Distracted, So I Might As Well Ramble...

As I type this post (which won’t likely get posted for another day), I’m waiting for news from J. He’s at the hospital with his immediate family (mom, brother, sister) where his Dad is undergoing open heart surgery today. I decided to come to work instead of being with the family because I thought “one more cook” might be too much for the kitchen to handle…if you know what I mean. Needless to say, I’m distracted.   UPDATE:  The father-in-law came through his triple bypass surgery just fine and now the recovery begins.

There are times like this when I wonder about leaving for Ecuador. I realize 5 years is a long way off, but I still worry about the “what ifs” of having aging parents and The Boy still in Canada.

On the “getting ready to escape to Ecuador” front, J and I have made a list of things that need to be done around the house before we can sell it. Once again, I know 5 years is a long way off, BUT it’s a big list.

About 5 years ago we completed a major addition/complete reno project. J and I did most of the interior work ourselves, with the professional help of our electrician, plumber and contractor friends when needed – all with the exception of a redo of one bedroom. Don’t ask me why we didn’t finish it at the time. I guess we just ran out of steam (and our friends ran out of kindness). That unfinished room has haunted us ever since. It’s not like we can simply throw some paint on the wall and call it done. No sir-reee – the hydro to the stupid room was ripped out when we thought we might get to it – 5 years ago. Needless to say, we need to fix that minor detail of electricity, insulation and drywall before we can move on.

There are of course other minor things that need to be fixed up – new paint throughout, touch ups on crown molding, trim, backsplash in the kitchen, etc.

Then there are other things we would like to see changed now that we have been living in the house and have asked ourselves the question “what would we do different”. For example, we installed a shower stall in the laundry room for the sole purpose of bathing our dog – a dog we no longer have. Let me say – that was a dumb idea and I’ll take the blame for it since it was my idea. In hindsight it should have simply been a laundry tub/sink, but I despise the looks of those things – not to mention our basset hound was hard to maneuver in a laundry tub, so a shower it was. Silly me…it’s got to go since the only thing it’s good for now is holding the kitty litter scoop.

And then, we are considering whether or not to finish the basement. Right now it’s unfinished – meaning there are no electrical outlets, drywall or carpeting. First we need to determine if there would be enough of an increase in resale value to warrant the upfront expenditure. This task is last of the list – to be considered at a future moment - if time, money and the kindness of strangers permit it.

So, there you have it – my latest distractions.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.