#my mom needed to install a new light fixture

[neonphoenix]

Announcing that I'm gonna go to Joann's fabric store leads to trip being delayed by 2-3 hours on account of other people wanna come

[bomberqueen17]

house remodel updates

I forget where we left off but like so the thing is of course nobody was here over the weekend. on saturday we took dude's mom to the airport and then moved ourselves into her house to house- and cat-sit. yes we're cat-sitting our own cat. listen she can't be in our house it makes sense.

she has been extremely confused by this. she saw the Dreaded Suitcases and hid while Skin-Grammy packed up and left, and then hours later came slinking out in confusion. why were we there instead??? What is this about??

She has mostly adjusted but has been intermittently clingy and invisible, after the manner of cats. But anyway where are we on the kitchen remodel??

Well we got a new guy in the cast of characters. Jim, having shaved his beard somewhat in advance of his upcoming vacation to visit his mom in Florida, arrived in good spirits, and introduced me to John, a youngish guy who is doing the electrical work. John cheerfully explained to me that he was going to be adding up to six circuits to the house, and I had been forewarned that he was also going to be adding hard-wired smoke detectors on two floors since I didn't have any and that's illegal. (The house sold privately, it hasn't been inspected since it was built in 1950, so are we surprised? No!) They weren't included in the contract/quote but are required for the work to be approved by the town, but we weren't surprised by this. I'll pay john separately. For the record it's only like $3-400 to have that kind of thing installed, I was worried it'd be more but he was like nah. I'll bill ya.

A bit later, as I was looking around at the various outlights and light fixtures, I said "oh wait the microwave shelf. there's supposed to be some kind of microwave shelf? somewhere?" and neither Jim nor John knew anything about this. And I was like I remember about this because when we first started looking into remodeling this kitchen we went somewhere and they were kind of snooty and when I said "can we just put the microwave on a shelf" because it takes up most of my counterspace they acted like this was illegal.

"What," John said, disbelieving. "I put in outlets for that like... all the time. It's not only legal it's also super normal."

"They acted like I was a stone-cold freak," I said, "and then they tried to convince me that the only option was a drawer microwave."

John physically recoiled, and made a warding gesture with his fingers like a cross. "That's what I said," I told him, "it was the worst thing I'd ever seen!"

"Those things are the worst," he said, and I felt vindicated. "Naw ma'am. I'll put your microwave on a shelf. And it's fine if we can't find the blueprints, I'll just put the wire up and leave extra, and we can get it to the right spot once we know." (Jim was leafing through the plans and trying to find the shelf, but he'd handed over the detailed plans to his colleague Max, who was going to be covering for his vacation, so he couldn't find the relevant sheet.)

So, John worked on Monday and Tuesday, and I checked in on Tuesday midmorning after I dropped Dude off at the airport. (He has a work trip and it's terrible timing and also he doesn't want to go. He made me promise to eat real human food at regular intervals, which is something I have historically struggled with when unattended. I have been a good girl about this I promise. I went to the grocery store and bought myself a series of treats, which i have been deploying strategically as rewards for having properly fed myself.)

The bad news on Tuesday was that john had gotten all the wires approximately run, but in order to hook them up to the circuit box, was going to need to run them along a wall that I had thought was safely out of range and thus had used to pile up a great deal of the Assorted Nonsense in the basement. Hear me out, when this work was supposed to happen in February, one of the things that was going to happen was that I was going to sort through much of the Basement Nonsense and either discard it, file it neatly, or donate it somewhere that could use it (in the rare case of there being like, anything useful in those piles). But the accelerated timeline meant I had no time for that and had in fact only piled things higher.

Jim informed me of this very kindly, and said it wasn't a hurry since it was going to all get hooked up at the end. But like. I mean. It's not like there's infinite time. So that's what I figured I'd work on Wednesday while I was waiting for the plumber and inspectors.

So, cue Wednesday. I got here like 8:30 and around 8:45 a random car carefully reversed itself into my driveway and then parked, and I thought, this must be Max. And sure enough. Jim's coworker/substitute, a personable guy of like, freaking twenty something, in tennis shoes instead of work boots. But he did seem to know what he was doing, and had been well-briefed on the project. So I went down into the basement and hauled things around (and did have time to sort and discard some things, though not much), and he tacked up more insulation and got ready for the electrical inspector. I thought I was doing to have to talk to the guy but I did not, he came and went and I thought I heard someone talking but by the time I came up it was just Max, tacking down the last insulation he'd had unsecured so they could see the wiring.

After noon the plumber arrived, yet another addition to the dramatis personae: Kyle, another young guy (mayyybe thirty), who works for a guy named Don I guess. I showed him my gas dryer that I was going to ask if he could hook up and he was like oh that will be so easy, yes, when I come back I can do that. So then I showed him my laundry sink faucet that had just started leaking and he was like i also can replace that for very few dollars and very little time. So I am well-pleased. My washing machine is leaking too but I think I'm on my own to sort that one out.

Kyle asked if I was sticking around and I was planning to, so here I am, in the other room, listening to them saw things. I guess I'm getting a whole new sink drain assembly. And he's got to saw out some things to get a water box for the ice maker in the fridge. Why not.

So that's how that's going. The big excitement is that now that the electrical inspection is done and the plumbing is underway, Max and an unnamed assistant who showed up and was even younger are going to start hanging drywall. I'm so excited to have an insulated kitchen with drywall, instead of the uninsulated plaster that radiated cold in winter.

I'd normally be preoccupied with historic preservation but the thing is, this house isn't old enough for that to really matter. No fear, there'll still be some plaster panels in this house when all this is done. I'd prefer if all the exterior walls were insulated though.........

Baby steps. Maybe we'll get there.

Oh one funny little side story-- John was like "oh let me get your number in case i have questions or whatever" and so I started reciting my phone number and he pulled out a sharpie and wrote my number right on the wall of my kitchen. I mean of course it was a wall that was stripped to the studs so he was writing on the paper backing of the reverse side of the plaster panels of my attic staircase, but it was funny-- but it makes sense, now that's there for anyone who works on this project, but then when the project is done it will be gone.

But of course on Monday night when Dude came over to get some things to pack for his work trip he texted me a photo of my phone number scrawled on the kitchen wall and was like "???"

well, i thought it was pretty funny.

[brostateexam]

It's little things.

It's that the white board in the kitchen is functional again. The whiteboard markers are buried in the garage somewhere and we haven't had an eraser or whiteboard cleaner for literal years. @currentlyonfire asked me why I hadn't just bought new markers, so I did that by going to Office Max (is that the name of the store? idk) cause it's in the same shopping center as the Trader Joe's I go to, and that means I can write down groceries we're out of instead of just having a subroutine running in my head that chants "Dutch process cocoa powder, umeboshi paste, ricotta cheese" on an endless loop because guess what I've been out of since August.

It's that I have the mental wherewithal to reach out to my mom and invite her over for tea and remind her to bring over a box of this set of fine china I bought about 1.5 weeks before my surgery. It never made it into my old apartment. It's still over at my mom's house. But now I can see her and she'll bring stuff over.

It's that I ordered the custom window fixture I need for the enormous window in my living room that's a non-standard size, and once it arrives I plan to pay someone to install all of the window fixtures at once, and I'll have blinds up for light filtering and heat retention (hopefully by then, I'll also have heat lol) and privacy.

It's all of this, plus like a dozen other things, plus my job, plus being post op. Today, it feels like I can do these things. I just need that feeling to last.

[bangtanfancamp]

Into the Garden (JJK)

∴ masterlist

∴ series masterlist (part one of 2 )

∴ pairing: Jeon Jungkook x reader

∴ word count: 5k

∴ rating: pg-13

∴ genre: fluff, romance, strangers to lovers, dinner theater au? Lol

∴ warnings: none to speak of, eventual affection? sexual tension? Probable future make out sesh

∴ summary: It’s a Friday night out with your friends— a perfect opportunity to try out that mysterious new restaurant everybody’s talking about. Always game for new things and a good time, even you never expected to stumble upon the smart, incredibly handsome waiter you meet there who knows his flowers. Who knows where the night will take you now?

∴ vibey playlist that kept me company during writing

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“God, this place is gorgeous.” You gasped.

You felt yourself go still once you’d finally managed to push the heavy wooden doors open. Was it unreasonable to wish you lived in a restaurant if it looked like this? Because it was beautiful in here. Every corner was immaculately decorated- rich, emerald velvet in the waiting area, cognac wood floors, industrial light fixtures… each element carefully designed, but aged and warm, like maybe this place had been here forever, and you’d only just noticed it.

And the plants- there were plants everywhere, on every available surface. Shades of green wrapping and weaving around iron railing. Ivy crawling up the side of the exposed brick like nature was trying to take this luxurious place back for itself. You’d never seen anything quite like it.

This place was all anyone could talk about lately, but you’d never seen it first hand until tonight. It had been your coworker’s bright idea to get a bunch of the staff together and blow off some steam here this Friday night. She’d even wiggled her way into getting the company to pay for it by calling it a “team building experience,” a.k.a “let’s all get drunk together and moan about our problems on the boss’s dime.” You’d be skipping the alcohol tonight, but this place was a million years beyond your “guac at chipotle is a treat” personal budget and there was no way you were going to miss out on a free dinner here.

So far, no regrets as you wandered across the hardwood. You hadn’t even eaten any of the food yet, but it was already your new favorite place in the city on decor alone. And on top of that, you had something else to look forward to. Apparently, the hook here — not that it really needed one— was an upscale version of dinner and a mystery. You wondered how that was supposed to fit with this whole industrial utopia theme.

You hadn’t been to a restaurant that did a show with dinner since you saw Cinderella at a children’s dinner theater in eighth grade, but the shabby, primary colored castles of your memory clashed distinctly with the elegance of this place. The gaping imbalance made you chuckle. Sherlock dinner theater and artisanal hand glazed pottery seemed like an odd mix to you, but you were intrigued nonetheless, knowing you’d have fun whether the plot was brilliant or not.

After gawking an appropriate amount of time in the foyer, you realized you should probably check in for your group since you’d arrived first. Gliding through the Garden in search of the hostess booth, you found it hidden away beneath the shade of an almost prehistorically large fiddle leaf fig tree. You smiled up at the gargantuan plant, fingers tracing the edge of a leaf. If the millennial garden of Eden interior of the place hadn’t already been an indication, this alone reinforced what a miracle worker their main gardener must be.

