LAUNDRY!

Ok, who knew I would be so excited about a laundry room, right?  But I have a room - not a spot in an unfinished basement...a room!  AND...it is done!  The first room in the house is now painted, plumbed, and filled with appliances!  Woot!  Many thanks to Dad and Don the Dentist for the hard work on this room.  Don was also responsible for my shelving and my hooks.  I.  Am.  Thrilled!

Don the Dentist

Don is a terrific guy.  My parents met Don and his wife Cindy at their Corvette Club.  They hit it off immediately.  I am amazed and forever thankful for  the amount of time and energy he has put into this "project".  Here are a few things I know to be true about Don:
1.  He likes projects.
2.  Cheetos are his favorite snack food.
3.  He is pretty partial to Arby's Jamoca shake as well.
4.  He LOVES Berber carpet and is disappointed in me for not putting it in the basement.
5.  He has "more moves than a can of worms".
6.  He is the calm in the storm when Dad and I start to bicker.
7.  He has an eye for color and decorating.
8.  When asked how long it will take to do XYZ in the house, his typical response is "about 15 minutes".
9.  My dogs like him so he must be "good people"
10.  Dentist should be phonetically pronounced "den teest".  :-)

Aunts and Uncles

This really is the house that "the mature people" built.  (I still can't get used to calling them "old people").  As I have been introducing the work crew to everyone, I would be remiss if I left out Uncle John and Aunt Carolyn.

These two are truly the salt of the earth.  An octagenarian and septuagenarian respectively, they are some of the hardest workers I have ever seen...at any age!  They show up bright and early, ready to roll.  Meanwhile, the rest of us are easing into the day, lingering over another cup of coffee, or bird walking to random subjects, instead of diving in.

They have painted, pulled nails, scrubbed walls, and cleaned, cleaned, cleaned.  Truly, I can't tell you how astonishing it is.  I can only hope to get myself in better shape now so I can be half as agile as they are when I am their age.  What's more, they are both stellar examples of Christianity.  They talk the talk, but they walk the walk as well.  I am so grateful and blessed to be surrounded by such terrific examples and so much love.

The day the music died...

Today was a professional development day in Lawrence.  It's always great to get together and collaborate, especially because we rarely get to do so.  We were taking a break after our morning session when I checked my facebook.  Post after post revealed that Prince had died.  I have to admit, I gasped.  You see it in movies and read about it in novels and I have to say I always thought the gasp was a tad dramatic...until I did so myself.  I can't say why I was so shocked.  Perhaps it was because Prince was an integral part of my teenage years.  I saw Purple Rain a handful of times and wore the vinyl album down so much that his incredible voice and rebellious lyrics were interspersed with pops and cracks.  Maybe it was because Prince had always been a trailblazer and someone who seemed larger than life.  Or maybe it was because he was always unapologetically himself in a world that demands conformity.  Who knows, really.  All I know is that when others in that room heard me gasp and questioned the reason, they were just as shocked as I was when I revealed the answer.  He was that kind of musician.  I know the next few days will be filled with speculation about his death, tributes to his music and his life, and a country blanketed in purple.  I will forever remember singing When Doves Cry into my hairbrush as a kid and dancing in an alley in the rain with my friends to Let's Go Crazy...one thing to remember, there is no idolizing where Prince is concerned.  Instead, there is a great appreciation for an artist whose music left an indelible mark on my teenage years and whose music can take me back to that alley in a heartbeat.

We have interrupted this program...

Life, work, family - those things are far more important that this house or my need to finally sit on my couch.  That said, a few things have sidelined the project lately.

First and foremost would be Dad and his ticker.   He had a triple bypass (diabetes is a bitch) a few years ago and now has been diagnosed with pericarditis.  The way to fix it? Another open heart surgery.  (Insert expletives here.)  To double check those results, he has had to undergo a battery of tests.  His latest was a heart cath.  He was terrific and I can honestly say although there is some anger there that this has happened, he is handling things very well...much better than I would be.  He will have some decisions to make once all the tests come back.  Will he undergo another surgery, or will he continue to be out of breath and deal with all the resulting side effects of this issue.  Stay tuned.

Another bump in the road is my job...lol.  It's not a bump, as it puts food on the table and I love it.  Prom was the actual speed bump during the beginning week of April.  Even though we are a virtual school and kids attend at their houses and I teach at mine, we are always on the lookout for times for them to interact face-to-face.  Prom is one of those times.  This year's theme - the 80s.  Really?  When did I become old enough for people to dress up like I did in my teen years and think it's funny?  When did my music become something to snicker at?  I mean we had Prince, Devo, Madonna, and Culture Club...these goofballs have Justin Beiber for goodness sake.  Anyway, I was the decorating chair for prom, so I borrowed mom's glue gun (I have no idea where mine is), hit Michaels and Hobby Lobby and went to town to create centerpieces for the tables.  It turned out pretty nicely if I do say so myself.

More than I ever needed to know about...Toilets

As far as I'm concerned there are only a handful of things I need to know about toilets.  They include:

• They are necessary to all human beings.
• All human beings who don't have to sit SHOULD PUT THE SEAT DOWN for those of us who do...so we don't fall in.
• All human beings who have no aim what-so-ever should sit no matter what, basically nullifying the need for the second bullet point.
• Cleaning them sucks.

See, I think that's a pretty good list.  I was wrong.  Horribly wrong.  Apparently one needs to know the dimensions of the  different parts.   My understanding is that the people should by a 3" flush valve and at least a 2-inch outlet. This is especially important when flushing.  There is a definite wooshing sound instead of the slow circle and the possibility of remnants in the bowl (All Ally McBeal fans should remember that reference!)   Oh and the taller ones are more comfortable for people my age and above.  WHHHHHAAAAAATTTT?  I just want to take care of my business and get outta there.  I don't linger, nor do I understand those who do.  I just wanted to go to Menards, buy a stool and get out.  Done. 

Sigh.  My education in all things home improvement is growing, and I am happy to day I am now the proud owner of a new toilet for the hall bathroom.  All visitors will marvel over the awesomeness of said toilet, I am sure.  Plus, if they linger, their legs won't fall asleep because the toilet is taller than standard.  Mic drop!  Lol.

Home again, home again, jiggity jog...

I'm back in Topeka.  For good.  All my loose ends in Hutch are now tied up and I am here, here.  I am not, however, living in my house yet.  I am still at mom and dad's house.  They  have been incredible.  Our late night planning talks are great, seeing them as the day is getting started is wonderful, and I am thankful.  But, I am not living in my house.  I know I sound like a spoiled brat when I say that and I don't mean to sound gritchy...I just want to live in my house.  I want to let the girls out to potty in a fenced in yard, I want them to have the run of the house, I want internet that is reliable, and I want to live in my house.  Lol.  Basically, I am just excited and want the place to start feeling like home.  I am a gun-jumper for sure.  However, I am totally ok with living in it as long as I can do the following things:

1. Use the restroom.
2. Shower.
3. Make coffee.

There you have it!  That's the goal for the next week.  I am excited to say that I was able to start painting the kitchen.  It's so fun to see things start to come together!