Just another brick in the wall . . .

While we enjoy the building phase the demo phase has its charms.

Inside the new addition.

This week found us kicking into high gear as we break on through to the other side into the addition.

Yes this week's blog is taking a musical tone as we hear the pounding, thumping and rattling of the tools in what is best described as a construction symphony. We are experiencing the challenges of working from home as one never knows when answering the phone just what type of background noise will be occurring.

Dust in the wind . . .

We were warned by others who took the renovation journey that dust will be everywhere. This was the part that we feared the most especially this past week when the swine flu or some other hybrid bug invaded our home. Between Scott's hacking and the thumping of the jack hammer I was anticipating seeing the Blue Man group emerge from the hallway in some bizarre performance with an air compressor and a box of Puff's Plus. We were amazed by Mingioni's team who left my home cleaner than when they started.

Here is the view as you walk in the front door. You can see through the walls into the new addition

Check out the new kitchen table and chairs--another Craigslist find

This week also finds us using my office as an office by day with areas sectioned off for a small kitchen area and dog kennels.

The fierce watch dogs, Maggie, Zoey and Fenwick have given up on barking at the construction team but still delight at barking when the sound of the boy two doors down gets on his scooter. They can hear this taunting sound over the banging of the roofers and the demo of the kitchen and add their barking to the musical mix. One would think that we would be in desperate need of a "Calgon, take me away" moment but the sounds have become easier to ignore.

From the dinning room through the wetbar/desk area into the new addition.

 

But this week was not only for the professionals but the amateurs. In getting ready for demo we had to peel up the Kahr's engineered hardwood floors in the living room and dining room to recycle in our Master Bedroom and the new dormer room on the second floor. In what can only be described as some feverous state Scott tore up the flooring and in his OCD way stacked them by size and orientation.

We had thought we could "kick this project out" in a weekend but we found ourselves in a Greek tragedy Sunday night after the sun was setting we discovered that our ceiling fan remote control was buried under furniture and inaccessible. About 20 minutes was spent trying to figure out if there was a manual override on the fan to allow for the light to turn on. Unfortunately we were unsuccessful. Scott took two lamps not yet packed and took off the shades to allow for the full glow of the bulbs. It became sort of a bizarre twister game to put your left hand on the floor but don't touch the fiery bulb of death. Around midnight, too tired to continue to work but with only a partial floor and all of the bedroom furniture unassembled and in the only other bedroom with a bed we began to rethink our plan. Turning XM Radio to the SPA channel to muffle the banging of the floor was no great help. Standing outside with the dogs at 4AM listing to Enya tunes while I hear the distant circular saw and the thump, bang, bang, bang of the floor being installed I thought any minute the noise complaints would warrant a visit from the Police.

Alas, with the floor installed followed by an hour or so to reassemble and make the bed we collapsed as the sun was rising on Monday morning. Well at least we can still pull all nighters over 40 . . . now that is an accomplishment.