Use Your Words: How to test your marriage. part 305

Hey-O friends!

Today’s post is a writing challenge created by Karen @ Baking in A Tornado.  8 participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words for someone else to use in a post. All words must be used at least once. All posts will be different as each writer has received their own original set of words. No blogger knows who received their words or in what direction the writer will take them. Until today.   

My words are: sustainable ~ various ~ coping mechanism ~ slanted ~ raccoon ~ circus

They were submitted by the very creative Jenniy @

https://climaxedtheblog.blogspot.com               

                     

Oh, friends. If you've read this blog for a long time you know that I like to change things up a bit in my home every now-and-then. If it's something simple like painting or moving furniture, I do it myself. If it's more difficult (ala plumbing, electrical or heavy-lifting,) I ask the man for his assistance. This time, I wanted to update our main bathroom. The room is a bit awkward, as it also houses our laundry.  So, I brought it up to the man.

He's silent for a minute (this is him recalling every circus-like remodel we've ever done) and then clenches his jaw together while talking to me which lets me know he'd rather have his teeth pulled than deal with another update. We both want our house to be sustainable for years, but neither of us has the energy anymore. "What will it entail?", he asks.

My List:

1. Paint

2. A new sink top

3. Maybe do something with the dingy floor? (not sure) 

Three things. That's it. At most: 1 trip to Lowes.

Time frame: 1 long weekend

(insert all of the experts and the good Lord above laughing in unison.)

We enlisted our son to help take out all of the room's hardware so we could remove the doors.

We had to move the washer/dryer so I could paint.

Easy enough.

What really happened to my ridiculously naive list: 

Clearing out the bathroom/ when we had hope.

1. Remove the sink top and notice the stained wall and soft bottom of the sink cabinet.

2. Remove the top part of the CABINET and realize the hot water pipes have leaked down the wall and into the floorboards.

3. Remove the corroded pipes and realize they haven't been checked since...the year the man was born? Good heavens people, after I saw the connecters, I doubted everything I've ever known that was good in the world.

The actual hot water connection. There's not enough CLR in the land to help this pipe out.

4. Cry. Assess the damage and hit Lowes.

5.  Lowes for paint, primer, pipes, connectors, and a TOTAL SINK. Remember that our existing toilet has a surface crack in the bowl, so we proactively buy a new one. Who has two thumbs and gets excited for a flipping sale on toilets? This girl.

6. Ask the man to remind me to write about the LAST toilet we installed...

7. During the hook up of new pipes, we assess that the people who laid the existing tile did NOT, in fact, tile under the sink. And the floorboards under the sink are slanted. The floor would need to be replaced.

8. Lowes trip # 2 -  Pickup wallboards, new plywood, a faucet for the NEW SINK, and tiling materials; which should be easy right? (insert more tears). Add to the list mortarboard, grout, tiles, de hazer, mud, (oh yeah, they don't have enough of the tile we chose), and a scraper blade to "pop-up" the existing tiles.

9. Replace sink pipes and decided to start chipping up the tiles, since nothing can happen until we have a floor. Use the scraper. And a hammer. And a sledgehammer. 'Seems the people that lived here previously were either reigning tile champions, or have successfully buried bodies in cement, because that stuff would. not. move.

10. Home Depot this time, to rent a hammer drill. I can't express the frustration we possessed trying to tear up that floor. The tiles merely chipped and all of the mortarboards turned to dust. I'm sure I mentioned that we removed the doors right? Enter everything in my home covered in dirt.

11.  Take a day off to contemplate buying a new home. Perhaps one with an outhouse.

12. Home Depot trip #2 to exchange for a LARGER hammer drill that eventually does a satisfactory job.

all hope and happiness is gone

13. We are five days in and the man and I don't know how we ever loved each other. He huffs and puffs when i move and I can't stand the sight of his dusty-a$$ed jeans. Frustration leads to bickering and nothing makes it better until he mentions ice cream. That's right. Frozen dairy reunites us once again. Mint-chocolate-chip-tasting is totally a coping mechanism, right?

14. Day 6: we have to temporarily move the laundry back to the hook-ups because, oh, I don't know... I have spoiled my boys into not making their underclothes last? Hey, there ARE ways.

still hopeless, but smelling April-fresh.

15. Yeah. STEP FIFTEEN! Would you like to see the finished project? Um, so would we. We are at a standstill while the man does his real job and my grandson wants to go shopping. I'd much rather buy fruity pebbles, stuffed raccoons, and various Legos at Target, than trip over one more sample of porcelain tile.

Wish us luck/Pray for our marriage/Pray for our souls.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends, free from DIY projects or HGTV.

-Michele

Don't forget to check out the other amazing bloggers and see what they've come up with!               

