Adventures In Remodeling: "Miss" Meadowlawn Dr.: Demo Days

Eduardo pulling up the kitchen floor

It's Wednesday. I'm tired. Ha, not good for only the middle of the week. Yesterday we did our usual and went to the gym before heading over to the house. When we got there we decided to rip out the rest of the carpet in the two remaining bedrooms. We also had to wash the upstairs railing and banister with the special stain removing spray we have. That took forever, and I am not convinced we even got it all that clean. We still don't have running water, or a new roof, but those are both on the horizon. And my bladder thinks it would be nice to at least have a bathroom over there. (NOTE: I’m not one of those girls that has a problem going pee outside in general, but I do have a problem going outside when I’m in a neighborhood, and could be arrested for indecent exposure, or have an awkward first meeting with the nextdoor neighbors.)

Oh, and Daddy and I went and donated blood after work too! The Red Cross was having a blood drive in Lexington, and apparently only 35 people showed up. So I am glad we went. Neither of our significant other's came, because they both have an understandable aversion to needles. I don't care for them either, but I just don't look and I'm fine. But I digress.

Today we are going to start priming. Our idea is basically to prime every surface we can and paint. We got a five gallon bucket of expensive primer to hopefully cover the stains and the smell. We hope.

I'm really enjoying the renovations, and I like heading over there and plugging away at various things, but somehow I am feeling really tired out at the moment. I think I need some kind of break, but I'm not sure if it's just from the house, or like a day in bed reading or what. I've just been going nonstop since we got here in some way or another, and I don't know. I feel really good about the things I am doing, yoga, and the gym, and the house, but I'm so freaking tired, that I'm not finding time for some of my other goals.

But it's hard to feel like relaxing or taking a breather when there is a lot to do, and the house is still in the works. I feel like we have done so much since we started only a week ago. The house really does look different with all the cleaning out we have done as well. It looks more positive, if you can imagine that, and it no longer looks like someone else's house. I guess what I mean is that the ugly painting our house was has been transformed into a blank canvas again! And that is exciting.

The house still smells terrible, and I am a little worried about that, but hopefully the paint will help.

* It's now...7:15 pm. And I know I sound like a broken record, but I'm SO...FREAKING...TIRED! It's exasperating. I am pretty much worthless after seven PM these days. I literally don't have the energy to hold a pen which is why I am writing in this journal right now instead of my regular one. Nothing hurts, I'm not sore, but everything on my body that can be lifted (arms, legs, eyelids) is dog tired and wanting to call it a day. But the evenings are my only time to do other stuff, so I don't want to just lay in bed and watch TV...yet at the same time that is EXACTLY what I want to do....sigh...

Well, anyway to recap the day. We skipped yoga and the gym this morning. Even so we didn't get to the house until around 9:30. Today the plan was to paint, but that changed at Dad's recommendation. So instead we took up the rest of the flooring. Eduardo handled the kitchen. I helped pop up the edges of the vinyl that we were trying to take out and then he took a really big, heavy crowbar and shoved it underneath and pushed it up. It was very hard work.

I sometimes find myself in the position where whatever we are working on doesn't require me to do anything, but I try to make sure I don't just sit around. So I have been doing a lot of sweeping, and general straightening up while we work. After Eduardo got most of the kitchen floor up, I got to work on the bathroom. I think that is why my arms are so tired right now. It is definitely not easy work. It's either from that or from when we took the kitchen appliances outside. The refrigerator was the heaviest, but the stove was no lightweight either.

Dad came by around 11:00 I think, and brought the dumpster. We loaded all of the carpet and debris that we have so far accumulated into it, and it felt so good to get it all out of the house! Then dad and Eduardo got to work on the cabinets in the kitchen. They kind of had that under control so I was switching between taking stuff out to the dumpster and hammering down the millions of staples left from the vinyl floor. They are everywhere...actually, maybe my arms are sore from hammering? Anyway, I kept plugging away at that (It's very tedious in case you are wondering) and the guys dismantled the kitchen. We are saving a few of the cabinets to use in the laundry room and the garage, and also the sink. We need to save as much as we can, and those things were in pretty good condition. Eduardo took out the broken toilet and vanity from the bathroom. Dad and Eduardo pulled the soffit that was above the cabinets. I cleaned up all the debris they kept throwing on the ground, and sweeping, and hammering staples. We were able to get the whole kitchen ripped out, so that's good. It's just a big empty room now.

Eduardo had to go to Chili's for a shift so we quit at 3:00. I ended up going to the gym and pushed through for my standard 5 mile run. I can't believe I had the energy to do it. I ran to Meijer to pick up a few groceries as well. I was so tired I skipped getting my bottled water because it was way in the back and I wasn't sure I could carry it all the way to the checkout anyway.

I passed Dad picking up a dumpster on my way home and we went for a soak in the hot tub as soon as we got back. Then I made dinner and threw in some laundry, and....now it's 7:30 and I am ready to call it a night. I wanted to stay up and do some organizing, and contemplate a few writing projects I was thinking of starting. But nope. Not going to happen. I'll be lucky if I finish my cup of coffee before I fall aslee....