Friday, December 29, 2017
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
the one i've been avoiding.
so.
hi there.
this feels a little awkward, me trying to start writing here again after just disappearing last year. I told you i was training for a half-marathon, and we were right in the middle of a guest room renovation, and then I just stopped sharing. I have no excuses. well, I have them, but none of them are all that good. the truth is, i was sharing some things, but not the things that really mattered to me; the things that kept me up at night and made my heart hurt. and only sharing the shiny parts seemed empty.
so now I'm sharing:
a lot can and has happened over the last 36 months: I have fallen into and then back out of love with baby names. I have taken my temperature more times than I ever did in my previous 27 years combined. I cried at weddings and baby showers and funerals. I completed several different exercise regimens, and gave up on multiple diets. I decided not to sign up for several things that would have been so much fun "because i'll probably have a baby by then." friends of mine have been pregnant. twice. I have been promoted at work. I have questioned whether or not I actually want to ever have kids. I have seen the word "infertility" in heartbreaking official doctor handwriting. we have talked to fertility specialists, and evaluated our feelings about fostering and adoption. I almost just gave up completely and got a puppy.
the first year (omg2014), I lived in a perpetual state of blind optimism. we were both young, healthy, responsible adults: I figured it would be a matter of months before we would get to share happy news with family friends.
instead, the months just kept going, eventually fading into a hazy stress-filled loop of timing, temperatures, vitamins, waiting, and hope, but ultimately ending in crushing disappointment, tears, and wine. I told a few people that we were trying, but eventually even talking about it made me cry, so I stopped, and settled myself into the loop.
and then after a while i decided to take a step to change the loop, because it turns out that living my life in a state of waiting with no end in sight was proving to be miserable. so I played on an indoor soccer team with my coworkers last winter. I trained for and ran a half-marathon in Yellowstone with my mom. I let my husband get a motorcycle. I turned the extra room in my house into a craft room instead of a nursery. I dyed my hair like fire.
but I still didn't talk about it. it was foremost in my mind, and every month was just the same old loop of silently hoping, stressing, waiting, doubting, desperation, rage, bleeding, crying, and wine. I never said anything because I didn't want to be the girl who cried infertility a few weeks before finding out she was pregnant. I didn't want people to treat me differently if they knew what I was struggling with. but I also kind of did want them to treat me differently - I wanted them to understand, but I didn't want to cry in front of them. because crying would show weakness, and I needed to be strong. I wanted them to know I was struggling, but I didn't want to burden them with it, because I knew everyone else has their own struggles, some of them seemingly so much bigger than my own. I didn't want them to borrow my struggle- I wanted it to be my own, even though I was crumbling under the weight of it. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense, but neither does infertility.
and now I think I'm done with that whole silent thing, too. so I'm talking about it. or at least writing it here. and then maybe I might work up the nerve to say it out loud to people, face to face. and then I might be able to make a real plan for moving forward through it.
its unexplained infertility. and it sucks.
hi there.
this feels a little awkward, me trying to start writing here again after just disappearing last year. I told you i was training for a half-marathon, and we were right in the middle of a guest room renovation, and then I just stopped sharing. I have no excuses. well, I have them, but none of them are all that good. the truth is, i was sharing some things, but not the things that really mattered to me; the things that kept me up at night and made my heart hurt. and only sharing the shiny parts seemed empty.
so now I'm sharing:
a lot can and has happened over the last 36 months: I have fallen into and then back out of love with baby names. I have taken my temperature more times than I ever did in my previous 27 years combined. I cried at weddings and baby showers and funerals. I completed several different exercise regimens, and gave up on multiple diets. I decided not to sign up for several things that would have been so much fun "because i'll probably have a baby by then." friends of mine have been pregnant. twice. I have been promoted at work. I have questioned whether or not I actually want to ever have kids. I have seen the word "infertility" in heartbreaking official doctor handwriting. we have talked to fertility specialists, and evaluated our feelings about fostering and adoption. I almost just gave up completely and got a puppy.
the first year (omg2014), I lived in a perpetual state of blind optimism. we were both young, healthy, responsible adults: I figured it would be a matter of months before we would get to share happy news with family friends.
instead, the months just kept going, eventually fading into a hazy stress-filled loop of timing, temperatures, vitamins, waiting, and hope, but ultimately ending in crushing disappointment, tears, and wine. I told a few people that we were trying, but eventually even talking about it made me cry, so I stopped, and settled myself into the loop.
and then after a while i decided to take a step to change the loop, because it turns out that living my life in a state of waiting with no end in sight was proving to be miserable. so I played on an indoor soccer team with my coworkers last winter. I trained for and ran a half-marathon in Yellowstone with my mom. I let my husband get a motorcycle. I turned the extra room in my house into a craft room instead of a nursery. I dyed my hair like fire.
but I still didn't talk about it. it was foremost in my mind, and every month was just the same old loop of silently hoping, stressing, waiting, doubting, desperation, rage, bleeding, crying, and wine. I never said anything because I didn't want to be the girl who cried infertility a few weeks before finding out she was pregnant. I didn't want people to treat me differently if they knew what I was struggling with. but I also kind of did want them to treat me differently - I wanted them to understand, but I didn't want to cry in front of them. because crying would show weakness, and I needed to be strong. I wanted them to know I was struggling, but I didn't want to burden them with it, because I knew everyone else has their own struggles, some of them seemingly so much bigger than my own. I didn't want them to borrow my struggle- I wanted it to be my own, even though I was crumbling under the weight of it. I know it doesn't make a lot of sense, but neither does infertility.
and now I think I'm done with that whole silent thing, too. so I'm talking about it. or at least writing it here. and then maybe I might work up the nerve to say it out loud to people, face to face. and then I might be able to make a real plan for moving forward through it.
its unexplained infertility. and it sucks.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
the one with all the running.
once upon a time, (about seven years ago) I ran four miles, and it was a complete accident. I was a senior in college, and there was this boy. every evening after dinner, he would go to the fitness center on campus to work out. so I started going to the fitness center after dinner to work out. because in my little twitterpated mind, I figured that if we worked out at the same time that we could finish working out at the same time and probably walk back to the apartments at the same time. it would be a chance for conversation that would be totally organic and natural and not at all forced. (ha!) as a bonus, I would get to watch him lift heavy things from my post on the treadmill. win win win.
except that said boy worked out for a LONG time. which meant that I stayed on that treadmill WAY longer than I ever anticipated. and then suddenly I had ran four miles and given myself shin splints and only managed to have one tiny conversation by the water fountain with said boy about how I probably needed to buy new running shoes. and then i stopped going to the fitness center after dinner.
about 2 years later, I married that boy. win.
in 2 weeks, I will run four miles again, and it will be on purpose. and then I will keep going. all the way up to 13.1 miles in Yellowstone in June. if all goes according to my training plan, I will end up somewhere near 250 total miles.
my registration is in. my plane tickets are bought. my running buddy is 5 weeks ahead of me in her training. there is no turning back.
