Not stressed.com

So.  It's true.  I'm not stressed.  Well actually, apart from the fact it took me the last half an hour to 'find' my blog in order to post another chapter - that was stressful, but house-buying? pah. A veritable walk in the park...

A few weeks ago - when we were still negiotiating and communicating on all that 'legal' level that I loathe (heart on my sleeve kinda gal, me, straight up and down...) I was experiencing some kind of horrible anxiety. I have a healthy respect for mental health - for my own and for the people around me, and I didn't like being the 'victim' of such ferocious uncontrollable pit-of-your-stomach, all consuming madness, I didn't like that at all.  But when everything was agreed, when the Real Estate Agents agreed between themselves that `we` could do this deal and we were worthy of this place, when the mortgage people deemed our reasonably comfortable income to be 'acceptable', when the house insurance group said, oh okay then, we'll insure you... When the begging bowl went away - so did my anxiety.  Oh how I hate that situation, how I hate being a third party onlooker to the playing out of my family`s destiny... some may call this control freakiness, I prefer to say I want to be in control of where my world goes.  That couple of weeks forced us into a downward spin of 'close-your-eyes, let-everyone-else-do-the-talking-and-hope-for-the-best'.  Oh and beg a little bit.... who needs self-respect anyway.  Highly overrated.

So yes, when there's stuff to do, Jules is cool.  I'm damn good at lists.  So good that I have lists of the lists I'm going to write.  Yep, it's true.  At heart, I'm a Project Manager - I love to co-ordinate and List (there's that word again) I love to organise and gel things together, I'm going to love this Reno thing.  You can remind me I said that in a few weeks...

And it's true, I'm not stressed.  I'm very excited at the work we have ahead, I'm enjoying 'selecting' every. last. flipping. detail for this house, and what I, what we, imagined was going to be a short-medium term flip house is probably going to be the place where I park off until I die, at this rate, how can anyone invest so much emotional energy into one abode and then think of leaving it for someone else to make it theirs? Behind every last door handle is a swathe of if's, but's and maybe's... this place is being crafted - if only hypothetically at this stage - by our very hands...

So where are we now?  We have chosen and ordered our kitchen.  It's red. Sorry, actually, it`s RED. Glossy red and it could be absolutely fabulous - or not.  Let's hope we run with the former.  So kitchen ordered, decisions made about quiet closing doors (yes) lazy susans (yes) waterfall countertops (no)... and are you absolutely sure, Mrs Galloway, that you don't want a corner-bloody-unit... Yes. I am.  I can see this space so clearly (well, it is kind of my job, don't you know...) that every time I go back into the actual kitchen I feel a tiny bit disappointed not to see my grey countertops and gleaming glossy kitchen shouting 'THIS IS SO 2014'... Alas no, we have a little way to go before 1982 departs this abode...

Now you might be wondering where Andy is in all of this.  Did I ride rough-shot over him and make all the decisions because 'I'm a Designer'... Nope. He has been absolutely fabulous.  By that I mean he has given me pretty much carte-blanche, and that;s probably a good thing for everyone... For the kitchen at least.  I'm sneakily suspicious that he has some 'workshop' or something up his sleeve... never trust a husband who says yes to everything... there must be an agenda... or maybe he just likes my taste ;0)

Kitchen ordered. It's arriving late but hey-ho, we'll work that out somehow. (See how un-stressed I am?!!) .. Flooring chosen; tile, carpet - LOTS of lovely European carpet (SO not very north american..) a little bit of bamboo flooring and some coolio vinyl stuff for the kids office.  That's almost all decided and just a day away when we hit 'go' so no panic on the flooring...

Appliances all ordered, that's quite exciting really... all new applicances, I've never washed my smalls in a machine that hasn't been used for someone elses dirty laundry... nice.

We've chosen and purchased our bath.  Much to Andy's disapproval; Andy doesn't believe in baths. That space would be better utilised for a... pinball machine or something. In the bathroom. Yes, a pinball machine would be much more useful than a bath.  Who uses a bath anyway?  ... he does have a point I have to admit - only on here of course, between you and me my love for a bath is purely hypothetical, I have probably bathed twice, at most, in the last 4 years.  That romantic idea of lazing back in a bubble bath, glass of wine in hand, candles lit, silence in the house... yeah... no.  It doesn`t happen.  But I live in hope.  That`s why `we` bought a funky freestanding bath (with a really, really cool tap..BIG cheesy grin.!)

I think that`s everything that we`ve bought... Oh no... wait, sinks and vanities.  Oh yes, and toilets.  We bought three toilets - how exciting does it get.  And who would think buying a toilet could be so complicated... Surely a toilet is a toilet, right? How can you buy a toilet for $60 and a toilet for $600? A toilet is a toilet is a toilet... and we have three of the critters. I said Critters.

I`ll save my vanity story for another day.

Did I mention that we don`t actually own this place yet? That`s OK, we`ve only spent about a year`s salary so far, on the house that we don`t...yet...own.  Just a few more days of holding our breath... Wednesday 3rd April - that baby is ours and then we don the hardhat (maybe not...) steel toe boots and bash the crap outta that place... five days and counting...

Renovation Start Day -5.

Stay safe, my friends, be happy :)