Worse Then Better

In the last week our new house has gone from move-in ready to being a scary mess, but it's getting back to being almost move-in ready.

I replaced all the outlets and switches upstairs. Shocking, I know. Except it wasn't. Probably because I'm so well grounded. Margo finished major painting; only trim is left here and there.

Last weekend was a low. Flooring was ripped out, and we had to wear shoes to avoid the carpet nails. Dust and sawdust was everywhere. Margo told me how far beyond budget she'd gone and I hit the roof. We were all overtired and cranky.

But it's looking better each day. The hardwoods went in over a few days and are now complete. The carpeting is mostly in now; the upstairs is about complete. It's wool, and today I felt it for the first time with bare feet, and I really like it. The kitchen is mostly installed, and now we can open drawers and cabinets.

Today I spent cleaning. I'd used the central vacuum once before. It's a new concept to me. Today I got a pleasant surprise: there's a much nicer hose and set of attachments in the front closet. I hadn't been in the front closet before.

The upstairs is just about move-in ready. The new carpet is a lower profile, so bits of wall-bottom are still visible, so Margo is painting molding strips and will install them soon.

Boxes arrived today. Instead of buying them, we're renting them - they're actually plastic. They get picked up when we're done.

Packing has commenced, and several carloads have already made their way to our new home, but the bulk of packing still remains.

In three days, it will all be over.