moovie1031

Well, when it rains, it pours. To add to all the fun things going on with the house, now I get laid off.

Yup, the job I had hoped to retire from was slashed in the latest round of school district budget cuts. I was one of seven to get cut.  Blame the economy, the school district, the governor and his lack of funding, whatever you want. It doesn't matter who gets the blame, the result is the same, and there's little to nothing I can do about it. 

I go back and forth between optimism and pessimism, depending on the time of day. I worry about paying college tuition, as well as all the other bills. We've lived on one income before, but we didn't have tuition to pay. On the other hand, we had both kids at home, and a house payment.

So, what's my plan? The kids are encouraging me to make stuff and sell it. I'm thinking about getting some American-made hoodies and hand-painting them. I've painted shirts before and I love how the design gets softer with each wash. I'm thinking about making some costumes and putting them online. If I had enough made, I suppose I could even rent them out myself to local theaters. Hmmm, that's a thought. And I want to order some really nice yarn and crochet a couple of scarves to sell before Christmas, if possible. So, it looks like I need to get crackin' on that stuff. Plus, I'm putting my name on the clerical/assistant sub list at the school district, AND I have a two-year right to recall under my clerical contract, so I could get called for any openings in my clerical group (which is as low as you can go, but still...). And there IS a bit of unemployment insurance to collect.

Now that I have stuff down in writing, it really does look like I can make this work. I don't want to go out looking for work again - it makes it feel like going backwards, for some reason. Maybe this is the step I need to take.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Eight months later, we are still in the process of resolving the whole lien issue.  Last night we were served with a summons from the lumber company that they had filed in district court, and they are moving forward with proceedings.  We have been working with the lawyer and thought there was going to be enough in the receivership to pay the bills, but it looks like that's not going to happen.  I talked with the lawyer today, and it seems to him that the lumber company will get 30% of their claim, and we will get 30% of our claim (even though they are the same claim), so we would at least have 60% of the lien paid for at that point, and we would be able to pay the last 40% ourselves and wait for the reimbursement from the state recovery fund.

It's been a year since we started the project, and watching the fall season commence through our big windows has been fabulous.  Last night I was doing yoga in the living room, enjoying the sun (finally) shining on the leaves, and there were 2 deer grazing in the back yard and woods. My Zen moment.  I love using the kitchen, and the island has been great for sewing projects as well as cooking.  The dishwasher has been a treat and saves a ton of time, and cleaning the cooktop is a breeze.  We had a small party in early October, and the kitchen worked just the way it was supposed to - with everyone hanging around the island, watching TV and having fun. 

I am so ready for this lien business to be over so we can enjoy our house without having something haunting us. (Appropriate for Halloween, no?)

It's been quite a while since my last entry.  We hired a lawyer to help us with the lien against the house. Last month he filed a criminal case against the remodeler's company in district court, as well as a claim against the estate in county court. We are still waiting to hear their response. There is a chance that we could qualify for a state recovery fund that pays out to people who are screwed over by their contractors. We're hopeful.

Today I found an ad in the local paper for an auction sale for household, business and construction equipment from the remodeler.  I emailed the lawyer - maybe he knew, maybe not.  But I figured he needed to know that we know.

As far as the house itself, everything is fine. We have been enjoying the deck. This afternoon I sat out with a glass of iced tea and the newspaper, but it was a bit too windy to read. So I just enjoyed the sun. Gorgeous day!

This week we got a letter from a legal firm concerning our lien.  The construction company was not able to reorganize and has ceased operations.  Now we are to wait while a lawyer is appointed to take care of the company's debt.  This is not going to be pleasant.

On a more enjoyable note - we watched 4 deer in back of the house this morning.  Three of them were there when we got up just before the sun came up, and they snuggled into the snow and rested for quite a while.  A fourth came up on them later on, and they finally wandered off about 3 hours later, after a nice little nap.  Very cool.

It is so much more fun to cook in the new kitchen.  I'm actually inspired when Husband is home and I have someone to cook for other than myself.  I love having all the prep space and the counter is a breeze to clean up - scraping all the crumby stuff right into the sink without having the sink edge on top of the counter. Plus it is just so darned pretty to work in with all those marvelous lights! I don't know that I'm any more efficient, or a better cook, but.....  The only thing I'm not so happy with is that I have to dust a lot more often and it takes three passes to clean the floor (sweep, dust mop, and spray and mop). Oh, well. Que sera, sera.