Every fiddle leaf fig you’d ever owned had died many a gruesome death long before it ever even reached two feet, but this one almost brushed the exposed ceiling beams. You wished you could ask whoever was in charge here for some pointers, but they’d probably smell your plant mom failures on you from a mile away and decide not to waste their time. Plants just never seemed to like you back the way you loved them… oh well. That’s what plastic is for, you supposed.

Getting back to the task at hand, you leaned up on your toes to look for assistance, quickly noticing that the station was empty. Maybe they’re busy watering the crops, you chuckled to yourself wondering if this place really was pretentious enough to grow their own inventory-they certainly could- when you were suddenly greeted by the most stunningly handsome boy you’d ever seen.

“Hello, welcome to the Garden.” The living, breathing Adonis statue could speak apparently. You tried not to stare as he smiled back at you politely, his silky curls shagging about his face as he slid behind the hostess booth. Holy crap. Did they grow him in the back too?

He was beautiful- some undiscovered demigod with broad shoulders and a jawline so strong it could cut glass. He lifted his eyebrows pleasantly, waiting to assist. “I apologize for the wait—how may I be of service this evening?”

You couldn’t help the silly grin that spilled across your face when his wide chocolate eyes smiled your way.

“Um, Hi. I need a table for, lets see… 1,2,3,4...10 people I think?” You counted unashamedly on your fingers as the host’s lips quirked into a smile. “Oh! Actually, you know what? What am I doing—do you guys take reservations? My friend Beth might have called about us earlier?”

“Let me see…” The boy’s amused doe eyes drifted over a computer screen. You fiddled with the edges of a particularly plump succulent on the counter as you waited. “Here it is. Beth party of 10. Now usually when we have a group that big, we do offer the option of one of our private rooms. You guys would have your own separate narrative from whatever the main restaurant is doing….Would you be interested in that this evening?”

“Sure! Why not—that sounds amazing!” You answered, a bit too enthusiastically admittedly, but when his face lit up at your bubbliness, you found you couldn’t be bothered to feel embarrassed. Not when a boy who looked like that was looking at you that way, all soft around the edges. Will you be there? you wondered.

“Okay, then you’ll come right this way. Oh! And you’ll need this.” Dipping into a crystal bowl behind the counter, he fished out a crisp white piece of paper and slipped it into your hand, fingers brushing over yours as he did.

Something in your belly reacted sharply to the contact. Apparently, the electric crackle affected him too. His already round eyes widened, a nervous chuckle tumbling from his lips as your cheeks blossomed a warm, soft pink.

Suddenly, a ruckus erupted behind you, crashing into the tranquil silence. You turned over your shoulder to see your friends piling in the tall front door, laughing and smiling widely at you.

Tearing his eyes away from you with a self conscious gulp, the host cleared his throat before leading you all back past fountains, lush greenery and elaborate floral installations into yet another beautiful space. This room was just as intricate as the rest of the restaurant, with its warm terra cotta-colored walls dripping with ivy and orchids, lit with the dappled light of melting pillared candles piled atop the elaborate raw wood table spanning the length of the room.

As everyone happily clamored to find a seat along the banquet table, you noticed your friend, Erik, crashing along its opposite edge. Erik had been a football player in college, some defensive position you didn’t know the title of. He was a mammoth of a man, his blonde Nordic hair making him look like an off brand, out of shapeThor.

He paid little to no attention to where he threw his weight around like a puppy who didn’t yet know his size. So when he dropped himself onto the neatly slatted bench (gosh, every detail here was dripping in aesthetics) and promptly leaned against the wall, crushing the intricate orchid display, you couldn’t help but laugh. You heard the host’s strangled gasp and giggled at the beautiful boy's wide eyes as his horror-stricken face went pale across the room. Before he seemed to realize he was even doing it, his feet began to march across the floor to say something to your friend, until his politeness overtook him and he froze a few feet away. He grumbled to himself as your friend carelessly peeled himself off of the bench, annoyed complaining about something scratchy digging into his back. The host was positively fuming as irritation ticked in his jaw, but His big brown eyes betrayed his disappointment and downright bewilderment as the bedraggled orchids limped back into place.

“No.... They’re ruined. Now what am I supposed to display?”  You heard him attempt to mutter under his breath, but his anger seemed to make his volume louder than intended. He was so flustered—it was oddly...kind of adorable. You couldn’t help but laugh. You knew your friend had meant no harm. He was a sweet guy, but generally oblivious, so things like this seemed to happen a lot. Chuckling under your breath, you couldn’t help but notice the strain in the host’s angular jawline, not to mention how good he looked with his eyebrows furrowed like that. Intense. It made you want to kiss the creases to relax him. Man, this guy was really getting to you...

Maybe it’s time to have some fun, you thought.

Leaning over the edge of the bench, you whispered surreptitiously, “Hey, maybe you should consider wheatgrass instead.” You sent a quick wink in the host’s direction, a thick cloud of giggles falling from your lips. Lashes fluttering , the poor guy seemed startled by your comment. He had been so wrapped up in blinders over his restaurant being ruined that he hadn’t realized anyone had been watching the entire interaction. For a quick second, embarrassment flashed over his features. The sudden chagrin on his face as he nervously ruffled his hair softened him. The Greek god of a man suddenly a soft, flustered boy. He looked so... sweet.

The whole scene gave you the oddest urge to pinch his cheeks and tell him how cute he was. But just as fast as it had appeared, the innocence in his wide eyes was gone, his composure swiftly resettling itself as his shoulders rolled down, his posture lifting him back up to full height. His confidence was back, and so was a lopsided smile that you decided you quite liked. “Might not be the worst idea.... certainly less overhead,” he sighed resignedly, hands hanging low on his hips as the tick in his jaw loosened, replaced instead by the beginning of a smirk.

“Much less upkeep. Less horizontal space. Equal level of pretension. I see no downsides,” you shrugged nonchalantly. You felt your own smile bloom wider the longer your gazes stayed fixed on each other. His eyes were dazzling- coffee brown and deep- as they glittered back at you. “I’ll look into it...might be a solid option. Have,” he hesitated. “Have you been here before? I don’t think I’ve seen you... I get the feeling I would have remembered you.” His face was so soft and unguarded, his pretty mouth just a bit too open as he searched his memory for a glimpse of you. You pulled your lip between your teeth as your smile threatened to grow.

“No,” you shook your head, hair bouncing around you. “It’s my first time here. First time for all of us actually. Hence, my friends lack of good graces with your horticultural displays.” you offered an apologetic shrug.

“May my orchids rest in peace,” he sighed with a shake of his head. “Not your fault though. You guys, uh, celebrating something?” He was suddenly too close for a stranger, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care.

“Oh, no. We just work in that massive upstart down the block. Kept hearing about the place, and Instagram kept hacking our feeds with ads for it so we finally caved. Figured we’d try it out. ” You waved across the table gesturing to everyone. There were all so deep in their own side conversations that no one seemed to pay any mind to you lingering oddly with the wait staff. “Glad to see the marketing is working out,” he chuckled. “Well...if it’s your first time, then you’ll need a proper guide through the story.” A glint of mischief sparkled deep in his chocolate eyes, and you felt something effervescent glitter up your spine in excitement. “I suppose we will.” With a bow from his hip and a nod, he turned on his heel with no explanation, leaving you to smile down at your menu like an idiot in his absence. Trying to read was pointless honestly. The letters might as well have been in Arabic as they swam across the page- you weren’t processing anything. Far too lost in a dreamy eyed splendor over the boy you’d just met until a bony elbow nudged its way between your ribs. “What was THAT all about?” Eileen’s eyebrows bounced with curiosity. “ I don’t know.” You answered honestly as your head shook. At this point, you were smiling so much your cheeks were beginning to hurt. “But my God, isn’t he CUTE?” You hid behind your hands. “Cute??” Eileen shoved you in the shoulder. “He’s not a corgi, y/n. He’s a grown man.” She bit her lip. “A GORGEOUS, full grown man....did you see him when he walked away? God, what a view.” You pressed your forehead into her shoulder and whimpered, “I knowww. His smile, those thighs, my god...and his butt. Did you see it? It’s better than mine.” You both fell into a fit of giggles.

“All I know is that if you don’t give him your number then he’s definitely getting mine tonight. Or anything else he’d like for that matter.” Your jaw fell open at her brazenness. “Hey! slow your roll. You can’t call dibs before I’ve even gotten his name!” you laughed.

“Then you better work fast, babe. Cuz butts like that don’t stay single for long.”  She tipped her head to the side matter of factly.

“Oh my gosh, shut up! You don’t know when he’ll come back. He might hear you.” You breathed.

“Let him. It’ll make my job easier.” She bit down seductively on her red straw. Swatting at her, you both giggled before back into the table’s office gossip.

Apparently, Elliot had shown up to the office wasted again today- either from getting trashed the night before or from getting sloshed the morning of, no one was quite sure at this point. Either way, everyone was annoyed as hell that he’d never get more than a slap on the wrist for it since his dad managed their branch. Nepotism still alive and well. Clearly.

Popping an entire potsticker in your mouth, your belly ached with laughter as Sean told you all how his assistant had accidentally walked in on two higher ups making out in the supply closet this morning and how traumatized the poor intern had been. He described in detail how the poor slob had still tried to get around them to get the extra printer paper, and what a mess the whole ordeal had been. He owed you a clean fifty bucks now.

With your keen eyes, you’d been the first person to be suspicious of them- you’d called it a solid month ago- and had put your money where your mouth was. You’d started the office pool that they were in fact a secret couple- a bet you’d clearly just won if Sean bleak expression was anything to go by. Lunch on him all week. Potstickers til i burst? Don’t mind if I do.

It had been a great evening, full of unwinding and bonding. So great, that you’d completely forgotten about the mystery element of the dinner. That is, until a crystalline voice spoke above you, snapping you to attention.

“Pardon me, everybody. But it’s time for the mystery of the evening to begin.”

Surprised, your eyes darted up to see the cute guy from earlier. He was standing right behind you. Your pulse spiked as he sent a smirk your way. What were you supposed to do with that? He was so close now that you could hear the fabric of his dress shirt rustle every time he shifted or gestured above you. With every movement, a burst of his scent surrounded you. It was something citrus, something fresh. A dizzy smile tugged at your lips as it enveloped you like a cloud. God, you wanted to bury your nose in it. You were such a sucker for a good smelling boy...