#YSHalf. here we go.
except that said boy worked out for a LONG time. which meant that I stayed on that treadmill WAY longer than I ever anticipated. and then suddenly I had ran four miles and given myself shin splints and only managed to have one tiny conversation by the water fountain with said boy about how I probably needed to buy new running shoes. and then i stopped going to the fitness center after dinner.
about 2 years later, I married that boy. win.
in 2 weeks, I will run four miles again, and it will be on purpose. and then I will keep going. all the way up to 13.1 miles in Yellowstone in June. if all goes according to my training plan, I will end up somewhere near 250 total miles.
my registration is in. my plane tickets are bought. my running buddy is 5 weeks ahead of me in her training. there is no turning back.
#YSHalf. here we go.
Monday, February 15, 2016
project update: the guest room, still.
I have started this post no less than three times, and just had to erase it all and start over, because it was all whining. poor me, this project is taking longer than I thought it would. poor me, my husband is doing all the work. poor me, he is very focused on all the details so these rooms are going to be completely amazing when they're done.
pathetic.
so instead of that, let me tell you all about our new door!
the door showed up in the hallway right before the weekend of snowpocalypse 2016. Mark wanted to make sure we were fully prepared for every possible scenario that might have come along with being snowed in under two feet of snow for a few days, so we stocked up on milk, bread, rock salt, and pre-hung doors.
one of the many, many little details in this project was the doorway threshold. even though this doorway was original to the house, it had already been turned into a plain old wall when the hardwood floors were installed in the hallway, and then it was still a wall when the floors were refinished last year, so we needed to add a few boards in the new doorway so the transition into the room looked intentional and like this door had always been here.
look at that! a real-live door filling the door-sized hole in the wall!
of course, Mark promptly took the door right back down to paint it, and then he only got to paint half of it before we ran out of semi-warm days and it got too cold to spray it outside, but the paint gun makes a much nicer finish than brushing and rolling, so now the half-painted door is hanging out in the living room with the box spring and the giant roll of carpet that got delivered over the weekend. we are nothing if not super classy folks, y'all.
up next: painting, painting, painting, and then carpet!
pathetic.
so instead of that, let me tell you all about our new door!
the door showed up in the hallway right before the weekend of snowpocalypse 2016. Mark wanted to make sure we were fully prepared for every possible scenario that might have come along with being snowed in under two feet of snow for a few days, so we stocked up on milk, bread, rock salt, and pre-hung doors.
one of the many, many little details in this project was the doorway threshold. even though this doorway was original to the house, it had already been turned into a plain old wall when the hardwood floors were installed in the hallway, and then it was still a wall when the floors were refinished last year, so we needed to add a few boards in the new doorway so the transition into the room looked intentional and like this door had always been here.
we had plenty of hardwood left over from the kitchen renovation, as well as the stain and poly, so we didn't need to buy any new materials to make this fix. it's one of those little details that probably won't ever be noticed when everything is all done, because Mark did a really good job with it and its really pretty seamless.
once the hardwood was all patched in, Mark installed the door and trim. he was able to reuse the trim that he took off the old closet, so it is a perfect match to the rest of the trim in the hallway.
side note: every time the air compressor kicks on, I jump like three feet in the air. scares me every single time.
look at that! a real-live door filling the door-sized hole in the wall!
of course, Mark promptly took the door right back down to paint it, and then he only got to paint half of it before we ran out of semi-warm days and it got too cold to spray it outside, but the paint gun makes a much nicer finish than brushing and rolling, so now the half-painted door is hanging out in the living room with the box spring and the giant roll of carpet that got delivered over the weekend. we are nothing if not super classy folks, y'all.
up next: painting, painting, painting, and then carpet!
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
looking back, looking ahead.
well, its that time of year again. actually I'm probably a little late on this, but now is when I'm finally getting around to find time to reflect on the past year - to see the good, the bad, the frustrating, and the awesome. time to think ahead to the fresh year laid out in front of us, and make up some thoughts and goals about what we think the days ahead of us will hold and how they will go. it all seems a little arbitrary, but there's still something comforting about the process. so here goes:
in 2015, i wanted to... ...finish the kitchen renovation with sanity and grace. this is big and exciting and a huge blessing. i want to keep that in mind rather than just freaking out over all the details.
wow. this seems like it was SO long ago. last year, we were deep in the trenches of this massive renovation. this year, we have been enjoying the finished product for 9 months and it already feels like our house has been this way forever. as for my attitude during the process? I think I did ok. i don't remember yelling at any contractors. I do remember feeling overwhelmed by just how awesome and nice everything was, and pleased by all of the guys who worked to make it happen.
calling this a win.
...feel good in my skin. whether i lose some weight, clear up my face, grow my hair out, or just shift my personal perception of myself, i just want to feel better.
still growing my hair out. haven't weighed myself all year. got rid of some 'fat' clothes. simplified my closet. still working on that whole 'clear up my face' thing, and i still have overly emotional days when everything is just the worst, but overall i feel pretty good about where I'm at. win.
...focus on intentionally healthy choices: walk. eat salads. less sugar-bomb snacks. more jazzercise.
a bit of a roller coaster on this one. i think there are only so many salads a person can handle before you just need to sit down with a bag of Hershey's kisses and just eat the whole thing. still love jazzercise though. half-win.
...be more organized. this includes previous years goals of closing my extraneous bank account, starting the big book of everything, budgeting, finishing up some half-done projects, and hopefully just generally feeling more like a responsible adult.
ha. hahahahahahaha. nope. I'm just as big a mess as ever. but I'm starting to realize that most other people don't quite have it all together either, and if i remember that everyone else is just guessing too, then i don't have to be as disappointed in myself. just keep swimming.
...host parties. i'm going to have such a nice new kitchen, it would be a shame not to share it with people i love.
this year we hosted my birthday, Mothers Day, had our community group over every week, did Christmas with friends, game night with coworkers, and even threw a last-minute New Years Eve party. not too shabby.
...spend time outside. sunshine is the best. and not much beats that wonderful exhausted feeling after a long day spent working or playing outside. i'd like to do more of that this year.
good not great. i think? i definitely was outside this year: i hunted a lot of waterfalls, hiked in different places, soaked up the sunshine and have the pictures to prove it. but i know i also spent plenty of time inside. since i don't really have a way to quantify this one, I'm going to go ahead and give myself the benefit of the doubt and call it a win.
...get pregnant. this is something i dont really talk about much, because it is extremely personal and because i dont want anyone asking me "how's it going? *winkwinknudgegiggle*" ugh. awkward. no thanks. so why put it on the list? because i've been pretty singularly focused on it for the past 10 months but haven't let myself talk about it much, and it just feels good to put it in writing.
nope. moving on.
