FRIDAY!

I need a sound bite here. One long howling scream. That might convey my feelings far better than a blog post. I'm really not handling any of this well. See, I can't get away from all the debris and disorder. There is an elephant on my chest and he won't get off.

I tossed and turned last night, rethinking my whole decision to rip out a fairly good bathroom I only needed a tub, really. I am so stressed about everything. I don't know if any of this is a good idea. Everything is upside down. The bathroom seems like a total wreck. Of course it isn't finished but mentally, that isn't registering. Will I really like this change? What if I hate it?

The awning is lying in the front yard. The living room was freaky this morning because it was so light in there! Took me a minute to figure it out. Can't believe how dark it was for so long. I never thought much about it. It just was. With the window opened, the room looks totally different... and junky. I'm going to get new living room furniture as soon as order returns. I'm junking everything, I think. There is too much debris in my life.

I hope at some point this will be funny. I doubt it.

The Insanity of It All

There are far too many people around. My house is utter chaos. Everything is crazy, upside down, inside out, topsy turvy. It is so stressful that I almost would rather be at work!

Tile began going up today. It really looks nice. Randy stopped tiling around lunch because he wanted me to decide how high I wanted the decorative band. He also added a touch of his own. Diamond shaped tile above and below the band. I think it will look really pretty. He can cut the large tiles into four squares and turn the squares onto a point and line them up.

Watching all this I realize how very talented he is. There is no waste and he takes great care in his work.

Once the bathroom is done, they can work on the roof and siding and I can clean this mess up inside. I so need to get rid of a ton of junk!

We resolved the cabinet in the bath problem. My floor to ceiling hall cabinet will be modified. The bottom half of the cabinet will be divided and closed off. Half of it will open into the bath for towels and wash cloths and other items. The other half will open into the hallway and continue to be home to my bedding. This is an ideal solution using space that is already used but more efficiently.

I'm getting ready to turn in now. I've had a long day and evening. I will be glad when we can get a bath without having to leave the house.

Second Day of Demolition

I am on my way to bed. I'm exhausted. We had a few snags today. We had to go buy a new window, a sink, and get a different tile. I decided to do a color change. I will still have to buy paint. I bought a new light fixture and still have to buy the exhaust fan.

I also had to get faucets for the tub. The old ones were worn out. I still have a leak in the second toilet. I think the seal is worn out. We'll get a new one tomorrow.

The insurance adjuster came out and looked at the roof. I have enough to pay for the stuff to do the roof. Randy and Brandon will put that on for me. The metal roof is out as no one does the metal sheets for do it yourselfers. But that's ok too.

I'm all "het" up about this disarray. I can't stand the confusion of everything everywhere and dust coating everything. The effort needed to clean it will be herculean!

The green "rock" is up and waiting for the tile to go up. The window and tile will go in tomorrow. I really can't wait to see it.

Getting rid of the debris is a problem. I haven't figured it out yet and must by the time they start on the room.

It is midnight. Morpheus is calling.

The Walls Came Tumbling Down

The walls are down. Tomorrow they begin work clearing nails from the studs and working on getting ready to put in the green drywall. This is mold and mildew resistant "rock". The backer board is also. The floor was in better shape than we thought but we found the nest the mice built. And a dead mouse so the poison I put out worked.

I suspect they will get a lot done tomorrow. The claims adjuster will be here tomorrow to look at the roof. Randy will talk with him about the roof.

We are running the tile right to the ceiling. I just want as little maintenance as possible in there and I think that will be the best way to deal with it. The moisture level can get high and the tile will help with that, I think. There is no insulation in the outside wall and he will be putting that in there as well, so the warmth factor should be better.

Dust coats everything, even though I closed the bedroom doors I found dust on the headboard, night stand, and floor. So, it is a safe bet the bed was coated. I will change the sheets tomorrow. Tonight, I'm headed for bed. I wish I could be around to see how it goes but I'll check in at lunch.

We went to Dave and Becca's to shower and visit for a short time. Miss Sarah flirted shamelessly with Brandon, my step nephew. He is such a nice young man. Brandon seems to still be a good boy. I've only seen them maybe three times in the last 15 years and I think the older boy has gone off the rails a bit and so has the younger daughter. I was talking about the backyard camping trip we all had on the Labor Day weekend when Princess Diana died. We were at my mother's, all of us and our children, my aunt and uncle - a passel of about 15 people. We camped in her backyard, cooked out and just had a good time hanging out. The kids all played well together. Brandon, the middle child, was seven at the time and he's 20 now. He told me he remembered it and from the sound of his voice I think it was a good memory. I'm glad. I always loved those children. Those days will never come again so it is nice if he has good memories of it.

Lights out now. I will be posting photos eventually. And more as the project progresses. If things continue to move this fast, it won't take three weeks. Brandon says he can't wait to get on the roof. He likes roofing. I can't wait for the whole thing to be completed. I can't stand the chaos of stuff everywhere! I feel hemmed in by it but there is not alternative.

Sunday Passing

I'm tucked up in my bed waiting for my brother to arrive. I expect, barring delays, that he will get in around midnight. That's late for me. I am going to have a rough day of it tomorrow.

I should apologize for the depressing posts I've been putting up. Maybe I should close those off. I don't like them myself. I hate revealing all that at times. But from the beginning of this whole mess I felt it was very important for other people to see the reality of this process. Most of the time, we never get even a glimpse of it. I never had a clue. Now that I do, I can think of so many people I might have dealt with differently had I realized. The woman at work who's husband died a couple of months ago and I have talked quite a lot. One day I told her for months after Jerry died, I would put my face in his clothes hanging in the closet because I could still smell him on them. She started to cry and blurted out, "I did that!" After she regained her composure, I apologized for upsetting her. She said, "No, I thought I was the only one and I thought it was crazy!"

I've decided to take off to go get the tub, tile, and other stuff in the morning. I also have to get the permit based on the cost of materials. I can do that on my own. My brother will have to go with me to get the materials. I picked everything out yesterday.

I can't believe it is happening. I keep expecting to wake up and it all be a nice dream with no substance.

I'm tired and maybe I should try an sleep for a while until they arrive. They will be so tired but tomorrow is only one day. I suspect when they get started, it will be a whirlwind of activity.

I went to church tonight with Mike and Sarah. She is just such a joy. We went to McDonald's after church, of course, and while we waited for Mike to bring our food she smiled at me and said, "You're my best buddy." When I dropped her off at home she called, "Come get me Thursday." LOL, we have no idea why Thursday.

I've got my NaNo account updated and ready to roll. I need to start outlining my idea so I've got something to work with. I suspect I'll have time in the evenings but with two males in the house who knows.

I've never lived with this brother since he was a kid. And that was only briefly when Jerry and I were living with my mother and four of my siblings to help her make ends meet. He was a funny kid but rather quiet as kids go. That or I was just an older married sister too busy to notice him. I hope not.

At any rate, both my sister Phyllis and I are thrilled he is coming. She's going to help me feed them by cooking. Becca said she will come over and cook, too. I know that sounds silly but I don't expect them to eat the way I do. I don't eat at night! They'll be hungry with all this work. And I won't be home all day. So, they'll need someone to help with that.

I think I will call it a night. I'm really tired.