Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Not perfect.

It's been so long!  It's just been busy with all the diabetes and pumps and tile and concrete. ; )

I'm sure the last time you joined my fun expedition..you remember the pool decking had been poured, no?  I've lived a million life times since then. : )  So..it seems they didn't do a brushed finish on the concrete like we requested.  In fact, they did some troweling, some raking, and they even let some little rocks peek through the surface.  They hadn't read the contract they had with them..which insisted NO COOL DECK.  Yet they prepared the surface for cool deck.  boo.

I don't like cool deck.  Not even when it's gray.   Not even when it's free.  Not even when they offer to cover all my other concrete with it to match.  I do not like cool deck, not in a hat, not with a cat.  Not in a house, not with a mouse.  I do not like it, Sam-I-am!!

So..what is left to do (after tons of research, phone calls, deliberation, and conversations)?  Yep, bust it up and do it again.
I know.  Sad. : (
Buh-bye, concrete.  See ya next time around.  So..now it's all busted, reframed, and awaiting temps above 50 degrees to repour.

Obviously, I wasn't going out in the cold for a better picture.  Obviously. 
But there have been other things going on..both good and bad. When I tell you it's more than one full-time job, I'm serious.  When I don't write, and can't fit in anything, and run around to three plumbing supply houses and order online, etc. and deal with tile crises, it's a lot of work.  Not only physically demanding, but super emotionally draining.

We don't realize how it ages (aghhh!!!) us, and what we are missing out on in the rest of the world (or our kids' worlds), just to pull this off.  Not only is it one of the biggest financial investments you'll ever make in your life, you have a lot emotionally invested (and usually a lot physically invested as well).  It's hard.  Let's leave it at that for now.

The kitchen backsplash is installed, but not grouted.

The Baja Cream pebble mosaic is half-installed.  Apparently Alex started it..and they are waiting for him to come back tomorrow to finish.  They don't like to finish one another's work. : )

Close up of the travertine "pebbles" that won't leach rust to the surface! (unlike the ones I loved!!)

My bathroom floor in Metallic Light Fog.  You can't see the "metallic" finish, it has a sheen to it.  I'll try to get a picture in the light.

Can't speak much about this one.  It's been in dilemma since Sunday.  The frame is halfway redone..the shelf unfinished waiting on more of the Dolomite white travertine to line the shelves.
The kids' bath floors were all done in a straight style..not what I'd wanted (brick-style was requested in the entire house).  I was so disappointed on Sunday, I just sat on the stairs and cried.  Building is emotional, I tell you.  I don't know how it happened.  When we met with the crew on Monday, the tiler wanted $500 (PER bathroom) to rip it up, then we'd need all new tileboard, tile, and more labor expense to relay it.

Now I'm trying to be level-headed, taking everyone's experience into account, but it was plain devastating.  I'm praying in a year, I will have forgotten and I won't be so mad at myself for not having them rip it up.  I've redone a lot of things that were wrong (the front doorway..the countertops (did I not even tell you about that debaucle?!)..the pool concrete..my stovetop/cabinets (I forgot to mention that one too?)..the pantry wall..a couple of light fixture placements...remember those?  Oh, and those really nice outside light fixtures I stuck with?!

I've tried to redo the things that I'd regret in ten years, or even one year.  But the floors I let go.  The sheer expense ($3-4000) was just too much, and it was going to further delay the time line.  I just need to get things settled, and move.  For my family.  Adding days to our closing just isn't worth it this minute.  I'll pray that I'll see it the same in a year.  Or ten. : )

Yes, I'm praying also for the perseverance to see this through, and faith that we'll see the end soon enough.  And yes, we've done it before, and yes, we'll do it again.  It is super satisfying in the end to have the house (that's similar to the one) you dream up in your mind.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Romans 12:12

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