...take pictures. because i want to be able to look back someday and remember my everyday life, along with the big events.
i definitely took a lot of pictures this year. i also spent a lot of time really enjoying just being with people i love instead of attempting to just document that time. this is a weird one to try and strike a balance, but I'm feeling ok with it. win.
...go to the beach. i just love it.
spent a week at the Outer Banks in August. and it was lovely. win.
...have fun. smile. laugh. relax. be silly. just fun.
so many good moments this year. plenty of laughter. so much fun. win.
my gut-reaction to 2015 was that it was a tough year. there were a lot of tears this year, and loss, and disappointments. but looking at these goals i made last January and seeing how many wins are on this list (7 out of 10 what!!) well, its just a nice reminder that along with the less-than pleasant moments is always sprinkled in plenty of joy and grace and goodness. they always go hand-in-hand, because you can't really appreciate one without the other. if everything is good, then nothing is. or something like that.
well, this post is already super long, and i don't really feel a great need to do too much looking ahead at this particular moment, so let's just save that for a separate post. okay? okay.
in 2015, i wanted to... ...finish the kitchen renovation with sanity and grace. this is big and exciting and a huge blessing. i want to keep that in mind rather than just freaking out over all the details.
wow. this seems like it was SO long ago. last year, we were deep in the trenches of this massive renovation. this year, we have been enjoying the finished product for 9 months and it already feels like our house has been this way forever. as for my attitude during the process? I think I did ok. i don't remember yelling at any contractors. I do remember feeling overwhelmed by just how awesome and nice everything was, and pleased by all of the guys who worked to make it happen.
calling this a win.
...feel good in my skin. whether i lose some weight, clear up my face, grow my hair out, or just shift my personal perception of myself, i just want to feel better.
still growing my hair out. haven't weighed myself all year. got rid of some 'fat' clothes. simplified my closet. still working on that whole 'clear up my face' thing, and i still have overly emotional days when everything is just the worst, but overall i feel pretty good about where I'm at. win.
...focus on intentionally healthy choices: walk. eat salads. less sugar-bomb snacks. more jazzercise.
a bit of a roller coaster on this one. i think there are only so many salads a person can handle before you just need to sit down with a bag of Hershey's kisses and just eat the whole thing. still love jazzercise though. half-win.
...be more organized. this includes previous years goals of closing my extraneous bank account, starting the big book of everything, budgeting, finishing up some half-done projects, and hopefully just generally feeling more like a responsible adult.
ha. hahahahahahaha. nope. I'm just as big a mess as ever. but I'm starting to realize that most other people don't quite have it all together either, and if i remember that everyone else is just guessing too, then i don't have to be as disappointed in myself. just keep swimming.
...host parties. i'm going to have such a nice new kitchen, it would be a shame not to share it with people i love.
this year we hosted my birthday, Mothers Day, had our community group over every week, did Christmas with friends, game night with coworkers, and even threw a last-minute New Years Eve party. not too shabby.
...spend time outside. sunshine is the best. and not much beats that wonderful exhausted feeling after a long day spent working or playing outside. i'd like to do more of that this year.
good not great. i think? i definitely was outside this year: i hunted a lot of waterfalls, hiked in different places, soaked up the sunshine and have the pictures to prove it. but i know i also spent plenty of time inside. since i don't really have a way to quantify this one, I'm going to go ahead and give myself the benefit of the doubt and call it a win.
...get pregnant. this is something i dont really talk about much, because it is extremely personal and because i dont want anyone asking me "how's it going? *winkwinknudgegiggle*" ugh. awkward. no thanks. so why put it on the list? because i've been pretty singularly focused on it for the past 10 months but haven't let myself talk about it much, and it just feels good to put it in writing.
nope. moving on.
...take pictures. because i want to be able to look back someday and remember my everyday life, along with the big events.
i definitely took a lot of pictures this year. i also spent a lot of time really enjoying just being with people i love instead of attempting to just document that time. this is a weird one to try and strike a balance, but I'm feeling ok with it. win.
...go to the beach. i just love it.
spent a week at the Outer Banks in August. and it was lovely. win.
...have fun. smile. laugh. relax. be silly. just fun.
so many good moments this year. plenty of laughter. so much fun. win.
my gut-reaction to 2015 was that it was a tough year. there were a lot of tears this year, and loss, and disappointments. but looking at these goals i made last January and seeing how many wins are on this list (7 out of 10 what!!) well, its just a nice reminder that along with the less-than pleasant moments is always sprinkled in plenty of joy and grace and goodness. they always go hand-in-hand, because you can't really appreciate one without the other. if everything is good, then nothing is. or something like that.
well, this post is already super long, and i don't really feel a great need to do too much looking ahead at this particular moment, so let's just save that for a separate post. okay? okay.
Friday, January 8, 2016
guest room update: drywall.
want to see something cool? suddenly, thanks to internet magic and the fact that I haven't posted an update in over a month - we have a real wall in the guest room!
front room, from the new hole in the wall.
truth is, Mark gets all the credit for this. he has been working on this project pretty much every available minute he has on nights and weekends: drywalling, spackling, sanding, and priming. He focused his efforts primarily on the back room, to make sure our friends had a place to sleep that wasn't the couch when they came to visit the weekend before Christmas. as it was, we were able to provide them with four complete walls, a complete ceiling with a proper ceiling fan/light combo, a door, and a bed! well, a mattress on the floor, but still.
from the hallway, the view into the guest room hasn't changed all that much:
but once you step into the room, that new wall makes a big difference.
I'm starting to really get excited about these two rooms. I think it will make our house make a lot more sense, and add a lot of functional space that was lacking when this was all one big room.
Now that the holidays are over, Mark has been able to keep working in the front room, and basically has it done to the same point as the back room. if all goes well, we might be able to get some real paint on the walls this weekend!
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
hole in the wall.
yesterday, I spent my evening working late, grocery shopping, and snuggling under a blanket on the couch with the beginnings of a head cold and my newest tv addiction. (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. terrible name, hilarious show)
Mark, on the other hand, spent his evening working out and cutting a hole in our hallway wall.
I knew he was doing this, and yet it was still very shocking to actually SEE a doorway-sized hole when I got up off the couch to head to bed. and then it startled me again this morning when I woke up. this whole two-rooms-instead-of-one thing is really starting to come together.
drywall installation for the new wall starts tonight!
Mark, on the other hand, spent his evening working out and cutting a hole in our hallway wall.
doors, L-R: basement, front bedroom, back bedroom, hall closet
I knew he was doing this, and yet it was still very shocking to actually SEE a doorway-sized hole when I got up off the couch to head to bed. and then it startled me again this morning when I woke up. this whole two-rooms-instead-of-one thing is really starting to come together.
view from the new door into the front bedroom.
drywall installation for the new wall starts tonight!
