Remember back a few weeks ago, we were house hunting then decided that property taxes out there in the real world were to expensive for us to consider moving away from the Casa, so we decided again that we were staying put and we would just continue on…continuing on with remodeling the house.

The thing is, is that, we have been through the same song and dance twice before - I think it may be what jump starts our efforts. Part of me is like…dawg…we were so close to the 5 bedroom 4.5 bath house with a foundation…so close! We even did open houses. Open Houses!

Then part of me is like. Yes, the white picket fence - The hub built that for me our first Mother’s Day together after we were married (3 months) because he knew I was a paranoid freak and didn’t want my then five year old daughter out in the front yard, not caged in. Or the back deck, which he built for our first anniversary, because he had made reservations away at a bed and breakfast in Savannah, only to arrive to it being the last B&B my Ex and I stayed at the last time we tried to reconcile - obviously it didn’t work and I have no fond memories of the B&B - we actually decided to divorce that weekend. Obviously we couldn’t stay there - just couldn’t! So we came home and bought lumber and started on the back deck. A place where we could sit out and plan our future together! That deck will be celebrating 10 years of marriage in February. Love that deck!

So here we are again with remodeling projects at hand - there was a list of things we wanted to start doing - to get finished (remodeling) so to say - and started making calls to “make things happen.” I think, something, anything were my exact words. The windows, check. The backyard landscaped, check. Glass door in kitchen, check. Kitchen remodel, check. New Appliances, check. New fence, check. So, here we are…. thinking that if we started making calls, we would at least be able to start one of our projects. Easy.

Not so easy. Here’s the deal. Window guy..ready to start. Back yard guy.. plans will be here today. The door ordered, actually sitting at the HD. Kitchen remodel, surely it is six to eight weeks out? Ahh, Nope..they can start building this week - tear out your kitchen slow people..that moves into having to pick the appliances so the cabinet guys can have the specs..On it asap. New fence, we thought this would be the first project, the fence is sitting in the garage…waiting to be installed. Hopefully this week.

So, right now we have at least six home projects in the works…Working…Six. We went to dinner last night after the emergency room. We talked about staying on track, keeping focused. Not arguing…ha, that was from the hub… I guess remodeling projects are a great source of stress for couples. This makes me laugh. Six. Remodeling. Projects. At. One. Time.

We may be lucky to see the big “10″ in February and thankfully, it wasn’t seven remodeling projects, number seven was to replace the back deck.

Doubt yourself and you doubt everything you see. Judge yourself and you see judges everywhere. But if you listen to the sound of your own voice, you can rise above doubt and judgment. And you can see forever.
Nancy Lopez
 
So, last weekend when we were in Atlanta, we did make it to Ikea and I did get my bookcases. Only, I took the hub and Sissy with me, so  I didn’t actually get what I wanted and now I am frustrated.

You see. I had in my mind a certain Billy Bookcase system.  Actually, the one I had in my mind was wrong until I saw it again at Ikea, then when I saw it, I fell in love again and ewwwed and awwwwed  over it, but then  the hub and sissy saw another configuration and thought it would be better. I wanted three narrow ones and they wanted two narrow ones and one big one, I thought the big one would be to big, but, in the end I gave in because it is not just my house and  sometimes you give.  We got home and finally had a chance to put them together last night.  My hub put the big one together first (the one I didn’t want and the one I thought would be too big - just thought I would throw that in AGAIN.)  I should have stuck to my plan. 

You see, my husband has size issues.  He is a big man, 6′5″ and hunky.  When we would do cookouts while we were dating he would always get six steaks when two would work.  If we have people over, he wants to cook six slabs of ribs when three would be over kill.  Each week we go to the grocery he wants to buy more ( a lot more ) than we actually need.  It is his way, he is generous and has the mentality that if one is good then three is better. 

In my bookcase situation, if three small ones look that good, then a bigger one will look all the more better. Only, the bigger one doesn’t fit.  And even if it did fit we would have proportion issues.  Now, I have to go back and order another small one….and pay shipping… I am still a bit concerned over proportion issues, but I LOVE the bookcases…the two I do have really warm up the corner… I can’t wait to see the whole system together and filled.  I am going to wait to take pictures until then.

 Oh, and about my husband’s size issues… I’m just glad that I am a one size fits all kinda girl.

Don’t cook.  Don’t clean.  No man will ever make love to a woman because she waxed the linoleum - “My God, the floor’s immaculate.  Lie down, you hot bitch.” 
Joan Rivers

*I know I’ve used this quote before, but it just cracks me up….Joan  River before she became obsessive-compulsive about plastic surgery and overly mean instead of funny….

 Anyway.  I am house cleaning today.  Well, I was before I started to faint and had to come sit down.  I am suppose to be sweeping and mopping the floors, but I thought I would clean out the refrigerator before the garbage truck came.  That led to cleaning out the pantry (top and bottom) and the cabinet above the stove.  I wanted to do the spice cabinet as well, but that looks like a chore in itself.  I think we must be spice/herb freaks? 

Which reminds me of when I first moved into this house.   The hub lived here with his son and honestly the place was beyond disgusting, ugh, I shutter at the thought, even my worse trailer wasn’t as bad as this place.   I never did stay here until after we got married and since I knew I would be moving in with my daughter I was adamant that we needed to do some serious cleaning before then.  You know things like put a floor in the front hall, patch the knife holes in the spare room (chasing mice is what I was told?), and fumigating/disinfecting the mold from the front bathroom. Boy, our house sure has come a very long way since then. Oh, wait, the reminder.  The husband was addicted to condiments.   His whole refrigerator was full of half open bottles of every kind of sauce/bbq/dressing/flavoring etc.  It was insane.  Most of them were long past expired, but I was so afraid to throw them out that whenever I would clean the refrigerator I would take them out, wince, and put them back in.  Finally, I came clean and asked if I could toss some.  It took years to get rid of most of them.  ew. Thankfully, today I am in control of the refrigerator and as soon as an expiration date comes up, out it goes. 

I guess over the past few years we have amassed quite a collection of, I don’t know what to call them, jams, jellies, relishes, chow-chows, things like that?  Harry & David kind of stuff. I have no clue how old most of the stuff was or how long it was good for?  Everytime we received something like this, I would think maybe we’ve been regifted, because seriously who among our friends and family buys this stuff?  Then I think, ew, how long did they have it before they gave it to us?  So, I stuff it in the cabinet and forget about it.  I took out two trashbags of old pantry items.  I love the feeling of accomplishing a big job like this, and always shake a finger at myself  for letting it go for so long. 

 The garbage truck just came, so I guess I am done in the kitchen for today. And now, the cupboards are really bare, so when I am done with the sweeping and mopping I guess I will have to decide where we should go to dinner tonight since I just threw everything away.