In Which I Grumble While Waiting For Home Improvements To Begin, For Real

/ Ally Bean
INTRODUCTION

As I’m sure you, my little paint chips, can imagine I’m tired of waiting for our home improvement projects, planned last fall, to begin.  In fact, last week was A SERIES OF DISAPPOINTMENTS, not earth-shattering large ones, just a never-ending parade of things. not. going. right.

I felt exhausted and defeated.

However, in spite of all that isn’t happening, I will tell you the skinny about what is SUPPOSED TO BE GOING ON at Chez Bean sometime soon. There is, of course, no precise answer about when ‘soon’ will be so it’s still a puzzle.

THINGS TO TELL YOU

🔜  Supposedly in mid-May the renovations will begin on our two bathrooms.  This, of course, is contingent on THE INFERNAL SUPPLY CHAIN that has limited my style choices and slowed down delivery of the tile, faucets, cabinets, sinks, toilets, a tub, et cetera, et cetera, we need to get going.

🔜  We’re still waiting to hear back from the concrete company that we contracted with last fall to make OUR NEW SIDEWALK in March.  Alas & alack we have no new sidewalk because said company seems to have disappeared.

🔜  Meanwhile the new oven and cooktop are somewhere on this planet, perhaps roaming the high seas aboard a ship, like pirates drinking rum and sporting eyepatches.  In other words, no update about the whereabouts of OUR KITCHEN APPLIANCES so no timeline about when they might be installed and we could once again bake in an oven with an accurate thermometer.

🔜  Earlier this winter I mentioned scratching noises in the attic and guess what?  WE HAVE MICE living and breeding up there.  Thus we have contracted with a professional extermination company to murder them.  Then that company will remove their carcasses + the fusty dirty attic insulation, patch holes in the house, clean the attic area with boric acid, and finally install new insulation in the attic.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

What are you WAITING for? Literal &/or figurative answers are acceptable.

Does waiting make you tired, worrying about what might go wrong, leading you to DESPAIR? Or does waiting energize you, anticipating the best, leading you to HOPE?

Thinking about the verb “to wait” which of these three idioms is your favorite? Do you prefer: TWIDDLE ONE’S THUMBS or HOLD ONE’S HORSES or COOL ONE’S HEELS?

AND FINALLY THREE READER COMMENTS…

About being lost and the kindness of strangers:

“My dad, who is 82 years old, purposefully goes to a store and stands there looking lost until some nice person offers to help him, and then he asks them for what he needs and basically has a personal shopper for free. I’m just saying that you’re onto something.”

~ Colleen Martin

“Once a friend of mine and I drove to Myrtle Beach on the way back we got lost, of course. We stopped and asked for directions and were told to turn left at the Burger King. We drove up and down that street for God knows how long unable to find the Burger King. Stopped and asked again…turns out the Burger King is now a KFC.”

~ Gigi

“Just last week someone pulled over as we were walking the kids to school to ask for directions (we live in a small university town) and it made me feel so happy to have the answer to their questions. There is something so satisfying about strangers helping out…”

~ Elisabeth

~ ~ 🏡 ~ ~

267 thoughts on “In Which I Grumble While Waiting For Home Improvements To Begin, For Real”

  1. So the mice thing…..we had em too. It was disgusting. We finally patched the holes in the garage to keep them from getting into the house. Fast forward to this March. Our house got flooded and the basement ceiling caved in. 3 dead mice were found. Makes my skin crawl!!!! Hang in there, this will all be funny at some point.

    Liked by 2 people

  2. OMG OMG OMG! As you know this has been my life for the last year. My kitchen took 11 weeks instead of 8 (which I thought was way too long for what was done — I see those commercials where they do things in a week!). My sink got lost in Texas and they never did find it. Fortunately Jeff Bezos sent me one in less than a week (and it was Christmas week too!). My deck scheduled for first week in April started yesterday. The guy was here at 8 (early for him) and left at 2. WTH? It was a cloudy day perfect for working yet he took an early quit. Today it’s 8:17 now and there is no sign of him or his partner. Way back when we started discussions, he said it takes about two weeks and he’ll come in with a crew of three. Another fairy tale. I have to work hard on my frustration. I’ve had work done many times and it’s never been as nuts as it is now. I don’t believe it’s all covid-related either. All my materials are in. Ending on a positive note, my landscaper was here last week (instead of July). They worked through cold weather and a drizzle to finish in 2-1/2 days. The sad part is that they do decks too. I had already committed to the other contractor.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Kate, first of all, I’M SORRY. What a mess of things to happen. I think you nailed it: I’ve had work done many times and it’s never been as nuts as it is now. Same story here. We aren’t newbies when it comes to homes, maintenance and remodeling of said. I share your frustrations. We cannot find anyone to rebuild our deck so that is just another project that hangs over me. I’m sorry your deck guy is acting squirrelly.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. You think you’ve got problems? Pity the poor contractors who can’t get the supplies they need to finish the jobs they’ve committed to in order to keep the cash flowing. I varnish boats for a living. In the past year, I’ve been unable to get varnish, the sandpaper I prefer, tape, and brushes. Right now I have plenty of varnish (found online at an east coast chandlery), sandpaper, and tape (ordered from an Amazon third party seller and delayed three times over two months). My local chandlery can’t get brushes right now, so I’m having to pay double price either locally or online. To be honest, many of these problems could be solved, were we to have a government dedicated to actual solutions. I’ll spare you my further opinions on all that.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Linda, yes I know you’re right. I like the company who’ll be remodeling the bathrooms, have worked with them previously, and they say the same things that you do. The interior designer tells me ridiculous stories of what she’s going through to get anything. I can understand your irritation about all of this, but it does sound like you’ve found some ways to keep getting what you need. Still… WHY?

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Sigh. It’s a nightmare, and I’m sorry. Everything is held up by weather, by suppliers, by manufacturers, and by transport. The domino effect is real. I have sons in the industrial fastener business and the car business and a husband in the construction business; each of them tells me their own horror stories about wait times and what’s causing them, and it’s global. My eldest son, the COO of the fastener company, deals internationally with several companies and their branch office in the UK. This is truly a worldwide problem.

    I’m glad you’ve hired a professional for your pest removal and remediation. It will end up saving you so much time and money in the long run. It was the right move.

    Liked by 3 people

    • nance, thanks for your sympathy. I realize we’re not alone with these problems, so I’m not taking it personally. But I do find it EXHAUSTING; I’m by nature someone who decides to do things, then gets them done.

      Interesting about your son and his experiences with the supply chain around the world. I can imagine what a headache that is for him. I’ve heard a few horror stories from the people who work for the remodeling company that’ll do our bathrooms. I know these probs are everywhere.

      Yes, I cannot imagine trying to remove an infestation of mice on our own. We talked with a couple of companies and went with this one who seemed to be, shall we say, more business-oriented. I hate mice.

      Like

  5. I feel your pain and offer my sincere sympathy! We are moving to a new house, and had to gut the kitchen. We gutted the kitchen last July. We had planned to be living in the new house Christmastime. Ha. Right now, the cabinets are allegedly being made in some obscure workshop, probably by elves, the stove that was supposed to be here in November may be here in June, and I can forget about washing clothes for the near future. I got the refrigerator though, and the blower but not the hood for over the stove I haven’t got.
    I have plenty of toilet paper though.

    Liked by 3 people

  6. I now have comment anxiety after being showcased like that 😉 Will any future comments live up to the hype???

    So we had mice (or rats?) in our basement and my husband set out poison and plugged any holes and long story and one dead rat (beaten by my husband with a baseball bat as he was slowly dying /gasping from the ingested poison) later, I can NOT look at my husband in the same way again. It’s part hero worship and part utter fear at his murderous ways. I don’t know how exterminators (and their spouses) handle it.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Colleen, I’ve no doubt your comments will always be wonderful. Fear not.

      Oh. I see your point about your husband’s ability to murder when necessary. I think I’d dwell on the hero worship part of it, and move on. As I hope your mice/rats have done. Can I just say ICK!!!

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    • AutumnAshbough, one of the many good things about Z-D is that he is a lawyer who excels at meditating conflicts– and following up on deals. Could be that the concrete company is doing large projects and we’ve fallen by the wayside. Or our deposit is gone, who is to say?

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Sister, I hear you!!! You might remember our outdoor hardscape project from last year and the half bath troubles from December. Our master bath which began in January is STILL not done. On our second tub order (manufacturer ‘stopped’ making first one that was ordered in November), third door order (first two arrived with defects) and awaiting another mirror (first one arrived shattered). I tell you, never again!

    But what I’m really waiting on is being able to travel again. Real travel, where you get on a plane and see sites you’ve never seen before. My husband is still hesitant with all the flight cancellations and the continued uncertainty with Covid variants.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Bijoux, I knew you’d relate to this post. I thought of you as I wrote it. You’ll like this: about 5 years ago we had our primary bathroom remodeled; we’re using the same company for these projects. Our interior designer told us that our freestanding bathtub is now going for $10K on ebay. Z-D’s eyes popped out of his head as he tried to figure out how to convince me to part with it. Not gonna happen.