And this one was so in your personal space. Which should have been off putting, honestly. Especially since you’d barely known him for half an evening. It was a bold choice on his part, to get so close to you. It should have been a turn off. Should have. But it wasn’t. Instead, you found yourself almost vibrating with excitement at the proximity of him. Whatever this gravitational pull was around him, you were perfectly content to get pulled straight into it.

If you’d had the nerve to, he truly was close enough that if you tipped your body back just a few degrees you could’ve rested your head against his lean stomach if you’d wanted to… which, of course you did want to do… but you’d only just met him. So instead, you bit down to stifle your smile, eyes flicking over to Eileen who was just as giddy on your behalf.

God he’s so cute, you thought. Wait- is he still talking? Crap-focus, you scolded yourself, tuning back into his monologue.

“As everyone knows, we all have the same five senses. But what happens when we lose one? How does it affect our instincts? Our gut? How does it change the way we listen to each other?” he paced around the edges of the table, hands clasped behind his tailbone. It made his dress shirt bunch deliciously in all the right places, and you bit back a smile. It was getting harder and harder to hide your little infatuation.

“When each of you arrived,” he continued, “you were each given a character and a backstory- No one should know it but you- but only one of you received the card that said killer. Someone at this table has committed a murder, but who? Often, our eyes can deceive us, so as part of tonight’s story, your sight will be taken from you as you try to decipher the truth. Can you rely on your other senses, your hearing, your intuition to solve this case?” A few other waiters approached the table with baskets in hand before the room went dark- completely.

Not the “the lights are off but we can all still see” kind of dark. It was the “it's so black in here that you can feel it” kind of dark. The kind of complete nothingness you never get with the ambient glow of street lights and screens everywhere. It was heavy and consuming, the absoluteness of the suddenly inky black room.

Swirling your own fingers in front of your face, you saw absolutely nothing. Not even the glint of your own jewelry, and something fantastic bubbled up in you. This is going to be so fun. Your heart began to race in anticipation- you didn’t even know what for yet. You felt your knuckles wrap around the bench beneath you, bracing, waiting, holding your breath, wondering when the night would finally be-

Only to have your thoughts stop. Completely.

Each individual one of them halted in their tracks by the sudden contact of warm fingertips against your skin. The gentle press of a large set of hands melted into the tops of your shoulders, thumbs bracing on the back of your neck. It was him again, wasn’t it?

He squeezed once, tense and hesitant despite his obvious strength, like he wasn't sure touching you was the best idea, but he couldn’t back out now that he’d started. The delicacy of it left you buzzing. In the silence, the pads of his fingers sunk deeply into your skin, and your breath caught. You’d never been this grateful for off the shoulder clothing in your life.

“May I?” he asked, tone honeyed and sweet.

You realized he meant the blindfold you’d heard so much about before you came and nodded your head just once, tension sticking in your throat as you tried to swallow it down. It was only then that you realized he probably couldn’t see you in the darkness. You’d have to gather your wits enough to verbally respond. You hoped he wouldn’t catch the way the “yes” that left your lips was embarrassingly breathless.

You heard him hum in response, holding whatever was left of your breath as his fingertips slowly fell from the tops of your shoulders, dragging across the edges your sleeves like he was in no rush to let you go. It was a strange intimacy from a stranger, but to be honest, you didn’t want him to let go either.

Until, quick as a whisper, his warmth was gone, leaving you alone in the dark. The shift so abrupt that part of you wondered if you’d imagined the last thirty seconds. His lingering hands had fallen away so abruptly at the end. Where had he gone?

It all felt like a fever dream you’d cooked up, like your own subconscious was mocking you for wanting him so bad. For a second, you wondered if you should be concerned by how obviously attracted you were to him. Should you be ashamed by how quickly you welcomed his touch? By the way your traitorous body showed no intention of pushing him away? Maybe you should, but he didn’t give you the time to overthink it before he was beside you again.

“Jungkook.” He whispered, only loud enough for you to hear.

“What?” You breathed, face turning toward his sound in the blackness.

“That’s my name. Jungkook.” He repeated, his voice airy and soft. You hadn’t realized how beautiful his voice was until it was the only thing you had to focus on. You could feel that he was bent low, his chest just brushing the tops of your shoulders. You felt dizzy at the sensation of his warm breath ghosting over the shell of your ear as a cool satin ribbon was draped over your eyes.

“In case you were wondering.” He whispered, pulling the edges of the fabric into a soft bow as he dipped to the other side of your shoulders. “But I’ll also answer to ‘guy with the butt that’s better than yours’ if you prefer.” His breathy laugh filled your ears, and you could practically hear him smiling. “Oh god, you heard that?” the back of your hand smothered your mouth, a smile emerging even as you cringed.

“Oh absolutely. Acoustics are insane in this place. It was kind of nice though... I mean, how often do I get to hear such a pretty girl compliment me ?” You could feel the rush of blood practically crashing into your cheeks. You knew the whole world would see you blushing if the lights were on. “I’m out of witty comments for that one.” “Don’t smile. You’ll mess up the blindfold,” he warned, the endearing softness in his voice undermining his words. “I’ll try. Don’t think I can help it though.” A satisfied hum left Jungkook’s lips as he pulled away and went back to the task at hand.

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And just like that, the mystery began with Jungkook as the narrator and weaver of your tale.

Your group had been given a story set in feudal Japan. Clashing samurai, feuding houses, forbidden love- Your friends all got surprisingly into it, losing their normal voices into the adopted lilts and pitches of their newfound characters.

It really was incredible the nuances you caught when you focused on your hearing. Jin’s voice, for example, was far more nasal than you realized. He had a tendency to react dramatically any time someone pressed him for details- clearly signaling how close they were to the truth the more he tried to hide it. Lina’s expressionless monotone was nearly impossible to read on voice alone, but it made her all the more fun to try to figure out. Despite focusing on the story, you couldn’t help but notice that while Jungkook had the entire table to canvas as he narrated, he still stayed suspiciously close to your side the entire time- like he couldn’t help himself. His fingertips would brush the fabric of your blouse when he’d pass. His taut arms would graze the swing of your ponytail as he walked by. He had no mercy on the fragile hummingbird flitting with wild abandon in your chest at each of his actions. In fact, you could hear the distinct note of something that sounded an awful lot like laughter in his voice anytime he gave instructions to your character specifically. Smug son of a gun. Soon, the story unraveled as it was revealed that Jin had, in fact, been the murderer. He was jealous of Lina’s love for samurai Hoseok and had killed him in a drunken rage but tried to frame Bobby for the dishonorable act.

With the crime solved, the lights were turned back on, a fuzzy halo emerging around the edges of your vision as a staff member came behind each guest to remove their blindfold. You were unsurprised when you were met with a gentle waft of clean citrus as Jungkook appeared once again to help you with yours. The warm pads of his fingers grazed your cheeks when he removed the satin ribbon. It was so quick- it was so hard to tell if it had been on purpose- before his touch was gone again far too quickly for your liking. “I must say, you were particularly clever.” He offered softly as he stood behind you. You dropped your neck back to look up at him, eyes wide. “Anyone paying attention would have known that wasn’t Bobby’s blade work.” “Still, most people don’t catch it on their first time through the story.” He tipped his head matter of factly. “Maybe I just had a good guide,” You winked, tucking your chin back to normal when you saw a faint pink color his cheekbones. He cleared his throat before addressing the table. “You’ll find your individual checks have been placed in front of you, along with a complimentary dessert. Thank you for dining with us this evening. It has been our pleasure.”

He bowed at the waist as he gave his farewell, making his last words spoken dangerously close to your ear. Adrenaline spiked in your veins at his proximity for the thousandth time tonight. As he returned to full height, another man approached the table, this one taller, leaner than jungkook, with a smile so innocent and wide it could have belonged to a child.

“Good evening everyone! How was your experience with us tonight?” His voice. It boomed like a clap of thunder. It was oddly deep for someone who looked so young. Everyone at the table chattered with random superlatives about how amazing the night had been as the man's smile glowed brighter.

“I’m so glad to hear it!! You had a real treat tonight- guided by our finest story teller.” Pride swelling in his eyes, the man clapped an embarrassed Jungkook on the shoulder. “Such a shame it might be the last story he tells here.” The baritone lamented. “What am I supposed to do without my partner?” The man used his other hand to clutch at his chest dramatically, face scrunched in distress, as you felt your heart free fall into your shoes.

Last story? “Calm down, Taehyung. You make it sound like I’m dying.” Jungkook rolled his eyes and swatted at the man. “You might as well be!” Taehyung huffed. “He’s leaving us tomorrow to start his new life! Off galavanting in the mountains somewhere with flowers and goats. Leaving all his old, true friends behind.” He wrapped an arm around jungkook’s shoulder, dragging him against his will into a side hug jungkook vehemently tried to escape. “Quiet down, bro. You’re making a scene.” Jungkook balked, face pale at the unwanted attention.

He’s…. leaving? Your stomach took a swan dive. No. But I just met him. How... where was he going? Your eyes fell back to the table as you steadied yourself.

You’d been so excited about where this all might go. It was hard enough to accept that you’d already gotten this attached to him. Let alone invested enough to be this disappointed…..but, you’d felt something so strong around him. The kind of glittering spark you hadn’t felt with another person in a long time, if ever.

Every time his eyes had lingered on you or his body had brushed against yours, a supernova had ignited in your chest. You’d spent the whole night going mad with the electric possibility of him- just to what? Feel like a fool for being infatuated with a stranger? Look like the naive girl you were, pining over a daydream?

This was ridiculous. You shook your head at yourself. This boy didn’t owe you anything. He was a stranger two hours ago, he’d stay a stranger when you left twenty minutes from now. But no matter how you tried to convince yourself, your poor heart still felt sick about it all. He’d just seemed so— you don’t know, special. So magnetic. And You’d thought he’d felt the same pull bringing him to you too.

Because why else would he have flirted with you half the night? He didn’t seem like the kind of guy to lead you on if he knew it was going nowhere. An assumption you realized was a heck of a leap. You didn’t actually know anything about him, but somehow, something about that narrative just didn’t sit right with you. The look he’d had in his eyes each time he smiled at you tonight had seemed too sincere to be a lie. But from the way his loud friend was still talking, he made it sound like Jungkook was moving to the Alps.