They were submitted by:

 Baking In A Tornado

 Wandering Web Designer

 Spatulas On Parade

 On The Border 

 Sarah Nolan

 Part-time Working Hockey Mom

 Climaxed                                             

Secret Subject Swap- November

Hello, November. Eh. We just finished Halloween, and now all of the Christmas ads/songs/decorations are appearing. Too fast, people. Give us at least SOME Turkey time. The good news?  It's time for the SSS!

If you're a regular reader, you know that the Secret Subject Swap is a collaboration between various bloggers. We receive secret topics from a blogger in an e-mail and put our own spin on the subjects. The 12 blogs participating this time are listed at the end of this post. Go have a look and leave a comment. It will make my our day! :)

Your “Secret Subject” is:

The cleaning wizard visits. Offers you the chance to forever forgo your least favorite chore. The one chore you will Never Ever have to do again. What is it?  Who do you wish it upon?  Why?

It was submitted by: www.eviljoyspeaks.wordpress.com      

WARNING: If TMI is not your thing, you better move on now...             

Never again? Do you promise Ms. Cleaning Wizard? I'd half expect her to answer.
"Yes, my dear. Why, you've had the power to stop all along…"
I'd cry happy tears. Twirling would be probable. Maybe some rocking on the floor. I'm sure eating ice-cream straight out of the carton would be happening as well. Solo. Mmm.

Which chore you ask? If you read this blog, you'd more than likely already know my answer.
I hope it counts as one chore. Cleaning the toilet. The lid, the bowl, the front, the disgusting part where the screws attach AT the lid, and the 2 foot perimeter of the whole dang area around it. Please tell me that all falls under the category of "Cleaning the porcelain princess".

Hey. I've had my share of college days and hugging the cold white bowl. There were, in fact those nasty evenings after eating too much Taco Bell. I've even broken my water over the toilet. Yes, the john and I have REALLY gotten to know one another. My point is, I have never gagged in any of those situations like I do cleaning our toilets now.

Does it have to do with having teens? Have toilets become smaller, thus leaving an impossible target? Is it like my dogs? Are people in my home marking their territory? Let me tell you one thing. Those dogs (who have been known to eat each other's poop) won't even go near our bathrooms.

Every day, I lift the lid to find tiny yellow drops. Most days, there is a matching yellow stream down the front and onto the grout of the cold tile floor. I stopped using rugs; they were getting "damp". I stopped setting the brush and bleach so close to the toilet (I was trying to give clues!), but the bottles were covered in what I can only describe as "honey-colred spatter". If I really wanted to know (and I don't!), I'd buy one of those black light things. I know I wouldn't find a murder scene. Nope. But I just MIGHT find out who has been peeing on my walls. Maybe they wrote their name like guys do in the snow. If this isn't TMI, then get ready. It's highly likely that one of my family members forgoes the toilet paper altogether and just slides off the bowl, leaving me with, oh, I don't know. Just a daily piece of sunshine? I'd like to think that person is saving a rain forest somewhere while I'm stuck spraying chemicals from atop the washing machine.

On the off-chance I haven't hit the bathrooms yet? Well that's when the friends or family stop over, of course!
"Can I just quickly use your potty? Thanks!" says someone who's asking rhetorically.
Shock and a hit to my stomach. OMG. What in the world will they see? Should I stop them? Should I tell them to squat? Should I pretend we didn't pay the water bill and swiftly push them back out the door? It has happened to me, kids. More than once.

All right. So if the Clorox fairy is REALLY giving me a free pass, who should get the job? Is it fair to give it to the daughter that's as sickened as me? The man? He is 6'2" after all. How about the teen with all of his teen friends?
The youngest? Would he even be strong enough to scrape the yellow gunk off of the floor?

I only have one answer. It's a good idea, because it can be used two fold. I'm thinking of putting a different colored tablet (the kind used for dying Easter eggs) into every family member's drink for a few days. Do you follow me? The colored urine would give away the culprit. Genius, I know. That person would forever be destined to clean the royal throne. I can see it sparkling now. Gleaming, really.

Oh yeah. Remember how I said two fold? That "colorful" person (or another) will give themselves up when they spit their toothpaste in the sink. A little color with a whole bunch of toothpaste. Why rinse the gunk down, right? That's what mom is for!

Excuse me while I put on the old ruby slippers. Hmm? The Lysol/Borax/Clorox/Comet fairy likes the fuzzy purple slippers? You've got it. Closing the eyes and clicking my heels a few times...

"There's nowhere like the beach,
there's nowhere like the sea.
Fairy grant me just one wish,
Let someone else clean the pee."

Thanks for the prompt, Evil Joy Speaks.!

If you are interested in joining us for the next Subject Swap, you can visit its creator, the wonderful Karen @ Baking in a Tornado. She is incredible. You can also read all about the swaps by clicking on the SSS icon on the side of my blog.

Don't forget to check out this month's talented participants!

