Ain't got time to fix the hinges

I am very sorry about the lag here and the lack of time to read this past week. I hope you all know I would not neglect you for just any old reason. I have been just ramming here, in this last official week of summer, to get things going on the house. The plumber was just the first step. I just was going through the list of what has to be done and I am exausted. I don't know how I will ever get it all finished by winter.

I need a window in and another finished. Then it's OUT! Everything has to go someplace else. Furniture, photos, shelves, brackets, artwork and just everything.

Once it's all someplace else it's CLEAN! With amonia, ew. Scrub, scour and rinse. Everything, walls floors, windows, ceilings.

Then more OUT. The old wallpaper, trim, flooring, maybe the fake brick in the kitchen, too, it all has to go.

Once it's all really out then we have to prep, paint and paper. I am hoping to hire most of it done as I know wallpaper takes two to three people to do right and quickly. Then un prep, remove tape and trash and clean the floors up.

Then IN, new plumbing and any electrical and the exaust fan I want. And more in, the flooring and then the new furniture, the stuff I am keeping, a new desk, my new queen mattress and I guess I need new end table and lamps. Then wash and iron the new curtains, spreads, table toppers and put them up. I need to wash, paint and re-cushion the two occasional chairs to match the new stuff. And reseat and cushion the dining room set, maybe cut the legs down on the table to make it a little lower. Oh, yes, I need two or three stools for the breakfast counter. Darn!! I need new blinds, too. The ones I have up are (get this!) 18 years old! Oops! And a corner cabinet for the TV and Stereo so we can move it and get rid of the old one.

And that is just the down stairs minus the porch. The porch needs the ceiling rehung, sealed and repainted. The upstairs needs the carpet pulled up, the bed, dresser and table moved out, the floor painted, the stairs repaired and painted and the walls along the stairs patched and painted. The shelves pulled in the big room, the stuff out of there I am not keeping and then has to be reassembled with the new flip down bed/couch/storage thing I got for it.

I am meeting the nice man to measure floors today. I am trying to figure a way to use all the scraps at the price per yard for flooring they charge! It's a major challenge. He is estimating 10 more yards than I did. I may have to try and find it cheaper somewhere else. I hate to because they are a local place and we like to do business locally.

This is all on top of getting the kids what they need, taking care of my friend with the bad heart, over tipping my good waitresses, helping the sis in law that is down from a car accident, getting stuff in the mail for the Eldest and the SIL, doing Ebay auctions for my Uncle, getting together with friends at the annual campout every night this weekend, playing my guitar until my fingers hurt, making 13 pounds of scalloped potatoes, donating a lot of liquor and watermelon to the party, seeing two bands, friends, play in the same night, watching the parade with #1son and family, letting him ride the Wing, seeing that he can handle it and giving it to him. I couldn't ride it, I didn't want to sell it and I couldn't stand to see it just rot away un-used. He is so tickled. Then I ran excess scallops up to the sisters and had dinner with them while counseling the friend (that we had all patched up) because his wife is leaving him. I did all that and still kept the dogs and cats fed, petted and let in and out.

I have been just ramming full tilt boogie here! And it's going to go on for about a month more, or until the funds run out. And all the extra hands are back in school, building their own house or working extra hours right now. The Bro in law and his wife can help some, I think, and maybe their girl. I may be able to scare up a nephew, too. That's it. The girl's are all busy and the grands unavailable.

Boxes. I need LOTS of boxes. Maybe I had better rent a dumpster...LOL. It will be nice when it's done but it's going to be a lot of work.

On am more personal level - the one guy I know in our group that would be the absolute LAST person I ever got intimate with hit on me today. He's, a) married, b) not nice and c) would shame me to say I had touched in anyway whatsoever. I turned him down nicely but it just killed me that I so want a man to touch and be touched by and that the only one that offered is a jerk even I can't make an exception for. The ones I find myself liking are not available or not interested. It just figures, don't it!