Monday, November 30, 2015
project update: the guest room.
there is something about fall - the cooler temperatures, the evening darkness, the upcoming holiday season - that apparently makes it feel like the perfect time to start a new house project. in fact, we have had some sort of renovation project going on in our house every fall/winter we have lived in it:
when the house was originally built, this room was actually two separate rooms, with a wall between the two windows, just to the left of the vent visible in the above picture. previous owners of the house had at some point removed the separating wall, closed off the second doorway, and added a larger closet to the room. this configuration was great for the teenage girl who lived in it as her own private suite, but for our little family it makes sense to restore the original floor plan and split it back into two rooms.
this involves removing the closet, adding a new wall, adjusting the wiring, installing a new doorway, and re-doing the carpet in the one room. we are also taking advantage of having everything torn up to drywall over the textured ceilings in both rooms, the only remaining ones in the house, which Mark has despised from day one.
so far, the closet has been demo'ed, the wall is framed up, the wiring is all roughed in for the overhead light and outlets in the new wall, and we have the drywall installed on the ceiling. the next steps are to cut the rough opening for the new door, and install the drywall on the new wall.
we're not really working with a set deadline in mind at the moment, although we do have some friends coming to stay with us the weekend before Christmas. so maybe we should shoot to have a room with a door that they could sleep in at least mostly complete by then? I think its totally doable. right? because our basement room currently looks like this:
yeah. not exactly a functioning backup guest room at the moment. but no worries Julie - we've got this. please don't change your travel plans. I miss you and need more of you in my life.
- in the fall of 2010, we had just bought our house and immediately drywalled the master bedroom ceiling, re-carpeted and painted the two bedrooms, and painted the master bathroom.
- 2011 had us wrapping up the updates to the fireplace room and painting ALL the things.
- in 2012, we completely re-did the hall bathroom in time to host Thanksgiving at our house.
- 2013 was apparently an 'off' year, but only because we spent the winter studying for our professional licensing exam.
- and then last year, Mark built us a new bed frame, and we completely overhauled the kitchen, living room, and dining room over the winter.
before photo taken after the room was mostly cleared out
when the house was originally built, this room was actually two separate rooms, with a wall between the two windows, just to the left of the vent visible in the above picture. previous owners of the house had at some point removed the separating wall, closed off the second doorway, and added a larger closet to the room. this configuration was great for the teenage girl who lived in it as her own private suite, but for our little family it makes sense to restore the original floor plan and split it back into two rooms.
this involves removing the closet, adding a new wall, adjusting the wiring, installing a new doorway, and re-doing the carpet in the one room. we are also taking advantage of having everything torn up to drywall over the textured ceilings in both rooms, the only remaining ones in the house, which Mark has despised from day one.
so far, the closet has been demo'ed, the wall is framed up, the wiring is all roughed in for the overhead light and outlets in the new wall, and we have the drywall installed on the ceiling. the next steps are to cut the rough opening for the new door, and install the drywall on the new wall.
not shown: completed wiring and drywalled ceilings.
we're not really working with a set deadline in mind at the moment, although we do have some friends coming to stay with us the weekend before Christmas. so maybe we should shoot to have a room with a door that they could sleep in at least mostly complete by then? I think its totally doable. right? because our basement room currently looks like this:
yeah. not exactly a functioning backup guest room at the moment. but no worries Julie - we've got this. please don't change your travel plans. I miss you and need more of you in my life.
Friday, November 27, 2015
happy thanksgiving!
26. thankful for good travels. There was no bad traffic between Maryland and New York the night before Thanksgiving. Amazing.
27. thankful for podcasts to listen to in the car.
28. thankful for beds to sleep in. Bunk beds are super fun. Always.
29. thankful for sisters. So much more fun cooking all day in the kitchen with people who understand you because they think the same way you do.
30. thankful for brothers-in-law. So fun to see them bonding over video games and power tools.
31. thankful for FaceTime. Good to see Mom, Dad, and the Goob and share our Thanks with them.
32. thankful to still have all ten fingers. Ended the day in the kitchen with just a minor cut and an even more minor burn.
33. thankful that we still have the whole rest of the weekend together!
27. thankful for podcasts to listen to in the car.
28. thankful for beds to sleep in. Bunk beds are super fun. Always.
29. thankful for sisters. So much more fun cooking all day in the kitchen with people who understand you because they think the same way you do.
30. thankful for brothers-in-law. So fun to see them bonding over video games and power tools.
31. thankful for FaceTime. Good to see Mom, Dad, and the Goob and share our Thanks with them.
32. thankful to still have all ten fingers. Ended the day in the kitchen with just a minor cut and an even more minor burn.
33. thankful that we still have the whole rest of the weekend together!
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
thankful its a virus?
21. thankful for the women of Taco Tuesday. they give good advice.
22. thankful for convenient access to quality medical care. thankful that I don't need to utilize it very often.
23. thankful for health insurance.
24. thankful that it's not a flesh eating bacteria. or bedbugs. or dust mites. instead, its a non-contagious viral rash! slightly less gross, right?
25. thankful for a clean house. because before I knew it wasn't bedbugs or dust mites, I cleaned ALL the things. my bedroom/bathroom/kitchen/basement/laundry room looks amazing.
22. thankful for convenient access to quality medical care. thankful that I don't need to utilize it very often.
23. thankful for health insurance.
24. thankful that it's not a flesh eating bacteria. or bedbugs. or dust mites. instead, its a non-contagious viral rash! slightly less gross, right?
25. thankful for a clean house. because before I knew it wasn't bedbugs or dust mites, I cleaned ALL the things. my bedroom/bathroom/kitchen/basement/laundry room looks amazing.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
sometimes i take these things for granted instead of being grateful.
more than halfway through the month. nowhere near 50.
14. thankful for Home Depot. I live in a place within reasonable driving distance to multiple hardware stores that make it ridiculously easy to shop for home improvement supplies. there's just something about having part of our home in a constant state of construction that just feels right.
15. thankful for Roz. spent last Saturday with the coolest 7-month old I know so that her parents could go out on a date. we had a good time. we all survived. love that girl. so thankful she's here with us.
16. thankful for professional development opportunities. thankful that my boss encourages me to seek out these opportunities.
17. thankful for a window in my cubicle. sure its dark when i get to work and dark when I leave, but it's sunshine and blue skies all day long today.
18. thankful for food. easily accessible, safe, healthy, delicious, nutritious, filling food. also thankful for the less-than-healthy cookies, ice cream, and chocolate :)
19. thankful for relaxing. I can spend an entire evening binge-watching tv on the couch in my sweats and (mostly) not feel bad about it.
20. thankful for my sisters. thankful that i can call and chat with them any time. thankful that they love me even at my worst. so ridiculously excited that I get to see them in just a couple days.
