A Shortage of Bamboo

According to the remodel schedule, today was the day that our new bamboo floors would start being put in.  If all went well, by the weekend we'd be able to move our furniture back into the house.  I cannot tell you how much we've waited for this moment.  For the past few weeks, we've been living in the office and bedroom (when we weren't out at the farm).  It's been a less than pleasant experience.  We've both craved being able to have our couch back and another place to sit and relax.  Heck, to be able to walk through the house without having to wear shoes would be fantastic.

Of course, it wasn't meant to be.  When the flooring guys showed up, they immediately discovered that the variance in our floors were too much.  For bamboo you want less than 1/4th inch and ours ranged from 1/4th to 3/4ths.  They'd have to use some self leveling concrete to fix it and by some, I mean uber-bucks lot.  Enough that Steph and I had to take a few steps back and come up with a new plan.

That new plan is to do the kitchen and dining room in bamboo plus a small spot near the front entrance.  The rest will get carpet (picked out in a rushed 30 minute session at the store).  The carpet is on back order and won't be here until April 30th (the same date as our delayed counter tops).

I'm not going to lie - I'm pissed.  The floor has been exposed for over three weeks.  Why our contractor didn't let the flooring people know that there might be potential problems angers me.  A decision could have been made weeks ago and all this last minute stress would have been avoided.  On the plus side, what little bamboo is going in will be done by this weekend.  We've already decided to move in furniture - carpet or not - so that we can stop being confined to two rooms.  Then it's just one more week and this whole project will be done.

Knock on wood.  Or bamboo, as the case may be.

Mad with Power

A paraphrased chat conversation I just had with my wife:

Steph: We don't have enough circuits.  The electricians have to put in a sub panel.

Me: Seriously?  This is all your fault, you know.  You wanted more power.  I said, "No, you'll go mad."  You said, "No, I won't."  And now look at you, seeking to take over the tri-state area.

Steph: Wow, that was good.  *bows*

Me: Thank you.

Yes, life is getting back to normal.

Update From The Construction Zone

Drywall is up and Steph's been painting like Michelangelo possessed.  My tasks have been simple - door knobs, paint roller washing, and a ton of cleaning.  The room is actually looking like a physical room once again.

This next week is looking to be a big one.  The counter tops are due to arrive on Wednesday or Thursday.  Before that can happen, the cabinets have to go in which means they'll hook up the heat once more and we'll be able to live in our house once again.  Not that I don't mind staying at my in-laws for most of the past week but I think we both miss the comfort of home.

Not much else to say so here's a few pictures.

Walls stripped bare.

Drywall up, mudded, and sanded. Steph's in the corner doing the painting while I play the role of official photographer.

At the end of Saturday with the first coat thrown on.

Looking through the kitchen and to the rest of the house.

Sunset at the farm.

It’s Amazing How Much Carrying Rolled Up Carpet Looks Like You’re Carrying a Body

"I should have known this was going to be hard the second I said it was going to be easy."

That single quote, uttered by yours truly, summarizes just about this entire day. We started a little after 7:30am and wrapped up around 7:30pm.  Twelve straight hours of electrical work, ripping up carpet, padding, and tack strips, installing a new fan, running a network cable through the house, and even more painting.  Few things went according to plan but despite all that, we managed to get all but one item on our checklist complete.

Fortunately, Sunday is going to be a short day.  Steph plans on painting the rest of the living room and I plan and taking out all the counters and the last remaining cabinets (which are basically just shells now).  Then we're going off to Empty Bowls with my parents who are coming up from Dubuque and relaxing the rest of the day.

Not a single tear was shed in tearing up this carpet.

Some people tear up their carpet and find beautiful hardwood floors or intricate stonework. We found ... this.

Rolled up carpet is wonderful for disposing of unwanted guests ... er, I mean, things. Yeah, that's it. *shifty eyes*

As naked as the day it was built.