So even if his sweet eyes had genuinely meant every smile tonight, was it really all for nothing? You knew the night was ending, and it was a long shot, but you’d really been holding out hope it might go somewhere beyond this. Apparently not. In an instant, he reappeared by your side, having broken free from the grip of his affectionate friend’s grasp. Jungkook dipped beside you once again as you stumbled to rearrange your now troubled features into something resembling disinterest.

“Hey, Sorry about that. But, I um, really do hope you have a great night. So your uh, your check is on the table.” His poise seemed a bit more rattled than before, but you were too glum to give it much notice.

You sent an out of focus glance in the ticket’s direction and nodded. He’d already told everyone that. Most of the table already had their debit cards out for their tickets. You didn’t know why he was bothering to mention it again when all you wanted to know was where he was going and if it was far.

“I um...didn’t get to catch your name earlier,” the smile he offered you was gentle, hopeful, as his wide brown eyes looked down at you. You felt yourself sigh withought meaning to. You’d have found the sheepish look in his eyes hopelessly adorable just a few minutes earlier, but now all it did was make your chest hurt. “Not a detail you need if you’re moving away though right?” You asked, a sadness creeping in your attempted smile. God, you weren’t fooling anyone. This was pathetic. His brows dipped at your response, confused by the shift in your demeanor. “I’m... I mean, i told you mine.” His gentle eyes tried to salvage the situation. The confidence he’d exuded all night was slipping away, a boyish vulnerability taking its place. There was no harm, you supposed. “Fair enough. It’s y/n.”  you conceded. “Y/n.” He repeated, like he was trying to make the shape a new habit for his mouth. “Pretty name for a pretty girl.”

The smile you gave him back was a limp, pitiful thing, but it was the best you could give. Half an hour ago, you definitely didn’t think him calling you pretty would have made you so sad. Compliments didn’t usually send you into a craving for solitude and halo top ice cream, but this one certainly did.

“Well, y/n, I may not be as far away as you think. Have a good night.” And with that he was gone.

Bummed, you looked over your shoulder as he disappeared into the kitchen. “Shoot. Well, that was a fast track to nowhere,” you sighed to Eileen, slouching in your seat. “I know. Bummer. Seemed like he liked you too.” Eileen commiserated. “Right? So it wasn’t just me? You could tell too?” “Oh, he was totally obvious about it! He  also gave you more ice cream than me. Shameless. Boy has no subtly.” You chuckled at her accusation, but sure enough, you did in fact have one scoop more ice cream in your jadeite bowl than the rest of your friends. This boy already knew the way to your heart.

“Still. Why act interested if you’re disappearing the next day?” You pouted. “Why show interest when he’s just a server you’ve never met before?” She asked pointedly, eyebrow arched as your eyes fell away. “People react when they feel something- and clearly you two were feeling something the entire night. His eyes didn’t leave you for a second....We don’t get to pick the timing of when we’re attracted to people, y/n. Nobody’s working with that kind of control.” Flopping onto her shoulder, you heaved a heavy sigh. “Again... you’re right. I just, I don’t know. There was just—something about him. He felt... special.” “He looked special in that outfit. Those buttons were crying.” She mockingly bit her lip as you swatted your napkin at her. “Eileen! Unhelpful! I’m aware.... I guess you just don’t always get to know where things could have gone.” You shrugged, wilting into her warmth. “I know, babe. Sorry.” She patted your head comfortingly.  You turned to your ice cream to heal the wound, accepting that beautiful Jungkook would just be a passing meeting and a quick deadend to nowhere. After polishing off your dessert, you pulled out your cash to at least leave him the memory of a good tip when your eyes caught on scribbled handwriting in the top corner of your receipt. Hey, I don’t normally do something like this, but there’s a place around the corner that stays open super late. Meet me for crappy coffee + good conversation at 11? -jungkook xxx-xxx-xxxx You choked on nothing as you processed what was going on.

“Eileen! Eileen!!” You grabbed at her sleeve. “What?? What is it?! Calm down.” She pried your clutching hands off her cropped leather jacket, brushing off any damage you’d done.

“He gave me his number!” You nearly shouted.

“What?” She almost spat out her cocktail.

“He gave me his number!!” You waved the receipt wildly in her face. “He invited me to coffee and gave me his number!!!” You squealed, shrieking at an octave usually reserved for wild piglets. “Shut up! No way!!!” “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” You rambled ecstatically. “But wait!” your face fell,“ we’re supposed to go out for drinks with everybody after.” “And? Is that a joke??? You see us every day! What are you doing talking to me?? Text him! Go meet your man, honey. I’ll cover for you.” She winked as she swung her purse over her shoulder. “Really?? I love you! I owe you!” You yelled as she made her way to the door. “Um, You really don’t, but I’ll never turn down a favor. Let me know how it goes. See you on Monday.” She waved back at you, flipping the platinum ends of her ebony hair over her shoulder. “Hey! Where’s y/n? Isn’t she coming with us,” Jin seemed to be the only one alarmed by your absence. “Nothing to worry your pretty little head about, dear. I’ll fill you in later.” She grabbed him by his shoulders and nudged him out the door frame. “Ooo, bulking up are we, Kim? Feeling solid these days.”

“Yes actually!” His face glowed. “I have been! But you know, muscle tone is 80% genetics anyway. You cant just make yourself handsome, you know.You have to be born this good looking to start with and work from there.”

She knew there was no quicker, sure fire way to get Jin off topic than to ask him about himself. Once that train had left the station, there was little hope if any of ever turning back.

Eileen really took one for the team there. “Call me” she mouthed back at you as they slipped off into the night. You chuckled to yourself at the scene, finally realizing the turn your own evening was about to take. You plugged his number into your phone and shot him a quick message. [10:35pm] Hey, how did you know I was always down for quality conversation? Moments later, your phone began to buzz. Jungkook [10:36pm] Just went with my gut ;)

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[ahnsael]

I’m giving up on my light installation for a couple days.

I lost the two screws that connect the wiring to the light. They’re in my carpet somewhere, but I cannot find them. They’re TINY screws, and even running a magnet over the carpet (granted, not a big magnet), nothing came up. I may have to find replacements. Because the ones I used yesterday were (a) pointy instead of blunt at the part where I was hoping they would hold the wiring in place, and (b) just fell out when I disassembled the light this morning.Which means they were too small in the first place, and maybe it’s for the best my attempt yesterday didn’t work and I don’t have a short circuit waiting to happen.

Also, @jimstares, I was wrong. There IS a separate wall switch for the fan. I forgot about it until this morning when I realized I have TWO switches there, because I never use the second one (unless it’s by mistake).

But for now, I’m using outside light in my room, and using my phone for illumination at night. Because even if this all works out (whether or not I need to hire someone), I still have a couple more nights of waking up for work and having no light that I can turn on in the meantime.

I should have accepted an electrician in the first place. This install, while I understand the basics of it (at least now that I know it’s the white wire that is live, not the black wire), is beyond my ability.

I wish I’d have saved some of those voicemails from all the electricians that I deleted once I actually thought I could do it myself. Attempting to do so was NOT smart on my part. It is not a strength. I understand the basics, but...bending wires to fit in the casing of the lamp, plus trying to screw them into place when I have NO idea where that screw went, was just...too much. This light BEAT me. It required more intelligence than I have. But I don’t know how much longer I can go without light when I wake up for work at night...at least at this time of day I can open my blinds and let light in until I close them to make the room dark for sleepy-time).

While writing this, my mom came to check to see whether I’d gotten it working. Then she looked up at the loose wires I have hanging from the ceiling an realized the answer was no.

I’m going to check to see if Home Depot or Lowe’s sells light fixtures with free installation. Just buying a new one would probably be cheaper at this point (and while showing my mom what I’ve been trying to hook up, the connectors literally came off, meaning they probably would’t have lasted long anyway). If not, I’ll try another light and then hire a professional to install it, even if it costs me a couple hundred bucks.

[stephccheek]

So many of my closet aesthetic dreams are coming true! Put in hours of hard work from painting, to installing a new light fixture, and getting my jewelry armoire for Christmas! Curtains really are the cherry on top now, I think!
Originally I thought I wanted a slightly darker, true pink curtain, but surprised myself when I discovered I loved a soft grey stripe—maybe to go with my beloved side motif of @henribendel and @victoriassecret hat boxes (on shelves not pictured)?😇😍 My sweet mom made these beautiful curtains and I am in love with how well things have come together in my little space. I’m cherishing the days of dress-up with Penny and maybe one day she will even be begging to borrow things from my closet? Will I need to use the lock feature on my armoire one day? 🤣🥰 
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7epfxoBl-k/?igshid=9uv9ppbiysiu

[civilcoconstruction]

Decorate with Gold Accents to Add Glamour in Any Home

Seeking touches of luxury at home? Decorate with gold accents in the kitchen, bathroom, dining, and living rooms

When have people not been enamored with gold? Artists and designers incorporated the hue into fashion, design, and interior decor for centuries. Today, interior design pros opt to decorate with gold accents in many rooms in the home—from living rooms and bedrooms to kitchens and baths. It doesn’t have to be gaudy: try offsetting a gold accent piece with more subdued hues. But if you want to, you can also go for broke and let your love for gold shine bright with multiple accents across fixtures, furniture, and wallpaper. 

Here, we look at recent Sweeten renovators who decorate with gold accents to add a punch of personality to their spaces. Sweeten matches home renovation projects with vetted general contractors, offering advice, support, and up to $50,000 in renovation financial protection—for free.

Adding gold accents in the kitchen

(Above) Rachel + Marco’s renovated kitchen with gold barstools, cabinet pulls and fixtures

(Above) Jennifer and Joe’s kitchen with subtle gold accents

(Above) Jennifer and Joe’s gold light pendant and sink

Rachel and Marco posted their home renovation project on Sweeten to find a match who could rework their two-floor duplex in Manhattan. The kitchen was the biggest update of the renovation. They chose a professional stove that they loved and matched their kitchen cabinets to the almost-black finish. This made their next choice easy: Offset the black oven with brighter gold accents. They did this by weaving gold through the cabinet hardware, as well as in the base of the elongated kitchen table. 

Jennifer and Joe hired a Sweeten contractor to help them reconfigure their closed-off kitchen area in their New Jersey apartment. With views of the Manhattan skyline, the room needed a sophisticated update. To do this, they installed dark cabinets and white marble countertops. What really pops, though, are the gold accents: the modern chandelier and shiny bar stools immediately catch guests’ eyes upon arrival.

