We knew that it was likely we would fall behind schedule, and we prepared for that in our time budgeting, but it is still a bit demoralizing when you realize that time is getting away from you. It's hard to get inspired to write about a day where you
haven't achieved any concrete goals or, like yesterday, where you do but you are so exhausted that you can't find a spark of inspiration or energy to write about it all. We - well Steve - did successfully finish the feed lines for the plumbing yesterday. It's just that the whole plumbing process took two long days and in the end it was a real crunch at the end of the day just so we could get the water back on in time for dinner. As it turned out we skipped swimming lessons and I relied on foods that didn't require any washing or water added to them (we had drank all our excess during the day), so the water was on in time for us to EAT dinner anyways. Tempers were certainly short around here last night.They say 'It's always darkest before the dawn.' And so I believe today saw a turning point in this whole renovation process/experience. With the copper lines completed and capped, waiting for fixtures, we could turn our attentions to the problem of the toilet drain (and more trips to the DO-IT Centre - they know me and Zoe by name now I think) which ultimately meant that it was time to start installing the FLOOR! I never thought I'd be turned on by the sight of plywood cut to fit and laid over meticulously levelled joists (that floor is going NOWHERE), but I can't deny that my excitement was beyond the norm for that sort of thing. The actual installation of the first slab of plywood took place after dinner with the kids plugged into a DORA DVD. Steve just looked at me and said, "ok, let's screw" and so we did!
Actually, when the shows ended Liam was asleep and Zoe found us upstairs, so she helped me with placing the screws for Steve to screw in with the power drill. With Liam asleep and Zoe charged up from a late afternoon nap, Steve is taking the opportunity to work late tonight and maybe even FINISH the floor. Or perhaps he's working on blocking in the walls where fixtures will be, well, fixed. Either way it feels pretty good to be firmly established in the reconstruction phase of the renovation and anything he does tonight will be a bonus for tomorrow. The last thing to be 'deconstructed' will be the window, and we need a floor to do that. From then on the focus is building our new bathroom. Now if the toilet would just get here. And the supply lines and drain unit for the tub, and the shroud for the sink...
