Tuesday, September 18, 2012

the renovation: we are in!

Saturday marked the end of our official "first week" in the new house.  Let's clarify: we are in half of the new house...we will have a renter in the back unit until February.   Which is cool because it pays our mortgage.

Moving is kind of stressful for most people, and we were no exception.   Even though we had been slowly moving our belongings over for the several weeks before, we still had a bunch of furniture and odds and ends to bring over the first weekend, so we hired movers.  The movers were called "Labor Fo' Do' " {!!!} and not sure if they were really professional movers. Their truck was a U-Haul they had rented and they had no equipment besides their muscles and hands, on which they did not deign to wear work gloves.   But...these two guys moved all our crap for really cheap.   So thanks guys.  You rock.

Now, for a two bedroom "apartment" our living circumstances are quite spacious.  The rooms are large with really high ceilings, we have 1 1/2 baths and 2 large bedrooms.  Sure, there are no closets in either bedroom but a pretty large laundry room closet right across from them so there is some hanging space.


In truth, we are shoving clothes and shoes wherever we can until a real 'master closet' can be constructed.  Someday.

The hardest adjustment for me personally has been the kitchen.  Going from a fairly new kitchen that we designed specifically for our needs, to a kitchen that is extremely outdated with no pantry and not an abundance of cupboard space is, well, not easy.   Most of my kitchen stuff is packed away.  I have a lot of kitchen stuff.  But the space will work just fine until the complete re-do happens in a couple months...
at least we have one new appliance. 
Also, I am kind of a gas-stove snob, so getting used to this beauty has been a treat:


Sorry for all the somewhat burnt/overcooked suppers, boys!  Who knew electric stoves had SO much juice?

But seriously, as long as there is an outlet to plug in my coffee maker and a clean wine glass to pour a glass of wine into every night, I am a happy woman.  If that makes me 'easy to please,' I am totally okay with that.  :)

Speaking of 'easy to please'...everyone keeps asking how the baby is adjusting to the move.   Well, this kid is nothing if not adaptable.  After only a few days Cormac was sleeping really well on his normal schedule.  He loves all the new places to explore and all the half unpacked boxes he can tear apart.   Overall he seems to like his new abode.  





Hubby and I are smitten with the house.   It immediately felt like 'home.'  Despite all the things that have broken or gone wrong...like the basement door completely falling out, frame and all, the water heater breaking, the funky sewage smell in the basement, the shower drain clog, and accidentally locking ourselves out due to the 'complicated' door hardware...
Thank you to this locksmith who was at our door in about twenty minutes!

...we still say to each other every night: "I love this house.  Don't you love this house?"

The answer is always: "Yes. So much." 

Warts and all.

g