14. thankful for Home Depot. I live in a place within reasonable driving distance to multiple hardware stores that make it ridiculously easy to shop for home improvement supplies. there's just something about having part of our home in a constant state of construction that just feels right.
15. thankful for Roz. spent last Saturday with the coolest 7-month old I know so that her parents could go out on a date. we had a good time. we all survived. love that girl. so thankful she's here with us.
16. thankful for professional development opportunities. thankful that my boss encourages me to seek out these opportunities.
17. thankful for a window in my cubicle. sure its dark when i get to work and dark when I leave, but it's sunshine and blue skies all day long today.
18. thankful for food. easily accessible, safe, healthy, delicious, nutritious, filling food. also thankful for the less-than-healthy cookies, ice cream, and chocolate :)
19. thankful for relaxing. I can spend an entire evening binge-watching tv on the couch in my sweats and (mostly) not feel bad about it.
20. thankful for my sisters. thankful that i can call and chat with them any time. thankful that they love me even at my worst. so ridiculously excited that I get to see them in just a couple days.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
focus on the thanks.
struggling with thanks and joy today. choosing to focus on the bright spots instead.
12. thankful for Little Levi. my 10-month old nephew called me yesterday. we chatted for a couple minutes, and then I told him, 'I'm going to hang up and call you back so that your Mummy knows I'm on the phone.' then when I did and his Mom answered, he hung up on me. I guess he didn't appreciate being ratted out. so much for being the favorite aunt.
13. thankful for electricity. we have it in the 'second' guest bedroom. technically we've always had it in there, but the previous owners of the house had taken out the overhead light at some point and the wires were plastered over in the fixture box in the ceiling. thankful that all of the wires were still intact and wired to the switch, so it was super easy for Mark to wire up lighting in the 'new' room.
12. thankful for Little Levi. my 10-month old nephew called me yesterday. we chatted for a couple minutes, and then I told him, 'I'm going to hang up and call you back so that your Mummy knows I'm on the phone.' then when I did and his Mom answered, he hung up on me. I guess he didn't appreciate being ratted out. so much for being the favorite aunt.
13. thankful for electricity. we have it in the 'second' guest bedroom. technically we've always had it in there, but the previous owners of the house had taken out the overhead light at some point and the wires were plastered over in the fixture box in the ceiling. thankful that all of the wires were still intact and wired to the switch, so it was super easy for Mark to wire up lighting in the 'new' room.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
thankful for the weekend.
6. thankful for my friend Nadine. she is my partner in yardsales, and encourages me to buy pretty glass things even though she knows I don't really need them - I just like them. like these tiny glass birds: pictures don't even do justice to just how tiny and ridiculous these are. but look how fun!! totally worth a quarter.
7. thankful for chill nights with friends. because its good to have the kind of friends who are cool with staying in, eating tacos, and watching movies on a Saturday night. bonus friend points if they also don't judge you based on the last time you dusted (because its clearly been a while).
8. thankful for our leaf blower. its just more fun than raking.
9. thankful for blurry memory joggers. because without them I wouldn't have remembered to tell you about the herd of dogs that was crossing the road yesterday morning, being followed by a herd of riders on horseback. this was a new one. I've stopped before for animals in the road: cattle, sheep, bison... but somehow this herd of dogs and horses was the most unexpected.
10. thankful for gas stations that are conveniently located along my morning commute. also thankful that I remembered to turn around and stop at one this morning instead of running out of gas and being stranded somewhere along the way.
11. thankful for a new project. Mark spent last evening cleaning out the guest bedroom. he plans to start demo after work today, and estimates that by next weekend we will basically* have two rooms instead of one!
*by this I mean there might be some framing and a hole in the wall for a new door. nowhere near finished, but still super exciting!
7. thankful for chill nights with friends. because its good to have the kind of friends who are cool with staying in, eating tacos, and watching movies on a Saturday night. bonus friend points if they also don't judge you based on the last time you dusted (because its clearly been a while).
8. thankful for our leaf blower. its just more fun than raking.
9. thankful for blurry memory joggers. because without them I wouldn't have remembered to tell you about the herd of dogs that was crossing the road yesterday morning, being followed by a herd of riders on horseback. this was a new one. I've stopped before for animals in the road: cattle, sheep, bison... but somehow this herd of dogs and horses was the most unexpected.
10. thankful for gas stations that are conveniently located along my morning commute. also thankful that I remembered to turn around and stop at one this morning instead of running out of gas and being stranded somewhere along the way.
11. thankful for a new project. Mark spent last evening cleaning out the guest bedroom. he plans to start demo after work today, and estimates that by next weekend we will basically* have two rooms instead of one!
*by this I mean there might be some framing and a hole in the wall for a new door. nowhere near finished, but still super exciting!
Thursday, November 5, 2015
today, i am thankful.
1. thankful for my husband. several times over. he is patient with me, he encourages me to be a good friend and adult, he picks up my slack, he does dishes and laundry, he maintains a higher opinion of me than I do of myself, he makes me smile, he loves me. gosh, I love that guy.
2. thankful for my mom. she is creative and encouraging and I am so glad she taught those traits to me.
3. thankful for coffee. also thankful that I am not a coffee-snob. thankful that the coffee at work is free, but that I also have the option to occasionally treat myself to a starbucks. thankful for the good memories I have of sharing a warm beverage with good people.
4. thankful for sunshiney days. it has been absolutely gorgeous weather around these parts lately. yesterday was all blue skies and 70 degrees so I walked to get lunch with a friend and then sat outside to eat it. in November. delightful.
5. thankful for my Halloween mask. I didn't have a plan for my costume until about 2 hours before my Jazzercise party. then in a flurry of activity I decided I needed a mask to go with the most kick-butt Robin t-shirt (complete with cape!) that a dollar at walmart can buy. so I spent an hour cutting up an old pair of ill-fitting leggings and only wore my creation for all of twenty minutes, but really the joy was in the process of being creative and making something from nothing. thankful for this dumb little project to remind me to make more time for creativity in my life.
2. thankful for my mom. she is creative and encouraging and I am so glad she taught those traits to me.
3. thankful for coffee. also thankful that I am not a coffee-snob. thankful that the coffee at work is free, but that I also have the option to occasionally treat myself to a starbucks. thankful for the good memories I have of sharing a warm beverage with good people.
4. thankful for sunshiney days. it has been absolutely gorgeous weather around these parts lately. yesterday was all blue skies and 70 degrees so I walked to get lunch with a friend and then sat outside to eat it. in November. delightful.
