Under Construction

And now for some photos of the progress. It has been 9 days since the bathroom was demolished and although it doesn't look like much has been done, there have been plumbers, electricians and carpenters here all day every weekday.

This wall, where the shower used to be on the right and the pedestal sink on the left will be the home of the new 4' vanity and linen tower.

Cats do NOT like construction. Or any disruption in their home or routine, for that matter.

Millie checks out the new shower base.

This wall seems solid and plumb. Excellent for scratching!

Shower valve.

Caution: no shower here yet.

This is where the new dual-flush toilet will go. For those who are not familiar- a smaller amount of water is used for liquid waste and..... well, you get the idea. There is going to be a storage cabinet above the toilet in the eave space and the shower is to the right.

This last photo was 2 storms ago. You get the idea.

Groundhog Day

Today we receive another 10 inches of snow, this winter I could probably copy and paste my last post each week and it would be true. I was never able to watch the entire Bill Murray movie Groundhog Daybecause I found it entirely too annoying to watch them repeating the same day over and over. I realize I was missing the "bigger message" of the movie, but there it is. And now, in a way I don't need to watch it; although the plot differs, we're living it out this winter.

Each week has provided its own significant snowfall. I've actually lost track if we are on our 3rd or 4th blizzard. Does it really matter? We've run out of places to put the snow and this year I do think that plow drivers are intrinsically evil people. I'm convinced they wait around the corner to see when we finish shoveling or snow-blowing before coming down the street again and dumping a fresh mountain at the end of the driveway. On the news they said one town actually has police escorts for the plow drivers to protect them from irate homeowners. Imagine!

On a brighter note, the upstairs bathroom is progressing well. I have to hand it to the workmen; they show up and work despite the weather.

This is the bathroom before the demolition started:

Love the knotty pine!

Joe's closet on the left and the catch-all closet on the right. Ripping this area out will give us much more space in the bathroom.

View from in the closet. Toilet at the left, small pedestal sink and the is shower on the right.

Our little shower - 32x34". The new one is going to feel so spacious!!! No more bruised elbows.

This is the view into the bathroom from the hallway. The old shower is behind the wall on the right. It has always been impossible to have more than one person in the room at one time due to the layout. Now it will be that much bigger and easier to share the space. I'm a bit sad to see the wallpaper go, it's a Waverly print that I got on sale because it had been discontinued (just before my 30th birthday.... yep, it's been up for 16 years!) I love the colors and pattern as much as I did the day we put it up, but I know saying goodbye to it will be totally worth it.

Snow Job

After the Wednesday blizzard it seemed almost miraculous that Thursday dawned sunny and blindingly bright after the previous day's darkness and storm. I couldn't resist taking a walk with my camera before the roads got too busy.

I love the way the house looks covered in snow, so cozy and charming.

The sun shining through a snow-covered tree.

The big oak in front of our house was creaking and groaning with the coating of ice and snow. I will neither confirm nor deny the fact that I got nailed - not once but twice!- with falling snow while snapping photos. Some opportunities are just too good to pass up.

Day Off

Yesterday I did something rare, self-indulgent and bad for me: I skipped both morning and evening treatments. (I did take a 1-1/2 mile walk, which was basically the only "good-for-me" thing I did all day.) What a treat! I probably should have used the time constructively, to accomplish some great task, but instead the it was used to completely sack out on the couch watching a Mad Men marathon. Say that 10 times fast!

Joe made me promise that it would be the only time I'd skip a treatment all week, which I readily agreed to. From time to time I'll take the evening session off if we have plans or have had an especially busy day, but skipping both morning and evening is as rare as a blue moon, for good reason. Omitting a neb or vest session here or there isn't going to kill me, the same way not brushing your teeth one evening isn't going to cause all your teeth to fall out, but getting into the habit of not brushing isn't a good path to go down. Same with nebs and vesting: one missed treatment does not a habit make, but it is a slippery slope. Aaah, the freedom! For that reason I try to avoid skipping more than 2 per week. Two out of 14 isn't horrible, and that is a worst-case-scenario; ideally I have a 100% compliance rate. Although I probably won't miss 2 in a day for another year, I can look back on the sweet laziness of yesterday until that next time I have a day off.

Pair Four

This pair is my favorite so far. The yarn is soft, not too stretchy and is a delicious mint color. The lace pattern was a challenge, but once I got the hang of it wasn't difficult. The fit on this pair is the best, also. My only complaint is that the leg part could have been a bit longer; I did have extra yarn but wasn't sure I would have enough to complete the foot if I knit them further up the ankle.

My next pair is going to be in a pink multi-color using the same pattern (lacy days clouds in Knit Socks!) and I will do an extra inch on the leg. The past 2 Christmases were Years of the Slipper; quite possibly the Christmas of 2011 will be the Year of the Sock.

Felted slippers ready to be wrapped as Christmas gifts.