Wickedly Inundated (SS #69)
Wow, who knew that living without a kitchen and with only one bathroom, the small one, while the main bath and kitchen are torn out and re done, could take up so much time??????
Do I sound spoiled?? Sounds like I might. Some people only have one bathroom. Some people have none. I shouldn't be complaining. And I am not, exactly; maybe just a little whining. Forgive me. Also, I'm trying to explain my uninspired or non-existent blog contributions lately. Guess I am kind of just journalling (If you are using a noun as a verb do you still follow the double the end consonant before adding -ing rule??) too.
Our house, built in '69 --we've lived here since '80-- has gone woefully short on renovation, updating, etc. except for what was absolutely necessary to keep it going---2 new roofs, new appliances when old ones quit working, new faucets on all sinks--bathroom, kitchen, laundry room--when our hard well-water killed them, a new piece of furniture here and there, including the lavish new white living room set I STUPIDLY bought in '95 or '96, telling myself I was a working grown-up and deserved to have what I wanted, and that my cats were well behaved and could be taught they were to have nothing to do with the new living room furniture. (A close friend, also a cat owner gave me a tee shirt that first Christmas which said "Cats are nature's way of telling you 'Your furniture is too nice'." There's foreshadowing for you.) Foolish me!! Well, that's another story; and even though it was probably the most comfortable couch I have ever sat or laid upon, last September I had the Salvation Army carry it away.
Now that we're retired and playing with the idea of moving, closer to family or just farther from the traffic and the Madding Crowds, it has become pretty much a necessity to modernize the kitchen and bath if we want the house to be at all saleable in the present market. To this end, our contractor and his team have GUTTED---yes, tub, tile, sinks, wall, paper, and in the bathroom the floor surface as well---both the kitchen and the primary bathroom. I have a refrigerator in the old dining area; but the microwave and coffee maker are on the porch. We have even had to remove almost everything but the washer and dryer themselves from the laundry room, so they can remove an old free standing shower stall which has never really worked, and replace the laundry room sink and counter top, which were apparently cheap, and a bit abused even before we moved in.
I have been quite excited about it. It is even motivating me to do more throwing away and general cleaning. But poor JR has been more than a little overwhelmed by it all, starting with the cost and including but not limited to the confusion and clutter and loss of privacy of it all. But it is TIME CONSUMING!!!!! even tho' the work is being done by others. But wow, the total loss of sinks (water sources, a place to clean up dishes and hands and everything), the loss of lighting and even places to set things down in all those rooms is to a certain extent mind boggling; and altho' I haven't made it to the gym all week, I am spending twice as much time running around in the house, to the back bathroom not only for the toilet but to wash everything.
On the humorous but "poor baby" side of it, the workmen have covered the carpet from the front door to the kitchen flooring and down the hall to the front bathroom with heavy butcher paper taped to the carpet, so no one sneaks up on anyone!!!! and the cats are terrified. Not only are there strange men and voices in the house all day, every day, but when "Mommy" and "Daddy" come down the hall, the noise causes them to flee as from a herd of elephants. And the noise that they themselves make when traversing the hall, even when they tip-toe and move verrry slowly, is horrifying and unacceptable. The little man pretty much just doesn't change ends of the house, and chubby girl, 'tho she seems to be adapting more quickly than he, just doesn't have her normal enthusiasm for helping (encouraging loudly) me as I prepare their breakfast and dinner, in the laundry room instead of the kitchen. She'll just wait in her room for me to bring it, thank you. They are, however, doing better getting along and sharing Mommy and Daddy's room and bed, now that they are forced by their own response to the unpleasant new situation, to share much more limited quarters.
Anyway, I just wanted to log for myself some of our reactions to this new experience, and to explain to any of the kind people who regularly read and comment on my Sunday Scribblings and those whose work I try to follow and respond to why I have been more absent/delinquent than usual.
If I say I have been wickedly busy I might even be able to squeeze this in under this week's topic.
