Projects of major proportions.

Inspired by the story of stump removal it is time to share my story about the major projects going on in our house. Last year you may recall that I got the garage pretty well cleaned up. Those who know PF knows that this is a major feat. Especially since he helped and did not resist my efforts.

Well back in Jan. we sold our first house. You know the one that hadn't been lived in for the last 3 years. Of course it hadn't been on the market to sale either. My understanding is that is the only way a house will sale. I proved my point by forcing PF to put it on the market. Once he did that it only took about 9-10 months to sale. We did much better than I expected, too.

Now this is significant because we now have money to spend. We've been celebrating by making many purchases that we've been unable to afford. I bought brand new kitchen chairs. I bought cloth to re-upholster the teak dining room chairs that were really, really nasty (between time and children the wool didn't last well); also bought cloth to make a rather tasteful valance. PF bought a new Imac. The old computer that was bought back in 1998/1999 will be moved into the living room for the kids. Well we did have a computer for the kids in the living room but it's pretty much useless. It only plays 2 games. None of the games bought over the years can be played on it. Well PF measured the cabinet we had the kids' computer in and it is too small to hold the 1998 computer. So we came up with the brillant plan of buying a new desk.

At first we thought it would be for the living room but somehow the idea evolved and now PF is getting a new desk for his study and the "old" desk (It's only 3 yrs. old) is going into the living room. I loved this idea. I got to go shopping again! So the hunt began. I thought I had talked PF into this gorgeous black roll-top desk. But he did some measuring and the computer wouldn't fit well enough into it to close the top and lock it. Gone is my dream. Oh well, it was meant for PF after all, right? This shopping experience ended up taking about 3 weeks. I mean we found something that we both liked. It's a modular set. The return on the desk is shorter than the old desk's return. But PF had to keep thinking about it. We made 4 trips to the much hated store where it resides.

Finally last Friday we bought the thing. Now the problem is to get PF to clear off the old desk and much of the rest of the study to do the moving. I have managed to get him to allow me to go through several of the boxes that occupied the center of the floor. Now all those things in those boxes fit into 2 boxes. Over the last several days I've tried to start on the boxes to the left of the old "path into" the room was. I've hit resistance. PF won't let me near them. If I even get close to them his hackles raise, and he starts bristling. I back away slow making sure not to make any sudden movements. Why is this an issue for me? The stupid desk will be delivered this Friday! We are in no way ready for this delivery.

Oh! I suppose I should back up to last Friday. When we got to the store PF started his ponderings again. It was like he was trying to talk himself out of it. I lost my patience. So instead of getting mad and making a scene I walked away. The girls and I walked the store. We went all over the 2nd floor several times. Finally I redirected them back as the store was announce that the store is closing in 45 minutes. On my way back to PF I see a barrel chair; I've been looking for a barrel chair ever since my father died. The funeral home had one. It was the chair I sat in as we made arrangements for my father. It comforted me so much. It was like being cradled in someone's arms. So I sat down in the chair, and low and behold! the chair fit me just fine! It was perfect! So I went back to our sales' lady and told her that I had something I wanted to purchase. I got two of those chairs. Later after I thought about what color the chairs are I laughed but that is another story to be told another time. (Read the NeverEnding Story by Michael Ende.) I also got a cute little accent table to set between the two chairs. What to PF several weeks took me little more than 5 minutes to decide. OK. To be honest I've been looking for 4 years. Now that I think about it it's kinda funny that these chairs will be delivered to my house with the green door the week my father died four years ago.

Pray that we can get things pulled together and be ready for the momentous occassion. I have another story that is related to this but it will have to wait since I've already been so long winded here. I've lost most of my voice so I figure that is why I'm a Chatty Cathy in my posting.

My Big Accomplishment

Well, I spent my Saturday cleaning out the garage and doing laundry. My goal was to get those 2 things completed. If anyone really knows Passionfruit and I, we are pack rats. Even though we are both pack rats Passionfruit and I differ. Passionfruit has a problem with decision making. He believes that if he gets rid of something that he might need it 2 months later. Let me describe the normal things that Passionfruit finds difficult to throw away-- it's anything! A piece of string becomes invaluable because you just might need to tight something up in the next, oh I don't know, 20 years. Take last night I found some sort of plastic thing. It was quite obiviously broken. I threw it away. I did this right in front of Passionfruit. Passionfruit reaches in and takes it out. Examines it and puts it back where I found it. I picked it up and threw in the trash again. Passionfruit takes it out of the trash again and starts to lecture me because it could possibly belong to something. And then he went on and talked about how we will find whatever it is that it belongs to. I mentioned that it was BROKEN. That didn't seem to matter. So there it sits in my bathroom waiting for the future reunion, that most likely won't happen.

