A Change of Pace

After my last post - influenced by a neighbor who at first seemed the sweetest guy in the world - I decided to distract my thoughts in the garden. This didn't last too long as Sweetie had other ideas. "Good time to start tearing out the kitchen," he announced soon after I'd stepped out of the shower on Sunday. Thankfully, my Dad, who arrived here Friday afternoon, decided to stay another day so I was saved from Sweetie's new-found energy.

Monday we drove to Marquette to spend more money on building supplies and came home exhausted from the trip. Just our luck that when we decide to start tearing down walls, installing cement board and relocating cabinets that the thermometer says summer really has arrived here!!! It's been in the 80's and humid and we're sick of it already.

Yes, I know 80 degrees would be a reprieve for some of you southerners but us northerners who live next to Lake Superior can die from this heat!!! LOL.

Anyway, before long, we were both working in our underwear and hoping none of the neighbors would stop by.

Strange how you can draw a plan out, measure everything three times and still change your mind during the remodel. Right now we have an electrical outlet hanging from the kitchen ceiling where a closet wall used to be; the wood stove sits in the middle of the floor between the living room and kitchen looking awfully strange; and the vacuums and our coats are without a closet. Out eagerness has been tempered by the humidity' the air conditioner not working; and our mutual thoughts that it would be wise to "let everything sit awhile." Who knows, maybe we'll redesign the whole place before proceeding. If so, it will have to utilize our current supplies only. There is still winter wood to get and auto insurance is coming due.

Out next job is tearing up the old vinyl flooring before we install cement board and porcelain tile. Then we place a cabinet between the stove and frig and frame the kitchen window. In other words, more hard work. I'd say in three to six months we'll have a new kitchen.

And all the while we've said we'd gut the bathroom first! The rooms share a wall so about the time we set cabinets in place we'll have to do some work in the bathroom. The previous owner ran the water line and shut off valve for the washer outside the wall on the kitchen side!!! Wonders never cease.

And then there's the matter of running an eight inch insulated steel chimney through a mobile home roof and the "roof over" above that!!! Any carpenter out there want to vacation in God's Country where you could fish in the evening and help wrangle the chimney during the day???? We'll provide a small bedroom, a six person tent, all your meals, a 22-foot boat and a few mosquitoes. What a deal, huh?

We must be dreading the job as we've been dreaming of winning the lottery. Fat chance as you must first buy a ticket. We're too poor to hire the job done so we'll muddle along on our own. We've both installed an insulated chimney before but never through two roofs. And we're about 20 years older now...

Tonight, I braved the mosquitoes and dashed out to the garden to pick zucchini and green peppers. I must remember to water it early tomorrow morning. Four days of neglect and it's showing.

Well, enough for now. I'm going to read Survival Blog, answer a few emails and collapse in bed. Later, Treesong