Brian's Visit - Done

Brian left a week ago.  It's taken me a while to catch up - what with all of this free wheeling I've been doing without my arm sling!  That's right folks, the broken arm is a thing of the past (mostly, I still can't lift heavy things for another 2 weeks).  

Brian left last Friday, Caleb and I spent the weekend in Virginia Beach for our 6th wedding anniversary, and then on Monday I got my sling off.  Since Monday, I've been overcome with productivity.  Running errands like a boss.  Paying bills like a boss.  Cooking dinner like a boss.  Sweeping floors like a boss.  Going to play group like a boss.  I'm queen of the world.

Anyway, back to the point of this blog - the house.  Here were our goals for before Brian came, with what we accomplished last week struck through:

- Put a ceiling in the basement (the flammable insulation is exposed)- Remove carpet from screened-in porch, put in a different (more weather proof) flooring
- Rebuild the stairs, railing, and screen door going up to the screened-in porch

- Remove classic 1970s intercom systems and plaster over space

- New double door from outside to basement

- Replace painted over and non-functioning electrical outlets

- Extend and/or rerouting some downspouts to prevent water leaking into the basement

- Replace most of the doors (particularly the ones that lead outdoors and are leaking air)

- Install a handrail on the stairs going to the family room- Securely fasten the toilet in Lucy's bathroom in a way that prevents movement

- Set up a working smoke alarm system

- Remove linoleum in laundry room (2 layers) and replace with new linoleum
- Remove wall paper in laundry room
- Paint laundry room

You can see we got quite a bit done, but we still have some left to do.  The biggest differences are in our porch and basement.  Below is the progression of photos through out Friday and Monday (while I was getting my sling off, Caleb and my parents were putting up screen).

Friday morning
Half painted, no stairs, no door, no screen

Friday evening

Painted, stairs, door, no screen

Monday evening

Painted, stairs, door, screen

We still have to stain the floors and put up wood stripping to hide the screen seams, but all of our work has really transformed the space.  When it's completely done I'll be sure to post before and after photos.

The painters also arrived this week to start painting all of our brown trim white.  Caleb was joking today that pretty much all we've done at the house is turned brown things white - trim, electrical face plates, the porch.  I think it has made everything look so much more modern.  Although, I don't think I would say, "all we've done is turn brown things white" without context.  Yes, that's right, we're  gentrifying our house.  No, we're not racists.