Day 35, and the day’s end marks seven total weeks of having various teams of dudes ripping apart, and then rebuilding our home. With about 4 (or 5, depending – I’m no fool) weeks remaining, the work has begun to take on new meaning, and have new power over our collective moods (finishing something, anything, feels great! – half-done stages feel a smidge omni-present). Each mini-project either intersects, interferes with, or interrupts another project, and planning them out – considering all the things that life throws at everyone (babies being born, deaths in families, various seasonal illnesses, etc.) – has been mind-boggling to witness. Dave has done/is doing a spectacular job coordinating the three ring circus, just as Eric, and Team Tile, Team Electric, Team Drywall, Team Plumbing and Team Frank (ha!) have done amazing work juggling through rings of fire.

This is definitely a moment for patting ourselves on the back, even though there’s still a ways to go. The cabinet measurements are still haunting our every move (grrr), yet solutions are coming from the Team at each turn. (Pat.) No one has given up. (Pat.) No one has thrown their hands in the air. (Pat.) No one has gone screaming from the building. (Pat.) And this, I believe, is a credit to their collective ingenuity, creativity and good nature. Thanks be to whomever for that. And our collective mood – sort of downtrodden after the cabinet fiasco, the newly gray weather, and the humidity – is definitely in need of a boost.

I think once things start to look more finished, start to get tidier, start to intertwine together into a whole, we’ll have renewed zest for the finish-finish of the project, and get our second (or is it 14th?) wind. The upcoming weekend will not be a holiday for us. With staining the exterior shingles on our plate (save where you can!), and rearranging (read: moving and finding new places to store) the furniture in the living room so that we can clear out the first floor by Wednesday night (sanding starts Thursday!), we’ll be pretty busy preparing for the next phase of the project. (Why does each weekend feel like time to prep for the next leg of the race?)

So, this is my moment to pat myself on the back, too. Well, ourself, because I sure as hell couldn’t have made it this far without Jeff. We’re loving our choices (paint, tile, stain, etc.), and are sooo looking forward to a time when we can enjoy the space with everyone – Team, family, friends, etc. (Pat, pat.) There. Now, back to work.

Pictures!