Okay – I’m going to be honest and tell you: I STILL got nuthin’. There are sooo many reasons – but the mostest of the reasons are the migraines caused by this election and the migraines caused by this renovation. El O is a freakin’ GENIUS builder – but scattered as the medflies that burst out of the African Basil plants (which have not yet succumbed to the killing frost because I Dunno, the Universe is Wack?. My Persian Shield went from gorgeous iridescent purples to stone-dead BLACK. One night. 24F. Seeya. Y’all remember all those glorious nasturtiums, climbing 5′ and beyond? Done. Luckily, today is low 60s so I can pull all those cold, wet, dead, worm-like tendrils without wanting to burst into tears.
Renovation: I have quickly learned to hate the smell of a grinder. And a router. And whateverthehellelse He is using to finish up the chimney removal, prior to shutting the house up for Winter. My sinuses shut down at the first speck of dust so I’ve been at Defcon3 for the past 3 weeks. Mr Genius Builder Medfly doesn’t plan – AT ALL. So things don’t get covered and omg. The Dust. omg. So the only thing I can smell right now is dust. And pain.
omg. SO. MUCH. DUST.
This is where we were on Friday – this is a temporary fix, designed to get me through Winter. That chimney is now gone, the floor is patched and all that open stuff is closed in. A quick lick of paint and I’m done. It’s weird to have an open concept house after the cramped, tiny little series of rooms – but I’m loving it. Come Spring the ‘real’ reno will begin. I will be out of town for that one. I cannot WAIT for that knotty pine to be GONE!
This is where we are now:
it’ll do ’til Spring
that wall to the right will be gone, once EL O relocates the stairs. In the meantime, it’s weird to sit in the front room and realize that there is…space!
But oh, man! Am I paying the Sinus Price. So no perfume for me. But I will give you a smellie 411. You know what smell persackly like a dead mouse? A dead potato. Ick. And unlike the mouse, that potato takes a lonnnnng time to die.
Okay – so here are The Girl’s picks for WINNER!
DDJ
Connie
Kathy
Gmail me at evilauntieanita (please don’t hit the ‘contact us’ button – that goes to Patty and just adds a bunch more to her plate). We’ll get some fun stuff out to you asap!
And because this is the lamest post EVAH! y’all tell me a story and I’ll pick a couple more Posse for loot from the messy armoire! What are you doing in this weird November?
This November, I was pulled out of my depression by the cast of ‘Hamilton.’ They are true Americans.
OhMan do I feel ya!! We have done 2 MAJOR RENOVATIONS here – lived in – ‘through’ or survived depending on your point of view & 2 minor but still painful ones too boot! Just wet mop every day & pray!! Ok so for my November, each year is always filled w/memories of my Dad, but this year being new to fumehead-edness I have stuck my nose in De Profundis, Encens et Lavande, or Memento Mori & repeat…repeat.repeat! Incense haunts me!!
Well, what I’m doing this November is like you, ma dear. Reno. We have moved 500 miles or so to be near family and got a smaller house that needs some love. I am painting, cleaning, changing light fixtures, etc. And moving stuff. Garden to come.
Your place looks really nice without the chimney thing! My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have to live in a place that is undergoing renovations or construction. It is the most disruptive, uncomfortable, and annoying thing in the world!! My November has already been so busy, and will continue to be – I’m in school and have an essay due every week for the next three weeks! Exciting! Or, not really, unless you find 19th century Russian literature exciting.
We are finishing up the kitchen remodel nightmare that has been going on for about 2 years. It’s horrible not being able to find the ingrediants that are needed to cook something due to all that stuff being everywhere in the house. There is all kinds of financial drama/insurance drama with me right now that I am slowly working through.
Repainted the half bath earlier in the month, framed the ugly builder-grade mirror, and replaced the (also ugly builder-grade) fixtures.
Gaze came through his committee interview for that crucial Congressional appointment with flying colors. (He wants to go to West Point. Interviews with our senators’ committees coming up early next month.)
Started NaNoWriMo, only to realize that I would be otherwise busy for 10 days during November, so I slacked way off. We haven’t taken a family vacation in 7 years SEVEN YEARS!!! and since Bookworm will probably get an internship this coming summer and Gaze may (or may not, depending) be spending the summer at USMA, AND since The CEO and I got bumped from not one but two flights in/out of Hawai’i last summer, ending up with $2600 in airline vouchers… we’re spending Thanksgiving week in Belize. Snorkeling, coral reefs, beaches, Mayan ruins, tropical animal zoo. Looking forward.
I know you’re looking forward to having that reno finissssshhhhed. (No need for samps. Just wanted to check in and send virtual hugs.)
I’m regrouping after the election, and figuring out which local community group I should volunteer my time with, who needs my skills. I finished painting the office, and we’re in the process of putting up IKEA shelving around half the room so I can unpack my library — about halfway done, and it’s such a relief to me to have my books surrounding me again. I missed them.
The only way I can get through this November is by avoiding the news (still not able to fully face political reality), and concentrating on planning my spring trip to Jordan. I’ve been wanting to go to Petra and Wadi Rum for about 15 years.
Oooooh Petra! I’ve always wanted to see it in person. Pictures probably don’t do it justice.
My Dad and I when I was in high school and living at home were big into home improvement projects- we even renovated the kitchen (it looked a lot like yours does right now for a year or two- unfortunately he had a bad rock climbing accident right after demolition so we were in limbo for a long time). But we painted our new cabinets blue in the middle of the summer and it was so hot and we played Disney music.
Some great memories.
Oh, poor baby! Sorry to hear you’re ailing from all the dust. Hopefully it will all be gone soon and you can rest (breathe) easy. Hang in there! Of course, DNEM. Thanks!
I’m with you Musette. I’d rather go hibernate during wintertime but we’ll make it as always…a bit of tea and cake, a bit of reading, cuddling under the blanket and spring is back!
This November I’m wrestling with the book keeping for my newly founded mini company. I have professionals doing it but it’s sensitive stuff so I want to double check everything. In my free time I’ll be making christmas wreaths for my family and friends. It’s a great way to be creative after ploughing through numbers and law articles during the day. I’m sooooo looking forward to it.
I have to get a new(used) car, so I can’t drive the old one until I sell it. And I can’t buy a new used car until I sell the old one. At the same time, my partner’s car also died, so we are two adults, living in the burbs with no car between us. It is ridiculous. To make matters worse, my son also lives with us, but uses his car for work, so we can’t even borrow his. There are many other worse things in the world, but this is just really annoying. Arggghhh!
Ugh, there’s not much worse than the smell of a rotting potato.
My odd thing for this weird November is the squash vine that volunteered in my backyard. I think a bird dropped a seed. Now I’m tending something that looks like the child of a butternut and a trombocino squash. I’m half hoping the squirrels might eat it.
Wow, I can totally relate with the renos. I go to Lowe’s more than I go to the grocery. Our house looks like a totally different house over the last several weeks. It’s been worth it though. Keep us posted with your progress!
What am I doing this weird November? Celebrating the Silver Jubilee of my ordination and my 15th wedding anniversary as well as launching my spouse’s design line next Monday
What am I doing in this weird November…besides mulling over the election results? I’ve got a new puppy so….you can guess what that entails; I’ll just say puppy ‘wrangling’ and leave it at that! Doing a fair bit of babysitting for my grandkids and enjoying the fabulous-ness that is Arizona in the fall! Life is good, even if politics is not…