The cats are very upset. Everything is not where it's supposed to be. Not to mention, two of them were locked in the bedroom all day yesterday. The other cat spends most of his time in a 4 x 4 pen because he has kidney disease, plus a touch of senioritis. He was pretty oblivious to the goings and comings around him. After all, he had cat food, clean water, fresh litter and occasional pets. He was in seventh heaven.
Which is where I wished I could be. But not. You see, you absolutely cannot do a major home remodel and go away on vacation. At least I can't. I have to be home to say, "That doorway is too narrow to fit that piece of furniture you're trying to jam through." Or, "Hey, you better put a bucket under that leaky shut-off valve or you'll be replacing my flooring."
No job is without its surprises. Such as wow, wood boards are behind the sheets of glass of my walls, and all that wood has to be removed. Didn't count on that. But then, I've never owned a home where the walls were covered in glass.
The demo crew wasn't thrilled with that development. OK, I have a hammer and a crowbar, I'll help. I took out a wall and a half by myself. Get with the program, you guys.
Oh, so that old water heater vent in the ceiling I asked you to remove is covered with asbestos? Well, look, don't keep chipping away at the asbestos. Now it is airborne and you could all die a slow and painful death. (Well, wishing won't make it so.) No, don't yank it out from the roof and leave a hole in the roof. Just cut it off at the ceiling.
Ouch, is that a live wire? Why didn't you save the little screws and fasten the outlets back on the wall instead of leaving them dangling? How am I supposed to turn off the kitchen light? BTW, do you have Workers' Comp?
Hey, where are my baseboards from the laundry room? They were sitting by themselves in the family room. Did you throw them away? Well, thank goodness I bought extra baseboards because I know what I'll be doing on Tuesday -- painting them.
Yes, folks, somebody has to stay behind and make sure the work is done correctly. My lucky husband is away on a two-week vacation. This is my vacation. Staying home and yelling at contractors.
But I have to admit, there is a certain sense of accomplishment after everybody has gone away and I'm left to vacuum up the mess because they say, "The drywall guys will make a mess so we aren't cleaning up too much. Besides, we don't have a vacuum." Guess what? I do. I vacuumed up the mess and washed the floor. And then I retired to the Jacuzzi to sooth my aching muscles after hammering and yanking and tossing wood all afternoon.
I'd say yesterday went rather well. Despite the little annoyances, so far I've managed to avoid the Top 10 Do It Yourself Mistakes.
Of course, the cats are getting treats and attention. I know who really rules the house.
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Elizabeth, I took two bathrooms to the studs in my 1914 house and egads! What a mess! I had to move the cats and the Labradoodle and myself to the basement apartment in my house - lead dust. Good luck! And stay sane! And remember the cats lick fur, so if you have lead paint, keep them away from the construction.