Adding gold accents in the bathroom

(Above) Allyson’s gold-accented bathroom

(Above) Allyson’s custom floor inlaid with gold-hued accents

(Above) Leah’s bathroom with subtle gold accents

(Above) Gold-trimmed shower door

Allyson, an avid traveler, purchased a circa-1920s home in Brooklyn knowing it needed to be renovated. She posted her project on Sweeten and was matched with a general contractor who replaced her bathroom with a more modern one. Allyson had collected artwork from around the world, so she wanted to make sure her love of culture was reflected in the ultimate design—and it was. Bringing rich, gold-bronze hues was one way to do so. She had brass-rod inlays laid into the custom floor.  And she sourced gold-brass sinks from Australia and installed similarly hued sconces. 

Leah had already been through a kitchen renovation when she turned to Sweeten for her next project: her bathroom. She wanted to replace the frumpy 1970s aesthetic with a more contemporary design. The rip-and-replace renovation didn’t take long, and it came out better than she thought. Originally she planned to incorporate white and silver tones, but at the last minute decided to add a touch of warmth by using gold fixtures. 

Adding gold accents to an entryway

(Above) Mitzie + Jenifer’s gold-leafed foyer

Jenifer and Mitzie knew as soon as they looked at their Brooklyn apartment (located in the desirable DUMBO section of the borough) that it was a good fit—despite its need for renovation. While they hired a Sweeten contractor to overhaul their kitchen and baths (which turned out beautifully!) perhaps the most eye-catching redesign was the entry. The apartments’ entrance features bold wallpaper in a gold hand foil.

Adding gold accents to a dining room

(Above) Deanna + Daria’s elegant and grand dining room

When sisters Deanna and Daria found a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan’s Sutton Place, they jumped at the chance to buy it. They then enlisted a Sweeten contractor to reimagine the space to meet their needs. Their style is surprisingly traditional, with a Chinoiserie influence and characterized by a bold pattern and color choice. This is on full display in their dining room: it is a mix of gold-hued wallpaper, a sparkly gold chandelier, and even a gold picture frame.

Adding gold accents in the living room

(Above) Tara Benet-designed living room

(Above) Tatianna’s gold-hued living area

Interior designer Tara Benet was brought in to help a couple update their three-bedroom apartment in the I.M. Pei-designed Kips Bay tower in Manhattan. The kitchen had already been renovated a few years back, so the focus was on the living and dining rooms. Benet chose a white color palette for the living room—one that she could complement with deep, rich blues and spicier gold tones. Gold hues are reflected throughout the room in the coffee table, woven in the pillows, and throughout the lamps and light fixtures.

Tatianna asked her daughter, Alissa, who has a background in fashion, to help her reimagine the look of her new apartment. They hired a Sweeten contractor to do the labor but sourced all the materials themselves. The renovation result is a beautiful 975-square-foot condo. “My mom is very stylish and vibrant so we wanted to create a bright, airy contemporary space to match her style,” said Alissa. “We went for neutral gray tones with splashes of color.” The calming gray walls of the living room provide a backdrop that’s stylishly accessorized with gold-toned finishes and brass furniture. 

—

Tile can be the focal point or it can be a subtle backdrop. Here’s how to measure and budget for your tile.

Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten.

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from CIVICLO Construction & Interior https://civilco.construction/decorate-with-gold-accents-to-add-glamour-in-any-home/

[buttclothes]

house house brain dump wish list

put up pictures, now that furniture is all kinda where it’s gonna live for now, especially kitchen wall clock I gotta have it

new light fixtures: floor lamp & sconces for living room, ceiling light for our room

borrowing jc’s truck tonight to grab stuff from my mom, will go check out the antique place near our house with the big garden section to check on patio furniture

just want a handful of lounge chairs and maybe a couple side tables? ideally mixed but still vaguely coordinating, I really like woven with steel legs or wooden with slim cushions but tbh movers can’t be choosers, we have a couple camp chairs so those will do in the meantime

mantle?? what to do with the mantle. we’re not huge decor knick knack people and I pure hate dusting

herb pots!!! I will do this fairly soon for sure, I just want a few metal buckets and a watering can, should check the shed again and see what all is in there. they left a whole ass lawnmower and a couple trellises so maybe there’s a few smaller things

also would like some bigger wall art but have always had a hard time finding art that I like? I really like graphic paintings and woodcuts and anytime I’ve tried to find new I’ve struggled. really annoyed with myself about all the nice framed Walter Andersons my grandma probably gave away or yard saled that I could’ve hung onto if I’d had a mind to think about it but that was back when I was still at home

definitely want a new credenza and sectional but those are gonna wait for a while, husband wants to make a big first payment so he’s driving that train lol

also rugs for basement areas and baby’s room

should figure out who to call about getting ethernet ports installed in the basement and back bedroom, husband needs to calm himself about getting one in that room tho if it’s gonna become a second nursery on the timeline I prefer

although I did just set up a nice big playroom in the basement we won’t be able to use if he has a home office during the day down there so fml anyway

definitely want some kiddo outdoor toys too, maybe a water table? something else besides the swings and the climbing gym that he still a bit young for

things that are perfect about my house that I will never change: the WOOD FLOORS, the wall color (warm creamy beige-off white), the kitchen cabinets and gigantic sink, the counter (white terrazzo with gold flecks, I can see us updating this eventually but I would try to keep it pretty similar because it’s soooo pretty), the shower head in the main bath is Lifechanging, the weird fans which I wouldn’t have purchased but the baby is obsessed with, wooden wall in the basement

[jessieclements8]

Homemade Bridal Shower Favors

When you wish to employ Feng Shui in your home's design, you ought to start with a pair of the most frequented places in your home, your bedroom and bathroom. Those who believe in Feng Shui believe that there is a powerful energy connection between the different rooms of the house. They further believe that when Feng Shui is treated right, a person's health may also be affected in a good reputation.

Paint your bathroom candles in calming color. Now, this is tricky as color are certainly subjective. For example, I like my bathroom painted stone black while my mom loves all bathrooms blue. But, there is this rule you've got to pick one main color you like and squeeze in a shot of other colors as accentuation.

Shower: A pressurized polished brass shower head can be a great addition to your morning routine. Clear shower doors make your walk-in shower look even larger. And in case you're doing an entire remodel, dual heads by the ceiling tend to make you feel like you're showering under a warm tropical waterfall. Steam showers are popular also, with their benches, they transform your bathroom into standard steam room, which assists remove dirt and oil from your pores. With a light music, lights and scented candles, you will feel like you're in the spa. bathroom snapbars

Remodels cost a lot of money so test enhance your light the tea light candles? Undertake it ! enhance items on a mantel by placing several tea lights behind a picture, or inside of a vase. Beware to make certain that the tea light is inside appropriate candle holder.

While I will use candles for some minor illumination, the harsh bright lights that are developing my last several bathrooms are often so bright that they aggravate my headaches, on the list of conditions that triggers me to wish the long, luxurious bathrooms. I need just enough light study by, as well as never so much that I am blinded. Another electronic "want" includes installing a small stereo system, so I will play music if I wish. I don't need a Television in my bathroom (I've seen people do this, and It is form of tacky.

With an even bigger budget, hand calculators think about fixtures, faucets, tiles, and cabinetry. Therefore, you can adapt the extent of one's decorative changes to your allowance very easily without in order to do a new rip out and total replacement. If funds are limited, simply focus 1 element provided time.

Throw rugs, bath mats, soap dishes, lotion dispensers, and pictures are easy and low cost add-ons any kind of bathroom. Candles in assorted sizes are very attractive likewise low value.

[everlark-your-own-adventure]

Mockingjay Manor - Ch 2

Find Part one here.

We asked, you voted overwhelmingly to send Katniss and friends into the strange old manor house she’s inherited. What adventures await them inside? Let’s find out, shall we? As always, you’ll have 48 hours to vote (in the comments or reblogs, NOT in the tags!), until Noon EDT on Thursday, September 7th.

This week’s installment was crafted by the incomparable @jennagill (who asked that we give a shout out to @papofglencoe for her invaluable assistance.) Hang on folks, here we go...

“C’mon Katniss. We’ll take a look around, assess the needs, and come back tomorrow with a more informed game plan,” Peeta promises.

“Yeah, and maybe we can start on the demo,” Johanna says, rubbing her hands together and no doubt wanting to stick her axe in a wall.

“Who said anything about demo??” I squawk. “Maybe I want to restore this house to its former glory,” I say. It's all still a little surreal to me. Inheriting this manor with $500,000 to fix it up in six months and the possibility gaining half of the estate if I'm successful sounds like a dream. Of course, if I don't complete Uncle Haymitch’s task, then it all goes away and Peeta and I will return to the quiet life we had before the reading of the will.

“There's always an opportunity for demo,” Finnick says, snapping me out of my thoughts. “This house was likely built in the turn of the century. It's probably going to need foundation repair, new plumbing, bringing the electrical up to code, new roof, and new windows,” Finnick finishes, listing the top tasks off with his hands.

“Do you have a second career as a contractor that we don't know about?” Peeta jokes.

“Nah, just watched a lot of This Old House,” Finnick says.

“Okay then, that'll be a good start for things to look out for,” I say and head towards the house.

Dark clouds flit across the full moon that illuminates the long path up to the house and the others follow behind me. I'm grateful that we changed out of our more formal clothes from earlier when we picked up Finnick and Johanna. It's been a mild October so far, so I'm comfortable in jeans and short sleeves.

“Don't go round tonight, it's bound to take your life, there's a bad moon on the rise…”

“Not helping, Finnick,” Johanna snaps.

“What? I can't even sing a little CCR?” he pouts. “You guys have no sense of adventure.”

We reach the threshold and I dig the key out of my pocket. It is heavy, with a circular emblem at the end. It's hard to make out in the moonlight, but it looks like a bird in flight. Plutarch had mentioned that the house has been sealed for years, so the key and lock might need some elbow grease. I slide the key into the lock and try to turn it the knob but it won’t budge.

“Let me try,” Finnick volunteers and works the key in and out while twisting the knob. “It's definitely stuck. Peeta, give me a hand… Or a shoulder.”

“It's almost like the house doesn't want us here,” Johanna says.

“Shush Jo. We just need to work as a team. You boys hurl your weight against the door and I'll turn the knob,” I say.

“And I'll just hang back here, thinking that this is a bad idea,” Johanna adds.

