Dearest Rachel – Back when I was waking up barely after five in the morning to prepare myself for the workday, I would often shower with only the nightlight on in the bathroom – because I really wasn’t ready to turn on the ceiling light, and assumed that you, in turn, might be bothered byContinue reading “You Don’t See the Light Until It’s On”
Tag Archives: remodeling
As Done As We Can Be, For Now
Dearest Rachel – I haven’t been telling you about what’s been going on at the house this past week, even though it’s probably the most momentous bit of news for the rest of the year pertaining to it; we’re finally done with the remodeling process. For now. The painters have come, starting Tuesday, and theyContinue reading “As Done As We Can Be, For Now”
Paid In Full
Dearest Rachel – I was going to start off this week by telling you about how certain people have asked me on occasion what a ‘normal’ day is like at the ‘office’ for me, only to go on into great detail about how there isn’t a single day this week that’s going to be aContinue reading “Paid In Full”
Gray Over Tan
Dearest Rachel – After a weekend of completely overcast skies – and the rain to go with it – today is only partially gray. And I’m fine with that. It’s nice that I don’t have to worry about it threatening to rain again today – the sun’s out just enough to assure me of that.Continue reading “Gray Over Tan”
So, ah… What’s This Button Do?
Dearest Rachel – Did I mention about this when Kris was over on Monday? She tried to plug the vacuum cleaner into an outlet in the kitchen, so as to clean up what few crumbs I’d dropped on the floor since the protective cardboard had been peeled up… and nothing happened. She tried several differentContinue reading “So, ah… What’s This Button Do?”
Finished… For Now
Dearest Rachel – So, today’s the day. The inspectors are showing up this morning, and the final payments are due. I’ve written the checks for the latter (and yes, there’s two of them – one is the final payment as originally agreed upon, and another to cover the incidental additional work done on the house,Continue reading “Finished… For Now”
Elegance Beneath
Dearest Rachel – So the plastic sheeting came down the other day, so it doesn’t look so much like Daniel and I are living in some elaborate tent anymore. It’s actually mildly disconcerting how accustomed I got with the ‘hall’ that had been created in the sunroom between the entrance and the master bedroom area.Continue reading “Elegance Beneath”
Facing Myself in the Morning
Dearest Rachel – Back in the day, when I was still a part of the work farce, Mohinder would ask me about what I told myself each morning when I would stare at myself in the bathroom mirror, getting ready for the new day. He didn’t seem to think I could face my reflection andContinue reading “Facing Myself in the Morning”
Retail Therapy
Dearest Rachel – I’m pretty sure it’s not a phrase of your own provenance, although I’m fairly certain I heard it from your lips a number of times. I think you used it to describe several of your friends and their behavior, and while neither of us engaged in it (much), it wasn’t exactly anContinue reading “Retail Therapy”
Approaching the End Game
Dearest Rachel – You might remember my talking about the delivery of all the appliances from Abt back… how many months ago? Heck, I think about it been late last year, in fact. Well, over the course of the past week, the construction team has been clearing all of this out of the garage, asContinue reading “Approaching the End Game”
Walking Out the Door
Dearest Rachel – It really feels weird to simply walk out the open door and keep going, but that’s how things are this morning. The tiling team is in today to work on the backsplash, so they need to keep going outside, where they’ve got their table saw out to cut each piece to fit.Continue reading “Walking Out the Door”
Out With the Old
Dearest Rachel – Thanks to the drive down to Nashville and back, I’ve discovered that my iPhone contains a number of songs that I wasn’t really even aware of. When the two of us are listening to them on an infinite random shuffle, it’s interesting to hear something where one of us would comment howContinue reading “Out With the Old”
There’s A First Time For (almost) Everything
Dearest Rachel – So much has changed, even since the last time we drove down to see Kevin. Sure, last year already had so many things different about it, between your departure and Chompers in a wheelchair. But now, the old boy is gone, and suddenly, there is so much more space in the car,Continue reading “There’s A First Time For (almost) Everything”
The Peace of C.O.D.
Dearest Rachel – I’d gotten the invoice late last week, and wrote the check out on Monday; I don’t like waiting when it comes to paying bills (back in the day, Dad would consider that a foolish attitude in his mother, but that was back when you could still earn interest on money that youContinue reading “The Peace of C.O.D.”
