Too Many Irons in the Fire!

So many irons in the fire it has taken me three days just to get this post started!  Believe me when I say that I am not wearing "Busy" as a badge of honor.  These last couple of days I have been threatening (in my own head) to throw in the towel...except no towels are clean!

Iron #1: Matt has been working like a madman on the mountain house and has yet to take a break to really do any fishing or rafting.  In fact, the boat has become the storage area in the in garage - collecting everything from drop cloths to bike helmets to power tools (probably not the best mix of sharp, pointy things and plastic inflatables).  Every weekend he has spent time framing and finishing all the details for the next round of contractors.  The new driveway and some other non-glamorous digging is scheduled for next week and the electrician is there now.  Hoping to have the HVAC and plumbing done next before I follow in my great daddy Rick's shoes and install some insulation.  The girls and I have been relegated to cleanup duty and I am begun my off-site jobs in design and refurbishing.  In order to achieve my dream of a "vintage" cabin (see my Pinterest board for more) we have purchased an old Hotpoint refrigerator and a whole set of metal Youngstown cabinets all for the whooping sum of $450!!!  The cabinets match my sink cabinet that I purchased many moons ago and will look fantastic with my farmhouse sink (see all photos below).  The research on colors schemes is underway and today I start the sanding to get the cabinets repainted sans brush marks.  Wish I could snap my fingers and have it done, but the process is what makes it all worth it (so Matt told me the other night).  Matt's grandfather, Poppits, built his cottage in 8 years...we are hoping to beat that record before Matt and I both go bald from pulling our hair out!  Fire mitigation starts next week and Matt is over the moon with the thought of using the old chainsaw!  Hoping the trees are the only things that get chopped!

Cabinets as they appear in their old location!  We even go the oven, AND it works!

Iron #2: I interviewed and accepted a 2nd grade position at the girls' school this past spring.  I actually received the call in the middle of our Walt Disney vacation - a perfect way to celebrate!  The excitement is mixed with a lot of nervousness and much running around trying to get as ready as possible.  Second grade is a pretty big leap from preschool even though they are both considered early childhood!  I am amazed and more than a little intimidated by the amount of content and knowledge that is taught and learning that is expected to happen.  My summer has been spent preparing the classroom environment and trying to cram all the information in to my too-small brain.  At this point I am ready to get things started just to get it started!  The girls are so very excited about my new job and take every opportunity to share the news and tell all the details of my room and what I am doing.  They have been an excellent help and very patient with all my questions about all things school related.

Iron #3: When it rains it pours.  Oh, how literal that statement can be.  After a long day of working at school on July 1st I came home to a big surprise!  I opened the door, not to be greeted by Bear and Ringo (we were dog-sitting for friends), but by the sound of a large waterfall inside my house.  Opening the garage door I beheld an actual waterfall descending from my kitchen ceiling.  Apparently the supply valve to the upstairs toilet had cracked, releasing high volumes of pressurized water into a majority of the upstairs, down to the kitchen and finally cascading its way into the basement.  Said water could have been running for 8 hours (still waiting for my water bill to see how much was actually running through the bowels of our house).  The kitchen sustained much of the damage and the work to repair everything started just last week.  We met with the contractor again this morning to see when we could get the remaining billion big (refinish the hardwoods) and small (replace 1 foot of trim) checked off the list.  Only a few priceless items were damaged, fortunately, and insurance has been a dream to work with so far.  All in all, things could have been so much worse, but with everything else we are doing...not a welcome diversion.  The plus side of all this...new tile in the bathrooms to replace the vinyl and the nasty half-wall between the kitchen and living is gone!

Thanks for hanging in there with this lengthy post!  Next time I will just add some pictures!