      Yes, I’d like to travel again, but until these home improvements are finished I don’t see that happening. Plus air travel sounds difficult now.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. I feel your pain. Not now, but in my memory muscle. We have renovated more than one bathroom and a kitchen, which is most disconcerting because your daily rhythms are really thrown off not able to move easily between stove and refrigerator. We ended up with a hot plate in the downstairs bathroom as I recall.

    The kitchen and baths were renovated before we moved into our current house. Now by HGTV standards they deserve a sledgehammer. (No Way!)
    We did have to replace two appliances during COVID and found huge gaps in the supply chain. We had to wait 3-4 months for a new dishwasher and even longer for the new fridge.

    It’ll all happen eventually, but I’m not going to sugar-coat anything: It takes patience! :-/

    Liked by 3 people

    • Marian, you’ve been through these projects and I’m sure your muscle memory is intact. We had our kitchen remodeled years ago and I remember using a microwave in the bathroom. Kind of weird. I feel the same way about our kitchen as you do about yours, it’ll always be the perfect ‘new’ kitchen to me. Sledgehammer? No way.

      You’re right that these projects do take patience. Usually I’m good at being patient, but after two years of a pandemic then this… well, I’m more irritable than I once was. In the before times.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. I like “twiddle one’s thumbs”. But I don’t think many people do that anymore as they are always holding their phones.
    Everything will get done and you will look back and laugh one day and then realize that it has been 20+ years since the rehab and everything is out of style or out of date or not working again. There is always something to fix, improve, clean or change in my home. But I know I am lucky to have one!

    Liked by 4 people

    • Ellen D, ha! You’re so right. You can’t hold a phone and twiddle your thumbs at the same time. Well reasoned.

      I agree with you. We are fortunate to have a home and are aware of how wonderful it is to have this luxury. We try to do our best to keep the house and property in good shape, which is how we got started on remodeling the bathrooms. I have to laugh about everything going out of style, that’s inevitable. We’ll sell this property in 20 years as a fixer-upper.

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  12. Home remodeling is one of the circles of hell. I would say it will make you a better person but I did not find that to be the case personally. But it is worth it in the long run. Keep drinking wine and carry on!

    Liked by 3 people

    • Martha, you made me laugh out loud. Thanks. Yes, this is turning into one of the circles of hell. I don’t see it as character building, but I could be wrong. Maybe I’ll become an archangel because of my ability to rise above the chaos. 🍷

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  13. When moved here next to a golf course and beyond that nothing but field for 4 miles we got mice in the attic crawl space. We don’t have a real attic out here. Can you believe we just passed the 3 year mark of living here!? Anyway, we too contacted a pest control place who sealed up every nook and cranny they could find with steel wool and set out traps. The little buggers found there way in two winters in a row! More cracks were found and stuffed with steel wool and the traps stayed baited and this winter we’ve had no mice! WOOT!!! Although living where we do I expect we will again.
    We also had a snake come up the back sliding glass door and peer in. I got a picture of that! 😀
    He-Man said to me that first winter here, ” You wanted to be near wildlife and have a view…you got it!”

    I hope the concrete place turns up, your bathroom projects get started in mid-May as planned, and the concrete place shows up to do the sidewalk soon!

    Liked by 3 people

    • Deborah, I wouldn’t think of mice being near a golf course, but I would think of them being in fields. I like that you eventually got rid of the little buggers. It’s a pity you can’t train that snake to feast on your mice before they get inside. That seems like a win-win to me.

      I’ve crossed my fingers about all of these projects. I’d be less exhausted about the delays if we hadn’t just lived through the pandemic which has taken a lot of patience. Of course it is what has caused most of the hold-ups, so *yay* to irony.

      Liked by 1 person

      • I think there are mice and snakes all around here even around the golf course. I’m sure they battle them too amoung other critters.

        Here’s to hoping crossed fingers do the trick and your projects start to come together and get done.

        Liked by 2 people

  14. Being in the position you find yourself would drive me crazy. When I set out to accomplish a project I want it done. You are forced to continue to put up with so much grief. I would be an incredibly difficult person to live with by now if this was happening to me and my carefully planned life. I am now thankfully not forced to wait on anything at the moment, except myself sometimes when I decide to play with procrastination as a hobby.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Deb, YOU SAID IT. I like to plan, then get on with things in a timely manner. Until these projects are finished I’ll be worrying about them because I cannot cross them off my To-Do List so they’re still an issue for me. And I have zero leverage to get them done. This just tires me to my core.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. So sorry about the delays, disappearances, dreadful wall squatters, and general angst of Waiting For Things To Happen. In my vision of an ideal world, when house plans fall off the track, one should immediately be whisked off to the perfect tropical island, provided with endless culinary delights, and lavishly entertained for the duration. I confess, I find it hard to understand why I haven’t been elected Person In Charge yet.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Deborah, I’ll vote for you to be Person In Charge. OBVIOUSLY you know what is important in life and how to handle annoyances. In the meantime, however, I’ll be here at Chez Bean waiting unhappily for things to happen in the proper ways. 🤨

      Liked by 1 person

  16. We were way ahead of the times, having waited YEARS, and I mean literal years to find someone to make a hood to match our cabinets for our kitchen renovation after our contractor needed to be fired. Our waiting wasn’t due to supply chain issues, but I feel your pain. I had days where I failed to notice the gapping hole in the wall where our hood should’ve been. Other days, I about lost my mind from frustration.

    We are currently waiting for a fridge for the basement. Also not supply chair related. Coach isn’t on board with replacing it since the freezer works. That’s all fine and good until the college kids come home and we host a grad party in June. We won’t survive without the additional fridge. Really the waiting is more or less happening because I need to find the time to get to the outlet and find something dented that fits our budget.

    Oh, mice. So awful. Good luck with that.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Ernie, I can understand your frustration about a gaping hole in the wall where the hood should be. You just want things finished, completed, over with, don’t you? I’m glad it is fixed now, but what a story to tell.

      Good luck getting a new refrigerator. From what I’ve heard if you don’t have specific size requirements there are many available. It’s when you need a certain size fridge with a certain finish that you run into trouble. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

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  17. Okay, I’m laughing about “Meanwhile the new oven and cooktop are somewhere on this planet, perhaps roaming the high seas aboard a ship, like pirates drinking rum and sporting eyepatches.” Now that’s some brilliant imagery.

    As for the mice, since nothing else has shown up – perhaps they stepped in to be the entertainment. Kinda like a warm up band?

    As for me, I’m waiting for a new hot tub cover. When I ordered it, they promised free shipping until they didn’t. $179 later and I don’t know – maybe it’s out with your oven and cooktop??

    Great post, Ally. You are amazing at making things fun and funny!

    Liked by 5 people

    • Wynne, I really truly believe those appliances are out there on the high seas BECAUSE THEY AREN’T HERE ON DRY LAND. Honestly, where else could they be? Mars?

      As for the mice, I want them gone. Very soon. I hope that if your hot tub cover is having a good time with our oven and cooktop, gadding about, that the trio comes home soon. Contrite and ready to work.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. We bought a new home in November and have been doing some adjustments. All the planning is done, we’re just now waiting for installations. It is taking forever! And we’re waiting for furniture, too. Also taking forever! I am also waiting for retirement. 14 months to go. Doing some travelling would be a lovely but we’re still cautious about covid.

    Heel cooling would be my preferred idiom. Thumb twiddling and horse holding are not in my repertoire. 😉

    Liked by 3 people

    • Lynette, oh man, you have so many things to be waiting for– house, furniture, retirement. My sympathies. I like planning, but all these delays between planning and doing have given me the opportunity to start second-guessing myself. That is not good.

      I take your point about heel cooling, how it is best suited to your strengths. Well reasoned answer.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Well…we are waiting for our land to get clear and then put the home up. NOT that I am ungrateful for our friend’s generosity (because I am) but it’s time to get this show on the road (I know, I now, it’s only been 3 weeks since we have been here—BTW, do you know how unfordable housing is?). We can’t stay here forever…I know all on God’s timing, not ours. As for mice, we live in horse country/country. We have mice and other creatures…I shall leave it at that. NOT that we are being overrun by them, just saying. LOL

    Liked by 3 people

  20. Yiiii! Who knew that in the age of pandemic, renovations would be even more stressful??? Bill and I have been talking about downsizing for a few years. Our idea is to find a small 1-story fixer-upper and renovate it to get the house we want (because I KNOW we will not find one to suit us). Now I am having second thoughts. I never thought about the supply chain disruptions having such a drastic impact on home improvement projects.

