04/22/2022 – Wet Feet

Dad, I don’t much like strange people coming here. If this continues, we’re going to have to have a talk.

We’re just going to have to have that talk then, Olivia, because we’re going to have not only people, but noise here sometime in the coming weeks. The bad thing is that’s going to last longer than we had hoped. The good thing is it’ll probably be done and over with before the end of this year. Probably. So, yeah. We’ll talk.

We and our plumber of choice have almost come to an agreement. We’ll know for sure when he comes back from vacation next week. And it might even be within our squeaky tight budget. It’ll include all plumbing repairs, drywall and painting repairs downstairs, a tiled shower with a fiberglass floor (NO grout there!), new shower doors and fixtures upstairs. It may or may not include a new sink and vanity countertop, and new fixtures.

OOOoooo, new fixtures? Will those be new and shiny enough to see my reflection? You know how I’ve come to enjoy seeing myself in the bathroom each morning, Mom.

If it works out okay, yes Pia. You’ll be able to admire yourself all day in there if you wish. Pia in shiny chrome will be a nice change.

Now for the bad news: We have a spare bedroom we keep closed off that we use to store extra side tables, boxes of paperwork, old computer stuff that should be upcycled, and upholstered furniture we don’t want certain cats to destroy. Wasn’t going to mention names, Tessa, but here it is out in the open regardless. It’s the only room in the entire house we originally chose to have carpeted and it shares a wall with the bathroom. THE bathroom. While we thought we knew where all the water damage was – in the living room ceiling and wall, we were sadly mistaken.

Almost all the spare bedroom carpet is soaked through. We just discovered it Wednesday evening. Undoubtedly, the water leak ran through the space between floors before finding the lowest point to show itself. The carpet will need to be removed as will the padding underneath. There is no underlayment, just plywood which may or may not need replacing. It will all need to be dried out and treated to prevent mold. But by reporting the original water damage to our insurance company, our house has already been labeled forevermore, a mold house. Sigh.

Say anything but that, Dad!

We’ve placed yet another call to our insurance company and are waiting to hear back from them. Meanwhile, Mom’s trying to figure out where to put all that stored stuff, an entire room’s worth, and keeping the cats from shredding it all while protecting them from the maximum amount of stress this is going to cause.

The cats are going to have to give up their Cat Den for a few months. That’s where the stored furniture and stuff will go and kept behind closed doors. Their four litter boxes and all their personal SureFlap feeders will have to come into our bedroom which, unfortunately, is where the workers will be traipsing in and out of the connecting bathroom. There’s simply no other space or room for their things to go.

No, Mom! No! Don’t make us give up our room! Anything but that!

It is what it is, Quint. We don’t exactly have a choice. And they say, “they” being those undefined, nameless, faceless people who say somewhat clever things, home repair and reconstruction doesn’t last forever. It just seems like it.

Like everything else unexpected that’s happened over the past four years, eight months, and two days, we will get through this. It’ll only be uncomfortable and inconvenient for a while. You’ll survive without your very own room that you hardly ever spend any time in, Quint. And Tessa, we know you’ll find other things to shred.

Me? Why, I’d never!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Colehaus Cats flashback:

2021 – No post
2020 – Wordless Wednesday
2019 – Cats Who Sing, Episode 5
2018 – No post
2017 – No post
2016 – Friday Flashback
2015 – Wordless Wednesday
2014 – No post
2013 – Maxx TV
2012 – No post