Busy in Montreal
Jun. 10th, 2007 10:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
evaine_ljWhile I sit and enjoy my first and second cup of coffee of the day, I think it's time I finally put down in writing the things that are happening around here. *LOL* I think I've been leery of doing that for fear something was going to go tits up. Superstitious? Me? Nah! (Yeah, right!)
So, some of you know that my ex-husband, Ben and I were waiting EONS - seriously, years - for his father's estate to get cleared up and that finally happened so, the money was disbursed and Ben duly gave me my share that was promised in the divorce. So, I payed off the mortgage of the house and renovations were planned.
Now, my little house here was built in 1959 and nothing had seriously been done to it since then. My first husband and I bought it in 1979, so I've been here... well, it was 29 years this past February. Yes, it's had the roof redone and before we bought it, the living room windows were replaced, but other than that, nothing. Nada. Rien de tout. Well, nothing other than some cosmetic stuff like painting, wallpapering and the like.
So, Ben, the ex, is going to do the renovations, things we'd planned way back even before the divorce. *LOL* Yes he's my ex, but there's no one I'd trust more doing work on my home. He knows his stuff and has done lots of renovation work over the years. He could actually make a good living at it if he was able to deal with people like a normal human being. But he can't, so he doesn't. He has a very healthy persecution complex, a HUGE ego, and the idea that he knows better than anyone else. NOT the greatest for dealing with customers. But I'm not a customer - I know how he is and can deal with it. All that to say, yes, I do trust him.
So...
We had an earthquake here back in... 1990, I guess it was, and at that time, I got a lovely crack in my foundation. Luckily, the thing never leaked. So, part of the renovations is to get that crack sealed. I thought I was going to have to get the house raised and the foundation totally redone, but apparently with all the new stuff they have today, I can just have it sealed and reinforced. Thank God, because a couple thousand dollars is much easier to swallow than the 25K THAT would have cost.
I'm also replacing all the windows (9) and exterior doors (2). Some of you heard me shriek when I ordered those a few weeks ago and saw what it was going to cost me. *LOL* But it badly needs to be done, so the money is well spent, believe me.
I'm also having the kitchen redone, a powder room created, a bedroom created in the basement for Michael, making the bathroom bigger and taking down walls upstairs between my bedroom and the study.
I had debated selling this place and getting a new house, but decided that in the long run, it'd be less expensive to make this one as I wanted it.
So, right now, I have my windows and doors ordered, new appliances ordered (washing machine, dryer, stove and dishwasher) and the motel reserved. Yes, I have to leave the house for a while as the demolition and electrical and plumbing is done. It will make the work go faster and be easier as well as not killing me with all the dust. The asthma would not like the dust. *LOL* So, for 4 weeks, Michael and I will be living in a motel apartment nearby. Michael will be helping Ben on the house - as will I, as much as I can do.
The motel has been reserved for July 7th and I've planned for being there 4 weeks. Two weeks of that includes the first two weeks of my three-week summer vacation. Julie will be coming to visit, hopefully for the full 3 weeks of my vacation. It's gonna be a hectic and fun time! *LOL*
This weekend, I've begun packing up the house. I'll be moving just about everything into storage for the duration, you see. I've taken the next four days off work - I HAVE to go in on Friday. *sigh* But there's no way I could work and pack and be ready for July 7th. Being ill over the past 6 months and just now starting to feel better, I have to pace myself.
Yesterday, I started on the study. I have a fuck-ton of books. I mean, seriously, I could start a small lending library or second hand bookstore if I was so inclined. So far, I have 10 boxes of just paperbacks done - and there's still more of those! And then there's all the hardcovers. Eeeep! I also packed up two boxes of my tea cup collection. As I pack, Michael and I will ferry the boxes and stuff over to the storage place so that when the time comes to completely empty the place there will be a minimum of boxes and little shit to transport. The sheer volume of crap to pack frightens me to death, but I'm trying to look at it in small chunks of stuff to do, so that helps - but there are hours when I get completely overwhelmed at the job ahead.
I plan to take shitloads of before, during and after pictures, to document this huge undertaking. Thank God for digital cameras! *LOL* And I'm stressing like mad, of course, but it's also very exciting. I've had plans for redoing this place for SO long and finally, at last, I'm going to be able to do it. And I'm not renovating with an eye towards reselling either. I'm going to make this house the home I want, screw resale value. "Fuck it all and no regrets!" as one James Hetfield opines. *grin* "It's my time now."
So, to keep a running tally, 'cause I'm curious that way... I've packed..
