Home improvements…

I’m not exactly sure why it is that home improvements always seem to spend quite a long period of time being home deconstruction.

My stove and fridge are in my living room, my dishwasher in the dining room and my bathroom doors are in the office downstairs.

My garage has dogs in it along with an arsenal of tools and debris that we navigate around in efforts to use that space for working.

There are materials all over the house.  33 boxes of solid oak flooring in my family room, a kitchen sink in the garage, a faucet under ever sink and one on a dog kennel that I don’t know where to put.

There are tools set everywhere.. we are always looking for them.

I want to know who keeps two empty dog food bags full of baseboards in their tub.  Apparently just me.

Today we started nailing down the hardwood floors and I am starting to see how this will one day be wonderful… but in the meantime, I am tired of trying out how to cook with only my George Foreman grill and a microwave.

Says me.

S.

The good stink…

This is the best time of the year in my neighborhood.

The apple trees are all in bloom and the whole neighborhood smells like sweet blooms of spring.  The petals are just starting to snow all over the lawns and it’s just like heaven out there.

It’s so nice that it nearly makes up for ski season being over…. nearly.

Says me.

Sarah

A Jolt of Perspective…

Last night a girlfriend and I had very specific plans to sit on her porch, look at the moon and sip on a cocktail. It was a clear night, nearly full moon, perfect bug free weather… ideal really.

Just as we were sitting down to enjoy our visit we heard car tires screeching as a vehicle approaching took the County Road corners WAY too fast. I started running while asking if my friend had a phone in her pocket to call 911. The car fishtailed past us on the road, hit the ditch, took flight, rolled and landed back on it’s side.

4 passengers in the mini-van. 2 in seat belts.

NO major injuries sustained.

Those are some lucky SOBs. They were at least 30 miles over the speed limit driving on a dark winding country road.

As we verified everyone was okay and conscious we fed information to the 911 dispatcher and police/firemen/paramedics and the entire sheriff’s department showed up on the scene. Crap could have been going on all over town at that point as every resource was on that little stretch of road.

My friend’s neighbor in the area met us at the accident scene and I was glad to have someone else who had an idea of what to do there with us.

I was ecstatic to not come upon a car full of blood.

I don’t know what caused the accident (outside of the obvious). I don’t know why none of them seemed concerned about the others involved. It’s not clear whether or not drugs played a role. Things were obviously going on outside the normal parameters of poor judgment.

I do know that I’m grateful for the life I have and lead.  I’m glad that I’m one of those fortunate people who loves and is loved and is in nearly constant phone contact with my family and friends.

I’m glad that today I’ll be driving up to see my mom’s mom for Mother’s Day.

All is well with me. I think I have regained my perspective.

So there.

Worse reality…

You REALLY know it’s a sad day when the highlight is getting your toilet reinstalled….

and then it leaks.

Good thing I know where they have Bell’s beer on tap and friends in stinky bowling shoes.

Bryant Lake Bowlers, thank you for relief from my disaster.

Says me.

S.

Sad reality…

You know that things are a little off kilter and maybe not going well when the highlight of your day involves getting your toilet put back in your bathroom.

Says me.

S.

The power of a song…

Last night I went to the final concert of my high school choir director.  He’s retiring after 28 years of teaching/directing at that school.

My experience with him was wonderful.  He was a man who really enjoyed students and loved his job.  It showed and he brought out the best in us.

My junior year I discovered that choir and the German 2 class I needed were both only available during 2nd period.  I had to choose.  Seeing as those were the only two classes that I enjoyed in HS I went straight to the counselor’s office to try to work a deal of some sort…

My HS counselor told me I could go to college for my German class and still have choir at the high school.

That series of events changed my life… I hope for the better.  I had a full year plus of college credit under my belt when I graduated from high school.

Last night is the first time in about 15 years that I have stood on a stage with a choir to sing and it was great.   It seemed a fitting that alumni from all over would come back to honor a man who really dedicated himself to the music program.  I was glad to stand with them to say thank you in slightly off key 4 part harmony.

It’s odd how a song can leave you feeling renewed even if it jumps right into singing the praises of a HS I could not wait to get out of.

I cannot decide…

if it is worse when you let yourself down, or when someone else does.

When you AND someone else drop the ball at the same time it is enough to ruin your day.

Says me.

No turning back…

My carpet is done for.  We are at the point of no return.   Belongings and furniture are shuffled, closets cleared.

We are making room for hardwood flooring, but mostly we are making me sick.

I always find these projects to be overwhelming and stressful.

S.

Hey neat!

I hit 100 hits for the month!

That’s fun.  There were a few months there I was thinking I must have gotten REALLY boring.

Ok… so it’s true, I’m kind of boring… but people are still clicking!

Thanks for pretending to read what I have to say!

Sarah
The one who Says Stuff

A new beginning…

There is tile in my front entry and in the upstairs bathroom now.

I keep thinking that the rooms look bigger, but I’m sure it’s the lack of doors and that there is nothing on the floor anywhere for once.

Of course, it’s not done yet… I still need to grout, put the baseboards back on, etc… but still….

I am so hopeful that this the start of a new happy relationship with flooring.

Says me.