Bathroom Renovation – are we there yet…?

Ughhhhhhh…..this is the part where I’m so grateful I have a blog.  And so grateful that it’s MY space and I can say whatever I damn well please (*gasp* – she swears!). 

So where’s the bathroom in all of this?  See, I have a job.  Dr. J has a job.  Unfortunately, our jobs don’t really include working on our bathroom.  So we spend a lot of time chained to computers/desks/cubicles during the day with the usual broo-ha-ha that comes from typical corporate life.  Lots of meetings, lots of stress and just overall hard work.  This week Dr. J is in the state of Delaware (“Yay, I’m in Delaware..”) working.  I’m home alone with the pup, slogging through rain and mud and trash (literally!).  I’m elbow deep in multiple work projects too that tap me out by the end of the day and by 9pm I’m ready for bed, which is only 10 feet away from our barren/destroyed/half renovated bathroom – first thing I see in the morning, last thing I see at night.  No rest for the weary, eh?  So when I come home at night (during the week), I don’t really feel like working on the bathroom.  Add to it the fact that I haven’t gone grocery shopping in over a week, have out of town guests coming next week and a trash pile on the side of the house that is seriously challenging the Clampetts for hill-jack award status and you could say that, yes, I am a wee bit stressed.  I’m just waiting for the HOA to get pissed at me and fine me and send me a nastygram a la when we had a big AC unit hanging out of our kitchen window in 100 degree weather (not bitter, I swear!).  Oh, AND, raccoons decided to make a meal out of our trash last night, so the L-blogger keg is officially tapped out!  Oh, what a sad sound and sight….only foam….

Needless to say, this might be one of those lowpoint times where I wonder if we’ll ever finish this damn bathroom.  I just saw a friend on Facebook post pics of her now-completed kitchen and I swear she did it in like two months.  What the hell?  Not fair!!!  We’re IN month two and we don’t even have the shower halfway finished yet!  ARGH!!!!!!

So this is about the time I raise my hand and say, “HELP!”  Dr. J and I are the types of people that try to be the first ones to raise our hands and help friends in need.  Moving?  We’re there.  Need a room painted?  We’ll bring the tarps, you bring the beer.  Fence built?  Where do we sign up??  Because there are times when you have to admit that you just can’t do it all.  For example, my job this week while Dr. J was gone was just to get the room painted.  But….see….it’s not quite so simple.  The walls must be sanded first, then spray the orange peel texture on the walls (which requires 24 hours of dry time), then prime the walls (again, another day) and THEN paint (again, requires drying time).  I’m raising my hand!  I can’t do it all!  And we have a personal goal to get our toilet and cabinetry installed this weekend, which requires grouting the floor (again, more dry time), so we’re certainly on a crunch (’cause we have to paint before we can install the toilet and/or the cabinets).  Right now the room looks a little like this:

Fortunately for me, I have some GREAT friends here in Portland.  They really are my urban family.  I never thought I would have one, but I can honestly say I have one now.  So imporant when you are so far away from real family.  We are having a girls night tonight and they are coming over to help bail me out .  I’ll buy a couple more sanding stones, some gloves and masks and we will get the sanding done – quite possibly the messiest job we will tackle in this whole remodel (well, that and demo).  On top of that, beer and pizza will absolutely be on the menu as will much girly talking time, gossip and the like. 

Really….you have to be grateful for friends like that….and the ability to return the favor….girls, I owe ya one!