Lil’ Missa Jay went on the big (little) potty this morning! YAYYYY!!

Ok back to the bathroom. Plumber guy is here fixing up the shower, I’ve drywalled around the sink plumbing so when he’s done with the shower we’ll install the sink.

😀

I’ve decided to do a tub surround for the walls vs. tiling and grout and junk. It’s starting to come together. Phew.

You guys sure you want to see this? LOL

I just finished the demolition and cleaned up the gigantic mess I made in what has to be the world’s smallest bathroom. The plumber was here today and supervised as I installed the new toitie (yep, I did it!), and he’ll be back tomorrow to get the shower stuff done and help me with the sink. I’ll start drywalling tomorrow, I have to start early to get a couple of pieces in before he gets here so the sink can go in. I’m making progress, right? Cause right now I just feel sore. 😛 Why do I do this stuff!?

The bathroom demolition is going well, and I’ve scheduled a plumber for tomorrow afternoon. I ripped the sink out this morning, and ug! The pipe was corroded and disgusting. Then I looked into the tank on the toilet, and the inside of the handle just broke off!! So, great timing for this project. Jeez. A few more days of this, a day off, and I will be a painting fool.

I know you guys would rather see my wildlife works in progress rather than my home improvement works in progress, and it’s coming soon! Hang in there with me, this is the last room left!!

(I’m nesting big time, can you tell? I feel pregnant. LOL)

Mark was awarded a Purple Heart yesterday for injuries he sustained from an IED (improvised explosive device) attack on his team in December.

For some reason, saying “congratulations” for an award like this seems really awkward. “Thank you” doesn’t say enough, “I’m so proud” is accurate, but only partial.

I’m so grateful, and thankful, that he is alive to receive that recognition of service. It is just proof that our guys put their lives on the line for us every single day.

(This pic is a screenshot from our webcam chat, live from Iraq.)

“Yet even in certain defeat, you must cling to the belief that life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences, but rather it’s a tapestry of events that culminate together in an exquisite, sublime plan.”

“If we are to live life in harmony with the universe, we must all posess a powerful faith in what the ancients used to call ‘fatum’, commonly referred to as destiny.”

From one of my favorite movies, Serendipity. Deep thoughts for the day.

I am ready for a more normal day today, one of just tidying up a bit, maybe running the vaccuum, finally putting together that e-mail for my clients, and definitely fixing a couple of layouts on a few pages of my website. I’m looking forward to a day off from flooring!

I even did laundry this morning. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I enjoyed it, but I didn’t cringe, so that’s an improvement!

Hey Mark, when you read this, did they get any pics of the ceremony yesterday you can send me? I’d like to post it here for everyone to see if you don’t mind.

What are all you lurkers doing this fine Saturday morning? 😉

What another interesting day! I hate doorways. No question about it. I would rather lift a refrigerator fully loaded over the top of my head (ok, well, try.) than cut a piece of flooring that fits around door trim. It is STUPID. Why aren’t they square??

(Guys? you’re the geniuses who came up with this stuff, WHY WHY WHY!?)

My “home brew” wall color turned out really cool. It looks like a nice deep terra cotta. Great against the flooring!! I still can’t believe this was all so cheap (money wise), it really looks rich. I would NEVER have invited anyone into my utility room before, iew! And you’ll see why. Double iew. And an ick for good measure.

I took 4 different before & after pics and put them all together…so you can see them if you just click right here…

Are you ready for this? LOL

Ok first I’ll show you the before and after pics of the transformation, then I’ll just ramble and either (a) make you feel really sorry for me, (b) make you laugh at my stupidity for tackling such projects, or (c) cause you to shake your head and really not know what to think. 😉

When Floor Guy arrived Tuesday afternoon, he and his helper guy started by moving the fridge into the dining room, and stove into the living room. Wouldn’t have been bad if it weren’t such tight squeezes in those space, and as a result the 1/2″ thick floor moldings are now gone. That’s just the boring part. He started to pull up the flooring. We’re on a concrete slab, and when we moved in we tore the base cabinets out of the kitchen and put in new ones. What I didn’t remember was that the plywood went down on the floor – UNDER the cabinets – with some kind of inpenetrable adhesive. So the only parts of the floor that didn’t have adhesive were the parts that were buckling and cracking from moisture. (See second “before” shot above. The light differences on the floor are hills and valleys. That makes cooking in the kitchen interesting!)

Pulling up the floor was insane, as he had to cut into it with a circular saw and then pry it up in tiny pieces (mostly shards of plywood) with a crowbar. Oh yea. What a mess.

Here’s a list of things I’ve done to keep busy since Mark’s been called up to active duty:

1. Bedroom redecorated. Walls/Ceiling/Curtains/Bedding
2. Studio Construction Completed. Curtains/Furnishings/Flooring/Cabinetry
3. Paintings: 64+ paintings over the course of 18 months
4. Weight Loss: 52 pounds
5. Surgeries: 2 sorta major surgeries, 1 minor.
6. Family Room: Demolish 2 closets/Insulate/Drywall/Cabinetry/Shelving
/Couch/Fabric covered panels on the walls
7. Living Room: Wallpaper stripping/painting/carpet/
doorway flooring/hallway flooring
8. Landscaping: Roses/more flowers/bulbs planted/earth movin’/
patio concrete blocks
9. Dining room & Office: painted
10. Kitchen: painted
11. Kitchen cabinets: stained
12. Dining Room/Kitchen/Utility Room flooring
13. Traded in the junker truck
14. Entertained the kids
15. Set up pool area (digging/sand)/Took down pool in the fall
16. New stove
17. New dishwasher
18. New starter on the furnace
19. New microwave
20. Website redesign
21. Blog redesign
22. Relocated piano/had it tuned
23. Trips to Chicago
24. Roadtrip to Alabama

I think that’s it…anyone remember stuff I’ve forgotten? This isn’t in order, either. Man everything broke when he left. LOL

Mark…honey… get your butt back here ok? I’m tired, need a vacation.