2012

So the dreaded 2012 is here! So much has changed since I wrote last time! Well, I was told when I was about 16 that most of my life things will happen when I turn 33... I did not believe it that time, but it almost happened like clockwork. Now, whether it was that that fortune teller was a good one, or it was a power of suggestion, I do not know. But it did happen. It happened all in 2011!

I did graduate.

I got a new car. A brand spanking new Toyota Prius 2011. And I love it.  It being hybrid, is not the best for the steep hills around my house and the Worcester winters, but I won't change a thing about it. I have used it as a truck through my recent moves and put over 13K miles in year.

I got my dog.. the one I always wanted!

 and I bought a condo!

So that makes me think that my stars must be shining extra bright last year!

But given my luck, it was not supposed to go smooth! J and I ended up putting an offer the house the weekend of Irene. Even the realtor had to cancel on us in the morning of the showing. But we did end up liking this condo along with another and wrote up the offers the same day. We got this house for the first offer put in, only to learn later as to why. Our closing got pushed forward by a month. Our flooring got delivered even before we closed on the house. We ended up doing no work in the 10 days J had come to Mass as we did not close on the house till the day after he went back. Since I had already given a notice at my previous rental place, we moved in the house even before we closed, on the night most of western Mass had no electricity because of the second severe storm of the season. We found severe leakage in the walls which had most probably been going on for 3 years and had caused severe damage to the walls and the second floor sub floors!

We still pulled through and finished laying down the beautiful cornfield laminate flooring in the master bedroom and living room through the next 3 months and numerous visits by J. By February 2012 though, the constant exhaustion, lack of any break and the site of water damage took over and we just ended up paying someone to finish partial work. We had to replace some of the studs in the upper bathroom walls as well!

So now, after over 7 months and a few thousand dollars later, we have floors throughout the house. These look beautiful and seem to be holding up quiet well! The puppy has developed attachment to us and demands lot of hugs when I see her every night and when J sees her every now and then! The mold in the walls is treated and we are waiting for the walls to be closed. The newly installed shower fixtures might need some more attention in terms of water proofing, however, the new fixtures look terrific! We painted all the kitchen cabinets white and the original bronze hardware looks great with that and opens up the kitchen! I also painted the bathroom vanities white and the bathroom vinyl tops gray. We have new peal and stick bath floors we well and I love the new look! And finally yesterday, J installed all the closet doors, put away all the tools back in the laundry room, cut a back for the accent buffet table in the kitchen I have been working on and fixed the slides on the same! Love him for that. And we did all this while making a pretty garden in the little front yard that I have!

So what remains?
1. Putting back the heater side plates
2. Closing up the walls
3. Correcting the bath fixture error
4. Painting the walls
5. Finishing the stairs
6. Finishing the accent buffet, fixing the last drawer on it or selling it off to recover as much cost as I can and starting over on that.
7. Finishing the TV cabinet project
8. (According to J) removing the sag in the floor that the last installer left behind.

Close.. we are close! I hope J moves back to Mass soon!