This is so difficult because I have no clue where to start this story as it has been going on for the last 2 years now but let's see if I can do a short version. ::snort::
Bob's mom had heart problems two years ago and we thought we were going to lose her but bless her heart, they put a pace maker in and she's been kicking ass and taking names ever since. Problem is that she can't really get around so the family asked Bob to install a new bathroom for their mom that would have a 4' shower that a wheelchair could be wheeled into. (Bob has been a handyman for years although he is a sales manager (and the inventor of DRIcore) during his daylight hours) So, of course, I told Bob that he had to do it for his mom who lives an hour from us. So for about 2 months Bob went to his parent's house and reno-ed their bathroom and it was glorious when it was done! May try to insert some pictures - couldn't find the ones from their reno - new computer and can't find the disks for the pictures of Mom's house - weird.
Well, the family is so impressed they ask Bob if he can reno their kitchen. Okay. This one took a few more months and I was starting to feel the strain of missing Bob. Anyways, gorgeous. And I finally get Bob back.
I don't think it was even a month before he found a house near us that was wholly underpriced for the area. We took my dad and the three of us saw this dusty, musty 50 year old house and had visions of what it could be. We made an offer and it was ours. Now, Bob is holding down a full-time job and working nights at this other house. I don't have a job but I am also working at this new house and lo' and behold our house starts to suffer. Hey, this piece of paradise don't clean itself ya know!
Nine months. That's how long it took us, Bob the skilled labourer and his two wing-nut partners my father and me. Oh, geez, let's not forget his best buddy Greg came to help on so many occasions for FREE that we surely would have had the house another couple of months without his help.
Here's a before and after picture of the kitchen of the first house we renoed:
Anyways, nine months was plenty and Bob and I were snarly at each other which in our 9 year marriage was so not commonplace. We normally make people gag or yell, 'get a room'! After nine months we celebrated our sale and profit on the house and laughing referred to the next time which I privately thought would at least be a year away. We closed on Oct 30th and had another house purchased and owned Dec. 17th.
Now, before I go further, from about the labour day weekend in Sept to January, Bob was back to his old self and loving me up again. Doing stuff around our house (which is also over 50 years old and even though we have renoed it, it still needs upkeep - a ceramic tile on the stairs popped off 2 weeks ago and a year ago I had to tear up a section of carpet that one of the cats was using as a litter box. Guess what, the carpet is still missing and the hardwood underneath has not been re-finished yet) telling me how much he appreciates me, etc.
January of 2005. Bob wasn't allowed in the house until after Christmas because my Dad and I knew if he went in before January he would work and work and work and resent that Christmas was ruining his time frame. Anyways, I had pneumonia pretty much from Jan 1 (Happy New Year to me) to Feb. followed by 2 sinus infections and it took me 3 months before I was able to set foot in the house.
Pictures of current house Before Kitchen (remember I was sick so this was about 3 months into demo AND the floor in the picture is the hardwood my dad and I re-finished) and After Kitchen
Now it is August and I have been at that house almost nightly to work on it. Our house is a disaster and on Saturday I had my anxiety ridden meltdown (I have one about ever 6 months and I hate them). The house is up for sale and has been now for 15 days. The difference this time is we haven't finished the basement and trust me, I cringe to think of the work ahead of us. We put the house up early so that we hit the market right. (We were lucky on the last house as we didn't get it up until Labour Day and it sold in 10 days) Anyways, I am tired of the other house, the in fighting that invariably happens between my dad and Bob and then me, the knowledge that my dad wants me there every day to help (now that he can see what I can do, hey, I was hiding some of my latent talents - I could be a trim carpenter tomorrow and Bob taught us how to hang doors - if only I had the ambition to do a three year apprenticeship but then, I'm nobody's bitch) and the stress of not finding a buyer as fast as the last place.
This all leads to me not getting to do things that I enjoy because down time is next to impossible. I have been lucky to keep on top of our laundry and even that fell through tonight when we got home and wondered what the hell that musty smell was - yep, trim carpenter forgot the laundry. Yetch.
All of this leads to not reading as much as I would like to. Not having Bob around as much as I like and not spending nearly enough time with our friends. I keep telling Bob that if he keeps this pace up he will only have me and even then, I may be trolling for husband number 2 ;)
Thanks for letting me bitch, complain and whine.
Oh, did I mention Bob wants to quit his extremely well paying job? Renovate full-time? Problem? We wouldn't make a 1/3 of his income doing renos and the housing market is sure to make a dip - oh, and to top it off, without a job who will loan you the money to buy the house?
That's a story for another day.
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