worms everywhere . . .

These were my goals – set last week.
I will have found and paid for a fireplace.
I will have made a decision on sectional sofa.
I will finish scrapping the ceiling.
I will start taking out the arch by the front door.

First excuse: It was a long week here at the homestead. I had a lot of work related distractions.
I also wasted a lot of time in my quest for a fireplace. I know more now about gas fireplace options and prices then a normal human should. I may be wiser, but I’m not happy about it. This kind of information wouldn’t even help me on JEOPARDY! I don’t know how there can be such a huge range of prices. One website’s little price range bar went to $30,000. Probably something called “the Donald” gold plated and over inflated. You can have a direct vent (goes outside) or a vent free (recycles the air inside), gel fuel, propane, gas and electric. The only option I didn’t have was the one I really wanted. A real, wood burning one. Like the one we would smoke in front of in high school. Straight up the flue, like magic. So at one point I almost gave up and decided I really didn’t “need” a fireplace. I just couldn’t decided and they are expensive. To date I still have not purchased a unit, but I decided. The one I what is $800 and one I would settle for $550 (new and in the box!). I can’t get the cheaper on til March 1, because he is on vacation. But I’m going for the cheaper one, and adding the difference to the sofa.

Second excuse: It was a long week here at the homestead. I had a lot of work related distractions.
It needed repeating. Alright! I know it’s been 2 weeks, geeze! The sectional it turns out has it’s own problem. SIZE. I don’t live in a McMansion. I live in St. Louis Park. Minnesota. Every sectional I’ve liked is too big for my normal sized space. And it’s not very flexible. As such, the sectional has now become the sectional OR the sofas. After standing in the mostly empty living room, it occurred to me that maybe the answer is a love seat and sofa. Those I can move around and switch. So I have made that decision. Not what color (but leather for sure) or which ones (but I know what style) or where to get them, but most probably, maybe, kind of, decided. But I must admit, and this won’t mean anything to a lot of you. But I miss Dayton’s Home Store and Warehouse. Remember Dayton’s home store? Great pieces, fairly priced, and good quality. I always found what I wanted there. Terrific service, delivery. Sigh. Hell, I miss Dayton’s. Now I”m sad.

Third: The ceiling is done. BUT it exposed another decision. You know how when your doing a chore, sometimes it leads to something else and then something else. Your putting the towels away and you notice what a mess the linen closet is, so you start cleaning that, but then your realize that you can’t find your earrings, so you go looking for those and you see that vacuuming needs to be done under the bed. Meanwhile the clean towels are still sitting on the table? While cleaning up the cottage cheese ceiling off the hardwood floor, I noticed that the floors really should be redone. And this got me to thinking (which Ben will tell you is usually never a good thing and often scary) that IF I sold the lumpy sofa, (it’s on Craigs List now) and moved some things into the den and some into the garage, I could get the whole first floor done at one time. Living, Dining and 2 Bedrooms. The bedroom floors probably haven’t been done since 1949. So, while I did indeed finish the ceiling, I have now added the floors to the to do list. If you know a good floor place let me know. But from here on out, no more adding, subtracting only.

Fourth: the Archway.
Sunday ended with me dragging five incredibly heavy black garbage bags back to the alley. My buddy Scott asked, “What’s in the bags” I responded “Ben’s body, do you have room for his legs in your trash can? Mine is full.”

NOTE:Damn it – I had photo of the dust, but my iphone had to be restored and it deleted it. It was something, you couldn’t even see across the room. Damn technology!!)

It started off well enough. I started pounding, a hole started growing. Somewhere along the line we decided to use the “power saw” to trim straight edges in the existing sheetrock. I had not anticipated the mess that this would make. The rock was part plaster, and the minute that blade hit the wall we were covered in dust. I closed all the doors and turned off the furnace but by then it was too late. When we opened the front door to try to ventilate, it actually looked like the house was on fire. I don’t know why I didn’t anticipate this. There was a solid layer of dust on every surface on the main floor. During this time, we had a somewhat heated discussion as to whether or not this little demo was going to be “worth it.” I know that by the end of this, once again my spouse will have to admit that I was right and he…wasn’t. I then proceeded to spend the hour trying to get the metal corner bead and the archway out. I was seriously rethinking the other two arches removal and this plan all together. Loading bags of rock and dust into bags and hauling it out all I could think was maybe we should just move. Packing 20 plus years of shit can’t be worse than this. Ben remarked after hearing my discussion with Scott that he couldn’t believe I wanted him dead. I told him that it wasn’t that I wanted him dead, I just wanted to kill him. There is a difference, albeit a subtle one.

Now, looking at the almost demo’d opening, I can already say that it’s going to look great. As will the yet to be decided fireplace and sofas, window coverings, paint etc. But we are hell and gone from that, so now I must focus.

Goal setting – SMART. Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-bound (or my version SSGWMTF)

Finish opening. Put in new header, run electrical.
Decide on other 2 arches. (I decided, they gots to go)
Get floors done.
Get fireplace = install etc.
Hire taper.
Get drunk.

SSGWMTW? Stop setting goals – watch more TV.