The "Project"

George the Elder and I have been known to do some truly absurd things. Moving our family from country to country to country ranks right up there with people who would hardly move their kids in to a new neighborhood let alone transfer them to foreign shores. Three times.

Some would consider (and have commented aloud) that adopting two infants when one already has a perfectly normal 16 year old daughter at home ("perfectly normal" translates to highly volatile and hormonal, but generally self managing and a scant two years from heading off to college) as somewhat nonsensical. I believe that one comment was more on the lines of "Did you Lose your MIND or something??" And yes, there are days when I do wonder "why DID this make sense at the time?" But there are many more days when I don't entertain the wonderment at all. Those are the days when they boys have been perfect children and clean their rooms and don't mouth off and don't poke at each other or me and... Okay, maybe that's more like 50/50 split. (just joking! You know I LOVE my boys...)

But, as batty things go - - I think that this next one is going to take the proverbial cake for us. We are nearing closure on what I have recently and, I feel aptly, named "The Project". The question for George the Elder and I is this... We have been married for 16 years. We have worked together in the same office for more than 15 years. We have moved to three different countries. We are generally opposites in all things, but manage to overcome that. BUT can our relationship survive a mid-century-modern home renovation??? I fear that this is where the rubber will meet the road in our relationship. I am nervous.

Things are still in the works with contracts and contractors. We are interviewing and getting advice from architects and excavators and all manner of other professional do-things-to-homes people. We are excited and petrified at the same time. It's a lot of work. It means moving there and then finishing the designs and plans. Then moving again while the plans are being carried out. It means planning boards and HOAs and sewer lines and asbestos containment (just a wee bit). It means that George the Elder and I will be in constant negotiations about sink sizes and window fittings. We may likely harm each other over something as simple as a hall light fixture. He has IDEAS and I have IDEAS. Sometimes they are not the same. We are both stubborn. Who knew??

We are still not 100% "GO" - i.e. we still have a contingency left on the contract and we are working with loan processor who seemingly has not mastered the art of either making nor returning phone calls. He also appears to have difficulty with email. It's cranking me up. Luckily he's in NJ. He does have a really nice voice mail message that tells me how important I am to him and how XYZ Company is founded on customer service and partnership. I haven't yet left him a very long voice mail myself which would contradict everything that is in his voice mail message - - but that sh*t storm might come sooner rather than later if "Bunn" doesn't return my call. And yes, his real name in "Bunn" - - ah the possibilities there....

In the meantime, as George the Elder and I navigate the new waters of being potential home owners again in nearly a decade, as we ponder the beauty and overall "coolness" of a mid-century modern renovation, as we swim in the murky waters of "will we close or won't we close?", I will leave you with this last image.

This is one of the bathrooms in the house. Assuming we move forward with the plan I will need to use this bathroom in this state for approximately 5-6 months. I think that I will need to wear some sort of eye protection for the duration in this room. I am ordering a sign that warns users of potential seizure activity if exposed to this wall paper over periods greater than 10 minutes. Oh and this picture does not even come close to truly capturing the florescent boldness of the room. It has the ability to just SLAP you upon entering. Talk about the impact of a room.