So we thought we were all finished and everything was fine and we could just sit back and enjoy our wonderful new rooms.

But, no.

Yesterday we got a certified letter in the mail...we have a lien placed on the house by the lumber yard that supplied the materials for the project.  Over $23,000!  Husband made some phone calls.  Finally found out from architect that remodeling business owner died last week.  And the funeral was just the day before yesterday.  After a few more calls, we found out that business owner actually committed suicide and that the lumber yard had not been paid, even though our last huge payment was made before November 1. 

When I got home from work, I promptly raided the basement bar.  Didn't make the problem go away, but I didn't care about it as much. :o)

Today, husband spoke with the county attorney's office, and they recommended we get a lawyer. He also spoke to a lawyer, who recommended we wait no longer than a month, and give the wife a chance to get things switched over to her name.  Husband also talked to one of the subcontractors, who said business owner was despondent because he had to lay some of his workers off.  Very sad.  But still doesn't erase the fact that here we sit, our bill paid to the contractor but our money not forwarded on to the suppliers. 

I am sooooo not happy.

We have been in the new kitchen now for almost a month. Christmas Day dinner with the kids was the first test of all the equipment - turkey turned out great, everything else worked. New Year's Eve was celebrated with friends, but also brought our first scratches in the floor. After trying the finisher's first suggestion, which changed the color of the scratches but didn't fix them, we have now decided to call the finisher back to have the scratches fixed. We knew we'd get scratches, we just hoped it would be longer than 2 weeks. 

The painting is done - the only drastic change is the dark rose wall in the living room. Like that a lot. We just need to get something on the wall. And we need to get things on the other walls as well. It still echos a lot in the house.

Every day we see something cool out our windows - like deer resting in or wandering through the woods in back of the house, or the pileated woodpeckers hanging out in the big oak tree. Watching the snow fall has actually been enjoyable - like watching a big snow globe (especially this weekend). Watching the sunrises has been very nice and it really is relaxing to have such a big view. 

So here are some photos of the painted and (semi-)decorated kitchen, dining and living rooms, and pantry. 

     

Could it possibly be? The kitchen is done! (Well, except for a few minor touch-ups and painting.)

The floor got finished on Wednesday and the carpet was rolled back and re-installed on Thursday. It was so nice to see the carpet again! As much as I want that carpet replaced, it was pretty comforting to have it back. We moved furniture back into the living room on Friday, and picked up paint for the living room walls. Saturday we spent most of the day cleaning. I cleaned the cabinets for about 6 hours! Husband started taping and getting ready to paint. Sunday I started moving stuff up from the basement back into the kitchen, while Husband started painting. The color is a little peachier than I wanted, but Husband says it looks fine in the daylight.

The dining room table is back in place and last night we hooked the TV back up in the living room. The dishwasher has been run a couple of times, and we initiated the oven by making a home-made pizza. Everything is working and we are slowly getting things back into place. It is feeling like home again.

    

The granite for the island was installed Thursday. It was so cold that the sealer froze on it, so it will be sealed this Thursday.  We've eaten at the island a couple of times already.  Nice!

Final inspection was done on Friday - all went well. 

I have tried out the new microwave/convection oven - warmed up a cup of coffee and nothing exploded, so we're good. Haven't tried the oven yet. I have to run it at high temp for a couple of hours to get the smell out of it, I guess. Also haven't run the dishwasher yet. Maybe tonight or tomorrow. I'm nervous about leaks. The coffee pot has been moved from the bathroom to the appliance garage, along with the coffee grinder, and the toaster has been moved up from the basement. It is starting to feel like a kitchen.

The schedule for this week is that the floor will be finished on Wednesday, the carpet will be rolled back and reinstalled on Thursday, and the big construction dumpster should be removed on Friday. I suppose that leaves us to deal with the final change order costs and our final payment. (There are a couple of things on our punch list, like caulking and stuff, but it's pretty minor.) And then there's the cleaning. There is dust over everything, and I don't want to clean now until the floor is completely done (there will be more sanding before it's finished). And we are hoping to paint between Christmas and New Year's. Should be interesting. 