Do I sound spoiled?? Sounds like I might. Some people only have one bathroom. Some people have none. I shouldn't be complaining. And I am not, exactly; maybe just a little whining. Forgive me. Also, I'm trying to explain my uninspired or non-existent blog contributions lately. Guess I am kind of just journalling (If you are using a noun as a verb do you still follow the double the end consonant before adding -ing rule??) too.
Our house, built in '69 --we've lived here since '80-- has gone woefully short on renovation, updating, etc. except for what was absolutely necessary to keep it going---2 new roofs, new appliances when old ones quit working, new faucets on all sinks--bathroom, kitchen, laundry room--when our hard well-water killed them, a new piece of furniture here and there, including the lavish new white living room set I STUPIDLY bought in '95 or '96, telling myself I was a working grown-up and deserved to have what I wanted, and that my cats were well behaved and could be taught they were to have nothing to do with the new living room furniture. (A close friend, also a cat owner gave me a tee shirt that first Christmas which said "Cats are nature's way of telling you 'Your furniture is too nice'." There's foreshadowing for you.) Foolish me!! Well, that's another story; and even though it was probably the most comfortable couch I have ever sat or laid upon, last September I had the Salvation Army carry it away.
Now that we're retired and playing with the idea of moving, closer to family or just farther from the traffic and the Madding Crowds, it has become pretty much a necessity to modernize the kitchen and bath if we want the house to be at all saleable in the present market. To this end, our contractor and his team have GUTTED---yes, tub, tile, sinks, wall, paper, and in the bathroom the floor surface as well---both the kitchen and the primary bathroom. I have a refrigerator in the old dining area; but the microwave and coffee maker are on the porch. We have even had to remove almost everything but the washer and dryer themselves from the laundry room, so they can remove an old free standing shower stall which has never really worked, and replace the laundry room sink and counter top, which were apparently cheap, and a bit abused even before we moved in.
I have been quite excited about it. It is even motivating me to do more throwing away and general cleaning. But poor JR has been more than a little overwhelmed by it all, starting with the cost and including but not limited to the confusion and clutter and loss of privacy of it all. But it is TIME CONSUMING!!!!! even tho' the work is being done by others. But wow, the total loss of sinks (water sources, a place to clean up dishes and hands and everything), the loss of lighting and even places to set things down in all those rooms is to a certain extent mind boggling; and altho' I haven't made it to the gym all week, I am spending twice as much time running around in the house, to the back bathroom not only for the toilet but to wash everything.
On the humorous but "poor baby" side of it, the workmen have covered the carpet from the front door to the kitchen flooring and down the hall to the front bathroom with heavy butcher paper taped to the carpet, so no one sneaks up on anyone!!!! and the cats are terrified. Not only are there strange men and voices in the house all day, every day, but when "Mommy" and "Daddy" come down the hall, the noise causes them to flee as from a herd of elephants. And the noise that they themselves make when traversing the hall, even when they tip-toe and move verrry slowly, is horrifying and unacceptable. The little man pretty much just doesn't change ends of the house, and chubby girl, 'tho she seems to be adapting more quickly than he, just doesn't have her normal enthusiasm for helping (encouraging loudly) me as I prepare their breakfast and dinner, in the laundry room instead of the kitchen. She'll just wait in her room for me to bring it, thank you. They are, however, doing better getting along and sharing Mommy and Daddy's room and bed, now that they are forced by their own response to the unpleasant new situation, to share much more limited quarters.
Anyway, I just wanted to log for myself some of our reactions to this new experience, and to explain to any of the kind people who regularly read and comment on my Sunday Scribblings and those whose work I try to follow and respond to why I have been more absent/delinquent than usual.
If I say I have been wickedly busy I might even be able to squeeze this in under this week's topic.
Labels: busy, pets, remodeling, Sunday Scribblings
posted by sundaycynce at 5:08 PM
1 Comments:
Wickedly clever play on the prompt. When we moved until our first house we bought all new and perfectly nice furniture. We also tried cat repellent spray. If cats could smirk, that is the expression our cat would have given us as she proceeded to crave out her mark on the new sofa and love seats.
Welcome back from your break!
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