    I hope you didn’t give a deposit to the concrete company. I also hope you get a postcard (or several) from your kitchen appliances. I bet they have an interesting story to tell of their voyage.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Laurie, I naively thought that doing these renovations as the pandemic ended would mean that there’d be lots of stuff available, many people ready to work again. Hasn’t happened.

      I like your idea of finding a small house then fixing it. However, as a cautionary tale let me give your an example of one small supply-chain influenced decision. We need to have our kitchen faucet replaced with one that has the same size hole as the current one. There are 5 styles in that size currently available around here, 3 have lousy reviews. Of the 2 with good reviews, 1 has the finish we need to coordinate with the rest of the kitchen. Thus we bought it, the most expensive one, of course. 🙄

      Liked by 1 person

  21. I’ve spent the last two years purging, cleaning, and redecorating my home. I hope to move to a one story smaller house. I have decided on looking later, rather than sooner because I know I will want work done to any place I buy, and right now that won’t be an easy task. Good luck on your remodeling. Maybe send out a search party for the appliances and the concrete guys.

    Liked by 3 people

  22. I tend to be a live and let live kind of person. I rescue all kinds of critters and take them out of the house. But mice… we once set “have a heart” traps for them when we were living in the Sierra foothills. Rescuing them one at a time and setting them free (far from our house). Then of course there were more. They kept showing up. They never give up… unless they are dead. The End.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Robin, I take your point. I don’t like the idea of murdering mice but I won’t live with them in my house. They can have the whole outdoors, acres of it, away from the house. BUT once they step inside Chez Bean, it’s war. 🤨

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  23. One would think we’d get better at learning to wait after all this pandemic nonsense, but it’s never easy, is it? To cool one’s jets, as we say here. Go with the flow. Or our my daughter’s favourite phrase, “CALM down,” delivered with a particular inflection.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Arlene, I’m finding that I’ve used all my patience during the pandemic and have less of it on supply. I am dealing with this calmly, rationally, but I am TIRED of just. waiting. all. the. time. I often say ‘go with the flow,’ but what if there is no flow? I know, I know, stay calm. 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  24. I hate waiting. I’m all about planning and execution. Sorta feel if I’ve expelled the energy then lets get going. I fear our applicances are aboard the same pirate ship as yours. The dish washer is avaible from the local applicance store. I want to buy it and cancel that portion of the “lost at sea” order but my wife wants me to “wait” it out….. I hate waiting.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Danny, I hear ‘ya. I’m inclined to want to plan/do things all at once then move on to new things. But since March 2020 that’s not how my life has been. So. much. waiting. I do hope that if your appliances are roaming the high seas with ours, they are having a good time of it. At least they’re not waiting around, are they? 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  25. Ah the dreaded, and sometimes doomed, home improvements. In our case, many things were put on the back burner as all of my time was dedicated to caring for my aging and failing parents. Now that part of is over and we are starting. No product, or limited supply. No one available to do the work. My wife and I are plugging along doing what we can in the hopes of things getting better. There has been one bright spot, last month we re-carpeted our home. In the beginning of that project, we were told the usual supply chain stuff. Much to our surprise the carpet actually arrived in one month. We’ll take it.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Johnny2Toes, I see you know what we’re going through from personal experiences. It’s tiring to not get what you want on a reasonable timeline– or at least that’s how it is for me. [I realize some people find waiting for things to happen an energy boost, filled with great anticipation of good things to come.] I’m impressed that you got your carpeting in one month. And isn’t it great to have that project crossed off your list?

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      • Yep, it was a great morale booster. The kitchen is next. Let’s see how long it takes to get the materials. On a side note, my sister ordered new bedroom furniture last September, still waiting on final delivery of a couple of pieces.

        Liked by 2 people

        • I know that getting furniture is dicey now. I’ve put that off indefinitely because no way am I waiting for more things to get here. We’ll use what we have. Hope your sister gets her last pieces soon.

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  26. I do so feel for you having all these long-anticipated projects out on hold. And speaking of “hold” I would have to tell you to “hold your horses!”

    I think I may have shared our mice, rats and chipmunk horror stories already, so won’t bore you. We also had them in our camper van, so I had to take out the sleeping bags and pillows to wash and then stash so the critters would not soil them. SO – here we are camping and guess what I forgot to bring?!! Yep.

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  27. Oh, Ally. All those things would make me feel despair as well. I feel for you. I think the mice would do me in; by this point with everything else, I would just lie on the floor in the fetal position.

    Regarding waiting: I guess it depends on what I’m waiting FOR. If it was a new cooktop, for example, I would not be filled with hope and happiness, I would just want it to HAPPEN ALREADY. If it was for a lovely vacation, that would make me excited and hopeful.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Nicole, I thought about going into our bedroom closet and sitting in a corner like I did when I was a kid and got upset. But then I realized that most of the mice are on the other side of the wall in there, so I felt even more demoralized. I can’t sulk in peace.

      I agree with you that it comes down to what you’re waiting for. The cooktop and oven will get here when they do. If we ever go on a vacation again, that could be something to hope for. Sure, it could be fun.

      Like

      • Oh Ally, that gave me a rueful laugh, sitting in the closet, with mice skittering nearby. Lolololsob, truly. The fellow next door is doing a complete renovation, down-to-the-studs, and he thinks it will all be done by June. JUNE! I wonder if he means June 2023.

        Liked by 2 people

  28. I prefer “cool one’s heels.” I sympathize with you on the waiting AND the frustration. There is no such thing as a time line any more and we have to be way too flexible for my liking. When I decide I want things done, I am ready THEN, not months or years later. It sounds like you have a lot going on which is stressful too!

    Liked by 3 people

    • Margaret, I can go with ‘cool one’s heels.’ Heaven knows mine should be frozen about now considering how much waiting I’m doing. You’re right, home improvement projects now require way too much flexibility. I can bend, but how long before I snap?

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  29. I’m waiting for my daughter to find out if she’s working in dc or nyc this summer because I want to utilize her free service as dog sitter. I’m a mildly patient person, so waiting is neutral for me

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  30. A couple weeks ago my husband backed into our garage door…while backing out of the garage to take Katie to the vet. Long story. But anyway, totaled the garage door. New door on order, will be 16 weeks at best. Garage is open to the elements, including rabbits who have made a nest inside, and the neighborhood wandering cat. He says it’s not a problem. If I had backed into the garage door it would have been a crisis. Just saying. PS: We remodeled our home about 10 years ago. It took us 15 years to finish and there was no supply chain issue. You’re going to need the patience of a saint.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Dawn, 16 weeks, huh? I wouldn’t mind the timeline IF there was no wildlife living in the garage in the meantime. We had a rabbit who decided to live in our garage one summer. He’d sleep under the lawnmower that smelled of grass. Good luck.

      This isn’t our first experience with home improvements but I take your point. These [post?] pandemic times have made complicated projects difficult– and formerly simple things nearly impossible.

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  31. We bought a new-to-us place a year ago and are slowly doing our own renovations – kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, etc. So basically I’m waiting for almost everything too, but have no one to blame but us for being slow workers 🙂 Maggie

    Liked by 4 people

    • Maggie, good point about your workers. It’s just so difficult to find responsible people to do things the way you want them done. I admire your drive to do things yourself– and sympathize with you as you wait for the stuff to come in.

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  32. I feel your pain. We renovated one bathroom during the pandemic. Months and months. And your doing two at once? Yikes! I’d hold my horses on adding any more projects. But you’re doing the kitchen too! You’re so much braver than me. You’re an inspiration!

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    • Annie, we’re doing two bathrooms– and few updates in the kitchen where we’re replacing things that aren’t working. Considering how slowly this is going we may have more projects to add before the first ones even begin. I’m not new to renovations, just to doing them post [I hope] pandemic. 😏

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  33. I’ve always been partial to holding your horses. Though honestly, holding more than one horse at a time seems tricky.

    What am I waiting for? Great question, complicated answer, one that I cannot divulge at the moment. But it’s got me and Tara thinking hard. I guess you could say I’m waiting for an answer to the question “Should we or shouldn’t we?” and leave it at that.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Mark, excellent point about holding more than one horse at a time. Am I meant to be on a wagon holding a team or am I holding the reins on one horse? Something to ponder… while I wait.

      As for your cryptic answer to the question, I look forward to your actual answer. Clearly something is up with you two. 🤔

      Liked by 1 person

  34. I don’t have a home of my own since I still live with my parents. We moved into our current home when I was pretty young but I remember how long it took to remodel the house.
    We all had to sleep in one room, for a weeks as the house was being remodeled.

    I remember cleaning the living room at one point when it had rained heavily and water got in because the roof that side wasn’t quite done.

    We haven’t had any mice infestations and I like it that way. Those pesky little things ate some of my books when they invaded my dorm back in school.

    I’m sorry you have to go through this and I hope the exterminators do their job and leave no traces of them.

    I hope you get your kitchen appliances soon too!

