Shopping

We went window shopping for doors today. Get it? WINDOW shopping...for DOORs. Building humor.



Isn't this pretty? Pricey, but pretty.

We realized today that as much as we want to go shop, we really don't know what we're looking for. Insulated? Prehung? Preprimed? Painted? 32"? 36"? Do we need screens/storms? I am seriously underprepared for this process.

After seeing the pretty french doors/patio doors, we are thinking of one more change, but not sure if it will work or not. Have to look at the plans again. I'll be glad when they get things framed and my brain can stop trying to improve things and move on.

Don't get too excited, but I think we picked out our future washer/dryer. I know, doors and washing machines is more excitement than two people should be allowed in a day. Well, five people. We had part of the team with us:

Just trying to hang in.

Getting this house built, battling with the insurance company, trying to educate ourselves about the process of building and buying enough so that we feel comfortable with our choices, trying to figure out financing, trying to sort out rental details, and did I mention battling with the insurance company?

This is as stressful as having the house burn down in the first place. The difference is that I'm not in shock, not numb, not so overwhelmed that I can shut down. Just so overwhelmed that I can't shut down.

The thing about insurance companies? They like to act like this is some kind of a negotiation. Its not. We paid for a product, and now its time to deliver, and they are all "WHA????" I mean, if you went to a car dealership and said, "Hey, I'd like to purchase a car." And they say, "If you give us $30,000, we will give you this lovely 2011 model." And you say "Okay, here is my $30,000." And you pay them. And when you go the next week and ask for the car that you purchased, and that they promised to deliver, they say: "For your $30,000, we would like to give you a used 2005 model." And they actually think that you will take it just to be able to drive off the lot, and if you actually want the car you bought, you are expected to fight with them, and pay an adjuster, and wait and wait and wait and wait, to finally get the 2011 model you actually have already paid for. It is a seriously jacked up system.

Hole

Holes, actually. Two of them. I think I've seen more of our (former) basement in the last two days than I did in five years of living in the house. The risk in going into the basement is that I could see a snake, and then we'd have to move. Probably out of state. I prefer to live upstairs, safe in the knowledge that no snake has ever crossed the threshold.

So, here is the former foundation. It was supposed to be our future foundation too, but apparently it is too lame. So we will have a pretty new foundation, which will, unfortunately, cost twice as much as sprucing up the old one (Boo). But Jeff will have a fresh concrete Manland in our new house. I will be happy to know that while I am enjoying my fabulous new house, the basement I never go into will be prettier. It will also have the fringe benefit of holding up the house way better than the old one.

But, more exciting than all this foundation talk??? Check out the pictures of the pull-chain toilet uncovered in the basement demo and clear-out. First time I ever saw it. Awesome. The secrets of old houses, eh? I can live without the secrets this toilet may have held, though. Finding this in the wall (actually behind an old weird door I never opened)? Even better than if we'd found old stock certificates behind the walls. Seriously.