Sanity Check

A couple weeks back I embarked on some home renovations in which I was thrilled it was starting, everything was so new, and we hadn't spent any money. Well as promised, I will deliver the status report of how things are going 3 dreaded weeks later.

[caption id="attachment_707" align="alignnone" width="195" caption="So much determination here (taken 3 weeks ago)"][/caption]

As I am contemplating how to tell this story, I could do it a few ways: 1) chronological - very easy and your typical story, 2) Good/Bad - just a recap of whats gong well and what hasn't or 3) How our next house just better be ready to move into. so, instead of any of these options and the story of the last 3 weeks though I am going to try and try to figure out how to rationalize my problems and hopefully help as a guide to others to deal with frustration other than medication (which I am also taking).

If God were to punish me in the after-life, he would make me work a trade. Probably, like Joseph, he would make me a carpenter in which no matter how many times things got measured, they would be cut the wrong length or width, then he would make me do my own drywalling, mudding, & taping.

The project started out very harmless. I take out a wall & rip out floors. Then the contractor comes in, scrapes the crappy popcorn off my ceiling, replaces the floor and viola, Done. Well F. That didn't work too well. The floor itself turned into be one of the single most frustrating events of my life. Specifically the kitchen and the inch worth of concrete products that were adhering the tile to the ground. So many things have been half-arsed in this house, except this floor the withstood 5 hours of a jackhammer and then an additional 12 hours of manpower beating at it before it was finally up.

Well I promised that I wouldn't get into specifics really but its these "little" things that have piled up over the course of the project that have really started wearing on me physically and mentally. Such as having your refrigerator next to your television or converting your office into your kitchen. It has been a constant up and down, back and forth, of emotions and physical pain has been no stranger either (sprained ankle & probably should have gotten stitches). Mix all this up with the daily life of 2 kids and a pregnant wife and you have a molotov cocktail of rageahol.

[caption id="attachment_710" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="In theory this should be a good thing."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_711" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="My Kitchoffice"][/caption]

So how do I deal with it? Well until now I really haven't and hadn't noticed the project is f'ing me up. Everything added up and finally I reached my breaking point today.... a leaky faucet. It set me off. It was the final piece of the bathroom and after putting everything together, it leaks. At the end of the day its probably an hour of re-work (I am not handy) and under $20 from Home Depot, but that doesn't come into one's head at times like that. Well not my head at least.

So I will be turning this home improvement challenge into a little bit of  a life challenge also. I've got to just get a small victory in this house and then keep the momentum going with the project and more importantly, my family. They could use a victorious Dad more than anyone right now.

Below are some pics I've taken of the progress.

Bathroom

[caption id="attachment_702" align="alignnone" width="195" caption="Lovely isn't it?"][/caption]

Hallway

[caption id="attachment_704" align="alignnone" width="195" caption="at least there's no water here"][/caption]

 

 

Kitchen

My "helpers"

Some after pics

 

Bathroom

Thats the SOB that leaks

I'll put up some more as they become available. If you've made it this far, thanks for reading...