We have a working kitchen! Made our first meal tonight - spaghetti. It was sooooo good!

Yesterday, the grout was sealed and enhancer was applied. Really makes the color of the tile pop. And the cooktop was hooked up late yesterday afternoon (too late to make supper). Husband wired in the undercabinet lights last night. Today the ventilation hood was installed and husband wired it in, then called the electric inspector, who came out and passed everything. 

And tonight I got to use the cooktop for the first time. The super-low simmer feature is great - the sauce simmered nice and slow, didn't bubble out underneath the lid or get overdone on the edges. Still had to eat in the basement, but we are oh-so-close! Island granite is scheduled to be installed Thursday or Friday. Final inspection is scheduled for Friday morning. Hard to believe we will soon get our house back!

  

According to husband, today is "the best day EVER!" Why? Well, we have water hooked up to the fridge and drinking water system and we now have ice and filtered water! But better than that, we have food in the refrigerator, including fresh veggies and lettuce, as well as a nice beef roast waiting to go in the oven. Had planned to make a pot roast for supper tonight, but decided to hold off until a bit more of the work is done in the kitchen so we can take the protective coating off the stainless on the oven. 

Cabinet guy was here on Friday and started fixing nicks and scratches. Has done a fairly good job, but had to take several doors and drawer fronts back to the shop for refinishing. I also found a few gouges in the island base to be fixed where the trim hasn't covered as much as I had hoped. Grouting was done on Friday, but there are 5 or 6 places that need touching up.

I think we are looking at about a week and a half until completion, including re-rolling and re-laying the carpet. That doesn't count painting. But there is a pretty bright light at the end of the tunnel and it seems to be getting nearer!

Well, I knew we wouldn't keep to the proposed final week's schedule, but we're close! 

The perimeter granite was installed on Tuesday. Looks pretty nice! I was afraid it would look too dark, but it is just right. There are some flecks that sparkle a bit, but there are also some nice black spots. Works really well with our cabinets. Installer also re-templated the island, which made me nervous, but we will hope for the best.

The place was really hoppin' on Wednesday! (Glad I was at work!) Tile installers came and started working on the backsplash. They did the area behind the cooktop first, and also got a little done around the windows. Appliances were delivered before noon. But delivered only - husband had to do the installation! And you would think that when you spend so much on the appliances they would include an electric cord, but noooooo! Husband ended up running to Menard's 3 times before I got home! Plumbers installed faucet and hooked up dishwasher, but didn't test for leaks. So when husband turned the water line on, of course it leaks. Nice. After I got home, we installed the microwave/convection oven and trim kit, which took a good share of the evening. Fridge is in place, but water lines need to be hooked up. Also needs the handles and stainless trim attached. We are going to wait until all the workers are gone before that gets done. And the guy was here to finish the trim work around the floor and pantry door. He does a beautiful job and he is a really nice older guy. He helped husband put the oven in place and has had some really good advice. 

Today the tile installers finished laying the tile. Looks really nice. Grouting should be done tomorrow. As I figured, ventilation hood and cooktop should be installed Monday, the island granite is supposed to come mid-week, and the final coat on the floor will follow that. Cabinet company is supposed to come tomorrow to start fixing all the nicks and dings. THAT should be interesting! So maybe by the end of next week we might have everything finished and can start painting. Will we have it done by Christmas? Considering Christmas is only 3 weeks away, I'm not counting on it. But I would like to get things moved back upstairs so we can at least have some kind of family celebration, regardless of what size or how simple or elaborate.

   

It has been a quiet week here. Not much has gotten done to hurry the finish of this project. Monday, builder came and put down paper on the floor. At his suggestion, we rescheduled appliance delivery for this coming Wednesday. Tuesday, someone came and patched the holes in the ceiling where the lights were moved, as well as around the ventilation hood chimney. I expected those areas to be sprayed on Wednesday, but no such luck.

