guess you you are darlin'? SOMEONE ELSE! :) I can't wait to see how this all unfolds. Mouse crap and all. I thought I was brave moving into an unfinished house. But I have no mouse crap to deal with. I think I'll just see how many times I can type mouse crap into this comment. Because I think you need a little reminder about the mouse crap. BWAHAHAHAHA!! I'm so evil. Poor Soda. Eddie took a little spill down the stairs too. Dumb dogs. Of course I completely freaked out because I love him more than Phil, but don't tell anyone that. Geeze I'm wordy today. Good luck!!

    MOUSE CRAP!!!!

    xoxo
    -andi

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  37. I hope Soda is OK... poor girl. Well you're in it up to your neck now aren't you Suzan! Wowza! Yes I know... I said wowza. Ha! I do love the look of a gutted room in an old house. A wonderful blank slate means infinite possibilities. Oh Oh... this makes me want to demo something. It's so much fun, and I haven't demolished anything in years. I may have to find something to take the sledge hammer to. lol. Too bad you had all that mouse crap to deal with. Seriously yuck!!! I guess our cats keep the mice away in our old house, but it does make me wonder what's in our walls. OK... I'm going into denial mode now. lol. I can't believe you've got so much done in such a short time. It's just amazing!!

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  38. Oh I feel sorry for you... BUt as you said you can only go up from there. I also have three different ugly linoleum upstairs... And they are still there under seagrass until I rmeove everything someday. I can lend you some cats that are good mice catchers if you lend me John to remove the linoleum later!

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  39. Suzan, I swear as this hit my inbox I was just thinking of you. I can't believe this is what you are dealing with and I hope something can be done. It SHOULD be done!! I feel so bad and yes grossed out and truly amazed that people can live the way they live. Not to mention LIE. I am thinking of you all the time and hope things turn in a positive way. Tell John to get a grip and GO BUY SOME BOXERS!! It is funny though, my John has a fit when I have to buy him new boxers. He can't stand spending the money on them because he says they are a rip off. To quote him, "I can't believe how much money it costs for three darn pair of underwear. I laugh every time and just shake my head.

    Cynthia

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  40. Oh Suzan! How awful to find so much mouse evidence! I sure hope you found their secret entrance(s) and have it (them) blocked up!!! Cause, they'll come back and hide in your new cupboards. Good thing you had that clause added to your purchase. I'm wondering how you're getting meals with no working kitchen though. Are you dining out every day? Take care and I hope there are no more surprises! Blessings, Pam

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  41. Dearest Suzan, I can remember a time when I would have been right in there with you. I really enjoyed renovating. I never tackled something this big. I know it will be awesome when you guys finish. I will be living vicariously through you. Just get plenty of rest.
    I am visiting family all around the south and enjoying the experience of being with my family. We are especially thankful this Thanksgiving, Kim is doing much better and will be having reconstructive surgery in December.
    Have a blessed week, Ginger

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  42. littlemyoo said it best mouse crap is disgusting..i can cut the head off of a snake but cannot face a mouse (long story) we just bought a house also not a fixer either when the weather got cold we had some move into the kitchen..mouse traps baited with caramels took care of the problem they died with a smile on their face...btw john kmart has boxers on sale lmbo xx chris

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  43. LMAO here and remembering when I bought a house that needed renovations (1930's bathroom and kitchen, hole in the ceiling in the master bedroom, original curtains from the 20's). But that wasn't the worst of it - the owners had a terrarium filled with huge black hairy black widow spiders which they kept taking out of the box to handle. I ordered an exterminator before we moved in, just to be sure, and they had to order bug killer from Texas because they'd never dealt with anything like it before. It took me a while to nod off that first night.
    Hang in there - it will be worth it.

    And I say to John - commando!!!

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  44. You sure do have your work cut out for you! But I know you'll make it look amazing, you have the touch, Suzan. I read the whole thing, I didn't know what to expect, but we live in the county which means we find small animals in our pool (I guess they don't know they can't swim) and the cats bring us presents often. But that sounds just disgusting...finding what you found. Good thing you were planning to demolish the kitchen!
    Debbie :)

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  45. Your life is certainly exciting! I'm using that word in a positive way because I have a phobia about mice so that noise you just heard was me screaming from Virginia.

    Seriously, please be careful with mouse feces. I hope you were all wearing masks and gloves. They can cause illness and in one case, I heard, death, from a man cleaning out a garage. Suggestion: find a nice restaurant in town for Thanksgiving.

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  46. Wow you guys are amazing, nothing like jumping right in,!

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  47. Thank you. Just thank you. I couldn't help myself from continuing on reading after the warnings, but I was so afraid there would be photos I would have to look at. I can take the written word, but pictures may have thrown me over the edge.

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  48. Hi Suzan!!!

    Oh, I hope your lawyer has some good news for you both concerning the mouse problem.
    "A field mice now and then!!!!" are you kidding me!!! They definitely knew it was worse and having it down on paper with a signature means they basically lied about the problem.

    Hope all goes well!!! Can't wait to see the improvements!!!!

    Have a great week!!!

    Pam
    xox

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  49. Oh my gosh I am so sorry for all the mouse 'stuff' how horribly disgusting and thank you for NOT sharing any pics...lol....I do hope John loves cats sounds like you need at least one!! Good luck in all your 'clean up'.

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Due to a large amount of spam ( that I'm tired of going back to posts and deleting ) I'll be using comment moderation from now on !!!
Can I beat these spammers at their own game? Probably not - but I'm going
to try my damnedest !!!
xoxo