Under Construction

We built our house about 8 years ago but didn't finish the basement right away for 2 reasons.

1. We didn't know what we wanted to do at the time.

2. We were doing the work ourselves and had reached the point that if we didn't stop now we probably would have either ended up divorced or killing each other and since we were newly married we decided that wasn't such a good idea.

We gradually finished the family room without too much bloodshed and have been enjoying it for a while. It is my sanctuary. I spend quite a bit of time there because it is cozy and inviting, unlike our great room which I feel is much too big and very cold. I don't spend much time there unless we have company.

We are hosting my family Christmas in January and will have a large number of people staying with us so I informed my husband that it was time we finally finished the last room. It is a combination sewing room/bedroom. The drywall has been up for quite a while, it just needed to be mudded and then painted. The ceiling hung and the floor installed. A good weekend project for the two of us. Right? After all my husband is in the construction business so how hard can this be?

The drywall is completed and we schedule the painting. We ended up having one of our employees finish mudding it for us as my husband decided he didn't want to didn't have the time do it. This took a couple of weeks since we had to work around other jobs this person had (we don't come first you know). The painting ends up being New Years Day since we both have the day off. Yup you guessed it, we both wake up feeling like shit a little the worse for wear but determined to paint the room. It does get done and I have to say, it looks amazing! We had to do some touch up work cuz the first time around wasn't so stellar but hey what do you expect?

This weekend we started to put in the dropped ceiling tiles. First we have to put up the grid to hold the tiles. For any of you that have never done this, you nail this metal strip around the outside of the room then crisscross those with others and wire them up to hold the tiles. I am only 4'11" and was expected to be able to hold these strips up on the wall while my husband nailed them up. That wouldn't have been so bad, except I was supposed to be able to see this pencil mark that he had made and be sure I had the strip dead on this mark. Hello can you say, "TOO SHORT TO SEE THE DAMN MARK!"
My husband didn't seem to understand this and was constantly asking me "do you have it on the mark?" You betcha honey. Ask me one more time and you'll be wearing the mark .
We finally got the grid done and started to put up the ceiling tiles only to find that some of them were water damaged from sitting in our basement so we ended up being 6 tiles short. Now we have to order more tiles and hope to hell they still carry these tiles or we will end up taking down all the ones we have put up and redoing the ceiling with new ones.

Today we are supposed to lay the floor. We are doing a slate laminate floor that should be fairly easy to lay and only take a few hours to do. However, we went to a party last night and hubby is a little under the weather again today( really people he doesn't have a problem- it is the holiday season) and then mother in law has invited us to lunch so we will be taking a break right about the time we finally get a good start. I keep reminding him we only have 11 days left until my family descends on us so we need to get this room done or they could end up sleeping with him.

Wish me luck

Making the List

It's Writer's Workshop Wednesday and you all know what that means.
Yes you have to endure another lengthy story from me because Mamakat forces encourages me to do this to broaden my horizon and my fan base.

Today I chose prompt # 4.) Close out 2008 with your own TOP 10 list!

#10. We finally built the deck on the back of our house! Well almost- the railing isn't done and the step still needs to be built but at least the deck is done.

#9. My Mom and Dad celebrated 59 years of wedded bliss, happiness, OK togetherness without killing each other. I wish I could some day achieve this.



#8. Hubby and I finally made the long awaited trip to New Orleans to visit my BFF and her S/O. She's only been down there 3 years! Geez, what's the rush?



#7. Hubby and I also took our annual tropical vacation to Mexico, only to find I had booked us at a repeat resort ( I try never to do this). They had been bought, renamed and remodelled. Not as good the second time around.



#6. Brett Favre retired from the Packers then decided he wanted to play after all.WTF? We decided we didn't want him. Aaron Rodgers is much better.



#5. My daughter, Bear and the Nebraska grand kids vacationed at the cottage with Hubby and I, Bear caught a BIG fish. She named him Michael. We ate him.



#4. Finally got everyone together for a family picture (or so we thought) Seems my son decided to have a tude that day. We only had to travel 3 states and 500 miles to do it but it sure is worth it!



#3. Bear hosted her first family holiday dinner(Thanksgiving) this year. Hubby, I,daughter Carrin's family and friend Carey's family all helped her and her dog Buddy celebrate.



#2. I got a son-in- law fro Christmas (almost). Daughter Carrin got proposed to, said yes and they're now planning a wedding.



and the thing that holds the top slot of 2008

#1. My dad turned 80 years young in November. His wife, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and friends gathered to celebrate his life.

So head on over to Mamakats and see who else made the list.There's some really good reading to be found if you take the time.