5. thankful for my Halloween mask. I didn't have a plan for my costume until about 2 hours before my Jazzercise party. then in a flurry of activity I decided I needed a mask to go with the most kick-butt Robin t-shirt (complete with cape!) that a dollar at walmart can buy. so I spent an hour cutting up an old pair of ill-fitting leggings and only wore my creation for all of twenty minutes, but really the joy was in the process of being creative and making something from nothing. thankful for this dumb little project to remind me to make more time for creativity in my life.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
maybe tomorrow.
today is the fourth day of November. I have sat down three times so far to attempt to start a list of things that I am thankful for. I have things. I am thankful. life is good. I'm just struggling to write them down this year. because discontent is sneaky and all it takes some days is noticing that blogger now automatically capitalizes my i's and the first words of proper nouns and for some reason that really frustrates me and I can't figure out how to make it stop. so now I am paralyzed with discontent and unable to express my thanks even though the things I'm thankful for FAR outnumber the reasons I find to be discontent.
my brain is a terrifying place to live sometimes.
my brain is a terrifying place to live sometimes.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
coworker encounters of the strangest kind...
the following stories are true; i should know, all events have transpired at my place of employment within the past week, and i was somehow involved in them all. the behavior described within these stories is strange. i will leave it up to you to decide which party involved in each story was the strange one.
Encounter #1:
She has decided that, in order to meet new people and get a free workout at the same time, she is going to partake in the after-work fitness classes being offered at her company one night a week. She is at her third class, but is meeting him for the first time - their paths had not previously crossed at any work-related function. He has a giant, nasty and fresh-looking scab on the left side of his face, stretching from his bottom lip to his chin. The following conversation occurs (paraphrased):
She: Hi, I'm She. I work upstairs.
He: Hi, I'm He.
She: What happened to your face?
She is just chock-full of grace and tact. He responds with a lame story of being falling-down-drunk. She suggests that He make up a more interesting story for the future. She realizes only later that, since she had not previously met him, there was a chance that the thing on his face might not have been a new thing. He might have had a skin condition of some sort, or a permanent birthmark or deformity on his face. She dies a little on the inside just thinking about how rude she had the potential of being. So much for making new friends.
Encounter #2:
She is talking and joking around with her Male Coworker Friend about how he always knows when She is walking over to his desk.
MCF: Maybe you should start walking more quietly.
She: Are you calling me fat?
She justbarely bites her tongue before finishing the rest of that inside-joke-that-MCF-is-not-in-on, which is the definitely inappropriate for coworker conversation, "are you looking down my shirt? stop that!"
She giggles to herself anyway just thinking about it.
Encounter #3:
She is having a conversation with a Female Coworker about the cute shoes she is wearing and where she got them. (because I know you're curious, She is wearing Dr. Scholl's Franca Flats in Rainbow Stripe which She bought at DSW for her birthday two years ago.) A Male Coworker walks by, pausing to join the conversation
FC: i love your shoes - i was looking for similar ones online but they are hard to find.
She: thank you. yeah, i got them a while ago so they're probably not exactly current.
MC: those are really nice shoes. i might need to get some.
She and FC: (gives MC a curious look)
MC: not for me. would you mind if i took a picture of them?
She: sure?
and then he took a picture of my feet.
i can't even think of anything else to add to that story.
Encounter #1:
She has decided that, in order to meet new people and get a free workout at the same time, she is going to partake in the after-work fitness classes being offered at her company one night a week. She is at her third class, but is meeting him for the first time - their paths had not previously crossed at any work-related function. He has a giant, nasty and fresh-looking scab on the left side of his face, stretching from his bottom lip to his chin. The following conversation occurs (paraphrased):
She: Hi, I'm She. I work upstairs.
He: Hi, I'm He.
She: What happened to your face?
She is just chock-full of grace and tact. He responds with a lame story of being falling-down-drunk. She suggests that He make up a more interesting story for the future. She realizes only later that, since she had not previously met him, there was a chance that the thing on his face might not have been a new thing. He might have had a skin condition of some sort, or a permanent birthmark or deformity on his face. She dies a little on the inside just thinking about how rude she had the potential of being. So much for making new friends.
Encounter #2:
She is talking and joking around with her Male Coworker Friend about how he always knows when She is walking over to his desk.
MCF: Maybe you should start walking more quietly.
She: Are you calling me fat?
She justbarely bites her tongue before finishing the rest of that inside-joke-that-MCF-is-not-in-on, which is the definitely inappropriate for coworker conversation, "are you looking down my shirt? stop that!"
She giggles to herself anyway just thinking about it.
Encounter #3:
She is having a conversation with a Female Coworker about the cute shoes she is wearing and where she got them. (because I know you're curious, She is wearing Dr. Scholl's Franca Flats in Rainbow Stripe which She bought at DSW for her birthday two years ago.) A Male Coworker walks by, pausing to join the conversation
FC: i love your shoes - i was looking for similar ones online but they are hard to find.
She: thank you. yeah, i got them a while ago so they're probably not exactly current.
MC: those are really nice shoes. i might need to get some.
She and FC: (gives MC a curious look)
MC: not for me. would you mind if i took a picture of them?
She: sure?
and then he took a picture of my feet.
i can't even think of anything else to add to that story.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
the one where i attempt to end my unplanned blogging break.
the first argument I have had with Mark this week:
Amanda: so this workout we did today was a crazy cardio video - i don't know if I liked it. some of the moves and jumps that woman was doing looked absolutely impossible. i know i definitely couldn't do them
Mark: yeah, they always put really super-fit people in those videos, but people aren't inspired by them as much as they are intimidated and discouraged, and then they just quit.
A: definitely not the intention, but usually the result.
(pause)
A: you know what would be a good idea? there should be a workout video that is just a person like you at the beginning - not a super fit person - but then as they go through the program and you do the workouts with them, they get more fit as they go, just like you
M: (taking off shirt) what, are you saying I'm not super fit?
A: no, I think you're very fit - I like you a lot
M: but you think I would be the perfect candidate to make an un-fit people workout video?
A: (realization dawns) no no no no! that's not what I meant at all! I was using the word 'you' in a general, plural way - not talking about you specifically!
M: (interrupting) nope. don't even try. I know exactly what you meant. and there's no way you're going to talk your way out of this one.
(M leaves to take a shower)
A: sigh.
***yes, I am unabashedly stealing this format from The Bloggess. because i have been in a writing rut, and because I just read her newest book, and because i'm sure she wont mind me plagiarizing an idea of hers and running with it on my own tiny personal blog forprofit and notoriety the express purpose of helping me hopefully start writing again.
Amanda: so this workout we did today was a crazy cardio video - i don't know if I liked it. some of the moves and jumps that woman was doing looked absolutely impossible. i know i definitely couldn't do them
Mark: yeah, they always put really super-fit people in those videos, but people aren't inspired by them as much as they are intimidated and discouraged, and then they just quit.
A: definitely not the intention, but usually the result.
