11:34 p.m. Jan. 15, 2011

It is the end of a VERY long Saturday during Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend. Instead of going out skiing with friends for the 3-day weekend, and because it’s that time of year when tenants tend to pick up and leave, I decided to engage in Remodel Mode. With the help of a couple friends, I’ve decided to finish that bathroom remodel that I started in November 2008.

The apartment bathroom was a disaster when I first bought the house. Flooring was linoleum, baseboards were plastic and warped from the condensation from the toilet caused by the humidity from the awful non-ventilating gas heater, caulk in bathtub was icky and the vanity just plain ugly. I started with just wanting to replace the baseboards and the caulk; it turned into a brand new tile floor, new toilet seal, baseboards, paint and a new lesson in homeownership.

With a few weeks to spare before the next tenant moves in, I bit the bullet this month and purchased a vanity,  sink, medicine cabinet and new light fixture, all of which needed desperate updating – the vanity the most.  I asked the guy at Lowes if that was a bit ambitious for a 3-day weekend. He raised his eyebrows and said, well, yeah.

Well, yeah, you don’t know me and my friends.

It’s three days later and the intentions haven’t changed much. Clayton and I ripped out everything Thursday evening. Friday Candace spent painting. Today, we got the vanity and faucet in. I got the new light installed (I actually really do love doing electrical work) and at 9:30 p.m., started putting back together the plumbing under the sink, after my 2nd trip to Lowes today. And, of course, there are leaks. I think I just need new supply lines, even though these look fine. But as is the case with this house, looks are incredibly deceiving.

Candace is doing a fabulous job of bringing some color to the apartment and I may steal some of those ideas for when I finally do my upstairs bathroom remodel. She knows how to use my heavy duty compound miter saw that I purchased last spring from a friend and is going to teach me how to use it. “Next,” she says, “We’re taking care of that trim in your kitchen! You’ll be kicking yourself for not doing it sooner after you learn how to use the table saw.”

I probably will.

You know what, I’m so tired, I can’t even make it to 15 minutes. I have visions of PVC and chrome piping in my head, with lurking nightmares about baseboard projects.  I don’t know why. We figured out how we’re going to fix that problem. Thankfully, tomorrow, I get a break with a brunch with a new friend, and then I’m REALLY taking a break and charging up Mt. Walker on Monday to crank some fresh air into these lungs.

Thanks for reading. I promise, pictures are coming of the remodel. I’ve been documenting. Incarnations include bare walls, then bright yellow, then bright orange, then dayglo yellow….

Passing out …

11:49.

(hey, look at that, 15 minutes.)