As far as the granite for the island goes, we found out that it wasn't as bad as we were first told. After measuring again and fiddling with the template, architect and fabricator figured out how to use the slab without having to cut down the cabinets and without losing too much of the overhang. But it will take an additional two weeks to get finished because they need to rework the area that has the scratch in it. 

Husband was able to get this next week off, so he will be home for what we hope will be the final week of work. The perimeter granite countertops are supposed to be installed Tuesday. The appliances come Wednesday, along with the plumber. The vents are supposed to be finished on Thursday, but the range hood can't be installed until the backsplash is done. The final coat of finish is supposed to go on the floor on Friday, but I am skeptical that all will be kept on schedule. At this point, another week won't matter to us, and I really don't care what the remodeling company says about their schedule. It'll get done when it gets done.

So, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! The kids had dinner at the families of their Significant Others', and husband and I were able to get reservations at a really nice buffet. It is not the most bizarre Thanksgiving we've ever had (some have been in our pj's!), but it was one of the quietest. Maybe next year we will be able to have Thanksgiving in our beautiful kitchen.

Ok, so the first coat of finish went on the floor Thursday.  Looks really nice so far, we are able to walk on it, and it doesn't stink, so we didn't have to leave the house. However, from the sanding they did before the sealer, we now have a layer of red dust all over everything in every part of the house! And we found a couple of spots where it looks like the sander knocked out the corner of the planks, so that should be fixed. It's pretty obvious.

But the biggest issue now? The island is too big for the piece of granite we selected - by about 3 inches! Hubby stopped at another granite supplier and signed off on another piece, but then we stopped at the fabricators and saw our original piece and realized that second piece was nowhere near what we wanted. So we went to the supplier again, looked at some pieces of the Bordeaux Dark and found they didn't have anything in the size we need. Came home and made phone calls to other suppliers and found out NO ONE has the size we need, and the quarries pretty much don't produce the Bordeaux in the larger size. So we either need to seam the granite (not really an option) or redo the island and cut 3 inches off the seating area. Now, had architect listened to me in the first place, this would not have been a problem, as I wanted to lop off about 15 inches on the island. Finally, hubby called the project manager and let him have it. He told him it was their job to make this right, since architect has pretty much convinced us to do things we didn't necessarily want and hasn't really listened to us throughout most of the process. 

On the positive side, hubby has moved the lights along the fridge side of the cabinet run, plus put in another light over the message center, as that corner was a little dark. Unfortunately, even though he covered most of the area he was working in, there is now a layer of drywall dust over part of the floor. I was a bit concerned about getting it cleaned up, but then decided that I had told the architect that the floor guys were not coming back Friday as planned, but obviously that didn't get communicated to builder, who was supposed to cover the floor with paper to protect it (scheduled for Monday). So, I'm pretty much not going to worry about it. Let them clean it. The building firm knew those lights needed to be moved this weekend.

Our job today is to dust the cabinets and then mark them with tape where all the scratches, nicks and dents are. And there are a lot!

I am in the coughing phase of the cold and feel terrible. I'm thinking about going back to bed, but not sure it will help.

Well, the island has been moved. But we are still dealing with light and outlet issues. The trim has been put up (looks great!), the pocket door has been hung. Tomorrow, the floor gets its first coat of sealer, with the second coat on Friday. The ventilation hood was installed today, but there is some "hole" left around the top that is showing, and I don't know where the wires are supposed to go that are hanging outside the chimney. I'm just pretty sure they are not supposed to be where they are right now! 

We got the final (probably tentative) schedule today, and it still looks like they will be out of here by December 9. I still have to call someone to install tile for the backsplash, and we need to pick out paint for the dining room and the long wall that goes from the dining room through the living room. All the walls are dinged up and will need something, just not sure what color. 

And to top it off, I got sick. I felt myself stuff up more and more as the day went on at work today. Tonight I have had 4 or 5 cups of Russian tea, so I'm not quite as stuffy, but I definitely have a cold. Hate being sick!  So I am going to go to bed early tonight and try to get rid of this fast!

Just when we think it's all going to work out so well, boom!  More snags.

