Some protestors today appeared in front of the Attorney General with their backs turned carrying a banner paraphrasing Benjamin Franklin. The quote is fantastic:
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
More here.
So we’ve decided to take the plunge and do our first major remodeling. Up to bat first is the upstairs bathroom which we’ve always thought was a bit small and dingy in places. Second is the kitchen. We’ll be doing a complete remodel, gutting each room down to the studs and building up from there. So far we’ve done tons of research and planning and are finally about ready to get things going on the bathroom… we just need to decide on a faucet & paint color.
One of the familes that owned our house (probably about 10 years ago) did a lot of really poor quality work, which we’ve been correcting since we moved in four years ago. For example, in the tub surround, tiles which were removed for one reason were replaced with the wrong tiles and also in the wrong pattern. They also used grey grout, where everything else is white. The doorway has been chiseled away in places to make room for the door. In the kitchen the backsplash of the counter is about an inch from the wall. The floor tiles are sliding (they’re “stick-on” vinyl squares) around. The other day while going for a fork, the face of one of our drawers just came off in my hand. Time for a redo.
This can be a tremendously stressful process, especially when you have two opinionated persons vying for small details that go into two of the busiest, most heavily used rooms in the house. One thing I’ve learned is that compromise and sacrifice are your two best friends in this process. We’ve managed to steer clear of any huge blow-ups, but the stress is still high. I was adamant that we have no over-the-range microwave. I wanted to build a cabinet. Kris quickly nipped that in the bud and I have come to love the microwave/hood combo. We’re leaning more and more toward stainless trim on everything, which is what I wanted. All in all, we’re getting a new kitchen & bathroom and it’s gonna kick ass.
EDIT: Pics are up here!
I know it’s the middle of January, but for some reason today felt a little like spring. Yeah, it’s been a wee bit warmer lately but that’s not it. Sometimes I get knocked back into a place that I really, really like. I think it’s chemical. It’s sort of a state of nostalgia, but in a good way. An inspiring way.
I find myself spurred on by some distant motivation that drives me to complete projects and get ahead with life. (Last few weeks I’ve poured a new concrete step out front, troubleshooted my home network, plowed through BitTorrent downloads and got stuff together, worked on my model railroad, read my Bible, recycled, cleaned, sorted, purged, sold and spent lots of time with family) So much lately has been a fog of one thing after another blinding me from what’s important and really needs attention. I’ve realized that to get ahead in a cluttered life one has to take baby steps. Finish one thing, check it off, move on to the next without adding anymore things. It’s like getting into and out of debt.
Lately I’ve finished a few things here and there and the progress feels nice. I’m still a mad scatterbrain, finding waning focus at work and laziness in general throughout my life. But, as I said, something has appeared… a light at the end of the tunnel, maybe. Some old happiness and joy is motivating me towards a better life – towards completing things and getting on with what’s important. It makes me happier.
Can someone please tell me what the heck this stupid thing is? I’ve seen this hippie monster creature thing on all these stupid spam/ads for LowerMyBills.com. What a bunch of asshats.
