A couple of weekends ago, 3 wonderful online friends of mine came to Georgia for the weekend. I had the best intentions of posting about it, but it was not meant to be. You can read my friend Melissa's account of the event here. It really was a very wonderful weekend and I am so greatful for these friends and for the time I had to spend with them IRL.
The weekend they were here, we found out that Derek's Grandma, Juanita, had been placed in the hospital due to dehydration. Her health had declined rapidly over the last several months and she had been subjected to several hospital stays. From the way Derek's Grandpa described the situation, it was really not a serious illness. Derek's parents (who have spent a couple of months in Georgia during the winter for the last 4 years) decided to head up to Indiana to check on her. They left on the Sunday that my friends were heading back home. Derek talked to his Grandma on Sunday night and she seemed alert and on the mend.
By Monday, her health had declined rapidly and she was no longer coherent. We left as soon as we found out and made it to Indiana by 1 am on Tuesday morning. Although she wasn't responsive all of the time, she clearly knew who we were and I have no doubt that when her spirit left this world headed for heaven, she knew that her family loved her. We didn't leave her side until she passed away (peacefully) at 3:15 am on March 17, 2010.
We each had our chances to say what we wanted to say to her and I am so thankful that we had that opportunity.
I never got to know Juanita when she could run from a bear in the UP or when she could hear what I was saying or when I could fully experience all that she gave to her family. But from the 6 short years that I knew her, she was an absolutely wonderful woman who made sure her family knew she loved them. Every time we left, she cried. And she wrote down what time we should make it home so that she would't forget to make sure we made it there. She never had a mean thing to say about anyone. She had a beautiful smile and a warm heart. I bet she baked some delicious cookies and I am sure that, as a child, Derek spent some wonderful time snuggled up in her lap. She loved to sweep the driveway. She enjoyed the simple things in life like watching the birds eat from her birdfeeder and swinging in her back yard.
Derek doesn't have a very large family and losing his Grandmother was a large blow to us. She will be greatly missed by all of us.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
More Than We Can Chew???
I know I have been a terrible blogger. I have not been posting (with the exception of the last pitty party post) and I have not been commenting. I have been reading all of the blogs that I follow though and I love you all dearly!
I just wanted to let you all know that I was still alive and kicking and explain my absence.
See, to move forward with this "Move", we have to finish the house. And as I posted before, we are currently working on our master bath. Some of you (my BBC friends) already know this, but I have a group of my online friends getting together in a couple of weeks. When the location was picked, I offered my house as a place to stay. Hotel Carli... ***
Anyway, we had been planning our master bath remodel for a while. But, unlike most of the other projects in our house, I know this project is simply in preparation to sell the place and I have not been as concerned with the details. The cabinets came in the first of February. I said to myself "we finished the kitchen in a month, we can do the bathroom and be DONE before my friends arrive!" And so, demo began. What the fuck was I thinking?????
I thought the first weekened, we would demo and get to the laying tile part. Overzealous, I know. But I like to plan big. Well, Day 1 we did some demo. We picked up the new cabinets. Found out 1 was not right, took it back and reordered replacement. Day 2, I thought we would lay backer board and tile. Nope. Derek convinced me (with quite a bit of wine on Night 1) that we would add a new shower to our project. Day 2 included a lot of time researching our options. Weekend 1 ended without much progress and I was stressed about that, but it was too late to turn back.
Weekend 2, we had some nasty weather roll in and 4 inches of snow. If you haven't been to Georgia in the winter for snow, let me tell you that ALL things stop. Businesses close, roads are impassible. Grocery stores are out of milk, bread, and eggs. Don't ask me why. We couldn't tile until we HAD tile, so we had to go shopping for it. After being house bound for the morning due to hazardous road conditions, we ventured out and found some tile. We had dinner that night with some friends, so Day 3 of the project was shot. Day 4 we finished demo by removing old tub and shower. We also completed the necessary plumbing repairs for the sink area. And, after DAYS (and by this I mean reasearching the net until you thought your eyes would pop out) of deliberating about what type of bathing area to install, we finally made a decision. But we have tile!!! Now we have to figure out what to do with this pesky window...
Some time during this week, Derek and I have a big argument about how I really haven't been much help with making decisions for this project. (I want to ask "Really? Don't you think it is because we won't be living here and I thought that letting you pick it all would avoid any large argument over details of a room that we will hopefully not occupy for long???)
