One Eleven Extreme Home Make Over: 6 Month Edition

Posted on March 11, 2008 by Natalie

I know you all just roll your eyes when I complain about how it seems to take an eternity to get anything done around this place. But that is why this website works so beautifully for me: I can complain all I want and I don’t have to SEE you when you roll your eyes. So there.

We just passed our 6-month mark, and are slowly coming to the point where the apologetically delivered, “yeah, so we just moved in…” are no longer the first words out of my mouth when someone comes over. Okay, so I still do it. But it’s getting better. We have continued fulfilling our main mission, which involves adding both the structural and decorative touches that redirect our attention from the fact that we are living in a rundown 1964 track home.

This last weekend was noteworthy because we were able to finally unpack the last of our boxes – which included books, books and more books. Or as my mother-in-law so lovingly packed and labeled them:

After lots of discussion about a custom built shelving and mantle structure that would wrap itself around the fireplace, we instead decided to go with a set of pre-made, pre-finished units. I argued that it would give us flexibility in the long run – should we choose to remodel the living room. Really, I was just being impatient, and couldn’t wait around for Steve ‘Norm Abrahms’ Walston to design, build and finish it before Stella leaves for her freshman year of college. This is how it works around here: I say I want some shelves so we can unpack the books, and Steve spends hours designing a unit that requires we re-roof and knock out a wall in the bathroom at the other end of the house. Go ahead, ask me why we still have not been able to order a new front window. I’d probably answer that it is because each time I bring it up, the conversation ends up involving a cantilevered window seat…which involves moving the front gate and a portion of the fence, and jackhammering out a portion of the front sidewalk.

Regardless, we were able to tackle all 16 boxes of books, 5 miscellaneous boxes of archived documents, old school files and the various and sundry crap we have stored and carried with us over the last 10 years. As of now, we are now officially unpacked, and will no longer be subjecting ourselves to scenes like this – at least not for a while:

Of the other noteworthy accomplishments of late, are included the unglamorous jobs of having the heater moved from the hall closet to the attic (This was a huge improvement due to the fact that each time it would kick on it sounded like a rocket igniting for lift-off.), and having the hot water heater moved from the laundry room out into the garage. In both cases, freeing up valuable interior space into which we can stow the hulking piles of children’s toys and books…and all those Adult Books.

Steve was also able to finish the interior trim detail on all the new windows that have been installed, allowing us to buy some snazzy wood mini-blinds. And, we have actually managed to get our bedroom into a somewhat organized and put-together state. I will stop short of saying that it was well worth the 16 week wait – but that new bed, it is like sleeping in a vat full of love and rose petals. Yes, that good. Not to mention, I now can officially refer to myself as a bona fide adult because I actually own a non-hand-me-down, matching, elegant bedroom set. Who ever knew life could be so good?

I am still looking very forward to getting some paint on the walls, and we are now focusing our main attentions on finishing up the laundry room / mud room / office / pantry. If we can just get it designed and completed without the requirement of a second mortgage and a concrete truck, it will be nothing short of a miracle.

And thus is our house. The bedrooms are too small, the yard is alternately a big mud pit or a marsh, and the exterior looks like a giant easter egg. But with each project completed, and each walk out to the horses, and each drive home through rolling forest and pasture, and each time Stella can skip to a neighbor’s house to play, I find myself more and more thankful we moved here.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Posted on March 4, 2008 by Natalie

Thanks to all who sent the good thoughts, well wishes and calls for status update. It must have worked, because Dore called yesterday to update me that everything went well. In fact, very well. They removed all new growth and even some additional pieces that they couldn’t get at the first time around. I have received so many medical-related calls from Dore over the last couple of years where the news wasn’t good, it was wonderful to hear that positive tone in her voice when I picked up the phone.

As Steve and I discussed all of this over the course of the last day or so, Little Big Ears seemed to be listening in the distance, and we began to be peppered with a myriad of incredulous questions about the hows and whys of brain surgery. I am hoping the seriousness in which she digested the information will cease all future references to pooping in your brain. One of her more ridiculous insults of late.

In an effort to kick-start myself back into posting mode, I will provide all you Walstonling-deprived souls with this series, wherein I actually had both of their attentions at one time for about 6 and a half seconds. Then, quicker than you can say Inevitable Sibling Meltdown, it was gone.

(And yes, there are more. Just click the photo.)

Well Wishes

Posted on March 1, 2008 by Natalie

I know it has been a virtual millennium since I posted last. And although I have been laboring through a post for about a week now – recounting the illness that swept through our household, the trip that followed and all the details therein, I’m realizing that I’d rather just throw up a link to the photos and let you make up your own version of what happened. Overall, it was fun, but mostly uneventful, save for a cat lost for three days in the snow and the fact that my parent’s house looks like they have recently become hillbilly dirt farmers. Oh, and Thad lost his job…then got another one. You know, the usual.

So instead of sifting through paragraphs of boring details about what I did on my winter vacation, I’d like you to instead take some time to conjure as much positive energy as you can muster and pass it along to Dore and her family. Her brother will be going in for brain surgery first thing Monday morning. After realizing that the remaining pieces of tumor (from first diagnosis and surgergy 5 years ago) had increased in size, they opted to go in for another round of removal.

Hang in there, Dore. You’ll be in all of our thoughts.