House Remodel
This morning I woke up a bit nauseous. I don’t know if it was from what I ate last night (a yummy burger and fries), an empty stomach, or the fact that I had not slept in my own bed for the last four nights. Oh, and I was tired too! Since I am not one to have a queasy stomach often, I scanned my body to assess what was going on.
Now, perhaps I should back track a bit and provide some additional information. After 23 years of living in the same house, I decided to remodel. Well, the remodel is actually more of a total redo! Over Labor Day Weekend, I packed all of my belongings, except for my bedroom (my cocoon during the renovations) and moved everything into my garage.
I readied myself for these unchartered waters for the next six weeks! My first disappointment was a delay in the first step, new flooring. I am having hardwood floors installed on my first floor. With delays in getting the materials delivered, the project did not begin until 9/18, or two weeks after I put all of my worldly belongs in my garage. I weathered this storm without any problems. It was kind of like camping out in my bedroom without the s’mores. My mindfulness kept me grounded; daily meditation in the morning, journaling, and yoga.
Finally, the floor guys arrived and workers ripped out the old stuff and completed installing all of the hardwood on Friday. We selected stain, and I readied my brain for the crew to return on Monday for sanding, staining and buffing (meaning, I have to vacate my home for 48 hours). At around 4 PM the crew decided to work the weekend and told me I needed to leave and could not return until Monday morning. Hmmm, this was not part of my weekend plans! Taking this in stride, I called a friend and immediately I had a place to call home for three nights. I decided to board my 95 pound German Shepherd Larry thinking he could become a “tipping point” in wearing out my welcome. I was having a great weekend until I received a call on Sunday afternoon from my contractor letting me know that due to all of the rain in Dallas over the weekend (seven inches) and the extreme humidity, the floors were not drying, so I could not return until Wednesday. What, two more nights away!
Well, I needed to find a new place to stay. I was going to book a hotel, but my daughter was kind enough to offer her apartment to Larry and me, and she would stay at her boyfriend’s. So, I picked up Larry and headed to my daughter’s. Larry was on edge all last night. I didn’t know what was going on, but this morning, when I woke up, I realized it was me who was on edge. Gee, what a surprise after sleeping in two different beds in four nights!
Now back to the queasy stomach. I thought about being homeless for only one more night and I could hang in there. Then I realized, what do I mean hang in there? I thought about people who really had nowhere to stay at night or eat a warm meal. I began thinking about how fortunate I am to have the recourses to redecorate my home. I told myself that it is ok to feel a bit discombobulated, and now is the time to rally. After all, now my brain was affecting my body. Enough is enough I said to myself, and I will handle this situation since it is just a bump in the road to having a new and improved home at the end of the project. I imagined my family (my daughter who lives in LA, 3 siblings and nieces/nephews) traveling to Dallas for Thanksgiving and enjoying a wonderful holiday together in my “new house.”
As my stomach rebounded, and I began thinking about running out for a doughnut (just kidding), my contractor called. Well……the floors are still not drying, so I could not return until Thursday! Nauseous stomach, take two! I took a deep breath, actually four or five and realized once again I will handle this. My daughter was not super excited about me extending my stay, so I will vacate tomorrow morning. Now as I pack my bags and try to find a hotel that will accept a 95 pound German Shepherd, I return to my breath and know that I can always trust the process and will successfully navigate the bumps in the road. Oh, and I am hoping for no more delays, ha!
Cheers,
Marty