Okay, I'm a bit late for posting my list of "things I did this summer", but better late than never:

1.  Had several of our windows replaced
2.  Got the Girl-O enrolled in baseball and went to umpteen games, practices and tournaments, not to mention the Cactus Festival Parade with her team
3.  Arranged for the Girl-O to go to various day camps and also ( Read more... )

OMG.  Mr. Brusque/Terse but Competent Contractor is starting to warm up.  He's grouting the tub tiles, listening to the radio.  And I hear him singing along with Gord Downie to a Tragically Hip song.  Funny!

We're having some renovations done in anticipation of listing our house for sale in late winter/early spring (February/March or so).  There are 2 guys working and they're going like gangbusters.  I'm not sure how much more I can take of the noise, dust and other chaos.

Right now, all the furniture in our living room is squished into the middle of ( Read more... )

So, like I said, I met with contractor #2 this morning, and we walked through the same reno list for the house, but...holy jeez!  This guy's people skills are lacking.  He seems friendly enough at first, but then he kept putting his foot in his mouth.  First of all, he's aghast at how cluttered our house is (okay, we know that Einstein...we've ( Read more... )

Here's the story: doc_mystery wants a bigger house for all his stuff.  "Make it so!" he tells me.  So I'm trying to make it so.  But it's harder than he thinks it is to get our house ready for sale.  We could sell it "as is", like the financially-strapped neighbours down the street, but when we're ready to buy a new house, we're going to want to sell our ( Read more... )

Our kitchen renovation starting this morning (at 8:40 am) and to say that I'm stressed out would be an understatement.

( Read more... )