Saturday, April 05, 2008

Done.

I really don't think I need buns of steel. I'd be happy with buns of cinnamon. ~Ellen DeGeneres

I had no idea it would be so exhausting to put in a hardwood floor. My job was simply to sort the pieces and organize them in an appropriate row -- preferable without cutting -- so it was a bit like fitting an enormous jigsaw puzzle. You see, we used "rustic" prefinished hardwood. Rustic means all the bitty pieces and ends and slightly irregular bits that don't go in the premium hardwood. So I had a LOT of bits to fit. These weren't the nice, 5 foot sections of regular hardwood.

I did a lot of standing and squatting and by the end of yesterday (2 1/2 days later) my legs were in agony. But... it's done:





We did three rooms, but all the stray furniture is in the last room, so I didn't take a picture.

Today's duties are all about massive cleaning because there is a layer of dust on absolutely everything. I have to wash all the curtains, and dishes or utensils that are stored outside of cupboards, wash the walls (I have a lot of walls...ugh) and dust the mantle, windowsills, ceiling fans, etc. The blinds are cheapy ones, so I'm throwing them away and buying new ones. I also have to go buy rugs and those little felt whoosies for the legs of all the furniture.

Tomorrow will hopefully be a day of rest if I can actually get all the cleaning done today.

Ugh. Anyone want to come help?

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Dena made me feel a little guilty yesterday in her comments (Hi, Dena!) when she mentioned how sad it makes her feel when she comments on a blog with a question and it isn't answered. I know I've been guilty of that sometimes. I don't mean to be, and I do try to address questions in the next day's post -- but I am horrifically absent-minded and sometimes I just plumb forget.

I'll make an effort to be a little more conscientious about this in the future, just as long as the "future" doesn't include installing flooring. I feel like I've lost two days somewhere. Nothing much besides that got done.

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You Are Peppermint Flavored Gum



You have a sharp mind that is always churning.

You are mentally hyper. You're always thinking of something.

And while your mind is always on, you're not the most physically active person around.

Some people make mistake you for being lazy, but the truth is: you never relax.

You tend to get so deeply into your projects that you ignore everything around you.

You are creative and cutting edge. You love telling people about your newest ideas and discoveries.



Well... wow. That's pretty close to RIGHT on...

Scary.

15 comments:

Allie Boniface said...

Love the floors - they're beautiful!

And I know all about renovations...we're in the middle of redoing our kitchen. Everything is everywhere in the rest of the house. I'm going a little bit crazy!

anno said...

It's gorgeous! Really, really gorgeous! (And now you're done! Time to bask...)

Anonymous said...

The floor looks great! I'd send you Miss B--she loves to clean, and she could play with your DD, but that's kind of a long drive.

Charity

Dru said...

I love your floors. They are so beautiful.

Did the new flooring raise the level of the rooms?

I like that idea of the small rug under the microwave cart. Hmmm.

You Are Wintergreen Flavored Gum

You are laid back, low maintenance, and super cool.

You go with the flow, and you never cause too much of a fuss.

You are very in touch with nature and the world around you.

You prefer to keep things simple. Complexity stresses you out.

You are a very real person. Openness and honesty are important to you.

You can be friends with almost anyone, as long as they tell it like it is.


Wow!

Judy said...

I'm peppermint as well...and since we're going to be doing the big living room soon (BIG... 22x22) I'll definitely be calling on you for suggestions.

Right now, everything from my pantry is all over my kitchen, since we redid it. Oh well..just meant calling out for pizza!

MJFredrick said...

It looks GREAT!!! Congratulations on finishing!

Sarita Leone said...

I'd hoped you'd post photos of the finished floors! Yay! They look gorgeous. I love it that you did it yourself.

We're still mulling over what type of flooring to install in the great room. Wood, but we haven't chosen a type yet. I'll let you know, sometime around the fall I'd think.

Enjoy your weekend, and your gorgeous floors! :)

Anonymous said...

The floor is gorgeous! All home improvement is exhausting. You guys did good.

Melissa McClone said...

The floors are great! I love hardwood floors. My hubby refinished the ones in our upstairs and I moved out for the weekend. I was pregnant at the time and it was too much dust and smell.

Enjoy them!

Brandy said...

The floors look fantastic! We hope to do that to our great room next year. The stairs will be done this fall. Did y'all do stairs? We're curious how to handle the landing. *g*

I am cinnamon gum and it was SO wrong. *sigh* Although, I do like cinnamon gum.....

I hope you're having a great day!

Anonymous said...

The floors look great!!! And I love your Mission-style furniture!

I'm Peppermint, too. :)

Ceri Hebert said...

Beautiful floors! I'm sure when your back and legs stop hurting you'll enjoy and appreciate them.

Hope you get your day of R & R

squiresj said...

Trying again. I am having a horrible time keeping things moving today. I may need a rest.
Your floors look great - I could never do them with a knee replacement and ankle fusion.
Have a nice rest.
Blessing on your day.

Dena said...

WOW,they look so beautiful. I was talking to my sister about renovations and we both love the flooring like your new back and knee breaking one.

My gum flavor was Wintergreen

Dena said...

WOW,they look so beautiful. I was talking to my sister about renovations and we both love the flooring like your new back and knee breaking one.

My gum flavor was Wintergreen