However, things aren't just hopping at work! All of the talk that has been going on in the last year to 18 months is finally changing into action, and even though I am working 12 hour days, progress marches on and Mark and I are both determined not to let a small thing like 70 hour work-weeks or culinary school final-exam prep stop us from meeting our goals.
Meet the Philbot: Long story short, MouseketeerPhil is the person with whom I co-own the house. He has been in my life since 1996, and Mark and I are lucky to be able to call him family as well. Phil moved back home to Rhode Island 2 years ago, and this is his first visit back to Phoenix in all that time. He's back to help whip the house back into shape so we can get it on the market as soon as Mark graduates.
Philbot working on the wood floor. Click to enlarge.
More photos are forthcoming, but Phil has torn the kitchen apart to repaint nearly every square inch that a brush can reach. We have gone from a cool cactus green to a warm pumpkin with bright white painted cabinets. It's such an amazingly refreshing change in only a couple of days.
I will have the next 4 days off from work (don't ask me what I had to do to get THAT approved), but it will be a whirlwind of paint, wood flooring, scrubbing, nailing, hammering and trimming. When the dust settles it will be a new house!
These are the biggest tasks on our punch list:
- Complete the wood floor install in the spare room.
- Install baseboards in 2 bedrooms.
- Replace bathroom baseboards
- Repaint kitchen, bathroom, living room, master bedroom, house exterior, back porch, laundry room.
- Change out light fixtures.
- Change out outlet covers (we have brass ones that I want to keep).
- Start packing up things that don't need to be out (DVD's, CD's, books, etc.).
- Repaint baseboards that are in the living room.
I'm sure this list will grow if it doesn't kill us first!
To keep things in perspective, here is our current time line:
- Phil is in town until next Saturday
- Mark graduates exactly 4 weeks from today.
- If all goes according to plan (home prep and repair), we put the house on the market that week as well.
- We have discussed moving Mark to Orlando with a few weeks of his graduation so that he can set up residency and start applying for jobs.
- We wait for the house to sell... then I give my notice and join Mark in Florida.
Take a deep, cleansing breath!
I promise pictures before the weekend is over... Keep us in your thoughts,
Comments are welcome. Positive feedback encouraged!
Mouseketeer Ken
_ _
( ).-.( )
`( )`
'-'