The Scent of Paint
Dearest Rachel – After two straight days in which the painters have been working past five – in fact, to nearly six – in the evening, it was strange to come home from the ‘office’ this afternoon to an empty house. Guess they considered their work to be finished; no sense staying past that pointContinue reading “The Scent of Paint”
Dismay For But A Moment
Dearest Rachel – Another day, another change of plans. Thank heavens that I’m adaptable, but it does make one’s head spin. And that’s without factoring in my morning congestion, and the stuff I take to combat it. It wasn’t even at this time yesterday – more like fifteen or so hours ago – that TimContinue reading “Dismay For But A Moment”
Enduring the Echo
Dearest Rachel – Now that the construction is actually in progress, I’m getting a fair amount of flak from Daniel regarding the things he doesn’t like about it all. And there’s nothing wrong with him expressing an opinion; in fact, I’d prefer he say what he does and doesn’t like as opposed to giving aContinue reading “Enduring the Echo”
You Can Check Out Any Time…
Dearest Rachel – While I’m sure you know the rest of that line, I should be pointing out to you that it’s a bit of an exaggeration. This isn’t the Hotel California, here; it’s not that one can never leave when the team is here laying the floor; it’s just that you may just haveContinue reading “You Can Check Out Any Time…”
Uncommon Nonchalance
Dearest Rachel – It seems I’m writing you a lot about yesterday’s events, as opposed to what’s going on today. For what it’s worth, today we are starting on a new phase of the project, with a whole different team, as the fellows who specializing in laying tile are going to be working on theContinue reading “Uncommon Nonchalance”
There Will Be Other Chances
Dearest Rachel – Yesterday, the carpenters were supposed to mount the new medicine cabinet in the master bathroom. However, for whatever reason, they were missing the kit that would allow them to attach it flush against the wall, so they had to order that separately today. So, the ‘before’ picture I took in the morningContinue reading “There Will Be Other Chances”
Inspectors General
Dearest Rachel – There’s a paradox to having so much going on in one’s life at a time (I was going to simplify that to ‘drama,’ but I don’t know how much of what’s going on really qualifies as such. Plus, I think of ‘drama’ as being somewhat self-inflicted, and while I suppose you couldContinue reading “Inspectors General”
A Chance to Sleep In
Dearest Rachel – I don’t know about you, since we rarely ever used the phrase, but I always thought the expression ‘thank God it’s Friday’ was just a little shy of blasphemous. Maybe it was just profane. Sure, it could appropriately be applied to Good Friday, but an ordinary Friday? Not so much. And yet,Continue reading “A Chance to Sleep In”
Light Infantry
Dearest Rachel – You would think that I would learn to check what can be done before stating categorically that it can’t. It’s how I avoided conflict with you for the longest time; you would think I would know to do likewise with Daniel. You would be wrong. There are certain aspects of the remodelingContinue reading “Light Infantry”
Insurance Against the Heat
Dearest Rachel – I’m sure you can guess, after yesterday’s letter, that I slept with the ceiling fan on. Indeed, I woke up so grateful for it – and for the misadventure brought it to be there. You know, I started this series of the letters as a form of therapy, but also as aContinue reading “Insurance Against the Heat”
Why Are We Messing With This?
Dearest Rachel – I suppose I really should’ve seen this day coming. Not so much the dream, however. Let me start with it, as it’s the first thing that I wake up to. I warn you, however, but it’s not a subject matter that really interests you – not to mention, neither you nor IContinue reading “Why Are We Messing With This?”