10 boxes of books.
2 boxes of china.
So wish me luck, folks! Hopefully, I'll still have my sanity when this is all over.
And now I must make my plan of attack for the day.
So, some of you know that my ex-husband, Ben and I were waiting EONS - seriously, years - for his father's estate to get cleared up and that finally happened so, the money was disbursed and Ben duly gave me my share that was promised in the divorce. So, I payed off the mortgage of the house and renovations were planned.
Now, my little house here was built in 1959 and nothing had seriously been done to it since then. My first husband and I bought it in 1979, so I've been here... well, it was 29 years this past February. Yes, it's had the roof redone and before we bought it, the living room windows were replaced, but other than that, nothing. Nada. Rien de tout. Well, nothing other than some cosmetic stuff like painting, wallpapering and the like.
So, Ben, the ex, is going to do the renovations, things we'd planned way back even before the divorce. *LOL* Yes he's my ex, but there's no one I'd trust more doing work on my home. He knows his stuff and has done lots of renovation work over the years. He could actually make a good living at it if he was able to deal with people like a normal human being. But he can't, so he doesn't. He has a very healthy persecution complex, a HUGE ego, and the idea that he knows better than anyone else. NOT the greatest for dealing with customers. But I'm not a customer - I know how he is and can deal with it. All that to say, yes, I do trust him.
So...
We had an earthquake here back in... 1990, I guess it was, and at that time, I got a lovely crack in my foundation. Luckily, the thing never leaked. So, part of the renovations is to get that crack sealed. I thought I was going to have to get the house raised and the foundation totally redone, but apparently with all the new stuff they have today, I can just have it sealed and reinforced. Thank God, because a couple thousand dollars is much easier to swallow than the 25K THAT would have cost.
I'm also replacing all the windows (9) and exterior doors (2). Some of you heard me shriek when I ordered those a few weeks ago and saw what it was going to cost me. *LOL* But it badly needs to be done, so the money is well spent, believe me.
I'm also having the kitchen redone, a powder room created, a bedroom created in the basement for Michael, making the bathroom bigger and taking down walls upstairs between my bedroom and the study.
I had debated selling this place and getting a new house, but decided that in the long run, it'd be less expensive to make this one as I wanted it.
So, right now, I have my windows and doors ordered, new appliances ordered (washing machine, dryer, stove and dishwasher) and the motel reserved. Yes, I have to leave the house for a while as the demolition and electrical and plumbing is done. It will make the work go faster and be easier as well as not killing me with all the dust. The asthma would not like the dust. *LOL* So, for 4 weeks, Michael and I will be living in a motel apartment nearby. Michael will be helping Ben on the house - as will I, as much as I can do.
The motel has been reserved for July 7th and I've planned for being there 4 weeks. Two weeks of that includes the first two weeks of my three-week summer vacation. Julie will be coming to visit, hopefully for the full 3 weeks of my vacation. It's gonna be a hectic and fun time! *LOL*
This weekend, I've begun packing up the house. I'll be moving just about everything into storage for the duration, you see. I've taken the next four days off work - I HAVE to go in on Friday. *sigh* But there's no way I could work and pack and be ready for July 7th. Being ill over the past 6 months and just now starting to feel better, I have to pace myself.
Yesterday, I started on the study. I have a fuck-ton of books. I mean, seriously, I could start a small lending library or second hand bookstore if I was so inclined. So far, I have 10 boxes of just paperbacks done - and there's still more of those! And then there's all the hardcovers. Eeeep! I also packed up two boxes of my tea cup collection. As I pack, Michael and I will ferry the boxes and stuff over to the storage place so that when the time comes to completely empty the place there will be a minimum of boxes and little shit to transport. The sheer volume of crap to pack frightens me to death, but I'm trying to look at it in small chunks of stuff to do, so that helps - but there are hours when I get completely overwhelmed at the job ahead.
I plan to take shitloads of before, during and after pictures, to document this huge undertaking. Thank God for digital cameras! *LOL* And I'm stressing like mad, of course, but it's also very exciting. I've had plans for redoing this place for SO long and finally, at last, I'm going to be able to do it. And I'm not renovating with an eye towards reselling either. I'm going to make this house the home I want, screw resale value. "Fuck it all and no regrets!" as one James Hetfield opines. *grin* "It's my time now."
So, to keep a running tally, 'cause I'm curious that way... I've packed..
10 boxes of books.
2 boxes of china.
So wish me luck, folks! Hopefully, I'll still have my sanity when this is all over.
And now I must make my plan of attack for the day.
