Monday, August 4, 2008

The molding is finally in place...

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It’s official.

I’ve lived in my house for exactly one year.

Granted, I did take possession at about 10 p.m. on the night of July fourth; however, weeks of cleaning, painting, tiling, and getting it ready were required before an official move-in.

It is hard for me to believe that I’ve been here for a whole year. I remember this house feeling so strange, so foreign, so uncomfortable. Like a brand-new pair of dress shoes. Well, the house has since been ‘broken in’ and it feels like home. Many upgrades and improvements have been made over the year, but there was one which eluded me for the longest time…

Let me take you back to just over one year ago: (insert shimmering screen and time-travel music here).

Well, Shawna and I have been working really hard on the house. I get up pretty early every morning and head up to start spackling in holes. I had a group of friends who showed up the other day and helped me wash down walls; I am so grateful for the help they’ve provided…it saved me hours of work. We took out all of the screens and washed the windows, too.

I love the look of clean windows and how the world looks through them.

The other day I decided that I would pull up the linoleum in the kitchen…it’s the same design as in the kitchen of #4 Privet Drive. If you don’t believe me, watch “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” Look at the Dursley’s linoleum in the opening scenes of the movie which take place in the kitchen with Dobby, the house elf…it’s the same floor.


I tore the linoleum out and as I did I found myself looking at the bare wood. All I could think was, “What in the world did I just do?” I wanted to sit down and never get up. I can’t believe just how much of a project this whole house has turned in to.

Well, I knew I just couldn’t leave it so I started to get to work. I next removed all of the floor molding, and started to prep for tiling. Now, I’ve never tiled before, but I decided to sit in on the little class offered at the Home Depot (after how much I’ve spent there over the past few weeks, I’m glad it is something that is free). I will just tile the thing and hope it doesn’t look terrible.

(Two days later)

I started to tile and it is going pretty quickly. Well, at first. Tiling is a lot of work and there is a lot you need to do to make sure that it is level, equally spaced, and getting cuts right, so the pieces look good together. Though this project took me only a few days to complete, I’d never want to do it again. I think I’d rather eat shards of broken glass.

So, how much time did it take altogether? Well, let me put it this way…I just finished “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” on audiobook as I was working on this and touch-up painting. The molding still needs to be sanded down, repainted, and attached to the wall. I just don’t feel like it…I am beat. I ended up putting the molding in the kitchen pantry and will do it when I feel like it.

I think I deserve a break.


(Return to the present day…)

Well, the molding just stayed in the pantry…for a whole year; I just couldn’t bring myself to put it all back on. It was far too much work in my opinion…of course, after doing everything else such as sanding the deck and restaining it, and cleaning out the back patio (which was a jungle), I just felt like doing nothing else. Every day I’d look in and see that molding. It was like the wood was continually calling my name, “Teachinfourth…put us back on the wall…” (well, the voice usually sounded like Annette or Tara, who’d both offered to do it for me, however, pride would not let me let them do it).

Well, I am happy to report that this weekend I finally completed that year-long task and my kitchen and dining room both have the molding back in place! At first it sure did look strange, I was so used to that unfinished strip at the bottom of all of the walls…It sure feels good to be done.

I would write more but it is coming up on 11 and I am bushed. I don’t have the effort to try to be funny anymore.

Time to blog out…

Goodnight.

P.S. Using power tools always makes a job much more fun...and if you are dying to see what the molding looks like now, let me know and I’ll snap and upload a photo of it...

Whoa...that sounds pretty lame even as I type it; however, you are now invested at this point, aren’t you? You’ll probably feel somewhat incomplete if you don’t see the completed project...

13 comments:

Graton said...

I'll bite. I want to see a picture of how it turned out.
Cheers,
Graton

Meg said...

I need to see the completed project.

Anonymous said...

Isn't it nice to have influential friends who can make your life "more better?" Congratulations on completing the project--well done!
T.

Gerb said...

Are you kidding me? That whole post just to say you're done...and then no picture? You've left us hanging. I mean, sure, molding is molding. But post a picture already!

Bee said...

I really would like to see it. You've done a lot of work. I have lived in my house for about a year, and in that time we've replaced the roof, painted almost every room, installed hardware and knobs to update kitchen cabinets, put up a fence, and are currently replacing our garden tub. I'm sure there's more. I'd say by the looks of your house they're about the same age. Going on 20 years.

And no, I'm a complete narcissist yet, although I can't wait to see what kind of hair day I'll have tomorrow.

jacs said...

nice cornholio. you'll post your he-man power tool shot but neglect to show off your artwork? hmm.. proof is in the picture i always say. or i would if i had anything else to say it about.

Cari said...

Yeah. How do we know you actually put up the moulding and didn't just lay it out and take a cool picture with the power tool? I'm just sayin'....:)

annette said...

One word http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw6H3crLzpg

:)

Michelle said...

You are the funny one.....we might be heading your way sometime this weekend if Rich is feeling better from his surgery! I will let you know.

Emily said...

I want to come see it! I can't believe that year has already flown. Was it really only that long ago we were roommates? Hehe.
Nice shot with the power tools. Way to look manly. :)

Julie said...

It does look really nice completed. All I have to say is... nice work!

Teachinfourth said...

Graton - Enjoy it...I hope it isn't as much of a letdown as the new Indiana Jones was...

Meg - I didn't show the whole kitchen...just a few walls. I didn't want to excite you guys too much.

T - Yep...and it only took a year!

Gerb - I'm pretty cruel, aren't I?

Bee - Believe it or not, the house I'm in is probably only 5 years old...the people here had a dog...

I'm glad that you aren't a complete narcissist just yet, however, there is always tomorrow!

Jacs - The PT photo was too good not to show.

Cari - Fine...the 'proof' is now online...I had to put it all on to take the photo since I really didn't do it at the time.

Just kidding, I wouldn't take out all that stuff for nothing.

Nettle - Always helps to have MoTab bringing you cum-lade doesn't it?

Michelle - I'm at ComedySportz this weekend if you're up...

Emmy - You guys need to come up for dinner again sometime soon. We never did watch a movie, did we?

Jewels - Looks better in "the wood" doesn't it? Pictures just don't quite do it justice.

Panama Jones said...

It's the little things. Cliché, I know, but it is. I've read somewhere about small and simple things. . . . Anyway, it always feels great to finish something. It reminds me of when Helen Parr (Elastigirl) calls Bob to tell him that after 3 years they are now officially moved in. I know that feeling too well.

Anyway, congratulations. And it was fun to see what it looked like last year--I remember it well.

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