I Love New York Travel

This is my kind of jamb session, these days.

We’re re-building the trim for the two rooms we gutted over the summer. Trim is delicate (like lingerie); it’s also exacting work, and while I like working with wood, the task can be exhausting because there is so much uber-measuring, uber-cutting, and running up and down the stairs to the saws.

So I’m re-doing many of the jambs for the doorways and closets. I have ten, yes TEN openings to do in the dining room. The dining room is like a huge, window-filled hallway. There are four windows, and doors leading to: Front Entry, Kitchen, Garage, a closet, a powder room, the basement, the upstairs hallway. Yeehaw, that’s a lot of action going on in this one room. Obviously, there’s not a great deal of wall space. There’s mostly… openings. All requiring lots and lots of trim.

I cannot install the flooring until the trim is installed and painted. Everything “hinges” on this job. It’s detailed, it’s meticulous, and it’s taking FOREVER! Here’s hoping I get it all done in a few days. More on that later.

Isn’t the photo lovely? I have perennial gardens, so everything comes to colorful bloom in late July. I wish I could wrap up this time and savor it forever, especially on those glum January days when winter’s gray chill dulls the landscape.

This is the time of year I traditionally reserve for holiday shopping, birthdays, and anniversaries. I never shop in November or December. Prices are higher, crowds are larger, time is shorter. I prefer the more leisurely pace of sales and deals in August and September! Funny, so many people I know have birthdays and anniversaries toward the end of the year, too. So it’s a big time. Lately, I’ve been utilizing the online stores more often. I detest driving through traffic. It takes me 15-20 minutes to drive a whopping 5 miles to the shopping centers, just because of all the traffic and stop lights. No thanks. I’d rather shop online. I have a slew of stores I rely on for gifts. Online stores offer everything today! From platinum gifts for your 20th anniversary to shoes to network equipment to cabinet trash bin pull-outs! I’m very impressed.

So. I have a TON of things to do. LIke the ant, I must run around busily all summer long, working while I can so that I am prepared when winter’s dormancy rolls in, and the days are slower and quieter. This year, I am going to LOOOOOVE winter…

LOL. Livvy always takes the best seats. Typical cat! And what a life!

This is The Hubs desk. I can’t show you mine. It’s a DISASTER. I work from my desk (I’m a blogger and a writer), and a filthy, dirty desk is just a LITTLE demoralizing. LOL. I also have forgotten to pay a few bills, missed out on a few historical re-enactments this summer, and can’t find important things like concert tickets, new credit cards, and my USB drive with photos on it!! Gah!

In case you didn’t know, we’re renovating the house. I’m trying to keep the office closed off, sealed, and as dust-free as possible…. we’ve reached the Sheetrock installation stage, and keeping the dust out is IMPOSSIBLE. Especially when a certain kitty likes to explore and then prance across the desk. LOL

Well, I am definitely looking forward to having my life back (or, at the very least, my desk!). The disorganization is tough on me. Not only do I miss deadlines, appointments, and bill pays, but I miss my concert events and travel attractions, too!

The good side is that I’ve got the entire house wired and plumbed with NEW systems, and I’m finally getting my kitchen remodeled! Praise the Lord!!!! o/ It will be done in a few weeks, I’m praying!

THIS.

I got the dining room all done, thanks in great part to some wonderful helpers. Next is the upstairs bath and bedrooms, and the kitchen. I’m waiting on the plumbing. Once that’s done, we can insulate and close the walls.

I CANNOT WAIT TO GET THE WALLS UP!!!

This has been one of the hardest times in my life. The renovation has been very difficult (well, the renovation has been OK, but being without the kitchen, and having the house in a constant state of disorder and chaos has been really rough on us)… but the other things slamming us at the same time make it very stressful. One of the unintended side beneits is that I am getting back in shape, building my muscle tone again and shedding a few pounds. Hard work can be more effective than top rated diet pills, did you know that? Plus, I think the stress of the summer has attributed to it.

Anyway. Work work work. So many things to do…

Found this little surprise in the wall, when I removed the old 70s style medicine cabinet from the bathroom wall. Unbelievable, really. For one, junction boxes hidden inside walls is illegal. Two, it’s unsafe. Three, THIS is a hazardous, horrifying mess. Wow. If you need prrof that God exists and He is merciful, here it is.

We’re renovating the kitchen and dining room, as well as repairing the electrical and plumbing and heating systems. LOTS of work. It’s consumed my life right now. I eat, breathe, and sleep plaster and lathe, rough framing, PVC pipe vent systems, electrical code, and flooring. It’s exhausting. Initially, it was all like a treasure hunt: who knew what timeless old treasues we’d find in the studs?? But all we found were half-eaten walnuts, some dead rodents, and a few old grocery lists and newspaper waddings from the 70s. Oh well. Disappointing, yes. I wasn’t expecting gold bars or even refurbished fitness equipment, mind you. But a little note or some greenbacks from the original builder would have been nice.

Anyway, we’re removing horrors like the one in the photo. Whew.