Learning to Toss "The List"

I have to be completely honest with you, faithful audience. As I write this blog post I find myself falling into sameness. The last few posts have felt the "same". Update certain project I already posted about on Facebook...Try to make it unique...Maybe a swear word...Maybe a few swear words. But lately I've felt really dull. This project is never-ending and though I'm sure all 10 people still like checking it out from time to time, I feel soooooo booooring.

Momma, please don't be so zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Though, if NASA can finally get to Pluto after nine years, I can get my damn house finished...right? RIGHT!

Okay, so here's the update. Forgive me if it's blah and please continue to check out The Mannsion page on Facebook for smaller, more frequent and less self-deprecating updates.

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My mom likes lists. Ever since I can remember she's made lists on little slips of scratch paper she cuts up. I too like lists. There's something so satisfying about thoughtfully creating one and then crossing off each item when it's finally completed.

Don't get me wrong, lots of great things have been getting done. It's just that they're things that aren't quite at the top of my, very particular, list. Though getting cabinet doors below the kitchen sink were way up there. I mean, if I had my way, we'd have fully completed the outside (only two little spots remain unfinished) and inside (trim mostly, but the rest of the kitchen cabinets haunt my dreams). Honestly, the entire inside would be been-there-done-that. And also bookshelves. Lots of bookshelves.

When RJ and I agreed to give our neighbors our old garage, I thought, "Great! What a nice project for next year". Little did I know that he was talking about now. Originally, RJ wanted to move the garage to Mike and Deb's house two houses over and build himself (yes, himself--apparently this garage will ensure he gets out of his tv chair and into a project) a new one. Then we got caught up worrying about budget and that plan was nixed. We would redo the ugly garage that was falling apart. But THEN, with the help of my Aunt's generosity post-mortem, Plan A was on again. So, a few weeks ago, we cleaned out the garage once and for all, RJ and Jess braced it as well as they could, and pulled its rickety ass over to Mike and Deb's. It's a miracle it survived.

New Home!

But now it's leveled and much less rickety. Mike and Deb have plans for a tool shed/big deck. And they're keeping the "WoMen Working Asses Off" sign up. Yay.

Yesterday we poured most of the concrete for the new garage. We were a couple yards short, so the final truck will be coming tomorrow. It's hard to get a good estimate of how much concrete you'll need. Unless it's ALL you do, you usually have too much or too little. And it costs more for every truck you have as there is a delivery fee. So with any extra, we're putting a little pad off to the west side to store lawn mowers, bikes and such.

Though I'm still in awe of what seems like starting a really huge project BEFORE we've finished what I want to get finished--this is actually great. Once the bones are up, RJ will have a place to store tools. He'll have a car and workshop so he can work inside despite how cold it is outside. This will expand and enhance his business. And with a near fully equipped wood shop up at his parent's property, he'll be able to get our inside trim done in a flash.

So. Boring lesson of the day: Sometimes compromise ends up being more beneficial than you thought.

<sigh>

But there are still times when I wish for a genie. Or a wand. Or a shotgun. Kidding.

Yay for new (to us) tools!

John workin', RJ standin'