Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Fall brings new hope... and a ton of dust.

Hi friends,

I apologize for my lack of communication these summer months. We moved back into the house (as you may have seen in my previous post from July) just after heavy demolition had been completed and the new floors installed. Everything was unfinished. Our kitchen had been taken literally down to the studs and that's how things have stayed until today... more or less.

I'll backpedal a bit and explain that in order to adhere to our tight budget (around 150k when all is said and done TOTAL), each contractor comes once. We're going step by step rather than room by room. That means for example, the sheetrock crew comes once... so no walls could go up until the addition was also ready for walls. Same thing for counters and cabinets. We can't have a kitchen until the bathroom in the addition is ready for cabinetry and so on.

So, in August, the addition was structurally completed. Eric and our amazing pal Ryan ran duct work over to the addition. Electrical and plumbing were run. A roof went on. Insulation went in... all working up to today when we got walls.

Next, the sheetrock gets drywalled (mudded and sanded). Then we're ready for interior paint.

Meanwhile, siding will go on to the addition and I'm hoping beyond hope that it will match the existing siting as well as the new roof matched the 2 year-old roof. The siding is original from 1949, so not sure how they're going to do it but I'm choosing to have faith.

Then floors can go into the addition. The halls will get the beautiful Hickory continued from the house. The master bedroom and recording studio room will be carpeted. The bathroom will be tiled.

There's so much still ahead, but I feel like I can finally see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. This week my homeowner homework consists of things that feel like finishing touches like choosing paint swatches.

The air quality in the place has been affecting my health - though thankfully my three guys my propensity for "wuss lungs" as my husband so delicately put it.

Oh! Also the fireplace insert was ordered and it's lovely.

It's allllll happening. One little step at a time.

And we're living in chaos... but managing ok. I was telling a neighbor friend this evening, aside from the whole dust-mascarading-as-air dilemma, we're sort of used to living this way. We're an adaptable bunch. I've stopped counting how many weeks I've been without a kitchen and have just gotten good at doing dishes in the bathroom. My kids have adjusted to granola bar breakfasts and meals out. We're liking life without TV and enjoying more time in close quarters. All in all, we're ok.

All silver linings aside though, I'm juuuuuust about over it. Someone asked me how my summer was the other day and I snapped some salty quip at her... I won't repeat it, but it was a clear sign that my ability to see this project through rose-colored glasses all the time is waning. I'm ready to be done.

The first real fall-feeling day happened last week. I longed to whip out the crockpot and make autumn risotto or chicken soup from scratch. Bake banana bread and muffins for the kids... Looking forward to baking up a storm sometime soon.

Alas, life has moved on! I'm in my 4th month at the new job and finally feeling like it's where I belong rather than like I'm just the newcomer. The twins started Kindergarten and are settling in well. Eric's insane work season as tapered off to a manageable flow. We're planning Halloween costumes and looking forward to what's ahead. The band has a couple of new members and we're gelling and co-creating.

Life is good. And messy. And wonderful.

xo
Jenn



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