(pause)
A: you know what would be a good idea? there should be a workout video that is just a person like you at the beginning - not a super fit person - but then as they go through the program and you do the workouts with them, they get more fit as they go, just like you
M: (taking off shirt) what, are you saying I'm not super fit?
A: no, I think you're very fit - I like you a lot
M: but you think I would be the perfect candidate to make an un-fit people workout video?
A: (realization dawns) no no no no! that's not what I meant at all! I was using the word 'you' in a general, plural way - not talking about you specifically!
M: (interrupting) nope. don't even try. I know exactly what you meant. and there's no way you're going to talk your way out of this one.
(M leaves to take a shower)
A: sigh.
***yes, I am unabashedly stealing this format from The Bloggess. because i have been in a writing rut, and because I just read her newest book, and because i'm sure she wont mind me plagiarizing an idea of hers and running with it on my own tiny personal blog for
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
the great rug debate.
so far and away, the singular thing that has caused the most tension in our house over the past three months that we have spent living through this renovation, with half of the house in a construction zone and the other half functioning as a storage unit, essentially camping in our basement and cooking on a hot plate, with no consistent routine in place and a multitude of decisions to be made on a nearly-daily basis, has been rugs.
rugs.
yep, apparently the downfall of our marriage is going to be attempting to have a civil discussion about a home decorating accessory whose primary function is to be walked on.
here's how it breaks down: i like rugs. i tend to be barefoot around the house, and i like the softness under my feet. i think a good rug can take a room full of furniture and make it feel complete and loved and lived in. especially a room with hardwood floors - the texture and softness are what make people want to get comfortable, take off their shoes, and stay awhile.
my husband, Mark, does not like rugs. he thinks they cost way too much money. he doesn't like that they cover up the floors, especially since we have just invested time and money into our floors. he is very concerned that over time, rugs will cause large discolored areas on our floors because of the sunshine streaming through the windows and fading the floors around the rugs. he REALLY doesn't like that rugs in a dining room make it more difficult to slide the chairs in and out, and that our old dining room rug meant that the chairs were always half-on and half-off the rug. he absolutely detested the one corner of the old dining room rug that he always tripped over because it refused to lie flat.
in our old house (pre-renovation) we had three rugs: 1) a too-small, low-quality 5x7 in the fireplace room that i picked up from Home Depot on a whim for maybe $40.
2) a too-small flatweave 5x7 in the dining room i had to beg and plead talk my husband into letting me spend $30 for from IKEA.
and 3) an Orioles tailgating rug that is designed to be used in a parking lot but instead lives in our basement that i bought for $15 at a yardsale just because i thought Mark would like it.
grand total, that is less than $100 i have ever spent on rugs. ever. Mark still thinks that is too much.
i am of the opinion that we should be hunting for two larger rugs: one for the living room, and one for the dining room. probably an 8x10 minimum, good quality, but at a reasonable price point. additionally, we could probably use a runner in the entryway and a small rug in front of the sink. Mark thinks we should not be covering up our nice new floors since they are just so pretty.
we're both pretty stubborn, and so far have been adamantly holding our own positions with no real sign of a compromise in sight. in the meantime, the old living room rug is acting as a placeholder in the living room, and the dining room is definitively rug-less.
if i had to guess, i would predict that a day will come when we will eventually compromise on a new larger rug in the living room, and no rug in the dining room. but it is not this day.
and thus concludes my 550+ word diatribe on one of the first-worldiest of first-world problems we could ever dream of having. anyone have any good resources for shopping for large rugs on a budget?
rugs.
yep, apparently the downfall of our marriage is going to be attempting to have a civil discussion about a home decorating accessory whose primary function is to be walked on.
here's how it breaks down: i like rugs. i tend to be barefoot around the house, and i like the softness under my feet. i think a good rug can take a room full of furniture and make it feel complete and loved and lived in. especially a room with hardwood floors - the texture and softness are what make people want to get comfortable, take off their shoes, and stay awhile.
my husband, Mark, does not like rugs. he thinks they cost way too much money. he doesn't like that they cover up the floors, especially since we have just invested time and money into our floors. he is very concerned that over time, rugs will cause large discolored areas on our floors because of the sunshine streaming through the windows and fading the floors around the rugs. he REALLY doesn't like that rugs in a dining room make it more difficult to slide the chairs in and out, and that our old dining room rug meant that the chairs were always half-on and half-off the rug. he absolutely detested the one corner of the old dining room rug that he always tripped over because it refused to lie flat.
in our old house (pre-renovation) we had three rugs: 1) a too-small, low-quality 5x7 in the fireplace room that i picked up from Home Depot on a whim for maybe $40.
2) a too-small flatweave 5x7 in the dining room i had to beg and plead talk my husband into letting me spend $30 for from IKEA.
and 3) an Orioles tailgating rug that is designed to be used in a parking lot but instead lives in our basement that i bought for $15 at a yardsale just because i thought Mark would like it.
grand total, that is less than $100 i have ever spent on rugs. ever. Mark still thinks that is too much.
i am of the opinion that we should be hunting for two larger rugs: one for the living room, and one for the dining room. probably an 8x10 minimum, good quality, but at a reasonable price point. additionally, we could probably use a runner in the entryway and a small rug in front of the sink. Mark thinks we should not be covering up our nice new floors since they are just so pretty.
we're both pretty stubborn, and so far have been adamantly holding our own positions with no real sign of a compromise in sight. in the meantime, the old living room rug is acting as a placeholder in the living room, and the dining room is definitively rug-less.
if i had to guess, i would predict that a day will come when we will eventually compromise on a new larger rug in the living room, and no rug in the dining room. but it is not this day.
and thus concludes my 550+ word diatribe on one of the first-worldiest of first-world problems we could ever dream of having. anyone have any good resources for shopping for large rugs on a budget?
Monday, March 16, 2015
kitchen diary, week 11: floors and whatnot.
Mar. 9-10 - Larry the hardwood finisher and his team sand, stain, and seal the hardwoods in the living room, dining room, hallway, and even the two closets we forgot about. Since we forgot the hardwood ran into the closets, we didn't have them cleaned out. The guys move everything from the closets into our bedroom. Amanda silently wonders what sorts of embarrasing things she thought were safely hidden behind those closed doors.
Mark and Amanda spend two nights at Mark's parents house while our house is all fumey and the floors cannot yet be walked on. thank goodness for living close to the in-laws.
Mar. 11 - Mark and Amanda move back home after work.
somewhere along the way, one of Amanda's shirts, a sweater, and a box of feminine products disappears. either they got left behind in Victoria's closet, or something more mysterious is going down. i'm really hoping for the former.
everything is still a bit fumey at home, so we relocate our small group to the local ice cream place for the evening, but leave the windows open to continue to air out. we decide its probably safe to sleep there.
Mar. 12 - Amanda organizes two closets after work; the coat closet in the living room, and the linen closet in the hallway. somehow, this takes all evening.
