My Near Wardrobe Malfunction, Lori's Breakdown and Gentrification
Oh what a difference 90 seconds can make.
I was headed for my morning shower Thursday when I paused to chat with Ian the electrician about the difference between a receptacle and a plug. (It's sort of the electricians' version of the birds and the bees.) After that momentary delay I hit the bathroom and was starting to disrobe when I saw Mike from Moldovia, Ian's electrical partner, nicely framed by the bathroom window.
I'd known that Mike was working on exterior lights, but I'd forgotten the specific location of our backyard motion light. Now I'll NEVER forget.
It's right over the bathroom window.
Mike saw my startled look, smiled big and shrugged--motioning questioningly about whether he should stop working on the light. I just laughed, told him to go ahead and laughed some more. Nearly five months into a remodel one tends to be forgetful. (In our defense, even Survivor reality show contestants only need to make it in the wilderness for 39 days to win the million.)
Lori and I also conveniently forgot that we needed to leave the house Thursday because it was the last-installment-of-the-sticky hardwood-floor-covering-day. Not just for a few hours, as twice before, but overnight.
Our friend and next-door neighbor Magz took us and our three furries in for the night, even though it meant that our old cat Toffee's yowling would inevitably keep us all awake. Simone made it her goal to destroy all of Magz' plants and Celine frolicked around enough to trigger roommate Lorraine's allergies.
It was a tough haul all around. Earlier in the day Lori had experienced a mini-nervous-breakdown over the internal shielding methodology used by the hardwood guys. I was more concerned about the fact that they inadvertently left the front door wide open when they left.
Our general contractor Margie Tucker must also have a psych degree. She talked us through, nicely, 'though we probably didn't deserve it. She'd also sent her son Josh over with a pastrami sandwich for me earlier in the day, no doubt recalling a comment I'd made earlier about having a yen for one.
I now know what they mean now about being the darkest before the dawn.
But good stuff has happened. We now have lights and electricity all around, even to the old garage! All of our water works, including that to our first-ever dishwasher. We have railing and stairs on the front porch. We have fully functional attic with a pull down ladder. Most of the woodwork is complete, pending some painting on our part. Driveways, sidewalks and walkways are installed and usable. Margie is preparing the final "punch list" of remaining tasks.
Soon we'll have a home that as one woman buying a Wii and Wii Fit from me said, may actually be too nice for this neighborhood. That, I noted, is how gentrification begins.