We had tickets to the Coldplay concert Friday, so we headed out in the early afternoon, leaving the cabinet installers to finish their work. Just before we left, the gutter installers showed up, and hubby had a quick talk with them. On our way to the concert, we stopped at a tile store and worked out our backsplash design and ordered the tile.  I am really happy with our design - simple, kinda classy and contemporary. 

We had a really nice evening out, good food, a couple of Guiness', pretty good concert (the opening acts were .... well, one kind of left us speechless, and not in a good way), and a nice stay at a hotel.  We were home by noon, only to find...

The gutter guys had done a pretty good job and the gutters look nice. The size of the downspouts was increased, BUT the installers made a "judgment call" and decided not to put one of them in.  Now, we have been in this house 17 years and have watched every kind of rainstorm hit us. The size of our roof really demands having that extra downspout, and it really wasn't this guy's place to make that kind of call. Especially without consulting us! So hubby had to get on the phone and get things worked out with that company. They are supposed to come out Monday to fix that little error. The thing is, the contract was for x number of downspouts in x locations and that's what we should get.

On to the second snag. The cabinets are installed, including the island. Look great, love the color and style, BUT the island is not centered. The clearance on the cooktop side is 38", just like it is stated on the plans. But the clearance on the fridge side is only 34". Now, one of the main reasons we did this remodel was to alleviate the crowding issue caused by the island and an oversized fridge. Granted, the new fridge is cabinet depth and a french-door model, so the doors only need a little over an 18" clearance, but the island should have been centered. In further checking, we see that the original architect drawings show the cabinets on that side at 24", but they needed to be 26", which they are. But you would think the cabinet installers would have measured from both sides and centered the island. Do we have them move it? I don't know - it means there would be holes in the flooring, but if left alone, we are right back where we were before we started with regards to the island-fridge issue.  Plus we have several nicks and gouges in the finish on the doors and bases that need to be fixed. One is on the appliance garage door, which seems to be coming from the upper support, and it will get worse if it isn't adjusted. The others are installation nicks and scratches, but they are pretty obvious and should be repaired.

And then there's the lights. Hubby installed the recessed lights according to the electrical walk-through done with architect and located them according to his plans and measurements. The lights on the cooktop side are spaced pretty well and look good. But on the fridge side?  They are too close to the cabinets and the outer ring actually touches the crown molding. We agonized over the placement of those lights in the first place, but decided to go with architect's measurements because he's supposed to be the expert. So. We are going to have to move those lights and then have the ceiling repaired and retextured in those areas. This does not make us happy, and I'm sure it's not going to make the project manager happy, either.  It really isn't acceptable as-is.

I can't help but think that two of these issues could have been prevented had we been home Friday. And yet, we have a life and when you hire people to do their job, you trust that they would do it correctly. I grant that we all make mistakes, but then we generally need to own up to them and fix them. OK. I could rant all day, but I'm going to go throw a roast in the crockpot for some shredded beef sandwiches for supper. I'm thinking it's noon somewhere, and it might be time for a glass of wine as well.

So we think we are getting close to the end of the project! 

This week, the trim has been stained, and is out in the garage waiting to be installed.  The new pantry door has also arrived and been through the staining process.  The new floor is down after 3 days of work.  Looks pretty cool, but there is red dust everywhere, and it hasn't had the final sanding or sealing work done. 

Today, the cabinet installation began!  They are really nice and I couldn't believe how huge they looked after having nothing in the kitchen for over a month.  Hubby and I went to the tile store today to get ideas for the backsplash.  We're going back tomorrow with photos and plans to get help with designs.  And more of the cabinets should go in.  However, one smaller cabinet has to have some work done - they messed up on the mail slots in my message center. 

The main stuff should be done by the first week of December and the backsplash may be done by Christmas (which isn't really all that far off!).  I am getting very anxious to get this all over with and get my house back to some kind of order (or at least what passes for it in this house). 

Now that we are 2 months into this whole project, have you wondered how we are actually "living" through it? Well...

Our kitchen is in boxes in the basement, mostly under the pool table and piled in front of the sectional in the tv area. The tables have been taken apart and are stacked in the garage. The tall chairs are laying on the couch in the living room, under plastic. The dining room chairs are in the basement in front of the sectional, gathering enormous amounts of dust.