    Waiting causes me to worry a lot which makes me feel stuck and anxious. This leads me to not doing the things that will bring me the results I am so anxiously waiting for. A vicious circle but one I’m trying my hardest to break out from.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Ada, it sounds like you’ve been through this remodeling thing as a child. It’s not the inconvenience of the actual work that bothers me as much as not knowing when this will start in earnest. It’s all just a bunch of botheration.

      Not a fan of mice. I look forward to them being gone for good, like you said leaving no traces of them.

      I know what you mean about feeling stuck. That’s what the pandemic has done to me. I want to move forward into a new healthy phase of my life, but I cannot do so until all this work is done. It’s tiring.

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  35. Yuk to the mice. We had them in our garage last year. Not funny — but lucky they never made it into the house.
    I’m so sorry to hear about your renovation delays. What am I waiting for? Currently, I am dressed and ready to go on a hike with Widow Badass. Luckily, she has a better sense of timing and commitment than contractors! 😀

    Liked by 3 people

    • Donna, I’m kind of freaked about the mice, but determined to get rid of them. Hope you and Deb have a good hike. I agree she’s much more reliable than contractors. 😉

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  36. So very sorry for all the waiting, and waiting! I hope everything will be taken care of pretty soon. Especially the mice situation! I could loan you Pippen for awhile. He would have fun chasing those critters😁

    Liked by 3 people

    • Beth, Pippen would be an excellent way to fight the mice. He’s young, with energy, and could entertain me in the process. As for all the house projects, this pandemic has slowed everything down to a dribble. It’s the nightmare that keeps on giving, thwarting me/us at every turn.

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  37. It would be extremely frustrating to have to wait on things, the mice situation in particular would get me. However, I think I much prefer waiting for stuff like that than waiting for the hubby to finish a project he started and took his sweet time about completing. I won’t let him do anything around the house anymore stating that I don’t want him to hurt his back, truth but not entirely.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Janet, good point. Waiting for outsiders to get it in gear and do something is different than waiting for a husband to finish what he started. Not saying that happens around here [it does], but IF it did I’d get pretty darned tired of waiting for Mr. Man to finish what he started.

      Liked by 1 person

  38. I found a stash of bird seed in a box in the middle of my basement one fall that apparently mice brought in. And I found mice drippings in my silverware drawer. It broke my heart but I had to quit feeding the birds. Guess you have to have those feeders a certain distance from you house for the mice not to do that want to use your house to winter over in. We foamed up all along the foundation to keep them out, but I really missed my birds.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Jean, I didn’t know that about birdseed and mice. Interesting. We don’t have bird feeders anymore because of the raccoons who stole them. Just dragged them away. I liked feeding the birds, too– but lesson learned.

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  39. Ugh. I detest mice and live rural hence the two cats who earn their keep. My daughter, who lives rural and has a cat eating dog (don’t ask) has mice and indeed had her vehicle written off as they were in the heating system… so gross.
    As to your appliances and all those who’s are still waiting (like my daughter and your commentors), that must be the party ship! So no one wants to go home and be boring in a kitchen. 🍻🍹Now having said that our dishwasher died on a Friday, Saturday we researched and made some calls, Friday we picked up the dishwasher of our choice and Saturday The Engineer installed it. As to contractors- another Ugh. Much better to be married to The Engineer who pretty much can and will do it all. He’d be pretty stoked that you said concrete and not cement (it’s the one thing that drives him crazy). As to waiting I’m an old hand at holding horses and it’s relatively easy to hold more than one at a time. As to actually waiting I am as impatient as 💩. Bernie ps as usual you are so funny and all the comments and replies give me the chuckles.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Bernie, I’m with you about detesting mice. They can’t fool me, they’re vermin. We used to have cats but I’m so allergic to them that it’s better that we don’t have them. HOWEVER when we did have cats we didn’t have mice.

      Impressive that you found a dishwasher quickly and are married to someone who could install it. Sometimes the pieces fall into place, not too often in my experience, but it can happen. As for holding multiple horses at the same time, seems like I do that, too. It’s just that I’m tired of doing that now and I want everything to be finished and perfect. Too much to ask? Me thinks not. 😁

      Read your comment below about getting a new hybrid SUV and lucky you. My husband looks longingly at every one we see on the road, but has yet to buy one. A matter of time, I figure.

      Like

      • Ah the cats only live outside (garage cats in the winter) so that helps for those that have allergies as some in our family do.
        So excited about the SUV hybrid but I could not wait (as we had been doing) as the fourth deer I hit was the final smash up for said vehicle. The insurance company said no more repairs as it’s not worth it.

        Liked by 2 people

  40. I have had the same wonderings (and frustrations) about supply chain and other general issues of things not working as we are used to them working. Your question got me wondering about impacts of Covid we don’t necessarily see, which got me to look up how many people have died from it. Worldwide, it’s more than 6 million people. And this number doesn’t account for all of those who became seriously ill and didn’t die, and all of those who are struggling with long Covid. And now I’m thinking that it’s really remarkable that things are functioning as well as they are. Many of those who died are elderly and not part of the workforce, but how many people are grieving each of those more than 6 million? How well do grieving people function? Is it perhaps a greater problem that we are expecting things to forge on normally (whatever that is) without really acknowledging the enormity of what we’re (still) dealing with?

    What helps me when household things aren’t going as I’d like is focusing on function. Our kitchen is an aesthetic disaster right now, but for the most part, it works pretty well. It’s comfortable. And the parts that aren’t (no dishwasher for nearly a year now) are OK. We’re having a hard time making some decisions about what we want to do with it. I’m waiting for summer to have some time and space for us to really tackle it. It’s not really a horse holding situation, but more one of cooling our heels.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Rita, I see your point. We’ve endured an enormous amount of change. We’re all dealing with some kind of grief related to Covid-19 and how it has permanently impacted our lives. I don’t expect anything to go back to whatever normal was. In fact the last day I remember life being normal was Obama’s last day as President, so this has been a long slow descent into mediocrity and pain for me, for many people.

      You’re wise to take your time deciding what you want to do about your kitchen. I get that. Cool heels lead to clearer minds– or some such pithiness that I just made up.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Yeah, it’s for-sure not just a Covid thing. When I try to pinpoint when everything shifted for me, the best I can come up with is the spring of 2016, when the Senate refused to consider an Obama nominee for a vacant Supreme Court seat and Trump’s support went up each time he said something more horrific. But I know that the descent into pain actually started earlier than that. That’s just when I suddenly saw it. I really am wondering how, though, all of this results in an inability to get floor tile and a hundred other things. I hope you get the things you need sooner than later. Cane ordered a truck last summer, and they’re now saying it will be here within the next few weeks. So different from how it once was.

        Liked by 2 people

        • I’ve no answer to your pondering but realize you are correct in that it’s a strange confluence of political events + pandemic living that have brought us to a point in time when buying floor tile is a trial. I’m confounded by it, too. I hope Cane gets his truck soon. Seems like he’s waited patiently long enough for it.

          Liked by 1 person

          • He has been patient, and luckily it’s not an urgent need. He has another vehicle that’s working. When he ordered it, they said it would take this long, so he hasn’t expected anything different. So many of our frustrations can come from unmet expectations, I think. I know I’m in the process of adjusting mine about all kinds of things now.

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  42. I feel your frustration. The amount of patience needed to handle all these things at once… Wow. I say, if the weather is nice, go for a walk and forget about your house for a bit.
    The puzzle pic at top is perfection.
    Murdering the mice and removing the carcasses–love how you don’t sugarcoat your intentions here.
    Well done on using “fusty,” which I had to look up.
    No great answers to offer to your questions, but I love the blog comments you included. First one is a hoot. Nice little feature you’re adding there. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    • Betsy, I like your idea of going for a walk. I’ll do that on days with decent weather. There should be more of them now that snow and ice aren’t a threat.

      I thought the puzzle pic was a cool addition to this post. Thanks for noticing. I’ve always liked the word ‘fusty’ but never had occasion to use it. It’s delightfully old-fashioned and descriptive.

      I started adding reader comments every so often because many comments are worthy of note– smart and often funny. I figure it’s a good way for everyone to meet everyone else. Like this is a party, I guess.

      Like

  44. Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear! We had only a minor hiccup getting a new dishwasher last winter because of supply chain issues but, fortunately, our kitchen remodeling happened long before that … about ten years ago, actually. But this makes me wonder about whether we’ll be able to remodel our bathrooms. Right now we’re focused on the outdoors so there’s time, but still …
    I’m not good at waiting in general, but worse if it’s an indefinite wait. I don’t like being at the mercy of others. Yuk. I try to “cool my heels” by just letting go, Que Sera, Sera. Easier said than done.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Marie, I realize I have to wait because there’s nothing I can do to make anything show up faster so I’m being patient, BUT I’M TIRED OF THIS. I know that the remodeling company we’re working with is a good bunch so I trust them to get the stuff eventually. I suspect that these supply chain problems will subside IF Covid-19 is really under control worldwide. You may have zero problems when you tackle your bathrooms.