On the third try, the door gives way and we tumble into the foyer. The musty odor nearly chokes me. We all flick on the flashlight apps on our phones. Plutarch didn't say anything about the power being on or off, so I'm not taking any chances with the wiring.

Finnick blows out a low whistle as he takes in the entrance hall and our flash light beams bounce off the walls.

Cobwebs and dust form lace networks in every corner. White cloth is draped over all of the furniture and portraits. The stairs lead up to a wide platform before splitting off to either end of the house. Above the platform, there's a large portrait hidden underneath a sheet. Peeta steps forward to pull the sheet. After the cloud of dust dissipates, a portrait of a beautiful woman comes into view.

“Maysilee Donner Abernathy” Finnick reads from the plaque aided by the flashlight. She has a brave face, framed by straight blonde hair and blue eyes. A gold pin that matches the emblem on the key shines brightly on her dress. A canary is perched in a cage by her side. She has a sunny disposition, in direct contrast to the gloomy mansion.

"You don't need a contractor, Katniss. You need an exorcist," Johanna snarks. “I'll bet she's still here, watching over her manor.”

“What does you paperwork say?” Peeta starts, “about the layout of the house?”

“Eight bedrooms, eight full baths, four half baths, four garages, four fireplaces, library, lot size two acres,” I read aloud with the beam from Peeta’s flashlight.

“Is there a floor plan?” Finnick asks.

“Yeah,” I gesture with the additional information Plutarch gave me. “The master and a few bedrooms are in the east wing. Library and guest rooms are in the west wing,” I decipher from the map. “There's this grand staircase and another between the kitchen and the butler’s pantry.”

“We might need to get more supplies out of my Jeep if we're going to be here a while,” Peeta suggests.

A crack of lightning shakes the house and the roar of thunder rolls through the open door. Rain starts to fall nearly immediately so I shut the door to keep out the moisture.

“I don't want to make the trek back out to Peeta’s jeep again, especially in the rain,” Johanna says.

“So much for a quick look around,” Peeta shrugs.

“Well at least you'll see where the leaks are,” Finnick says.

“You two take the west wing and we’ll explore the east wing,” Peeta directs.

“I'll take a picture of the floor plan with my phone, so we'll have a copy too,” Finnick offers and starts climbing the massive staircase.

“Okay, just don't drain your battery!” I warn him.

Peeta and I take the east wing and head towards the master ensuite. It's odd to me that Haymitch would want to see the sun in the morning, he must have been very different with his first wife. I've only known him to sleep in until the early afternoon and stay awake most of the night with Effie flitting about their gaudy house in Merchant City.

We reach the master suite and Peeta pulls back the sheets on the massive bed and presses down on the ancient mattress. It's a huge room, easily swallowing up my childhood home.

“Want to give it a test drive? Sure would ease the tension I know is building up in your body…” he offers with a wicked grin.

“Tempting...but your winning smiles aren't going to work right now. It doesn't seem right,” I say, standing firm.

“Remember the time I went down on you before your dissertation defense? That sure calmed you down fast,” he says.

“True, it did. But this isn't that type of situation. Besides, Johanna and Finnick could wander back this way at any time,” I remind him.

“Katniss, it's 10,000 square feet to explore...they'll be at it for a while,” he says.

We continue searching the master suite. The fixtures seem to be in good shape and no obvious leaks are pouring through the ceiling. I find the same bird cage from the staircase portrait in the sitting room adjoining the master bedroom. The wind has picked up and is rattling against the window panes. Satisfied that we’ve seen all there is to see, we keep going.

I get a chill as we enter the bedroom adjacent to the master. There's a faded mural on the walls with dozens of once colorful birds, some in flight and some perched by a lake. A flock of pink birds catch my eye. I pull a sheet back to reveal an intricately carved crib.

“Umm Katniss, did Haymitch have children?” Peeta asks, pulling back another sheet to find an ornate bassinet.

“Not that I'm aware of, at least. I know his wife died 25 years ago,” I say, pulling back more sheets. “This was definitely a nursery though. I think my mom might have known Maysilee, but doesn't talk about her much. I could probably ask and find out what happened.”

“Was Haymitch your mom’s brother or dad’s brother? I never thought to ask, since he was just always ‘Uncle Haymitch’ in your stories,” Peeta says.

“Dad’s half brother. We all have the same eyes,” I confirm.

Lightning flashes outside and the rain falls harder.

“We should get back to the others,” I say.

We close the door and start back down the hallway towards the stairs. According to the map, there's another pair of bedrooms with an adjoining bathroom on the other side of the hallway.

Just as Peeta is opening the first bedroom, I hear an odd chirping from somewhere in the house.

“Did you hear that?” I whisper.

“The door creaking? Yeah, it's going to need some oil on the hinges,” he says.

“No, not the door. I distinctly heard a bird,” I say, a little rattled still from the nursery.

“Are you sure? With the wind howling outside, it could be anything. Or there could be a bird trapped inside somewhere. If so, we’ll find it soon enough,” he says, reassuring me--the way he's always done.

Still, I would feel better if we were all together--eerie bird noises or not. I know we work better as a team but we would cover more ground and be able to leave sooner if we kept on in separate groups. Should I insist that we find Finnick and Jo or keep searching the house with just Peeta?

[ahnsael]

Today I learned just how difficult it is to install a TV wall mount when you don’t own a drill.

The securing bolts are about 4″ long.

I went out and bought a stud finder (it beeped as soon as I picked it up).

But before I picked that up, I missed the bit about needing a drill.

You know how hard it is to use an awl to make a pilot hole in a wooden stud? It literally took me an hour and a half to get those four bolts into the wall. And hours later, my arms are still sore from the pressure I had to put on them as I was using a not-very-good socket wrench to get them to start gripping into the wood.

But...I got the job done.

The hard part was then mounting the TV to the bracket (it’s above my dresser, and it was REALLY hard to get a good angle to (a) even see the brackets on the TV that I needed to match up to the wall bracket, and (b) reach it in the first place (over a four-foot tall, three-feet-deep dresser that is FAR too heavy to move by myself), and (c) not drop the TV behind the dresser as I climbed on top of it, holding the TV (which is not as light as I thought it would be), to get a decent angle, and (d) hook up the power cord, which was almost impossible, even though my bracket lets me move the TV about 6″ from the wall.

And it’s a good thing I bought the wall mount as an afterthought. If I didn’t have it, I’d still be watching my old TV. If I had to rely on the legs that were included with the TV, well...those would be 45″ apart. And my dresser is 42″ wide. It wouldn’t have worked.

But now I have a gigantic 55″ TV on the wall of my room, and I’ve angled/tilted it so that I see the actual picture, and not the reflection of my bedroom ceiling lighting fixture.

[insert Read More here because I rambled about both the new and old TV]

Turned out that, even using a laser level, I mounted the wall bracket a little crooked -- when I was done, the right side of the TV was about 1″ lower than the left. But the manufacturer accounted for that possibility and included a way to adjust the TV brackets in order to raise each side of the TV separately without disassembling and starting over (and putting more large holes in the wall).

It was a LOT of work (if I’d known what I was in for, I’d have just had Best Buy do the installation [[ free installation was included, but I ordered my wall mount a day later and wasn’t sure it would have been here, and the 5.1 sound bar still isn’t here yet, and I’m too macho in my head for my own good and say “I can install it myself! but there are things that could have been done better than I did them with the right tools), but...it’s up, and it looks fantastic.Any larger would have been too big (not that I wouldn’t want a full-wall TV, but...with the furniture and the wall decorations, this BARELY fit without blocking anything or being blocked by anything). And don’t get me wrong...if it was just hooking up cables to the TV, I would be golden

But a wall mount? That was VERY new to me. And I screwed it up.

But since I ordered it a day after the TV, I said no to the installation, thinking they’d come to install the TV to my wall only to find that I had no wall mount.

It all worked out (so far -- after about 12 hours, my TV hasn’t fallen off the wall, so I’m thinking I probably did it right (despite the fact that one of the bolts went in at about 30º upper-left instead of going striaght int the wood stud) even though the TV is FAR from centered on the mount  -- bust MOSTLY centered where I need it, and angled to where the reflection of my bedroom light isn’t glaraing back at me via the TV screen -- because of where the studs in my wall are).

But for wood stud installations, the manufacturer says that positioning the TV at ANY POINT along the wall bracket works, so I think I’ll be okay.

I leveled it. I raised it on both sides (I was about 2″ short in where I installed the mount, but the TV portion of the mount had a work-around that I used).

And unlike my old TV (which I have to figure out how to legally get rid of -- see below for how Ive decided to try to get rid of it without paying reycling fees; if someone ffers me $5, I’m gonna take it), the new one hasn’t restarted itself once when I didn’t want it to so far (it did restart when it was first turned on and downloading software updates, but that was just part of the update process).

I had thought about waiting until tomorrow to install the new TV, but when I turned on my old TV earlier, the sound cut out -- and it literally took 15 minutes for the TV to reboot with sound. That was when I decided that today was the day. And I was without a TV in my room for HOURS while I installed the new one.

The only thing -- I went into my parents’ room to get a step stool which I knew was there to help me reach where I needed to install the wall mount (and, later, climb on top of my dresser, which I’m REALLY glad I didn’t end up tipping over as I carefully shifted my weight onto it -- there was one pretty close call). Their bedroom door was closed. They usually leave it open when they’re out of town.

And right by their dresser, there’s a 40″ flat screen TV, brand new in the box.

When my mom asked about birthday gifts, my reply included a new TV. They ended up getting me the Disneyland Spirit Award pin (which I mentioned in the same email), but...they may have decided to save that TV for a Christmas gift (and a very nice one, don’t get me wrong).

So tomorrow I’d better text to say Happy Thanksgiving and also mention that I bought myself something nice for my birthday. That way they can (hopefully) return the TV when they get home (if it is for me -- I don’t know that for sure), and if it will have been too long since they purchased it, maybe use it as an upgrade from their own smaller 32″ TV in their room.

Now I’m just waiting for my 5.1-Channel Sound Bar (with wireless sub-woofer and rear speakers -- which now costs $20 more on Best Buy’s website than it did when I bought it in their “pre-Black Friday sale”).