Our actual 'working' kitchen is the bar in the basement. Wisely, we put in a double sink when we built the bar, so we have a place to wash dishes, etc. The large microwave from upstairs has replaced the small 'popcorn' model (called that because we mainly just make popcorn in it while we're watching tv) on the back bar. The toaster and the crockpot are also on the back bar. We can use the microwave and the crockpot at the same time, but not the microwave and the toaster, because it blows a circuit. We have the little bar fridge under the counter that holds the essentials: milk, butter, peanut butter, eggs, pickles, beer and wine (it's a bar, remember?). The big fridge is out in the garage, and keeps the extra milk, leftovers, and condiments. Oh, and extra beer (because the essentials are taking up space in the bar fridge). We eat at the bar, and keep our dinnerware and glassware under the bar top. Easy access, but the bar stays covered with plastic when we are not using it, to keep out the construction dust. The bar area has some cabinet and pantry space, so a few pans, mixing bowls, microwave containers and some of our food is pretty handy. The counter is covered with plastic when we aren't using it. The grill outside has been used quite a bit. And it has a burner on the side, which has been used a good deal more than we ever used it normally.

We've done steak, pan-roasted asparagus, roasted potatoes, turkey burgers, and ham on the grill. We've made fried eggs using the side burner, fried hamburger, onions and celery for a hotdish base, and made popcorn in the popper with the crank (excellent!). We've had crockpot beef stew, chili and wild rice hotdish (tried spaghetti with frozen meatballs - bad idea!). We've microwaved leftovers, frozen mashed potatoes and vegetables, and made bacon for BLT's. We've done take-out a bit, and made a lot of sandwiches. And it's cereal nearly every morning for breakfast.

And coffee? Well, we have a coffee bar set up in the "public" bathroom upstairs. Looks silly, but it's convenient.

While the roof was being done, and the satellite dish was down, we were pretty much relegated to the office, which has a nice little tv, and we each have our own cushy office chair. I've spent a lot of time sewing, so I've been in the other bedroom where the sewing maching and clothing rack are. The bed in there has 2 coffee tables turned upside down on it, along with a couple of boxes and lots of fabric and costume stuff. I listen to the radio or CD player while I'm in there. When the satellite dish went back up, we were able to watch tv downstairs again, but it's kinda cramped and we have to maneuver around the boxes.

Have we had a social life at all? Well, actually, yes. Friends have stopped by for an afternoon at our bar (and we hauled out the 'who's-your-daddy' blender for some margaritas with not nearly enough ice). And Husband and Daughter threw a surprise birthday party for me (that really WAS a surprise) and we managed quite well.

So, we can see a faint light at the end of the remodeling tunnel. Once it's all done, it will take a while to get things moved back in, because this time I want it done right. So, of course, I will obsess over the perfect spot for everything and whether it's convenient and ergonomic and all that. 'Cuz that's the way I am. Have we kept our sanity? Surprisingly, pretty much. Not too many fights, and only one or two break-downs (it helps if I'm watching something sad on tv and I can let it all out). Are we ready to be done with it? You bet!

Things are really moving forward now!  The decks are done and look pretty good.  Just in time, too - after a week or so of really gorgeous weather (highs up to 70!), it has gotten colder and today we are getting a bit of snow. 

Kitchen ceiling has been sprayed and textured (knock-down, not popcorn).  Looks fine to me.  Yesterday, the carpet in the hall got pulled up and the plywood underlayment is going in.  Most of the hall is done and about two-thirds of the kitchen.  The flooring planks were brought in yesterday and are sitting in the living room, acclimating to the house.  I spoke with builder this morning, who is doing the final sanding, and he says flooring will start to be laid this week, with cabinets coming in Thursday or Friday.  Oh, my gosh!  Gives me butterflies in my stomach!  Ceiling can be painted this weekend, and the walls can be primed as well.  Maybe one coat of paint, but not the final.  Trim should also be stained and put up by the end of the week or so. 

Still lots to think about - backsplash, paint color, etc.  Crazy!
 

There has been quite a bit of visible progress in the last week or so.  And my computer is not crashing every time I try to download photos from the camera, so we have photos!!