      I agree, adopting a que sera, sera attitude is difficult. I’m working on it, too.

      Liked by 1 person

  45. Our kitchen remodel commenced … without warning … about six AM on the first morning of our vacation. I went to the kitchen in my bathrobe to get some coffee and saw “Big Johnny” standing at the window staring in at me with a crazy grin on his face and holding a huge sledgehammer – the wrecking crew was standing behind him ready to go. Ugh – remodels! Good luck!

    Liked by 3 people

    • Jan, that’s quite a dramatic beginning for any project, let alone a kitchen remodel. I hope our bathroom projects start at a more reasonable hour with advance warning. Still, just getting started would be a novelty.

      Like

  47. Aww, thanks Ally, for featuring my comment. I’m honored.

    I’m sorry you are having all these setbacks. So very frustrating. Pre-pandemic, for whatever reason, we could not get any contractor out here for estimates for love or money. I imagine now it must be an absolute nightmare.

    Now that the husband has retired, any thoughts I may have had about getting some things done around here are out the window as he is currently freaking out about money (what the hell, dude? He HAD to know that if he quit working the checks would stop coming…)

    Liked by 3 people

    • Gigi, your comment cracked me up. I could see it happening to me so I had to feature it here.

      We’re not new to home improvements, having done many before, but this is the first time that every time I turn around there is an obstacle not of my own making. For once I’m completely clear about what I want, but cannot get it done. Z-D retires later this year which is why we’re trying to get this stuff done now.

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  48. I laughed myself silly over the comments and then saw you had included one from me…which was decidedly unfunny. I want to BE Colleen’s Dad when I get older (and Gigi’s comment was so relatable and would make a perfect joke in a standup routine)!

    In answer to your questions:
    What am I waiting for? A lucky break. But assuming that may never come, I’m just working hard and relaxing often.
    Also, renovations. We have the supplies, but our contractors are running way behind. I hate renovations. Every single step of them. I’m tired of the process (while grateful to be getting things fixed/updated)…but I am ready for the planning, chaos and bills to be behind me.

    Does waiting make you tired, worrying about what might go wrong, leading you to DESPAIR? Or does waiting energize you, anticipating the best, leading you to HOPE?
    Hmm. All of the above, it just depends what I’m waiting for…

    Thinking about the verb “to wait” which of these three idioms is your favorite?
    I have to pick two because I love the word “twiddle”…and my father always said “Hold your horses.”
    Another word, of a similar ilk, I love is lollygagging. My mother used to say “You’re full of bologne” which still strikes me as funny because, to this day, I have yet to ever taste bologne. Oh I love our English language.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Elizabeth, Colleen’s dad is an inspiration– and a hoot. He’s a wily fellow it would seem. Love him for it.

      I wonder if we all aren’t waiting for a lucky break! I hope you get yours in whatever way works for you. I do like the idea of working hard and relaxing in the mean time.

      I want the remodeling to be over here, too. This isn’t our first experience having a house renovated, but with the pandemic it has made this process more difficult. As you know.

      I like the word “twiddle” so I can see why that idiom calls to you. My dad said “hold your horses” often. Maybe that was a dad thing? I suppose I needed to be told that as a child.

      My mother used to advise that you should learn to “lollygag and fritter” so that you’d find balance in your life after working hard. She had a good point that I’ve taken to heart over the years.

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  49. On Saturday we finally took delivery of 2 new living room pieces (each is a “chair-and-a-half”) that I ordered NINE MONTHS AGO! To be honest, once we got the 2 kittens I was in no hurry to get the new furniture, especially the fabric one (the other is leather) since they have claws and, well, you know…
    Also on Saturday, friends came over for dinner and regaled us with stalled bathroom renovation stories much like yours. They are so frustrated! Sorry to hear about all your remodeling stresses. That’s a bummer.

    Liked by 3 people

    • The Travel Architect, nine months for new furniture boggles my mind. I’ve waited a couple of months for special orders before, but nine months? I hope you like your new chairs and half.

      I know that we’re not alone with our slow, tedious, frustrating bathroom projects. It’s exhausting for me, all this waiting after the pandemic seems cruel. BUT I want new bathrooms so I’ll try not to complain about the process. Try, I tell you.

      Liked by 1 person

  50. Waiting for someone to overcome their incompetence frustrates and tires me. The word ‘customer service’ need a prefix, like ‘-dis’… excellent post. “I feel your pains”

    Liked by 3 people

    • Scott, I know what you mean. At this point anything that slows down what I want to do, which is to say just about everything, tires me. I like your idea of *customer DIS-service* being a term we need in our lexicon. 🤨

      Liked by 1 person

  51. I think I am entrenched in the worrying camp as regards waiting, Ally. I blame genetics for that. This pandemic is almost like the universe is testing our patience, which I am trying to interpret as, “encouraging the development of relaxed effortlessness,” formerly known as going with the flow.
    At morning Qi gong, I attach an intention to one particular move, to let go of irritation and annoyances and sometimes it helps! The wait for your renovations to begin seems interminable and I can hear your frustration. 2022 is not easy in lots of ways. Keep trying more concreters. Eventually, we got lucky, (after four months).
    I choose the idiom, “Hold one’s horses.” Cool one’s heels sounds sophosticated,modern and trendy, and twiddle carries Dickensian overtones!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Amanda, I must have a similar genetic code as you do. I worry like my mother did, and presumably her mother before her. I felt the same way about the pandemic being a big ole test to see how well I could worry while carrying on with life as normally as possible. I believe I got an A+! I like your idea of attaching to a daily intention and looking for it throughout the day. Will try that.

      ‘Hold one’s horses’ has been the clear winner among the three choices. In truth, I’m not sure how one actually cools one’s heels. Take off your shoes and socks? Soak your feet in cold water? It seems vague and too open to interpretation to me.

      Like

      • Good luck with the daily intention. And fair point about cooling the heels idiom. Did girls with heels stand outside in the cold? Google of course clarifies the origin: that one’s heels cool down when you stop walking and wait. Mine don’t so I retract my vote and politely abstain.

        Liked by 2 people

        • That’s what that idiom is supposed to mean? I take umbrage with that idea. When I have on walking shoes with socks even when I stop walking my feet are still hot… until I take of my shoes and socks. Pish posh I say! Thanks for looking that up.

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  52. I like “Hold your horses.” It’s something I can visualize, and it makes sense.

    I guess I’m most impatient when I have to wait for anything that interrupts a crucial part of something I’m working on. I tend to be patient about anything related to the pandemic. I figure a worldwide pandemic is a really big deal. Our interdependent world has been running on a knife’s edge. Almost everything we use is somehow dependent on markets thousands of miles away, so if our supply chains are disrupted, it’s only logical.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Nicki, ‘hold your horses’ seems to be the favorite idiom. I get that, we all know what horses look like.

      You raise an excellent point about how the pandemic has made it clear how interdependent we are on this planet. When it comes to being healthy and safe, I’ve been as cooperative as can be during these last 2+ years. You don’t have to tell an introvert to stay home and not spread a virus more than once. My mind understands why I can’t get going on these bathroom projects, but being rational doesn’t make me feel better while I wait. Still. Again.

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  53. In South Carolina, I’ve always heard “hold your horses” more often than the others and that resonates with me most because my grandfather had horses when I was growing up.

    Right now, I’m waiting on my creative brain to recalibrate. I’ve been seeing, or at least noticing more often because I’ve been thinking about it too, how people are talking more and more about the “good ole days” of blogging, which I always think of as the years between 2007-2013/14. This was around the time period I attended college, when I myself was heavily into blogging. I started what I consider to be my first real blog in 2009 as a college sophomore, and I had so much fun writing that blog, building community, and cultivating a side project/hobby. I wish I never would’ve stopped writing there (I wonder all the time what that blog could’ve turned into had I never abandoned it and “rebranded”), but I did jump around from blog to blog A LOT afterward, and eventually I stopped somewhere in my mid-twenties.

    Recently, I started writing a new blog, somewhat hoping to recapture that old creative spirit. I know it may be impossible to do now considering how much has changed. I used to love listening to music and reading my favorite blog’s new posts, even their old ones if I was just discovering them. I have no idea if I will ever engage with blogging the way I used to, but I do miss the personal blogging genre, before everyone started becoming influencers. So I guess I’m buoying between despair that social media has changed so dramatically and hope that if nothing else I can find a way to authentically engage as a personal blogger again.

    Anyway, I’ll stop rambling and lamenting. I hope your renovations get started on time!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Lauren Michelle Brock, thanks for joining in here and *rambling* as you call it. I love it. For some reason your comment came through twice, so I’ll reply to this version and delete the other. The ways of WP can be a mystery.

      ‘Hold your horses’ is the most popular idiom among my commenters. I rather like the idea of twiddling one’s thumbs because they’re right here ready to be twiddled 24/7 but I get that the imagery of horses is compelling.