I ordered it in the same transaction as the wall mount, but while the wall mount arrived a day earlier than promised, the sound bar -- instead of being shipped from California to here in a couple days -- was sent from California to Utah for some reason. Even at 2:00 Wednesday morning, the tracking info from UPS said “on time delivery by the end of the day Tuesday the 21st.” Now it’s expected to arrive on the 24th, while I’m at work (hopefully it won’t get stolen from my front porch). I see on the tracking that it made it earlier tonight to the place in Nevada where it will be put on a truck to my house, but UPS also says that they don’t do deliveries on Thanksgiving (which is fine...just hoping that nobody steals this $170 sound bar as it sits on my porch all day until I get home from work.) Also, I decided to sell my old TV on CraistList rather than try to find a legal way to dispose of it (which might cost me money -- Best Buy wanted $15 to haul it away).

But fear not, my integrity is intact. The following is the ad I submitted (which can be seen at https://reno.craigslist.org/ele/d/flat-screen-smart-tv-works-as/6397825672.html):

I just replaced a 38½" 1080P Insignia flat screen Smart TV and it's yours for a low price. The original box (not included) said 39" Class but official diagonal measurement is 38½" (which my tape measure agrees with). For full product details, see https://www.insigniaproducts.com/pdp/NS-39DR510NA17/4863802 (this is the exact model I am selling -- they are still selling it new for $180, so you can save some money here if you can accept that it's a TV bought in July of 2016 and used daily since then). A couple of caveats, because I want to run an honest ad: The TV has a history of restarting itself at random times. You might be watching a favorite show, and the TV will reset, go to the Insignia/ROKU logo, and start from scratch, so you may miss a part of what you are watching. Sometimes the sound gives out, and a reboot to fix it (large square button on the back left of the TV -- hold it down until it starts the reboot process) can take up to 10-15 minutes before you're back to watching TV. The basic restarts happen, on average, once a day (some days it happens twice, other days it doesn't happen at all), and those generally take a minute or two before you're back to watching TV or playing your video game (I would NOT recommend this TV for a gamer who can't press "pause" when this happens, like if you are playing a multiplayer online game). The 10-15 minute reboots, maybe once every two weeks. If you can handle that, the TV has very good picture quality, and fit very well on top of a tall dresser that is 42" wide. No wall mount included. Legs can be easily removed if you have a wall mount already. Usually these restarts happen within 10-15 minutes of powering it on, but once in a while, you can be watching TV for hours, be really into a sports event, and...suddenly, there's an Insignia logo in place of the great play you were about to see, and now will have to look up on YouTube. This is why I replaced the TV after just 16 months -- it was frustrating to me. But if you're okay with this, or know how to fix it, or have a friend that you like a *little bit* that you feel obligated to get a gift for...this could be the TV for you. Cable box and compact DVD/Blu-Ray player fit comfortably in the space between the TV and the surface -- your experience may vary based on the size of your cable/satellite box and/or DVD/Blu-Ray player (actual under-TV clearance: 2" on the left and right of center, 1½" at the center where the LED light and remote control sensor are located). Has original remote, and the legs are still attached. All settings have been restored to factory default. For inputs, see images. To clarify dimensions: TV itself is 3½" deep (9½" if you include the legs), 34½" wide (if you have limited space on your flat surface, a surface 27" wide would accommodate the legs with the TV hanging just over the sides), and 22" high (with legs -- 20 5/8" high without legs). As far as when this sale (or barter, if you've got something you think I might want -- I'm certainly open to negotiations) can happen -- I work in a local casino, and cannot be seen on camera accepting cash when I'm at work since I'm a manager who is ineligible for tips, and a transaction like this could be seen as taking a tip if it happened while I am at work. I work from 3pm-11pm Friday through Tuesday. I would be available after 11:00pm any of those days (before work, I sleep until it's time to get ready for work -- if you work out a 12pm-1pm meeting in advance, I can adjust my sleep schedule for that day). Wednesdays and Thursdays, I am free whenever works for you (this includes today, Thanksgiving). Given the problems that the TV has with restarting, I will accept offers. The $50 list price is not firm. I will say, though, that if I tell you we have a deal, we have a deal. If I get a higher offer while you're on your way, I'm going to honor our deal. If I accept your offer, that acceptance is firm and not going to change, even if I get a higher offer after the fact. I absolutely guarantee that you won't get a call on the way to my house telling you that the deal is off if I agreed to it. That's on me, not you. But if my phone is ringing off the hook (I know, wishful thinking) and people are outbidding each other, I'll keep you all informed as to the most recent deal. Again...this is Craigslist, and I live in a relatively small community, so...what I actually expect is for one person to call (if I'm lucky), offer a price, and then for me to accept that price and you take the TV away and give it to someone you sort of like, but don't like as much as you like [insert favorite food/music/movie/vacation destination here]. And again, I'm not against a barter if you have something cool that you no longer want. Either way, it beats me having to pay to have the TV recycled...especially when it works (most of the time) and has just about as many bells and whistles as the TV I just bought.

If someone actually pays the $50 asking price, I’d be shocked (though the TV does, honestly, work as well as it did out of the box -- it just sucked out of the box but I disclosed that so I wouldn’t feel any guilt), but...the fact that I said “If I get a higher offer while you’re on your way, I’m going to honor our deal” (and not be greedy and go for a higher offer from someone who may call 20 minutes later) might get me some takers. I’ve never sold on Craigslist before, although I helped my parents sell a lawnmower so I’m not a TOTAL newb). but...the promise of “I know I said we had a deal, but someone else just offered $10 more, do you want to match/beat it?” seems like such a slimeball move that.

I don’t want to go there. I’m not a used car salesman. I’m just looking to pawn a mostly-working (but not without problems) TV off on someone else, after being honest with the TV’s pluses and minuses, so I don’t have to pay to have it recycled. Let someone else have my lemon TV -- as long as they have had the chance to see that it’s a lemon before they drop some money on it (honestly, I’d be THRILLED if I got $20 of my $50 asking price...I don’t know Craigslist well, but even getting $20 would be worth saying no when Best Buy said they’d haul my old TV away -- which they sold me -- if I paid them $15.

[arplis]

Arplis - News: Simple touches give this condo a personalized stamp

Brooke and Sam knew they were home when they walked into this 1,800-foot, loft-style Brooklyn condo. The three-bedroom Fort Greene apartment was modern and gave them room to grow. That was good, because by the time they’d closed on it, they had  one-week-old baby Leroy in their arms. Brooke, a digital media exec, and Sam, a tech specialist, loved the sleek two-floor space, but wanted to freshen up the kitchen and (three!) baths, and give the apartment whimsical style. While in contract, they’d posted their project on Sweeten, a free service that matches renovators with vetted general contractors. Soon, they’d chosen their contractor and had keys to the condo. Here’s how new mom Brooke took the designer’s seat and pulled off a baby-friendly redo in a flash. Guest blog post by Sweeten homeowner Brooke We closed on our home one week after I gave birth to our daughter. The search for an apartment lasted longer than planning for the baby. For almost 2 years my husband and I would visit multiple open houses on a weekend throughout Brooklyn while we rented an apartment in Park Slope (a few blocks from where my husband grew up.) I had sold the apartment on the Upper East Side that I had purchased before we were married in the hopes of us finding a place to purchase together. Finally, while I was pregnant, we found it. When we saw it, we knew Fort Greene was our home. The building is a resident-managed condominium built in 2010. The apartment is a duplex with 1,800 square feet of living space. We loved the clean, modern look and the openness and light in the apartment. It wasn’t perfect, though. All three of the bathrooms needed updating, the kitchen felt tired and the stairs weren’t kid-safe. The upstairs felt challenged: There was no master walk-in closet,  a huge landing off of the stairs not fully maximized, and the laundry was tucked into a closet with a small space for linen. We had a vision and felt sure we could fix these problems while adding real value to the property.   We had one month left on our Park Slope lease and 10 weeks of work to do. This was my second renovation, but my husband’s first. He felt we needed a designer and architect in addition to a contractor. We weren’t moving plumbing or taking down walls, so an architect wasn’t needed. I convinced him of my designing abilities by creating mood boards on Houzz and pins on Pinterest and making a cohesive design plan. This DIY approach was key to keeping down costs and saving us time.  [A neutral bathoom] would ensure that a future buyer wouldn’t find the bathroom too edgy. But I also wanted it to be fun. For the safety of our baby, we wanted a new banister with a closed glass barrier, and to install backings between the treads of the open stairs. Our Sweeten contractor helped me find a way to do this without compromising the style of the modern staircase, which was excellent! While the bathrooms were the main focus, we didn’t have much budget for the kitchen, but it needed a refresh. I decided to replace two sets of cabinet doors with black-framed glass facings to give the space a new feel and continue the open feeling of the glass banister through to the rest of the first floor. I changed out the pendant lights with a coordinating set that has white-glass shades and black cords. This quick-fix was exciting! (Above) Kids’ bathroom I was most looking forward to working on the kids’ bath. I wanted tiles that were neutral and sophisticated—this would ensure that a future buyer wouldn’t find the bathroom too edgy. But I also wanted it to be fun for our little girl. When I saw the blue with pink and yellow floral wallpaper, I knew it was perfect. The shower tiles, with a textured gray pattern, are my absolute favorite feature. (Above) Powder room In the powder room downstairs, we decided to use wood-looking ceramic tiles on the floor I had leftover from a previous renovation. Since the tiling would be neutral, I wanted to add something amusing and sophisticated—the black-and-white floral wallpaper was a find. The large-scale pattern, absent of color, makes the small bathroom pop without looking too busy.  (Above) Master bathroom In the master bathroom, we had fun with hexagon floor tiles. The textured gray tiles are Sam’s favorite find—they were a splurge, but by using them to skirt the tub, we didn’t need many. We chose a large mirrored medicine cabinet to increase storage and make the tiny space feel larger.  WATCH VIDEO: Overall, we made closet storage more efficient including closing off the washer and dryer, which was located on the second-floor stairwell landing, into its own closet. Now, as a full laundry room, it hides all the linens and clutter.  Through it all, our contractor and his team were incredible. They understood that I was on a tight timeline and pushed to get things done quickly. They set up a materials shopping list for me and suggested successful materials from previous renovations they’d done. They helped us source and purchase materials at good prices. My advice as a veteran renovator: when working with contractors, appreciate their expertise!  We never had a problem we couldn’t solve with our construction team. We stayed at my mom’s Upper East Side apartment for a month while we finished, and I traveled back and forth from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Our renovation took roughly 10 weeks from start to finish.   We had a hard move-in date, as I had booked our baby-naming party and had invited 45 people to the apartment. We hit it! We moved in on Tuesday and everyone came on Saturday. It was a challenge, but worked out perfectly. Every day, my husband and I look around and think, “Wow, we did it.” We designed a space that feels like us—bright, comfortable, and home!   Thank you, Brooke and Sam, for sharing your new home! KITCHEN RESOURCES: Custom cabinet doors: Cabinetmaker sourced through contractor. Pendant light fixtures: Alibaba. KIDS’ BATHROOM RESOURCES: Fine Point Floral wallpaper in blue: Chasing Paper. Atelier White matte floor tiles: Sourced through contractor. Cubo Velluto Calacatta Gold Textured shower tiles: Artistic Tile. Gillette vanity: Allmodern. Medicine cabinet and toilet: Kohler. Sink faucet: Moen. Shower door: Dreamline. Tissue holder & towel ring: West Elm. Towel hooks: build.com. Lighting fixtures: Home Depot.  POWDER ROOM RESOURCES: Black and white floral wallpaper: Anewall. Calacatta Gold Polished floor tiles: Provided by contractor. Santa Rosa toilet: Kohler. Sink: American Standard. Faucet and shower system: Moen. Mirror: Wayfair. Shower door: Dreamline. Rough-cast black towel bar, tissue holder & robe hook: CB2. Lighting fixtures: Home Depot. MASTER BATHROOM RESOURCES: Saigon Black Matte Hexagon Field Floor tiles: Sourced through contractor. Tub skirt tiles: Pratt & Larson. Vanity: decorplanet.com. Medicine cabinet: allmodern. Shower, tub, drain & shower system and faucet: Delta. Santa Rosa toilet: Kohler. Towel bar, robe hook & tissue holder: Etsy. Lighting fixtures: houzz.com. — Single level or double, your space can stay unified. Check out Rebecca’s cozy 800-square-foot triplex. Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project’s location, budget, scope, and style. Follow the blog, Sweeten Stories, for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you’re ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten. The post Renovating a Brooklyn Duplex in time for the Baby-naming Party appeared first on Sweeten Blog. #Before&After #Duplex #EntireHomes #BathroomRenovation

