It sounded like a simple project...

We had already done the hard part, supposedly.  Back in the spring when we renovated the bathroom, we moved the main drain line for half of the house so it could run along the ductwork, rather than across the middle of the open ceiling.  So all that was left to do was to tear out the suspended ceiling, move some wires and some central vacuum tubing, wire new light fixtures, frame a bulkhead, and put up drywall and some cabinetry.  Simple, right?

That's what I thought last month.  I'm by no means a DIY neophyte, so I shouldn't be naive.  But everything on this project has seemed to take longer than we thought - mostly because of them.

"They" are the imaginary people who move into the house after us and criticize us for taking stupid shortcuts on home improvements.  We know about "them" because in a sense, we are "them."  Having been "them," we can anticipate "their" pain and want to save "them" from as much anguish as possible. 

Sometimes this means pulling out all the wiring for just about an entire room and running it back so it can be properly threaded through holes.  Sometimes it means tearing off more drywall than really seems necessary so you can put up complete panels instead of infinite patches.  Sometimes it means countless tiny things that by themselves don't seem like they would take much time, but all together add up to about a week.

They probably won't even appreciate it.

But I will. 

I can't believe I completely missed the month of September.  However, now it is the end of October and I still have nothing to say.  So here's a picture.

Emily

Here are some photos of my latest project...

This is the "before."  I present the laundry room.  Cluttered, crowded, and inconvenient.  There's a cabinet somewhere behind all those clothes.  Good luck getting anything out of it.

And.... drumroll please...

...after.  Sorry for the distortion, but I had to use the wide angle to get the whole view in close quarters.

So, this was a much shorter-term project than the last one, but it was still interesting.  First I took some old cabinet doors that we had salvaged from the basement bathroom and built a cabinet frame to match them.  Then Mom and I ripped out the old ceiling header, patched the drywall, and painted the ceiling and the walls.   Then, once the cabinet was painted, we hung it. 

Now all the junk goes behind closed doors, and you can actually use the dryer top for stuff like... folding things! 

And, since this was Mom's birthday gift, I gave her a little bonus shelf for her antique iron.  We decided we didn't really need too much hanging space, so this little rod does the job now.

Now everyone is asking me what my next project will be...

Emily 

Ah, poor neglected Xanga.  Since I last wrote, we spent a week at the beach, I had a birthday, and several friends came to visit me. 

Joy-Joy came and helped me entertain Lana.  I think she's an honorary aunt now.

I had fun with my new camera.  And I had fun with Lana, of course.

"Pincher crab, pincher crab, I'm a little pincher crab!
Pincher crab, pincher crab, pinch pinch pinch pinch pinch!"

Destined to become a classic, I'm sure.  It's important for kids to learn about their heritage. 

We got home on Sunday, and Monday night five old Verity friends who were in the area came by and we had a competitive round of Settlers and Cities & Knights.  Then we rounded out the night with some good ol' Scum.  Good times.

Since we got home, I've started on another project.  However, I also have two weddings this weekend.  And ever since the finger incident, I'm a little leery of using power tools right before major musical events.  Thus, I'm not moving as fast on the project as I would like.  It is not nearly as large an undertaking as the bathroom, though, so it shouldn't be too bad once I actually get going full force. 

That's my life in a nutshell!

Emily