Weekend 3, my Grandma came for a last minute visit. Although I wanted to get our project done, I wanted to spend some quality time with my Grandma. So, Day 5 of construction got off to a late start (coffee and chatting with Grandma) but consisted of basically laying down the backer board. That was it. Once it was all installed, we broke for the day. Day 6, we got a late start again and ended up laying some floor tile. Looking good, but no where near ready. And, 4 full days later than I had hoped to start laying tile.
This was Weekend 4 (wasn't this when I planned we would have the bathroom done???) Needless to say, panic has set in for me and Derek is feeling the stress of it too.I am not being the nicest person to my husband. I am a bitch to my husband and we are ready to kill each other arguing over the smallest details. Day 7 (for me, anyway) was my Furlough Day from work. I did some housework and then my MIL and FIL came over. My FIL hauled away trash and was a big help. My MIL and I painted the ceiling. It seems like we did something else too, but that feels like AGES ago.
Day 8, Derek and I went for supplies (late start AGAIN!!!) and then got started. We knew that we had to set our new shower pan before we could finish laying the tile. After much planning on the plumbing, we cut off the water, cut the pipes and readied ourselves to start the shower pan. Then we wasted an hour or so installing the niche for the shower that didn't have to be done right then. Then we set the shower base and it didn't seem to be leveling so we picked it up, worked some more, set it again...Repeat, add more water to the mortar because it appears too dry. Finally, we think we have it installed. The "Easy to Install" instruction video shows installing the flashing and backer board and the installer walking all over the shower base. We do this. We get the shower plumbing installed. We wait the 2 hours for the glue to set. We work on more backer board while we wait...We finally go to bed at about 1 in the morning.
At some point, on Day 8, Derek turns to me and says, "Honey, do you think we bit off more than we can chew?" If only he had known what Day 9 would bring...
Day 9, we get up and check the shower pan. It seemed mushy in spots. Go online. Research shower pan some more. Find another website that says that after you set the pan, do not walk in it or put any pressure on it. CRAP. Plumbing is already through the backer board. Double Crap. Call help line and get no help. Curse and yell at each other a lot. Finally start moving forward. Deconstruct everything we spent hours doing on Day 8. Spend hours scrapping mortar that has hardened from floor. Call inlaws and request different mortar (at suggestion of new website and mean guy from website just trying to make a living). Set shower base again. Get it good and level and use 2 x 4s screwed in to hold it in place. Finish tiling floor. Finish up at 9 at night.
Looking back at it, it is quite humorous.
So, between THIS and all of the other day to day stuff that goes on, I am exhausted. And the bathroom isn't done. But, we are getting there. Looks like this weekend I will be pulling some late nights trying to get the floor grouted AND the walls painted so that this next weekend we can get as much done as possible.
So as much as I would love to say that I will be back to commenting or posting regularly, I won't lie to you. My online activities are taking a backseat right now.
With the exception of this really long post. Ha!
*** IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: To my friends coming to visit - PLEASE understand that I am not that concerned about not having the bathroom finished before you arrive. I know you will all understand. It is the stress of the project getting bigger and bigger and the decisions to be made and the problems we have hit and the fact that my husband seems to like to really get started on working at about 1 in the afternoon (when I would prefer to really be moving by 9 or so and this adds in another whole dimension of stress) and that I am so tired of having bathroom cabintes in my dining room and half of my closet laying on one of the guest beds and a garage so full of construction crap that you can't walk through it. And that mostly, I am so tired of arguing with my husband...
I just wanted to let you all know that I was still alive and kicking and explain my absence.
See, to move forward with this "Move", we have to finish the house. And as I posted before, we are currently working on our master bath. Some of you (my BBC friends) already know this, but I have a group of my online friends getting together in a couple of weeks. When the location was picked, I offered my house as a place to stay. Hotel Carli... ***
Anyway, we had been planning our master bath remodel for a while. But, unlike most of the other projects in our house, I know this project is simply in preparation to sell the place and I have not been as concerned with the details. The cabinets came in the first of February. I said to myself "we finished the kitchen in a month, we can do the bathroom and be DONE before my friends arrive!" And so, demo began. What the fuck was I thinking?????
I thought the first weekened, we would demo and get to the laying tile part. Overzealous, I know. But I like to plan big. Well, Day 1 we did some demo. We picked up the new cabinets. Found out 1 was not right, took it back and reordered replacement. Day 2, I thought we would lay backer board and tile. Nope. Derek convinced me (with quite a bit of wine on Night 1) that we would add a new shower to our project. Day 2 included a lot of time researching our options. Weekend 1 ended without much progress and I was stressed about that, but it was too late to turn back.