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/simple-touches-give-this-condo-a-personalized-stamp-1

[agilenano]

Agilenano - News: Picturesque Best Bath Accessories

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Agilenano - News from Agilenano from shopsnetwork (4 sites) https://agilenano.com/blogs/news/picturesque-best-bath-accessories-1

[fuquinay-blog]

Ode to My Kitchen or Kitchen Bitchin’

My kitchen’s seen better days—about 8,500 of them. Every day is worse than the last, even with the newish refrigerator.

 Of 204 12-inch floor tiles, at least two dozen are cracked, chipped, or otherwise broken. A few sharp edges stick up. The teal laminate on the countertop, fabricated and installed by a friend as an early wedding gift in 1993, has pulled up from the plywood beneath it; it’s stained and discolored from years of draining dishes on a dish towel. (The dishtowels look even lovelier.) The porcelain Kohler sink, which cracked down to the iron about 15 years ago when a hot pot was placed in it, is rusted around the edge, and the faucet, repaired in June as a short-term solution, has been dripping steadily into the cabinet below it since October. (An old pot does its best to catch the water, and what it misses, a cookie sheet does its best to catch; the result is a rotting, water-stained base cabinet and some clumped Clorox.) The door to that cabinet has fallen off for the last time and sits by the trash can. The thin molding around the glass cabinets has been hammered back over the years to keep the glass from falling out; that repair lasts less long each time.

 The stove, which was not new when we brought it here from our last house in 1993, came from Montgomery Ward, a department store that closed its doors for the last time in 2001. It was a good stove when we bought it. Now, the burners don’t light half the time, the grates and other metal pieces are rusty, the caps have fallen out of the handles (leaving sharp edges to catch on your clothing or skin), and, most important, cakes take longer to bake, banana bread is mushy inside, and my cookies puff up.

 A year and a half ago, the dishwasher became irreparably broken. It’s a KitchenAid Custom by Hobart. Whirlpool bought out Hobart in 1986, which makes this no younger than 30 years old. (I think there’s year-old water in the bottom, but I’m afraid to look.) The microwave, from the ‘90s, makes plates scalding hot while keeping food frigid.

 The furniture, nice hand-me-downs from my mom, hasn’t fared better. The kitchen chairs have lost their feet padding and scrape loudly across the tile. The screeching noise makes everyone’s nipples hard for 10 seconds. The artisan-etched glass tabletop sits on a small base of carved dolphins. It’s lovely, but if you lean on the table, the glass pops up.

 The light over the sink hasn’t worked in a decade. One light in the track lighting needs to be nudged back on every day.

 I forgot to mention the paint above the back door, which has bubbled and peeled to the bare plaster. The door’s teal paint has been scratched white by anxious dog claws. When did we paint this room? Was it 2004?

 It’s clear to everyone who visits what has been dubbed “the Miller Kitchen” for its mini-Sunday morning concerts posted to Facebook that we need a new kitchen. Yet my husband feels that we absolutely do not, that we could replace a few things: the sink, the faucet, the broken floor tiles, the light over the sink. We could put new doors on the 23-year-old Ikea particle board cabinets. We could have the stove fixed again. And we could just leave the KitchenAid dishwasher where it is because we don’t need a dishwasher. We could paint.

 But a new kitchen? That’s “obscene,” he told me. There’s a homeless family living under a tarp at the park.

 What this means is that I will be renovating the kitchen alone. That I have emptied nearly all of the cabinets and drawers myself, throwing out the broken duplicates of junk, discarding ripped, coffee-browned dish towels, trashing foods with expiration dates from a previous decade, packing up old dishes and silverware for Goodwill, creating a space in the dining room to make coffee and heat up foods and spread condiments on sandwiches, all the while my husband asks me where the such-and-such is and wonders how he can feed himself amid such chaos.

 Not being part of the renovation means he gets to complain in perpetuity about the choices I’ve made: the stove, for instance, which will not have a broiler because stoves don’t have those anymore, and it’s my fault, because if we just kept the stove that totally worked somewhat…. Even though I’ve selected a stove with a double oven, thinking of our needs as a family and his needs as a protester, and even though I’ve chosen a slide-in stove so that we can avoid the drips down the sides, where our mouse becomes well fed, I’ve fucked up because the stove is $2,500, and who the hell pays $2,500 for a stove? That’s obscene. (Doing nothing for the homeless family under the tarp is obscene.)

 He will be able to complain about the new silverware, with raised dots that will irritate his fingers. What was wrong with the other stuff, with the two forks missing and the extra spoons from other sets, gotten for free for spending money at the grocery store? When our refrigerator went, it was my idea to replace it with a new model, which features what my husband calls a cadaver drawer. Sure, it’s a heavy, unwieldy thing that has barely enough room for our Costco hauls of meat, but the only fridge that wasn’t like this or side-by-side was one $800 white refrigerator with a top freezer at the scratch-and-dent shop. I exaggerate, he tells me. There were more options than that one.

 He will be able to complain about the new chairs, whichever ones I get, because he won’t contribute to the decision-making by sitting in them before we buy. Every chair that comes in the house is uncomfortable, the last one always sorely missed for its superior cushioning or back support. The latest, which came here under protest and never quite fit under the table, are now beloved, though they were awful when the ladder-back black ones were here.

 The stainless sink, which promises not to break the glasses that tumble over occasionally, is inferior to the rusty one. The faucet will be too tall and will splash water. The paint will be an ugly color. The light fixtures will be silly. The floor won’t be as easy to sweep. The drawers will be configured poorly, will be less roomy, and how will we put things exactly where they were?

 Of course, the appliances and furniture and cabinets and flooring and paint color and fixtures will not be the problem at all. They’ll be gleaming and clean and glorious. The hallelujah chorus will sing to us from the kitchen even as we sleep above it. The tinkling of fairy dust will accompany our footfalls. Our royal hineys will feel pampered in the new throne-like seats. The acoustics will still allow us to sing, even if the songs themselves are just a little bit happier—or the singer is.

 The real problem is change. And I can understand that. I live with two people who dislike change of any kind, and I am always moving their cheese.

 This kitchen renovation project will be the biggest cheese we have ever moved. How will I keep it from stinking? For the next six weeks, while the refrigerator is in the dining room and there’s a hole where the sink once was and the boxes are piled six high with plates and silverware and cookbooks and dish towels and the coffee maker is in the dining room beside the microwave and toaster and a cutting board and we are using disposables, how will I block out the grunts of inconvenience, which are sure to lead to a perpetual dissatisfaction with every kitchen decision, including how much salt was added to the split pea soup?

 And with that, I lug the last of the boxes—the one with the baking powder and rice flour—to the basement, the sting of daggers pricking my shoulders as I descend the stairs.

[anon-e-mouse-us]

I am staying with my parents for a couple of weeks while we all self-isolate because my mom needs surgery (can’t have it right now, you all know why) and I am trying to be helpful since my employment shut down from COVID-19.

Pray to the deity of your choice to give me patience.

Need to stay home?

No problem. I hit the grocery store 1 time a week for the stuff that needs to be fresh (mom has dietary requirements and prescriptions to pick up) and park ourselves in the house the rest of the time. Great time to do those little handy man type things around the house, right?

Cue me being on a scaffold, mumbling curse words under my breath as I try to hold a light fixture up to the ceiling, not drop any of the screws, screwdrivers, or wire nuts so I can get the new light fixture installed and I hear...

“I think we need a new paintbrush...I’m running to the hardware store to grab one.

Folks, my father is retired, has 3 additional health problems that increase his odds of contracting COVID-19, and is apparently going stir crazy.

I had to get off the scaffold and stop him.

THIS IS A GROWN DAMN MAN. WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO, SIT ON HIM?! 

Don’t go outside if you can avoid it.

I KNOW you want to be somewhere, anywhere but at home. I KNOW you feel like you are going stir crazy.

Don’t do it.

YOU WANT THIS TO BE OVER SOONER? STAY AT HOME, WEAR A MASK, WASH YOUR HANDS.

THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO OPTIONS BUT TO GO OUTSIDE TO DO THNEIR JOBS DON’T WANT TO BE THERE. THEY WANT THIS TO BE OVER, AND TO BE SAFE WITH THEIR FAMILIES.

Now, if you will excuse me, I’m going to prepare for another day of arguing with my dad about how he shouldn’t go to the store again.

Happy Holidays, Happy Spring. 

Stay safe.