      I started my first personal blog in 2004 and I, too, remember how much fun it was back in the day. Everyone was learning how to write posts and share photos and make links; there was a sense of genuine camaraderie and we all made sure to check with each other regularly. I felt supported by friends.

      Like you said: I do miss the personal blogging genre, before everyone started becoming influencers. I feel the same way. The last thing I want to be, or involved with, is an *influencer.* I despise that term, btw. I know that people newer to blogging sometimes think of themselves as followers instead of friends. That is a description that I can accept, but I still blog with the idea of making friends. I’m an old-school blogger, a dinosaur, I guess.

      Nice to meet you, friend. 😁

      Liked by 1 person

  54. Ally, I love your visuals, esp. the mice and the pirates. I’ll never think of those flotillas of ships stuck in harbours all over the world waiting to unload, in quite the same way again…..they’re probably all swilling rum and partying. To avoid disappointment re supply chain issues, I have avoided any home reno projects for the past two years, although they are still on the horizon.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Joni, I thought, and I was wrong to think this, that starting our remodeling projects last fall would put us ahead of these supply chain problems. I knew houses were selling quickly and that new owners wanted to do renovations, so I figured we’d get ahead of the trend. Not so, obviously. I’m happy to share the *real* story about what is happening on the ships filled with appliances and other stuff. They’re just party boats, I know it. In fact right now I sense our oven is doing the limbo on the lido deck.

      Liked by 1 person

  55. For 20 or more years, I used to paint houses in the summer to bring extra income when I wasn’t teaching. I’ve always painted our home’s entire interior and exterior (my wife takes on the majority of the daily jobs, and I handle the bigger ones.) This time I’m turning the job over to a contractor. I priced paint today and nearly lost my mind—$78 for a gallon of paint? x 20 gallons = OMG! Still, I have to admit I sure don’t mind going up and down a ladder all day.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Pete, Z-D and I painted the exterior of our house ONCE. We remained married, but vowed to hire someone to paint the exterior of our houses ever after. It’s difficult work as I’m sure you know, but I can understand how it was a good summer job for you. I didn’t know paint was that expensive now but I’m sure we’ll find that to be true when it comes time to buy it for these interior projects. Which are yet to begin. 🫤

      Liked by 1 person

  56. Timely post. I feel your pain. We are in the middle of a kitchen remodel. Waiting for the new countertop, so currently doing dishes in the bathroom sink. Regarding mice…we live in an old farmhouse w/ stone foundation. They come w/ the territory, so I try to keep some delicious poison out for them. As a contractor myself, I love sidewalks and decks. Tend not to have to many surprises and quick turn around (compared to bathroom/ kitchen remodels) Keep your eye on the prize.

    Liked by 3 people

    • DM, I remember when we had our kitchen remodeled and we washed dishes in the bathroom sink! It was a lark at first, but got tiresome after a week or so. I imagine you would have lots of mice considering where you live. We should not have any– and the knowledge that we do gives me the creeps. As for the sidewalk, I’m not convinced the company has taken off with our deposit. We’ve worked with them before and they may be focusing on the big projects before they deal with our simple little sidewalk. They weren’t bad people and did great work, so fingers crossed.

      Liked by 1 person

  57. I have a project but decided to just put it on the back burner for right now. I did get a small project done only because the contractor is a personal friend. It’s a strange time that is for sure. House prices are outrageous here so people are staying in place and updating, but then you can’t update because of contractors and supplies. Frustrating for sure. If we were having coffee, I’d share some rodent stories, but will spare everyone here. I hate all rodents even those with furry tails.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Judy, you’re wise to wait if you can. You’ve nailed the problem for us, too. Houses are selling quickly for asking prices and above. Then the new owners want to remodel what they bought but the contractors and supplies don’t exist. We’re lucky that we have an ongoing decade-long relationship with our contractor so they bumped us up the list of projects, BUT they can’t get what they need to start our relatively modest [by their standards] projects. So we all wait. As for death to mice, that’s supposed to commence on Monday. Fingers crossed.

      Liked by 1 person

  58. I’m still waiting for my ship to come in. 🚢
    Waiting usually makes me philosophical as I try to deal with the brewing feelings of frustration. I like the idea of twiddling my thumbs, finding distractions. All those shipping delays are starting to show up on HGTV programs as builders and renovators struggle to meet their deadlines with alternate work-arounds. (I watch a lot of HGTV.)

    Liked by 3 people

    • Barbara, ‘waiting for your ship to come in’ is a good saying that suggests aspirations yet to be fulfilled, but like you I find waiting to be, often, frustrating. How much thumb twiddling can a person do before she goes nuts? THAT’S MY QUESTION. I haven’t watched HGTV recently. I find it interesting that they’re also dealing with these supply chain problems. In theory I’m all about work-arounds, but in reality I’m spending a lot of money on these bathrooms and I want what I want.

      Liked by 1 person

  59. It’s crazy that you are having to wait for so many people. I mean, I understand the supply chain issues, but the PEOPLE issues are bizarre. Where do they disappear to? Is there an alien ship that is taking them away and is that where all the workers have disappeared to?

    I love the comments on being lost-people are so funny.

    I’m always waiting for someone, but it appears that I have some of them coming THIS week to finish some work. *not holding my breath though*

    I’m a Hold Your Horses kind of girl.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Suz, this is the first time in my experience that all our home improvements projects have become drudgery. I mean it’s a bother to not have a kitchen while one is being remodeled, but there’s progress going on. ii can deal with that.

      This time round it’s all about waiting and no matter how I hold my horses I’m grumpy about it. Hope your workers show up this week and finish what they started. That’d be good for you and encouraging for me.

      Liked by 1 person

  61. The image at the top is perfect for these times. Puzzles and patch work.
    The image of appliances as pirates partying has to be true. We have the range hood in the “new” black stainless that matches the fridge/dishwasher, but trying to replace a working stovetop – works, but the color and would like the updated burners sizing/functions. I have given up and just left the hood in the box in the guest room. Just hoping the ancient microwave hangs in there so we don’t have to go needle in the haystack hunting for a matching new one.
    Mice are creepy. They were here in the attic when we moved in, but we finally got rid of them. (They drove RC cat crazy overhead – she tipped us off. Maybe you can borrow a cat to toss in the attic – at our first house, a neighbor asked to borrow one of ours who was a really good hunter. Cat moved into her attic for a few days, then done with eviction/destruction of the varmints. That was a pretty happy ( and tired cat) when it returned. We laughed, but it doesn’t sound so whacky now.Good luck with it all!

    Liked by 4 people

    • philmouse, I understand your dilemma/defeat about your kitchen appliances. All of ours are working, more or less. The new oven would be a blessing as the one we have now is random about what temperature it is actually using. We’ve run into the “new” black stainless steel problem in that we don’t want it, but there it is available when “normal” stainless steel isn’t.

      I am NOT A FAN of mice. I love your story about lending your cat out for varmint control. Talk about an animal earning its keep.

      Yep it’s all a puzzle. We put together the one in the image at the top of this post over the winter and I loved all the doors. Some puzzles charm me more than others.

      Like

  62. Supply chain. Sigh. Hard right now, right? And yet, what I’m waiting for appears to be less tangible than goods. You ever feel like you’ve been closing a chapter for some time? And you can feel the desire for the new chapter in life, and yet, it’s not happening? Yep. That:).

    Liked by 3 people

    • I so get what you’re saying, candidkay. THAT is exactly where I find myself with these projects. Once they are completed I can do what I want after two years of pandemic living. I want to close many chapters and will do so once we get the house in order.

      Liked by 1 person

  63. Oh Ally I feel your renovation pain! We are 2 years in and on a definite go slow now, savour your dust free, rubble free, tool free, workman free house until your kitchen appliances sober up and row their way towards you.

    I oscillate between despair and gratitude, some days I think if I live in this mess a moment longer, I’ll go crazy, other days I look around at all we’ve achieved so far & feel so lucky to live here, mess or no mess . It usually depends on how long I’ve had to spend looking for the car keys/tape measure / telephone / left shoe / hairbrush/ right shoe / insert other random object likely to get buried under a pile of crap here .

    Good luck with your project, it’ll be worth it in the end (or so I keep telling myself).

    Liked by 2 people

    • Rae Cod, I like your idea that our appliances just need to sober up and start rowing toward shore. Sooner would be better than later.

      We’ve had the kitchen and primary ensuite bathroom and our laundry room remodeled. All of that was before the pandemic, but I remember the mess and not being able to find things. I can understand how you waver between despair and gratitude. I’m sure I’ll be in that place when this finally starts. Good luck right back at you for your projects. We can do this!

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  64. I love your question, Ally. Waiting. For a trip, to get somewhere? I’m trying to think of a time that I enjoy waiting. Phones and other electronic devices make waiting more bearable.

