If you’re a Facebook friend of mine (and I do hope you are!), you’ve been seeing some naked photos I’ve posted lately. Yep, naked, stripped-down, bare-to-the-nub renditions of my previously beloved bathroom. The awesome venue I had meticulously customized precisely to my needs, likes, and wish-for’s. My go-to, peace-filled, just breathe respite away from the bustling world for the past 30 years.
Okay, so maybe it looked like a 1980’s kibbutz. Or – heaven help us – even discotheque. Whose business is it if I got my jollies from standing before my mega mirror in my platform shoes, hanging my head upside down and teasing my blond locks into an 80s big hair fro just to crank the juke up and get my bad self down? (Not saying I did, but hey.)
Everybody needs a private retreat, right?
Sniff.
Mine is now nothing but pine studs, octopus wires and a weird, dust-laden, oppressive odor that makes me choke. (I’ll post all the reno pics I have; please forgive if you’ve seen some of them on FB.)
But they tell me there’s the hope of a better tomorrow. Well, maybe not tomorrow (since it looks exactly the same today as it did three days ago), but possibly three weeks from now. Or so the builder says. He still thinks Sarah Palin could sweep the presidential election. The dude won the Worlds Most Unbelievable Optimist Award five years running.
Say, are all builders/contractors ridiculously optimistic? Maybe that character trait is required to see things that aren’t there when constructing large things.
Anyway, besides being unable to use the facilities in my own domicile, we’re now trying to figure out why half our house lost power yesterday – including the fridge, internet, and computers – while the electricians were rewiring the privy. And stayed out. The electricity, not the electricians. They are still here. Finding new ways to provide us exercise. We are now playing jump rope each time we traverse a room because of the thick orange extension cords crisscrossing every which way from the “on” plugs in the good half of the house to the “off” appliances.
Who needs a trainer when you have an electrician?
The poor befuddled guys can’t quite figure it out yet but they did inform us that our future (NEAR future) holds a $2000 upgraded fuse box. Gulp. That’s some upgrade. We could launch a spaceship with a fuse box like that. Heck, we could probably get a deluxe bidet with that much money … or wait. What about an extra toilet? His and Hers. Hmm. They do it with sinks. Not a bad idea. Does anybody do it with potties?
Would you do that, BBFF? Maybe we could start a trend.
I’ve appreciated the sympathy from my fellow addition-sufferers via my FB posts. I can’t believe how many of us there are! Must be the right time of year for renos. Please do keep regaling us with your stories. At least the good ones.
Keep reminding me that there IS an END to the madness at some point. Like when the bank account is sucked dry and the bidet is doing the opposite.
*PS. I’ll be posting the details of my new Palentine Giveaway at my website on Sat 2/1 (DeboraCoty.com – click on Freebies then look for the giveaway). And don’t forget to sign up for my FREE e-newsletter while you’re there so you don’t miss the Feb edition coming out next week!
Squishy hugs from me to you!
A friend of bought a new 2-storyhouse, but shortly thereafter the roofed caved in one of her daughter’s upstairs bedroom. Thank God, there is no one in her room when it happened. But the homeowner’s insurance policy was more than enough not only to reconstruct the roof, but in addition, she and her husband were able to remodel inside of their home; the way wanted. God is so good.
Wow – what an awesome result for your friend, after a bad start in her new house. Did her homeowners insurance go up afterward?
Twelve years ago, my dear husband (an electrician!) decided it was time to renovate our kitchen and bathroom. The one-piece fiberglass bathtub needed replacing so we might as well rip apart the kitchen and bathroom at the same time. Gulp. Unfortunately, he’s very handy and this meant a DIY renovation! Can you see where I am going? For the next 4 months I lived through a gutted kitchen, sheetrock dust everywhere, my stove and refrigerator sitting in the middle of the room and the microwave sitting on saw horses in the dinning room. Our plan was to cook meals on the grill, since it was summer, and use the microwave. Unfortunately it rained pretty much all summer and I cooked inside in the midst of this mess. Did my dishes in the bathtub until that was gone then the tiny vanity sink. After the kitchen was done, except the flooring and the new tub was installed renovation burn out set in on dear husband. Yup, twelve years later old flooring still in kitchen with demolition scars and paint spatter. Bathroom still a work in progress! I finally put a primer paint coat on the walls because I got tired of three colors of paint. Hang in there! ?
Good heavens, Paula! I guess I have ZERO to complain about after hearing your story! You are my new demo hero, girlfriend. If you weren’t a patient person before, I’m betting you are now. I know DIY renos usually take a little longer, but 12 years and counting??? That’s got to be a new record. My girlfriend whose husband did their reno lived through the mess for 6 years and I thought that was incredible. A big sympathy hug to you, dear sister.
It takes patience and humor. God is good!
Oh my!! This does not sound like fun!! The big remodeling we did, of our previous kitchen, started before Thanksgiving and did not finish until after the New Year. I don’t recommend remodeling during the holidays!!