New Week, New Pics

Plugging along! The house is starting to resemble a house! Yes, folks, we now have walls. The sheetrock is up and finished. It's amazing what difference that made in my sanity. Now, we can really see how the many small changes we tacked onto the repairs are making a big impact. The house really will be beautiful, if it's ever done (which I'm starting to believe may happen this year, possibly in the next several weeks). With Markus here to party with Ellie this week, I was able to accomplish many of my tasks towards house completion, including (drum roll please) purchasing kitchen cabinets! For those of you who've heard too much about the house, you know I had a complete kitchen worked up with Home Depot which didn't come through for a myriad of reasons. Happy am I to have found all of the cabinets for the kitchen in stock now at a local warehouse for half the price! Score! The countertops will also be half the price when they are ordered post-cabinet install. Given the increasingly loud vacuum-sucking sound of money from our wallets by this house, we are thrilled to not only get a deal but get it NOW. This philosophy has resulted in all the lighting fixtures and flooring being purchased and ready to go this week as well. The search for perfection is over; the acceptance of acceptable look, good price and immediately available is here.
One unexpected bonus of being here is my new appreciation of my contractor's situation. While I have no idea (and really no confidence) that he works hard while I'm gone, he does work very hard when I'm here...but his people don't necessarily do the same. I was witness to the day his drywall finishers skipped a day of work to penalize him for using another crew to hang drywall since they were going too slowly. I have been witness to multiple useless days on behalf of his siding hangers. They show up at 10, are gone for lunch by 11 and can be gone for hours with no explanation...and I've been here to see him call them repeatedly and eventually hire others. The fact is construction people down here are tired. They have been working all day every day since Katrina for homeowners who all (like me) want their home done yesterday. There is always too much work to finish and take a break, and there will always be someone at their backs unsatisfied with the pace. At this point, many of them work with the philosophy that they will find other work at any time if they get fired...so they don't always care about what they do or when they do it. Of course it's not everybody, but for those who are wearing out, I can't say that I blame them.

Despite our little triumphs and larger epiphanies, the house remains a big strain on our nerves. On Wednesday, we celebrated a belated Mother's Day with a day off in New Orleans. It was the first time since Katrina that both of us felt like outside visitors instead of visiting what felt like home. The city has changed without us, but it was still nice to wander in the familiar, eat in the beloved spots, and see dear friends. Markus treated Jennifer to a massage at a lovely day spa and a necklace from New Orleans designer Mignon Faget. Spoiled rotten and oh-so-happy!


New Orleans cityscape from the Mississippi River ferry


dear friends Elio and Irina

Ellie has been very patient with all of this house madness, particularly now that Markus can play with her while Jennifer runs errands and gets fiesty. She is completely loved and is enjoying her playtime at the park, the beach, and in Mary's yard. Her vocabulary is exploding with new words every day, and she is a busy bee.


helping with the yardwork


two swingers

And finally, for those of you who have never been here, here's a look at why we are putting ourselves through this. This is the view from our new-and-improved back porch.