Baking in a Tornado                        

The Momisodes                         

Just a Little Nutty                     

Follow Me Home              

Moore Organized Mayhem    

The Sadder but Wiser Girl                                     

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy                            

Crazy as Normal                                     

Searching for Sanity                   

Dawn's Disaster                           

Menopausal Mother                               

Evil Joy Speaks                           

                     

Happy "Enjoy the daylight while you can", friends.
-Michele                                  

Basement Bathroom is Finished!

Well you know, nothing is ever REALLY finished, but for now, we are "DONE!"

As you know, this wasn't our favorite redo. But, I love the finished product and am so happy that we were able to make even the smallest of improvements. One of my favorite parts of this little room is that it reminds me of something I might have found in my great-grandmother's house. Nothing fancy, but not bad at all for a basement bathroom. I'm secretly in love with the "shabby chic" look; even more in love that the plumbing and electricity are working properly...

Here are some before and after pictures. I hope you like feminine, because there will not be any "seats up/missing aimers" action allowed.  Also not allowed: newspaper reading, toilet texting, or using of the "good towels". Yup, it already feels like grandma's...

Before: Green bathroom with water-damaged floor and soggy cabinets.

After- Pink bathroom with "wood-like" laminate floor and pedestal sink.

Before: Medicine cabinet/ Acrylic sink top 

After- Pedestal Sink ($50), Mirror from Savers 4 bucks, baby!

Before- Water damaged floor, moldy baseboards (gross, I know.)

After- Laminate floor,  bigger baseboards, LOADS of caulk

Before- Sink top, faucet

After- Pedestal sink- Lowe's cheapest faucet. I thought it looked retro.

Before- Hollowed out bathroom. This is the floor in its pre-scraping, pre-cursing, pre-crying state. Peeling up the floor and glue was ridiculous. I almost said "Forget-it, use a glue-stick!" Actually, I know I said that.

After- I do love the new floor. It's water resistant. Woo Hoo!

Before- I can't begin to describe what we scraped off the walls, what we had to patch or how much of that old wax ring was missing.....UGH times three :(

After- replaced green board, wax ring AND toilet handle. How cute is that little thing-a-majig? The man almost suffocated me while he was balancing a sink and I was attaching that meaningless handle. I say whomever uses that toilet won't think it's so meaningless..

Before- Our light, which is about to find it's home in another room.

After- This one took some begging. $39 dollars at IKEA. After the man started to cry and scream about it, I gave in. He can have his fancy lighting. This time. Boys.

Before- another pic of the medicine cabinet and wall lights.

After: I liked those lights! We switched the bulbs to crystal shaped ones. They're supposed to last longer. The candle holder on the wall and the mirror were brass. The middle child sanded and painted them for me. 

So there it is. I still have to finish painting the moulding and hang the curtain on the see-thru door, but for now, I'll kick everyone out and take a bath. Or a shower. But I'll do it upstairs because I am NOT messing up this room....yet.

Leave me your thoughts...

Happy Friday, friends!

Day 33 of Forty- Thankful Five

Happy Sunday, friends.  Here are 5 things I'm grateful for:

1. Neighborhood friends. Let's face it. My forever friends are the people who were my very first neighbors; people I met when I was three. I love them just as much as I did when we were running around playing kick the can after school. The neighborhood we moved from four years ago gave us a multitude of grown-up friends. Even though we live where-ever we do now, many of us are still close. We were all the same age, we all had children that went to school together and we all were struggling with the same issues (paying the bills, working multiple jobs, fitting in). It was a very pleasant place to grow our family. I'm grateful I was allowed to have the experience of getting to know so many great people. I'm equally grateful that my daughter made her forever friends in the same neighborhood.

2. First BBQ of Spring. We were invited by two of our best friends to a BBQ on Saturday. They are also friends from our old neighborhood and I adore them. Our spouses get along, our kids get along... I  don't know how we got so lucky. I'm grateful that we were able to stuff ourselves silly with all things-grilled, laugh about nothing in particular and watch our children do the same. That friendship is such a gift.

3. Peel and Stick Flooring. You know how we've been working on the bathroom downstairs and that it hasn't been one of our favorite re-dos. It mostly had to do with how scared we were to see the water damage that had taken place over who-knows-how-long. What began as a paint-job, quickly became a huge overhaul to find and fix a leak. Everything with any capacity to be water-damaged had to be thrown out. The cabinet was soggy, the floor had curled up and there was more grossness than I care to mention on a Sunday. Thank goodness we found the problem (equally gross). We couldn't put down carpet or lay wood in the basement, so went with this really cool flooring from Home Depot. It wasn't too pricy and it looks like wood, except that it's not. It's this peel and stick stuff that you lay like stickers to the floor. The pieces overlap so the floor kind of "floats". The best part of this pseudo-linoleum is that it is highly water resistant and comes with a 25 year warranty. I do believe it will outlast me. Thank you, Big Orange Box Store.

