Sabrina Dent: Freelance web designer, developer and internet marketer living in Cork, Ireland with one dog and a husband in no particular order.
Watching Concrete Dry
I have learned an important lesson in the past few days and that lesson is: you cannot properly manage a house renovation project and work 80 hours a week. Attempting to do this results in the following litany of small scale disasters:
- €5000 worth of the wrong wooden windows being installed in your house.
- Selecting paint directly from the Dulux catalogue instead of using test pots and then realising you have picked the most revolting colour on God’s green earth, but only after it’s already on your walls.
- Saying “yes” to the idea of jacking up the floors and pouring new concrete without realising that whilst concrete dries very quickly, it takes months to properly cure in wet Ireland.
- Needing to wait more than eight more weeks to lay the gorgeous hardwood floors you bought ages ago because they can’t be installed until the fucking concrete dries.
- Having to rush to B&Q at 10 am to pick emergency carpet and tiles because the flooring guys are arriving at noon to cover the concrete that is now the bane of your existence in something – anything – you can live with until the bloody stuff cures.
I officially hate, hate, hate concrete.
Despite the fact that this house is nowhere near complete (and now won’t be for months – did I mention that part?) we are moving in on Monday. Working 80 hours a week also means that of course, we have not even begun to pack yet, so this weekend will no doubt be tons of fun.
The move also means that I am taking next week off, so if you’re trying to reach me, your choices are: a) drop by the new abode, find the boxes with all the telephone and computer bits, and network the house so that you can call or email me, or b) wait a week, by which point I should be a much more pleasant person to talk to.
The first option would be more helpful, though.
13 Sep 2008
| In: Crankypants + Domesticities |
Sounds like an episode of Grand Designs.
13.09.2008, 10:06 amMore specifically, it’s like the point after the 2nd ad break in Grand Designs, where it’s all going horribly wrong, the schedule is falling apart, and Kevin does his bit to camera about how worried he is.
Still, at least you’ve not announced that you’re pregnant, and determined that the baby will be born in the new house, even if it doesn’t have a roof at the time.
13.09.2008, 10:08 amLady, you are funny. Great post. :p
14.09.2008, 12:51 amI think I already mentioned that I am available for packing/unpacking/painting/dog walking and general merriment and giggles while the housemove takes place. Oh, and I make killer guacamole too ;)
15.09.2008, 4:44 amEeek. I’m kinda half-hoping to pour about a ton of concrete before a Canadian winter sets in. I may wait until the spring now :-/
16.09.2008, 4:03 amSounds like a lot of fun…
Maybe give up and ring Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? :)
16.09.2008, 4:02 pmI hate it too….!! that said, know what you’re going through – brought back some emotional times [mostly consumed by wanting to hit a civil engineer because i'd found a concrete block in my sandwich?!] great post!
18.09.2008, 12:11 pmslán
sabrina,
10.10.2008, 11:42 amhaving recently gone through the same… i can say there is light at the end of the tunnel… that said if i never see another concrete block [?hmm..] a builders ar*e and sooo many tea bags again it wont be too soon. [for the record i dont like builders ar*es and i prefer coffee].
As Ms.Crossan noted – i am availble also for general matters pertaining to your sanity and although it is purported that i would make a great court jester i also have arms to lift things – but not so good at the [killer?!!] guachamoley thing..
don’t be afraid to kick some ass!
slá agus beannacht
peter