Remember that time I was so optimistic about our HUGE renovation project? Oh sure, I acknowledged, there'd be bumps along the way. Not all the lines would likely be plumb. Pipes would probably leak. Something of value might inadvertently be broken. Misunderstandings might ensue. Tempers could flare.
But still...we'd have a whole new house with a beautiful new porch when we were done, and golly gee, it's all worth it!
Whaddya mean that was just yesterday??
We started out this morning with news of the probability that the ceilings in our master bedroom and living room would have to be ripped out to make room for additional floor joists. Oh, you know, one of those minor details the architect forgot to mention while the plans were being resubmitted for approval.
Not a problem.
Except for the additional cost on top of what is already a project with a budget we are stretch ever so far to accomplish.
Except for the fact we'd need to vacate the room for a week or two and clear it of furniture...with our other bedrooms already out of commission.
Except I wasn't expecting to be hit with something so big so fast.
But life goes on, of course. And I had a work meeting I needed to attend. Which, George (our family contractor after all these many years), bless his heart, was thoughtful enough to interrupt to call to tell me we got lucky with the existing construction, the floor joist gods were with us, the support ran the correct way upstairs, and our bedroom ceiling would be spared. The living room, not so much, but then, we don't have to sleep in there, now do we?
I didn't cry then, but I did -- just a little -- when I got home.
When Mike, George's trusty right hand man, informed me it was far too early in the project for tears...there'd be plenty of time for that down the road.
I'm sure he's right. I'm also sure I felt much better after I was done. I think the enormity of this renovation just hit me. It's one thing to deal with in the abstract, and quite another when there's a demolition crew ripping apart your walls and you're facing the prospect of having to find alternate lodging for a spell.
How lucky am I to have a husband who consoles long distance by telephone, and to have such a longstanding relationship with the men working on my house that they neither panicked nor thought I was crazy, just offered me hugs and the reminder that tomorrow is another day.
And as we've seen, things can -- and probably will -- turn totally around again by then.
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