Pliable v Stubborn
Dearest Rachel – Every day, there is a new member of the team to meet and deal with. The last couple of days have been spent dealing with the plumbing, first in the kitchen, then in the laundry room. Today, I’ve met with the electrician. His news isn’t particularly promising, but these are things thatContinue reading “Pliable v Stubborn”
Back to the Wall
Dearest Rachel – Matt has been the point man on the work in the laundry room. While I’ve been holed up upstairs, particularly since returning from my stress test, I’ve been hearing the clamor from downstairs through the floor. When I went down to check on Daniel (and confirm that Logan had joined him) IContinue reading “Back to the Wall”
Let Them Do Their Job
Dearest Rachel – Day two of what I expect to be about sixty (although, since that includes weekends, it would probably be closer to forty-five or so, wouldn’t it?) between yesterday’s start-up date and when the remodeling is finished. This time around, I’ve decided to actually go in to the ‘office,’ even though there isn’tContinue reading “Let Them Do Their Job”
And So it Begins
Dearest Rachel – After some last-minute scrambling (and no, that has nothing to do with eggs – neither Daniel nor I have had the chance to have breakfast), all the cabinets, all the drawers, all the counters have been emptied and placed… somewhere. They just aren’t in the kitchen or the laundry room anymore, andContinue reading “And So it Begins”
Ready Or Not
Dearest Rachel – There are days when life comes at you fast, like a tree at the bottom of a hill. Other days can just seem to creep along, like the one when the remodeling crew is supposed to be arriving – it’s been pushed back yet another day, wouldn’t you know, to Tuesday (edit:Continue reading “Ready Or Not”
They Don’t Break All At Once
Dearest Rachel – So, I’ve just done three loads of laundry and run the dishwasher, all in a single afternoon. Not out of some sense of nostalgia for appliances that will soon be pulled from the house and discarded – odds are, I’ll still need to do a load or two yet between now andContinue reading “They Don’t Break All At Once”
Boxing Day
Dearest Rachel – I know next to nothing about where December 26th gets its name. I suppose that’s partly because I don’t live in a Commonwealth nation, where it’s even celebrated. But it seems a very strange name indeed. It would make sense if it had something to do with boxing up gifts that youContinue reading “Boxing Day”
Taking Delivery
Dearest Rachel – This never happens to me. In some other context, that would be the punchline to a bad (and NSFW) joke, I’m sure. Either way, it would seem that the joke is on me. It’s bad enough that I woke up sometime between 3:30 and 4:00, unable to go back to sleep untilContinue reading “Taking Delivery”
Moving the Man Cave
Dearest Rachel – It wasn’t that long ago that I thought I’d make a man cave out of the basement; all that space seemed like the perfect place to put a couch and a flatscreen television/computer combination like we’ve had in the family room for ages. Daniel could keep the family room (which for allContinue reading “Moving the Man Cave”
The Devil in the Details
Dearest Rachel – Yes, I told you I was going to continue to make that pun every time the folks from Detail Kitchens work with me on the remodeling of the kitchen and the laundry room. Consider yourself lucky I didn’t make such a pun that time we went shopping for appliances. Besides, it’s aContinue reading “The Devil in the Details”
Abt-titude Check
Dearest Rachel – As promised, I went to this appliance showroom this morning to figure out what to get for the to-be remodeled kitchen and laundry room. And I took pictures. When we got inside, dad went to the main desk, and asked for Joe K, the representative that generally works with Detail on theirContinue reading “Abt-titude Check”
Steampunk Living
Dearest Rachel – You’ll have to understand, I hadn’t intended to have anyone over today. I left the office early because I needed to drop something off at FedEx (the bank had me sign some papers for the estate) and get a few accessories for my costume on Saturday (the ‘suspicious astronaut’ costume – IContinue reading “Steampunk Living”
Limpiar
Dearest Rachel – You’d probably be able to confirm with me as to the French, but I do know that in Spanish, the verb ‘to clean’ is ‘limpiar.’ Which, while having absolutely no connection to our word ‘limp’ (Since that comes down to us from the German through Old and Middle English), is strangely appropriateContinue reading “Limpiar”
Filling In the Details
Dearest Rachel – Look, I warned you that I would be using the ‘detail’ pun for most of these early iterations regarding the kitchen and laundry room remodelings. I may stop by April or May, when the contractors are here day in and day out, but for now, the occasional nature what’s being done allowsContinue reading “Filling In the Details”
A Bullet for the Critic
Dearest Rachel – Midnight! Two! Six! What is with this dog, that he can’t tell me a decent nights sleep?! After all, if Daniel is to be believed (and he’s never been a very good liar), the old boy sleeps plenty soundly during the day. Okay, maybe I have my answer, there. And to beContinue reading “A Bullet for the Critic”
Letters to Rachel 