Weekend 2, we had some nasty weather roll in and 4 inches of snow. If you haven't been to Georgia in the winter for snow, let me tell you that ALL things stop. Businesses close, roads are impassible. Grocery stores are out of milk, bread, and eggs. Don't ask me why. We couldn't tile until we HAD tile, so we had to go shopping for it. After being house bound for the morning due to hazardous road conditions, we ventured out and found some tile. We had dinner that night with some friends, so Day 3 of the project was shot. Day 4 we finished demo by removing old tub and shower. We also completed the necessary plumbing repairs for the sink area. And, after DAYS (and by this I mean reasearching the net until you thought your eyes would pop out) of deliberating about what type of bathing area to install, we finally made a decision. But we have tile!!! Now we have to figure out what to do with this pesky window...
Some time during this week, Derek and I have a big argument about how I really haven't been much help with making decisions for this project. (I want to ask "Really? Don't you think it is because we won't be living here and I thought that letting you pick it all would avoid any large argument over details of a room that we will hopefully not occupy for long???)
Weekend 3, my Grandma came for a last minute visit. Although I wanted to get our project done, I wanted to spend some quality time with my Grandma. So, Day 5 of construction got off to a late start (coffee and chatting with Grandma) but consisted of basically laying down the backer board. That was it. Once it was all installed, we broke for the day. Day 6, we got a late start again and ended up laying some floor tile. Looking good, but no where near ready. And, 4 full days later than I had hoped to start laying tile.
This was Weekend 4 (wasn't this when I planned we would have the bathroom done???) Needless to say, panic has set in for me and Derek is feeling the stress of it too.
Day 8, Derek and I went for supplies (late start AGAIN!!!) and then got started. We knew that we had to set our new shower pan before we could finish laying the tile. After much planning on the plumbing, we cut off the water, cut the pipes and readied ourselves to start the shower pan. Then we wasted an hour or so installing the niche for the shower that didn't have to be done right then. Then we set the shower base and it didn't seem to be leveling so we picked it up, worked some more, set it again...Repeat, add more water to the mortar because it appears too dry. Finally, we think we have it installed. The "Easy to Install" instruction video shows installing the flashing and backer board and the installer walking all over the shower base. We do this. We get the shower plumbing installed. We wait the 2 hours for the glue to set. We work on more backer board while we wait...We finally go to bed at about 1 in the morning.
At some point, on Day 8, Derek turns to me and says, "Honey, do you think we bit off more than we can chew?" If only he had known what Day 9 would bring...
Day 9, we get up and check the shower pan. It seemed mushy in spots. Go online. Research shower pan some more. Find another website that says that after you set the pan, do not walk in it or put any pressure on it. CRAP. Plumbing is already through the backer board. Double Crap. Call help line and get no help. Curse and yell at each other a lot. Finally start moving forward. Deconstruct everything we spent hours doing on Day 8. Spend hours scrapping mortar that has hardened from floor. Call inlaws and request different mortar (at suggestion of new website and mean guy from website just trying to make a living). Set shower base again. Get it good and level and use 2 x 4s screwed in to hold it in place. Finish tiling floor. Finish up at 9 at night.
Looking back at it, it is quite humorous.
So, between THIS and all of the other day to day stuff that goes on, I am exhausted. And the bathroom isn't done. But, we are getting there. Looks like this weekend I will be pulling some late nights trying to get the floor grouted AND the walls painted so that this next weekend we can get as much done as possible.
So as much as I would love to say that I will be back to commenting or posting regularly, I won't lie to you. My online activities are taking a backseat right now.
With the exception of this really long post. Ha!
*** IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: To my friends coming to visit - PLEASE understand that I am not that concerned about not having the bathroom finished before you arrive. I know you will all understand. It is the stress of the project getting bigger and bigger and the decisions to be made and the problems we have hit and the fact that my husband seems to like to really get started on working at about 1 in the afternoon (when I would prefer to really be moving by 9 or so and this adds in another whole dimension of stress) and that I am so tired of having bathroom cabintes in my dining room and half of my closet laying on one of the guest beds and a garage so full of construction crap that you can't walk through it. And that mostly, I am so tired of arguing with my husband...
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