One of the joys of owning a house in our neighborhood is that every home is in need of “work.” The homes were originally built in the 50’s and 60’s. Some residents in the area are original owners. New owners are set about updating and remodeling. Everyone is in the same boat. Anyone has a story that can top the next guys.
And we have set about on our projects again. I’ve noticed we seem to do projects in great fury when I’m expecting. I’m not sure there’s a correlation. But I do know I DON’T like it. I’m tired and nauseous, and having my house turned upside down with remodeling and updating and finishing projects does not eliminate stress. But I’ve tried to be a good sport. I think Wyatt would say I’ve done a GREAT . . . and I do mean FABULOUS job at being a good sport.
I haven’t taken tons o pictures because nausea makes me avoid my camera. I don’t know why.
So the first project we tackled was our basement. My sweet brother-in-law Jared offered to help us finish it. He works in construction (heating and air) and with the economy & winter being a slow time in construction anyway, he had a lot of down time. We moved everything from the basement upstairs: food storage, baby things in storage, christmas decorations – you know, the things you have in an unfinished basement. Cal’s room was taken over. The living room was taken over. The second bathroom became a storage closet. The linen closet became a storage closet. For about 6 weeks our kitchen was taken over. We were bursting at the seams. Wyatt and Jared worked hard and it’s almost done (it’s down to the painting. HATE painting). But the storage closets have been finished, and I’ve been able to move at least the stuff from my living room and kitchen back downstairs.
Then the weather started warming up. Our sights were turned to our poor, pathetic yard. We’ve planted grass four times: fall, 2006; spring, 2007; fall, 2007, and spring, 2008. Each time we endured a $200 + /month water bill. Still the grass never took. I’ve been threatening bombing the place if we don’t have a yard this summer for me to shoo the kids out to. Wyatt began looking at sod.
And of course, being Wyatt, he found a guy to give us a screaming deal on it. He also found a guy to put in curbing on trade (web design). All that was left was fixing the sprinklers (broken from putting the walk-out basement in last fall). Jared and Wyatt tackled that. Our yard is looking so good. We still have lists and lists of projects to do, but we’re making progress.
Of course, the day after we lay the sod, we had our first flood in our almost finished basement. An undiscovered broken sprinkler flooded a window well and poured a couple inches of water into the two bedrooms (went under the wall into the next room). It wasn’t as bad as it first looked, but didn’t make for a fun morning either. Wyatt helped me clean up as best he could before he had to go to a meeting. “Please wash those baseboards. Don’t let anything distract you from it. We don’t want them ruined. Wash them right away.”
“I will.” I promised. And I did. Until I was distracted by a beautiful snail climbing a leaf out of the flood in the windowsill. Then I had to stop and take a picture. But I got right back to work, and the baseboards are fine.