    Liked by 4 people

  65. I always tell Charlotte to hold her horses so I am a bit bias there to that one! 🙂

    The year Charlotte was born, we did a lot to our house (a year and a bit before pandemic)… our house isn’t old but it needed a bit of updating in terms of making it ideal for our family. We got people in to tear up the old rotting deck and put in a new one, the master closet was redone with a custom closet which truly was life-changing! We also renovated both bathrooms upstairs (the master ensuite and the 2nd floor bathroom) as they were the most outdated bathrooms in the house! I am so glad we took the time we did to do it because there really isn’t much to do anymore (that’s pressing.. the rest are just “nice to haves”)! Good luck with your renos, I know it can be a pain but ultimately worthwhile in the end!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Jen, your favorite idiom is the one that almost all commenters have picked. It’s a good image.

      I’m hanging onto the words in your last sentence: ultimately worthwhile in the end! You did a lot of good updates to your home. I’m intrigued by the idea of a custom closet– and not at all jealous that you have one. We still have to find someone to replace our deck in addition to what we have planned already. When the deck is finished we’ll be to your “nice to have” situation. Looking forward to that day.

      Liked by 1 person

  67. How frustrating Ally! And you went through the issue of the long wait for the replacement of your deck and also the back-ordered Adirondack chairs last year. I heard a blurb on the news yesterday that dishwashers may be ordered but could take up to a year to fulfill the order and get it installed due to the computer chip shortage. I mentioned that to Barbara after her dishwasher died and she decided to just wash the dishes the old-fashioned way. Good luck with that and your mouse infestation – I hope the pest control works. I read about Shelley’s mouse issues in their rental property. Not great – any of this.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Linda, we STILL haven’t found anyone to replace the deck, despite talking with a few men– all of whom I wouldn’t trust to finish what they started. The Adirondack chairs did finally get here and we built them ourselves. I know that the computer chip shortage is impacting many appliances and computers. IF our oven and cooktop are indeed already on a ship waiting to be unloaded, THEN we’ll dodge that issue… until our dishwasher or fridge give up the ghost. As for the mice, ICK to the nth degree. That problem has me freaked.

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      • Ally, I just assumed your deck got done as didn’t Z-D’s incident happen in 2020? It seemed like a long time ago. I told Pam Lazos to ask you if you had a Trex deck if it was slippery as I thought you were going that route. After I mentioned how slippery the Trex deck was at the fishing pier, the topic came up. They are getting a new deck this year.

        That’s terrible you are still waiting for the deck too. I thought the main issue was still moving the goods rather than the computer chip shortage so that surprised me about that hang-up. I have ordered a whole-house generator as this erratic weather worries me for Winter. I have nowhere I could go if we had a prolonged cold spell and no electricity. We once had no electricity for a week in the Winter (when weather was normal). I also worried about the pipes freezing. We only have a handful of hotels around here right now. So I was told it may be later in the Summer/early Fall and that IS a supply chain issue. The mice would be the most frustrating to me. I’m scared of things that move faster than me – I don’t like them out in the yard, but that’s their domain. But inside the house is not tolerable. I’m already dealing with the annual little ant siege.

        Liked by 2 people

        • Yes, the deck stairs gave way in 2020. Here’s what happened after that. We talked in person with three contractors about the deck and did decide we’d use Trex when we did it. HOWEVER the estimates we got were over the top and the online reviews of these people were less than glowing, so we decided to wait. Just last week we got the name of another company to investigate– which we’ll do once the bathrooms are finished. [I dream.]

          You’re wise to get a generator. We’ve had our electricity disrupted for days in the winter and it gets cold quickly inside the house. I know I was concerned about the pipes freezing. We’ve yet to spring for a generator but some neighbors have them.

          As for the mice, what you said is exactly how I feel about unwanted critters. 🤬

          Liked by 1 person

          • That’s interesting about the deck reviews. My boss lives in a city with many old trees and loses his power at least once a year, the last time for a week in Winter. They have a portable generator and can run the cord through the back door and they have a fireplace, so that’s not so bad. I do not have a place to store a portable generator and didn’t like the idea of leaving my side door open to accommodate the cord. I let all my taps drip on very cold days, even with the power on, but that would not be enough to keep the pipes warmed. You have a lot going on right now Ally – good luck with all of it.

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  68. I think all of us have been complaining for years that it’s hard to get anyone to show up, no less to do the job. I don’t understand it. I wish you well and hope that the work gets done soon and the appliances magically show up. I bought my fridge right in the middle of some kind of shipping embargo with Samsung. It was the only counter-depth lower freezer fridge I could find. Took bloody forever. But lowes gave me a loaner so…; that worked. Good luck!

    Liked by 3 people

    • Zazzy, I know! It seems odd to me that it is as difficult as it is to get work done around a house. But that’s the reality. Interesting about your fridge. We have the same size and style as yours. I look at ours and say a silent prayer that it keeps working.

      Liked by 1 person

  70. Mice (shudder). My mother had them regularly, and rats too. Her Siamese cat used to point at them. Useless creature never got the idea that he was meant to catch them. Rodents never bothered her, whereas I’ve been phobic for years. Oddly enough, when there’s dead rodents to be dealt with, it’s me she calls.

    As for your endless waiting – I feel for you. Supply chain sagas are the worst. I’m sure your home will be positively spiffing once you’ve got it all in & done. The waiting and the mess though….

    I’m a Hold Your Horses kinda girl. But may I offer an idiom from Chez Debs? Today I am Spitting Blood & Feathers. A particularly annoying colleague has caused all kinds of problems and is pretending its everybody’s fault other than her own. It would still have been a huge problem to solve, but an acknowledgement and an apology would’ve gone a long way. And breathe….

    Liked by 3 people

    • Deb, the mice infestation has me creeped out. It is humorous that your mother calls you to catch them. As for a cat that doesn’t know what to do about rodents, I suspect there are many of them pretending to be useful.

      I’ve never heard the idiom “Spitting Blood & Feathers.” I get what it means and why you’re feeling like you do. Nothing more aggravating than someone who blames other people for their own failings. A certain former so-called President comes to mind. 🤔

      Liked by 1 person

      • Ain’t that the truth 😦 We’ve got a lot of that going on with our current shower of a governmental.

        I suspect my Mum’s relaxedness (is that a word?) relates to having lived in a house with a water rat, where they had to flush before use (and after). I’m freaked out even by the thought….

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  71. Oh, dear. The mice part is the worst. Everything else can somehow resolve itself eventually (yet, ahem, that sidewalk!), but an infestation is a whole other level of OMG. I do hope you can eradicate them from your home. All of our new kitchen appliances are now safely arrived and sitting in our living room — well ahead of the actual kitchen renovation itself. I’m glad/not glad to have them at this point. – Marty

    Liked by 3 people

    • Marty, you said it. The mice thing has upset me the most. It’s unnerving and worrisome. How? Why? Ick.

      It’s encouraging to know your appliances arrived safely. Better to have them in hand [in living room?] than to wonder where they are. As for the sidewalk, we’ve worked with this company before so I’m surprised about the no-show. They seemed like a good group, so still have my fingers crossed.

      Liked by 1 person

  72. Mice?? UGGGGHHH! I remember when we had mice at the house where I grew up. There is nothing more disconcerting than going to the bathroom in the middle of the night and flicking on a light to find a mouse on the rim of your bathtub, blinking at you. My grandmother was visiting at the time. I’ll just say that mouse met its doom very quickly.

    Renovations are so hard. A friend had her kitchen redone. As for what I’m waiting for–feedback on the book I just wrote with a friend. We submitted it to our critique group before sending it to her agent.

    Liked by 3 people

    • L. Marie, I like your grandmother! I am so NOT happy about this mice situation and will be pleased to see the rodents gone. Forever, I hope.

      You’re waiting for something much more interesting than what I’m waiting for. When do you get the critique back? I bet you’re ready to get onto the agent part of the publishing journey. Very cool, that you’ve done this.

      Liked by 1 person

  73. Oh Ally, I’m cooling my heels on a bathroom remodel as well. Our second floor update was supposed to be finished in a few weeks and instead, won’t have even started. So I guess we’re in the same boat – but not the one with your countertop.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Katie, I knew you were planning a bathroom remodel, too. I’m tired of waiting, but know there’s nothing we can do to speed ours up, and as for the stuff for the kitchen that’s even more a shade of gray. It’s odd to be this much at loose ends about something that costs a king’s fortune.

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  74. Hi ally bean!
    Imagining the appliances on the high seas with rum was pretty funny- but not funny that you have had these delays and wondering what happened to the concrete company??
    We need to have some concrete poured to extend our driveway (just a bit) and the first guy I spoke with a few months ago was “weird” and still scratching my head over how awkward he was!
    We need To have the phone company move their wires and so it will take longer than expected – but we just want it done sometime this year – no hurry on that project
    And that goes into your question about waiting –
    I like “hold your horses”

    Liked by 4 people

    • Yvette, ‘hold your horses’ has been the winner among these three idioms. It’s easy to envision and apt.