Back to the garage-- Saturday was the first day of Chinese school DQ and MI go to Chinese school. Passionfruit takes them, and he takes a class, too. So I was going to be alone with ST. I get to work at 8:00 AM. ST assists me from time to time but I'm pretty much going it alone. I start on the North wall first. It's the easiest wall. It had been cleaned before. Then I progressed to the East wall. Again, there is not as much there as the South bay. Much of it is the bikes and the wagon for the kids. I get these two sections done. I feel really, really good about all of this. I mean the garage looks really, really good.

Now I'm hungry. So I break for lunch and some laundry folding. I cool down. Take a bathroom break. Drink lots and lots of water, water in a glass with ice cubes. I get a call from Passionfruit asking whether or not to take the kids he has to lunch. I say, "SURE!" I'm thinking, "Great! Now I have more time to work without the meddling hubby!"

So I scurry back into the garage and start working on the most difficult part of the garage: the South bay. By the way it's a 3 car garage. As I work I discover that most of the stuff is empty boxes. I find boxes of clothes that I meant to give away to some sort of charity. I have a couple of boxes of kids shoes, too. Some of them have never been worn. Other shoes have very little wear and tear. I'm looking at all this stuff wondering what to do with it.

Then I remember that the Faculty Association is having a garage sale soon. So I'm going to donate all these boxes of stuff to that. I'm even giving my big old limo stroller away (seats 2 kids). I do have some trepidation about giving all this stuff away. It's my talisman against getting pregnant. This morning while I was packing up the baby bumper; comforter, sheets; crib skirt, and the mobile, I thought about having another baby. Well I decided that it shouldn't matter because if I do get pregnant then I deserve another baby shower. After all, I've waited 5+ years before getting pregnant again. Plus it would be my luck to have a boy this time.

While I'm working away up drives Passionfruit. I can see his face. It reminds me of the pictures of soldiers suffering from shell shock. The kids hop out and act normallly. They're pretty interested in the activity too because I've unearthed alot of their toys they haven't seen for several months to years. I'm already for the ensuing fight. I'm ready to demonstrate that I have my recycling piles all organized. Finally Passionfruit steps out of the car. He walks right past me in what can only be described as a hurried pace. What's going on? I ask DQ where's your dad going? DQ says that he is going in to watch the football game. BINGO! I've strucked gold once again. Passionfruit must watch the games for the schools he's attended. I continue to work away.

At one point Passionfruit comes out to the garage. He asks where he can help? I tell him he can go watch his football game. Passionfruit tells me that it is half-time. BUMMER! I think. Okay. So I set him to working. I'm amazed he's not pitching a fit. Okay! Is this the invasion of the body snatchers? The hours continue to wear on.

Somewhere along the way Passionfruit suggests that it is dinner time. I tell him, "NO! I've got to keep going." So I work until 8PM. It's been 12 hours. I'm filthy, grimy and sweaty. But I feel so good. I got the garage cleaned out. I realize that this is the first time over 12 years of marriage that I've cleaned out a garage. It's the first time in 3 years to clean out this particular garage. I didn't realize that this garage is so large. It's great. It's huge. It's wonderful to walk into it with bare feet. I feel so successful I'm ready to get to work on my bedroom. Really cleaning out the garage was the first step in cleaning my bedroom. Once my bedroom is done I'm planning to go to town on the study that Passionfruit occupies. Of course I know that that won't be easy, and Passionfruit will behave very territorial. I think a fight might ensue because he'll feel threatened. But that won't be for a while yet.

Later that night I asked Passionfruit how he felt about the garage. He said he was really proud of what we accomplished. He did tell me that when he drove up he could tell that I was in my "get it done mode". I don't think Passionfruit ever, has a get it done mode. He has more of a "ponder it mode". I always laugh at him when he talks about his sister having an inertia problem. To me it seems to effect him, too. I would never say this to him but I think it's pretty true. I don't know about his sister. Actually I think she's more like me. She'd rather read a good book than do house work. No shame there really. We just aren't the neat freak type.