Mar. 13 - Amanda wipes down every surface in the kitchen; cabinets, shelves, drawers, countertops, both vertical and horizontal surfaces. Mark helps reach the parts Amanda is too short to reach, and sets up the tv and media dresser.
Mar. 14 - Mark moves furniture and rugs into the living and dining rooms.
Amanda removes the last bits of packing material from all of the appliances. this is more frustrating than it should be, and takes longer than i could have ever imagined. we quit while we're ahead, run some errands, and spend the evening eating pie and watching youtube videos with friends.
Mar. 15 - we FINALLY move things into our kitchen cabinets! we have way more stuff than i realized. i seriously have no idea where we had all of this stuff stashed before.
the post-its are my organizational system, and our cheat sheet for where everything is right now. not all of the cabinets are full, and some are still completely empty, but we haven't moved any foodstuffs in yet. most of it should fit in our big pantry cabinet, but there is potential for some stuff to expand into other cabinets as appropriate.
also, curtains get hung, and we install a dimmer switch in the dining room. there is a big pile of empty boxes in the middle of the living room, we are working on a master list of the tiny things that will need to be done to truly be done-done,the furniture arrangement is subject to change, and there is the ongoing argument about rugs, but we are so happy with the way this has all turned out.
Mark and Amanda spend two nights at Mark's parents house while our house is all fumey and the floors cannot yet be walked on. thank goodness for living close to the in-laws.
Mar. 11 - Mark and Amanda move back home after work.
everything is still a bit fumey at home, so we relocate our small group to the local ice cream place for the evening, but leave the windows open to continue to air out. we decide its probably safe to sleep there.
i wish you could all see these floors in person, because pictures don't do them justice. the difference from the original orange-hued finish to the new light-brown is subtle, but astounding. bonus: the basement door now swings the whole way open instead of getting stuck on the floorboards.
Mar. 12 - Amanda organizes two closets after work; the coat closet in the living room, and the linen closet in the hallway. somehow, this takes all evening.
Mar. 13 - Amanda wipes down every surface in the kitchen; cabinets, shelves, drawers, countertops, both vertical and horizontal surfaces. Mark helps reach the parts Amanda is too short to reach, and sets up the tv and media dresser.
Mar. 14 - Mark moves furniture and rugs into the living and dining rooms.
Mar. 15 - we FINALLY move things into our kitchen cabinets! we have way more stuff than i realized. i seriously have no idea where we had all of this stuff stashed before.
the post-its are my organizational system, and our cheat sheet for where everything is right now. not all of the cabinets are full, and some are still completely empty, but we haven't moved any foodstuffs in yet. most of it should fit in our big pantry cabinet, but there is potential for some stuff to expand into other cabinets as appropriate.
also, curtains get hung, and we install a dimmer switch in the dining room. there is a big pile of empty boxes in the middle of the living room, we are working on a master list of the tiny things that will need to be done to truly be done-done,the furniture arrangement is subject to change, and there is the ongoing argument about rugs, but we are so happy with the way this has all turned out.
Monday, March 9, 2015
kitchen diary: week 10, paint.
ed. note: this might be the longest, most stretched-out paint job in the history of ever. we've been working on it when we can, which has already stretched over the past 4+ weeks. the goal is to get it done before the hardwood floors get refinished, so we wont have to be painting over our lovely new floors. so far we've done three coats on the ceiling, and have two coats on the kitchen walls. this is where our adventure picks up.
Mar. 1 - Mark cuts in the gray paint along the ceiling, baseboards, and around all doorways, light switches, and outlets in the kitchen and hallway. he also starts cutting in the teal paint around the ceiling of the living and dining rooms.
Amanda paints a fresh coat or two of trim paint on all baseboards and door casings as necessary. also the window trim on the kitchen window. she manages to only smash her head into an upper cabinet once.
Mar. 2 - Mark works on a second coat of cutting in around everything everywhere. Amanda paints nothing because she does not have a steady hand and therefore cannot be trusted. she buys groceries for the first time in probably a month, works out, makes dinner, and does some laundry instead.
Mar. 3 - Amanda rolls a coat of gray paint in the hallway after work. Mark finishes all the cutting in along the baseboards in the living and dining rooms.
Mar. 5 - snow day! instead of braving the treacherous roads and the 10" of snow and ice, we hunkered down for a full day of painting.
a second coat of gray in the hallway, and two coats of the teal in the living and dining rooms. by the end of the day we are exhausted but all of the walls are the right color!
Mar. 6-8 - touchups everywhere. Mark takes the lead on this effort in between other fun weekend activities of duckpin bowling and a chocolate festival. also, the china cabinet gets relocated to Mark's parents house. since the driveway is still a little icy from the snow and melt and refreeze, getting it loaded into the truck is part sledding, part skating, and a little bit of an adventure.
we wrap up the weekend with a glass (or two) of wine and dinner out to celebrate the end of this marathon paint job.
Larry the hardwood refinisher is coming on Monday and everything is going to be dusty and fumey for a few days, so we pack our bags to relocated for a couple days of living at Mark's parents house. the end is in sight!!!
Mar. 1 - Mark cuts in the gray paint along the ceiling, baseboards, and around all doorways, light switches, and outlets in the kitchen and hallway. he also starts cutting in the teal paint around the ceiling of the living and dining rooms.
Amanda paints a fresh coat or two of trim paint on all baseboards and door casings as necessary. also the window trim on the kitchen window. she manages to only smash her head into an upper cabinet once.
Mar. 2 - Mark works on a second coat of cutting in around everything everywhere. Amanda paints nothing because she does not have a steady hand and therefore cannot be trusted. she buys groceries for the first time in probably a month, works out, makes dinner, and does some laundry instead.
Mar. 3 - Amanda rolls a coat of gray paint in the hallway after work. Mark finishes all the cutting in along the baseboards in the living and dining rooms.
Mar. 5 - snow day! instead of braving the treacherous roads and the 10" of snow and ice, we hunkered down for a full day of painting.
a second coat of gray in the hallway, and two coats of the teal in the living and dining rooms. by the end of the day we are exhausted but all of the walls are the right color!
Mar. 6-8 - touchups everywhere. Mark takes the lead on this effort in between other fun weekend activities of duckpin bowling and a chocolate festival. also, the china cabinet gets relocated to Mark's parents house. since the driveway is still a little icy from the snow and melt and refreeze, getting it loaded into the truck is part sledding, part skating, and a little bit of an adventure.
we wrap up the weekend with a glass (or two) of wine and dinner out to celebrate the end of this marathon paint job.
Larry the hardwood refinisher is coming on Monday and everything is going to be dusty and fumey for a few days, so we pack our bags to relocated for a couple days of living at Mark's parents house. the end is in sight!!!
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