Posted on 08/09/2005 9:09:36 AM PDT by najida
Well,
Its official
After fits and starts and starts and fits
.and fits
.and fits
. and FITS!
Plus the help, support and love of two of the best brothers in the world
One father to the
Cutest Baby Girl in the World
Not to mention the unique incentive that my third brother gave me ;),
Grumpiness, beer, guns and a constant "sorry, can't help ya, bad back, ya know"
making me more determined than ever to get back on my own.
I passed the last house inspection,
Got a Green Sticker on my meter box,
Gradually, since then, by weeks and days, Ive gained such great things as
Electricity
Air Conditioning
Telephone
And as of this morning, I have a working refrigerator (no thanks to Maytag!) with an ice maker
OK, so it isnt 100% finished. I still have paint smears to fix, grout haze to remove, holes to caulk. But I now have a home. I realio, trulio home.
Im even cookin with gas (fer real)
Ive hot enough to boil eggs and fill my bathtub, a dishwasher that works!
WOW! Plus a telephone that doesnt require me walking all the way out to the highway to get a signal.
Ive moved month by month from the 1800s, to the early 1900s to the 1950s til now Im in 2005!
And with my very own,
South Georgia, Biodegradable Security System
With a Dual-Bio Alarm
(Sounds just like the opening credits of a Tarzan MovieIf you are still willing to break into my house in that racket, youre either deaf or crazy.)
The Hobbit in me is happy.
The Incompetent Construction Worker in me is amazed.
The Woman in me is living in the bathtub.
Its the kind of home that I dont plan on leaving until I croak (I dont care WHAT the SCOTUS says!)
And when I die, I want to be hoisted on the roof,
Lashed to the Flying Pig weather vane,
Then the whole thing set on fire around me.
Ala Viking funeral, Rocket Gibraltar or Whats Eating Gilbert Grape
(All will depend on my age and weight at time of my demise).
In the process Ive
Lost my mind,
Gained weight,
Lost weight,
Gained a shrink,
Lost friends,
Gained skills,
Lost fingernails,
Gained more cats.
Ive lifted 2 tons of flooring
twice,
Maybe three times, moving the stuff around like some Chinese fire drill.
Ive collected enough paint to rival Jackson Pollack.
Ive ruined a closet full of clothes; stiff, saturated, ripped, stained or just worn to tatters.
Ive learned to use wood-filler like an artisan.
Ive become on a first name basis with everyone at Home Depot.
Ive discovered I have talents in tiling, faux finishes, cabinetry and organization.
Ive realized that Im a hazard with flammable liquids and large power tools.
And that I cant wire an outlet worth a dang.
My mantra has become Everything can be fixed, no mistake is permanent.
OK, so to fix a mistake may mean buying another front door, but it IS fixable!
Ive finally decided that there is a blind chimpanzee living in the attic that only comes out when Im gone. Who tracks through glue, grout and paint in MY shoes, leaving a trail of messes in his wake. He also is responsible for large splatters of paint on the ceiling, holes in the walls and catty-wompass hanging wallpaper.
I blame him for the puke green stain on the front porch and the even pukier green in the guest bathroom. For an off-centered light fixture and toilet almost in the shower. For missing electrical outlets, for tiles coming loose, for tape pulling paint off of walls and for globs of thin-set on doorknobs.
I hate that ape.
Anyhow, this is a cyber-party. A celebration that I want to share with my favorite people.
THANK YOU! thankyouthankyouthankyou ALL!
Youre all invited. Youve been my buddies, my pals, my mentors.
Youve made me laugh, youve given me advice, youve even set me straight when needed. Youve been a distraction, an education, a comfort and my role models.
SO! Bring your favorite music, (post lyrics even)
Your favorite food and drink (yep, recipes would be cool)
Bring your family, pets or boss (We can put grout in his shoes J )
Wear your favorite T-shirt.
You can even post pictures of your dates
.but remember, kids are at this party too! ;)
Me? Ill be in the hammock,
Music blasting loud enough crack glass,
Drinking Margaritas and tossing all my old work clothes into the End of Construction Bon-fire And Ive invited these guys ,
To rescue me if I take a header in the gold-fish pond.
And these guys, ,
To make sure the bon-fire doesnt torch the county.
And these guys, , ,
Well, ah
,
Hmmm, ,
Just in case some of my work needs reworking. ;)
I live near Savannah, in a woody kinda swampy place where turkeys date mosquitoes because they like having someone they can look up to.
Congrats! That took a while!
Love your green bird. Looks like my parents' Lori-bird. She's a trip!
Thank you,
The green bird is a conure boy who considers himself the macho boyfriend of the biggier cockatoo female.
He's a hoot--- and he gets raging jealous if you flirt with his girlfriend for too long!
Oh yum!
Thank you so vera much, let's see if I can find a place for him to get out of the sunlight ;)
I make mustard potato salad. 'Course someone last week told me mustard potato salad was yankee food. I respectfully disagree.
And no sugar What-so-Evah!
Oh, yes, that's right. Savannah. Did you build on a hammock near the water?
Yep,
sounds just like my bird!
Does a goldfish pond/ outdoor faucet count as 'near the water' ?
Najida, how long did it take you to build your house?
Funny girl.
Always ready for a party!
1 week over 3 years from the day I saw the plans, with about 2 years of quarterly work and 1 year of me doing something almost everyday.
It'll take me a year to get it cleaned up and out and everything unpacked.
Congrats to you!
Joint compound - one size fits all!
Home ownership is one of the most frustrating, back-breaking and money suckingly (?) things in the world...and IMHO, one of the most wonderful as well.
Now....since you already posted all the good beefcake, I'll just have to give you the most dreaded house warming gift of all:
ROFL!
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