      I’d love to have an oven that was accurate, but I also realize that we have an oven that works in its own way so I’m trying to not be irritable about our appliances on the high seas. As for the concrete company, beats me.

      The phone company will move wires? That in and of itself is impressive. I hope that it happens for you sooner rather than later.

      Liked by 1 person

  75. The cycle of being on hold forever is draining. While you know things will eventually happen…it doesn’t make it any easier. Once you get the mice cleaned up, the solution to keeping them away is dryer sheets. Really! They smell good and the mice hate it. When we put the tractor away in the barn for the winter, we stuffed it with dryer sheets, and no mice damage to the wires this spring.

    Liked by 3 people

  76. Oh my, Ally. It sounds like you are stuck in a nightmare about renovating. The mice sound terrible. I do hope the exterminator gets every one of them and removes every single carcass and they don’t come back. I like my home mice-free, and also bug free. Bugs like spiders and moths can be a problem here in Australia, and it takes constant maintenance to keep them at bay and coming inside.

    I don’t like waiting, but sometimes waiting is inevitable and it teaches me how to be patient.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Mabel, thanks for your kind comment. I am freaked out about the mice, but hopeful that the extermination company will do their best to get rid of the rodents. I didn’t know about the spider & moth problem in Australia. That’d bother me, too.

      Good point about learning patience while waiting. I’ll be the queen of patience before all these projects are finished. 🙄

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      • Hopefully no more mice come back after the exterminators have worked their magic. It would so unsettling if not. Here in Australia there’s nothing much I can do about exterminating spiders, moths and creepy crawlies – they just show up from the backyard or appear out of nowhere lol.

        Hopefully you don’t wait too much longer 🙂

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  77. Morning, Ally. Your house-related problems make me realize how lucky my wife and I were in late 2019/early 2020. Back then, just before the pandemic started, we had a kitchen stove and a big TV delivered and installed. It’s easy to take things like that for granted.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Neil, you said it. We took availability for granted too. We put off these projects even though we were talking about them in the fall of 2019. Our la-de-dah attitude made sense then, now… less so.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Kara, a vacation sounds lovely, the eye surgery less so. Good luck with the job search. As for the mice, as I stand here typing this reply the exterminators are doing their thing. Buh-bye little rodents.

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  79. I couldn’t bear hearing about the mice murder planning! Had enough of roof rat problems for the last 25 years (and I love pet rats).
    Waiting, hmm. I would say twiddle my thumbs comes closely to my reaction to waiting. Tapping my foot. Rocking in my seat. Counting the number of bricks in the wall. Unless I have a book in hand.

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  80. I’m so glad that “ exterminators are doing their thing. ”, Ally! I’m curious about their technique? Are these the tiny white field mice or the mega brown rats?

    I’ve been through both in different places. Hired exterminator professionals. I’m here to encourage you and offer you hope! In both cases my exterminators did get those critters!

    I’m on the DIY flea exterminator process (that I blame the owners’s of all the cats who let the cats out and continue to feed them along with the ferrel cats outside). Both are against our ordinance laws here.

    Its been one week and I think that I have conquered the last flea and eradicated all their eggs. Lastly, today is another bath for Yorkie, red wine in a luxurious bath for me!

    Fingers crossed for both of us!!

    Liked by 2 people

    • TD, these are tiny field mice who have the whole forest behind the house to live in, but no… they nest inside our attic. I don’t like these rodents at all.

      The exterminators have sucked out all the insulation in the attic using a large machine, then will fill any holes and put in new insulation. It’s a noisy project but not as messy as I feared it’d be. So far so good.

      I don’t have any experience with flea removal. That sounds lousy but necessary. I hope your wine and bath were the wonderful reward you deserve.

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      • I like the method that your exterminators are using!

        Yes, I enjoyed my luxurious bath Dr Teal’s eucalyptus salts for my aching body. The best reward to my surprise was waking up to walking in such clean floors in my bare-feet and knowing Yorkie is feeling itch relief.

        It’s been a long process of pesticide outside and inside, letting that do its thing, then me cleaning the pesticide off of everything. I’m probably an over-do-er in that category. I cannot change my neighbors or their living habits, but I can care for my own property and housing. Home is always my sanctuary. Today is a day of rest.

        Yes, the mice and rats (unwanted critters) bother me. Ridiculously, so. Hopefully you are finding relief too!

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  81. I waited to reply until I was the 112th commenter. I hope you weren’t holding your breath waiting for me? 😉 I am now waiting to hear how it goes with the exterminator…we’re going through the same thing with mice, only not in the ceilings, but in our garage walls and stairs. We’re doing most of the work ourselves and anticipate that replacing the wood on our stairs will be a supply chain issue or REALLY expensive? More so than it cost to build 30 years ago.
    On a construction note, in the spring of 2020, we remodeled a rental unit and rented it to a couple in October. They are building a house two doors down from the rental unit. They said they’d be there less than 6 months. They are waiting for so many things on their house so they’re still living in our rental unit. I suspect they are thankful for a place to live with heat and electricity. And, of course, we’re thankful for paying renters who take care of the place.
    I’m done rambling…! 😉 For this post. LOL

    Liked by 2 people

    • Shelley, thank you for being the 112th commenter. You know the 112th commenter is always my favorite. 😁

      I’ve no doubt that you’ll encounter supply chain delays AND your supplies will cost more than you expect. Like you’ve said home improvement projects used to be fun, but now they seem like drudgery. Still I want those new bathrooms with all the bits and bobs working. You’re fortunate to have good renters right now, but I do feel sorry for them trying to build a home considering all the extra probs.

      As for the mice issue… the exterminators started yesterday by removing all the insulation from the attic. Today, weather permitting, they’ll be back to repair holes and install the new insulation. I wish you well doing your project yourself, it is a lot of work regardless of where the evil little mice live.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dave, I agree! Paint chips are useful in a practical sense, and wonderful in a figurative sense. Heaven knows this blog’s readers & commenters are about as varied and colorful as can be. 😁

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  83. When I’m waitin’, my foot starts twitchin.’ So I prefer not be waiting while I’m sitting in traffic but instead look up at the puffy clouds making the shape of a dragonfly. When standing in line at the grocery story, instead of waiting I prefer to stand on one leg, balancing in tree pose, getting yogic points. When I wait for the timer to tell me my chocolate chip cookies are baked and ready to come out, I smell the sweetness and remember when I used to make these for my kids, and how they thought I was a master chef.
    To keep me sane, I have no plans to change our outdated bathrooms. That wait would be tough to come up with thinking up of something fun…. :-0 Good luck as you …. wait.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Pam, love this! You know yourself and how you wait in different situations. I like your tree pose while in line at the grocery. I recently read that you should stand on one leg while you wash dishes, alternately legs of course. I’ve been trying to do that. You’re wise to avoid home improvements right now. This has turned into a longterm commitment to maybe getting things done sometime this spring, perhaps. 🙄

      Liked by 1 person

  85. Well, I hope by now you’ve heard something on at least one of your projects, Ally! As for me, I am waiting for my retirement date. Now that it’s set, I just want to get on with it! I am also waiting for a new car that is expected to be delivered within the next two weeks. Waiting can make me feel energized…if I’m sure of the thing I am waiting for. I hate waiting when I’m not sure of when (or if) something will arrive. You can only hold your horses for so long. 😉

    Liked by 2 people

    • Christie, the mice have been sent to their maker. The attic is now disinfected and filled with new insulation, so that is progress. The concrete company [who we’ve worked with before and did excellent work] now say they’ll be here in June, so that’s progress.

      Z-D is planning to retire on the last day of September and he feels the same way as you– let’s get on with things! I’d love to be waiting for a new car. That is the kind of waiting that energizes. YAY you!

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  86. UGH, this kind of waiting stresses me out. I am afraid that a lot of things don’t even get planned because I hate the stress of things being in limbo.

    I look forward to hearing that your projects are complete, however, with your new kitchen appliances, new bathrooms, new sidewalk, and NO MICE!

    Liked by 3 people

    • J., you’ve nailed my problem with this kind of waiting, it’s all about being in limbo. I cannot make anything happen faster, yet I have no one except myself for planning these project. Well, I blame the mice for that project, but you get my point. I. Must. Wait. 😟

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  87. Hi Ally Bean, sorry to be late to the house decorating blog post–but it sounds like “late” is theme of the year. Wishing you luck in getting your projects accomplished. Or at least patience. And that can be so hard. xoxo

    Liked by 3 people

    • Kathy, thanks for commenting. The home improvements are beginning to happen, but not after way too much waiting. The mice are gone now, but the oven is still sailing the high seas. And the bathrooms? Supposedly we start that project next week.

      Liked by 2 people

  88. Pingback: Author Mabel Kwong- PRIORHOUSE INTERVIEW (MAY 2022) – priorhouse blog

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