The sucking money pit that is my life

In a brilliant stroke of luck, all four of our tires needed to be replaced this week. While we were on vacation. Add this to the never-ending escalating costs of The Great Remodel of 2008 and you have two unhappy people.

However, work has resumed in our absence and things are moving apace. We no longer have the fear the house will fall down, as it has been shored up and the termite-crumbs that were the main sill beam are now brick.

I snuck home for two days yesterday with Emmie, leaving Jack at the lake with Grandma. Emily has her six-month doctor visit tomorrow so we came home a day early to inspect the progress on the house.

There was a great deal of banging and drilling and at one point, the water had to be shut off. I can report the fireplace and spot for the TV above it have been framed out and my built-in bookshelves should be framed tomorrow. The cable has been strung and all the speaker wires are in place. The insulation is finally going up on the walls and the staircase is fully framed out, waiting for the steps. There is not a single sheet of drywall left in the downstairs anymore either, as we elected to take the kitchen downstairs totally out and make it an office. Nothing like changing the scope of the project for the umpteenth time -- it's only money, right?

We had always planned to just put a door on the kitchen down there and leave it as-is, just in case we want to sell it as a two-family eventually or, God forbid, the economy goes so far in the shitter that Josh loses his job and we have to rent the place out again. But then we decided the kitchen was crappy anyway, and we would need to replace the cabinets and countertops to sell it or rent it. Since we have no office, we had them take it all out and re-drywall it.

I leave for the fine state of Wisconsin once again tomorrow, where I will continue my waterskiing escapades. I really should get some video of these attempts and post them for your enjoyment. I did get up on the first try and went about 50 feet upright on two skis before biting it ass over tea kettle when I tried to lean too far back. But showing that would require me revealing myself in my swimming suit and we don't want to scare any small children, so let's just not go there.