4. My house. I sometimes am afraid of the outside world. I don't enjoy shopping on Saturdays or going to movie premiers that are practically sold-out. I am just as happy sitting with my family in this aging old brick haven. Scares like we had with the bathroom remind me again how easily something can be taken away. I had nightmares of black mold and sagging support beams; of wet concrete or cracked sub floors. We do not live in a cookie-cutter house. We do not live in a McMansion, or anything resembling "new or shiny."It's an old house with aluminum wiring that badly needs a new roof and windows that don't whistle when the wind blows. I write lots of blog posts on the different ways we try to fix it up, I know. It has great bones and was built by people we loved. People who aren't alive anymore; people I talk to when I'm repairing something. "Oh 'so-and-so, ' Why did you choose to put the wall here and why isn't it square?" or  "Hey, 'so-and-so',  Make sure I don't get electrocuted when I touch this wire..." It goes on and on. The point is, I genuinely love this house; as much as you can love something that doesn't breathe. I know like everything else, that it might not be standing forever. We live in a time of economic uncertainty..We live on a fault line and/or  I run too many appliances all at once... But for now, I put my babies to sleep every night in this home. I read novels in its corners. I watch the sun stream in when it's cold outside from the living room windows. I create down in that silly craft room and sometimes, I cook in its kitchen... I will never take any of it for granted.


5. At this very minute, I am grateful for my five senses.  I'm looking at this screen and feeling the keys as I click out all of my rambling thoughts. I can hear the whoosh of "light sabers" and smell buttery microwave popcorn. I am upstairs in my room and the man and our youngest are enjoying some episode of "Star Wars" down in the living room.

It is Sunday night, and all is well.

Have a wonderful evening, friends.

Day 26 of Forty: Sunday Five

Hello friends! I hope you had an enjoyable weekend. I can't believe it's already Sunday but, I never can.  This was one of those weekends where I think we'll all be grateful to be back in the swing of things at work and school. The man and I dug a little too deep into the bathroom downstairs and found a host of things that genuinely need to be fixed. There is a huge difference between redecorating and finding major things that need to be replaced..This makeover is going to take a bit longer than the rest. The silver lining here is that we caught a few issues before they became catastrophes. Yay us. :)

Here are my thankful five for the week.

1. The man's parents joined us for breakfast (and good conversation) on Saturday morning and then took the kids to overnight with them. The two boys love to sleepover, so they ended up having a really nice time. I am grateful in a million ways that my children have family close-by. Nothing is better than grandparent love, and you know- anyone who loves my kids, my husband AND me? Well that is both AMAZING and very appreciated.

2. I'm grateful for the technology that connected me for a bit with my nephew, who lives in the Mitten.  He turned 3 yesterday. I pouted over the fact that I couldn't be there. I was able to call him though and wish him a happy day. The man and my kids were able to post birthday wishes to him on my sister's Facebook page. At the end of the evening, I got a text video (is that what it's called?) of my nephew, sitting on his bed and thanking me for a gift I ordered for him online. All thanks to technology. You will not hear me saying that often, but in this case, it made me feel present with that little guy- right where I wanted to be.

3. I'm thankful that I became Facebook friends with my recently widowed grandfather. It makes keeping up with him easier. It's been a beautiful thing seeing my whole family send him so much love. Plus, how many children can say they are FB friends with their Great-Grandfather? My daughter now can :)

4. I'm grateful for the sounds my washer and dryer make when they're finished with their cycles. It's a pain to sort, load, wash, dry, fold AND put away all of those clothes, but I think back to all of the years we trudged back and forth to the laundromat, and am so happy to have a set of my own. I remember telling my mother-in-law that when I got my first washer, I sat and watched two loads of laundry swish and spin in front of me. It was as good as any movie because it was all mine.

5. Sunday Night Special. I'm thankful for the tradition my husband brought to the family. It means that on Sunday nights, dinner is up to you. The kids eat ramen noodles or cereal. The man eats Mac and Cheese or leftovers and I eat, well, whatever is left in the cookie jar. It's glorious and I highly recommend it to any family doing the "Uh-Oh, tomorrow is Monday and I still have 27 things to do!" dance. I believe this evening, I'll partner up with Rice Krispies and some Vanilla Wafers.

Happy Sunday Evening, friends :)

Day 25 of Forty: What are you doing NOW?

I can't talk long. It's Saint Patrick's Day and the kids are staying overnight at their grandparent's house. I remember the days when this would only signal a great party with friends and spirits..but... well, we're old, people. The man and I have instead decided to gut our basement bathroom.

Good times. Hey, at least the bathroom is GREEN. That counts for something, right?

Wish us luck trying to put it all back together.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, friends :)

What are your plans this evening?