Dirt Therapy

After a rather disappointing Monday and a crummy Tuesday, Karen came over tonight and we split plants and got dirty. Sigh of contentment. Somehow I can work hard all day, and see no progress (especially in a job where there are no major landmarks, projects, marks of progress). Then I can come home, put on bum clothes, get out my magical shovel, and make things happen. Not to mention doing a project in the dirt with a good friend, I mean, I really don't think it gets better than that. My love languages are Quality Time and Acts of Service, but particularly Quality Time in the form of working on something together. Tonight hit the spot. We split and dug up plants from my yard, then headed to Karen's to plant, yay! I am blessed. Thanks Karen for taking time for the perfect evening for me anyway :)

Gross but victorious

I pulled apart the garbage disposal and was able to fix it. Interesting note: Garbage disposal smells like vomit-- particularly when it stopped working a couple days ago and has been holding gunk and gunky water. Gross. When I took the bucket of nasty water and rags away, I came back to find that Maggie had cleaned the gunk off the floor. More gross.

But the good news- it works! and the new outlet, that I originally was worried was not wired correctly, is working great- it was the jammed garbage disposal that was the problem. Whew.

Seriously annoyed

So a momentary rant about my current job...
I am the office administrator, I'm at work all week, answering calls and emails and certainly doing my best to serve the parish and the many parishioners. However, I am ready to scream at the number of calls I get on my home phone regarding work. Just because my phone number is findable does NOT mean I am happy to get work calls at home!! I am not available 24/7. I do not want to get calls from people who have just one more question they deem so important it is worth interrupting my weekend for... or do they even consider that at all? Are people that insensitive? Okay, the answer is yes, people are that insensitive. To give them a little consideration, people probably just don't think- it doesn't occur to them how insensitive and invasive it feels to have people randomly calling on the weekends... people probably assume that since I do go to Mass where I work that it will be just convenient to stop me in the lobby and ask me to email that form, or call that person, or blah blah blah. They don't think for one second that maybe I was just going to Mass, that I'd like 5 minutes peace, that I am not going to remember the 8th random thing someone asks me for on my way through the crowd of people to the door...

Nope, I'm pretty sure people don't realize. But I really wish I could help them get a clue... here it is, plain and simple: If you have a work question, call me at WORK! If I am home, I am not at work and do not want your work questions!!! Grrr.

One of my favorite quotes that seems very applicable: "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."

Okay, I'm done ranting. Trying to take a deep breath and move on...

Saturday at the Homestead

Right. Let's just cross off the title, no actual Saturday at the homestead. I slept in some this morning- heavenly. Ran an errand or two. Made it home to check account balances and some online stuff. Then getting dressed and heading out to see Wicked with my sister, Grandma and two of my aunts. My mom should be going, but she's home in bed with pneumonia -- so I am happily taking her place and trying to not think about the fridge (needs a new evaporator fan), the garbage disposal (just this morning started smoking), and the trim that still is not installed. Sigh. Maybe tonight, after the show. Maybe...

Happy Saturday friends!

Done done done done

I hesitate to use the word "done" just yet, because there's always more to do (caulk the edges, add quarter round trim everywhere, put transitions between the other flooring in the doorways)... but... the floor itself is DONE!!! Yay! Tonight's helpers for that last little bit of floor included Karen, Emmet, Leslie and I.

I did the subflooring adjustments in the doorway to the living room and it only took another hour or two to finish the last bit of flooring and the landing. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP friends!! I am so happy.

Also, I slept in this morning (working on #1 goal- recover). Have made zero progress on the painting of the cabinet doors... sigh... maybe tomorrow. Today I only made one trip to Lowes to fix (correctly) the plug under the cabinet- I'd tried to use the wire Aco had available, not sure if it was going to work or not. It didn't. So I went to Lowes and funnily enough, when you use the correct wire, it works. So now the plug under the sink is new and safe. Yay, we won't discuss how long it took all told, or how many trips to hardware stores... Emmet recut the beadboard and he and Leslie installed the rest of if on the backsides of the cupboards. I got a cupboard door for $2 at the Habitat for Humanity Restore which I will paint and put in that opening there to use the wasted cupboard space- I think it will be the new home for the crockpot, waffle iron, and other seldom used appliances. Excellent. The beadboard just needs a coat of paint and trim around the edges and it will be set!


That's all for now folks. Tomorrow I'm really hoping to at least prep the doors for painting, drill holes for new hardware, and clean up the flooring mess from all over the house. We shall see... the end of break draws near (sadness). I need another week...

Day 4

Today is the day we worked all morning / afternoon and by late afternoon, it hardly looked like we got anywhere. Well, I made an Aco run. And then Emmet made an Aco / Tractor Supply run... and later I made a Lowes run... and finally another Aco run. Apparently it was a four-trip sort of day.

We decided to remove the rest of the wood paneling from the backside of the cabinets in order to install the white beadboard. And I want a door to access the wasted cabinet space next to the dishwasher and sink. Then we yanked out the disgusting under sink linoleum, and I decided to just get some of those stick on tiles to replace it.

Then I decided I really should replace that plug under the sink- it's installed in a stupid spot- directly under the piping and the metal outlet box and parts of the actual outlet are corroded and nasty- not to mention it isn't safe to be there- it should be a ground fault interrupting plug. Sigh. I should just do this right huh? So we pulled it out and I got the outlet and the new stick on tiles at Aco, but we couldn't get the outlet box until the Lowes trip. We also spent quite awhile at Brendan's house using his table saw to cut the beadboard. Em installed the tile and then had to leave... and I made that trip to Lowes to get the right electrical box. Then came home and second guessed myself again and decided to really do it right, so Leslie and I ran to Aco for the wire to move the outlet.

Nick arrived after work and we started in on the floor again! Orsi came by and shared her laminate flooring wisdom and helped with a few rows. Donal was the designated jigsaw man, and Leslie and Lindsey worked on installing beadboard.

We got nearly done with the floor- just another row in one area, two in another area, and a doorway to navigate. But I need to make some subfloor changes in the doorway first. Anyway, after we left off the flooring for the night, Donal and I moved the stove back- and Donal reconnected it in the back (not an easy job!). Then Donal left and Leslie and I moved the fridge back. Yayayayay!!


Here's how it looks so far:



I love it!! Love love love it. Thank you SOOOO much to all the helpers! Couldn't have done it without you!