While we were in Key West for a few days, the footings were dug and put in place for the deck and the framework was done.  On Sunday, I got a text message from our neighbor that they couldn't close the garage door and there was an extension cord running from the fridge to the house.  Well, that is not the way we left things, so when we got home, I called architect, who said they had cut the line for the electrical feed from the house to the garage - would we want to fix that ourselves?  Kidding, right?  No, he was serious.  Well, we said that was up to them to fix that one, so it was fixed by Tuesday afternoon. 

Second big issue when we got back?  About a week and a half prior to our vacation, our cabinet maker had a fire in his workshop.  He had hoped to be back up and running by the time we got back, but it wasn't happening.  So on Tuesday we met with a new cabinet shop and hashed over the drawings and layout.  They already had a couple of door examples stained and finished for us to take home and choose.  Gorgeous finish!  And by the time I got home after rehearsal and got my e-mails, we had drawings and spec sheets ready to sign.  A few changes, but minor overall.  They came out and measured on Thursday.  And, when asked, said that cabinets should be ready by November 15.  He also seemed to think that we should only have about 3 weeks left in the whole remodel.  Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it. 

On the outside, the main deck is near completion, after having to go back and re-do the first three planks because they screwed down the ends (supposed to be no screws visible from the top).  Just the steps and their railings seem to be left for that project, and then the small deck needs to be done.  Framework is up for that and it should go quickly.  We like how removing the old deck opened up the light to the large basement window.  Makes it much less cave-like to be down there. 

Husband has been painting the ceiling in the living room, which is a pain because the texture keeps falling off.  So we also had to do some patching.  Messy.  And we are trying to decide on paint color(s) for the whole area since it all flows together now. 

As for costuming, I have several things left to do today - mostly assembling fairy wings and spray painting them, and finishing the fairy queen top.  My sewing machine's light has decided to start acting up like it is going to go out, so I am getting this whole strobe-light effect when the machine is on.  Makes it really hard to thread the needle, as well as concentrate on stitching.  Wish it would just go out and be done with it.  Unfortunately, it's an LED light that needs to be replaced by a shop, not by me.  Of course.  So when we are all done, I'll take it in to get the bulb replaced and get it cleaned real well.  Rehearsals for matinee performances went fairly well, and everyone looks pretty good.  Evening performance dress rehearsals start tomorrow, and matinee performances start Tuesday.  I'll be really glad when this show is on stage and my main job is done.  Then it's just being on hand for makeup, hair and emergency mending jobs. 

Progress has been a mixed bag since I last posted.  Things went pretty slow for a couple of days, in fact it was 'stop.'   And I am having trouble downloading photos to the computer, so they will have to come later. 

Husband worked on wiring and some painting.  Builder finally came and fixed the roof on either side of the windows.  Roofers came toward the end of last week and started replacing the shingles.  They were fast and pretty efficient, although we did have an incident on Saturday.  One of the roofers fell off the roof on the back side of the house.  Luckily, the deck was still there, but he landed on the sawhorses left by the builders, and sent a bale of shingles through the deck.  Yes, that's right, through the deck!  I imagine he was pretty bruised, but got up and got back to work.  Put a scare into us, though!

So, the roof is done, and it looks real nice.  Husband has removed all of the decking and picked out the new decking material, most of which was delivered today.  It is maintenance-free and is the same color as our house trim.  Some of the preliminary stuff has been done on the outside, and the footings have been marked.  The insulation has been redone inside and all the drywall is up as of today.  Taping starts tomorrow.  Kitchen faucet has been ordered.  Flooring has been ordered.  Granite has been ordered.  Cabinets are in the works and stain has been chosen.  Still a long way to go, though.

And in costuming - well, I have a long way to go there, too.  We are taking a couple days off for vacation, so I lose 5 days there.  Dress rehearsal starts next week and I have 2 pairs of pants, 1 fairy queen top, and 3-5 simple vests to sew, a "wall" to finish painting (half done), a hat to make, a tunic to paint stars on, several fairy t-shirts to put together, dread falls to finish assembling (for 5 fairies), chains and ribbon to attach to pants and shorts, lion fur to make into wearable pieces, etc., etc., etc.  First performance is November 4.  Yikes!